There Are No Rules - Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Trying to describe BEA (BookExpo America) to someone outside of the publishing industry can be difficult. Fortunately, there are brilliant people like Michael Cader (of Publishers Lunch) to provide exactly the right commentary and sharp insight. In today's issue of Lunch, he gives this digested version of the BEA experience, using snippets from the past three years of his Lunch report.

2007
I Feel Bad About My BEA: and Other Thoughts on Publishing and Convention[s]
"For four days, I've covered, convened and contemplated, looking for the elusive BEA story that's never there. The simple truth I've come to is that BEA is like holding a mirror up to our business. It can bring you serendipity, get you drunk, put you in the company of amazing people and, as on Friday, leave you covered in sweat. It can exhilarate, exhaust, excite and ultimately exasperate.

"We overwhelm our markets and customers with individual choices -- that's the essential impression of the floor -- and offer precious little guidance and merchandising of ourselves and our lines to help people navigate among those choices. By outward appearances we treat every visitor the same -- booksellers, librarians, wholesalers, media people, and rights buyers are all expected to figure out the booth and the staff personnel on their own, quickly as they glide by. We wait for people to come to us, hoping they will discover the right things when we haven't helped the discovery."

2006
"In 265,000 square feet of abundance, standing out, or becoming memorable, is extremely hard -- particularly if your message is basically the same as everyone else's, and if your both is the same as everyone else's (and the same as your's was last year, only the sky-rise banner or lightbox pictures are new)."

2005
The Not Really Show
"Everyone seems to be more easily able to identify whom the show is "not really... " for than whom it is for. Much as BEA has done to boost the numbers of retailers, it's not really a bookselling show (and a lot of people have bought fall already); it's not really for big publishers, though their square footage seems to keep creeping up; it's not really for small publishers, though many are present, helping to fill the square footage; it's not really a rights selling show and it's not really for international publishers, even as those numbers rise; it's not really for librarians, yet ever more they come in larger numbers; it's not really about 'big books' anymore, but it's not really about small books either; and on the list goes."

Conferences/Events | Industry News & Trends

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:40:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Overused Fantasy Cliches
Posted by Jane

As I prepare to leave for Los Angeles, I'll leave you with some entertaining (and useful) reading on someone else's blog. There's a site called Dragon Writing Prompts that has a delightful post for fantasy writers, The Not-So-Grand List of Overused Fantasy Cliches.

A few of my favorite bits:

Evil doers with multi uber awesome powers always come unstuck when a newbie hero/heroine turns up with one super lame attack all powered by (you guessed it) LOVE! (Known as the Pretty Sammy effect.)

The evil wizard is played by either Jack Palance or Christopher Lee.

Scantily-clad and hatless heroes and heroines are able to walk for miles outdoors under a blazing sun without even the slightest hint of a sunburn or skin damage afterwards.

Many thanks to Pam Wissman, editorial director at North Light & Impact Books, for sharing this link with me.

Fun | Craft & Technique

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 11:14:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, May 23, 2008

The Transformation of the Book Club Model (that is, Change or Die)
Posted by Jane

Earlier this week, The Economist published an article on book clubs, "The Final Chapter?" The opening graph says, "Bertelsmann is selling its American clubs and has put the rest under strategic review. Book clubs are in for a radical overhaul at the very least—and some people think they are headed for extinction."

People don't think they're headed for extinction … they know they are headed for extinction, at least as far as negative-option (where consumers are required accept or decline a main selection from a monthly bulletin).

The Economist article has a distinctly international slant (of course) and talks about some of Bertelsmann's strategies to keep the club business alive, but what they're attempting in Europe will not work in the States. (We don't exactly have "less developed" markets here.)

However, there is a bright spot, as the article points out: book clubs with a specialized audience, such as Bertelsmann's Black Expressions (in the U.S.) for black women, and Mosaico for Spanish language. The article says:

For specialist titles, bookstores cannot compete for range with a book club, and the internet lacks the personal touch of a trusted team of editors. Roger Cooper, formerly editorial director of Bertelsmann's American book clubs, is involved in a new niche club, the Progressive Book Club, targeted at liberals. “I don't hold much hope for the future of mainstream book clubs,” he says.

As you may know, my company, F+W Publications, has a number of book clubs (e.g., Writer's Digest Book Club) that have long been a cornerstone of our business model. While this direct-to-consumer business (and knowing our consumer) is part of why we're successful, if we don't re-engineer it, we'll stop being competitive (stop meeting the needs of our consumers) and soon become irrelevant.

And so I think you'll see a transformation on its way—very soon.

F+W Life | Industry News & Trends

Friday, May 23, 2008 5:07:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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My Workshop Picks: The BEA/WDB Writers Conference
Posted by Jane

Next week (May 28) is the BEA/WDB Writers Conference! I fly into Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, so I can be at the conference registration table bright and early to start welcoming our attendees, authors, agents, and speakers.

As a key editor behind the conference programming, here's an overview of my top picks if you'll be attending. (And for those still debating it, you can register on-site the morning of the conference.)

For Novelists Still Revising

Fire in Fiction (literary agent Donald Maass)
Plotting a Novel They Can't Put Down (author James Scott Bell)
Revising a Novel They Can't Put Down (author James Scott Bell)

For Novelists Ready to Pitch

Get Known While You Sleep—A Platform Primer (author Christina Katz)
Effective Use of the Internet for Authors (author Bill O’Hanlon)
Panel: Ask the Literary Agents (moderated by GLA's Chuck Sambuchino)
OR Practice Your Pitch with Lauren Mosko

For Nonfiction Writers

Finding a Home for Your Personal Essay (author Victoria Zackheim)
Panel: Creating and Contributing to Anthologies
The Times They Are A-Changin’: Being a Successful Author Amidst Transformational Change in Book Publishing (Jane Friedman, that's me, not the HarperCollins Jane)

For Scriptwriters

Getting Started in Writing for Television (Richard Hatem)
Panel: Meet the Script Agents and Managers
Panel: From Book to Film/TV: How Your Work Comes Alive

Of course there are many more wonderful sessions, including a pitch slam with about 40-45 agents participating. You can download a portion of the conference program here (PDF).

Conferences/Events

Friday, May 23, 2008 2:33:25 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Essential Elements of a Writer's Online Presence
Posted by Jane

A faithful reader of this blog recently sent the following question:

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

Thursday, May 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

Thursday, May 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

Thursday, May 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

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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