Writing and Publishing News from

I often get the question, “Is my writing strong enough for a publisher to pick it up?” or “Do you think I have a chance with a publisher?”

Here’s my typical response to questions like these:

That’s a hard call for anyone to make. I’ve seen strong writers with excellent projects rejected over and over again and weak writers with mediocre stories picked up by publishers. There is nothing wrong with going for the gold—with setting your sights high and approaching major publishers with your project. But I recommend that every hopeful author have a plan B and C and maybe even D. I even outline exactly how to do this in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. In fact, I’ve never seen a guide quite like the one I provide in this book.

The thing is that publishing has become highly competitive. More people than ever before are writing books and more are getting published through a variety of means. In 2008 there were over 560,000 books published, less than half of them through traditional publishers. That’s over 100,000 more than in 2007. And there are fewer people reading books. So once they are produced, distribution becomes a nightmare—it is a huge, all-consuming process. And this is true whether you self-publish, go with a pay-to-publish company or land a traditional publisher.

There are some types of books that are doing better in the marketplace (and being more readily accepted by publishers) than others. Romance is solid and steady and young adult fantasy is hot. Nonfiction books that fill a niche will also sell—the number of books depends on the size of the audience within that niche.

Good writing is important, but you still see books published by traditional publishers that are not well-written. I’ve also seen some excellent books rejected by publishers. Sometimes, you have to prove your book before a publisher will express an interest. In other words, you produce it, promote it like crazy and, once you have reached a high level of sales in a fairly short time (5,000 in 6 or 8 months, for example) you might more easily find a publisher. There’s still no guarantee.

Many of the authors whose projects are rejected by a few publishers give up too soon. Some very famous books were rejected over and over before being picked up by publishers. Most new authors do not realize the number of publishers out there. There are the big 6 publishing houses and then there are hundreds of medium to small publishers eager for a good project that is going to make them some money. (Check Writer’s Market for listings of publishers and go to bookstores, find books in your genre/topic and see who published them.)

But you have to consider this, as well—the quality of your writing isn’t all that a publisher is going to be interested in. He wants to know that you have a platform (a following—that people will want to read what you write) and that you will be active in promoting the book. I often recommend that fiction authors start submitting stories to appropriate magazines long before they are ready to approach a publisher. And I suggest that nonfiction authors publish articles on their topic in a variety of key publications. Then they can tell the publisher that their stories/articles have appeared in all of these magazines that are being read by their audiences, thus their name is being associated with this genre/topic. This is one way to establish a following.

Keep in mind that a traditional publisher is not necessarily the answer to every author’s prayers. A publisher can get your book into bookstores much more easily than you can on your own. But with the number of books out there—the competition—books, today, do not have a very long shelf life. If your book isn’t selling (if you aren’t out there promoting it and bringing readers into the bookstores to buy it), it will be yanked off of the shelves within a matter of months and your bookstore advantage is over.

Learn much more about understanding and navigating the publishing industry more successfully by reading my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Tomorrow I’m going to discuss book promotion and what it entails. I know that many first-time authors go into publishing eager to do what it takes to succeed, without really understanding what it actually takes.

How many of you were so eager to publish your magnificent works that you went with the first publishing option that presented itself? How many of you did a “test” product—self-published your book just to see how it would fare in the marketplace?

I see many hands in the air—mine included. There was minimal research involved with my first publishing venture. I contacted a publisher of books in this topic and genre and off I went. Thankfully, it was a credible traditional publisher with offices in New York and London. Oh, to have the good old days of publishing back. At least I chose well, but there weren’t nearly as many publishers to choose from and not nearly as many questionable opportunists.

Recently, I did a test run on the Catscapades book. I produced Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats as an ebook and even printed out a few and comb bound them at home for those who wanted something to hold and read. I’ve since produced Catscapades, True Cat Tales in print through my publishing company, Matilija Press and am now in the process of promoting it for real. What a job!!!!

I know many authors who jumped at the chance to be published through pay-to-publish companies only to soon (or sometimes later) decide that they didn’t like the situation. It wasn’t what they expected. They weren’t getting the support they hoped to get. Some of them felt duped. Many of these authors decided to start looking around at the publishing industry and learn a little about how it works and they began to regret their initial, emotional decisions.

Does this describe any of you?

Authors often come to me as an individual or as the executive director of SPAWN for help getting out of their current pay-to-publish contract and finding a traditional publisher. But most are still not prepared to do what it takes. Plus, they don’t have the money left to spend on an editor (which most need, despite the editing work they paid for through their company) or to take the enormous amount of time needed to study the industry and research their options.

If your hand didn’t go up when I asked the initial questions this morning, there may be hope for you and your project. If you are new to publishing, learn from our mistakes and our successes. Read the book I wrote specifically for you, for example: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. See link below. Do your homework. Study the publishing industry. Gain a good understanding of your publishing options and how to choose the best one for you and for your project. Define your responsibilities as a published author. They are all-encompassing, so you must be prepared.

I sometimes use the retail business scenario when teaching how to approach authorship. I say, “You wouldn’t start a business downtown without knowing something about that field, your customers and your competitors.” Recently, it occurred to me, as I watched another small local business close their doors, that some would-be businessmen and women follow the same pattern as do many authors today. They want what they want and they want it now. They don’t take time to do any research. They just dive in to become the owner of a fabulous pizza place, coffee house or art gallery. All they know is that they want to share their pizza with the world, they want to work in a coffee house atmosphere or they love art. It isn’t enough folks.

A love for writing and your interpretation of a great book won’t lead to riches and fame. It takes so much more. And the time to do what it takes—study the publishing industry, learn your options, understand your responsibilities as a published author and all that goes between the lines you’re reading, is BEFORE you ever put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

Read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. It won’t tell you exactly what to do—this is not a cookie cutter book. It will help you to find your right way to publish based on knowledge.

http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

We all know authors who are in denial about the requirements of the publishing industry, about their responsibilitie as a published author or even about their writing abilities. I find it a sad situation.

Here you have a potential author who says he is seriously serious about becoming successfully published, yet who won’t accept critique from fellow writers at his group and refuses to follow publishing protocol.

These would-be authors put a lot of energy into veering off the path and seeking ways to climb out of the box. Even before they totally understand the publishing game, they are trying to find ways to fast-forward, take shortcuts and bypass tradition.

I maintain that it is dangerous to go outside the box until you are quite familiar with what’s going on inside the box.

Do you know someone who won’t listen to reason, who rejects helpful critique, who seems to want to build new pathways to publishing success? Maybe this describes you. If so, how is it working for you?

Maybe you know someone who has defied the gravity of the publishing industry—who has experienced success with a nontraditional book project using unorthodox methods. But I can pretty much guarantee that this person (sure there are a few) either accidentally or very purposefully wrote something coherent, interesting, easy-to-read and understand for a particular audience. By design (or by mistake) he made correct decisions throughout the publishing process and he either inadvertently or purposefully is in promotion mode.

Most first-time authors find the process of writing and publishing a book daunting—overwhelming. Those who are open to learning, who know how to research, who are eager to do things the right way, who can put criticism and rejection in a healthy perspective, who have patience along with tenacity, have a much better chance at success.

Those of you who are already on the road to publishing, sometimes reach out for validation. You contact a professional in hopes of being told, “Your manuscript is amazing and you are making all of the correct decisions.” I love saying this to hopeful authors. It is not easy having to tell an author who is on the threshold of publishing that they are missing some important steps in the process or that their manuscript isn’t quite ready to publish, yet. It’s difficult because you know it is an unpopular message and not all hopeful authors can accept truths like this. No one wants to hear that they need to go back to the drawing board with a project they thought was ready. But I sure do admire those who can accept the truth and are willing to do the necessary work.

If you decide to contact a professional for advice consider the following:

• Don’t just ask for advice, listen to the experts you contact.

• Don’t reject their expertise, at least check it out.

• Instead of vetoing anything that you think might cause you any discomfort, consider it. A little extra effort or a tad of backtracking just might be the key to your eventual success.

Better yet, be prepared long before you decide to write a book for publication. Read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. It will save you time, energy and heartache.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Catscapades Update
The new shipment of books with the correct cover (no bold pink bar across the bottom) arrived yesterday! Promotion is now in full swing here at Matilija Press. Review copies will start going out this week, I’ll begin the process of guest blogging, speaking, attending book festivals, doing signings, writing articles, more frequent posting at my own blog site and so forth. If any of you subscribe to cat-related newsletters/magazines (or write for them), know of cat sites, are aware of book festivals being held in California this spring/summer/fall, or have other ideas for promoting Catscapades, True Cat Tales, please let me know: PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Visit my Catscapades blog often:
http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades

A lot has changed since I started writing for publication over 35 years ago. Let me count the ways:

• There are more people writing books and seeking publication than ever before—so more competition.

• There are more options for authors who want to publish.

• You’ll also find more people offering a wider variety of services in all areas of publishing and not all of them are qualified.

• Authors are almost totally responsible for promoting and selling their own books.

• There is an increase in the number of people charging for book reviews.

• There’s at least one pay-to-publish company that is providing ghostwriting services.

• Some magazines now charge freelancers to place articles in their publications.

• A larger percentage of published books never see the inside of a bookstore.

• The amount of shelf life for a book in a bookstore has decreased significantly.

• There are many more options for book promotion than ever before.

What changes have you noticed since you’ve been involved in publishing? Which ones are most detrimental or most beneficial to the forward motion of your project?

From my perspective, I’m pleased that so many more people are able to live their dreams of publishing a book or seeing their articles/stories published. And I like that the competition has encouraged/forced writers to produce even better material and more professional products. The fact that we have more options is positive. HOWEVER, I believe that the overall effect of the influx of writers and authors has weakened the system some.

While quality has improved in some arenas, it has, for the most part, declined. While there are some wonderfully professional services being offered, there are more authors and writers being ripped off by unqualified, unskilled Johnny and Jill come-latelys.

And this is why publishing professionals are working harder than ever to educate newer authors as they enter into the publishing realm with their beloved projects. It is more important than ever that you heed the “author beware” signs that are flashing everywhere along your publishing path. It’s up to you to sidestep the landmines. How? Education. And never sign a contract that you don’t understand. Also, believe only what is in the contract. What someone says to you outside the contract may not be valid. If it is important, have them write it into the contract.

Maybe you’ve been scammed by someone within the publishing industry. Or maybe you dove into a contract without the proper amount of research. I’d like to hear your story. Email me PLFry620@yahoo.com. Or leave a comment at this blog. Just click on the “comment” link.

Please, if you are new to publishing—you are in the process of writing your first book, you are thinking about writing a book or your first book failed, arm yourself with knowledge. Order my book—which received dozens of 5-star reviews from the reviewers and multitudes of positive testimonials from readers. The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Catscapades Update
You all seem to enjoy hearing what’s going on with my latest book, Catscapades, True Cat Tales. So here is my update: I dropped a copy off at our local library yesterday. The librarian was thrilled and a patron went bonkers. I gave the patron a few promotional postcards to hand out to friends.

I took a copy by our best natural pet store and the owner started planning a catered wine and cheese event where I will sign the books.

Yesterday, also, a couple of friends and even one of my daughters emailed me to say, “I loved it. You’re right, it made me laugh and it made me cry.” “The stories are so real and so touching.” “I was reminded of my treasured cats over the years and I just couldn’t stop smiling.”

Check out this book at http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

I’ve been working with 360 Digital Books as my printer for years—ever since Linda, Keith and others broke away from Fidlar Doubleday Printing. And I have been pleased with their work, their attention to detail and their availability. I practically require a prompt response from the people I work with. And this company provides that to my satisfaction. They do excellent work, as well.

Of course, I had them print my latest book, Catscapades, True Cat Tales. But this was not exactly a smooth sail through calm waters. We had to go back to the drawing board three times with the files before they were right. I so appreciate Brian checking with us about the low resolution photos instead of just printing the book as we sent it. He worked with us to get the files correct. Since we were having problems, I decided, at the last minute, to ask for a color proof. I had opted not to do this in the beginning, only because we had already asked for proofs of some of the photos to make sure their printer would produce them in the same quality we desired.

Next thing I know, however, the entire shipment of books arrives. We open a box and can’t believe our eyes. There, on the gorgeous cover we designed, is an unexpected, uncalled for hot pink bar across the front, a pink line running up the spine and a pink border around the back cover. What!!!????

It took a few days for Keith, to respond to our phone calls. But when he did, he had all of the information he needed, he had all of his ducks in a row and he had Brian in the room in case we had questions. It was a most congenial discussion. I admitted that the problem originated with us—but we did not know there was a problem—it did not show up on the cover designer (Dennis’) computer. That’s when Keith told us that Brian was not aware of the pink intrusion, either. It did not show up on his computer. He was as surprised to see it as we were. But Keith agreed to share in the responsibility of the problem since they neglected to send us the proof we ordered.

We discussed returning the books and having them recovered. Keith explained to me that we don’t have enough margin to work with and he didn’t think we would be happy with the outcome. I so appreciated him pointing that out. I was not aware that they would have to trim the book in order to put a new cover on. Good to know.

So we are sending them a CD and a print out of the cover done right. We have asked for a proof. And they will print as many books as we want at a discounted rate.

I am happy. I have recommended 360 Digital Books to numerous authors, clients, students and SPAWN members over the years. They are listed in my resource list in my books and on my website. And I will continue to sing their praises. You really never know how good a company is until there is a problem.

I would love to hear some of your printing stories. I know many authors who are unhappy with the way their pay-to-publish books turn out. In most cases, it is author error—the printer just prints what he is given. With a large printing company or a pay-to-publish company, you aren’t always treated as an individual with a special project. Your book is just another product on the assembly line—no one looks at it—no one proofs it—no one cares if it is good—they just want to move it through and collect the brass ring.

We all have printer/publisher war stories. I won’t go into mine today because I am too pleased with my current printer. It is wonderful to work with people who care about their customers and the products that they produce.

360 Digital Books printed The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and several other books for me. Order your copy of this book today at
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Read this book and you’ll learn everything you really need to know about the publishing industry, your publishing options, how to choose the best option for your particular project, how to self-edit your book, a time-line for self-publishing (establishing your own publishing company), how to write a book proposal, book promotion/distribution and so much more.

Yesterday, we discussed your author bio and the various ways you can use one. I mentioned publishing your author bio either on the back cover of your book or in the back matter (pages toward the back of the book).

Question: What else goes on the back cover?
Answer: Whatever it takes to attract, intrigue and/or entice readers.

I tell authors, when they are working on their book proposal, to think like a publisher—get into his head. Give him the information he needs that will convince him to invest in your project.

And when your book is completed and you design your back cover, your primary consideration is now your target audience—your customer. Marketing experts say that a potential customer will pick up a book and spend something like 5 seconds looking at the front cover. Most will then turn it over. How much time they spend looking at the back cover depends on what you’ve presented there.

Generally, you’ll build the following into your back cover copy:

1: Brief description of the book. (“Ten true stories of women military pilots.” Or “Tips and techniques for photographing your pets. Or “A story of love and intrigue within a high profile government agency.”)

2: For nonfiction, a bulleted list reflecting some of the most important aspects of the book: (How to choose the background for your photo shoot; Tips for getting your pet’s cooperation; How to stage more creative photos; Make your dog more photogenic…)

3: Your photo. For the pet photography theme, you may want to use a photo of you photographing a dog or cat—or a picture of you posing with a pet. For a novel, use your most attractive or most “writerly” publicity photo.

4: Your bio—especially important for a nonfiction book. Again, following the pet photographer them, you’ll want to provide the information that a potential customer requires: Who are you? What is your expertise/background in photographing animals? Have you published anything else? This author might write, “Ben Hansen specializes in pet photography. He was the photographer for three White House dogs and he’s the author of “How to Capture Your Dog’s Personality in Pictures” and “Photographing the First Dog.” He has had articles published in numerous magazines, including Photography Today, Parent and Child and The Dog’s Day. He currently lives with his wife and two very photogenic dogs in New Hampshire.

5: Testimonials/endorsements. If you have collected favorable comments for your book, particularly from high profile people, use one or two on the back cover.

6: Your website address. I like to place contact information on the back cover

Don’t forget to save room for the barcode.

If you need additional information about what goes on the back cover, how to prepare the back matter and front matter of your book or you have questions about other aspects of writing, publishing and/or book promotion and distribution, order my book today—The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

NEWS FLASH
The shipment of our brand new book, Catscapades, True Cat Tales is scheduled to arrive on our doorstep tomorrow, Thursday March 18, 2010. I’ll spend my day Friday preparing shipments to customers and delivering them to the post office. In order to receive your copy (and gift copies) by the 22nd – 25th of March (depending on where you live), place your order today. This 130-page book has over 40 color photos of cats and kittens and includes around 40 stories and vignettes about cats and kittens. The stories are humorous, harrowing and heartwarming. And the book is only $12.95.
http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Most of you know Patricia Fry as a strict, nonfiction writer. Catscapades, while still nonfiction, is quite a departure from what she usually writes, in that she has attempted to capture the essence of cats and their cat-like antics in storytelling fashion.

Weather is changing. Time is changing. The world is changing and, as writers, we need to change right along with it.

If your manuscript is being rejected time and time again, maybe you need to make some adjustments to your presentation or approach. Are you getting any feedback from editors or publishers? Some of them will tell you why they have decided to pass on your book.

Most editors and publishers specialize in some way. They have certain standards, requirements, agendas. It is your job to give them something that fits within their specifications. If you don’t adhere to their word count, subject preferences, etc., your piece will most likely be rejected.

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh!” But you might be surprised at how many would-be authors “reject” submission guidelines and just do their own thing.

This week, as Executive Director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), I received three requests that were way off base for us. One woman wanted us to partner with her in some program that didn’t relate to our purpose here at SPAWN. And I received query letters from two hopeful authors who, obviously, didn’t do their homework. And both query letters were atrociously poorly written. Both authors made a lot of excuses for their shortcomings. One explained that he had no money and no means of helping with promotion. If I were a publisher I would have rejected both of them on the spot.

And this is what many editors and publishers do—they reject the author/writer rather than the story, article of book manuscript.

Particularly for an author, if you fail to show a bit of savvy with regard to the publishing process, if you indicate that it is difficult for you to follow-through (you use a friend’s computer and check email only once in a while), you are disabled and can’t get out much, you are aging or too busy and not interested in promotion, you love your manuscript the way it is and have no intention of making any changes, etc., you will be rejected. What publisher wants to work with someone who is not flexible, eager to do what it takes to get published, able to respond promptly and follow-through and capable of getting out and promoting the book?

That’s what I want you to think about this weekend—why you are being rejected time and time again. It may not be necessary, at all, for you to turn your back on traditional publishing and go with a pay-to-publish outfit. You may be able to land a publisher for your marvelous project if only you knew how to perfect your presentation and understand how best to approach a publisher.

Many of you already have a copy of my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. If so, I suggest that you read it from cover to cover again. If you are trying to pitch your project to a publisher as we speak, read Chapters Two and Eight. Study the section of how to write a successful query letter and book proposal. Reevaluate your query letter and proposal. Send them to me for evaluation if you like. PLFry620@yahoo.com

Recently, one of my clients was working on a query letter based on the suggestions in my book and wasn’t getting anywhere. He sent it to me. I tweaked it so it had a stronger lead and more emphasis was put on the aspect that mattered most to the publisher and he is now circulating a much more powerful query letter.

Don’t give up seeking a publisher too soon. It is harder than ever to land a publishing contract. It is going to take time. Just make sure you have the best presentation possible, that you are approaching the right publishers and then be patient.

If you don’t have a copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, check it out at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html