There Are No Rules - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I believe that some writers are unsure of the exactness of their Web presence. What I mean is, sure, to have a personal Web site is a must.

But what other aspects of a Web presence should one pursue? Places like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogging (blogspot, blogger.com, wordpress?)—which should writers pursue, any online items/sites writers should avoid?

And with blogging, what about streaming the blog right onto your Web site, as opposed to it sitting on the blogger host site?

And what have I not thought of?

There is a practical answer, and there is a big-picture answer.

First, the big-picture answer, from 50,000 feet.

Do only what's meaningful to spreading news about your work, cultivating a readership (or interacting with a readership), and establishing your position or brand.
Do only what's meaningful to your readership.
Do what adds value (avoid distractions). (For example, Twitter may ultimately be a distraction. But I want to try it out, see what it's about, for the same reasons that Michael Hyatt does. I need to understand it so I can innovate, in the right ways, in my job.)
Do establish a clear identity online, or multiple identities online, depending on the facets of your career or expertise.

These should be the principles that guide you. Now for the practical answer.

For Aspiring Writers/Unpublished Writers

Try to buy a domain name that's a close match to your name (www.yourname.com). You don't need to build or create a Web site right away, but reserve that real estate for when you do need it. It's inexpensive and easy to do.
If you don't yet have a use for a personal Web site (www.yourname.com), establish a modest profile or blog through a site like Facebook, Wordpress, Blogger—something clean and easy to use. This profile/blog/page can serve as either a public or private place for you to get comfortable interacting in an online community if you're new to it.
For unpublished writers who are already comfortable in online environments/communities, think about what your unique identity is or could be in an online environment, and how can you begin to position yourself and your work. Become known to your target audience if possible by participating in blogs, online communities, groups, etc.

Minimum Requirements for Active/Published Writers

Yes, you must have a professional Web site with a URL that matches your name as closely as possible, or conveys your tag/handle (e.g., www.ChiefHappinessOfficer.com). It should include info on your publications, your events/engagements, your bio, and your contact info. This site can remain fairly static, but should always offer up-to-date information about your work or your events.
On your site, have a prominent spot for people to sign up for your e-newsletter, even if you don't really have one. (Start building a mailing list or fan list! Invaluable.)
You should also have a dedicated Web site for each book or major project underway, something that's separate from your name-based site. Such sites should use the title of the work as the URL address.

Recommended, But Not Essential

1. A general blog. Think carefully before starting one. Maintaining a strong and beneficial blog for readers takes time away from your writing. However, the trade-off is usually worth it—it helps spread the word about who you are and should grow your platform. Strong blogs give people a reason to visit regularly—a benefit or feature of some kind, or a unique position/slant. If you're just blogging about the minutiae of daily life ("My golden retriever vomited on the floor again"), no one will care or return.

In my experience, it doesn't matter if your general blog is part of your main site or hosted elsewhere, though the blog should have its own distinct URL. Here's what your set up might look like, using my name as an example:

My Main Site
www.JaneFriedman.com

My General Blog
blog.JaneFriedman.com

My Book's Site (which may involve a 2nd blog related to the book!)
www.GreatAmericanNovel.com

Seth Godin (a very prolific author and blogger) juggles multiple blogs and products; look at his sites and see how seamlessly they all work together, how his sites are like a family, and it's easy to move from one to the next.

2. A social networking presence. I have yet to see any author sell a boatload of books because they had a million billion friends on Facebook or MySpace. However, the connections or network you build in such communities can be helpful in the long run. And, as with any online community, it's all about the time you put into it. Just setting up a profile and adding a link to your book isn't much better than no profile. Plus, there's not much benefit in pushing your book through these broad social networking sites if that's not where most of your audience hangs out. Again, always think about the habits of your target audience and how they prefer to be contacted. If it's through a MySpace bulletin, then by all means pursue that. (It worked for musicians.) For book authors, a more targeted approach is more likely to pay off when it comes to book sales.

Blogging Software
I recommend using services through Google (Blogger) or Wordpress, but there are far more educated people than me on this topic. Just be sure that the service you choose fits your skill level (or whatever Web presence you have already established). Do keep it simple and avoid paying for it.

LinkedIn
This is worthwhile as a job-hunting and professional networking site; it's also just a cool way to observe or keep tabs on how people become linked throughout a profession. I've heard it dubbed "MySpace for businesspeople," but I disagree. As far as I can tell, it's wonderful for job search, not really a place to hang out, and definitely not a place to promote a book or product.

This has been a long post, but I've just scratched the surface. I encourage your comments—please share your experiences of what's worked and what you now avoid. (And, what have we not thought to address?)

Building Readership | Digitization & New Technology | Marketing & Self-Promotion

5/22/2008 5:50:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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I Am Now Twittering
Posted by Jane

After reading how Thomas Nelson's CEO loves Twitter, I signed up for it. (Click here to sign up for Twitter.) I am easily found if you want to follow me there.

Fun

5/22/2008 10:49:57 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Weekly Roundup of Great WD Blog Posts
Posted by Jane

Poetic Asides
Robert Brewer offers a delightful wrap-up of his Poem-a-Day Challenge, including awards for Most Prolific Poet, Most Hated Poetry Prompt (the sestina), Most Loved Poetry Prompt (the sestina), and Most Likely to Write About a Comic Supervillain. Congratulations to everyone who met the challenge, and also to Robert for creating such a lovely challenge in the first place.

Alice's CWIM Blog
Read an interview with new literary agent Michael Stearns (Firebrand Literary), who was most recently an editorial director and foreign acquisitions manager for HarperCollins Children's Books.

Guide to Literary Agents
One of the agents who will be participating in next week's pitch slam (at the BEA/WDB conference), Bernadette Baker, gives insight into the graphic novel genre.

The Writer's Perspective
The editor of Writer's Digest magazine wants to hear from you on how the economy is affecting your writing life or career.

Living With the M-Word
Learn the importance of positioning your work.

Questions & Quandaries
Is is possible to copyright a pseudonym? Find out here.

Agents | General | Industry News & Trends

5/22/2008 8:58:05 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Secret to Effective Marketing & Self-Promotion
Posted by Jane

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

5/21/2008 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

5/20/2008 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

5/20/2008 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

5/19/2008 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

5/18/2008 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

5/17/2008 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

5/16/2008 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

5/16/2008 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

10:30-11:30a. I take pitches.
Lunch: Speaker D.L. Wilson.
1:15-2:10p. I take pitches.
Evening. Masquerade party.

Sunday

9:15a-10:15a. I give a workshop on Nonfiction Queries and Submissions.
10:30-11:30a. I take pitches.
Closing ceremonies at noon.

Other guests from inside the publishing industry include:

agent Irene Goodman
agent Ginger Clark
agent Jessica Regel
agent Elaine P. English
Avon editor Tessa Woodward
HarperCollins editor Melanie Donovan
Tor Books editor Paul Stevens
Berkley editor Ginjer Buchanan
agent Kim Lionetti

This is my third year speaking at Pennwriters—they always deliver an excellent program. If you're attending, I hope you'll find me and say hello.

Conferences/Events

5/16/2008 7:43:59 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Trouble in Vending Machine Paradise
Posted by Jane

An update on the new vending machines at F+W, as told by this quaint photo essay.

The new vending machine needs a new part.

Teresa is a longtime veteran of F+W who works in the mail room, and has been instrumental in the new vending machine strategy.

Eh, who needs decaf anyway?

Coming soon to a conference room near you: New Vending Machine Training

F+W Life

5/15/2008 1:28:28 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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(P.S.) E-books at Tipping Point
Posted by Jane

Today over at Publishers Weekly, they're reporting that “give the customers what they want” was the theme at Digital Book 2008.

… publishers and technology developers sounded the same note over and over again, pointing out that the Internet has given them unprecedented access to consumer feedback, and that the way to grow the e-book market is to listen to what readers are saying. “Power is shifting to the consumer,” said Matt Shatz, v-p of digital at Random House.

Not exactly groundbreaking news, but you can read the full news item here.

Digitization & New Technology

5/15/2008 11:41:35 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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E-publishing Trends, Part 2: The Advantages of E-books
Posted by Jane

My earlier post this week on e-publishing trends has sparked some excellent comments from people who are closer to that technology and business than I am (since I admittedly come from a company that does not currently offer e-book product, except random PDF downloads or CD/DVD compilations).

Here's a little of what Susan Edwards from Ellora's Cave had to say:

Ebooks also give advantages to readers and authors, especially new, unknown writers. First, because the cost of production is so much lower, we can sell books for less. That means readers are more willing to take a chance on an unknown author. Second, there is no bookstore shelf life to an ebook. A new author often has a very small window of time in a bookstore to snag an audience before her books are removed and shipped back to the publisher. If the book doesn't sell well in that time, that author's going to have a difficult time getting the next book published. Not so with an ebook, which can take as much time as necessary to find its audience. Low overhead also means the publisher can afford to take more chances on an unknown author or even genre, and it changes the royalty equation. At Ellora's Cave, ebook royalty percentages generally run about three times higher than print royalties.

And, of course, there's that instant gratification. If you can't sleep in the middle of the night, you can download that one you heard about today instantly.

Self-publishing guru Dan Poynter also chimes in with all the reasons why he switched to e-books from print books long ago.

I recall reading (and forgive me, I've forgotten where) about a soon-to-be world where we might visit bricks-and-mortar bookstores as usual, not necessarily to buy physical books, but as a browsing ground to find out what book we want to read next, then pull out our wireless reading device and download it while we're in the store, without buying a physical copy.

This vision assumes a few things:

Visiting bookstores is a social or leisure activity, that will remain enjoyable in and of itself, even if we're not necessarily making a physical purchase. Obviously you can see the evidence of this with the cafe culture that has been integrated right into major bookstores.
It's easier or more desirable to browse physical books or bookshelves, rather than try to do so on a computer. (This is easily disputed, although I don't know many people who go to Amazon just to kill time browsing? I always go with a very specific purchase in mind.)
These physical bookstores will still need to turn a profit if they're not selling physical product; let's assume that when you download a book in a store, there's a way to track that sale back to that specific store, so they benefit.

As long as physical bookstores exist and stock product for people to browse or buy, they'll continue to have an impact on which authors are most in the public eye (for better or worse). This is kind of a tangent, but an important one, because I sense that many people in the e-publishing (and self-publishing) business hope that new technologies will take some of this power away. Very hard to say; if bookstores aren't the ones who are the major influencers in what the public sees and buys, someone else will play that role, whether Oprah figures, mass or niche social networks, etc.

Digitization & New Technology

5/15/2008 9:29:19 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Informal Contest: Can You Guess the Age of This Writer?
Posted by Jane

The writer pictured above has been working for three days straight on a revision of his novel, before submitting it to agents and editors. I imagine this to be the central image in a public service announcement that warns against a writing career.

Now for something very unfair: Please guess (in the comments of this post) the age of this writer. Hurry and comment soon, because if my featured writer discovers what I've done, I will likely have to remove all evidence tout de suite.

Commence!

Fun

5/14/2008 8:57:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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A New Dawn, A New Day at F+W Publications
Posted by Jane

For years I have waited for this day. The day that F+W Publications finally decided it would catch up with the times. The day that all F+W Publications' employees could have that satisfying feeling at the end of the day. The day that F+W Publications took a risk, because without risking one's self, how can we find our true self?

Today, we're getting new vending machines. (Photo shows our lobby sign making the announcement.) Now, before you joke, let me describe some of things we have observed or accidentally purchased in the old vending machines:

Orange Jell-O square with side packet of mayonnaise
Peeled, boiled eggs floating in a small watery puddle
Feathery green Sno Balls

We've been told these new vending machines will offer real coffee and even ice cream. And possibly Pepsi in cans.

F+W Life

5/14/2008 3:31:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Weekly Roundup of Great WD Blog Posts
Posted by Jane

The Writer's Perspective
The editor of Writer's Digest magazine gives you the inside dirt on how to break into a career in journalism.

Living With the M-Word
Get a nuts-and-bolts overview of essential marketing tools from our marketing manager, Scott Francis.

Guide to Literary Agents
In a recent post, "Principles, Not Rules!" (about the conflicting advice you likely receive from agents), editor Chuck Sambuchino reveals that he's a man after my own heart.

Poetic Asides
Read an exclusive interview with poet Julianna Baggot by Writer's Market editor Robert Brewer.

Questions & Quandaries
For anyone who's been tempted to quote song lyrics in a book or article, read this information first, from WD magazine's online managing editor, Brian Klems.

Alice's CWIM Blog
Discover a self-published children's book that's all about your favorite … herb.

Agents | General | Getting Published | Industry News & Trends

5/14/2008 11:41:49 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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The Litmus Test: How Well Do You Understand the Book Publishing Industry?
Posted by Jane

In our office, we keep a little book of quotes where we record the strange, funny, or absurd things that people say, both knowingly and unknowingly. Here is something we captured from early 2007:

“Someone’s buying those books. I have no idea who.”
—Steve Koenig, (former) F+W National Sales Manager

When you read that, what is your reaction, on this scale of 1 to 5?

5 - Laugh out loud funny!!!
4 - Very amusing!
3 - Huh?
2 - Long and knowing sigh.
1 - Sad silence, with slight downturn of the lips.

The closer you are to the book industry, probably the less funny (or absurd) this quote seems. It reveals what I often call the dirty little secret of (trade) book publishing: We don't know who's buying our books. All we know are the middlemen: the distributors, the wholesalers, the chains, the reps, etc. Many book publishers are experts at working the system to get books distributed, placed, and promoted in outlets far and wide. But are we experts at knowing the reader? Do we know, in the end, who's buying our books off the shelf? In many cases, we do not.

One of the historic best-selling series at F+W is on painting rocks. It all started in 1994 with The Art of Painting Animals on Rocks by Lin Wellford. Over the past 10-15 years, our rock painting books have sold more than 1 million copies. Who's buying these books? Sometimes, we have an idea, when we're able to talk directly to consumers (like through book clubs or at specialized trade shows). But mostly, we don't have a clue.

This is why publishers depend on authors to know their audience/readership, and to develop a platform that can reach readers directly. The publisher is often incapable of doing this effectively or efficiently. Of course, some publishers do have strong direct-to-consumer businesses and know how to promote directly to readers. Rodale is one example. Hay House is another. (Click here to read a fascinating article on how the Hay House business grew, and continues to grow, through its ability to reach consumers.)

In the future, given how technology/digitization is changing how people find and purchase products/content (and how distribution models are changing for all media), the publishers who succeed will be the ones who can directly reach and market to readers, and have expertise in serving that reader—rather than just being expert at driving product to the middleman.

(Thanks to Grace, WD's managing designer, for providing excellent fodder for this post, that is, the quote itself!)

Building Readership | F+W Life | Industry News & Trends

5/14/2008 10:25:17 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

E-Publishing Trends? Stop Thinking About It As "Trend"
Posted by Jane

Recently I was having dinner with a friend who doesn't work in publishing (and isn't an aspiring writer). He brought his Amazon Kindle to show off, and since I'd seen one before, I approached the situation with a certain blase attitude. (Please, I know so much about that device already, what are you really going to show me that will impress me?)

For Kindle entertainment purposes, we started a hypothetical argument about a random book, in this case Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. Right there at the dinner table, we turned on the Kindle, searched for the book in Amazon's Kindle store, and downloaded the full text of the book in seconds, for about 50 cents. (For those who don't know, the Kindle is a wireless device; you don't have to sync it or connect it to a computer to download new books. Plus there is no fee associated with the wireless service. If you have the device, it simply works without further subscriptions or payments.) I believe you can download the entire works of Shakespeare for a couple dollars. Bestsellers are priced higher, at 9.99.

In the past couple months, I've received more questions than usual from writers who want to know about e-publishing trends. And I always have to ask in return: Well, what kind of e-publishing do you want to know about? Around 2000, the major publishers (before the dot-com fallout) launched new divisions dedicated to e-books, and they all failed. At that time, there wasn't a device like the Kindle, and no standard format for e-books. Plus the reading experience (as far as reading on a screen) wasn't very advanced. Many writers, when they ask the e-publishing question, are really asking about that debacle.

Others are really asking about e-publishers (e.g., Hard Shell Word Factory) who base their business on acquiring and selling e-books (and sometimes releasing them in paperback). These publishers have had some challenges in proving their legitimacy, but the best of them have a very targeted audience and serve that audience well (e.g., Ellora's Cave).

And still others think of e-publishing as what an author might do to self-publish on the cheap (like posting your novel in PDF form on your own Web site or through a company like Lulu).

The problem, perhaps, is that "e-publishing" is becoming an old-fashioned term. That term doesn't make sense any longer. All publishers (from traditional publishers to e-publishers to self-publishers) should have a strategy for their book (or their content) that takes advantage of multiple formats or at least delivers it in the one format that most of the audience wants. Any publisher that cannot provide content (or a book) in digital format will lose readership and sales. And so now you see publishers rushing to digitize all of their content, and store it in such a way that it can be sliced/diced to suit customer demand and pushed out through many different channels.

So back to the Kindle. It is flawed (it's a first-generation device after all), but the experience of using it immediately gives you a vision of how people will consume content or buy books in the future. I have three hefty bookshelves at home, and most are filled with titles that I've kept for reference for 10 years. Would I have been happy to see those stored on a Kindle instead of boxing them up eight times (because that's how many times I've moved in the past 10 years)? Absolutely.

Eventually, all books (from all publishers) will be available in digital form, and the only details to hash out are whether you will receive the electronic version for free when you purchase the print book, or if electronic books will be sold more cheaply than print books, or whatever. I have yet to see any organization figure out the economics behind it, and for the most part, e-books from traditional publishers have been priced too high (until Kindle). However, one publisher that has consistently had the most enlightened and progressive strategy is O'Reilly (which also runs an excellent conference for publishers called Tools of Change).

In some cases, readers will only desire the content in digital form (and never in print form), and everyone knows that traditional print runs will be greatly reduced and in some cases completely disappear for certain types of work. Yesterday, I read in the New York Times that there are no plans to print a new edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Of course it will continue to exist, but in digital form. I don't consider that a trend as much as the biggest paradigm shift in book publishing since Gutenberg.

Digitization & New Technology | Industry News & Trends

5/13/2008 12:19:49 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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