There Are No Rules - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Writers love to admit they're terrible at sales and marketing. Somehow, if they admit they're bad at it, they think it means they're off the hook. "Well, I'm just a writer, I'm not a marketer." Or: "I don't feel comfortable selling—I feel like I'm selling myself out." Or, best of all: "I would never shill my book." (Or, sometimes, "I don't have the time and money to self-promote." Egregious error! But to be addressed some other time.)

I have two philosophies to share with all writers:

If done correctly, marketing and promoting your book does not mean you are selling out or shilling.
Even the most introverted writers, with no marketing and promotion experience, can take effective, meaningful steps to sell and publicize their books.

These concepts are at the front of my mind lately because I'm working with author Christina Katz on her upcoming fall 2008 book, Get Known Before the Book Deal.

The concept I find us returning to, again and again, is one of authenticity.

AUTHENTICITY works two ways.

First, whatever you do to market and promote yourself and your work, it needs to feel good to you. It needs to make you even more excited and passionate. It should not feel like bad medicine, otherwise you won't do it. Your efforts should fit with who you are as a person (build on your strengths) and make sense in the big picture of your career.

Second, your actions need to appear genuine and authentic to your intended audience. Your actions should be from a "real" person offering a benefit (whether that's information or entertainment); you should not be just another huckster selling another widget. Nobody likes a shill, so don't be one.

Your marketing and promoting journey (which is really about platform-building too) involves leveraging who you already are (in an honest way), identifying and understanding your readership (in a genuine way), developing your own unique approach to that readership (that feels good to everyone), and building an authentic connection. People should trust you.

Now for the latest conundrum Christina and I have discussed.

What about author blog tours, where the author pays for the promotional opportunity. Is that shilling?

What about the bloggers who promote products for companies in their blogs (for money or free stuff)?

What about authors (or coaches/consultants) who employ the you-plug-my-product and I'll-plug-yours strategy?

Is this stuff shilling?

I don't think there's a clear-cut answer because it involves so many factors, but whenever there's pay for play, or a quid pro quo, your authenticity comes into question. Or, even if it doesn't come into question, why would you want to invest your time, money, or energy into anything other than a genuine and authentic opportunity to reach or serve your target readership? Sometimes, when you pay for a certain type of promotion or publicity (or accept fringe benefits in exchange for helping someone else promote), the results are less quality. You hurt yourself in the long run. (If marketing and self-promotion were only about having enough money, couldn't we all just pay for enough of it to make our books bestsellers? But it's not that easy.)

To be clear:
It's absolutely shilling if you're touring blogs with audiences who aren't interested in your book/expertise; it's shilling if you promote products or companies for quick gain (and not out of a true partnership, or a desire to give your readers a benefit); it's shilling if you're pushing any kind of product-person-service that you don't believe in and/or that isn't related to your readers. It's about your relationship with your readership. Put yourself in your readers' shoes; would it look like shilling to them? Would it look questionable? (Do you look desperate or gross doing it?) Then don't do it.

I would love to get your viewpoints on the questions above. What have your experiences been? Do you think it's OK to pay for play? When does an author cross the line into shilling?

Building Readership | Marketing & Self-Promotion

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3:45:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

My New Out-of-Office Sign
Posted by Jane

Last weekend the Bluegrass Festival of Books took place in Lexington, Kentucky. Our senior marketing manager Scott Francis was there, promoting his book (and other authors from F+W also attended), but unfortunately no one from the Writer's Digest editorial staff was able to go and give our usual writer's workshop. (I was there in 2005 and 2006, but attended Pennwriters this past weekend and couldn't be in two places at once.)

Through some strange mix-up, the festival thought I would be attending in 2008, and created a sign to excuse my inability to attend. F+W's publicity director, Greg Hatfield, brought it back as a gift, so I am keeping it handy for out-of-office occasions. I believe there may be many more unexpected uses for it.

F+W Life | Fun

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 1:50:25 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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The Wall Street Journal Discovers the Kindle (Yes, It's the Future)
Posted by Jane

Even though I love pontificating on the future of book publishing, I'm developing severe innovation-fatigue, so this will be last post (at least this week) on this topic. I hope.

The Information Age columnist at the Wall Street Journal has written a piece, "The Digital Future of Books", basically about the Kindle. Even the kind, happy types at Shelf Awareness comment in today's newsletter, in reference to this article, "Stop us if you've heard this one before …"

There is a nice nugget in the article from Jeff Gomez, author of the print book, Print Is Dead.

Much is at stake. As Mr. Gomez concluded, "what's really important is the culture of ideas and innovation" books represent. But "to expect future generations to be satisfied with printed books is like expecting the BlackBerry users of today to start communicating by writing letters, stuffing envelopes and licking stamps."

The article concludes, "With innovations like the Kindle, digital media can help return to us our attention spans and extend what makes books great: words and their meaning." Unfortunately, only someone of an advanced age could've wrapped up like that (without a note of cynicism).

Digitization & New Technology

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 1:35:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, May 19, 2008

An Obsessive Focus on E-Reading Devices (and Digitization)?
Posted by Jane

There's an excellent post over at The Digitalist, a blog by the digital team of Pan Macmillan (a UK publisher): "A book publisher's manifesto for the 21st century." It's the first post in a six-parter about what the future of book publishing will look like. (Note: I found this via PersonaNonGrata, another publishing blog.)

It takes issue with publishers who focus on digitization at the expense of the big picture: it's not just about changing formats or going electronic; it's about how people's behaviors and attitudes are changing toward content. The article says:

… multimedia mash-ups—not text—holds the attraction for the digital natives who are growing up fast into the mass market of tomorrow. Will there even be a writing and reading culture as we know it, tomorrow? Is the publishing industry acting fast enough and working creatively enough to adapt to the new information and leisure economies?

There are no shortage of futurists who proclaim that the book will die, or print will die, or reading will die. (Or that these things are already dead.)

I agree publishers (and authors) should think more about "content" and "benefit" rather than the shape/form/method of packaging (e.g., "book" or "e-book"), but I can still envision a place for editors, publishers, and books in the world. My reasoning thus far:

The world is exploding with more information, not less. The role of an editor (or a publisher)? To make sense of all this information, to edit this information, to ensure the quality of this information. (At the Pennwriters conference, I spoke with a writer who was trying to pinpoint birth/death dates for famous people. Attempting to do this through an Internet search is an exercise in frustration. Who do you trust when you find conflicting information?)
Perhaps it is old-fashioned to think there is still a need for a gatekeeper (or at least an opinionmaker), but I hold onto this notion because people have less time than ever, not more. Consumers want to find someone they can trust to give them good, accurate (or entertaining) information. And maybe editors/publishers won't be doing what they used to do 50 years ago (or even 10 years ago), but they can still act as aggregators, distributors, and checkpoints for content. Much will hinge on: Who do you trust?
Aside from the trust issue, there is also the niche/specialization factor. You can see online how people segregate themselves into distinct communities. Publishers (or content providers) who can get inside these communities and learn how to serve them may still have a profitable business model to look forward to.
In the future, perhaps creating, editing, and publishing a "book" (whether as a physical product or not) will be the mark of the most quality content available on a topic. Books will not be the only way to share information/opinions/content, but they may end up being the most respected way, because of investment (presumably) required in their creation.

The one argument I don't have yet is why people will still be reading text. That might be the most difficult question of all, since I can see how we might become a culture that's predominantly visual (movies, TV, computer screens). But that's a discussion for another posting.

Digitization & New Technology

Monday, May 19, 2008 1:56:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Sunday, May 18, 2008

Day 3: Pennwriters (Tips, Insights, Farewell)
Posted by Jane

A recap of the final day.

My Session on Nonfiction Queries, Submissions, Proposals
This morning I received excellent and insightful questions from the writers attending. (Thank you!) Some of the high points of discussion:

Credentials and platform are not the same thing. Credentials give you the authority to write on a topic, or inspire trust in the reader. Platform is your visibility to your audience or readership, which helps you promote and sell books. Credentials can help you grow your platform, but alone they do not act as a platform.
Early in the process it is essential for you to identify your book's category, or where it would be shelved in the bookstore. Publishers pitch books to chain stores based on the book's category (because there are different buyers for each category). It is not possible for your book to be shelved in two different categories in a store (at least not deliberately). This is why it is so difficult to sell hybrid works (like a self-help memoir).
The No. 1 weakness in book proposals that come across my desk? Authors focus too much on themselves or their own ideas and not enough on the audience or market for the work.

Finally, a couple bits and pieces that didn't fit anywhere else:

(Friedman Watch!) I met Melanie Donovan, an executive editor from HarperCollins, who said when she saw my name in the program, it gave her a small chill. Apparently, the HarperCollins Jane Friedman is one imposing lady!
I spoke to several attendees who said this year's Pennwriters conference offered one of the best programs ever—the sessions were hardworking, practical, and useful for anyone trying to break into the industry. Based on the sessions I was able to attend, I agree the information presented has been top-notch for anyone trying to get published.

A thank-you to everyone at Pennwriters who organized and volunteered at the event; what a devoted group! The environment has been friendly, relaxed, but also professional. The staff take excellent care of the presenters, and are very passionate about their mission to help writers succeed. As Carol Silvis said during yesterday's lunch, "You reach down, and lift someone up."

Conferences/Events | General | Getting Published

Sunday, May 18, 2008 12:24:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

Day 2: Pennwriters (Tips, Insights)
Posted by Jane

A recap of Saturday's events.

Successful Nonfiction Pitches (Irene Goodman)
In the morning I attended a session by agent Irene Goodman (25 years in the business), who spoke on developing a strong nonfiction book pitch. She posed the following question to the audience: How much will the publisher support your book, or what will they do to promote it?

A few people in the audience responded (somewhat dismally): Zero. Nothing. They do nothing.

(An aside: Even though many writers know the correct answer to Irene's question, I meet very few writers who actually incorporate their platform into their pitches—almost as if all writers believe they are the exception to the rule. Irene told me later that writers have a hard time personalizing this advice about platform. They hear it, but don't apply it.)

In any case, much of Irene's talk focused on developing a platform attractive to an editor or agent. She touched on various elements author platform, such as:

having a current Web site, with interactive elements (podcasts, videocasts, blogs)
building a mailing list (which is only meaningful if at 2,000+ names)
sending out regular e-newsletters
participating in online communities
being a joiner (putting yourself out there)
publishing articles for magazines, newspapers, etc.
speaking at organizations and events
getting attention from local and national media

An interesting point I haven't heard before: Irene said "real deal" authors (people who are experts in their area or passionate about their book topic) may not have a platform because they're busy doing their "real" jobs (being a teacher, being a doctor, etc). But even those people need to find ways to reach out and market themselves and build a platform. (She gave an example of a committed teacher who already speaks frequently to local PTA groups as part of his job. To build platform, his next step would be to find a national PTA group where he could speak.)

Other highlights from Irene's talk:

She highly recommended an e-book by MJ Rose and Douglas Clegg, Buzz Your Book.
Never put in your book proposal something like "This would be great on talk shows (radio, TV, etc)." Of course your topic would be great on talk shows. But so what? Who cares? What are you (the author) doing to make it happen? As an example of a proactive writer/author, Irene described a flower arranger who might send flowers to producers, with a note saying, "I can show your audience how to do this." Even if your attempts aren't successful, at the very least it should help you build contacts, or a network.
And: You probably have more contacts than you think. Don't be afraid to ask for things—but be genuine, be real.

Today's Pitches
The best pitches I heard today were from writers who focused on their market (audience) and how the audience would benefit from the book. The less successful pitches focused on the actual content of the book. I think the right ratio for a nonfiction book pitch is:

30 seconds on who the market or audience is and what problem they need to solve
15 seconds on the book concept/hook that addresses that problem
30 seconds on who you are (the author) and your platform (how you reach readers today)

Lunch Speaker: D.L. Wilson
Novelist D.L. Wilson talked about "practice novels": write that first manuscript, just to practice your craft and get it out of the way, then lock it in the closet. It's not a waste of your time; it's an excellent use of your time, because you're practicing and getting better.

He also said that editors have such enormous workloads these days that authors should not expect meaningful involvement ... unlike the early days of Robert Ludlum, whose editorial process with his legendary editor spanned 1-2 years for his first novel (The Scarlatti Inheritance), which then became a bestseller partially due to that revision process. Do editors today have time for such an involved process? Most do not.

Publishing Trends (Irene Goodman)
In the afternoon, Irene gave a whirlwind tour of what's hot and what's not in today's book publishing industry. Keep in mind the date of this list (May 17, 2008); it will go out-of-date fast.

FICTION

Novels with "craft" themes (knitting, quilting, etc)
Female protagonists in thrillers, "damsel in control", kick-ass heroines, Buffy-derivatives
In romance, old-school is now in style
Historical fiction, particularly Tudors and Elizabethans, sexy royal soap operas
Urban fantasies, THE hottest thing is young adult urban fantasy with female protagonists
Erotica is in (both good and bad erotica)
OUT: cozy mysteries without any hook, paranormal romance, biblically based quest for a legendary object, macho guys, chick lit, American historical fiction, male private-eyes, English village mystery

NONFICTION
(Note: Irene stressed this genre is less trend driven. It is platform driven, since all you need to do is prove there is an audience that you can sell to.)

Participatory journalism
Memoirs, only if extremely well-written, if you have something very special or unusual to say. Pet memoirs.
Fun, upbeat animal books, even narrated by the animal, not too cutesy, it has to be "real"
Crafts
OUT: Elizabeth-Gilbert also-rans, green books, cutesy memoirs, parenting

Agents | Conferences/Events | General | Getting Published | Industry News & Trends

Saturday, May 17, 2008 3:41:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Day 1: Pennwriters (Tips, Insights)
Posted by Jane

A recap of my first day at Pennwriters.

Tip: Pitching Your Novel
The first bit advice comes from Jonathan Maberry, which was actually shared with me by Bill Peschel, who picked me up from the airport. (Thanks, Bill!) Maberry said: Don't get bogged down in the plot details when you're pitching your novel. Sell the story, don't tell it. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Additional tip: I always recommend that writers ready to pitch look in Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, and flip to the last page for a great worksheet on constructing your novel pitch. It will help you avoid a too-detailed pitch.

Deep Thoughts from Joyce Carol Oates
This was the first time I'd heard Oates speak. About halfway through her keynote, I thought, "Man, she's really focusing on the dark emotions behind writing. Why?" By the end, I remembered: It's Joyce Carol Oates.

Her talk was titled "Woundedness, Rejection, and Inspiration," and she seemed to pull many anecdotes from her recent book about the ending days of famous writers. She said she's fascinated by how rejection affects writers, wounds writers. She discussed the equation of emotional vulnerability + imagination + non-complacency + asking questions + questing. She also spoke of writers who are wounded during childhood and become isolated, which then leads to "compulsive speech." She gave Anais Nin as an example.

She raised issues for me that strike at the core of what or who we think writers are as people (or what perhaps drives great writing or writers), such as:

Are writers more vulnerable than others? Does vulnerable mean weaker? And is this because they are more sensitive or empathetic to people/environment? (Or are these two separate issues entirely?)
Does the best work spring from dark emotions, dark experiences, or dark childhoods? (It's like the New Yorker cartoon where the creative writing student calls up her parents and blames them for not giving her a more wounded childhood so she has good material.)
Is solitary confinement necessary for great art? Must writers step off the traditional cultural path in order to create great art?
Are happy writers better writers? Does happiness interfere with great art?

One thing Oates mentioned that was not dark: She says she's had many brilliant, talented students (at Princeton University), but some just fade off and don't really do anything. And then there are others who are dedicated, loyal, and intelligent of course but not flashy. One of those was Jodi Picoult, who she described as very methodical, modest, hardworking.

And a final interesting bit: One person asked what Oates liked least about writing or the writing life. Her response: Writing a first draft, or those first six weeks. After nearly 50 books written and published, she still thinks to herself, "I just can't do it." She becomes nervous, every time.

Nonfiction Critique Session
Tonight I reviewed four nonfiction writing samples in a group setting, along with author Shirley Brosius. What struck me was the fierce passion of each author for their idea (or story) and their desire to have that shared with or validated and heard by others.

When discussing intensely personal stories (usually memoir), it can be difficult, sitting on the opposite side of the table, to say, "Well, I know this story is meaningful, but why will anyone be interested? How will it sell?" I begin to sound like a real cold-hearted creep!

Over a year's time, I hear dozens of personal stories that focus on grief, loss, tragedy, or sickness. (One agent I know calls them "autopathologies.") The writer is clearly attempting to make sense of an experience that has transformed his/her life, and turn it into something that can help others. The challenge is that few of today's readers visit a bookstore wondering what new book about grief and loss should be on their nightstand (hence, the success of series like Chicken Soup for the Soul or Cup of Comfort.) However, these same readers might be wondering: How can I solve this tragic problem I have? How can I become happier? (Self-help to the rescue!)

For writers with a challenging personal story to tell, I usually advise:

Write it with heart-aching beauty so that no one can put it down.
Find a freakish marketing angle. (I had a hard life because I had 2 heads!!)

Neither are easily accomplished.

Conferences/Events | General | Getting Published

Friday, May 16, 2008 11:19:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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The No. 1 Requirement for a Good Experience
Posted by Jane

Last year, I started using a Web application for my to-do list, Gootodo. It's a brilliantly simple little tool that has streamlined my work life. Simple but useful tools are difficult to find.

The creator of this tool, Mark Hurst, has an e-newsletter I subscribe to called Good Experience. His latest newsletter (and blog post) discusses the No. 1 requirement for a good experience, which goes against the grain of most business thinking: empathy.

Empathy - the driving force behind good listening - is the number one requirement for anyone who wants to create a good experience. Not a long list of methods, not a scholarly knowledge of one's niche field - but empathy. Anyone can learn a method; but people who can listen, can pay attention, can see the experience from someone else's perspective, are rare and valuable.

Writing a book, for example, requires the author to constantly read and re-read the text from the perspective of the readers: will this make sense to them? Not to me, the author, but to someone who's coming at this fresh?

Throughout the years, my own company has been fairly good at this. We conduct surveys, focus groups, and make it easy for customers to contact us. Our editors are not protected from the random calls coming into reception from people who want to know how to get published. I believe we do listen. While F+W may not always succeed in delivering a good experience, at the very least we know what that good experience looks like, even if our own internal systems prevent us or limit us from delivering it! (One example is WritersMarket.com, which is an excellent tool, but still needs improvement—and that's a task we've been undertaking intensively for more than two years now.)

But back to writers specifically: If you're writing a book, are you really focusing on the reader, or are you more concerned with publication or "spreading your message"? Of course there's nothing wrong with being motivated to spread a message, but what I find unique is when a writer wants to help or benefit others, and asks that question first and foremost. Then the writer has his focus on the right place: the marketplace. In fact, if more writers honestly asked themselves this question, would they still conclude that writing, publishing, and promoting a book is the best course of action?

Building Readership | General | Getting Published

Friday, May 16, 2008 10:33:34 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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On the Road: Pennwriters Conference
Posted by Jane

This morning I depart for a weekend at the Pennwriters annual conference (their 21st year), in Lancaster, Penn. Here's a glimpse of the activities.

Friday night

6p. Joyce Carol Oates delivers keynote speech at dinner.
8:30-11p. I read and critique nonfiction in groups with writers.

Saturday