Writing and Publishing News from

May 8, 2012

Writing: A Passion or a Business?

Filed under: Authorship,Writing — Patricia @ 4:40 am

I guess writing is like most other creative work. The passion (or at least the interest) develops and, if it is strong enough or if the ducks are lined up in a particular row, the passion can become a profession. I know a quilter up the street who parlayed her love for quilting into a home-based business. I just spoke with a local woman who used to operate a lemonade stand with her children for fun. Now she is sending her kids to college on the money she earns from bottling and selling her delicious lavender-infused lemonade. I once knew a woman who loved growing African violets. So she started a home-based mail order business and shipped African violets all over the US.

My sister-in-law earns a little extra cash selling her art, a friend does photography for a fee and I know people who groom and board animals. Each of these home-grown businesses stemmed from a strong interest. It’s probably the same story for the kite-maker, chef, cabinet builder, cattle rancher and teacher, don’t you think?

And just like the artist, photographer, quilter, great cook, gardener and groomer, there are writers who care little about creating an empire through their craft. They just want to write—or to get their story out to those who might be interested.

In today’s world of advanced technology, however, since it is so easy to write and produce a book, and with the faltering economy creating a need, more and more and MORE would-be and wanna-be writers are following their publishing dream. If you’re going to publish, you had better be prepared to sell what you’ve written in order to recoup your investment and, hopefully, make a little money. Most authors who go to the trouble and expense of publishing their memoir, story or informational book, etc. are not inclined to follow-through and promote it. They have no passion for commerce. They draw lines that they are not willing to cross—“I want to be a published author, but I don’t want to be a bookseller…”

I find it interesting that in the 1980s, there was a statistic that said, “Over 80 percent of the population believes they have a book in them.” But it wasn’t until recently that they started writing those books. Now, nearly 80 percent of those who do write a book fail. It makes one wonder if those would-be/wanna-bes from the 80s should have stuck to cooking, bicycle racing, quilting or raising African violets.

If you plan to or are thinking about entering into the fiercely competitive world of publishing, please do so with the education and information you need. Read my book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. Available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores, as well as http://www.matilijapress.com

Read the reviews at Amazon.com to see how incredibly valuable this book has been to some of those who have read it. I have been in this business for a long time and I wrote this book primarily to help you through it. Read it!

May 7, 2012

What Motivates You To Write?

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 5:09 am

Do you ever ask yourself why you are reading, gardening, shopping, washing windows, or, perhaps, scrubbing your tile floor with a toothbrush instead of writing? Although, you’ve convinced yourself that this task is more important than finishing your novel or writing that article or story, it’s actually probably because what you’re doing is easier or more enjoyable.

You’ve come to a difficult place in your project and you are finding ways to avoid it. Or you are close to finishing and you have issues with that. Either you are attached to the process and don’t want to look for another writing project or you are fearful of what comes next—rejection, hard publishing decisions, etc…

Have you ever examined your reasons for dodging the writing work that’s waiting for you in your office or the corner of your bedroom or den? Do you convince yourself that it is because you have more important things to do—a lot on your plate?

I meet writers often who admit they just don’t have the time to write. Some simply can’t seem to carve out the time to write. One such writer attended a conference where I was speaking. She came up to me during a social event and said, “I just can’t figure out a way to fit writing into my schedule. Do you have any ideas?” I said, “Maybe writing isn’t a high enough priority in your life. If you want to write, you must be motivated. What motivates you to write? What motivates you to do what you do instead of write?”

She looked blankly at me and moved on. Later, I heard her bring up the same subject to a group of attendees.

I have often wondered, what did she want to hear? Was she seeking permission to spend time writing? Maybe she was told as a child that writing was a waste of time and she should be doing something more constructive. Perhaps she loves writing so much that she believes she doesn’t deserve to pursue it. Or maybe it is just hard work for her and, unconsciously, she continually seeks ways to avoid it.

Do you wish you could spend more time writing? Are you clear about the reasons why you don’t? Are there more pressing priorities? Do you have your priorities rather confused? If you look at your daily schedule (or lack of), are there things you could omit? How much time do you spend in front of the TV, for example? Do you typically sleep more than 8 hours at night? What type of activities do you engage in when you get up early or stay up late? Could you be writing then? Are you like I was when I started writing and you must have everything else done before you can spend time writing? Is there something you are doing that is not contributing to your health and well being? Could this activity (or lack of) be eliminated to make time for writing?

I’d like to hear from those of you who have trouble finding time to write and those who are motivated to write. I’d like to know what motivates you? Why do you sit down every day or a few times each week and write? What things have you changed or eliminated in order to write?

When I started writing for publication, I was motivated by my passion for writing. I tell people that I couldn’t not write. When it became necessary that I had to make a living, my motivation shifted a little. Now I was motivated by my passion as well as my need to earn a living. This meant making sacrifices and establishing new priorities. What about you?

My book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author provides support and guidance for authors who need help establishing a writing lifestyle—no matter how extensive their desire. It also provides the education you need in order to more successfully navigate the publishing industry—covering every aspect of publishing and book promotion. Order your copy at Amazon.com or any other online or downtown bookstore. It’s also available at my website: http://www.matilijapress.com

May 6, 2012

Finding Your Markets — Guest Blogger

Filed under: Guest Blogger,Writing — Patricia @ 4:27 am

I’d like to welcome my friend and avid freelance writer, Kathleen Ewing as guest blogger this morning. She offers some great advice for finding writing markets. Heed her suggestions and you’ll surely increase your article/story sales.

Finding Your Markets–by Kathleen Ewing

Before you fork over a chunk of money to subscribe to a writer’s market database, try your hand at compiling your own market list by using the power of search engines. You will discover markets better targeted to your specific needs at no cost other than a few minutes on the computer.

Start with your favorite search tool. Google, Bing, Yahoo and AltaVista are some of the most popular. Enter a plain language search string such as “fiction markets” or “freelance writing markets” or “magazine editorial guidelines” without the quotation marks. If you find nothing of interest, don’t search beyond the first two pages of results. You may find the word “fiction” in one portion of the results and “markets” in another. To eliminate that occurrence, place the quotation marks around your search string so the search will find only that exact phrase. By capitalizing “Fiction Markets,” you will be more likely to find results that have that phrase for the title of the article or website page.

If you are finding the horror genre markets included in the results and you wish to eliminate them, type the phrase “fiction markets” not horror. Some search engines will give you different results if you type “fiction markets” –horror. For more targeted results, add your genre to the search string: “romance fiction markets” not paranormal or “fiction markets” +romance. Always try the plain language version before you try the +/- option. When using the symbols, don’t leave a space between the symbol and the word you are adding to or deleting from the search.

Experiment with various keyword combinations to find what works best for you. Discard any search strings that yield poor results, but make sure you write down each of your successful search strings so you can apply them later at other search engines. Each search tool produces slightly different results. At http://www.thesearchenginelist.com you will find a list of those search tools. It’s not a complete list, but it is fairly comprehensive, and includes a brief description of the type of coverage you can expect from each search site. Select the ones that most closely define the type of material you are seeking.

Don’t be intimidated by the “Advanced Search” feature of the search engine. It is simply an additional device used to refine your search. Some tools, such as AltaVista or AskJeeves, permit you to type a search string in the form of a simple question. In addition, most search sites have a page that offers tips and shortcuts on how to search that are specific to that site. Check these options to assure that you are getting the best research from that site.

Finally, try search engines that pull results simultaneously from several search tools. Three of the top meta-search tools, Dogpile, WebCrawler and MetaCrawler, all compile results from a variety of major search sites such as Google, Yahoo and AltaVista as well as others.

No more paying someone else a fee to do the searching for you. No more hours wasted sifting through dozens of generalized market lists. Soon you will have your own database of markets, every item of which you personally targeted specifically for your writing products.

Kathleen Ewing is a freelance writer who is working on her first novel.

May 3, 2012

Markets For Freelance Writers

Filed under: Article-Writing,Writing — Patricia @ 4:16 am

The overwhelming response to yesterday’s question: What do you want to know about freelance article-writing is, “where to and how to find markets.” Yes, all one of you who responded said that the most difficult part of article-writing is finding markets. So I will make that part of my program when I meet with writers near Sacramento in a few weeks.

One thing I would suggest to writers is to write on a wide variety of topics so that you have a wider base of potential markets. If you write just on feral cats, for example, your opportunities for sales are greatly diminished. Instead, expand your knowledge and take an interest in many things and you won’t be so limited in the types of magazines you can legitimately write for.

Sure, you want to make a difference for feral cats—you are passionate about educating people on this subject. But, if you want to make money, too, you really must expand your horizons.

Maybe you had an experience with a disgruntled customer at work. Do a little research and write an article for a business management or small business magazine on how to handle the irate customer.

Perhaps you had a touch of altitude sickness the last time you visited a mountain resort or you suffered heat exhaustion during a hike. Again, do some research and create an article for a hiking, health, travel or general publication.

Do you garden, work out at the gym, speak in public, teach, attend church, belong to a city commission or a family, sew or snowboard, make jam, do beading or are a secret shopper, for example? You should be able to come up with several articles in each of these topics for a variety of magazines.

My point is that sometimes the reason we have trouble finding the right market for our work is that we are too narrowly focused with our array of topics. We prefer to stay comfortable within a subject we know.

That said, here are my favorite magazine/ezine directories:

1: Writer’s Market http://www.writersmarket.com
2: Wooden Horse Pubs (online directory with editorial calendars) http://www.woodenhorsepub.com

Here are a few others:
http://www.magazine-directory.com
http://dir.yahoo.com/News_and_Media/Magazines/?skw=magazine+directory

http://www.magazineboard.com
http://www.mondotimes.com
 http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/magazines

May 2, 2012

Calling All Freelance Article Writers

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 5:49 am

I’m told that I help you immensely through this blog and my articles and books. Now you can help me.

I’m scheduled to speak in Sacramento in a couple of weeks to a writers group about freelance article writing. I know that some of you write articles for magazines, ezines, newsletters, etc. If you were going to attend a presentation on freelance article-writing, what would you hope the speaker would cover?

• What questions would you have for the speaker?
• What are some of your challenges in today’s world of freelance article writing—your concerns?
• Are you seeking solutions or advice?
• Do you need help coming up with ideas? Keeping a good flow of money coming in, etc?

Please respond to me personally at PLFry620@yahoo.com or leave a comment here.

May 1, 2012

How to Get Involved in a Writers’ Critique Group

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 4:46 am

When I attend book festivals, writers’ conferences or speak at writers’ group meetings, I often invite attendees to send me a sample of their manuscripts for evaluation. I will give the author my impressions of their work and offer suggestions or, in some cases, my blessings. I will point out any problems I see—editorial errors, sentences that lack clarity, etc.

Sometimes I recommend that a writer seek out and join a writers’ critique group before following their dream to publish their novel or nonfiction book. This is generally when I feel that the writer is not ready to go public with his or her manuscript—it is not close to being ready for publication.

I hope that members of the group can guide this writer in some of the finer points of the craft—help him write with more clarity and power, give his writing more interest, teach him how to more smoothly transition from one topic to the next, help him gain some skill in presenting dialog, etc.

So how do you find a critique group? I suggest that you start with writer friends—do any of them belong to a group that has offshoot critique groups? Check with your librarian and booksellers. They often know about groups that are meeting locally. Ask at senior centers. Watch the calendar section or arts section of your hometown newspaper for meeting and activity announcements. Do an Internet search. Many writers’ groups have websites now.

You can even consider starting a group. Invite writers you know. Put up flyers at the library, bookstores and office supply stores. Place an announcement in the local newspaper. Ask if the library has a bulletin they circulate. Post your announcement there.

There are also online critique groups. I shared some with you in an email recently. Here are the links again:
http://www.critiquecircle.com
http://www.scribophile.com
http://www.reviewfuse.com
http://www.webook.com

Of course, you can locate other critique sites by doing your own Internet search. Good luck.

To learn more about the process of publishing, be sure to read my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s at amazon.com and most other online bookstores as well as bookstores downtown. Read the reviews at amazon and place your order. Or order it here: http://www.matilijapress.com

April 20, 2012

One Writer’s Life

Filed under: Authorship,Writing — Patricia @ 5:30 am

What’s going on in the offices of Matilija Press and Patricia Fry this week?

It rarely fails. When I go out and speak about some aspect of writing or publishing, someone asks me how I manage my time. They want to know what comprises my work day, if I maintain a schedule and they are most fascinated with how I manage to write so many books. So occasionally, I devote my blog to what’s going on in my career—how I’m spending my time.

First, let me say that this will be my last blog post until Monday morning. I’m heading to LA for the big LA Times Festival of Books this evening—a long weekend event. We’ve been promised good weather—in fact, it might be a tad HOT. Probably everyone of the over 140,000 people they typically attract to this event will come out of their homes this weekend to browse the 300 or so booths of books and things related to books and reading. SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has a large booth and some of our members will join us in the booth to talk to visitors about their books. Those of us representing the organization will be talking to budding, struggling and hopeful authors about publishing and book promotion and handing out catalogs of our members’ books. It is an intense and fun weekend.

We’re in booth number 238. Do stop by and say, “Hello.” Pick up a SPAWN Catalog of Member’s Books and Services. Sign up for the FREE enewsletter—SPAWNews. Pick up one of my brochures. Buy a book from one of our members.

So this week, I’ve been preparing in every way for the book festival—gathering all of the books, book racks, banners, table clothes, tape, pens, sign-up sheets, chairs, business cards, promo materials for my books, a case of water, SPAWN tote bags, membership apps, etc. to take this weekend.

I’ve also been writing and refining a piece for my website. Once I finish it, I’ll present this FREE ebooklet at http://www.patriciafry.com for download. I’ve had a lot of interest in the current FREE ebooklet—50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book. And the one I offered before that, The Successful Author’s Handbook, was also popular. The new freebie is 50 Ways to Promote Your Ebook.

I think that all of you who have an ebook or who are considering producing one will be quite surprised at the list I have compiled and the tips and resources I’m offering. Keep an eye on this blog site. I will make an announcement when the new ebooklet is ready for free download.

I have been working with a client this week—helping him fine-tune his book and we’ve worked on the back cover copy together. I also finished up an article requested by the editors of Publishing Basics on ebook marketing.

I met a former client for a chai latte. Then I realized it is made using milk and I am off most dairy right now. So I just sipped as we talked about his plans to edge into the publishing field in a helping capacity. When I got home, I gathered up and emailed him the resources I promised.

I also turned over the dirt in our veggie and herb garden beds and planted seeds and plants. Now I add daily watering to my list of regular tasks, such as blogging, writing, editing, fielding questions, officially welcoming new SPAWN members, studying the “e” and print newsletters and magazines that come in while noting resources and publishing trends for the newsletter I write for the member area of the SPAWN site and so forth.

This week, I also conducted a couple of interviews for the newsletter and finished editing it for publication May 1.

We’ve been taking bids for some remodel work we want around here—had the repairman out to replace the timer on our clothes dryer and I’ve been in touch with the SPAWN members who will be in the booth with us this weekend.

I communicated some of my ideas to the organizer of an upcoming author festival and conference, discussed an article with a magazine editor, shipped books, did some SPAWN bookwork and banking and played with my cats whenever they were in the mood.

I also scrubbed both bathroom floors with Spic n Span and walked a total of about 10 miles.

How much time did I spend actually writing this week? Probably somewhere between twenty and thirty hours. That’s not much for me. When I am working on a book on deadline or editing for someone, I can put in six to eight hours a day just writing, sometimes seven days a week.

My days probably don’t look much different than yours, except that my priority is writing. Many would be writers I meet say they just don’t have time to write. They can’t figure out how to fit it in. My problem is training myself to fit in the other things in life—things that don’t necessarily have to do with writing and book promotion. But when I read through this recap of my week, I am pretty pleased with my efforts to get away from the office and out in the sun for brief periods of time throughout the day. Yesterday, in fact, I said “Yes” to an invitation to have lunch on an outdoor patio at a local eatery with my middle daughter and oldest granddaughter. And I do spend time with my ninety-year-old mother regularly.

How about you? Are you making time to write? What about book promotion? Or are you like me and you’ve become so enmeshed in your writing world and so disciplined that you have to find ways to work in the fun stuff?

Are you struggling to start on or complete your book manuscript? Are you nearly finished and wonder what to do next? Which publishing option is best? Are you wondering how one goes about finding/choosing the right publisher? What’s all of this about book promotion? The ordinary author doesn’t have to get involved with that, does he/she? If I get a publisher, I won’t have to worry about it at all, isn’t that right? Do I need an agent? How do you find one that is legit? What about a distributor, copyright, book reviews, Internet marketing, using social media? Do I need a website?

If you have these and other questions, PLEASE do yourself a favor and order a copy of the book I wrote expressly for you!!!! Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s at Amazon.com and other online and downtown bookstores. You can also purchase it at the author’s website http://www.matilijapress.com

Remember, no blog over the weekend. See you bright and early Monday.

April 18, 2012

What Distracts You From Writing?

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 5:11 am

When I first started writing, I was distracted by practically everything—dirty dishes in the sink, dust on the coffee table, barking dogs, kittens wanting to play, phone calls, lunch invitations… It’s a wonder I got any writing done. And remember, these were the days before computers. I handwrote my articles and books and then typed them out on a manual typewriter.

Producing an article then could take days. Receiving an acceptance or rejection letter could take weeks. Receiving a check took months. Now, I can write an article and be paid for it within hours.

Back then, instead of an iPad, I carried a steno pad everywhere I went. (For those of you who were born into the technology age, a steno pad is a tablet comprised of paper.) I could write anywhere and I did. I wrote while traveling, in front of the TV, while waiting in the doctor’s or dentist’s office and at my daughters’ sports events, for example.

Eventually, I was able to commit to writing certain hours during the day whether there were dogs barking and dishes in the sink or not. I developed a habit. I began letting the answering machine pick up. I returned phone calls after my “work” hours. I was consistent, thus I trained my friends and family to respect my writing time and, in the process, I began to take myself more seriously.

Today, I spend most of my time writing, promoting my books and working with other authors. I put in 8 to 10-hour days and I often work every day of the week.

How much time do you devote to your writing projects? Are you accomplishing as much as you want? Have you made a strong commitment to your writing work or are you still a bit wishy washy about it?

There are generally two things that get in the way of a stern writing commitment. Both of them fall back on you! If you don’t take your writing seriously and yourself seriously as a writer, you won’t get much writing work done.

And if you live a life full of obligations and activities, you won’t get much writing work done unless you make some changes.

Have you added writing to your busy schedule? How did you make room for it? What did you change/give up?

Have you found a way to honor your commitment to writing? What caused you to make this decision?

Leave your comments here.

April 12, 2012

Tips for Coming Up With Article and Blog Ideas

Filed under: Article-Writing,Writing — Patricia @ 5:40 am

Do you ever wonder how prolific bloggers come up with ideas to write about every week, every few days or, in my case, EVERY DAY? It can be a challenge. And it is something I’ve written about before—but not quite from this angle.

You see, at this moment, I don’t have an inkling of an idea for today’s blog topic. Sometimes a topic leaps out at me from an email I get in the morning, or I’ll have a note on my desk related to a question a client or blog visitor asked recently that would make a good blog subject. I’ll sometimes go through old posts and choose one to rewrite. And then there are days like today, when I will just start writing until something occurs to me.

Sometimes I create a blog post from start to finish just by rambling. Other times, I may delete the preliminary chitchat and post just the meat of the material I come up with. For example, while jotting down my thoughts, I might mention that I’ve been invited to speak and then I write a piece on how to get speaking engagements. I may doodle a bit about the work I’m doing to organize SPAWN members in the booth at the LA Times Festival of Books and end up writing a blog focusing on how to work a book festival so it works for you. This might remind me of a chapter in my upcoming book on public speaking for authors and I might treat you to an excerpt from the new book. Or my mind may wander and I might become pensive and end up writing about listening to your muse, turning thoughts into articles (or stories), changing a negative attitude into a positive one when it comes to book promotion, etc.

Coming up with a blog topic every day (or an article topic on demand, if you are a freelance article writer), is challenging. As some of you know, I started my nearly 40-year-long writing career writing articles for magazines. In fact, I supported myself through article-writing for many years. I still survive through my writing/publishing/consulting business. And part of the reason is that I had the courage to follow my dream—my passion.

My ramblings today, however, are not leading me into a discussion about the writing dream. Let me, instead, give you some ideas for coming up with article/blog/speech topics related to your book.
• Pay attention to what’s going on around you.

• Get out and socialize more, attend events and activities related to the theme of your book/blog.

• Be open to article ideas in every experience or conversation.

• Keep a hot file—when an idea occurs to you, write it down and file it away and refer to it often.

• Read the newsletters and magazines related to your industry or topic. Glean the germs of ideas from the articles, links, comments, events/activities listed, etc.

• Write about what you know as well as what you want to know.

• Eaves drop on the conversations of others.

• Practice creating many articles or blog posts from a single idea.

• Turn questions into blog or article topics.

Follow these few tips and your array and scope of articles and/or blog posts will multiply like unrestrained bunnies.

I have a neat little book designed for article-writers, but it is also a valuable tool for those of you who want to submit short stories for publication. And many of the same principles work for coming up with blog ideas. It’s A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles for Book Promotion or Profit.

Order my brand new book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author for $19.95 (for the rest of April, 2012) and receive a FREE copy of A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles. http://www.matilijapress.com

April 8, 2012

Back Cover Deception

Filed under: Publishing,Writing — Patricia @ 4:38 am

I understand movie ratings—well sort of. But what I wonder is who writes the movie descriptions and why aren’t they regulated?

We watched War Horse last night. Have you seen it? Roger Ebert is reported to have said this movie is “Magnificent! Joyous! And Uplifting! I bought it because of the magnificent horse scenes they showed on the previews and the fact that it was billed as “uplifting.” I was disappointed. I did not walk away from that movie feeling joyous. And it got me to thinking about what goes on the cover of books.

Who writes the back cover copy for books? In many cases it is the author. And I must say that I’ve met quite a few authors who could not accurately or adequately describe their books. I’ve consulted with authors who described their books as “self-help” when they were strictly in essay or memoir form. One told me that her book would help people in a specific category, when there were no helping aspects to the book—only the author’s story.

I’ve had authors tell me that their book is a humorous look at parenting or relationships…when nothing in the book made me laugh or even smile.

Have you ever picked up a book to read because of the back cover copy and discovered that the book was misrepresented? It isn’t always done on purpose—it’s simply a mistake made by some inexperienced, unaware authors who don’t fully understand the concept of their story, the content of their book and how to present it to their readers. Heck, a whole lot of them don’t actually know who their readers are.

Sometimes authors describe their books as a romance or a young adult novel because they’ve heard this is what’s selling. How disappointing for the reader, though, when she picks up the book and finds that there is just one lame romantic scene tucked into an adventure story or when a teacher learns that the young adult novel is not actually written for his middle grade students, after all.

I’ll bet many of you have stories about back cover deception. Want to share them?

In the meantime, in order to avoid making this mistake and others with your publishing project, be sure to read my book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s also for the author who isn’t so enterprising and who doesn’t have a clue about publishing. http://www.matilijapress.com

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