Writing and Publishing News from

January 15, 2009

The Author’s Repair Kit–a One-of-a-Kind Tool for Failing Books

Filed under: Announcements,Book Promotion — Patricia @ 6:22 am

Is there anyone out there who is struggling to promote a book? Are book sales sluggish? Are you running out of energy and interest in promoting your book? Is it, perhaps, time to re-evaluate your project and change your tactics?

I have a tool that might help you to jumpstart book sales in 2009. And I’m offering it FREE to the first 6 authors to contact me by Monday, January 19, 2009 at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

What is it that I am offering? It’s my ebook, The Author’s Repair Kit.
The Author’s Repair Kit is designed to give your faltering or failing book a swift kick in the pants. It shows you how to heal your publishing mistakes. It helps you to breathe new life into your book. What’s the secret? Patricia Fry’s one and only post-publication book proposal process. Study this 27-page ebook, apply the suggested tips and techniques and just watch your book sales soar.

For those of you who don’t contact me in time to receive this ebook for free, it is only $5.95 at my website: http://www.matilijapress.com/author_repairkit.html

News Flash
My newest book, Catscapades: Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats, should be available for sale next week, according to my webmaster. Watch for the big announcement. Just wait until you see the cover we designed using our cat, Winfield’s glamour photo. It’s yummy.

Your Promotional Brochure
How often do you evaluate and change your promotional brochure? That’s my project today—making some changes to my brochure. I use my brochure to introduce myself, my services and my books. I include contact information, ordering information, testimonials for some of my books and comments from former students. I’m going to change it today to include my two latest books—Catscapades and The Author’s Repair Kit. I must also change some of the specs. My brochure indicates that I’m the author of 27 books; that has to be changed to 29 books.

January is a good time to update your business card and your promotional brochure. This should also be done anytime something changes—you add a service or product, you discontinue a service or product, you get a really great testimonial or you are running low on promotional material and need to reprint.

Don’t allow January to just roll on by. Take advantage of this month of new beginnings and put your promotional arsenal in order.

Remember, if you need help promoting your book, be among the first 6 people to contact me and request the Author’s Repair Kit ebook. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

November 4, 2008

Patricia Fry’s Online Courses Starting Now for Writers and Authors

Filed under: Announcements — Patricia @ 11:04 am

I have 3 new online courses starting within the next few days. This would be an excellent time to join in. Sign up today for one or more of the following courses:

• Self-Publishing Workshop (8 weeks, $160)—Starts November 5, 2008
• Article-Writing Course (6-weeks, $125)—Starts November 6, 2008
• Book Promotion Workshop (6 weeks, $200)—Starts November 10, 2008

Learn more and sign up at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Sign up today. Your credit card will not be charged until the day of the first class.

September 7, 2008

Borders Finally Pays Up

Filed under: Announcements,Book Promotion — Patricia @ 6:28 am

Well, hopefully you will all be happy to know that Borders finally paid me. I waited impatiently for 153 days for payment of $371.07. That’s 5 months or 22 weeks. And it seems quite ridiculous that I had to wait that long for payment&#8212in fact, scandalous, don’t you think?

For those of you who don’t remember, I did a book signing at a Borders in Nashville on March 31 of this year. I had sent 25 copies of my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, ahead to the store and several copies had been sold before I arrived for the signing. That night, around 20 – 30 people showed up and we sold several more copies. The store manager asked if I had any additional books to leave with him. I had 6 left from a workshop in Atlanta and he took them all. I sent an invoice for 31 books April 6. That’s when the “fun” began.

After dozens of calls and emails, letters and faxes; after being, many times, completely ignored; after raising my voice in frustration; after many promises and obvious lies, finally, yesterday, I received payment.

Folks, I’d like to issue you a warning about doing business with Borders. No one seemed willing to explain to me what happened. I don’t know if the store manager was at fault or if he was a victim of policies from headquarters. Since I don’t know, I have to warn you against doing any kind of significant business with Borders. If you are seeking a place to do a book signing, consider Barnes and Noble, a library, a church, a board room at a local company, someone’s home, a friendly little independent bookstore&#8212anyplace other than a Borders. I suspect that they are having some financial problems. Or are they just disorganized? Either way, you don’t want to be caught in the middle of their problems when your money is at stake.

Google Alerts
Do you subscribe to Google Alerts? If you are promoting a book, this is an excellent way to keep your finger on the pulse of your particular industry. Go to
http://www.google.com/alerts

Use key words related to your book topic or genre and news of related stories and blogs will come to your email box daily. This is a good way to find out about bloggers who are reviewing books like yours, interviewing authors or other experts and discussing issues you write about. It’s a good way to learn more about what’s going on in your genre or topic and to find ways to get involved, thus to promote your book to wider audiences.

Just yesterday, my Google Alerts notified me of 3 blog sites where they interview authors. I contacted all of them about interviewing me. I responded to one set of interview questions already. I’ll let you know when and where it is posted.

My Speech for the WOW Writers’ Conference in Phoenix
I’m down to note cards for my Phoenix Wizards of Words speech. That means that I have a pretty good handle on the speech and can start practicing it using note cards instead of the entire written speech. I don’t know how you rehearse speeches and presentations, but I rehearse while walking every day. I also go over the speech in my head before I go to sleep at night. I don’t like canned speeches. But I do like to be quite familiar with the topics I want to cover, the order of the presentation and the points I want to make. Thus, my goal is to become so familiar with the material that I can present it in a natural, off-the-cuff way.

To learn more about the WOW conference in Phoenix, go to http://www.wizardsofwords.org/2008schedule.mht
The dates are October 10-12, 2008. I speak on Saturday, October 11.

October 15, I’ll be speaking at the Prescott Public Library in Prescott, AZ at 7 p.m.

Questions? Comments? Leave them here or contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com

August 25, 2008

Patricia Fry Teaching Courses for Writers/Authors

Filed under: Announcements — Patricia @ 8:40 am

Have you ever taken an online course? I teach 4 courses now—on demand and online. This means that you can sign up at any time for the course of your choice and I’ll present the course to you over 6 (or 8) consecutive weeks.

Here’s how it works: I prepare a lecture and an assignment for you each week and send it to you via email. I encourage you to do the assignment and return it to me for comments. I email each student individually, so no one knows what the other students are doing. It’s like hiring me as a personal writing/publishing tutor/mentor, but for less than you would pay for my professional services.

I’m currently offering the following courses:

How to Write and Sell Magazine Articles. This is a good course for anyone who wants to earn money writing articles or who wants to learn how to promote his or her book through magazine articles. The freelance writing business is as competitive as the publishing business and it’s important that you know how to break in. 6 weeks, $125. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

Self-Publishing Workshop. I’ll walk you through the steps to self-publishing. At the end of the course, you should have your own publishing company up and running. 8 weeks, $160. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_selfpub.htm

Book Promotion Workshop. If you have a book to promote, but you haven’t, yet, established the discipline and organization needed to successfully promote your book, this course might help. It’s intensive and demanding, and you will sell books! 6 weeks, $200. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

Write a Successful Book Proposal. Every author needs a book proposal. Let me successfully walk you through the often intimidating process of writing one. 8 weeks, $200. The next class starts September 15. Sign up this week (August 25-29, 2008) and I’ll give you the course for $180. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

To learn more about Patricia Fry, go to: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Click on “How does an online course work,” for additional information. And if you have any questions, contact me here: PLFry620@yahoo.com

August 5, 2008

First Comes the Book Cover?

Filed under: Announcements,Publishing — Patricia @ 9:10 am

Design the book cover first? It’s an interesting concept, but one that isn’t all that foreign to some of the more artistic writers. Some authors actually design their book covers before they start writing the book&#8212or, at least, before they get too far into the writing.

Why? The book cover becomes something tangible to inspire them and encourage them to continue. Looking at a cover design, from time to time, helps an author to focus on her book and to believe more heartily in her dream. The design might be a crude drawing, a cut and paste effort, a photograph with the title sprawled across the top and bottom or a professional painting. The cover can be book size and folded to fit an actual book or blown up to poster size. And it can be tentative&#8212something completely different than the ultimate cover design. It doesn’t matter. The point is to create a visual that helps to make your dream seem more real&#8212more obtainable.

Some authors create a mock up of their entire book idea before even writing the book. They bind (usually saddle-stitch or comb binding) their book outline along with the table of contents, illustrations, graphs, charts, etc. As the book progresses and takes shape, they might reprint the pages and update their model.

I know someone who keeps a large binder related to her book. Every idea, editor’s comment, critique, rough draft and illustration or photograph related to her project goes into this binder. It is her reference guide, her reality check and her confidence booster.

If you have a book in mind that is counter to the norm&#8212a four by five chunky book rather than one that’s 8.5 by 5.5, for example, it helps to actually see and hold a replica to make sure this will work. Maybe you want to produce an oversized hardcover book for children, before putting up the money, create one.

If you aren’t particularly artistic, ask a friend or relative to design a tentative cover. Put this and your book pages on a CD and take it to a business center to have one or more copies printed and bound.

One author I know pastes pages from her books on her office walls as she designs them. Not only does she love being surrounded by her creations, she feels she can more readily scrutinize the pages and maybe catch something she wouldn’t see otherwise. It is a good idea to look at your text, illustrations and cover from different distances and perspectives.

We all have a vision when we begin to work on a book project. Why not bring that vision to life in some tangible form to inspire you as you continue to work toward your publishing dreams?

For more about designing your cover, read pages 202-204 in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

NEWS FLASH – Discount
Remember, I’m offering my on-demand, online courses this week at a discount. Sign up this week: August 4 through August 10 (2008) and get any one of my four online courses at a 15% discount. That would be just over $100 for the Book Proposal Course and the Article-Writing Course, $136 for the Self-Publishing Workshop and $170 for the BRAND NEW 6-week Book Promotion Course. (The discount will be initiated at the time your card is manually charged (or, of course, you can send a check). You will receive a receipt.)

You decide when to start. A lecture and assignment will be emailed on that day of each consecutive week throughout the 6 or 8 week course. You will also receive personalized feedback and support from course leader, Patricia Fry.
Check out the courses and be sure to click on “How does an online class work?”
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com with questions.

August 4, 2008

Writing a Book Can Forever Change Your Life

Filed under: Announcements,Writing — Patricia @ 7:39 am

“Writing a book can forever change your life.” A writer friend expressed this observation in an email I received from her over the weekend. It really struck me. I wrote it down, circled it, highlighted it and thought about it many times throughout the day.

How profound, I thought. How absolutely true. And how dare I or anyone else discourage someone from writing his or her story just because they aren’t willing to follow publishing protocol? Yet, isn’t that what we do when we begin our rhetoric on the right way to write and publish our books? And, oh yes, let’s don’t forget how we teach and preach that every author MUST gear up for the enormous job of marketing.

What we, as professionals, forget sometimes is that not everyone wants to become big time published authors, nor are all writers cut out for it. Some writers just want to tell their stories, entice a few readers and give a copy to their beloved community libraries.

For some writers, being encouraged to enter the hugely competitive publishing industry, when they only want to write for the joy of it, is like forcing a baby to drive a car or take up skiing. A writer, whose desire doesn’t go beyond simply holding his book in his hands, may not have any interest in or any business trying to build a brand. He just wants to write and be acknowledged for his work by members of his writing group, family and friends. Maybe he doesn’t aspire to experience fame and fortune and he shouldn’t be encouraged or forced to.

It’s a strange concept for me (an author who is driven) to comprehend, but there are writers who are content just writing for themselves. And this is okay. Sometimes I wish this were me. But I’m still carving out a living through my writing and editorial work, so writing purely for the pleasure of it is still foreign to me. Thankfully, though, I adore what I am doing. I absolutely love the process of writing (couldn’t survive without it). I thoroughly enjoy teaching, coaching and mentoring other aspiring writers. And it’s hard for me to remember that not everyone has my level of ambition. So when I’m reminded to take a look around and consider the variety of writers with their variety of motivations, I appreciate the opportunity.

The fact is that not every book is destined for bestsellerdom. Nor is every author interested in being groomed for the big time. And it is important for teachers, coaches and mentors to allow authors the freedom to create the book and the publishing environment they desire.

I must train myself to ask every potential client who comes to me and every individual who asks for my advice or information, “What are your goals with this book?” “What is your purpose for this book?”

Actually, I prompt authors to ask themselves these questions, but maybe I need to listen to their answers, as well, before I start nudging them into a situation they don’t want and can’t handle.

I certainly spell it out in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, I say that, “Publishing is NOT for everyone.” Even those who want to hold their finished book in their hands, may want nothing beyond that. And why should this author be deprived of (discouraged from) living his dream? What is writing, after all, but therapeutic/cathartic, liberating, healing and/or energizing? Writing can touch one at the soul level. It’s a creative outlet and it is an absolute necessity for some of us.

Yes, writing a book can be forever life-changing in any number of important ways and every author must be allowed and encouraged to take the steps necessary toward his or her specific goal. If the pure joy of accomplishment and the opportunity to share with just a few people are your goals, then you would take one publishing path. But if you truly want to experience bestselling status or you envision sharing your message with many thousands of people, you must take a more seriously professional path in order to meet your goals.

NEWS FLASH – Discount
I’m offering my on-demand, online courses this month at a discount. Sign up this week: August 4 through August 10 (2008) and get any one of my four online courses at a 15% discount. That would be just over $100 for the Book Proposal Course and the Article-Writing Course, $136 for the Self-Publishing Workshop and $170 for the BRAND NEW 6-week Book Promotion Course. (The discount will be initiated at the time your card is manually charged (or, of course, you can send a check). You will receive a receipt.)

Check out the courses and be sure to click on “How does an online class work?” http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com with questions.

July 2, 2008

Come Hear Me Speak in Ventura AND Book Marketing Tip of the Week

Filed under: Announcements,Publishing — Patricia @ 10:10 am

I’m Speaking in Ventura
I’ll be speaking and autographing books at the 4th Annual West Coast Author Premiere, Saturday, July 12, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 450 East Harbor Boulevard (between the pier and the fair grounds) in Ventura, California. The author signing will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Santa Cruz Room.

I’m speaking at 1:30 in the Santa Rosa Room (Crowne Plaza Hotel). You’ve been reading what I have to say about publishing for several years now. Come and hear me talk about publishing. Here’s your chance to ask questions.

My Interview with IPNE
Yesterday, I spent an hour on a conference call with folks from the Independent Publishers Group of New England (IPNE). They interviewed me with regard to my ebook, The Author’s Repair Kit. http://www.matilijapress.com/author_repairkit.html

I think that everyone enjoyed chatting about how to revive a stalled or struggling book, which is the focus of The Author’s Repair Kit.

Tip of the Week
And here’s your tip for the week. When is the last time you visited other blogs on your book’s topic or genre? I recommend that you locate blogs related to your topic/genre by doing an internet search. Or use http://www.blogsrater.com or http://www.technorati.com to locate appropriate blog sites.

Read some of the entries to see what others are doing, saying, thinking. Do they have competing books? How are they marketing them? What resources are they listing? Leave comments.

Be sure to mention your book. People who visit blog sites related to your book’s topic or genre are obviously interested in books like yours.

Contact the blogger and ask if he or she will review your book or interview you for their blog site. Perhaps he or she will invite you to be a guest blogger.

When You Ask For Promotional Ideas
People ask me all the time for promotional ideas and then, for a variety of reasons, they sometimes poo poo those I suggest. Step outside your comfort zone, if necessary, and consider some of those ideas that may seem foreign to you or that sound like too much trouble.

Take responsibility. You brought this book into the world. And you have only yourself to blame if it fails. If your book is faltering, figure out why that is. Is it because you targeted the wrong audience? If so, start promoting to the appropriate audience. Did you rush into producing this book without understanding much about the publishing industry and the market? Study up now. Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Once you have a better idea about the world of publishing and your responsibility within it, you may be able to save your faltering book. Wouldn’t it be nice to actually discover your target audience, learn how to promote your particular book and make a little money in the process?

Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html Hundreds of authors have read this book and consider it a valuable tool in their attempt to successfully navigate the world of publishing.

FREE OFFER!! If you’re working on a book, let me evaluate it for FREE before you start showing it around to publishers or agents and before you self-publish. Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

June 30, 2008

New Article-Writing Course Starts TODAY

Filed under: Announcements,Writing — Patricia @ 8:41 am

I teach 4 courses online and on-demand. When a few people sign up for one of my courses, I will try to get others involved at the same time.

Currently, I am teaching the Article-Writing Course. The first class lecture and assignment went out this morning. Subsequent lessons will be sent via email each Monday morning through August 4, 2008. (This is a 6-week course.)

I’m offering those of you who read my blog, the opportunity for a late sign-up. You can sign up as late as Wednesday, July 9, 2008 and still benefit from the course. All lessons will be forwarded to you and you will still have the opportunity to complete the assignments and receive feedback from me.

The Article-Writing Course is for anyone who wants to establish a career as a freelance article writer as well as those of you who want to promote your book through articles. Writing for magazines can be lucrative. (I supported myself through article-writing for 20 years.) And it is an excellent way to get exposure for your nonfiction books.

If you write novels, you’ll want to promote them through short stories published in the magazines and newsletters your audience would likely read.

In order to succeed in the freelance magazine writing business, however, you really need to develop the skills and adhere to the techniques and policies specific to the profession and this is what I teach in my 6-week course.

Learn more at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

Sign up today and begin adding to your income or start selling more books before summer’s end.

What other online courses do I teach? A Book Promotion Course, Self-Publishing and a course on How to Write a Book Proposal. Check these courses out at http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com

June 6, 2008

What’s New at Patricia Fry’s Blog Site?

Filed under: Announcements — Patricia @ 7:41 am

Things have changed just a bit at Patricia Fry’s blog site: Writing and Publishing News. You can now leave comments and you don’t need a special password. All you have to do, when you want to comment on one of our blog entries, is to click on “comments;” type in your name, email address and your comment and then answer a simple question (at the bottom of the comments page). Why the question?

If you have email, you know what spam is. You probably delete lots of it every week or even daily (like I do). Blogs collect spam, too. In fact, spam can be a horrendously annoying problem. It can clog your blog site, use up your valuable time and serve no good purpose, at all.

My brilliant webmaster, Virginia Lawrence, at Cognitext, worked on my website this week and made the changes necessary for us to allow comments. So take advantage of this opportunity. Join in and let us know what you think about my topics. Add to my resource lists. Give us benefit of your knowledge and experiences. As always, I’d like to hear from you.

And be sure to visit our bookstore at http://www.matilijapress.com. We have several books for writers and authors. Plus, this is the only place where you can get a copy of the out of print book, The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History.

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