Writing and Publishing News from

I frequently get suggestions from authors and freelance writers for blog subjects:

“I want to see more about promoting fiction.”
“What is the best book promotion idea?”
“How can I make money through my writing in this financial downturn?”
“What does a publisher really want in a book proposal package?”
“Do I have to write a book proposal?”

And I attempt to cover all of their requests and concerns in articles for magazines and newsletters, in my books as well as in this blog.

It’s fairly easy to be a writer&#8212to sit down at a computer or with a pad and pencil and pour your head or heart out through well chosen words. Many of you reading this have files and drawers and boxes of writings. Where writing becomes difficult is when you decide that you want to make something of it&#8212something more than the simple pleasures that the process of writing can bring. There comes a time in many writers’ lives when they want to start publishing what they write. And this is not advisable for all writers.

Who should not attempt to publish?

• Those who don’t actually write very well and have no interest in learning important techniques and skills.
• Those who can’t shift their mindset from artist to business person.

Writing is a creative endeavor&#8212a craft. Publishing is a business&#8212a highly competitive business. And it requires, not only the heart of a writer, but the head of at least a somewhat savvy, willing-to-learn and stretch businesswo/man.

A freelance writer must seek out opportunities for publication. She must pitch her ideas and be willing to alter her stories on request. She needs patience, for the periodicals industry does not operate on any logical or desired schedule. And she must be prepared for disappointment, because this business is fickle and, in this economy, even more so. As a freelance writer, you may be required to write on topics or use slants that you didn’t originally envision&#8212that is, if you want to become successful. You may think you are in charge&#8212that you are operating your own freelance business&#8212but, in reality, in order to succeed (or even survive) there’s a lot of call for flexibility.

A hopeful author, too, must be willing to bend. He deals with tons of rejection&#8212rejection by agents, publishers and even consumers. It’s no fun to sit at a book festival or a book signing, watching person after person walk past paying no attention to your marvelous book. But it is a reality of publishing and authorship. An author puts even more of himself into his book through emotion, energy and time. And rejection is even more painful. An author may put all of his eggs in one basket with the novel he’s spent the last 5 years perfecting or his recovery memoir or reference book. Everything depends on the success of this book. And the hopeful author is even
more at risk for failure.

What is the secret to publishing success? Give up the idea of doing things your way. It’s time to go into aerobic mode by being willing to change, bend and stretch. And it’s also vital to know
when it is appropriate to do so. My advise? Learn the basics of the “business” you plan to enter. If it is freelance article or story writing, read books on the subject, take online courses, attend conferences that offer workshops for freelance writers. For information on all of the above, visit my website at:
http://www.matilijapress.com

If you have a book to publish, again, read appropriate books starting with my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Join organizations related to publishing. Start by checking out SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network)
http://www.spawn.org
Subscribe to newsletters related to publishing and book promotion (many of them are free), hire a consultant who can guide you through the maze, attend writers’ conferences and sign up for online courses. Learn more about opportunities in all of these areas at:
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

I’m preparing, this morning, for a consultation with an author duo. They’re driving a considerable distance to get my opinion and ideas on some of their burning publishing questions. I thought I’d share with you some of my responses to some of the questions they sent me.

Q: How do I get my book edited and how much does it cost?

A: Consider hiring an editor. Choose one who has been recommended or one that you are familiar with and trust. The cost is generally anywhere from $500 to $2,500 for 150-200-page book, depending on how much editing work is needed.

Note: This week, I was asked to evaluate a 220-page book manuscript. I read it and even did a little bit of editing, in a little over 10 hours. That’s around 22 pages/hour. In a previous blog entry, we discussed reading and editing rates of speed. It really varies, for an editor, depending on the shape of the manuscript. It is rare, however, that I receive one that I can just read for pleasure at 20 pages an hour or so. Generally, I can get through 4 or 5 pages an hour.

Q: I want to self-publish. How do I get my book printed and how much does it cost?

A: Send Request for Price Quotes to at least half dozen printing companies. Ask for samples of their work, find out what type of files they will need from you and choose your printing company according to quality of work, price and ease in working with them. (See my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book to learn how to devise a Request for Price Quote.) Your book might end up costing you $1.50 per book to print or $10.00 per book&#8212it depends on the scope of your book and how many you decide to have printed.

I recommend:
360 Digital Books
Linda Castner
lcastner@360inc.com
http://www.360digitalbooks.com
866-379-8767

Action Printing
Adam Kempf
akempf@actionprinting.com
920-907-7809

RJ Communications
Bob Powers
http://www.booksjustbooks.com
(They are a broker for printing companies)

For lists of printers:
http://www.gain.net
http://www.literarymarketplace.com

Q: What is a reasonable price for a book?

A: Look at books on your topic that are the same size as yours in bookstores. What do they sell for? Generally, for a 150-page paperback, $11.95 to $14.95. A 200+ page paperback, $17.95 to $21.95. And this depends also on what you pay for editing, page layout person, printing, etc.

Q: How many books can we sell?

A: First determine who is your target audience? How many people does this encompass? Where are you going to find them? How many do you think you can reach with your message, say in a year? If you plan to spend many hours promoting your book throughout the year locally and at many venues throughout the U.S., you might be able to sell thousands. Or you might want to test the waters with a short run of around 500 to 1,000 and see how it goes—find out how much time you have to promote, whether your audience is interested in your book, etc.

These authors also asked me how to market a book. While I typed out a list of 15 ways, plus 30 specific venues for them, I don’t want to take up that much space here in my blog or that much of your time reading it, this morning. I can suggest, however, that you read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. There are 3 chapters with oodles and gobs of promotional ideas. We are also starting a brand new Book Promotion Course tomorrow (Monday, November 10th, 2008). Learn more about the course at
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm .

If you have a book to promote or you’re working on one, this course will put you way ahead of your competition in recognition and sales.

Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book at
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I am currently teaching all 4 of my online courses, PLUS I’m working with clients on some fascinating projects. I’m a happy teacher this month. And you could be a happy student. There’s still time to jump in on some of the online (email) courses I’m teaching.

Article-Writing Course
If you are interested in learning how to write articles to supplement your income or promote your book, sign up TODAY for my Article-Writing Course. The first lecture and lesson went out today. Deadline for getting in on this course is November 13, 2008. It’s $125 for 6 weeks of instruction, assignments and one-on-one attention throughout the completion of your first article.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

What are my credentials for teaching this course? I have been writing articles for publication for over 35 years (and still do). I made my living writing articles for magazines for about 20 years. My articles have appeared in Woman’s Own, The Artist’s Magazine, Cat Fancy, Your Health, The Toastmaster, Los Angeles Times, Catholic Digest, Writer’s Digest, PMA Independent, American Health for Women, Country Woman and hundreds of other magazines. I’m also the author of A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles (Matilija Press).

Book Promotion Workshop
Are you struggling to sell books in these difficult economic times? Maybe I can help. I’ll be starting another session of my Book Promotion Workshop Monday, November 10, 2008. The deadline for signing up for this course is November 17, 2008. There will still be time to catch up, if you wait until then to sign up. I recommend, however, the sooner the better. This course runs for 6 weeks and the cost is $200. Learn more about what will be covered in the book promotion course at
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

As for my qualifications to teach this course, well, I’ve been promoting my own traditionally published and self-published books for about 30 years. I’ve experienced a wide variety of promotional activities and I’ve learned which ones can be successful for which book types. I travel around and present workshops and seminars on book promotion. And I have been invited to teach two sessions on book promotion at the IBPA Publishing University in May, 2009 in New York City!

Self-Publishing Workshop
Do you have a book to publish and you have decided to self-publish it? This means that you set up a publishing company, you hire the editor and choose a printer, you put up the money, you make all of the decisions and you reap all of the benefits. It is your company! If you are interested in learning the process of true self-publishing, sign up now for this course. It started this week, but I’ll extend the deadline to November 13, 2008. That would give you time to catch up. This is an 8-week course and you pay only $160.

I established my publishing company, Matilija Press, in 1983, before it was fashionable. I have self-published several of my own books and have walked many clients through the process of self-publishing, as well. My book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, includes a complete guide to self-publishing along with a self-publishing timeline.

Learn more and sign up at: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_selfpub.htm

Why Do You Need Lessons?
Why are there so many courses offered, books and newsletters produced and websites cropping up on the subject of writing and publishing? One reason is the number of people now having entered into this realm. There are a lot of people out there trying to cash in on your lack of knowledge&#8212your desire and need to learn and understand more about this industry. And there are also a lot of us just trying to help.

As professionals, we see a lot of authors and freelance writers make some major mistakes. It is not easy to shift from closet writer to successful author or producing freelancer. Those of us who have been in this business for a while, and who care, have witnessed more failure than you can imagine. And many of us want to help. That’s why I have shifted my goals, during the last several years, from one of satisfying my own writing needs to teaching others the publishing ropes.

It is gratifying, indeed, to watch a hopeful author become a successful author even the first time around. One editorial client (a first-time author) called yesterday to tell us that her distributor just ordered 100 more copies of her new spiritual book and told her, “It’s selling like hotcakes.” A few years ago, one of my book proposal students landed a contract with Houghton Mifflin. A couple of my article-writing course students are now enjoying some success selling articles to magazines.

As writers we need mentors and supporters in any form we can find them&#8212through writers’ groups, writers’ conferences or by hiring professionals, for example. As soon as we decide to step over into the realm of publishing, we need a very different kind of knowledge and guidance and it is imperative that you choose the right avenue and the right professional.

But I urge you to seek guidance from someone or several someones through consultations, classes/courses, professional organizations, networking and highly regarded reading material. Don’t take one person’s word for anything in this highly competitive publishing climate. Seek information&#8212crave it! Approach this study with an open mind. Investigate. Examine. Compare. And never stop learning.

How do you go about writing a book? No, there isn’t just one way to do it. There are just about as many ways to approach the process of writing a book as there are authors.

While some authors get a germ of an idea and just go with it&#8212they write a book and publish it within a matter of months&#8212others procrastinate for years. It’s true, I know authors who have been working on books almost all of their adult lives. Of course, they probably still haven’t finished that bathroom remodel they started 25 years ago, either.

What is your book writing style? Are you organized? Are you a straight-away writer? Do you just sit down and start writing, while your story or how-to book just evolves? Or are you a chunky writer? You write your book in chunks&#8212a chapter here, a side-story there, a vignette now and then. Maybe you’re still a wannabe author. You have a book in your heart, but you just don’t know how to put it on paper.

I’ve met very patient authors who keep adding to and changing their books for years, never quite satisfied enough to complete it. For some, I think they’re simply hooked on the process. They somehow fear or feel uncomfortable with the idea of completion&#8212of allowing this project to become anything other than a daily ritual.

I’ve also met impatient authors who rush their books. They can’t wait and won’t wait to bring out the book. They go with the first publishing service they discover and that offers them a contract. Generally, this author is quite unprepared for what comes after publishing. They say, “Oh, I am responsible for selling my book? I didn’t know that. I don’t want to be a promoter. I just want to write. Why didn’t someone tell me what was involved in producing a book?” Sigh!

How do you know when a book is finished? This is a question in many authors’ minds. There is no formula to indicate when a book is complete. It’s not a matter of word or page count. Authors don’t usually experience a lightening strike marking the end of a story or a how-to book. Some authors never finish their books because they never get that sense that the book is complete. There’s always more story they can tell&#8212more information, statistics and other material they can add.

And there are authors who are afraid to move forward. They wonder, “What if,
• I can’t find a publisher?”
• no one buys my book?”
• this book isn’t as interesting or valuable as I think it is?”
• my writing isn’t good?”
• I lose money on this project?”
• my promotional efforts fail?”
• I get sued for libel?”
• I haven’t represented the story accurately?”
• I’ve missed an important statistic?”

What drives you to write your book and what hampers your progress as an author? I guess it depends on your personality, your dreams, your goals, your fears, your level of confidence, your energy level, your priorities and your time-management skills. I’d like to hear from you with regard to your writing habits, motivations and lack of.

I’ll be on the road for a week. I’m presenting back-to-back workshops at the WOW Wizards of Words Writers Conference in Phoenix Saturday October 11. I hope to meet some of you there. On Wednesday, October 15, I’ll be speaking at the Prescott Library in Prescott, AZ. If you’re in the area, please come by. My topic is, “2 Secrets to Publishing Success.”

I’ve been wrestling with Amazon, lately. A student in my book proposal course, attempted to order my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book from amazon.com. After several days, she received an email saying that the book is unavailable. Huh!?! What happened is that we have two editions of this book. One is out of print and we have not been able to get Amazon to remove the 1st (out of print) edition from their database. Within a week, however, they are supposed to display the 2nd edition front and center and put the 1st edition in the second row. They want to keep it because they are selling used copies. Can you believe that they are selling this book for as much as $125.00? You can get one cheaper than that. The lowest price for a used copy of this first edition at Amazon is $39.95. Amazing. The book sold new for the same price the 2nd edition sells for, $19.95.

For ease in ordering The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book go to http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Be sure to read the great comment left by Phil Davis (of Authors on the Net) at my September 5th, 2008 blog post. He is reading my book&#8212the one I keep nagging you to purchase&#8212The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. And it seems that he likes it. Yeah!

Today, I sent the 4th lesson in the 8-week Book Proposal Course to my students. We’re going to be working on the marketing section this week. You ought to see the great synopses these authors have written. It is exciting to watch a synopsis develop. Sometimes, with a little guidance, they can really change from a homely old, spiky caterpillar into a lovely butterfly.

The synopsis, while generally written with a promotional quality, also requires that the author express the flavor of the book. So there is some creativity and literary freedom allowed. The marketing section of a book proposal takes creativity, too, but from a more business-like, professional stance. The author must convince the publisher that there is an audience for his/her book, that he/she has a platform (a following or way of attracting the audience), that he/she understands the concept of marketing and promotion and that they have important connections and/or a viable marketing plan.

Writing a book and finding a way to get it published isn’t enough. This is not the end of the story. In fact, the saga and your involvement go on and on and on for as long as you want to sell copies of your book.

I’m getting ready to leave for Phoenix this week to present a workshop at the Wizards of Words (WOW) Writers’ Conference Saturday. I’m looking forward to meeting those of you who will be attending. One thing I will talk about is the high instance of failure among authors. You need to know why authors fail so that you don’t follow that path. It is easy to do. It’s much easier to fail than to succeed. Why? Because, in order to fail, you must do nothing. In order to succeed, however, you must do a LOT! Isn’t it easier to do nothing than it is to do everything you need to do? But do you want to take the easy way out? After going through all of the work to write your book and arrange for publication, do you want to quit, now?

If you didn’t prepare a book proposal before producing your book, you are probably not aware of your responsibility as promoter. You will not be prepared to take on the job. And if you don’t learn how to promote your book, it will fail. You will have failed it and your potential readers. If the book is worth writing, for heaven sakes, it is worth seeing that it gets into the hands of your readers.

If you have not done so already, order my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. If you do own it, READ it!
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

This book will help you to understand the business you are about to enter&#8212the publishing industry. It will guide you in writing your book. (Authors love the self-editing section.) It will walk you through the process of writing a book proposal. It will show you how to establish a platform and to build promotion into your book. It will help you to determine which publishing option is best for you and your project. It will guide you in approaching your publisher of choice and working within that realm. And it will escort you through the long, but rather fascinating book marketing journey.

It has been a busy few weeks. But that’s really nothing new. Ever since I decided to hang out my shingle and work with other authors and freelance writers on their projects, some years ago, I have been almost constantly busy. I’ve learned that I have to take the time to putter in the garden. I schedule time to do my daily walk. I make time to spend with my mother and grandchildren or to do a sewing project. Otherwise, my clients and other authors and freelance writers who have questions or need editorial work or guidance, keep me occupied.

So what do I do for others? Within the last few weeks, I edited a manuscript, I’ve been teaching an online book proposal course, I’m in the process of working with 4 authors on their book proposals&#8212one of them I am writing from scratch, I’ve fielded some questions with regard to magazine article submissions and I’ve provided some resources for clients, former clients and authors at large.

I don’t know the answer to every question that comes my way, especially if it has to do with entertainment law. And would you believe I had two questions within this realm just this week? But I can provide resources, which I did.

I’ve done a lot of teaching these past few weeks&#8212attempting to pass along some editorial principles writers can use with their projects forevermore. Some “students” are sponges and they learn the concepts quickly. With others, I feel as though I’m using a large hammer to pound the principle into them.

I evaluated a couple of manuscripts for hopeful authors, recently. One was a very good manuscript. I only had to point out small grammatical and punctuation problems which I hoped would help him along on the right path with his project. I returned my evaluation days ago and have not even received a “howdy do” from this gentleman. Does this mean he was not pleased? Well, he sure should have been. He ought to see what I have to tell some of the people who send me manuscripts for evaluation. Even the sandwich method, using LOTS and LOTS of the good stuff, doesn’t always soften the blow of the bad things I feel I must report.

I actually evaluated such a manuscript a few weeks ago. Oh my gosh, was it in trouble. I could sense the author’s heart in it and I could tell that he was trying&#8212maybe too hard. It reminded me of someone who had never ridden a two-wheeler bike before, out there trying to stay upright on it. It just wasn’t happening. But that doesn’t mean that this person can’t learn to ride the bike or that he can’t learn to write a story.

What do I suggest in such cases? Well, I could ask for a lot of money to work with this author, couldn’t I? It would be a long haul and intense work. At the end of it, I could probably afford to go on a cruise. But I think there are better ways for someone to get the preliminary lessons and help they need&#8212the basics&#8212the beginning concepts and principles of writing. How? I suggest that they get involved in a writers’ critique group and/or that they sign up for a creative writing class. A basic English class might help, but some of them are just a little over the top, as far as I’m concerned. Sure, a writer needs an understanding of the English language, but I’m not sure that the class will benefit a wannabe writer as much as peer critique sessions will.

And none of the above will help any writer who is too attached to his or her work&#8212who refuses to listen or to change&#8212who is not open to or tolerant of even constructive criticism.

There’s a lot of responsibility in writing and authorship. Not only are writers looked to for accuracy, we are often looked upon as authorities. We have a responsibility to our readers to provide meaningful material in an interesting, entertaining way. And part of this whole responsibility issue includes our willingness to be the best that we can be.

Do you belong to a critique group? Do you listen to comments and suggestions with an open mind or do you attend in hopes of hearing only lavish compliments. Are you the only one in your group who loves your work and considers it near perfection? Do you have trouble understanding any comments suggesting changes? Do you get defensive during the meetings and feel like you’re being picked on? Do you go home from the meetings time and time again feeling unhappy, deflated, misunderstood? Believe it or not, this describes some of the hopeful authors I meet.

Of course, there are bad critique groups. Often, a critique group will have one bad seed&#8212one person who can’t say anything nice about anyone’s work. You’ll notice that this person rarely shares his or her material. Don’t get me started…

So what is my message today? When you ask for a peer or professional opinion, listen to it as if it matters because it just might be your ticket to publishing success. This is not to say that everything you hear or read is absolutely correct and applies to your project. But the more open your mind&#8212the more accurate your evaluation and the more value you will receive. Makes sense, yes?

You know what I represent. I’m available to edit your manuscript, guide you in article submissions, help you with your book proposal or the huge job of marketing your book. And I will respond to your questions, if you’ll allow me. Sign up for one of my online courses:
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm.

Contact me through the “Comments” function at this blog. Or email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com. Purchase my hallmark book: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I’ve been spoiled. Most of my clients love me. They listen intently to what I say. They are eager to learn and to succeed. They may get a bit irritated occasionally when I insist that they stop leaving two spaces between sentences or when I remind them AGAIN that single quotation marks are to be used only inside double quotation marks.

But, lately, I’ve had some challenging interchanges with authors and hopeful authors. One woman with a book on caregiving for the elderly wanted to call and ask me some questions. Like I always do, I suggested that we start with an email conversation. I asked her to send me some of the questions she had in mind. I responded to a few of them briefly and went ahead and invited her to call. She spent most of the hour telling me what she knows about the publishing industry. It would have been an easy 50 bucks if I’d just relaxed and listened, but I had to interject my thoughts and try to share what I thought were more reasonable conclusions than what this author was coming up with. She had pretty much already convinced herself that there is no hope in publishing, so why even try. Yet, she was expending enormous time and energy continuing her research, I guess, so she could further defend her position.

I suggested that there are reasons other than the desire for riches to publish a book. For some, it is to give back&#8212to help others&#8212to offer something new, different and wonderful. For some, it is to simply express themselves or to add to their credibility in a certain field or area of interest. There are many reasons to write and publish and book. And there are only a few reasons for not doing it. A major one is fear.

How long have you been working on your book project? Are you procrastinating about publishing it? Are you going through all sorts of motions and emotions as a way to stall the project? What is keeping you from your dream? Are you intimidated by so much perceived failure in the industry? Are you expectations so high that you have come to realize you cannot achieve this level of success? Is monetary success all that matters to you with regard to your publishing project?

Sure, there’s a multitude of failure within the publishing industry, but the research you’ve been doing is teaching you why the failure is occurring, thus you can arm yourself with the antidote.

Those of you who have had books in the works for more than a year or two or who have all but given up on your book projects, what are you thinking? No seriously, what are you thinking? What are your publishing/writing goals? Why did you start writing this book in the first place? What is its purpose? Is it still a valid project? Or have you given up the dream?

You know I believe in educating yourself about the publishing industry before getting involved. You know how much I nag about understanding something about the publishing industry before diving in. But I also believe there comes a time when you really have to fish or cut bait. So what will it be? Are you going to go fishing or forever sit on the dock cutting bait?

Let my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book help you safely navigate the publishing industry.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html