October 7, 2011

The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher.

I very rarely read an e-book and then buy the hard copy–but I did in this case. I have to mark it up, add my colored flags and post-its, and turn down page corners.

Why? Because it is so very full of practical, usable, frugal marketing advice. (And I mean frugal in terms of both money and your time.) I already owned the 2004 first edition, but publishing times have changed so much–and this 2011 updated version reflects that.

Why a New Edition?

We all know that book promotion (and life!) has changed since The Frugal Book Promoter was first published in 2004–particularly in ways that have to do with the Web, but in other ways, too. As an example, the publishing world in general is more open to independent publishing now than it was then. So, this update includes lots of information on ways to promote that were not around or were in their infancy a few short years ago.

So here is what is new:

• A simplified method for making social networks actually work–without spending too much time away from my writing
• How to avoid falling into some of the scam-traps for authors
• The best “old-fashioned” ways to promote–the ones I shouldn’t give up on entirely
• How to write (and publish) an award-worthy book
• How to promote your book to mobile users and others
• The pitfalls of using the Web and how to avoid them
• Unusual methods of getting reviews–even long after your book has been published

Up-to-Date

Today’s technology, social networking and marketing techniques are covered. Updated web resources abound. Advice in sync with today’s Internet are incorporated:

* Blogging tips and pitfalls
* Obtaining reviews and avoiding scams
* Finding places to pitch your book
* Using the eBook explosion to promote sales
* Using Google alerts to full advantage
* Staying on top of current trends in the publishing industry
* Writing quality query, media release letters and scripts for telephone pitches
* Putting together power point and author talk presentations 

This is just a tip of the iceberg too. I highly recommend Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s updated Frugal Book Promoter. (NOTE: Be sure you get the new 2011 edition with the cover above.)

July 8, 2011

If you’ve studied a market guide lately, you might have come away in total confusion.

These days you’re met with warnings like, “If you don’t like indies, don’t bother querying.” Or a company says it’s a “legacy” publisher.

What’s with all the new terminology?

Olden Days

When I started publishing thirty years ago, it was simple. You either went with a traditional publisher (they paid you, and they did 98% of the marketing) OR you got fooled into signing with a vanity press (you paid them to print your book, plus you had to do 98% of the marketing yourself.)

The choice was an easy one if you wanted to have a career where you made money.

It’s a New Ball Game

Today our choices are basically the same, in my opinion (except you have a few FREE self-publishing choices like Kindle). But the terminology has mushroomed as new companies tried to distinguish themselves with new titles. So you had independent publishers (“indies”) springing up, resentful of the old “vanity press” title. But for the most part, independent publishers require that YOU pay them and YOU do most of the marketing.

Are you confused by the terms e-pub, POD, Kindle, self-pub, Smashwords, and more? If so, Tracy Marchini has done a book called Pub Speak: a Writer’s Dictionary of Publishing Terms to clear up the confusion. While I haven’t read the book personally, I have seen several very good reviews of it. If I were starting out in publishing, I think I’d need a copy.

Pub Speak: A Writer’s Dictionary of Publishing Terms is a dictionary for both new and established authors that contains over 400 definitions, including:

• - contract and royalty terms
  - ebooks and audiobooks
  - fiction and non-fiction
  - publishing terms
  - retailers, book clubs, wholesalers and distributors
  - social networking and collaborative publishing
  - trade associations, events and publications
  - writer’s organizations, awards and publications

This book just might bring an end to the confusion…for now, anyway!

June 6, 2011

I have a confession to make. Being a children’s writer has taken away much of the joy in browsing the children’s sections of book stores.

Oh, I love book stores themselves–the brick ‘n’ mortar kind, plus anything online. But if I want to enjoy my book store visit, I avoid the children’s section. Until recently, I thought I was the only one who found the experience intimidating.

Book Store Phobia

I was reading in Eric Maisel’s book Deep Writing about a much-published, midlist women’s fiction author who wanted to “break out” and write a really solid book, but one that also had commercial success. “She finds her first step appalling but necessary: to spend an afternoon in a chain book store strategically browsing bestselling women’s fiction. She knows just which inner demons this visit will activate–feelings of envy, a vision of herself as a failure, a sense that others can effortlessly play a game whose rules she either doesn’t understand or refuses to understand.”

This phobia struck me early in my writing career, thirty years ago while I was still a student at the Institute of Children’s Literature. It happened when I did my assignments on studying the markets, reading children’s magazines and books. As instructed, I browsed book stores, seeing what kids liked and what publishers were doing.

Deadly Comparisons

At first, it was fun, but eventually I realized I was dreading the book store visits and magazine reading. It had stopped being fun. Instead, it left my already shaky self-esteem even lower. I couldn’t imagine ever studying my craft long enough to be able to write like the books I was reading.

After being published for several years and finding my books on the shelves in stores, I fully expected the “I’ll never be good enough” feeling to pass. But our minds, when left to themselves, are tricky things! If I found my books on the shelves, I’d wonder why they hadn’t sold. If I didn’t find my books on the shelves, I hoped they were sold out, but I never had the nerve to ask if they’d ever been on the shelf in the first place.

Back in the Saddle

The phobia seems to be a thing of the past–almost. While browsing now, I remember that the book I am holding is probably a collaborative effort between the author and his/her agent and editor. I remind myself that it undoubtedly went through a gazillion revisions even after it sold. Even if the process is intimidating, we need to know what is being published in our field. In other words, it’s like the book by Susan Jeffers that says Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.

Does anyone else deal with this book store phobia? I hope it’s not just me!

July 2, 2010

I can’t believe I never thought of this before! I feel ditzy even admitting this, but maybe it will help you like it’s helped me.

Aha! Moment

I have dozens of great writing books, and many of them contain terrific writing exercises to help us improve our craft. Some will improve the quality of your description, some will develop character emotions, some will pep up your dialogue, etc.

When I buy a book like this, I start out with great enthusiasm, using a clean notebook to do the writing prompts and exercises. Less than a week later, I’ve put the book on the shelf. Why?

Doing the writing exercises takes time. And I have so little writing time that I don’t feel I can spend it doing writing exercises.

What’s the Answer?

I never thought–until today–to combine the two things! I can’t believe this never occurred to me. I’m reading The Writer’s  Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life.  At first, I groaned when I read this: “Basic productivity underlies everything else. Take the chapters one by one. Actually do the exercises!“

I sighed and almost quit reading. But the author, Priscilla Long, added this instruction that created the AHA! for me: “But–and this is crucial–do every exercise in relation to some peice you are working on. Don’t just make up sentences on the fly, out of your head. Instead, in your writer’s notebook, write out a paragraph from the piece you are working on as it currently exists. This is your ‘before’ paragraph. Then work the paragraph, using whatever craft technique you are currently deepening… When you get an ‘after’ paragraph you like, type it back into the piece.”

Paradigm Shift

Actually doing the exercises in the craft books (or your lesson manual) is what improves your writing craft. So put your study/craft book right beside the manuscript you’re working on and use portions of your current work to do the exercises. You’ll be growing as a writer AND revising your manuscript at the same time.

I’m going to go back and systematically use the writing exercises in all the books on my shelf–while applying the exercises to my current revison. This technique will revolutionize my studying from now on!

I realize that many of you have probably been doing this for years! But it’s news to me–and I’m excited to see how this is going to change the way I write. If you try this, let me know how it works for you.

February 22, 2010

During the past year I’ve done more novel critiques than usual. Some have been so-so, some were very good, and a few have already sold.

What made the difference between the “very good” stories and the manuscripts that sold? In my opinion, it was the overall strength of the novels.

Often the “very good” book manuscript was strong except for just one area. Maybe there was no felt emotional connection with the main character, or all the dialogue voices sounded like the author’s voice. Perhaps the one weak area was lack of suspense despite beautiful prose, or poorly researched historical facts, or terrible mechanics.

Oops!

Often when I mentioned the trouble I saw, the writer emailed me back and said, “I knew that was a problem. I guess I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” It’s better to listen to your gut feeling and assume if you know there’s a problem, others will see it too.

“Hoping an editor won’t notice” isn’t a solid marketing plan. Even if they had the time (which they don’t), editors aren’t in the business of fixing the story for you or teaching you how to write. That’s up to you-but what can you do?

Back to School

“Unless you’re working with an expert instructor, you need to be designing your own writing improvement program,” says James Scott Bell in The Art of War for Writers. “Work out a systematic plan to overcome your weak areas by setting up self-study programs.”

We all hope our novel’s strengths will over-ride the weaknesses, but you want your novel to be healthy overall, not just mostly healthy with one or two weak areas. If your physique were great except for flabby underarms, you would target that flapping fat with exercises and a program designed specifically for upper arms. In the same way, if your novel is weak in one or two areas, you need a specific exercise program to strengthen that area.

Make a Plan

For example, if your problem is dialogue that all sounds like the same flat voice, you might need a self-study program called “Creating Distinctive Voices.” Your study question might be: How can I create distinctive voices for each character, so distinctive that I can tell who’s speaking without any identification?

Here’s one plan, and you can adapt it for any area you want to improve:

1. Make a list of novels where you remember the characters coming through in their dialogue as distinctive. (accent, regional speech, slang, choppy vs. languid speech, hip vs. old-fashioned, formal vs. grammatically incorrect, straightforward vs. flowery speech, etc.)
2. Choose several of these novels and re-read them specifically for the dialogue. Keep your study question in mind as you read. Underline passages that do the job and then write a few scenes where you try to accomplish the same thing through dialogue. Don’t copy their words, but try to copy the technique used.
3. Buy some books on the particular writing problem you have and study them. There are good writing books available on every area of craft you can imagine. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel, nor do you have to submit stories that are weak in one or two areas.

In today’s economy, your stories need to be the cream that rises to the top. Ensuring that your novel is strong in every area is one way to do that.

December 8, 2008

Today is my birthday. Before I open any of my gifts from family and friends, I already know what my favorite gift is going to be. It’s one I decided to give to myself.

Always Running, Faster, FASTER!

I’ve been writing and publishing since my kids were babies. They’re in their twenties and thirties now, having babies of their own. Many of those growing-up years were either single parenting years or times when the family relied heavily on my income. Slowing down to read more or study my craft was not an option. The 50+ hours of work per week needed to generate income: writing books, teaching, speaking, writing test questions, doing private critiques, etc.

Whenever I thought about studying more, reading more, taking more time to grow as a writer (versus making every hour a billable hour), I would promise myself, Later, when things slow down and the cash flow eases up. Even when that day came where I could cut back, I found that the very idea panicked me. I had drummed into my head for so many years that freelancer warning, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” You learn to go without paid sick days or paid vacations–much less time to study one’s craft.

If Not NOW, When?

For several years, I’ve been having a discussion with a dear writing friend who would also love to slow down and study and spend time to improve her writing. It’s a dream we’ve both had for a long time. We’ve done motivational workshops, learned how to “work smarter, not harder,” streamlined our work habits, multi-tasked until we met ourselves coming and going. And what did we do with the time freed up by all this smarter working? We worked more, took on more projects, learned how to do website design/blog/Twitter, and lamented ever finding more time.

The Tipping Point

What pushed me over the edge into making the decision to give myself the gift of time? I went to a writer’s workshop Saturday in Austin, a “first pages” workshop hosted by Cynthia Leitich Smith where Cynthia and HarperCollins editor Jill Santopolo critiqued three opening pages from every workshop participant. One of the many things that struck me Saturday was Cynthia’s broad knowledge of what’s being published. I asked her on break about her reading schedule. She reads a juvenile/YA novel or a stack of picture books DAILY. Most times, I’m embarrassed to say, I do well to read a children’s book a month (usually something a friend has had published.) We learn so much about good writing from reading. I’ve always known that. But at some point–while trying to keep food on the table–I had let that part of my writing life lapse.

Cynthia is an instructor for the famous Vermont MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Jill had been one of her students. Several writers in the audience had completed their MFA program as well. While I don’t have the $$$ to do the two-year program, I can make the time (if I really want to) to read widely what is currently being published. I can study the excellent writing books on my shelves that have gathered dust after I only read the first chapter or two. I always intended to finish the books later–but later had not yet come.

Now is later.

Starting today, I am giving myself the gift of time to study and read. I think if I do my writing/teaching/moneymaking activities in the morning that I can read/study my craft in the afternoons. I’ve wanted to do this for years, and given the economic times, it’s a smart career move too, I expect. We will all need to become better writers. And if not now, when?

Maybe you can’t afford to work part-time yet. I know that situation is a reality for many of us. But if you can squeeze out even a daily hour to read current books in your field and study a writing craft book, I encourage you to do it. I can’t wait! It’s going to be a very good year.

September 12, 2008

I’ve been stumped by a change I need to make in my current novel, and yesterday my critique group let me know that I still didn’t have it fixed. Argh! So this morning over breakfast, I decided to read an article in the October The Writer Magazine called “Survive the Revision Process” because I thought I might not (survive, that is). The article turned out be about writing short nonfiction, but when I flipped back a few pages, I found Phyllis Whitney’s terrific article, “10 Ways to Cure the Midnovel Blues.” That’s certainly what I had! One of her suggestions (“Tie your characters to your setting”) gave me an idea that I am sure will finally fix the issue I’ve been struggling with.

Don’t overlook the help and support you can find in writing magazines (print and online) and writing books (print and e-books). Don’t waste time and energy re-inventing the wheel. Otherwise, you might give up when, in fact, a bit of encouragement from another source could solve your problem. Phyllis Whitney died earlier this year at the age of 104, or I would write and thank her for her help. I had been dreading the revisions this morning, but now I know what to do! Can’t wait!