There Are No Rules - Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Speaking as an editor/publisher, some books will always hold a special place in my heart, long after they've been published and ceased being bestsellers. Well here's a book that still deserves to be a bestseller, year after year (even more so than Anne Lamott's tome!): Page After Page by Heather Sellers. (We also published a follow-up, Chapter After Chapter, which some people say is even better!)

Fortunately, readers are still discovering this gem every day; here's one example:

The more I read of it, the more I love it and want to give Heather Sellers a really big hug. Over lunch I read her take on people who are always saying "I'm so busy! I'm so stressed! I have so much to do!" I work with people like this. They drive me crazy. I worked out a while back and everyone is busy. It's ridiculous to tell people that you're busy. We know you are, because we are too. A Heather says - we all get 24 hours in a day, how are you going to use yours? She also wrote a whole bunch about treating writing like a lover instead of a mistress (or whatever the word is for women who have another dude on the side) and giving it attention and love and dreaming about it. Anyway, I love this book. I am reading it in small doses, digesting and completing exercises.

Click here to visit the writer's blog.

Craft & Technique | General

8/14/2008 6:21:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Ethics of Criminal Investigation
Posted by Jane

WDB author Lee Lofland, author of Police Procedure & Investigation, was interviewed today on NPR's Talk of the Nation about the ethics of criminal investigation. Click here to go to NPR's site and listen.

General

8/14/2008 6:14:49 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Bulwer-Lytton Results 2008
Posted by Jane

Every year there is a competition for bad writing: The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Always a delight. My favorite winning entry in 2008 is in the romance category:

Bill swore the affair had ended, but Louise knew he was lying, after discovering Tupperware containers under the seat of his car, which were not the off-brand containers that she bought to save money, but authentic, burpable, lidded Tupperware; and she knew he would see that woman again, because unlike the flimsy, fake containers that should always be recycled responsibly, real Tupperware must be returned to its rightful owner.
Jeanne Villa
Novato, CA

Click here to read them all!

Fun

8/14/2008 6:09:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Today's Diversion: Charming Paper Toy Projects!
Posted by Jane

Ever since I started overseeing HOW Books in 2006, I experience more random fun in my daily publishing life. This morning, senior editor Megan Patrick (who blogs here) passed along a link to Crowded Teeth, which features 1 project a day for 1 year. The art is absolutely charming! PLUS! More moustache action!!

Fun

8/13/2008 10:50:45 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

How to Determine If You're High-Maintenance
Posted by Jane

For a couple months, I've been pondering an article posted on WritersDigest.com, "Don't Be a Writing Diva" by Mary Demuth. It offers solid, time-tested advice (meet deadlines early, do your homework, heed your editors, etc).

But let's be honest for a moment here.

This article describes The Perfect Author, who does not actually exist—just as the Perfect Best Friend, Perfect Lover, or Perfect Employee do not exist.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have high standards for ourselves or for others. But we're only human, and anyone in the business knows that you have good times (when it's easy to be perfect), and then you have bad times, when you show your ass.

The crucial factor is: Do you have a strong relationship that will help you survive the rough times, and can you be respectful of the other as you move through those rough times? There will be times when you have to protect your interests (or your agent will need to protect your interests), and you may need to have difficult conversations. You DO want to be a proactive author, but not a nuisance or a burden.

Here are a few questions to help determine if you're being high-maintenance.

Does the conversation/communication revolve around YOUR needs and YOUR demands, or is it a mutually beneficial discussion, where you come together to find a solution? Remember, so much depends upon flexibility and compromise.
Are you placing blame, pointing the finger, or making excuses? Or are you attempting to find a way to move forward, to make the future bright?
Are you trying to force someone to agree with you, or get them to admit they've done you wrong? (Hint: That's the road to nowhere. No one likes a guilt trip or admitting they were wrong.)
Is your thought process something like: They're against me, they don't understand me, they're trying to cheat me? Or can you see other perspectives? Have you understood the approach of the publisher or editor or agent? And do you understand your own role in the game (or drama, as the case might be)?

Bottom line: Your conversations-requests-questions should be and feel like part of a partnership. People inside the business love nothing better than strong author partnerships—and happy authors. We want to make you happy if we can. We know that happy authors lead to better books and lead to better sales. And of course we all share that goal: Great books that sell. Sometimes it's helpful to be reminded we have that common goal, if different ways of achieving it.

General | Getting Published

8/12/2008 5:30:23 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 11, 2008

Another Review of the WDB/BEA Conference
Posted by Jane

It's a little bit after the fact, but there's a lengthy and well-informed recap of one writer's experience at our 2008 WDB/BEA Writers Conference, from writer Rachel Olivier.

An excerpt:

I looked through the biographies and found one agent who looked promising to me, if not now, at least in the future. There were also a couple of others I was interested in. I sidled into line behind other writers who stood where my “dream” agent’s name appeared at the table nervously reviewing what I might say. The session was going to start at 3 pm sharp. Coordinators had stopwatches and bells at the ready after reiterating the instructions. But there was a glitch and a delay. The agent I was going to pitch to had not come to the conference after all, having taken sick on the plane before it took off. (Yes, she was on the plane, on the runway, when she got violently ill and had to be taken off the plane.) Therefore, we were going to be pitching to her assistant, who was running around making sure the rest of the agents in this, er, agency were settled.

Read the full version over at Mike's Writing Newsletter. (You have to scroll down for it.)

Conferences/Events | Getting Published

8/11/2008 11:07:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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WD Author Featured in Oregonian
Posted by Jane

Just this summer, we released a hard-working fiction technique title, Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches, by Jessica Morrell. The Oregonian offered a nice write-up on Jessica and her new book after the Willamette Writers Conference last weekend. A snippet:

[Her book] was inspired in part by "The Sopranos" and Morrell's realization that an anti-hero such as Tony Soprano can be at least as compelling as any good guy.
"A lot of the old advice writers have been given is really outdated," Morrell said.
Like what?
"Like you should only write likable characters. Like the hero should always be someone the reader can relate to. Things don't have to be black and white. Most of the characters that are fascinating and have depth are colored gray."

Read the full article.

New Titles From F+W

8/11/2008 10:51:24 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Graffiti Book Featured in Newsweek
Posted by Jane

Arrived to the office this morning and was welcomed with excellent publicity news for our new title Written on the City (HOW Books), which is a showcase of message graffiti around the world.

Newsweek is featuring the book in their August 18 issue. You can find the write-up on their site, too. They say:

The best examples are poignant ("One week that we've been separated," reads an image of two lovers), funny ("You looked better on MySpace," jokes another) and thought-provoking ("Create beautiful children. Marry an Arab," says a wall in Tel Aviv).

New Titles From F+W

8/11/2008 9:33:44 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, August 08, 2008

TOW Books: An Exciting New Sales Strategy!
Posted by Jane

Now it's time to talk about TOW Books. This is an imprint here at F+W that launched last fall, in partnership with John Warner of McSweeney's fame.

It's an imprint focused on humor.

We've discovered that humor is quite difficult to sell.

So we're giving books away, in their entirety, to help spark interest.

There are four titles we are now offering for free, as PDF downloads (you can also request free, physical copies):

Really, You've Done Enough: A Parents' Guide to Stop Parenting Their Adult Child Who Still Needs Their Money But Not Their Advice by Sarah Walker

Oh, the Humanity! A Gentle Guide to Social Interaction for the Feeble Young Introvert by Jason Roeder

Everything Is Wrong With You: The Modern Woman's Guide to Finding Self-Confidence Through Self-Loathing by Wendy Molyneux

So You Want to Be President? Find Out If You Have the Ego, Bankroll, and Moral Flexibility to Lead the Nation and Take on the World by John Warner

This imprint's survival depends on more people discovering these talented humorists. Won't you take a look and recommend them to a friend?

Fun | New Titles From F+W

8/8/2008 3:15:22 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, August 07, 2008

HOW Books: Always Extraordinary
Posted by Jane

I've been featuring HOW Books rather frequently, but they need the attention; most people I know aren't aware of the wonderful books we publish under this imprint that features top illustrators, artists, and designers.

One example is The Look Book by Chris Sickels (Red Nose Studio). This book released last fall and won a major award from the Society of Illustrators. BoingBoing recently mentioned the illustrator thanks to the efforts of HOW senior editor Megan Patrick. (FYI, The Look Book is NOT a children's book.)

And here's another plug for 100 Daily Monsters by Stefan Bucher—again, fantastic art. LA Weekly recently featured Bucher and his monsters and had this to say:

What kind of guy draws a monster every day? Bucher leads a lifestyle that some might classify as monstrous. Or, at the very least, vampiric. When the rest of the city is sleeping, he is drawing, from midnight to 4 a.m. He reasons, “Drawing is a monastic activity, on a straight line from illuminating manuscripts. Drawing a monster a day every day for 100 consecutive days? It becomes a stamina question.”
Bucher’s monastery, though, is open to the world, and people complain if no monster appears on time. It’s their morning coffee or lunch break.

That's kind of a good description for many HOW titles: art that's open to the world. Buy a HOW Book, support art! (Now off soapbox.)

Fun | New Titles From F+W

8/7/2008 3:58:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, August 06, 2008

How to Be a Manly Man (or, The Art of Manliness)
Posted by Jane

Quick manliness quiz!

What are ten outdated men's fashions that still have charm?
Are the suburbs killing your manhood?
What are the five financial discussions to have before getting hitched?

All this and more you can find over at The Art of Manliness. At HOW Books, we are devoted fans of the site (and all things manly), so we're working with them on a book to release next year. As part of the HOW editorial team's presentation to sales and marketing, we decided it was time to showcase our inner male-ness. (Unfortunately I was in Portland at the time and could not participate.)

From left to right: Editor Melissa Hill, designer Grace Ring, managing editor Amy Schell, HOW magazine senior editor Megan Patrick, and designer Claudean Wheeler.

I'd say we're better than your average Hanz and Franz.

Fun

8/6/2008 4:29:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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WritersDigest.tv
Posted by Jane

This fall, Writer's Digest is launching Writer's Digest TV. Catch a glimpse of what this will be like by viewing these free chats/interviews from ThrillerFest 2008.

General | Getting Published | Industry News & Trends

8/6/2008 3:59:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Recap: Willamette Writers (and My New Philosophy for Pitch Feedback)
Posted by Jane

I am long overdue in sharing some tidbits from my trip to the Willamette Writers Conference last weekend in Portland (Ore.). Here's an overview.

Lunch talk by author Christina Katz
WD author Christina Katz delivered Friday's excellent lunch talk; for me, her message was very much about how a writer's attitude and perspective can greatly affect success, and emphasized the many wonderful ways that writers have it better than ever (more ways to get information, more ways to network with other writers, more ways to see your book sold and promoted in the world, and so on). Read Christina's recap of the conference (which includes a photo of yours truly).

My talk on The World of Sales
Unlike my previous presentations on this topic that only ran 45–60 minutes, this session was a full 90 minutes. I wondered if I would have enough to say to fill the time, but there were many excellent questions from the audience that helped add valuable discussion, and will certainly inspire some future presentations I give. A few topics that really interested writers:

Marketing and publicity efforts by you vs. your publisher. How do you prepare? How do you work with a publicist? Should you hire your own publicist? (The answer is yes.) What does hiring a publicist cost and what can you reasonably expect from a good publicist? FYI: Industry studies have shown that authors who hire publicists do in fact sell more books!
How authors can positively affect sell-through numbers. While your publisher may do an excellent job selling your book INTO stores, those books can be returned at any time, for any reason, resulting in a negative number on your royalty statement! So what can authors do to ensure their books sell THROUGH stores into customer's hands? A lot depends on an author's ability to drive traffic to retail outlets to buy books (that is: marketing platform). Think about how you reach readers and how you can grow your direct contact with your readership.
How authors can find book sales numbers. Unfortunately, you can't. There is a service, Nielsen Bookscan, that tracks book sales through most trade channels (bookstores), but this service is only available to publishers and other members of a fairly exclusive club. You can, however, check a book's copyright page to see what printing it's in. If it's been reprinted many times and it's not very old/dated, that's a sign of a good-selling book. You can also tell how successful a book is by how many copies a chain bookstore stocks at any given time. The more copies on the shelf, the better it sells.
How often do authors earn out their advance? Actually, no one asked this question during the session, but I did get it afterwards, and it's a very popular topic. I see varying statistics in the industry (e.g., as few as 10% of authors earn out), but definitely the large majority of authors do NOT earn out their advance. That means whatever you're paid upfront is all you will ever receive—no royalties!

My New Philosophy for Pitch Feedback
Most of my conference time was spent taking appointments with writers who were interested in pitching a book for F+W Media. For the most part, the pitches were solid, though most people aren't as familiar with the F+W list as I would like (otherwise they would be spinning their concepts in a different way).

After this three-weekend conference extravaganza of pitches and critiques, I've learned something valuable about giving feedback to authors on nonfiction book concepts. Here it is.

I know my F+W categories so intimately that as soon as I hear an idea (within 5 seconds), I know if it's viable, at least on the surface. I know if it's a marketable idea given our strengths or market position at F+W.
HOWEVER: If I don't think an idea will work, I should NOT respond by saying: "No, that won't work for us" or "That won't sell" (which sparks: "But I know so many people who need this book" or "Everyone tells me this is a great idea" or "I know I could sell it.").
Instead, my strategy is this: "Let's discuss what's selling in this category right now." Or: "Let's discuss the audiences that F+W can reach right now and how this book could target them." Or: "If that title were on our list at F+W, it would need to overcome these market challenges."

This accomplishes three very important things:

First, it gives people hope, as well as thoughtful consideration from me, that their idea could potentially work. No one, no matter how professional, wants to hear a "no" five seconds after an idea is uttered. It's kind of like: Let's give love a chance here.
It focuses discussion on the market for the idea rather than the idea itself. This might seem like a small difference, but it's a crucial one. By doing this, no one is saying the idea isn't workable or valuable. We're talking about how the market works, and if there's a big enough market—or if F+W can even reach the intended market. It helps the author think about the project in terms of audience, instead of just their gem of an idea (which they're likely passionate about, and should be!).
Finally, this helps educate the prospective author about F+W, about the category, and what typically works in the market. We all want to be successful, right? No author wants a book to be published that only sells a handful of copies. Plus, a discussion like this, with the right information or examples, usually spark ideas for how the author could spin the topic to make it appropriate for our list.

Finally, keynote speaker Marc Acito rode a bike through Saturday night's banquet! Video below. See his blog post here.

Conferences/Events | Getting Published | Industry News & Trends | Marketing & Self-Promotion

8/5/2008 5:15:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Elvis Storm Troopers, Robots, and Indiana Jones All Agree
Posted by Jane

One of our HOW Books authors, Stefan Bucher, attended Comic-Con and was able to secure a few wonderful endorsements for 100 Daily Monsters, from, ah, celebrities, for example:

Click here to see his full report (and photo library).

Fun | New Titles From F+W

8/5/2008 4:31:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 04, 2008

Werewolves Reciting Sonnets?
Posted by Jane

We've recently succeeded in sparking more Zombie Haiku interest: BoingBoing pointed to the book's trailer, which, if you haven't seen, is a cool little production!

My favorite comment on the BoingBoing posting:

Wow. Now we just need werewolves reading sonnets and I'm set!

Fun | New Titles From F+W

8/4/2008 4:06:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Writer's Market Mentioned on Good Morning America
Posted by Jane

This just in (thank you, Grace)!: On Good Morning America this morning, there was an interview with author Stephanie Meyer about her latest book. At the end of the interview, they asked her a question about writing/publishing a novel, and she mentioned Writer’s Market as a great resource. Here’s a video clip of it (it happens around the –1:30 mark): http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5487417

Writer's Market editor Robert Brewer comments:

You heard it: "Writer's Market IS a great resource."

I am surprised, however, that the conversation didn't shift focus at that exact point from Meyer to Writer's Market. A good interviewer would've interrupted saying something like, "Whoa-whoa, Stephanie--Writer's Market?!? Here let me get my pen out; can you give us all the URL on that? (pause) And one more time for the folks at home? Thanks, Stephanie. And tomorrow, we'll be bringing you an interview with the folks from Writer's Market." I mean, that's how I would've handled it. ;)

General | New Titles From F+W

7/31/2008 3:14:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Interview With Faculty Chair of Vermont MFA Program
Posted by Jane

Here at Writer's Digest, we have been extremely fortunate to work with the faculty chair of the Vermont MFA program, David Jauss, to publish his writing instruction (or non-instruction) book, Alone With All That Could Happen. It is a lovely book that I hope gets the attention it so richly deserves. (In early 2009, we're also publishing a collection of essays from the Vermont MFA faculty called Words Overflown By Stars.)

For those who aren't aware, the Vermont MFA program (a low-residency program for creative writers) was ranked one of the best in the country by Atlantic magazine. So we're particularly excited about the partnership.

In any case, the whole purpose of this post is to let you know of a terrific 30-minute interview with David Jauss with Shelagh Shapiro, for her show called "Write the Book" on WOMM-LP 105.9 FM (Burlington, Vermont). It's available for free as a podcast through iTunes, or you can visit the show online and listen here: Write the Book podcast (July 26).

Craft & Technique | New Titles From F+W

7/30/2008 2:53:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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On the Road: Willamette Writers Conference
Posted by Jane

Tomorrow I'm departing for Portland, Oregon, to speak and take appointments at the Willamette Writers Conference. Lots of frenetic energy and familiar faces at Willamette, and I'm very much looking forward to catching up with authors new and old. The WD-related highlights:

My Session: The World of Sales (Or: It's All About the Numbers)
Once again I deliver the facts about how books are sold (and returned) on a national level.

"Never a Better Time to Be a Writer"
WDB author Christina Katz is Friday's lunch speaker! I'm finishing up production on her book for this fall, Get Known Before the Book Deal. She's also presenting "Your Roadmap to the Nonfiction Book Writing Process."

"Writing a Killer Mystery" and "Plotting Crime Fiction"
WDB author Hallie Ephron (Writing & Selling the Mystery Novel) demystifies the art and artifice of mystery writing. Her Killer Mystery workshop is so popular and helpful it's being offered twice during the weekend. She's also participating on a panel that I've seen her organize at other conferences, "Why I Stop Reading," which is not to be missed!

"Toning Your Poetry for Power and Precision"
WDB author Sage Cohen (Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming in 2009 from WDB) offers tips on poetry revision.

"Getting at the Gold in Your YA Novel"
WDB author Laura Whitcomb (Your First Novel) offers advice in the young adult genre and marketplace. Laura is at work on a second book for WDB, due to release in 2009: Novel Shortcuts: Ten Techniques That Ensure a Great First Draft.

"Fiction's Balancing Act" and "Corpses, Cliffhangers, and Other Remedies for Pacing"
WDB author Jessica Morrell (Between the Lines and the very new Bullies, Bastards, and Bitches) offers her always enlightening and in-depth fiction writing wisdom.

Finally: WD's very own Chuck Sambuchino (editor of Guide to Literary Agents) will be in attendance, delivering manuscript critiques and presenting two workshops, "Everything You Need to Know About Agents" and "Building Your Freelance Portfolio."

Always love to meet people who are reading this blog, so say hello when you see me wandering the halls of the Sheraton in search of coffee, chocolate, or an evening nightcap.

Conferences/Events

7/30/2008 10:14:15 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Time to Get a Tattoo?
Posted by Jane

I don't have any body art or tattoos. I don't even have my ears pierced. But the following site does inspire: a photo gallery of literary tattoos. Lots of e.e. cummings, Vonnegut, Plath, and (strangely?) Little Prince.

A few memorable ones (from, in order, Theodore Isaac Rubin, e.e. cummings, and Kerouac):

Fun

7/28/2008 5:52:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Finding Books You Like: Start at Page 69
Posted by Jane

Time for lighter fare! The Guardian (UK) has a charming article on the theory that it's possible to choose books you love by first reading Page 69. (Read the article here.)

I will now test this theory on a few recent releases from HOW, TOW, and Writer's Digest.

Zombie Haiku

Falling with the group,
by the time I get to her,
all that's left is hair.

Always be careful
when you're biting teeth with teeth.
Dead teeth tend to lose.

I push with my chin,
a better biting angle,
into her shoulder.

So You Want to Be President?

Long May Iowa and New Hampshire Reign! Primary Scenario 1

Regardless of the reasons why, everything is riding on the battle for these two states. Taking heed of legendary former House Speaker Tip O'Neill's maxim that "all politics is local," the first part of this challenge will ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of Iowa and New Hampshire. Decide whether each statement applies to New Hampshire or Iowa (or one of the other choices … you get the idea).

1. My motto is "live free or die."
A. Iowa
B. New Hampshire
C. Tony Hawk
D. Other

Answer: B (Tony Hawk is a good guess, but he isn't a state.)

Fiction Writer's Workshop, 2nd Edition

Epiphany should not be confused with a trick ending. For example, if you write a st ory in which a young woman looks forward to getting together with a man, giving this the appearance of a date, and then, in the last line of the story, it turns out that the man is her dad—and that's the whole point—you are not making an epiphany. The main character knew it all along, and the writer chose to hide this information to surprise us later. Now, this may be charming, but it's cheap. The character must come upon some genuine discovery.

Fun | New Titles From F+W

7/28/2008 3:57:01 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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