Writing and Publishing News

Why This Newsletter?
For those who missed the first issue, let me explain again: This newsletter has been a long time coming. With over forty years embedded in the world of writing, publishing and book promotion and a good twenty years working with and writing for other authors, I’ve finally accepted the requests of many to launch a newsletter.

What are my qualifications? I’ve listed them below (see Patricia Fry’s Bio Roundup). My first priority is to bring you the information and resources you need/want in order to become a more successful author. I realize that you are all at different stages and levels of writing, publishing and marketing one or more books. Some of you are only interested in reading what others write. My goal is to address your concerns, interests and questions related to publishing and books and to present you with a few surprises along the way.

Included in this issue:
• The Psychology of a Book Proposal (for ALL Authors and all publishing options.)
• Book Promotion Activity of the Month—Conferences
• Quick Lesson for Authors—Amazon isn’t Infallible
• Recommended Reading—Fiction (New! Cat-Eye Witness—a Klepto Cat Mystery)
• Special Report: Passion—The Pleasure and the Pain
• Resource of the Month—Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network (SPAWN)
• Patricia Fry’s Bio Roundup
(If you do not wish to receive information from Patricia Fry and Matilija Press, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the page.)

The Psychology of a Book Proposal (for Independent and Self-Publishing Authors, too)
If you’ve been studying the publishing industry by reading books, subscribing to related publications, attending writers’ conferences and joining groups, you’ve come across the scary term, “Book Proposal.” You’ve been told that you need one. You know you should write one, but you’re not sure where to start. Yes, the idea of preparing a proposal for a publisher can be intimidating. The purpose of this article is to put your mind at ease, calm your nerves, help you to develop a more realistic perspective and instill in you the importance of the proposal.

The configuration and purpose of the book proposal has morphed over the years. It used to be that the author wrote a book proposal strictly to introduce his/her book to a potential traditional publisher—the synopsis probably being the most important part of it. As the publishing industry changed and competition grew enormously, it became necessary to create something more complex and compelling in order to win a publisher over.

Today, as you may notice, a book proposal has no parameters—it is whatever the individual publisher requires it to be. So I recommend that any of you who are seeking a traditional royalty publisher, read and follow each publisher’s Submission Guidelines. (If you have trouble finding these at a publisher’s website, let me know. Some publishers don’t make it easy to locate them. I know some tricks.) (See my contact information below.)

Since every publisher has different requirements, I suggest that you write a complete book proposal using a guide such as the one in my book, Publish Your Book or my handy little book, How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less or Jeff Herman’s Write the Perfect Book Proposal.

I have devised this article for you because far too many hopeful authors I meet don’t understand why the publisher requires certain information from them and they end up not presenting the right material from the right perspective. Too many authors still believe that a publisher’s priority is an excellent manuscript and this isn’t always true. A publisher’s focus has always been on his bottom line. What he wants from you is not a flowery essay about your wonderful book. He’d rather see proof that you understand the market for a book like yours as well as the concept of marketing your book. Publishers especially adore an author with a platform (a following, credibility/visibility in his/her field/genre, connections to help market this book, etc.)

Even Self-Publishing Authors Need a Book Proposal!!!
Many of you plan to publish outside the realm of corporate publishing. You will publish your book yourself (establish your own publishing company) or hire a self-publishing service. I strongly advise that you write a book proposal for yourself. As an author—no matter your choice of publishing options—you are the CEO of your book. Before you even consider writing that nonfiction book or novel, you should write a book proposal—your business plan. Countless authors have discovered, upon writing a book proposal, that they were writing the wrong book for the wrong audience; that they were writing a book that was not needed/wanted; that the genre they chose was not at all popular; that their great idea was nothing new or that they had absolutely no platform for promoting a book of this type. In other words these authors were doomed to fail from the start and it took the process of writing a book proposal to reveal this truth to them.

I know authors who changed their book’s focus and/or beefed up their platform based on what they learned from writing a book proposal, ultimately creating a more salable book and being more well-prepared to market it. A book proposal can keep you from failing in the marketplace.

Before you decide to write that book, I want you to consider two things.
Why do you want to write this book—what is your REASON for writing it?
What is the PURPOSE of the book—to entertain, educate, inform, inspire, teach…?

Evaluate your answers: Are they valid and or frivolous?
A frivolous response might be: I want to get famous—make a lot of money.
Another bad answer is: I want to change minds—make people quit smoking, quit eating junk food, conform to my belief or?? Not gonna happen, folks. The authors I know who have come out with these “bull-dozer” books soon learn that their audience is not the smoker, junk-food-eater, etc., but the loved ones and friends of the smoker, junk-food-eater… And this is not an audience you can count on to make you rich.

Make sure that the book you are writing has an audience that is actually interested in reading it.

Here’s what you’ll learn about your project through a well-developed book proposal:
1: Is your book a viable product?
2: Is there a market for this book?
Is it needed, wanted by a segment of society?
Does it fill a void that other books are not filling?
Does it have the elements your audience is seeking?

• Who is your audience? Your book has a target audience and it is up to you to identify it. You want to know that your book contains information that is wanted/needed by numbers of readers or that it reflects a popular genre. If it has no relevance to anyone but you and maybe a few family members, how in the heck will you market the thing?

• How many people does your audience comprise? What percentage of people own pets, travel abroad, cook vegetarian, read historical novels, for example. You can actually get this information by conducting an Internet search.

The PSYCHOLOGY of keying into your audience: The more you know about your audience and their needs, and the more closely you can meet their needs (and desires) through your book, the more potential there is for your book’s success.

3: What can you contribute to making your book a success? In other words, what is your PLATFORM (your following, connections, way of attracting readers)?

Psychology—it is a wise author who has a platform and a marketing plan in place before launching out to publish a book in today’s fiercely competitive publishing market. From the publisher’s perspective, most of them receive dozens or hundreds of proposals each month. Let’s say he receives two or three that he really likes. Which one will he choose? That’s easy, the one with the most potential. A publisher would rather work with an author who is well-known in his field or genre and has an understanding about book marketing. He would also choose the author who is easy to work with and the one with additional good book ideas in the hopper. As the publisher of your own book, you should take a step back and view your project and your qualifications through the same critical eye as a New York publisher would. If you don’t have a strong platform for promoting your book, spend some time developing a following along with some marketing savvy and skills before ever deciding to produce that book.

4: Is your book actually needed/wanted?
As part of the book proposal, you’ll be required to compare your book with others on the market. For nonfiction, you’ll need to find out if your book is different enough from what’s already out there on this topic, while not being so extraordinarily unique that it has no audience. Can you bring something new to the table with regard to your topic? Do you present it in a more reader-friendly way? Is your book more well-organized? Does your book fill a need that isn’t currently being met? For fiction—does it conform to what’s popular?

Psychology—Certainly, you can see the importance of paying attention to the current market trends in your topic/genre. The publisher (and you) needs to know if this is a book that is wanted/needed by a large enough segment of readers. A publisher won’t invest in a book that probably won’t sell. It is up to you to convince him and yourself that there is a place for this book in the market.

5: Can you adequately promote this book?
It is never too early to begin thinking about marketing your book. And the process of writing a book proposal will bring this truth to the forefront. You need to know what you’re up against as a published author. You must understand that promotion is your responsibility. Here is your chance to identify your marketing strengths and weaknesses. While writing the book proposal, you’ll no doubt study books on book promotion so you can more realistically create your own plan based on your talents, skills, abilities, energy level, creativity and time-constraints. If you’re weak in some areas—public speaking, for example, this is the time to join a Toastmasters Club or a college class to improve your public speaking skills.

Psychology—The publisher wants to know that you understand what goes into book promotion and that you are willing and able to engage in the huge task of promoting your book. Book promotion is much, much more involved and intense than just being interviewed by a reporter for the local newspaper, getting your books in an independent bookstore downtown and having your book at Amazon.

Book Proposal Roundup
As you can see, a book proposal is more than just a formality designed to appease a potential publisher. It is your resume and a complete, detailed business plan for your book all in one. Neglect to write a book proposal and you may find yourself out of the running in this highly competitive publishing business. And this is true whether you hope to land a traditional publisher or go it on your own.

Book Promotion Activity of the Month—Conferences
The key to successful book promotion is to go where your audience is. One place you will find them is at conferences related to the topic of your book—quilting, gardening, business management, architecture, health issues, travel, sports, writing, pets and so forth. There are conferences, expos, shows and fairs related to your nonfiction topic held throughout the world every year. I suggest finding some of them and applying to be a speaker or workshop leader. You are an expert in your field, after all. The proof is in your book, right?

What if you write fiction? You can still sell books at appropriate conferences, shows and expos. But first, you need to find the marketable hooks in your book. I write mysteries featuring cats. I speak and sell books at a popular cat writers’ conference. I could also attend pet expos and fairs. If your book has a character with a disease, seek out health fairs. I just read a novel set around a quilting theme—this author could probably conduct a workshop at a quilting show and sell her books there. A novel featuring a travel story might sell at travel shows. Use your imagination.

Below are some directories of conferences. You can also do an Internet search using keywords, “your topic” (such as botany, education, health) + “conference directory.” Or “your topic” and “conferences” + “your city or state” (Los Angeles, Plano, Alaska, Iowa…)

Visit the conference websites to get the particulars and then send an email introducing yourself and your book. Give the organizer some ideas for your potential workshops. For a bee-keeper conference, suggest a workshop on how to get along with your closest neighbors who are trying to feed the hummingbirds and don’t want bees interfering. For an architecture and/or contractor conference, consider offering a workshop featuring tips for working through the red tape at city hall. For a writers’ conference, could you speak on how to choose the best editor for your book? A valuable workshop for a pet health fair might focus on the latest holistic remedies for your failing elderly pet, for example. Of course, the topic you choose for your workshop would relate to the theme of or a chapter in your book.

I speak frequently at writers’ conferences all over the US. I also write about how to locate and land gigs at conferences in Publish Your Book, Promote Your Book and Talk Up Your Book. If you have specific questions, please email me here: plfry620@yahoo.com

Conference and Trade Show Directories
http://shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.bvents.com
http://www.tsnn.com
http://www.eventsinamerica.com

Quick Lesson for Authors—Always Follow-Up and Follow-Through, Even With Amazon
Please bear with me as I talk about my novel once again. Something has happened—something that you should know about. I introduced Catnapped, the first in the Klepto Cat Mystery Series in the first issue of this enewsletter. After an exuberant introduction here, in my blogs and beyond, I started receiving some less than positive reviews. What did I do? Well, I assessed the situation and decided to regroup and revise. I hired a proofreader (should have followed my own advice and had this done way early on), I rewrote and revised and reedited and, in early August, I replaced the original version of Catnapped with a new and improved version. Then I did another huge surge of promotion.

When a friend, who had agreed to review the book, came at me with both barrels—spewing all sorts of criticism, I said, “Wait! Tell me which version you are reading.” We compared notes and I discovered that Amazon was still sending out the original version of Catnapped to new Kindle customers. Yikes!!!

Had I done my homework? I thought so. I checked the book page and saw that the sample text was, indeed, from the new version. However, Amazon had made a huge mistake and they were still selling the original.

My amazing tech person went to work to remedy the problem. We tested in every way Amazon would allow to find out if the new version was now in their queue and being sent out to new customers. It appears that it is.

I’d like to apologize to those of you who ordered Catnapped at my invitation and ended up with the original version. And I want to let you know that the new, improved Catnapped is now available.

Catnapped is only for Kindle now. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle software onto your computer or any number of other devices FREE from Amazon.

Storyline for Catnapped: When Savannah Jordan agrees to help her aunt Margaret while she recovers from a broken foot, she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian.

Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister? Of course, as in all of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, Rags, an ordinary cat with a most unusual habit, has a paw in saving the day.

If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book. It’s at Amazon in Kindle only. http://amzn.to/14OCk0W

Note: The second in the Klepto Cat Mystery series, Cat-Eye Witness, is now live at Amazon. See the promo for Cat-Eye Witness below.

Special Report: Passion—The Pleasure and The Pain
We can all admit to passion—that is, we have something we’re passionate about. For some of you, it’s reading and for many more of you it’s writing.

Have you ever noticed that there’s a measure of Pain in Passion? Sure, you pursue the activity you’re passionate about for the pure pleasure. But you also run into some negatives along your journey. Isn’t that right? So what keeps you involved despite the obstacles? Why do you keep writing, dancing, flying, climbing, painting, in spite of disappointments and challenges? I’d say it’s the passion, obsession, enthusiasm and/or love for the activity.

I’ve been fortunate to have had numerous passions over my lifetime. Some of the things I’m most passionate about (outside of family and healthy living) are writing, walking and cats. Let’s take cats first—I’ve enjoyed so many pleasures around my passion for cats over the years. Yet, I’ve also experienced the pain of losing some of them. It hurts like heck to see any cat suffering in any way—from fright, an injury, hunger, an illness and so forth. Many of you can relate to the pleasure and pain within a passion for cats.

Since recovering from a back injury in 1978, I have been walking for my health. It’s my exercise of choice these days, along with gardening. Walking for exercise has become a habit and, I must say, somewhat of a passion. Yet, let me count the ways I have suffered pain because of this passion. I limped home one day after stepping on a twig at a high rate of walking speed down hill and having it roll under my foot, tossing me knee-down on the pavement. Ouch! Another time, I turned my back on a barking dog that was on my heels and he bit my calf. Yeah, I learned a lesson with that experience. Another standout as far as the pain I’ve suffered while walking occurred recently when I had a head-on collision with a bee. He hit me right between the visor and the glasses on my forehead. Boy what a headache I had. Then my face swelled. Oh, I was lovely.

Most of you write, so you know the major pain resulting from that passion—rejection. Any writer who has been writing for publication for any length of time has experienced rejection from editors, publishers, agents, contest judges and so forth. If you have a published book, you may have received negative reviews. Or maybe your book has been turned down over and over again by major bookstore owners.

Those of you who are writing with motivations other than passion, may eventually quit. Those who neglect to learn something from the rejection they experience may never make it in this business. It’s obvious that passion is a very important element of a successful writing career, but only if you can slough off the inevitable pain that will accompany you on your journey.

Recommended Reading—Fiction
Cat-Eye Witness – the 2nd in the Klepto Cat Mystery series

Storyline: Savannah and Aunt Margaret open the old Forster home to the Hammond Cat Alliance for a fundraiser to help rehabilitate the abused horses rescued months earlier from the catnappers. Before the afternoon is over, the funds collected go missing and someone is murdered in an upstairs bedroom.

Suspicion surrounds Iris, a local waitress and Savannah’s new best friend. The only witness to the murder is Rags, Savannah’s cat. With the assistance of a cat psychic and Rags’s good friend, Charlotte (the young girl with Downs), the cat helps to “paw” the killer…but not before an attempt is made on Rags’s life. The case is solved only after Rags comes face-to-face with the killer under the most unusual circumstances.

Detective Craig Sledge is new to this book as is Damon, Iris’s errant son. Sledge finds this to be one of the muddiest cases he has ever worked, with inconsistent clues and no apparent motive. He’s constantly surprised, perplexed and impressed by the cat’s uncanny ability to come up with clues he has missed. His fascination with the attractive Iris Clampton also mystifies the detective and gives the story some unexpected sparks.

In this story, one of the rescued horses goes into labor and a there’s a night of high drama at the ole corral as veterinarians, Savannah and Michael work to save the foal. This causes Savannah to renew her deep interest in horses and riding, which ultimately serves to help her bond with a very important surprise character who finds his way into hers and Michael’s life just as they prepare to repeat their wedding vows.

While Rags is the animal star, he isn’t the only one featured in this story. Layla is back in all of her tangerine beauty. And Rags makes friends with Buffy, a perky almost Himalayan and the inseparable duo, Walter, an all black cat and his sidekick, Lexie, a charming afghan mix. Savannah’s new ride, Peaches, also debuts in this story. An incident with this mare adds another dimension to Savannah’s and Michael’s relationship. Can he hold her with open arms?

Some say this is a love story with a mystery in the background. And it’s a story of family and friendship as newlyweds Margaret and Max continue to be a meaningful part of Savannah’s and Michael’s world.

Order your copy of Cat-Eye Witness for your Kindle here: http://amzn.to/1bJiq0x

Resource of the Month—Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network (SPAWN)
Professionals often advise authors to join organizations and groups where they can meet, mingle and network with other authors. No matter how little or how much experience an author has, there is always something more he can learn and there is always something he can teach. We all have different experiences and we’ve all picked up bits and pieces of information that others can use. Networking within this industry is vital to every author’s success.

Writing may be solitary, but publishing is a highly competitive, complex business and it requires hopeful authors to participate at every level—that is if he or she desires a level of success in this industry. Here’s my rule of thumb for authors:

1: If you are new to writing, join a local writers’ club that offers peer critique groups. Attend, participate with an open mind and learn.

2: If you plan to publish what you’re writing, show up at lectures within your club and sign up for writing conferences to learn more about the gigantic world of publishing and how you can best fit in. You might also join organizations such as SPAWN in order to glean from the tremendous amount of information and resources we constantly provide through two enewsletters and the networking within our online forum.

3: If you are a published author, follow the advice in #2. If you join SPAWN, you will also have the opportunity to learn volumes about book promotion and to participate in promotional activities.

Subscribe to our FREE enewsletter or join here:
http://www.spawn.org

Books for Authors
Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author
Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author
Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signing, Festivals, conferences and More
By Patricia Fry.
Available at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio.
You’ll also find these books at most other online and downtown bookstores.

Patricia Fry’s Bio Roundup
I’ve been writing for publication for 40 years and I’m the author of 40 published books—most of them on publishing and book promotion. I’m the Executive Director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org I compile the Market Update, a monthly newsletter for SPAWN members and I maintain a daily publishing blog. The blog boasts over 1,900 posts to date http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog I also write a blog related to cats—through which I promote my Klepto Cat Mystery series and Catscapades, True Cat Tales. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades

My articles have appeared in over 300 publications, including Writers Digest, Publishing Basics, Book Marketing Matters, Writer’s Journal, Cat Fancy, Your Health, Horse of Course, Western Horse, The Artist’s Magazine, Woman’s World, The World and I and many others.

I work with authors on their projects from an editorial standpoint, I teach online courses for authors and I travel to speak several times each year at conferences and other author events.

While I’ve been writing nonfiction for all of my 40 years, I recently dipped my toe into the world of fiction and have launched the Klepto Cat Mystery series. Catnapped is the first in the series. Cat-Eye Witness has debuted this month. These revved up cozy mysteries are on Kindle only at this point. Watch for future announcements. Order Catnapped and Cat-Eye Witness today: http://amzn.to/14OCk0W

Mission Statement: The primary purpose of this enewsletter is to bring information, resources and encouragement to fellow authors both beginners and experienced. It’s an education for authors who want to become more successful in a highly competitive industry.

http://www.matilijapress.com

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