Archive for January, 2008

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Is Your Book Idea Really a Good Idea?

Saturday, January 12th, 2008

Is your book idea really a good idea? Are you sure? Just because the concept is new and exciting to you doesn’t mean that it is a truly fresh idea—that it hasn’t been done before.

It’s easy to get a book published today. Sure, you can produce a book on any topic, in any style and from any perspective. But it still doesn’t mean that it is a good book—a needed or worthwhile project. In fact, folks, I’m seeing more and more manuscripts that probably should never become books.

Before you get too excited about your great book idea, Stop, Look and Listen.

Stop and think about your topic or your story. Is it really different enough and still within the realm of what readers need/want? Here’s where the Market Analysis portion of the traditional book proposal comes in. The process of completing a comparison study of books like the one you have in mind will help you to answer this question before your book becomes another failed book.

Look at books like yours. Okay, there’s nothing out there like yours. You keep telling me that. Then, perhaps you’re wasting your time writing a book for which there is no established category or interest. Hmmmmmm????!!!! Now that I’ve, hopefully, made an important point, I want you to go to the area in a nearby mega-bookstore where your book might be shelved. Order a latte, because you’ll be there for a while.

With your eyes, scan the books in this section. Are there any titles similar to yours or that suggest books on your topic or storyline? Maybe your book focuses on the power of attitude and how changing your mind can change your life. This might be a new concept for you, but I’m pretty sure that you’ll find a plethora of books new and ancient by a wide variety of authors known and unknown on the shelf. Perhaps your thriller features a swamp ogre that won’t die, but you find that dozens of other books in this genre do, too.

Sure it’s discouraging to discover that your clever idea is nothing new, but it’s also a blessing. It’s something you want to know before you ever start writing your book. Why? So that you don’t go down the wrong path that so many other new authors take—so that you don’t write a book that’s destined to fail.

Once you gather the information you need about your competition, Listen to your logical voice. Hopefully, your voice—and the professionals you trust—are telling you, “Don’t quit. Regroup and rethink your project.”

Study your competition thoroughly. Scrutinize dozens of books. Continue your comparison work online and don’t forget to look at similar books in your home library.

Maybe you’ll discover that, while there are plenty of books by well-qualified authors on your topic, there are none featuring real stories of famous people experiencing epiphanies in their lives. Or perhaps there’s a need for a workbook.

You might find a way to give your thriller a reprieve through a really unique storyline. Bring your most creative friends together for a brainstorming session and see what you can come up with. Whatever it is, be sure to use the Stop, Look and Listen technique before committing your story to paper.

It has been said for thousands of years, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” But, as authors, we can tweak our ideas and stories in ways that, perhaps, haven’t been done before—or at least in recent years—or at least in a particular genre or topic…

If you want to receive more publishing wisdom and/or guidance, contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com. View my credentials at http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html. Order my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and the companion, Author’s Workbook http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Posted in New Books, Publishing, Writing | No Comments »

Your Professional Approach to Publishers

Friday, January 11th, 2008

It happened again today. As the President of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), I received another scattershot email from a no-name writer. The fellow (or gal) probably sent this email to hundreds of recipients with hopes of landing a publisher for his “unique” book. He said his book is “a best seller awaiting a publisher.” He did not reveal his identity, and he even made up an email address to use in flushing out a publisher—one generic email address for sending the “SPAM” and one for a response: writer-seeking-publisher@etc….

Me being me, I responded, but with a scolding, of sorts, and some solid advice about approaching publishers. I’m probably the only person he will hear from.

I receive a few of these emails through SPAWN and through my own website practically every month. It would be interesting to follow some of these people through the process and see how far they got—what degree of success they eventually experience using the scattershot method.

For those of you who are considering writing a generic, anonymous query and tossing it into the breeze in hopes of attracting a publisher, please reconsider. Here’s a more reasonable approach to publishing success:

1: If the manuscript is completed, make sure it has been professionally edited. This means, have it edited by someone who is familiar with publishing and your genre/topic.

2: Whether your book is fiction or nonfiction, write a book proposal. (Learn more about both fiction and nonfiction book proposals in The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html )

3: Write a killer query letter. If you’re not sure how to do this, study The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Before sending it off, consult with me or another professional. (Watch for an upcoming blog focusing on how to write a query letter.)

4: Research appropriate publishers. This means, publishers that would most likely be interested in investing in your particular project. Many publishers, today, specialize. Make sure that you are sending the right project to the right publisher. How? Look at their book catalogs. Study their Submission Guidelines. Locate books similar to yours and see who is publishing them? There are no books similar to yours, you say? Then maybe yours is not a good idea.

Okay, now that you’re seeing more clearly, go to where your book might be shelved in the nearest mega-bookstore. Look at the other books sitting there. Who published them? Consider contacting those publishers.

5: Send the publisher exactly what he wants (per his/her Submission Guidelines). This might be a query letter first or a full-blown book proposal (for nonfiction). He might want a query letter with your platform and marketing plan outlined and 50 pages of your novel. Some publishers accept material via email. Others do not. Most, who require snail mail contact, insist upon receiving a self-addressed-stamped envelope (SASE) for their response.

6: Address the correct person by name. Find out who the acquisitions editor is, or the managing editor or the editor for the topic/genre of your book. If you’re not sure who to address or the information you have is old, call the company and ask the receptionist to whom you should direct your query or proposal for a young adult fantasy or a book on health and healing.

At the risk of repeating myself, publishing is a business. It is not an extension of your writing. Do not attempt to enter into this highly competitive field using the anonymous, scattershot method that so many hopeful authors seem to believe is acceptable. For a greater chance at publishing success, lead with a viable project and use a reasonable, more personal approach.

Posted in Publishing | 1 Comment »

Two Dozen Resources for Authors and Freelance Writers

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

Do you subscribe to Publishers Weekly Daily Reports? If not, you should. It’s informative and it’s FREE. Go to http://www.publishersweekly.com, scroll down to where you see “Newsletters” on the right. Check the “PW Daily” box.

I promised you resources and that’s resource number one.

In a recent PW Daily Report came this story by Mike Shatzkin called 15 Trends to Watch in 2008. In case you want to backtrack, it arrived in my email box January 8, 2008. He says he’s been in the “biz” for 15 years and these are some of his predictions:

1. The popularity of ebooks will increase. (I think we hear that every year. Can it be true? Are you choosing ebooks over print books, yet?)
2. By Christmas 2008, sales of customized (make your own) books will be substantial.
3. The iPhone and iPod will become ebook readers.
4. Barnes and Noble will become the largest most powerful bookstore around.
5. Publishers will do more Internet marketing of their titles.
6. 2008 will be the year of the author.

Are there any surprises here? Do any of you agree? Disagree?

Resource #2: How many of you are using Google Alerts to stay in the loop with regard to your topic/genre? It’s easy, interesting and FREE. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts and choose your keywords. I use “publishing,” “writing” and “book marketing.” I also have another Google Alert with my name and publishing company name. So when someone blogs about me, quotes me in an article, interviews me, etc., Google alerts me.

Here are some additional resources that you might find useful:

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Order through Amazon or http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html Also order The Author’s Workbook. The combo is $28.00.

Sign up for some of my online, on-demand courses at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm My newest course, on book marketing, hasn’t been listed at my site, yet—watch for it.

Okay, enough about me and my contributions to your success.

Join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) at http://www.spawn.org

Check out other writing/publishing-related sites: Wow-Women on Writing http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com
Publishing Basics http://www.publishingbasics.com
Write for Kids http://www.write4kids.com
Society of American Travel Writers http://www.satw.org
Fiction Factor http://www.fictionfactor.com
Fiction Fix http://www.coffeehouseforwriters.com
Science Fiction Writers of America http://www.sfwa.org

Here are some good newsletters:
SPAWNews (FREE) http://www.spawn.org Click on “Free Newsletter.”
Book Promotion Newsletter (Annual subscription fee, $7.50) http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
Writers Weekly (Free) http://www.writersweekly.com.
Writing World http://www.writing-world.com
Writing For Dollars http://www.writingfordollars.com
Wooden Horse Publishing Newsletter http://www.woodenhorsepub.com

We all need to check in with a grammar site occasionally. Here are a few:
Bartleby.com http://www.bartleby.com
Daily Grammar http://www.dailygrammar.com
Sharp Writer http://www.sharpwriter.com

Whew, that’s about all my blog site can handle in one fell swoop. Oops, I just looked up the term, “fell swoop” and found another great site. Be sure to visit World Wide Words at http://www.worldwidewords.org

Is there no end to useful and fascinating sites? Actually, no. Yet, I know, from working with clients and responding to authors’ questions that not everyone has the mindset, experience or confidence to do their own research. It’s easy, folks, it’s fun and you will learn so much.

The next time you wonder what constitutes an active sentence, whether your editor is correct in saying to use one space after all punctuation, what’s the definition of self-publishing or how to define the genre of your book, of course, look it up in my book The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. But if your order for this amazing book hasn’t arrived yet, you can always use a search engine such as Google.

Posted in Publishing, Writing | No Comments »

What Are Reader Benefits?

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

You hear a lot about “benefits” these days. Experts say, “When pitching or promoting your book, give benefits, not features.” But this concept can be confusing. Today I’m going to clarify the differences and give you a few examples.

But first, I want to report on an innovative artist—actually, cartoonist—who contacted Matilija Press this morning. As some of you know, I write the monthly SPAWN Market Update for the member area of the SPAWN website. Frequently, I suggest to artists that they be more proactive on behalf of promoting their work—not something easy for artists to do. I’ve even written articles on this subject (check out my piece Promotion: Your Success as an Artists Depends on it. http://www.matilijapress.com/articles/artist-promotion.htm). One thing I suggest is to contact publishers and let them know that you are available to do illustrations and other artwork for their projects.

Today, I received such an email from cartoonist, Joe Kohl. He did a good job of introducing himself and his work. He gave plenty of links to samples of his work and contact information in case a publisher wants to email or call. Good job Joe. While I don’t have need of a cartoonist right now, I will pass along your information to others who do in the future.

Now, back to our topic: Benefits. Many authors, when they write a press release, focus on features instead of benefits. When they talk to potential customers, they tend to speak of what the book contains rather than how it can actually affect or help the reader. What is the difference between benefits and features?

First, I’d like to offer a couple of examples demonstrating human nature when it comes to benefits and features. You be the judge:

Q: When is a driver most likely to wait for you while you exit a parking space?
A: Of course, when she wants that space–when it benefits her.

Q: When is someone most likely to pick up trash along the roadways?
A: When they are mandated by the court as punishment for a crime.
A: When they can profit from the trash—as in redeeming cans for cash.
A: When the act of cleaning up their community makes them feel good.

This is a pretty clear example of human benefits. Now let’s apply this to our products—our books–and even the articles we write. Why do people buy and/or read books? Primarily to become educated, be entertained and/or gain information. In more real terms—they want to read fiction that will carry them away from their world. And they read nonfiction books primarily in order to become more successful, make more money, lose more weight, learn something new, become wiser/more well-informed or attain greater health.

These are some of the features of my book The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book:

• There are a whopping 360 pages of information and resources.
• It has a massive, easy-to-use index.
• The chapters are organized logically.
• There are Recommended Reading sections at the end of each chapter.
• It includes an extensive Resource List
• There’s a companion Author’s Workbook

And now for reader benefits:

• What you learn here will help you to make better choices and decisions with regard to your publishing project.
• You will become a published author.
• Write a successful book proposal the first time and every time.
• Learn how to develop your book’s marketing plan.
• Sell more books.
• Study this book and you’ll make fewer mistakes with your publishing project.
• This book can save authors money and heartache.

What if your book is fiction—what are your reader benefits versus the features?
Features might include, compact size, hardcover, fine art design on the cover, you can read it in one afternoon and/or large type for those with failing eyesight.

Benefits might be, more action in fewer pages, a poignant story that promises an emotional experience, a fantasy adventure that will leave you exhausted, a happy reading experience, a main character you’ll love to hate, large type version for those with failing eyesight. (Yeah, this could be a benefit, too, don’t you think?)

For an inspirational book designed to teach a meditation process, the features might be, pocket-size book for easy stowing, written in lay language, appropriate for beginners and quickie exercises for busy people.

Benefits might include, learn to meditate in one session, finally tune into your subconscious, hone your intuition muscles and become more relaxed and less stressed.

Your assignment for today (if I may be so bossy), is to list the features and the benefits of your book. If you’re in the process of writing it, maybe this exercise will prompt you to add some meaningful benefits. Whether your book is meant to teach, share, inform, educate or simply to entertain, it most likely has reader benefits and it’s imperative that you know what they are.

We’re still working on a way to allow comments without letting in the enormous amount of SPAM. In the meantime, you can contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com.

Posted in Book Promotion, Publishing | No Comments »

Live Your Publishing Dream Even if You Write Fiction

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

How do bloggers choose their subjects? How do we come up with something to write about day after day after day? I sometimes wonder what in the world I’ll say the next morning in my daily blog. And then, sometime between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m., I sit down and the words simply begin to flow.

This morning I have 4 huge topics I’d like to cover and I’m still not sure which one it will be. What are the topics? First, let me say that Misti Sandefur wrote quite a nice review of my second edition, revised book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book in her newsletter, Coffee Break for Writers. The review is posted at http://www.coffeebreakforwriters.com/back_issues.html

One of my potential blog topics involves something she said in her review; which is something other fiction authors have said about the first edition of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. She goes on about the value of the book and how I’ve added a lot of new information and material for novelists. Then she says, “I was hoping to learn how to write proposals and query letters for fiction.”

I responded to Misti, hopefully, not to appear as though I was standing in defense of my book as much as I was attempting to explain a concept. I told Misti (and I’ve said this to many others before her), “Individuals contact me sometimes to ask for more specifics about writing a book proposal for a novel. I have to tell them that the concept and the instructions are there (in my book and my in my articles). It’s the author of fiction who doesn’t want to or can’t embrace them. The book proposal for the novel is not that much different from the book proposal for nonfiction. I find that most fiction authors just don’t like the concept of writing a book proposal, so they disregard it as not applying to their project.”

It’s true. The mind of a fiction writer just works differently than that of many nonfiction writers. I’m not saying that there is a right and a wrong, we just think and perceive things differently. A book proposal, for example, is an aspect of business and fiction authors do not, for the most part, address the business side of writing/publishing with much tolerance or understanding.

So that’s rant (subject) number one.

The second topic is also a concept and, I think, an important one. A colleague of mine told me that she sat next to a 30ish-year-old freelance writer on a flight to New York recently. He told her that he writes for some of the big magazines, which means, as you know, big bucks. He mentioned Wired and Vanity Fair. My friend asked him how he does so well at such a young age and you might be surprised by his response.

He said, “Most writers are lazy. A writer, who is willing to write proposals, research stories on spec and find out what the publications want, will be welcomed by editors.”

This is so true, folks. I am not the world’s greatest writer. But I have managed to earn a living solely through my writing for the last 20 years. How?
• I write what editors and readers want.
• I am willing to take risks.
• I follow editorial/publishing protocol.
• I try to stay on top of trends and news in my areas of interest/expertise.
• I’m always on the look out for article/book ideas.
• I will work on spec and, more often than not, it pays off.
• I commit many hours every day to marketing myself, my books and my article work even when I don’t feel like it.
• I meet or beat deadlines.
• I understand what is required by individual editors/publishers and comply.
• I don’t bug or badger editors/publishers.
• I keep my name before the public.
• I’m not afraid to give back.
• I am always seeking new avenues of writing/book sales revenue.
• I recognize opportunities when they come up and pursue those that are appropriate.
• I am in constant research mode.

So there you have it—two topics covered. I’ll hold the other two topics at bay until another day. Stay tuned or you’ll miss some really good writer’s/author’s resources and some interesting NEW publishing industry predictions for 2008.

In the meantime, if you aspire to be a published author and/or a full-time freelance writer—whether you write fiction or nonfiction, continue following this informative blog, study the articles at my site, http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm and be sure to purchase those books at my site that respond to your particular writing/publishing desires. http://www.matilijapress.com If you have questions contact me through my website or at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Posted in Publishing, Writing | No Comments »

The Power of Rats and Rain

Monday, January 7th, 2008

It hasn’t been easy to keep up a daily blog. On December 18, 2007, I announced that I would attempt to post a new blog entry, not weekly, but daily. I didn’t think it would be too difficult. I figured that, if I came up against a time crunch obstacle, I’d just write a quick “Howdy-do—Keep writing,” message that day and call it good.

As those of you who follow my blog know, I’m not good at brief blog messages. I still manage to fill more space than some readers like. I mean you all have lives, too. There are other blogs to read, research and writing to do, book promotion going on and you need time to sleep, right? So far, I’m failing in the “brief” department. But, you’ll have to agree that I am bringing you some good information, right?

This weekend, however, I almost failed in my quest to write and post a blog-a-day. And it was due to rats and rain. I mentioned (read whined about) having lost our Internet during the recent California rain storm. Well, guess what? Another storm hit yesterday and the Internet failed again. After hours in the rain working on the problem, a lone telephone man announced, “It’s rats and rain.” Yup, the rats had chewed into the cable and then the rain did the rest of the damage.

The good news is that we are up and running again (big sigh of relief). And what’s the lesson in this latest setback? I found out one thing—I need an indoor hobby.

I’m a big outdoors gal. In California, you can garden year round, for example. I walked with my daughter and my grand Beagle (her dog, my grand dog…) on the beach in a tee shirt on New Years day. But yesterday was not an outdoor day in California.

After the Internet went down, I did just about as much work as I could do in my office without Internet. In fact, I eventually became frustrated because I had so many reasons to use the Internet during these projects and couldn’t. Finally, I gave up, finished folding a couple of loads of laundry and then boy was I bored.

I love to do needlework, but haven’t had the time in recent years. This Internet glitch reminded me that maybe I should get involved in a needlepoint or knitting project that I can pick up when I want a distraction or need something constructive to do. In fact, I’ve already put this on my “to-do” list.

Do you sometimes get reminders that you need more balance? Are there rats and rain incidents in your world sometimes? How do you handle life’s glitches and obstacles that keep you from your writing path? Do you have mechanisms set so that when your interview is canceled, the editor doesn’t get back to you about changes or you find yourself stranded without a computer, you have something else constructive to do? Maybe you write poetry when you have some down time. This might be a good time to study that book on marketing or to outline the screenplay you want to write.

I used to carry a notebook with me everywhere I went and I’d write down article ideas as they came to me. I might see a mom crossing the street with a couple of toddlers in tow and imagine an article featuring safety tips for traveling with kids. A greeting from a cheery waitress might spark the idea for an article on attitude in the workplace. Sometimes I would formulate articles in my mind while listening to talk shows on the car radio.

When my focus shifted from article-writing to writing books, I’d fill my notebook with book promotion ideas and resources.

Well, I plan to do better the next time I’m thrown off my carefully planned schedule. How about you? What is your rats and rain backup plan?

If you live in the San Diego area or near Atlanta, be sure to sign up for my upcoming appearances in those cities. I’ll be presenting 5 hour-long sessions on article-writing (including how to promote your book through articles) at the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference January 25-27. http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/writers I’m conducting a 3-hour book proposal seminar at the Spring Book Show in Atlanta March 29. Register at http://www.springbookshow.com For more information on the seminar, http://www.anvilpub.net/spring_seminar_2.htm

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An Author Without Internet

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

What would we do without the Internet? I had to find out yesterday. The rain storm in California knocked out our phone line and the next day, we lost our DSL. For about 12 waking hours, I was without Internet.

Do you know what it’s like to be without your computer, water, a washing machine or something else that you take for granted? It requires a whole new mindset to get through the day. Oh sure, you could throw a fit, swear, blame everyone from the rain gods to the president, but that will only put you in a bad mood. Or you can do what you can to repair the problem and then change your attitude. How? Accept, Trust and Change. That’s my mantra when things in my life go temporarily awry—well, if I can calm down and relax enough to remember it.

It’s tough being without that lifeline to the Internet—well it is for me, anyway. Everything I attempted to do after our DSL went down was automatically thwarted because I didn’t have Internet access. Do you know how, when you’re without water (during a move or a plumbing project, for example) and you keep turning on the water faucets expecting water to flow out. It’s an automatic, conditioned action. You’re used to having water anytime you want it.

I use Internet access like water. It’s the lifeblood of my business. Mine is running all the time and I am constantly referring to a site, checking on a resource, contacting someone, conducting research, looking up something and, of course, checking my mail. I communicate with clients through email. I receive orders for books via email. SPAWN members and others with questions contact me regularly through email. This is also how I stay in touch with publishers, editors, writers’ conference organizers, Expedia (with regard to changes in airline reservations, etc.), colleagues and, sure, friends.

The Internet has become vital to my business. So, to be without it is a challenge that I don’t relish anymore than I would enjoy being without running water in my home. Yesterday, when we lost our DSL, I knew I had choices. I could complain and pout or I could find something else to do. After all, it was Saturday. People aren’t supposed to work on the weekend, anyway. At first, I tried working on projects that I thought wouldn’t rely on Internet access. In my office, there is no such animal, unless I wanted to do some filing… Nah!

And so it came to pass that I left my computer chair, turned out the light and closed the door to my office at 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon. That’s when I discovered that there is life outside of my office. I found all kinds of interesting things to do—things I used to do before I became a WRITE-a-holic. There were kitchen cabinets to organize (when you get new kitchen gadgets for Christmas, you have to re-organize in order to fit them in), and I’ve been getting requests for “some of that homemade bread we haven’t had in three years.” The cats and the African violets all need grooming, the furniture could use a polishing and what about that mending that’s been hanging around for months?

Hey, if this is life away from work, no wonder I choose work.

So what did I do with my free Saturday afternoon? I read a few magazines from my growing stack (some of them dated 2004) while trying out my new bubbling, heated, massage footbath (another Christmas gift, obviously from someone who doesn’t see me relax enough).

Are you prepared for the next time your Internet fails? What projects do you have pending outside the comfort zone of your home office? This is a good time to catch up on your most important reading, such as: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html And you’d better order it now, so you’ll be prepared when storms knock out your Internet connection. I don’t mean to frighten you, but you know it’s just a matter of time.

I have another book that might pique your interest. It’s a spiritual/metaphysical memoir. Quest For Truth, A Journey of the Soul is a fascinating account of my past-life regression and healing work with a hypnotherapist. http://www.matilijapress.com/questpage.html

An author or freelance writer without Internet is like a rider without a horse, a kitten with no one to pet her, a great photo opportunity and no camera in sight, a wonderful wall hanging without a wall to hang it on and a bunch of ingredients and no recipe to bring them together. But this temporary loss can be a blessing if you’ll just Accept, Trust and Change.

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Your Author Interviews

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

I had the privilege of being interviewed this morning by Helen Ginger at http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com She said that my interview will appear on January 17, 2008, so watch for it.

When was the last time you participated in an interview? It’s a great way to get exposure for yourself and your book. There are interview opportunities in newspaper columns, at websites, in newsletters and magazines, on radio/TV, in person and now in blogs.

Here are some of the most common questions that come up about those opportunities and the process of promotional interviews along with my responses:

Q: How do I get interviewed?
A: You might be invited or you might have to solicit an invitation. If you are promoting quite heavily, you will be noticed and editors, site owners and bloggers will invite you to participate in an interview. It’s more likely, however, that you will seek out those who do interviews with authors in your genre or subject.

Do an online search for interviews with authors and others in your category of interest or genre. And check out sites and publications related to your topic/genre to see if they conduct interviews. Contact those interviewers and suggest that they interview you.

When you see (or hear) an interview in a blog you follow, a publication you read or a station you listen to, contact the interviewer with information about yourself.

Q: What can I say that will make them want to interview me?
A: Come across as professional, personable and confident in your topic/genre. Provide pertinent information about yourself, offer evidence of your expertise and suggest a slant or focus that might be a bit unusual and absolutely fascinating to their readers. For example, maybe you are the author of a murder mystery and your personal history includes the fact that you once sat on a jury for a major murder trial. Perhaps your book features dog tales and you are a retired veterinarian or a former dog sled competitor.

Q: How do I handle my nerves during an interview?
A: Many interviews, these days, are done via email—at your leisure—privately, so you can edit as you go. These are my favorite kind. However, there is much to be said for live interviews, as well. If something isn’t immediately understood, it is pointed out and you can clarify. Just remember that your interviewer and your audience probably don’t know as much about the topic as you do. Keep your level of confidence UP so you come across as the expert you are. Of course, avoid talking down to your audience. I often tell people, “Pretend you are having a one-on-one conversation with a friend.”

Q: What advice can you offer to someone who has never done an interview before?
A: Stay focused on your topic and your audience. What do they want to know about you, your book, the subject? Typically, you will share your story—just the highlights, please; talk a little about your book—think ahead of time about what makes your project interesting or unusual; offer your audience some benefit of your knowledge of experience. And be sure to lead interested audience members back to you for more. Tell them where to purchase your book, where they can get more information about your subject (hopefully, you have a blog and/or material and resources at your website) and how you can help them to accomplish what you have—write a book, become an expert in your field, etc.

If you aspire to be a published author, you’d better also prepare to be interviewed numerous times by a variety of interviewers asking you some common and some off-the-wall questions. Learn more about the interview process and almost everything else you want/need to know about publishing and book promotion in The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html I also have some articles posted at my site that reference the interview process: http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm#promotion

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The Business Side of Writing and Publishing

Friday, January 4th, 2008

How many books did you sell in 2007? What percentage of them were wholesaled? Did you have any interstate sales? What was your profit? Did you provide any writing services for a fee? How much freelance work did you pick up last year? Who cares? Your state and your government—that’s who.

As soon as you decide to write for money or turn your great idea or life experiences into a book for sale, you are in business and you must adhere to your country’s and your state’s tax and resale laws. What if you don’t? Heck, I never waited around to find out the consequences of dissing the IRS or the State Board of Equalization. From day one, even before I was able to show a profit, I reported the financial details of my freelance writing business and, later, my publishing business.

For those of you who haven’t figured it out, there are benefits to declaring your writing or publishing business. You get write offs. You can write off all legitimate expenses related to your book or your freelance business. Sure, save receipts for the punch and cookies you serve at your book signing and keep track of the mileage. Your new computer is a business expense, as are your office supplies—pens, paperclips, file folders, post-its and so forth. I wouldn’t try to deduct that new pair of slacks purchased for your presentation at the local Rotary Club meeting or the lipstick you bought because it matches the cover of your book. But, heck, tax laws change every day—check with your accountant.

I’m often asked during my workshops, “Can you suggest an easy bookkeeping system for my freelance writing (or publishing) business?” And folks, if you are an author, you are in business. Even if you’re collecting royalties, you still must keep records. Keep track of your royalty income, of course. But you’ll also incur expenses related to your book which are not picked up by your publisher—stamps for mailings, brochures/flyers, book festival fees, organization membership fees (PMA, SPAN and/or SPAWN, for example), long-distance telephone calls related to promotion, laptop to keep in touch while you’re traveling and so forth.

I keep one ledger for each of my books. Therein, I log each sale, date of sale, whether it was wholesale or retail and any tax collected. I have separate ledgers to keep track of my article activity (title/subject of article, publication, date queried, date requested, date sent, result or response and payment). I have a section for the payment of royalties, articles and client and other freelance work. And I handle receipts by tossing them into a file folder as I collect them.

Additional tips:

• Keep a small notepad in your car and note mileage for errands and trips related to your business or your book. This might include, trips to the post office to ship books, for example, to meetings related to your article work or book promotion and to deliver books to local booksellers.
• To avoid overwhelm at the end of the year, tally figures related to your book or your business each quarter.
• Connect with a good accountant or tax preparer who has experience with authors/writers.
• If you have a head for it, stay on top of tax laws related to your situation. I recommend Tax Mama, Eva Rosenberg at http://www.taxmama.com or, for tax help for authors in particular, http://www.theartrepreneur.com

If you want to make money through your writing—and it seems that everyone, these days, does—you’ll have to consider all angles, including your tax responsibilities. There’s no free lunch in this business and, once you start accepting money for your work or selling your books, you are in business.

Learn much more about the publishing business through my latest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book . This is a meaty 360-page monster of a book designed to educate you about the publishing industry and walk you through the entire process of writing, publishing and promoting your book. Use the companion Author’s Workbook for additional support and to help you more honestly and professionally evaluate your project and your potential as a published author. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

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For Authors, Timing is Everything

Thursday, January 3rd, 2008

They say that timing is everything and this is fact in many scenarios. How often have you been aware of this truth in your life? Perhaps you recall a time when you missed a travel connection and it turned out to be a good thing. Maybe you won (or lost) in an important game or contest or missed (or got caught) in a horrific accident all because of timing.

Timing is important in publishing, as well. How?

1: You must come up with the right book at the right time. It seems that J.D. Rowling did with her Harry Potter series. You may have a book in mind, but if the market is inundated with books on that subject or the public isn’t ready for a book of this kind, the timing is not right.

I sent queries out to some TV producers in the 80s with regard to a series featuring past life scenarios. I was told over and over that the timing was wrong—this concept would not click with the general public. So I waited and then got busy and never followed through with my idea. I believe there currently is or recently was a series similar to this on TV. I missed with that idea, but have certainly been on target with others.

2: Learn about the publishing industry before getting involved. Too many people jump in and become published authors without knowing what is involved. Most of them (as statistics prove) fail. I keep teaching and preaching that publishing is not an extension of your writing. While writing is a heart thing—a craft, publishing is a business and must be approached as such. Folks, study something about the publishing industry before entering into it. One excellent way to become better equipped for authorship is to read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. In fact, I wrote this book precisely for hopeful authors whether they want to try landing a traditional royalty publisher, go with a fee-based POD “self-publishing” company or self-publish (establish their own publishing company).

3: Study the competition prior to publication. Find out what else is out there like your project. Scrutinize the differences. Discover how these books are being received. What makes them good? Is the market inundated with books like this? How can you make your book stand out? Of course, you’ll want to gather this information before you ever start writing your book instead of after, like so many misguided (or unguided) authors do. This is what you would do if you were contemplating opening a business in town, right?

4: Determine your target audience. Again, this is a common practice for anyone starting a business and publishing/authorship is a business. Who will most likely purchase a book like the one you propose? Could you attract a wider audience by tweaking your idea? The best time to consider your audience is before you write the book, not afterward—when sales are lagging and you don’t know why.

5: Create a marketing plan. Yes, do this before you start writing the book. Wait until the book is completed and you will miss out on the marvelous opportunity to build promotion into your book.

Folks, if you’re planning a book, stop, look and listen. Stop writing. Look at your project from a business standpoint and listen to what the experts are saying. If it sounds as though I’m telling you AGAIN to write a book proposal, you’re right on.

If your book is already published, order my special report The Post-Publication Book Proposal. PLFry620@yahoo.com

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