Inscribing Industry

Interview With Book Marketing/Promotion Maven and Author, M.J. Rose

2011-12-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

M.J. Rose is the international bestselling author of 11 novels, including Lip Service- where she pioneered electronic self-publishing and later landed a traditional publisher, The Halo Effect, and The Reincarnationist series. She is a founding member of International Thriller Writers and serves on the board as well as being the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. Her two popular blogs are Buzz, Balls & Hype and Backstory. She has been profiled in Time magazine, Forbes, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Working Woman, Newsweek and New York Magazine.

1) From the Beginning~

Through the blog you devote to book promotion, Buzz, Balls and Hype, you feature an interesting column by Susan O’Doherty, PhD, a clinical psychologist and fiction writer specializing in working with creative artists and their process. A recent series was focused on beginnings- how writers prepare themselves professionally, emotionally and psychologically for the emergence into the world of their next novel. In the January Magazine interview by Linda Richards, you responded to a question asking about what particular characters you related to in a novel by saying, “I don’t do that in my novels. I write to entertain myself and I don’t want me to be in there.”

Referencing the two quotes below about this process of entering the writing, my question would be how do you prepare yourself to begin a book? If your process involves a measure of personal distance, how do you clean the slate of your mind so to speak and write upon a blank canvas, choose your language and keep your own passions/convictions separate from the writing?

In Reporting the Universe, E.L. Doctorow writes of the origins of a book and the process of writing as follows:

“The truth of the matter is that the creative act doesn’t fulfill the ego but changes its nature. As you write you are less the person you ordinarily are- the situation confers strength. You learn to trust what comes to you unbidden. An idea, an image, a voice, comes to you as a discovery, and you don’t possess what you write any more than the mountain climber possesses the mountain.”

“A book begins as an image, a sound in the ear, the haunting of something you don’t want to remember, or perhaps a great endowing anger. But it is not until you find a voice for whatever is going on inside you that you can begin to make a coherent composition. The language you find precedes your intention or, if not, is sure to transform it.”

I’m afraid my answer is not as interesting as your question – or Doctorow’s quote. I start a journal for each new book and create the main character’s world – his or her likes, dislikes, fears, dreams, and wishes.

I collect the ticket stubs for a performance of the Metropolitan Opera that she went to, a postcard from her mother's first trip to Europe, a piece of the red and white string on the pastry box from her grandmother's apartment: it's all in the scrapbook.

While I’m searching, I’m also looking for the question I want the book to answer - because for me every novel answers a question that I have – even if no reader ever knows the question – or the answer – that process is what keeps me interested, motivated, and curious.

2) On Mediums~

Having lived across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art for various periods in your life (both as a young child and an adult) as well as being an art major at Syracuse University, art plays a major role in your life and in your creative work from its incorporation into your novels to your former role as a creative director at a New York City ad agency. You’ve spoken of your love of the artist’s life- the preference of museums to bookstores, art supply stores to computer stores and how art as opposed to the written word, can move you without logic. Although these artistic mediums have great differences, they both serve as significant forms of your individual expression. Talk to us about how and whether these disciplines feed one another in your work- not just in combining them, for instance to write about art as in the Reincarnationist series, but how the detail used in art might aid your descriptive prowess in prose or how the formulation of a story might inspire the way a piece of art or a series of paintings come together.

Art feeds me. I don’t feel whole or happy if I don’t visit a museum or art gallery or sit down with a book of paintings every few days. I imagine that the act of looking is for me both an escape and a discipline. It kick-starts my imagination on some subliminal level and pushes me into a state of being where my creativity is engaged.

At the same time, I am aware that when I write I am seeing - literally – the story in my mind and writing down what I see as opposed to focusing on the words I am writing.

I think I am still a painter. My imagination paints scenes in my mind and I use words to draw them into coherent stories, frame by frame.

3) On Psychology~

In the Butterfield Institute novels, your latest e-book In Session and the Jungian philosophies of the Reincarnationist series, there is a clear passion for the study of psychology, a hunger to understand the darker corridors of the human mind, seldom explored in such explicit detail. In the opening scene of The Hypnotist, when protagonist Lucian Glass discovers the young woman slain against the picture frame “as if she were its masterpiece”, an interesting concept is introduced- as though an individual is a piece of artwork within the confines of a frame. Throughout the series, “memory tools” are used to access aspects of the self beyond limitations of time and space. You’ve compared the act of writing to a “memory tool” that you use to step into a different consciousness, free of worry about any one person or thing. Had the professional callings of art, marketing and writing not stuck for whatever reason, could you see yourself as having gone into psychology and having been comfortable with the required professional distance free from emotional attachment to cases? Also, what “memory tool” or method do you use to step out of your professional modes and access revitalizing serenity in your down time? In other words, how do you turn ‘off’ from work in your spare time and do those ‘just for you’ activities that replenish the spirit?

I did try for a while to become a therapist and while I was very satisfied and stimulated by learning and listening what frustrated me and ultimately led me to realize I couldn’t follow that path was I wanted also to suggest solutions.

I wanted to write the ends to the patient’s stories.

Luckily I had a great supervisor who pointed that out to me and steered me back to the world of fiction where I could analyze as well as write the ending.

Between the lines and under my stories, you might see that every book I’ve written is really a psychological exploration of the main character. I write about how who we were influences and dictates who we are and how we have to come to terms with our past before we can hope to find our way to a satisfying future.

As for turning off work – I don’t try to turn it off. I’m a very nervous person and my mind is overactive so if I don’t have a characters to fuss over and worry about I’d be worrying too much about the real people in my life and torturing them with my anxiety.

4) On Self-Publishing~

The hot topic you read about almost every day in the industry right now is the advent of self-publishing through e-books. No stranger to the process, you began with your novel Lip Service in 1998. Having a supportive agent yet finding no place for the book as editors cited marketing difficulties, you knew that with your advertising background you could sell copies online. Setting the price at $9.95 and putting it up on a website, you began to aggressively market the novel. It was chosen by the Doubleday Book Club and went on to be picked up by a traditional publisher. You caution writers, however, that though it is an example of self-publishing success that it was a means to an end and not a career move; the intention was not to stay self-published but to segue into traditional publishing.

Authors such as H.P. Mallory and Amanda Hocking have enjoyed the boom in e-books and then are able to make the choice whether traditional publishing is a fit or whether they’d like to continue on their own. Letting the markets decide has leveled the playing field. Mallory, like many of the new breed of authors enjoys a bit of both; she is now with Random House and yet doesn’t shy away from plans of a nonfiction e-book on her Cinderella publishing story.

With the excitement around e-books, it isn’t a wonder that the well-established companies/authors are coming up with their own e-book models. Fastcompany.com’s recent profile of Angela James who is the new head of Harlequin’s blossoming e-book imprint is food for thought. In a strained economy, purchase percentages are rising, not falling. In less than two years, fiction sales as e-books have gone up nearly ten percent. And what is selling even faster are romance e-books. Harlequin has caught the wave and its authors are enjoying the company brand while earning more revenue.

Although having been published by Pocketbooks (Lip Service, In Fidelity) and having found a regular home with Mira (a division of Harlequin) for a large portion of the body of your work including The Halo Effect, The Memorist, The Reincarnationist and The Hypnotist, you also recently published the e-book, In Session where the protagonist from the Butterfield Institute Series, Dr. Morgan Snow, meets with author Steve Berry's Cotton Malone, Lee Child's Jack Reacher & Barry Eisler's John Rain as a creative, erotic suspense novel.

I’ve heard and read of authors feeling limited by contracts on particular series in traditional publishing, having to conform to expectations of a certain expected voice and theme. Dabbling in different areas of exploration, writers have the key to all worlds and it seems that many are using a combination of traditional and self-publishing or e-publishing divisions to be able to have the freedom to indulge all of their different projects. Considering the modern market, have you found it creatively fulfilling to be able to transition between the different publishing mediums and do you recommend writers become versed in electronic publishing?

I don’t think it’s ever a mistake to learn about the business you’re in. It’s very early in e-publishing to know where it is going and who is going to wind up on top or how it will all shake out. But certainly knowing the landscape and keeping up to date on how it is changing is important if you intend to have a career as a writer.

For those of us who have been traditionally published, playing in both arenas is fun. But what does worry me is all the people I meet who talk about how great it is to write and publish a book in a couple of months. We need to respect readers and give them our best not our fastest if we want them to stick with us. And I am concerned that publishing is becoming more important than writing-that having written is more important than writing – that the craft is getting pushed aside for the accomplishment.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I read a review- a bad review – of a self published book on Amazon the other day.

The reviewer didn’t like the book and complained about bad grammar, static dialogue, flat characters, no story arc, and no conflict – all in all - that it was a very boring book.

Under the review, a commenter chastised the reviewer– saying he should back off – that the writer had self published her first book and she was still learning. That she couldn’t be expected to get it all right first book out of the gate. That she would grow with more books and that the reviewer should be supportive and more helpful. Didn’t the reviewer know how hard it was to write a book?

The exchange pointed up where self-publishing doesn’t serve the author because that isn’t the way to learn the craft.

5) On Storytelling True~

It has been theorized by Carl Jung and numerous authors that we as humans learn best by the use of stories. In the O Magazine article, “Ask Your Mother To Tell You A Story”, you reveal the importance of knowing the stories of the significant women in our life and how these have an effect on different aspects of our lives and our understanding of them. From your great-grandfather, you were introduced to the concept of past lives as reflected in the Reincarnationist series. When I decided at about twelve years old to go collecting stories from the eldest living generation in my family, a world opened up about who I was, where I came from and who I would become. Having spent the time with my great aunts and uncles and grandmother to learn about their amazing lives, even if the anecdote was about just one moment, was a precious experience for me that I appreciate even more now as many of them are no longer here to share those tales of the rich, influential lives they lived, affecting in a positive way politics locally and nationally. Talk to us about how stories you’ve gathered from family members and close friends have shaped your life both personally and as an author.

I remember my father telling me bedtime stories he made up on the spot – about a little girl named Abakazoo who lived in Kalamazoo whose life was surprisingly like mine but much more dramatic and colorful. Every night he told me a new installment. I was enthralled. There was so much magic in those stories. In how the ordinary me – turned into the fabulous, interesting adventurous little girl who lived on the other side of the world.

Recently, I asked him about those stories and he launched into a new one.

He was the storyteller in my family. My mother was the reader.

And between the two of them...

6) On Time Management~

Today, more than ever, authors aren’t just writers- they are publicists, managers, and in the case of self-publishing, publishers and agents as well. Social media and blogs are fantastic ways to spread the word but like so many of us know, they can chip away at our precious time, become black holes and result in neglect of the actual creative work. Networking is essential life-blood to the author (new or established). Dena Harris in “Making the Connection”featured in Novel and Short Stories Market, advises you spend 10 minutes of each writer-work day networking. With AuthorBuzz (your company that focuses on marketing ad campaigns for writers), your various blogs and new titles, you are well-versed in the balancing act. How would you go about advising authors, both in traditional and self-publishing, to make plans to better allocate their time during a given work day? How do you feel they should go about formulating/organizing these plans and tailoring them to suit their individual needs/goals?

I’m not good on giving advice because everyone is so different. But I do suggest every writer remember this – no book ever dies anymore now that there are ebooks. And so a book is new to ever reader who never heard of it. And as authors we are our own brand and we need to keep our brand alive and vital if we are to stay alive and vital as authors.

For some of us that means social networking a half hour a day – for others it means hiring people to work for us – for others it means never finding a balance but always ricocheting between working on marketing and working on our books.

For more on M.J. Rose, click here:

The Scarlet Letter– A for Agent; A One Time Exclusive

2011-10-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Scarlet Letter– A for Agent

Due to the forthcoming insights and intriguing material this edition of our member-only newsletter held, we've decided to share a one time exclusive peek on a hot topic with all of our readers. In the Inscribing Industry newsletter this past February, we discussed navigating the highlights and pitfalls of the query letter when choosing the avenue of traditional publishing through an agent. There were theories, there were resources- but the following is a direct, inside look at everything "agent" from top-selling authors who share their views and then the perspectives of the agents themselves. You’ll hear some things that you’ve heard before in your foray into traditional publishing but you’ll also discover what you didn’t but should know all from the personal vantage points of professionals working in the field each day. Here to share their wisdom and experience are famed authors Erica Bauermeister (School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners) and Paul Levine (the "Jake Lassiter", "Solomon and Lord" and "Jimmy Payne" series) as well as agents Weronika Janczuk and Lucienne Diver.

See the q&a’s that you won’t want to miss!

ERICA BAUERMEISTER

Erica Bauermeister is the author of The School of Essential Ingredients, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader's Guide and Let's Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. She received a PhD in Literature from the University of Washington and has taught at both UW and Antioch. Her love of slow food and slow living was inspired during the two years she spent living with her husband and two children in northern Italy. She currently lives in Seattle with her family. Joy for Beginners, released this June, is her second novel; see review (http://www.thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org/images/Summer_2011_-_Book_Reviews.pdf).

Author Questions

1) How did you come to attain your agent and what factors contributed to your decision to sign with them as opposed to other agents or self-representation?

2) What are some of the most important aspects about your relationship to your agent and what direct influence have they had on your career?

My current agent is Amy Berkower, with Writers House. I’ve been with her since 2008 (School of Essential Ingredients). Initially I’d had a non-fiction agent for my first two books who has since retired. I obtained both through pure recommendation. For my fiction agent, I accepted an invitation to go out to dinner with a friend and author MJ Rose. It was typically outside my comfort zone to go to dinner with someone I didn't know, but I said yes. She asked if I was writing anything and I told her the title of my book, School of Essential Ingredients, and gave a ten word synopsis. She said that she knew exactly who I should send it to. The agent’s wife was having a baby at the time I sent it in and he didn’t get to read my manuscript for three months- he ended up saying that since his wife is a chef he doesn’t work with books that focus on food but by that time three other people in the agency had read it, including Amy, and they didn’t want it to leave their agency. It was a mix of timing and luck. If there hadn’t been a delay, the book might not have made its way to Amy who was perfect for it.

Since I’ve had the experience of having a good agent, I’d never represent myself- I was in real estate and I saw how important it was to have someone who did this every day as their job. As a real estate agent I would work with certain sub-contractors- they did a better job for me because I was repeat business as opposed to someone who’d use them only once- it’s very similar to literary agents and their relationships with editors and publishers; you have a more direct line in. We used to have a saying in real estate: "You wouldn’t perform your own surgery." It’s important to find someone who knows the 'neighborhood', knows the editors who like certain kinds of books. When it came to my fiction book and the publication process, I didn’t know how to wade through... wasn't familiar with the personalities of the editors, whether I should retain foreign rights… Amy advised me to keep foreign rights and we enjoyed even greater success with them than with the domestic. I value her advice above anything in the field. My advice to young writers is to say yes to everything- put your inner shyness in the backseat and get your butt out there in situations where you’re likely to meet an agent (conferences, workshops…) and to read the books that are most similar to yours; look at the acknowledgements page and see what agent is representing your type of work.

PAUL LEVINE

Paul Levine, author of Lassiter, is a former trial lawyer and an award-winning author of legal thrillers, including Solomon vs. Lord (nominated for the Macavity award and the James Thurber prize), The Deep Blue Alibi (nominated for an Edgar Award), and Kill All the Lawyers (a finalist for the International Thriller Writers award). He won the John D. MacDonald award for his critically acclaimed Jake Lassiter novels, which are now available as e-books. He also wrote more than twenty episodes of the CBS military drama JAG. Paul lives in Los Angeles, where he is working on his next Jake Lassiter thriller. In LASSITER (Bantam; Hardcover; On Sale: September 13, 2011) this renegade lawyer makes his triumphant return as the former Miami Dolphin is still swimming with sharks in his latest, boldest novel of suspense yet. http://www.paul-levine.com

Author Questions

1) How did you come to attain your agent and what factors contributed to your decision to sign with them as opposed to other agents or self-representation?

2) What are some of the most important aspects about your relationship to your agent and what direct influence have they had on your career?

I had a young agent at first as most people do, someone seeking new talent and trying to grow their list of authors, who I obtained through a query letter after a bunch of rejections. I was then at ICM (International Creative Management) for awhile, bouncing around until I came by my current agent, Al Zuckerman, the founder of Writers House, who I've been with since 1996. Al had been around a long time and had excellent relationships with publishers and editors. In addition to the value of his editorial input where he takes a look at the first draft, Al has been influential in the trajectory of my career, telling me when to get away from the series, do a standalone and when to return to the series. The new book is the eighth in the series, coming out after 14 years. Sort of like a metronome to music, there is a certain rhythm to my protagonist, Jake Lassiter; once I got back into that and re-read some of the books it was my voice again, it was me speaking in sync with the character. I'm a nostalgic person, so going back for me is fun.

In the publishing world, things have changed in the last fifteen years and particularly even in the last eighteen months; I can see that with electronic self-publishing. However, if what you want is a traditional publisher, I still believe that you need someone to negotiate for you. Despite the fact that in general things are changing rapidly, the agent has not become obsolete. If you can get a respected agent, why in the world would you not want to? If you've tried and exhausted those options, if you know your book is good, if that's what's in your heart, then I can see turning to self-published e-books because it is distressing how difficult it is to break in; I agree that it's never been harder. That said, when a print version comes into play, if Amazon were to say after seeing your sales that they'd like you to sign with their imprint, you would again have the need for an agent or lawyer to negotiate on your behalf and be your advocate.

LUCIENNE DIVER OF THE KNIGHT AGENCY

Lucienne Diver joined The Knight Agency in 2008, after spending fifteen years at New York’s prestigious Spectrum Literary Agency. Over the course of her eighteen year career she has sold over seven hundred titles to every major publisher, and has built a client list of over forty authors, primarily in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, and young adult fiction.

In addition, she’s an author in her own right with the Vamped series of young adult books for Flux and the new Latter-Day Olympians series of urban fantasy novels, beginning with Bad Blood, from Samhain Publishing. She also writes the Agent Anonymous articles for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and is a regular guest at Magical Words. Further information is available on The Knight Agency website: www.knightagency.net, her author website www.luciennediver.com and her blog http://luciennediver.wordpress.com.

1) What led you to first decide to become an agent and between then and now, talk to us about major shifts you’ve noticed in the industry that are reflected in the author-agent relationships (what projects you are most inclined to choose in the current market, publisher’s level of approachability, preferences in how an author approaches you…)

I was a double major in college: English/writing and anthropology. When I graduated, I applied for jobs in publishing and to graduate school for forensic anthropology. I like to say that "publishing got back to me first," and this is partially true, but I could always have changed my mind and didn’t. I love publishing. I started my career at Spectrum Literary Agency as an assistant. I loved it so much that I spent fifteen years there before moving to The Knight Agency.

I could do an entire piece about the changes in the industry since I came aboard, but the big picture is still the same. My job is to sell books to publishers, and their job is to do the very best they can by those books. The changes are more about the specifics: what kind of books I sell to whom, what formats are best for these books, how to advise my clients on promotion and contractual language. Publishers have had to change the way they think about promotion and publication. E-books are no longer something that might become profitable or that they can consider in terms of readers stolen away from print publication, but as a format and force to be reckoned with and promoted. Publishers’ boilerplates (their standard contractual clauses) are changing year to year to adjust to the speed with which technology and shifts in buying patterns are modifying the face of the industry.

Again, though, big picture: publishers exist to publish books, so of course they’re still actively acquir-ing. Agents make a living selling books and representing the best interests of their authors. That hasn’t changed in the least.

2) How has your role changed since the beginning of your career? Many industry reports site that agents are often having to take on additional responsibilities of say an editor, publicist and sometimes even publisher- has this been true for you or any colleagues you know of?

It’s certainly true that my role has expanded since I first started in the industry. I’ve always worked editorially with my authors, now more so than ever. As mentioned, publishers are actively acquiring, but there’s so much competition out there that agents have to help authors hone their work to the point where there’s absolutely no reason to say "no" and every reason to say "yes." Also, it’s true that more and more agents are also assisting their authors when it comes to publishing and promoting their backlist, since it’s very difficult to convince the major houses to buy reprint rights to earlier works…sometimes even when the author is a huge bestseller. We’re offering more and more value-added services to help our authors succeed. The two things I most appreciate about The Knight Agency are our innovative approaches and the additional services we offer our authors, largely due to Jia, our amazing marketing director…everything from organizing chats to arranging group ads to promoting books on our website, newsletter and blog. She’s really a powerhouse.

3) As an an author and an agent, you’re able to see the publishing world from both sides- apart from the given advantages of networking and industry knowledge, how has your work as an agent influenced your career as a writer- from the writing to the publicity aspect? How do you believe your work as a paranormal young adult fiction writer might have been different had you not had the experience of an agent?

You know, I’m two such different people as agent and author that I keep the roles separated, even to the point that I have an agent who isn’t even associated with me to handle the managerial side of my career so that I can work solely on those of my authors during the business day. As an author, I’m…well, I’ll admit it, I’m insecure about my work. My first inclination upon receiving an offer for myself would be to say, "Really? Can we sign before you come to your senses?" I’d be a terrible negotiator. Not so as agent, where I have eighteen years in and am very confident in my role and my ability to read situations and contract language. I can take a much more critical role in haggling out clauses and terms for my clients. I can play bad cop. However, given my experience in the industry as agent, I can make more informed decisions about my career and the promotional efforts that I feel will give me the best bang for my buck. It’s very interesting, because I learn a lot about the parts of the industry from which I’m otherwise removed (the nitty gritty of revisions through production, for example) that I can use to empathize with and aid my authors.

I’m not sure my path would have been much different if I hadn’t had the experience of so many years in the industry. When I first started writing and submitting, I used a pseudonym, Kit Daniels, so that no one would judge me as either agent or author based on my other role. But eventually it seemed easier to be "me" no matter what hat I was wearing at the time. Unlike my YA heroine, I don’t think I was cut out to lead a double life!

WERONIKA JANCZUK OF LYNN C. FRANKLIN ASSOCIATES, LTD.

Weronika Janczuk is a literary agent with Lynn Franklin Associates. Previously she worked with the D4EO Literary Agency and the Bent Agency, as well as at Flux, among others. Currently she represents a wide range of fiction and non-fiction for YA and adults alike—and is very actively building her list, especially in areas of crime fiction (especially espionage and literary suspense/thrillers), fantasy/sci-fi, horror, women’s fiction and romance, both literary and high-concept YA, memoir, and narrative non-fiction.

1) You've spoken about what first made you decide to become an agent- your love of books- and the fact that you thought you'd have to go into teaching to explore that passion and write on the side until you became familiar with agent/editor positions. Between then and now, talk to us about major shifts you’ve noticed in the industry that are reflected in the author-agent relationships (what projects you are most inclined to choose in the current market and why, publishers' level of approachability, preferences in how an author approaches you... such as how you mention you don't read queries and instead prefer to jump straight into the pages submitted to render a ruling on submissions…) and what fundamental lessons you've garnered through your experience that you would apply if you chose to merge into the profession of 'writer'?

This is a terrific question. Primarily, I’m seeing an increase in reliance on the agent on the author’s part—typically, yes (for the longest time), the agents have been fundamental representatives and aggressors on their clients’ parts. These days, with advances growing smaller and there being an increased difficulty in successfully making a sale, authors are placing a different type of trust in the agent—it is a statement of belief in traditional publication, of the agent being able to pull through whatever the difficulties; it is a statement of trust in the power of a branded publisher name (i.e., Random House), and in the power of traditional book-selling avenues and distribution.

I find myself making a similar kind of calculus: What books am I most likely to sell, and what books are most likely to earn out? Taking chances has become more difficult. Even two, three years ago, an editor’s passion might have been sufficient to sway a sales team at the houses where sales teams are part of the decision-making process, but these days, I’m no longer thinking of the editor as the only or primary representative. I have to be sure that a book’s hook or concept can be articulated quickly, and the best ones create visceral reactions.

It is changing the way that people write books, and the way people consider writing as a form of career. I imagined, once, that it’d be possible to write full-time if you churned out a book a year—but that’s growing close to impossible, unless you’re a highly prolific author who’s been successful at career-building. Lesson-wise, I wouldn’t approach an agent until my manuscript was beyond excellent, and I’ve seen from both an agent’s perspective and a writer’s perspective the benefit of having multiple manuscripts finished—and, depending on the speed of the writer, multiple manuscripts across genres, so that you’re able to debut multiple times, and thus build a career across multiple audiences that might have crossover potential.

2) The following is a question that has surfaced amidst new trends in electronic publishing and the wake of success with USA Today best-selling authors such as Amanda Hocking and HP Mallory: In your personal opinion, given the popularity and growth estimations of e-books, a refuge many authors turn to for a voice in the industry "letting the market decide", can traditional publishing retain its competitive edge by winning back some of the heart of emerging talent and author interest by taking small steps to personalize its interactions with writers again- as in rather than the form rejection, giving a brief paragraph of feedback for authors to work with, however subjective or objective?

This is a tough question because, yes, I think that agents and publishing professionals interacting more with writers could yield an increase in the trust in traditional publication. Unfortunately, the changes in e-publishing are making that more difficult—the amount of time that I dedicate to my clients’ interests has increased. I have to read more material, and explore more avenues. I’m putting in extra hours to teach myself how to format e-books, so that when the time comes, I can assist my clients in getting their material out there. And the Internet alone opens thousands of opportunities for e-marketing/e-publicity, so in order to make that push to earning out, I’m giving some of my time to explore new territory in that realm. As a result, in a way I have less time overall.

3) How has your role changed since the beginning of your career? Many industry reports site that agents are often having to take on additional responsibilities of say an editor, publicist and sometimes even publisher. You are known to be an agent who gets involved in edits with feedback that your authors value- due to the changes in the industry with e-books, do you see yourself shifting into new roles on the publishing/publicity side of the business?

My agenting career has been relatively short—it’ll be fourteen months at the beginning of October—and in that time my specific role hasn’t changed very much. From the very beginning, seeing how competitive the status quo is amongst agents, I committed myself to my small clientele list fully, as my clients’ partner in editorial work, submission, publication, publicity/marketing, e-publishing (I’m working, for example, with clients to e-publish novellas or short stories to offer a greater range of work upfront), and career building, etc.

Role hasn’t changed—at least not for me.

What has, however, and what will continue to shift over the next few years at the very least, is the specific business model—agents need to sustain their lifestyles, first and foremost, and they also need to offer wider services in order to keep existing clients and to attract future clients, and that means that the amount of work I do with e-publishing, and how I’ll be paid for it, will change. What we’re trying to do currently is determine what is the extent of the agent’s role. For example, I believe strongly that agents cannot be publishers of their own clients—in any capacity. There is too great a conflict of interest. Agents are supposed to be the middlemen, the representatives, and they cannot play that role in situations where they are also doing the ne-gotiations concerning publication and thus will have reason to make decisions in their, versus their clients’, best interest. ———————————————————————————————————————————
TO ADD A BIT OF HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT FUN, THE READER WHO GIVES THE MOST FEEDBACK ON THIS POST WILL WIN THE BOOK GIVEAWAY FOR PAUL LEVINE'S LATEST LASSITER THRILLER!!! BE SURE TO GET IN YOUR FEEDBACK BY OCTOBER 20TH TO RECEIVE THE BOOK BY OCTOBER 31ST!

A Celebration of Literature, Art and Magic in the Autumn

2011-09-21T20:42:00.001-07:00

A Celebration of Literature, Art and Magic in the Autumn by vintageeatherbooks on Polyvore.com

Electronic Publishing, Organic Brand Growth and the Go-Green Initiative

2011-09-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Award-winning author of The Wright Scoop, consultant, lecturer, wordsmith and Public Relations Chair for the National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW), Sylvia Hoehns Wright recently launched her latest book, Market Share, make it work for you! based on nation-wide market experience gathered through one-on-one interviews, distribution of a survey, workshop participation and column commentary. Sharing her scoop – who, what, when, where, why, how and benefits of acquiring market share, Wright – as well as other industry professionals in various fields provide insight as well as practical guidelines, tips and strategies for implementing communication formats proven to ‘grow green’ market share or establish a form of marketing based on 'green' methodologies. Defined in simple terms – ‘green’ is a frugal use of limited resources which results in decreased product/service expenses, increased profit and earth-friendly activities that provide for present-day lifestyles without sacrificing the eco future or others. A part of the book's focus is to help businesses and individuals enable a form of communications that establishes a brand of product; that product being you. We've touched upon the concept here in our blog of "Be the Brand"- how it is necessary as writers to not only market our work but also ourselves in every facet of our professional interaction with the public domain. Aware present-day globalized markets require that you don’t simply sell your work but yourself, through soliciting assignments, networking, and gaining credentials through education and experience, Wright became a recognized brand, ‘eco’ Industry advocate who specializes in business, communications and green-scaping concepts and who has also broadened the scope of her communications research to include arts/literary sectors. As such, I was asked to contribute to this book a piece on organic marketing growth and brand development as it applies to electronic publishing and the writing industry. What follows is an excerpt entitled, "Necessary Growth and Evolution". A bio of Wright appears below along with further information on the book, Market Share, make it work for you!

EXCERPT

Necessary Growth and Evolution

By Nicole M. Bouchard, Editor-in-Chief of The Write Place At the Write Time, www.thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org

Two contributing factors have played a role in the go-green initiative that has taken hold of the publishing world. Not only a result of increased environmental awareness, economic downturn has spurned a spike in electronic publishing to minimize costs. Snail-mail queries and submission packages have been replaced by e-mail and digital upload forms while writers and publishers alike are turning to the electronic book form for the final product of the finished manuscript. In the industry, I've seen substantial change over the years with the most drastic occurring between spring of 2010 and spring of this year with the e-book evolution. In less than two years, fiction sales as e-books have gone up nearly ten percent. In the third quarter of 2010, wholesale e-book sales had reached just shy of $120 million. These market shifts trickle down the branches to affect not only the way publishers do business, but also how editors, agents and writers do theirs. With the entry of conglomerates buying up some of the most prominent book publishing houses as only a small percentage of their bottom line, editors felt the compression with a need to make more commercially viable decisions, narrowing the flow of approved publishing endeavors. Agents started to be turned to in order to fill in the figurative spaces and pre-screen author projects to an extent that they hadn't approached before, meeting editors' new standards and acting as figurative gatekeepers to traditional publishing. The writers, in response, had new roles to fulfill; suddenly they had to become well-versed in marketing, become their own publicist and learn how to sell themselves and their work from the query letter all the way down the finish line to post-publication. Post-publication marketing had been a large factor originally associated with self-publishing yet it has taken on substantial significance in traditional publishing as well. Electronic publishing has opened doors to accommodate these shifts. Best-selling e-book author H.P. Mallory who has bridged the gap between self and traditional publishing by signing a contract with Random House, said of the current industry climate in a recent interview with The Write Place At the Write Time, “Now is the most exciting time for writers- the markets, the readers, as opposed to only the editors and publishers, get to decide what is a success.”

Our online literary publication was founded three years ago with the mission of creating a community-like atmosphere fostering growth and inspiration in the areas of literature, art and culture. To be widely accessed and turned to as a resource, we have appreciated the online form that allows us to be cost-effective and keep the publication free to the public. In terms of brand, we set high standards from the beginning that developed into our USP (unique selling proposition); what we're "selling" or rather "promoting" is a unique online environment in the form of a literary journal that addresses the needs and wants of the modern writer/reader. As writers, we are ever mindful and in touch with the author experience (submitting work, having work accepted/rejected/published, etc...) and as a result of this knew what kind of publication we ourselves would want to deal with; one that maintained a personal touch in their correspondence/feedback and worked closely, personably with the writer to deliver the final product (this key component is knowing your market). Add to the mix writers' hunger for knowledge and the near countless resources (some good, some not), you want a publication that guides you gently in the right direction with helpful tools, suggestions, interviews with best-selling authors, articles, interaction... It’s often a guiding whisper of wisdom to say, ‘I’ve been there. Here’s a lantern and let’s walk the rest of the way together.’ Our vision was to create a safe haven of encouragement and warmth for creative expression. Our vision has evolved as we have; now we maintain those founding principles as well as add to them through the inspiring experiences we have with our writers and artists. We keep a personal touch to all aspects of the publication- everything from design to forming lasting friendships with contributors. We aim to inspire, educate and entertain on a profound level. Yet the aim goes far beyond that in our goal of carving out a very human visage (face) on the publishing industry.

We've recently started a separate blog to discuss the business aspects of the writing field and one of the recent posts is titled, "Be the Brand; Brand Management for Writers." An excerpt from the post sums up the philosophy of what we feel and have observed a brand really is and the areas it touches upon: "In each aspect of yourself that you present, in how you conduct yourself, the ideas/causes you champion or oppose, all of it makes up who you are as a writer. The important factor is to, above all, be yourself and let the distinguishing traits show through. Too many contemporary writers feel the need to self-camouflage and risk being lumped together by genre instead of distinguished by traits as individuals. For your site, your book covers, your correspondence, your public appearances, pull together a comfortable theme that fits you and will have you standing out in the minds of readers, reviewers, editors and publishers." A brand should be a natural, organic evolution of who you are or who your company is; communicating that brand extends to each outward facing component that you have of your business (and your affiliates) in the public sphere. Publicity, promotions should all tie in with your theme- what makes you unique, your abiding philosophy and mission. From our Twitter account, Facebook page to interviews done of us, there is always a clearly discernable voice and thread that lets the reader identify who we are, what we represent and how we work. Carrying over those same standards to all our endeavors has helped in establishing our brand and meeting the expectations we set forth. Reflecting on our three years of a publication and how we first began, it was always our philosophy first, then the action in adherence to that philosophy and then the effects which were the making of the brand. Like the story of the king who sent two farmers out to grow a bountiful harvest, one hastened to throw down as many seeds as possible, over-watered them and tugged on the roots each night to make them grow; the other took a handful of seeds and patiently cared for them, nurtured them with love and trust, knowing that he was doing what he could for them, knowing it would take time for them to blossom. It was the second farmer whose crop was abundant when the harvest arrived and the moment came to set out their bounty before the king. It takes the same patience, nurturing and skill when it comes to growing and maintaining a brand.

Market Share, make it work for you! author bio for Sylvia Hoens Wright- A former career strategies columnist for the Greater Richmond Partnership’s Work magazine (WM), Wright and the Green Industry. As a communications personality, she appeared on WTVR Channel 6 TV, FM 97.3 Inspiration Corner, WCVE PBS Richmond Channel 23 TV and Channel 35 TV Author’s Review. She is published by The Office, Data Management, Your Computer Career, Green Profit and Today’s Garden Center magazines, Richmond Times Dispatch, Mid-Atlantic Grower newspapers, and VA BBB & Information Executive newsletters; and blogs for Build Green TV and VA’s Plant More Plants program.

Wright provides speeches and workshops for national and international conferences such as the All Cities Congressional City Conference held in DC, corporate department and business association meetings, has taught communications for the Virginia Community College system, and is scheduled to provide a workshop for PLANET’s Green Industry Conference held at Louisville, Kentucky, Kentucky Expo Center, http://www.landcarenetwork.org/ .

A graduate in BS Management of Communication Systems at VA Commonwealth University (VCU) and participate in MS Special Studies at VCU, Wright is a graduate of the VA Natural Resource Leadership Institute program sponsored by UVA and VA Tech and was the recipient of the Turning America from Eco-weak to Eco-chic Award. Market Share, make it work for you! is available through Wright’s LuLu Store option, http://stores.lulu.com/syhwright or any retail book distributor.

Part I Question 6 of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets With Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.

2011-09-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

6. Talk to us about finding the right markets for our work and developing a niche.

Writing, or learning to be a writer, is like growing up. From babyhood, we must learn to crawl (= write junk), wobble half-upright (= write a little less junk), walk in spurts (= write much less junk), run a little (= write more of what really is us), and finally gain balance to walk and run at will (= write in our true voice). If we could jump into adulthood from childhood or even early adolescence without living through each previous stage, we’d save much time and angst. In writing too, imagine learning enough from watching, reading, and hearing about others’ experiences, mistakes, unfortunate decisions, and failings to avoid them entirely. But no go. We have to experience it all.

What Kind of Writer Are You?

So, following from the discussion on submitting your work in Question 1 in this series, finding the right markets and developing a niche require, first, the same kind of trial-and-error learning and perseverance as crawling, walking, and running. The learning means continuous self-exploration, risk-taking, and careful attention toward discovering your true preferences and passions as a writer.

The writer James Scott Bell tells of another very successful author who said to David Morrell, the bestselling intrigue/thriller novelist, “that he chose his genre by pure market calculation. And it worked for him.”

But, Bell comments, Morrell is “not constituted to be that kind of writer. He can write only when there is something (an ‘inner ferret,’ he calls it) gnawing at him, something that needs expression from the deepest part of himself” (James Scott Bell, The Art of War for Writers, Writer’s Digest Press, 2009, p. 62).

Which type of writer are you?

The Passionate Inward Writer: Are you a writer who, like Morrell, must write what you are led to and fervent about? What swells up from inside and cannot be denied, even through years of distractions? Does the unwritten essay, article, poem positively call to you? Are you feeling what Julia Cameron describes?

If I have a poem [or story, essay, or novel] to write, I need to write that poem . . . . I need to create what wants to be created. I cannot plan a career to unfold in a sensible directions dictated by cash flow and marketing strategies. (The Artist’s Way, Tarcher/Putnam, 1992, p. 180)

If you are this type, you write, write, write, and then look for markets. You may make money, often don’t, and generally engage in other income-producing work.

The Practical Outward Writer: Or do you love to write anything, and will—from corporate newsletters to trade manuals to news stories to profiles and even to short stories? Are you turned on by matching your talent to the paychecks, the bigger the better? Do you crave to get into Woman’s Day, GQ, Scientific American, Esquire, Huffington Post, Technorati, with whatever subjects are trending now? And you look forward to plunging into planning, researching, and interviewing as much as required?

If you are this type, look for markets that need writers. Study the articles in magazines and entries in blogs and write to these. They may or may not overlap with your general interests. But as long as you’re writing, you don’t mind. With practice and diligence, you’ll become a proficient and reliable freelancer, often make good money, gain a reputation as reliable, and attract invitations to write more.

The Two Sides, Not Necessarily Warring: Although I am the passionate inward type, as I’ve written more I’ve become familiar with various markets for my types of writing. And I sometimes write queries or pieces with these markets in mind. I’ve also branched out to others, such as the more “practical” book reviews and interviews.

Sometimes too, if you discover, as I have, that you also take to the “other” type of writing, your creativity is additionally sparked in both. And taking breaks from one type to the other fuels and refreshes you further.

So, reflect on the predominant kind of writer you are. Especially with limited time to write, what gives you the greatest glow? The kind of writer you are or want to become dictates your major market searches.

Mine the Markets

Sorry, nothing can substitute for homework. Like crawling to walking to running—and skipping—we learn by taking the steps.

Markets for the Markets: Study the compendia. Get the current Writer’s Market and subscribe to its online market service or those of The Writer or Writing for Dollars. Also look for listings in your favored genres. One of mine, for spiritually-based essays, is Writing Spirit Resources (http://www.writingspiritresources.com/magazines/ ).

Buy writers’ magazines and routinely check the market listings. Subscribe to writers’ newsletters that always list several markets (Funds for Writers, Worldwide Freelancer, Writing for Dollars, Writers Weekly, Writing World). Such publications often include notices of new magazines, which could add perfect new markets for your interests.

The following sites offer excellent online collections of markets:
All You Can Read (http://www.allyoucanread.com/).
Mags Direct (http://www.magsdirect.com/login.html)
New Pages (http://www.newpages.com/literary-magazines/),
Wooden Horse (http://www.woodenhorsepub.com/default.htm)

If your zeal centers on highly specific subjects, seek out those sections in the market collections and online trade sites. Send for or access sample issues online (e.g., Equipment Journal, Military History, Sew What?, Living the Country Life, Golf Traps, Sump Pump Passions).

Hands-On Markets: Go out. Step into a shelves-and-mortar establishment—bookstore, supermarket, convenience shop, airline terminal. Scan the magazine section and keep an eye out for your genre(s)—travel, fashion, cooking, video games, business, literature. Pick them up. Flip through. Even buy a few.

Learn how to study the magazines for content and features. I’ve found excellent Jenna Glatzer’s Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer (Nomad Press, 2004), especially Chapter 4, “Study Your Market,” and the Handbook of Magazine Article Writing, edited by Michelle Ruberg (Writer’s Digest Books, 2005). Keep an eye out too for articles in the writing magazines and blogs on dissecting the magazines you drool to get published in.

Research the blogs in your subjects (with, for example, Technorati or Google Blog Search). Read a couple of weeks’ worth of entries on the blogs you yearn to become part of, and go back to the first posts. This is generally where the originator speaks about purposes and hopes for the blog, important information to know as you think about writing for it. For ProBlogger (http://www.problogger.net/)

Notice the styles, word counts, and comments. Write a few blogs for yourself and send in one or two. You may be surprised at how quickly the blogmaster welcomes your contribution. See ProBlogger (http://www.problogger.net/) for a huge collection of both subjects and wisdom on many aspects of blogging. Additional excellent blogging tips, whether you are new or experienced, can be found in Monica Bhide’s “10 Ways Writers Lose Blog Traffic and Alienate Readers” (http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/10-ways-writers-lose-blog-traffic-and-alienate-readers).

All these suggestions take research and time. But they’re necessary to increase your chances of success. Eventually you’ll become familiar with the most appropriate markets, scan newsletters faster, and develop a sense for additional markets in your favorite topics and areas.

Uncover Your Niche

The same touchstone applies to your niche-uncovering as your market-mining: What are you passionate about? What must you write about? What writing project makes you so excited that even though you’re bone-weary you can hardly fall asleep and awake spontaneously at first light, rarin’ to commune with your mouse?

Of course, writers of the two types we just talked about, and many variations along the continuum, find their niche(s) based on their likes and passions. Longtime freelancer Kelly James-Enger, a personal trainer herself, specializes in subjects involving health, fitness, wellness, and nutrition, as well as writing craft and informational articles. Christina Hamlett, playwright, columnist, and consultant, concentrates on writing and producing plays and helping screenwriters with wise how-tos. Jennifer Brown Banks writes in a wide range of subjects for many blogs and newsletters. Jane McBride Choate publishes adult romances, stories for adults and children, and writing craft pieces.

Follow the Signs to Your Niche

You discover and develop your niche(s) through your writing. Here’s some help:

1.    Who and what did you read, wallow in, escape to, as a kid?
2.    When you have time to read (sure), do you choose these same or other authors, works, genres?
3.    Do you feel an aching admiration for the authors you read and wish beyond all to write like them?
4.    Do you get a special kick out of writing on certain subjects and genres?
5.    Do other people compliment your writing in certain subjects and genres?
6.    Are you getting accepted, more and more, in certain subjects and genres?
7.    Do you want to write more in these?

Your answers are all clues and signs to your beckoning niche.
Heed them.

A caution: Once you find your niche(s), don’t use the old excuse that the field is too crowded. This kind of “Yes, but . . .” dampens your new found ardor and shuts down your motivation. Instead, look at all the successful people in every field and others coming up. Look at all the writers on writers’ craft, on fashion, fitness, and fad diets. All the novelists, columnists, and poets. All the new actors, singers, and reality stars. What does this tell us? That there’s always room for someone good. Remember and repeat this to yourself.

And who knows—you may invent a new niche. Who ever heard of chicklit until a few years ago? Or paranormal romance? Or nanny tell-alls? Or fashionista fantasies? Or spy chefs and secret-ingredient agents? Or nuns with guns? Or Caribbean time-sharing vampires? (Sorry, I got carried away.)

Above all, I implore you: Write what you love and feel passionate about, whether of the passionate or practical variety. Don’t write what you think you should write, what’s selling, or what another author is writing and selling. If you don’t follow your writing bliss, your lukewarmness will come through, despite your most dazzling wordplay.

As you persist, allow out more of your passion. Maybe your chosen niche will be shared with others, and maybe they’ll be successful. Fine. But no one else can or will write like you.

Whatever your subject and genre, write in your most honest and open self. As you crawl, walk, and run, with pen to paper and fingers to keyboard, you’ll find, develop, master, and command your niche.

© 2011 Noelle Sterne

Bio:

Author, editor, writing coach, and spiritual counselor, Noelle Sterne has published over 250 articles, essays, stories, and poems in print and online venues, including The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal, 11.11, Soulful Living, &Unity Magazine. Articles this autumn appear in Children’s Book Insider, Going Bonkers, The Writer, and Writers’ Journal.

With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, for over 28 years Noelle has helped doctoral candidates complete their dissertations (finally). She is completing a psychological-spiritual-pragmatic handbook based on her dissertation consulting, Grad U: How to Survive and Succeed in Graduate School, Get Your Degree, and Ease the Trip for Yourself and Everyone Who Has to Live with You.

In Noelle’s new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books, 2011), she uses “practical spirituality” and examples from her consulting practice and other aspects of life to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. Her radio interview on Unity Online Radio’s Village Events and Voices, hosted by Dean Ted Collins, is available for free download at
http://www.unity.fm/showdownload/UnityVillage_081511/unityvillage_081511.mp3
Visit Noelle’s website at www.trustyourlifenow.com

An essay on Noelle’s own reframing of the past appears in The Moment I Knew: Reflections from Women on Life's Defining Moments (Sugati Publications, September 2011). In August 2011, she hosted a national book salon of authors in this volume discussing their work, writing, and women’s special issues in writing. The transcript is available at http://firedoglake.com/tag/noelle-sterne/.

Noelle Sterne
Author, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams
Unity Books, 2011
Reconnecting You to Your Power
www.trustyourlifenow.com
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/pressreleases/from_dreamer_to_achievertrust_your_life_charts_a_course_for_fulfillment_at_/

Part I Question 5 of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets With Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.

2011-08-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Coaching Writers Through Technical and Creative Blocks

5. What are a few of the differences that you've discovered between coaching writers through technical as opposed to creative writing blocks?

Why Writers Seek Coaching

Writers who seek coaching have different motives and hopes from writers who seek critiques of their work. As apprehensive as critique-seeking writers may feel about actually getting others’ assessments, they’ve produced the work and secretly want to shove it in the face of their fourth-grade red-penciling teacher (and their mothers). They want specific improvements and suggestions for how the work can be strengthened, made more dramatic, and snatched up by an ecstatic agent.

When writers look for coaching, they have other objectives and usually feel blocked in one or more ways. They may feel weak in the basic mechanics—grammar, spelling, punctuation, correct use of parts of speech, syntax (how words are combined to construct sentences), conventions of the genre (such as for dialogue), and required submission formats. Their lack of knowledge or facility fuels their insecurity and anxiety and they become frozen in their writing.

Or writers feel something uncomfortable in the vicinity of their lower abdomen that tells them they need more knowledge and comprehension in other technical aspects of writing. These include major parts of a story or novel.

     What’s the best point of view—first person, “I,” or third, “he”? What is the proper choice of and emphasis on main character(s)?
     How detailed should character descriptions be? Just enough without telling too much.
     How long should setting descriptions go on? Enough to give the flavor but not so much that they go on for purple pages.
     What’s the appropriate language for the subject and genre? Not everyone should speak in text or drop all final consonants.
     Are the details consistent? The main character should remain in the vicinity of 300 pounds and 7 feet 4 inches throughout.
     Is the story “arc” or plot satisfying? Boy meets girl, boy meets dog, boy loses girl, boy gets dog, boy in doghouse, boy alibis to girl, girl forgives boy, dog has puppies.

Or writers, even experienced ones, may feel they can’t write another word. It’s not only that they haven’t slept in thirty-two hours because of a massive project at their day (and night) job. Rather, that censuring lawn gnome staring from weeds beneath the window, or the gremlin glued to their shoulder or lodged in their head snorts derision at every attempt. The writers feel they have nothing fresh or unique to say. The gnome cackles. The writers mumble, “What’s the point?” and stuff in another cran-nut muffin.

How Technical Are Technical Problems?

Writers often let the technical aspects consume them. They hone in on these as if mastery will make them recognized writing geniuses. If they don’t know how to spell “commitment” correctly (I had to learn to drop a second middle “t”), they feel that correction with equal acceptance. They assiduously try to ferret out technical errors when they should be using writing time to ask themselves questions about character aliveness, dramatic focus, story line, and other creativity-related issues.

Writers who seek help for some basic technical problems can be directed to a good English grammar book (borrow one from the neighbor’s kid in middle school). They can hire a tutor or explore the many online resources, workshops, and exercises available (for example, those on the Writer’s Digest pages). Sometimes an A-in-English friend or instructor can be enlisted for technical editing favors. And reading—advice I’m sure you’ve heard before—helps greatly. A mysterious osmosis takes place when you read, and it beats trying to memorize grammar rules—you absorb good use of English.

But when I suggest such fixes, writers usually protest. They know that deficiency in mechanics only masks their real problems. Technically-stuck writers are usually stuck creatively. They’re letting their real or perceived English comp deficiencies get in the way of creating. So, to me, helping writers smash through creative blocks is the more fundamental and important type of coaching.

I focus on teaching them what to look for (e.g., too much passive voice and use of forms of “is,” overuse of adjectives, repetition of “pet” words and phrases, and lapses into clichés). Too, I dive into their manuscripts with hands-on editing and ask them to study what I’ve done. They can learn from my revisions and suggestions. Then we talk about why I suggested adding a certain detail or omitting a certain scene and their responses. We also think together about other possibilities and ways to express, say, Sam’s secret motivation, Barbara’s torrent of tears, or Karl’s shocking actions.

As we deal with various aspects of their work, I help writers explore print and online resources specific to their broader issues. The writing magazines have fine articles in almost every issue on such issues. I may recommend writing books. Here are some excellent ones:

     For short stories and novels, Nancy Kress’ Beginnings, Middles and Ends (Writer’s Digest Books, 1999).
     For articles and queries, Moira Allen’s Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer (Allworth, 2006).
     For plays, Christina Hamlett’s Screenwriting for Teens (Michael Weiss Productions, 2006).
     For every genre, The Portable MFA in Creative Writing (New York Writers Workshop, 2006).

Getting Beneath the Block

For serious blocks, first I ask (maybe hard) questions about writers’ purposes in writing at all. Do you really want to write? What do you see yourself doing instead, today and tomorrow? How do you feel when you write? Who told you it was okay (or not) to use your time for writing?

Then I ask when they first felt the block. In the current piece? We explore when the block started threatening and whether it could have been connected to feeling stymied at a particular turn (what the hero should do next, how much to describe the new love interest, whether to introduce the hero’s mother). I also ask how satisfied writers feel in fulfilling the purpose of the piece and what could be missing.

Did the block sneak up when writers were anticipating the next piece? Did they feel inadequate to the task? Didn’t know enough about the subject? Compared themselves to prominent experts? Were they gripped by a complete loss of confidence in their writing abilities?

With the right accepting environment, despite squirming and stuttering, writers will blurt out what’s really bothering them. I can conjecture, advise, and point out, but the writers know. Even with my prompting, their learning and light bulbs are always more effective when they themselves realize and verbalize responses to such questions.

Creative blocks are psychological, even spiritual. They stem from a sense of perfectionism, fear of success, profound doubts that one can’t “make it” or feeling there’s no more room, lack of deserving, replaying of old disparaging parental messages. I talk about some of these issues in my essay “Reversing Writer’s Guilt” in The Write Place At the Write Time (Summer 2011- http://www.thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org/writerscraftbox.html). See also a great little book, Rachel Ballon’s The Writer’s Portable Therapist (Adams Media, 2007).

More radically, I sometimes suggest that blocks don’t exist. When I asked a longtime editor for his advice, he said, “I don’t believe in writers’ blocks, boulders, or pebbles. As the well-worn phrase goes, every writer has to do the same: apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.”

Block Blasting Boosts

When writers’ negative convictions can’t quickly be scraped off, like chewing gum on the soles of your sneakers, I suggest one or more of several ploys.

First, just go and sit where you write. Place fingers on keyboard or pick up the pen. Just sit. The American short story writer Flannery O’Connor advised an aspiring author to “set aside three hours every morning in which you write or do nothing else; no reading, no talking, no cooking, no nothing, but you sit there . . . .”[1]

Time management tricks can help. Set your timer for 6½ minutes to write (you can last that long, can’t you?). Dash off a character’s background in the 10 minutes before you have to pick up the kids from school.

Sidling into it often works. Choose something really easy, like a three-sentence description of the cousin who asks you at every holiday dinner when you’re going to get a real job instead of this writer stuff. Or recording your sister-in-law’s maddening repeated clichés about your style sense.

If you’ve pinpointed when in the current work the block reared up in front of you, ask yourself questions. “What do I need to add to make this scene believable?” “How do I get Thatcher out of this mess?” What do I really want to show about Georgette here?" "How does Clifton act now? Do I need to show his motivation—how, when he was five, his father forced him to bait fishing hooks with squishy worms?"

Or just put down how you're feeling right now. Whether you keep a journal or not, no one ever has to see what you write. Afterwards, you can hit Delete or burn the paper. I often recommend Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages,” three daily (eek!) longhand pages on anything. They are a great way to allow up your real feelings, rages, jealousies, hopes, and exultations about writing and everything else.

Just get away. Writers use exercise, cooking, driving, tree-staring, pet-petting, home-improvement-store browsing, partner-fighting, and many other methods to take breaks. (TV and Facebook aren’t the most nourishing.)

To get back in, if you feel you need outside help, look up writing prompts. They are plentiful in writing how-to books, articles, and newsletters. Or, if you really want an avalanche, type “writing prompts” into your main search box.

I must tell you, though, that I am not in favor of prepackaged prompts. As a writer, if you lob your pen at the dartboard of your life, even if it sticks at an outer circle, you’ll find memories pouring in and plenty to write about. Now you problem will be which to choose first.

Or give yourself a structured assignment. I recommend a site called “Six Sentences” (http://sixsentences.blogspot.com/). All the entries are only six sentences long, on any subject. They range from ruminations to mood pieces to complete stories. And you have a good chance at publication here (that alone, for bucks or not, can do wonders to vaporize a block).

Read a few of the entries to see the great array of styles and subjects. This is an excellent exercise for discipline, evocativeness, and dramatic effect. And you’ll (a) effectively break your block, (b) produce something satisfying in itself, and (c) have the germ of what could become a story or novel. [2]

Block Banishment

As you see, for me coaching writers differs in the technical and creative aspects. Each has its place, but, except for language mechanics, they can blur, affect each other, and, happily, help relieve each other.

When you next catch yourself sinking into a block, whether because of your poor 'speelling', thin character development, or internal whines about the futility of it all, stop, think, and question yourself. Use the suggestions here and others your fertile mind creates to get you writing again. Soon, without resistance, recriminations, or barking self-commands, you’ll find the seat of your shorts super-glued to the seat of your chair.

ENDNOTES

[1]Flannery O’Connor, Letter to Cecil Dawkins, November 12, 1960, The Habit of Being: Letters, ed. Sally Fitzgerald (New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1979), p. 49.

[2]For more ideas to vanquish various densities of blocks, see my article “When You’re Not in the Mood to Write” (Writing World, 2011, http://www.writing-world.com/life/mood.shtml).

©2011 Noelle Sterne

Bio: Author, editor, writing coach, and spiritual counselor, Noelle Sterne has published over 250 articles, essays, stories, and poems in print and online venues, including The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal, 11.11, Soulful Living, and Unity Magazine. With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, for over 28 years Noelle has helped doctoral candidates complete their dissertations (finally). In her new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books), she uses “practical spirituality” and examples from her consulting practice and other aspects of life to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. Her radio interview on Unity Online Radio’s Village Events and Voices, hosted by Dean Ted Collins, is available for free download at http://www.unity.fm/showdownload/UnityVillage_081511/unityvillage_081511.mp3
Visit Noelle’ website at www.trustyourlifenow.com

An essay on Noelle’s own recognition and re-framing of the past appears in The Moment I Knew: Reflections from Women on Life's Defining Moments (Sugati Publications, August 2011). On August 28, 2011, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Eastern time, Noelle will moderate a national book salon of authors in this volume discussing their work and women writing. The discussion is on Firedoglake: http://fdlbooksalon.com/ Readers are invited to participate.

Part I Question 4 of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets With Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.

2011-08-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Feelings and Experiences With Social Media

4. What are some of your feelings on and experiences with social media?

The minimal mention of social media in my responses to the previous question (Part 1 Question 3,: PR Strategies for New Audiences and Regular Readership) was all too blazing (don’t pretend you didn’t notice). I have long been a social media-phobe: wary, avoidant, even cringing. Protective of my writing time—not counting browsing the home-page headlines and clicking through thumbnails of the celeb red-carpet gowns—I’ve loathed to set foot into a face, tweet, or blog of my own. But, with the publication of my book Trust Your Life (pardon the plug), I’ve had to reconsider. So now I’m sidling near the water’s edge, if not holding my nose and jumping in.

The Time Eater

Call me recalcitrant, reactionary, antediluvian, scared—you’re right. The main fear, and danger, is that all this e-media and blogging, like previous impulsive volunteering to cook casseroles for the entire firehouse crew or help rebuild a buddy’s transmission, will devour writing juice and energy. Most of us whittle out precious writing time, and I, for one, have to “warm up,” whether it’s with the above small secret pleasures, a few (writing-related) emails, or quick notes for one of my novels always in development.

The allure of social media devours your time. Never mind the inexplicable fascination to keep reading and clicking on the endless links of another’s site. And read the comments. And respond to the comments. And respond to the comments on the comments. And then, with your writing allocation almost evaporated, realize you haven’t even done your own biweekly blog entry . . .

Jane Friedman, a writer, editor, speaker, and blogger I much admire and have referred to earlier, is a master of social media. In her blog, provocatively titled “There Are No Rules”

(http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/), Friedman always shares sane and sound advice. Her June 13, 2011, entry relates highlights of the recent Writers League of Texas Agents conference. Friedman quotes one of the speakers, Rusty Shelton of Shelton Interactive, in the race to tweet and re-tweet and writers’ use of social media:

Don't start everywhere at once. Start with what you truly enjoy. Pick one thing and try it for a little while, and if you're not really enjoying it, look to something different. Otherwise, you won't find time (it'll feel like work).

In other words, you don’t have to scoop up the whole smorgasbord in one huge mouthful. You don’t have to force yourself to continue. You won’t get left behind. Social media sites, and their ever-increasing spawn (delicious, Digg, Dribble, Fubar, StumbleUpon, Twitpic, Quechup, DailyMotion, Flixter, Kaboodle, LiveJournal, Twuffer, LinkedIn, Myspace, Zooppa, YourSpace, GimmeSpace, GetOutaThisSpace . . . and I made up only the last three), will continue to multiply like progeny of Dr. Seuss.

If you do indulge, get very clear on why you’re contemplating or running full tilt into social media. What do you want to gain? And give? As you probably already know, the sites range from those who crave to feel loved and surrounded by 14,739,265 “friends” to those promoting products. Writers, I’ve noticed, generally want to (a) connect with other writers; (b) find writing camaraderie and support; (c) share what we’ve learned with other writers; (d) learn of developments, news, and leads in the field; (e) help and encourage other writers, (f) give our work readership; (g) have our work critiqued, honestly and gently; (h) critique others’ work, hopefully the same; and (i), or maybe (a), attract agents, publishers, and buyers of our work.

All fine. No justification needed. Just clarify your purpose(s) and decide, per Shelton’s advice, which media to use for different reasons. See also Patricia Fry’s extensive and level-headed suggestions for writers on real-world and virtual promotion of all kinds in her own blog (http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/).

Another great guide is the article I referred to in the last post, Christina Katz’s “50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day” (Writer’s Digest, March/April 2011). As her title indicates, so you don’t contract SMO, Social Media Overwhelm, mark out a few minutes a day, a plank at a time. But be careful—even in the 140 characters on your Twitter page, slightly spiteful gossip about an agent who rejected you may backfire when you send your proposal to another agent who’s a friend of the first and happened to peek at your acid tweets.

My Swerves Through Social Media

I’ve tiptoed into social media. Cautious exploration of sites, to my shock, reveals that not all chronicle the steps in making today’s tuna sandwich with yesterday’s pickles or blab about Lady BlaBla—er--Gaga. To my surprised chagrin, I’ve found not only the dreadlocked drummer on Facebook and Twitter but also the Chinese silk painting restorer and Stradivarius aficionado. Many of these sites, to my additional shock, are constructive, informative, and downright inspiring, such as those of The Write Place At the Write Time (the literary journal's official facebook page with over 875 fans, Twitter account @writeplcwritetm and the Inscribing Industry blog) and various individuals (see, for example, Tama Kieves’ or Tom Zender’s).

But on the Facebook and Twitter types of media, I rebel at the easy “friends.” The camaraderie may be warming, mutuality soothing, and connections, well, connecting. But are the clicked-on “friends” really friends? Are you expected to send 58,436 birthday gifts or Smashbox cards to your FB friends? Or receive them?

Who needs, or wants, so many friends? Writers, blatant introverts (if that’s not an oxymoron), usually don’t. We’re an odd breed, living in a world outside (or inside) the physical, and relatively self-sustaining. Sure, we need companionship every so often—but for me my significant other provides almost all I need, supplemented occasionally by the local Starbucks barista.

If you haven’t already discovered, or admitted, your true reclusive nature, look up the hilarious and squirmingly true essay by Jonathan Rauch, “Caring for Your Introvert”

(http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/). Recognize anyone? (You may want to slip a printout under the pillow of your own significant other.)

Reflecting here, I see that virtual socializing, after all, may present us introverts the best of both worlds. To “interact” or “visit,” we don’t need to get cleaned up, find an unwrinkled shirt, or remember to chew with our mouths closed. We can end the assignation with a click of the mouse instead of a tip to the parking attendant or a lame excuse about having to rush home to feed our pet squirrel.

Quality Blogging

A friend whose views I generally admire has no use at all for blogs and steadfastly maintains that they’re universally inane or downright stupid time-wasters and written only by low-self-worth fame-cravers. But reluctantly reversing my own former aversion, I’ve found that certain blog sites, like certain FB and TW sites, can be highly nourishing—such as this one, those of spiritual teachers (like Wayne Dyer) and of the New Yorker staff. These are the models I cling to.

I branched out and read a writer’s blog the other day, by the multifaceted novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard. Her bestsellers include books for adults, young adults, and children, and her blogs are excruciatingly touching, wry, and honest. I had to admit, with more than slight jealousy, that these blogs were little gems.

Mitchard’s blogging, I realized, is the form at its best—a window into a creative life, its perils and struggles, the dark side of fame, the wrestlings with relationships, and humanity to which we can all relate. The blog is part catharsis, part letter to a best friend, part journal, part memoir, part essay. Mitchard’s, whatever it does for her, also teaches and moves us.

I don’t know how much time she spends at it. But I do know that a quality blog cannot help but take time—like any good piece of writing. Others may not agree. In an article touting the benefits of blogging for promotion, the writer confided he spent only a half-hour on his blogs twice a week, and they were rarely more than 50 words.

Does he stick to that? Does it do his thoughts justice? Could I live with such slapdash entries? Not likely. I take seriously everything I write (even non-Hallmark birthday greetings), and the demands of social media dictate attention and focus, just like any other piece of writing. I cannot (or will not) give less than my best and heed Shelton’s admonition to do what feels good.

So I hesitate to blog and enter the other social media. And yet, I cannot deny the truth of what so many articles point out: this is a great way to connect with colleagues and readers, to publicize your wares and services. Never in the history of communication, publishing, or promotion have such avenues existed, and they will only proliferate. No need to prove it—plenty of support can be found in the ever-more-outrageous site names; almost any issue of any writers’ magazine, newsletter, and blog (ahem); and the increasingly specialized books (see Fry, for example: Promote Your Book: Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author, Allworth, 2011; and Penny Sansevieri, Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Cosimo, 2009).

Lifting the Blog Fog

Tiptoeing closer, I’m still shy of FB and TW and have accepted colleagues’ kind cross-promotion offers to announce my book and appearances on their pages (I return the favor in reviews and mention of their works). Next, though, in the slip stream of the brave leap of Ms. Write and this blogsite, is my own blog. Among the 417 projects in every stage of development, I’m nevertheless bent on blogging only as an equally serious writing endeavor, not a rote assignment of 50-100-142 dribbling words to fill the virtual page. Rather, like Mitchard, I aim to produce little gems.

Not easy, granted. But the consolations are many. First, our conviction produces commitment to quality in our writing, whether blog or novel for submission to the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship program. Second, we reap that incomparable feeling that we’ve done our best. Third, our depth of writing almost guarantees that we’ll doubtless touch many who read our blogs. Fourth, we practice the undeniable discipline of the recommended minimums for effectiveness, from two to three times a week and at least 500 words. And fifth, more practically, we can metamorphose our blogs, with only a little coaxing, into full-fledged articles (one of Mitchard’s blogs I loved appeared as an article in Spirituality & Health; Fry has converted many blogs into articles).

Notwithstanding all these perks, I must admit that the promised regularity alarms me. But, hell, I did Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages daily (okay, mostly nightly) for seven years, produced 1200-1500-word columns monthly for three publications (each column took two weeks from first note to final draft). And for over three years have shown up almost on time for my twice-weekly gym workouts.

Writer’s Blog

So, I have come to see the blog as an intelligent conversation between and among writers and other creatives, as Cameron calls us. This perspective makes the blog nothing less than—pardon the gravitas—a trust. It’s a pledge between writer-blogger and writer-reader to speak honestly and helpfully, to exchange empathically, and to respond thoughtfully and (one hopes) eloquently.

The blog, then, is not a dashing-off but a sinking-in, a diving-in with the same grateful fullness we bring to our poems-in-draft and novels-in-progress. To write with such understanding and acceptance, whether in many or few words, phrases, or characters, we raise the standards of social media. We honor our profession, dedication, and talent. And we honor our readers and fellow writers by blogging to our best.

Bio: Author, editor, writing coach, and spiritual counselor, Noelle Sterne has published over 250 articles, essays, stories, and poems in print and online venues, including The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal, 11.11, Soulful Living, and Unity Magazine. With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Noelle for over 28 years has helped doctoral candidates complete their dissertations (finally). In her new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books), she uses “practical spirituality” and examples from her consulting practice and other aspects of life to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. She will be speaking about her book and responding to callers’ questions August 15, 2011, at 2:00pm Central time on Unity Online Radio’s Village Events and Voices, hosted by Dean Ted Collins

(http://www.unity.fm/program/UnityVillage).

Visit Noelle’s website at www.trustyourlifenow.com

An essay on Noelle’s own recognition and reframing of the past appears in The Moment I Knew: Reflections from Women on Life's Defining Moments (Sugati Publications, August 2011). On August 28, 2011, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Eastern time, Noelle will moderate a national book salon of authors in this volume discussing their work and women writing. The discussion is on Firedoglake: http://fdlbooksalon.com/ Readers are invited to participate.

Part I Question 3 of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets With Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.

2011-07-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

PR Strategies for New Audiences and Regular Readership

In this edition of the Interview Series, the topic of discussion is expansion. Some of the areas you've seen touched upon before here and elsewhere such as the 'elevator pitch', the role of the author expanding to social/marketing spheres and personal appearance as part of your brand and author strategies to involve their audiences such as with the marketing techniques discussed in the recent H.P. Mallory interview in The Write Place At the Write Time. However, what follows is a different take on these concepts that goes also into new territory with user-friendly strategies and tips that writers at any stage of their career can utilize.

Regarding p.r., and keeping up with contacts, what are some of your recommended strategies for branching out into new audiences and increasing regular readership?

Many of us became writers not only because we cannot deny our drive and love the process but also because we love the introverted life. But to have our writing read, recognized, and (ideally) praised, we must embrace at least in part of the life of an extrovert.

This prospect may sound uncomfortable, distasteful, or migraine-popping. What does it really mean? To enlarge our view of ourselves so a public relations mentality sits easily beside to our creative genius. To master some of the skills of the outgoing, even to what our inside selves consider brazen in approaching others. To let them know about our work with confidence (feigned as it may be).

So accept the need for p.r. and give it your best. The success of your work depends on it. You’ll stretch yourself, conquer a few fears, and maybe surprise yourself by almost getting to like the promotion process.

BRANCHING OUT TO NEW AUDIENCES
Our audience is not only readers we may never meet but also editors, writing colleagues, friends, business contacts, salespeople, service people, anyone you have interaction with. New audiences can also be cultivated by some steps you may not have read about or thought of. Here are some.

Editors
Building on suggestions in my previous post, cultivate the editors you write for. As the relationship develops, they may ask you to write on certain topics you hadn’t considered. You never know what great places these can lead to.

When I submitted a personal essay to a writer’s magazine, the editor gently rejected it but mentioned the credit I’d included of my published children’s book of dinosaur riddles. She asked me to write a piece (on spec) about writing nonfiction for young people. Thrilled, I did.

By the time I submitted the piece, editors had changed. The new one rejected the piece, but I kept sending it out (you know about this). Much later, this piece was published, and then republished. In fact, years later, after another massive editorial change, the first magazine—sweetest of the sweet—accepted and published this piece.

Subjects
Another way to branch out is to identify subjects you’d like to write about other than those you love and/or have an aptitude for. I started with writers’ craft pieces and, as my interest in spirituality grew, began to write pieces in this mode—different market, different audience. A writer friend does children’s nonfiction. She’s a serious runner too and belongs to a marathon training group. When a member suggested she write about the group (how to form one, tips for success, mutual support and socializing), she did several essays. Now she publishes in new markets for new audiences interested in running, athletics, health, and fitness magazines. Audience enlarged.

Responses
Write your own letters to editors praising articles and columns in the magazines or newsletters you publish in. Mention the piece you published in your letter or add it below your name. Readers who missed your article may look it up and write you.

Other responses are possible too. I once wrote to the editor about a column that moved me in a writer’s magazine I’d published in. Surprised, I saw my letter in the “Readers’ Feedback” feature two issues later. The author later wrote me, and we became virtual writing colleagues and continue to exchange leads and referrals. Audience enlarged.

Google Yourself
OK, you have already. But now, other than seeing your name showered all over the Internet, there’s another reason. Sign up for Google Alerts. Type “Google Alert” into your search box and follow the prompts. You can sign up for as many of these as you wish, for example with your name, titles of your works, specific subjects you’re interested in, and other authors.

As the Alerts fill your email box, you may find that bloggers and columnists have mentioned your work or have said something especially provocative on a subject you’re passionate about. Write directly to them, thank them, comment, and offer to write a guest blog or answer questions.

Blog It
Read blogs that interest you (not all morning). Write to the blogger, point out what you especially like, give a mini-commercial for yourself, and offer to write an opinion piece or give an interview. I’ve made some wonderful online friends this way, and we exchange writing “favors” (endorsements, guest appearances, publishing leads). Audience enlarged.

Read More
Acquaint yourself with the ever-proliferating literature on widening your audience. The free Writer’s Digest newsletters regularly have links to blogs on many aspects of writing and self-publicity by staff members and associates. An excellent one is Jane Friedman’s There Are No Rules (http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/ ).

More than once, I’ve been unable to resist making pdfs of Friedman’s columns, those of her guests, or those she appears on as a guest herself for current or later use. From such newsletters and blogs, you can glean a tremendous amount of information and ideas about what other writers are doing to attract, increase, and entice their audiences. Think about how you can use or adapt the ideas for your own purposes and goals.

INCREASING REGULAR READERSHIP
All of the suggestions above will increase your readership, directly or indirectly. Here are a few more.

Keep in Touch
There’s no substitute. A newsletter of your own is one great way. Several writers I know send out newsletters, but they do more than hawk their works or services. The best combination is to include something helpful to readers—an inspirational quote, several leads on new markets, a great writing blog, two tips on taking breaks—and then trumpet yourself, your books, your ebooks, your youtubes, your signings, your services, your special offer of writers’ t-shirts emblazoned with a catchy slogan (“Writers do it in drafts”).

Ask for Help
Readers love to contribute. A novelist holds contests among readers for the next title of his book in a multi-volume series. He sends out periodic emails about the contest entries, voting progress, top choices, narrowed five, final winner, and prizes. Another writer asks readers for experiences or case studies for her current project. Another offers a free ebook with purchase of his new collection of poems.

In any communication with your regular readers, invite them to share your mailings with other writers. We all have writing friends, and the more helpful you find a communication, the more likely you’ll want to share it with your friends . . . increasing readership.

Get Out There
Resolve to talk about yourself in person (shudder).

Your Elevator Pitch. Write and rehearse an elevator pitch. Why do you need it? You know—in a casual conversation on the Starbucks or supermarket line, after you’ve announced you’re a writer, the next question is always “And what do you write?”

Instead of stammering and wanting to sink through the floor, whip out your elevator pitch. This is a sentence or two that summarizes your current project and, incidentally and preferably, piques the listener’s interest. For example:

“In my new self-help manual, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams, I use examples from my academic consulting practice and other aspects of life, applying what I call practical spirituality to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings, whatever their age, circumstances, or the state of their waistline.”

“I’m finishing my third novel in the Clara Bottomsley mystery series. In Something’s Knotty in the Crochet Basket, Clara helps a friend who’s become unraveled solve the murder of her husband by following the clues in the directions for a baby romper.”

“I’m writing a collection of interview essays on the road trips of disillusioned wives—the real reasons they jumped in the car and gunned it, never looking back, their one-night stands and chocolate orgies at truck stops, bonding with cheap motel maids, and keeping exact track of the mileage on every tank of gas. One of my essays is coming out next week in Christian Women’s Monthly.”

Now—try one of your own. Memorize it and rehearse it out loud. Or keep it on a scrap of paper in your wallet or tattoo it on your wrist.

Your Personal Appearance. Speak in public (shudder again). Everyone loves, and is slightly in awe of, an author, and many opportunities are available, before, during, and after you publish. Research places that will welcome your subjects and genres, such as local churches, synagogues, schools, Y’s, libraries, writers’ clubs, writers’ groups, radio stations, bookstores (what are these?).

Targeting children’s books, I wrote two pieces on the many choices we all have to extend our p.r. “Put On Your Publicist’s Hat” appeared in The Writer (June 2008), and a longer version, “Let Them See Your Title: Publicizing Your Children’s Book,” came out in Writing World (September 2010; http://www.writing-world.com/promotion/sterne). Whatever the age groups were aiming at and our genres, the suggestions and principles in these articles apply to all of us.

A Not-Quite-Final Word

As you see, p.r. for expanding audiences and readers is a tremendously expansive subject. It swells daily, especially as online resources multiply and connected devices threaten to engulf our lives. Many more ideas, for example appear in Christina Katz’s excellent and sane article, “50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day,” Writer’s Digest (March/April 2011).

Swallow today’s fact that as a writer you do need a platform, and you can choose its planks. Gather information, make files, clip articles, take notes, and accept the writer’s reality that we are our own p.r. agents. Then, take a breath, realize it all doesn’t have to be done at once, or even this month, and choose one to three things to do daily or weekly.

Trust your intuition and follow the leads. After a while, some of the activities will become quite natural (like reeling off your elevator pitch to the plumber—who knew he was a closet crocheter?). You’ll keep finding and creating ways to branch out into new audiences and increase your readership. And you may even get to enjoy it.

© 2011 Noelle Sterne

Bio: Author, editor, writing coach, and spiritual counselor, Noelle Sterne has published over 250 articles, essays, stories, and poems in print and online venues, including The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal, 11.11, Soulful Living, and Unity Magazine. With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, for over 28 years Noelle has helped doctoral candidates complete their dissertations (finally). In her new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books), she uses “practical spirituality” and examples from her consulting practice and other aspects of life to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. An essay on her own recognition and reframing of the past appears in The Moment I Knew: Reflections from Women on Life's Defining Moments (Sugati Publications, August 2011). Visit Noelle’s website at www.trustyourlifenow.com

Preserve the Majesty of The Book

2011-07-19T23:39:00.001-07:00

Preserve the Majesty of The Book by Victorianvelvet on Polyvore.com

Two Sides to Every Story

2011-07-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

In the flurry of headlines detailing how five hundred British libraries are in danger of closing despite public complaint and how Australia predicts that bookstores shall be a thing of the past in five years, one wonders what the future of books will look like- will it be a back-lit screen or a printed page?

First, the good news

The marketplace, for the first time, has the most prominent voice in determining what will float or sink when it comes to books published in electronic format. Economic downturn has spurned a spike in electronic publishing to minimize costs. In less than two years, fiction sales as e-books have gone up nearly ten percent. In the third quarter of 2010, wholesale e-book sales had reached just shy of $120 million. These market shifts trickle down the branches to affect not only the way publishers do business, but also how editors, agents and writers do theirs. With the entry of conglomerates buying up some of the most prominent book publishing houses as only a small percentage of their bottom line, editors felt the compression with a need to make more commercially viable decisions, narrowing the flow of approved publishing endeavors. Agents started to be turned to in order to fill in the figurative spaces and pre-screen author projects to an extent that they hadn't approached before, meeting editors' new standards and acting as figurative gatekeepers to traditional publishing. The writers, in response, had new roles to fulfill; suddenly they had to become well-versed in marketing, become their own publicist and learn how to sell themselves and their work from the query letter all the way down the finish line to post-publication. Post-publication marketing had been a large factor originally associated with self-publishing yet it has taken on substantial significance in traditional publishing as well. Electronic publishing has opened doors to accommodate these shifts. Best-selling e-book author H.P. Mallory who has bridged the gap between self and traditional publishing by signing a contract with Random House, said of the current industry climate in a recent interview with The Write Place At the Write Time, “Now is the most exciting time for writers- the markets, the readers, as opposed to only the editors and publishers, get to decide what is a success.”

Now, the what-could-be not so good news

In the UK, amidst public outcry, hundreds of libraries are being targeted for extinction. Is it an omen that today, Borders has finally chosen liquidation? Will the prophecy by Australian government minister Nick Sherry come true that in five or so years bookstores will be a thing of the past, leaving only specialty shops in large cities? Amazon, who has led the race in competitive publishing announced that it intends to start its own publishing house. Meanwhile, agents, joining self-published authors, are starting to cross boundaries by acting as publishers and booksellers. Even J.K. Rowling, a veritable superstar of traditional publishing, made richer than the Queen, is now turning out a series of e-book versions of her books direct to the consumers through a ground-breaking website launching in October where fans can “walk through” a book and encounter new information about events, characters and places as though they were attending Hogwarts. The question is what this will mean for the other author Titans of the industry.

Should the overwhelming proof be in the pudding on the side of e-books, what happens to the historic volumes, the brick and mortar stores, the library atmosphere? The old texts can be digitized, yes, but the consumers are at risk of losing their literal ‘hold’ on the publishing industry if physical books are not preserved. Searches on statistics will tell you what percentage of a given population agrees or disagrees and it is the hot topic of the headlines. For those of us who yearn to hold a book, handed down through the ages, touch the yellowing pages and take in the pleasant scent of decades or in some cases centuries, read personal inscriptions and stand in awe of greatness in the world’s stained glass-lined libraries, there is a call for our voice to be heard. Nearly sixty percent of votes through Flipter.com stats in association with a Huffington Post article by Shane Snow, report the preference of traditional books. Nearly forty are complacent with e-books; that said, however, other reports confirm that the percentage that would be amenable to e-books would either not replace books completely or those who would were in a very low percentage coming from a group that owned and used e-readers prior to this digital publishing boom.

The consensus?

Why not have the best of both worlds… Everything in moderation, as they say.

For the Love of Books and the Treasures They Hold

2011-07-12T21:22:00.001-07:00

For the Love of Books and the Treasures They Hold by Victorianvelvet on Polyvore.com

Part I, Question 2 of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets with Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.

2011-07-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

What Writers Can Do After Their Piece Is Published

Is there anything you recommend writers do after their piece is published?

Many things—and my responses here are for individual pieces. What writers should do after (and before) book publication becomes another book, or at least another series of responses to questions like this.

After you publish an article, essay, poem, story, or other short piece, I recommend action in two main areas, roughly “external” and “internal.”

External

Think of this area as anything outside your workspace. Even though your article may appear in a small (even obscure) publication, off- or online, it’s still an accomplishment and a credit. So, consider these aspects after your piece is published.

Write to the Accepting Editor: I think writers often take editors for granted. Editors have a hard job too, and they often must plant themselves in sterile cubicles surrounded by piles of submissions and impossible lists of tasks and deadlines. So, on publication, and after I’ve gotten the check and complimentary copies and bought another two dozen myself, I like to write the editor.

With thanks for the fee and issues, I also praise (a) something about my article (other than the brilliant writing). Possibilities: the crisp layout or a photo that captures the essence of the piece, and one or two other things about the issue. This may be another author’s particularly helpful column, a moving poem, or an article that taught me something new.

Sometimes the editors reply with gratitude, sometimes they don’t. Whether or not they respond, I always feel good writing these notes. I believe they will feel appreciated and, even subliminally, hold a special place for you in their hearts and article planning boards.

Tell Everyone: We writers may have a hard time self-promoting, especially if our piece appears in a publication no one but four depressed poets have ever heard of. Nevertheless, publication—any publication—is cause for pride (the good kind) and declaration.

So, practice. You can be casual but purposive, in person or on the phone.

Your friend: “Hi, how are you!”

You: “Great, thanks [don’t stop], and my latest news is that my essay on how not to let your child get in the way of your writing is published this month in Parenting Away."

Now: Wait for the congratulations. Then lower your eyes, smile a little, and murmur, “Thank you . . . so much.”

Create your own variations—it will get easier, more natural, and you’ll be getting excellent practice for when your master tome hits the bookstores.

Internal

Keep Good Records: We may scoff or groan at what seems like an accountant mentality about keeping records. After all, we’re creative. But, the greatest artists in every field can’t function without lists—of paint, brushes, solvents, notebooks, printer cartridges, pens, chisels, mud, mixing bowls, music paper, not to mention computer folders and files and somewhat organized places to park supplies for quick access in creative sessions we’ve planned or that descend on us with ferocious urgency.

Your system of cascading post-its may have been good enough for the acceptances you got once a year. But now you’re publishing more regularly (!). It’s not wise to rely on your memory or those scraps that can whirl like a tornado at the first sneeze. So . . .

Track Your Pieces. As you send out your work, keep track of what and where.
Various types of software are available for tracking. Free systems include SAMM (http://www.sandbaggers.8m.com/samm.htm) and Writer’s Database (http://www.simonkewin.co.uk/writedb.htm). Fee-paid systems can be found at The Working Writer (http://dolphinsoftware.bc.ca/software/writers/index.html) and WritersMarket.com.

Study what these offer and see whether they’re too simple, complex, or totally unfathomable. Browse the Internet also for others; use keywords such as “writers’ tracking tools,” “writing query tracker,” and “software tracking for writers.”

After studying several types of tracking software, you may choose to create your own system. Many writers use Microsoft Excel. I’m allergic to Excel and so designed simple Microsoft tables, one for each year, with columns that make sense to me (important consideration), and the entries in reverse chronological order. Here’s a sample:

*Rejected. If you want a more positive cast, use “NTT”—“Not Today, Thanks.”

Keep a List of Credits. Please curb the groans. A list of credits can be
invaluable, and the sooner you start the less you’ll have to catch up with. Think of this list as your writing resume. As you publish more, you can add to it (a great confidence booster).

I’ve arranged mine, again in reverse chronological order, by year and month. Each entry lists the name of the piece, the publication, volume, issue, date, and, if the piece was published on the Web, the URL. You can also order your list by genre—poems, essays, articles.

And . . . I added a delicious section labeled “To Be Published.” Even if you have no entries right now, add this heading at the top of your list, and think of it as your affirmation of what will take place.

Keep Good Clips: In the table above, notice the comment in the first entry in “Comments.“ At the magazine’s request, I whipped off two sample clips of previous work. They were in my “Sample Clips” folder, nicely labeled by title, number of words, and date. Like your list of credits, your collection of clips has many uses (another article).

B.C. (Before Computers), I laboriously made hard copies of my articles at the local copy shop and tucked them into a file in one of my file cabinets. Today, electronics trump xerox.

If your article has been published in a hard-copy-only publication, take an issue and scan the article into your computer (labeled properly, of course). Most of the time, the “scan document” choice works well, even with some graphics and an illustration. Otherwise, you can use “scan picture.” Aim for the sharpest image of the article. Scanning the article as a pdf (which should be one of your scanner’s choices) is the most versatile.

Speaking of the pdf, portable document format—this is an unsung electronic miracle! The software converts anything to a pdf—meaning that a “picture” is taken of your work, saved, and cannot be altered. So, if your article was published online only, in a journal or blog (like this one), summon the pdf .

The most well-known pdf software suite is Adobe Acrobat. You can get various packages with different levels of sophistication for a range of prices. Adobe it is excellent, always upgrading, and with many tools for manipulating your pdfs (kind of fun too, but that’s another article).

Other pdf converters, called writers, are available and they are fine—and free. Two I use are Nitro PDF Reader and Creator (http://www.nitroreader.com/) and CutePDFWriter (http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp). Whatever software you download, play around with it and you’ll get to know how to use it. With a pdf writer, you can transform your articles (and documents) into this form to store, copy, send, print, and cherish forever.

To Conclude, For Now

All of these steps and suggestions may seem like a lot, although maybe you’re doing some of them already. Once you recognize the importance of both the external and internal après-pub steps, you’ll be more willing to give them the necessary time. When you decide on and set up your systems, I promise it will get easier.

And faster than a Nitro pdf, more elating than an editor’s “Yes!" you’ll be doing all the right things with your articles after you publish and publish and publish.

© 2011 Noelle Sterne

Bio: Noelle Sterne is a writer of nonfiction and fiction, a writing coach, and a spiritual counselor, with over 250 pieces in print and online venues. Holding a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Noelle has conducted an academic coaching and editing practice for over 28 years. In her new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books, Summer 2011), she uses examples from her practice and other aspects of life in applying practical spirituality to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. Visit Noelle’s website at www.trustyourlifenow.com

Book Giveaway from The Write Place At the Write Time Literary Journal

2011-06-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Write Place At the Write Time literary journal is having a book giveaway in partnership with Viking Press- here is an excerpt from the featured q&a with author Luke Williams about his debut novel, The Echo Chamber. Visit the Announcements page of The Write Place At the Write Time
(http://www.thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org/announcements.html) for the full q&a, contest rules and the link to The Echo Chamber page:

Readers' Corkboard

~ In participation with Viking Press, we have featured below a q&a with Luke Williams, author of The Echo Chamber and we are doing a free giveaway of the book before it goes on sale for our readers!!! To enter to win, simply compose a fiction paragraph with the first sentence using the title of the book in it. The most creative entry will win! Send entries to:
contests@thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org

with The Echo Chamber in the subject line by July 15th!!!

Q&A with Luke Williams, author of
THE ECHO CHAMBER
(Viking / On-sale: August 8, 2011)

You started writing THE ECHO CHAMBER as a student at University of East Anglia. How helpful was the course in shaping you as a writer, and would you recommend creative writing courses to others embarking on a novel?

The course was hugely helpful. It gave me confidence (the right kind, in the end—I think I began with entirely the wrong kind and soon had this knocked out of me), as well as the space and time in which to think and research and write intensively. All invaluable to a novice writer and one reason to recommend that aspiring novelists consider developing their projects on such a course. It also threw me into the path of other writers who’ve since become good pals, trusted colleagues and, in one particular case, my first reader and on/off collaborator. But I’d say the course’s most significant impact on me was the term I spent studying with W.G. Sebald, our workshop tutor. I was already a huge fan and drew much inspiration from his books, but his teaching also shaped my work and my approach to it.

Celebrating The Three Year Anniversary of The Write Place At the Write Time

2011-06-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

Celebrating The Three Year Anniversary of The Write Place At the Write Time by Victorianvelvet featuring a heart tee

Part I, Question I of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets with Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.

2011-06-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

We will be featuring an interview series on non-fiction markets with writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D. who is a long-time professional contributor to the feature page Writers' Craftbox in The Write Place At the Write Time literary journal. Here she will share her extensive experience and advice from negotiating contract rights to managing submissions. Throughout this series, Noelle will be available to answer questions submitted through the blog.

Bio: Noelle Sterne is a writer of nonfiction and fiction, a writing coach, and a spiritual counselor, with over 250 pieces in print and online venues. Holding a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Noelle has conducted an academic coaching and editing practice for over 28 years. In her new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books, Summer 2011), she uses examples from her practice and other aspects of life in applying practical spirituality to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. Visit Noelle’s website at www.trustyourlifenow.com

1. In terms of your extensive experience with managing submissions to paying non-fiction markets, tell us about some of the most important factors to keep in mind when submitting (either via query or on spec) and negotiating terms post acceptance (rights, payment, contracts).

When submitting, of course follow the advice you read and hear all the time: read and study the magazines, the articles, the guidelines. Do so for several issues until you’re imbued with the style and type of pieces that get published. And be alert to changes in the editorial stance and content. With new editors and changing times, magazines alter what they do and don’t feature. For example, more articles on meditation are showing up in a range of magazines.

Pay attention to whether the editors want queries or complete articles. When I have an idea I think would fit with a specific publication, I often do the entire article first—it seems “easier,” if one can use that term in writing—and later, after the necessary several drafts, I extract the query from it. On the other hand, if you do a query, when the editor asks to see the article, and you then write it, make very sure the article follows the query. That is what attracted the editor, and many editors have reported that they looked forward to one thing and saw its possibility for their publication, but they got another.

Another point on submitting: If you’re the type of writer who must write what moves or intrigues her, write your piece, and then look for markets. Remember: When the writer is ready the publications appear. If you’re the type of writer who can and will write anything for any market, study thoroughly the publications you want to publish in and go to it. I’ve done it both ways, especially with writers’ craft publications as I’ve gotten more proficient and familiar with their content and styles.

After acceptance, ask for the contract. Some publications provide one, some don't. If they do, go over it carefully and make sure you understand what is granted you and what is not. If you don't, get help. You don't necessarily have to hire a lawyer. An excellent book for writers--written in understandable English--is Tad Crawford and Kay Murray's The Writer's Legal Guide: An AUthors Guild Desk Reference (Allworth Press).

Today, many publications want unlimited online reprint rights as part of the contract. Some pay for this and others don’t. Think about what you want and do not be afraid to ask. You can pen in your changes on a print copy and/or send an email outlining your changes. Once, for the first contract with major writers’ magazine, on the single page I penned in six changes. Afraid the editor would take one look and tear up the contract and my query, I called her. We went over the contract together, and, to my shock, she easily agreed to four of them. I lived with the other two and went on to have a lovely, fruitful relationship with her.

If the publication does not issue a formal contract, the editor will generally spell out the terms in an accepting letter or email. In reply, you may need to do a version of my experience. But, finally, when you reply, reiterate the terms to show your understanding and, importantly, have a record that you accepted the terms.

Asking for what you want also applies to original payment. As several writing business gurus intone, “Always ask for more.” What can happen? The editor responds, “Yes . . . No . . . I have to check with my senior editor/boss/mother.” If the editor comes back with a negative, you can decide whether the publication credit and budding relationship you now have are worth it to you.

Sometimes an invoice is requested; supply one promptly—makes you look professional. You can fashion a decent-looking letterhead from your favorite font, a combination of sizes and bold and regular type, and maybe a nice neat horizontal line under your contact information. At the bottom, above my signature line, I like to add a sentence of warmth: “Glad to contribute.”

As you see, these considerations are very expansive. I’ve found two books excellent, both chock-full of guidelines, details, and examples: Jenna Glatzer’s Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer (Nomad Press) and Moira Allen’s Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer (Allworth Press).

I’ve also found that one always has more to learn about all of these factors. Publications vary greatly in their methods and procedures for dealing with authors. The more you know and are prepared for, the more you can negotiate terms that satisfy you and add to your pride of publication.

Do you have questions about the business of writing? Noelle will be glad to respond.

A Writers' Journey to El Dorado

2011-06-14T18:42:00.001-07:00

A Writers' Journey to El Dorado by Victorianvelvet on Polyvore.com

The Journey and the Destination

2011-06-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

In coming across an interesting article about making the process of your book an education, I started to think about the symbolic journeys we all travel in the final quest of bringing our books/works to their full potential. Where this article follows the knowledge gained in terms of learning the marketing/industry side, (http://alexisgrant.com/2011/06/08/turn-writing-into-education/) in concise steps, it brings to mind the theoretical, creative aspects and the lessons of perseverance as well. Some writers contend that the writing of their book is like a pregnancy, first conceived with an idea and eventually born into a full product, that, essentially is a rebirth for the writer as well, on both a personal and professional level. Others look at the publishing process like a search for the Holy Grail or still another set thinks in terms of the concept inherent in Edgar Allan Poe's poem, El Dorado. The knight bravely sets forth for the ancient mythic city of gold and journeys so long that by and by he becomes old and weary. He meets a pilgrim on his way and asks him how to reach the city. The answer? "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied- "If you seek for Eldorado!"
(http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/eldorado/)

How I view it is that each process associated with the book, whether it is the work of the writing, the process of publishing or the latter task of marketing, they are all part of a journey that you have to learn a great deal of tips, facts, methods, strategies to 'survive' or essentially reach fulfillment; that said, the most important knowledge you'll learn along the way is about yourself. Process and savor each step of the journey as a writer and an individual. The poem by Poe seems to be saying that for any object worthy of attaining, any extraordinary quest worth completing, stay on the road and ride boldly on if you truly seek it. The journey that shapes you might be the key to the ultimate treasure which may or may not match the initially intended destination. Often times writers that were swept into different paths, even for a time different locations or professions, found the greatness within that would lead them on to their writing; had they not spotted opportunity, given up or tried only the same way to reach the desired end, they might not have realized themselves completely. Ride, boldly ride!

Mirror , Mirror on the wall, tell me the tale most beloved of all...

2011-06-07T19:45:00.001-07:00

Mirror , Mirror on the wall, tell me the tale most beloved of all... by Victorianvelvet on Polyvore.com

Be the Brand~ Brand Management for Writers

2011-06-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

Often times, because we as writers are typically a one-man outfit, we don't think of the work we produce as part of a brand. We don't think of ourselves as a "brand". Yet each one of us, different as we are, has a particular brand and it's utilizing and promoting this fact that establishes us as separate and unique from our colleagues and competitors.

Danielle Steel has a brand- she has a targeted audience demographic, a certain style, a certain form of content that lets people know this is a 'Danielle Steel' book before even having to look at the author's name; and her brand works for her, doesn't it? (Diamonds and ball gown skirt included.) Every author from Fitzgerald to Stephen King has a brand that makes their work uniquely associated with them. When the authors would switch mediums to do short fiction, journalism or non fiction, these were merely off-shoots of their brand. It's a certain mix of style, standards and expectations that the audience comes to expect. Part of an author's brand includes how they conduct themselves in public- interviews, signings, speeches... Some are extremely private, some cynical, some gregarious, some gracious. How the author presents themselves physically, the manner in which they dress- (creative personas like the gypsy coutured singer Stevie Nicks or all in black Johny Cash)- furniture lines emulate Hemingway's style, Issac Denison's safari style is in high fashion this season. The lifestyle of a writer is another aspect of their brand. Swinging Manhattan, old English fortress or rugged retreat.

In each aspect of yourself that you present, in how you conduct yourself, the ideas/causes you champion or oppose, all of it makes up who you are as a writer. The important factor is to, above all, be yourself and let the distinguishing traits show through. Too many contemporary writers feel the need to self-camouflage and risk being lumped together by genre instead of distinguished by traits as individuals. For your site, your book covers, your correspondence, your public appearances, pull together a comfortable theme that fits you and will have you standing out in the minds of readers, reviewers, editors and publishers.

Freedom of Expression

2011-06-01T21:28:00.001-07:00

Freedom of Expression by Victorianvelvet on Polyvore.com

Summer Summary

2011-05-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

Another aspect of the marketing/pitching process in your writing work is the summary of your 300+ page book into a 2-5 page synopsis, then a short paragraph or two in the query and finally at conferences, an elevator pitch of one to two sentences. Notice a trend? The object of the game is to get you to know your work so well that at the snap of a finger, the magic words come out of your mouth and hit all the right notes to get your project sold. It's like the phenomenon in the French literary fairy tale by Charles Perrault, "Diamonds and Toads". If you are good and true, the enchantress bestows a gift that diamonds, pearls and roses fall forth from your lips each time you speak; if you are false, toads, snakes and lizards shall slither forth from your lips. Granted, this circumstance isn't quite so extreme and no enchantress is questioning your ethics. The effect, however, is similar- you say the right words, publishers/agents/editors see the diamonds, pearls and roses (in the shape of dollar signs); you stumble in your speech and say the wrong words, they jet out of there as if you had the makings of a swamp coming out of your mouth.

Authors often have a great deal of difficulty with this step, so in the spirit of training for those diamonds, pearls and roses, let's try an exercise to get you accustomed to breaking down a story, smaller and smaller and smaller. Don't start with your book- it's a project too close to you. Start with an imagined project instead.

EXERCISE: Write 5 hand-written (archaic, we know) pages about a pivotal summer that played a role in shaping your life; a romance, a job, carefree fun, a sad or happy event, strings of events, etc... Don't worry about grammar or spelling or whether the piece meets your ideal standards. (If you want to polish it and use it elsewhere, do this at a later time). Pretend as though it is a full-length manuscript and fill in an outline- a novel outline.

Now write a one page synopsis, typed, double-spaced. Here you polish and edit. Ask yourself, family members, friends or writing group partners (2 people who would give an honest opinion) if this sounds like a book they would read (they respond only having read your one page synopsis).

Next on the list, write a query in full query format. Ask a different set of (2) people if they would read this book based only on having read the query letter. Compare responses. Make notes on why, take comments.

Elevator pitch- really try and use an elevator. The timing is great to test this out. Grab (2) more willing individuals (you can explain what you're trying to accomplish to a co-worker, take along a friend) and give them your 1-2 sentences on what the essence of this project is. Would they read this book? More importantly would they buy it? All they have heard is the elevator pitch- nothing else. If you don't have 6 people to try this out with who will give feedback and not appear startled, choose 3, one person per step.

Compare their comments and responses analytically with your own notes. What could you add or subtract to inspire more consistent outcomes? Do your sentences run too long? Did you hold each person's attention? Could you confidently pitch your project? Not satisfied with the results? Try again. It won't bruise the ego because it's not really your main book; yet the practice of doing this can easily help you when it's time to sell that main book that you've invested years, blood, sweat and tears into.

Marketing Copy

2011-05-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

When we sit down to write, the voice, the style we choose isn't always the same; depending on which medium we're writing in, we taper our words to flow in sync with the chosen form. Underneath the large, shady umbrellas of fiction and nonfiction there are genres and sub-genres. Learning how to adapt to the task at hand isn't always as simple as it seems. In a business letter, for instance, there isn't a great deal of room to maneuver in language or template; conversely, writing marketing copy, a skill that will come in handy for writers in queries, pitches, social media and any sort of communication associated with selling your work, is more difficult to define because it merges aspects and qualities of different forms. Case in point, don't think you won't be using your creativity here.

As practise makes perfect, I'd like to share an adaptation of an exercise I was given in a journalism course quite a few years back. It might sound off topic but as writers, we are constantly pitching ideas and now more than ever we need to know how to be authors and marketers. The purpose is to get you mind thinking in terms of marketing- write as a copywriter, write as an advertising firm- say something in an unusual way. Do this on your own time and if you'd like feedback, feel free to post your example here.

EXERCISE: To train your mind to think on its feet, choose one clothing item (can include shoes, accessories, jewelry, watches...) that you have on right now and write 300 words to promote this product. Start with an intriguing headline and time yourself (5 minutes on the clock ladies and gents). Be witty, be fresh and identify in your mind the target audience you're addressing. Say the target audience is working moms and you're selling fuzzy slippers; what does this market want, need most? What imagery would appeal to them? What are their lives like and why would they just love these slippers? Why should they buy these above any other fuzzy slippers? Try this out and see what you come up with!

Inscribing Industry

2011-05-23T17:51:00.001-07:00

Inscribing Industry by Victorianvelvet on Polyvore.com

Welcome to Inscribing Industry!

2011-05-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

We at The Write Place At the Write Time online literary journal decided to join the throngs of bloggers and separate the business aspect of the writing craft from the creative. As you can see, the contents and offerings of our Professional Services page from the website have moved into their new home here. Those final changes will take effect upon the release of the summer anniversary issue, June 22nd.

Yet you know we're not minimalists in how we do things; rather than have a static page of what writing services we offer, we're going to be featuring posts, articles, interviews, writing exercises for you to try out and tips on the business side of things so that we can offer you that much more in your writing journey.

Welcome to our debut- spread the word!