April, 2011 - Writing and Publishing News

Archive for April, 2011

Hiring Staff for Writers and Authors

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

I’m thinking again about hiring someone to help me out around here. But I’m not clear yet as to what kind of help I need or want. I’ve hired a friend in the past to do typing for me. She typed an entire book into the computer one year. I wrote that 360-page book on a typewriter and, twenty years later, when I decided to do a revision, there were no computer files or disks to extract it from. We had to start from scratch.

I suggested an article to a writers’ magazine once about hiring help in your freelance business. The editor laughed at me. She rejected the story by saying how unrealistic it is to even consider that a freelance writer could afford to hire anyone to help. This is such a short-sighted, narrow-minded view—and inaccurate!

When my bread and butter came from freelance article work, I hired someone to send out my query letters. I did the research as to which query letters I wanted to go out to which publications and she typed the correct name/address on each letter, printed them, prepared envelopes (including my SASE) and mailed everything out for me. That left me free to write articles, come up with new article ideas and so forth.

I hired my grandchildren to do filing for me at various times over the years. They’ve also helped me with large mailings.

Now I am considering hiring someone to arrange for my speaking gigs, maybe produce a newsletter and help me to get more exposure for myself and my products and services. I’d like this person to be more technologically savvy than I am. I have more to learn within the realm of ebooks, for example. This simple concept has become a strong industry with many facets and I would like to be brought up to speed with it all.

I realize that my colleagues, who seem to stay on the cutting edge of the industry, all work with a staff. I need to start building a knowledgeable staff.

I welcome your advice and suggestions. PLFry620@yahoo.com

If you would like to see more of my blog posts related to freelance writing, editing, book marketing, writing a book proposal, etc., use the “categories” list at the lower right of this post to locate all of the entries on that topic. Let me know if you have questions.

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

Posted in Authorship, Writing | No Comments »

Why Do You Need an Editor For Your Amazing Book Manuscript?

Monday, April 18th, 2011

I just finished compiling another issue of the SPAWN Market Update for the member area of the SPAWN website. That’s Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network, http://www.spawn.org.

In so doing, I had occasion to check publishers’ guidelines, their announced calls for submissions and their press releases with some innovative new publishing options for authors. Guess what I read over and over and over again:

“Send your completed manuscript ONLY after it has been professionally edited.”

Yup, this bit of advice can make the difference between a contract and a rejection letter. And it often does.

You hear that publishers will run a manuscript through their editorial department before sending it to the printers. And they do. Most publishers have specific editorial requirements and they want their stable of editors to make sure your excellent manuscript conforms. But a manuscript that is not professionally edited when the publisher receives it, won’t get this far in the process.

After you have gone through your manuscript numerous times looking at it from all possible angles and checking for all possible problems, it is time to hire an editor.

Here are some of the things your savvy editor will look for when editing your perfect manuscript:

• Spacing. It is now one space between sentences, not two!

• Punctuation. Are you using quotation marks and single quotes correctly? Are you creating the em-dash correctly? What about commas and exclamation points? Do you place them only where they need to be?

• Hyphens, etc. Do you know when it is two words, one word or a hyphenated word? (Many authors are inconsistent in this area. For example, they write heartbreaking on page 12, heart breaking on page 76 and heart-breaking on page 101.)

• Capitalization. Do you know when to capitalize Mom, Father, etc. and when not to? Have you been consistent in your capitalization of special words you use in your story or nonfiction book?

• Spelling. Have you triple checked your spelling? Are you consistent in the way you spell names and other specialized words you’ve chosen for your book?

• Mistakes. Have you checked for misused and extra words leftover when you’ve made changes? (These can be really hard to catch.) Maybe you changed someone’s name along the way—did you remember to make that change in all places?

• Clarity. Are your sentences tight, clear and necessary to your nonfiction book or your story? Is there enough explanation? Could someone from Mars read this sentence or paragraph and comprehend it? (Be careful here. Often, folks who engage in muddy writing rarely recognize the mud in the writing. Another good reason to hire an editor.)

• Is your story told or your how-to book organized logically? Does it flow? I can’t tell you how many times I have to help an author reorganize his or her material or story so that it works.

Each phase of preparing a book for publication is important and editing is one of the most important. After you have self-edited to your satisfaction, hire an experienced book editor and see the difference he or she can make with your amazing project.

http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com
PLFry620@yahoo.com

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Finally Finish That Writing Project

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

A new season is upon us. Are you ready to finally complete that novel, memoir, children’s or other book in 2011? Despite years of putting off your dream, you can succeed. You can experience the joy of authorship. Here are some suggestions to help you move closer to your writing goals.

1: Schedule time each day to write. Make writing a priority just like you do feeding the dog, working out and going grocery shopping. You might be surprised at how much you can accomplish in smaller pockets of time. I once wrote a 200-page book in eight months while writing for only two hours per day.

2: Do five things every day toward your writing goal. For example:
• Write five paragraphs or five pages of your novel.
• Make five contacts with regard to research or expert interviews.
• Self-edit five pages of your book.
• Check out five resources to help you in your publishing journey.

3: Stay positive. As a writer, you are constantly setting yourself up for rejection. Your articles are rejected. Your writers group is critical of your work. You criticize your writing. It’s hard to come by positive feedback.

Here’s how I conquer this writer’s curse.

• I display things in my office that make me feel accomplished and loved. I have my published books around me, of course, and then there are family photos, treasured gifts from friends, certificates, plaques and ribbons I’ve won and some of my best photography.

• I connect often with my most positive and supportive friends and family via brief emails and phone chats.

• I take mini-vacations almost every day. I spend an hour walking amidst stands of oaks, along a nearby river, around a lake or at the beach. Go out and ride your bike, walk the dog, sit and read an uplifting book or play with a kitten or a child, for example.

• I frequently engage in something creative outside of writing. I spend time in my garden or working on a needlework project. Other authors I know paint, draw, do woodwork or participate in little theater.

If you’re tired of looking at that unfinished manuscript, make this your year of achievement. Incorporate these ideas into your lifestyle now and you, too, will do yourself proud.

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

Posted in Authorship, Writing | 1 Comment »

Editing Tips For Authors

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Did you write yesterday? Did you follow my advice and keep your audience in mind? Maybe you plan to sit down at your computer and do some serious writing this weekend and apply this concept to your writing project. Be sure to let me know how it goes.

A common habit I see in writing is the author doesn’t bring the reader along on the journey. She leaves him out in the cold while she moves to the next page of her story. In other words, she might drive home and fix herself a sandwich without allowing the reader to follow along through the process. You might not want to go into how the character pulls up to the curb, steps on the break, puts the car in park, removes the key, etc. We don’t need all of the mundane details unless they are relevant to the story, such as in establishing the character’s mood or demeanor:

“Marge felt a sharp pain in her knee as she stepped on the brake and a more piercing pain drove through her gut as she recalled Jay’s attempt to cripple her that night…”

“Mike opened the kitchen cupboard and stared blankly at its contents. Peanut butter—that’s what I want, he thought, peanut butter. Where’s the damn peanut butter? The jar wasn’t sitting on the shelf where he was used to seeing it. He slammed the door shut so hard that it bounced back and slapped him in the head. That’s when he noticed them—cookies. Peanut butter cookies. My favorite, he thought.”

Some writers tell the story as they write. Others sketch a skeleton of the story (or outline) first and fill in the particulars later. However you choose to produce your masterpieces, make sure that it makes sense to your readers and that your readers are not left behind—wondering what happened.

If you need someone to double/triple check your manuscript before you send it off to a pay-to-publish company or publisher, contact me for a free evaluation. I will look over your first few chapters (20 pages or so) and let you know what I think you need—most often it is an editor. I will explain what I would do to improve your manuscript, how long it would take me and how much it would cost. (Expect a cost of anywhere from $250 to $2,500).

It is a wise author who budgets this fee for editing services. Hire a BOOK editor—someone who is accustomed to editing books using the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) and who knows something about the publishing industry.

Check out my credentials and client testimonials here:

http://www.patriciafry.com

Download a FREE copy of 50 Reasons Why You Should Publish Your Book.

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How to Write For Your Target Audience

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Is your book engaging? As you write your fiction or nonfiction book, do you keep your audience in mind? Are you speaking specifically to your audience? Or are you just writing what you want to write—creating your book without any thought about your readers? If you are writing primarily for yourself, you could be shortchanging your readers.

How do you know when you are eliminating your audience from the equation as you write your book? One clue is your choice of titles. Does it reflect your desire to give and to share or is it a self-serving title? Examples of self-serving titles might be:

My Lifelong Struggles With Depression
The Cats I Love
Fifteen Reasons Why I Garden
Ketchup and Wine

If you have your audience in mind when choosing a title, you might use, instead:

Depression Hurt: Tips for Overcoming This Debilitating Illness
Cats You’ve Gotta Love
Fifteen Ways to Enjoy Your Garden in All Seasons
Cooking With Margaret: Comfort Foods for Winter Nights

Another indication that you are writing for the wrong audience (perhaps yourself) is when your information, instructions or story isn’t concrete or complete. When you’re writing for yourself, you tend to omit the obvious—some of the details. You write so that you understand it, but someone else reading it might not get the full impact of your message.

Whether you are writing your memoirs, a how-to or self-help book or a novel, forget about what you want to write. Determine your target audience and write directly to the reader who represents that segment of people.

I often tell writers, write as if you are explaining something or telling the story to someone from outer space.

When you sit down to write today, take a look at your manuscript. Are you writing something that will be of interest or value to others? Because of you don’t have an audience, you don’t have a market for your book and you will fail as a published author.

Who is your target (primary) audience for this book? Are you speaking to this audience as you write or are you leaving out and skimming over information, facts or aspects of your story that they need to know?

Look at your proposed title? Is it one that will catch the eye of your audience—that will resonate with him or her? Or is it a title you are attached to?

PLFry620@yahoo.com
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

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What Do You Know About Publishing a Book?

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Writing and publishing a book seem to be the things to do these days—in order to establish credibility, share your truths, make a statement or impress your friends. It looks rather easy to accomplish. After all, your real estate agent has done it, the mom down the street has done it and a couple of people you know at the gym have done it, too. Why can’t you produce the novel that’s in your head, the story of your childhood trauma, a book related to your line of work or a book of poetry?

All you have to do is write it and get someone to publish it. What’s so difficult about that?

But what do you know about publishing, really? If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, if you belong to SPAWN and you have been participating in our discussion group, reading our two monthly newsletters and pursuing some of the many resources we offer and if you have been reading the books that I and other professionals have produced on publishing, you may be prepared to produce a book. If you are uninformed, naive and closed-minded, however, you need to stop your forward motion on your book project and take time to become more informed.

Think about some of the other important things you’ve done in your lifetime. Did you establish a business, get married, have children, buy a home or choose your career on a whim or did you put some thought and study into these things before diving in? If you didn’t, how did it work for you?

Publishing is a seriously competitive business. Did you know that:

1: Over three-quarters of the books produced sell fewer than 100 copies total? (This could include those books by your neighbor, real estate agent and those people at the gym.)

2: There are three main publishing options and not every option is right for every author and every book.

3: There are more than the major publishers. There are hundreds of small to medium-size traditional royalty publishers eager for a good book project.

4: Self-publishing means to establish your own publishing company. If you pay a company to produce your book, this is considered pay-to-publish.

5: Each pay-to-publish company has their own contract and some of them are NOT in the author’s best interest. ALWAYS check the reputation of a pay-to-publish company before getting involved.

6: Writing the book and getting it published are easy compared to what comes next—book promotion. No matter what publishing option you choose, it is up to the author to promote his or her book.

7: Most of the books who fail in the marketplace come from pay-to-publish companies

For more about the world of publishing and book promotion, stay tuned to this blog. Also read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book—on sale now at: http://www.matilijapress.com

For more about SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) go to http://www.spawn.org

Contact me with your questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com

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Your Synopsis

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Today’s blog consists of an excerpt from my Book Proposal Course—Class number 3—the Synopsis Part II.

I created these notes based on the questions and material I received from students during week two of my first Book Proposal Course.

1: Most authors find that organizing the book is one of the hardest parts of the writing process. Organization can also be a challenge in writing a Synopsis. Make sure that you have organized your synopsis in the most logical manner.

2: Is your first sentence an attention-grabber? Imagine that you are a very busy publisher and you’re seeing the synopsis for the first time. What is your first impression? Are you intrigued? Are you interested enough to keep reading?

3: If you’re having trouble formulating your synopsis, imagine that you are sitting across the desk with a publisher and he has just asked you, “What is your book about?” or “Tell me about your story.” Start by writing, “This book is about…” or “This book features…” or “In this book, I tell the story of…” You may keep that beginning or you might remove it and come up with a stronger beginning. These phrases just might serve to jumpstart your synopsis.

4: Keep it simple. Avoid long, cumbersome sentences like the plague. This is not the time to get fancy or to flaunt your mastery of the English language. In order to dazzle a publisher, he first must understand what you’re saying. Write as if you’re explaining this to someone from outer space.

5. Use active rather than passive sentences. Examples:

Passive: The game was won by the bluebirds.
Active: The Bluebirds won the game.

Passive: A decision to adjourn was made by the president
Active: The President adjourned the meeting.

6: Write a one-sentence description of your book. This will help you to find your focus for your synopsis. I’d like to see that sentence this week. (Some of you have already sent me yours. And you’ve all done a bang up job.)

7: For those of you who have a story to tell, don’t try to tell the whole story in the Synopsis. Just outline the basic storyline, include something about the prominent players in the story and add an example of two from the story.

8: For those of you with nonfiction books, include statistics in your Synopsis and introduce the experts you’ll be quoting.

9: Don’t try to keep things from the publisher. While I urge you to keep descriptions brief and succinct, avoid playing peek-a-boo games. Don’t keep the publisher in suspense. Be straightforward.

10: Where you have several points to make consider using bullets. For example: “In my book, Doggie Dress-Up I will cover the following:
• Who, in general, dress their dogs?
• Why do people dress their dogs
• Which celebrities parade dogs wearing clothes?
• What dog types are most often subjected to the practice of dressing up?
• What is the most popular doggie dress-up style?
• What are some of the most outlandish outfits worn by dogs?
• Where can one find doggie outfits?”

11: Make a strong statement at the end of your Synopsis indicating your assuredness that the publisher will consider publishing your manuscript. For example, instead of, “I hope you find this manuscript suitable for publication.” Or “I would love it if you decide to publish this,” say, “This book will be a valuable asset to the dog owner who is on the fence about investing in a wardrobe for his dog.” Or “I envision this book being warmly received by children and parents everywhere.”

In other words, put positive thoughts in the publisher’s head.

All of you who are planning a book might want to take this advice and write a one or two sentence description of your project. It can be an easy slam dunk or a very difficult exercise. I’d love to have a report as to your one-sentence description.

PLFry620@yahoo.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

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Tips for Choosing and Working With An Agent

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

The Association of Authors’ Representatives website provides valuable information for the author seeking agent representations http://aaronline.org/FAQ Here, you’ll learn how to connect with an appropriate agent, what an agent can do for you and what questions to ask an agent before getting involved.

Some agents, like some publishers, specialize. Match your project to their expertise.

Beware of the newbie or wannabe masquerading as a literary agent. There is no licensing of agents, thus no industry standards. The screening at the Association of Author’s Representatives provides the most reliable method of choosing an agent today.

Many publishing authorities recommend soliciting an agent before you begin showing your manuscript around. They say that an agent will reject manuscripts that have already been submitted to the prime publishers.

On the other hand, sometimes it pays to distribute your proposal to a few appropriate publishers before contacting an agent. If you get positive feedback from a couple of publishers, you may have a greater chance of engaging the services of an agent. Tell the agent, for example, “ABC Publishing has asked to see my sample chapters. Would you represent this project for me?”

You approach an agent in much the same way you do a publisher—with a query letter and/or a book proposal representing your current project. Read the agent’s submission guidelines for authors and comply. Generally, you will send a query letter to appropriate agents once your book proposal is completed. If yours is a novel, you might wait until the book is finished. Send the same query letter you would send to a publisher, only address it to the agent and refer to your desire for representation rather than publishing.

As with any query letter, keep it brief, professional and to the point. The job of a query letter is to pique the agent’s interest. If you adequately do this, she or he will ask to see your proposal and/or manuscript.

Working with an agent is similar to working with a publisher. You should strive for mutual respect and an air of professionalism.

I am planning to teach one of my newest online courses for FREE starting in May. Which would you prefer: Build Your Author’s Platform or Memoir Writing? See the descriptions of these courses here: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm Leave your comment here or contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Posted in Author's Agents, Authorship | No Comments »

You and Your Author’s Agent

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Are you planning to seek agent representation for your book project? Are you sure that your book is of the quality and scope that would require an agent in order for you to get your foot in the door of a good publishing house?

If you’ve been studying my blog, articles and books, you know that not every publisher requires that authors come to them through an agent. In fact, some prefer working with unagented authors.

If your book is something that would interest a major publisher, however, you may want to start looking for an appropriate agent. And this could take time.

Beware, some opportunists who masquerade as agents, con unsuspecting authors out of hundreds or thousands of dollars. It would behoove you to thoroughly check out any agency you are considering before signing with them. It could take time to find the right agent. But it is important that you choose one who is legitimate, with whom you are compatible and who believes in your project. Locate agents through the following channels:

1: Access the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) database at http://www.aaronline.org All 382 literary agents on this list have gone through a stringent screening process. All come recommended. Before signing with an agent, make sure that he or she is a member of this organization.

2: Visit the Agent Research and Evaluation Company’s free access agent database at http://www.agentresearch.com They provide a new agent list for $75.00. For a $210 fee, they’ll offer a more detailed search involving five agents of your choice.

3: Find agents listed in Writer’s Digest’s Guide to Literary Agents. You’ll also find lists of literary agents in Writer’s Market, Literary Market Place and a database of US and UK literary agents at http://www.1000literaryagents.com

4: Consider an agent who is recommended by another author who has a book similar to yours.

5: Find agents listed in recently published books similar to yours. An author will often mention his agent on the acknowledgements page.

6: Attend writers’ conferences where agents are speaking and see if you can find a match.

7: Set up appointments with appropriate agents at writers’ conferences.

In tomorrow’s blog, we will discuss tips for choosing and working with an agent. In the meantime, for more information on writing, publishing (including publishers and agents), book promotion and more, go to http://www.matilijapress.com For editorial services: http://www.patriciafry.com

I am planning to teach one of my newest online courses for FREE starting in May. Which would you prefer: Build Your Author’s Platform or Memoir Writing. See the descriptions of these courses here: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm Leave your comment here or contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

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Finally Meet Your Publishing Goals

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon among hopeful authors—maybe this describes you. He (or she) writes a book or is, perhaps, thinking about writing a book—desperately wants to. Occasionally, he attends a program where he hears authors speak and he picks up information about publishing. He buys books and joins groups and organizations related to writing and publishing. He contacts authors for consultations, attends writing classes at the local college and subscribes to newsletters for authors.

But years later, he is still unpublished. He hasn’t even written (or finished) his book.

I’ve met some of these authors. I have editing clients with wonderful stories that, after two, three—even ten years, have yet to see the light of day or be enjoyed by any readers except myself—the editor. I know potential authors who go through decades only talking about their desire to write or complete a book and publish it.

Sure, life sometimes gets in the way of our dreams. Our perceived passion must, on occasion, go on the backburner while we concentrate on survival. Some people purposely hold off pursuing publishing until their children are raised, they retire, etc. Some of them actually follow-through. But many others just continue dreaming.

They read publishing newsletters and maybe even review some of the relevant books they’ve purchased over the years. They show up at free author events. They attend book festivals and draw several published authors into long conversations about publishing. They read a lot of books like the one they want to produce. They visit authors’ blogs. They do all of the right things, but still aren’t motivated to jump in and participate.

To those of you who are experiencing what I call the hopeful author syndrome for more than a matter of months, consider taking an online course. Why? By participating in a book proposal course, where you are required to go through the motions of writing a book proposal for your dream book, you are apt to get off dead center and actually move forward with your project. By working on your author’s platform or working through the process of self-editing your manuscript, walking through the steps of writing your memoir, you are actually advancing toward your goal. Maybe you would like to self-publish your book, but don’t know how to proceed. A course on self-publishing could be the key to help you become published.

With this in mind, I invite you to check out my array of online courses for authors at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm
Working with me through one of my courses is like having a personal consultant at your side. Only it’s less expensive because you aren’t paying by the hour.

Let me know if you have questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com

In the meantime, I have two brand new courses. I would like to offer one of them for a select group for free. If you were to choose one of my free courses, would it be my Memoir-Writing Course or my Establish Your Author’s Platform Course. View these two course descriptions here:
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_platform.htm>
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_memoirwriting.htm
Either leave your choice here as a comment or email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

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