Writing and Publishing News from

April 27, 2013

Be the CEO of Your Book

Filed under: Book Promotion,Publishing — Patricia @ 4:22 am

I had a lot of comments and requests to copy a recent blog post—the warning to authors about a way over-priced, ridiculous package one of the “self-publishing” companies was promoting. I hope this made a whole lot of authors stop and think before signing up for a publishing, editing or marketing program with any company.

Just because the company is well-known, does not mean it is ethical. Just because they say they love your book, doesn’t mean they have your best interest at heart. Just because your self-publishing company offers the opportunity, doesn’t mean it is a good opportunity.

Please, please, please check out the “self-publishing” company you are considering before signing up for anything. Do an Internet search using the keyword “warning” or “complaint” with the company name. Compare their services and prices with other companies. Never be so eager to get your book published that you make costly mistakes.

If you have thousands of dollars to spend on bogus marketing plans, you probably should be hiring a good book editor for your manuscript instead. If you are in such a hurry to publish your book that you will go with the first company you find, you might as well just put copies of your manuscript in paper shopping bags and sell it to passersby from a street corner. If you are not savvy as far as book marketing and if you don’t understand that it is up to the author to promote his or her book, you might as well put your manuscript in the paper shredder and find another pastime.

Before publishing, do an Internet search and pay attention to what you learn from it. Be smart. Be savvy.

Read Mark Levine’s book, “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing,” to find out how this attorney rates and ranks the self-publishing companies. You might be unpleasantly surprised. But this one step—followed up by an honest Internet search—might save you thousands of dollars and a lot of heartache.

Have your manuscript professionally edited, sign with a legitimate self-publishing company or do true self-publishing (establish your own publishing company), learn something about your responsibilities as a published author and you have a much better chance of publishing success.

To get a free e-copy of Mark Levine’s book, join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). By the way, SPAWN is a major networking organization and resource center for authors. http://www.spawn.org

And Read my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” Yes, it includes information about the publishing industry, your options and how to make the right choice for you and your book. It goes into self-publishing (how to establish your own company), distribution, book promotion, self-editing and much, much more. http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html Also available at amazon.com in print, kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores.

April 25, 2013

Gimmicks for Authors

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 5:40 am

Are you planning to have a booth at a book festival, flea market or other festival or marketplace this year? Do you have a plan? Even a gimmick? Or do you believe that your book is so good that people will buy it as soon as they see it? It could happen. I’ve seen books attract the immediate attention of visitors and fly out of the booth. But that is a rare occasion.

I’ve been doing book festivals for nearly 20 years—maybe 50 or 60 of them total all over California as well as St. Louis, Tucson, New York, Atlanta and Arlington, TX. And I’ve seen all types of books and many different selling styles. Basically, those who sell books are personable, friendly and they know how to reach out and communicate with others without being pushy or obnoxious. These authors know how to connect with other people. They generally have books with a genuinely interesting story or premise and these books usually have a cover that is pleasing to the eye or, perhaps, intriguing.

Authors who can interest visitors in their books know how to describe their books. They may even ask the visitor a few questions before giving their spiel, so they are addressing the particular potential customer’s needs, desires in this topic or theme, for example.

These authors note benefits rather than features when describing their books. And some of them use gimmicks to attract people and sell books.

What are some of the gimmicks you can use? Here are a few:
• Give something away with the book. I know a lot of authors who place a CD in a pocket in the back of the book. But there are numerous items you can offer to those who purchase your book.

• Attract visitors to your booth by handing out candy, pencils, fans, tote bags, small water bottles, etc.

• Come up with a community project. This might be a giant crossword puzzle, a paint by number project, a writing challenge or a contest—how many pennies in the jar, book give-away activity…

• Ask booth visitors to help you come up with a title for your next book or to choose which cover they like best. Show them the trailer for your upcoming book to give them an idea of the content.

• Have a sign-up sheet so you can stay in touch with those who bought your book and those who did not. Email them periodically with news about your book, announcement of a new book, your appearances, etc.

I know a couple of authors who set up a small table outside of farmers’ markets and they sell a glass of lemonade for $10 each and give away a copy of their bathroom humor book with each glass. Others dress in costume to reflect the theme or their books.

There are many ways to use your personality and your imagination to make a bigger impression when you reserve a booth at a book festival. You’ll find additional ideas in my latest book, “Talk UP Your Book, How to Sell Books Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” Available at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. Can also be purchased at my website and at many book festivals throughout California. http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

April 24, 2013

Authors Beware—High Drama for Authors

Filed under: Authorship,Book Promotion — Patricia @ 6:15 am

There are opportunities and then there are opportunities. If you are an author or plan to become one and you are seeking ways to promote and sell your book, you must read this revealing post.

There was high drama around the SPAWN booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. A short distance from us were a series of five or six Author Solutions booths. Author Solutions encompasses several pay-to-publish companies including AuthorHouse, iUniverse and Trafford. Well, while SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) offered members space in our two booths to sell their books all day for one or both days of the festival at a fee that would cover our cost ($200 per day), Author Solutions had something entirely different in mind for their authors.

Each author could sit in one of their booths for an hour during the festival and sign books to give away for FREE. And do you know what Author Solutions were charging for the privilege? $3,999.00. Yes, you read it right. Each author paid nearly four thousand dollars to give their books away for an hour.

Granted, the author gets 75 of his/her books to give away, promotional material and a few other perks—none of which justify, to me, this outrageous fee.

If this is an example of their offerings and their fees, please, please know that this is beyond ridiculous. I mean, where’s the benefit to the author? I can see the benefit to the company. At the end of the day, they could be raking in something like $100,000. And their authors? Well, some of their books are now in the hands of people who may or may not care enough about them to even read them.

You know that I believe in exposure. There are hundreds of ways to get great exposure for your book without spending your life savings. While I do not recommend that a single author with a single or a few books sign up for a booth at a major book festival such as the LATFB or the Tucson Festival of Books, this is still a better option than the one Author Solutions offers. This will only cost you around $1,000 and you’ll have two full days of exposure and the opportunity to sell your books for 15 hours.

Why do I try to steer authors away from having their own booths at these large events? An unknown author generally cannot sell enough books to break even, let alone make a profit. It can happen, but not typically. Most likely, you won’t even have enough interest to consider the exposure aspect worthwhile.

Instead, partner with other authors or an organization that attracts a lot of people, such as SPAWN, and you will have the opportunity for much greater exposure and sales.

Are you considering publishing with a pay-to-publish (self-publishing) company? Do you know how to do the research necessary to protect yourself from exorbitant fees and ridiculous, worthless programs? Again, here’s the drill:

• Study the publishing industry so you understand what it’s about, what it involves, what your options are and how to make the best choices on your behalf. My book, “Publish Your Book,” is an excellent start. Available at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio as well as most other online and downtown bookstores. Also subscribe to publishing newsletters and magazines and join publishing organizations.

• Do an Internet search to check the reputation, complaints, praise for any company you are considering. Use keyword (company name) and “warning” or “complaint.”

• Read Mark Levine’s book, “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.” He rates and ranks several of these companies and explains the contracts. You can get the ebook version of this book when you join SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org

• http://www.pred-ed.com/pubwarn.htm This is a warning list for authors who are thinking about “self-publishing.”

Again, here are some additional warning sites:
http://www.todayswriting.com/poetry-scams.html (covers much more than just poetry.
http://www.writersweekly.com/whispers_and_warnings.php
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware

Don’t assume that just because a company is in business and they gush over your book that they are legitimate and really care about you and your book. Be pro-active on behalf of your book. Your success depends on it.

April 23, 2013

Card Readers, Amazon and Library Sales

Filed under: Authorship,Bookselling — Patricia @ 4:27 am

I’m still catching up with my contacts made from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I had to manually make a few credit card charges. My new Intuit card reader quit working and the backup I brought with me would not work, either. Bummer. I have had a merchant account system connected to my website for years and I can fill out credit card forms when I sell books out in public and charge the customer’s card manually when I get home. So that’s what I had to do.

If you don’t have the ability to take credit cards and if you want to sell books, you really should get a system either through Intuit, Paypal or some other company. You want to accept every form of payment or you will miss sales.

Some authors balk at having their books at amazon.com because they make little or no money through Amazon sales. I maintain that it is important to have your book available everywhere. Amazon is often the first place someone is going to look for a book and if it isn’t there, you could miss sales. It could be that someone will browse through Amazon to locate books on a particular topic. If your book is there, they might see it. Perhaps they won’t buy it on the spot. But then they might read a review of your book someplace and notice it again. When they see it at a local book festival, they are apt to buy it then—why? Because they are familiar with it. It is familiar to them. It often takes a potential customer seeing a book (or another product) numerous times before they make the decision to purchase it.

I had someone ask me this morning how to sell books to libraries. Here was my response:

“Is yours a book that libraries would want? They do love reference books, for example. And they want books that are sturdy—have a spine, etc. I guess the best way to get noticed by librarians is to consider soliciting a review in Library Journal. Here is a link that might help: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/?ref=menu

Use a library directory to locate and contact libraries individually or library systems.
http://www.librarydir.org
http://www.americanlibrarydirectory.com
http://www.publiclibraries.com

You will also want to have your book distributed by Baker and Taylor. They sell to libraries. http://www.btol.com

Two keys are, a book that fits their requirements and locating contacts to libraries. Offering them a discount doesn’t hurt, either.”

Do you want to know which libraries your books are in?
http://www.worldcat.org

.

April 22, 2013

What’s the Value of a Book Festival for Authors?

Filed under: Book Promotion,Bookselling — Patricia @ 7:42 am

I’m back from the Los Angeles Festival of Books (LATFB). And I have stories to tell. If you’ve never sat in a booth at a major book festival with your book, I recommend it. But I have to tell you that it will not be a relaxing way to spend an afternoon or an entire weekend.

First, you have to decide how many books to take with you—how many books could you conceivably sell? You must figure out how to make your booth or your booth space appealing and how to attract potential customers to your booth. If your book is a mystery with an attractive cover, create professional posters featuring your book cover and/or have a banner that says, “mystery.” Use table cover colors in shades that show off your books. And then come up with something to say to visitors to your booth.

If you have a nonfiction book on quilting, aviation, gardening, health and wellness or how to sell an ebook, for example, post something that will attract readers of this particular book. Just like you would with your website, make sure that your presentation represents your product—that people will know at first glance what you are all about.

You’ll want to write and rehearse a short spiel describing your book, for example. And also practice discussing your book in more depth in case someone is interested in knowing more. Engage people—reach out and ask passersby, “Does your child like to read?” “Do you like mysteries (quilting, gardening, cats) etc.?”

And most of all, when you plan to participate in a book festival, expect that the biggest positive to come out of it will be the exposure you get for your book. Exposure is what you are after. Sure, you may sell a few books and I hope that you do. But there are going to be a whole lot of people who will pick up your book, talk to you, maybe just stop and read your poster, who will not purchase your book at that time. Those people are as important—maybe more so than those who buy your book on the spot. Why? They now know about your book. They’ve heard of you. Maybe they spoke with you and learned something about you and why you wrote this book. They may have picked up one of your advertising bookmarks and perhaps they even left their name and email address on your sign-up sheet.

Each and every one of those people are potential customers. Now, if they see you book at Amazon or they happen across your website or they read a review of your book someplace or they hear you speak locally, they will remember you and will be more apt to purchase the book the next time they have the opportunity.

Those who signed up with you for a free garden planting schedule, a short-story mystery you wrote, a list of 10 tips for ebook authors, etc., are definitely potential customers. Now they have received something free from you and that freebie contains more about your book as well as ordering information. AND you have their email address and you can contact these people when you have a book signing, a new book out or won an award, for example.

Book festivals are a lot of fun, a lot of work and can be extremely important to authors who take every advantage of the opportunities offered.

That’s just what we did in the SPAWN booth at the LATFB over the weekend. We sold books and we made some great contacts. I’ll be writing more about our experience and about book festivals in general throughout the week. So let me know if you have questions.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafy.com

April 19, 2013

Are Book Festivals Becoming Obsolete?

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 4:37 am

I’ll be gone over the weekend, so there will be no post Saturday or Sunday. I’ll be busy, busy, busy at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFB). SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has two booths this year. Some of our members will be with us promoting their own books while a few local board members talk to booth visitors about their publishing projects and how a membership in SPAWN might help them to meet their goals of publishing success.

We’ll have books on display for members who can’t make the event. And we’ll be handing out hundreds of “SPAWN Catalogs of Members’ Books and Services.” We usually have wonderful ambiance in the booth among members—most of them meeting for the first time in person. And we have a great time chatting with each other and the many visitors to our booth.

Some of us, by the end of the day (or two days) sell boxes of books and others not so many. It depends on the product (the book), the sales pitch and the crowd. We’ve always known that some potential customers will not buy books on the spot, but collect promotional bookmarks, etc. and then order the book cheaper from Amazon.com. I believe that with the rise in e-readers, even more people are doing that. So it is most advisable for authors to have their books on Kindle, Nook and other e-readers as well as in print and even audio.

Does this mean that the book festival is becoming obsolete? Well, it may be time for us to look at the book festival opportunity with renewed expectations. I’ll give you my more educated opinion after this weekend. So far this year, the book festivals I have attended have not resulted in many on-the-spot sales. But this happens in certain venues and on certain occasions. I won’t know until my royalty statement comes in whether there is an upsurge in e-book sales after these events. I have a history with the LATFB, however and a track record for the types of books I sell. So it will be interesting to see if the sales of my hard copies remain consistent or not.

Here’s to exposure!!

By the way, did you see the comment left by an author after my post on the value of hiring an editor for your book project? Here it is:
“You’re spot on! I did not have an editor for my first novel and while many people commented that they liked the story, the main complaint was editing. I’ll never make that mistake again. You can find good editors who will work for a reasonable fee. You owe it to yourself to find one. Your sales will reflect your wise decision. ;o)”

April 18, 2013

Join and Participate

Filed under: Authorship — Patricia @ 4:49 am

This is what we suggest when we talk to prospective members of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). Joining isn’t enough—ever. You must also get involved.

Sure the prestige of belonging can be important in some instances. For example, you can put the organization logo on your website. You can tell publishers that you belong to this and that organization, group and club so that he knows you are serious about your publishing project. It might look good on your résumé.

But, presumably, as an author, the main reason you joined the organization or group is to learn, to meet other authors and professionals within the publishing industry, to become more educated and informed about publishing and book promotion, to collect resources you can use to further your success within the industry and to receive some guidance by people you trust.

Why, then, do so many of you plunk down the money to join and then neglect to attend meetings, rarely read the newsletters, avoid signing up for the online discussion group, never get around to partaking of other benefits—in fact, have lost sight of even what they are?

Here’s my advice: Find the groups or organizations with members you’d like to know and/or that you can learn from. Choose groups or organizations with benefits that match your particular needs at the moment. Join and then participate. This is the only way the experience will be of benefit.

April 17, 2013

Signs That You Need a Book Editor

Filed under: Editing — Patricia @ 4:20 am

Some authors resist hiring a book editor for their manuscripts. “Too expensive,” they say. Or “Just don’t want to take the time to have it edited—want to get my book out there NOW!”

I advise authors to start saving up the money for a good editor as soon as you decide to write that book for publication. And don’t be in such a hurry that you short-change your chances of a publishing contract or that you bring out a book that isn’t ready.

What are some of the signs that you need a book editor? Here are a few:

• You’re not sure where or how to use apostrophes.
• You’re unclear about just where commas go.
• You get mixed up about using their, they’re, there.
• You struggle over what to capitalize and what not to.
• You find that your manuscript has inconsistencies throughout.
• You repeat words rather than try to use creative means to eliminate repeats.
• You write weak—passive sentences.
• Some of your sentences are kind of muddy.
• You don’t know that it is now one space between sentences.
• You’re confused as to where paragraph breaks should be.
• The story drags—doesn’t flow nicely.
• You’re having trouble organizing your nonfiction books.
• You’re too wordy.
• You have too many staccato sentences.
• You find many small problems such as omission of closed quotes.
• You’re not sure how to handle dialog.
• English is your second language.
• You don’t know when to capitalize Mom, Daddy, Grandpa, etc.

If you’re not sure whether an editor can make a difference in your manuscript, get an editorial evaluation. Many editors will take a look, tell you where the problems are in your manuscript and give you a sample edit and an estimate.

April 16, 2013

Your Book Launch or Re-Launch Party

Filed under: Book Promotion — Patricia @ 5:10 am

Do you have a new book or one on the horizon? Do you plan a book launch party? While old-fashioned book-signings are not what they used to be, I’ve seen and heard about some very successful book launch parties over the years.

Your friends, relatives, colleagues and other supporters are more apt to attend a “party” than a “signing.” And if you have the event at an interesting venue, you’ll attract even more guests. I also like to encourage authors to provide something entertaining or interesting during the evening/day. How can friends and others resist the possibility of winning a prize, actually being a part of a murder mystery or being entertained by magicians, a comedian, an actor or a popular local musical group, for example?

Place is important too. People will come expressly to support you on this special day, to see the magnificent home where the event is taking place or to finally visit an interesting business in town (pet spa, new library, coffee house situated in an old pioneer home, new children’s toy store, etc.).

Be creative. For a book on local hiking trails, bird watching or plants indigenous to the area, arrange a hike with a potluck or refreshment table at the end. For a novel set on or around a train pre 1900, rent a refurbished train car for a catered dinner and evening of entertainment. For a young adult fantasy, bring some of your characters to life using local actors on stage at your community theater.

Are you getting excited about the possibilities? Do you have some ideas for your book launch party going through your head?

What if your book is older now? What if you came out with it last year or three years ago? There’s nothing that will revive an older book like a re-launch party. Think about it. You’ve been promoting the book now for a year or more. You know who your audience is. You know what readers are saying about it. You know which promotional activities and which venues seem to bring you the most sales. And maybe you know what mistakes you made with your book.

Is the cover dull and uninteresting? Did you neglect to hire a good book editor? Is the organization of your book off—could the story be told better? If you believe that your book is as good as it gets, the cover is fantastic and there is a definite need/desire for your book, start now planning a re-launch party. If, on the other hand, you know there are things that could make your book better, invest in improving it now and then through an amazing book launch party for the new and improve version.

I’d like to hear about your successful book launch party ideas. Leave your comment here.

In the meantime, for more information on this book promotion idea as well as hundreds of others, order your copy of “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” It’s at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and most other online and downtown bookstores.

April 15, 2013

Time Management for Authors

Filed under: Authorship,Writing — Patricia @ 4:31 am

I am constantly learning something about my way of handling things. Maybe I am constantly changing the way I handle things.

I keep pretty busy with running SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), writing, editing for other authors, promoting my books in a variety of ways and so forth. I also have a life and a lot of family, including a 90-year-old mom and great grandchildren all living nearby. And sometimes I feel overwhelmed with tasks, my to-do list, interruptions, jobs, responsibilities and so forth. Sound familiar?

Well, I’ve discovered a couple of things that help. One is to write everything down. That way I don’t forget a grandson’s or a friend’s birthday, to pay a bill, to buy kitty litter, to respond to an author question, to water the garden, what I plan to fix for dinner, etc. And the other thing is to take care of the small things first—the details. Then the list doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

So I might log a sale, get books ready to fill an Amazon order, mail some birthday cards, send my bio and photo to a program director, print out handouts for a presentation, water my African violets, pick up cat food, give an estimate for an editing job before I settle down to put in a few hours editing or writing a few chapters of my latest novel.

Think of it—a list of 15 items is now chopped down to 7 just like that and my anxiety level goes down, too. Now all that is left, for example, might be, edit a book proposal for a client, send the next lesson for the book promotion workshop, pick up groceries, call a potential client, respond to a question on self-publishing companies, finish the SPAWN Market Update and write a blog post.

How do you handle your life when there is a lot to do? Do you procrastinate? Do you start each day during a busy time with a longer list each day? Or have you found a great way to manage your time and get more done. Would like to hear about it.

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