Archive for April, 2013

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Back to Basics: The Writer’s Toolkit

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Guest Blogger: Stuart Horwitz

As a writer who writes about writing, I can get just as fancy as the next guy when it comes to discussing techniques, and shades of techniques, with clients and students. But sometimes I think it’s worthwhile to go back to basics and ask ourselves: what do we really need to get started writing and to do a good job? What are the essentials?

Since I am not very handy, I think of the five basics in the writer’s toolkit as the only tools I wish we ever needed to fix things in real life:

THE HAMMER: Action. People love to see things happen. The action doesn’t have to be as extreme as in a movie, but it has to be just as intense. When something happens then the state of events changes, and it is these changes that drive the narrative forward to the end. If nothing happens, in that quiet you can hear your book being closed up gently in the night all over town.

THE DRILL: Dialogue. Human beings do a lot of speaking, so it would be odd to read a book without dialogue. Along a continuum from method acting “give it to ‘em straight” dialogue to the more formal “we all speak in complete sentences like it’s an Aaron Sorkin show,” you will have to find your way. Just make it like something someone would say.

THE SCREWDRIVER: Point-of-View. point-of-view always stems from two overlapping sources, a narrator and a character. We want to see whatever the narrator wants us to see, but we want to think about it like the character. However many of those you can pull off is how many points-of-view you can have. If you can pull off one, that’s enough.

THE NAIL: Description. And by this I don’t just mean description of physical objects, but also description of everything from emotional states to patterns of people and society — choosing the right words for both the way things look and what they mean. This basic tool places an importance on word choice, but that doesn’t mean have to create an artificial vocabulary. Like a good tool, the right word is usually within reach.

THE TAPE MEASURE: Narrative Arc. This is by far the least taught—and least understood—of the five tools presented here. It seems like 100 years since people have discussed repetition and variation or improvement and deterioration, the formal properties of structure. Yet we need to be able to construct a narrative arc to give the reader something to follow and, better yet, to care about.

What about you? Does one of these come more easily than some others? Is there one that you really struggle with? There are a variety of resources available once you know what the problem is. That’s always the problem isn’t it? Finding out what the problem is?

Stuart Horwitz is the founder and principal of Book Architecture, a firm of independent editors based in Providence and Boston http://www.BookArchitecture.com Book Architecture’s clients have reached the best-seller list in both fiction and non-fiction, and have appeared on Oprah!, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and in the most prestigious journals in their respective fields. His new book Blueprint Your Bestseller: Organize and Revise any Manuscript with The Book Architecture Method (Penguin/Perigee), was named one of 2013’s best books about writing by The Writer magazine.

Posted in Writing | 1 Comment »

De-clutter Your Space and De-clutter Your Mind

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Yesterday, I finally took time to straighten my workspace. I dusted and cleaned and organized. I even tackled the piles of paperwork, statements, receipts, emails, notes to self, research material, orders, bills and so forth and filed it all in my massive filing cabinet. Much better. I don’t know about you, but when my surroundings are clutter-free, my mind follows suit—well, to some degree.

I generally tackle office clean-up after I’ve completed a large project. It helps to prepare me to start something new.

Along with my occasional office organizing and sprucing, I often take care of other business that I’ve neglected while focused on an editing job or serious writing work. And yesterday was no exception. I actually posted a new article at my Catscapades blog site, did a little research I’ve been putting off and took care of some other business I’ve neglected.

It feels good to work in a more orderly environment. Each time I spiff up my office, I vow that I will file as I go—handle all incoming requests upon receipt, etc. And that lasts for three or four days, until I get engrossed in another large project.

So what is on the horizon in the Patricia Fry/Matilija Press/SPAWN offices? We’re considering a contest for authors with prizes related to book marketing and publicity. I have two more novels to finalize, have covers designed for and to publish. I have another book in mind for authors. I am putting together some articles for publication as we speak. And I am considering running some workshops locally. Oh yes, and I have some presentations coming up that I am preparing for. And there are some editing jobs in the wings—coming my way soon.

I predict that it will be December or January before I see the surface of my desk again. Sigh!!!!

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Self-Publishing Versus Pay-To-Publish

Sunday, April 28th, 2013

I had an unusual experience this week. I think you know that I often get inquiries—questions about aspects of publishing, book promotion etc. Well, recently, I received an email from an author who mentioned he was self-publishing his book. Now normally, I ask if he means true self-publishing or if he is planning to sign with a pay-to-publish company. I’d say that 95 percent of these authors are talking about pay-to-publish companies. And I have this urge to educate them and teach them what self-publishing actually means.

However, a few days ago when I received a question about self-publishing, I sort of threw in the towel. I assumed the author was referring to pay-to-publish—that he was planning to sign up with a “self-publishing” company. And I responded with a warning that he do his homework and choose the right company, etc. etc.

Come to find out, he was not considering a pay-to-publish company at all. He was planning to self-publish—establish his own publishing company. Now that was a surprise. You just don’t come across many authors anymore who are willing to go to the trouble of doing it all themselves or who use the term, “self-publishing” accurately.

So what is the difference between a “self-publishing” (pay-to-publish) company and true self-publishing? When you self-publish, you set up your own company, get a fictitious business name, order the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for your book, you hire a cover designer, you arrange for the printer and you put up all of the money. You are also responsible for promoting your book.

When you go with a pay-to-publish company, the general scenario is that all you have to do is present them with any manuscript and a chunk of money and they will present you with a book. You can pay extra for extra services, such as editing, a cover design and a marketing package. Most authors eventually admit that these add-on packages are not worth the money. These companies are usually run by printers and they don’t know much about professional editing and cover design and their marketing packages are generally generic and not worth the fees. It is always best that the author take control of the promotion of his/her book.

Most professionals recommend that the author maintain as much control and intimacy with their own books as possible. Hire your own professional book editor. Take charge of your cover design and always, always take responsibility for promoting your book.

So what are the advantages of self-publishing over going with a pay-to-publish company? Sometimes you can save a lot of money doing it yourself. You can produce a better quality product. You will have complete control and ownership if you do it yourself. And something I feel is very importance, if you self-publish, you will have a greater sense of intimacy with your project. You may not know how important this is until you begin the promotion process.

For MUCH more about book promotion, your options, how to create a marketing plan, which activities work best for which books, read my book Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.

If you plan to go out and give interviews, do public speaking, land radio gigs, do book festivals, present workshops at conferences, etc., order Talk Up Your Book as a companion to Promote Your Book.

If you need additional information about your publishing options and how to choose the right one for your particular project, read Publish Your Book.

Al by Patricia Fry. All available at Amazon in print, kindle and audio as well as most other online and downtown bookstores. Also purchase it here: http://www.matilijapress.com

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Be the CEO of Your Book

Saturday, April 27th, 2013

I had a lot of comments and requests to copy a recent blog post—the warning to authors about a way over-priced, ridiculous package one of the “self-publishing” companies was promoting. I hope this made a whole lot of authors stop and think before signing up for a publishing, editing or marketing program with any company.

Just because the company is well-known, does not mean it is ethical. Just because they say they love your book, doesn’t mean they have your best interest at heart. Just because your self-publishing company offers the opportunity, doesn’t mean it is a good opportunity.

Please, please, please check out the “self-publishing” company you are considering before signing up for anything. Do an Internet search using the keyword “warning” or “complaint” with the company name. Compare their services and prices with other companies. Never be so eager to get your book published that you make costly mistakes.

If you have thousands of dollars to spend on bogus marketing plans, you probably should be hiring a good book editor for your manuscript instead. If you are in such a hurry to publish your book that you will go with the first company you find, you might as well just put copies of your manuscript in paper shopping bags and sell it to passersby from a street corner. If you are not savvy as far as book marketing and if you don’t understand that it is up to the author to promote his or her book, you might as well put your manuscript in the paper shredder and find another pastime.

Before publishing, do an Internet search and pay attention to what you learn from it. Be smart. Be savvy.

Read Mark Levine’s book, “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing,” to find out how this attorney rates and ranks the self-publishing companies. You might be unpleasantly surprised. But this one step—followed up by an honest Internet search—might save you thousands of dollars and a lot of heartache.

Have your manuscript professionally edited, sign with a legitimate self-publishing company or do true self-publishing (establish your own publishing company), learn something about your responsibilities as a published author and you have a much better chance of publishing success.

To get a free e-copy of Mark Levine’s book, join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). By the way, SPAWN is a major networking organization and resource center for authors. http://www.spawn.org

And Read my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” Yes, it includes information about the publishing industry, your options and how to make the right choice for you and your book. It goes into self-publishing (how to establish your own company), distribution, book promotion, self-editing and much, much more. http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html Also available at amazon.com in print, kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores.

Posted in Book Promotion, Publishing | No Comments »

Gimmicks for Authors

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

Are you planning to have a booth at a book festival, flea market or other festival or marketplace this year? Do you have a plan? Even a gimmick? Or do you believe that your book is so good that people will buy it as soon as they see it? It could happen. I’ve seen books attract the immediate attention of visitors and fly out of the booth. But that is a rare occasion.

I’ve been doing book festivals for nearly 20 years—maybe 50 or 60 of them total all over California as well as St. Louis, Tucson, New York, Atlanta and Arlington, TX. And I’ve seen all types of books and many different selling styles. Basically, those who sell books are personable, friendly and they know how to reach out and communicate with others without being pushy or obnoxious. These authors know how to connect with other people. They generally have books with a genuinely interesting story or premise and these books usually have a cover that is pleasing to the eye or, perhaps, intriguing.

Authors who can interest visitors in their books know how to describe their books. They may even ask the visitor a few questions before giving their spiel, so they are addressing the particular potential customer’s needs, desires in this topic or theme, for example.

These authors note benefits rather than features when describing their books. And some of them use gimmicks to attract people and sell books.

What are some of the gimmicks you can use? Here are a few:
• Give something away with the book. I know a lot of authors who place a CD in a pocket in the back of the book. But there are numerous items you can offer to those who purchase your book.

• Attract visitors to your booth by handing out candy, pencils, fans, tote bags, small water bottles, etc.

• Come up with a community project. This might be a giant crossword puzzle, a paint by number project, a writing challenge or a contest—how many pennies in the jar, book give-away activity…

• Ask booth visitors to help you come up with a title for your next book or to choose which cover they like best. Show them the trailer for your upcoming book to give them an idea of the content.

• Have a sign-up sheet so you can stay in touch with those who bought your book and those who did not. Email them periodically with news about your book, announcement of a new book, your appearances, etc.

I know a couple of authors who set up a small table outside of farmers’ markets and they sell a glass of lemonade for $10 each and give away a copy of their bathroom humor book with each glass. Others dress in costume to reflect the theme or their books.

There are many ways to use your personality and your imagination to make a bigger impression when you reserve a booth at a book festival. You’ll find additional ideas in my latest book, “Talk UP Your Book, How to Sell Books Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” Available at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. Can also be purchased at my website and at many book festivals throughout California. http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

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Authors Beware—High Drama for Authors

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

There are opportunities and then there are opportunities. If you are an author or plan to become one and you are seeking ways to promote and sell your book, you must read this revealing post.

There was high drama around the SPAWN booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. A short distance from us were a series of five or six Author Solutions booths. Author Solutions encompasses several pay-to-publish companies including AuthorHouse, iUniverse and Trafford. Well, while SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) offered members space in our two booths to sell their books all day for one or both days of the festival at a fee that would cover our cost ($200 per day), Author Solutions had something entirely different in mind for their authors.

Each author could sit in one of their booths for an hour during the festival and sign books to give away for FREE. And do you know what Author Solutions were charging for the privilege? $3,999.00. Yes, you read it right. Each author paid nearly four thousand dollars to give their books away for an hour.

Granted, the author gets 75 of his/her books to give away, promotional material and a few other perks—none of which justify, to me, this outrageous fee.

If this is an example of their offerings and their fees, please, please know that this is beyond ridiculous. I mean, where’s the benefit to the author? I can see the benefit to the company. At the end of the day, they could be raking in something like $100,000. And their authors? Well, some of their books are now in the hands of people who may or may not care enough about them to even read them.

You know that I believe in exposure. There are hundreds of ways to get great exposure for your book without spending your life savings. While I do not recommend that a single author with a single or a few books sign up for a booth at a major book festival such as the LATFB or the Tucson Festival of Books, this is still a better option than the one Author Solutions offers. This will only cost you around $1,000 and you’ll have two full days of exposure and the opportunity to sell your books for 15 hours.

Why do I try to steer authors away from having their own booths at these large events? An unknown author generally cannot sell enough books to break even, let alone make a profit. It can happen, but not typically. Most likely, you won’t even have enough interest to consider the exposure aspect worthwhile.

Instead, partner with other authors or an organization that attracts a lot of people, such as SPAWN, and you will have the opportunity for much greater exposure and sales.

Are you considering publishing with a pay-to-publish (self-publishing) company? Do you know how to do the research necessary to protect yourself from exorbitant fees and ridiculous, worthless programs? Again, here’s the drill:

• Study the publishing industry so you understand what it’s about, what it involves, what your options are and how to make the best choices on your behalf. My book, “Publish Your Book,” is an excellent start. Available at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio as well as most other online and downtown bookstores. Also subscribe to publishing newsletters and magazines and join publishing organizations.

• Do an Internet search to check the reputation, complaints, praise for any company you are considering. Use keyword (company name) and “warning” or “complaint.”

• Read Mark Levine’s book, “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.” He rates and ranks several of these companies and explains the contracts. You can get the ebook version of this book when you join SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org

• http://www.pred-ed.com/pubwarn.htm This is a warning list for authors who are thinking about “self-publishing.”

Again, here are some additional warning sites:
http://www.todayswriting.com/poetry-scams.html (covers much more than just poetry.
http://www.writersweekly.com/whispers_and_warnings.php
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware

Don’t assume that just because a company is in business and they gush over your book that they are legitimate and really care about you and your book. Be pro-active on behalf of your book. Your success depends on it.

Posted in Authorship, Book Promotion | 2 Comments »

Card Readers, Amazon and Library Sales

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

I’m still catching up with my contacts made from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I had to manually make a few credit card charges. My new Intuit card reader quit working and the backup I brought with me would not work, either. Bummer. I have had a merchant account system connected to my website for years and I can fill out credit card forms when I sell books out in public and charge the customer’s card manually when I get home. So that’s what I had to do.

If you don’t have the ability to take credit cards and if you want to sell books, you really should get a system either through Intuit, Paypal or some other company. You want to accept every form of payment or you will miss sales.

Some authors balk at having their books at amazon.com because they make little or no money through Amazon sales. I maintain that it is important to have your book available everywhere. Amazon is often the first place someone is going to look for a book and if it isn’t there, you could miss sales. It could be that someone will browse through Amazon to locate books on a particular topic. If your book is there, they might see it. Perhaps they won’t buy it on the spot. But then they might read a review of your book someplace and notice it again. When they see it at a local book festival, they are apt to buy it then—why? Because they are familiar with it. It is familiar to them. It often takes a potential customer seeing a book (or another product) numerous times before they make the decision to purchase it.

I had someone ask me this morning how to sell books to libraries. Here was my response:

“Is yours a book that libraries would want? They do love reference books, for example. And they want books that are sturdy—have a spine, etc. I guess the best way to get noticed by librarians is to consider soliciting a review in Library Journal. Here is a link that might help: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/?ref=menu

Use a library directory to locate and contact libraries individually or library systems.
http://www.librarydir.org
http://www.americanlibrarydirectory.com
http://www.publiclibraries.com

You will also want to have your book distributed by Baker and Taylor. They sell to libraries. http://www.btol.com

Two keys are, a book that fits their requirements and locating contacts to libraries. Offering them a discount doesn’t hurt, either.”

Do you want to know which libraries your books are in?
http://www.worldcat.org

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Posted in Authorship, Bookselling | No Comments »

What’s the Value of a Book Festival for Authors?

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

I’m back from the Los Angeles Festival of Books (LATFB). And I have stories to tell. If you’ve never sat in a booth at a major book festival with your book, I recommend it. But I have to tell you that it will not be a relaxing way to spend an afternoon or an entire weekend.

First, you have to decide how many books to take with you—how many books could you conceivably sell? You must figure out how to make your booth or your booth space appealing and how to attract potential customers to your booth. If your book is a mystery with an attractive cover, create professional posters featuring your book cover and/or have a banner that says, “mystery.” Use table cover colors in shades that show off your books. And then come up with something to say to visitors to your booth.

If you have a nonfiction book on quilting, aviation, gardening, health and wellness or how to sell an ebook, for example, post something that will attract readers of this particular book. Just like you would with your website, make sure that your presentation represents your product—that people will know at first glance what you are all about.

You’ll want to write and rehearse a short spiel describing your book, for example. And also practice discussing your book in more depth in case someone is interested in knowing more. Engage people—reach out and ask passersby, “Does your child like to read?” “Do you like mysteries (quilting, gardening, cats) etc.?”

And most of all, when you plan to participate in a book festival, expect that the biggest positive to come out of it will be the exposure you get for your book. Exposure is what you are after. Sure, you may sell a few books and I hope that you do. But there are going to be a whole lot of people who will pick up your book, talk to you, maybe just stop and read your poster, who will not purchase your book at that time. Those people are as important—maybe more so than those who buy your book on the spot. Why? They now know about your book. They’ve heard of you. Maybe they spoke with you and learned something about you and why you wrote this book. They may have picked up one of your advertising bookmarks and perhaps they even left their name and email address on your sign-up sheet.

Each and every one of those people are potential customers. Now, if they see you book at Amazon or they happen across your website or they read a review of your book someplace or they hear you speak locally, they will remember you and will be more apt to purchase the book the next time they have the opportunity.

Those who signed up with you for a free garden planting schedule, a short-story mystery you wrote, a list of 10 tips for ebook authors, etc., are definitely potential customers. Now they have received something free from you and that freebie contains more about your book as well as ordering information. AND you have their email address and you can contact these people when you have a book signing, a new book out or won an award, for example.

Book festivals are a lot of fun, a lot of work and can be extremely important to authors who take every advantage of the opportunities offered.

That’s just what we did in the SPAWN booth at the LATFB over the weekend. We sold books and we made some great contacts. I’ll be writing more about our experience and about book festivals in general throughout the week. So let me know if you have questions.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafy.com

Posted in Book Promotion, Bookselling | No Comments »

Are Book Festivals Becoming Obsolete?

Friday, April 19th, 2013

I’ll be gone over the weekend, so there will be no post Saturday or Sunday. I’ll be busy, busy, busy at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFB). SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has two booths this year. Some of our members will be with us promoting their own books while a few local board members talk to booth visitors about their publishing projects and how a membership in SPAWN might help them to meet their goals of publishing success.

We’ll have books on display for members who can’t make the event. And we’ll be handing out hundreds of “SPAWN Catalogs of Members’ Books and Services.” We usually have wonderful ambiance in the booth among members—most of them meeting for the first time in person. And we have a great time chatting with each other and the many visitors to our booth.

Some of us, by the end of the day (or two days) sell boxes of books and others not so many. It depends on the product (the book), the sales pitch and the crowd. We’ve always known that some potential customers will not buy books on the spot, but collect promotional bookmarks, etc. and then order the book cheaper from Amazon.com. I believe that with the rise in e-readers, even more people are doing that. So it is most advisable for authors to have their books on Kindle, Nook and other e-readers as well as in print and even audio.

Does this mean that the book festival is becoming obsolete? Well, it may be time for us to look at the book festival opportunity with renewed expectations. I’ll give you my more educated opinion after this weekend. So far this year, the book festivals I have attended have not resulted in many on-the-spot sales. But this happens in certain venues and on certain occasions. I won’t know until my royalty statement comes in whether there is an upsurge in e-book sales after these events. I have a history with the LATFB, however and a track record for the types of books I sell. So it will be interesting to see if the sales of my hard copies remain consistent or not.

Here’s to exposure!!

By the way, did you see the comment left by an author after my post on the value of hiring an editor for your book project? Here it is:
“You’re spot on! I did not have an editor for my first novel and while many people commented that they liked the story, the main complaint was editing. I’ll never make that mistake again. You can find good editors who will work for a reasonable fee. You owe it to yourself to find one. Your sales will reflect your wise decision. ;o)”

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Join and Participate

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

This is what we suggest when we talk to prospective members of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). Joining isn’t enough—ever. You must also get involved.

Sure the prestige of belonging can be important in some instances. For example, you can put the organization logo on your website. You can tell publishers that you belong to this and that organization, group and club so that he knows you are serious about your publishing project. It might look good on your résumé.

But, presumably, as an author, the main reason you joined the organization or group is to learn, to meet other authors and professionals within the publishing industry, to become more educated and informed about publishing and book promotion, to collect resources you can use to further your success within the industry and to receive some guidance by people you trust.

Why, then, do so many of you plunk down the money to join and then neglect to attend meetings, rarely read the newsletters, avoid signing up for the online discussion group, never get around to partaking of other benefits—in fact, have lost sight of even what they are?

Here’s my advice: Find the groups or organizations with members you’d like to know and/or that you can learn from. Choose groups or organizations with benefits that match your particular needs at the moment. Join and then participate. This is the only way the experience will be of benefit.

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