Writing and Publishing News from

December 7, 2012

Book Promotion Round-up

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 5:18 am

Once you have a website up, you are blogging regularly and promoting your blog far and wide, you have started sending out review copies and you’re doing a few speaking engagements and book festivals, it’s time to add to your agenda.

Along the promotional path, you have probably become aware of a few ideas that worked for you and your book or you’ve heard about some activities you want to try. After having established a bit of a comfort zone with book promotion, it is time to start expanding.

Do more of what you are already doing, of course, but add things such as contributing to newsletters in your topic/genre. Do a blog tour. Comment at other related blogs. Bring in name people connected to your field/genre to post at your blog—guest bloggers. Seek out bookstores and other outlets in your area and while you travel and offer your books on consignment. Arrange for local radio interviews and submit articles in regional magazines to bring attention to your book at these locations. Start your own newsletter.

Does it sound like you are free to go back to your job or writing once your book is a book? Not if you want to sell copies of your book. Follow this guide and sell maybe 200 to 1,000 or more copies of your book, depending on the nature of it and the scope of your audience. Or go back to work—and many an author can confirm this—do nothing more than get one write-up in the local newspaper after your book comes out and you will sell maybe as many as 10 copies.

You do the math. You make the decision. Are you ready to take on the huge, time-consuming, energy-draining responsibility and commitment of producing a book? If not, I’d say keep working, save your money and hold off publishing until you are financially and physically ready.

In the meantime, I keep writing books that include my knowledge and expertise after 40 years in the business and including advice and anecdotes from many other professionals.

For a greater understanding of the publishing industry and how to successfully navigate it, read Publish Your Book.

If you are ready to start planning your marketing strategy, order a copy of Promote Your Book.

If you realize you should be out there talking about your book, but you lack confidence and knowledge about how to get started, how to write a speech, how to rehearse and deliver one, how to handle visitors to your book festival booth, how to become a workshop leader at appropriate conference and more, read Talk Up Your Book.

All available at amazon and most other online and downtown bookstores. Also order them here:
http://www.matilijapress.com

December 6, 2012

Personality Sells Books

Filed under: Book Promotion,Public Speaking — Patricia @ 6:04 am

I’m going to say it (write it) again, personality sells books. More than ever, readers want a relationship with their authors. We are exposed to books for sale everywhere we go, online, a variety of specialty stores downtown and in the emails we receive. There’s a lot of competition for authors. Those of you with published books have discovered this already. Those still working on books will soon find it out. So how do you entice people to buy your book instead of the others? What moves readers to purchase books? In some cases, the author. By this, I mean the author’s presence.

Think about the books you’ve bought most recently. What caused you to buy them? I bought one last night because an author I know whose mysteries I enjoy reading sent me an email telling me about her new mystery coming out in a few weeks. I ordered the ebook for my Kindle. My most recent book purchase before that was at an author event. I bought a book from an author I met there. I listened to her speak, liked hearing her story, liked her and was intrigued by the topic of her book.

I often meet hopeful authors who tell me that they aren’t comfortable going out and talking to the public. They don’t want to do public speaking or give workshops. They’d rather do their book promotion using the Internet. Sure there are many ways to bring attention to your book from the confines of your home office. But you’ll sell more copies if you get out and meet your audience. Speak at a local Kiwanis club meeting and you’ll sell five or a dozen copies of your book that you wouldn’t have sold if you’d stayed home. Speak to your specific audience at a conference and sell even more copies. Give workshops related to the theme of your nonfiction book and require that students purchase your book. Rent a booth at local book festivals and flea markets and meet members of your audience.

Yes, if you have a book of interest to the audience you are facing, you will sell books on the spot. But your effort will have an even greater effect on book sales for this and future books. Think about it—you may have sold books to 10 percent of audience members at an event, but the other 90 percent now know also about you, right? Some of them will buy your book later. They may tell others about you and your book.

Not only that, the publicity leading up to and after the event will put your name and the title of your book before hundreds (or thousands) more people. And exposure is worth volumes when it comes to selling books in this competitive publishing climate.

If you plan to go out and speak, attend book festivals, do podcasts/webinars, conduct workshops at appropriate conferences and so forth, I recommend that you read my latest book. I wrote it just for you. It’s Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Books Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.

I also wrote this book for those of you who are uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience, who don’t know how to go about locating or setting up presentation opportunities, who would like help writing and effectively presenting a speech or workshop or participating in a successful book festival experience. If you are hesitant to even think about going public, you really need to read this book. Yes, it provides some great suggestions and tips for you, too—from some other authors who were once in your shoes.

Order this one-of-a-kind book, Talk Up Your Book at Amazon.com and other online and downtown booksellers. Or order it from my own website: http://www.matilijapress.com

Kindle version coming soon.

Either purchase this book from me or forward your order from Amazon, etc. showing that you purchased it and I will send you a FREE copy of your choice of books (below) as a gift. (US addresses only.) PLFry620@yahoo.com

“75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book”
“Creative Grandparenting Across the Miles”
“A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles”
“Quest For Truth”

Send your proof of purchase and book request here: PLFry620@yahoo.com
Offer expires December 31, 2012

December 5, 2012

Give Your Book Away

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 4:14 am

A good number of those first few boxes of books you order from your printer or publisher will be give aways. You’ll give copies to contributors to the book, your editor and key players in your industry or genre, for example. These are people who might talk up your book and recommend it to others. In fact, after giving them a copy of the book, send emails or give a call occasionally to ask if they have read the book and what they think about it. Urge them to write a review and post it at appropriate sites. Ask them to promote it to their colleagues, in their newsletters, at their blogs, etc.

Send books to appropriate reviewers. This might be book review editors for industry or genre magazines and newsletters, colleagues and professionals in your field or genre and/or some of the many online book reviewers.

Newsflash, you do not have to pay for reviews. Magazine/ezine book reviewers do not charge for book reviews, in fact sometimes they pay for book reviews from outside contributors. There are dozens—maybe hundreds—of online book reviewers that do not charge. Here are a few book review directories:

http://acqweb.org/bookrev.html
http://dir.yahoo.com/arts/humanities/literature/reviews
http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/free-book-reviews.html
(These are just a scant sampling of the resources and information you will find in my book, “Promote Your Book.”

When someone writes a review or makes positive comments about your book, always, always ask them if they would post the review/comments at the book’s Amazon page.

You can also research other books like yours at Amazon. Find out who is reviewing them? Contact some of those reviewers and ask if they would review your book.

Some reviewers prefer to receive an electronic version of your book. Others will insist on a print copy.

Along with the task of contacting people to review your book, be sure to send notices to everyone on the gigantic email list you have been building. Tell them about your book. List the benefits to potential readers and supply ordering information.

Order your copy of Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. It’s available at amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. Also at http://www.matilijapress.com

December 4, 2012

Be Prepared to Sell Books Out of the Chute

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 5:52 am

You’ve made an educated decision—you had your book manuscript edited by an experienced book editor. You followed the editor’s instructions and suggestions for tightening your writing, rewriting muddy sentences, creating better transitions, etc. You have studied your publishing options and you’ve researched each one so you know you are making the right publishing decision for you and for your particular book. You are ready to move forward.

Now if you can’t relate to the first paragraph, let me back up a bit. You should know that, in publishing there are apples and there are oranges. A few grapefruit and lemons are tossed in as well. The policy manual and values of one company doesn’t necessarily reflect the policies and values of all. Choosing a publisher can be as personal as—well choosing a hairdresser or a best friend. You must do your homework and part of that homework is studying, not just the first publisher or pay-to-publish company that contacts you with a contract, but studying the publishing industry and all of your options. Become aware of the dangers. Find out who are the good guys and who have shaky reputations. And this is not something you can do on your own. Read books by professionals in the industry—including Mark Levine’s “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.” Learn to do your own research in order to discover if Company A is upstanding or if there have been many complaints lodged against them, etc. And please, please, read my book, “Publish Your Book.” I wrote it just for those of you who are not, yet, familiar with the world of publishing.

Okay, once you have done your homework and made a good publishing choice, you will soon have a book in your hands. If you chose the pay-to-publish route or self-publishing (you’ve established your own publishing company), have enough books printed so you can give many of them away and still have some to sell. If you’ve gone with a traditional publisher, likewise, order at least two boxes of books to sell on your own. The publisher expects you to do this, you know.

Once you have made your publishing decision, you may have anywhere from two-weeks to several months before you hold your book in your hands. Start now seeking out book festivals, appropriate conferences and speaking opportunities where your audience congregates.

I’ve given these links to you numerous times, but here they are again:
To locate conferences related to your topic:
http://www.shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.eventseye.com
http://www.eventsinamerica.com

To locate book festivals:
http://author-network.com/festivals.html
http://bookfestivals.com

Also conduct your own Internet search to find conferences and festivals in your area.

Before your book is a book, set up website start blogging.

Make sure your book is at Amazon.com. Generally, your publisher or pay-to-publish company will arrange this for you. Just make sure that it happens. Everyone shops at Amazon these days.

If you need more information, anecdotes and resources to help you develop or hone your speaking and communication skills, how to locate speaking engagements, how to get on radio/TV, how to do webinars, etc., be sure to read “Talk Up Your Book.” Available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. Also at my website: http://www.matilijapress.com

Tomorrow we’ll talk about those give-away books. Who are you going to give them to and why? What are the benefits of giving free books? Why does it pay to be generous?

December 3, 2012

Proactive Authorship

Filed under: Authorship — Patricia @ 5:26 am

Today I’m starting a new series for serious authors. First, I’ll start by giving a common scenario. So many of my clients and the SPAWN members I meet spend months or years writing a book—the book they want to write. When it’s finished, they stress over the cover design—often turning the task of creating a cover over to their publisher, which is usually the first pay-to-publish company they find. And then they expend a great deal of energy into getting that book produced.

Some of these authors know nothing about publishing, their options or their responsibilities as a published author. They simply see others producing books and a pay-to-publish company representative has convinced them how easy it is to be published. So they just go for it. They have not opened one book, read one article or attended a writers conference. They may have visited a writers club meeting, but decided that wasn’t for them. So they know nothing about the business of publishing. They only know how to write and some are shaky in that area.

If you were to follow these authors around for the weeks and months after their book is published, you would probably see them looking confused. They would appear to be hoarding the box of books they ordered from the pay-to-publish company because there they sit in a corner of their living room waiting. Waiting for what? The author may be waiting, too—for customers to contact him, for a check to come from the pay-to-publish company… What most authors learn at some point is it just doesn’t work this way.

To do publishing up right—you must be proactive from the very beginning:
• Write the right book for the right audience.
• Know who your audience is.
• Know who your competition is.
• Save money to hire a competent editor.
• Study the publishing industry.

In order to have a good experience with your book project, you must write a book that is needed, wanted and that hasn’t been duplicated numerous times. You need to know where your audience is, how to reach them, how to approach them, how to entice them with your product, because, as we will discuss later this week, it is up to the author to promote his or her book.

You have to know who your competition is—this is how you learn whether or not your book is a good idea. If others have tried presenting a book like yours and it didn’t work out for them, find out why. Maybe your book isn’t a good idea. If there are many, many books like the one you plan out there already, maybe the market is saturated and you should look for a new angle. If you’ve already spent a year closed up in your writing room writing the book YOU want to write, you would never know until you publish it whether it is a book that is wanted/needed. Do your homework and do it early on.

That’s why I want you to study the publishing industry before you ever decide to write that book. Read about it—“Publish Your Book” (by Patricia Fry) is an excellent resource for all authors. Subscribe to enewsletters related to publishing and book promotion. Most of them are FREE. Attend at least one good writers conference. And participate!! This will give you a great opportunity to get a healthy perspective on publishing and book marketing.

Don’t expect publishing a book to be a way to make easy money. In fact, be prepared to spend money. If you aren’t in a position to pay a good book editor to fine-tune your book, go get a side job, sell something, put a portion of your earnings away. You need an editor before you can present your book to the public and I mean an established book editor—not a friend, a former high school teacher or a coworker who is good with words.

Producing a book is not a free way to make money. First of all, as you will learn when you study the publishing industry, few—very few people make much money from publishing a book. Sad but true. And those who do make some money, don’t just jump in with both feet and haphazardly go with their gut. They study the industry, take the initiative, understand the industry and take steps based on education and information, not unrealistic hopes and dreams.

Your assignment today is order “Publish Your Book” and begin learning about the publishing industry. Look at publishing a book like you would establishing a relationship. You should have an intimate relationship with your book by the time you finish writing, rewriting and self-editing it. Honor that relationship and foster it by following through—as you would with a child—commit, see it through all of the steps. But first, you must be aware of and understand all the steps.

And I’m not letting you off the hook if you are producing “just an ebook.” You have the same responsibility to your public and to your project as those who produce print books.
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

December 1, 2012

Books, Books and More Books

Filed under: Announcements,Publishing — Patricia @ 4:28 am

Talk Up Your Book has a new review at Amazon.com That’s 7 five-star reviews. Those who are reading it see the value in it—especially authors who have “been there/done that.”Check out the reviews and then order your copy from Amazon.com, http://www.matilijapress.com or any other online or downtown bookstore.

I’m gearing up to present a new blog series for you. I don’t have the bugs worked out yet, but I’m planning to provide a step-by-step guide to what you should—need to—do as soon as your book goes to the printer or publisher and how you must proceed once your book is a book. Many authors grasp their newly published book in their hands and say, “I did it!” High fives all around. Maybe they pour the bubbly and celebrate their accomplishment. And then they go to work on the sequel or turn away from writing/publishing altogether and put their energy into their job or take a vacation. Wrong! So wrong! That is if you hope to sell copies of your book.

Most authors don’t know quite what to do once their book is published. Some are well informed about book promotion and marketing, but they don’t know where to start and how to proceed. Many have never even considered life after a published book—they just figured things would fall into place or, as a few authors have actually told me, they expect the book to “sell itself.”

If you are writing a book or plan to write a book and you have every hope and desire of earning your investment back or of making some money—in other words, if you want people to read your book—this is an excellent opportunity for you to learn how to make that happen.

Let me suggest that you start your education by reading “Publish Your Book.” I wrote this book in order to educate and inform hopeful and struggling authors so they understand their options and their responsibilities as a published author and so they can learn how to more successfully navigate the highly competitive publishing industry. This book is considered a must-read for anyone who aspires to be a successful published author. If you are confused about your publishing options, this book offers an explanation of your options and a guide for helping you choose the one that is right for you and for your particularly project. And it is full of anecdotes and resources.

If you are well-informed about publishing, and you have a book or will soon, read “Promote Your Book.” This is your complete guide to what comes after publication. It is an overview of book promotion and a serious guide for anyone with a book to promote.

“Talk Up Your Book” teaches and encourages you to use your personality to promote your book through public appearances as well as everyday communication. You’ll learn more about speech-writing, rehearsing presentations, deliveries, how to handle hecklers, the question and answer period, how to sell more books at book festivals, signings and such, radio/TV interviews and more. This is the book that will help you to refine your communication and speaking skills and learn how to use them to your advantage in promoting your book.

All of these books are available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. They can also be ordered at http://www.matilijapress.com

If you are seeking an interesting book for someone special on your gift list, check out some of the other books by Patricia Fry at http://www.matilijapress.com

“Quest for Truth,” a metaphysical memoir—quite an adventure.
“Catscapades, True Cat Tales—Illustrated
“Creative Grandparenting Across the Miles,” how to bond with grandchildren who live far away.

November 30, 2012

CAPTCHA on duty!

Filed under: Announcements — Patricia @ 4:23 am

Okay, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve added CAPTCHA to this blog site.

Some of you know that I have periodically turned my “comments” option off because of the amount of SPAM I get. It drives me crazy and takes up a lot of time deleting the SPAM comments from my blog each day AND from my email box, too. I had 206 SPAM comments yesterday and I had deleted comments the day before. If I go away for a few days or try to avoid the computer for a day, they mount up to 300 or 400. This is ridiculous since these are all ads for Uggs, Coach and so forth (probably knock offs). I get ads that are nothing but a series of question marks. Some are 500 words long.

I imagine I have this problem because I have over 1,600 blog posts. That’s a lot of posts for these robots to cling onto and leave their mark.

So yesterday, I asked my web gal if she could add a CAPTCHA to my blog so that only legitimate comments can be left by humans. CAPTCHA stands for “Completely Automated Public Turning Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart.” Interesting, huh? It is a type of challenge-response test used in computing as an attempt to ensure that the response is generated by a human being.

I know, I know, some of you don’t like those little windows with squiggly letters and numbers you have to try to copy in order to leave your comment. They can be a bit of a pain. But here’s how I figure it, better you suffer a smidge of discomfort when you leave me one of your brilliant comments than I spend so much time and experience so much frustration trying to keep SPAM comments away so I can continue to provide useful information and resources for you.

If you want to leave a comment at my blog post—which I encourage you to do—and you don’t get the sequence of letters/numbers correct at first type, it’s okay. You’ll get another set of numbers/letters and can try again. Sometimes it’s tricky. But it isn’t rocket science. You can do it. Thanks for allowing me the luxury of waking up each morning to actual comments and not having to spend several frustrating minutes cleaning out the trash.

Have you noticed? Talk Up Your Book has 6 five-star reviews at Amazon.com now. How cool is that? But it isn’t ranking very high this week. That’s because so many of you don’t realize how important public speaking and communication skills are when it comes to promoting your book.

I plan to start a blog series for authors revealing exactly what you need to do right out of the chute once your book is published. I can tell you what many authors do. They go right back to writing OR they start catching up with the work and obligations they were avoiding and ignoring while they are intently working to produce that book. I have to tell you that’s the wrong approach. Tune in starting Monday.

November 29, 2012

The Benefits of Networking

Filed under: Resources — Patricia @ 5:41 am

What have you shared with a colleague, friend or acquaintance, lately? When you read that an editor is looking for good mysteries, do you immediately let members of the mystery branch of your writers’ group know? If you see a chest of drawers at the curb with a FREE sign on it, do you call your neighbor who has been looking for one? If your hairdresser tells you that her mother has to find a home for her elderly cat, do you let her know about your friend who would like to adopt a senior cat companion?

This is called networking and it is something most of us do, when it is convenient. Sometimes successful networking—I mean the kind that can truly benefit another person (or two other persons)—can require more energy and time than you want to devote. And that’s a shame when the end result might be important to someone.

This morning, I received an email from a director at a local college. She is looking for someone to participate in a mentor activity during career night. She has a student who is interested in creative writing. I immediately thought of two writers I know—one a young and highly enthusiastic, talented writer who works with children in her own writing program. The other one is a bestselling novelist with several novels to her credit. I contacted the novelist (I would have contacted both of them except that the young author is attending school out of state). I received a response from the novelist within minutes (before 5:30 a.m.—I guess she is up early working on her latest book manuscript). She said she would be delighted to mentor the young girl.

Networking isn’t always this successful, this quickly and not everyone you network with will let you know if they will follow through or how the activity or bit of information served them or others. Despite the fact that some networking attempts fall flat, networking is still a great way to help others and to receive help, resources, leads and so forth.

Communication is a vital part of networking. Before we can network in a meaningful way, we must communicate. We need to communicate to others what we are seeking and we must listen to what others require or desire.

This week, why don’t you try your hand at networking. If you hear or read about something that another person might want to know, call or email them. It will feel good when they respond with a great big thank you. If you need something, start spreading the word. You might be surprised at how quickly your wish is fulfilled.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

November 28, 2012

Talk Up Your Book

Filed under: Authorship,Book Promotion — Patricia @ 4:21 am

I was shopping at Barnes and Noble this week and decided to check the writing/publishing section to see if my books are there. I was surprised to find such a small section of books for writers and authors and nothing—nothing—on book promotion. Still, one of the largest sections in nonfiction seems to be diet, dieting and cooking (in other words, foods).

I now have 6 five-star reviews for Talk Up Your Book at Amazon. Check them out. Here are some quotes:

“Talk up Your Book is jam-packed with helpful hints for the beginning as well as the multi-published author. You’ll find everything you need to know about building a platform, using social media, and how to prepare for author appearances. Ms Fry doesn’t just tell you how to land speaking engagements, she tells you what to say. This helpful resource belongs on every author’s shelf.” Bestselling novelist, Margaret Brownley

“I recommend this effort highly, especially for writers and authors who feel a need for greater personal engagement in the marketing process.” Lucinda Crosby

“An excellent comprehensive guide for authors.” Nancy Barnes

If you have a book to sell, you need to pursue the kind of exposure you get from personal contact—public speaking, radio interviews, face-to-face socializing, book festivals, interviews and such. Talk Up Your Book tells you why this is important and it walks you through the steps and presents the resources you need in order to be a more effective sales agent for your book.

Order your copy today at http://www.matilijapress.com Also at Amazon.com and other online and downtown bookstores (except the one in Ventura, CA…)

November 27, 2012

Three More Tips for Freelance Writing Success

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 4:30 am

1: Use your time wisely. Becoming a successful freelance writer takes discipline and realistic scheduling. Failure comes to those who procrastinate, who have trouble prioritizing tasks and who are easily distracted. Those who succeed in this business have found a way to organize and discipline themselves.

While some freelance writers schedule certain hours each day to work no matter what, others work around family and professional obligations. The important thing is that you spend enough time in work mode and that you work smart enough to actually accomplish something each and every day. I work best with a schedule. Each evening, I evaluate that day’s work. I consider upcoming deadlines and the volume of work that needs my attention. Then I create a schedule for the next day (or week) by prioritizing tasks.

2: Just start. It isn’t easy to transition from full-time office worker to full-time writer. Most of us don’t have the funds to support us while we build a new business. I didn’t always have 12 or even 8 hours each day to spend working my freelance writing business. I built it over time. For any of you who are interested, here is my story:

3: Write what they want. You have to go where the paying work is and accept the jobs that are available. While I never compromised my values in order to get paying work, I have certainly had to take some challenging and sometimes not very interesting jobs in order to keep the flow of money coming my way.

I prefer writing books, editing interesting manuscripts for clients and presenting workshops. But, in order to pay the bills, I’ve also written copy for local water companies, I’ve written articles on boring topics and I once wrote a 16-chapter book in 3 weeks for a client.

I’ve seen too many writers so bent on making their own personal statement or doing things their way that they get nowhere in this business. If you want to make a living or even earn some part-time money as a writer, you have to go where the work is and write what is needed/wanted. Write about things that are current, popular or even a bit provocative or controversial.

It takes more to become a full-time writer than just dreaming about it. If writing full-time is your dream, read and reread the above six points and use them to finally fulfill your passion.

NEWS
There are two more 5-star reviews posted for Talk Up Your Book at Amazon.com. Check it out. Also, Brian Jud’s most recent newsletter, Marketing Matters includes my article related to the topic o Talk Up Your Book.

If you want a leg up on the tremendously challenging task of book promotion, you really should add Talk Up Your Book to your library. Study it. Follow it. As one review says, social media is fine, but personality sells books. Learn how to use yours to sell more copies of your book.

http://www.matilijapress.com
Also available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

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