Writing and Publishing News from

Do you subscribe to Publishers Weekly Daily Reports? If not, you should. It’s informative and it’s FREE. Go to http://www.publishersweekly.com, scroll down to where you see “Newsletters” on the right. Check the “PW Daily” box.

I promised you resources and that’s resource number one.

In a recent PW Daily Report came this story by Mike Shatzkin called 15 Trends to Watch in 2008. In case you want to backtrack, it arrived in my email box January 8, 2008. He says he’s been in the “biz” for 15 years and these are some of his predictions:

1. The popularity of ebooks will increase. (I think we hear that every year. Can it be true? Are you choosing ebooks over print books, yet?)
2. By Christmas 2008, sales of customized (make your own) books will be substantial.
3. The iPhone and iPod will become ebook readers.
4. Barnes and Noble will become the largest most powerful bookstore around.
5. Publishers will do more Internet marketing of their titles.
6. 2008 will be the year of the author.

Are there any surprises here? Do any of you agree? Disagree?

Resource #2: How many of you are using Google Alerts to stay in the loop with regard to your topic/genre? It’s easy, interesting and FREE. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts and choose your keywords. I use “publishing,” “writing” and “book marketing.” I also have another Google Alert with my name and publishing company name. So when someone blogs about me, quotes me in an article, interviews me, etc., Google alerts me.

Here are some additional resources that you might find useful:

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Order through Amazon or http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html Also order The Author’s Workbook. The combo is $28.00.

Sign up for some of my online, on-demand courses at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm My newest course, on book marketing, hasn’t been listed at my site, yet—watch for it.

Okay, enough about me and my contributions to your success.

Join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) at http://www.spawn.org

Check out other writing/publishing-related sites: Wow-Women on Writing http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com
Publishing Basics http://www.publishingbasics.com
Write for Kids http://www.write4kids.com
Society of American Travel Writers http://www.satw.org
Fiction Factor http://www.fictionfactor.com
Fiction Fix http://www.coffeehouseforwriters.com
Science Fiction Writers of America http://www.sfwa.org

Here are some good newsletters:
SPAWNews (FREE) http://www.spawn.org Click on “Free Newsletter.”
Book Promotion Newsletter (Annual subscription fee, $7.50) http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
Writers Weekly (Free) http://www.writersweekly.com.
Writing World http://www.writing-world.com
Writing For Dollars http://www.writingfordollars.com
Wooden Horse Publishing Newsletter http://www.woodenhorsepub.com

We all need to check in with a grammar site occasionally. Here are a few:
Bartleby.com http://www.bartleby.com
Daily Grammar http://www.dailygrammar.com
Sharp Writer http://www.sharpwriter.com

Whew, that’s about all my blog site can handle in one fell swoop. Oops, I just looked up the term, “fell swoop” and found another great site. Be sure to visit World Wide Words at http://www.worldwidewords.org

Is there no end to useful and fascinating sites? Actually, no. Yet, I know, from working with clients and responding to authors’ questions that not everyone has the mindset, experience or confidence to do their own research. It’s easy, folks, it’s fun and you will learn so much.

The next time you wonder what constitutes an active sentence, whether your editor is correct in saying to use one space after all punctuation, what’s the definition of self-publishing or how to define the genre of your book, of course, look it up in my book The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. But if your order for this amazing book hasn’t arrived yet, you can always use a search engine such as Google.

How do bloggers choose their subjects? How do we come up with something to write about day after day after day? I sometimes wonder what in the world I’ll say the next morning in my daily blog. And then, sometime between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m., I sit down and the words simply begin to flow.

This morning I have 4 huge topics I’d like to cover and I’m still not sure which one it will be. What are the topics? First, let me say that Misti Sandefur wrote quite a nice review of my second edition, revised book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book in her newsletter, Coffee Break for Writers. The review is posted at http://www.coffeebreakforwriters.com/back_issues.html

One of my potential blog topics involves something she said in her review; which is something other fiction authors have said about the first edition of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. She goes on about the value of the book and how I’ve added a lot of new information and material for novelists. Then she says, “I was hoping to learn how to write proposals and query letters for fiction.”

I responded to Misti, hopefully, not to appear as though I was standing in defense of my book as much as I was attempting to explain a concept. I told Misti (and I’ve said this to many others before her), “Individuals contact me sometimes to ask for more specifics about writing a book proposal for a novel. I have to tell them that the concept and the instructions are there (in my book and my in my articles). It’s the author of fiction who doesn’t want to or can’t embrace them. The book proposal for the novel is not that much different from the book proposal for nonfiction. I find that most fiction authors just don’t like the concept of writing a book proposal, so they disregard it as not applying to their project.”

It’s true. The mind of a fiction writer just works differently than that of many nonfiction writers. I’m not saying that there is a right and a wrong, we just think and perceive things differently. A book proposal, for example, is an aspect of business and fiction authors do not, for the most part, address the business side of writing/publishing with much tolerance or understanding.

So that’s rant (subject) number one.

The second topic is also a concept and, I think, an important one. A colleague of mine told me that she sat next to a 30ish-year-old freelance writer on a flight to New York recently. He told her that he writes for some of the big magazines, which means, as you know, big bucks. He mentioned Wired and Vanity Fair. My friend asked him how he does so well at such a young age and you might be surprised by his response.

He said, “Most writers are lazy. A writer, who is willing to write proposals, research stories on spec and find out what the publications want, will be welcomed by editors.”

This is so true, folks. I am not the world’s greatest writer. But I have managed to earn a living solely through my writing for the last 20 years. How?
• I write what editors and readers want.
• I am willing to take risks.
• I follow editorial/publishing protocol.
• I try to stay on top of trends and news in my areas of interest/expertise.
• I’m always on the look out for article/book ideas.
• I will work on spec and, more often than not, it pays off.
• I commit many hours every day to marketing myself, my books and my article work even when I don’t feel like it.
• I meet or beat deadlines.
• I understand what is required by individual editors/publishers and comply.
• I don’t bug or badger editors/publishers.
• I keep my name before the public.
• I’m not afraid to give back.
• I am always seeking new avenues of writing/book sales revenue.
• I recognize opportunities when they come up and pursue those that are appropriate.
• I am in constant research mode.

So there you have it—two topics covered. I’ll hold the other two topics at bay until another day. Stay tuned or you’ll miss some really good writer’s/author’s resources and some interesting NEW publishing industry predictions for 2008.

In the meantime, if you aspire to be a published author and/or a full-time freelance writer—whether you write fiction or nonfiction, continue following this informative blog, study the articles at my site, http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm and be sure to purchase those books at my site that respond to your particular writing/publishing desires. http://www.matilijapress.com If you have questions contact me through my website or at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

How many books did you sell in 2007? What percentage of them were wholesaled? Did you have any interstate sales? What was your profit? Did you provide any writing services for a fee? How much freelance work did you pick up last year? Who cares? Your state and your government—that’s who.

As soon as you decide to write for money or turn your great idea or life experiences into a book for sale, you are in business and you must adhere to your country’s and your state’s tax and resale laws. What if you don’t? Heck, I never waited around to find out the consequences of dissing the IRS or the State Board of Equalization. From day one, even before I was able to show a profit, I reported the financial details of my freelance writing business and, later, my publishing business.

For those of you who haven’t figured it out, there are benefits to declaring your writing or publishing business. You get write offs. You can write off all legitimate expenses related to your book or your freelance business. Sure, save receipts for the punch and cookies you serve at your book signing and keep track of the mileage. Your new computer is a business expense, as are your office supplies—pens, paperclips, file folders, post-its and so forth. I wouldn’t try to deduct that new pair of slacks purchased for your presentation at the local Rotary Club meeting or the lipstick you bought because it matches the cover of your book. But, heck, tax laws change every day—check with your accountant.

I’m often asked during my workshops, “Can you suggest an easy bookkeeping system for my freelance writing (or publishing) business?” And folks, if you are an author, you are in business. Even if you’re collecting royalties, you still must keep records. Keep track of your royalty income, of course. But you’ll also incur expenses related to your book which are not picked up by your publisher—stamps for mailings, brochures/flyers, book festival fees, organization membership fees (PMA, SPAN and/or SPAWN, for example), long-distance telephone calls related to promotion, laptop to keep in touch while you’re traveling and so forth.

I keep one ledger for each of my books. Therein, I log each sale, date of sale, whether it was wholesale or retail and any tax collected. I have separate ledgers to keep track of my article activity (title/subject of article, publication, date queried, date requested, date sent, result or response and payment). I have a section for the payment of royalties, articles and client and other freelance work. And I handle receipts by tossing them into a file folder as I collect them.

Additional tips:

• Keep a small notepad in your car and note mileage for errands and trips related to your business or your book. This might include, trips to the post office to ship books, for example, to meetings related to your article work or book promotion and to deliver books to local booksellers.
• To avoid overwhelm at the end of the year, tally figures related to your book or your business each quarter.
• Connect with a good accountant or tax preparer who has experience with authors/writers.
• If you have a head for it, stay on top of tax laws related to your situation. I recommend Tax Mama, Eva Rosenberg at http://www.taxmama.com or, for tax help for authors in particular, http://www.theartrepreneur.com

If you want to make money through your writing—and it seems that everyone, these days, does—you’ll have to consider all angles, including your tax responsibilities. There’s no free lunch in this business and, once you start accepting money for your work or selling your books, you are in business.

Learn much more about the publishing business through my latest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book . This is a meaty 360-page monster of a book designed to educate you about the publishing industry and walk you through the entire process of writing, publishing and promoting your book. Use the companion Author’s Workbook for additional support and to help you more honestly and professionally evaluate your project and your potential as a published author. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I’m deeply enmeshed in preparing 5—count-em, FIVE—hour-long workshops on various aspects of article-writing for the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference, January 25-27 in San Diego, California. It’s a wonderful conference with an overflowing schedule of workshops and numerous agents and publishers running around eager to meet new talent. If you’re an author or a freelance writer at any stage of the game and if you’ll be anywhere near the area in late January, please sign up. The event will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. To sign up, go to http://www.ces.sdu.edu/writers. I conduct a lot of workshops at various venues throughout the U.S. and this is one of the best. For more of my perspective on this conference, contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Speaking of article-writing, have you attempted it, yet? Have you pitched or written one or more articles designed to promote your book, speak your piece, share your perspective, or even to establish a freelance career? As many of you know, I built my writing career through article-writing. It is a familiar and fascinating subject. But, as with book publishing, the magazine industry has changed dramatically over the years. How?

1: There are fewer lasting magazines. You know how, in your town, you’ll see a small business come into being and a few years (or months) later, it is gone? This phenomenon is cursing the magazine business, as well. We’ve even lost some old standbys in recent years. But never fear; there are oodles of new magazines on the horizon. Unfortunately, many of them don’t pay well (or at all).

2: The competition for space in paying magazines is stiff. There are more writers and more of us are getting our acts together enough to actually establish freelance careers.

3: There are more flakey magazine publishers/editors. Or is it that there are more writers who are willing to sell their souls for a byline? Has our lack of professionalism created monsters at the helm? Are we driving editors crazy with our weak and inappropriate submissions? Or is it the fact that there are more inexperienced publishers and editors vying for positioning in the magazine market? Whatever the cause, everyone is experiencing the effect through failing magazines, slow or no pay and shabby treatment from both sides.

4: Magazine leaders are struggling with (and disagreeing about) how to react to a swiftly changing industry. Most magazines are driven by advertising and advertisers can be fickle with the economic ups and downs and so many mediums to consider. Some publishers are trying to go back to what used to be the core of their existence: the consumer/the reader. But magazine prices are up because postage, wages, delivery, paper, etc. prices are up and this tends to discourage sales.

5: It’s frustrating for writers when editors reject our best, most appropriate and meaningful articles in order to publish what we might perceive as shallow drivel. Why are these seemingly inferior, pointless articles chosen? Sometimes it has to do with appeasing and pleasing advertisers.

What is a hopeful or struggling freelance writer to do?

• Study the magazine industry as it operates in 2008. Subscribe to http://www.woodenhorsepub.com and always have a current copy of Writer’s Market in your library. Join SPAWN and read the monthly SPAWN Market Update. http://www.spawn.org (click on “Join SPAWN Now”). Visit Mr. Magazine (Samir Husni’s) site often: http://www.mrmagazine.com He keeps his finger on the pulse of the industry.
• Exhibit professionalism when dealing with magazine editors all the time, every time.
• Attend workshops such as those I’ll be leading at the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference. (See link above.)
• Work with an expert. Take my online article-writing course and let me guide you through the process of establishing a freelance article-writing business or learning to promote your book or establish a platform through published articles. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm
• Know the magazine for which you want to write from inside out—in particular the advertisers. What topic, slant or focus could you offer that would gratify this publication’s largest advertisers?

While writing is a heart thing—a creative endeavor, publishing, whether it is a book or an article, is commercially-based and must be approached as such. If you have questions about this or any of my other blog topics, contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Okay, it’s resolution time. You’ve been a hopeful author or an aspiring freelance writer long enough. Now it’s time to fish or cut bait. (Excuse the cliché.) Is this the year that you will shift from would-be/wannabe published to happily, successfully published? What is your plan?

Here’s a concept: how about writing something that will sell and then actually submitting it? Can you handle the pressure? Can you overcome the fear of failure? Can you commit to an agenda that will facilitate your publishing dream? Let me help you get started on your path to publishing success.

Make the Time
1: Set a schedule and stick to it. Even if you can only eke out an extra hour each day, use that hour to develop your writing project.

2: Sacrifice something. Everyone is busy. But, if you’ll notice that you’re never too busy to do the things you really want to do. If you are serious about writing, make some sacrifices. If not, stop whining about lacking time to write. For example, give up clubbing on Friday nights, Desperate Housewives on TV and/or sleeping in until 7 or 8 every morning.

Get Started
3: Research the publishing avenue of your choice. If you want to break into magazines, study appropriate books, articles and blogs related to writing for magazines. For example, A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles http://www.matilijapress.com/writingpage.html Read some of my articles at: http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm#writing Sign up for my online article-writing course at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

If you want to write a book, read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html I recommend also using the Author’s Workbook. Customers tell me it is highly effective in guiding them through the writing and publishing process. http://www.matilijapress.com/workbook.html Also consider signing up for my online book proposal course, http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm and/or the self-publishing course, http://www.matilijapress.com/course_selfpub.htm

4: Study your particular topic/genre. Whether you’re writing articles, short stories or a book, you must have some sense of the market. Who publishes material on your topic/genre? What is already out there? What can you add that is new, different and needed? Before choosing a slant or focus for your piece, become familiar with your market. Rather than pushing ahead with your brilliant idea, make sure that there is a market. Many many authors and freelance writers can’t get a foot-in-the-door because they are too attached to how they want to present the material without giving a thought to what will actually sell.

5: Write a proposal. For an article, you need only write a query letter, but you want it to include the purpose, scope, slant and style for your proposed article, names of any experts you’ll interview or quote, number of words, something about you and your expertise in the topic/genre and your expected date of delivery.

For a book, write a book proposal, first and then approach the publisher with a well-written, succinct query letter. Learn how to write a book proposal by reading my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (see link above). Let the companion Author’s Workbook (link above) walk you through the steps. Sign up for my online book proposal course and get one-on-one help writing your proposal. (See link above.) For help writing a query letter for a book, refer to The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. For help writing a query letter for an article, read A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles (see link above).

Note: For help fine-tuning and editing your book proposal, contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com. Learn more about my credentials at http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html

Write It
6: Now start writing your book or article. Freelance writers, wait until you receive an acceptance letter and then write the article. Too often, the editor will request a little different slant or word count or style than you have suggested.

Authors, you can start writing your book as soon as you complete your book proposal. In fact, you’ll be surprised how easily your book will go together after having written a book proposal.

7: Work with an appropriate editor. If you’re new to the world of magazine writing, it’s wise to hire someone who knows the business to look at your finished piece. Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com. Authors, please, PLEASE hire an editor who is familiar with book editing (not your child’s high school English teacher or the retired college professor down the street). Also make sure your editor knows something about your genre and/or subject matter. I work with authors in all stages of their projects and in many areas of interest. I also know other editors I can recommend for those projects that are outside my realm of expertise.

If you dream of being published, make this the year it actually happens. Follow the 7 steps I’ve outlined here which involve—scheduling time, making sacrifices, studying the industry, researching your market, writing a proposal (authors)/query letter (freelance writers), sitting down and writing the piece and working with an editor. Do you want it? You can have it. It’s entirely up to you.