Writing and Publishing News from

February 25, 2012

Bookselling Opportunities and Resources for Authors

Filed under: Announcements,Authorship,Book Promotion — Patricia @ 10:45 am

Some of you subscribe to SPAWNews, the free enewsletter distributed by SPAWN on the first of each month. And you read my promo each month for the SPAWN Market Update, which is posted in the member area of the SPAWN site each first of the month. Here’s what I wrote in the March SPAWNews describing what members will find in this month’s Market Update.

The March 2012 issue of the SPAWN Market Update is all about volume. We provide 15 links to literally thousands of writing contests; jobs in the publishing field; writing opportunities for fiction, poetry and nonfiction and publishers for your project. Additionally, we show you how to track your book sales and promote your book through magazine articles. The information in this issue could give you that “award-winning,” moniker you’ve been wanting; land you a sought-after job as an editor, art director, videographer, etc.; finally reveal the right publisher for your manuscript; help you to place some of your articles/stories and so much more.

If you’d like to have access to this and every jam-packed issue of the SPAWN Market Update, PLUS several years of archives, join SPAWN NOW. It’s $65/year. What else do you get? Access to our discussion group so you can “speak” directly to some of the movers and shakers in publishing and join in on discussions related to your areas of interest, you can post your book in the SPAWN Catalog of Members’ Books and Services (it’s online year round and handed out to some of the 140,000 visitors to the SPAWN booth at the LA Times Festival of Books (LATFB) in April), you can sell books from the SPAWN booth at the LATFB or send your book to be displayed in the booth, you can place announcements in SPAWNews (circulation 2,000). Read the additional perks for SPAWN members here:
http://www.spawn.org/member.htm

If you live in Southern California and you have a published book, consider joining us in the SPAWN booth April 21 and 22. Booths are up around $1,000 each. We have secured two booths and are charging members $200 per day (either Saturday or Sunday) to sell books from our booths. You must be a member of SPAWN ($65/year) and we recommend that you have your book listed in the SPAWN Catalog of Member’s Books and Services ($35). So for $300, you get all of the benefits of membership for a year, your book is listed in our catalog (the print edition goes out to 500 readers) and you have the opportunity to connect with your readership in person at the LATFB, sell books and make important contacts that can lead to future sales. Contact me if you have questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com or Patricia@spawn.org.

February 24, 2012

Networking Brings Many Gifts for Authors & Writers

Filed under: Authorship,Publishing — Patricia @ 6:31 am

Do you belong to an organization of writers and/or authors? Do you attend meetings in your area? Some of you know that SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writes Network) started out as a face-to-face networking organization with chapters in three counties. The Internet brought us all home and made it possible for us to connect with thousands more people throughout the world. The good thing about this is that we are helping more people to make better decisions on behalf of their writing/publishing projects. The downside is the fact that we are no longer experiencing that personal connection—well, not in the face-to-face, handshaking, back-patting, hugging sort of way.

That’s why I always look forward to traveling around and meeting writers in person at writers’ conferences, local writers’ group meetings and book festivals.

You all know that I finished writing my latest book—on public speaking and communication for authors. As soon as I did, my world became flooded with editing jobs and speaking invitations. Here at SPAWN, we’re gearing up for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April. And I am spending every spare moment, these days, in promotion mode with my latest book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” So there continues to be a lot on my plate. It’s all good.

Especially good news is that my promotional efforts and those of the publisher’s publicist seem to be paying off. The book ranking is UP at amazon.com. Thanks to all of you who are ordering it. I am thrilled—not so much because I want to sell books, but because I want you to learn some of the ins and outs of publishing before getting involved. And this is one of the best books around for the new and struggling author. Thanks for buying it. You’ll be awfully glad you did.

You should also be out mingling with other writers and authors, joining online writers’ support groups, participating in lists and forums, visiting blog sites like this one, attending live author book signings at some of the fascinating places where they are occurring these days, attending writers conferences and book festivals (If you have a book—you should be selling it. If not, get to know some of the authors who have their books for sale.)

Through networking, you will learn who the good guys in publishing are, which pay-to-publish companies to stay away from, where to send your magnificent science fiction story for publication, who is a good editor for your manuscript, where to get your brochures printed, where to find a good book coach, which writers/authors publications are most worthwhile and so much more.

Read books like mine, of course, but also subscribe to all of the right magazines and newsletters. Contact me for a list, if you aren’t sure which publications to choose. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Where are you in the process of writing or publishing a book? Would you like a free manuscript evaluation? Contact me here or at the email address above. Visit my websites
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

Visit SPAWN http://www.spawn.org

February 23, 2012

Amazing Resource for Struggling Authors

Filed under: Book Promotion,Publishing — Patricia @ 6:03 am

I now have a pdf file of my latest book—Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. I will send that file of this most valuable book to anyone who is willing to write a review for Amazon.com. PLFry620@yahoo.com

What’s in it for you? Free access to a book that could change your life—that is if you hope to write a more relevant book and become a more successful author. If you know nothing about the publishing process or the business of publishing, this book is your education. And it is vital education. Do you know, for example, that nearly 80 percent of books fail in the marketplace? That is, they sell 100 or fewer copies total.

Why? Because the competition is fierce for authors. And because these authors did not bother to learn enough about the publishing industry to know that it is up to them to promote their own books. This is true whether they go with a pay-to-publish company, self-publish (establish their own publishing company) or land a traditional publisher. The author is responsible for promoting his or her book. Do you know how to do that? Of course, you don’t—if you’ve had no previous experience within this realm.

Are you, like so many other newby authors, planning to sell your book through bookstores? Or do you plan to have simple website designed where you will sell your book? Great! This is a good start. But the big picture in authorship and book promotion is much larger and more complex than this. And it is the author’s job to learn and understand the complexities. The truth is, there is MUCH more to promoting a book in this publishing climate and, if you don’t know what it takes and if you’re not willing to educate yourself, you will fail.

The other point many new authors miss is the fact that authors and their books are not part of a cookie-cutter process. Each author and every book is different/unique and they each require a different approach. Publish Your Book, for example, gives a lesson in publishing options and even helps authors to determine, through a process of elimination, which publishing option is best for his or her project. If finding a publisher or agent is foremost on your agenda right now, you really must read chapters 1 through 3 and 8, 9 and 11. So many authors “settle” or take the easy way out—and believe me, there are many easy ways these days for authors—and MOST authors miss out on the success they could have experienced because of poor choices.

If you are stymied as to how to write that book proposal that most publishers want to see, read chapters 4-7. You’ll get a lot out of the real examples we’ve used in this section.

If you are already promoting a book, you’ll be most interested in studying chapters 12 through 14.

Read what the experts and other authors are saying about this book at the book’s Amazon.com page. And then ask me for a pdf copy of it—but only if you agree to write a review of the book once you’ve finished reading it. PLF620@yahoo.com

If you want a hardcopy of Publish Your Book, you can order it at Amazon.com.

February 22, 2012

The Basics of a Successful Query Letter

Filed under: Query Letters — Patricia @ 5:21 am

Your magnificent query letter must:

1: Contain an intriguing beginning or a hook—something that catches the agent’s, publisher’s or editor’s attention. Don’t fret over this—just come up with something that creates enough interest so the editor will keep reading. Don’t try to be too cute or clever, you might come across as trite.

2: Identify this as a query letter and ask for what you want. Sometimes we become so involved in choosing the perfect words that we forget to focus on clarity. State or indicate early on that this is a query letter. Say, for example, “Please consider my manuscript for publication,” or “I’d like to propose a book featuring…”

3: Describe your project succinctly and briefly explain (based on information from your book proposal) the need and/or desire for a book such as this.

4: Mention the highlights of your project and any special aspects.

5: Name a few of your experts. (You might want to include a separate list of experts, if it is extensive and impressive.)

6: Share something about yourself—your background in the subject of your book and as a writer. I sometimes include a separate page listing my published books or titles of any articles I’ve had published on the topic of this particular book.

7: Let the publisher know that you have a book proposal ready to send or a complete manuscript. I know, I told you to forget about the manuscript until after you’ve completed the proposal. But there will come a point when you have completed the manuscript and you’ll want to mention that to the publishers you contact.

This is excerpted from my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.

I still have a few copies of this book to hand out to people who are willing to read it and post a review at amazon.com. Contact me at: PLFry620@yahoo.com.

In the meantime, visit the book’s page at amazon.com. It’s now in print and Kindle. Or here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html

February 21, 2012

How Long Should You Wait For a Response From a Publisher?

Filed under: Publishing — Patricia @ 4:47 am

Excerpted from my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.

(By the way, I’m offering a free copy of this book to the first 5 people in the US who contact me and who will read the book and write a review for the book’s Amazon.com page.) Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com. Put “Book Review” in the subject line.

What is a reasonable time to wait for a publisher to comment on your manuscript? My rule of thumb for a requested manuscript is two to four weeks past the projected response time for that particular publisher. Most publishers state in their submission guidelines when you can expect a response to a query, a book proposal and a manuscript. FYI, the average response time for a query letter is one to two months; for a proposal, it’s around two months and three months for a manuscript. Unless otherwise stated by the publisher, use these standards.

Sometimes, after a reasonable waiting period, you’ll contact the publisher with a tracer letter (letter of inquiry) only to learn that he has misplaced your submission or he claims he did not receive it. Don’t throw yourself in front of a bus. Sometimes perceived disasters such as this can work in your favor. Think about it, suddenly your project becomes a priority for that publisher. Re-submit it at his request and he will go out of his way to look at it this time.

A publisher might admit that he received your package, but he just hasn’t had time to review it. There’s still hope. Or he will tell you that it is being circulated among his editorial staff. This is a good thing. Publishers at most larger houses will distribute what they view as more promising proposals or manuscripts among the editorial staff and, sometimes, the marketing team. This can take time. Try not to get impatient with publishers who don’t respond within minutes of receiving your manuscript. When a publisher responds promptly, it is often with a rejection.

Authorship is not for the weak, desperate or faint of heart. There is nothing glamorous about rejection. There is nothing nurturing in negligence and abuse. If you’re in this business long enough, you will experience all of the above and it ain’t a pretty sight.

If you think that writing is a lonely activity, just wait until you enter into the competitive field of publishing. You’ll be ignored, shined on, dissed, talked down to and even treated rudely. You’ll sometimes feel like a second-class citizen. To get along, an author must be humble, patient, persistent and always professional.

Order this book at Amazon.com or http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html

February 20, 2012

Should You Send Simultaneous Submissions?

Filed under: Authorship — Patricia @ 6:31 am

Excerpted from Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. Here’s a question I get fairly often and my response:

It is perfectly okay to send out query letters to numbers of publishers at once. Some publishers even sanction sending a book proposal to more than one publisher at a time. I usually send my initial query letter to my first choice of publishers only. I he or she isn’t interested in my project, I start sending out simultaneous query submissions.

Do not, however, send your manuscript to more than one publisher simultaneously. An exception to this rule is when a publisher holds your manuscript for a long time without responding. If you can’t elicit a response after a reasonable waiting period, write or call and let that publisher know that you will be sending the manuscript to another publisher who has requested it. And then tell the new publisher that the manuscript is also being considered by XYZ Publishing House.

Tomorrow “How Long Should You Wait for a Response?”

In the meantime, check out the book this was excepted from, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author at amazon.com or http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html

February 19, 2012

How to Find a Job in the Publishing Industry

Filed under: Uncategorized — Patricia @ 5:11 am

Do you want a job in the publishing field—as an editor for a magazine, for example, or a publishing company; as a videographer; columnist in the area of beauty tips, cooking, style, pets, etc? Are you aware of the number and magnitude of job boards for writers and others on the fringes of the writing field—photographers, artists and art teachers, web developers, etc? I report on job boards for the SPAWN Market Update from time to time.

I also list publishers, reviewers, magazine, etc. databases, which I believe can be of great help to writers and authors. But you have to be willing to put in the time seeking out those sources that are right for you. This also means sorting through some dead links and leads that go nowhere.

Is it worth your time? If you want a job as an editor in Chicago, as an art director in San Francisco or you need a publisher for your children’s chapter book, you certainly could score if you are diligent and thorough in your research. In case you would like a new start within the world of publishing, here are some job boards you may want to check out. To find more, join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) and read back issues of the SPAWN Market Update to locate thousands and thousands of opportunities you may not be aware of.

http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings
http://www.gofreelance.com
http://www.modernfreelance.com/freelancer-job-sites/freelance-writers.php

If you want to find job boards of your own or any other type of directory, do an Internet search.

February 18, 2012

FREE Book for Serious Authors

Filed under: Announcements,Authorship,Book Promotion — Patricia @ 7:05 am

Would you be willing to write a review for my Amazon.com page in exchange for a FREE copy of my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author? This is a book for authors in all genres and at any stage in the publishing process. Among many other things, it includes:

• How to write your book for the right target audience
• How to build promotion into your book
• How to write a successful query letter and book proposal (with examples)
• How to choose the right publishing option.
• How to Establish or strengthen your author’s platform
• How to Promote and sell your book.

And it includes many real examples to follow.

Can you use help in any or all of these areas? Is this a book you’ve been wanting to order? Are you a seriously aspiring author who wants to succeed? Do you care what others are saying?

Brian Jud says, “Patricia Fry has written an eye-opening book that tells it like it really is. I believe this is one of the most helpful publishing books out there.”

Jeff Herman says “This book provides generous doses of insider information about the publishing process.”

Do you know who Brian Jud and Jeff Herman are? Brian is the author of “How to Make Real Money Selling Books” and “Beyond the Bookstore.” He’s extremely well-thought of in the publishing world. He writes a newsletter—Marketing Matters. You really should subscribe.

Jeff Herman is a literary agent and the author of “Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents.” He also wrote a book I have used often, “Write the Perfect Book Proposal.”

Let me know if you are serious about writing and publishing a successful book, finishing your fiction or nonfiction book and publishing it (either through a traditional publisher, a pay-to-publish company or self-publishing—establishing your own publishing company) or if you have a published book and it isn’t doing as well as you had hoped in the marketplace.

Contact me today for your FREE copy (US addresses only) and with your promise to review this book for Amazon.com. In the meantime, read all of the reviews for my book, Promote Your Book at Amazon. Just go to Patricia Fry’s Amazon pages. And read the one review we have so far for Publish Your Book.

Note: This offer good for the first five responders only.

If you are one of many who have already purchased this book or you’ve received it from my publisher, I’d appreciate knowing that and I’d love it if you were so inclined to write a brief review at my amazon.com pages.

PLFry620@yahoo.com Put “Publish Your Book” in the subject line and give me your mailing address.

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

February 17, 2012

Put Your Best Bio Forward

Filed under: Authorship — Patricia @ 3:51 am

Today I want to talk to you about your bio. When you become an author, there will be many occasions when you will be asked for your bio. You’ll need to include a bio when you are quoted in someone else’s book, invited to speak at a conference or another venue, scheduled to do a book signing, interviewed by a blogger or radio host or when you submit an article or story, for example.

The first few times I was asked for my bio, I found it difficult to write. How does one encapsulate his or her professional persona in a brief few lines? What is most important to include?

Since then, I’ve provided hundreds of bios for a variety of purposes and I’ve requested bios from people I’m working with on different projects. Here are some pointers to guide you in writing your bio the next time someone requests it:

1: Keep to the number of lines or words requested. If someone asks for one or two lines or thirty words, do not write a hundred-word description of your accomplishments.

2: Keep it simple. Avoid using words that are just going to get in the way of what you really want readers to know. “Award-winning,” repeated before every achievement is generally not necessary and can become cumbersome. If your bio is confusing, people won’t give it a second read.

3: Make sure the bio make sense—that the sentences are complete and accurate. Some authors tend to write run-on sentence after run-on sentence to get in everything they want to say in.

4: Give contact information, but don’t overdo it. Generally, your main website URL is enough. I’ve seen authors forget to provide contact information and I’ve seen others include three or four website and email addresses.

5: Use the information that is most pertinent to the particular audience. Will this audience be most interested in the fact that you are the author of several novels, that you have won some awards, that you are the president of a writers group, that you write stories for several online sites, that you are an editor and book coach? Do they want to know the titles of your books? Unless you have space to include all of what you do and have accomplished and you can do it succinctly, choose just those things that matter most to this particular audience.

If you are an author or plan to become one, or if you write for publications, present workshops, etc., you will be required to write a bio at some point in your career. Make sure it represents you in the best light and that also means that it is well-written.

Patricia Fry is a career writer who supported herself for many years writing articles for magazines. She currently has 35 books to her credit, most of them related to publishing and book promotion. Patricia is the Executive Director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org. Check out her latest pair of books, Publish Your Book and Promote Your Book at http://www.matilijapress.com

February 16, 2012

Your Author’s Platform

Filed under: Book Promotion,Platform — Patricia @ 4:07 am

This is excerpted from my book in progress, Talk Up Your Book:

You’ve probably heard the word platform. It is commonly used within publishing circles to indicate an author’s following (who would buy a book by this author?), connections (who can he count on to help him reach his audience?) and way of attracting readers (the author’s popularity, expertise and/or credibility in the topic or genre).

There are numerous ways to establish your author’s platform and to build on it. Basically, it’s a matter of becoming known in your field or genre. You are strides ahead of the competition if you enter into the publishing realm with a solid platform. One way to do this is through public speaking and other activities that put you in front of your audience.
Why build a platform before your book is a book? For one thing, this would go a long way toward impressing a publisher. Traditional publishers are interested in an author’s marketing plan, and a solid platform can be a deal maker. If experience and exposure as a public speaker is part of that platform, all the better.

Additionally, no matter your publishing choice, once your book is launched, if you’ve established yourself as a speaker on your topic or in your genre, you already have a reputation and credentials. You know how to talk to people about your book, and there are at least a few people who trust your expertise in your field or appreciate your skill as a writer in your genre.

Conducting workshops and/or getting out and speaking on your topic before your book is a book will help immensely with name recognition. People are more willing to purchase your book if they already know who you are. If you also provide a signup sheet where you speak, you’ll have a leg up when it comes to promoting your book. Depending on when you start the process, you could conceivably collect the names and contact information for hundreds of people who are interested in reading your book. You will have a following even before you have a book to sell.

Note: If you are new to publishing, you may not know how difficult it is to promote and sell books and how much time and effort it takes on the author’s part. Believe me (and other publishing professionals) it is hugely time and energy-consuming. Anything you can do during the writing process of your project toward establishing and building on your platform, the greater chances you’ll have of success.

See Patricia Fry’s array of books for authors at her website:
http://www.matilijapress.com

Learn more about Patricia’s services and online courses:
http://www.patriciafry.com

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