Are you undervaluing your book?

June 27, 2012

I know, I know, you’re looking at me in horror. “Undervalue my BOOK? Are you barking mad?”

Of course, we all believe our books are fabulous things that are worthy of high praise, oodles of money, and undying love from fans all over the world. Not talking about that, though. I’m talking about something deeper, which involves underestimating your book’s potential. This comes from not looking at your book through a marketing prism.

Case in point; I met an author at a writer’s conference who’d written a personal journey about her addiction and how it had impacted her family. The thing that made it noteworthy is that the book included her daughter’s perspective as well. Interesting concept, sez I, it’s a big book.

Blink blink. Big book?

Absolutely. Any editor who signs you is looking down the road as to the book’s impact on the marketplace. This book is unique because, while there are a jillion addiction books, the commonality drops off when you include addiction from the viewpoint of those who had to suffer through it with you. As such, this book would be great for Alateens and Alanon members. You and your daughter could be doing talks about your experience and offer advice, taken from your book, to help others who are still living the nightmare.

The author blinked again. She admitted that she’d never looked at her book in that way. She was simply writing about her and her family’s experiences.

She undervalued her book. And lots of writers do.

Story vs. Potential

Memoirs get their roots from something happening in someone’s life that’s extraordinary, and he/she decides to write about it. Authors suffer from tunnel vision, in that their entire focus is on the story; not the potential.

I’ll let you in on a poorly-kept secret: Potential is why publishers want a book.

Editors don’t just look at the story itself, they look at how far the book can go, how widely they can market it, and how many audiences will find the book interesting. The bigger the target, the more exciting the potential.

Authors who appreciate this have already taken preliminary steps toward approaching that potential target before the book even sells to an editor. For instance, the author with the addiction book already has an established relationship with AA, so she can easily contact the various groups to discuss her book. She and her daughter can develop a few talks that discuss their hard experiences and the factors that got Mom clean and brought their family back together.

She could also be talking to schools in order to reach out to kids whose parents have an addiction problem, or those kids themselves have more than a passing fancy to the drink. They could talk about the damage that path created from a firsthand perspective. And all of these talks lead right back to her book. If she starts giving talks now, then she has an established platform in which to wow an editor, who will do the happy dance.

The other option is to do nothing, which won’t make a potential editor dance quite as wildly because the author has zero platform, and there isn’t much time in which to establish one.

Fiction

And you novelists aren’t immune to undervaluing your books. It’s true that you don’t need a platform for a novel because, well, your world is fake. However, you’d be hardly kicked out to the curb for having a platform.

I’ve referred to my experiences with the Two Surfer Dudes from time to time because he is such a great example of taking nothing and turning it into something. Long story short, this surfer writer penned a fantasy/SF book whose main characters were surfer dudes – sort of a Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but with some really oddball characters in a funky SF/fantasy setting. In short, a really tough sell.

Predictably, no editor would touch his book. By the time he sat down in my promotion seminar, he was pretty down in the mouth because he’d gone vanity press and realized he’d get zero promotion help or distribution. He ended up making lemonade by capitalizing on his own experiences as a well-known local surfer to launch his book to his potential readership – other surfers.

Because he knew nothing about how books are sold, he’d undervalued his book’s potential by not considering how his personal life could elevate his book’s footprint.

So for your novelists; take a peek at your own lives. Is there something you can pull out from your life that creates a bridge between your story and your target audience? Are you the the cop who writes detective novels? Are you the Reiki Master who writes about a surgeon who incorporates alternative medicine in her practice? Are you a nurse who writes medical romance novels?

If you look inward, it’s possible that you have qualities that will elevate your book from “eh” to “wow!” After all, if a surfer dude can sell a fantasy/SF about two surfer dudes, anything is possible when you take steps to do some serious analysis.

Vision

Analysis takes vision. It means that you’re looking beyond just your story, and envisioning key elements that will attract an audience. Your story is more than just your imagination. It’s a culmination of your experiences, your perspective on how you view the world, and what’s burning in your soul. It’s that literary itch that needs scratching. It’s passion.

If you’re not emotionally attached to your story, then how do plan to advocate its reason-to-be? Even a fun little romantic comedy has deep roots that drive your passion, right? It shouldn’t be a stretch to expand your vision in order to appreciate the value of your book and decide how far you can take it.

I’ve met more than a few authors whose faces were painted with panic when I suggested huge plans for their book. They simply hadn’t taken the time to look at their story’s potential and didn’t understand the vision it takes to go where no book has gone before. Ah, thank you, Capt. Picard.

So take another look at your book and analyze whether you’re undervaluing your little friend. If you are, then maybe you could think about changing course, and go get ‘em!

1 Comment | promotion, writing, writing advice, writing memoirs | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Online presence – is it necessary?

June 26, 2012

The question comes up periodically as to whether it’s absolutely necessary to have an online presence, so I thought I’d break this question down into bite-sized pieces  because, let’s face it, “online” is an oversized beast. You have the usual suspects; Twitter, Facebook, a blog, a website, LinkedIn…and it all begins to overwhelm, right?

So what’s necessary? Or mandatory?

For starters, nothing is mandatory, and no one is putting a stapler to your head and forcing you to make merry with the Internet. However, the question becomes academic when editors are looking at a book contract. The first thing the sales guys ask for is the promo plan. If I come out and say that the writer lives under a rock and barely has running water, they will laugh me out of the zip code.

No Islanders, Please

Not everyone is in touch with their inner hambone, so what do you do if you’re just plain shy? Well, it makes things a lot more challenging for your editor. Gone are the days where one can pull a Hemingway by writing from exotic locales while drinking with the natives, and sell bajillions of books. It’s all about promotion and publicity – and sitting on an island (no matter how intoxicating) won’t let readers know that you and your book exist.

Of course, your editor and promo teams do their bit by blasting your book out to the national accounts, local bookstores, libraries, media, and reviewers. But be aware that no matter how far and wide your publisher blasts your book, sales depend on one thing; the reader who will buy the book, love it, and talk about it. And this is where social media can be a big help because they reach millions of potential readers with a single keystroke.

Connecting with a large audience vs. Hit ‘n Run

It’s not enough to simply start a blog or sign up for a Twitter or Facebook account, blab about your book, and boOm, instant sales. Those of us who have been involved with social media will attest to rolling our eyes at the “Hit ‘n Run” author. These guys do nothing but talk about themselves and their wonderful book, and always include a link to Amazon. They don’t cultivate online relationships and treat those friends like, well, friends. Instead, they barge into TwitterLand or comment on blog posts with the link to their book and a thinly-disguised suggestion to rush to Amazon and buy their book.

They only take; they never give. This isn’t effective social media. Just because people aren’t sitting across the table from you doesn’t mean a departure from social niceties. If you want people to engage with you, you have to give them something to engage with. The more you give of yourself (and I’m not talking about handing out your locker combination), the more people will be attracted to you. Give and Take is much better for your literary career than Hit ‘n Run.

Natural Curiosity

Having an online presence is two-fold; not only are you meeting new people who have the same interests as you, but it’s the main chance for your readers to learn more about you. Now, that may squick you out because you’re a private person, but many readers who love a book have a natural curiosity about the author. A blog, FB, or Twitter account satisfies a reader’s author fix.

You don’t have to reveal your shoe size or true color of your hair (personally, I have no clue about mine, other than I’m sure it involves lots of gray). I know a few very private, shy people who have a lovely online presence because they deflect away from their personal lives. They’re great about interacting with others by asking how they’re doing, did they finally get over the flu, or how’s that broken toe.

It Takes Time

One thing that bothers me when looking at submissions is when the author says they “plan” on getting involved with social media. For starters, this shows me they are true neophytes. You don’t sign up with FB, Twitter, or start a blog and expect instant attention. It takes time…LOTS of time to gain a readership. If you aren’t established now, then the social media promotion doesn’t flip up my Vickie Secrets.

Who Is Reading Me?

Your potential readers, for one. It’s just like what Ma Bell used to sing on their commercials; “Reach out and touch someone.” Only you’re reaching out and touching lotsa peeps. And you never know who may stumble across your blog or Twitter feed. I’ve received many emails from reviewers or journalists who read a blog post or saw my Tweet about a particular book of ours and wanted a review copy.

While at the ALA last Sunday, a librarian told me that she read my tweet about Ann Meyers Drysdale signing copies of her book, YOU LET SOME GIRL BEAT YOU? at the Consortium booth, and wanted to be sure she got her copy because they were planning on ordering for their library. We’ve also received interview requests because of a tweet Annie did. Huzzah to social media.

People of like minds will follow your blog, Twitter feed, or FB page, so it’s important to pander to that crowd. If you wrote a book about inverted belly buttons, then it’s a good idea to focus to the inverted belly button crowd with tweets or blog posts.

Networking is the most valuable friend in the publishing business (well, any business, for that matter), and social media allows you to network on a much larger scale – provided you’re doing it right.

What do I write about?

This is a big ticket item that plagues lots of blogs. The author has no real idea what to write about, so there’s no cohesion…which means, no steady readers. Too many fall into the trap of writing about being writers, which won’t necessarily appeal to those who will buy your book. I’ve noticed many popular author blogs focus on appealing to their readers by writing about their genre and how it mixes with their lives.

Tawna Fensky’s blog is a prime example of this. She’s extremely clever and always manages to incorporate the romance genre and how she views the world through that prism. The result is hysterical because she taps into the most common denominators that many can relate to. I don’t even read romance, but I did buy her book. Multiply that times a whole lotta other people, and you have an author who is going to sell a lotta books…and I can attest to that because I’ve seen her sales on Bookscan.

But Tawna began her blog two years before her book came out. That’s what I mean by planning ahead, knowing what to write about, understanding that lots of influential people could stumble across your blog, and appreciating the natural curiosity of blog readers.

Maintenance: Once Involved, Stay Involved

Is there anything worse than going to someone’s blog and seeing their last post was in June 2011? You can see the cyber cobwebs in the corners. It’s depressing.

If you’re gonna do it, you hafta maintain it…which is laborious, especially blogs. You need to come up with new blog posts all the time, and there are times when the creativity just ain’t working, and the well runs dry. The easy move is to just abandon it. Problem is, it’s easy to stay away, especially if you’ve been blogging for a long time. You need to come up with fun stuff that keeps it entertaining for you, too.

Maintaining your presence, whether it’s through writing a blog or hanging out in Twitter or FB, is about balance between your real life and your online life, so you need to consider how often you’ll blog. Every day or three times a week? You want to avoid losing readers, so it has to be often enough to keep them coming back.

Interaction Schminteraction

Lots of this stuff gets lost in the ether, so it’s a lot of time spent with possibly little rewards. Interaction can be overrated, and if you’re just not into that, then put up a website. This gives your readers someplace to go to find out more about you and your book. It’s a great place for reviews and links to upcoming events, or news articles.

End All, Be All

There are plenty of readers who don’t follow social media and buy books from talking to friends, trolling the bookstore, or reading the newspaper. That’s why it’s important to have a well-rounded promo plan.

In the end, whether you involve yourself in social media is a personal decision. Your editor can’t make you do it (though you’d be insane not to at least have a website), but I’ll wager my margarita budget that they consider your social media involvement (or lack, thereof).

When I’m considering offering a contract, I check the author’s online presence because I know readers will check. It’s great if they already have an active blog with lots of commenters. Personally, I don’t care if they’re on twitter or FB because I’m not wholly convinced those two mediums sell a ton of books.

Conversely, I get a case of butterflies if an author intends to rely solely on social media as their promotion plan because promotion is a multi-pronged attack. It can be a huge benefit (provided it’s done right), but it’s not meant to serve as a replacement from all other promotion.

The end game is this: If you’re going to do social media, do it right. Is it necessary? Depends on your personality, the kind of book you’ve written, and your ability to appeal to your potential readership. It can be a lot of fun or akin to giving the beagle a bath. Tread carefully and mindfully.

8 Comments | promotion, social media | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Winning over an editor – using comparisons to prove your book’s raison d’être

June 25, 2012

Queries can consist of two parts; the pitch and the raison d’être. I like to know what makes your book so fabulous and why readers will rush out to buy it. In order to get that point across, authors often compare their books to movies or other books. The most often-used type of comparison is the, “If readers/movie goers like this, then they’ll like my book,” which, to me, seems like wasted space.

Instead, I suggest using comparisons to elevate your pitch to new heights. Written carefully, they can help us understand which category and readership your book will fit into, and what makes it a “gotta have it.” That said, you need to logically connect the dots between your book and your comparison.

I’m talking about something like this:

Hollywood has a fascination with the developmentally disabled, as witnessed in blockbusters like Forest Gump, I am Sam, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and Rain Man. These box office successes indicate a body of interest in this subject and suggest that people want to know more about these individuals and what makes them tick.  My book  will address this topic by stripping away the glitz and glam of motion pictures to reveal what people in this population experience in reality.

So let me pull this apart and highlight why this didn’t pass my Reason To Be test.

“Hollywood has a fascination with the developmentally disabled.”

I haven’t seen that Hollywood and movie goers have a fascination with the developmentally disabled. They have a fascination with interesting characters and good plots( I can’t believe I just wrote that, given that Adam Sandler movies make gabajillions).

A mentally disabled character adds all kinds of layers to a plot, but I don’t see the marketplace developing a whole sub-genre with books and movies about disabled characters.

How could the author turn this around? What happens in Hollywood isn’t indicative of the reading population, so I would be careful about comparing a book to any movies – especially in this case where the author is trying to convince me that a few movies equates to public interest in disabled characters. Hollywood exists in its own little bubble and has questionable taste in what movies it decides to make.

It would be more advantageous if the author keeps most of the focus on the book; specifically, on the plot because that’s the meat of the book, and the characters are the vehicle that move the plot. The author could use a comparison to pinpoint more specific elements, such as, “The main character is trying to live in a world that sees him differently, which leads to his seclusion, in much the same vein as Character ABC did in Movie XYZ.”

Now I have a much clearer idea of the author’s book and how it specifically compares to the movies.

“These portrayals and their box office successes indicate a body of interest in this subject and suggest that people want to know more about these individuals and what makes them tick.” 

The author draws a conclusion that has no foundation. Readers want a good plot, and just because you inject a disabled character into your story isn’t a guarantee it’ll be any good.

If we saw the same kind of explosion as we have with Vampire Romance, then I’d agree with the author. But we aren’t, so this statement is a stretch.

How could the author turn this around? It could be more helpful to draw specific comparisons that go to the meat and potatoes of your book. “Much like Charlie in Flowers For Algernon, my character begins life unaware of his disabilities and, thanks to a medical breakthrough that’s only temporary, realizes his mental deficiencies separate him from his dreams for a better life.” 

This is far more useful because I have context with the comparison. People aren’t necessarily interested in the disabled, as a whole, but they can definitely wrap their heads around the complexities of a great plot that centers on a character who becomes aware of his disabilities, only to regress back into what he was.

“My book  will address this topic by stripping away the glitz and glam of motion pictures to reveal what people in this population experience in reality.”

This is a throwaway sentence. I understand authors want to convince an editor their book is a cut above everything else. But I wish they would avoid the temptation because it’s all Tell and no Show. Just because you tell me that your book all that doesn’t mean I’ll believe you. You need to Show me with your pitch (this blog is littered with posts on the subject).

It doesn’t matter what Hollywood is doing because this isn’t a screenplay; it’s a book. You can’t compare the visual components of movies to a book. It’s not a selling point. Hollywood pretty much screws up all books, so it’s not news. Best to stick to the proper comparisons…other books.

Your book’s raison d’être needs to convince editors of its unique qualities. Comparisons shouldn’t be undervalued. Oftentimes an author’s pitch can be a bit muddy, but a solidly written comparison of “This equates to that, and here’s why” can be just the ticket to the light bulb turning on above my head.

Have you had a hard time utilizing comparisons?

Leave a Comment » | pitch, premise, query | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Options: Knowing the Best Choice

June 22, 2012

I like options. If I don’t feel like a strawberry margarita, then I can order the beagle to mix up a peach one instead. The same can be said for publishing. Instead of one-stop shopping with commercial publishing, authors have a smorgasbord of choices in which to get their work out to readers.

Recently, I explained to an author that, while I love his writing, the story wasn’t right for us. He wrote back and said no problem; he’d probably just do it himself. Normally, this would make my throat constrict, but he’s achingly experienced and achingly talented, so I have no worries that his endeavor will be a successful one.

In short, this is an author who’s making decisions based on Knowledge, Talent, and Experience, and I adore the fact that he has options. So let’s take a look at those three elements

Knowledge

Years ago, we were car shopping after totaling our car in a horrible accident. The hubs did an amazing amount of research on the various cars he was interested in. He looked at mpg, engine performance, repair frequency. He looked closely at what professional car dudes had to say about each car. This knowledge helped him narrow down the decision. Then he went out and test drove the cars, and decided he loves the Infinity, which has been as loyal and faithful as a puppy.

It’s the same when making publishing decisions. Which option is the most appropriate for you? Obviously, most authors want the brass ring; the Big Six book deal that swells their bank accounts along with millions of adoring fans. At some point, authors need to climb down to terra firma and look at their books without the rose-colored glasses.

Rejection is the great equalizer because it forces authors to come off the mountain of High Hopes.

Case in point; an agent bud of mine has a client with a great book. She queried it out, and a trade press jumped on it and asked for pages. The problem was, the client has visions of the Mega Deal dancing in his head and wanted to wait for that Big Gun pickup. It’s a terrific book and an important book, but it’s not a blockbuster book and, therefore, wouldn’t get nearly the same kind of press, editing, and promotion that the smaller indie press could provide. That book would have been their #1 title for the season, whereas, it might be barely midlist with a Big Gun.

My agent bud was smart and explained the situation to the trade press. They agreed to wait until all the other Big Gun publishers responded. The author was shocked that not one of the Big Guns wanted his book. Because he had no knowledge of the business, his expectations were out of whack. The rejections brought him down from the mountain, and now he’s looking forward to working with that trade press. Wisely, the trade press didn’t want him until he was ready. Nothing’s worse than working with an author who feels like signing with you is a consolation prize.

That author is lucky because he has a good agent guiding him through the query landmines. He’s gonna be more than OK. But what about the unagented author? They are particularly vulnerable when it comes to rejection, so they read the articles from JA Konrath, or his supporters, and believe that if Konrath did it, hey…so can they. So they slap up their DIY e-pubbed book and await their fortunes.

Thing is, Konrath is in an entirely different reality from the unknown neophyte. He based his decisions to go DIY on his knowledge of the industry and what each option could maximize the most success. He also had an established readership when he made the jump to light speed. He knows how to promote and keep himself in the news.

Do you? If you buy a car before knowing anything about it, how do you know you won’t end up with empty pockets due to repair bills?

Talent

I’ll admit that talent is as talent does. It’s subjective, and people will buy books for all kinds of reasons. Look at Fifty Shades of Gray. It’s selling like hotcakes in spite of the general consensus that it’s poorly written. So talent comes in all shapes and sizes.

But there is a fine line separates the Shades anomaly and just plain unsellable and unmarketable drek. And this is what mostly populates the  DIY e-pub world. Authors, who have little knowledge of the industry, receive lots of rejections and decide to simply slap their book up on Amazon as an e-book…when they should be looking at their talent.

Having options is a slippery slope; just because you can doesn’t mean you should. If you never stop to consider your talent, then you’ll continue to write really lousy books, and I’ve seen this so many times that it hurts my heart. We’ve sadly become a people of instant gratification who believes everyone is entitled to whatever they want without having to work for it.

It’s a load of yak droppings. Without standards, how does one gauge excellence? Not everyone deserves to be published, and just because these marvelous options exist doesn’t mean everyone should run to their nearest computer to upload their very green book to Amazon Kindle. DIY e-books (and their physical counterparts – CreateSpace) have been overrun by egos rather than talent, so what constitutes talent has been diluted…hello Fifty Shades of Gray.

On the other hand, if you’re like my author friend, whose talent has been verified many times over via his commercially pubbed books and his sales, then having options for a less-commercial book is like a gift from the Great Cosmic Muffin. And this is where I salute the options we have today. Not every book is commercially viable for a trade press, but that doesn’t mean it’s not marketable. It just means that it’ll appeal to a smaller audience who will love and appreciate a great little book.

Huzzah! Long live talent.

Experience

Absent the hard lessons of experience, it’s difficult to have realistic expectations. Sure, you can research ’til the cows come home, but you haven’t actually lived it, so you still have room for out-of-sync hope.

Experience is what told my author friend that his choice of going DIY with his book was a good one. He knows where the boogie man lives and where Sweet Street is. Furthermore, he has the experience to know how to get to Sweet Street. There is no better teacher than experience. But in order to gain that experience, everyone had to start out as a newbie (opposed to noob) at some point, right?

That’s why Knowledge and Talent are your best guides. When you have those two buddies in your front pocket, you will make decisions that will enhance your writing career, not detract from it. They are the doting aunties who whisper in your ear, telling you that DIY or CreateSpace isn’t a wise choice for you. Yet. Maybe at some point down the line (like my author friend) it will be, but you aren’t yet dry behind the ears.

Take it slow. Open your ears. Fire your ego. Attend writer’s conferences. Ask lots of questions. Research. Visit good writing sites. Join a good writing group who will be kindly honest.

Knowledge, Talent, and Experience are your allies in this crazy industry. Publishing options can be a thrilling experience or a horrendous nightmare. Be sure to analyze which is your best choice.

Leave a Comment » | publishing, self published | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Queries: Avoiding the Dry Runs

June 21, 2012

An editor friend of mine was frustrated and was venting on the phone to me about receiving a query that look interesting, so she wrote to the author asking for a full book proposal and first three chapters; the usual.

The author wrote her back, expressing amazement at how quickly she had replied to his query and…oops…was in the process of taking his 175,000 word manuscript down to a more manageable 100,000 words. All I could do is laugh and tell my bud the author was suffering from The Dry Runs. My bud, being the perv that she is, suggested the author needed some Imodium.

No. Not talking about an intestinal situation, but an authorial one. Dry Runs, also known as Premature Submitulation, is an aberration where authors query out, before they’re actually ready, as a way of gauging industry interest. Problems arise when they find themselves busted if someone actually answers their query with a request for pages because the book isn’t actually query-ready.

It may be bad form to ask, but, what kind of fool logic is that??

How Do You Think This Makes You Look?

First off, you always want to put your best foot forward, which means that you are a professional at all times. If you have an editor interested in seeing your work and your reply is to offer up an “oops,” then how do you think you look in the editor’s eyes? You may as well put up a giant flag that says, “I’m A Noob.”

It sounds rude, I know, but it may be helpful to put yourself in an agent’s or editor’s shoes. We have LOTS of queries coming in. There are more authors and manuscript than there are publishing houses to publish them. With the plethora of wonderful books, it’s a buyer’s market, which means that we have our pick of the litter.

If you’re busy doing a dry run and get caught, then you risk alienating the editor who caught you because you’ve already admitted you’re “not ready,” which begs the question, “So when will you be ready, and do I trust you?” It’s not a way to make friends and influence others. For instance, my editor bud will accept those pages from Mr. Dry Run, but she’s already run cold with the author and expects to reject him.

There is never any rush to query, so why not take your time; sit on your manuscript for some time, let it marinate. Then come back to it and reevaluate whether it’s ready. Because, really, dry runs suck stale Twinkie cream.

3 Comments | premature submitulation, query | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Goals – a matter of priorties and keepin’ it real

June 19, 2012

“I will write 1,000 words a day!”

“I will find an agent in six months!”

“I will have a book deal in six months!”

It’s easy to make goals like these, but it might make more sense to understand the steps it takes to reach those goals. After all, how can you find an agent if you don’t know how to find one? A good one? They don’t grow on trees. In order to capture an agent’s attention, you have to write a fabulous book.

It’s great to write 1,000 words a day, but how much do you understand about the technique of writing? You can write 1,000 words a day of unprintable bantha fodder, and you’d be no closer to that book deal because book deals don’t grow on trees, either.

Perhaps it would be more helpful/beneficial to have some layers to those goals that will alter the author’s landscape, and not just be a temporary quick fix. So here’s what I came up with :

I’ll spend the next six months learning more about writing

This is a step toward being more successful. I’ve seen authors bang out manuscripts, and none of them are ready for prime time because the authors continue to recreate the same mistakes. If you don’t understand POV switches, then every book you write will have them. It takes a deft hand to do POV switches where the reader won’t look for strong rafters in which to hang themselves. Or you.

If you don’t understand Backstory, then your stories could all be bloated codfishies that kill the pace and flow of your story.

If you don’t understand Character Development, then you could be repeating the same cardboard characters in every book you write.

Many new writers don’t know what they don’t know, and that is a recipe bound for frustration. So make it a goal to learn the craft of writing.

I will define my readership and learn how/where to find them

It’s frustrating to ask an author who they perceive as their audience, only to be told, “Oh, this book is for everyone.” It’s a sure sign they haven’t taken the time to consider who their potential readers are because I can guarantee that the book isn’t for “everyone.” Dig deeper. Are they women? Men? Adults? What age? What demographic? The more concise you can be, the easier it is to find and target them. Are they in colleges or medical buildings? Elementary schools or national foundations?

And here’s the kicker; you may THINK you know who your audience is, and you could be wrong. I discovered that firsthand with my novel. I was sure the alternative care healers would lap up my book like the beagle does with good tequila. So I targeted them heavily. Crickets. Freaking crickets. Conversely, the last group I ever expected to touch my book was the medical community. They ate it up. Lurved it.

Go figure.

If I had to do it over again, I would have tested both communities before the book was pubbed, to see where I got the most response. After publication, I would have spent my time targeting that group.

This has happened with books we’ve pubbed as well. What we think, and what is can be two different things. Make it a goal to define in detail who is your readership.

I will figure out my platform

The time to gear up your platform isn’t two weeks before your book comes out. Given a choice as to what books to buy, bookstore genre buyers look for the authors who have the most going for them. Do they have a strong internet presence? Do they have a column in a magazine or newspaper? Are they active on the speaker circuit? All of these considerations go into the decision-making as to whether a genre buyer will pick up a book for their stores.

The louder the squeak, the more grease you’ll get. Have a platform you can share with your editor and publicity team. It makes our jobs so much easier…and fun.

I vow to learn about the publishing industry

This is especially important if your intention is to have a career in writing. If you don’t know about the industry, how can you expect to know what decisions are advantageous to your literary future?

Unrealistic Expectations:  Understanding the industry helps prevent unrealistic expectations. There are things publishers can and can’t do, and it’s vital to your sanity to know the difference. Unless you wrote the Harry Potter series or The Hunger Games series, your book won’t be in every store. Knowing this will ensure that you don’t run screaming to your editor; WHY ISN’T MY BOOK IN EVERY STORE?? The sheer hurricane force of that question is enough to rip off the rugs of bald men in a 50-mile radius, and blow out the lungs of your editor.

Hello, Oprah?:  Understanding the industry will put a realistic face on how publicity works, which means you understand why the Today Show won’t have you on their show, but perhaps a local NPR station will.

Book Events:  Understanding the industry will put a realistic face on how event planning works. So if it’s Friday night and you just found out the CRM from a bookstore failed, for whatever demonic reason, to get your books in time for your upcoming book event, you won’t insist they open up the warehouse in Reno on a Saturday so they can get the books in time.

This will not happen. Ever. Instead, you’ll always call a week before your event (or whoever scheduled your event for you) to make sure the books are really there. Furthermore, you’ll have a box of books in your trunk just in case someone flubs up. And it happens. And yes, it ages everyone at least five years.

We recently had a case where the CRM got mixed up with his events, and told publicity that the books were in the store when, in truth, they weren’t going to arrive until the day after the event. You’ve never seen an editor vent her spleen as I did when I had to drive an hour away to deliver books and save that guy’s bacon and my author’s media-laden event. Hence, books in trunk = good idea.

I will learn what constitutes a good agent

This is an important goal and much more realistic than simply saying “I want an agent.” Thar be lotsa agents who aren’t an appropriate choice.

Don’t Be a Guinea Pig:  For instance, is it a wise idea to give your nonfiction to an agent who has normally sold Fantasy/SF? Answer: NO.  You don’t want to be anyone’s guinea pig. You want an agent who is established in the genre you write.

Case in point; I knew an agent who was repping fiction – commercial, mostly. He was just getting started and signed up a slew of fiction writers…and made zero sales. So he decided to start repping nonfiction and ended up orphaning almost all of his fiction writers. They were understandably bitter because some had been with him for at least a year. In that time, he poisoned the waters by querying editors and getting rejections, which meant few agents would be willing to take on those authors because there were few places left to query.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Contract Negotiations:  Contract negotiations are a ticklish adventure if you don’t know what you’re doing…or your agent doesn’t know what they’re doing. Good agents know what to negotiate, how to negotiate it, and when to back off from a hot button issue. Believe it or not, it’s not always about the advance.

Earth, Calling Brain:  Good agents know how to read a royalty statement. Seems silly, right? But we worked with an agent many years ago who had no clue how to read our royalty statement. We have one of the easiest, clearest statements around, and the fact that we had to literally walk her through Math 101 was fodder for the water-cooler crowd, along with feeling infinitely sorry for the author.

A good agent is your and our best friend.

Hopefully, these goals will produce more thoughtful consideration to your writing future. Do you have other goals that will invite more success?

4 Comments | goals, publishing | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Ultimatums – a double-edged sword

June 18, 2012

From an agent: “A publishing contract has been offered on this manuscript, so please get back to me soon if you’re still interested.”

It’s a common enough  occurrence in our world, and when these come in, I drop what I’m doing to take a look at the submission to see if I want to jump into the fray. In the back of my mind, I’m thinking about the other publisher in terms of who can provide a better publishing experience for the author. But there are times when I wonder if that other publisher actually exists, and this is merely a ploy to get editors to respond more quickly.

It’s effective, to say the least, but it’s incredibly irritating if I suspect it’s a ruse. That happens when I get the “hurry up, or you’ll lose out” email, I express interest in the submission, and suddenly, we have all the time in the world. Instead of mere hours or days, I’m granted weeks to read and respond. In response, I apologize for my tardiness and express hope that I’m not holding up “the contract offer.” Oh no, the agent gushes, we’re good…take your time.

Hmm.

All’s fair in love and publishing, but it irritates me because I detest dishonesty. The agent is basically saying, “I’m not willing to wait my turn for an answer, so I’m going to jump to the front of the line by any means.” Hello, fake contract offer.

I get it because agents are looking out for their client’s best interests. But what does it say about them if they unintentionally expose their hand? I will remember them, and I will distrust them immediately. And where does that put you if they are your agent?

I had a recent experience where an agent sent me the ultimatum email. I looked at the query and was only quasi interested, so I decided to let it go. I emailed the agent explaining that I had only received the query two weeks before and hadn’t had a chance to read it yet. I closed by wishing her and her client best of luck with her new contract. The agent wrote back almost immediately giving me an open-ended time frame to review the work. What about the other publisher, I asked? I mean, surely they won’t hang on forever. I certainly won’t – not without an explanation. No worries, the agent replied.

Either the agent is dumber than a box of rocks, or the other contract offer is abysmal – or there is no contract offer. What’s worse, is the agent doesn’t realize these thoughts are running through my head and, therefore, doesn’t realize she’s weakening her position with me. Yes, it can be a silly dance, and there’s nothing you can do about it, unless you’re aware of it.

But I’ve been seeing agentless authors doing the same thing; they sing the “get it while it’s hot,” only to grant me endless weeks of review once I express interest. So sure, the ruse works, but it leaves a sticky film on my tongue because I wonder what other lengths you’re willing to go to get what you want. Does this portend someone who will be difficult to work with?

Thankfully agents I’ve suspected of pulling this trick aren’t the respected, top-notch agents. Rather, it’s agents who are new or don’t make many solid sales. If they act like a used-car salesman, how can they expect to climb to the top? If your work is achingly fabulous, it’s going to attract attention, and you (or your agent) need not resort to parlor tricks. Instead, just hang in there. One thing editors don’t have a lot of is time, and we appreciate those who are patient.

Besides, Karma is a beast just aching to dangle your participle. Be honest. If you’re going to deliver a fake ultimatum, you need to be prepared to suffer the consequences that the editor will see right through you.

2 Comments | agents behaving badly, authors behaving badly, query | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Public Speaking – Tapping Into Your Inner Hambone

June 15, 2012

In light of my post on how to best pitch your seminar to the Ms. Head Bananas of the world, I thought I’d talk a bit more about seminars and public speaking, in general.

Promotion is key to gaining a readership, and one of the effective ways of doing this is public speaking. It’s not for everyone and can be an acquired taste. But it also makes an impact because it’s the only place where potential readers can see you in all your gorgeiosity. They can see your passion and your humor – and trust me, this goes a LONG way to making a sale. I’ve seen great speakers sell out of really crappy books. Conversely, I’ve seen really crappy speakers not sell a single copy of a fabulous book.

So the advice here is, do public speaking if it really floats your boat.

Why Do a Seminar?

Well, for starters, you do a seminar because you have information to impart, and it’s pretty easy to find a place that will give you the platform in which to get that message out. Bookstores are a logical choice, since they’ll sell your book for you after you’ve spoken to your adoring masses. But there are plenty of other places, as well. Consider your readership and figure out where and how to gather them together in a single venue. A captive audience is one who will buy your book.

Topic seems to be a sticking point for a lot of authors – what is my message when I write romance/fantasy/SF/mystery/thriller/historical fiction? I’ve often used the example of Mr. Two Surfer Dudes because he’s a shining example of how to take something from seemingly-nothing and create a wonderful platform for his books. Now that was a gent who really found his inner hambone.

Your message is key. It should teach something, enlighten, or inspire. Nonfiction is pretty much a no-brainer in the seminar department – but even nonfiction writers can miss the mark. They are so close to their book that, oftentimes, they fail to see the marketable qualities that can be pulled out and discussed in a seminar. This is why it’s vital to discuss this with your editor and/or their marketing guys. They have ideas bursting out their pores.

Booking an Event

Bookstores and libraries are more apt to book an author for a signing if they have a talk because they have more to promote than just your book. Which poster would entice you to attend a book event:

Come to a booksigning for Alana Banana, author of If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Time For Margaritas

or

Come listen to author Alana Banana discuss her book, If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Time For Margaritas - a humorous look at bar drinks from around the US. Alana will discuss which cocktails are better, why a single cocktail will add years to your life, and why rum is considered nectar of the gods.

The second blurb is meant to pull in readers who would be interested in a book of this nature, along with learning something.

Consider your book, even if its fiction. Is there something you can pull out that would make for an interesting talk? Back when I doing promotion for Donovan’s Paradigm, I wanted to get readers thinking because that’s an extension of my book. So I had a talk that asked the question, “Do you think your doctor’s beliefs influence the way they treat you?”

It was an intriguing question that brought in readers to hear what blasphemy I had to say. It made for a lively give and take with the audience, which I adored. And they always bought the book.

I”m Shy

Many authors would rather swallow hollow-point bullets than speak in front of an audience, so perhaps doing Skype talks or blog interviews is more your thing. The important consideration is to allow readers to “see” you, to get a feel for who you are. You may not think you’re terribly fascinating (ask my kids; they think I’m as dull as an English muffin), but your readers don’t, and they appreciate the opportunity to hear what you have to say.

In this business, shyness is a buzzkill.

Analyze Your Personality

Writing a book is no longer a matter of, “If you write it, they will come.” They won’t. With all the distractions in our lives, it’s easy to get lost among the white noise, which means that we all have to work harder to be heard. That also means that editors love an author who isn’t afraid to get out and show their pretty faces.

Take the time to analyze yourself; what kind of promotion are you comfortable doing? Personally, as hambone-y as I am, I will bathe in engine grease rather than do a booksigning event because it’s so hit or miss.

Even if I have a great talk planned, there’s no guarantee that anyone will show up. To counter that, I contact my potential audience. In Donovan’s Paradigm’s case, I sent out flyers to local nursing groups, alternative care clinics, and doctor’s clinics. The last thing I wanted to do is talk to the one guy who came in for the free water and cookies. At that, planning doesn’t equal success.

But dollars to doughnuts, I can attest that I always sold far more books after making public appearances. Yeppers, it’s that important. So if you feel you have a hambone just waiting to surface, give it some meat to work with and think about what elements of your book would make for a wonderful talk.

7 Comments | promotion | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

Publishy Questions – Inquiring Minds Wanna Know…

June 12, 2012

‘Cause I wanna know…

There are publishy questions that crop up all the time, so I thought I’d give my take on them.

What happens if you’ve done your rewrites and your editor doesn’t like them?

The quick answer is that the editor makes more suggestions and returns the manuscript back to the author for further revision. This will go on until both parties are satisfied that the manuscript is dry behind the ears, bathed, and dressed in its Sunday finest.

That’s the normal/common issue. There are times when the edits don’t go well, and the editor gets the feeling the book will never reach its potential. Then the editor has to make the tough decision to let the book go, or continue trying. That is rare, so no need to continue clutching your heart.

If you’re at the query stage (meaning there is no contract offer) and an editor suggests revisions, how many times will editors continue to consider that submission?

The quick answer for me, is two. There is the initial rejection (that includes crits as to why I’m rejecting it), and the second time if the author makes those revisions and it still doesn’t ring my chimes.

If I love the idea of the story, I’ll invite them to re-query if they decide to revise the manuscript. That invitation should not be interpreted as a precursor to a contract offer. I bold that because I’ve had times when I ended up rejecting a manuscript a second time in spite of the author’s revisions, and he invited me to make merry with garden slug.

If the author can’t get it right after the second attempt, I’m pretty sure it’ll never be right enough to catch my attention. Of course, all this depends on the editor.

How much do editors edit?

The short answer is, until there is no more blood in the editor’s brain and their will to live has been sucked dry. The longer answer (which is still pretty short) is that editors edit until they feel the work is ready for prime time. The longest part is the developmental edits, where we’re dealing with story structure, pacing, flow, exposition, character development, etc.

Of course, it also depends on the publisher and the editor. Our motto in the Batcave is “I want it right, not fast,” which means that I estimate how long the edits will take in order to not feel rushed. Most of the time I hit it pretty well. Other times, my hair is on fire, and the beagle is drinking heavily. Oh wait, she always drinks heavily…

The main lesson to take away from this question is that you, the author, feel like your story is as solid as it can be, and that you’re satisfied with the results. You do this by signing off on the project. If you don’t sign off, then it shouldn’t be going to production.

Are there times when editors love the book but feels it’s umarketable? If so, what are they?

Sadly, yes. There have been a number of manuscripts where I loved the writing, but the story wasn’t going to sell. Breaks my heart every time. Just because you’re a talented writer doesn’t mean you wrote a marketable book. It’s tempting to get carried away with a writer’s excellence and forget that it may not sell simply because the subject matter is either too obscure (like singing belly buttons) or too overdone (like cancer/addiction/vamp romance/dystopia). But if we did that, we’d be collecting nickels into a coffee can.

As to what genres fall into the unmarketable category, it’s hard to say. Sure, cancer/addiction/midlife crisis/mental disorders/vamp romance/anything werewolves/courtroom thrillers – the list goes on and on – are overwritten genres, but that doesn’t mean those books still aren’t being sold. It’s more about being unique. Does your cancer book say something that no other cancer book says? What about that vampire book? Does it follow the same cookie-cutter template, or do you have a kapow element that an editor can sell to a hungry audience?

The one thing I want to get across is that you write because you love the story that’s burning inside you. Just because it may not sell doesn’t mean the time was wasted. You learn all kinds of things when you write a book, and no writing experience is ever for naught.

Do I need an agent?

Yes. But make sure you get a good one; one that has a solid reputation for selling to good publishers and has sales in the genre you write.

What I mean by that is agents sometimes decide to branch out and start repping a genre they’ve never repped before. I’ve seen this a number of times where agents represent commercial fiction and decide to branch out in nonfiction because selling commercial fiction is pretty hard. If they haven’t sold any nonfiction yet, then how do you know they can sell your nonfiction? Best to find an established agent who has lots of good sales in nonfiction.

Good agents are godsends in contract negotiations because they have the experience to know how far to push an editor for certain points, and to know what those negotiable points are. Authors, on average, have no clue about this.

Agents are great sounding boards if difficulties arise. They are the peacekeepers, and in some extreme cases, the contact point between editor and author. They are editors’ and authors’ bestest buddies.

What genres are dead?

I have no idea. Does anyone? There are as many genres as people reading them. To be sure, there are more popular genres, like YA, that outsell, say Westerns. But that doesn’t mean people don’t read Westerns. I’m repeating myself here: WRITE WHAT YOU LOVE. If it’s Westerns, then write Westerns. Yee haw!

If you write to a popular genre, you’re not necessarily being true to your heart, which means you may write with less passion. Besides, the boundary lines are constantly changing as readers’ tastes change. Courtroom dramas were the hot thing years ago, then everyone went bonkers with DaVince Code knockoffs. Then came vampires, which led to vamp romance. Then YA Dystopia hit the marketplace. And with every new gazonga genre, comes the time when editors’ eyeballs are floating in their heads if they ever see another one of the “new hot thing.”

I remember talking to an editor friend of mine who, years ago, told me that romantic comedy was dead, dead, dead. Yet it’s making a very nice recovery, so I guess there really was a heartbeat in the genre after all. always remember that readers’ tastes change, so there is a danger of writing to genre rather than writing what moves you. By the time you get it researched and written, you may be looking at agents and editors who would rather eat a razor blade than see something in your genre.

Cover art; do I have any input?

You certainly should, however, I doubt that you will have final say. Author input is important because you’ve been living with you story far longer than the editor and art department have, and you have good ideas. Most of the time. Sometimes authors have no opinion or clue as to what their cover art should be, and their ideas are about as good as when the beagle threatens sobriety.

I will say that authors are always surprised when they see their cover art (or a mock up) for the first time because it’s the reality that their book is going from concept to “real.” I always recommend to our authors that they take their time before rendering an opinion in order to let it sink in.

Cover art is tough because it’s subjective. Just because someone loves/hates a cover doesn’t make them right. I never cease to be amused at the cover art conversations we have with our sales and publicity team. It’s like nailing Jello to the wall. I remember one particular sales meeting where we met with the regional sales teams, and one guy piped up about the cover art of a particular book of ours. I gave one long look to the prez of our distribution company, and she jumped in immediately and said, “This cover was dissected, talked about, tossed against the wall a few times, and redesigned more than a few times. Leave it be.”

That said, there are informed decisions and uniformed decisions. On the whole, trade publishers design covers that contain time-proven elements that will capture a buyer’s attention. So that intricate dragon artwork that you want on your book – even though it’s gorgeous – may not work for a book cover because when you close your eyes, all you see is a blob of color and no detail. When you close your eyes, you want the most important things burned into your retinas; the title, and a major graphic from the book…because readers will remember it.

I know there are bajillion-gajillion other questions, but I don’t want to hear any snoring while reading my posts. How ’bout it, any other questions you’re dying to know? Eh, before you ask; the beagle only drinks fine tequila…she had a bad episode with the cheap stuff and ended up in a Tijuana prison wearing pink high heels and a purple boa.

2 Comments | editing | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

YOU LET SOME GIRL BEAT YOU? Up In Lights

June 8, 2012


Ann Meyers Drysdale gives a fantastic interview with Robin Roberts, host of ABC’s Good Morning America, about her long, influential career in basketball and her wonderful new book YOU LET SOME GIRL BEAT YOU? This book is for those who have a dream and are willing to stick with it, regardless of what anyone says.

And don’t miss Annie’s terrific article in Parenting OC Magazine.

As the Olympic Games Begin in London and the Historic Women’s Sports Legislation Called Title IX Turns 40, Ann Meyers Drysdale—One of the Greatest Female Athletes of All Time—Looks Back on Her Life as a Woman Athlete in a Man’s World.

Click here to watch Annie’s wonderful interview on CBS/Atlanta.

2 Comments | Ann Meyers Drysdale, You Let Some GIRL Beat You? | Permalink
Posted by lynnpricewrites

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