Writing and Publishing News from

November 11, 2008

This Publishing Blog is 3 Years Old

Filed under: Publishing,Writing — Patricia @ 5:14 am

I started this blog three years ago this month. This is my 357th blog entry. I’ve averaged nearly 10 entries per month. Actually, I was posting closer to once a week at first. This year, I’ve added posts almost daily. My intent with this blog is to continue my mission to help educate and inform all of you who are interested in entering the competitive world of publishing. This includes authors, freelance writers and, to some degree, artists.

I do this by providing information, resources and guidance to hopeful, struggling and already successful freelance writers and authors.

I know how this blog site benefits some of you because you email me occasionally or leave comments at this site. But I’d like to know more about my readers, so I’ve devised a questionnaire. Please respond to the questions, copy them and paste them into an email to me at PLFry620@yahoo.com. Or leave your answers here at the blog site. This is your opportunity to get more of what you want/need. In order to provide it, I must know what it is. So respond, please:

1: Are you a freelance writer, editor or author (hopeful author)?
2: What is your topic/genre?
3: Describe your work as a freelance writer or editor.
4: If you are currently working on a book or have one or more published, describe it (them).
5: How long have you been writing for publication (or with publication in mind)?
6: What type of information do you seek through the blogs you visit?
7: What would you like to see more of in this blog?

How to get freelance work.
Freelance writing opportunities.
How to work with magazine editors.
The mechanics of writing an article or story.
How to locate and approach agents and publishers.
Additional resources and opportunities for writers and authors.
More book promotion ideas.
Tips and techniques involving producing a book.
Poetry and/or fiction markets and marketing techniques.
Other…

Thank you for your interest in this blog for all or part of these last 3 years. I hope that I can continue to give you what you most desire. But I need to know what that is. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

November 10, 2008

What Kind of Author Are You?

Filed under: Book Promotion,Publishing — Patricia @ 10:52 am

It’s interesting how different people approach their book projects in different ways. While some are fanatical about following an exact protocol and doing it right, others just want to get their books out the easiest and fastest way possible. The former author has many questions, does tons of research, speaks with experts and makes educated decisions. The other author may grab up the first offer he gets from the first publisher he contacts and push his project on through as quickly as he can manage.

There are extremes at both ends of these two authors. For example, I’ve seen methodical authors succeed and I’ve also seen some of them hit overdrive and never stop searching and researching—never to achieve their ultimate goals. As for the let’s-make-it-happen-NOW author, some of them actually make the right decisions in haste, but numerous others learn more in retrospect than they ever did during the ideal learning period&#8212before they made any commitments.

While some hopeful authors have preconceived ideas about publishing and the process of producing a book, others don’t have a clue. Those who succeed are those who are willing to learn about the realities of publishing&#8212to educate themselves and then to bend, flex, stretch and adjust to those realities that make sense to their particular projects.

Dora, for example, felt guided to write her inspirational book. She adhered to strict writing hours and completed it fairly quickly. Fortunately, for her, she was also led to solicit help through the next phase of the process&#8212the big, wide world of publishing. She stumbled across me while doing a Google search, said she liked me from my photograph and also felt good about my qualifications and offerings. I was pleased to be asked to make her manuscript more readable by smoothing out her broken-English-way of writing. And I helped her to locate an appropriate POD publisher, which was ideal in her special circumstances.

James came to me with a bulldozer book. Do you remember me writing about bulldozer books in a former blog? To refresh your memory, this is a book designed to change minds. It might be a perfectly valid concept, but it is written in a way that demands change. And it is marketed to folks who probably don’t want to read it. Bulldozer books do not sell&#8212at least not to the audience the author initially has in mind. My role with James was to convince him to allow me to edit the anger and insistence out of the pages and to market it to an audience who actually cares. An author with a strong and serious mission in life is difficult to convince to shift gears, but, when you can get them to listen and bend and stretch a little, they will generally experience greater success in this industry.

Leigh has been working on her children’s chapter book for ten years. Her cousin finally convinced her to set a goal to finish it and talk to someone about publishing it. That year, she attended a writer’s conference in the northwest, where she met me. She emailed me numerous times, after that, and called on the phone. She had endless questions, which I answered as best I could. I provided her with numerous appropriate resources, links, reading material, etc. And she continued to ask questions&#8212sometimes the same questions she’d asked before.

She also bought my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, as most of my clients and students do, but, as far as I know, she has still not finished her children’s chapter book. She is expending all of her energy and time toward dancing around the issue (of the book) rather than actually buckling down and finishing the book. In fact, the last time I spoke with Leigh, she was talking about writing her memoirs. She also wanted to write her grandfather’s war stories and she thought she would put together a how-to book for parents of diabetic children.

Here are 3 very different authors with 3 very different approaches to their projects:
• A motivated and willing author who gets the right kind of help and gets things done.
• A slightly too passionate author who wants to be in charge even if he’s wrong.
• An author who is stuck in time and space and unwilling to move off dead center.
Do you fit in any of these categories? How would you describe your way of approaching publishing? Is it serving you? Do you need more information? Resources? Knowledge? Do you need the eyes of an editor? Guidance in the area of publishing? Contacts?

Remember that I am currently offering online courses and I have a few openings. Sign up for the Article-Writing Course by November 13, 2008&#82124 days from now.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

You have until November 17, 2008&#8212a week from today&#8212to sign up for the Book Promotion Workshop in process.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

The Self-Publishing Workshop, where we will walk through the process of self-publishing your book, is also in process. You have until November 13, 2008 to sign up.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_self-pub.htm

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com.

November 9, 2008

Burning Publishing Questions Answered

Filed under: Publishing — Patricia @ 5:56 am

I’m preparing, this morning, for a consultation with an author duo. They’re driving a considerable distance to get my opinion and ideas on some of their burning publishing questions. I thought I’d share with you some of my responses to some of the questions they sent me.

Q: How do I get my book edited and how much does it cost?

A: Consider hiring an editor. Choose one who has been recommended or one that you are familiar with and trust. The cost is generally anywhere from $500 to $2,500 for 150-200-page book, depending on how much editing work is needed.

Note: This week, I was asked to evaluate a 220-page book manuscript. I read it and even did a little bit of editing, in a little over 10 hours. That’s around 22 pages/hour. In a previous blog entry, we discussed reading and editing rates of speed. It really varies, for an editor, depending on the shape of the manuscript. It is rare, however, that I receive one that I can just read for pleasure at 20 pages an hour or so. Generally, I can get through 4 or 5 pages an hour.

Q: I want to self-publish. How do I get my book printed and how much does it cost?

A: Send Request for Price Quotes to at least half dozen printing companies. Ask for samples of their work, find out what type of files they will need from you and choose your printing company according to quality of work, price and ease in working with them. (See my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book to learn how to devise a Request for Price Quote.) Your book might end up costing you $1.50 per book to print or $10.00 per book&#8212it depends on the scope of your book and how many you decide to have printed.

I recommend:
360 Digital Books
Linda Castner
lcastner@360inc.com
http://www.360digitalbooks.com
866-379-8767

Action Printing
Adam Kempf
akempf@actionprinting.com
920-907-7809

RJ Communications
Bob Powers
http://www.booksjustbooks.com
(They are a broker for printing companies)

For lists of printers:
http://www.gain.net
http://www.literarymarketplace.com

Q: What is a reasonable price for a book?

A: Look at books on your topic that are the same size as yours in bookstores. What do they sell for? Generally, for a 150-page paperback, $11.95 to $14.95. A 200+ page paperback, $17.95 to $21.95. And this depends also on what you pay for editing, page layout person, printing, etc.

Q: How many books can we sell?

A: First determine who is your target audience? How many people does this encompass? Where are you going to find them? How many do you think you can reach with your message, say in a year? If you plan to spend many hours promoting your book throughout the year locally and at many venues throughout the U.S., you might be able to sell thousands. Or you might want to test the waters with a short run of around 500 to 1,000 and see how it goes—find out how much time you have to promote, whether your audience is interested in your book, etc.

These authors also asked me how to market a book. While I typed out a list of 15 ways, plus 30 specific venues for them, I don’t want to take up that much space here in my blog or that much of your time reading it, this morning. I can suggest, however, that you read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. There are 3 chapters with oodles and gobs of promotional ideas. We are also starting a brand new Book Promotion Course tomorrow (Monday, November 10th, 2008). Learn more about the course at
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm .

If you have a book to promote or you’re working on one, this course will put you way ahead of your competition in recognition and sales.

Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book at
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

November 8, 2008

Build Your Author’s Platform by Writing for Magazines

Filed under: Book Promotion,Writing — Patricia @ 5:53 am

What is a platform and why do you need one?
Maybe you don’t need a platform—let’s see:
• Are you working on a book?
• Are you a published author?

If your response was, “YES,” then you need a platform.

So what is a platform?
• Your following
• Your way of attracting readers
• Your level of fame or recognition
• Your expertise, credentials, skills related to your book topic or genre

You already have a platform if:
• You are widely known in your field.
• You are a celebrity.

You might continue building on that platform by:
• Public speaking
• Presenting workshops and seminars.
• Building and widely publicizing a website related to your topic/genre.
• Establishing a Newsletter and a Blog related to your topic/genre.
• Affiliating with sites, organizations, charities related to your topic/genre.
• Going out and Making News and then report it.

It’s a matter of becoming visible and known in your field or genre.

And an excellent way to do this, of course, is to write articles on your topic and submit stories in your genre—lots and lots of them.

Are you aware that you are responsible for promoting your book no matter what publishing option you choose? Whether you get an agent and land a traditional royalty publisher, go with a fee-based POD “self-publishing” company or self-publish (establish your own publishing company), you will be expected to promote your book.

Start way before you ever begin to write the book.
Most of you will ignore this advice. You just want to write your book.
Some of you have already written your book. And that’s okay, too.
Best case scenario! You will establish yourself as an expert in your subject, field or genre BEFORE your book is a book.

And once you’ve completed the book, you don’t get to stop. Now you need to shift your article-writing efforts into high, high gear. Why? You’re still building your platform, but now you’re also in promotion mode.

If you need help establishing yourself as an article writer&#8212or even learning how to write those first few articles, consider signing up TODAY for my online Article-Writing Course. You’ll learn how to:
• Come up with article ideas or stories based on your topic/genre.
• Locate and understand submission guidelines.
• Locate and approach appropriate magazines.
• Write a query letter.
• Write a promotional article.
• Submit your article or story.
• Read a magazine contract.

If you are attempting to enter into the fiercely competitive publishing field with virtually NO credentials, notoriety or celebrity&#8212if you are not widely known in your topic/genre&#8212 spend the $125 for this 6-week course NOW and jumpstart your book sales in 2009.

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

There’s a course in progress. November 13, 2008 is the deadline to join in on this Article Writing Course.

November 6, 2008

Writing and Publishing Courses Galore

Filed under: Publishing — Patricia @ 8:13 am

I am currently teaching all 4 of my online courses, PLUS I’m working with clients on some fascinating projects. I’m a happy teacher this month. And you could be a happy student. There’s still time to jump in on some of the online (email) courses I’m teaching.

Article-Writing Course
If you are interested in learning how to write articles to supplement your income or promote your book, sign up TODAY for my Article-Writing Course. The first lecture and lesson went out today. Deadline for getting in on this course is November 13, 2008. It’s $125 for 6 weeks of instruction, assignments and one-on-one attention throughout the completion of your first article.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

What are my credentials for teaching this course? I have been writing articles for publication for over 35 years (and still do). I made my living writing articles for magazines for about 20 years. My articles have appeared in Woman’s Own, The Artist’s Magazine, Cat Fancy, Your Health, The Toastmaster, Los Angeles Times, Catholic Digest, Writer’s Digest, PMA Independent, American Health for Women, Country Woman and hundreds of other magazines. I’m also the author of A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles (Matilija Press).

Book Promotion Workshop
Are you struggling to sell books in these difficult economic times? Maybe I can help. I’ll be starting another session of my Book Promotion Workshop Monday, November 10, 2008. The deadline for signing up for this course is November 17, 2008. There will still be time to catch up, if you wait until then to sign up. I recommend, however, the sooner the better. This course runs for 6 weeks and the cost is $200. Learn more about what will be covered in the book promotion course at
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

As for my qualifications to teach this course, well, I’ve been promoting my own traditionally published and self-published books for about 30 years. I’ve experienced a wide variety of promotional activities and I’ve learned which ones can be successful for which book types. I travel around and present workshops and seminars on book promotion. And I have been invited to teach two sessions on book promotion at the IBPA Publishing University in May, 2009 in New York City!

Self-Publishing Workshop
Do you have a book to publish and you have decided to self-publish it? This means that you set up a publishing company, you hire the editor and choose a printer, you put up the money, you make all of the decisions and you reap all of the benefits. It is your company! If you are interested in learning the process of true self-publishing, sign up now for this course. It started this week, but I’ll extend the deadline to November 13, 2008. That would give you time to catch up. This is an 8-week course and you pay only $160.

I established my publishing company, Matilija Press, in 1983, before it was fashionable. I have self-published several of my own books and have walked many clients through the process of self-publishing, as well. My book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, includes a complete guide to self-publishing along with a self-publishing timeline.

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

Why Do You Need Lessons?
Why are there so many courses offered, books and newsletters produced and websites cropping up on the subject of writing and publishing? One reason is the number of people now having entered into this realm. There are a lot of people out there trying to cash in on your lack of knowledge&#8212your desire and need to learn and understand more about this industry. And there are also a lot of us just trying to help.

As professionals, we see a lot of authors and freelance writers make some major mistakes. It is not easy to shift from closet writer to successful author or producing freelancer. Those of us who have been in this business for a while, and who care, have witnessed more failure than you can imagine. And many of us want to help. That’s why I have shifted my goals, during the last several years, from one of satisfying my own writing needs to teaching others the publishing ropes.

It is gratifying, indeed, to watch a hopeful author become a successful author even the first time around. One editorial client (a first-time author) called yesterday to tell us that her distributor just ordered 100 more copies of her new spiritual book and told her, “It’s selling like hotcakes.” A few years ago, one of my book proposal students landed a contract with Houghton Mifflin. A couple of my article-writing course students are now enjoying some success selling articles to magazines.

As writers we need mentors and supporters in any form we can find them&#8212through writers’ groups, writers’ conferences or by hiring professionals, for example. As soon as we decide to step over into the realm of publishing, we need a very different kind of knowledge and guidance and it is imperative that you choose the right avenue and the right professional.

But I urge you to seek guidance from someone or several someones through consultations, classes/courses, professional organizations, networking and highly regarded reading material. Don’t take one person’s word for anything in this highly competitive publishing climate. Seek information&#8212crave it! Approach this study with an open mind. Investigate. Examine. Compare. And never stop learning.

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.

November 3, 2008

Make Money With Your Writing In Spite of the Economy

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 2:25 pm

I’ve been learning a new word processing program. That’s what happens when you buy a new, more advanced computer. Oh my! The learning curve can be brutal, or it can be fascinating. It depends on one’s mindset.

I am vacillating back and forth between “Yikes, I don’t know what to do!” and “Yeah, I figured it out!”

In the meantime, I am working daily with clients and students. My online Book Proposal course is winding down and I’m in the middle of the online Book Promotion course with a new group of students. When I started working with authors on my new Book Promotion course, I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t have much to offer one particular student. Before moving into the first class, I ask students where they are with their books&#8212what sort of promotion have they done so far? One student sent me an extensive list of the promotion he had done. And it was impressive, indeed! I was afraid that I couldn’t offer him anything new.

But, here we are in our second week of lessons and, already, he is expressing his enthusiasm for some of the book promotion ideas I’ve presented. He said, “That isn’t something I’ve thought of before. I didn’t know you could do that!” And he said he is eager to pursue these new avenues of book promotion and sell more books.

This taught me that, while all successful authors have some strong suits and are pursuing some promotional activities with success, not all of these authors are involved in or even aware of every activity that could result in generous book sales. That’s why courses such as mine, where the teacher works one-on-one with students, and networking with your peers are so valuable to authors who are promoting their books. And that’s why I steer authors and hopeful authors toward my courses as well as membership in SPAWN, Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. Not only does SPAWN offer a forum and an email discussion group where members can discuss publishers, agents, distributors, promotional ideas, etc., but we have a huge list of resources for authors and others interested in publishing and a newsletter that surpasses most others out there when it comes to information and resources for authors and hopeful authors. The newsletter we post in the Members Only area is the SPAWN Market Update and it comes with your membership.

But you can sign up for SPAWNews, our FREE enewsletter at
http://www.spawn.org.
Click on “Free newsletter.”

My Online Courses for Authors and Freelance Writers
It’s too late to sign up for the Book Promotion Workshop in progress. But, a new course is beginning soon. So stay tuned. In fact, you can sign up now and your credit card will not be charged until the day I send you your first class. (We will agree upon this date in advance.) Also starting soon is my Magazine Article Course. Check both of these out at
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm
Let me know if you have any questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com

Do you have a book manuscript ready to send to a publisher or an agent? Are you aware that most publishers and agents won’t give your manuscript a second look if it appears to be unedited? What are dead-giveaways indicating that the manuscript is unedited?
• Two spaces between sentences.
• Typos&#8212typing “than” when you mean “then,” for example.
• Muddy writing.
• Grammatical and punctuation errors.
• Words repeated unnecessarily.
• Incomplete sentences.
• Improper handling of dialog.
• Passive sentences.
• The overuse of qualifiers such as “really,” “very,” etc.
• Improper use of apostrophes&#8212boys’ when you mean boy’s, for example.
• Improper use of quotation marks and Italics.
• Too many clichés.
In these difficult economic times, many of you are polishing your book manuscripts and your magazine articles in preparation for publication. You feel this is a good time to bring out your book or to start submitting your articles or stories and, hopefully, bring in a little extra money. And why not? It was actually during an economic downturn when I developed my freelance writing business while working a full-time job. I built my business to the point that I could quit the job and concentrate on my article-writing career. There’s no reason why you can’t do the same. But be sure that you make only the wisest decisions along the way.
Is it wise to bring out a book in a poor economy? That depends on you, your project and whether you use your mind to a stronger degree than your heart in making the decisions related to your book.
Here’s what I would recommend&#8212and it may require a bit of an investment&#8212work with a mentor or coach toward establishing your freelance business or toward publishing your book. Hire an editor to make sure you are on the right track with your writing skills and presentation&#8212at least for the first project or so. (A teaching editor is preferred.) Read good books on the subject of your publishing interest. I am a teaching editor. I also offer excellent books for freelance article writers and hopeful authors. Check out A Writer’s Guide to Article Writing and The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com.

When you hire an editor, consider one who can also offer you coaching and consultations regarding publishing&#8212someone with experience within the publishing industry.

I was talking to someone the other day about how important it is to work with someone who has been experiencing publishing at the author level for enough years to matter. Some publishing professionals, who are now working with authors, have actually never been in an author’s shoes. They came from corporate headquarters or maybe they have been in the printing business for many years. Sure, these experts can certainly offer valuable advice and information, but not always the kind you need at the moment.

If you’re considering a freelance article-writing business or you think this is the time to produce your book, contact me for a free manuscript evaluation. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

October 31, 2008

New Online (Email) Book Promotion Course in Progress

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 5:48 am

You hear about people having computer problems&#8212the computer is down, the computer crashed, the computer is in the shop, etc? Well, it is happening to me. My old computer, which I’ve had for probably five years, is getting tired and I bought a new one. But the transfer of files from one to the other did not go well. So both the old one and the new one are in the shop. I’m blessed to have a temporary computer to use, so I don’t get too far behind on my work. I’m treating it gently, though, because it is about 8 or 10 years old.

In the meantime, I am teaching my online (via email) Book Promotion Course and I want to invite you to sign up. The second lecture and assignment goes out today. Sign up at least by Tuesday, November 4 and you will be able to catch up. The cost is $200 for the 6-week course. What’s the purpose/objective? To guide you in promoting your fiction or nonfiction book through a variety of avenues.

If any of the following describes you, you probably need this course:

• Do you have a novel, memoir, book of poetry, how-to, self-help, informational book, recovery book, children’s book or reference book, for example?
• Have sales slowed to a dead stop?
• Are you running out of ideas for promoting your book?
• Is it much harder than you thought to market a book?
• Have you come to a place where you need help with promotion?

Sign up today for my brand new book promotion course and, together, let’s jumpstart sales for your book. What better time to invest in your book’s future than right before the holidays&#8212the most opportune time to sell books.

Remember, no one will buy your book if they don’t know about it.

Learn more about the online Book Promotion Course and sign up at
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

Check out my other online courses at
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com

October 28, 2008

The Gifts That Come From Writing

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 6:04 am

My blog entries haven’t exactly been plentiful this week. That’s because I’m in vacation mode. I’ve been living in a lovely beach house all week, just steps from the Pacific Ocean and I’ve been taking every advantage of this fantastic opportunity to walk on the beach and just sit and watch the waves. I also enjoy watching the wildlife&#8212porpoises, terns, plovers and even the seagulls. I love this lifestyle. I’ve discovered a small neighborhood fruit and veggie stand where you can find unusual and luscious produce and even home-baked bread. I walk up occasionally to the local coffee house and enjoy a pumpkin spice latte. It has been a wonderfully relaxing week and we even had great weather. But all good things come to an end and I’m leaving today, taking with me a whole bunch of lovely memories.

How did I manage to enjoy this week of luxury and adventure? It came about because I’m a writer and editor. No kidding. I’ve had some amazing experiences simply because of my profession. In this case, I was offered the beach house in exchange for some editing work. It was a bartering situation.

I think some of you know that it was my writing that got me a trip to Dubai&#8212yes, in the Middle East. The organizers of the Toastmasters annual convention in that region wanted a woman keynote speaker that year (2006). They were accustomed to seeing my byline on articles in the Toastmaster Magazine and liked what I had to say. So they invited me, all expenses paid, including the first class flight. Wow! What an experience!! (Read more about this trip in my May 2006 blog entries.) I’ve also written a book on the subject. It’s showcased at
http://www.matilijapress.com/dubai.html

I’ve met interesting people as a result of my writing&#8212professionals in all areas of expertise, amazing individuals making big marks in the world and well-known authors (David Morrell, Maxine Hong Kingston and others whose names escape me). I’ve met inventors, corporate CEOs and animal rescue volunteers. I interviewed a man who built a million dollar exercise machine business from scratch, celebrated psychologists, outstanding artists, speakers who draw $thousands for one keynote and a Miss America.

And the experiences you have as a freelance writer and author…I was allowed inside a cage with Pallas Cats at the Denver Zoo before visiting hours to photograph these unusual and shy animals for Cats Magazine. I’ve been wined and dined by interview subjects who could afford high living and hoped for a positive slant on the story I was writing. I’ve watched birds of prey being trained, toured cat rescue facilities, had a free sailing lesson and even sat inside a simulated flying saucer.

Because of my writing, I’ve traveled to cities and states I may never visit otherwise&#8212Wisconsin, Nashville, Atlanta, Hawaii, Jacksonville, Seattle, Phoenix, etc. And I’ve met new friends in each new place.

As a freelance writer, author and even an editor, I’ve had more interesting and unusual experiences than I can mention in one blog entry. And they seem to keep coming.

Are you open to the potential new experiences out there? Do you recognize them when you see them? Can you reach out to enjoy them? Let your natural writers’ curiosity pull you out of your comfort zone. Begin exploring the opportunities available.

And if you don’t know how to get a freelance business going or you need help producing or marketing your book, be sure to explore my array of books for writers and authors at http://www.matilijapress.com

In particular check out, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (for any hopeful or struggling author at any stage of their publishing project), A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles (for freelance writers and authors who want to promote their books through article-writing), The Successful Writer’s Handbook (for any writer or author who needs guidance and encouragement).

October 23, 2008

Must You Tell the Whole Truth?

Filed under: Writing — Patricia @ 6:12 am

When we write a true story, such as our memoirs or the details of an event that occurred, is it always necessary to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? I don’t think so. In fact, I advise my clients to fudge a little. I often tell them to eliminate some of the facts. Why would I suggest they deviate from the truth and even, in some cases, tell a bald face lie? Why? Because sometimes the truth is BORING.

I’m not proposing that you compromise your story with untruths, but that you enhance it by NOT sharing so much truth. We probably don’t need to know every detail that led to the event you are writing about. But if it is a true story, sometimes you feel obligated to tell it exactly like it was. Leaving out a detail or glossing over something seems to you like you’re cheating the reader. On the contrary, if the detail is mundane and unimportant, you are doing us a favor by keeping it to yourself.

The best writing is tight writing. Sure, you want to use interesting phrases and imagery to tell a good story, but not to the point where it becomes a burden to the reader. By way of example, here are two phrases that come to mind. Both could have been elaborated on, but would they have been as poignant? One is, “Jesus wept.”

These two words say volumes. How this statement would have been ruined by an elaboration. We don’t care where he was, what he was wearing, how many times he stubbed his toe as he walked in his sandals, who else was with him. We don’t need to know any of this, do we? Not at this moment.

Another statement I’d like to use as an example is from Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. He opens the book by saying, “I became what I am today at the age of 12, on a frigid, overcast day in the winter of 1975.” Of course, we want to know more and we’re going to learn much more as we read through this story. But imagine this opening statement cluttered by unnecessary details.

Your reader probably doesn’t care to know the exact positioning of the houses on your block&#8212that the one two doors up sits back further than the rest and you’re not quite sure why, but you feel it was a deliberate attempt at being a nonconformist, etc. They probably don’t care that Pumpkin was your 8th kitty friend. Why would you even tell them about the rickety back steps into the house, unless it relates somehow to the story?

Be careful about including unnecessary detail in your true story. Use only what is prevalent to the story&#8212those things that move the story along or make it more interesting.

Some of you already have finished books that you are currently marketing. Don’t forget that, if you need help with promotion (and most of us do), I’m offering my 6-week online Book Promotion Course starting tomorrow&#8212Friday, October 24, 2008. Learn more about it and sign up at
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

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