January, 2013 - Writing and Publishing News

Archive for January, 2013

Start NOW Planning Your Spring Speaking Calendar

Monday, January 21st, 2013

It’s time to start planning for the Ojai Wordfest. This is an 8 day event in our community in early April during which local authors present 100 activities, events, workshops, presentations, readings, etc. all over town. There might be readings by novelists at coffee houses, workshops at the library, meals in private homes with readings/workshops, lectures at bookstores, including our famous outdoor bookstore and so much more. I have two days to decide what I want to talk about and find a venue. So guess what I’ll be doing this week.

Yup, I’ll be out schmoozing with directors and proprietors of my favorite venues and coming up with ideas for workshops.

I’m talking about this because I thought some of you might want to organize something similar in your town. It’s a great opportunity to introduce local authors to the community while involving merchants as well as local libraries, art centers, museums and so forth.

In my latest book, Talk Up Your Book, I tell you how to locate opportunities like this. I also talk about how to arrange for your own speaking engagements/workshops.

Authors, you can’t wait to be invited. You must be proactive.

And this is a great time of year to start the process. Everyone is looking forward to spring—getting out of the house, learning something new, experiencing something different, socializing and participating. Why not spend the dark, dreary days of your winter planning to “come out” with entertaining, educational, informational presentations for April, May, June… Wait until the sun comes out, and it may be too late to set something up. Get in the habit of procrastinating and you may never get around to it. And then you’ll wonder why you aren’t selling any books. Hopefully, you will realize that it is because you haven’t been out showing it to potential readers—you haven’t been out talking about it.

Don’t wait until the clouds move on, the snow melts and the rain subsides. Start now planning your spring book tour either just locally, throughout the areas you’ve planned trips this year or make plans to travel outside your community in order to spread the word about your book.

Keep in mind that there’s a lot of opportunity in your hometown. Unless you live in a dit-dot of a place, you should be able to set up two or three speaking opportunities locally (within 40 miles) every month all year round. And the more people you speak to, the more books you’ll sell on the spot, certainly, but also residually.

Would love to have you follow-up with me and report on the engagements you schedule in coming weeks. Also be sure to post them on your website and talk about them before and after in your blog. Need assistance with any aspect of speaking in public or effective communication—presented in a simple manner as all of my books are—order your copy of Talk Up Your Book at Amazon.com or any other online or downtown bookstore.

The publisher tells me the Kindle version of this book should be ready for purchase sometime this week! I’ll let you know.

Announcement
I am currently teaching my online Book Proposal Course. It is not too late to join in: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

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Think Like Your Readers

Sunday, January 20th, 2013

I’m teaching my online book proposal course this month. It’s not too late to sign up. This is a great way to get personalized attention as you tackle the task of developing your book’s business plan—your book proposal. Learn more about this course and sign up here:
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

One student is having a little trouble defining her book—describing her story. She knows it is a memoir based on a family member’s journal. But I have advised her that this is not enough. There has to be a theme—a story—a reason for presenting this story. A family story is often just of interest to the family and close friends. There has to be something more in order to engage outside readers. What did this family member stand for, what was the theme of her life, what did she contribute to society, community, family? What, of value, did she leave behind? What makes her story interesting to others? Sometimes the real story is in a pinnacle of the subject’s life or a low period, a time of extreme courage or simply in the way this person lived. What personality trait, hobby, skill, attitude, emotion…can you expound on—develop—in order to attract interest in your story?

My suggestions to this author so far have been to start thinking like her readers. This is good advice for any author, certainly one who needs a hook, so to speak. If you read, you know why you do. What do you hope to get from books of the type you are writing? Inspiration? Information? Entertainment? Do you like reading books reflecting the courage and conviction of individuals during certain periods and in certain circumstances? What draws you into the books you choose to read? These are the things you need to focus on when writing your book and certainly when describing it.

I’ve also recommended that my student study the back cover copy for books similar to theirs. Of course, when I suggest this, new authors will typically say, “There are no stories quite like mine.” So I ask them to isolate books that would be read by their book’s audience. Study the promo they post at Amazon.com. Read the back cover copy. Become familiar with how these authors/publishers describe the books. What do they point up as the theme in their books? How do they describe the book to make it sound interesting to their potential readers?

You can’t write an effective query letter or write a good book, for that matter, until you have clearly defined your book’s purpose.

For more on this topic, be sure to order your copy of “Publish Your Book.” It’s at amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. I saw it in our local Barnes and Nobel just last week. It’s also on Kindle and other ereaders.

Posted in Book Proposals, Writing | No Comments »

Authors Must Join and Participate

Saturday, January 19th, 2013

Another way to study the publishing industry—to get up to speed with the field you are entering when you publish a book—I suggest getting out and mingling with other authors. You will hear success stories and horror stories. You will meet authors with many varied experiences. Some experiences you will want to copy and others you will avoid.

So where do you go to meet other authors? Start online. Yes, just remain seated in your office chair and turn on your computer. There are numerous online discussion groups and bulletin boards where authors communicate with one another. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) is an online networking organization for anyone interested in or involved in publishing. I am the executive director. Among other things, we have an online discussion group where you can meet other authors, ask questions, share your experiences, etc. Learn more here:
http://www.spawn.org

SPAN (Small Publishers Association of North America) and IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) are also solid organizations to join. Then there are children’s book writers organizations, mystery writers groups and so forth. Use Google to find those that resonate with you.

There are many writers groups that meet face-to-face, as well. Most of them invite speakers to talk about aspects of writing and publishing as well as book promotion. Find groups in your area through your local libraries and/or bookstores. Check the calendar section of your newspaper. Do an Internet search.

Attend writers’ conferences. Most are gearing more toward the publishing aspects of writing these days. But you’ll need to study their promo before signing up so you know you are getting the opportunities you seek. Here are a few directories of writer’s conferences.

http://www.writing.shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.newpages.com/writing-conferences

The other part to this message is participation. Locate appropriate groups and other learning opportunities. Study what they offer to make sure they are right for you. Attend and participate.

For more on this topic, read, “Publish Your Book” and “Talk Up Your Book” by Patricia Fry. Both available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order them from the author’s website: http://www.matilijapress.com

I started my online book proposal course this week. It is not too late to catch up. Learn more and sign up here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm It’s an excellent way to get one-on-one attention by a publishing professional.

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Best Newsletters for Authors

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

One way to become informed about the publishing industry and to keep up on industry news, the best promotional activities, resources for authors and so forth is to subscribe to and READ/STUDY some of the many industry newsletters. Here are those that I recommend for authors.

Publishing Basic
Free
http://www.publishingbasics.com

Book Marketing Matters
Free
http://www.bookmarketing.com

Book Promotion Newsletter
Small fee
http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com

SPAWNews
Free
http://www.spawn.org

SPAWN Market Update
Membership in SPAWN required
Join SPAWN at: http://www.spawn.org

Publishers Weekly daily
Free
http://www.publishersweekly.com

Tomorrow I will talk about organizations for authors.

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Best Books for Authors

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

As promised, today I will provide you with a list of books I recommend that you read at various stages of your writing and publishing journey.

Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author by Patricia Fry (Allworth Press, 2012). This is the book you should be reading before you decide whether or not publishing is for you. You will learn volumes about how to prepare for a successful publishing experience. You will find out what to expect throughout the process and be better equipped and educated to navigate the industry. You’ll discover through this book that there are options for authors and I even provide you with an exercise to help you determine which is the best publishing option for you and your project. Remember, publishing is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. I believe that the author who takes the time to study and understand more about the publishing industry has a greater chance of succeeding with his/her book.

If you want to self-publish—that is, establish your own publishing company—Publish Your Book features a time-line guiding you through the process. If you prefer going with a traditional royalty publisher, you will learn exactly how to choose, approach and work with the right one as well as with an appropriate agent.

And Publish Your Book covers how to write a book proposal, what to expect after you complete your book—in other words, the whole world of book promotion—and the book is laced with advice and guidance from about two-dozen other experts and professionals.

The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter (Para Publishing) has also evolved into a more well-rounded guide for authors and it goes into detail on many subjects authors typically question along their path to publication.

If you are definitely considering a pay-to-publish company (also widely known as self-publishing companies), Mark Levine’s book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing should be required reading. Levine rates and ranks several of these companies and exposes and explains their contracts. Don’t sign with one of these companies without reading both Publish Your Book AND The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

You can get The Fine Print of Self-Publishing FREE as an ebook when you join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). http://www.spawn.org (More about this and other author organizations later in the week.)

So today, make plans to order Publish Your Book and (if you are considering self-publishing companies), The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Order them as soon as possible and read them before moving forward with your publishing project. The thing is, there is no way to succeed in this business without having some understanding of it going in. Publishing is a business and your book is a product. No matter which publishing option you choose or what kind of book you are producing, you should consider yourself the CEO of your book from start to finish. Statistics tell a grim story. Did you know that nearly 78 percent of authors sell fewer than 100 copies of their books total? Can’t you just imagine that the difference between this nearly 78 percent and the other 22 percent (those author who experience some success) is that the smaller percentage came into the business with some knowledge, education, information, resources and definitely more savvy than those who failed.

Order these books at amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. As I said, you can get The Fine Print of Self-Publishing FREE when you join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). Annual membership is $65/year. http://www.spawn.org

You can also get Publish Your Book at my website: http://www.matilijapress.com

Tomorrow, we discuss newsletters and magazines for authors.

Posted in Books, Resources | No Comments »

Resources and Options for Authors

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Do you have questions about publishing and book promotion? Most likely, when you ask your questions about publishers, agents, writing a book proposal or marketing your book, you are not fully satisfied with the answers. Do you know why that is? Because there are sorry few (if any) pat answers when it comes to the process of publishing and book promotion.

First, depending on who you ask, you may get very different responses. Who should you believe? And then sometimes the person you have chosen to trust most will leave you with more questions than you had when you approached him or her. All you want is some guidance and some definite answers to your questions so you’ll know exactly what to do with regard to your project.

The thing is, there are choices in publishing—extenuating circumstances, varying goals, different levels of understanding and interest. There is no one size fits all. The reason why you may get different answers from different professionals is because we come from different backgrounds. And we might not “hear” and assimilate your questions the same way.

So, while one professional or published author says, “You’ve gotta get an agent,” another might says, “I suggest you check out some of the hundreds of publishers that don’t require an agent,” and yet another advises, “For your first project, go with a ‘self-publishing’ company.”

One professional may tell you to promote your book through intense Internet advertising and another might advise checking out all of the free avenues of publicity. One professes that personal appearances is the best way to go, while another says, you can sell more books more consistently using clever promotional tactics throughout the Internet.

The fact is all of the above is true but not for every author and every book and not, generally, exclusive of the other options. So how do you weed through the information and recommendations in order to make the best choices for you and for your project? Be your own best resource center. Ask questions, certainly and scrutinize the responses with regard to your project carefully. Keep an open mind, but be critical, too.

Study the publishing industry. Yes, do an independent study by reading books, subscribing to and reading appropriate newsletters and magazine, joining organizations such as SPAWN and attending writers conferences—many of them lean toward publishing and book promotion rather than the craft of writing these days. This is not where you end up—this is where you START!!!! Read about the industry, how it works, what it entails, your choices, the possible advantages and disadvantages of your options, specifically how to pursue the various options and so forth.

I will dedicate my next four (or more) posts to specific resources for hopeful and struggling authors. I will list the books I recommend you read, the newsletters and magazines you should be subscribing to, the organizations you should join and why and how to locate conferences and glean from them what you need in order to succeed. So stay tuned all week. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Tell your friends about this Writing and Publishing Blog. And visit my websites for additional information about me—Patricia Fry.
http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

And visit the organization I lead—SPAWN (Small Publishers Artists and Writers Network)
http://www.spawn.org

Posted in Authorship, Book Promotion, Publishing | No Comments »

Taking Care of Business

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

Authorship is a business. When you produce a book to sell, you have entered into a business. Your book is a product and, whether you land a traditional royalty publisher, you self-publish or you go with a pay-to-publish company, you should consider yourself the CEO of your book.

Along with a business comes tasks that aren’t always that much fun. Book signings are fun. Book festivals are fun. I even enjoy going out and speaking to groups of authors. And, of course, the writing is fun. But there are activities that go along with publishing that aren’t necessarily all that much fun. This weekend, I’m taking care of some of those things I consider challenges. Today, I will fill out my state tax form—which means tallying book sales for 2012. Yesterday, I arranged for a card reader for taking credit cards on our iPhone. I hate that kind of work. I compiled the SPAWN Market Update yesterday—which is a monthly task that I actually don’t hate. But it is a bit tedious and not as much fun as working on my novels or working with a client. I entered a contest with a couple of chapters from my unpublished novels. That is something I don’t usually do. I’m not much for entering contests. But then, there aren’t many contests that offer a fair playing field for nonfiction. I mean, it doesn’t seem fair to put a book on book promotion against one featuring dog hotels, how to make fishing lures and Spanish architecture. I’d rather this book be judged among other books on book promotion or publishing or even marketing or business.

Along with the tasks that come around once a year or every month, of course, is the major work of book promotion—the constant research to locate marketing outlets and opportunities; the job of making contacts; the work involved with following through with material, information and making arrangements, for example. It’s ongoing, time-consuming and it takes a lot of energy and effort to promote one single, little book. And the promotional efforts should begin even before the book is a book. And they will continue until you no longer want to sell it.

Are you writing a book for publication? Here’s a short list of some of the things you can be doing toward the success of your book now:
• Make sure you are writing a book that is needed/wanted by a large enough segment of people. If not, either lower your expectations for sales or change the focus of your book.

• Study the publishing industry so you understand your publishing options and how to choose the one that is right for you and for your project. (Read “Publish Your Book” by Patricia Fry early in the process of your project.)

• Start socking away money NOW for a professional editor. Save my contact information. I would like to have the opportunity to give you a sample edit and an estimate. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

• Talk about your book to everyone you meet everywhere you go on and off-line.

• Start blogging to attract attention to your book project.

• Build a website around the theme, subject of your book.

• Collect book promotion ideas and links in an electronic or paper file.

• Collect names of potential customers—which means you’d better be collecting business cards and email addresses online, presenting sign-up sheets when you go out and speak or do workshops and noting those people who can help get word out about your book when the time comes.

There’s much that you can do to make your book a success before your book is a book. Any savvy businessman or woman would be doing this and more. Don’t forget, you are the CEO of your book.

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Promote Your Blog

Saturday, January 12th, 2013

It used to be that the main question authors asked me about blogging was, “What is a blog?” Now the two questions I get most often are, “What will I write in my blog?” and, “How will I promote my blog?” Yesterday I covered the former. Today, let’s discuss the latter.

Promote a blog pretty much the same way you would promote a book. Here are 15 ideas:
• Tell people about it
• Add the link to your promo material (brochures, business cards, bookmarks, handouts when giving presentations and so forth).
• Add the link to your bio at the bottom of the articles you write or stories you submit to magazines and newsletters.
• Comment at blog site on the same topic as yours and include your blog link.
• Have your blog included in directories of blogs on particular topics—writing, history, fiction, romance, etc.
• Create a “signature” for your outgoing emails and make sure the link to your blog is included.
• Enter your blog in contests for added recognition.
• Twitter your blog topics each time you post.
• Use FaceBook, LinkedIn, etc. to promote your blog.
• Use keywords in your title that will attract higher ratings with Google.
• Post your blog link at your Amazon.com page, Twitter profile page and so forth.
• Print your blog link in your book when it is published.
• Add your link to freebies you give at your website.
• Have clear links from your website to your blog site.
• Ask others at appropriate sites to link to your blog.

What are some of your ideas for promoting your blog? We’d like to hear them. Leave a comment.

This would be a good weekend to order copies of my books from Amazon.com. Which books do you need? Choose from these three:

Publish Your Book (By far the most popular among attendees at the Palm Springs Writers Guild when I visited their meeting last weekend. The best book for new and struggling authors.)

Promote Your Book (For authors who need more support, ideas and a more clear understanding of book promotion.)

Talk Up Your Book (For authors who want to expand their promotional activities to include live presentations, more successful interviews, and gain more powerful communication tools.)

Available at Amazon.com, the author’s website and most other online and downtown bookstores. http://www.matilijapress.com

Download my free ebooklet, “50 Ways to Prepare for Publishing Success” from http://www.patriciafry.com My other formerly FREE ebooklets are now available for small fees at http://www.matilijapress.com “50 Ways to Promote Your Ebook” and “50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book.”

Posted in Authorship, Book Promotion | No Comments »

Blogging for Novelists

Friday, January 11th, 2013

Authors and hopeful authors often ask me, “If I start a blog what should I write about?” The obvious answer is, “Write about the theme of your book. Write for your book’s audience.”

If you’re an author or plan to be, the point of having a blog is to speak to your readers, to widen your audience base, to create another avenue for promoting your books and related services. How do you do this through a blog? For a nonfiction book, you can accomplish this by offering information, resources, news and so forth related to the topic of your book. A blog for fiction can be an entirely different animal, however.

Here’s what I suggest to authors of fiction who want to have a continuing relationship with their readers through a blog.

• Share backstories telling how you came to write this book, describing the process, revealing how you came up with your characters, talking about plot and the transitions you experienced in determining it, etc.

• Flesh out your next storyline. Get reader feedback.

• Write about writing fiction—make your blog all about fiction-writing. Interview other novelists, writing teachers and editors, etc.

• Cover trends and news in the fiction book market and specifically within your genre—YA fantasy, sci fi, cozy mysteries, chic lit, etc.

• Offer advice for other writers.

• Share stories of your book marketing process—where you are speaking, book festivals you’ve attended, unexpected promotional opportunities and so forth.

• Read books like “No More Blank Screen: Blogging Ideas for Fiction Authors” by Krista D. Ball.

• Do an Internet search for articles and blog posts on blogging for fiction authors. There are several.

• Spy on other novelists who blog. What are they blogging about? Are they attracting comments? Adopt some of their techniques.

The more you write, the more ideas you will come up with for your blog. That’s why I often suggest that fiction writers spend some time and expend some energy writing articles or nonfiction essays. It is excellent practice, you can make a little money doing it and it will train your brain to open up more to ideas for your blog.

Posted in Authorship, Book Promotion | No Comments »

Opportunity—Book Proposal Course Sign-up

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

I have been busy, busy since my presentation in Rancho Mirage. I guess my subject made an impression on several members and guests of the Palm Springs Writers Guild as I’ve been fielding questions like crazy. These are questions specific to their projects. Some of these authors and hopeful authors are even planning to write a book proposal because of the material and facts I shared on Saturday. It looks as though some will be signing up for my book proposal course. If you want to join in, this would be a good time to do it.

Before signing up, you can read what each lesson covers and why and how an online course works. It is an 8-week course, but, while I prefer that you do not drag it on longer than that, it is okay if you want to finish ahead of time. I will send the next lesson when you are ready.

This is actually the best way to get my help writing a book proposal. You get my personalized assistance, feedback and suggestions related to your specific project along the way—throughout the entire course—and the fee is still just $200. If you were to work with me developing a book proposal from start to finish over an 8-week period outside of the course, the fee could run as much as $500 or even $800. Most authors come to me with a book proposal already fleshed out, however, and I can help them to fine-tune it for around $150 to $350—depending on circumstances.

If you have a book in the works or are thinking about writing one and you want to attract a traditional publisher, you probably need a book proposal. If you do not have the desire to land a traditional publisher, you still need a book proposal to help you make sure you are writing the right book for the right audience, to determine whether this is a worthwhile project—is it marketable? You’ll learn what you can bring to the table as far as marketing skills and savvy, a platform (your following, your connections…). A book proposal is a business plan for your book.

Sign up today for my book proposal course and get a clear vision for your book and ideas for making it a success. Go ahead with your book project without creating a business plan and you may be one of the over ¾ of authors who fail each year.

http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

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