Interview with Ann Kingman, co-host of Books on the Nightstand, Board Director for the New England Independent Booksellers Association, and veteran of the publishing industry through her career at Random House

Ann Kingman began her career as a sales assistant at Dell Publishing. This led to a 24 year career spent at the same company under various names: Bantam/Dell, Bantam Doubleday Dell, BDD/Ballantine, and ultimately Random House. Ann relocated to New England in 1992, holding positions in Field Merchandising, National Accounts, and for the past 11 years or so, District Sales Manager, covering most of CT, RI, part of MA, VT and upstate NY. In addition, Ann works with colleague Michael Kindness to publish Books on the Nightstand, a blog and weekly podcast about books and reading.

Books on the Nightstand (http://booksonthenightstand.com/) is a weekly audio podcast with the tagline "Illuminating conversation about books and reading." Hosted by two veterans of the publishing industry, BOTNS focuses on topics of interest to the general reader, often with a peek behind the curtain of the publishing industry. Conversational in tone, the hosts keep it positive, talking only about books that they genuinely like, and giving book recommendations rather than book reviews. Despite holding day jobs with a major NY publisher, BOTNS is an independent project, and Ann and Michael feature books from numerous publishers and in almost every genre.



1) The premise of Books on the Nightstand, a great readers’ resource, is to recommend books you enjoy as opposed to simply reviewing books.  How did you and co-publishing industry veteran, Michael Kindness, decide upon this distinction and how do you personally maintain certain criteria for a book that thrills you (regardless of genre)?

Frankly, we just think that there are too many good books out there to spend precious time reading and talking about books that don’t thrill us. I am an unrepentant book-abandoner. I give a book 50 pages, and if it doesn’t grab me in some way, I’ll put it down and move on. However, I realize that we all look for different things in a book, and if I’m not finding what I need, it doesn’t mean that you won’t.  So I never proclaim a book “bad”. It might just not be right for me at the time.

A book can thrill me in many ways: it can be a book that is so beautifully written that I stop and marvel at a phrase or a sentence on almost every page. It can be a story so well told that I leave my real life and enter the setting of the book. It may contain a driving plot that makes me read well beyond my bedtime. Or it can star a character so real and intriguing that I want to invite him into my family (or put her behind bars). I am lucky that I can take any one of these elements as a point of enjoyment. If I’m reading for story, I can be more forgiving of the occasional wonky metaphor; if I’m reading for the writing style, an intricate plot is not so important. That’s also why I’d make a terrible reviewer.

2) Being on the Board of Directors for the New England Independent Booksellers Association, what do you think are the most important factors for readers/consumers to keep in mind about the role of the hand-held book and the brick & mortar stores with booksellers that give a personalized approach to shopping for a book?  What is one of your favorite memories of discovering something unexpected to read in an indie bookstore?

We are spoiled for choice when it comes to reading material. The biggest problem right now for most readers is discovering what to read. Our time is precious, and a great source of book recommendations is an asset to any community. If your town or city has an independent bookstore, love and cherish it, and if they don’t meet your needs, let them know (gently) so that they can do better. Independent bookstores are, in my very biased opinion, protectors of literature. That sounds overblown and hokey. But if we ever see the day where there is only one mega-retailer, it will be a sad day for readers and writers. That’s when much of our choice disappears.

There’s another crucial aspect to keeping the physical book alive: the kids. I can’t imagine living in a home without physical books. I can’t imagine a child growing up in a home without physical books.

That being said, many independent bookstores offer ebooks, and in fact a new partnership with Kobo should make it easier and more convenient for you to purchase ebooks from your favorite independent bookstore.

As to your last question, I discover something unexpected to read almost every time I step into an independent bookstore. My first stop is always the Staff Picks section, and inevitably there is a book there that I have never seen, have never heard about, and yet is just the book I didn’t know I was looking for.

3) In addition to working for Random House, you co-host BOTNS and are on the Board of Directors for NEIBA.  Books have a place of great importance in both your professional and personal spheres.  Talk to us about your earliest realization of your passion for the written word and share some of your favorite authors (contemporary, classic or both).   

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t a reader. The first book I remember loving was a board book called "Twinkle Tots". It was my constant companion when I was about 3 and it’s the first book I could “read” by myself (today we call it memorization). I tracked down a copy a few years ago, and it has a proud place on the shelf next to the rest of my favorite books of all time.

In middle school, during a particularly difficult time (we all have them then, don’t we?) I discovered Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, and I truly believe that that novel got me through that period relatively unscathed.

Favorite authors: this one is tough, because I am terrible at committing to "favorites". But in the last few years, I publicly declared that my favorite author is Ian McEwan. While none of his books is actually my favorite book of all time, as a body of work, McEwan’s novels speak to me more than any other author.  I will drop whatever I am doing to read Cormac McCarthy, Richard Russo, Karen Russell and Aimee Bender. Oh, and Margaret Atwood is up there with McEwan. I’m also a huge fan of the mystery and suspense genre, and love the novels of Lee Child, Tana French, Jo Nesbo and John Sanford.

4) You provide Book Group Resources on your site and discuss their significance.  Many people wish for this kind of atmosphere of shared literary interests but struggle with the logistics (time/location).  If you were to design the ‘ideal’ book group, what would some of its attributes and parameters be if anything were possible (instant communication/travel across the world, any place, and yes, even any time period if we apply our imaginations to time travel for a minute here).

Well, don’t tell any of the hundreds of book group members that I talk with every year, but my favorite kind of book club is the “salon.” This is a gathering where you meet to talk about what everyone is reading, but not everyone reads the same book. I love the sense of discovery and sharing that happens when readers describe a book and how it makes them feel. I would ban all "reading group guides", which in my mind are good only to remind yourself of the plot when the book group meets weeks after you’ve finished the book. I would require wine and chocolate at every meeting, of course, and the author would be on speed dial (brain pings?) to answer any of our questions and settle any arguments -- but would NOT be online when we talk about our less-than-favorite bits.

5) There is a quote by Angela Carter that speaks of how we as readers, through our life experiences, add our own individualized meaning to what we read:  “Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.”  Is there a book you recall reading at a certain stage in your life that reflects this sentiment or have you recommended a book to someone based on an experience they were going through at the time which you felt the book could further illuminate for them?

As I mentioned above, The Chocolate War did that for me and I am certain for many, many other adolescents. But since I do unequivocally agree with Angela Carter, it’s very difficult to recommend a book to someone and expect them to have that experience that you think will help them. Instead, I look for books that help bring forth an emotion -- escapism if that is needed, or handing someone a very sad novel if they are trying to connect with their grief. The actual subject of the book may be irrelevant to that person’s life experience, but books can help tap into emotions in many ways.

6) In promoting reading and literacy, give us your personal view of why books are and will continue in the future to be so integral to the development of our society and those minds which would endeavor to shape it. 

Books allow us to walk in the footsteps of others in a way that nothing else does. It’s only through the understanding of others that we can understand the world around us. The exchange of ideas is easier and more understandable through story than any other means.

For more information, visit http://booksonthenightstand.com/welcome

Interview with Alexander Weinstein, Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing

Alexander Weinstein is the Director of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, and works as a professor of Creative Writing at Siena Heights University.  He leads fiction workshops in the United States and Europe and lives in Ann Arbor.  His fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Pleiades, Cream City Review, Sou'Wester, Notre-Dame Review, Rio Grande Review, Zone 3 and other journals.  He is currently finishing his first short story collection.


1) Talk to us about the formation of the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing; what went into its development (from selection/planning of workshops to instructors to choice of location) and what writers, books, experiences informed your outlook?

The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing came about from my years of teaching writing on the Vineyard.  I’ve spent summers at the Vineyard since I was born—my family has a house in Aquinnah—and the Vineyard is one of my favorite places in the world, so part of my dream was to create a center for writers in order to share the beauty and creativity of Martha’s Vineyard with others.  In 2005 and 2006 I taught fiction writing workshops at Featherstone Center for the Arts on the Vineyard.  This led to my forming a writing group of Vineyard writers to teach deeper level craft techniques and help them produce new work, edit, and finish novels.  From these experiences the idea of creating the institute emerged.   There was a real need for a place where writers could gain both artistic and professional writing experience on the Vineyard and so, in 2009 I began planning for our first year. 

My goal was to create an intimate program, one which broke down the boundaries between published writers and aspiring writers, and which helped to nurture an artistic literary community.  From my experiences in academia and publishing, I felt that one of the most vital elements, often missing for the writer, is community.  Artists need to receive guidance and support in their craft, and to celebrate creative expression together.  And so I founded the MVICW in order to create a place where writers and their art could flourish.  The first faculty was selected from my fellow fiction and poetry writers/teachers at Indiana University.  What better way to create community than invite my closest friends to launch the MVICW! 

In our second year I expanded the program to include The MVICW High School Writers’ Collaborative, a creative writing summer camp for students in 8th-12th grade.  Supporting young writers is of great importance, and I wanted to contribute to the student community on Martha's Vineyard.  Many of my friends are school teachers on the island, and I greatly respect the work they do.  Working with students is essential to nurturing art.  These students are the future artists of the world, and the more I can do to support and encourage their artistic expression, the richer the world becomes.

I’m happy to say that our first three years have met with great success, and I couldn’t be happier and more thankful to all the writers and faculty who have helped to make it so. 

2) You discuss the importance and oft-time difficulty of writers finding the space and the hours to devote to their craft and the workshop’s mission in helping them do just that.  How do you instruct writers to continue some of the practices of the workshop in relation to organization, goals and schedules once they return home?  Do writers leave with a heightened awareness about making the time for their work?

One of the greatest hurdles I’ve encountered during my years of teaching writing is confidence.  The writer is unfortunately always beset by an untrained inner critic—a voice which is all too ready to lambast one’s own creativity and keep the writer from producing.  For this reason I address the importance of separating the writer into two parts: the writer and the critic, so that the fear of failure can be put aside.   The underlying fear is, if you begin writing and it turns out not as good as you’d hoped, then this might prove you’re not really cut out for writing.  This is, of course, nonsense—but it’s a powerful fear all the same.   In order to help mitigate these fears, we write a lot during the MVICW workshops.  We practice craft exercises, take risks, and share our work, and this models the work ethic and attitude necessary to continue producing work throughout the year.   As I tell students, if you’re doing things right you’ll produce bad work.  The reason for this is that you’re writing so much that some material will naturally be bad.   And we need to allow ourselves the space to write poorly if we want the inspirational work to emerge. 

Our panel discussion and publishing/editing workshops directly address how to keep the writing practice alive, and it allows students to hear the strategies and methods that all the visiting faculty have used to pursue successful careers in writing.   Outlining, drafting, the submission process, dealing with both the rejection and acceptance of one’s work, are addressed by the faculty, and the attendees go home with a writing plan for the coming year.  Many of the writers form online writing groups with the other attendees, in order to keep working on their materials outside of the MVICW.

3) One of the unique qualities about the MVICW is the intimate atmosphere in which attendees can interact with faculty outside of workshop hours at nightly activities (including readings, discussions and editing sessions).  How do you feel this impacts the attendants’ overall experience and understanding of their workshop subject matter/ideologies?  What are some additional ways in which the MVICW is unique?

The close interaction between faculty and students is certainly one of our defining traits.  After workshops, attendees and faculty go out for drinks/food together, take trips to the local fishing town for a sunset, go on sailing excursions, and the final night I cook dinner for everyone and we celebrate together.  The one-on-one editing sessions also allow writers and faculty to spend significant time talking about poetry and fiction and how to prepare work for publication.  This close connection between faculty and attendees is vital because the central mission to MVICW is to create a nurturing community of writers. 

These more intimate events break down the boundaries between attendees and faculty, and this is essential because it allows attendees to see published and award-winning writers as regular people.  Often times a kind of celebrity culture can form around famous writers, especially at conferences and workshops, and this can lead to a feeling of real separation between aspiring writers and published writers.  It’s important that this sort of separation is broken down, for I believe that now, more than ever, we need to build community, share knowledge, and help one another as artists.  The effect, for both attendees and faculty is magical.  Faculty and attendees often say they feel the MVICW has created a writing family for them.  I couldn’t hope for better praise.

4) Your selection of instructors creates a diversified perspective from various views of the literary world (both from a publishing and academic viewpoint). How did the criteria evolve for choosing instructors?   Do they typically subscribe to similar philosophies on the craft and teaching or do they differ greatly in beliefs and teaching methods?

I aim to create as diverse a program as possible.  While I personally tend to write speculative fiction and fabulism, I aim to bring in writers who work in realism and other genres.  In this way, attendees are exposed to a wide variety of styles and approaches to craft.  I find teachers/writers who have different philosophies on the craft of writing, because these differences make for exciting conversations and discussions—and it drives home the fact that there is no one way to write, no single philosophy which reveals the secret to success; writing is a personal process.  My criteria for choosing faculty is that they are excellent teachers, powerful writers, and warm-hearted, generous instructors.   I seek teachers who are skilled at breaking down the elements of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, and who can tailor classes which will challenge both experienced writers and beginners.  And again, I seek writers who are generous with their time and open about their process—writers who are willing to share both their successes and struggles as writers—so that they humanize the art of creative writing. 

5) Within the Specialty Workshops, editing for publication and submitting for publication (taught by Phong Nguyen, who edits the journal, Pleiades) are included for the publishing/business aspect of the craft.  It’s a good balance to have the inclusion of these necessary and pragmatic elements in a creative workshop.  Do the Specialty Workshops rotate based on instructors and might there be future novel/short story collection/poetry anthology pitching or marketing workshops as well?

The MVICW always offers an editing/publication specialty workshop.  For many attendees, the process of submitting their work for publication can be both daunting and mystifying, and so I want to demystify the process, as well as prepare students for how to deal with rejection (which is bound to come if you’re submitting your work for publication).  Having these classes led by faculty with intimate knowledge of the process is helpful because it allows attendees  to get an inside look at the publishing world.

In the past we’ve offered Specialty workshops on The Prose Poem, Science Fiction, Playwriting and Screenwriting, and I hope to offer specialty workshops on Young Adult Literature, Memoir, Creative Non-Fiction, and Marketing in the coming years.  

6) What are some future plans or goals for the MVICW?     

Our next big step is becoming a non-profit.  This will allow for greater funding opportunities from both individuals and organizations, and an expansion of our scholarship program.   I’m proud to have been able to offer scholarships over our first three years, funded entirely by MVICW.   However, even with scholarships, there are still students who cannot afford to attend.  My hope is to begin to secure endowments for the program which would give MVICW the ability to offer many more full scholarships, both for our adult and high-school programs.  Supporting writers is the central mission of MVICW, and it’s my hope to never turn anyone away due to a lack of finances.   I see becoming a non-profit and securing grants and endowments as the next crucial step towards this goal. 

I’m also very excited to be teaming up with the Nathan Mayhew Seminars for next year’s program.  The Nathan Mayhew Seminars has had a long and rich artistic and educational history on the Vineyard, and the MVICW is thrilled to find a home on their Vineyard Haven campus.   The new location will allow us to house the faculty and hold the seminars on the same campus, making for an even more intimate environment.   Being located in Vineyard Haven will make it possible for attendees wishing to commute from the Cape during the week possible.  There are also a number of bed and breakfasts within walking distance, which will allow for easier lodging and travel for attendees.  

For more information, visit http://mvicw.com/

Reading into Readings~ A Writer's Life: Guest Blog

Guest Blogger Bio:  SuzAnne C. Cole is a retired college instructor with an MA from Stanford. Her essays have been published in Newsweek, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Baltimore Sun, Personal Journaling and many anthologies as well as The Write Place at the Write Time. She also writes plays, poetry, and short fiction in a studio in the Texas Hill Country. 

Of Course, I’d Be Glad to Sign Your Book

For months before my first book came out, I spent hours on the phone lining up readings and signings in the city where I live.   My first reading was perfect.  The community relations coordinator, the daughter-in-law of a dear friend, promoted the event with mailings, posters, and newspaper publicity.  A guitarist provided soft background music, refreshments were served, my husband sent a beautiful bouquet, and the audience was warm and receptive.  I sold seventy-five copies and thought all readings and signings would be that wonderful. 

Unfortunately, they weren’t.  The publicity for my next signing announced that I would be “singing” my book.  However, I had a respectable crowd, sold thirty copies, and was happy at the end to write a loving inscription in one book for the mother of a bookstore employee.  Later that month, revisiting the store and checking the shelves to see if I needed to sign more copies, I found not only that particular copy with its long and tender inscription, but also another copy with my personalized dedication.

In a nearby city I held a signing on a warm Saturday; although I smiled my hardest and wore my prettiest summer suit, almost no one stopped to chat, inquire, or buy.   Restless near the end of my non-productive three-hour stint, I began to browse nearby shelves and went home having sold no books but having bought fifty dollars’ worth of other people’s books.

With another coordinator I arranged signing dates at two stores; however, she abruptly left the chain two days later, taking with her all records of upcoming events.  When I showed up for my signing, no one at the store had ever heard of me, my book, or the signing.    

Visiting another city on vacation, I asked an employee in a chain bookstore if they carried my book, To Our Heart’s Content: Meditations for Women Turning 50.   After checking the computer, the clerk coolly informed me they had ordered the book, but I had the title wrong, it was Mediations for Women Turning 50.  In vain I protested, “But I wrote it, it’s my book.”  I was only the author; the computer was the authority.   

I learned that I preferred readings to signings because readings permitted me to do something.  I found it difficult to sit, dressed in my best, behind a big stack of books, as, despite my best smile, people browsed everywhere but my table, refusing to meet my eyes even in passing.  Meanwhile the coordinator, in what sounded like an increasingly desperate voice, broadcasted my presence every fifteen minutes over the store’s audio system while I wondered if I shouldn’t consider another line of work. 

However, readings also had their drawbacks.  When refreshments were served, I discovered that some people sat to listen only as long as it took them to finish the snack; then they noisily gathered up their possessions and left, often right in the middle of my most tender passages.   

I learned that it’s possible to give a reading for an audience of two—but it changes the delivery somewhat.  Once my only audience was a young Vietnamese man.  Curious about his attendance since my book is aimed at midlife women, I asked why he was there.  When he said he’d like to write better sentences, I walked him to the grammar section of the bookstore and sold him someone else’s book. 

I also learned that the care and attention the author pays to makeup and wardrobe will be in inverse proportion to the number of people at a reading or signing.  And I found that community relations coordinators did not always share my ideas about an appropriate atmosphere.  One scheduled my reading to coincide with the in-store performance of a country western singer.  Over the twangy strains of an amplified guitar, I found myself shouting my suggestions to “reclaim silence and stillness for ourselves” in the process of achieving “inner tranquility.”

As that summer of my first book progressed, I learned that bribing spouses, aunties, writing support groups, friends, air-conditioning repairmen, fiancés of friends’ daughters, and people I met on the street to attend these events was not egoistical; it was essential. 

Still, I wouldn’t have missed that summer; my biggest thrill as a writer is hearing those magical words, “Would you please sign my book?”

A 270-word excerpt from "Of Course, I'd Be Glad to Sign Your Book" was published untitled in the Bylines 2005 Writer's Desk Calendar

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

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

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

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

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.