Writing and Publishing News from

How fast do things move off your desk? Do you let tasks and requests pile up until you can find enough time to handle it all? Do you spend X amount of time on these accumulating items each day/week? Or do you take care of business as it comes in?

I tend to be of the latter type. It is rare that you will find a small or even medium “to do” item on my desk for a week or even a few days. Larger tasks, and those that I consider a bit distasteful, may hang around a little longer.

I often get interview requests: “Please respond to the interview questions and return them to me.” I generally tackle them with joy (I love interviews) early the following morning and send them off before my daily walk.

I also receive a lot of questions from clients, SPAWN members and writers/authors at large. It is rare that I don’t respond as soon as I open the email request. If it is a complex question that needs a little research or if it is a list of questions (generally from a client), I may wait until I have the appropriate slot of time in order to respond. This would rarely extend beyond a 12-hour period.

Article requests and manuscript evaluations are typically handled within a few days. I respond to most emails as soon as I receive them and I’m rarely away from my computer for more than 8 hours at a time.

How do you handle the things that come across your desk on a daily basis? What if you’re working on a client project or your own book or article manuscript? How do you handle interruptions? I take regular breaks (go off the clock, if it’s client work) and refresh my tea or coffee, grab lunch, take a walk or do a few stretching exercises. That’s also when I check email and respond to quick questions or simple requests. So I’m keeping up with what’s coming in every few hours or so. This may not be the most effective, efficient way, but it works for me. And my desk, as we speak, is clean. What about you?

SPAWN
I mentioned SPAWN above. To remind you, SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. If you are interested in publishing, at any level, consider joining SPAWN. We are a networking organization and resource center for anyone interested in publishing. Dues: $45/year. Benefits: Numerous! http://www.spawn.org

Resources for Writers and Authors
If you are writing or promoting a book, seeking an agent or publisher or trying to establish a career as a freelance writer, I have resources for you. Between the SPAWN website and my own, you have access to hundreds of articles and resources. I also have several books for authors and freelance writers at http://www.matilijapress.com Most particularly, you’ll want to order The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Book Proposal Course Starting Soon
I’m teaching my 8-week online book proposal course starting September 15. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get professional assistance writing your book proposal. You could pay as much as $1,000 if you were working one-on-one with a professional. Sign up for my course and work one-on-one with a professional for only $200.

By the way, it’s all done via private email&#8212there is no sharing of materials with other students.

You weren’t planning to write a book proposal? You just want to write your book? I urge you to rethink your tactics. Remember, as soon as you decide that you are writing (or have written) a book for publication, as opposed to one for just family and friends, your book becomes a product and you have entered into the realm of business. A book proposal is a business plan for your book. Without one, you are just guessing that you’ve written the right book for the right audience. You are just assuming that there is a spot in the marketplace for your book.

Tell me, is this how you would enter into a business of any other type&#8212blindly without knowledge of the industry, the competition, your customers or the market? Would you open a deli without checking to see if there are others in the neighborhood, how much business they are doing, if there is access to suppliers in your area, what the county/state requirements are and without a marketing plan? I don’t think so!!!

Sign up for my Book Proposal Course at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm Or sign up for another one of my on demand, online courses at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

It seems like a good idea to write a novel, memoir, self-help book or ___________ (you fill in the blank). But is it, really? What makes you believe that you should spend months or years writing this book? How do you know there is a need or desire for it? Are you sure that there are publishers waiting for a book like this and consumers yearning to read it?

Or are you so emotionally attached to your book idea that you are willing to risk time and money, not to mention your mental health, in order to see it published&#8212one way or another?

Not all manuscripts are meant to be published. Let me say that again, not all manuscripts are meant to be published. Just because you have this desire to write something down, doesn’t mean that it is worthy of publication. There are thousands of books in the system now that probably should have remained just a concept in the author’s mind or musings in a private journal. And there are thousands of authors who wish they had never spent the money to produce an inferior book just for the ego rush. Some of them realize now where they went wrong&#8212others still don’t have a clue.

It used to be that publishers pretty much determined what books were available to read. We had few choices, as consumers, but to rely on their opinions. There have certainly always been a few renegade self-publishers and vanity presses trying to create a voice within the industry, as well. But, today, practically anything and everything goes&#8212good or bad, rich or sleazy, intellectual or trashy, desired/needed or not. And some authors don’t even care about the quality of their project. They just want to see their words (their ideas, their thoughts) down on paper. They want to have something from their own imagination, ingenuity or experiences preserved for evermore. And many of these authors don’t give a second thought to their audiences until the reality of publication begins to set in.

The author wakes up one day and realizes, “Hey, I’ve just spent quite a bit of money having my memoirs (gay-ethnic-romance novel, children’s picture book or alphabetical guide to sushi bars along the west coast) published. Now I’m going to start selling it.” And he heads to the nearest Borders Bookstore with an armload of books and a bundle of self-confidence.

It doesn’t take long for rejection to diminish his confidence level and for overwhelm to set in. Some of these authors run back to their POD companies and start signing up for various promotional programs in hopes of selling enough books to pay the growing publishing bill. When these programs fail to produce the sales figures he desires, the author gives up and his book dies.

So what could have saved this author? What can you do to guarantee your own publishing success? Educate yourself. Become knowledgeable about the publishing industry. Become aware, through study, that publishing is NOT an extension of your writing, but a business. And then take the steps toward becoming a savvy author with a strong business sense. Here are my recommendations for new authors who on the verge of entering into the publishing field. Before writing that book or, at least, before choosing a publishing option:

• Study the publishing industry.
• Become aware of and consider all publishing options before making a choice.
• Keep an open mind. Knowledge will burst some of your bubbles.
• Write a book proposal.

For assistance with any of the above, order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book NOW. Herein, you will learn about the publishing industry, you’ll become aware of your publishing options and receive guidance in making your choice, you’ll also find complete instructions for creating a book proposal along with sample proposals as templates. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Watch out for publishing rumors. They can sabotage your success.

Almost everyone who enters the publishing arena for the first time, has heard a rumor or two. They’ve listened to the publishing war stories of those in their writers’ groups. They’ve met disgruntled authors at conferences and book festivals with stories to tell. Or they talk to a neighbor who tried to get a book published in the ’80s. Some hopeful authors embrace the first or what seems to them the most logical/reasonable testimonial and consider it publishing gospel. Here are a few examples that hopeful authors have shared with me:

Rumor
A publisher will take your 500-page manuscript, throw away 450 pages and then tell you to rewrite the book.

Fact
Actually, this would be rare, indeed. Publishers get enough good manuscripts that they aren’t going to work from scratch with an unknown author. This is absurd.

Rumor
Publishers won’t even look at your manuscript if you don’t have an agent.

Fact
There are hundreds and hundreds of small to medium-size publishers who prefer to work without the involvement of an agent.

Rumor
All I have to do in order to get published is find an agent.

Fact
Sorry, an agent does not guarantee a publishing contract.

Rumor
It’s impossible for a first-time author to land a traditional royalty publishing contract, so I might as well pay to have this book published.

Fact
There are plenty of publishers who work with new authors—some of them claim that 75 or even 100 percent of their books are from first-time authors.

Rumor
I don’t have to have my manuscript edited. If the publisher is interested, he’ll edit it.

Fact
Yeah, right! But how are you going to get him interested in an inferior manuscript when there are so many others to choose from?

Rumor
I won’t need to promote my book because I’ve paid my POD publisher to do the promotion.

Fact
Don’t get me started. No matter what publishing option you choose, you WILL be responsible for promoting your book.

Rumor
Bookstores won’t carry self-published books.

Fact
Have you contacted independent bookstores?

Rumor
No one will review self-published and POD books.

Fact
This describes most pre-publication reviewers. But there are numerous book review opportunities throughout the Internet and among print publications.

Rumor
Writing the book is the hardest part.

Fact
No, successfully navigating the publishing industry is harder and marketing is even harder, yet.

Folks, don’t rely on rumors and the experiences of a few others when you are ready to enter into the world of publishing. Be proactive. Study the publishing industry so that you are completely informed and well-prepared to make the right decisions on behalf of your particular project.

I often say that one must put the puzzle pieces together in order to discover how to successfully manage the world of publishing. But now I think it is more like working with Tinker Toys. Everyone, who gets a set of these building pieces, will put them together in a different way—to suit their specific publishing needs.

As part of your study of the publishing industry, be sure to read the book I wrote for newby and struggling authors. The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I go around the country and all over the Internet telling hopeful authors that they MUST write a book proposal before they write their books. I’ve been adamant in my coaching on this subject; until recently.

A few weeks ago, it came to my attention that maybe this isn’t the right instruction for everyone. As I worked closely on the business of a book proposal with one writer, in particular, I noticed her confidence waning. Her creativity faltered as we worked together on writing a synopsis and putting together a marketing piece. I watched her, over several weeks, make numerous false starts and attempts. Subsequently, recognizing her high level of anxiety, I realized that she just wasn’t ready to handle the task of writing a book proposal. What to do?

Do I tell her that she’s not cut out for the business of publishing? She’s a professional woman, for goodness sake. Do I suggest she give up on her book? It’s an intimately personal memoir. No! Here’s what I did. I gave her permission to write her book without the stress of the book proposal hanging over her head.

In some ways, this was a difficult decision for me. Here are some of the reasons why I advise writing a book proposal first:

• The newby author will get a sense of the very necessary business end of publishing a book and be more well-prepared.
• He will have the opportunity to build promotion into his book.
• She will understand the importance of establishing a platform.
• They will more likely be writing the right book for the right audience.
• The book proposal is a guide to writing the book.

However, I now realize that some authors, especially when their projects are very personal, are better off to get the story down, first. Especially new writers need to, perhaps, avoid left brain activities right now and just stay in creativity mode&#8212live with the story. If it’s an emotional story&#8212one that’s painful to tell&#8212all the more reason why they must make it their focus, for now.

Yet, this isn’t true for all authors who are writing emotionally draining books&#8212not at all. I work with some authors who can leave an extremely sensitive manuscript in order to take care of business&#8212such as writing a book proposal. I guess it depends on one’s ability to shift from right brain to left brain and back again. And it depends on how raw the emotions are&#8212how much time has passed since the events about which they are writing.

So my lesson for ME this month is to more carefully evaluate a client or student who is in the process of writing a personal memoir. I need to determine whether or not this author is ready to concentrate on the business of writing a book proposal.

So what’s the harm if this author writes the book first? The proposal process probably would not change her way of writing the story. It’s her story and she’s going to tell it from her perspective. The information she collects for her book proposal probably would do nothing to alter the way she wants to tell her story. In fact, writing a book proposal might sour her story by distracting and frustrating her. For authors like this, it may be best to allow them the freedom to write the book, first.

When the book is completed, she may decide that she doesn’t want to share it with the public. She might simply tuck it into a drawer and go on with her life. She might produce it for family and friends. Or she might be extremely interested in having the book published. She’s of a mind now to write a book proposal and to look into her publishing options. She may even discover her business sense and make a few changes to her book in order to create a more salable product.

And so, my lesson this month is a reminder that there is more than one way to approach publishing. And my job is to guide the hopeful author in the direction that fits his or her needs.

New and seasoned authors will find the information they need in order to more successfully navigate the process of publishing in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I’ll be starting a new online Book Proposal course September 15. Sign up now at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

Or sign up for the course of your choice. We present online courses on demand: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

One of my students asked me recently how I got to this place in my writing career. Interesting question. How does anyone work his or her way from point A to point B during a lifetime of pursuing a profession?

But, wait. Writing is different, isn’t it? Writing is an art, a hobby, an emotional outlet, therapy, something we do for fun. It isn’t often thought of as a career. And when a long-time writer begins to teach writing techniques/skills or some form of authorship (how to write a book proposal, self-publishing, article-writing, etc.), people do wonder whence came this teacher? What makes her an authority? Why does she teach?

I think the question, that night, had to do with my knowledge of promotion. When someone is starting out as a writer&#8212penning her first book&#8212she has a writer’s heart. She is focused on stringing words together, creating phrases, painting word pictures, putting her story down on paper. She is almost completely absorbed in the writing process. She is passionate about her story or topic and she is passionate about writing. Of course, this writer would wonder, “How does a sister writer develop this foreign marketing mindset?”

I have to admit that, for me, it was through necessity.

I decided, about 45 years ago, that I wanted to be a writer, but I put my dream on hold while my husband and I raised our 3 small daughters. When the girls were teenagers, I began dabbling as a magazine article writer. A few years later, a publisher accepted and produced my first book, Hints For the Backyard Rider. So by 1978, I had one book and dozens of published articles to my credit. I was also writing a business column for a local newspaper.

And then 2 things happened to seal my future as a writer: I decided to write the first (and so far, only) comprehensive history of the Ojai Valley, California. After 5 years of research and writing, I established my publishing company, Matilija Press, and produced the 360-page book myself. This was in 1983. And this is when I began to learn about the necessity of promotion and exposure. I quickly discovered that, when I made a public appearance (book signing, lecture, book festival&#8212I even had a booth at the huge county fair), I sold books. When I had a write-up in the newspaper or a regional magazine, book sales increased.

Of course, I already knew the concept of and the value of promotion and constantly putting yourself out there as a freelance article-writer. My articles were published only after I came up with the idea, focused that idea to fit a particular magazine, wrote a compelling query letter and then delivered the article I promised. It was no easy process. Getting published over and over again was my goal and it took constant self-promotion. It took a willingness to follow protocol, to continually create and present viable article ideas and follow through. It took a business head as well as a writer’s heart.

The second thing that happened to chart my course as a writer and an author was my divorce. It was then that I made a startling discovery and a serious decision. I wasn’t making enough money from article-writing and book sales to support myself. Since writing was my life&#8212my passion, I knew I had to find a way to make it pay. And I did two things, I lowered my standard of living and, while working at an 8-5 job, I worked hard to establish a more solid writing career.

In 1988, I quit the job and went to work full-time writing articles for magazines, producing books and doing whatever freelance work I could find within the community. And don’t you know that heavy duty promotion was a part of the program? So, for me, promotion was tied into my very survival. I had to combine the writer’s heart and the business head in order to create the perfect balance.

So promotion has always been a strong part of my writing program and, if you want to sell your work, you, too, must develop a business mindset to accompany your writer’s heart.

It is within the last 8 years that I’ve realized and that I began to apply another aspect to my repertoire. That’s when I discovered that I know stuff&#8212stuff that is of value to other writers and hopeful authors. That’s when I began to recognize my burning desire to teach, guide and support other writers and authors as they approach the path toward their successful publishing journey. And I do so for FREE through this blog, my website (check out the resources for writers and numerous articles), articles in over 75 writers/authors’ magazines and ezines (many of them FREE) and through my contributions to the SPAWN website, for example. I also conduct workshops at writers’ conferences nationwide.

As you know, I’ve written several books related to writing and publishing, I teach online courses and I offer editorial services and consultations. Learn more about me, Patricia Fry, my work, my background and my offerings at: http://www.matilijapress.com

I’m off to another book festival today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ventura, CA. I hope to earn a bit above expenses and make some interesting contacts. I am always seeking out hopeful authors who can succeed and, in fact, excel if only they had a little knowledge.

I did a lot of “helping” this month. And the remuneration for my outreach efforts will pay the months bills with some left over for a rainy day. As we all know, those rainy days do occur. I am blessed. I have some amazing, talented clients with good stories to tell and who are eager to learn.

Are you getting a lot of writing done this summer? Where are you with your writing project? I have 5 clients who are moving forward swiftly with their book projects despite the lure of summer weather and activities. I have 8 students who are working hard to complete book proposals or establish freelance article-writing careers. Five other clients completed their books this year and are spending their summer promoting. And there are some who are feverishly seeking publication.

I sometimes wonder where my clients and students would be if they hadn’t come to me for assistance. I don’t mean to sound pompous in this statement. It’s just that most of them were either floundering or were headed down the wrong road with an inferior project. Oh what a difference a little education and guidance can make—not to mention editorial support.

Folks, just because you have a good idea for a book doesn’t mean that it is a viable product or that you can successfully navigate the competitive world of publishing. Just because you can write doesn’t mean that you can produce a worthwhile manuscript. Just because you know how to market, doesn’t mean you can successfully promote a book. Just because you have an assertive nature doesn’t mean that you can easily locate and land a publisher.

There’s much more to successful authorship than one typically sees on the surface. It isn’t a simple matter of writing, publishing and raking in the royalties. Successful publishing means understanding the publishing industry; knowing your options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibility as a published author. A successful book generally starts with a complete and well-researched book proposal.

If you have a book in your mind, developing in a computer file or in manuscript form ready to be published, stop now. Do yourself and your future a favor and write a book proposal. It will reveal volumes about the potential for your project and how to proceed with it. What you learn from the book proposal process could change the focus and scope of your book and, believe me, this could be a good thing.

Learn about writing a book proposal by using my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and the companion Author’s Workbook. Order them together and save: http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

If you like hands-on help and you want to work with a professional, sign up for my Online On-Demand Book Proposal Course. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm Ask my students&#8212it’s well worth the reasonable price.

I also work one-on-one with clients on their book proposals. Check out my credentials, client testimonials and my fees at http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html

SPAN members, be sure to read my article on page 19 of the July 2008 edition of SPAN Connection. It’s all about how to more successfully use your blog to promote your book.

Terry Whalin, literary agent, editor and writer contacted me yesterday to say that he finally finished reading my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and he wrote a 5-star review for Amazon.com. Check it out at my book page at Amazon. This book has 11 five-star reviews posted at Amazon. There is 1 four-star review and, I am sorry to say that there is an erroneous one-star review attributed to this book’s standing.

Here’s what happened: the reviewer gave the book 5-stars in her written review. But, when she clicked on the stars provided, she neglected to set the stars before moving on and some of them disappeared. You’ve probably had that happen. With some programs, if you don’t click the mouse after setting the stars or date or whatever in the space allotted, it will change or disappear when you move the cursor to do something else on the form. I have attempted a couple of times to reach this reviewer and ask her to make the correction (she’s the only one who can). But she has disappeared.

Visit Terry Whalin’s informative blog at http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com

And don’t forget to contact me about working with you on your book proposal. You’ll be awfully glad you did. PLFry620@yahoo.com

By the way, I’m still offering a FREE manuscript evaluation to my blog readers. This is good for a book manuscript or an article. Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com for details.