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February 13, 2011

Sample From Patricia Fry’s Article-Writing Course

Filed under: Article-Writing — Patricia @ 6:30 am

My next Article-Writing course starts Tuesday, February 15, 2011. Read what it covers here:

http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

Sign up by Feb. 15, 2011 and get a free copy of A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles for Book Promotion and Profit. Whether you want to use magazine articles to promote your book or you want to establish a career writing articles—or just supplement your income—this book (and this course) will guide you.

Here is an excerpt from the third lesson:

Focus Your Article—What’s the point?
Most editors don’t want “all about” articles. They may publish articles on a wide array of subjects, but the individual article must have a specific purpose. Aspen Magazine, for example, publishes essays, articles on new products, historical pieces, articles on environmental issues and most any topic that relates to Aspen, Colorado. But you’re going to have a better chance of being published in Aspen if you submit an article that is narrowly focused. For example, they would probably sooner accept your piece featuring a local artist who has made it big than a piece about the variety of art pursued in Aspen or one all about your appreciation for Colorado art.

Woman’s World frequently publishes articles on how one woman made a difference. But they wouldn’t be interested in your piece on why some women are altruistic and some aren’t and what happens in people’s lives to make them want to reach out to others. A psychology or religious magazine might be willing to publish this piece.

Below are examples of 4 broad subjects each followed by possible pointed or more narrowly focused article ideas:

Showing horses as a hobby.
Tips for winning in the show ring
How to choose the right riding master for your child
Grooming techniques for a show horse

Flying kites for fun
How to make a box kite
Tips for flying stunt kites
The best kite-flying exhibitions in Southern California

Wedding planning
Go Hawaiian: How to present an authentic luau wedding reception for 200 guests
Great gifts for your wedding party
How to overcome pre-wedding jitters

Gardening
Container herb gardening for apartment dwellers
How to integrate art into your garden
Easy to install water features for your garden

It may help you to narrow your focus by studying regular columns in the magazines (or newspapers) you want to write for. The general topic might be foods, beauty, home and garden, parenting, seniors or spirituality, for example. Read several columns and observe how the writers narrow down their focus. Most magazine websites list the table of contents for several issues. Read the story titles. Study technique and you’ll soon get the idea.

It may take some brain-storming to find your article focus. See if this helps:

• Of course, you have already studied the magazine’s Guidelines for Writers.
• You’ve looked at the magazine (or at least their website) with an open mind in order to see what they typically publish.
• You’ve set aside your attachment to your article written the way you want it and containing the material and stories you want to share.
• Now write down topics within your main subject.
• Narrow the focus of each topic down even more.

As an example: your subject might be fishing. Your possible topics might be:
Fishing in Alaska
How I love fishing
Fishing in Mexico
Lake fishing

Now focus:
Which lure catches the most trout in Cachuma Lake?
How to survive cold water fishing trips.
Where do they catch the big ones in Mexico?
How to instill the love of fishing in your child.

And folks, if you promise the editor a “how to,” make sure that it is a how-to with a real self-help element and not an essay describing your decision to go fishing, getting dressed and packing for the trip, driving to the fishing hole, etc.

That is just a snippet of the lesson you’ll receive in one class. You will be asked to work on an assignment based on this lecture and turn it in. I will, then, offer feedback.

Sign up for the Article-Writing Course today and receive your free copy of A Writer’s Guide to Articles for Book Promotion and Profit by Patricia Fry.

http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

February 12, 2011

FREE Book on Article-Writing

Filed under: Article-Writing — Patricia @ 6:58 am

Are you thinking about joining in on the upcoming online Article-Writing Course starting Tuesday, February 15? Be one of the next 5 people to sign up and we’ll send you a FREE copy of A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles for Book Promotion and Profit.

Learn more about the course and sign up here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

What will you get out of this course? If you study the lectures and follow through on the assignments, you will learn how to come up with viable article ideas, write articles and submit them to appropriate publications.

How will this serve you? You can begin to supplement your income through articles and/or you can use article-writing to quite successfully promote your book(s).

Who am I? I’ve been writing articles for magazines and other publications for over 35 years, having contributed hundreds of articles to around 300 different magazines. I am also the author of 33 published books, most of them for writers and authors.

Sign up NOW for this valuable course—a course that could, if you are motivated enough, lead you into a new career or position you as an expert in your chosen field. (Experts sell more books.) Be one of the next 5 people to sign up and receive my book, A Writers Guide to Magazine Articles for Book Promotion and Profit. Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com

February 11, 2011

How to Sell Books By Writing Articles/Stories

Filed under: Article-Writing,Book Promotion,Writing — Patricia @ 6:06 am

Do you have a book to promote? I have been preaching for years and years about my favorite way of promoting a book—writing articles or stories for publication. And lately, I’ve been noticing that other publishing/book marketing professionals are also urging authors to promote through articles and stories in targeted publications.

Whether your book is scientific in nature, a business book, how-to or self-help book or an informational/reference book, you gain more and more credibility in your area every time you publish an article related to the topic of your interest or expertise. And you attract more readers for your book.

For a novel, memoir or children’s book, the key is to submit stories in your genre or area of your book’s interest to appropriate publications. In so doing, you are reaching your audience—readers who are interested in your genre or subject matter. The more often they see your name connected to stories they enjoy reading, the more apt they are to purchase your book.

Haven’t you experienced this yourself? You keep seeing a particular author’s name in the ezines and magazines you read and at the websites you visit. You like what he has to say and you begin to seek out articles by him. Soon you consider him fairly credible and you become interested in, perhaps, reading his book.

If you enjoy reading fiction, you probably have favorite authors. Some of them you may have discovered through the stories they have published in the publications you read.

Having your work published in periodicals—both print and online—is a proven method of building a platform—a following. And I highly recommend it.

If you are not sure how to approach the article or story market, do I have an opportunity for you!

I’m teaching my online article-writing course starting Tuesday February 15. It’s $125.00 for the 6-week course. Learn more about what this course includes here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

To find out how an online course works, go here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_howwork.htm

Questions? Contact Patricia Fry here: PLFry620@yahoo.com

February 10, 2011

Book Titles—The Long and the Short of It

Filed under: Authorship — Patricia @ 6:08 am

Have you noticed how short fiction book titles are becoming and how long some nonfiction titles are? I am reviewing Dan Poynter’s book, Self-Publishing Manual (volume 2), How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book Employing the Latest Technologies and the Newest Techniques.

Sure is a long title, but this seems to be the wave of the future for nonfiction books. Of course, generally, for nonfiction, there is a title and a subtitle. So many newer books, however, have titles that would not stand alone without the subtitle and the entire title/subtitle must be stated or read in order for the potential consumer to understand the focus and scope of that book.

Take Mark Levine’s book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. It really, really helps one understand what this book is about when he or she knows the subtitle, which is, The Contracts and Services of 45 Self-Publishing Companies—Analyzed, Ranked and Exposed. (This is a book I recommend often, by the way.)

Penny Sansevieri has a pretty hot and reasonable title with Red Hot Internet Publicity. But her subtitle explains her book to a greater degree. I believe her subtitle (along with her name as she is widely known in this area or expertise) will help to sell this book: An Insider’s Guide to Marketing Your Book on the Internet.

I guess that Brent Sampson (or his publisher) didn’t think that the title, Sell Your Book on Amazon, was enough. So they tacked on this subtitle for clarity: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret “How-to” Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing Writers.

Even my next book has quite a title (thanks to the publisher at Allworth/Skyhorse). Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.

The award for the longest book title goes to Nigel Tomm for a book having a 650 word title. Don’t worry, I’m not going to repeat that title here.

And then there are short titles—mostly used for books of fiction. Stephen King has a new book called Ur. But several authors over the years have used even shorter titles—yes, one letter titles such as C, K, and H, etc.

If you need help choosing a title for your book, consider using Lulu’s title analyzer: http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/index.php.

Rachel Gardner, in her March 3, 2010 blog post has some interesting and, perhaps, useful ideas for choosing a title for your book. http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com

Discount Book Offer
Be sure to order your discounted copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Save twenty percent and gain knowledge about book publishing that will help you to finally succeed with your amazing book. http://www.matilijapress.com

February 9, 2011

You Are a Writer: Let it Show

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 5:41 am

It is heartening and satisfying when I spend hours editing a book proposal or manuscript and the author actually learns something and begins to apply the techniques or practices to his or her project. So often, however, I see the same habits showing up time and again in the author’s work.

I am a teaching editor. The author, when receiving his edited manuscript or proposal back from me, has the opportunity to learn what he or she is, perhaps, doing wrong, what it would take to tighten and strengthen the work and so much more. Yet, so often, when the work comes back to me for a final edit or when the author sends me a new chapter to review, I see many of the same lazy writing habits I attempted to repair in previous chapters.

Authors, it makes no sense to hire an editor, trust that editor, be extremely pleased with the work the editor does and not learn from him or her. Here’s what I suggest:

• Instead of just accepting the suggested changes at face value (or, even worse) rejecting them because you don’t understand how they enhance your work, take a serious look at them.

• Read the passage with the change and then without it. Does it read better?

• Study the note left by the editor. If you still don’t understand or see the difference it makes, ask the editor to explain the suggested change.

• Watch for patterns. Does the editor suggest similar changes throughout your manuscript? Maybe she continually recommends that you cut sentences in half or even thirds. Examine your way of writing. Do you tend to create sentences that are long and cumbersome? When you write the next segment of your book, pay attention to your sentence length. Are you trying to say too much in a single sentence? Do you notice how much stronger—more powerful—your words become when you choose them more carefully and avoid running too many of them together?

• Perhaps you tend to “over” write. In other words, you make statements such as, “Walter beat everyone to the table and was first to get there because everyone else came later.” Depending on the context, I may change that sentence to read, “Water was first to be seated at the dinner table.”

• Maybe you “under” write with phrases such as, “Walter drove home and ate a piece of cake. When he got up, he left the house.” I think you will agree, there’s a lot missing here that could be added in order to give your story more interest and continuity.

• Do you tend to mis-communicate? Here’s one example: “Entering the chicken coup in my Easter dress, Lyle finally kissed me.” (Was Lyle wearing her dress?)
There are many editorial problems and, as I said, “habits” that we adopt. If you go to the expense of hiring an editor for your book proposal and your manuscript (and you should, by the way) do your best to learn from him or her. And the next time you need an editor, it won’t take them as much time to do the job.

Join the crowds—order your copies of Patricia Fry’s bestselling books at a deep discount.

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (340-pages) is now $14.95. (This book will guide you more successfully through the publishing process no matter which publishing option you choose.)

Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book—a GREAT starter book for the author who knows little or nothing about book promotion. It’s only $4.95 while supplies last.

http://www.matilijapress.com

If you are ready to hire an editor, check Patricia Fry’s credentials at http://www.patriciafry.com

February 8, 2011

Self-Editing for the Author

Filed under: Editing — Patricia @ 7:00 am

Today I want to discuss a couple of editorial problems that I see in manuscripts and book proposals. I want you to avoid these things in your writing. I want you to become an astute self-editor. It will save you money for professional editing.

I’m not suggesting that you should cut the editor out completely—oh no. But the tighter your writing and the more editorially sound you can make it, the less time it will take your editor to go over it and the less cost to you!

Here are a couple of sentences I came across in manuscripts recently. I have changed them just enough so as to protect the identity and style of the writer:

“As a society, we have always depended on others, since the beginning of time.”

First, I advised this author to use either “always” or “since the beginning of time.” To use both is redundant. And I omitted the comma between “others” and “since.”

Here’s another example of redundancy:

“This is a new product that just came out.”

Some authors, in their book proposal synopsis refer to their project as, “my book” or “the book.” I typically suggest that they write “this book” or “the book I propose,” or the book title.

How about this one—the author writes, “Some writers forget to include an SASE with their manuscript. That is okay if they do not want a reply.”

I would opt for “this” in place of “that.” “This is okay…”

Here’s to Your Publishing Success
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Here’s what others have said about this book:

“This book is definitely a must have for anyone serious about writing.”
“I found your book to be very valuable as a reference.”
“I love your direct approach.”
“I consider this book my publishing bible.”
“You have no idea how much your book has helped me.”
“I am on the second reading of your book. It is a great help and resource.”

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http://www.matilijapress.com/over75page.html

February 7, 2011

Discounts on Books for Authors

Filed under: Announcements — Patricia @ 6:00 am

Patricia Fry is discounting two of her most popular books:

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book now $14.95.
This book has received numerous 5-star reviews by Patricia Fry’s peers. It is designed to help new and struggling authors to understand, thus more successfully navigate the publishing industry.

Publishing is more than just writing a good book. As I frequently tell authors, Publishing is not an extension of your writing. Publishing is a business and, in order to succeed as a published author in this fiercely competitive publishing climate, you must have an understanding of the business and the processes as well as all of your options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibilities as a published author.

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book is a definitive guide to successful authorship whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry a children’s book or a memoir. It details critical information about the publishing industry in frank terms and includes numerous anecdotes and examples to illustrate the processes involved in successful authorship.

Regularly $19.95, you can now get your copy of this 340-page book for $14.95—a 25 percent savings. Order your copy from the author today!
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book now $4.95.
This convenient guide to book promotion is designed to help you jumpstart your book promotions plan. At 68 pages, it has always been a bargain at $6.50. But now you get the same 68 pages and the more than 75 GOOD promotional ideas—some of them you have never thought of before—for only $4.95—a 20 percent savings. Order your copy directly from the author, http://www.matilijapress.com/over75page.html

Check out all books by Patricia Fry http://www.matilijapress.com

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com.

These discounts only apply to orders from Matilija Press. Use your credit card or mail a check. Details at http://www.matilijapress.com

February 6, 2011

Authors Finding Experts

Filed under: Research,Resources — Patricia @ 6:05 am

Do you belong to an online discussion group or forum related to writing or to the theme/genre of your book project? If not, you should consider it.

While there are still writing groups meeting face-to-face, many of them have been replaced by online counterparts. Writers are connecting through social media programs, targeted message boards and discussion groups. You can also communicate with people who are interested in the topic/genre of your book. And this is something I recommend. What can you get out of connecting with others online?

• It’s a way to get word out about your book (or your book in progress).

• It’s a way to learn about what’s going on in your field.

• You will become aware of new trends and resources.

• You will meet people who can help with the promotion of your book.

• You’ll meet experts to interview for future books or promotional articles.

• You’ll get ideas for articles, books and blog topics.

• You might make a few new friends.

Just this week, people on one of my favorite discussion groups—SPAWNDiscuss—responded to a few questions I asked on behalf of clients and prospective clients. Not every writer/author has the same level and nature of experience and knowledge. And this is an important concept that many people neglect to embrace.

You might be an expert in your field, but there are still going to be people who know more about an aspect of your field than you do. There are people who have had different experiences and who have a keen interest in an area of the subject that you may not have explored. I am considered an expert in my field—publishing/book promotion. But I don’t know anything about producing, copyrighting or publishing plays, for example. Nor have I had wide experience publishing books for others. But some of our SPAWN members have. So I go to them when someone asks me questions in these areas.

If you do not belong to a discussion group or forum within the subject matter of your book, consider finding one or two and signing up. Here are a few directories to help you get started:
http://groups.yahoo.com
http://www.wallphone.com

You can also do an Internet search using keywords, “group” + (your subject)—“parenting multiples,” “agriculture,” “cooking,” “history-writing,” “fiction-writing,” “skydiving,” “breeding cats,” “photography,” etc.

I’d like to hear from those of you who follow this suggestion and who use these resources and find a suitable discussion group or forum. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Get your FREE ebooklet 50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book at http://www.patriciafry.com

February 5, 2011

How NOT to Approach Publishing

Filed under: Publishing — Patricia @ 4:37 am

It seems that publishing is being discussed in many circles and in varieties of venues. People from all areas of interest and knowledge levels are writing books or talking about it. And discussions, as well as articles on topics related to writing and publishing are showing up at home décor, craft, parenting, pet, spiritual, etc. sites and forums.

You might see a comment, blog post or article about writing at a senior site you frequent, at your favorite gardening or travel site. The newsletter coming from your business, investment, cat breeders, pilots or boating association may run an article about writing a book.

And some of the most unlikely people are cropping up with books of their own—a clerk at your local supermarket, the gal who operates a bed and breakfast in town, your tax accountant, the wife of your personal trainer and the crazy woman you run into at the dog park every week.

It’s wonderful that so many people from all walks of life are able to express themselves through words, capture their memories on paper, share something meaningful with others or entertain readers with their storytelling skills. I know the joy of writing and of being read. Writing and publishing has been a huge part of my life for over 35 years. Coming with that territory, of course, is promotion.

Yes, I am pleased that people are living their writing/publishing dreams, but it upsets me to see so many of them going about it the wrong way.

What is the wrong way to approach a publishing project? Here’s the short list:

• Lack of knowledge about the publishing industry and no interest in or inclination to educate oneself.

• No financial backing—trying to launch a book without funds of any kind (for an editor, for book promotion and/or for actually publishing that book).

• Writing a book without making sure there is a true audience for it.

• Expecting a large return on your publishing investment.

• Lack of writing skills.

• Lack of research with regard to your publishing options.

• Signing a contract without fully understanding it.

• No interest in promoting your book.

If you recognize yourself in this list, you are a candidate for my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Herein, you will gain the understanding and the knowledge you need to more realistically plan and carry out your publishing project from start to a more successful finish no matter what your topic or genre is.

http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

February 4, 2011

5 Ways to Promote Your Book Without Changing Your Lifestyle

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 5:38 am

Some authors that I meet when giving presentations and during consultations are reluctant to go out of their way to promote their books. They say, in essence, “It’s a good book, isn’t that enough?” Sure, they want to sell a gazillion copies, but they resist the marketing process. They just want to write.

The truth is that, whether your book is self-published, you have a traditional publisher or you’ve signed with a fee-based POD “self-publishing” company, you must participate in promoting it.

In my book, Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book I outline a collection of no and low-cost marketing ideas. Granted, not all marketing techniques are for all authors. Each of us has our level of comfort. While I strongly urge authors to stretch beyond their comfort zones, there’s nothing wrong with starting the process in familiar territory.

By the way, I will be discounting this book “Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book” and The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book starting next week. Let me know if you’d like to be notified when the discount goes in effect. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Here are five ideas for promoting your book while involved in the process of living your life.

1. Talk about your book everywhere you go. Show your book to your coworkers, clients, vendors, members at your gym, the waitress who takes your lunch order and your dry cleaner, for example.

2. Promote your book on the Internet. If you use the Internet to chat or conduct research anyway, why not do some promotion while you’re there. Go to the sites that reflect the subject of your book and get involved in chats, leave notes on bulletin boards, offer excerpts from your book for the site. A literary site may feature your poetry book on their author’s page. A gardening site would probably be thrilled to post information about your book on living wreaths.

3. Join clubs and organizations related to your book topic. Attend meetings and show your book around. Offer to give presentations reflecting your expertise. Donate books for special events. Get even more exposure by volunteering for some of the community service projects that these organizations promote.

4. Write letters to the editor. Watch newspapers and other publications for articles or letters that relates to the topic of your book. Then respond with information or opinions that reflect the content of your book. Be sure to include the title of your book in your letter.

5. Sell books on the road. Anytime you travel, take a dozen or so books with you to sell along the way. Arrange in advance with a bookstore or specialty shop to have a book signing while there. Send press releases to local newspapers announcing your event. Make sure the store has plenty of copies of your books to sell.

Here’s an idea: try at least one new marketing technique every month. Become a public speaker, for example, offer your book as a premium item, tap into the library market, create a promotional display to offer bookstores and specialty shops that sell your book or get added recognition for your book by entering it in contests.

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

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