Writing and Publishing News from

Last weekend, I participated in the 23rd San Diego State University Writers Conference as a presenter. I taught three classes related to freelance magazine article writing. There were around 500 attendees and 67 leaders including self-publishing guru, Dan Poynter; award-winning poet and editor of ONTHEBUS, Jack Grapes; publicist, Milton Kahn; Jonathan Eskenas, president of Orly Adelson Productions (a leading television and film production company) as well as numerous literary agents and editors straight from New York publishing houses such as William Morrow, Viking Penguin, John Wiley and Random House. Yes, it was a big deal and it was a well-organized, smoothly-running, extremely rich conference.

Not only were attendees offered choices from over 80 classes throughout the weekend and numerous opportunities to network, they could meet with agents and editors one-on-one and pitch their book manuscripts. I’m sure there were some deals made as a result of these meetings. And there were many other opportunities as well—some that the attending writers and authors didn’t even notice. And this is true at any conference. Next time you attend a writers’ conference get full benefit of the offerings by considering the following:

1: Participate, participate, participate. I am always surprised at the writers who pay the fee and then spend their mornings sleeping in and their evenings touring the city. Get the most out of your conference by showing up at all events. Take advantage of every opportunity because you just never know where, when or from whom that priceless gem of information will come.

2: Purchase pertinent CDs. Some conference organizers arrange for every session to be recorded. This means that if there are eight sessions held every hour, you can receive benefit of five of them, if you wish. Attend one and purchase the other four on CDs.

3: Purchase books by some of the leaders and learn volumes more about their topics. Most conferences run alongside book fairs. Some organizers commission bookstores to come in and sell writing/publishing-related books—including those produced by the lecturers and presenters.

4: Take advantage of the free (or even fee-based) meetings with agents and editors and truly listen to what they say. If they don’t issue you a contract on the spot—if they seem less than thrilled about your manuscript—don’t rush off in a huff or go hide and lick your wounds. Listen carefully. If the editor or agent tells you that you have a good topic, but your manuscript needs professional editing, start looking for a good editor. If they say, “Your characters need more depth,” take a class in character development and read books and articles on the subject. A criticism isn’t necessarily a death sentence for your manuscript. But it could be if you don’t heed good advice.

5: Ask your burning questions. If your question isn’t covered throughout the talk, take advantage of the Q and A session. If there isn’t time or you are overlooked, stop the leader after the lecture and ask if this is a good time to discuss the issue. If not, ask when it would be. Sit at his or her table at lunch, if possible. Ask for his or her business card and, with permission, contact them via email after the conference.

6: Network with attendees as well as leaders. Everyone has had experiences different from yours and some may know of resources that you’re not aware of. Listen and learn. Likewise, share what you have experienced and what you know if you believe it will benefit a fellow writer.

7: Even if you don’t feel that you have “arrived” as a writer or an author, carry business cards and hand them out freely. If you have already been published, carry bookmarks or postcards (nothing larger) representing your book. Hand them out. Leave them in strategic places for others to discover—the restrooms, for example.

8: Talk about your book or your book-in-progress every chance you get. This is not to suggest that you bore everyone at your table throughout the entire networking or lunch time talking about your story. Use common sense and etiquette while taking every opportunity to mention your project. And remember, others will more readily honor your promotional spiel if you’ve paid attention to theirs.

9: Welcome a challenge. If your topic is a little (or a lot) controversial, be prepared for an occasional debate. While at the conference, I observed a rather emotional debate between a Ph.D. with a book featuring how to discipline your children without spanking and a mother of eight who believes in spanking. The result: she stomped back to her seat and he got up and quickly left the room. How unfortunate that the author couldn’t discuss his book without emotion. This was actually a wonderful opportunity for him. This mom’s viewpoint would make a great anecdote for his book. And he could have learned volumes about how to debate the issues. Certainly, he will need this skill when he starts pitching it to publishers and promoting it to readers.

Writers’ conferences provide many lessons, enormous amounts of information and advice that you would normally pay dearly for. You might as well get the most out of those you attend by following these nine suggestions.

To learn more about locating and attending writers’ conferences and to find out how to write the right book for the right audience, order The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book now. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Do you know enough about the publishing industry? Are you aware of your publishing choices and the possible consequences of your decisions? Do you have a platform? Do you even know what that means? Are you familiar with the parts of a book proposal? Are you prepared to promote your book? If you answered “no” to even one of these questions, you aren’t ready to even think about writing a book. In fact, I wrote my book for you. Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and you will experience greater success as a published author. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com

What are your writing/publishing expectations for 2007? Will you finally write that novel, start your freelance writing career, find a publisher for your memoirs, organize the self-help book that’s been nagging to be written or launch a serious promotional plan for the book you produced last year?

Do you envision yourself meeting a long-held writing or publishing goal in 2007? Then start now taking the necessary steps toward your dream. How?

Make a commitment. Promise yourself that you will accomplish your goal no matter what. Of course, it won’t be easy. In fact, you should expect to make some sacrifices.

Devise a plan. Outline the steps necessary to complete a book, find a publisher, sell 5,000 copies of your book or establish yourself as a freelance writer, for example.

Create a schedule. If you write for two hours every weekday and five hours on weekends, you could conceivably finish a book within twelve months time. Make 25 contacts per week and you might get enough freelance work to support you this year or meet your goal of 5,000 copies of your books sold in 2007.

Take action. The last step toward meeting your goal is to follow through and actually take the action necessary to accomplish it.

Let’s say that you want to write a book. What are the logical steps? If you have to ask, you really need to read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. This 312-page book will guide you through the entire process of writing, publishing and promoting your book. The first 60 pages are designed to help you understand the publishing industry—a must, if you want to succeed in this competitive field. You’ll become aware of your publishing choices and the consequences of those choices. You’ll learn how to choose, approach and work with a publisher or an agent; self-publish your book and write a book proposal. This book also covers everything you need to know about distribution, book promotion and so much more. If you buy just one writing/publishing-related book this year, make it The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. You won’t be disappointed. http://matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Over a dozen reviewers have given this book 5-stars. Read the reviews at http://www.matilijapress.com/mediacoverage.html

Maybe you plan to start a freelance writing business this year. If so, let me offer my book, The Successful Writer’s Handbook. You can order it from me or get it free when you join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org. This book offers numerous articles to help you determine the type of freelance writing work you want to do (for businesses and individual clients or writing magazine articles, for example.) This 180-page book is designed to help you find the time to write, write more successful query letters, sell more articles, find more clients, successfully network with other writers, find your writing niche, develop a writers’ Web site, recession-proof your writing business and much more. http://www.matilijapress.com/writershandbookpage.html .

If you dream of supporting yourself or at least supplementing your income though magazine articles, you must read, A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles., by Patricia Fry. I started my writing career writing articles for magazines and supported myself this way for dozens of years. I wrote this book in order to give a leg-up and encouragement to other writers who would like to be more successful in the world of article-writing. http://www.matilijapress.com/writingpage.html

Whatever your writing/publishing goals for 2007, education is key. You cannot expect to shift from creative writing mode into the competitive world of publishing without a shift in awareness. Folks, writing is a craft, but publishing is a business. In order to succeed in publishing, you must have the right information and the appropriate tools.

I started my writing career over 30 years ago writing articles for magazines. I eased into the world of publishing during the 1970s and have since produced 25 books. I’m dedicating the fourth decade of my career to you—hopeful and struggling authors and freelance writers. How? Most of my time these days is spent teaching through my writing/publishing-related books, seminars and workshops presented throughout the U.S. and beyond and the hundreds of articles published in writing/publishing-related magazines, newsletters and Web sites all over the world. My writing/publishing-related articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest Magazine, PMA Independent, SPAN Connection, Freelance Writers Report, Writers Journal, Writers Weekly, Absolute Write, Publishing Basics, Fiction Fix, Forward Motion for Writers, Writing-World, Author-Me, Writing for Dollars, Authorship, Christian Writers Fellowship Newsletter, Byline and others.

Further, I add information and resources to this blog almost weekly. I frequently update the massive articles and resource lists at my Web site http://www.matilijapress.com. And I write the meaty monthly SPAWN Market Update (posted in the member area of the SPAWN Web site). http://www.spawn.org

If you want to succeed in the world of writing and/or publishing in 2007, don’t go it alone. Reach out and grasp the hand that is extended in your direction. Purchase and read my books. Study the articles published on my Web site. Join SPAWN for added camaraderie, information and resources. Attend my workshops and seminars. (Keep up with my schedule at my Web site.) Or contact me to help you complete your project. Plfry620@yahoo.com.

It’s a week before Christmas and I’m ready. I really am ready and I’m still enjoying the preparation process. I’m also staying caught up on my client work, article writing, book promotion and shipping.

If you read my December 6, 2006 blog entry, you know that I tried a new tactic this year in order to create a more joyful holiday experience for myself. And guess what? It is working!! I am doing all of those Christmassy domestic things I used to enjoy, my house looks adorable and festive all lighted and decorated up and I am actually feeling a part of this most joyous season. I’m convinced that my attitude has made the real difference in my experience. But I had to purposefully slow down and smell the pumpkin pie.

I guess I’m not the only writer who has been writing through the holidays instead of participating in the festivities and fun. Several colleagues contacted me after reading that early December blog entry to say that they, too, have been holiday drop-outs. Like me, these writers have come to resent the intrusion of the holidays while also mourning the loss of old traditions. Like me, some of them planned to take a week off from writing this year and immerse themselves in the warmth and wonderment of the season.

You might be happy to know that I accomplished a lot during my week off and that, because of that week spent mostly away from my writing and editing work, I have adopted a greater sense of joy that is carrying me entirely through the Christmas season. Yes, I am a walking/talking, one-woman advertorial for Christmas this year.

This morning I was waiting in line at the downtown post office when the woman behind me started grumbling, “This is the busiest mailing day of the year, so I got here when they opened and here I am standing in line. They really should have more than three clerks—people really do need to be more prepared when they arrive at the post office…Grumble, Grumble.” Do you know what I told her? “You know, the fact that you’re standing in line at this moment might be saving your life. Because you’re here, you may be avoiding a horrific accident that’s happening right where you would be otherwise.”

I say that often while waiting in line with grumblers. Some people will look at me as if I am crazy and sometimes even move to another line or simply leave. Others will think about it for a few moments and then say, “Gosh, I never thought about it that way.” And I can actually see them start to relax a bit.

Sometimes I mention to impatient grumblers that it helps to think of waiting as an opportunity to meet people, to learn something new or to just be quiet and meditate. Of course, many people make waiting an opportunity to complain.

Speaking of complaining, you hear folks say that Christmas is too commercial—that all of the mystery and magic is gone. And I say to these people, “Christmas hasn’t changed as much as your approach to Christmas has changed.”

People say that kids don’t appreciate the simple things about the season. They’re too greedy and want all of these expensive things. And whose fault is that?

Just as you can learn to once again enjoy the magic of Christmases past, you can teach your children to appreciate the sweet and charming things about the holiday. I hope I have helped families to put more joy into their Christmas celebrations through the articles I’ve written over the years on this subject. Here are a few of my ideas:

1: Don’t cave in to your children’s demands for expensive electronic gadgets throughout the year and they won’t have such high expectations during the holidays.

2: Limit TV watching so they aren’t as likely to get caught up in the commercial hype.

3: Arrange for your kids to buy or make gifts of their own to give. One year, I took a 9-year-old neighbor boy shopping at the 99 cent store with a $20 bill and a list of about 11 family members he wanted to buy for. He spent over an hour carefully choosing just the right gift for each member of his family. Back home, we sipped hot cider while wrapping each item. Boy was he proud. He’d never had the experience of giving before. Later, when we talked about his Christmas day, he didn’t even mention what he received. But he shared with delight, stories about his family members’ responses to the gifts he handed out. He told me that day, “This was my best Christmas ever.”

4: Plan quiet moments during your busy holiday weeks. Take your children to see a Christmas pageant, attend a church program, walk along candy cane lane or drive around looking at the decorations in your community. When you return home, gather around the fireplace or the Christmas tree and sip hot chocolate with peppermint sticks and marshmallows to warm up.

5: Invite a few special neighbors in for refreshments. Take turns reading Twas Night Before Christmas or another holiday classic. Or organize a neighborhood caroling stroll.

6: Adopt a less fortunate family for Christmas. Encourage your children to help choose gifts, box up the food and deliver the package.

7: Visit a nursing home with the children and hand out candy canes or homemade holiday cards.

8: Invite someone who will be alone to join your family for Christmas dinner.

9: Take a plate of food to a shut in on Christmas day.

10: Let the kids participate in the tasks related to Christmas preparation. Explain the reason for the various traditions—putting up the nativity scene, for example. As you decorate the tree together, share stories of some of the special ornaments you’ve collected over the years.

11: Recapture some of the old family traditions that make sense and embrace new ones that come of necessity because of divorce and other creative family situations.

12: Make some of your holiday gifts and encourage your children to do the same. Watch for gift ideas throughout the year. Maybe you can learn how to knit or crochet scarves, make living wreaths, do quilting or arrange dried flowers attractively. Help the kids decorate little boxes with seashells, make note cards, make pot holders from rags, cook doggie treats or bake cookies, for example.

13: Keep writing throughout the season even if you are spending your allotted time journaling, writing personalized Christmas cards or Christmas letters. Log your holiday experiences, thoughts and especially your realizations, insights and awarenesses. This material could develop into articles or even a book.

14. And don’t forget to promote your book everywhere you go. Carry at least one copy of your book with you. Show it to the owner of the new gift shop in town. Mention it to someone you meet while waiting in the long line at the post office. Talk about it to the old friend or colleague you run into downtown. Take a stack of books with you to meetings and other gatherings. I placed copies of my local history book with a new tourist store this month and I’ve sold about a dozen copies of my writing books, local history books and my newest book on my adventures in Dubai, just by having them with me when I happen to run into someone.

Will you enjoy the holidays this year? You can approach the many tasks begrudgingly and with resentment. Or you can choose to enjoy every moment of the season. Remember, the joy is not in the day, it is in your heart. And it is up to you to find it and embrace it.

Happy Holidays everyone.

If you are thinking about writing a book or you are at any stage of the process, be sure to consult my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

How do you handle Christmas now that writing is your life? Do you write right through the holidays? Or can you easily tear yourself away from work in order to participate in the season?

I’m celebrating one year of blogging. Last year at this time, my entries related to my struggles, my failings and my few successes with regard to juggling my work and holiday tasks. Each year, I seem to adopt a different approach to Christmas. BFTW (Before Full-Time Writing), I sewed, I knitted and I did needlepoint projects for Christmas giving. I made ornaments for our tree and advent calendars of felt, beads and sequins for all of the children that I knew. I wrote poems and designed my own Christmas cards. I baked. I entertained. And each shopping trip was an event. I loved the holiday season—in fact, you might say that I made love to the holiday season or let it make love to me.

And then I became a serious writer and established a full-time writing, publishing and editorial business. The month of December suddenly shifted from joyful to stressful. How would I get it all done?

Every year, as December approaches I contemplate the challenges of working full-time while doing it all. I fret. I try bargaining for extra time. I’ve attempted all sorts of creative maneuvers in order to find that loving feeling for the holidays once again. It seems that no matter what I do, the whole Christmas season is a blur. I feel deprived either because I don’t get to do everything or because I try to do everything. It is a lose/lose situation for me.

Last year, as you may recall, my strategy was to do something related to Christmas every day during the last few weeks of countdown. And I attempted to focus totally on that task—to be in the moment with that task—because that is the only way you can truly enjoy what you’re doing. This was fairly successful.

This year, however, I’ve become even more brazen. I have taken an entire week off. This IS bold, considering there’s writing work to be done and when I don’t do it, there’s no money coming in to pay for all of that shopping, creating and entertaining I want to do. Sigh.

This is my week off. It’s Wednesday and things are going well. I am enjoying the season. So what am I doing at the keyboard? Well, it’s only 7: a.m. I’m still working in my office during the early morning hours because I have clients to take care of and article ideas that must be jotted down, lest I lose my edge. So far this week, I’ve put up our tree—an artificial one so I don’t have to worry about it drying out by Christmas. I have decorated the house and I’ve started addressing our Christmas cards. Yahoo.

I have most of my shopping done, but will go out one day this week to pick up a few things, but mostly to enjoy the ambiance in the mall.

I’m doing some bead work, which I love. I’m making felt stockings for the two new babies in the family. I’m taking it slow and easy so that each task is enjoyable—so that I’m feeling fulfilled rather than rushed. And I’m getting enough work done in my office each day to quell any random stress/pressure. Life is good.

Today, I’m wrapping gifts. Among the gifts, this year, are copies of my latest book, Adventures in Dubai and a book I published through Matilija Press this year for another author, Johanna’s Journey. I will also give a few copies of a book I edited earlier this year for Gary Spivey, Keys to Heaven.

And once I’ve immersed myself in those Christmas dreams of sleigh bells, sugarplums and Bing Crosby’s Christmas carols, I will resume my writing/editing and promotion work with a joyful heart and many wonderful holiday memories.

What’s on your heart this month? Are you finding ways to enjoy the season while continuing the flow of writing? I’d love to hear how you do this. Plfry620@yahoo.com

Do you need some good books for holiday giving, order Adventures in Dubai (the story of my visit in this fascinating Middle Eastern emirate in May of 2006), Johanna’s Journey (the true story of love and loss. This book also includes my story of inheriting four adult cats and how God orchestrated their purrfect placement), The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (for anyone who is thinking about writing a book or who is in the process of writing a book). http://www.matilijapress.com.com

October is waning fast and the busiest month of the year is on the horizon. Soon we will be facing a new year, new challenges and looking forward to new successes. Have you met all of your 2006 goals or are you scrambling to accomplish everything? Are you prepared to set goals for the new year?

Maybe this year you wanted to write a book, try a new book promotion activity, sell a certain number of books or start a freelance writing business, for example.

Here are some tips for those of you who haven’t accomplished all that you hoped so far this year.

1: Rethink your goals. It’s not too late to alter them. If the pressure to achieve is hampering your performance, revise your goals. Once the pressure is off, you might be surprised at what you will accomplish.

2: Set new goals. It’s possible that your original goals were unrealistic. It’s okay to review and regroup. I review my status and goals every few months and adjust my expectations and my plan accordingly. Let’s say that you are writing a book and you wanted to give it as gifts this Christmas. Yet, you are only half-way finished with the writing and it has taken you eighteen months to reach this point. You have a few choices: Either extend your completion date or step up the amount of time you spend on this project each week.

What can you sacrifice on behalf of this project? Are you using your time wisely? If you really look at your life, you might discover that you could devote ten to 25 more hours per week to the book if you’d only write instead of watching TV, write during your lunch hour at work, stay home rather than going clubbing on Friday nights and put in more writing hours on weekends.

If you really must present this book as gifts this holiday season, you may want to reorganize your life for the next few months. Take a leave from your clubs and organizations, turn down overtime at work, use your accumulation of vacation time in order to write, do your Christmas shopping online and by catalog this year and avoid offering your home for holiday festivities.

3: Be kind to yourself. Often, when we don’t meet our goals, we are disappointed in ourselves. We feel as though we have failed. If you haven’t lived up to your own expectations, don’t beat yourself up. But do reexamine life circumstances and your expectations.

Let’s say that you planned to be earning a living through your freelance writing business by now, but you’re still relying on a wages from a part-time job to keep you financially afloat. You can consider yourself a failure or you can celebrate what you have achieved so far. Maybe last year, you were working full-time earning $40,000/year and you were yearning to earn this much as a freelance writer by now. Why didn’t this happen the way you wanted it to and within your time schedule?

I’d say that the fact that you are managing a part-time freelance writing business by now is an amazing accomplishment. It’s not easy to shift from a good corporate job to an at-home business built on nothing more than your ingenuity, talent, creativity and assertiveness.

In order to turn this part-time business into full-time, you can do one of two things: You can lower your salary standards at least temporarily, take the leap and go into your business full-time. In other words, take off the training wheels. Or you can step up the promotion of your business. Depending on the type of freelance work you’re doing (articles, editing, corporate writing, etc.) it’s probably not realistic to expect to match your former salary at first—or maybe ever.

4: Become more organized. Maybe being more organized was actually one of your yearly goals, but you aren’t accomplishing more and you still feel scattered and disorganized. Here are some tips to help you to at least end the year feeling more together and orderly.

• Make lists. Each evening sit down with your day planner, appointment calendar, job ledger and/or journal and note the tasks that need to be done the next day and throughout the week. Note any looming deadlines, scheduled appointments and pending details that need to be taken care of. I even go so far as to set time goals in the order that I want to achieve these tasks on my nightly list. Amidst my list of appointments, errands, writing projects and so forth, I also schedule time for a walk each day. I find that, if it’s on my written schedule, I will probably do it.
• Clean up your office space. If your area is orderly, you’re more apt to function in a more organized manner. Plus, you’ll be able to find the files you need when you need them.
• Invest in filing cabinets, bins, shelving and other organizing apparatus and use them to stay physically organized. Make a place for everything and keep everything in its place.
• Take on only what you can handle. If you get rattled when you have more than a couple of clients at a time or you have too many articles to write at once, learn to say no. If your publisher’s deadline is interfering with your ability to perform, negotiate a new one. If freelance writing is your dream life, however, you really do need to figure out how to manage the pressure of multi-tasking and numerous and varied projects.
• Handle research like a pro. The process of research is necessary in almost any writing project. Yet, it can be an overwhelming, time-consuming activity which generates volumes and volumes of material. Stay organized during the research process by having a plan:

Schedule time for research or you may get carried away with it and get nothing else accomplished. On a major project, set aside two days a week for research so you don’t burn out or two hours each day, for example. This helps alleviate the tendency to procrastinate, too.

Know what information you need and, unless it is going to enhance your book or article, don’t go outside these parameters.

Create file folders for the information you find. File it separately by subject. If you’re writing a book featuring gifts from the garden, you might separate the research material in folders labeled, edible gifts, decorative gifts, living gifts, gifts to plant and grow and dried plant gifts.

Make sure the information you collect is correct. In the case of a reference, or how-to book, for example, where you are gathering facts and figures, double and triple check everything to make sure you are passing along the correct data to your readers. When I was doing the research for the history of the Ojai Valley (1983 and 1999), I had to search for the same material in several different places numbers of times because of discrepancies. In some cases, I was unable to find a definitive fact and I had to use qualifiers in the book such as, “According to so and so,” or “As far as anyone knows,” etc.

Keep track of where each piece of information came from and the creator’s name. This will help you in case you have to go back in search of additional facts and in case you want to contact the author for an interview, for example. But, also, you will need this information should you decide to use it in your book or article.

Know when to stop the research. It is easy to get carried away in the world of facts, figures and statistics. I spent five years researching for the first edition of The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History. But I was doing the research at the library, in the homes of pioneer descendants and at the museum, for example. And I was doing it part-time while involved in life and living.

• Take time away from work regularly to play, exercise, engage in spiritual pursuits and to enjoy your family and friends. A balanced lifestyle fosters productivity.

If you’re a goal setter or even if you have an informal timeline in the back of your mind, the month of October is a good time to take inventory and, perhaps, to review and regroup. In looking over the work I’ve done so far this year and after examining my accomplishments, I’ve decided two things: I’d like to write another book and I need to get out and play more often. I’ve met my year-end goal already with 2.5 months to spare. I spent most of the year working on workshop and conference presentations and on other people’s books. It looks like it’s time for me to set a new schedule. Maybe I’ll set a goal to continue the work on one of my own books or start a new one before the end of the year. And I think I’ll take some time off during December to enjoy the season.

What’s on your agenda? If it doesn’t make your heart sing and your pocketbook grow, maybe it’s time to review and regroup.

Patricia Fry is the author of 24 books including The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Order your copy NOW at: http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Once upon a time, children sat at grandpa’s knee and listened intently to the wonderful stories that had been creatively told through the generations. Children were also encouraged to tell their own stories. In fact, storytelling was a form of sharing, of communication, of entertainment and education. It was through oral family histories that children learned about their roots. When children know about their ancestors, they feel more connected—they have more of a sense of belonging. And when families share through story, their bonds grow deeper.

I grew up with radio. Families during the 1940s gathered around the RCA or the Motorola for their entertainment and their connection to the world and each other. In the early 1950s, many homes also had TVs. We no longer relied on one another for our entertainment; now we turned to the “set.” But TV programming was not a 24-hour-per-day 300-channel proposition. Families ate dinner together and then assembled around the TV for their favorite evening show.

Today, we have home entertainment centers, computers and other electronic gadgetry designed to separate family members in many creative ways for even longer periods of time. We come home only to go our separate ways in order to experience our individual mode of entertainment. When traveling or even on short errand jaunts, each family member has his own electronic device designed to hold his attention. Mom is talking on her cell phone, sis is text messaging, brother is engrossed in sounds coming from his iPod and Dad is working on his laptop. Where has our need and our opportunity for personal communication gone? What has happened to our human (let alone family) togetherness? Is the lovely art and tradition of storytelling—the activity that once built strong bonds—a thing of the past?

I don’t think so. Although storytelling is fading as an oral tradition in households, it is alive and well among this country’s writers. Sure, establishing family togetherness is a challenge today, but I urge parents and kids to make family time a priority and to use that time to relate, support and share.

There is an enormous upsurge in the number of authors emerging in America today.
Of course, part of the reason that so many more people are writing books is because they can—because technology has made it possible. But many of them are also writing because they have stories to tell—stories of their struggles, stories of their ancestors, stories they’ve made up in their heads. Storytelling is back, baby and in a big way.

Writing is the new storytelling. Since people no longer have the time to sit and listen to our stories, we are writing them down and seeking large audiences. We are disconnecting from people in order to write in solitary. Ironically, it is because we want to be heard. We want to make an impression—to make a difference. We want to touch people emotionally—to make them think, cry and laugh.

Yes, once upon a time, children and adults were treated to stories handed down through the generations and told by a beloved family member. Today, our stories come in book form. Writing is the new storytelling. And being a writer, I certainly support the buying of books. But maybe we should concentrate on sharing these stories. Let’s bring back a greater sense of family and make reading a togetherness activity. How?

• Parents read to your young children and read with your older kids.
• Grandparents, mentors, teachers and others, buy the children on your gift list interactive books and books with messages or educational themes. Take time to explore the books together.
• Start a book discussion group through your church, office, neighborhood or family, for example. Have everyone read good, controversial or thought-provoking books and then meet to discuss them.
• Act out a book. Bring readers together for an evening of fun reenacting a story theater style. Or have everyone come to a dinner party masquerading as a character from your book-of-the-month.
• Launch a mother-daughter, father-son or couples book discussion group.
• Form a club for readers. Invite authors to speak to the group once a month or so.
• Set up a circulating library related to your interests. Pool books with others who have the same reading, hobby or work interest. This could be a fiction library or a reference book library for folks who are interested in writing/publishing, crafts, gardening, marketing/promotion, mechanics, woodworking, photography or raising Abyssinian cats, for example.
• Challenge every family member to read a book each week and then have an informal gathering during which each reader must report on the book. Encourage creativity. This might be a good extended family activity.
• Volunteer as a family to read to kids in a homeless shelter or take books to a shelter and encourage the parents to read to their children.
• Likewise, read to a shut-in neighbor or someone who resides in a nursing home. Even older folks like to hear a good story.

While I am a strong advocate of the written word and I love it when people buy and read my books, I also believe deeply in the importance of togetherness. Use some of the ideas above to come up with creative ideas of your own to encourage and to initiate methods of using books and reading to connect with others. Reach out. Draw people in. The old tradition of storytelling may be lost in many families, but let writing be your new storytelling tradition. Use books to come back together in a meaningful way.

If you are planning to write a book or you are in the process of writing a book, you really should read my latest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. I sat at a book festival yesterday among several authors who had purchased and read this book and who found it to be extremely valuable in their understanding of the publishing industry and the options available to them. Most said they only wish they had read this book earlier in the process of producing their books. They are convinced that they would not have made some rather expensive mistakes, had they studied this book first. Other authors say this book has been a huge help in their promotional efforts and in setting up distribution and so forth.

Order your copy at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I love reading a writing-related newsletter or visiting a publishing Web site and seeing my own face smiling at me. This means that either The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book has been reviewed again or one of my articles has been published. I smile back and think, Ka Ching.

When I get a chance to talk to authors, I often ask them why they write. I challenge them to explore their motivation for writing a particular book and wanting to go public with it. Sometimes our deep down reasons surprise us. Sometimes we don’t fully understand or appreciate our reasoning until the book is published. A book that you first envisioned being a self-help book for others may, indeed, become a healing experience for you. An author’s desire to share her story with a few, might develop into the need to create a charity organization to help many.

I wrote my first few writing-related books because I knew that I had something valuable to share, but I also wanted to further establish my credibility in my field. Besides, writing is my passion, my livelihood and my future—hopefully, it will continue to support me in my retirement. (Do writers ever retire?)

I’ve since written 8 writing/publishing-related books and about 400 articles. I still like receiving profits. I love having a project to work on. But I have discovered that I also love, love, love knowing that what I write is making a difference for other authors. Guiding hopeful authors and keeping them from making heartbreaking and expensive mistakes has become as important to me as the profits and royalties that keep the roof over my head. And I like hearing from authors who are reading what I write.

Friday, alone, I received two emails from soon-to-be authors telling me what a blessing and a help my books have been to them. One of them said, “You are giving a great gift with your information and experience.”

And then I opened an email containing the September edition of Publishing Basics Newsletter and there, alongside Peter Bowerman, Fern Reiss and Brian Judd, was my picture and my article, Market Your Book Before it’s a Book. If you want to read it, go to http://www.publishingbasics.com Click on my name (in the middle of the page). I have already received three positive comments from folks who read that article.

I have two questions for you this week: Why do you write? Why did you decide to write the book you are currently working on?

If you are writing a book, you have already written your first book or you are just thinking about writing a book, please do yourself a favor and purchase The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. This is the most complete guide to authorship that you will find anywhere. And this book comes with a limited amount of personal help. When you purchase this book (or any of my other titles) and, after reading it, you have specific questions, I invite you to email me and I will respond.

Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book today. It encompasses 312 pages, costs $19.95 and it is for any hopeful or struggling author whether you want to self-publish (establish your own publishing company), land a traditional royalty publisher or go with a fee-based POD publishing service. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

What profession seems fluid; is ever-changing and completely unpredictable? My answer is: a writing career.

I’ve been in this business since around 11: a.m. one sunny October day in 1973. Or maybe it was a cool December day. I don’t actually recall. But I do remember that it was in 1973 when I borrowed a portable manual typewriter, set it on a small table in a corner of my bedroom and began the writing career I’d been dreaming about since my children were small. Now they were teenagers. It was my turn to shine and I would shine through the written word. Well, at least I would try to generate a few bucks while doing something I absolutely adored—writing.

Fast forward to this too warm August day in 2006. I’m sitting in my office (my writing room), in front of a computer still writing and still enjoying the heck out of it. Not only that, I’ve built a career out of my love for writing—a career that has changed shape and form over the last 33 years. Yes, a lot has changed technologically and my business model has also changed. In fact, looking back, I can see that my way of approaching my business has changed often over time. I changed to accommodate clients. I changed when it was obvious that the old model—the old way of doing things—was obsolete. I adjusted to change when the universe seemed to be taking my business in a different direction. I did this sometimes willingly, but many times I resisted with all of my might. Change came slower when I resisted, but change occurred nonetheless.

I changed with time, too. I wrote from the heart of a 30-something-year-old when I entered into the writing field. Today, my heart is 60-something and so are my thoughts and my ideas. I believe that I write with more wisdom and evidence of experience.

I’ve always tried to maintain a good balance between writing and other creative activities, between the sedentary and the physical, between work and play and in the type of writing that I do. I’ve attempted to work mainly on positive topics and those that will help some segment of society. I write uplifting, encouraging, optimistic articles and books mostly with a self-help or how-to focus. And this is true whether I’m writing within the realm of business, parenting, family, writing, publishing, spirituality, personal development, relationships or pet care and whether I’m writing about youth mentoring, grandparenting, presenting a luau, producing a book, using intuition, strengthening your faith, raising emotionally healthy children or how to rescue a feral cat. I guess you could say that my hallmark work is based in hope and support. Over the years, I’ve become a teacher.

In 1973, I was writing about horses. I soon turned to local history as a subject and became the first (and only) person ever to write a comprehensive history of the Ojai Valley. I was also a pioneer in self-publishing, having established my publishing company, Matilija Press, in 1983. Throughout the 80s, I concentrated on establishing myself as an article writer and I managed to affiliate myself closely with several magazines (most of which folded in the early 1990s). During this period, I branched out and began writing about every subject imaginable. I was honing my research skills and this was way before I (or anyone else I knew) was hooked up to the Internet.

The late 90s introduced me to computers and the Internet and I figured out how to actually earn a living as a writer. I started adding more books to my collection of titles and I was doing it two at a time. I began going out and speaking to other writers and authors on a regular basis. I was also promoting the Ojai book through speaking gigs.

The year 2000 marks another milestone for my career and another dimension. I added more books to my collection and I expanded my visibility. What happened next wasn’t planned. I finally started saying, “Yes,” when asked to work with other writers and authors on their projects. I’d been avoiding this opportunity for years. Oh, I helped people, but I gave them my time and benefit of my experience. I presented a few workshops for a fee and that worked out well. But I was reluctant to charge people to edit their work or help them develop a book proposal.

That, too, has changed. I have worked quite successfully with dozens of clients throughout this decade and I’ve enjoyed the process. I am also expanding my scope and focus when it comes to presenting workshops and speaking nationwide. And, as most of you know, I was offered the opportunity to give a keynote speech before 800 Toastmasters in Dubai in May of 2006. I’m thankful that I had the confidence to accept that most unusual invitation.

I’ve recently become familiar with giving PowerPoint presentations. This is another opportunity that sort of snuck up on me—something I needed to learn, but was reluctant until it became crystal clear that the time was right.

What’s next? What changes do I contemplate? Do I see anything new on the horizon? Actually, there is something new—next month, my publishing company, Matilija Press, will come out with our first book by another author. I’ve agreed to publish a memoir/a true love story by Rick McGrath. The book is called Johanna’s Journey, A True Story of Love, Loss and Faith. I’ll announce its arrival around the middle of September.

In the meantime, if this is the year that you are going to finally write that book that has been rolling around inside you for years, or you have recently come up with a great idea for a book, you must read my book first. The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book will tell you everything you really do need to know about the changing publishing industry and how to conform to the new parameters; how to locate, choose, approach and work with a traditional royalty publisher; how to write a complete and successful book proposal; how to self-publish, how to establish your platform; book promotion and so much more. Order this book today at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html If you need help with your book proposal or you want someone to look over your manuscript before you send it to a publisher, contact me at http://www.matilijapress.com