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Taking baby steps toward publication

Writing a book! Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Long hours hunched over a keyboard, pouring your blood, sweat, and tears onto the computer screen -- or if you are like me, hours spent with a notebook and favorite pen in hand writing and scratching out ideas.

A book is a dauting task, it's probably not as hard as, say, scaling Mount Everest, but it's pretty close. My suggestion, why not blog about it?

Granted, you don't want to give away the farm when it comes to blogging about your book but you could post bits and pieces of it-- play around with concepts. Blogging is a baby step that could help you 1) get into the habit of writing, 2) get your words out to readers and possibly gain you some feedback a) another bonus to that is to build a buzz about your work, 3) you would build momentum in your writing.

I guarantee that after 21 days, your writing would become habit and hopefully you would be teasing yourself enough with the daily writing habit that the idea of sitting down to write Chapter 1 wouldn't seem so difficult a task.

It's all about the marketing

Many authors think that once they have written a book the work is done. In reality the work is just beginning. You have to become a marketing maven (or the male equivalent!) and learn to embrace the art of shameless self promotion.

In a recent post, Angela Hoy writes about the need for promoting and marketing ones' own book once it hits the streets. Sure, your mother and significant other and family members will know you've written a book, but will your boss? Your banker? The person who pumps your gas? It's quite likely they won't... unless you tell them.

Before I published my first book I was a bit shy about telling people that I was a writer for the True Romance Magazine (published by Dorchester) but once I held that mag in my hands, I was thrilled and told everyone. I carried that magazine around with me until the next issue came out with my story in it. The pages are ragged from being put in and out of my purse, but I want people to know I am a writer and once they know, I want to be prepared to show them something that I have published if they ask. Well, sometimes even if they don't ask I will show them. Even two years after the publication of my baby name book, I still carry a copy around in my car.

I am a writer and I am proud of it. If you have published a book, you have to take pride in it and use it as your business card. Someone may have said it before, but Yvonne DiVita, CEO of Windsor Media continually tells her authors that their book is their business card. It certainly makes a more lasting impression than a bit of cardboard with your name on it.

A restrospective on printing

I was pointed in the direction of a post on the history of printing by Yvonne Divita of WME Books. It was a fascinating little piece -- complete with pictures that detailed the history of printing.

I urge you go to take a peek. Hhhhmm wonder where we will be 20  years from now!

Amazon Bullying POD Writers and Publishers Unfairly

This news is circulating the net as I write, and no one seems to know how true it really is. The report came to me via Twitter, where someone mentioned Angela Hoy's article, "Amazon.com Telling POD Publishers - Let BookSurge Print Your Books, or Else..."

I hopped over to see what the hullabaloo was about and, frankly, I'm shocked! WHY would Amazon do such a thing? Is it possible they feel they're being left out of the POD profits the big guys like Lulu and Blurb make? I cannot believe that. Is it that...they're the 800lb Gorilla in the room so...they figure they can do what they want? (IMHO, we all know what eventually happens to bullies...)

From Angela's report, "Some Print on Demand (POD) publishers are privately screaming "Monopoly!" while others are seething with rage over startling phone conversations they're having with Amazon/Booksurge representatives. Why isn't anybody talking about it openly? Because they're afraid - very, very afraid." Um...afraid of what, Angela? Getting shut out of Amazon? They aren't the only game in town...

Over at TechCrunch, the comments section is flowing with a dozen different opinions on this issue. Self-published authors who have printers they trust, POD printers, are furious. Other commenters are curious - about the truth of it all. And still others are calling for an Amazon boycott.

Workboxers at B5Media quotes Angela, but also has links to others who quote the Wall Street Journal article.

I like PaidContent's title, "Amazon Tightens Noose on Print-On-Demand Publishers; Insists They Use Company's Own Service." To quote from that article, "Here's how an Amazon spokesperson sees it: 'What we're looking to do is have a print-on-demand business that better serves our customers and authors. When we work with some other publishers, it's not truly a print-on-demand business."

What!?! Creating hardship for authors is good customer service? What if I don't want to use YOUR POD service, Amazon? What if my brother or uncle or sister runs a great POD shop and I want to use him or her? What gives YOU the right to call them "not truly a print-on-demand business?" (please don't pull the 'self-published books aren't professional' whine out of your hat - that's as patently untrue as assuming books published by the big boys are all literary masterpieces!)

What IF... POD publishers and authors just move all their content to Barnes and Noble?

That's what's being whispered (sometimes quite loudly) across the net. I have to agree.. If you're a self-published writer and you are happy with the POD printer you're working with, why not move your business to Barnes and Noble? Amazon can have the BookSurge authors. All the rest of us will use our God-given American right to CHOOSE the print-on-demand publisher we want, and we'll get our books distributed at B&N, and independent book stores and a good number of online venues.

In the end, if we don't stand up for ourselves, who else will?

Start the love of books early

As part of my "other life" I am involved with Writers and Books, a literary center in Rochester, NY and this month everyone is celebrating the "If All of Rochester Read the Same Book" events. No matter the topic, readers from across the area come together and share their love of reading when they attend events, readings and eventually the big wrap up with the "Meet The Author" dinner event -- the dinners are topical events based on the location of the book -- in this case -- it is a Moroccan feast.

The "If All..." event always gets me thinking of the pleasant hours I spent reading to my children when they were little. It was one of the most cozy times of the day, snuggling down under the covers, flipping pages in a dimly lit bedroom -- this video brought back those memories.

When you are thinking of your own reading material, pick up a book for your kids. Hey, mine are 15 and 22, they may not want to snuggle down under the covers but I can always "force" them to sit on the couch and listen to a line or two from a book or magazine I am reading... at this stage, I will take what I can get! lol

Here's a fun little video from Kevin at BloggerRelations to check out.

The right tools

Many times I sit and ponder if I would be more creative with a journal, curled up in a comfortable chair, pencil clutched in my fingers writing away or if I can get more done (with less internal editing) simply by sitting with my fingers on a keyboard.

When I first started out I worked at a newspaper and the hardest thing for me to do was sit down in front of the keyboard sweating blood, trying to get my article filed before deadline. I had been so accustomed to taking my leisurely time with my jottings -- meandering along from beginning to end.

It took me a few months to be comfortable "writing on the fly" and I found that I was able to do it IF I had the lead sentence in my mind before I sat down. Once that perfect (or almost perfect) first sentence was prepared, the rest of the article flowed and because I type so quickly, I get much more done when behind a keyboard and I also find that my internal editor takes some time off. The reason the internal editor may slink away is because in my twisted reasoning, putting something on a compute document doesn't really seem "permanent" (even though I have the auto save set for every 10 seconds!). Putting pen to paper, for me lately, seems indelible -- the words are out there for all the world to see (even if it is only for my eyes) and it is like something I can't take back once I've written it down. It's more labor intensive to erase than it is to hit the backspace key.

So, what is your favorite tool? Does your writing output improve with one or the other?

Being with "my own kind"

Sometimes I find that when I come home from being with writers -- aka "my own kind" -- I am inspired to write. Just being around creative people who are talking about their own projects, struggles to get moving, or lack of time to write gets my creative juices flowing.

At times jealousy sets in such as when my friend, JT, announces, "I had a story idea, I am seven chapters into it and know which publisher I am going to send it to when it's finished." And the topper? She says she will finish it within the next two weeks. I love her, but I am so jealous of her writing output. Instead of bemoaning the fact that she is writing and I am not, I figure, "I'm going to show her!" and I do. I sit down and write. Her success (and output) spurs me toward putting my fingers to the keyboard. If she can do it, so can I is the mindset with which I share her success.

When I come home from my writers group, Ink Spots and Coffee Grounds every month, I want to write. Part of the reason is because I am inspired to have been around writers and part of the reason is because each month we have to announce our writing goals. If nothing else, I am driven to complete a task if I have to say it out loud.

Bottom line, I think is to set outside of your house (or if that isn't possible) or find an on line writers group -- there are as many groups as there are writers and connect with people who can inspire and motivate your writing.

Breaking it down

I was listening to my local NPR station the other day and they were talking to the creators of SMITH Magazine and the "six word memoir" project they had started and I was fascinated listening to peoples' stories. Some were laugh out loud funny others gave me pause because they were either sad or really gave me an a-ha! moment.

The project was born from the legend that has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

While I am too wordy to write my memoir in six words or less, the idea of it has been rolling around in my head since I read about it. It is a challenge I will pass along to writers in the groups that I lead. The six words can be used (I think) to either write your own life story or even to succinctly describe a book project you are working on. Everyone hears about the elevator speech you should have prepared in the event you run into an editor in an enclosed space (please, though, not the restroom!).

Try it. Take the idea you have for a book, memoir, novel, nonfiction project and try to break it down to its most basic parts -- six words... try ten words if you need it. Think about it, though, if you know what your book is about in such minute detail, you really have your focus narrowed down and you are ready to begin writing!

Blog to Book to Blog

And back again.

The intersection of print and online publishing is where we live (WME Books, WME Blogs). So we are very proud and excited to share this conversation from our blog-buddy Toby Bloomberg's blogtalkradio show entitled Creating and Promoting Books with Social Media/Web 2.0. Toby's guests (she calls them rock stars) are book publicist Nettie Hartsock and our own Sybil Stershic, who blogs at Quality Service Marketing and wrote Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care.

Just click the play button and get ready to learn.

Note: Because there is so much great information in the show covering both book- and blog-related topics, I'm going to cross-post this on A-ha! and WME Blogs, so please forgive. I think you'll want to listen to it more than once anyway ... and take notes!

Toby also blogged about the show and provided lists of tips from both Nettie and Sybil. Here's a taste:

Nettie: "Ask not what a blogger can do for you, ask how you, your book or your product can benefit the blogger and its readership ..."

Sybil: [on applying the "3 Rs" from her book to how authors should treat reviewers] "Reinforce their helping you with appropriate reciprocity (such as linking to their blog or website on your blog)."

There's more on Toby's blog and much more in the interview, so I'll get out of the way.

Note 2: In the interest of full disclosure (and maybe a little shameless self-promotion), Sybil is one our authors and her book is one of our best sellers since it's release last October. And she REALLY "gets" the whole blog to book to blog marketing concept.

We also have a connection to blogtalkradio, John Havens (VP of Business Development). John is co-authoring a book on business transparency with another of our clients, Shel Holtz, for Jossey-Bass and it's IABC book series. WME is acting as their agents.

Building a buzz

Writing a book is only half the work. Once you are done, then the real work begins... spreading the word and getting people to read the words you labored over.

Sandra Beckwith, a good friend of ours here at A-ha! is hosting an online book publicity workshop. It starts February 4, so there is no time to waste.

Sandra says, "Got a book coming out you want to hype? Has your publisher’s publicist moved on to other projects? Do you have a book in stores that you know deserves more media attention than it’s getting? Are you working on a proposal that would benefit from a better understanding of what you can do to promote your book? You need 'Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz.'"

The class is taught by Sandra Beckwith, a recovering award-winning publicist; publisher of the free e-zine Build Book Buzz; and author of three books, including two on publicity  topics. 

·        How to create a book publicity blueprint you’ll be excited about

·        The single secret most authors don’t know about generating ongoing media exposure

·        The most effective and cost-efficient publicity tactics

·        How to generate buzz online using virtual book tours and other techniques

·        Radio and TV producer hot buttons

·        How to bring an energizing new level of creativity to your publicity efforts

Students receive instructional materials and resources and complete weekly assignments that help them discover how easy it is to create book buzz. Student interaction on the forum enhances the learning experience by offering fresh perspectives and new ideas for all participants while instructor guidance and input takes your work to the next level. A free-for-all Q&A corner lets students get answers to questions not covered in the course materials, making this a highly-personalized learning experience for nonfiction and fiction authors.

Registration is $179.

Registration is limited to 20 students.

Register at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/workshops/book-publicity.htm; send course inquiries to Beckwith at sb@buildbookbuzz.com.