Archive for the ‘Resources’ Category

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Why It’s Important to READ Those Newsletters

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

I just updated my bio at Author Central—Amazon.com, thanks to something I read in one of the many newsletters I receive each month. Folks, it pays to subscribe to newsletters in your field and related to the business of writing and publishing or the process of writing. But it is even more important that you READ them. You subscribed (or joined) for a reason—most commonly, to learn and grow within your field or interest. Don’t let yourself down by neglecting to take the time with the newsletters you subscribe to. You may be surprised at the wisdom, ideas and resources you’ve been missing.

I discovered that my bio was old. It didn’t have my latest two books listed. One of them that was listed is out of print. It said that I had 31 books to my credit. I now have 35. So glad I was nudged to update it.

Today, SPAWNews will hit subscribers email boxes. If you don’t subscribe to SPAWNews, you might want to jaunt over to the SPAWN website later today and take a look at the March edition. SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network.

Go to: http://www.spawn.org. Click on “SPAWNews.” It’s FREE. This month’s topic is websites for writers and authors.

In this issue, you’ll find articles on why a website is important for a writer/author and how to get started creating one, a 12-point checklist for creating a website, how to protect your website from theft, a step-by-step guide to WordPress, why you should choose a professional designer and we offer a piece on netiquette. If you’re considering a website, you will want to read this issue of SPAWNews.

I want to thank Dana Cassell of CNW—Freelance Writer’s Report for the great review for my latest book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” It’s always fun to pick up one of the newsletters you subscribe to and find your article published or a review of your book! Another reason why I like to take time with my favorite newsletters and enewsletters.

Do you have a story about a time you were glad you read one of your newsletters? Or did you miss out on something because you didn’t read your favorite newsletter one month?

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Your Author’s Resource Shelf

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

How many books can you write on the same basic topic? Do you ever wonder? Are you the author of one or more nonfiction books on a topic of your expertise or interest? Are you like me—always coming up with new book ideas, new themes?

If you write articles for magazines, newsletters, epublications, websites, your blog, etc., you probably come up with new topics and new twists on older topics all the time. You manufacture article ideas in your sleep, while at the gym, after talking to a client or friend, while working on your blog or another article. You have a plethora of article ideas on paper, on the web and still in your head.

So how many books can you legitimately write related to your topic. I’ve come up with my eleventh book related to writing, publishing and book promotion. I wonder how many more I could write? Right now I’m too busy to think about it, though.

My articles and blog posts related to this subject probably number in the hundreds, when you consider the angles, twists, sub-topics, sub-sub-topics. I mean there are the nuts and bolts articles, those driven by emotions or the psychology of the theme, bits on various resources and decisions made by myself and others that have affected publication or book sales, and so many, many different directions I’ve taken the theme of writing and publishing.

My latest book launched this month by Allworth Press has probably 50 books inside. When you study Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author, you are getting material that you can’t get anywhere else under one cover. You might have to read a dozen other books to get the education available in this one book.

I can envision your desk. There, at arm’s length, are your reference books. Among them are

The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition); Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author; Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author; a good dictionary and, in some cases, a current edition of Writer’s Market.

What more do you need? You have information here for style and grammar questions, self-editing, writing a book proposal, finding a publisher or agent, choosing the right publisher or agent, working with an agent or publisher, book promotion, distribution, bookkeeping, copyright, how to write a query letter and press release and just about any other question that would occur to a hopeful or published author.

So clear your shelf today and order these standard reference guides for a cleaner, more orderly look and more efficient research.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

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Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

A new issue of SPAWNews hits our subscribers email boxes this morning, as it does every first of the month. You don’t have to be a member of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) in order to subscribe.

If you are a subscriber, and I know that many of you are, you’ve probably already read your copy and feel inspired and/or more well-informed. For those of you who do not subscribe, you can read the November issue here http://www.spawn.org Click on “SPAWNews.”

Click at the top left side of the page where it says “click here” and you will receive a subscription to the e-newsletter as well as a free ebooklet, “Promote Yourself, 25 Ways to Promote Your Work Whether You’re an Artist, Author or Small Publisher.”

In this month’s issue you’ll find information about writing the essay. Our editor, Sandra Murphy, interviewed the editor of the Christian Science Monitor about how to break into the magazine with an essay. It isn’t as difficult as you might think. Also in this issue, one of our esteemed members talks about how to write a personal essay and another one explains the difference between a personal essay and a memoir. Our resident Book Doctor answers more questions this week, including how to get involved writing a newspaper column. I offer a smorgasbord of mini-book reviews, including books on book marketing, self-publishing, writing children’s picture books, and making a living as a poet. And our president shares a few thoughts on whether or not you are thinking big enough about your book—beyond how much money you can make and more about what your book can bring into your life. Fascinating topic!

We always include member announcements, so you’ll get an idea about what some of our members are doing to promote their books, etc.

Are you interested in contests and various events occurring throughout the US? You’ll find several only a click away.

Each issue of SPAWNews (which is free to all subscribers) includes information about the SPAWN Market Update which is posted on the first of each month in the member area of the SPAWN website. This newsletter is available to members only and it is jam-packed with opportunities and resources for authors, artists, freelance writers. We also include information and resources for photographers, screenplay writers and other creatives. Herein you’ll find job directories, book marketing ideas and resources, current opportunities for authors seeking publishers or freelance writers with stories/articles to publish, for example.

The member area also includes dozens of interviews with publishing/book marketing professionals that you can download and listen to. Members can also participate in SPAWNDiscuss—our member online discussion group.

SPAWN will be going to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books again this year. If you have a book you’d like to exhibit and/or sell from our booth, you’ll definitely want to become a member. Watch for news about this beginning in the December SPAWNews.

It’s $65 per year to join SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org Click on “join/renew.”

Questions? Patricia@spawn.org.

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Meet the 2012 Writer’s Market

Friday, August 26th, 2011

I received my new 2012 Writer’s Market this week. It sure has a different look. There are a lot more pages of instruction and guidance, which is nice for many who will pick this book up. In fact, the help material would fill a regular size book. It encompasses over 200 pages.

There are new symbols to get used to—a plus sign instead of an N signifying new to this edition publishers and magazines, an arrow showing an online opportunity and a little comment balloon dealy that is supposed to indicate comments from the editor of Writer’s Market. At least some of these, however, actually note comments from the publisher or editor of the listing.

The print for magazine titles and publisher names is lighter and the format different than I am used to. I’m not sure I like it, but I will get used to it.

I soooo miss the Book Publishers Subject Index. Do you remember this in the 2010 and a few earlier editions of the Writer’s Market? I thought this was a most useful tool for authors who were seeking publishers of children’s books, mysteries, western stories, self-help and so forth.

It was also the 2010 edition whose page numbers were askew. The Subject Index listing might say the publisher was on page 285, but it was actually on 286. This was a problem throughout this section.

The Writer’s Market has been informing and guiding authors and writers for ninety-one years. I’ve been purchasing Writer’s Market for thirty-nine years. And boy do I use it. I used it probably daily when I was supporting myself through magazine article-writing, especially before the advent of the Internet, which didn’t come into my life until around 1996. And I use it still on behalf of clients and students who are seeking a publisher or an appropriate magazine to send something to. I use it as a research tool while compiling the SPAWN Market Update. I refer to it often when I am writing certain articles and books and I recommend it frequently to anyone who is seeking a publisher or an appropriate magazine.

For those of you who are new to the world of publishing and freelance article/story writing, Writer’s Market lists publishers who are seeking manuscripts. You’ll find contact information, the type of material they are looking for, tips for submitting to each particular publishing house and website listings where you can locate additional information. You’ll also find consumer and trade magazine listings in all categories—literary, juvenile, regional, business, fashion, association, management, health, auto, animals, general interest and so forth.

While there is a whole lot of information contained in each listing, I always recommend that you do not approach a publisher or a magazine editor until you have studied that particular publisher or magazine Submission Guidelines. Generally, you’ll find these at the publisher’s or magazine’s website. If they are not there, email the editor and ask for a copy.

Sometimes it is difficult to locate submission guidelines on a publisher’s website. In my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, on page 24, I give fairly detailed instructions for locating submission guidelines when they are not obvious. And there are a whole lot of publishers who seem to do their best to conceal these guidelines. What are they thinking?

Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book at a discount here: http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Get your copy of the 2012 Writer’s Market at http://www.writersmarket.com or at your local bookstore or through Amazon.com

Posted in Announcements, Resources | 1 Comment »

Where to Go for Publishing Resources and Information

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

I’ve been working on the April edition of the SPAWN Market Update this week. And I located some new job sites you might be interested in. Perhaps you would appreciate knowing about magazines that publish book reviews and book excerpts—I’ve listed 20 of them. I am also listing a dozen or so magazines with editorial calendars and instructions on how to find more. I came across a few new publishers our members might be interested in, too.

Yes, the monthly Market Update is a treasure trove of information and resources. Sometimes it leans more heavily toward the needs of the freelance writer, sometimes I write it with the published author in mind. There are issues that feature resources and opportunities for poets or novelists. And I almost always include something useful for scriptwriters, artists and/or photographers.

Here are the job sites I discovered this week. You’ll find numerous other job sites in the SPAWN Market Update archives.

Behance Network has a job board. http://www.behance.net.joblist On the day when I checked it out, I found jobs for copywriters, web designers, graphic artists, a lecturer, an art director, photographers and more.

Simply Hired is another new-to-me job board I want to report on this month. They list jobs in many industries, including graphic artists and writers. http://www.simplyhired.com

First Writer also has a job site. Here is the link by industry. http://www.1st-writer.com/job_sites_by_industry.htm

Are you a freelance writer who is looking for work? Maybe you’ve just finished writing a book or you are a published author with a book to promote. Do yourself a favor and join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) at http://www.spawn.org

Announcement
A have invited a guest blogger to share her take and her experiences on belonging to a writers’ group. She should have something for me to share with you within the next few days. So stay tuned.

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Authors Finding Experts

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Do you belong to an online discussion group or forum related to writing or to the theme/genre of your book project? If not, you should consider it.

While there are still writing groups meeting face-to-face, many of them have been replaced by online counterparts. Writers are connecting through social media programs, targeted message boards and discussion groups. You can also communicate with people who are interested in the topic/genre of your book. And this is something I recommend. What can you get out of connecting with others online?

• It’s a way to get word out about your book (or your book in progress).

• It’s a way to learn about what’s going on in your field.

• You will become aware of new trends and resources.

• You will meet people who can help with the promotion of your book.

• You’ll meet experts to interview for future books or promotional articles.

• You’ll get ideas for articles, books and blog topics.

• You might make a few new friends.

Just this week, people on one of my favorite discussion groups—SPAWNDiscuss—responded to a few questions I asked on behalf of clients and prospective clients. Not every writer/author has the same level and nature of experience and knowledge. And this is an important concept that many people neglect to embrace.

You might be an expert in your field, but there are still going to be people who know more about an aspect of your field than you do. There are people who have had different experiences and who have a keen interest in an area of the subject that you may not have explored. I am considered an expert in my field—publishing/book promotion. But I don’t know anything about producing, copyrighting or publishing plays, for example. Nor have I had wide experience publishing books for others. But some of our SPAWN members have. So I go to them when someone asks me questions in these areas.

If you do not belong to a discussion group or forum within the subject matter of your book, consider finding one or two and signing up. Here are a few directories to help you get started:
http://groups.yahoo.com
http://www.wallphone.com

You can also do an Internet search using keywords, “group” + (your subject)—“parenting multiples,” “agriculture,” “cooking,” “history-writing,” “fiction-writing,” “skydiving,” “breeding cats,” “photography,” etc.

I’d like to hear from those of you who follow this suggestion and who use these resources and find a suitable discussion group or forum. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Get your FREE ebooklet 50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book at http://www.patriciafry.com

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Comments and Resources for Writers and Authors

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

I got a call last night asking about publishing ebooks—which type of ebook to publish and what does it entail. I did not feel qualified to respond in any depth or detail to these questions, but I did come up with some books that might help the author. There aren’t many such books out, yet. That should be my next project, since there’s so much activity within the world of ebook production and sales.

In case you are interested the books I located are: Make Money Online: Write and Sell Ebooks by Scott Boyd; ePublish: Self-publish fast and Profitably for Kindle, Create Space, IPhone and Print on Demand by Steve Weber and How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook in as Little as 7 Days by Jim Edwards and Joe Vitale.

I had a conversation with a former student yesterday. She said she wanted to start making money writing articles. She is contemplating taking my article-writing course and she asked, “Do you make money writing articles, Patricia? How many articles do you write per month?”

Here’s my response, “While I once supported myself through article-writing—for quite a few years, actually, I no longer earn money that way. I still write a lot of articles, but they are designed to promote my books and position myself as an expert/professional in my field. Most of the publications/websites/ezines I submit to do not pay—a few do, but pay isn’t much.

So no, I am no longer relying on article-writing to support myself. My writing/publishing business has taken a different direction.

When I was at my prime, I would send out dozens of queries—sometimes as many as 50 per month. But remember, I was writing on a wide variety of topics. I would write maybe 10 articles per month—depending on how much research and how many interviews were involved. Essays and articles on subjects I know well go together much easier and quicker than those on topics I have to research and get expert quotes for. (But the latter article generally brings in more money.) I might sell anywhere from 3 to 8 articles per month—earning anywhere from $500 to $3,000 month.

There is nothing steady and nothing you can count on in the article-writing business. Some freelance article writers make much more than I did—most fail quickly. It is a pretty intense way to make a living. You have to be strongly committed and you should enjoy the process.”

This student then asked, if I thought she could earn a certain amount of money each month. I said, “It all depends on you. Someone who looks for the need, watches trends and submits enough timely ideas to the right magazines in a professional way can surely meet your goals. Someone who is short-sighted, unwilling to stretch and grow and is too narrowly focused— probably not…”

I received another nice comment from a student in my online book proposal course today. She said, “This course has been a tremendous help to me. I had written a draft of my book, but since taking the course, I realize I’m going to need to develop the story arc more. It is definitely worth the $200 and then some.” And we are only up to class number six—two more to go.

For more information about my online, on-demand courses, visit http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm Or contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com

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Hot Resources for Writers and Authors

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

How would you like some resources today? These are just some of the resources for freelance writers and authors that I have included in the February SPAWN Market Update, which is posted each first of the month in the member area of the SPAWN website. Several years of this meaty newsletter is archived at the SPAWN site for members to peruse, as well. We estimate that there are literally thousands of resources, leads and tips stored away there. SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network.

If you’re not sure what SPAWN is all about, sign up for SPAWNews, our FREE monthly newsletter here http://www.spawn.org and receive a FREE ebook, “Promote Yourself: 25 Ways to Promote Your Work, Whether You’re an Artist, Author or Small Publisher.”

Become a member of SPAWN and get access to a second newsletter—one of the absolute best newsletters around for freelance writers, authors and artists, the SPAWN Market Update. Join here: http://www.spawn.org

Here’s a peek into what our members will get this month—and this is just a smidge of what we’re providing in February.

For Freelance Writers. (Authors might also find these sites interesting and valuable.

1: Discover some of the trendiest topics to write about this year: http://trendwatching.com/briefing

2: Get story more story ideas: http://digg.com Or use Google Alerts to locate trends and happenings in your field of interest. http://www.google.com/alerts

For Authors
3: Promote your book this year through a book festival. I frequently provide links to festival and conference directories here and to our Market Update readers. Here’s a new one: http://www.author-network.com/festivals.html

4: Promote your children’s book or your unpublished manuscript by offering free stories to FreeChildrenStories. Learn more at http://www.freechildrenstories.com

5: Wow! Do you wonder if your title is a winner? Lulu has found a way to test your novel’s title against the success of historical bestsellers. Have fun with this: http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/index.php

For Artists
6: Here are a three job sites for artists:
http://www.artistjobs.net
http://www.suite101.com/content/jobs-for-artists-a21795
http://artsopportunities.org

This issue of the SPAWN Market Update also lists 10 publishers who are seeking manuscripts—mainly childrens/young adult. And I list several high paying magazines with some solid ideas about how to break in.

If you’ve been following this blog, you “read” me speak of SPAWN occasionally. Maybe it is time for you to join so you can take advantage of all of the resources we offer. We also have a discussion group for members. In April we’re taking some of our members to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books where they will have the opportunity to sell their books from the SPAWN booth.

Membership is $65/year. Members who get involved and partake of what we offer, say that they paid for their membership many times over in their first few weeks because of the leads and resources they discovered in the SPAWN Market Update.

When you join—and each time you renew your membership—you get a free book of your choice. See the list of choices here: http://www.spawn.org/member.htm#freebooks

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com

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Resources for Authors

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

The October SPAWN Market Update will be posted in the member area of the SPAWN website within the next few days. This month, among other things, we feature a directory listing 400 publishers who have published first novels. Now that’s a valuable site to have, don’t you think—if you are in the process of writing or pitching your first novel?

I also include 17 paying markets for nonfiction and fiction. Add that to the markets listed in back issues of the SPAWN Market Update—all of which are posted in the archives—and SPAWN members have an incredibly rich collection of probably 1,000 or more markets for their work.

For this issue, I also interviewed 4 publishers so that members can see where the opportunities lie and what, exactly, publishers want today. Last month, I interviewed Kim Dower, a book publicist and media trainer.

Do you need help with book promotion? Check out this resource. Now, I am not endorsing them—I am only reporting them—passing along information for you to check out. Book Tour is reported to offer book promotion help for anywhere from free to $50 or so. http://www.booktour.com.

Here’s another site I found (and which I report in the SPAWN Market Update). This site is overflowing with useful information for authors. http://bit.ly/9maNq2

Did you know that Publishers Weekly has a new blog site? Check it out at http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz

FirstWriter.com offers resources galore. I recommend spending some time there sifting through their directories of 850 agents, 1,200 book publishers, 1,100 magazine publishers as well as a contest directory and a writing site directory. http://www.firstwriter.com

I often suggest that, before you sign with any publisher or pay-to-publish company or any other individual or agency with which you are not familiar, check them out. I’ve given these warning sites to you before—here they are again. You can also use your favorite search engine to locate any potential negative comments about a company or individual. Just use keywords—the name of the company and “warning.”

Warning Sites for authors and writers

http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware

http://www.todayswriting.com/poetry-scams.html>

http://www.writersweekly.com/whispers_and_warnings.php

Find many additional resources at the following sites:
http://www.spawn.org
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

Join SPAWN and receive a FREE ebooklet, Promote Your Work, Whether You’re an Artist, Author or Small Publishers. http://www.spawn.org

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Online Discussion Groups for Authors

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Do you belong to a “list” or an online discussion group? Many people subscribe to lists related to their interests or profession. There are Google groups, Yahoo groups, Microsoft groups and others. You can go to these sites and find a list of “groups” on practically any topic—science, animal communication, ferrets, senior issues, comic animation, gardening, genealogy, astronomy, parenting twins and even writing and publishing. You can join a group or start your own group.

Some groups are open to anyone and others are closed. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has a discussion group through Yahoo and it is open to members of SPAWN only. SPAWN members can sign up to belong to the group and then communicate with other members through email.
It’s as simple as sending an email. Your email is forwarded to a server where it is moderated. When approved, it is then sent to everyone on the list. Most groups have rules—no comments off topic, for example, no off-color or mean-spirited comments and so forth.

Are you a member of a discussion group—what type/topic? How do you feel this experience serves you? I know authors who have found collaboration partners through discussion groups—book designers or editors for their manuscripts, for example. We receive heads-up warnings before diving into bad situations, learn about new opportunities for getting published or promoting your book and engage in discussions on all sorts of writing/publishing subjects.

You may be an expert in your field—that’s why you wrote a book. But there’s always more to learn, which is why, even after being involved in publishing for 35 years, I keep my ear to the ground through discussion groups. I moderate the SPAWN Discussion Group and I also participate in the Cat Writers Association Pro-list Discussion Group.

If you are interested in finding a discussion group or starting one, here are two links to help you get started:
http://groups.google.com
http://groups.yahoo.com

If you would like to be a part of the lively SPAWN Discuss discussion group, join SPAWN at http://www.spawn.org

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