Writing and Publishing News

I’ve been writing for publication since 1973. Over the years, when life got crazy, work piled up and deadlines loomed, I often hired someone to help out. I’ve hired housekeepers to keep my world outside the office organized and to give me more time for my work. Before the computer and the Internet, I hired someone to help me mail out queries to magazine editors. I’d give her a list of names and addresses and a stack of query letters on various topics and she would prepare my self-addressed-stamped envelopes and send them with the letters. I once hired someone to type an entire 360-page book into a computer so I could revise it and reprint it. I’d written that book on a typewriter in 1983.

Years ago when my grandchildren were younger, I’d hire them to help me handle and move boxes of books, prepare large mailings and so forth. And I still find it necessary to hire help. We all need someone outside of ourselves and our circle of friends to edit, proof and/or critique our book manuscripts before they go to print. Some of us need to hire a cover designer and a page layout person.

Many authors today, however, believe that they can do all that is necessary to prepare a book for publication, except, perhaps, publish the book. They self-edit, which is a good idea. We all need to self-edit. But we also need to turn our manuscripts over to another set of eyes before we consider them finished.

Some authors today design their own covers—they have a vision or they just want something simple. And many of these do-it-yourself covers are inferior in design.

Many other authors turn their manuscripts over to the first company representative that expresses an interest and the author trusts them to handle the editing, formatting, cover and publication. They might pay more than they would had they used qualified professionals or they might pay less. In either case, they are likely to get an inferior product in the end.

What is an author to do?

• Study the publishing industry—read books on publishing early in your writing process, subscribe to magazines and newsletters and read them, join organizations and clubs and participate. Know something about the industry before you get involved.

• Start saving up your money to hire a qualified editor. If you plan to self-publish (establish your own publishing company) or go with a pay-to-publish company, commission a cover designer, and, if necessary, a page layout person.

For an in-depth understanding of the publishing industry and your responsibility as a published author, read Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.

This book includes everything from the writing of your book to copyright law, from how to choose a publisher, how to be the publisher (complete with a timeline), and how to promote your book.

If you want a more hard-hitting book on book promotion, order Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.

If you need help using your personality to sell books, read Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.

These books are available at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. Or purchase them here, http://www.matilijapress.com

As you progress through the world of writing and publishing and you come face-to-face with your readers, you will learn a lot about your writing and about your readers. You’ll discover that a story or a nonfiction book is not always what you think it is and it won’t affect all of your readers in the same way. This seems to be especially true and noticeable in fiction.

The overwhelmingly large majority of those who’ve read my Ojai Valley history (produced in 1983) and my books for authors and freelance writers (which I began writing in 2000), LOVE them. I am accustomed to hearing rave reviews and gushing praise for these books. It feeds an author’s soul to know he/she is making a difference for a segment of readers.

Sure, I’ve received negative comments over the years for these books. While they’re few and far between, there are people who think I should have focused more on certain aspects of the local history or I should have included more tips specifically for fiction writers or more Internet marketing tips in my books for authors. There are always a few who have their own ideas about what your book should be and how it should be organized.

Readers of fiction, however, can be even more critical as to how a story is executed. A work of fiction seems to be more personal to the reader because a story is more apt to touch a nerve. A story often evokes emotions—in fact, that’s its primary job, isn’t it? And if something in the story reminds a reader of a sad or frightening time, it could sour the whole book for that person.

If the reader sits down to read, hoping to be taken away on a white horse and the story, instead, takes her to a place of discomfort, her opinion of that book won’t be favorable. If something in the book angers her, causes her to recall someone she despises, or reminds her of a period in her life she’d rather forget, she may consider the story too sad, too violent, poorly written…

My point is, a negative review or critique might be more about the reviewer or the critic than your story—especially if you receive positive comments from most others.

So should you (or I) disregard negative comments? I don’t think so. I think we need to pay attention to what every critic says about our work. Mull it over, compare it with what others have said, ask people you can trust if the criticism rings at all true to them and then decide if you will make any changes to your book before the next printing, for example.

Reviews are certainly valuable on many levels. So don’t shy away from them. But it can be difficult for authors to accept and embrace all critique as valid.

I hope this has given you a little insight as to how the reviews you collect can vary to such a degree. If not, tomorrow, I will go out on a limb and discuss some of the five-star and one-star (even a no-star) reviews I’ve received for my first two Klepto Cat Mysteries: Catnapped and Cat-Eye Witness.

Yesterday we discussed some of the attitudes authors have and excuses they make that holds them back from succeeding with their books. Here are four more actual excuses I’ve heard from authors.

4: “I have publishers interested in my book so I don’t want to promote it.” I got this response after asking an author if she’d like to participate in a book festival. I think I convinced her that she could be selling some of the copies she has in her garage and making some money while continuing to wait for a publisher to commit to publishing her book. As a matter of fact, impressive sales might just tip the scale in her favor

5: “I don’t feel like being around that many strangers.” An author told me this when I suggested a bookselling opportunity to him. It’s hard to sell books when there aren’t very many people around

6: “You can’t sell books at book signings.” Of course, I’ve also heard, “Publishers don’t buy books from first time authors,” “You have to have an agent in order to get a publishing contract,” and other fallacies. The truth is, you definitely can’t sell books at a signing if you don’t show up.

7: “I don’t like getting up in front of a group.” I also hear, “I don’t want to mess with building a website,” “I hate approaching people to review my book, give me testimonials, publish my article, etc.” I tell these authors that personality sells books. In fact, personality is probably the most important factor in selling some books. An author who wants to sell books, is going to have to become more proactive and more people-oriented.

Authors who make these excuses—who prefer to stay within their comfort zone and out of the limelight—can probably expect to be one the over 78 percent of authors who fail every year.

Instead, I urge you to stop making excuses that interfere with your publishing and bookselling goals. Educate yourself about the publishing industry and become proactive and assertive on behalf of your project.

One way to educate yourself is to study books like those I produce for authors. I recommend “Publish Your Book,” “Promote Your Book” and “Talk Up Your Book.” They’re all available at Amazon in print, audio and for Kindle. You’ll find them at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com

Now that the days are shorter and you’re staying in more, consider reading my two Klepto Cat Mysteries: Catnapped and Cat-Eye Witness. Both are at Amazon.com for Kindle. Learn more about them here: http://www.matilijapress.com/Klepto-Cat-Mysteries/index.html

I meet a lot of authors, in person at writers’ group meetings and conferences, online at forums and discussion groups, and via email, when they write asking for information or advice. And I’m always surprised at how many of them are getting in the way of their own publishing success.

Sure, some of them attend writers’ conferences and meetings and they seek out help. But, instead of embracing the wisdom in the workshops they attend, the counsel they receive and the books/articles they read, some authors reject it as soon as they hear it

Others avoid the study. They hide out in their writing rooms focused on their books without ever learning anything about what lies ahead—the complex and competitive publishing industry.

If you dream of writing, producing and selling many copies of your book, you’ll have to take every aspect of the process seriously. And this means listen to the experts with an open mind, accept even some of the hard tasks as very real possibilities in your publishing path and take the necessary steps.

Here are the seven top excuses I hear from authors who just don’t want to step outside their comfort zone in order to launch a successful book project. It’s not that they don’t want success. Oh yes, they hope to create a bestselling book. They want to land a major publisher and start receiving large royalty checks. They dream of retiring on the earnings from their books. But they don’t want to do what it takes.

Read through the following excuses and see if you think these authors will attain the level of success they desire

1: “I’ll write a book proposal after I write the book. I don’t want to be distracted from the writing.” This excuse generally comes from hopeful authors of nonfiction after I suggest that they write a book proposal to make sure they are on the right track with the focus and slant of their books.

The fact is, there are so many books out there now, that the competition for most books is enormous. It is important to find out if the book you plan really does have an eager audience. Proceed with a business, self-help, how-to, reference or other nonfiction book without checking the competition and your proposed audience and you could be writing the wrong book for the wrong audience within the wrong time period.

Be aware of the market before entering into the publishing game with your great nonfiction book idea. Write a business plan for your book and you will know if you’re making a good decision or one that is ego-based

2: “I don’t need an editor—if the publisher likes my manuscript, he’ll have it edited.” Yes, traditional royalty publishers do have editors on staff. If they issue you a contract, they will, at some point, turn your manuscript over to their editorial team. The condition of your manuscript when you submit it is not quite a matter of life and death, but it certainly is a matter of acceptance or rejection. Submit a manuscript that is less than your best effort and you risk immediate rejection.

3: “I don’t need to develop a marketing plan because this book will sell itself.” I actually had a gentleman tell me this. I tried, but there was no way that I could help him understand the nature of bookselling (or selling anything, for that matter). Promotion is about getting exposure, having your book become known, putting it before your audience… And if you don’t do that, no one will know about it, which means they certainly will not purchase it.

(Lame excuses 4-7 tomorrow.)

Start your study of the publishing industry by reading the book I wrote for you: Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s at Amazon.com in print, for Kindle and audio. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html

I’d like to introduce another client of mine. Jerry Malugeon is the author of The Black Dog and the Cyclone Racer: Helping Loved Ones With Depression and Bipolar Disorders. I asked him to respond to a few questions.

Patricia: What is your background as a writer?

Jerry: I have always loved to write. I wrote a great deal as a young child and teenager and did quite a number of essays, short stories and other forms of written communication in college and in all of my career assignments. I wrote a series of reports for the State of California (about 30), which were published by the state as well as reported in news services throughout the state. I have written just one book, The Black Dog and the Cyclone Racer: Helping Loved Ones with Depression and Bipolar Disorders, but a second book is currently under development. I also have a readership of 2,000+ readers of my weekly essays relating to helping loved ones with a mental illness, articles which are published throughout the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and England.

Patricia: Why did you decide to write this book?

Jerry: I decided to write this book when it became increasingly clear to me that many families and individuals, who were involved with the challenges that accompany helping someone with a brain illness, had inadequate knowledge of how to go about doing that. A few books on the subject had already been published, but they were either too technical, not specific enough or just simply didn’t meet the needs of this audience. I believed that a hard-hitting, step-by-step handbook on how to help a loved one with an insidious disease had a good chance of being successful. I thought I could write that book. And, based on the feedback I have received from those who have read and used the ideas and tools suggested in my book, I have succeeded in what I set out to do.

Patricia: Tell me a little about your process of writing this book.

Jerry: It took over five years and involved extensive reading (about 20 books and several hundred articles, reports and studies), research (worldwide) and the support, guidance and encouragement of four respected and widely known psychiatrists who faithfully read my manuscript and made numerous suggestions to improve the accuracy and usability of the completed work.

Patricia: Who is the audience for this book?

Jerry: Anyone who has the great and demanding challenge of helping someone diagnosed with a mood disorder, an organic illness adversely affecting the brain. It is for those who are involved in the eventual management of symptoms caused by the disorder, and who hope to assist their loved one arrive at a place in their personal recovery where they can enjoy a functional, happy and fulfilling life. This audience primarily includes companions, family members and caregivers throughout the world.

Patricia: What are you doing to promote this book?

Jerry: I am promoting my book through regular contacts within the DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance), NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), MHA (Mental Health America), CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association), ARAFMI (Australia), MHAPS (New Zealand Mental Health Advocacy and Peer Support) and England’s NHS (National Health Service’s Mental Health) agencies. I also promote the book through book fairs, my Website, blog postings, articles which are regularly published worldwide and through its availability on the Internet’s Amazon Book Store.

Patricia: What are you working on now?

Jerry: I have another book in the pipeline. This is a group of 100 selected essays pertaining to helping a loved one who has a mood disorder to a lasting recovery. These essays will be chosen from my articles already developed and previously disseminated. I have 70 completed and will reach 100 sometime next May. Selecting the final 100 should occur during summer 2014 and I hope to be in print (softcover, similar to first book in format) next fall.

Patricia’s summary: Jerry is doing several things that professionals recommend.

• He wrote about something he knows.

• He did tons of research to see what else was out there on this topic and to determine what type of book was actually needed.

• He knows who his audience is and where they are and he’s promoting through the channels that reach out to them.

• He has a website that can be accessed easily by using Jerry’s name or the title of the book. And his website clearly represents the topic of his book.

• He is working on a spin-off book, which will bring additional information to his audience, add to his credibility in this field and give him an added boost in his efforts to promote his original book.

The Black Dog and the Cyclone Rider, Helping Loved Ones With Depression and Bipolar Disorders is available at Amazon.com and at http://www.surfcitypress.org

I had decided not to write a new blog post today—needed to get some things done: register my new novels with Bowker, order more ISBNs, send out some requested review copies of the novels, change a client’s email address in my addressbook, try to figure out how to make a change to my email signature (never could get that answer in the new Yahoo design). I emailed a former client to discuss his back cover copy. He sent me a copy of the book—looks good, but the text on the back cover is in dire need of editing. I hope he is doing print on demand, so we can make some changes.

I want to warn authors–after your amazing editor edits the content of your book, be sure to run your back cover copy by him or her, too. You do sell books by the cover. Your cover makes a difference. In fact, yesterday someone from one of my groups reached out to the group asking for assistance with her book. I took a look at it and suggested she change the title and the cover. The title doesn’t describe the book, nor does the cover. The cover is okay–just not one that would grab you. And in today’s competitive bookselling climate, your book MUST stand out to be noticed.

This morning, I also responded to an inquiry about participating in the SPAWN booth at the 2014 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and contacted another half dozen reviewers for my latest mystery novel. I communicated with a couple of people wanting to be my friend on FaceBook and emailed a potential reviewer who was confused as to which email address to use in order to accept the review copies of the novels I agreed to send.

Yes, I’m back on FaceBook, after being hacked and closing my account a year or so ago. Not sure if this will be another distraction for me or something well worth investing time in. Would like to hear your impressions and experiences with FaceBook. Has it been a blessing or a detriment?

This morning, I checked an ad I designed yesterday for the novels to make sure it was live and looking good. And I checked in with my best email pal. We communicate first thing every morning, sort of like high school girls passing notes in class.

I fed the cats and I’m enjoying my first cup of coffee. I have one of the cats so spoiled, that she won’t eat her breakfast unless I feed it to her by the finger or spoonfuls. Sigh!

All of this and it’s just 6:30 a.m.

I’m expecting an editing job to arrive this morning—so wanted to clear my desk. Only thing left on my desk is a slumbering kitty sprawled across a stack of papers. The other one is in my lap. There is a third cat, but she rarely steps foot in my office. She comes in only when she hears the fax machine ring. I guess she’s expecting something.

Once it gets light, I will walk and work on a speech for the Cat Writers Association conference in a few weeks in Dallas. I use my daily walk to go over my presentations. This seems to be the only time I can tune everything else out and concentrate on the material, organization and flow of my planned talks. This is how I become familiar with the content of new presentations. I write about this technique as well as many others in my book, Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More. Check it out here: http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

And what have you accomplished so far today? If you’re in the east, probably more than I have because it’s already 9:30 there.