Writing and Publishing News

I’ve been learning a new word processing program. That’s what happens when you buy a new, more advanced computer. Oh my! The learning curve can be brutal, or it can be fascinating. It depends on one’s mindset.

I am vacillating back and forth between “Yikes, I don’t know what to do!” and “Yeah, I figured it out!”

In the meantime, I am working daily with clients and students. My online Book Proposal course is winding down and I’m in the middle of the online Book Promotion course with a new group of students. When I started working with authors on my new Book Promotion course, I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t have much to offer one particular student. Before moving into the first class, I ask students where they are with their books&#8212what sort of promotion have they done so far? One student sent me an extensive list of the promotion he had done. And it was impressive, indeed! I was afraid that I couldn’t offer him anything new.

But, here we are in our second week of lessons and, already, he is expressing his enthusiasm for some of the book promotion ideas I’ve presented. He said, “That isn’t something I’ve thought of before. I didn’t know you could do that!” And he said he is eager to pursue these new avenues of book promotion and sell more books.

This taught me that, while all successful authors have some strong suits and are pursuing some promotional activities with success, not all of these authors are involved in or even aware of every activity that could result in generous book sales. That’s why courses such as mine, where the teacher works one-on-one with students, and networking with your peers are so valuable to authors who are promoting their books. And that’s why I steer authors and hopeful authors toward my courses as well as membership in SPAWN, Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. Not only does SPAWN offer a forum and an email discussion group where members can discuss publishers, agents, distributors, promotional ideas, etc., but we have a huge list of resources for authors and others interested in publishing and a newsletter that surpasses most others out there when it comes to information and resources for authors and hopeful authors. The newsletter we post in the Members Only area is the SPAWN Market Update and it comes with your membership.

But you can sign up for SPAWNews, our FREE enewsletter at
http://www.spawn.org.
Click on “Free newsletter.”

My Online Courses for Authors and Freelance Writers
It’s too late to sign up for the Book Promotion Workshop in progress. But, a new course is beginning soon. So stay tuned. In fact, you can sign up now and your credit card will not be charged until the day I send you your first class. (We will agree upon this date in advance.) Also starting soon is my Magazine Article Course. Check both of these out at
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm
Let me know if you have any questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com

Do you have a book manuscript ready to send to a publisher or an agent? Are you aware that most publishers and agents won’t give your manuscript a second look if it appears to be unedited? What are dead-giveaways indicating that the manuscript is unedited?
• Two spaces between sentences.
• Typos&#8212typing “than” when you mean “then,” for example.
• Muddy writing.
• Grammatical and punctuation errors.
• Words repeated unnecessarily.
• Incomplete sentences.
• Improper handling of dialog.
• Passive sentences.
• The overuse of qualifiers such as “really,” “very,” etc.
• Improper use of apostrophes&#8212boys’ when you mean boy’s, for example.
• Improper use of quotation marks and Italics.
• Too many clichés.
In these difficult economic times, many of you are polishing your book manuscripts and your magazine articles in preparation for publication. You feel this is a good time to bring out your book or to start submitting your articles or stories and, hopefully, bring in a little extra money. And why not? It was actually during an economic downturn when I developed my freelance writing business while working a full-time job. I built my business to the point that I could quit the job and concentrate on my article-writing career. There’s no reason why you can’t do the same. But be sure that you make only the wisest decisions along the way.
Is it wise to bring out a book in a poor economy? That depends on you, your project and whether you use your mind to a stronger degree than your heart in making the decisions related to your book.
Here’s what I would recommend&#8212and it may require a bit of an investment&#8212work with a mentor or coach toward establishing your freelance business or toward publishing your book. Hire an editor to make sure you are on the right track with your writing skills and presentation&#8212at least for the first project or so. (A teaching editor is preferred.) Read good books on the subject of your publishing interest. I am a teaching editor. I also offer excellent books for freelance article writers and hopeful authors. Check out A Writer’s Guide to Article Writing and The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com.

When you hire an editor, consider one who can also offer you coaching and consultations regarding publishing&#8212someone with experience within the publishing industry.

I was talking to someone the other day about how important it is to work with someone who has been experiencing publishing at the author level for enough years to matter. Some publishing professionals, who are now working with authors, have actually never been in an author’s shoes. They came from corporate headquarters or maybe they have been in the printing business for many years. Sure, these experts can certainly offer valuable advice and information, but not always the kind you need at the moment.

If you’re considering a freelance article-writing business or you think this is the time to produce your book, contact me for a free manuscript evaluation. PLFry620@yahoo.com.