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I’ve come to realize that there are many levels of writers with varying degrees of passion. Occasionally, I meet another working writer who has managed to carve out a writer’s living and lifestyle. Generally, they are freelancers and/or journalists and some of them have a one or more books. Some writers/authors have morphed into editors and editorial consultants.

There are businessmen and women and homemakers who are writing books in their spare time on subjects near and dear to their hearts and their pocketbooks.

There is the new working writer—the retired or semi-retired author who is working on one or more books in hopes of creating a lucrative second career.

Then there’s the author who has carried a book around in his head and heart for years and absolutely must get it out.

Most likely, all of these writers share in common a passion for their work. However, not all of them are passionate about writing. For some, writing is a real struggle—something they enjoy about as much as visiting the dentist or meeting their girl/boyfriend’s parents. Yet they push through the pain in order to add to their brand. Others see writing a book as, perhaps, an easy way out of debt, a reason to stay home or justification for quitting their job. They reason that books are popular—that, if “he/she” can produce a book so can they—that writing a book is a fairly simple activity—that being an author might raise their personal/professional status among friends, family and colleagues.

Where do you fit in? Do you have a passion for writing? Or are you looking at authorship as an extension of your business or a boost to your ego?

It really doesn’t matter, does it? What matters is that if you hope to experience some measure of success as a published author, there are steps you MUST take before getting involved.

Study the publishing industry.

Write a book proposal.

In the next two blog posts (September 24 and 25), I will expand on these recommendations, revealing why they are crucial and how to go about implementing them.

Note: While it is best to pursue these important activities BEFORE you start writing that book, it is never too late. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, visit my websites. Sign up for a free gift:
http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

While some authors have fairly strong platforms established before they start writing a book, most don’t even consider their platforms. They simply decide to write a novel, a memoir or a self-help book and then wonder why they can’t find a publisher.

Publishers aren’t interested in authors without followings.

Some authors decide to bypass the traditional and they self-publish or go with a pay-to-publish company. Without a platform, they, too, flounder. (I know there are authors out there who are nodding their heads right now and muttering, “I wish I’d read this before I published my book.”)

Consumers can’t purchase a book they know nothing about and they will resist purchasing a book from someone they don’t know—who doesn’t have a track record in this particular topic/genre.

If you’ve spent any time studying the publishing industry, you know that authors must promote their books. But what many authors don’t understand is that readers would rather purchase their novels or nonfiction books from authors they know and/or trust.

Competition for authors is extremely fierce. In order to succeed as an author, you must have something up your sleeve that will convince readers to buy your book. The most reliable stimulus or motivation is your track record.

Think about it, who will buy your book? People who know you, know of you, trust you and/or enjoy reading what you write. These people make up your “following.” They are familiar with your work.

So how do you establish this following?

Start before you ever decide to sit down and write that book. If it is fiction—write stories and submit them to magazines, ezines and websites in your genre. This is not a one-time shot. Write stories every week for months or years. Submit, submit, submit! The folks who enjoy reading your stories will, most likely, purchase your book.

If your book is nonfiction, become known through articles published in appropriate publications and websites. Produce pamphlets and booklets to distribute to your audience. Get out and talk about your topic.

I have clients who see no point in operating workshops and giving talks until after they find a publisher for their manuscripts. But I can tell you that you will have a much easier time landing a publisher if you have established a platform (a following, a way of attracting readers) before your book is a book. And you will have a good start toward selling and promoting your book if you have already begun to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

There are many other ways to establish and build on your platform—what it boils down to is becoming known among your audience. This might mean creating a website, circulating a newsletter, public speaking, article/story submissions, joining appropriate organizations, starting an organization, volunteering, etc.—or all of the above.

I’m back from my vacation to Alaska—I’m suffering a cold, which feels like a bit of jetlag, as well. But, despite my workload, I plan to resume presenting you with a fresh blog post daily as I have for the last several years. For additional information about me and my work, visit my websites: And let me know when a blog post resonates with you.
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

You chose to sign up for an email account. You invited others to contact you via email by giving out your address or by emailing that person first or by signing up to receive information or a newsletter. Don’t you think that you have an obligation to check your email and to respond to those who contact you?

Sure, you are probably getting spam—unwanted, unsolicited email. And it annoys you. We all deal with it every day. Spam is such a big deal to some people that they set up spam blockers. And these people sometimes miss important emails that get tossed into the spam box. It happens to everyone. I don’t have spam blocker, but I do have a separate box designated for spam. I check it every day, though, and do you know why? Because, for some reason, all of my book orders from my website land in the spam box, as does an occasional “good” email—book orders from amazon, a request from a magazine editor or even a note from a friend.

I’ve found many of my clients in my spam mailbox. And it is a wonder that I even acknowledged some of them. Why? Because of what they put in the subject line.

What do you look at first when you check your email? The email address or name. Right? If you don’t know the sender, you look at the subject line, to get a clue as to whether this is a valid email or spam. If the subject line says, “Hello,” “I need help,” “Hi,” “Let’s meet,” “Question,” or something equally spam-like, or if, heaven forbid, it is BLANK, you will usually click “delete.”

Just this morning, I started to delete an email with an unfamiliar address and a generic message in the subject line. I took a chance and opened, it, though. It was from an author who has some questions about publishing. Of course, I wanted to receive this email and see if I can help this author. It’s what I do.

The subject line is so important that I have written entire articles on this subject and I’ve devoted blog posts to it. Use the search function here at this blog site and locate a couple of them.

It irks me when people don’t use email responsibly. When I send a response to a SPAWN member, for example, I will generally put SPAWN in the subject line along with my name, perhaps, or a note related to the subject—“your membership,” “your catalog entry,” etc. When I send an article to a magazine editor or a note to a publisher who knows me, I will put, “From Patricia Fry” in my subject line.

How many times has a publisher attempted to reach you via email, and you thought it was spam? How often do you miss book promotion opportunities because you didn’t check your email in time to do the signing or give a presentation? When is the last time you felt embarrassed because you didn’t respond in a timely manner to your editor, a customer or a book reviewer, for example?

Don’t miss out on opportunities because you don’t check your email often enough; because your box is too small and it fills up really fast (pay for the extra email service, for heaven sakes); because you didn’t use a meaningful message in the subject line. Use email responsibly and you will be rewarded. It’s an important business practice just like returning phone calls.
I will be back to my regular daily schedule of blogging Monday, August 16.

Are you familiar with Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters newsletter? You can view the most recent issue at
http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/mktgmattersnews

You’ll find articles from some of the major players in the publishing game: Dan Poynter, Rick Frishman, Eric Kampmann, Paulette Ensign, Judith Briles, Tonya Evans, Dana Lynn Smith, Roger C. Parker and, this month, I (Patricia Fry) am the guest columnist. Check out my article on book signing tips for authors.

Here’s a super tip for authors. Be sure to send copies of your book (or at least notification of your book) to every expert in your field or genre. If they know about you and your book, they are more likely to tell others about you. They may include your name in their blog posts and at their websites. They might mention you when they speak. And if they write a book (and most experts do at some point), they might use your book in their research, quote you and list it in their bibliography or their list of recommended books.

Another way to maintain a place within the radar of the experts is to continually contribute material to appropriate journals, magazines and newsletters related to your topic. And get out and speak where these experts are speaking. Introduce yourself. Hand them a copy of your book.

I have been quoted and my books have been mentioned in numerous books by writing/publishing experts. But once in a while, there’s a new kid on the block who comes out with a book for authors and who doesn’t mention me or my books. In fact, this happened recently. I know the author of a book that just emerged with great fanfare, but had no idea that she might produce a book of this type. I didn’t even know she had an interest in the topic of publishing. So it never occurred to me to hand her a book or send her announcements when I produced new books.

Why don’t you spend some time this week seeking out the major and minor players in your field of interest and making sure they are aware of your expertise and accomplishments? That’s on my to-do list. Let me know how it goes for you.

Patricia Fry can be reached through the comments function of this blog or here: PLFry620@yahoo.com. Visit her book showcase and her brand new Patricia Fry website.
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com