(This short news update is from my newsletter, Sharing with Writers. Subscribe by sending an e-mail to me with with "subscribe" in the subject line. HoJoNews@aol.com)
What is a cell-phone novel?
Born of the wonderful art of texting, the Japanese are following their minimalist heritage (think haiku) to write cell-phone novels. I kid you not. Time Magazine reports they have "existed since 2000 when users of Japanese cell-phone websites started to upload their writing . . . " One of the first hits was Deep Love which was turned into a TV Show. Time also cites If You and Love Sky. Of course a form llike this requires carefully chosen words, concise-to-the-point words. Forget Latinate words with six syllables. Even if you can't conceive of writing a cell- phone novel, we all might learn something from the concise language required by the genre.
A couple of years ago a very with-it, tekky writing friend of mine, Joyce Faulkner, wanted to do something with texting mini-lessons for writers. It was beyond the ken of some of her partners. Read that "it was beyond my understanding!" I should have trusted someone with greater knowledge than I had. Heck, I might have been on the leading edge of a new wave in writing and communication with a bankroll to show for it. (-:
BTW, these novels "accounted for half of Japan's Top 10 novels in 2007."
Will text novels be the next thing we borrow from Asia. Seems graphic novels have done well, why not text. Mini-text to be absolutely accurate.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Q&A a la Ann Landers: Becoming Known As an Expert
Question:
Publicist Mindy Phillips Lawrence asks:
I have a client who is an academic. Do you have any suggestions to help him with being viewed as an expert by the press and others in the publishing world?
Answer: You client's website should tout him as an expert in specific fields, areas of study, etc. Authors can do that by being sure that their awards are listed and that they have a media room and that they have a page that lists seminar and workshop topics. Check out my site and snoof (yes, I make up words!) around. I'm serious. I'd direct you to one page but I've used methods of doing this throughout the site. Endorsements. Places where I've already served as an expert. There's even a video so people who might use me can see that I'm full of information but also pretty casual. So your job is to analyze those things and see how they might apply to anyone who wants to position himself as an expert.
And then there is our new Authors' Coalition speakers' bureau and others (far more expensive) where he can become listed. Once listed, tell him to include his URL in his signature, etc. to let everyone he knows (all those academics as an example!) that he is featured on a speakers' bureau. He should even do that on his letterheads and business cards. Maybe his older contacts haven't thought of him as a speaker! This cards might read "expert" but also might include "specializing in" "consulting on" etc., all of which connote "expert." He could even add a motto like "Sharing his expertise on the world of XXXX."
Hey, what about a newsletter or blog that does the same thing? Whatever he does, though, his credentials should be upfront and center. I have a client who is an MD. In an effort to be modest, she didn't those initials in her byline for her book. Next time she will! But remember, credentials aren't only about a string of neat letters behind your name. They're also about experience.
He can also get himself listed on sites where people go to find expert. Sites like: http://www.experts.com/
http://www.expertclick.com/
http://www.refdesk.com/expert.html
Sites like these are used by editors and program directors much as speakers' bureaus are. Each one operates differently. Use a search engine to find others in any given field.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Publicist Mindy Phillips Lawrence asks:
I have a client who is an academic. Do you have any suggestions to help him with being viewed as an expert by the press and others in the publishing world?
Answer: You client's website should tout him as an expert in specific fields, areas of study, etc. Authors can do that by being sure that their awards are listed and that they have a media room and that they have a page that lists seminar and workshop topics. Check out my site and snoof (yes, I make up words!) around. I'm serious. I'd direct you to one page but I've used methods of doing this throughout the site. Endorsements. Places where I've already served as an expert. There's even a video so people who might use me can see that I'm full of information but also pretty casual. So your job is to analyze those things and see how they might apply to anyone who wants to position himself as an expert.
And then there is our new Authors' Coalition speakers' bureau and others (far more expensive) where he can become listed. Once listed, tell him to include his URL in his signature, etc. to let everyone he knows (all those academics as an example!) that he is featured on a speakers' bureau. He should even do that on his letterheads and business cards. Maybe his older contacts haven't thought of him as a speaker! This cards might read "expert" but also might include "specializing in" "consulting on" etc., all of which connote "expert." He could even add a motto like "Sharing his expertise on the world of XXXX."
Hey, what about a newsletter or blog that does the same thing? Whatever he does, though, his credentials should be upfront and center. I have a client who is an MD. In an effort to be modest, she didn't those initials in her byline for her book. Next time she will! But remember, credentials aren't only about a string of neat letters behind your name. They're also about experience.
He can also get himself listed on sites where people go to find expert. Sites like: http://www.experts.com/
http://www.expertclick.com/
http://www.refdesk.com/expert.html
Sites like these are used by editors and program directors much as speakers' bureaus are. Each one operates differently. Use a search engine to find others in any given field.
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Q&A a la Ann Landers: Misinformation, Poetry, Rhymes and Being Ticked Off
Questions from author and poet Dawn Colclasure :
I am writing to you because I am hoping you can help me out with something. I'd posted a poem online and someone pointed out that there might not be a perfect rhyme using the words "abuse/truce."
You can read the poem . Now that I think on it, I realize maybe I did get that pairing wrong, because first I used "abuse" paired with "use" so I think the pronunciation would've differed here, to where it wouldn't be the same as "truce."
Being deaf, I guess I tend to forget the little nuances in how most words are pronounced and how they can be pronounced in different ways. But what do you think? I know you write poetry so I'm hoping you can pick up on that for me. Just please let me know your thoughts on that. I'd so appreciate it.
And I guess this kind of thing would make for an interesting discussion on deaf poets employing rhyme in their verse! :)
Answer: First of all, these two rhymes ("abuse/truce") are perfect rhymes when you use "abuse" as a noun and not a verb. They're not from the same spelling family, but they sound the same. The word "use" also sounds different depending on how it is used, as a noun or a verb. But either way they're rhyming words, though they may be slant rhymes rather than "perfect rhymes" that your critic seemed to prefer.
The issue for me, though, is not whether these words rhyme or not but that your critic feels that rhymes must be perfect. Off-rhymes are perfectly legitimate. In fact, many poems don't rhyme at all. Then there are internal rhymes, also perfectly legitimate and sometimes preferred by poets because they aren't so well, er, blatant.
This kind of criticism bothers me because when we, as writers, are critiquing others, we need to encourage them to experiment, to find their own voices. It seems that deaf poets or blind poets or young poets or ancient poets might have some amazing things to contribute if we don't stifle their creativity.
The other reason it bothers me is that we, when we play the part of critiquers, need to be very careful about the way we critique another's work. I rant about misinformation that gets passed around the web all the time. This bit about perfect rhymes is a new, rather distressing one. By the way, there is a book out there—Merriam Webster's Rhyming Dictionary—that helps with perfect rhymes and refers writers to those that aren't quite so cheerfully in tune. Every poet (and writer of literary prose) would benefit by having it handy.
Also, I have some critique guidelines based on those used by writers' program teachers at UCLA. I added some twists to it based on my own experience facilitating critique groups. Anyone who would like one may e-mail me for a copy. HoJoNews@aol.com. Put CRITIQUE GROUP GUIDELINE REQUEST in the subject line. It will come to you by attachment.
Now, back to the sound of your rhymes. I don't know anywhere in the world where "use," "truce" and "abuse" aren't rhyming words in English. Even among people who speak English with different accents. Even among those who prefer poems without rhymes. Even among those who don't perceive that some words change their sound depending on the part of speech they function in.
As an aside, consider two of my favorite words, obtuse and abstruse. They are favorites for no other reason than that they confuse so many people.
PS. Dawn is the author of Burning the Midnight Oil: How We Survive as Writing Parents.
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
I am writing to you because I am hoping you can help me out with something. I'd posted a poem online and someone pointed out that there might not be a perfect rhyme using the words "abuse/truce."
You can read the poem . Now that I think on it, I realize maybe I did get that pairing wrong, because first I used "abuse" paired with "use" so I think the pronunciation would've differed here, to where it wouldn't be the same as "truce."
Being deaf, I guess I tend to forget the little nuances in how most words are pronounced and how they can be pronounced in different ways. But what do you think? I know you write poetry so I'm hoping you can pick up on that for me. Just please let me know your thoughts on that. I'd so appreciate it.
And I guess this kind of thing would make for an interesting discussion on deaf poets employing rhyme in their verse! :)
Answer: First of all, these two rhymes ("abuse/truce") are perfect rhymes when you use "abuse" as a noun and not a verb. They're not from the same spelling family, but they sound the same. The word "use" also sounds different depending on how it is used, as a noun or a verb. But either way they're rhyming words, though they may be slant rhymes rather than "perfect rhymes" that your critic seemed to prefer.
The issue for me, though, is not whether these words rhyme or not but that your critic feels that rhymes must be perfect. Off-rhymes are perfectly legitimate. In fact, many poems don't rhyme at all. Then there are internal rhymes, also perfectly legitimate and sometimes preferred by poets because they aren't so well, er, blatant.
This kind of criticism bothers me because when we, as writers, are critiquing others, we need to encourage them to experiment, to find their own voices. It seems that deaf poets or blind poets or young poets or ancient poets might have some amazing things to contribute if we don't stifle their creativity.
The other reason it bothers me is that we, when we play the part of critiquers, need to be very careful about the way we critique another's work. I rant about misinformation that gets passed around the web all the time. This bit about perfect rhymes is a new, rather distressing one. By the way, there is a book out there—Merriam Webster's Rhyming Dictionary—that helps with perfect rhymes and refers writers to those that aren't quite so cheerfully in tune. Every poet (and writer of literary prose) would benefit by having it handy.
Also, I have some critique guidelines based on those used by writers' program teachers at UCLA. I added some twists to it based on my own experience facilitating critique groups. Anyone who would like one may e-mail me for a copy. HoJoNews@aol.com. Put CRITIQUE GROUP GUIDELINE REQUEST in the subject line. It will come to you by attachment.
Now, back to the sound of your rhymes. I don't know anywhere in the world where "use," "truce" and "abuse" aren't rhyming words in English. Even among people who speak English with different accents. Even among those who prefer poems without rhymes. Even among those who don't perceive that some words change their sound depending on the part of speech they function in.
As an aside, consider two of my favorite words, obtuse and abstruse. They are favorites for no other reason than that they confuse so many people.
PS. Dawn is the author of Burning the Midnight Oil: How We Survive as Writing Parents.
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Tale of a Ten Year Critique Group
February was our tenth anniversary. I didn't know it. Leora Krygier showed up with three little gifts in those delicate mesh tie-bags. Each contained candles, votives in zen-like frosted cups. It was our critique group's tenth anniversary. Phyllis Gebauer, one of UCLA's renowned writers' program instructors, had put us together ten years ago. We lost Iris Fabrikant to the land of cherry trees and monuments but the test of us, Leora, JayCe Crawford and I stayed intact.
Phyllis came to our first meeting -- to get us started with correct critique procedure. No, she didn't charge us. It was value-added teaching, the UCLA Writers' Program way. (-: Then, about a year ago, Phyllis asked to be part of us. Naturally we were flattered to be considered suitable critique partners for our mentor! She had always been with us, of course.
Our mode of meeting has changed over the years but our approach to our craft has been nearly the same. Tough. Loving. Accepting. Appreciative. No punches pulled. Everyone loving it. It has only gotten better with age.
Ten years. Oh, the changes we've seen. In our careers. In our writing. In our personal lives. Such friendships are one of the many blessings that writing carries with it. Writing, as you see, can be pure magic.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Why Book Fairs Are Like Tulips
It may be dead-of-winter in your neck of the woods, but spring is creeping up on us. That means book fairs will be sprouting about the same time as the tulips. So put on your promotion hat and your get-with-it boots and be thinking about how you can take advantage of fairs. There are all kinds of ways and the most likely way, surprisingly enough, may not be to take a booth at a fair.
Here are alternatives.
Share a booth with one or more authors. Or rent an hour's signing time with an organization like Authors' Coalition of Book Publicists of Southern California.
Just go to the fair. In costume or not. Take fliers. Hand them out. Put them on the tables in the refreshment area. This works best for authors who have exhausted those on their local lists meaning there may not be one on the list who hasn't purchased their book anyway. It's also great for authors who haven't yet published.
Pitch yourself as a speaker or panel moderator. If no one bites on your offer, the fair planners will know you are out there.
Take part in value-added promotions that Authors' Coalition builds around the fairs it does. You don't have to live in the area or be willing to pay travel expenses in order to participate in them with us. The organization provides what might be termed long distance promotion. This year they'll have CDs for readers, a slideshow for those who are active speakers, a catalog that goes out by mail to booksellers and maybe even totes (more about that in about a month).
As an information source - Read book fair fliers and catalogs. Research the names of the publishers - of the writers' organizations - of the services offered authors for promotion. Last year I ran across the US Postal Service booth and learned about the stamps they will print for you--with your book cover on them!
If you consult, edit or provide any other book-related service, a fair may be the place for you. Authors' Den partnered with Authors' Coalition last year by providing fliers and a contest to win an iPod. Bet they got lots of new associates that way because the interest was huge.
Your book club or writers' organization can help other writers by sponsoring a speaker at a book fair. The Tennessee Writers' Alliance sponsored me at the Southern Festival of Books , and they certainly did me a favor as well as -- I hope -- providing a service for the betterment of their writing community.
Now is the time to do your research, make your plans. Check out Authors' Coalition, whether you can make it in person to the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books , or want them to work for you from a distance with their value-added programs. See if there's a fair in your stomping grounds that you can support or utilize. Learn how to make any fair work for you with AC's blog that explores what worked best for the ones they have done in the past (yes, they are your laboratory!).
Find a way to use a fair to reach readers, booksellers, the people you speak to and to cross promote. Writers need each other to make our efforts go farther and farther.
Happy writing, promoting and, yes, editing,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, HoJoNews@aol.com
Find details on participating in the Authors' Coalition booth at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books at http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/fair_booths.htm.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Here are alternatives.
Share a booth with one or more authors. Or rent an hour's signing time with an organization like Authors' Coalition of Book Publicists of Southern California.
Just go to the fair. In costume or not. Take fliers. Hand them out. Put them on the tables in the refreshment area. This works best for authors who have exhausted those on their local lists meaning there may not be one on the list who hasn't purchased their book anyway. It's also great for authors who haven't yet published.
Pitch yourself as a speaker or panel moderator. If no one bites on your offer, the fair planners will know you are out there.
Take part in value-added promotions that Authors' Coalition builds around the fairs it does. You don't have to live in the area or be willing to pay travel expenses in order to participate in them with us. The organization provides what might be termed long distance promotion. This year they'll have CDs for readers, a slideshow for those who are active speakers, a catalog that goes out by mail to booksellers and maybe even totes (more about that in about a month).
As an information source - Read book fair fliers and catalogs. Research the names of the publishers - of the writers' organizations - of the services offered authors for promotion. Last year I ran across the US Postal Service booth and learned about the stamps they will print for you--with your book cover on them!
If you consult, edit or provide any other book-related service, a fair may be the place for you. Authors' Den partnered with Authors' Coalition last year by providing fliers and a contest to win an iPod. Bet they got lots of new associates that way because the interest was huge.
Your book club or writers' organization can help other writers by sponsoring a speaker at a book fair. The Tennessee Writers' Alliance sponsored me at the Southern Festival of Books , and they certainly did me a favor as well as -- I hope -- providing a service for the betterment of their writing community.
Now is the time to do your research, make your plans. Check out Authors' Coalition, whether you can make it in person to the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books , or want them to work for you from a distance with their value-added programs. See if there's a fair in your stomping grounds that you can support or utilize. Learn how to make any fair work for you with AC's blog that explores what worked best for the ones they have done in the past (yes, they are your laboratory!).
Find a way to use a fair to reach readers, booksellers, the people you speak to and to cross promote. Writers need each other to make our efforts go farther and farther.
Happy writing, promoting and, yes, editing,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, HoJoNews@aol.com
Find details on participating in the Authors' Coalition booth at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books at http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/fair_booths.htm.
-------
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Q&A a la Ann Landers: This Is a Multiple Part Question on the Great American Publishing Dream
Note: This letter from Cindy Cadelo is printed in segments with dashes between them so that you can read my comments to in context:
Question: Dear Carolyn, Literally in the dark at the time, I signed on with a print-on-demand publisher for my debut novel and have lived to regret it ever since. I suppose the worst part was having a paperback priced at $29.99.
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Answer: Yes, the price of your book was out of whack. I'm guessing that no one bothered to give you advice on the size of the book. It sounds as if -- putting Michener aside (and he isn't writing in today's publishing world) -- that you should have figured a way to shorten your work. Many subsidy publishers just don't know so can't advise their clients. Others do know but don't rock the boat for fear they will lose their clients to another subsidy publisher who will publish just as the author wants -- regardless of the outcome.
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Question: A "no returns" book store policy on POD books meant I had to buy my own books for promotions and sales which I couldn't afford because of the price, neither would the publisher pay royalties on author-purchased books.
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Answer: Subsidy publishers that arrange to take books back do exist. Generally the author must pay for the returns, of course. Having said that, in the Frugal Book Promoter, I talk about how bookstores aren't the best place to sell books anyway. So, there's hope. It's not too late for you. You could change publishers or arrange to guarantee sales on your own or concentrate on a different way of selling books.
-------
Question: How, I wondered, did books find their way to reviews by the NY Times? How did it work that new authors were recognized with awards and mentions in literary circles? How did one's book get into the libraries all over the country? Book clubs?
-----
Answer: Your experience resonates. Those are the things I hear from authors all the time. Those are the things I learned with my first novel, This Is the Place. In fact that's why I wrote the Frugal Book Promoter and now the Frugal Editor. To share what I learned. To answer these questions and others and to help authors get these very things done to get their book read! Both books were a labor of love. I like writing them, but I'd rather be writing my second novel or book of short stories or book of poetry. (-:
-----
Question: My lovely book was invisible; unnecessarily sacrificed. On the verge of completing a second manuscript, will the stigma of the first book reflect on the next one as for my chances of finding a reputable agent?
---
Answer: It might. It depends on lots of things but also on the way you handle it. Don't try to hide that first book. Own up. Basically you say something like, "I didn't know the ropes so missed out on these things. I think my experience will make me a better promoter of my own work and partner for a publisher." Something like that. You can't hide it. Not in this electronic age.
-----------
Question: Is it ever possible to resurrect an invisible first novel, and what are the chances it could work as made-for-TV movie or a screenplay? I still get wonderful letters from those who bought the book used, or found copies at yard or library sales where I donated the copies. I'm sure I'm not the only writer who has such grisly first-time novel woes, so we writers can all learn from such experiences as well as from your valued professional opinion on how a writer proceeds from this point forward.
------
Answer: Yes, absolutely. All is not lost. But it will take lots of work and maybe discarding the idea that you will make lots of money on it. The idea will be to get your work into the hands of people who might make a difference for you. You could republish it POD. On your own. (See the Frugal Editor before you do this, PLEASE!) Or you could serialize it. Perhaps on a blog or on your website. There are other possibilities, of course. But again, this TV/Movie Miracle Dream doesn't just happen. We think they do because others look like overnight successes but usually they worked years at their craft and at networking. And, yes, a very, very few just get lucky. (-:
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From Cindy: Thanks for your advice and patience!
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Comment: Your story breaks my heart. It is so common. I encourage you not to give up. Take classes (that's networking, too!) Enlist a great editor. Republish. Keep writing. Do keep promoting.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Temporary website: http://www.Authorsden.com/carolynhowardjohnson
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Question: Dear Carolyn, Literally in the dark at the time, I signed on with a print-on-demand publisher for my debut novel and have lived to regret it ever since. I suppose the worst part was having a paperback priced at $29.99.
------
Answer: Yes, the price of your book was out of whack. I'm guessing that no one bothered to give you advice on the size of the book. It sounds as if -- putting Michener aside (and he isn't writing in today's publishing world) -- that you should have figured a way to shorten your work. Many subsidy publishers just don't know so can't advise their clients. Others do know but don't rock the boat for fear they will lose their clients to another subsidy publisher who will publish just as the author wants -- regardless of the outcome.
-----
Question: A "no returns" book store policy on POD books meant I had to buy my own books for promotions and sales which I couldn't afford because of the price, neither would the publisher pay royalties on author-purchased books.
------
Answer: Subsidy publishers that arrange to take books back do exist. Generally the author must pay for the returns, of course. Having said that, in the Frugal Book Promoter, I talk about how bookstores aren't the best place to sell books anyway. So, there's hope. It's not too late for you. You could change publishers or arrange to guarantee sales on your own or concentrate on a different way of selling books.
-------
Question: How, I wondered, did books find their way to reviews by the NY Times? How did it work that new authors were recognized with awards and mentions in literary circles? How did one's book get into the libraries all over the country? Book clubs?
-----
Answer: Your experience resonates. Those are the things I hear from authors all the time. Those are the things I learned with my first novel, This Is the Place. In fact that's why I wrote the Frugal Book Promoter and now the Frugal Editor. To share what I learned. To answer these questions and others and to help authors get these very things done to get their book read! Both books were a labor of love. I like writing them, but I'd rather be writing my second novel or book of short stories or book of poetry. (-:
-----
Question: My lovely book was invisible; unnecessarily sacrificed. On the verge of completing a second manuscript, will the stigma of the first book reflect on the next one as for my chances of finding a reputable agent?
---
Answer: It might. It depends on lots of things but also on the way you handle it. Don't try to hide that first book. Own up. Basically you say something like, "I didn't know the ropes so missed out on these things. I think my experience will make me a better promoter of my own work and partner for a publisher." Something like that. You can't hide it. Not in this electronic age.
-----------
Question: Is it ever possible to resurrect an invisible first novel, and what are the chances it could work as made-for-TV movie or a screenplay? I still get wonderful letters from those who bought the book used, or found copies at yard or library sales where I donated the copies. I'm sure I'm not the only writer who has such grisly first-time novel woes, so we writers can all learn from such experiences as well as from your valued professional opinion on how a writer proceeds from this point forward.
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Answer: Yes, absolutely. All is not lost. But it will take lots of work and maybe discarding the idea that you will make lots of money on it. The idea will be to get your work into the hands of people who might make a difference for you. You could republish it POD. On your own. (See the Frugal Editor before you do this, PLEASE!) Or you could serialize it. Perhaps on a blog or on your website. There are other possibilities, of course. But again, this TV/Movie Miracle Dream doesn't just happen. We think they do because others look like overnight successes but usually they worked years at their craft and at networking. And, yes, a very, very few just get lucky. (-:
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From Cindy: Thanks for your advice and patience!
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Comment: Your story breaks my heart. It is so common. I encourage you not to give up. Take classes (that's networking, too!) Enlist a great editor. Republish. Keep writing. Do keep promoting.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Temporary website: http://www.Authorsden.com/carolynhowardjohnson
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Mentor or Mentee and Mentoring
I believe in mentoring. Not just young people but big people, too.
One of my favorite mentees is Dallas Woodburn. She is a junior at my alma mater, USC(University of Southern California). Trouble is, I don't know which one of us is mentor and which is mentee. Which, as it happens--is nearly always the case.
Dallas is majoring in Creative Writing. She has published two books of short stories (her latest, 3 a.m., is available at Amazon.com). She has also published nearly 60 feature stories in magazines including Writer's Digest, The Writer, Family Circle, Justine, Cicada, Listen, and CO-ED. She has been published in four "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books including Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV and was recently honored as one of seven national Jim Murray Scholars for her biweekly column for the USC student newspaper The Daily Trojan.
Dallas launched a nonprofit foundation “Write On!” in 2000 to encourage kids to find joy, confidence, and a means of self-expression through writing and reading. Today, Write On's writing contests receive entries from all over the US and Canada. Dallas awards scholarships each year for young writers to attend the Santa Barbara Writers Conference Young Writers Program and the USC Summer Seminars Program. Her Write On Holiday Book Drive has collected and distributed 9,142 new books to underprivileged youth in just six years. Check out Dallas’s website at www.zest.net/writeon and her blog at http://dallaswoodburn.blogspot.com.
Dallas is my idea of what Sharing with Writers is all about. Won't you visit her site, donate to her causes, or simply leave a note of encouragement on her blog. Think of what we can all do together.
By the way, this picture of Dallas is great but she is most proud that the typewriter is Jim Murray's. I like that little yellow band she's wearing on her left wrist, too, don't you? (-:
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Gleaning Promotion Ideas from One Smart Publisher
The Southern Review reports that one publisher has offered to give free review copies of some of his books to bloggers who promise to post a review of at least 200 words on both their blogs and on Amazon. Smart publisher. that guy! He's smart 'cause:
*Even though the book may be given to a couple of people who would otherwise buy one, the percentage would probably be very small.
*You're after inundation of the net in a few short weeks to propel sales in a given time frame.
*Giving away a book plus postage is very cheap exposure compared to advertising (advertising is by its nature paid-for exposure).
*Bloggers talk to people and word-of-mouth is the best sales tool around, and once they've blogged, they may talk up your book in other ways, especially if you follow up with a great thank you letter afterward (even if you weren't crazy about the review!). If the review was favorable you could ask the reviewer to include the book on a reading list (if he is a teacher), recommend it on his website, or even add it to one more website like BN.com after you've complimented him on how much you loved it.
*People who accept the offer become part of your network if you save their e-mail address.
Individual authors could do the same as this publisher. Why not? We give lots of copies to friends and relatives who often never read our books anyway, right? So commit them. Or we could make an offer to the general public and limit the number of books we offer.
Think about this before you do it, though. You must be comfortable with the idea that a review is an opinion and the reviewer is welcome to voice it. If they hate your book and say so, as a professional, you can't go back and ask them to withdraw their review or change it. It is against journalism ethics. Having said that, I never suggest a reviewer do a complete slash and burn of a book. A tactfully worded letter to the author that the reviewer is reneging on his or her offer to review because it appears the reviewer and book are not well matched is far kinder--and also more professional.
Some days I'm a very quick learner. So here's my offer. I will give away 25 of The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (published by Red Engine Press) to those who will post a review of 200 words or more on their blogs and post the same review (or slightly different) on Amazon.com before January 30th, 2009. To do so, send an e-mail with REVIEW BOOK REQUEST in the subject line. Include your address and preferred e-mail address, the title of your book and your web address, because an added bonus will be a thank you in this newsletter with a link to your site. If you have already reviewed The Frugal Editor, and want to participate, let me know and I will extend the offer to either Harkening, This Is the Place or Tracings.
Another idea: I am adding a classified advertising page to www.howtodoitfrugally.com. It's very inexpensive Only $10.00 and I'll run any book-related ad for up to a year. (You get to tell me when to take it down!). That would be a good place to help get the word out about your give-away in addition to the Sharing with Writers newsletter where I'll post a message about the opportunity you advertise.
And did I happen to mention that a review you write that includes your byline and tagline is very good promotion for your book? You'll find more details on how that works in The Frugal Book Promoter.
Happy promoting! And yes, writing and editing, too!
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
PS: And if you don't make the cut-off for this offer, please don't be upset. I'll do another such offer soon with another of my books. (-: Only maybe with that one, I'll only offer e-copies. There's another idea for you!
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal." Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.
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