Writing and Publishing News from

There’s always something new happening these days within the publishing industry&#8212new publishers on the scene, publishers and bookstores changing their way of operating and coming up with new programs for authors, price changes, policy changes and so forth.

HarperCollins, for example, is forming a co-op designed to take the place of the author advance. Instead of the coveted advance, authors will enter into a profit-sharing agreement. This new model is in the experimental stages. Let’s watch and see what happens.

Steve Riggio, CEO at Barnes and Noble is interested in finding a way to change the returns policy. Isn’t that good news? Who knew that even the booksellers find this an expensive and awkward practice?

Pat McCurdy-Crescimanno contacted me from Donohue Group, Inc. to say that the PCIP service will experience an increase starting July 1, 2008. P-CIP is the Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication information that Donohue, and others, apply to your book for library use. For their regular service (delivery within 2 weeks) it will cost $75. Rush service (delivery in 3 business days) is $100. Learn more at http://www.dgiin.com/pcipform.htm

Who is affected by these changes? Over 400,000 new and returning authors. Yes, the figures are out! According to Bowker, the number of books produced in 2007 was 411,422. And every one of these authors should care about what is going on in the publishing industry. How does a busy author stay informed? By tuning in to this blog; by reading the SPAWN Market Update, published on the first of each month in the member area of the SPAWN website: http://www.spawn.org. You must be a SPAWN member in order to access this informative, meaty newsletter each month AND the incredibly rich archives. Membership is $45/year. In the meantime, subscribe to SPAWN’s FREE newsletter.

You can also join IBPA (formerly PMA) and SPAN and study their monthly newsletters. And be sure to read my book&#8212which was designed to help authors and independent publishers navigate more successfully through the publishing process and beyond: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I just got back from Idaho. My 86-year-old mother and I spent a week at my brother’s new home in the Camas Prairie watching the deer and antelope play. Well I didn’t see any antelope, but we got there during fawning season and saw a lot of does caring for their young in the tall grasses around the house. We also watched as a nest of baby blue birds took flight for the first time. We observed a pair of prairie swallows feeding their young. And I saw a couple of elk crossing the road in front of the ATV I was driving across hill and dale one bright blue-sky day.

It was a lovely setting and my mom and I had a great visit with 3 generations of family, including 4 little ones we’d never met. But boy is it a different way of life in that remote area of northwestern Idaho. Everyone grows vegetables and plants fruit trees. They go into the timber and harvest mushrooms, trek along the rivers and pick wild blackberries. And they do a lot of canning. They have television sets, but turn them on ever so seldom. My sister-in-law has a computer, but she’s still on dial-up and there’s no wireless connection anywhere near there.

I actually wrote two blog entries while in Idaho, despite the fact that I was sorta sick with a cold and struggling with laryngitis the entire time I was there (but that’s another story). Before I could post to my blog, however, dial-up failed and my blog entry disappeared. If it wasn’t such a delightfully relaxing atmosphere, I might have become terribly frustrated. I can tell you that I am very pleased to be back home at my computer where DSL keeps me connected 24/7.

As always, when I leave town for any length of time, I came home to a pile of work. I still haven’t written the July edition of the SPAWN Market Update&#8212a meaty newsletter that appears each month in the member area of the SPAWN website. http://www.spawn.org I get a lot of publishing/writing newsletters every month and I have to tell you that, for the author and freelance writer, the SPAWN Market Update is one of the most useful, informative and readable. There are no advertisements in the SPAWN Market Update or SPAWNews, which is a free newsletter going out to anyone who subscribes. http://www.spawn.org

Last night, even though I’m still struggling to be heard (the laryngitis is still evident), I taught the first in a series of eight book proposal workshops to 4 members of a writers group called the “Yes I Can Club.” It went well. Each member is working on a book. They are all serious writers and seem willing to consider even those suggestions that may seem a little outside their comfort zone. They aren’t so attached to their projects that they balk at new ideas.

For example, last night I asked them to consider two questions:

Why are you writing this book?
What is the purpose of your book?

Eyes widened as brains began to twirl and whirl. And soon the truth in their deep down motivation rose to the surface. Almost everyone expressed surprise at their perceived purpose for their books. And some of the authors even discussed making changes in their stories in order to accommodate a greater purpose.

An author typically starts out writing for him/herself. It isn’t until he begins to consider his audience that the true story or way of story can emerge. If you are currently writing a book, maybe it’s time for you to think about your audience. What is it you’re offering them? Are you providing that in your story or text?

Maybe your book is purely for entertainment. Start looking at it from the reader’s point of view. Is it actually witty, amusing, interesting, engaging and/or enjoyable? If your book is designed to be informational, are you providing that information you promise? Does your how-to actually offer guidelines, instruction, direction, coaching? And what about your memoir? What’s the point of it? What will make someone want to read your story? Would a self-help component entice a larger audience? Or do you have too many strong elements in your book. Maybe you’re confused as to whether this is your recovery memoir, a tribute to a deceased loved one or a book on how-to overcome grief.

Start asking these questions and your book concept could transform right before your eyes. And this could be a very good thing. Consider your audience before you get too far into your book and you’re more likely to write the right book for the right audience.

For help with this, be sure to order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book today. Despite its tremendous value, the cost is only $19.95. Pay $28.00 and get the companion workbook, as well. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

What are you willing to do toward your success as an author? Will you draw the line at promoting your own book? Will you choose not to learn something about how the publishing industry works? Will you balk at writing a book proposal?

I meet hopeful authors every week who are so attached to their expectations with regard to the publishing process that they are unwilling to bend on behalf of their projects. These wannabe authors want to succeed in publishing, but they don’t want to pay their dues. They say, “I can’t possibly change a twenty-year habit of leaving two spaces after the period.” Or “Sure my writing is a bit rusty, but I can’t afford to hire an editor.” Or “I don’t have time to study about publishing&#8212I just want to be published.”

Where will these hopeful authors end up? Well, some of them could possibly fall into a sweet deal with a major publisher who sells millions of copies of their book. This is a lovely fantasy. It could happen, but it’s not likely. Most of these authors, who actually complete the book of their dreams and find a way to get them published, will lose money and stop dreaming.

If you’re growing weary of hearing (or reading) me tell you to study the publishing industry and to write a book proposal BEFORE writing the book, then good for you. That means you are reading this blog and you are reading my book&#8212which I wrote for you, by the way&#8212and you are attending my lectures.

Don’t turn away. Don’t disregard my (and other professionals’) advice. Pay attention to our important message. Start this week making the changes and the choices that will put you in a better position with regard to publishing success and professionalism as an author. What do I suggest?

• Write everything this week using just one space after all punctuation. (If you wonder why, contact me and we’ll discuss it: plfry620@yahoo.com)
• Start NOW studying the publishing industry. Join organizations such as SPAWN, SPAN and IBPA (formerly PMA). Read every word in their newsletters, study the articles and other information on their websites. Subscribe to other newsletters and magazines related to publishing. And read good books by respected professionals such as Patricia Fry, Dan Poynter, Brian Jud and Marilyn Ross. Learn everything you can about your options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibilities as a published author.
• Stop writing and start working on your book proposal. For more information about how to write a book proposal, read chapters 4-7 in The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book or read How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less. http://www.matilijapress.com
• Hire a good editor before sending your manuscript to an agent or publisher and before self-publishing.

There’s no such thing as just one right way to write, publish and sell a book. You need to make the best choices based on your particular book. But there is a right way to prepare for your publishing success and that’s the message I bring you today.

Every year, I take time to reevaluate my business and set new goals. Sometimes, I set my sites on a new direction. I decide to write articles only for magazines that pay $500 and up, for example. In 1999, I finally decided to hang out my shingle and work with other writers and authors. A few years later, I began seeking workshop venues throughout the U.S. And then there are shifts that occur in my career that I have no part in orchestrating.

Recently, a client contacted me and asked if I would be a paid, professional mentor to her entire writing group. Now this is something I never thought about doing. What a concept. But will it work? I’ll let you know if future blog posts.

Here’s what I know so far: There are four hopeful authors in this group and one writer who hasn’t committed her words to paper, yet. The four are all working on nonfiction books and they want help writing their book proposals. So I guess my primary contribution will be conducting book proposal workshops. It shouldn’t be too different from teaching my online book proposal course—only there will be a lot more interaction in the writing group setting. I’m sure I will learn a lot through this process and I certainly hope the authors will, too.

Sometimes authors come to me for help that I wouldn’t imagine myself offering. I’m asked to get involved in projects at levels outside of my perceived job description. For example, a potential client asked recently, if he should solicit financial sponsorships for his project. Someone else called asking whether to go with agent A or agent B. Yet, another new author requested my opinion on fulfillment companies. I find myself in precarious positions, at times, when drawn into the personal decision-making process with an author.

I can, and I will, provide resources and ideas for making a selection, but I can’t make that decision for you. Some people join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) in hopes that we will make choices for them. They want to know what publisher to approach, whether to self-publish or not, which printer to go with, if POD is for them. At SPAWN, we provide the resources, tips and techniques, but we certainly don’t make the decisions for authors. Visit the SPAWN website at http://www.spawn.org

I find, however, that many hopeful authors and budding freelance writers want definitive answers to their burning questions. They want to know the best publishing choice for their project and whether a certain POD contract is good or not. But the only right answer is the one that they generate only after conducting the necessary research. And the right answer for one person may be the wrong answer for the next person.

Publishing is not an exact science. It is not an extension of your writing. It is a business and it becomes personal with each project and each individual.

Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Why? You’ll learn about the world of publishing and how to navigate within it in order to experience success with your particular project. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

In my books, my brochures, my workshops, my consultations and at book festivals, I often invite authors and freelance writers to contact me with questions. When I sell a book, I say, “Please, once you’ve read the book, if you have any questions, email me.” During my workshops, if someone asks me a question that I can’t answer off the top of my head and that requires research or if it’s something that entails time to explain, I say, “Email me with that question and I will respond in full.”

I have an open-door policy. Yet, few people take advantage of what I offer. Too many of them go it alone, neglect to do appropriate research, make choices based on whims or, worse yet, advertisements. Or they allow members of their writing group to sway them or they rely on information they’ve passed along rather than checking with an expert in the field.

I’m sure that other professionals find this to be true, as well. If we hear from an author at all, it is after they’ve made some poor and costly mistakes. By then, they’re blaming the economy, the industry and all of the people who didn’t warn them about the big bad wolf in publisher’s clothing. They’re angry with the people who didn’t tell them what to expect after publication. If only they had asked. If only they had explored their options and learned something about what to expect.

Don’t find out about publishing and book promotion the hard way. Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book NOW. I advise this whether you are just thinking about writing a book, you are starting the process of writing, you have finished your book and you are seeking publication or you have a newly published book in your hands. And I have to tell you that The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, does not dictate how you should write, publish and sell your book, but it gives you options, information and resources. It lays them all out in front of you and guides you in making all of the right decisions for you and for your project.

No two book projects are the same. And no two publishing experiences are, either.

Once you have read this book or you’ve taken one of my online courses (Book Promotion, Writing a Book Proposal, Breaking into the Article-Writing Market or How to Self-Publish), I invite you to contact me with any questions. If you have not taken my courses or read any of my books and you have a question about your project and/or the process of publishing or book promotion, contact me. PLFry620@yahoo.com. If you don’t take advantage of this potential benefit, you are only cheating yourself.

Of course, I can’t answer every question, but I can usually point you in a direction where you can find the answers you need. And not every hopeful author is ready to hear every truth. I still meet people who want to produce a book, but have no intention of doing any promotion. I had an email from a gentleman last year who insisted that his book would sell itself. There would be no need for him to be involved at all.

Read my book. Order it from me or Amazon.com. If you’d like to help support my efforts, remember that I get more of the profit when you order it from my website: http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

And let me know if you have any questions that I might be able to help with. PLFry620@yahoo.com. If you lose my website address or my email address, just do a Google Search using my name, Patricia Fry. You’ll find me in an instant.

I like to tell new and hopeful authors, who are overwhelmed by the scope and breadth of publishing, to look at it as if it is a giant puzzle. There are puzzles pieces designed just for you and that, when used, will fit perfectly to form your ideal publishing needs and requirements.

Most people enter into the world of publishing without enough of the puzzle pieces. They have a minimum of (or no) knowledge about the publishing industry. They don’t know that there are options in publishing and that not all options are right for every author and every project. They don’t understand that there are many decisions to be made on behalf of their book projects and that it is up to the author to make the right ones. They don’t know what their responsibilities and their obligations as a published author are.

New authors see books in bookstores. They buy books and see other people buying books. They watch interviews on TV with authors and they read book reviews in magazines and at websites.

They hear terms such as, Best Seller and Award Winning. They are fully aware of the books that are bringing in large royalty checks and they think this is the norm. Many of them believe that all you have to do is write the book. It will be published and then you become rich. Oh yes, and the author lives happily ever after in his luxury home office writing sequel after sequel. Wouldn’t it be nice to have all of the correct puzzle pieces handed to you the minute you decide you want to publish your great works?

Sure some authors land sweet publishing deals. Some of their books get Best Seller and Award Winning status. A few of them even receive large royalty checks. But this is NOT the norm. The majority of authors today must work very hard to produce and promote their books. Most of those who do, are barely making it. Those who neglect to search for the right puzzle pieces—make the right decisions on behalf of their books—are losing ground and will, most likely fail.

I look at SPAWN as the keeper of (or dispenser of) the puzzle pieces you need in order to experience success as a published author. SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. http://www.spawn.org.

My book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book is also jam-packed with pieces to the publishing puzzle. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html.

So what do these puzzle pieces consist of?
• Knowledge of the publishing industry.
• Available publishing and marketing options.
• Clues and solid information to help you make the right decisions.
• Guidelines to lead you along well-mapped routes.
• Resources of every kind.
• Tools to help you use what’s available in order to reach your publishing goals.

Have you located the pieces to your publishing puzzle? Or are you still struggling to find a publisher, to self-publish your book, to get book reviews, to locate speaking engagements to promote your book or to sell copies of your book? If you feel that you’re missing pieces to your publishing puzzle, consider joining SPAWN. Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. And order my new ebook, The Author’s Repair Kit. http://www.matilijapress.com/author_repairkit.html.

Writer’s Digest has announced this year’s 101 best sites for writers. I hope you get over to their site and look at the list. I was disappointed not to find SPAWN listed. That’s Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. http://www.spawn.org. We were among the top 101 in 1999, 2004 and 2006. But it is a popularity contest, after all. The other 101 sites got more people emailing their votes to Writer’s Digest. Besides, the competition is enormous. Brian Klems, over at WD says that when they did a Google search to locate writer’s sites, 243 million of them come up.

Well, any of you who conduct research, and this should be all writers and authors, this doesn’t actually mean there are 243 million writer’s sites, does it? This means that there are 243 million different links to writer’s sites and there may be numerous links to most of the sites. So we’re probably counting links instead of actual sites.

Nonetheless, there are many, many sites for writers and authors and that’s a good thing for us, isn’t it? Klems says that there were more than 2,100 nominees for the 101 best this year. And they’ve broken their list down into sections: general resources, creativity, publishing resources, jobs, writing groups and communities, genre/niches, agent blogs, protect yourself and just for fun.

Here are a few of the winning sites that you may want to visit:

Book-in-a-week.com. Have you ever attempted this Book in a Week challenge? I have friends who participate every year. Sounds like fun to me. http://www.book-in-a-week.com

Cool Stuff for Writers has… well, cool stuff for writers. Evidently, they now offer interviews and articles, as well. http://www.coolstuff4writers.com

Here’s a winning blog site maintained by agent, Janet Reid. http://www.jetreidliterary.blogspot.com

If you want to write for kids, go on over to the Kid Magazine Writers site at: http://www.kidmagwriters.com

I’ll bring more sites to your attention with time. Let me know if you visit any of these and what you got out of them. Also, be sure to visit us at SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). http://www.spawn.org

SPAWN is a networking organization and resource center for anyone who is interested in publishing. We provide the information and resources so that you can make the best decisions on behalf of your project.

Contact me with your questions and comments: PLFry620@yahoo.com.

If you’re like most authors, the first time you hold your newly published book, you are as gentle as a kitten. You touch it, gaze upon it with pride, clutch it to your chest in disbelief and pretty much handle it as though it’s a rich treasure.

And, if you prepared it with care, it is a treasure of story, of information and/or help. It is appealing, useful and maybe even entertaining. It encapsulates your hard work, your imagination or your heartfelt story. Now, you’re ready to share your book with the world.

You have your book for sale at Amazon.com. You’ve talked a local bookseller into carrying a few copies. You’ve created a showcase website. And you’re schlepping your book around to various civic organization meetings, book fairs and flea markets to sell.

Are you still treating your book as if it’s your finest treasure? I can tell you that many authors have to say, “No,” to that question.

Our books certainly go through a lot. We lug them around in the back of our cars and allow them to do the boot-scootin-boogie. We ship them long distances without appropriate packing materials. We leave them on display in the hot sun or moist air at book fairs. We stand by while others break down the spine as they peruse a book or while they use your new book as a hard surface on which to write a check or sign a credit card slip.

You leave your books in the hot trunk of your car, in boxes along the non-insulated walls of your garage and, heaven forbid, on display in coffee shops where they become soiled from sticky-bun fingers.

How many times have you pulled a book because of damage? Just this morning, I realized that I cut into one of my new books while opening a case with a knife. Oops. I’ll add that book to my donation stack.

One SPAWN member lost several books this year while displaying them in the SPAWN booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. There was obviously something wrong with the glue the bindery used and it melted in the sun, allowing the pages of his books to start falling out.

I received a shipment of books from another author recently and several of them were warped, probably due to having spent time in dampness—perhaps en route. Another shipment of books I received were badly scuffed because they were loosely packed and allowed to scoot back and forth across one another.

Authors, your books are your livelihood. Each one represents a potential sale or, in the case of review books, many sales. Treat your books kindly so they make a good impression wherever they go. Here’s what I suggest:

• Store books, preferably in their original crates in a cool, dry place. (Some authors transfer their books to air-tight plastic containers.
• Ship books tightly packed in appropriate-size boxes. I use bubble wrap or newspaper for packing material. Before taping the flaps shut, pick up the box and shake it in all directions. If anything thumps or thuds, you need more packing material.
• When you’re out in public with your books, try to use one book for display and handling purposes.
• If you carry books around in your car (and you should), pack them as you would for shipping so they don’t scoot and slide. Bring books inside during rainy or hot spells.
• Use caution when opening a fresh box of books with a sharp object. Not every shipping department places pieces of cardboard between the box and the books to protect them.

Read more about shipping books, finding and working with distributors and wholesalers, book promotion, bookkeeping for authors, getting books into bookstores, self-editing, self-publishing, POD publishing, working with a printer, writing a press release and so much more in my lovingly handled book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

There are benefits to treating your books well. A pristine book brings in more money than a scuffed, bent, dirty, crumpled, dinged one. If your books arrive at the bookstore, Amazon.com, the reviewer, etc. in good shape, you’re less likely to get returns and more likely to make a good impression.

Make the extra effort to handle and ship your books with care and they will speak well of you for many years to come.