There Are No Rules - Marketing & Self-Promotion

Marketing in a Digital Age

Jane — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:24:22 GMT

More than a year ago, I left a comment on the Booksquare blog by Kassia Krozser, on a post titled "Why Publishers Should Blog." Kassia argued that publishers needed to be more vocal about supporting the titles they publish. I responded:

Definitely agree, but I have to wonder if the lack of enthusiastic comments direct from publishers is primarily due to lack of time (and energy, sadly). If an editor (or whomever) is juggling dozens of projects in a given year, accomplishing just the basics can be enormously demanding. (Lean staffs!) The “friendly” online marketing or buzz building has often been left to the authors, rightly or wrongly.

Kassia didn't agree with me then, and now I don't agree with me either.

However: I'm not convinced it's the publishers who need to market and promote as much as the individual people who work at the publisher. That's because Publishers speaking as Publishers may not be very interesting to listen to, and it's hard to develop a relationship or carry on a conversation with the corporate entity "Publisher" unless we're talking about an imprint known for a specific type of work (like Tor), or a publisher focused on a genre (like Harlequin). What is the "voice" or approach of a publisher if they have dozens and dozens of potential target audiences?

Maybe Publishers (as corporations) don't need to "blog," but an imprint and its community of editors must be involved in efforts to spread word to a community of readers, through whatever channels or tools make sense for a particular topic, since editors are unique in their position of knowing the content so intimately (and hopefully the audience too!)—not to mention very influential in how the book performs.

All this to say two things:

First, I'm participating in a free webinar hosted by Digital Book World, Marketing in the Digital Age: Batteries Not Included.

This webinar may not be specifically geared to aspiring writers, but the story I told above is an important one when you're considering who to publish with and what to expect.

Authority and influence no longer lie with traditional media outlets and traditional marketing techniques. The old buttons we all used to press don't work any more. And frankly, many of the new buttons don't work either, depending on how well you use them.

So this webinar promises to be a fascinating discussion about what it means to market books (or content or media) in a digital age. I'll be joined by Guy Gonzalez (Digital Book World), Diana Villibert (Marie Claire), Patrick Boegel (Media Logic), and Dan Blank (Reed Business).

It's an incredible honor to be included, and it's amazing to think how far my company F+W has come in its approach to publishing.

Which leads me to my second point: I recall in 2007 longingly reviewing the first Tools of Change Conference schedule, and wanting to be savvier and more forward-looking in my publishing approach. I recall hearing Mike Shatzkin speak that same year at BEA, and feeling the urgency of his message.

I don't think I would've believed it if God himself had told me: that my company would be hosting Digital Book World in January 2010 (with Shatzkin as program chair), and covering consumer publishing issues in a way that helps me keep Writer's Digest growing and profitable when so many things in the print-based business are changing (often diminishing).

Two sessions I am most looking forward to:

Back-Loaded Book Deals: No (and Low) Advance Contracts, Profit-Sharing and Other Innovative Business Models (with Robert Miller of HarperStudio, Rogert Cooper of Perseus Vanguard, and agent Susan Ginsburg of Writer's House)

New Business Models: Changing the Commercial Rules of Publishing (with Richard Nash, Eoin Purcell, Chris Morrow, and Diane Naughton)

In short, I don't have to be sad about not being able to attend TOC any more.

The Age-Old Battle Between Author & Publisher

Jane — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:23:18 GMT

To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.

—Charles Caleb Colton

Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.

—A. A. Milne

Publishing is no longer simply a matter of picking worthy manuscripts and putting them on offer. It is now as important to market books properly, to work with the bookstore chains to get terms, co-op advertising, and the like. The difficulty is that publishers who can market are most often not the publishers with worthy lists.

—Olivia Goldsmith

One of the signs of Napoleon's greatness is the fact that he once had a publisher shot.

—Siegfried Unseld

Publishers are all cohorts of the devil; there must be a special hell for them somewhere.

—Goethe

As difficult as it is for a writer to find a publisher - admittedly a daunting task - it is twice as difficult for a publisher to sort through the chaff, select the wheat, and profitably publish a worthy list.

—Olivia Goldsmith

One should fight like the devil the temptation to think well of editors. They are all, without exception - at least some of the time, incompetent or crazy.

—John Gardner

If you've been following industry chatter, you may have seen some conversations lately about whether authors need publishers (or vice versa). Plus there's now a Twitter tag for the discussion, #publishersmatter

To catch up, you can read these 3 pieces:

Do Authors Still Need Publishers?
by Mark Coker of Smashwords (e-publishing service)

What Do Authors Need?
by Kate Eltham at Queensland Writers Centre (Australia)

Do Publishers Still Need Authors?
by Guy Gonzalez, my colleague and audience development director for Digital Book World (My views align closely with Guy's.)

Aspiring writers and authors can be extremely mistrustful and suspicious of publishers— creating a group only too eager to join the revolution where writers/authors have power and publishers become obsolete.

Those who can never get inside the pearly publishing gates feel marginalized and like they never got the attention they deserve, while those who do break in feel exactly the same way. As Daniel Menaker has said:

Many of the most important decisions made in publishing are made outside the author's and agent's specific knowledge. … [Publishing] silently colludes in trying to ignore the obvious … that the first printing of your book will be three thousand copies, that it will not have full-color galleys, that no advertising or tour is planned, and that it has been assigned to a publicist who up until yesterday worked in the Xerox department. Why the collusion? Because this is a business fueled largely by writers' need for attention, and no one wants to crush any writer's dreams before a book is even published. Especially since every now and then they actually come true.

Today, many authors are left out to sea as soon as the book hits store shelves, a critical moment in the life of many books. By the time the author realizes what's happening, the window of opportunity has vanished—that moment when you can ensure stores/retailers see the book as a quality and profitable item, leading to a good model (number of copies per store).

Other authors get turned out by their publishers when their books don't sell, even if they could've been a quality midlist author with more time and investment. (Most publishers don't have the luxury of waiting.)

Obviously neither of these phenomenon help the author OR the publisher.

I wonder if successful publishers of the future will attract quality authors mostly by …

the deep reach of their distribution (especially if to a particular audience)
their editorial/curation prowess and stable of quality authors
the support and service they provide authors

Publishers have done a poor job, at best, in the support and service role.

How many publishers actively support their authors when it comes to teaching them online marketing and promotion practices? How many will analyze their authors' efforts at platform and branding? How many will give them the education, tools, or resources they need to be true partners with the publisher? How many will—at the very least—provide clarity on what the publisher will and will not do for the author, or explicitly convey their own strengths and weaknesses, so the author goes in eyes wide open?

While publishers of the future need to distinguish themselves by the quality of their partnerships, the quality of their audience reach (community), and the quality of their curation, I bet there will be publishers who become known for support and service, and attract quality authors like bees to honey—and be more successful because of it.

What do you say?

Your Simple Checklist for Getting Known & Getting Readers

Jane — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:38:24 GMT

There's such a wonderful comment on yesterday's post that I wanted to bring attention to it (slightly modified to apply to all genres). Thank you, Banana the Poet (aka Michele Breton)! Follow her on Twitter or visit her site.

Simple Checklist for Getting Known, Getting Readers, Building Platform

Blog your work and gather readers (Michele blogged for three years)

Join Twitter (and/or Facebook) and make friends with like minded people

Contribute & comment regularly on blogs and sites (like Writer's Digest Poetic Asides prompt challenges)

Start publishing company (optional, but great route for poets)

Release poetry book (possible to accomplish for free and with little or no technical expertise, through services like Smashwords, Lulu, Scribd)

Format for Kindle and release

Get onto the Barnes & Noble Nook system

Ask hubby to turn my book into an iPhone application

What other steps would you add, or have you found to be critical?

Turn Your Book Into an iPhone App

Jane — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:39:38 GMT

This is a story about an energetic author who deserves an award for truly living by the adage, "There Are No Rules." In fact, I shall start an honorable group, "There Are No Rules Crown Club," for people who live up to this moniker, starting with Al Katkowsky.

Al e-mailed me over the summer and suggested that he might be a valuable speaker at our annual conference in NYC. I agreed, and he spoke about his success in transforming his book, Question of the Day (self-published), into an iPhone App that now ranks as one of the Top 25 book apps and has been downloaded more than 80,000 times.

I asked him to answer some questions that would give you an idea of how you can accomplish something like this too. You might also want to read this other article he penned for Teleread.

So at first you were initially skeptical if turning your book into an iPhone app was a good use of your time and energy. But ultimately you decided to go for it. What did that process look like, e.g., how long did it take, what resources did you need, and how much did it cost?

The process of building the first version of the App occurred over a six-week period. This was with Daniel, who was simultaneously working a 60-plus hour work week, and had previously committed to other outside work. It needn't take that long. The work came in between $500 and $1,000 total, but there is more work to be done [for another version].

For authors, I would say keep in mind that the improvements I am about to take on fall further and further away from the presentation of a book, and don't necessarily reflect the amount of work that any author needs to take on. However, your App must "do tricks." This is iPhone, not Kindle—you're competing with Tetris for attention. That's why I wisely got into the Books category [for iPhone apps], and left Entertainment!

What are some practical steps that an author can take to launch their book as a successful iPhone App?

We've been studying this for a long time, listening to experts in the field and watching what authors and publishers are bold enough to do, and what they are afraid to do. I recommend putting out two thirds of your content for free, perhaps more.

The publishing world is currently focused on how to move into the digital domain while minimizing the threat of piracy. They do need to be addressing this. So the idea of increasing the release of free content is, well, freaking them out. Yet, it is exactly what they need to be dealing with.

Free content is part of the glue of "tribes", as Seth Godin might say. Understanding the true ratio between free content and paid ensures a healthy, continuous relationship with customers.

Thinking about preparing for the future when it's already here is like preparing for a flood when you're already drowning. They're doing too little, and it may already be too late. They've begun to release one free book of an author, or of a series, to promote interest in the rest. What if you're a first-time author, with only one book?

Lite versions of apps fall into a great literary tradition: generating enough interest to facilitate purchasing the next installment. The classic example is "A Tale Of Two Cities", which was originally published as part of a literary journal, in installments. Pick it up and pay attention to the end of each chapter, the way things are summed up.

I want to recommend three operable models here for the first time, for fiction writers:

1. Release a lite (free) version chapter by chapter. Every four to six weeks, update your App with a new chapter. There will be a push notification through the App Store that your book has added a new chapter; iPhone users love updates of their favorite Apps. Whether your App was pay or not, updates are always free.

Some people don't update right away. But you can track the amount of updates on a daily basis to see how many people are actively keep up with your new additions.

After updating the app to Chapter Seven of your ten-chapter book, that's it. Game over. Now, at the same time, release your full pay app version for purchase. They can pay now.

2. Release a lite (free) version with somewhere between 60% to 80% of the content. Less than that may engage them, but that amount will really seal the deal. If they like what they've seen, they will pay for the rest. If you give away too much, they may pick up your book somewhere and check the last five pages for the ending.

3. Have you begun podcasting? I've spoken to best-selling authors whose hands are tied; they are not permitted by their publishers to put out iPhone versions of their books. One of these is a very well known podcaster.

You can create first-time integrated experiences for your readers. This author should have been the first to do this, but instead, it could be you. At the top of the page, a choice in media:

"Chapter 4: Would you like to read, or would you like to be read to?"

We've all had to discontinue reading before we've felt like it. In this format, you could offer your reader the option of plugging their iPhone into the car stereo and reading to them at the point where they had to stop reading on their own.

What's been most surprising about the experience?
That major publishing houses are nowhere near me [in the iPhone app rankings]. One James Patterson book came close for a while. I'm at number 23 today, he's at 53. We're both free. I'm also surprised by the fact that the other apps that are near me are compendiums, reading apps, etc ... no actual print books.

It surprises me that people are impressed that I got the Apple Store event dates. Again, is anyone even trying?

The acceleration of Books within the App Store is surprising and even a little shocking. When I got in in April, there were 3,000 book apps. Check this out: on September 7, the books category hit the 10,000 mark. On October 7, it hit 12,000, a full 20% growth in only one month. That's staggering, and you can't tell me that people aren't paying attention to the potential of books within the iPhone format.

When you spoke at our conference, you said that you weren't quite ready to be looking for an agent on the print edition, even though QotD has been downloaded more than 80,000 times, and currently in the Top 25 out of over 12,000 titles in the Book App category. What benchmark are you waiting for? OR, are you waiting to be approached?

I walked into the conference thinking that I had something going for myself, but that there were a lot of people in the business who either think nothing of it, aren't aware of it, or don't understand the value of it. These feelings were confirmed and magnified at the conference. Several respected industry people told me that I have a huge platform now. I did, in fact, meet up with an agent who was enthused about what I'm doing. She sees "huge" potential, and doesn't think that others in the biz see it that way. We'll stay in touch, and that's a good thing.

Industries won't change until they see money flowing into someone else's pockets. If industries can't create money flow, they will certainly follow it. They are forcing me to grow. And that is a good thing.

The next time I update, it will be like tapping over 80,000 people on the shoulder. They love their apps. They are going to listen. And here's the kicker: I asked about a hundred people to download my app. The rest found me. It's a marketer’s dream. How can you not see the value in that?

You've had some tremendous success without any mainstream or “traditional” assistance (or that's my impression?). What advice do you have for others who may be pursuing an indie path?

The main thing I had to do was to get right with myself, and my answers are based on that.

First of all, if you need to write and be read, and selling thousands of books is not a major concern, don't let anyone tell you you aren't serious.

For the rest of us:

People often do things like self-publishing without fully realizing why they did it. It serves to make them feel good about themselves, temporarily. It is exactly like when someone you work with or go to school with loses weight. They needed to do it, it was a lot of work, they feel a feeling of satisfaction and they get a lot of compliments. After a while, they don't get compliments and they still have to give up the Twinkies. Are you kidding? What kind of rip-off is that? A total rip-off! A few weeks later, the Nordic Track gets parked in the garage. They quit as soon as it stops feeling good.

I always say, "Know what's driving you." Why are you doing this, and is that driver enough to get you through rejections, confusion, boredom and that lost in the woods "what do I do next" feeling? You need to know, but there will be tough moments when even the drivers leave the room, and you'll really want the Twinkies. Starting at that moment, every little thing you do for your self is a huge victory. The down feeling will go away, something will turn in your favor, and then "perseverance" is not just a word anymore.

So, know your drivers, know that you will change course many times, and be ready to divorce your naysayer friends in a split second. Some people keep them around as motivation, but to me, they are poison. You can't afford the time it will take to figure out why they give with one hand, and slap with the other. You don't know why, and they don't know why. And they're not going to stop. They don't need to change, but your environment needs to change. You're doing something much riskier and more difficult than most of the people people you know. Distance, immediately!

Every day that you recognize that something is off course, and you don't initiate work on a solution, you're blowing it. You may as well quit and start to like working for somebody else, because you are not being true to yourself, and your babies are dying. You are killing them with inattention.

I'm fairly easy going, but I have a pretty big ego. As a creative person, I know that my ideas are my life blood. I did create Question Of The Day, but making it into a book was not my idea, and neither was the iPhone App. My indebtedness to others teaches me a lot.

There will always be a right time to jump from "indie", whether it means hiring staff and becoming a startup, or going with a publishing house. Your ideas will always be your own, but you can never achieve as much by yourself as you can with other people.

What are your next steps, let's say in the next year? Do you have any longer range plans or goals?

Question Of The Day will remain a free app. Not a "lite" version, but a full version that is free. We are now putting together a companion pay app, built from suggestions of QotD downloaders. This version will have twice as many videos, and I am also weighing the possibility of adding half of the questions from the next book, which is already written.

We are planning a social networking version, where people who are playing with the app can locate and communicate with others playing with the app, and play together. At their option, they will be able to see each other's location in the world on a map.

Ultimately, I'd like this to do well enough so that I can put it behind me and focus entirely on music. In one way or another, I'll always have something to do with Question Of The Day, but I have to get back to what I was doing before I got here. Not that I'm not working on it, but it really needs my full attention. I need to be doing it all the time, like I was.

--

My indebtedness to Al for sharing these thoughtful, thorough answers (and also thanks for his enduring patience). And to all iPhone users: Go download that app! (I did, and it's wonderful.)

So, for readers, does this raise more questions for you? What do you think the big surprise is? Let's hear it in the comments!

The First 5 (Simple) Steps for Growing Readership on Your Blog

Jane — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:01:50 GMT

One of my posts last month, The Benefits of Blogging, received a number of valuable comments. For anyone wondering about the value of blogging, this is a must-read for the variety of perspectives.

The next question that naturally arises—after you decide to blog—is how to gain readership. Before I mention specific tactics, 3 things to remember:

It takes time; this is a journey. Be patient. Results don't come overnight.
The more focused your blog is (the more it is driven by a specific purpose), the easier you will draw a readership. Sometimes it can take you 6-12 months to figure out what your blog is about. Read the Brazen Careerist for more on this important point.
You have to be consistent in when you post, even if you don't think you have enough readers for it to matter.

That said, here are a few easy ways you can begin growing your reach. These are meant to be simple, straightforward, and meaningfully accomplished by anyone in the first months of blogging.

1. Comment on other blogs—blogs that you actively read and/or truly enjoy. But don't just comment, "Great post! Go read my blog." Instead, make a comment of substance that adds a resource, tip, or encouragement. Or offer an opposing point of view. Make it a discussion, not a promotion of yourself.

2. Be the No. 1 commenter on your own blog. Show your readers that you care and will take the time to respond and interact with them.

3. In your own blog posts, reference and link to other blogs/sites. Comment on what other people are writing about, or summarize many viewpoints on an issue. These other bloggers will discover you and might comment or link to you.

4. If you're on Twitter, then Tweet your blog posts. (You can use TwitterFeed to do this automatically if you like.) If you're not on Twitter, consider that some sites/blogs see 30-50% (or more) of their traffic coming from Twitter.

5. If you're on Facebook, then use the NetworkedBlogs application from within Facebook so that your Wall automatically updates and links to your latest blog post. Your readers/fans can also use the NetworkedBlogs app to follow your blog.

For more resources on growing your blog readership, try these helpful posts by experts Chris Brogan & Guy Kawasaki:

23 Elements of Sharable Blog Posts (Chris Brogan)

The 120 Day Wonder: How to Evangelize a Blog (Guy Kawasaki)

Bloggers: What have you found to be most important or influential in growing your readership? Did you experience a tipping point?

Photo credit: Humanoide

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Insult Someone in Publishing

Jane — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:07:50 GMT

1. Design your own book cover, or better yet, have a loved one do so for you. Bonus points if that loved one is a child (either young of full-grown), and creates abstract art.

1.5. Draw your own illustrations or have a loved one do so because they're really good with Microsoft Paint.

Books are products that require an industry professional's attention and marketing consideration, just like any other consumer product—from Coke to Draino.

2. Tell your editor that you've had your family member (who has a really sharp eye), read your work for errors, and you're certain it's good to go. Bonus points if that family member is a retired high school English teacher.

Editing is about much more than correcting comma placement. Furthermore, all publishers have their own style guidelines that aren't known or understood outside the publishing industry.

3. Tell your publisher that your book is a perfect fit for Starbucks [or any major retailer], and that it should be sold there.

More than anyone, your publisher wants your book stocked in every possible retail outlet, and will exploit every single distribution connection it has. It will place it in any outlet that will make space for books, and even pay money for placement. Your publisher isn't lazy or unimaginative; there's just immense competition.

And a sure-fire way to make an editor cringe:
Remark in an envious way, "So you must read a lot." No, we don't read. Mostly, we look for ways to make money and get your book placed at Starbucks, while gently informing you that your first-born cannot design your cover. Most editors have completely left pleasure reading behind. (That includes me, except when I'm on vacation.)

To end on a positive note:

6 sure-fire ways to make an editor love you

Ask questions about the business.
Ask what you can do to make your book or project or idea more successful.
Ask about the publisher's strengths and weaknesses, and where your help can really make a difference.
Share your action plan for marketing and promotion, and ask the publisher for specific things where they can meaningfully and realistically help you (usually things you know they've done to assist other authors).
Ask for examples or models of what other authors have done that have led to success.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. (Do not hide out, do not point fingers, do not blame.)

It's Not Business As Usual--Stop Acting Like It

Jane — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:31:45 GMT

In my role at Writer's Digest I balance two key objectives that's an odd, meta-publishing endeavor:

Help aspiring writers succeed in the publishing arena
Keep the Writer's Digest business—as a publishing and/or content business—viable

Because of my position within the publishing industry, I see up-close the effects of hard economic times, transformational technology, and increased pressure to produce more with less. Friends lose jobs, businesses fold, we try to follow the cliche "work smarter, not harder," and remind ourselves of the heartfelt reasons we're in the business in the first place.

Here are some recent thoughts from others, from a variety of perspectives:

Daniel Menaker (former Executive Editor-in-Chief of Random House)

I believe that this impending Gutenberg-level shift in reading culture, along with the economic disasters of the last two years, render the challenges of present-day hard-copy publishing all the more agonizing, immediate, and dramatic. At least in the abstract, and especially in this economic climate, most other professions pose some of the same problems for those who pursue them, no doubt. But the tectonically opposing demands on publishing -- that it simultaneously make money and serve the tradition of literature -- and its highly unpredictable outcomes and its prominence in the attention of the media have made it a kind of poster adult for capitalism and the arts in crisis. [click here for full article]

Guy Gonzalez (F+W community leader behind Digital Book World)

For all the talk of publishing’s supposedly imminent demise, there are far too many passionate people working in and around the industry, at every level, to let that happen. And whether they realize it or not, it doesn’t matter if they’re working for one of the major publishers or an independent press, in senior management or as an editor, author or bookseller — there’s a wide and fertile common ground we all share and it’s best represented by the community we all serve: the readers.

Ultimately, it’s readers’ changing habits that are driving the fundamental changes in the publishing industry – everything from the types of books they’re reading to the formats they prefer reading them in – and as a result, it’s the current business model of most publishers that’s under stress, not the community service of publishing itself.
[click here for full post]

From Mark Barrett at DitchWalk.com

Everyone in the new content pipeline must demonstrate added value in order to be embraced by both authors and readers. As an author, if you are not helping me monetize my content in some way, I have no valid business reason for partnering with you or hiring you. As a reader, if you are not providing me a service I need at a competitive price I will simply go elsewhere.

… As a writer, questions of cost and profit and revenue are of interest to me because I now have a direct pipeline to readers. I know I can reduce my costs to something approaching zero, so the question of most concern to me is how to generate revenue. I know I need help to monetize my content. I need sites that will host it and promote it, readers that will recommend it, and publishers who will do the same if I want to reach the widest possible audience.

I want to make deals with business partners in order to accomplish these goals. I want to have the money to hire professionals like editors and designers to help me produce the best work I can. And I want publishers to help me reach the widest market if that makes sense to both of us. [click here for full post]

***

I frequently encounter these two groups:

The writers/authors who read all of this, who do comprehend what's going on, but seem unwilling or unable to adjust their expectations of a publisher or their own responsibility for success
The agents, editors, and other publishing insiders who also comprehend what's going on, yet expect or demand business as usual when it comes to book deals, contracts, and other partnerships

There are also the people who say, quite rightly, that writing and publishing a "real" book is still the big dream, and people will keep chasing that dream no matter how much we all argue that the book is dead, that times have changed, that no one reads any more, etc.

Yes, the dream will always remain. As far as I can tell, it has been a dream for more than a century (The Writer, a competitor to Writer's Digest, has been in business for more than 120 years).

But achieving that dream is going to take many more shapes, and look a lot different, than it did even 5 or 10 years ago.

Most of all, I want YOU to see, really see, what's possible (now & in the future—see The Art of Possibility), identify what you can achieve, and understand tactics to get things done.

I'm trying to do these things, too—along with care for the morale of the people I work with at Writer's Digest and F+W.

I am reminded of Kenny Moore's words:

Morale continues to remain dismal in most companies and employee surveys reveal three disturbing trends: nobody trusts, workers don’t believe senior management and employees are too stressed out to care. Problems with trust, belief and caring. When I lived behind the cloistered walls, we referred to these dynamics as a crisis of Faith, Hope and Charity. As the Recession continues to take its toll, the business world is facing a spiritual problem as much as a fiscal one. Napoleon once said that leaders are dealers in hope. That sounds like a sacred quality to me.

Photo credit: benefit of hindsight

15 Worthy Blogs I Just Discovered

Jane — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:10:37 GMT

I recently received the "One Lovely Blog Award" from Jillian Livingston (go check out isdisnormal—and you must if you are a mom). My thanks to her for introducing me to this concept.

As a result of being honored, I've been asked to note 15 blogs I recently discovered that I find worthy of the award.

(Photo above: A sign at a Buddhist temple advises that those with good eyes are inclined to fall into deep wells—which is how I feel when I discover a great new blog!)

So: here are blogs I've added lately to my Google Reader. (You can see my shared items from Google Reader here, and I accept sharing requests too if you use Google Reader.)

(1) Digital Book World
This is the newest blog launch from F+W, but it's backed by the inimitable Guy Gonzalez. A good read for savvy writers who want a larger understanding of publishing industry challenges. (Note: Digital Book World is offering a free webinar on "The Truth About eBooks" on October 21.)

(2) When Fridays Were Fridays
Written by someone who started working for a large company right out of college and stayed 30 years. I feel a cosmic connection to this person, because in 17 years, I wonder if my "About Me" will look exactly the same. I particularly like her post Have You Ever Faked It?

(3) What Consumes Me by Bud Caddell
You'll love it at first sight.

(4) Kenny Moore
Kenny is the co-author of The CEO and the Monk. I love how compassionate and human his advice is, while still being practical and appropriate for a corporate setting.

(5) Start Up Blog
I feel like I'm getting a better business training here than I would at a university.

(6) Self-Publishing Review
A site that benefits from a multitude of contributors. Professional and quality information, with a bit of magazine style to it (lead stories, resources, features).

(7) Fiction Matters
And it's not here just because they complimented me lately (or because of a bourbon affinity discovered on Twitter … well, maybe a little). Check out their guidebook, then peruse tips.

(8) My Name Is Not Bob
By the charming Robert Brewer, editor of WritersMarket.com. He is also blogger at Poetic Asides, but this is his personal blog, just launched on August 14. He's been a little quiet lately, but I know he'll be active again.

(9) The Sound and Furry
And this one is by the customer service rep behind WritersMarket.com, who is herself an aspiring children's writer. Great tips here for writers, plus cats (a great accent for every blog).

(10) Information Is Beautiful
Always amazing and share-worthy posts.

(11) Clay Shirky
Very infrequent posts, but outstanding quality when it comes to contemplating the future of media.

(12) The Book Oven
Something for everyone—especially writers—to keep an eye on.

(13) Publishing Trends
Their best content will cost you, but they still post really wonderful insider information for free.

(14) Bad Pitch Blog
While not directly tied to writing/publishing, read this long enough and you'll become a better salesperson and promoter of your ideas. A totally new find and I love it.

OK, I purposely stopped at 14. You tell me what No. 15 should be—based on the best last blog that's been added to your RSS reader or bookmark list. (Wondering about RSS readers? Read my tip on how to save time with an RSS reader.)

The Secrets to Publishing Success (Jane's 2009 Tough Love Guide)

Jane — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:35:25 GMT

Above: Jane looks at you expectantly with the tough-love stare. Don't disappoint her.

--

This past year, I've posted a ton of information on how you can

(1) ensure your work is the best it can possibly be
(2) build an audience and create demand for your work
(3) take advantage of technology to push your career forward

At the Editor Intensive last weekend, I found myself referencing numerous blog posts I'd made, and thought it was time to compile what I'd consider the "guide" for 2009 on how to succeed in the new publishing landscape (because the industry ain't what it used to be).

This is a perfect reference guide for anyone who's attended the Intensive and wants a refresher—or an excellent accelerated course for anyone who hasn't.

I would love your feedback on what topics you'd like covered in more detail in the coming months!

P.S. Reviewing these, I clearly like the number 5.

--

THE SECRETS TO PUBLISHING SUCCESS: Jane's 2009 Tough Love Guide

Editing and Revising

The First Five Minutes: How Editors Evaluate Your Manuscript

Avoiding Red-Flag Mistakes on Your First Page

Secrets of Great Storytelling (Particularly for Memoirists)

5 Common Flaws in Memoir Projects

Not All Books Need to Be Well-Written to Sell

Your Protagonist Must Have a Goal (by guest Jim Adam)

Hiring a Professional Editor vs. Getting Amateur Critiques

The Golden Rule About Nonfiction Books

Querying / Submitting

Persistence Doesn't Matter If You Make This Common Mistake

5 Questions to Ask Yourself After Hearing: We Can't Sell Enough to Justify Publishing It

5 Elements of Query Letters

The Art of Live Pitching: 3 Rules

Audience Development / Platform Building

The Hardest Part About Developing Platform

The Four Stages of Marketing & Promotion

5 Questions for Those Who Don't Have Time to Market/Promote

Hard-Core Tactics for Authors Developing Audience

Fiction Writers Need Platforms, Too

Online Audience Building

Hey, Writers: What's Your Online Strategy? What Are You Waiting For?

Make Waves Online to Create a Path to Print Publication

Should Your Book Really Be a Book? How About a Website First?

What Does It Take for a Blog to Become a Book?

Should You Blog? And If So, What Are Best Practices?

How Writers Can Start Blogging in a Meaningful Way

The Benefits of Blogging (Especially for Unpublished Writers)

The Essential Components of an (Unpublished) Author's Website

How Twitter Is Helpful for Aspiring Writers

Figuring Out Your Facebook Strategy: 3 Essential Tips

Indie Publishing

Everything You Need to Know About Self-Publishing (Sort of)

My Big Rant on Self-Publishing

Big Picture

5 Ways Writers & Book Publishers Need to Embrace Change NOW

Are You Ready to Be a Bestselling Author? Then Listen to Alec Baldwin

That Unquantifiable Factor That Helps You Get Published and Succeed

Read My Writing and Tell Me What to Do

How to Succeed in Today's Publishing Industry (Takeaways from Conference)

Jane — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:33:06 GMT

By noon on Saturday, attendees were commenting that they'd already gotten their money's worth. I consider that a big win!

If you missed the event, you can still get some valuable takeaways:

Meryl Evans has compiled Tweets from the event, which I've made available for printing and download on Scribd.
You can also read this fabulous recap from an attendee: 8 Gatejumper Tips Heard at the Writer's Digest Conference.

And most remarkably, Meryl Evans sent me a note to help attendees make sense of what to do next! See below. My big thanks to her generosity.

—

So You Went to the Writer's Digest Conference. What Are You Going to Do Now?
by Meryl Evans

In the Writer's Digest Conference blog, Robert Lee Brewer reported on something he overheard:

So, earlier today, in the hallway, I overheard one writer speaking to another. She said, "I don't have the time to handle all this."

I was not surprised to hear this kind of statement at a conference on publishing and marketing and communicating and podcasting and basically everything we've been going over since Friday. But, of course, I started thinking about how successful writers should be, at least, trying.

Well, after a long pause, she continued speaking to the other (very good listener) writer, "But I have to make the time if I'm serious about making this work."

The writer caught on. Not all of us think about how we're going to make the most of a conference. Or we feel overwhelmed that it paralyzes us preventing us from taking action. We bring home all the notes we took filing them away only to never see them again. Then the least we can hope for is that our brains remembered a few key points while we wrote or typed them and apply them.

Review Your Notes
Take five or ten minutes to look over your notes. You can handle that, right? As you review your notes, pick one to three things you want to use. Post them in your to do list or whatever you use on a regular basis so you can remember and practice. Give yourself a deadline—you're a writer, you can handle it. Check off each item as you do them.

Got 'em all done? Great. Now, go back to your notes to cross them off. Pick one to three more things to try. Repeat.

That wasn't so bad, was it? Turning loads of notes into a couple of doable tasks makes a difference.

Write One Article
You probably walked away from the conference with a few article ideas. Rather than trying to do it all, I pick one topic and write the article within a couple of days after returning home. You can make it a blog entry, an article for your publication, whatever. In writing the article, those ideas will stick with you. Plus, you gain a bonus of sharing that with others.

When you finish the article, revisit the other article ideas and what you can do with them. Rather than feeling spread thin with all your article ideas, you focus on one article at a time while putting the rest away for later. You've captured the ideas on paper or on your laptop. They won't disappear. Well, unless you delete them, lose them or trash them.

Key Points from WD Conference
You can find great tweets from the conference by searching Twitter for WDC09. Here are some highlights worth remembering, captured from tweets and the blog so you don't have to read it all:

Christina Katz: Platform is everything you do with your expertise. So many tools are available; must prioritize, maximize your time. Do you see yourself as the producer of your writing career and take 100% responsibility for your success?
Jane Friedman: Platform comes first! Book second. Without a strong platform and topic—creating demand—your book will have a difficult time finding its place in the market. Any changes publishers want to make to the book is what they believe will help increase book sales. They basically want what's economically best for your book—and that's ultimately a good thing.
Scott Sigler and Seth Harwood: Once you show you can move (sell) books, publishers will take notice. That's why giving away your first book online for free and building up an audience is essential to getting publishers—who have ignored you for years—to wake up and realize your talent and value. "You are the best person to sell your book," says Hardwood.
Alice Rosengard: Sees organization as a common problem with nonfiction proposals.
David Mathison (Be the Media) keys: Have a direct relationship with your audience. Control your rights. Repurpose your content.
Chris Brogan: The best way to get a book published is to not try to get a book published. The whole trick about promoting is to not talk about yourself. Learn to talk about other people. Twitter is not about talking; it's about listening.
Agent Miriam Kriss: A lot of "overnight successes" are 10 years in the making.
Agent Panel (Jessica Sinsheimer, Regina Brooks and Michelle Humphrey): Difference between freelanced editing and traditional editor is the latter cares, has a vested interest in the book. Professionally edited, professionally typeset, professionally designed are critical for success via POD.

Just One More Blogging Benefit for Aspiring Writers

Jane — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:15:47 GMT

As I catch up from being away at the Writer's Digest Conference (read more than 100 posts with info here!), guest blogger Jane Koenen Bretl is filling in with some more advice on the benefits of blogging!

When I started my blog jane, candid in January 2009, it was my starting point to create visibility and web presence for my work, and explore a whole new avenue of writing. Inspired by the December 2008 Writer’s Digest Editor’s Intensive, through blogging I found a voice that can be the start of my author platform; it took me in a new, unexpected direction that I may not have pursued, at least at this point in my writing career.

The benefits of blogging to an aspiring writer are numerous, but a most unexpected, helpful and frankly delightful outcome has been the relationships I have developed with other writers.

I actively seek out writing blogs, and by participating in author blog tours, networking through thoughtful commenting, and trolling through the blogrolls of other writers, I have met many other writers who have provided useful advice and much encouragement.

As a result, I’ve hosted an oft-published author at my home while he was on a 20-state book signing tour. I’ve hosted guest-blogging authors who brought both a new audience and increased credibility to my site. I’ve been a guest blogger on other wonderful blogs (like this one!) that provide a new, exciting forum for my work. And I’ve developed friendships with many writers who share selflessly of their experience.

It is a curious concept to me, this idea of meeting others online. At first I had preconceived (mostly negative) notions about online relationships, a prejudice lodged somewhere between online dating, ranting chat rooms, and all-night Dungeons and Dragon-esque gaming sessions. (Not that there is anything inherently wrong with those activities, they are just not my scene.)

I thought real people made real friendships face-to-face, not sitting alone in a computer chair with fingers tapping at the keys. Preconceived notions can and do close doors.

Blogging has instead opened doors for me to meet other writers from around the world, kindred spirits surely not on my life’s path otherwise. It has opened windows through which I can watch the progress of other writers, and see both the pitfalls they have faced and the successes they have earned through hard work and great talent. There is a collective sense of celebration when a blogger-friend reaches a writing milestone. It inspires me.

This summer, I had the opportunity to take a fond blogger relationship to a new place— face-to-face. Judy Clement Wall wrote one of the first comments I ever received on my blog, offering kind words right when I was nervously venturing into unfamiliar territory.

I in turn visited her site and her words struck a cord with me immediately. I have been an avid reader of her blog zebra sounds ever since. Like many bloggers, she kept the personal details of her home address and her family private; it just feels safer that way. However, as I prepared for a long-planned summer vacation to the West Coast (yes, I was reading Judy’s blog instead of packing), I realized through one of her off-handed references that this blog-buddy might live in the very area we were to visit! After some off-line emails, we learned it was indeed the same town. Serendipity strikes again. We made plans to meet at a coffee shop during my trip, since we already knew we shared an addiction to coffee as well as a love of writing.

Ironically, me, the online relationship snob, was as nervous to actually meet her as I might have been on a first date: Would I recognize her from her photo? Would she be as friendly as she seemed? It felt surreal, this crossing of worlds (maybe I had already drank too much coffee that day???).

Of course, the meeting was delightful. We shared blogging advice (how did you add that cool widget?), warm mutual admiration, and encouragement for next steps in our writing careers, all right along with our hot caffeinated beverages. It felt like a reunion, not a first meeting.

Ironically, the act of blogging can be much more personal than the typical conversations between new acquaintances, what some describe as the nakedness of putting it out there for all to see, sharing these words that come from some deep place inside. This has been my biggest revelation about blogging.

So as I strive to build my author platform, increase my online visibility, create a potential audience for my work, and generally make waves out there in the social media world of the publishing industry, I can also reap the benefits of my blogging community and all that they share.

Considering it? Give it a try.

--

[Editor's note: Be sure to read Judy Clement Wall's companion blog post to this, "(Sometimes it's not) All About Me"]

The Benefits of Blogging (Your Feedback!)

Jane — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:23:59 GMT

There have been so many wonderful comments from you on the subject of blogging (on this blog, on my Facebook page, and on the Writer's Digest Facebook page), that I wanted to share a few pieces of the helpful advice.

My appreciation to everyone who has shared their experiences!

From published (or soon-to-be-published) authors

Terri Coyne: I started my blog around the same time I sold my debut novel. I committed to posting once a week or more but not less. … not only did it help connect me to an audience but by syndicating to Facebook, Amazon and other places, it allows me to share my writing out from a central location.

Having a blog before I built my website was also a good way for me to post information for a nominal cost. As my website was being designed, I had my URL (www.tericoyne.com) point to the blog. There are so many widgets and options available for blogs, you can create a nice site as a starting point.

In my monthly newsletter to readers I link back to my blog and use it as a source for important updates. It works well.

LK Hunsaker: I've been blogging for years and it did take time to build an audience, but it's a great way to interact and get feedback. My books revolve around the arts along with societal issues, so on my blog I do book and music reviews, author interviews, artistic musings that reveal my writing voice and style, and some minor societal issue entries. It shows who I am and what I'm about. I think free promo is something every up-and-coming author should consider seriously. Blogs are free promo. Start early and build your audience before your books come out if they haven't yet.

From aspiring writers

Marie Devers: I am an unpublished-writer blogger, and here is what I love about blogging:

1. It gives me a homebase on the Web. I'm not ready for a Web site yet. When I send out queries, however, important people can Google me and quickly see that I write daily and coherently. They can also find my email and twitter addresses.

2. It's how I found my beta readers. There are four of us. We each have a blog where we pimp each other out. We also have great email sessions, where we perform group emergency surgery on queries that aren't working and where we celebrate when one of our own gets an offer of representation (She's signing tomorrow!).

3. As solitary as writing can be, it's nice to have someone to report to, and I feel like my blog readers are my boss. It's much, much harder to give up when you've publicly announced that you are trying to publish a novel and people all over the world support your efforts.

Jeff Posey: I started a blog this spring and began using Twitter a short time later. I post short scenes and character interviews outside my core in-progress novel but that illuminate it.

My lesson? This has been a great way to explore my main storyline and has inspired me to increase my average weekly writing output toward my novel, even while spending perhaps two-to-four hours per week on the blog and Twitter activity.

Besides, it's a load of fun.

Reesha: I'm being patient. Not a lot of peope are reading my blog right now, but every now and then I hear about someone who's been reading all along and I didn't know about it.

When I get discouraged about writing or building my platform, or even lonely, I imagine lots of lurkers who secretly read my blog, are interested in what I have to say, and love my work.

I was once told to approach things like this with the attitude that the person who you're interacting with loves you and is generally interested in what you have to say. The worst case scenario is that they hate you and aren't interested in what you have to say, and then you or they move on. There are lots of people out there. Lots of possibilities someone who likes what you have to say will find you.

Livia: I mulled over the expertise question quite a bit when starting my blog. Since I'm not published yet, why would people want to listen to my writing advice? For that reason, I decided to focus on analyzing examples of good writing from published fiction and reviewing craft books rather than preach my own writing tips.

Terry Petersen: The discipline is great. My theme is "After sixty, a time to begin." Since I don't specify what I'm beginning, I can write about anything I'm learning, on any level.

Ashley Olson Rosen: For me, starting a humor blog has been helpful in two ways: it makes me look at everyday occurances and frustrations in a more positive light -- which can never be a bad thing -- and it provides so much encouragement when people, especially strangers, send in comments. It's also good practice to force you to write on a regular basis. I was writing fiction before and now am considering trying a humor manuscript. I say to try blogging!

Florence Gardner: I'm also in my first couple of months of my blog.
I'm an unpublished writer of mid-grade and YA fiction with a manuscript under exclusive review by an agent right now. A couple of years ago I thought it would be insane for someone like me to have a blog.

I got a professional to help me design and get it up and running and am SO glad I did. It wasn't very expensive and I think makes a huge difference. (she's fantastic by the way, if anyone is looking for that kind of help).

I'm having a ton of fun with it. I don't think of it as "advice giving" at all. But a chance to make friends and to step into a wider conversation about writing and reading.

Photo credit: Hello Jenuine

Should You Blog? And If So, What Are Best Practices?

Jane — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:54:15 GMT

Photo credit: Laughing Squid

More writers are blogging than ever. And if you're not blogging already, you've probably considered it. Recently, a writer asked me via Facebook about blogging.

She said:

[It is] my impression that blogs related to writing are primarily written by people with expertise in their field and who have valuable advice and connections within the industry. Now, however, I am checking around and I see that many writers, even writers who are unpublished -- and some who appear very far from being published -- have blogs, also where they discuss writing and their completed works and/or works in progress. These people generally have direct links to their blogs that become available when they sign their name (or their blog name) when commenting on another blog. So, I suppose they are doing some marketing for themselves.

So, my question is: Should I have a blog?

This writer had some serious reservations about starting a blog, and here's how I answered her questions.

1. I don't feel like I have much in the way of valuable advice. What kind of advice do I have to dispense?

For aspiring writers (especially novelists), it often comes down to a matter of voice—an engaging voice, humorous insights, or a unique perspective to bring to the table.

Sometimes you may have specific advice, sometimes not. For many aspiring writers who blog, it's about a community—writers who are learning from one another. It helps if you can identify what about your experience sets you apart, but this insight may not occur for 6 months or more of blogging.

Don't assume your blog should be specifically about writing. It could be about whatever sets you apart, makes you unique. The writing life can simply be an accent.

2. One person mentioned on his blog that a literary agent looked at his blog, saw his complaints about the issues remaining with his book, and decided not to look at his book. I suppose it seems obvious that you shouldn't write negative things about your work on your blog, but to me this seems like one example of potentially many examples of why a BAD blog could be worse than no blog at all.

There's always that risk that an editor/agent will be turned off by your site or blog. Frankly, though, if you're sending out material knowing there are still issues to resolve, you should be getting rejected. (Never send material out that isn't as final as you can make it!)

If an agent/editor is turned off by your site/blog, they may not like your style or voice, regardless of content or professionalism. If your blog is a good representation of who you are as a writer (and most blogs are), then it would be like worrying about a potential mate who decides not to start a relationship with you because he/she doesn't like your personality. Saves you both some trouble, right?

3. I know nothing about blogging, so I feel my chances of writing a bad blog are sufficiently high that I should be concerned.

Maybe you worry too much. This could a unique angle to your blog.

4. Since blogs need to be updated on a regular basis and you have to respond to your commentors, I feel like a blog could be a significant time sink. I just wonder if my time isn't better spent working on my next book.

This is a legitimate concern, but only because you would fall in love with blogging and community building and not do the real writing.

The administrative part of the blog (design/setup/posting/blahblahblah) takes no time at all (minutes). Many people fall into the trap of widget-y improvements, or the fun tinkering, the stuff that you do to avoid writing.

You should decide upfront how much time you want to spend (or can afford), e.g., I will post once a week, the post will be about 500 words. It can actually be a good warm-up exercise.

Try not to plan this out too much or wait to act because you feel lots of preparation is needed. Overplanning or overthinking is somewhat antithetical to today's blogging practice (except for professional bloggers who make a living at it).

5. One final concern: if I post excerpts from my novel on my blog, is that a problem down the road? I see that many authors do post excerpts from their unpublished books. Do you know if posting excerpts is a problem?

You do not lose ownership of your content by posting it online; it does not go into the public domain or give anyone else the right to use it. (Of course, it can heighten risk of someone stealing it, but this is incredibly rare, and it's not like there's raging demand out there for unpublished writing—where people are just waiting to steal and profit from your work!)

Unless you want to see your excerpts published in a literary journal or magazine in about the same form as on your site/blog, there's no need to worry. Your blog audience and platform is not the same thing as having a book published and distributed through major retail channels. Some authors have podcasted or otherwise distributed their entire novels before publication, and it helped them get a book deal. (See www.scottsigler.com)

So, what do you think? Do you think that *trying* to start a blog is a valuable investment for me at this stage?

For fiction writers and poets, a blog should exercise your creative muscles and let you write in an unpressured way. Sometimes it can help you stumble on insights, as well as new friendships. However, for an aspiring writer, you have to be careful it doesn't detract or replace the "real" work of writing the book or the manuscript.

For nonfiction writers, blogs can be an essential part of your marketing and promotion—the author platform that helps you get published in the first place.

Only you can make the final decision. While you shouldn't jump in just because everyone else is doing it, sometimes it's good to try things that stretch you beyond your comfort zone. Blogging isn't for everyone, and there's no shame in leaving it behind if you don't like it.

I'd love to hear in the comments from aspiring writers who are bloggers. What's your experience? Has anyone started, then decided to stop—and why?

Book Promotion: Like Shouting Prayers Into Hurricane

Jane — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:58:13 GMT

I first met author N.M. Kelby at the AWP Conference in Atlanta. The Writer's Digest staff includes many fans of her work, so it was thrilling to talk with her about a potential book project.

I'm now proud to announce the fruits of our collaboration, new to our list this fall:
The Constant Art of Being a Writer.

Read an excerpt from the book here: Test Your Story Ideas
The book's editor, Kelly Nickell, comments on NM Kelby and the project
Discover Kelby's other book releasing this fall, A Travel Guide for Reckless Hearts (I love this title!)

Kelby recently did a Twitter-style Q&A interview for Reckless Hearts, and shared the answers with me.

1. Favorite book as a child?
Loved my father’s copy of The Last Days Of Pompeii by Edward "It was a dark and stormy night" Bulwer-Lytton. That explains a lot, doesn’t it?

2. What are you reading right now?
The Escoffier Cookbook and Guide to the Fine Art of Cookery. Don’t you want to know why?

3. Read aloud a favorite segment/recipe/poem from your book …
Smoke billowed out into the street, blanketed the stars. It tinted the night sepia, as if the moment had already been lived and forgotten.

4. Why that title?
TRAVEL GUIDE FOR RECKLESS HEARTS? Who doesn’t have one? Who doesn’t need a guide to travel through the world with that joyous unruly beast?

5. Why independent bookstores matter?
For the same reasons that cowboys matter, their wild untamed spirits. They make their own rules. Plus they know bull when they see it.

6. Favorite part of writing a book?
To write a book is to begin a conversation. I love to tour and finish that chat face to face. Nothing is more fun than reading for readers.

7. Least favorite part of writing a book?
I know it’s now a writer’s job to promote their book but sometimes it feels like you’re shouting prayers into a hurricane.

8. Are you working on anything new?
Yes. BTW This could be my first answer under 140 spaces.

9. Do you have any superstitions, lucky charms, or rituals around your writing?
I arrive at my desk by 9 a.m., take 30 minutes for lunch, and leave at 6 p.m. It’s a job, after all. A great job––but still, a job.

10. Comment on the writing life...
THE CONSTANT ART OF BEING A WRITER: THE LIFE, ART AND BUSINESS OF FICTION is my comment on the life. It’s more than 140 spaces––it’s $17.95.

11. Hardest part of the creation to publication experience?
Writers are public dreamers––the work itself is a great joy. Selling dreams twelve to a carton is another story.

12. Why do you write?
Asking a writer why they write is like asking a dog why they breathe … they don’t understand the question but they’re still hoping you’ll toss them a bone.

13. When do you write?
I write when I am sleeping, lying, eating, flirting, praying, and pulling weeds. Living life is writing. It’s paper optional.

14. When did you know you were a writer?
When I was about 7 years old and started creating library books for my dolls to check out.

15. What, or Who, will you dish on, as in gossip about, at dinner?
I have a great many Dwight Yoakam stories––some of which involve me being naked, which, surprisingly, is more innocent than it sounds.

16. What will make you a scintillating dinner guest?
I believe in fun, gossip, and the well-turned phrase and am a consummate foodie. Heck, even my in-laws like to eat with me.

17. Who is your favorite new author?
Chef Auguste Escoffier––although he is dead and only new to me.

18. What is your drink of choice?
I drink bourbon and wine, although not usually in the same glass. Of course, there is an exception to every rule.

19. What is your favorite food?
If it isn’t moving, fried, fatty and the word “atomic” is not printed before it on the menu, I’m willing to give it a try. I’m all about the food.

20. Will you talk business over dinner?
Why would a writer talk business at dinner? That’s like asking your ex who makes the best surveillance cameras.

--

After Kelby's workshop at the Writer's Digest/BEA Conference in 2009, she handed me a print-out of one of her slides. I have it hanging in my office now—see below.

(Hint: Our authors-speakers are always such a delight. You can experience them too at our conference next week in NYC. Register here for the full event or just for a day. Use code PC109 to get $50 off a full registration up until Monday.)

5 Questions for Those Who Don't Have Time to Market/Promote

Jane — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:46:44 GMT

(Pictured above: Writer's Digest and HOW editors/designers, promoting "Art of Manliness" project)

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both."
—James A. Michener

Early in my career, I often read articles and heard people talk about the mystical "work-life balance."

More recently, I've heard a term that makes a lot more sense: "work-life blend."

It is hard to answer people when they ask what I do for fun or how I spend my spare time. Much of what I do off the clock is the same exact thing I do on the clock. I'm reading, writing, engaging online, talking about transformational issues that are confronting creative people, particularly in the publishing industry, and the interesting solopreneur-reject-the-cube-life phenomenon.

So it always brings me back to earth when I speak to writers about marketing/promotion (especially when it comes to social media), and they say, "But how can I find the time for that!"

Here are five questions that occur to me when faced with this dilemma. I wish there were an easy answer, but everyone has to figure it out for themselves.

1. Why are you writing? If it's just for validation, catharsis, family/friends, or money, then of course you'll be worried about the time it takes to do everything required to be a successfully published author. It takes enormous time and energy—not to mention the patience of a saint—and only those prepared to devote everything will make it. And I can assure you the reward will NOT be monetary.

2. If you don't like the idea of spending time online with social media or figuring out new technologies, then what other strengths do you bring to the table? Hands down, online tools are the fastest and easiest way for unknown writers to begin building an audience, get better at their craft, and network with others who can make a difference in their careers. You don't want to spend time doing that? Then you'll likely have to find another area of your life (another strength area) that can help give you an advantage in the publishing landscape. For instance, do you have a phenomenal network through churches or a wide-reaching organization? Do you have expertise in a media channel that will help you spread the message about you and your work? Do you have friends in high places? You need something other than luck and a fool's hope to help you in the publishing journey. (As the F+W CEO likes to say, "Hope is not a business strategy.")

3. If you don't have time to spread the message about you and your work, then who will? The best promoter of any book is its author. Period. And unless you are best friends with Oprah or TV/radio producers, the best tool you have to spread your message is through online channels.

4. Are you willing to make sacrifices for your writing and publishing career? I often tell writers that getting involved with marketing/promotion doesn't take nearly as much time as they might be imagining. On the other hand: Yes, it will require an investment, and maybe your time is extremely limited and precious. In that case, decide what you're willing to give up. Sleep? Exercise? TV shows? We're all given the same amount of time in the day. You decide and control how you spend that time. (For advice on getting more stuff done, visit Zen Habits.)

5. Do you have discipline? This blog is no stranger to the words "persistence," "passion," even "chance." These can all be essential for every writer. But the most boring secret of best-selling writers I know is discipline. Discipline to put in the time it takes, and discipline not to get sucked into time-wasting activities. (Discipline means checking e-mail at predetermined times each day and keeping it a focused activity. Same with Facebook, Twitter, and other online media.) Being able to focus on a task to the exclusion of all else is fast becoming a rare trait.

Finally, for me, there is an intangible element here of work as play. Authentic author marketing and promotion, the kind that builds on your strengths, should be a labor of love. (See here.)

Your audience/readers shouldn't feel like you are "working" when you are interacting and communicating with them. They should feel like you're at play.

That's what you're shooting for. Or that's what I shoot for.

Figuring Out Your Facebook Strategy: 3 Essential Tips

Jane — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:54:18 GMT

In May 2006, after reading this article in the New Yorker, I joined Facebook, which at that time was primarily used by students. Not being a student, I found very few people to friend, so the account lay dormant for 18 months until Facebook really took off as a direct competitor to MySpace.

At first, I only friended people I knew very well and had met in person—and I didn't receive that many requests from strangers anyway. Then I gradually and tentatively started friending people I had virtual relationships with, but had not met, feeling oddly like I was using the site "wrong." (Facebook used to ask for confirmation on how you knew someone, and if you couldn't verify from a pre-selected list of options, it reprimanded you. Seriously!)

Then maybe 6 months ago, I witnessed what Robert Brewer, editor of WritersMarket.com, was doing. He had a few thousand friends (and now has maxed out at 5,000!), and he had an amazing network of really cool people who were engaged, supportive, and excited about his work (particularly Poetic Asides). Plus he shared endearing and personable information that really developed him as a "real" person, without being indiscrete or falling into the TMI trap.

I suddenly questioned my Facebook strategy. What was I really protecting anyway? I was already Facebook friends with current and former colleagues, former classmates I hadn't seen in 20 years, and others who I don't know any better (on a personal level) than someone who follows my writing through this blog or Writer's Digest.

Plus I adopted the philosophy many years ago that I would avoid posting anything online (even in a "private" network) that I wouldn't be comfortable sharing with the world.

So I decided to open up the strategy and accept friend requests from people who were already friends with other friends, who I had met at conferences, who were readers of my blog, who had taken an online class with me, and/or anyone who included a brief note with their request. (Click here to friend me.)

Here are three tips on having an open Facebook strategy, particularly for people who might have a book, product, service, or message to spread.

1. To manage a growing number of friends, make sure that you tag everyone as part a group. You can do this immediately when people request to be your friend, or you can always apply and change/add tags later. Here's a screenshot of what this looks like:

The benefit of having such lists is that it helps you manage privacy controls (e.g., if you only want your vacation photos viewable by close friends/family), and you can also target messages/invitations to specific lists.

However: As wonderful as privacy controls are, they can really backfire if people find out you've blocked them from certain areas of your profile. Make sure you know what you're doing. Plus I never assume such controls are infallible.

2. Decide what kind of focus you want your Facebook presence to have. For instance, my Facebook wall is focused on information relevant to writing and publishing. It includes an automated feed from my Writer's Digest blog (meaning my blog posts are automatically posted to my wall), and I share articles of interest to writers.

I had a friend joke recently that I was the only person he knew whose Facebook page was used for professional purposes, and that last time he checked out my profile, a window popped up to accept his credit card.

Ouch!

But that's a warning to everyone: you can't treat Facebook as a sales tool. Rather, it's a way to give people another way to interact, learn, trust. I see it as sharing & service, and if I'm lucky, so do others (rather than as a sales tactic).

I bet some people would pay though to see some of the high school photos available in my Facebook albums.

3. To avoid a complete time sink, decide what kinds of activity/requests you will engage in and which you will ignore. For instance, I don't participate in any types of games, causes, or other past times on Facebook (for awhile I indulged in Scrabble, but stopped). I also make the "chat" tool inactive for everyone except a few personal connections. I take the occasional frivolous quiz and post the results, which always leads to fun and valuable interaction.

I often get this question: Should I create a fan page for myself or my book/product, and keep this separate from my personal page? There's nothing wrong with this approach, and given the 5,000-friend limit in place for personal profiles, it can make sense for someone who expects to have a very large following (I'm looking at you, Robert—who did in fact just create a fan page!). But for most writers/authors starting out, without a separate and distinct business or book/product, it doesn't make sense to segment your Facebook presence and manage two profiles and two sets of interactions.

And that's key: Facebook allows interaction on a level that I can't get anywhere else, helps keep connections going, and offers many opportunities I wouldn't have otherwise had to offer help or be helped. The interactions you have will be as meaningful and authentic as what you put into it. I hope to see you there. Plus: Become a fan of the Writer's Digest page.

(And, to beat the drum: Are you looking for more expertise on social media for writers? Check out our September conference, featuring Chris Brogan as keynote!)

The Four Stages of Marketing & Promotion (and MWW Recap)

Jane — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:01:58 GMT

This past weekend, I spoke at the Midwest Writers Workshop in Muncie, Ind. It was my seventh year speaking there, and remains one of my favorite conferences. (Read my three recaps from last year, starting with Day 1.)

Among other things, I gave a two-part session on essential tools for online marketing and promotion—and did my best to explain what it means to use Twitter, Facebook, sites, and blogs to build meaningful relationships with an audience.

One of the key takeaways: you can't decide it's time to market and promote on the day of your book's release. By that time, it's far too late. You need to establish relationships and connections the day you decide you want a career as an author.

To help break this down into a manageable process for people, I outlined four stages to marketing and promotion, especially when you're entering any online community and trying to be an authentic member:

Sign up, observe, and educate yourself (sometimes called lurking). Many people stay at this stage for a long time, simply soaking up good information.
Participate. Start to make yourself known. This could be as simple as making status updates, posting photos or sample writing, or creating a profile.
Share something and grow relationships. Focus on what you give people or what you can share that's of value. As you participate and share with others in the community, and do things for each other, relationships grow and develop.
Ask for help. This is when you might actually put your connections to work as a means of soft or hard marketing. Maybe you want to tell people to pre-order your book on Amazon on a specific day. Or you're hoping that your network will spread the word about an upcoming event you're hosting. So you ask.

People who know you and trust you will be more likely to help you. That's why it's important to establish relationships far before you market and promote a product/service. The relationships have to be meaningful before they have value in a marketing/promotion effort, particularly online.

(Because most authors don't realize the importance of marketing/promotion until it's too late, the first annual Writer's Digest Conference is focused on these types of strategies and skills.)

Other notes from the conference:

I had a good conversation with author Kelsey Timmerman, who wrote Where Are You Wearing (Wiley). He found his agent at Midwest Writers two years ago, and is now shopping his second book. He's a great example of an author with a strong online brand, partly due to the kind assistance of his publisher. Also: Check out this YouTube video he did on book signings versus book clubs.

Dennis Hensley gave a rousing keynote about the "re-create 8" — or eight ways to be a better creative thinker (e.g., reduce, rearrange, expand, reverse).

Eric Butterman, an expert freelancer, gave sessions on how to earn more money writing even in a down economy. He struck me as one of the most engaging and prolific freelance writers I've met in a very long time, who really knows his stuff. (If you can manage to find a workshop or class with this guy, jump on the chance.)

I was alerted to a poetry contest that has first prize of $500 or a colonoscopy. Go here to read more about the Bottom Line contest. Tip of the hat to Irene Fridsma, who also shared this Dave Barry column on the topic. And note that Irene's blog was set up in the past 48 hours by following my advice in the online marketing and promotion session! :-)

Many thanks to the MWW committee (I'm pictured above with members Alan, Jama, and Barb) for another lovely year. I highly recommend the event to all writers for its hands-on craft/technique sessions as well as access to literary agents.

Looking for more?

Check out the Writer's Digest Conference.
Our very own Chuck Sambuchino is hosting an online class on how to find an agent using online tools. Visit his blog on agents.
One of our best books on establishing relationships to further your career is Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz. Visit Christina's site, read an excerpt (Why All Authors Need a Platform), or view the table of contents.

10 Steps to Put Social Networking Under Your Spell

Jane — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:23:46 GMT

Today's guest post is from content maven Meryl Evans. She helps businesses build and maintain relationships with clients and prospects through content. She’s also a long-time blogger who started blogging on June 1, 2000. Follow Meryl on Twitter.

Do you scream for help in removing the spell that social networking has cast over you? Do social network sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube hypnotize you for hours, stealing your magical paid work time?

Social networking may affect more people in our industry because we know writing can be a lonely job, especially those doing it on a freelance basis from a home office. Even introverts desire to connect with someone and the Twitters of the Internet enchant us.

Here are some easy clues that signify you're bewitched, bothered, and bewildered by social networking:

You press "get new e-mail messages" constantly.
You're always looking for @yourname Twitter replies.
You check for wall updates on Facebook.
You watch the latest viral video on YouTube.

Many folks (me included) are guilty of these behaviors even though we have loads of work. Our work doesn't fulfill our human need for connection. Social networking can and does for many of us.

Look all you want, but you won't find a magical overnight cure. Instead, call upon common sense, organization, and getting things done (GTD) thinking. These strategies will help you dip into the social networking cauldron without double double, toil and trouble—or tracking down eye of newt and wool of bat.

Accept that you can't keep up with all of the social networking sites. You're not the only one struggling with this. It's OK not to join or use everything. (See #8.)
Post a profile on major social networking sites. You don't have to do it all at once. Notice I've said "major" sites.
Connect your accounts with other sites. For example, LinkedIn has an application that imports your blog entries into LinkedIn. Facebook has the same and can also import your Twitter feed (may not be a good idea, but that's not in this recipe). FriendFeed is a pro at integrating your account with others.
Pick a few sites to use on a regular basis. Remember writing and reading blogs count.
Schedule your participation. Twitter isn't about posting one tweet after another. You could start with five minutes in the morning, again at lunch time, and do a last check in the evening. Whatever works for you. Routine turns things into a habit.
Turn off e-mail notifications. For sites you don't use regularly, turn off your e-mail notifications so they don't drive you crazy. (See #7 for another option.)
Filter all social media e-mail into a single folder. If you still want to receive e-mails knowing when someone connects with you, then set up e-mail filters to send all messages from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on into one folder. It's less bothersome than messages in your inbox and in your face.
Join other networks as you come across them. Your connections will invite you to yet another social network site. You never know who uses one site more than another, and you never know what the next big thing in social networking will be unless you have a crystal ball and an available medium. Be open.
Do social networking when stuck. Social networking is a marketing tool for writers, therefore it should be a no-guilt activity as long as you focus on building relationships and sharing knowledge.
Close the browser or application. Get off the social network site or related application. Don't leave it open. Douse whatever tempts you.

This 10-step recipe will put you in charge of stirring bubbles of your social networking time. And be vigilant: networks can still charm their way back and cause time management trouble.

Photo credit: Steph Gary Evie Jack and Thomas

That Unquantifiable Factor That Helps You Get Published and Succeed

Jane — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:17:58 GMT

Lately I've come across a refrain of advice that gets truer the longer I'm in the business: the strength of your relationships is essential to getting ahead, which means having a network of people who like you and/or trust you.

A few examples:

I'm reading a yet-to-be-published business book by a woman who was the first female VP of manufacturing at Procter & Gamble. Her entire argument comes down to trust. Are you creating experiences with your colleagues that lead them to trust you, recommend you, and essentially "vote" for you to get the new project, get promoted, or get a new job?

Here's a story of a 14-year-old who got hired at Apple. Years later, he says success is attributable to people liking him. Quote:

Recognize that by being useful and good to others, you will eventually build a very strong team of supporters. They’ll lift you up to new heights and protect you. If you falter they will be there to bring you back up and support you.

I think it’s one of the most overlooked components of business. Simply, we’re always able to say that at the end of the day, all you have is your friends.

Seth Godin speaks in this 1-minute video about social networking done right—how it can be relevant and helpful, or entirely pointless, depending on how you're using it. Are you helping people achieve their goals, reliably and repeatedly? Collecting masses of followers will not help you succeed.

For writers, this is why I advise going to conferences and meeting with people in the industry. Even if you have only a moment to make an impression, if that person likes you or is impressed by you, then it makes your job easier when it comes time to query or submit.

Part of the problem with the cold query or cold contact is that no relationship has been established, and the person on the receiving end doesn't know if you're nice or crazy. That's why referrals are so valuable to writers—because they help agents/editors feel confident and compelled to pay attention if the recommendation comes from someone they trust.

On side note, but related: In my final month of high school, there was a highly unfortunate incident where I unwittingly distributed to the entire school, via e-mail, another student's private and unflattering opinion of an administrator. As a student with a trouble-free record, it was mortifying—and even more mortifying when I got raked over the coals for it. I had to call my mother in front of the head administrator and describe the entire embarrassing incident, then was grounded to my room for a week, except for class time and meals. (It was a residential high school.)

I'll never forget that administrator staring at me squarely and declaring, "I would not say to THIS WALL what I would not say to THE WORLD."

Point being: Your interactions with people—and what you say and do—matter tremendously. When you complain, cast aspersions, or talk negatively about any situation or person, no matter what the setting/environment, always consider the repercussions. Sometimes, even when we think we are confiding privately, it is much more public than we realize. And it can lead to people being wary of us and less trusting.

Think about the kind of person you trust, like, and recommend—they probably make you feel good afterward, not drained. It's like Aunt Josephine said in Anne of Green Gables: "I like people who make me like them. Saves me so much trouble forcing myself to like them."

Photo credit: Sara Lechner

The Hardest Part About Developing Platform (Who Are You Anyway?)

Jane — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:05:26 GMT

The hardest part about developing a platform is deciding what you're all about. In business terms, it would be considered your unique selling proposition (USP).

Identifying this USP—or your reason for being!—involves deep self-knowledge, an understanding of what you want out of life, and how that interrelates with what other people need and enjoy.

It boils down to 3 questions:

What are you passionate about?
Who's your audience?
What are your strengths?

Think of it as a Venn diagram.

What are you passionate about?
What's the unique content, authentic experience, or remarkable work you would undertake even if you weren't paid for it? What motivates you to get up in the morning?

Who's your audience?
What are the needs of your audience? How do they want to be approached? What kinds of appeals are they most receptive to? Where can they be found?

What are your strengths?
When are you strongest in interacting and reaching and serving? What formats or mediums are a good fit for you—and match your passion? When is your content/service/product at its best? (Example of bad fit: Your passion for the cave dwelling Luddite movement combined with your Twitter marketing strength.)

What you're looking for is that moment of peak experience, when who you are and what you're passionate about and how it is expressed or manifested all comes together to create a compelling experience that your audience needs and loves.

Think about times when you've experienced peak performance, the times when you felt you were in your absolute element, better than anyone else in the world at what you were doing in that moment. You felt happy, fulfilled, relaxed, joyful. Some people call it "flow."

That's the seed of your platform.

Are You Needlessly Worrying About Your Work Getting TOO MUCH Exposure?

Jane — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:03:15 GMT

As writers become more and more comfortable with online media, I receive more and more questions like this:

If I post my work on my own site, will anyone be willing to consider it for print publication?
How much of my novel can I post online before a publisher won't take it any more?
Do I lose rights to my work if it's posted on XYZ site?

Here are key points to remember.

1. First things first: You own the copyright and all rights to your work when you post it online, unless you specifically agree otherwise. It may be easier to steal when it's online, but you still own it.

2. Always check the terms of service when regularly posting content to any site. If you're posting your work on major sites like Authonomy, WeBook, etc., you really have nothing to worry about. In such cases, you're not relinquishing any exclusive or vital rights to your work by posting it. (If someone knows of exceptions, please note in the comments.)

However, there may be an implicit agreement—by very fact of you using a website—that the site owner has nonexclusive right to use the content in a limited (or expansive) way. Such use is usually justified or reasonable, and sometimes it might profit the site owner. You need to decide what you're comfortable with and if the trade-offs are worth it. I have yet to see an agreement that is unethical or not upfront.

For example, here is Amazon's language governing book review content, which you agree to when using their site:

If you do post content or submit material, and unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Amazon a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content throughout the world in any media. You grant Amazon and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such content, if they choose. You represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content that you post; that the content is accurate; that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity; and that you will indemnify Amazon for all claims resulting from content you supply. Amazon has the right but not the obligation to monitor and edit or remove any activity or content. Amazon takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third party.

This basically means that while you retain rights to your work, Amazon has the right do whatever it pleases as well. The key is the word "nonexclusive." If Amazon decided to publish a collection of the most kinky book reviews ever written, and used your material, they would not owe you any money or need to ask your permission, though of course it would be considered good practice and common courtesy to notify you.

3. If your work doesn't have a lot of commercial value, who cares? Here is where I have to be completely insensitive and say bluntly: Writers are overly worried about work that is not commercially valuable. Many things that people post online, whether on their own sites or elsewhere, are online precisely because there isn't a commercial value attached. So, when you post your work without compensation, there is an essential value statement made that, right now, you're valuing exposure (or service or community) more than payment. Or that you're marketing and promoting yourself, your brand, or a work that does have commercial value.

4. That said, the value of your work CAN change or be discovered later—which only opens up the commercial value and potential of your work. Remember that online exposure and online media are not the same as print exposure and print media. They are usually written and edited differently, presented differently, marketed differently, and read differently. The online audience is not 100% the same as the print audience (and sometimes not even 10% the same!).

Think of it this way: If you participated in a poetry slam and became wildly successful as a poet-entertainer, with thousands of followers, would that detract from your ability to publish books of your poetry? No, in fact, it would help make the case for print publication. Would a presentation of your poems online, in a way that gathered 10,000 unique visitors every day, detract from the sales of a beautiful physical chapbook? Of course not. It would help.

For the most part, online and print are complimentary—they are not competitive. Any book publisher who refuses to consider a work that has been successfully published digitally or online or in a multimedia format has not caught up with the times. Magazine and newspapers are a little different, but if they become a fan of your online work, most likely they will ask you to produce an original work for print publication.

5. You're always producing more work, right? Don't hold on so tightly to each piece of work that you're not focusing on new production.

Yes, even I hang onto my creative writing from senior year in high school, and have a catalog of all the places my work has appeared over the years (online and in print, often without pay), but even if a third party is profiting off my work online, that work has no commercial value to me anymore. I'm producing better stuff now. Plus the old work serves to offer additional exposure, little guideposts leading people to the more recent work.

Key takeaway: Just because your work is "published" when it appears online doesn't mean you've destroyed its market value. That's a very old-school way of viewing the value of content—a viewpoint that's based on decades of print publication tradition, when whoever had the "first" rights to print publication had the "best" rights, and paid the most.

If you haven't noticed, things have changed.

P.S. ... and a final word on theft: Stop worrying. When writing becomes a lucrative profession and when demand for writing far outstrips supply, then maybe we can discuss. In the meantime, feel flattered that someone thought your work was good enough they wanted to bother taking the time and effort to market, promote, pitch, and/or publish it themselves.

UPDATE: I recently read this post from Stefanie Peters, which makes 2 more important points about posting your work online, especially in forums like Authonomy.

Photo credit: Wetsun

What Does It Take for a Blog to Become a Book?

Jane — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:01:19 GMT

I find myself advising writers more and more frequently to develop an online presence first—sometimes by blogging—before attempting to get a book published. Some types of content simply work better online, or when you're engaging in real time with a community.

Online platforms allow you to test ideas, develop your readership, and craft a stronger premise for a print product. Plus, if you really catch on fire with a particular readership, you can start attracting editors and agents to YOU, rather than you chasing them. Doesn't it sound better to be fielding offers rather than begging for them?

Of course, this process takes patience. You can't launch your online efforts today and expect interest overnight (or even in a year). You have to be invested and dedicated to what you're doing, and involved in an authentic way, for you to produce something of value.

And you also have to let go of this idea of being online only to reach the holy grail of a print book. You need to NOT want it in order to get it. That is, you have to be Zen about it. Have goals, but no expectations. Know that your project will likely change, or your goals will change, as you put yourself out there more and more.

Key to remember:

Even the most popular blogs don't necessarily translate into great (profitable) books or a book deal

No matter how much positive feedback you get on your blog, that doesn't mean it's going to interest a publisher. It's the same thing as telling an agent, "My mother loved it." You always need to back up "positive feedback" with hard-core numbers about subscribers, unique pageviews, newsletter subscribers.

So, what does it take for a blog to become a book? It often takes someone in the mainstream media (or a trusted voice or opinion maker) to scream to the world, "Have you seen this person's blog? It's a must-read!"

When notable people talk you up to agents/editors, and/or when you are featured by the so-called mainstream figures of online/offline media, then you can bet that agents/editors will start to take notice and ask if you've thought of doing a book.

Now, keep in mind that most blog material is not suitable for straight-to-book publication. Bloggers turned authors usually have to start book manuscripts entirely or partially from scratch, or undergo a very thorough revision process. But if industry professionals see that you have a strong voice, a strong message, and a strong following, they'll work with you to figure out what your best book is, and help you adapt your ideas for the best book product.

Here are a few extremely successful and visible examples of bloggers turned book authors.

Chris Brogan, Trust Agents
Gary Vaynerchuk, Gary Vaynerchuck's 101 Wines and Crush It!
Chris Guillebeau, untitled so far, book deal with Perigee, to release in September 2010

If you want to transition from blogger to book author, consider how a book will offer an experience or a benefit that is unique or distinctive apart from the blog. Why would people want the book in addition to or instead of reading the blog? Is it simply because you think you can reach a broader audience? Sometimes that's not reason enough. Consider why and how the book can be a vehicle for what's not easily or feasibly accomplished online, and how readers would benefit from the book format.

Photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Writers and the Recession: How Can You Succeed?

Jane — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:39:03 GMT

I was interviewed by Tad Richards of the New York Careers Examiner. We discuss writing, publishing, recession, and how everything is changing ... and how writers need to shift strategy to succeed. A snippet:

TR: With print periodicals in danger of becoming dinosaurs, what's the future there for writers?

JF: Where is journalism headed or what will happen? I have no idea. We're in the middle of a huge transformation in the culture, and it's nearly impossible to say how it will shake out. Clay Shirky wrote a fabulous essay on this that I highly recommend to every writer. I do think the culture is headed into a media environment that does not value advertising, but has a lot of respect for content. Writers who can build a trust factor and also specialize in reaching a particular audience should find plenty of opportunities no matter what happens. Being online and being engaged (the social media thing) will be essential. Everything will be more community-driven ... but how all of this will be monetized and provide writers/journalists with a living ... We'll see!

Click here for the full interview.

279 Days to Overnight Success

Jane — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:01:44 GMT

One of the Twitter sensations right now is 279 Days to Overnight Success by Chris Guillebeau. In less than a year, he has created a sustainable living for himself through writing/blogging, while traveling the world. Highly recommend you download his free PDF here.

Hard-Core Tactics for Authors Developing Audience

Jane — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:18:03 GMT

My previous post was a pre-answer to the following question (which appeared in the comments of this other post):

Thank you for the webinar, which gave me some ideas where to begin to increase my visibility and improve my website. I have published two history/biography books. I get comments from publishers saying "a valuable book that should be published, but we cannot sell enough to justify taking it." I think I now have some tools and directions to take to increase interest in my books. Do you have any more specific suggestions for this type of book?

Questions like these are tough to answer. It's really about:

Where is your target audience/readership active?
Are you active in those same places and do you have the credibility/authority with that audience today—or how do you get there?
How can you provide value/benefit to this audience beyond just your book?

Authors can sometimes get fixated on how to market and promote a book (once they have one), which of course is necessary if you're trying to make a living off your writing, but it's tough (and counterproductive) to be constantly selling. It's better to be constantly serving, which leads to genuine interest in you as an expert/authority, and interest in your work.

Fortunately, for nonfiction authors, there can be literally thousands of approaches or ways to twist your idea, depending on time of year, current events, evergreen questions/dilemmas, or serendipitous exchanges.

Check out some of the links below to help you get started.

Always start with the best, Seth Godin: First, ten
How to Succeed at Content Marketing (even if your content skills suck) over at Copyblogger
How to Get Involved in Online Book Promotion (Book Publicity Blog)
Author Lofts and Pyramids of Values (Future Perfect Publishing)
Target, Serve, and Adapt (Tools of Change for Publishing), check out the links on this post, too
50 Ways to Take Your Blog to the Next Level (Chris Brogan)
5 Ways to Use Social Media to Reach People Who Don't Use Social Media (ReadWriteWeb)
20 Free eBooks About Social Media (Chris Brogan)

Time to get busy reading!

Photo credit: Jot.Punkt

5 Questions to Ask Yourself After Hearing: We Can't Sell Enough to Justify Publishing It

Jane — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:37:10 GMT

I'm often asked what to do if editors/agents love your work, but respond with a rejection saying that the market is too small. Here are 5 questions to ask yourself.

1. Is there a smaller publisher that would be interested because they have a lower threshold of sales to meet? Big houses may want to sell as many as 10-20K copies in the first year to justify publication; smaller presses may be fine with 3-5K copies.

2. Is it possible to make your subject/topic/book more marketable by employing a sexier hook? Many times, writers aren't looking at their work with a marketer's eye, which is understandable, since most of us aren't marketers. But think about how you might interest a perfect stranger in your topic. Have you really tapped into current trends and interests when it comes to your book project, and are you framing it in an exciting way for a publisher (or agent)? Just because you're fascinated by your subject doesn't mean other people will get it. You have to know how to sell it.

I heard some excellent advice from Lisa Earle McLeod at the Foothills Writers Guild workshop last weekend, which she heard at the beginning of her career: Many talented writers will never be successful due to mediocre marketing skills. Many mediocre writers will be successful due to marketing talent.

Need to brush up on your marketing skills and talent—in a way that's authentic and makes sense for the new media world? Look to Seth Godin and Chris Brogan.

3. Do you have the platform to market and promote your book to the target audience? If a publisher can be convinced that you have the power to sell your book based on your reach to the primary readership of the book, they'll be more likely to take you on. What does a platform consist of? Primarily:

Your online following (via your websites, blogs, social networks, newsletters, regular online writing gigs, podcasts, videocasts)
Your offline following (via professional or personal organizations, speaking engagements, events, classes/teaching, city/region presence)
Your presence in traditional media (writing that you do for newspapers/magazines, any coverage you've received, gigs with radio/TV)

You can find out more about platform building in Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz.

4. If the market is truly too small for a publisher to be interested, then does it make sense to publish and market the work yourself? Especially if you have a following or a way to reach your intended readership, sometimes you can profit more by going this route. You can make work available digitally through services such as Lulu and Smashwords, with little or no starting cost.

5. Does your work really deserve book or print treatment? Some nonfiction topics actually work better when presented on blogs, websites, or communities/forums—where an interactivity and ability to freshen up the content at a moment's notice has more appeal to your audience.

Traditional houses will only become less and less likely to take on very niche/specialized work, because producing anything in print is a significant investment and a significant risk, without knowing there's an audience waiting to buy. Even university presses, known for niche works, are moving their efforts to digital-only platforms.

Authors will have to change their thinking about what it means to have a book in print. It is not the first goal or the end goal, but merely one channel, and not usually the best channel.

Photo credit: Zevotron

Free Online PDF Guides: Online Marketing

Jane — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:48:58 GMT

Today Alice Pope & I gave a webinar on how authors/writers can effectively market and promote online. (Thanks to everyone who joined us today!)

For webinar attendees as well as those who didn't join us, I'd like to share the following resources that are useful for both beginners and advanced writers.

Penguin Authors Guide to Online Marketing: A free 60+ page PDF guide that helps you get online and get noticed, with info about purchasing domain names, setting up a new site, and using third-party sites.

Get Content. Get Customers: This is a site based on a book by the same name. You can get the table of contents and first chapter free as a PDF document. I didn't get a chance to expand on this topic during the webinar today, but this is a good starting point for learning how to deliver relevant and valuable information that, according to the book's subtitle, "turns prospects into buyers."

Photo credit: cambodia4kidsorg

WD Editors' Intensive Cheat Sheet

Jane — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:39:01 GMT

A huge thanks to all the wonderful writers who are visiting our offices this weekend for Saturday's educational workshops, plus Sunday's critique day. I hope you took away some useful action steps on your path to publication.

As promised, I'm posting some resources and links that we discussed during our time together. If I've missed anything you were hoping for, don't hesitate to comment on the post, and I'll add more info as needed. (And for those attendees who have useful links to share, please post in comments as well.)

Agent/Query Research

Chuck's blog (Guide to Literary Agents)
AgentQuery.com
PublishersMarketplace (fee-based)
Miss Snark
QueryShark

Community Writing & Publishing Sites

Authonomy
WeBook
BookRix

DIY/Self-Publishing Sites (Free/Next to Free)

Smashwords (partnership with Stanza, the iPhone e-reader)
Lulu
Blurb
CreateSpace (Amazon-related)

Blogging and Site Building

Wordpress
GoDaddy (domain registration)
Storytlr
JaneFriedman.com (example of my lifestreaming homepage using Storytlr)

General Social Networking

Facebook (I accept all friend requests; also look for Writer's Digest page)
Twitter (@JaneFriedman and @WritersDigest)
LinkedIn (you can network with me here too)
Ping.fm (to coordinate your status updates among all social networking sites)

Previous & Helpful Blog Posts

Other Events You Might Want to Try

BEA/WD Writers Conference in New York City (May 27), with our pitch slam featuring 60 agents
Our September event on the business of publishing, also in NYC, on the weekend of September 19-20. Details coming, keep checking our events page.

List of Attendees
If you did not receive an e-mail giving you online access to this list, drop me a note.

Interested in the next Writer's Digest Editors' Intensive—on June 20-21? We'll soon be opening for registration here.

Hey, Writers: What's Your Online Strategy? What Are You Waiting For?

Jane — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:09:59 GMT

I recently received this letter from Jane Bretl, an attendee at our Writer's Digest December Editor Intensive event:

I attended the Writer's Digest Editor's Intensive in December. I was the very quiet woman in the back who was soaking up information like a sponge, all the while trying to put together a cohesive, intelligent-sounding question in my head. I never did come up with a satisfactory question to ask; only one nervous joke about twitter, and an overwhelming feeling that every else in the room had a much better handle on what was being discussed. I did not know how much I did not know about the world of publishing until I attended your event. I'm new.

It took me about a month to digest (no pun intended) all the information from that day, but by mid-January I was ready to give it a try. I joined facebook, started a blog and was on my way. Soon, I took your advice and secured the URL of my name and was posting daily. The more I wrote, the more I felt the decades-old writing barriers push away -- the ones that had always held me back from a daily writing habit. I don't want to sound too dramatic, this is just a blog for goodness sake, but I can say that my writing life is dramatically different since the day you inspired me to try something new. I don't know where it will lead me next, but it feels good.

As you have the next Editor's Intensive coming up soon, I wanted say something that may already be obvious, or not -- that everyone who attends, even the quiet lady in the back with the confused look on her face, will walk away with information she can use.

Click here to visit Jane's new site!

I can't tell you what a relief and a delight it was to receive this note, because when I do discuss online tools with writers, sometimes I wonder if I'm suggesting the impossible: to dramatically change your thinking about how you write and interact with readers, agents, editors.

Some writers think they can't make the leap — and therein lies the only problem.

You can make the leap (just as Jane did), and it can have a dramatic improvement in your writing life, whether you're new to the business, or an old pro who simply hasn't yet taken advantage of all the new tools available.

It simply requires an openness.

Looking for some help on the how to part? You can attend one of our intensive events (there are four scheduled this year), or rather than travel to our offices in Cincinnati, you can take our interactive online course on March 31 that teaches you, step-by-step, how to get started with your online writing life (see here for more info). And/or you can keep reading this blog; I'm like a broken record when it comes to authors learning to be savvy online.

Photo credit: pshutterbug

The First Five Minutes: How Editors Evaluate Your Manuscript

Jane — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:53:28 GMT

This afternoon, I presented a webinar with Alice Pope on how you can critically review your manuscript (particularly the first pages) for red flags that lead to a rejection from an editor or agent. A big thank-you to the first 25 participants who were courageous enough to allow us to critique their first pages!

For my blog readers, here are the common problems that we identified during the webinar:

Flashback on first page
Too much backstory or explanation, slowing story down
Waiting for the protagonist to appear (or unclear protagonist)
Starting with an alarm clock or ringing phone
Lots of characters introduced on first page
Ordinary day stuff (getting out of bed, walking to kitchen, etc)
Ordinary crisis moment without distinct voice or twist
Too much telling about the story, not enough showing
Nothing happens -- no action or problem
Interior monologue: in character's head, just lots of thinking, no acting or interaction with anyone else
Predictable story start or story line without a unique take
More of a journal entry (stream of consciousness), and not a story
Wrong starting point; not starting at a point of change
Too confusing, not enough reason or motivation to figure out what's happening

Participants: Be on the lookout for your critique checklist, Q&As that we didn't have time to answer, as well as the specific notes on your manuscript (if yours was used).

Here are other excellent resources:

An excerpt from Hooked (a book about story beginnings)
Alice's blog focusing on children's/YA
Chuck's blog, focusing on agents' perspectives
My take on common nonfiction problems (from my blog post at Pennwriters)
Big red flags in the first 25 pages (from my blog post at Harriette Austin)
My blog post about memoir/storytelling, inspired by Ira Glass (good for every genre)

If you attended the webinar, thank you very much for joining me and Alice, and I hope you found the information you were looking for. Don't forget to network with me on Facebook, Twitter (@JaneFriedman), and LinkedIn; I regularly post and share information of interest to writers seeking publication.

Check out next webinar! Online Promotion & Marketing (March 31)

Future webinars also include:

Extreme Query Letter Makeover
How to Negotiate Any Book Publishing Contract
How to Land a Literary Agent

Click here to view details on all. (Click on "Live Sessions", then on "Upcoming Sessions".)

How the Internet Has Got Publishing By Its Tail

Jane — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:26:22 GMT

I recently did an hour-long interview with the delightful Patricia Volonakis Davis, Editor-in-Chief of Harlots' Sauce Radio. Patricia describes the interview with me as such:

Those of us who read books, and those of us who write them, will be equally enthralled with [this] interview on Harlots’ Sauce Radio this month. You’ll find her savvy in her assessments of the industry’s ‘buzziest’ new toys, such as Authonomy, Smashwords, and Kindle 2, and frank in her judgments of trade dinosaurs like Publishers Weekly.

Click here to go straight to the interview.

My Big Rant on Self-Publishing

Jane — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:12:13 GMT

I can't tell you how tired I am of hearing people bash self-publishing. The things I hear usually fall into two categories:

Most self-published books aren't quality
Some self-publishing services are unethical

If you agree with one of the above statements, let me lay it out real clear for you: The landscape is changing, and if you haven't noticed, you're behind the times. This particular blog post addresses the quality issue, because the ethics issue is becoming less of a problem. The moment any self-pub service tries to pull a fast one or do something questionable, it's trumpeted far and wide online. And often it's the people who aren't doing their research and due diligence that get taken advantage of. I'm not saying it's right for this to happen, nor do I condone it, but all industries have bad eggs.

But moving on, consider:

Distribution models are changing. With advancements in technology, and the power now within an average writer's hands, it's not necessary to have physical bookstore distribution to achieve success. (See my interview with Smashwords and Stanza for more on this.)

Traditional publishers now rely on authors to do all the marketing and promotion. It used to be that writers could concentrate on writing and forget about that icky sales and marketing stuff. Well, welcome to the new world. Marketing is now expected from authors. And authors who survive will be the ones who find ways to authentically grow their platform and meaningfully reach their readership.

Communities will decide what books are worthwhile, and communities won't have ego-filled judgments. Publishers will always be giving their authors one thing that is hard to come by: a measure of instant credibility. (That is: Someone thought this was good enough to take a financial risk on.) In good scenarios, there is also collaboration: to make a good book a great book. But soon, communities will have as much power as publishers to decide what books deserve attention. Plus you and I will be more likely to trust judgments coming from people we know and have something in common with, not necessarily The New York Times. It goes back to the whole end of cultural authority.

You're probably thinking, "Oh my god, she's totally in the pocket of the self-publishers and enslaved to them because of their advertising dollars that support the magazine." You can take the cynic's view if you wish and choose to believe that what I write is not authentically my view. But my background is 10 years of traditional book publishing—acting as the gatekeeper. I have a lot of investment in that traditional model. But I know if we [insiders] don't change what we do, we'll become irrelevant, and that's a worse fate.

When I started working for Writer's Digest magazine, one of my first assignments was producing the special newsstand-only issue on self-publishing (called Publishing Success). And I noticed that self-publishing is a hell of a lot of work. You don't get any hand-holding from agents or editors, and you're on your own if you want to be successful. Most people execute it poorly because they are not business people, and they don't have a good grasp on their audience. They're simply writing for themselves (catharsis). But I'm not going to fault the entire self-publishing approach because many people use it as a tool for personal validation (e.g., by publishing a life story, 200,000-word novel, or manifesto).

While at Writer's Digest, I've seen thousands of self-published books come through our Self-Published Book Awards. Ninety-nine percent don't meet my standard of quality for publication. But I can also tell clearly they were a work of passion, and it meant something dearly to people to get it in print. I can be heartless and say, "Well if these people have a book inside them, that's exactly where it should stay," or I can say: "Go ahead, take a chance, get hurt even." Most people, even published authors, have a lot to learn when it comes to what deserves print publication.

You want to have a traditional publisher and a literary agent that you can tout—so you can strut around and call yourself a published author? Go right ahead. But here's the judgment I bring to the table: Does your book sell? Do you have visibility? Or are you living in obscurity? Because I can't tell you often enough: I don't care who published you or how much you were paid for an advance: If you ain't got readers, you ain't got love, you ain't got money, you ain't got a future in publishing.

It is exciting to be able to publish a book virtually within 5 minutes with the new services available (through Amazon & Kindle, through Smashwords-Stanza-iPhone, through Lulu, and others). Yes, it will lead to an unbelievable amount of media detritus. But we have the tools today to find what we want and ignore the rest.

Photo credit: jerine

How Much Do You Care? It Might Determine Your Success

Jane — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:49:40 GMT

I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of caring (and understanding), and how it affects our choices in life—whether to build a partnership with someone, to buy or commit to a product or service, or to participate in a group or organization. For example:

The Chief Happiness Officer has always believed that employers must actively care for and serve their employees first if they want customers to also be cared for, and for the business to grow.
A while ago, I copied the following from a magazine article about good speaking skills: "The audience does not care how much you know until they know how much you care. If you speak from the heart, you'll get inside their heads. Passion is more important than genius. Focus on lifting the audience higher."

I recently experienced the power of caring, up close and personal, with our rocky re-launch of WritersMarket.com. We serve many thousands of writers through this subscription service, and for a while, we had trouble keeping the site live. Eventually we decided the problems were pervasive enough that we needed to send a personal message to all subscribers explaining what was happening, and offer our sincerest apologies for the disruption in service. I wrote this note and included my personal e-mail address, along with the editor's (Robert Brewer), inviting people to contact us for any reason.

Many people did contact us, and while I expected (and received) very valid criticisms, I also received just as much (if not more!) positive feedback, from customers who thanked us for honest acknowledgment of the situation and appreciated our care for their concerns. While I would never wish to repeat the unfortunate series of events that led to me writing this letter, it was a huge lesson learned that many customers, even if dissatisfied, can experience a change of heart if they encounter a real person who is addressing their concerns, or attempting to meet their needs.

As an example of a bad-caring experience, I'll relate my recent encounter with Hilton. I had reserved two rooms at a Hilton for a conference nearly a year in advance. (The popularity of the conference means that early reservations are critical.) About a month before the event, due to staff changes and budget cuts, I called to cancel one of the rooms. I spoke with several of the Hilton staff directly, and they all refused to cancel without charging for a full night plus tax, since the cancellation policy was 55 days' notice (!). But we all knew the hotel would have no trouble filling that room if it became available, so it felt like this was one instance where they should have waived the one night charge. I felt like they did not understand, and worse, didn't even attempt to understand. (Every time I brought up any consideration, they simply restated their policy in a firm, monotone voice.) Result? I'll book anywhere but a Hilton.

In more direct relation to writing and publishing: Think about your creative drive and why you do what you do. No matter what motivates you, when it comes to putting your work (and yourself) out into the world, you have to stop focusing on yourself, and start focusing on how you care about people, and how you'll show that you care. More than ever, good businesses and good products are based on passionate people who care about what they're doing. People are searching for that authenticity. How can you match the needs of others to what you're producing? Stop thinking about your goals; if you can meet other people's goals, then you're on your way to success. As Seth Godin asked in a recent blog post: What could you build (or do) that would be a dream come true for a particular group?

Photo credit: Tim Parkinson

The End of Cultural Authority

Jane — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:11:36 GMT

There's a great interview over at Poets & Writers with four editors in book publishing. One of the best bits:

Q: When you look at the industry, what are the biggest problems we face right now?

CHINSKI: I think they're all so obvious. Returns. Blogs.
GARGAGLIANO: And just finding readers.
CHINSKI: The end of cultural authority. That's something we talk about a lot at FSG. Reviews don't have the same impact that they used to. The one thing that really horrifies me and that seems to have happened within the last few years is that you can get a first novel on the cover of the New York Times Book Review, a long review in The New Yorker, a big profile somewhere, and it still doesn't translate into sales.

Should Your Book Really Be a Book? How About a Website First?

Jane — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:01:16 GMT

One of the key points from my January webinar about salable nonfiction book concepts is that not every concept (or author) is ready for immediate book publication. Sometimes you should start by building a site and a community around your topic, and see where things lead. If you generate interest and gather people around you, then:

You'll have a built-in audience for your work that you can interact with and reach out to for ideas
You'll be building your author marketing/promotion platform that will help sustain your writing career over a lifetime
You might experience role reversal: editors/agents approach YOU about a book deal.

One author in my webinar, Marsha Toy Engstrom, presented a wonderfully focused concept related to book clubs, with a targeted and identifiable audience, but it just didn't feel like a book project (yet). I suggested she start with a site. She recently wrote me to say:

Although I've had both a literary agent and book editor give me a thumbs up on the book concept, I certainly took your advice to heart. "Build a Website" has been on my laminated list for quite some time--however, your feedback was my impetus to stop working on the book, and start working on the site. Since you are to thank for its creation, I wanted to share it with you: www.bookclubcheerleader.com. I think it's fun--which should mirror the tone my book will take.

So ask yourself (even if you're a fiction writer): Would it make sense to start off with an online site, project, community, or social group? Why does your project need to be in print first? If you're wondering: How do I make money if I'm not publishing a book or selling a book, you might be in for a big surprise when you find out how much—or how little—most authors earn on book sales. And remember: How are you going to sell a book without having a reachable readership first?

Note that my next webinar is on Feb. 26, on self-publishing (particularly for writers who aren't sure if they should pursue it or not). You can register here.

Photo credit: Ian Wilson

The Burden, Joy, and Necessity of Networking

Jane — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:13:32 GMT

I have a confession. I am a lousy networker.

I make this admission as I sit behind the Writer's Digest table at the AWP Bookfair, and watch people walk past. Dozens and dozens, eventually hundreds … then thousands by day three. Some stop to look briefly, some even pick up a book, but I'm not much of a salesperson. I'm much better at answering questions and providing information, and listening. I like to hear about what resources people need or what they are looking for, and how I can help. Of course, if I were a good networker and/or salesperson, I could proactively ask, "So what do you write?" and see where it leads. But I have this thing where I think I'm bothering people.

I've seen some authors (particularly Michael Martone), who can sell a book in 2 minutes to a complete stranger, simply through good-natured charm and charisma. It makes me think that much of salesmanship relates to personality and talent, though I've also been told by very reliable sources (The Conductor, who moonlights as a Financial Advisor) that even the least talented salespeople can make up for lack of natural ability by simply putting in more time, calls, and appointments than anyone else.

When I think of all the excuses I'd like to make, I think of author Christina Katz, who has described herself as starting out in life as a shy introvert, but learning over time to connect with people (she likes the word connect rather than network—less intimidating). For her, it's more about being open to the idea of meeting people, finding common ground, and forming connections. (You can read an entire chapter on this topic in her book Get Known Before the Book Deal.)

On a side note (but very relevant), Christina was at the TOC conference, and because she's able to put herself out there—without expecting favors, being pushy, or asking for attention—she was mentioned in Chris Brogan's blog as an example of microfame. Her interactions are authentic and real, and, as she says, she wants to help make good things happen. People respond to that.

So even the most introverted of us (who don't have a salesperson's brass balls to take the abuse of a sit), let's endeavor to say, to believe, that we would like to help make good things happen. That's why we connect. That's why we take the risk of reaching out. And in the case of writers and authors, it's essential we practice this skill, and push the boundaries of what we think we're capable of.

More Books on Phones (and Other News for Writers)

Jane — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:00:35 GMT

It's Friday, time for a little reading break, so I'm sharing with you the latest interesting news I've digested this week.

Just today, the New York Times reported that Amazon is looking at offering Kindle books on the iPhone. Huge! Google also now has titles from Google Book Search available on mobile devices.
Smashwords will be the first to release Dan Poynter's new book about self-publishing. You can catch an interview with Poynter over at the Smashwords blog. My favorite quote from Dan: "Social networking is the ideal way for authors to promote their books. You can get the word out while discussing your favorite subject with colleagues all over the world. BTW, social networking has been around since the campfire. It is simply discussing your favorite subject with your friends. Today we have social media. We can reach our colleagues via the Internet and mobile phone systems. People anywhere in the world can join the campfire."
Which comes first, the product or the marketing? This brief post by Seth Godin is at the heart of what aspiring authors need to remember, especially those considering the indie route. (Freedom to publish yourself comes with great responsibility—if you want to be read, that is.)
Thinking about ways to build platform? As always, Chris Brogan offers tools and questions to think about as you survey the web for inspiration and direction, "57 Internet Possibilities to Investigate."
This blog has been very heavy on e-book commentary lately (due to my life's iPhone Renaissance). Here's an article for those of you wondering how anyone ever finds and reads e-books, and what factors you need to consider before publishing one.
Finally: a couple mainstream media articles on publishing e-books (Christian Science Monitor) and podcasting your book (Time magazine).

Photo credit: KB35

A Follow-Up on the Piracy Issue

Jane — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:14:39 GMT

There was an interesting comment related to my piracy post that I responded to within the comments, but that I'd like to bring more visibility to, in case other people have different perspectives:

I disagree with what is implied here. Sure, some authors choose to give their material away for free and that can be a good thing.

But, what does that have to do with authors who have their work ripped off? That isn't their choice, they are victims (of a crime). Is the implication that they should just roll over and not consider it theft? "Hey writer friends, even though it was someone else who decided to pirate your work, just consider it a PR move! Because, people love getting stuff for free and it could land you on the best-seller lists! Who cares if it wasn't in your marketing or business plan..." ????

Please tell me I missed something.

This may be picking at definitions, but what does it mean to have your work ripped off? Does it mean that someone makes it available for download, for free, to the masses? Does it mean one friend sharing the work with their friends?

When author Paulo Coelho found someone selling pirated editions of his work, he started a blog to help promote those pirated editions, and even encouraged further piracy, since in the long run, it has only increased his sales.

The tighter we try to hold onto things, the more we stand to lose. Sure, you can get mad, but what good does it do? Why not look for the opportunity inside it?

How Writers Can Start Blogging in a Meaningful Way

Jane — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:35:31 GMT

Last week, one of my webinar participants from 3 Secrets to Getting Your Nonfiction Book Published asked a question about blogging (in the comments section of this post):

You indicated today that blogging and/or creating a website to discuss my ... uh, area of interest is likely the best route. So, how do I "start" a blog? Does it need to be focussed, or can I start with say, "ponderings"? My book idea was, unfortunately, one of those memoir/self-help hybrids ... Hence the need, as you suggested, for a blog, to "create waves" and get a feel for the audience(s), and even really, to figure out what it is that I want to write about. In short, I want to learn the how to and where of blogging. I have absolutely no shortage of ideas, likely aimed at 40ish-woman-mother-student-goddess-doormat types. I also have a growing file of 1000-wd essays on everything from pretty-wine-label philosophy to chocolate penis envy to (s)mothering teenagers ... Please, Jane, help me blog.

First, there were several very helpful comments from readers (see end of this post)—and my thanks to them for sharing their experience.

Second, there isn't really a wrong way to start a blog, though it can become a distraction or something that's not really adding to your writing career or writing life (I'm particularly thinking of unpublished writers as I write this). As with so many things, it all comes down to your goals. Here are the most common goals associated with blogs started by writers seeking publication.

Creative outlet/inspiration. Blogging can be the one place where you can let yourself go without all the pressure, responsibility, and fear that's often associated with pursuing publication. Sometimes it can help you find your voice, or help you find what really matters to you. Plus, over time, it hones your writing skills, especially when you pay attention to which of your posts garner the most traffic and try to replicate a meaningful experience for your readers. It trains you to pay attention to what your readers like. Sometimes people start with no greater desire than this, but later find themselves in platform-building territory (#3) if they find a more specific focus or direction to the material.
Market testing and content development. When it comes to nonfiction, blogs in your area of expertise can be a way to interact with your audience and test ideas with them. Some books have appeared in rough discussion form on blogs, almost like a first pass of ideas, and become what they are through interaction with readers. (Chris Anderson is one of the biggest examples.)
Platform building and getting known. In some ways, this is similar to #2, but I would distinguish this as writing and delivering content that may or may not be book-specific. Its goal is to cultivate and grow your audience for any/all of your work, not a particular project. You can also essentially self-publish small chunks of your work (if you're able to handily craft them into blog posts), and if your work has an outstanding quality to it, and you have a strong readership, you might make the kind of waves that attract agents/editors to your door.
Community creation. This applies more to nonfiction, but a blog can help bring together a network of people in a new way. For instance, I read a blog called Cincinnati Imports that's for Cincinnati folk who aren't native to the area. (There's a long-standing cliche that it's hard to meet people in this town, since so many Cincinnatians have lived here their whole lives and tend to be an insular bunch. I will not enter the fray.)

While it's NOT mandatory that every writer blog, every writer does need to have a website of some kind, to make them visible online, and that website can take the form of a blog, or it can be a more static website. (And if you have any kind of decent blog platform, e.g., Wordpress, you'll have something that's called a blog-plus site, which has the blog as the primary site function and focus, but also allows for static pages/content, like a bio or list of publications. So don't feel the need to create ANOTHER site if you have a blog.)

OK, aside from that, these two bits of advice should save you from going down a painful road.

I recommend every writer give blogging a try, but if you don't like it, don't force it. Spend your time on something you do care about. There are many ways to build a platform aside from blogging.
"Just start," says Garland (in the comments). Amen. You don't have to get it right from the start. It doesn't have to be perfect. It WILL evolve. That's a good thing. You get to decide how this works. Do what feels authentic and productive and good. Don't do what feels like punishment or work.

Deborah also left a comment that's very insightful:

I actually have numerous blogs. It's a way that I test myself to see what I have the passion to write. If you look at my list of blogs and see which one has 300+ posts, it's pretty obvious. That blog gets about 100 visitors a day, and each post gets several comments. The other blogs don't have very many posts or readers. If they get 2 or 3 readers a day, that's great.

As a final note, you'll find incredibly rich content on blogging over at Chris Brogan's site. Good luck!

Photo credit: Annie Mole

Should Writers Worry About the Pirating of E-Books?

Jane — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:54:37 GMT

Many unpublished writers worry that their ideas will get stolen, or that their work will get stolen before it reaches publication. I always counsel writers to stop this unproductive thinking. First, writing isn't exactly a lucrative thing to steal. It is not a highly profitable venture to steal unpublished novel manuscripts. Second, given the extremely low success rate when pitching editors/agents, who wants to undertake the burden of selling an unpublished novel? (Not to mention anyone who steals work is likely to be exposed sooner or later.)

However, with the advent of e-books, there is a new concern that writers will lose out on sales if the files aren't adequately protected (the whole DRM issue, which has been eloquently and passionately discussed over at Booksquare).

Sandy James mentions this worry in a comment in my post Do Writers' Futures Lie in Indie E-Publishing Platforms?

My first five books are all ebooks, although they will eventually hit print. … I have signed with a great agent, and I hope to expand my fanbase by publishing with larger houses. But these ebooks were a fantastic way to get my foot in the proverbial door. I learned about the publishing process, how to handle edits, how to work with cover designers, etc... All of my books are given a great edit, they are available from many outlets, and all will be in print only a few months after the ebook release.

As far as worries -- pirating is at the top of my list. I suppose ebooks are as vulnerable as music files, and we all know about how easily data is passed around. Think the Napster debacle or the Google settlement. On the other hand, how is that any different than one person buying a book and loaning it to her friends? Either way, it's a loss of income for an author and publisher.

Now, I freely admit that I tend to worry a lot less than other people. I tend to think that the more unreservedly you give, the more you will receive. People notice, respect, and reward generosity. And I think this has proven out even in the music industry.

We've seen it happen in the book industry, too. When Suze Orman's book was available free from Oprah's website (to coincide with a show appearance), the book returned to the No. 1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

Giving things away for free, or at the very least, giving away a large portion of your work for free (to hook people and prove the value), leads to more sales. When your work is passed around for free, other people are doing your marketing for you. Presumably a new audience is being exposed to your work.

What is your experience? Does free sell?

Photo credit: St_A_Sh

Fiction Writers Need Platforms, Too

Jane — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:29:58 GMT

There were many wonderful comments here last week that I plan to address. The first comes from Linda Adams, on The Essential Components of an (Unpublished) Author's Website:

I should note though that there's a difference between a non-fiction writer and a fiction writer. When I started seeing terms like platform, my first thought was, "What about the novelists?" A novel often doesn't have a platform. The advice in the post seems more suited to non-fiction authors.

It's true that nonfiction writers are different from novelists when it comes to pitching your work. Nonfiction writers almost always have to prove that they have authority/credentials, as well as a platform, that will help them market and promote the book effectively to a target audience. Nonfiction writers essentially put forth a business plan explaining the market need for the book. Novelists don't do this at the outset; the decision usually comes down to the quality of the writing and the storytelling.

However, what separates successful writers from NOT-successful writers (no matter what the genre), is platform, or visibility to a readership. If a novelist is unable or unwilling to develop a platform for his writing career, he will find that his books don't sell and the publishers lose interest fast. A novelist should never rely on the publisher to make his book sell.

Here are a few ways that fiction writers need to start targeting their audience and developing a platform. (And all of these are discussed in Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz, which has a special chapter on fiction-writing platforms.)

Look at how and where you write. How have you developed your fiction-writing chops? Through critique groups? Online workshops? Creative writing programs? Lounging at Starbucks? Whatever writing community you participate in, that leads to a part of your platform. For example, if you are a graduate of an MFA program, that makes you part of the MFA community, and gives you a way to build visibility with that community. If you are an expert critiquer in online workshop settings, and word spreads about you, then you're building a platform. Think about your interactions with other writers and how you network. These can provide the seeds.
Community/regional presence. Also think about your interactions within your community or region, which may or may not be connected to writing. Can you establish programs relating to reading, writing, or the themes in your work? Most writers are passionate about something connected to words; are you involved in your community, work for a greater cause, and have visibility that way? Usually the passions in our life come out in our writing, and vice versa.
Special relationships. Maybe you were mentored or coached by a notable writer or someone in the community. Or you have connections with people in the media (whether family or friends or colleagues), or with other influencers and tastemakers. While I don't suggest you take advantage of such relationships, having them can greatly help you when it comes time to think of your platform and spreading the word about your work. Who do you think will be willing to help you? And how can you offer something in return?
Look to your work. What themes, topics, or things are explored in your work? It's likely you will return to the same themes or topics throughout your writing career. (E.g., if you write about small-town life today, it's likely you'll still be writing about small-town life in a few years.) Becoming known as someone who explores certain themes or topics in life can make you interesting and visible to particular audiences. And that's what platform-building is all about: Knowing what audiences will be most interested in your work, and always thinking about how you can be more visible to them, and reach out to them in meaningful ways.

I would love to hear from aspiring and established novelists about what platform-buliding strategies have worked for you. MJ Rose (a columnist for WD magazine) often says that successful marketing strategies all depend on you and your book, and I agree. Some things that work for one author may not work for another. But it's helpful to see what's being done, to help spark new ideas, and to better understand your own position and strengths.

Photo credit: Mike Wade

The Essential Components of an (Unpublished) Author's Website

Jane — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:04:36 GMT

Over at Harper Studio's blog, The 26th Story, they recently discussed what constitutes a really meaningful author website. They give an excellent big-picture view of how a website is like an extension or operation of your platform, and continues to serve the needs of your audience just like anything else you do.

The post also mentions some wonderful examples of author websites. But here's the catch: These are sites by authors who already have a great degree of success (e.g., Tim Ferriss, John Hodgman).

What about writers who are just starting out, have no publishing deal, and are still developing their platform?

It's one of the most difficult questions I ever attempt to answer. And that's because much of it depends on your genre, expertise, and comfort level with technology. And your unique talents: what makes you remarkable.

This is an important concept: being remarkable (The Seth Godin Concept), especially for aspiring writers trying to catch anyone's attention, in an industry that's full of enormous dreams. But, consider:

What do people remark on when they meet you and encounter your work?
How are you currently making a difference?
How do you currently get attention? (in the ways that you want!)
How are you currently making waves? (again, in a good way?)
How have you been successful at making waves in the past?
What kind of practice is enjoyable for you (and NOT like work)?
What could you continue practicing and consider it yet another form of play? Something you can practice because it's really your passion, and not a marketing scheme?

You need to find where your passion and skills intersect with the marketplace. A website might not be exactly the right tool to show people what you have to offer, but it can at least point people to the right place. (E.g., if your real skill is live radio or film, your site catalogs your work and ensures people can find your radio shows or films. Or it offers transcripts of your shows. Or gives people an opportunity to request certain features or exclusive notifications.)

Even if you're not yet published, you can have a very successful website that helps you build a platform and get a book deal, if that's what you want. But it has to be something that makes sense for who you are and what you want to accomplish.

Thanks to Vanessa Wieland on the Market Books staff for pointing me to the 26th Story item!

Photo credit: Hadassah28

HarperCollins Offers Contracts to Its Community Site Writers

Jane — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:55:25 GMT

This is a pretty big deal: HarperCollins has signed not one, but three authors who participate on their community site Authonomy. The news was announced on the Authonomy blog under the title "The Publishing Contracts Have Begun." Summaries of the three author stories:

Author can't get traditionally published, so he self-publishes and has some local success. He then places his book on Authonomy and gets noticed by community members and a HarperCollins editor.
Author posts work on Authonomy and is noticed by the community. Signed for a three-book deal.
Author posts work on Authonomy, and it is noticed an agent who regularly browses the site for new talent. Agent sells it to the publisher.

Has anyone been participating on Authonomy? What do you think? It is a very intoxicating idea to think that, if you work really has a stand-out quality and value, it may get noticed on this community site. A favorite thing editors and agents like to say is: Quality always rises to the top. Perhaps this site helps that happen for more writers, more often, more quickly?

Get a Makeover for Your Nonfiction Book Concept

Jane — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:48:48 GMT

My most popular writing conference session in 2008 was all about creating high-powered nonfiction book concepts. Most people concentrate on writing the proposal, but don't realize that without a salable and compelling hook to anchor it, you can have the best proposal in the word, but it won't sell.

Because it's such a popular session, I'm offering it through WritersOnlineWorkshops as a 90-minute webinar on January 29 ($79 fee), where I'll be speaking in live time about how to create a great selling handle for your book. During the webinar, I'll live-critique the first 25 concepts submitted by registrants, plus give the next 25 registrants an offline critique. Consider it an extreme makeover for your nonfiction book. You can register here.

To give my blog readers a sneak preview of what this is like, if you leave a summary of your nonfiction book (100 words or less) in the comments section, I'll choose one or two to critique on this blog tomorrow.

Photo credit: Striatic

8 Articles/Posts All Writers Should Have Read in 2008

Jane — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:37:48 GMT

The eBook Problem and The eBook Solution (Booksquare)
Read it for a basic understanding of the issues related to e-book publishing and distribution. When Kassia Krozser leads by saying that e-books will not be the next big thing, though, that's not really the point of the article. Just keep reading.

Story vs. Book: The Future of Publishing (Booksquare)
Another from Krozser that offers a perspective on why the traditional publishing industry must change its model to survive, and how the author's role changes too.

Essential Points in the Free Debate (Tools of Change for Publishing)
I tell writers that giving stuff away for free is not to be feared. It always results in more sales for the physical book or for other products. This article has a nice summary of the overall free debate; this issue is just going to become more important.

A Book Publisher's Manifesto for the 21st Century (The Digitalist)
When you click the link, you'll find a blog post that will prompt you to download a PDF that contains the manifesto. It's probably the most comprehensive article of the year on how publishing will change.

The 21st Century Writer (The Futurist)
An article about the future of publishing that focuses squarely on the author's point of view.

The Kindle and The iPhone Dance (Publishing Frontier)
An easy to understand dissection of these two devices from a book perspective.

50 Steps to Establishing a Consistent Social Media Practice (Chris Brogan)
Social media expert Chris Brogan offers a checklist that's invaluable to any author building an online platform.

How Content Marketing Will Shake the Tree (Chris Brogan)
Another great post from Chris Brogan that can help authors understand how to use their content to both sell books and build a platform. It's geared toward businesses, but easily adapted by individuals.

What articles did you read in 2008 that you still remember or have kept handy?
Share in the comments section.

Using Twitter: Do You Have Tips?

Jane — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:50:14 GMT

After perusing this directory of publishing industry people on Twitter, I finally created a Twitter account for the Writer's Digest community (@WritersDigest if you would like to follow, and @JaneFriedman if you would like to specifically follow me).

I have been quite lax in using Twitter; right now I prefer Facebook and blogging. If I consistently and thoroughly followed everyone I'm interested in (probably more than several hundred people), I sense it would be like drinking from a fire hose—and would I be able to accomplish anything if distracted every 5-10 minutes by updates?

I wonder how both unpublished and published writers are using Twitter. Do you have a Twitter account? Are you actively using it? And if so, has it changed anything about your writing and publishing life? What tips do you have for other writers?

My Favorite WD Book From 2008 (Or: The Last WD Book I Edited in Full)

Jane — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:50:13 GMT

Before I took on management of the Writer's Digest brand community, the last book I fully acquired, edited, and released—as an editor—was Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz, from the Fall 2008 list of Writer's Digest Books.

In some ways, it is a culmination of everything I wish all writers knew from Day 1. And it's everything I've been telling writers at conferences for several years now. Every writer who dreams of book publication (and even those who do have a book published) must learn the lessons in this book to sustain a successful career as an author. I find myself recommending it again and again, and am relieved to finally have a concrete resource to point people to.

Joe Wikert, publishing professional and blogger, recommended this book highly and interviewed author Christina Katz on his blog. Along with that link, I'll provide a few others of interest, to help you get a sense of why you need this book.

Joe Wikert's interview with Christina Katz about author platform
The official site for Get Known Before the Book Deal
Go to this page and scroll down for the book's introductory text
Read an excerpt: Why All Authors Need a Platform

You can also watch this promotional video that the author created:

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And even more links!!

5 Tips for Your Writing Career in a Difficult Time

Jane — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:58:57 GMT

Over at Writers on the Rise, I'm interviewed about the changes happening in the media industry. Here's a brief snippet, but click the link for the 5 tips:

Writers must be involved with online life and expect to provide online content, and have an online presence. I’d say your career will come to an abrupt halt in a few years if you’re not willing to participate, market, promote, or engage in online activities and audiences.

On Being Skipped (or: How Your Book Gets Sold Into Bookstores)

Jane — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:15:21 GMT

There's a blog offering the best explanation ever of how your book gets sold into bookstore chains, by the marketing manager at John Wiley & Sons. Here's a brief snippet:

But bookstores are businesses, not public conveniences. No store has the responsibility to carry every book published -- although, to be honest, that's a straw-man argument, since no one is asking for that. (They're just wishing that their books, the books they like, and the books by their friends be spared the chopping block.) I market books for a living, so I can tell you an unpleasant truth: the order for any book, from any account, starts at zero. The publisher's sales rep walks in the door with tipsheets and covers, past sales figures and promotional plans, to convince that bookseller's buyer to buy that book. In many categories -- SFF is still one of them -- the chain buyers say "yes" the overwhelming majority of the time. But not all the time. Sometimes, that buyer is not convinced, and the order stays at zero.

How to Fail at Publishing in a Whole New Way

Jane — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:31:50 GMT

Today at Maud Newton, John Warner (creative director of TOW Books), summarizes the new strategy of the TOW Books line:

Now, after two years of, let’s call it, non-success, I understand that the problem is at least as much about publicity and distribution as it is about quality. (At least I hope that’s the problem.) So I’m here to announce that if TOW Books is going to fail at publishing, we are going to fail in our own spectacularly new way.

How badly are we struggling? Well, we’ve released four books. Their Amazon rankings at the time of this typing are:

170,374
388,165
706,198
1,033,377
The most distressing part is that last number belongs to a book I wrote, So You Want to Be President? — a book that should have been especially relevant and timely given that it’s a guide to running for office when totally unqualified. I hope it’s in Governor Palin’s briefing materials.

Read the full post here.