Writing and Publishing News

Am I up to the challenge? I promised you a blog-a-day, which means I have to come up with something meaningful to say each and every morning of the year. Yikes! What have a done? Hopefully, I can keep my word and keep the words flowing in your direction. Your job is to remember to visit this blog. Support my efforts while learning, gleaning information and becoming aware of resources you might have overlooked.

I spent most of yesterday in follow-up mode. I contacted all of the magazine and newsletter editors, etc. who had received review copies of my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, and the companion Author’s Workbook, but who had not responded. I followed up with a few editors who are still holding my articles. I emailed reminders to people who offered testimonials for my website. And I checked in with some of my clients who hadn’t been in touch for a while.

Follow-up is an important part of any writing or publishing business. Not everyone is on your schedule. There are always those who are lackadaisical about responding or too busy to return your emails or calls. In most cases, the bookseller, web host, editor, reviewer, etc. is not anywhere near as interested in your project as you are. You can’t expect these people to have the same level of attachment to your book as you do. They don’t have the same motivation to see your book succeed as you do and you can’t always count on people to do what they say they’ll do on behalf of your book. Instead, make sure that they do it. This means following up. Here are some pointers:

Schedule Follow-up Days
It’s easy to get busy and forget the promise the ABC Bookstore manager made to get back to you about carrying your book. You’ll work right past the date your review was supposed to appear in XYZ Magazine. You may even miss the opportunity to be interviewed on local radio because you sat around waiting for the producer to call you. Don’t automatically expect people to do what they say. Make sure that they do it. Why not dedicate one morning each week to making follow-up contacts? Devise a schedule and stick to it.

Keep Good Records
Write down the name and contact information for everyone to whom you communicate with regard to your book project. Note the date of your conversation/email messages and the expected outcome. Once the book has been reviewed, the bookseller has called you with his decision, your article has been accepted or you have been approved to speak at an event, for example, log the details of this information. If you do not hear back from the individual within a certain time frame, you need to contact him or her.

Log the Tracers
Note the date and content of each follow-up transaction or communication. Over time, you’ll deal with a whole lot of book reviewers, editors, etc. and it’s easy to lose track of who’s who and what’s what.

Keep it Cordial
You may be frustrated, angry or down right upset because someone didn’t call or write when they said they would. But don’t let it show. Keep your email and phone messages professional and cordial. As a friend used to tell me when I’d become angry with someone who cut me off in traffic, for example, “You don’t know what’s going on in his life—he could have just lost someone or received a bad diagnosis from his doctor.” There could be a good reason why this person neglected to contact you, but there is no reason why you can’t follow up and find out.

The follow-up process is almost as daunting as making cold calls, but it is so very important to the health of your writing or publishing business. If you’re a freelance writer or published author, you are a business owner. Do the best job that you can on behalf of your business. Get into the habit of following up.

Read more about operating a writing or publishing business in The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Use the Author’s Workbook to help you move more smoothly and successfully through the writing, publishing and book promotion process. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html And sign up for my online courses-on-demand at: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com

Read some of my articles on publishing at http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm#publishing

The first thing most authors do once their books are finished is to contact the media. And this is a good thing, if you are media-savvy and well-prepared.

The truth is that most newspaper editors and columnists do not care one iota that you’ve written a book or that another book has been produced. This is not news, unless your publisher is one of the majors, you are famous or infamous or the book is on a hot, current and/or highly controversial topic.

Sure, you can get media attention in your home town. Go for it!! Contact the local newspaper publisher and tell him about your project. The smaller the paper, the more likely you’ll get press. Local publicity is a good start. In fact, I recommend it. It will give you media experience as well as exposure and something to include in your portfolio.

Now, if you want wider recognition for your book—don’t we all?—you’ll have to come up with a publicity hook greater than simply the fact that you have written a book or that a new book has been published. Bring this fact to an editor’s attention and he/she will say, “So what?” In fact, that’s the question you must answer—“So what?”

What makes your book newsworthy? What is interesting about your book and/or you? What can you come up with that will intrigue the public—thus the media? What makes the story of your book worth printing in any newspaper, let alone major papers throughout the U.S.?

What is a good hook? What type of book/author rates space in newspapers? Books produced by major publishers have a definite foot-in-the-door. But what about independently published books—self-published and fee-based POD published books?

I have four ideas for you:

1: Study book reviews for independently published books and stories featuring new books in newspapers nationwide. Some newspapers and magazines have policies against publishing reviews for independently produced books. And it may be a bit time-consuming to locate those that welcome books like yours. Do a Google search to locate the newspapers/magazines you want to check. There are sites that might help with the process. http://www.booksindepth.com is one. Also, use some of the online newspaper directories: http://www.newspapers.com http://www.newspaperlinks.com http://www.thepaperboy.com Read random newspapers online. Go to your largest local library and read newspapers from major cities.

2: Note the newspapers that publish stories and/or reviews for independently produced books and then put yourself behind the readers’ bifocals and in the editors’ shoes to discover your book’s media hook.

3: Seek out newspaper columnists in the genre or topic of your book—mysteries, Christian/religious, inspirational, gardening, auto mechanics, pets, foods, literary writings/poetry, children’s books, personal finance, agriculture/farming, relationships, seniors, etc. Contact the columnist directly and be prepared to wow him/her with a hook they can’t resist.

4: Locate magazines, newsletters and ezines that publish articles/stories in your genre/topic. Contact them about reviewing, featuring or mentioning your book. Use Writer’s Market to find appropriate magazines. Subscribe to Wooden Horse Pubs at http://www.woodenhorsepub.com You can get daily or weekly rates as well as annual. Scan the plethora of magazines at a nearby major mega-bookstore.

For more on book promotion, study the articles posted at http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm You’ll find around 2 dozen articles just on book promotion. Pay particular attention to Tips for Becoming More Media-Worthy at http://www.matilijapress.com/articles/promote_mediaworthy.htm

Patricia Fry’s book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book also includes lessons in getting media attention. Order your copy of this 366-page book and the companion Author’s Workbook today at: http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

My online courses-on-demand have been so popular, that I’ve decided to add another category. I’ve been teaching 3 successful online courses featuring article-writing, how to write a book proposal and self-publishing for several years. Starting in January, I’ll offer a 6-week Personalized Book Promotion course for authors of both fiction and nonfiction books. This includes memoirs, most children’s books (for children ages 8 and over) and books of poetry. It doesn’t matter if you are an author with a brand new book or you’ve been marketing your book for years.

The course fee is $200.
Prerequisite: I want to know about your current book marketing plan—what promotional activities you have pursued, to what extent and your degree of success. I’ll also want to know about your limitations—what are you able and willing to do/unable and unwilling to do?

Here’s how a course-on-demand works: You sign up with me (payment by credit card or check in advance). You tell me when you want to start and I will send you a lesson and an assignment each week for 6 weeks thereafter. The lessons will go out to you on consecutive weeks—no skipping.

Additional information about this course will appear at my website soon. In the meantime, let me hear from you if you have an interest in this new course and if you have questions. Plfry620@yahoo.com. Also be sure to visit my website and read student and client testimonials at http://www.matilijapress.com/testimonials.html

Promotion and marketing are foreign to most authors, yet so important to the success of any book. Sign up for this course and learn how to successfully promote and sell your particular book in the highly competitive world of bookselling. Become aware of useful resources. Learn new techniques. Most of all, be willing to step outside your comfort zone and stretch, at least a little. Let Patricia Fry help you to find your hook(s), discover your true audiences and locate them, determine appropriate promotional ploys, locate the resources you need to successfully implement your marketing plan and offer direction toward the successful launching (or re-launching) of your book.

Talk to me: plfry620@yahoo.com.