Archive for the ‘Authorship’ Category

Passion Versus Pressure

Monday, May 27th, 2013

I made the decision not to reprint one of my books that has gone out of print. And I’m getting some pressure to bring it back—to revive it. The book in question is the most comprehensive history ever written of my home town—a valuable and informative book for librarians, museum directors and docents as well as individuals who love history and/or have roots here.

People have told me: “You can’t let it die.” “You’ve gotta keep it going.” “It’s too important to just let it go.” Yes, the pressure is on. So why don’t I reprint that book? I no longer feel the passion for this project. I don’t want to be distracted from the work I want to do and that I feel is also important. Am I being selfish?

I’ve attempted to get someone else to take on the local history book. Although the folks at city hall, local librarians and museum personnel are most interested in seeing the book continue on, none want to go into the publishing and distribution business.

Just this week, a new bookseller in town approached me about that book. “I’ll help you,” she said. “We’ll do whatever it takes.” “Please reconsider.” We planned to get together to discuss it.

I sat down that evening with a pen and pad. I wrote down what it would take as far as cost and time to produce and distribute the book. Then I made a list of pros and cons of my bringing it out again. I thought about it some more. And as much as I loved the book and the project for nearly 20 years, I just can’t muster the enthusiasm for continuing it.

Oh, I still have enthusiasm and passion for writing—that just seems to grow, multiply and magnify. But I want to write new things—produce new works. I want to continue using my energy and creativity toward helping and guiding authors and I hope to delight and entertain readers with the new novels I’m currently writing. In fact, I should be announcing publication of my first novel within the next three weeks. Can’t wait to share it with you.

Yes, now I feel the passion—when I think about writing fiction and when I think about what I can offer other authors to help them become successful.

How to Overcome Bio-Block

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

Do you find it intimidating or overwhelming when asked to write a brief bio and/or a description of your book or a presentation you plan? Join the club, as they say. For some reason, this is a real problem for many writers and authors. We can speak (or write) volumes, but ask us to put something in a nutshell and we freeze up.

Yet, if you have a book to promote or you write articles for publication, you are often put on the spot to encapsulate your project or your qualifications. When you offer to speak on behalf of your book, you may be asked to summarize your presentation for the program and publicity purposes.

So what can I suggest to those of you who get writers block at the thought of writing a bio or a summary of your book or program? First, take a deep breath. Breath in and out…slowly now. Relax. Do a few head rolls and arm shakes.

Okay now, before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, think, not of yourself, your book, how you will come across, how you want to come across…think of your audience. What do the potential readers of your article, attendees at your presentation, etc. want to know about you, your book or the presentation?

Well, as for a bio, they want to know who you are and why they would want to read or hear what you have to say. So your bio should ooze credibility in your field.

For a book or presentation description, people want to know what’s in it for them. What can you offer of value to them.

So you see, it isn’t about you at all. Now do you feel better?

Choosing or Starting an Author Service

Monday, May 20th, 2013

There’s an old statistic that I first saw probably in the 1980s, stating that 81 percent of the population believed they have a book in them. At that time, only a handful of those people actually wrote their books. Today, I’d say that most of them have written a book or two. And the publishing industry has exploded in many different directions in order to keep up with the expanded needs of authors.

What happens when the dynamics of an industry changes as much as the publishing industry has? How do others react when they see so much activity suddenly occurring in one field? Many people jump on the bandwagon in hopes of getting a slice of the pie. While some people fall into sweet deals that come about as a result of major changes, others quickly become aware of opportunities created by current trends. And they all strike out to become book editors, cover designers and even publishers.

It used to be that if someone was in the business of editing, cover design or even publishing, it was assumed that they knew what they were doing and that they had a work ethic standard authors could rely on. Today, it seems as though there are a whole lot of individuals who are offering services to authors and starting businesses without nearly enough savvy, work ethic and skills. Some of you have learned this the hard (and expensive) way. Others of you might be considering jumping in and starting a publishing or editorial service in hopes of helping some of the thousands of new authors seeking publication each year.

But before you launch a business, hang out your shingle or sign up with a company or service, make sure that you are getting what you need and desire. A good start toward either of these goals—operating a successful business within the publishing realm AND choosing the right business or service for you and your project—is to educate yourself about the publishing industry.

Join publishing organizations such as SPAWN and IBPA. Subscribe to industry magazines and newsletters. Read books on the subject—such as my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” If you hope to become an editor, study Mary Embree’s latest book “Starting Your Career as a Freelance Editor.” Both are available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

What Kind of Author Are You?

Saturday, May 18th, 2013

Do you recognize yourself in any of the following scenarios?

“I have an idea and I’m going to write a book. I’ve never written anything before. But I think my idea is valid and I want to share it with the world. The best way to get my idea out there is to put it in book form.”

“I would like to build my credibility and my business by writing a book related to my profession.”

“I have this urge to tell my story and I want to tell it to as many people as I can reach. How better to reach them than through a book. I’ll write my story and present it as a book for the whole world to read.”

“I want to teach what I’ve learned about life. There are a lot of people suffering as I did for years and maybe my story will make a difference in the lives of many others.”

“People should stop eating so much junk food (overeating, smoking, doing drugs, avoiding religion–fill in the blanks). If they knew the truth about the dangers of ‘fill in the blanks,’ they would change their ways. I’m going to write what I know on this topic and try to change the habits of millions of people for their own good.

“If he and she can produce a novel and sell a few copies, I should be able to write and sell my novel. My story is better than many I see on TV or in the movies and a lot better than those I’ve read, lately. I want to get people’s reaction to the amazing story that’s rolling around in my head, so I’m going to write a novel.”

“I’d like to earn a little money for my retirement years. I have the time now and I might as well spend it writing. I know I have a good idea for a book. All I need to do is write it. A publisher will do the rest. I should be able to collect thousands of dollars each year from royalties. Writing could be a lucrative pastime.”

“I’m told I have writing talent. I do love to write. Maybe I should put some of my stories in book form and see if I can get a publisher interested.”

Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios? I’ve known people in each of them. Is your story missing from this list? We’d like to have you share it with us.

No matter which of these stories resembles your own, there are two things you really should do before writing that book (or at least before seeking publication).

1: Study the publishing industry
2: Write a book proposal.

And there is one thing you need to do upon completion of your book: Hire a good book editor.

Open-Minded Authors Are More Successful

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

Someone emailed me after my presentation Tuesday night to tell me that he’d heard me speak before and that he got more out of my talk this time than he did the last time. He figured it was either that I had more to share now or that he was at a place where he was ready to follow my suggestions.

How astute of him. It is so true; when an author is not ready to hear some of the hard truths of book promotion, for example, he or she will tune out any words of wisdom whether they are spoken or written. If it is a concept they are not ready to face, they will discount it. We’ve probably all done that with regard to many things over our lifetimes.

How often have you made a suggestion to a friend who was struggling? The friend may disregard your ideas and comments until one day, she comes to you and says, “I’ve decided I’m going to do such and such,” which is exactly what you’ve been suggesting all along. Only your friend believes this is a brand new idea that she came up with all on her own. We’ve all experienced this scenario. She could not even acknowledge the idea until she was mentally, psychologically and/or emotionally ready.

I see this type of a scenario played out with some of the authors I meet. They will not open up to the reality of what it takes to promote a book. They go out and listen to professionals talk on the topic. They purchase and read books and articles by experts in the field. They consult with people in the know. But they believe what they want to believe until they are finally ready to take in the truth of it. And sometimes authors don’t truly understand the magnitude and importance of book promotion until after they’ve produced a book and are faced with the hard realities.

If you plan to produce a book, I urge you to open your mind to the business of publishing. Put at least as much effort into understanding the publishing industry—including what it takes to promote a book—as you have the writing of the book. The more you understand about your publishing options and book promotion, the more apt you are to make good decisions on behalf of your book and the more successful you will be.

Disregard the concepts that make you feel uncomfortable before truly understanding the impact they’ll have on your success, and you could easily be one of the nearly 78 percent of authors who fail.

A good place to start understanding the publishing industry is by reading my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” It’s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio as well as at many other online and downtown bookstores. Or order it here: http://www.matilijapress.com

Resources and Ideas for Authors

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

The latest issue of the IBPA Independent features my article, “How to Entice People to Your Presentations.” If you’re a member of IBPA, it’s on page forty. Here’s an overview of that article:

• Make sure you have a hook.
• Find out how the program chair plans to publicize your event.
• Make sure the publicity person follows through.
• Prepare a bio for this person to use in publicity.
• Announce your presentation at your website.
• Post the announcements at your blog, Twitter, your newsletter, etc.
• Send press releases to local newspapers.
• Send press releases to appropriate newsletter/mag editors.
• Use all your social media accounts.
• Send notices and then reminders to your email list.
• Call key people and invite them.
• Schedule a radio gig.
• Create flyers/ post posters.
• Contact bookstores owners and other appropriate businesses.
• Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

Also in this issue, “Get More Mileage From Your Blog,” “Marketing Fiction,” a piece on modern day book distribution, one about bulk sales—how to make them happen and one on illustrated books
If you do not belong to IBPA, you might consider checking them out. http://www.ibpa-online.org

I had an article in SPAWNews this month, too. This is the enewsletter for SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). In fact, we put out a pretty interesting free enewsletter. This month, our book doctor talks about book promotion, book trailers and autographing book. We review a book about starting an editing career. We feature articles on shy writers, book clubs and unusual places to sell books. Subscribe and/or join here: http://www.spawn.org

I’m off to speak on book promotion tonight at the Ventura County Writers Club. If you live in the area, be sure to come by and join in on the fun. Camarillo Senior Center on Burnley Street in Camarillo, CA 7 p.m.

Who Can You Trust to Promote Your Book?

Saturday, May 11th, 2013

What does it take to successfully promote a book? Money or effort? Does it take a bankroll or time and energy? Do you get results from pursuing costly marketing programs or by using a little elbow grease?

I suggest spending your money to educate yourself about the huge process of publishing and marketing books. This might mean purchasing one or more good books on the subject, attending a writers’ conference that focuses on publishing rather than creative writing, subscribing to newsletters related to book marketing, joining publishing organizations and participating, taking a course or signing up for a workshop on book promotion, attending lectures, etc. You might pay as much as $350 for a conference or as little as 0 for a free subscription, for example.

And the next thing you really should arrange for, if you plan to produce a book, is time. It takes thought, planning, time, energy and effort to successfully promote any book. And who better to take on the promotional work, than the author? No one else cares as much about your book as you do. No one knows it as well as you do.

Sure, you can hire someone to publish your book for you. You can throw money at the publishing service and other companies who promise to use their various commercial tactics to sell copies of your book. Or you can maintain the personal touch and manage your own marketing program. You can pay for impersonal cookie cutter promotion or you can market to your true audience in a more personal, real way.

So what will it be, will you pay thousands of dollars to turn your baby over to strangers to raise or will you step up to the plate, take responsibility and do the right thing by your literary creation?

The major expense you should plan for is professional editing. If you don’t bother to have your book professionally edited, it could be that no one will be able to successfully promote it. It may not be as readable as you may think.

Another thing you must consider is your audience. So many authors today write for themselves. Then they wonder why they can’t sell copies of their book. It’s because they don’t know who their audience is.

Maybe you can see now why it is so important to consider the material you are producing before you decide to publish. Perhaps you are getting an inkling as to how important it is to write every word of your story or your nonfiction book with the reader in mind. If you simply write what you want—what is meaningful to you—you may not actually have an audience.

There’s more to consider, when writing a book for publication, than what pleases you—what feeds your soul. There’s more to producing a viable product than jotting down your story or your ideas. And there’s a whole lot more to successful publishing than writing checks for promotional services that you truly don’t understand.

Educate yourself. A good start in the process is to read my books. I’ve been writing the books and articles authors need in order to experience greater success for many years. If more people would read these and books and articles by other professionals, there would not be a 78% failure rate among authors.

You do not need to spend a lot of money to get your book published and for marketing services. What you need is an understanding of the publishing industry and how you can successfully fit into it. And then you are more apt to make better decisions on behalf of your book project.

Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author
Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author
Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.

All available at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio as well as most other online and downtown bookstores. Can also be purchased here: http://www.matilijapress.com

Authors Beware—High Drama for Authors

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

There are opportunities and then there are opportunities. If you are an author or plan to become one and you are seeking ways to promote and sell your book, you must read this revealing post.

There was high drama around the SPAWN booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. A short distance from us were a series of five or six Author Solutions booths. Author Solutions encompasses several pay-to-publish companies including AuthorHouse, iUniverse and Trafford. Well, while SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) offered members space in our two booths to sell their books all day for one or both days of the festival at a fee that would cover our cost ($200 per day), Author Solutions had something entirely different in mind for their authors.

Each author could sit in one of their booths for an hour during the festival and sign books to give away for FREE. And do you know what Author Solutions were charging for the privilege? $3,999.00. Yes, you read it right. Each author paid nearly four thousand dollars to give their books away for an hour.

Granted, the author gets 75 of his/her books to give away, promotional material and a few other perks—none of which justify, to me, this outrageous fee.

If this is an example of their offerings and their fees, please, please know that this is beyond ridiculous. I mean, where’s the benefit to the author? I can see the benefit to the company. At the end of the day, they could be raking in something like $100,000. And their authors? Well, some of their books are now in the hands of people who may or may not care enough about them to even read them.

You know that I believe in exposure. There are hundreds of ways to get great exposure for your book without spending your life savings. While I do not recommend that a single author with a single or a few books sign up for a booth at a major book festival such as the LATFB or the Tucson Festival of Books, this is still a better option than the one Author Solutions offers. This will only cost you around $1,000 and you’ll have two full days of exposure and the opportunity to sell your books for 15 hours.

Why do I try to steer authors away from having their own booths at these large events? An unknown author generally cannot sell enough books to break even, let alone make a profit. It can happen, but not typically. Most likely, you won’t even have enough interest to consider the exposure aspect worthwhile.

Instead, partner with other authors or an organization that attracts a lot of people, such as SPAWN, and you will have the opportunity for much greater exposure and sales.

Are you considering publishing with a pay-to-publish (self-publishing) company? Do you know how to do the research necessary to protect yourself from exorbitant fees and ridiculous, worthless programs? Again, here’s the drill:

• Study the publishing industry so you understand what it’s about, what it involves, what your options are and how to make the best choices on your behalf. My book, “Publish Your Book,” is an excellent start. Available at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio as well as most other online and downtown bookstores. Also subscribe to publishing newsletters and magazines and join publishing organizations.

• Do an Internet search to check the reputation, complaints, praise for any company you are considering. Use keyword (company name) and “warning” or “complaint.”

• Read Mark Levine’s book, “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.” He rates and ranks several of these companies and explains the contracts. You can get the ebook version of this book when you join SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org

http://www.pred-ed.com/pubwarn.htm This is a warning list for authors who are thinking about “self-publishing.”

Again, here are some additional warning sites:
http://www.todayswriting.com/poetry-scams.html (covers much more than just poetry.
http://www.writersweekly.com/whispers_and_warnings.php
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware

Don’t assume that just because a company is in business and they gush over your book that they are legitimate and really care about you and your book. Be pro-active on behalf of your book. Your success depends on it.

Card Readers, Amazon and Library Sales

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

I’m still catching up with my contacts made from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I had to manually make a few credit card charges. My new Intuit card reader quit working and the backup I brought with me would not work, either. Bummer. I have had a merchant account system connected to my website for years and I can fill out credit card forms when I sell books out in public and charge the customer’s card manually when I get home. So that’s what I had to do.

If you don’t have the ability to take credit cards and if you want to sell books, you really should get a system either through Intuit, Paypal or some other company. You want to accept every form of payment or you will miss sales.

Some authors balk at having their books at amazon.com because they make little or no money through Amazon sales. I maintain that it is important to have your book available everywhere. Amazon is often the first place someone is going to look for a book and if it isn’t there, you could miss sales. It could be that someone will browse through Amazon to locate books on a particular topic. If your book is there, they might see it. Perhaps they won’t buy it on the spot. But then they might read a review of your book someplace and notice it again. When they see it at a local book festival, they are apt to buy it then—why? Because they are familiar with it. It is familiar to them. It often takes a potential customer seeing a book (or another product) numerous times before they make the decision to purchase it.

I had someone ask me this morning how to sell books to libraries. Here was my response:

“Is yours a book that libraries would want? They do love reference books, for example. And they want books that are sturdy—have a spine, etc. I guess the best way to get noticed by librarians is to consider soliciting a review in Library Journal. Here is a link that might help: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/?ref=menu

Use a library directory to locate and contact libraries individually or library systems.
http://www.librarydir.org
http://www.americanlibrarydirectory.com
http://www.publiclibraries.com

You will also want to have your book distributed by Baker and Taylor. They sell to libraries. http://www.btol.com

Two keys are, a book that fits their requirements and locating contacts to libraries. Offering them a discount doesn’t hurt, either.”

Do you want to know which libraries your books are in?
http://www.worldcat.org

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Join and Participate

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

This is what we suggest when we talk to prospective members of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). Joining isn’t enough—ever. You must also get involved.

Sure the prestige of belonging can be important in some instances. For example, you can put the organization logo on your website. You can tell publishers that you belong to this and that organization, group and club so that he knows you are serious about your publishing project. It might look good on your résumé.

But, presumably, as an author, the main reason you joined the organization or group is to learn, to meet other authors and professionals within the publishing industry, to become more educated and informed about publishing and book promotion, to collect resources you can use to further your success within the industry and to receive some guidance by people you trust.

Why, then, do so many of you plunk down the money to join and then neglect to attend meetings, rarely read the newsletters, avoid signing up for the online discussion group, never get around to partaking of other benefits—in fact, have lost sight of even what they are?

Here’s my advice: Find the groups or organizations with members you’d like to know and/or that you can learn from. Choose groups or organizations with benefits that match your particular needs at the moment. Join and then participate. This is the only way the experience will be of benefit.