I sure do.
When my acquiring editor Barbara Moore asked me for cover input, I said, "Please tell the artist to go look around in Archivers. I know there's one close to your office. He'll get a strong sense of what's au courant in scrapbooking. I'd really like my book to be a true reflection of the craft. It's very artsy these days."
I guess Kevin Brown did exactly that because the cover on Paper, Scissors, Death is sublime. Honestly, Kevin could win any scrapbook design contest with his work, don't you think? I've also had booksellers tell me that they appreciate the high quality of my book. The feel of the paper is rich, not cheap. The cover stock is a great weight. The type is easy to read. As one bookseller friend said, "It enhances the reading experience."
I think that the cover of Cut, Crop & Die is just as gorgeous and eye-catching as the first cover Kevin produced. It's a real joy to hand someone a copy of my books and watch the reaction.
Do I judge a book by its cover? You bet I do. How about you?
Liz Zelvin has posted a plethora of covers from the 2008 crop of books at the Poe's Deadly Daughters blog. Check it out at
http://tinyurl.com/coz3p4
Author
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Teacher is Always the Student
We had a totally excellent "Getting Published" class last night at Lewis & Clark Community College. First of all, I love their Edwardsville campus at 700 Troy. It's the conclave of brick buildings that I've been told was a former factory site. The classrooms are spacious, light and well-appointed.
But what made the class really cool was the students. We had folks who wanted to write novels, those who wanted to write children's books, and a gentleman who wanted to write non-fiction. Their questions were thoughtful and stimulating. We talked about self-publishing, POD (Publishing On Demand), marketing, publicists, agents, editors, conferences, royalties, and rights. Obviously, these were people who were willing to do their research before embarking on this great adventure called publishing.
At the end of the class, one of my students walked with me to our cars. We stood outside and brainstormed the plot of her novel. Oh, wow, that was so much fun. I love working over ideas with other authors. I felt so stimulated and ready to tackle my work with new vigor.
Here's the secret: Every class reminds me of how far I've come over the years. Sometimes we can't see where we are on the learning curve until someone asks us a question. Publishing is an incredibly subjective business. Authors spend so much time alone. My agent says we're all incredibly needy. Well, yeah, because we put ourselves into our work and that's daunting.
Was I teaching a class? Nah, not really. I was a participant. I was a student, because I had to re-think and review my experiences. I told them "the world according to Joanna." (That's a paraphrase of what my pal Vicki Sullivan always used to say with "the world according to Vicki.") I warned them that I'd share the truth as I've experienced it--and the truth as other authors have shared with me.
Wow. What a great shot in the arm. I'm feeling energized this morning!
But what made the class really cool was the students. We had folks who wanted to write novels, those who wanted to write children's books, and a gentleman who wanted to write non-fiction. Their questions were thoughtful and stimulating. We talked about self-publishing, POD (Publishing On Demand), marketing, publicists, agents, editors, conferences, royalties, and rights. Obviously, these were people who were willing to do their research before embarking on this great adventure called publishing.
At the end of the class, one of my students walked with me to our cars. We stood outside and brainstormed the plot of her novel. Oh, wow, that was so much fun. I love working over ideas with other authors. I felt so stimulated and ready to tackle my work with new vigor.
Here's the secret: Every class reminds me of how far I've come over the years. Sometimes we can't see where we are on the learning curve until someone asks us a question. Publishing is an incredibly subjective business. Authors spend so much time alone. My agent says we're all incredibly needy. Well, yeah, because we put ourselves into our work and that's daunting.
Was I teaching a class? Nah, not really. I was a participant. I was a student, because I had to re-think and review my experiences. I told them "the world according to Joanna." (That's a paraphrase of what my pal Vicki Sullivan always used to say with "the world according to Vicki.") I warned them that I'd share the truth as I've experienced it--and the truth as other authors have shared with me.
Wow. What a great shot in the arm. I'm feeling energized this morning!
Monday, March 23, 2009
You Can't Phone It In
Beth Groundwater posted this outstanding information about planning a Blog Book Tour. Go to http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com to read it. (I'm having some STUPID "cookie" problem with Internet Explorer so I can't share the tiny url...yet. Will someone please explain to me why the same computer that was a happy camper last night woke up with new rules this morning?)
Anyway, and last Monday I promised to post more about Desire Pathways and getting noticed. Suffice it to say, Internet Explorer is making that DIFFICULT. Argh.
But here's a paraphrase of what a mentor of mine once said, "It's not worth going if nobody knows you showed up."
So...how do you distinguish yourself? Do you attend meetings and conferences and never make new friends? Are you so hum-drum that people forget you? Are your marketing materials so pedestrian that they get tossed?
I once went to a writers' and fans' conference with a friend. We were pleased to be rooming together because we were both "wanna-be" mystery authors at the time. Everywhere we went we spoke to people and introduced each other. One evening, back in our room, she said to me, "This is entirely different from the last time I came. Last time, the person I roomed with only left the room to go to specific sessions. She spent the rest of the time holed up here. She'd pull on her clothes to go hear a panel, then come back here, strip to her underwear and watch TV."
Wow. What a social idiot. (Yeah, I'm a tad cranky today.)
Then my roomie paused and grimaced. "And she needed new underwear, too."
UGH.
Hear me clearly, I'm an introvert. I know, I know. If you've met me, you'd find that hard to believe, but the definition of an introvert is someone who is energized by alone time. An extrovert is energized by social contact. So...I'm still being me when you see me out in public, and I'm genuinely happy to be with you, but you need to know that after extended face-time, I need to find a hidey-hole and crash. For a while. Then I'll be back on the floor saying, "Hi," and asking you how your life is going.
When I go to a conference, I go to meet people. I go to make new contacts. And if I know you and you don't know the author or fan standing next to me, I'll introduce you. I don't "hog" my contacts. That's not how it works. That's not polite, and it's certainly not good business. In fact, it's borderline selfish and rude.
So this whole idea of staying in one's room--wearing your undies, no less--and only showing up to hear a panel or a speaker is just...okay...one word? STUPID.
Why not save the money and stay home?
This is life. You can't phone it in.
Don't even try.
Anyway, and last Monday I promised to post more about Desire Pathways and getting noticed. Suffice it to say, Internet Explorer is making that DIFFICULT. Argh.
But here's a paraphrase of what a mentor of mine once said, "It's not worth going if nobody knows you showed up."
So...how do you distinguish yourself? Do you attend meetings and conferences and never make new friends? Are you so hum-drum that people forget you? Are your marketing materials so pedestrian that they get tossed?
I once went to a writers' and fans' conference with a friend. We were pleased to be rooming together because we were both "wanna-be" mystery authors at the time. Everywhere we went we spoke to people and introduced each other. One evening, back in our room, she said to me, "This is entirely different from the last time I came. Last time, the person I roomed with only left the room to go to specific sessions. She spent the rest of the time holed up here. She'd pull on her clothes to go hear a panel, then come back here, strip to her underwear and watch TV."
Wow. What a social idiot. (Yeah, I'm a tad cranky today.)
Then my roomie paused and grimaced. "And she needed new underwear, too."
UGH.
Hear me clearly, I'm an introvert. I know, I know. If you've met me, you'd find that hard to believe, but the definition of an introvert is someone who is energized by alone time. An extrovert is energized by social contact. So...I'm still being me when you see me out in public, and I'm genuinely happy to be with you, but you need to know that after extended face-time, I need to find a hidey-hole and crash. For a while. Then I'll be back on the floor saying, "Hi," and asking you how your life is going.
When I go to a conference, I go to meet people. I go to make new contacts. And if I know you and you don't know the author or fan standing next to me, I'll introduce you. I don't "hog" my contacts. That's not how it works. That's not polite, and it's certainly not good business. In fact, it's borderline selfish and rude.
So this whole idea of staying in one's room--wearing your undies, no less--and only showing up to hear a panel or a speaker is just...okay...one word? STUPID.
Why not save the money and stay home?
This is life. You can't phone it in.
Don't even try.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
50 Things Under $50 You Can Do to Promote Your Book
by Penny Sansevieri
If your book marketing budget is tight (and even if it's not) you
might want to consider some ideas that are powerful, and won't cost
you as much as you think. Here are a few to consider!
1) Buy your domain name as soon as you have a title for your book.
You can get domain names for as little as $8.95
2) Head on over to Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and start your very
own blog (you can add it to your Web site later).
3) Set up an event at your neighborhood bookstore
4) Write a few articles on your topic and submit them onto the
Internet for syndication
5) Check out your competition online and see if you can do some
networking
6) Do some radio research and pitch yourself to at least five new stations this week
7) Ready to get some business cards? Head on over toVistaprint.com. The cards are free if you let them put their logo
on the back
8) Put together your marketing plan
9) Plan a contest. Contests are a great way to promote your book.
10) Google some topic-related online groups to see if you can network with them
11) Send thank you notes to people who have been helpful to you
12) Send your book out to at least ten book reviewers this week
13) Do a quick Internet search for writers' conferences or book festivals in your area you can attend
14) Create an email signature for every email you send; email signatures are a great way to promote your book and message.
15) Put the contents of your Web site: book description, bio, q&a, interviews, on CD to have on hand when the media comes calling!
16) Submit your Web site to the top five directories: Google, MSN, Alexa, Yahoo, and DMOZ
17) Write a great press release and submit it to free online press release sites.
18) Write your bio, you'll need it when you start pitching yourself to the media
19) Schedule your first book signing
20) Start your own email newsletter; it's a great way to keep readers, friends and family updated and informed on your success.
21) Go over to Yahoo Groups and join some online groups on your topic - it's great Internet networking!
22) Develop a set of questions that book clubs can use for your book, and post them on your Web site for handy downloads.
23) Add your book info or URL to your answering machine message
24) Join Audio Acrobat ($20 a month) and begin recording audio products you can sell on your Web site
25) See if you can get your friends to host a "book party" in their home. You come in and discuss your book and voila, a captive audience!
26) Find some catalogs you think your book would be perfect for and then submit your packet to them for consideration.
27) Go around to your local retailers and see if they'll carry your book; even if it's on consignment it might be worth it!
28) Add your book to Google Book Search
29) Research some authors with similar subjects and then offer to exchange links with them.
30) Is your book good for the My Space market? My Space has recently started doing book reviews.
31) Write a "So You'd Like To..." article for Amazon.com
32) Ask friends and family to email five people they know and tell them about your book.
33) Leave your business card, bookmark, or book flyer wherever you go.
34) Are there any book fairs you could participate in? Look them up on the Net!
35) Pitch yourself to your local television stations.
36) Pitch yourself to your local print media.
37) Work on the Q&A for your press kit. You'll need it when you start booking media interviews!
38) Pitch Oprah. Go ahead, you know you want to.
39) Is the topic of your book in the news? Check your local paper,and write a letter to the editor to share your expertise (and promote your book!)
40) Stop by your local library and see if you can set up an event,they love local authors.
41) Do you want to get your book into your local library system? Try dropping off a copy to your main library; if they stock it chances are the other branches will too.
42) Go to Chase's Calendar of Events (www.Chases.com.) and find out how to create your own holiday!
43) Going on vacation? Use your away-from-home time to schedule a book event, or two.
44) If your book is appropriate, go to local schools to see if you can do a reading.
45) Got a book that could be sold in bulk? Start with your local companies first and see if they're interested in buying some promotional copies to give away at company events.
46) Don't forget to add reviews to your Web site. Remember that what someone else has to say is one thousand times more effective than anything you could say!
47) Trying to meet the press? Search the Net for Press Clubs in your area, they meet once a month and are a great place to meet the media.
48) Want a celebrity endorsement? Find celebs in your market with an interest in your topic and then for it. Remember all they can say is no.
49) Ready to get some magazine exposure? Why not pitch some regional and national magazines with your topic or submit a freelance article for reprint consideration.
50) Work on your next book. Sometimes the best way to sell your first book is by promoting your second.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Penny C. Sansevieri is a book marketing and media relations
specialist who coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and
marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing
and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional
services, visit http://www.amarketingexpert.com . To subscribe to
her free ezine, send a blank email to:
mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
If your book marketing budget is tight (and even if it's not) you
might want to consider some ideas that are powerful, and won't cost
you as much as you think. Here are a few to consider!
1) Buy your domain name as soon as you have a title for your book.
You can get domain names for as little as $8.95
2) Head on over to Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and start your very
own blog (you can add it to your Web site later).
3) Set up an event at your neighborhood bookstore
4) Write a few articles on your topic and submit them onto the
Internet for syndication
5) Check out your competition online and see if you can do some
networking
6) Do some radio research and pitch yourself to at least five new stations this week
7) Ready to get some business cards? Head on over toVistaprint.com. The cards are free if you let them put their logo
on the back
8) Put together your marketing plan
9) Plan a contest. Contests are a great way to promote your book.
10) Google some topic-related online groups to see if you can network with them
11) Send thank you notes to people who have been helpful to you
12) Send your book out to at least ten book reviewers this week
13) Do a quick Internet search for writers' conferences or book festivals in your area you can attend
14) Create an email signature for every email you send; email signatures are a great way to promote your book and message.
15) Put the contents of your Web site: book description, bio, q&a, interviews, on CD to have on hand when the media comes calling!
16) Submit your Web site to the top five directories: Google, MSN, Alexa, Yahoo, and DMOZ
17) Write a great press release and submit it to free online press release sites.
18) Write your bio, you'll need it when you start pitching yourself to the media
19) Schedule your first book signing
20) Start your own email newsletter; it's a great way to keep readers, friends and family updated and informed on your success.
21) Go over to Yahoo Groups and join some online groups on your topic - it's great Internet networking!
22) Develop a set of questions that book clubs can use for your book, and post them on your Web site for handy downloads.
23) Add your book info or URL to your answering machine message
24) Join Audio Acrobat ($20 a month) and begin recording audio products you can sell on your Web site
25) See if you can get your friends to host a "book party" in their home. You come in and discuss your book and voila, a captive audience!
26) Find some catalogs you think your book would be perfect for and then submit your packet to them for consideration.
27) Go around to your local retailers and see if they'll carry your book; even if it's on consignment it might be worth it!
28) Add your book to Google Book Search
29) Research some authors with similar subjects and then offer to exchange links with them.
30) Is your book good for the My Space market? My Space has recently started doing book reviews.
31) Write a "So You'd Like To..." article for Amazon.com
32) Ask friends and family to email five people they know and tell them about your book.
33) Leave your business card, bookmark, or book flyer wherever you go.
34) Are there any book fairs you could participate in? Look them up on the Net!
35) Pitch yourself to your local television stations.
36) Pitch yourself to your local print media.
37) Work on the Q&A for your press kit. You'll need it when you start booking media interviews!
38) Pitch Oprah. Go ahead, you know you want to.
39) Is the topic of your book in the news? Check your local paper,and write a letter to the editor to share your expertise (and promote your book!)
40) Stop by your local library and see if you can set up an event,they love local authors.
41) Do you want to get your book into your local library system? Try dropping off a copy to your main library; if they stock it chances are the other branches will too.
42) Go to Chase's Calendar of Events (www.Chases.com.) and find out how to create your own holiday!
43) Going on vacation? Use your away-from-home time to schedule a book event, or two.
44) If your book is appropriate, go to local schools to see if you can do a reading.
45) Got a book that could be sold in bulk? Start with your local companies first and see if they're interested in buying some promotional copies to give away at company events.
46) Don't forget to add reviews to your Web site. Remember that what someone else has to say is one thousand times more effective than anything you could say!
47) Trying to meet the press? Search the Net for Press Clubs in your area, they meet once a month and are a great place to meet the media.
48) Want a celebrity endorsement? Find celebs in your market with an interest in your topic and then for it. Remember all they can say is no.
49) Ready to get some magazine exposure? Why not pitch some regional and national magazines with your topic or submit a freelance article for reprint consideration.
50) Work on your next book. Sometimes the best way to sell your first book is by promoting your second.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Penny C. Sansevieri is a book marketing and media relations
specialist who coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and
marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing
and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional
services, visit http://www.amarketingexpert.com . To subscribe to
her free ezine, send a blank email to:
mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Is There a Virtual Book Signing in Your Future?
Virtual book signings offer a way to sell books, visit fans, and spread the word about your work from the comfort of your home.
What is a virtual book signing? It can be as elaborate or simple as you wish. You will “visit” a venue through the magic of your phone or the Internet. You can handle the signing portion one of two ways: 1.) sign the physical books and send the signed copies to recipients 2.) or sign bookplates, have someone affix them, and distribute the books with your bookplates to recipients.
The concept was pioneered by Daniel Weinberg, owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago, Illinois. The first virtual book signing took place in November 2005 and featured historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The webcast can be viewed at http://www.virtualbooksigning.net/learn.html
I chose a much simpler format for my Paper, Scissors, Death Virtual Book Signing. My goal was to partner with the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) to raise money for homeless dogs. With foreclosures on the rise and the economy the way it is, more and more big dogs are being abandoned.
Since Paper, Scissors, Death features a rescued uncropped Harlequin Great Dane, there was a natural fit.
“I was interested because I know there are a lot of readers in MAGDRL, and this seemed like a different, unusual and fun fund-raising event. We are always looking for new things to try, and this was a big hit with our members,” said Joan Schramm, MAGDRL’s publicity coordinator.
First, we sent out mailings to the members telling them about the fundraiser. Then MAGDRL chose a date for our “book signing” and told members and friends I’d be available online during a certain time period. MAGDRL purchased the books from my publisher.
I added a chat room to my website. You can get a free chat room that’s easy to install at Bravenet http://www.bravenet.com/
Members of MAGDRL were encouraged to order the book and to share the information with friends. Joan sent out media releases about the event, and forms were shared at various meetings of rescue dog organizations. On the form was a place for people to specify how they wanted their books personalized. Buyers could either choose to pick up their books or have them mailed out at an extra charge.
On the appointed signing day and time, we had a lively discussion in my chat room. It helped that I am a dog lover who has owned Great Danes! After the chat, Joan sent me a list of personalized bookplate requests. I created a special bookplate. I signed and returned the bookplates to Joan. She affixed them and distributed the books.
For an example of the form, Joan’s media release, and the bookplate, visit my website www.joannaslan.com and click the Resources section.
Is a Virtual Book Signing right for you? I was fortunate to find an organized and willing partner to work with. Joan’s public relations expertise was extremely helpful. Certainly, you need a publisher willing to sell to non-traditional book sellers as well as a partnering organization willing to help publicize and organize the event. Were the results worthwhile? We sold 51 books and raised $382.50 for MAGDRL – a nice amount for something that was a lot of fun and not too labor-intensive.
-- 30 --
Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of Paper, Scissors, Death the first book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery series. Visit her at www.joannaslan.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact Joanna at joannaslan@aol.com
What is a virtual book signing? It can be as elaborate or simple as you wish. You will “visit” a venue through the magic of your phone or the Internet. You can handle the signing portion one of two ways: 1.) sign the physical books and send the signed copies to recipients 2.) or sign bookplates, have someone affix them, and distribute the books with your bookplates to recipients.
The concept was pioneered by Daniel Weinberg, owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago, Illinois. The first virtual book signing took place in November 2005 and featured historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The webcast can be viewed at http://www.virtualbooksigning.net/learn.html
I chose a much simpler format for my Paper, Scissors, Death Virtual Book Signing. My goal was to partner with the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) to raise money for homeless dogs. With foreclosures on the rise and the economy the way it is, more and more big dogs are being abandoned.
Since Paper, Scissors, Death features a rescued uncropped Harlequin Great Dane, there was a natural fit.
“I was interested because I know there are a lot of readers in MAGDRL, and this seemed like a different, unusual and fun fund-raising event. We are always looking for new things to try, and this was a big hit with our members,” said Joan Schramm, MAGDRL’s publicity coordinator.
First, we sent out mailings to the members telling them about the fundraiser. Then MAGDRL chose a date for our “book signing” and told members and friends I’d be available online during a certain time period. MAGDRL purchased the books from my publisher.
I added a chat room to my website. You can get a free chat room that’s easy to install at Bravenet http://www.bravenet.com/
Members of MAGDRL were encouraged to order the book and to share the information with friends. Joan sent out media releases about the event, and forms were shared at various meetings of rescue dog organizations. On the form was a place for people to specify how they wanted their books personalized. Buyers could either choose to pick up their books or have them mailed out at an extra charge.
On the appointed signing day and time, we had a lively discussion in my chat room. It helped that I am a dog lover who has owned Great Danes! After the chat, Joan sent me a list of personalized bookplate requests. I created a special bookplate. I signed and returned the bookplates to Joan. She affixed them and distributed the books.
For an example of the form, Joan’s media release, and the bookplate, visit my website www.joannaslan.com and click the Resources section.
Is a Virtual Book Signing right for you? I was fortunate to find an organized and willing partner to work with. Joan’s public relations expertise was extremely helpful. Certainly, you need a publisher willing to sell to non-traditional book sellers as well as a partnering organization willing to help publicize and organize the event. Were the results worthwhile? We sold 51 books and raised $382.50 for MAGDRL – a nice amount for something that was a lot of fun and not too labor-intensive.
-- 30 --
Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of Paper, Scissors, Death the first book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery series. Visit her at www.joannaslan.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact Joanna at joannaslan@aol.com
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
St. Patty's Day Contest
Quick!
You have until 5 p.m. tomorrow, March 18, 2009, to email me at savetales@aol.com
I'll pull one lucky name out of the "hat" and that person will win a free four-week journaling class with me at Writers Online Workshops.
Hurry!
You have until 5 p.m. tomorrow, March 18, 2009, to email me at savetales@aol.com
I'll pull one lucky name out of the "hat" and that person will win a free four-week journaling class with me at Writers Online Workshops.
Hurry!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Desire Paths, Part II—Getting People to Follow You in a Digital Age
Last week I wrote about Desire Paths, those pathways that people create to get to what they love. I suggest you view the excellent presentation by Mike Arauz on this idea:
http://www.mikearauz.com/2009/03/desire-paths-branding-for-digital-lives.html
The big question for authors is how can we create Desire Paths in a digital media age? How do we influence readers to beat a path to our door? We must develop promotional activities which attract those readers who would love/enjoy/need/want our books.
1. We must focus on our readers not on ourselves.
It’s not about talking about ourselves! Leonard Pitts wrote this article suggesting that Twitter was a tool for the self-interested, self-absorbed few:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/leonardpitts/story/9FC40C552EDA126B862575720004469B?OpenDocument
And he got it wrong, because he misunderstands the way most of us are using Twitter. It’s not all about me—and I know it. I “tweet” and give my followers “journaling prompts” which is a term I created years ago to help scrapbookers write more in their memory albums. Essentially a journaling prompt is a sentence stem which encourages a writer to blast through dreaded “writer’s block” by finishing the thought!
How can you give your readers what they want? First, you have to know who your readers are and then you have to…LISTEN. Yep. Amazing. Let me give you an example. A month ago, I was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio by Circle of Seven’s David Ewen. I was at a scrapbook crop during the interview, so David and I decided we should let my readers talk about my book. You know what my readers said? “Kiki Lowenstein is just like ME.” This wasn’t surprising because fans had written me to say the same.
So what do my readers want? I asked them. They loved the fact Kiki wasn’t perfect. They loved that she was slightly overweight. That she had problems with her child and her in-laws. They adored her women friends and her dog. And of course, many of my readers loved it that she scrapbooks.
2. We must get noticed.
In my next blog post next Monday, I’ll talk about how you can get noticed—and I’ll point out easy ways to make sure you do!
PS Make sure you are following me because you won't want to miss this post.
http://www.mikearauz.com/2009/03/desire-paths-branding-for-digital-lives.html
The big question for authors is how can we create Desire Paths in a digital media age? How do we influence readers to beat a path to our door? We must develop promotional activities which attract those readers who would love/enjoy/need/want our books.
1. We must focus on our readers not on ourselves.
It’s not about talking about ourselves! Leonard Pitts wrote this article suggesting that Twitter was a tool for the self-interested, self-absorbed few:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/leonardpitts/story/9FC40C552EDA126B862575720004469B?OpenDocument
And he got it wrong, because he misunderstands the way most of us are using Twitter. It’s not all about me—and I know it. I “tweet” and give my followers “journaling prompts” which is a term I created years ago to help scrapbookers write more in their memory albums. Essentially a journaling prompt is a sentence stem which encourages a writer to blast through dreaded “writer’s block” by finishing the thought!
How can you give your readers what they want? First, you have to know who your readers are and then you have to…LISTEN. Yep. Amazing. Let me give you an example. A month ago, I was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio by Circle of Seven’s David Ewen. I was at a scrapbook crop during the interview, so David and I decided we should let my readers talk about my book. You know what my readers said? “Kiki Lowenstein is just like ME.” This wasn’t surprising because fans had written me to say the same.
So what do my readers want? I asked them. They loved the fact Kiki wasn’t perfect. They loved that she was slightly overweight. That she had problems with her child and her in-laws. They adored her women friends and her dog. And of course, many of my readers loved it that she scrapbooks.
2. We must get noticed.
In my next blog post next Monday, I’ll talk about how you can get noticed—and I’ll point out easy ways to make sure you do!
PS Make sure you are following me because you won't want to miss this post.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Cozy Armchair Winners and Paper, Scissors, Death Receives Agatha Nomination for Best First Novel
Do you remember when Sally Field held up her statue of Oscar and said with wonder, "You like me!"
I'm having my own little Sally moment.
How long did it take me to write Paper, Scissors, Death? It took 55 long years. I started writing when I was in grade school. Won my first award in high school. Put myself through college writing and teaching other students to write. Supported myself through a bad marriage with my writing skills. Well...it's been a long, long journey.
To celebrate, this morning I pulled three entries from a contest I ran with the Cozy Armchair Group--each will get a copy of the book:
Mare of Winsted CT
Dee of Great Falls MT
Krista of Wichita KS
I put my all into Kiki Lowenstein. I wanted her to be bright, funny, vulnerable, likeable, and definitely flawed. I made her a little overweight. A lot self-conscious. And sometimes too trusting.
I made Mert the best friend a girl could ever have. Full of common sense. No nonsense. Protective. Multi-talented.
I gave Dodie all the qualities Kiki lacks--a sharp business mind and a clear understanding of what it takes to make your way in the world.
I created Detweiler in the image of my wonderful husband (ahem! I learned from that first mistake). He's thoughtful, all-guy, and he can be very sternly professional. But he also adores Kiki with all his heart.
I invented Anya as a female version of my son. Very smart, a wise-cracker, and a kid you can't put anything over on.
And finally, dear, dear Gracie is a combination of all the Great Danes and one Bichon I've loved and lost. She's that incredibly loyal dog who would give her life for the family she loves.
Thank you, all of you, for loving my fictional family back.
In return, I promise you more adventures, more fun, more thrills--and always my very best--
Joanna
I'm having my own little Sally moment.
How long did it take me to write Paper, Scissors, Death? It took 55 long years. I started writing when I was in grade school. Won my first award in high school. Put myself through college writing and teaching other students to write. Supported myself through a bad marriage with my writing skills. Well...it's been a long, long journey.
To celebrate, this morning I pulled three entries from a contest I ran with the Cozy Armchair Group--each will get a copy of the book:
Mare of Winsted CT
Dee of Great Falls MT
Krista of Wichita KS
I put my all into Kiki Lowenstein. I wanted her to be bright, funny, vulnerable, likeable, and definitely flawed. I made her a little overweight. A lot self-conscious. And sometimes too trusting.
I made Mert the best friend a girl could ever have. Full of common sense. No nonsense. Protective. Multi-talented.
I gave Dodie all the qualities Kiki lacks--a sharp business mind and a clear understanding of what it takes to make your way in the world.
I created Detweiler in the image of my wonderful husband (ahem! I learned from that first mistake). He's thoughtful, all-guy, and he can be very sternly professional. But he also adores Kiki with all his heart.
I invented Anya as a female version of my son. Very smart, a wise-cracker, and a kid you can't put anything over on.
And finally, dear, dear Gracie is a combination of all the Great Danes and one Bichon I've loved and lost. She's that incredibly loyal dog who would give her life for the family she loves.
Thank you, all of you, for loving my fictional family back.
In return, I promise you more adventures, more fun, more thrills--and always my very best--
Joanna
Monday, March 9, 2009
Desire Paths--Why Authors Must Create Them to Sell Books
Ever notice those footpaths between bushes, those stomped down walkways that go from a parking lot to the sidewalk, the ones clearly NOT planned by the landscaper where folks have made their own trail to get from Point A to Point B?
Those are called Desire Paths. That's a term architects use to desire "non-authorized" walkways. Ones that occur spontaneously rather than through top-down planning.
You and I must establish Desire Paths to our books if we hope to be successful. An excellent presentation by Mike Arauz explains this concept:
http://www.mikearauz.com/2009/03/desire-paths-branding-for-digital-lives.html
So how can we do this as authors? There are two parts:
PART I. We must develop a product (book) that acts as a magnet to readers--encouraging them to create desire paths to book purchases/rentals.
PART II. We must develop promotional activities which attract those readers who would love/enjoy/need/want our books--helping readers create desire paths to the booksellers.
Here how we accomplish PART I:
1. Write about characters whose qualities are enjoyable for the reader. Ever read a totally annoying book? Not for long. I remember purchasing a hardback of a bestselling author I've enjoyed over the years. I had to work hard to finish it. When I handed it to my husband, he read a couple of chapters and said, "That's enough for me. None of these people are likeable and none of them like each other." What makes an enjoyable character? Humor, humility, talent, being treated unfairly, flaws, authenticity, and most of all your character has to LOVE something or someone other than herself. Call it Slan's rule, okay?
2. Create characters who learn and grow. I got soooo tired of the victims (read: protagonists) in the Oprah bookclub picks that I wanted to reach through the pages and dope-slap them. My Kiki Lowenstein does victim-esque things, but she also makes some stunningly brilliant choices and refuses to be run-over. She grows as a person through the series. There has to be a balance--if our characters were never "victims" there would never be any conflict--and it has to tip toward growth. (Okay, I'm using "victims" loosely. Think Superman and Kryptonite and Lois Lane. If he was all-powerful, there'd never be any question of whether he could succeed, right?)
3. Add twists and turns. (In other words, be unexpected.) To stay within a genre we must meet reader expectations and adhere to unwritten rules. (For example, a cozy can't have gruesome violence or its not a cozy, and your readers will be upset because, by golly, they wanted a cozy. They didn't want to get grossed-out. Didn't sign up for that!) But just as there's all sorts of creativity within the strict format of a sonnet, you can also put in all sorts of surprises along the way. And on paper, in books, people love surprises. In real life, not so much.
4. Set your hook. I'm not a good fisherwoman because I never learned the art of setting my hook. But, as a writer, I've figured it out. See, you have to tease and tantalize the reader with an unrealized expectation at the end of each chapter. Each book must both satisfy and promise there's more to come. Those of you who have read Paper, Scissors, Death know exactly what I mean. (I won't spoil it for the rest of you, but it's a dilly.) It's not enough to give people an enjoyable read. You have to leave them panting for Act II.
Which in this case is...
How do we authors translate the concept of Desire Paths into our marketing efforts?
I'll tackle that next week.
Meanwhile...What are you thinking, people? How do you create Desire Paths within your book?
Those are called Desire Paths. That's a term architects use to desire "non-authorized" walkways. Ones that occur spontaneously rather than through top-down planning.
You and I must establish Desire Paths to our books if we hope to be successful. An excellent presentation by Mike Arauz explains this concept:
http://www.mikearauz.com/2009/03/desire-paths-branding-for-digital-lives.html
So how can we do this as authors? There are two parts:
PART I. We must develop a product (book) that acts as a magnet to readers--encouraging them to create desire paths to book purchases/rentals.
PART II. We must develop promotional activities which attract those readers who would love/enjoy/need/want our books--helping readers create desire paths to the booksellers.
Here how we accomplish PART I:
1. Write about characters whose qualities are enjoyable for the reader. Ever read a totally annoying book? Not for long. I remember purchasing a hardback of a bestselling author I've enjoyed over the years. I had to work hard to finish it. When I handed it to my husband, he read a couple of chapters and said, "That's enough for me. None of these people are likeable and none of them like each other." What makes an enjoyable character? Humor, humility, talent, being treated unfairly, flaws, authenticity, and most of all your character has to LOVE something or someone other than herself. Call it Slan's rule, okay?
2. Create characters who learn and grow. I got soooo tired of the victims (read: protagonists) in the Oprah bookclub picks that I wanted to reach through the pages and dope-slap them. My Kiki Lowenstein does victim-esque things, but she also makes some stunningly brilliant choices and refuses to be run-over. She grows as a person through the series. There has to be a balance--if our characters were never "victims" there would never be any conflict--and it has to tip toward growth. (Okay, I'm using "victims" loosely. Think Superman and Kryptonite and Lois Lane. If he was all-powerful, there'd never be any question of whether he could succeed, right?)
3. Add twists and turns. (In other words, be unexpected.) To stay within a genre we must meet reader expectations and adhere to unwritten rules. (For example, a cozy can't have gruesome violence or its not a cozy, and your readers will be upset because, by golly, they wanted a cozy. They didn't want to get grossed-out. Didn't sign up for that!) But just as there's all sorts of creativity within the strict format of a sonnet, you can also put in all sorts of surprises along the way. And on paper, in books, people love surprises. In real life, not so much.
4. Set your hook. I'm not a good fisherwoman because I never learned the art of setting my hook. But, as a writer, I've figured it out. See, you have to tease and tantalize the reader with an unrealized expectation at the end of each chapter. Each book must both satisfy and promise there's more to come. Those of you who have read Paper, Scissors, Death know exactly what I mean. (I won't spoil it for the rest of you, but it's a dilly.) It's not enough to give people an enjoyable read. You have to leave them panting for Act II.
Which in this case is...
How do we authors translate the concept of Desire Paths into our marketing efforts?
I'll tackle that next week.
Meanwhile...What are you thinking, people? How do you create Desire Paths within your book?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Travels with Joe: What It's Like to Follow J.A. Konrath Around for a Day Visiting Booksellers
Despite the fact he was recovering from the stomach flu, Joe (aka JA) Konrath made it clear we’d hit the ground here in St. Louis with my SUV tires spinning. We managed to visit 11 bookstores and one library in six hours. (I think…I have to admit my head was spinning almost as much as my tires.)
We did not call in advance, so these were all stock-signing opportunities, or as Joe said, “We’re here to be ambassadors.” He waved a yellow paper in front of my eyes. It was the “books” listing from a phone directory. Need I add it had been ripped out?
Starting with a Barnes and Noble, Joe kicked it into high gear. He race-walked to the mystery shelves and gathered up copies of his books. Then he looked for help. “There’s got to be a customer service desk here somewhere,” he muttered as his head swiveled. Once he saw an in store computer and a worker-bee, he introduced himself. “Hi, this is me,” and he pointed to his name on his books. “Mind if I sign some books?”
The employee called the acting store manager over. Joe introduced himself and gave his 30-second pitch while we all trotted through the store to see if we’d missed any books. (We had. A few were face out on the New Release shelves.) As he signed books, Joe launched into a short but pithy “elevator speech,” starting with “I write a series about a female cop named Jack Daniels.”
The pitch included:
* a funny quip about who Jack is (a 40-something detective, real name of "Jacqueline Daniels")
* that her personal life is a “trainwreck” (this always caused a smile)
* where the book is set (Chicago)
* that along the way she runs into some really scary bad guys (a rather enticing tidbit)
* and loosely what the genre is (crime fiction, a little suspense, cops, and mystery)
Next Joe compared his series to no less than five other best-selling authors.
The response was fascinating. In a few words, he’d made it easy for the bookseller to hand-sell his work. He’d given the clerk the information necessary to suggest his series to any book buyer who showed the slightest interest in five OTHER bestselling authors!
Finally, with a laugh, he would add, “Of course with a name like Jack Daniels, all the books are named after drinks. In fact, I’ve got a few coasters here.” From his pockets, he pulled a couple and signed them, offering them to the bookseller and anyone else who worked in the store. (“Here are a few extras. You might want to share a few of these with some of your friends.”)
What happened next might be the most interesting part: Joe would nicely ask 1.) to see his sales records and 2.) who in the store was the most avid reader of mysteries.
Each time a clerk or manager pulled up the sales record, they ordered more books. After all, Joe was standing there, and clearly his books had sold so they needed more. This also provided a chance for them to check any stock in the back or remainders.
Joe said, “I love remainders.”
I asked why.
He feels that remainders give him a chance to pick up new readers because they can scoop up his books at a bargain price.
Given an opportunity to check their stock, booksellers always placed orders as Joe stood there on the spot. Additionally, it pointed out to the bookseller that Joe’s work was, indeed, popular.
When Joe met the store’s mystery aficionado, he quickly made a new fan. In fact, one bookseller went so far as to say, “Now that I’ve met you, I’ll sell your books. It’s always fun to meet authors…” and his voice trailed off. The unspoken phrase was “when they are nice to us.”
Joe always made sure to ask, “Who are your favorite mystery authors?” Since he’s met so many, this gave him the chance to share an anecdote or two about the other authors with the bookseller. This established Joe as a guy with good connections and a good storyteller.
This whole time Joe collected business cards. (He handed them to me so he had both hands free to sign and move books.)
As he stood there with signed copies of his books in hand, Joe would ask, “Do you have any of those cool ‘signed by author’ stickers?” This encouraged the bookseller to tag the books as signed and subtly reminded them to display the signed books prominently.
Finally, he thanked the bookseller for his/her time. Once in a while, he’d give the bookseller a signed ARC (Advanced Reading Copy), but Joe was very careful not to pass these out willy-nilly.
At some point along the way, he’d introduce me as a local author and tell them they should watch for my series starting with Paper, Scissors, Death. He’d add that my book is set in St. Louis. This pleased the salespeople because they told us they are often asked for books featuring our area. His introduction and commercial were a nice gestures of camaraderie, very kind of him, and his generosity wasn’t lost on me or the booksellers.
I also picked up a couple more tips. As I was scouting for a parking space, Joe pointed to spots by Sears. “The Waldenbooks which are now Borders are all located next to Sears in malls.” (I gritted my teeth and resisted but he was right. Sigh.) He also noted that bookstores in the malls do a lot of impulse business, which makes them prime locations for hand-selling books.
We managed to slip in a visit to the Middendorf-Kredell Library in O’Fallon, MO. Robin Leach works there, and she’d interviewed Joe back in 2006 for the local daily, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The librarians had created a display of Joe’s books. They were eager to have their photos taken with him.
By 4:30 p.m., I was whipped, and Joe’s stomach was reminding him he was still in the recovery phase. Joe’s plan was to rest up. He had an early flight the next day to give a presentation to a group of librarians in Wichita.
I bet he planned to visit a few more bookstores while he was there in Kansas.
# # #
This article first appeared in the March 2009 issue of RWR (Romance Writer's Report), the publication for members of Romance Writers of America.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
What Published Authors Do That Non-Published Authors Won't
In a few minutes, I'll leave to teach a class called "The Practical Guide to Getting Published." I'm all prepared except for changing out of my jeans. I have this nifty 14-page handout with all sorts of resources, and I have tons of stories.
I tell all my students this: "You might not like what I have to say, you might disagree with what I have to say, but please know, that what I tell you is the truth according to my experience or the truth as I've heard it from other authors." I say this because invariably someone will argue with me. They will explain to me very patiently that they don't need to worry about grammar because an editor will do that. Or that they aren't concerned about word length in a book or article because that's the editor's job. Or that their book is different from every book that's ever been published, so the "rules" don't apply. Or that they intend to self-publish and, therefore, using a style manual isn't necessary--and besides, they can't afford a good proofreader. Or that their mother/sister/brother/in-laws/high school teacher told them their book was worthy of publication, so surely it is.
And they might all be right.
It's just that, in my experience, authors who get published:
1. Learn the rules of grammar and usage. (Come on, people. Mastering comma placement is NOT that difficult. I suggest you get a copy of Eats, Shoots and Leaves at the very least.)
2. Look stuff up all the time in a style manual. (For example, I get confused as to whether "was" or "were" is appropriate when there are conditional circumstances which must be considered. So, I'm always looking that up.)
3. Spell-check and rigorously edit their own work. (And often submit their work to other authors/friends to help them proofread. Many published writers belong to critique groups and welcome criticism. Sometimes they just swap stuff back and forth between good friends like Shirley Damsgaard and I do.)
4. Understand word counts and adhere to them. (MS Word has a function in the tools area which gives you word count. That's close enough. No one would quibble with whether a word like "get-together" counts as two or one of its kind.)
5. Read about their intended markets and submit work that fits within listed guidelines.
But then, what do I know?
I tell all my students this: "You might not like what I have to say, you might disagree with what I have to say, but please know, that what I tell you is the truth according to my experience or the truth as I've heard it from other authors." I say this because invariably someone will argue with me. They will explain to me very patiently that they don't need to worry about grammar because an editor will do that. Or that they aren't concerned about word length in a book or article because that's the editor's job. Or that their book is different from every book that's ever been published, so the "rules" don't apply. Or that they intend to self-publish and, therefore, using a style manual isn't necessary--and besides, they can't afford a good proofreader. Or that their mother/sister/brother/in-laws/high school teacher told them their book was worthy of publication, so surely it is.
And they might all be right.
It's just that, in my experience, authors who get published:
1. Learn the rules of grammar and usage. (Come on, people. Mastering comma placement is NOT that difficult. I suggest you get a copy of Eats, Shoots and Leaves at the very least.)
2. Look stuff up all the time in a style manual. (For example, I get confused as to whether "was" or "were" is appropriate when there are conditional circumstances which must be considered. So, I'm always looking that up.)
3. Spell-check and rigorously edit their own work. (And often submit their work to other authors/friends to help them proofread. Many published writers belong to critique groups and welcome criticism. Sometimes they just swap stuff back and forth between good friends like Shirley Damsgaard and I do.)
4. Understand word counts and adhere to them. (MS Word has a function in the tools area which gives you word count. That's close enough. No one would quibble with whether a word like "get-together" counts as two or one of its kind.)
5. Read about their intended markets and submit work that fits within listed guidelines.
But then, what do I know?
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A Crafty Type of Girl
That's what my friend Rosemary Harris calls me. You know how you meet someone and even without a lot of chatter, you recognize a "kindred spirit"? Yep. That's how I feel about Ro. She's very elegant, very smart and you can almost see the wheels clicking as she listens because she's REALLY tuned in and thoughtful. (The page above is a "virtual" cupcake from me to Ro. Enjoy!)
Ro is celebrating her new book The Big Dirt Nap. Nab it now--I predict it will sell out quickly! Go to http://www.amazon.com/Big-Dirt-Nap-Business-Mysteries/dp/0312369689/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234974099&sr=8-1
And even though she's incredibly busy, she found time to allow me the honor of guest blogging on at Jungle Red Writers. I wrote about our common love of dogs. Check it out at
Now that blog post initiated a response from Jan, who said she'd really like to get into scrapbooking. And Ro was a bit surprised, I think, when she saw my scrapbook layouts. I brought them to Love Is Murder where Ro and I were on a panel. I had a hunch that a lot of our audience would be unfamiliar with what modern scrapbooking looks like. I remember the first time I saw pages which had been published in Memory Makers, the scrapbook magazine. My jaw dropped. You see, the publication process flattens out pages (of course, since it's translating them from 3-dimensions to 2), and often alters the colors. So the first time you see real pages in real life, well, it can be a bit of a shock.
So, Jan, here are some of my most recent pages. I've been teaching classes on doodling, and these were created specifically to show different ways to use pen marking on layouts. I hope you like them!
PS You do know you can follow me now on twitter, right? I post journaling prompts regularly. If you are a scrapbooker or a diarist or someone who needs a nudge with his/her writing, they might be useful. Go to twitter.com/joannaslan and click FOLLOW under my name.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Missing: A Mysterious Gathering of Tales
by Amy Alessio
What a treat to blog on this site. I really enjoyed Joanna's mystery and love to make scrapbook cookbooks for folks. (I'm a cookbook junkie: http://vintagecookbooks.blogspot.com)
It's an even bigger privilege to write about Missing: A Mysterious Gathering of Tales. In 2007, Echelon Press President Karen Syed asked me to contribute a story to her anthology The Heat of the Moment, benefiting the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County, where thousands of folks lost their homes to fires. I wrote about Alana, an antiques store bookkeeper and cookbook collector, and her savvy teenage son, who solve an arson case at their business. I was so impressed with Karen for putting this project together, and I was also impressed with the other area authors I met from the project, including Margot Justes, Norm Cowie and Robert Goldsborough.
At the same time the nightly news in Chicago was filled with stories of missing adults. Stacey Peterson, Lisa Stebic, John Spira. These folks, with families and busy lives, simply vanished. For many years, I had followed the stories of the young Bradley sisters, who disappeared after being seen on a Chicago playground. I asked Karen if she could do another anthology about missing people or animals, with the proceeds benefiting a missing persons organization, so someone could be found. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does not publicly endorse projects like this, but we have chosen as a group of authors and publisher to donate all proceeds of the book to their important work. As Karen posted on the cover: During 2007, 814,967 missing person records were entered into the National Crime Information Center's Database.
It was my pleasure to edit the collection, and to contribute another story about Alana and her cookbooks. Many popular authors came forward to be involved in this project, including Henry Perez and J.A. Konrath. Michele Scott has two popular series with Berkley and a new YA from Echelon, and she also took time to add a story. Luisa Buehler, Mary Welk, Margot, Norm and Robert added stories from their series. Some new authors also brought wonderful stories to the collection. While I had edited some librarian publications, this was my first fiction edition project, and these authors made it easy. Every story has something unique to bring, and readers of all types of mysteries should find many stories to enjoy.
The anthology is available now at www.echelonpress.com, but will soon be up on Amazon and through distributors like Ingram and other places.
Title: Missing
Author: Anthology
ISBN: 978-1-59080-611-1
Genre: MysteryPages: 344 Price: $16.99 US
Amy Alessiohttp://vintagecookbooks.blogspot.com"Missing Andy", Missing, Echelon Press, February 2009http://www.echelonpress.com
What a treat to blog on this site. I really enjoyed Joanna's mystery and love to make scrapbook cookbooks for folks. (I'm a cookbook junkie: http://vintagecookbooks.blogspot.com)
It's an even bigger privilege to write about Missing: A Mysterious Gathering of Tales. In 2007, Echelon Press President Karen Syed asked me to contribute a story to her anthology The Heat of the Moment, benefiting the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County, where thousands of folks lost their homes to fires. I wrote about Alana, an antiques store bookkeeper and cookbook collector, and her savvy teenage son, who solve an arson case at their business. I was so impressed with Karen for putting this project together, and I was also impressed with the other area authors I met from the project, including Margot Justes, Norm Cowie and Robert Goldsborough.
At the same time the nightly news in Chicago was filled with stories of missing adults. Stacey Peterson, Lisa Stebic, John Spira. These folks, with families and busy lives, simply vanished. For many years, I had followed the stories of the young Bradley sisters, who disappeared after being seen on a Chicago playground. I asked Karen if she could do another anthology about missing people or animals, with the proceeds benefiting a missing persons organization, so someone could be found. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does not publicly endorse projects like this, but we have chosen as a group of authors and publisher to donate all proceeds of the book to their important work. As Karen posted on the cover: During 2007, 814,967 missing person records were entered into the National Crime Information Center's Database.
It was my pleasure to edit the collection, and to contribute another story about Alana and her cookbooks. Many popular authors came forward to be involved in this project, including Henry Perez and J.A. Konrath. Michele Scott has two popular series with Berkley and a new YA from Echelon, and she also took time to add a story. Luisa Buehler, Mary Welk, Margot, Norm and Robert added stories from their series. Some new authors also brought wonderful stories to the collection. While I had edited some librarian publications, this was my first fiction edition project, and these authors made it easy. Every story has something unique to bring, and readers of all types of mysteries should find many stories to enjoy.
The anthology is available now at www.echelonpress.com, but will soon be up on Amazon and through distributors like Ingram and other places.
Title: Missing
Author: Anthology
ISBN: 978-1-59080-611-1
Genre: MysteryPages: 344 Price: $16.99 US
Amy Alessiohttp://vintagecookbooks.blogspot.com"Missing Andy", Missing, Echelon Press, February 2009http://www.echelonpress.com
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tweet, Tweet, Tweet--and You Could Win a Big Box of Books!
Argh. Every day I open my email and think: I don’t have time for all this. I especially don’t have time to update my website, to check all the posts on all the list-serves I belong to, visit every online community I need to, and comment on everyone’s blog as I should.
But I do have time to Twitter. Apparently, the rest of the world agrees. The site has reported an eight-fold rise in visitors since 2007, and in December reported 2.7 million people stopped by. At this rate, it is poised to overtake Facebook. It’s especially popular among the young and restless. One in five people between the ages of 18 and 35 with Internet access have “tweeted” or posted short messages of 140 characters on Twitter at least once.
Why do we twitter? Because we can. Because I can dash off a 140-character (that’s letters and symbols, not characters as in people who populate books!) post to update people on the release date of Cut, Crop & Die, the second book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series. (That’s June 1, so mark your calendars or go to Amazon.com and place your order.)
But I do have time to Twitter. Apparently, the rest of the world agrees. The site has reported an eight-fold rise in visitors since 2007, and in December reported 2.7 million people stopped by. At this rate, it is poised to overtake Facebook. It’s especially popular among the young and restless. One in five people between the ages of 18 and 35 with Internet access have “tweeted” or posted short messages of 140 characters on Twitter at least once.
Why do we twitter? Because we can. Because I can dash off a 140-character (that’s letters and symbols, not characters as in people who populate books!) post to update people on the release date of Cut, Crop & Die, the second book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series. (That’s June 1, so mark your calendars or go to Amazon.com and place your order.)
Because I can post regular journaling prompts to remind scrapbookers the world over to write about their own lives. (Check it out at twitter.com/joannaslan. If you are an author, the journaling prompts are great tools for overcoming writer’s block. Try them and you’ll see!)
Because I can follow my favorite authors, geeks, and newsmakers by hitting the FOLLOW button.
Because I can make a post to Twitter from a Blackberry. (Try doing that with a regular blog post. I mean, if you are young and have well-trained thumbs, you probably can handle this, but I can’t. Yet.)
Because Twitter will automatically take any regular URL and turn it into a tiny URL and post the link for me. Because I can quickly scan the posts and see what interests me. Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit,” so I think he would have LOVED Twitter.
Because Twitter fits. I can squeeze it in.
Want to see how it works? Become one of my followers on Twitter and I’ll enter your name in a contest to win a Box of Books. Yep, I did find time to cull an entire box of mysteries from my bookshelves. (It's a honking big box!) So, add your name to my followers on Twitter by going to twitter.com/joannaslan, hitting, FOLLOW, and then EMAILING me at savetales@aol.com and telling me you are now following me. Be sure to tell me your “twitter” name so I can see that you did it! (No cheating!) I’ll choose one follower and mail him/her that box of books. For best results, share your postal address with me. Otherwise if I can't get a hold of you and get your address confirmed within a day or two, I'll choose another winner. (Life's too short to chase you down!)
Let’s see if this Tweeting works!
PS You can hear a live broadcast of a scrapbook crop at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/circle-of-seven/2009/02/14/readers-entertainment-radio-with-guest-joanna-slan-author-of-paper-scissors-death If you have NO idea what a “crop” is, or why women love them, this will be very, very enlightening!
Because Twitter fits. I can squeeze it in.
Want to see how it works? Become one of my followers on Twitter and I’ll enter your name in a contest to win a Box of Books. Yep, I did find time to cull an entire box of mysteries from my bookshelves. (It's a honking big box!) So, add your name to my followers on Twitter by going to twitter.com/joannaslan, hitting, FOLLOW, and then EMAILING me at savetales@aol.com and telling me you are now following me. Be sure to tell me your “twitter” name so I can see that you did it! (No cheating!) I’ll choose one follower and mail him/her that box of books. For best results, share your postal address with me. Otherwise if I can't get a hold of you and get your address confirmed within a day or two, I'll choose another winner. (Life's too short to chase you down!)
Let’s see if this Tweeting works!
PS You can hear a live broadcast of a scrapbook crop at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/circle-of-seven/2009/02/14/readers-entertainment-radio-with-guest-joanna-slan-author-of-paper-scissors-death If you have NO idea what a “crop” is, or why women love them, this will be very, very enlightening!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Live from a Scrapbook Crop
Ever wonder what women actually DO at scrapbook crops? Here's a live broadcast from one I attended last night:
http://tinyurl.com/ab4gy2
Yep, it's really all that much fun! You can hear the women cheering in the background. Smell the food. (All the best crops have loads of fun, food and prizes.) And hear why women are loving my book, Paper, Scissors, Death.
Happy Valentine's Day to all my sweethearts!
http://tinyurl.com/ab4gy2
Yep, it's really all that much fun! You can hear the women cheering in the background. Smell the food. (All the best crops have loads of fun, food and prizes.) And hear why women are loving my book, Paper, Scissors, Death.
Happy Valentine's Day to all my sweethearts!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
How to Doodle
What is doodling? It’s playing with your pen on paper. You can’t do it wrong.
What are the “secrets” of doodling?
1. Pencil-in first—You can always erase. Even if you don’t follow your pencil lines exactly, you’ll have a better end product. Soft, number 2 lead is best. 2. Create a shape--Use pre-cut shapes such as templates for a more controlled outcome. Pencil around the shapes—and then use ink. Wobbly lines look great! You can also trace around the outside of chipboard letters or inside any negative shape from a punch.
3. Add filler—These are the doodles within doodles that fill up the empty spaces. Start a collection of fillers, covering enough space so you can see how they look, how much density and visual weight they have. I suggest you put this collection in a small notebook, preferably one with blank pages. You can also keep samples and clippings in the notebook for reference.
4. Consider visual balance—If you have too much fill or too much thickness at one end of a shape, your doodle might not look “right.” Give your work the squinch test: Squinch your eyes nearly closed and look at your work. You’ll see what stands out and what looks right.
5. Use pens in differing thicknesses—This’ll give you variety in the filler and the outlines. But…please note that some inks smear. The best pens for doodling seem to be the Sakura Micron and the Zig markers. Let them dry a few minutes first before adding any color. Flair markers make a lovely line, but…they definitely smear. So read # 6 and # 7 carefully.
6. Scan your doodles before you add color—Once you do, you can add any color you want. If the color smears, or isn’t to your liking, simply print out your scan and start over.
7. Thicken or extend depth—Thicken some of your lines, or add background, or add a “drop shadow” (Best done AFTER you color in your doodle and let the color dry.)
8. Cut it up—If you cut out your doodles, you’ll have more control over them. You can always cut away parts that aren’t as pretty as you’d like. Also, if you doodle several of the same letters, you can cut out the ones you like and leave behind those that aren’t as satisfactory. Use a fresh blade in your craft knife and cut out the CENTER of your letters first. Instead of a cutting mat, cut on a glass surface. (I use an old kitchen cutting board of tempered glass. The self-healing mat surfaces are often uneven, and your knife can get caught in the “scars.”)
9. Practice! Here are a few ideas to try:
* Doodle a phrase inside a box—This will force you to alternate shapes and sizes of lettering to make the phrase fit.
* Snuggle the letters up to each other so they nearly touch—or fit one letter almost inside the other.
* Trace around a photo and doodle a frame! Cut out the inside and put the photo behind your frame.
* Outline a border on a die cut or a punched embellishment.
Here's a list of great resources with examples of doodling:
http://scrapbookideas.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/technique-doodles-as-background-paper/
http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Techniques/Penwork/907.php
http://scrapbooklady.typepad.com/katie_the_scrapbook_lady/2006/07/oodles_of_doodl.html
http://www.craftsupplies.ie/shop/chat/viewtopic.php?t=10017
http://www.craftsupplies.ie/shop/chat/viewtopic.php?t=4425&highlight=doodling
http://www.craftsupplies.ie/shop/chat/viewtopic.php?t=8255&highlight=doodling
http://www.scrapfriends.us/articles/doodling.html
http://www.faithsisters.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/29794
http://www.aussiescrapbooking.com.au/article.php/how-do-you-doodle-part1
http://www.aussiescrapbooking.com.au/article.php/how-do-you-doodle-part2
http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Products/761.php
http://scrapability.squarespace.com/scrap-rants/2005/12/13/digital-doodles.html#followup325979
What are the “secrets” of doodling?
1. Pencil-in first—You can always erase. Even if you don’t follow your pencil lines exactly, you’ll have a better end product. Soft, number 2 lead is best. 2. Create a shape--Use pre-cut shapes such as templates for a more controlled outcome. Pencil around the shapes—and then use ink. Wobbly lines look great! You can also trace around the outside of chipboard letters or inside any negative shape from a punch.
3. Add filler—These are the doodles within doodles that fill up the empty spaces. Start a collection of fillers, covering enough space so you can see how they look, how much density and visual weight they have. I suggest you put this collection in a small notebook, preferably one with blank pages. You can also keep samples and clippings in the notebook for reference.
4. Consider visual balance—If you have too much fill or too much thickness at one end of a shape, your doodle might not look “right.” Give your work the squinch test: Squinch your eyes nearly closed and look at your work. You’ll see what stands out and what looks right.
5. Use pens in differing thicknesses—This’ll give you variety in the filler and the outlines. But…please note that some inks smear. The best pens for doodling seem to be the Sakura Micron and the Zig markers. Let them dry a few minutes first before adding any color. Flair markers make a lovely line, but…they definitely smear. So read # 6 and # 7 carefully.
6. Scan your doodles before you add color—Once you do, you can add any color you want. If the color smears, or isn’t to your liking, simply print out your scan and start over.
7. Thicken or extend depth—Thicken some of your lines, or add background, or add a “drop shadow” (Best done AFTER you color in your doodle and let the color dry.)
8. Cut it up—If you cut out your doodles, you’ll have more control over them. You can always cut away parts that aren’t as pretty as you’d like. Also, if you doodle several of the same letters, you can cut out the ones you like and leave behind those that aren’t as satisfactory. Use a fresh blade in your craft knife and cut out the CENTER of your letters first. Instead of a cutting mat, cut on a glass surface. (I use an old kitchen cutting board of tempered glass. The self-healing mat surfaces are often uneven, and your knife can get caught in the “scars.”)
9. Practice! Here are a few ideas to try:
* Doodle a phrase inside a box—This will force you to alternate shapes and sizes of lettering to make the phrase fit.
* Snuggle the letters up to each other so they nearly touch—or fit one letter almost inside the other.
* Trace around a photo and doodle a frame! Cut out the inside and put the photo behind your frame.
* Outline a border on a die cut or a punched embellishment.
Here's a list of great resources with examples of doodling:
http://scrapbookideas.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/technique-doodles-as-background-paper/
http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Techniques/Penwork/907.php
http://scrapbooklady.typepad.com/katie_the_scrapbook_lady/2006/07/oodles_of_doodl.html
http://www.craftsupplies.ie/shop/chat/viewtopic.php?t=10017
http://www.craftsupplies.ie/shop/chat/viewtopic.php?t=4425&highlight=doodling
http://www.craftsupplies.ie/shop/chat/viewtopic.php?t=8255&highlight=doodling
http://www.scrapfriends.us/articles/doodling.html
http://www.faithsisters.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/29794
http://www.aussiescrapbooking.com.au/article.php/how-do-you-doodle-part1
http://www.aussiescrapbooking.com.au/article.php/how-do-you-doodle-part2
http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Products/761.php
http://scrapability.squarespace.com/scrap-rants/2005/12/13/digital-doodles.html#followup325979
Friday, February 6, 2009
Live from Love Is Murder
Whew, so many sessions so little time! And the hallways are packed with fascinating people, too.
I met up with Karen Syed for a chat about how she uses Twitter and MySpace. She's a genius about online social networking. Her advice on Twitter is to follow others who will often then follow you. How smart is that?
Then I heard Jeff Deaver talk about writing a suspense novel. Everything Deaver does is for the reader. Each time I'm around him, I am struck by how self-indulgent a lot of our writing is. And boy, is he a big believer in outlining.
Next, Steve Berry filled in for Alex Kava, who has a family medical emergency. (You're in our prayers, Alex.) Steve's message couldn't have been clearer: Write every day. Discipline yourself. When that big publisher wants a book every year, you'll be prepared to turn one out.
I had to leave his session early to participate in a panel on marketing. What did I learn from that? Um, can you say "Pingometer.com?" I can and I will.
Now back to the conference!
PS Big shout out to my buddy Rosemary Harris whose new book The Dirt Nap is making its debut here. Rosemary is smart and sweet and a joy to be around!
I met up with Karen Syed for a chat about how she uses Twitter and MySpace. She's a genius about online social networking. Her advice on Twitter is to follow others who will often then follow you. How smart is that?
Then I heard Jeff Deaver talk about writing a suspense novel. Everything Deaver does is for the reader. Each time I'm around him, I am struck by how self-indulgent a lot of our writing is. And boy, is he a big believer in outlining.
Next, Steve Berry filled in for Alex Kava, who has a family medical emergency. (You're in our prayers, Alex.) Steve's message couldn't have been clearer: Write every day. Discipline yourself. When that big publisher wants a book every year, you'll be prepared to turn one out.
I had to leave his session early to participate in a panel on marketing. What did I learn from that? Um, can you say "Pingometer.com?" I can and I will.
Now back to the conference!
PS Big shout out to my buddy Rosemary Harris whose new book The Dirt Nap is making its debut here. Rosemary is smart and sweet and a joy to be around!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Prepping for Marketing Panel at Love Is Murder
Note: I haven't forgotten to discuss other considerations about self-publishing...I'm just making a short detour here.
I spent the day today getting ready to go up to Chicago for Love Is Murder, and I noticed something curious. I'm appearing on a marketing panel, and Morgan Mandel asked what sorts of marketing materials and activities we'd done. (I'm on the panel with Jenny Spallone and Rosemary Harris.)
Gee.
I started by making a list of things I could show our audience, and nearly fell over. Here 'tis:
1. Business cards
2. Bookmarks
3. Bookplates
4. Excerpt booklets--real and online at www.youpublish.com/joannaslan (which has had 1,300 some views!)
5. Album kits (Courtesy of AW Crestwood)
6. Coupon code in the back of the book from Snapfish
7. Best of British Scrapbooking contest (Okay, it's not physical, but the mentions in ScrapBook inspirations sure are!)
8. You Tube video about Paper, Scissors, Death
9. A new You Tube video taped by the folks at Ball State University
10. Signs (I make them here on my color printer, post them on foam core board, and the folks at Barnes & Noble love them!)
11. Customized bookplates for the Great Dane rescue people
12. Recipe cards
13. Cookies
14. A notebook full of reviews and interviews
15. Handouts (I'm a big believer in these!)
16. The World Aquarium invitation I did, and then they auctioned off the original art
17. Character naming privileges
18. "Autographed by" stickers
19. Slam albums that I teach people to make in classes
20. A tablecloth with the book cover on it
21. Art I give away through my ezine
22. Packets sent to all the Independent Mystery Booksellers with a folder to give to a mystery bookclub and an introductory letter.
23. Podcasts--You can get to them through my website.
Okay, I can't possibly drag all that up to Chicago. But I did manage to pack a lot of it into my suitcase.
Pretty amazing. That list above doesn't even include the various things I do when I teach classes, or the classes and presentations I make. Or my philosophy about promotion with its three pillars: excellence, value-added and memorable.
Very interesting.
And what works best? What sells the most books? What advances my career?
The most important single marketing thing I've done is....
Drumroll....
I have written the best book I could write. And I've followed it up with two more in the series--which aren't out yet--that are equally as good. (I'm deferring to my copy editor at Midnight Ink who really loves Book #2, Cut, Crop & Die and my agent who is pleased with Book #3.)
Other than that, who knows? I think it's all part of the job. I try to make it easy for people to remember me. I use my bookmarks a lot as business cards, and pass them out whenever I meet anyone who might read mysteries. I try to support all my appearances with small tangibles like the handouts. I try to offer "value-added" by teaching a skill like making slam albums or doodling. I give away a lot of books to others who give them away on their websites and blogs--and I've given copies away to charities.
Of course, I blog in three places regularly (here, http://www.midnightwriters.blogspot.com and http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com), and I now have nearly 40 people who follow me on Twitter. (Go to http://twitter.com/joannaslan I post "journaling prompts" on Twitter to encourage folks to write more about their lives.) I do Facebook. I teach classes. I try to participate in list-serves. I write columns and articles. I respond to any and all requests such as the one from Scrap Scene.
And whenever possible, I try to "double up." This weekend, I'll not only be in Chicago, but I'll also be "appearing" virtually in England. They have more than 1,100 scrapbookers signed up to participate in a Scrapbooking Mystery Weekend built, in part, around Paper, Scissors, Death. So they'll do all sorts of fun activities, virtual and real. And I'll stop by via the magic of the Internet. (Sadly, the people in the UK won't get to taste my Fudgy Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies, but the people in Chicago will!)
When I travel, I drop in to local independent booksellers and chain stores and sign a copy of my book for their staff. When I was in New York City, the folks at the Barnes & Noble off of Times Square immediately ordered six copies of the book. The nice people at The Mysterious Bookstore promised to give my book a read and see if it would work for them. (What a thrill it was just to be considered by them! They're legendary!)
Life is good. I'm awfully lucky to be doing what I love. And people have been so kind to me.
I spent the day today getting ready to go up to Chicago for Love Is Murder, and I noticed something curious. I'm appearing on a marketing panel, and Morgan Mandel asked what sorts of marketing materials and activities we'd done. (I'm on the panel with Jenny Spallone and Rosemary Harris.)
Gee.
I started by making a list of things I could show our audience, and nearly fell over. Here 'tis:
1. Business cards
2. Bookmarks
3. Bookplates
4. Excerpt booklets--real and online at www.youpublish.com/joannaslan (which has had 1,300 some views!)
5. Album kits (Courtesy of AW Crestwood)
6. Coupon code in the back of the book from Snapfish
7. Best of British Scrapbooking contest (Okay, it's not physical, but the mentions in ScrapBook inspirations sure are!)
8. You Tube video about Paper, Scissors, Death
9. A new You Tube video taped by the folks at Ball State University
10. Signs (I make them here on my color printer, post them on foam core board, and the folks at Barnes & Noble love them!)
11. Customized bookplates for the Great Dane rescue people
12. Recipe cards
13. Cookies
14. A notebook full of reviews and interviews
15. Handouts (I'm a big believer in these!)
16. The World Aquarium invitation I did, and then they auctioned off the original art
17. Character naming privileges
18. "Autographed by" stickers
19. Slam albums that I teach people to make in classes
20. A tablecloth with the book cover on it
21. Art I give away through my ezine
22. Packets sent to all the Independent Mystery Booksellers with a folder to give to a mystery bookclub and an introductory letter.
23. Podcasts--You can get to them through my website.
Okay, I can't possibly drag all that up to Chicago. But I did manage to pack a lot of it into my suitcase.
Pretty amazing. That list above doesn't even include the various things I do when I teach classes, or the classes and presentations I make. Or my philosophy about promotion with its three pillars: excellence, value-added and memorable.
Very interesting.
And what works best? What sells the most books? What advances my career?
The most important single marketing thing I've done is....
Drumroll....
I have written the best book I could write. And I've followed it up with two more in the series--which aren't out yet--that are equally as good. (I'm deferring to my copy editor at Midnight Ink who really loves Book #2, Cut, Crop & Die and my agent who is pleased with Book #3.)
Other than that, who knows? I think it's all part of the job. I try to make it easy for people to remember me. I use my bookmarks a lot as business cards, and pass them out whenever I meet anyone who might read mysteries. I try to support all my appearances with small tangibles like the handouts. I try to offer "value-added" by teaching a skill like making slam albums or doodling. I give away a lot of books to others who give them away on their websites and blogs--and I've given copies away to charities.
Of course, I blog in three places regularly (here, http://www.midnightwriters.blogspot.com and http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com), and I now have nearly 40 people who follow me on Twitter. (Go to http://twitter.com/joannaslan I post "journaling prompts" on Twitter to encourage folks to write more about their lives.) I do Facebook. I teach classes. I try to participate in list-serves. I write columns and articles. I respond to any and all requests such as the one from Scrap Scene.
And whenever possible, I try to "double up." This weekend, I'll not only be in Chicago, but I'll also be "appearing" virtually in England. They have more than 1,100 scrapbookers signed up to participate in a Scrapbooking Mystery Weekend built, in part, around Paper, Scissors, Death. So they'll do all sorts of fun activities, virtual and real. And I'll stop by via the magic of the Internet. (Sadly, the people in the UK won't get to taste my Fudgy Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies, but the people in Chicago will!)
When I travel, I drop in to local independent booksellers and chain stores and sign a copy of my book for their staff. When I was in New York City, the folks at the Barnes & Noble off of Times Square immediately ordered six copies of the book. The nice people at The Mysterious Bookstore promised to give my book a read and see if it would work for them. (What a thrill it was just to be considered by them! They're legendary!)
Life is good. I'm awfully lucky to be doing what I love. And people have been so kind to me.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Should You Self-Publish?
Should you self-publish?
That's a tough question, and you're the only one who can answer it. I can't tell you what to do...but I since I've been both self-published and traditionally published, I can share some insights.
The biggest question you need to ask yourself is: What's my goal? And as you ponder that question, mull over these four considerations:
1. If your goal is to make money...
Unless you can snag a big advance, you might be able to make more money fast self-publishing. Of course, it depends on whether you can buy your books at a reasonable price and if you have a way to sell them. But let's say you do. Let's say you're a motivational speaker, a job I did full-time for years. Since I was already in front of audiences, selling books was a way to add income to my speaker's fee. So, yes, it's possible that self-publishing will quickly put more money in your pocket. By contrast, with traditional publishing, you have to first repay your advance, and then wait for the publisher to calculate your royalties. (And know that publishing houses hold out a portion of those royalties until they see what your returns are.)
2. If your goal is to minimalize your risk...
You won't want to self-publish. At the very least, you won't want to act like a traditional publisher, a job which includes book design, cover design, getting the ISBN, setting the price, paying for the printing, shipping and warehousing books, and getting distribution. But, you might want to self-publish through a POD (print on demand) publisher or through an ebook publisher.
3. If your goal is to be known as an author...
This one is tricky. Yes, if you self-publish you can call yourself an author. You will be able to point to a book with your name on the cover. However, in the hierarchy of author-dom, and yes, there is definitely a food-chain, you probably won't get a lot of respect. So if you want to be accepted in almost every venue--such as author's conferences and at booksignings--you probably won't want to self-publish. (By the way, to the best of my understanding, the food chain starts with literary authors at the top of the pyramid, then thriller and suspense writers, then hard-and medium boiled mysteries, and finally cozies. Yeah, I'm probably wrong. This is pretty much on the basis of my observations. And yeah, I have NO idea why it seems to be like this...but even Stephen King admits that his commercial success hasn't always brought him respect as an author. It's a weird, weird world.)
4. If your goal is to have a career...
Um, self-publishing will not ruin your career. I know, I know. You've heard it said it will. But if your self-publish a great book--one that's well-written, well-edited, and professionally produced--you aren't going to deep six your career. That said, if you self-publish a product which is shoddy, you take your chances. And if you only feel you have one GREAT book in you, then self-publishing it is risky because once your book is out there, you might (and I emphasize MIGHT) have issues with copyright. (But I'm not a lawyer, so don't take this as legal advice.) Do realize that ebooks are much trickier when it comes to protecting your rights. Anything on the Internet is harder to monitor and control. The biggest fear you should have is how your final product witll reflect on you as an author. On your professionalism. Frankly, this is incredibly important. (At least to me!)
So now I've given you four considerations. There are more, and I'll cover them in another post.
That's a tough question, and you're the only one who can answer it. I can't tell you what to do...but I since I've been both self-published and traditionally published, I can share some insights.
The biggest question you need to ask yourself is: What's my goal? And as you ponder that question, mull over these four considerations:
1. If your goal is to make money...
Unless you can snag a big advance, you might be able to make more money fast self-publishing. Of course, it depends on whether you can buy your books at a reasonable price and if you have a way to sell them. But let's say you do. Let's say you're a motivational speaker, a job I did full-time for years. Since I was already in front of audiences, selling books was a way to add income to my speaker's fee. So, yes, it's possible that self-publishing will quickly put more money in your pocket. By contrast, with traditional publishing, you have to first repay your advance, and then wait for the publisher to calculate your royalties. (And know that publishing houses hold out a portion of those royalties until they see what your returns are.)
2. If your goal is to minimalize your risk...
You won't want to self-publish. At the very least, you won't want to act like a traditional publisher, a job which includes book design, cover design, getting the ISBN, setting the price, paying for the printing, shipping and warehousing books, and getting distribution. But, you might want to self-publish through a POD (print on demand) publisher or through an ebook publisher.
3. If your goal is to be known as an author...
This one is tricky. Yes, if you self-publish you can call yourself an author. You will be able to point to a book with your name on the cover. However, in the hierarchy of author-dom, and yes, there is definitely a food-chain, you probably won't get a lot of respect. So if you want to be accepted in almost every venue--such as author's conferences and at booksignings--you probably won't want to self-publish. (By the way, to the best of my understanding, the food chain starts with literary authors at the top of the pyramid, then thriller and suspense writers, then hard-and medium boiled mysteries, and finally cozies. Yeah, I'm probably wrong. This is pretty much on the basis of my observations. And yeah, I have NO idea why it seems to be like this...but even Stephen King admits that his commercial success hasn't always brought him respect as an author. It's a weird, weird world.)
4. If your goal is to have a career...
Um, self-publishing will not ruin your career. I know, I know. You've heard it said it will. But if your self-publish a great book--one that's well-written, well-edited, and professionally produced--you aren't going to deep six your career. That said, if you self-publish a product which is shoddy, you take your chances. And if you only feel you have one GREAT book in you, then self-publishing it is risky because once your book is out there, you might (and I emphasize MIGHT) have issues with copyright. (But I'm not a lawyer, so don't take this as legal advice.) Do realize that ebooks are much trickier when it comes to protecting your rights. Anything on the Internet is harder to monitor and control. The biggest fear you should have is how your final product witll reflect on you as an author. On your professionalism. Frankly, this is incredibly important. (At least to me!)
So now I've given you four considerations. There are more, and I'll cover them in another post.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
How Can We Help?
I had a lovely luncheon today at the home of my friends Denise and Craig. The occasion was a book club get together that Denise arranged, and I was the feature author. It's always a joy to be asked to talk about Paper, Scissors, Death--and particularly, I love hearing different readers' reactions to the book. I was curious about how Denise's friends felt about the humor in PSD, specifically how much that did or did not matter to them. I wondered what they would ask regarding the plot. Of course, I won't tell what happens in Cut, Cut & Die, book two in the series, but I could assure them that Detweiler and Kiki and the gang will be back. I was thrilled at being compared to Janet Evanovich. (Hey, that was almost as heavenly as Denise's soups, the terrific salad and the fabulous bread.) And I was stumped by the question, "Which revives your creative juices more: scrapbooking or writing?"
But the biggest surprise came when the readers asked me, "How can we help you?"
Whoa. I was suddenly transported back in time to when networking was big. We women would meet together to share job possibilities, ideas for being more professional, and support. Back then, we knew we'd only make it if we helped each other.
So I haven't heard those precious words in years: "How can we help?"
Maybe you have a friend who's an author. Or maybe you're a fan. Perhaps you've wondered, "Can I make a different in an author's career?"
The answer is a resounding, "YES!"
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Go to Amazon and Barnes & Noble and post a review. The more reviews, the more stars, the more their internal logic systems will recommend the books you favor. (Yep, I don't know exactly how it works, but it does.)
2. Suggest the book to another book club. In my experience, book clubbers tend to belong to more than one club. So, tell your second club about the book your first club liked.
3. Call your local library. If they don't have copies of the book, ask them to get them. If they do, check out the book, even if you have already read it. I'm not suggesting you take out the book and keep another reader from her chance at it, but I am suggesting that the more a book is checked out, the more likely a library is to buy more copies. (And in some libraries, if a book isn't being checked out regularly, they may sell it to make room for more popular works.)
4. Order copies of the book as gifts. Readers love to swap and share. Especially mystery readers. But, book sales are what keep an author writing. So, consider giving books as gifts.
5. Introduce the author to other people who are influence leaders. That might mean other business people who could purchase copies, English or creative writing teachers, book club leaders, or other club leaders. That's the essence of networking: Introducing Person A to Person B because A and B might be able to do business together.
6. Ask your business library to carry a copy of the book. Some books won't be appropriate, but some might. When I worked at Illinois Farm Bureau, we had a huge corporate library. If the book you read is appropriate for your corporate/association library, suggest they purchase a copy.
7. Schedule the author to come make a presentation at a corporate/association lunch. Many companies have meeting rooms where folks can get together at lunch. Schedule a meeting room, and invite your local author to come chat about his/her work.
Any other suggestions? Please share them!
But the biggest surprise came when the readers asked me, "How can we help you?"
Whoa. I was suddenly transported back in time to when networking was big. We women would meet together to share job possibilities, ideas for being more professional, and support. Back then, we knew we'd only make it if we helped each other.
So I haven't heard those precious words in years: "How can we help?"
Maybe you have a friend who's an author. Or maybe you're a fan. Perhaps you've wondered, "Can I make a different in an author's career?"
The answer is a resounding, "YES!"
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Go to Amazon and Barnes & Noble and post a review. The more reviews, the more stars, the more their internal logic systems will recommend the books you favor. (Yep, I don't know exactly how it works, but it does.)
2. Suggest the book to another book club. In my experience, book clubbers tend to belong to more than one club. So, tell your second club about the book your first club liked.
3. Call your local library. If they don't have copies of the book, ask them to get them. If they do, check out the book, even if you have already read it. I'm not suggesting you take out the book and keep another reader from her chance at it, but I am suggesting that the more a book is checked out, the more likely a library is to buy more copies. (And in some libraries, if a book isn't being checked out regularly, they may sell it to make room for more popular works.)
4. Order copies of the book as gifts. Readers love to swap and share. Especially mystery readers. But, book sales are what keep an author writing. So, consider giving books as gifts.
5. Introduce the author to other people who are influence leaders. That might mean other business people who could purchase copies, English or creative writing teachers, book club leaders, or other club leaders. That's the essence of networking: Introducing Person A to Person B because A and B might be able to do business together.
6. Ask your business library to carry a copy of the book. Some books won't be appropriate, but some might. When I worked at Illinois Farm Bureau, we had a huge corporate library. If the book you read is appropriate for your corporate/association library, suggest they purchase a copy.
7. Schedule the author to come make a presentation at a corporate/association lunch. Many companies have meeting rooms where folks can get together at lunch. Schedule a meeting room, and invite your local author to come chat about his/her work.
Any other suggestions? Please share them!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)