Writing and Publishing News

Let’s talk about book reviews again. It used to be the author’s dream to have his/her book reviewed by one or more of the prestigious pre-publication reviewers, Library Journal, Kirkus Review, etc. A good review in these magazines pretty much guaranteed some impressive early sales to libraries and some bookstores. However, things have changed. Now, [...]

All writers do it. Some of us even enjoy it. But the process can drive a sane person absolutely crazy. For example, just when you think you’ve found all of the mistakes in your manuscript, you discover one or two more. Does the process of self-editing ever end? Turn your perfect manuscript over to an [...]

There are three things that get in the way of an author’s success: Unrealistic expectations Assumptions Impatience To overcome these obstacles to your publishing success: 1: Study the publishing industry to the point where you understand what is going on and what to expect. 2: Do not assume that all publishing companies, agents, editors and [...]

What do you need/want most from your writers group or publishing organization? Now I’m serious! I want your comments. I want to know what your needs are as a writer/author. Do you join groups/organizations for the peer support—you find it empowering to be with like-minded people who understand your passion and your challenges? Is it [...]

When we go to big events like the recent Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, we get a lot of visitors to our booth and they ask a lot of questions. Common questions are, “I want to publish my story, how do I go about it?” “I want to write my memoir, what is the [...]

Are you continually speaking to your audience? You wrote a book in order to share a message, information or simply entertainment value with a particular audience. Once that book is published, it is your responsibility to bring it to the attention of your audience and to keep it alive for them. I am always blown [...]

Do you remember when the ebook was the ugly stepsister to the print book? It seems that a fairy princess somewhere has waved her wand and changed the dynamics within the family. The stepsister has been ushered out of the dungeon. She is no longer kept sequestered. In fact, she has become a raving beauty. [...]

I’m back from a busy weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. What a great event for authors. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) had the equivalent of two booths and we arranged space inside for our members to sell their books. Some sold quite a few books. (I sold out of [...]

What’s going on in the offices of Matilija Press and Patricia Fry this week? It rarely fails. When I go out and speak about some aspect of writing or publishing, someone asks me how I manage my time. They want to know what comprises my work day, if I maintain a schedule and they are [...]

As authors, we tend to want things our way. We want to write what we want to write and present it to our public in a fashion that suits us. Do you know any other business where you can do that and survive? I heard it again yesterday—“I know someone who is an amazing writer. [...]