Writing and Publishing News

You probably read and hear about the value of exposure for authors. I know it’s something I write and talk about often. But do you really understand the concept? Do you pursue avenues that will give you or your project the necessary exposure?

Let me tell you a story. This is one that is reenacted over and over and over again throughout the industry. One thing we do at SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) is to offer opportunities for our members to get exposure for their books and services. On the member application, for example, we have a box they can check if they would like to write articles for SPAWNews. I went through a batch of recent membership forms recently. While in the process, I noticed that about ¾ of new and renewing members checked “yes, I want to write articles for SPAWNews.” Alongside this field is the email address where they can submit their articles or request additional information.

I asked our newsletter editor how many members have contacted her about writing for SPAWNews. Can you guess how many? None!

When our member forum was up and running, we had maybe 2 dozen participants total over a period of 5 or 6 years. The same is true of our discussion group. Every member is offered the opportunity to participate in the discussion group and only a handful ever has—always the same people.

We have a Member Directory, where members are listed along with their bio info of choice. It has been only with coaching that we’re finally enticing more of them to list their website addresses and promo reflecting their books and services. But very few members will remember to send us important changes to their bios. (Even changes to their email addresses.)

Another benefit is the fact that members can place announcements in SPAWNews (over 2,000 circulation) about their upcoming book signings, the sale of a piece of their art, published articles, new books, new services or product offerings, speaking engagements, awards received, etc. Most authors, for example, could be posting an announcement every few months, at least. Yet, few of our members think to use this opportunity.

And then there is the SPAWN Market Update—a monthly newsletter for members only—archived forever in the member area of the SPAWN website. Among other things, this newsletter lists dozens and sometimes hundreds of opportunities in the form of publishers seeking manuscripts, magazine editors open to article/story submissions, competition for screenwriters, jobs for artists and/or photographers, book promotion opportunities and so much more. Yet, there are members who put off looking at each monthly issue of the SPAWN Market Update, neglect to read it, avoid reading it and make excuses for not spending time with it. And some of these members end up leaving SPAWN saying, “I just can’t justify the $45 annual membership fee.”

What? A hopeful author who is a member of SPAWN and who participates in what we offer, could conceivably save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars simply by educating him/herself about the publishing industry—by learning how to check the credibility and reputation of specific companies, by discovering appropriate publishers and how to do their own search to find others, by understanding how to approach publishers and what it takes to produce a successful book. I don’t have time or space to list the ways members could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I’m sure you get the idea. And you may recall my harping on this subject before.

No matter what aspect of writing, artwork or publishing you are pursuing, and no matter what organizations or groups you are joining, vow to get the most from your experience. Know what they offer and how to tap into it. And then take the time to study it and glean from it. The time spent in this mode will be far, far more beneficial to your publishing career than time spent texting, watching TV, downloading music, clubbing, complaining about the lack of help out there for people like you or even working overtime.

So my advice to you is Join and Participate. But make sure you are joining a group or organization that is compatible to your goals.

For more about writing, publishing, book promotion and even joining, read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Five people took my advice this week and ordered their copies. Thank you! And, as soon as you start reading the book, YOU will be thanking me!

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 13th, 2009 at 11:42 am and is filed under Book Promotion, Publishing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.