FanFic: Write an Episode for Your Favorite TV Show

By Chris Stewart

When I was an early teen, a girlfriend and I used to write episodes for our favorite TV show, Battlestar Galactica. The original, not the imposter (you can see what side I'm on you BG fans).

You remember: Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Lorne Greene. We loved it. And we wrote 200 page 'scripts' for the show (more TV movies than TV shows) for about a year. They probably weighed more on the side of romance than science fiction (I had a crush on Benedict; she had a crush on Hatch), but they were great practice at character development and sustaining a storyline.

I haven't done this in years, but have come across others doing it, which has been a nice surprise. Not many people know this, but I'm a mad Doctor Who fan from way back. I watched the show (now 'Classic Who') on PBS television for over 20 years, then switched to Netflix and YouTube when MPT pulled the show and the new series started (don't get me started on that).

I'm not a big sci fi TV/movie watcher, but there are a few that I can't resist and Doctor Who is one of them. I was thrilled when it returned with new Doctors and episodes (I'm more partial to Eccleston than Tennant as the Doctor, I have to say), and have come across many blogs where fans are taking matters into their own hands and writing scenes and episodes of their own to develop the relationship between the Doctor and his companions, as well as his back story, and producing funny, technical, dramatic stories to boot. It reminded me how great it was to write like this 'way back when.'

If you still don't know what I'm talking about, first: time to come out from under your rock. Second, it's called FANFIC (fan fiction), and it's a fabulous exercise that I encourage you to try. The characters and structure are already in place for you, all you have to do is think up a story and start writing. Take the show to a place you've always wanted it to go. Write the story leading up to the start of the show. Write its final episode. Anything goes.

So try writing outside your genre. If you normally write romance, try a cop show. If you write humorous pieces, try a hospital drama. Sci fi is fun because there are so many possibilities - romance, science, drama, history, humor, politics.

If TV doesn't appeal, pick your favorite book and write a little something from the point of view of a minor character. Or continue the story that you think takes place after the book ends.

Period fiction is very popular as we've all seen with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, or Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Those are a little extreme; there's plenty on Amazon and the web of a more serious nature. You could go blind reading the amount of Jane Austen fanfic out there.

It's a great way to practice your craft and take some risks in your writing, without pressure. And it's fun. Remember writing being fun? We all also need a reminder to shake things up, to try something different, to allow for imperfection and experimentation.

There are many sites devoted to fanfic for specific shows, a Google search will easily turn them up, but if you want to see just how large this universe is, check out the comprehensive website: http://www.fanfiction.net.

(Only the DW fans will get this reference, but here goes anyway):

So, c'mon you literary fiction writers or poets, show me some Spock!


Chris Stewart is program director for literary arts with the Maryland State Arts Council. A teacher/mentor of prose and poetry, she lives in Baltimore. Check out her new Sense and Sensibility-inspired project at www.embarkingoncourseofstudy.com

Journalist Claims he has lived in the Dark End of the Spectrum

By Anthony S. Policastro

I recently received this intriguing comment from Vic Livingston, a journalist from Philadelphia regarding my thriller/mystery, DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM.

What is intriguing is that he talks about many scary technologies used by the government that I had mentioned in my book, which by the way is fiction.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

"Mr. Policastro: I have been a victim of the real dark end of the spectrum for six years (that I know about). Please react to this posting, from today's Washingtonpost.com/thefix, as well as my articles and first-person victim account linked at the bottom. My telecommunications are subject to interception and spiking so I don't know if you will ever see this. I will check back here daily for the next few days. -- Vic Livingston

SECRET MULTI-AGENCY FED PROGRAM SILENTLY TORTURES, IMPAIRS, PERSECUTES U.S. CITIZENS WITH MICROWAVE/LASER RADIATION AND LOCAL VIGILANTISM, SAYS MAINSTREAM JOURNALIST

* Thousands of Americans, deemed to be "dissidents" or undesirables, targeted by Bush legacy program for debilitating microwave/laser assault, held hostage in their own homes to fed-supported vigilante "community policing" stalking units, equipped with warrantless GPS devices, who vandalize and terrorize as local police look the other way.

* "Directed energy weapons," portable units and a nationwide installation employing cell towers and satellites, induce weakness, exhaustion, head and body aches, physical and neurological impairment, strokes, aneurysms, cancer -- and many victims do not realize what is making them sick.

* Regional Homeland Security- administered "fusion centers" reportedly serve as command centers for covert electromagnetic radiation attacks, pervasive surveillance, financial sabotage of those identified as "dissidents," "trouble-makers" or slandered as threats to society.

* Use of microwave weaponry to torture and impair political opponents recently confirmed by deposed Honduras President Manuel Zelaya.

* Pleas for justice, to local police and FBI, go unanswered -- as do demands for a Department of Justice Civil Rights Division investigation and congressional hearings.

"These are crimes against humanity and the Constitution, being perpetrated under the cover of national security and 'safe streets' by multiple federal and local agencies and commands -- an American genocide hiding in plain sight, enabled by the naivete of those who think 'it can't happen here.'"

-- Victor Livingston, former reporter for WTXF-TV Philadelphia, Phila. Bulletin, N.Y. Daily News, St. Petersburg Times; producer/host, MSG Network Sports Business Report; columnist, NowPublic.com/scrivener.

JOURNO TO FBI: SEIZE CONTROL OF DHS-RUN FUSION CENTERS
TO STOP SILENT MICROWAVE / LASER ATTACKS ON U.S. CITIZENS

http://nowpublic.com/world/govt-tortures-me-silent-microwave-weapons-ousted-s-prez
http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigilante-network-terrorizes-america OR (if links are corrupted / disabled): http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA""

Is Our Literary Legacy Threatened by ebooks?

We hear it all the time. The electronic book readers like Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s eReader are going to be the downfall of printed books. If you believe that you may have been one of the folks in Columbus’ day who believed the world was flat. Don’t worry. It won’t happen at least for a very long time.

What do you think?

The Publisher, OUTER BANKS PUBLISHING GROUP, Nov. 2009

Read the rest of the story at Outer Banks Publishing Group.

Tips on Doing Radio and Television Interviews

By Paula Margulies

Appearing on a radio or television show can be an important part of your book publicity efforts. But for some authors, especially those who spend the majority of their time in front of their computer screens writing, the thought of appearing on camera or tape can be terrifying. To help you get ready to for that infamous close-up, here are some tips for appearing in-studio for radio and television interviews:

1. Once you've booked an appearance at a radio or television station, find out who will be doing your interview. Make sure that the person interviewing you has a copy of your book in advance and, in addition to your press release and bio, a Q & A or FAQ sheet with standard questions, so that s/he is prepared for your segment.

2. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the studio where your interview will be taped/shot. Confirm directions and parking availability, and allow between 1-2 hours for the interview.

3. For television interviews, most media outlets recommend that your attire be business casual. If you're not given specific instructions by your publicist or media contact, plan to bring several options for the wardrobe department to consider. Try to avoid solid black, solid red, solid white, super busy prints and shiny fabrics. Also, remember that in some interviews, the viewers will only see you from the waist up, so, it may not matter what kind of shoes or trousers you wear. Usually there is a wardrobe person on set who can steam your clothes to ensure they are ready-for-camera. And there are often some additional wardrobe options available on set.

4. Women who are interviewed on television should also consider bringing a few jewelry options to go with the outfits they bring along. Smaller jewelry may be harder to see on camera, so bring necklaces and earrings of varying sizes. Men should plan to bring along extra ties with different color schemes (avoid busy or wild prints and shiny fabrics) to go with their shirts and jackets.

5. When you arrive on set, often your first stop will be make-up. If you have allergies to certain products or are wearing hard contact lenses, be sure to tell the person doing your make-up ahead of time (I once lost a contact lens when a make-up person got too ambitious with her eye shadow brush while prepping me for a commercial shoot!).

6. After make-up and wardrobe, you'll be escorted to the stage area of the studio, where you’ll be seated in a chair and interviewed by a producer or news anchor. S/he may ask you questions ahead of time to get a sense of how you respond. Use any prep time you’re given to ask questions you might have about speaking into the microphone or where to focus your gaze during the interview.

7. When sitting in front of the camera, remember to sit up straight and try not to tilt your head when you talk. Also, be sure to look at whichever camera you're instructed to face, even if there are lights or other cameras off to the side. While the interviewer is asking questions, look directly at him or her, and don't forget to smile!

8. When answering questions during radio and television interviews, it's a good idea to rephrase the questions you’re asked, so that they are somehow included in your answer. For example, if you’re asked how long it took to write your book, you might answer, “It took me three years to write the first draft of My Great Novel," rather than simply, "Three years." Try to answer in complete sentences, and be sure to say the title of your book as often as possible.

Note: If you have issues with your voice, practice speaking into a tape recorder before doing radio interviews. Play back your recordings and notice where you may have raised or lowered your voice, or inserted too many "ums" and "ahs." Before television interviews, have someone film you on a video camera, or practice in front of a mirror. See if you're smiling enough, if you're keeping your eyes focused and your head is straight while you talk. And don't forget to practice using gestures with your hands to emphasize points (or tone it down if you move your hands too much).

9. Try to relax and forget that you are being recorded or on-camera. Doing a radio or television interview is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and your book to potential readers. Be yourself and have fun!

10. When your interview is over, be sure to thank the producers, anchors, and staff members who helped you that day. Also, find out when your segment will air and if there are clips or CD's available of your interview. Let everyone on your email lists and social networking sites know when your spot is airing, and don't forget to post any clips or audio recordings of your interview on your website or Internet fan page.
______________
Paula Margulies is a book publicity and promotions expert in San Diego, California. You can reach her at paula@paulamargulies.com, or visit her website at www.paulamargulies.com.

A Bookcoach can Better Market Your Book

By Judy Cullins

When authors think of their audience buying books they think of bookstores. This myth sends authors taking the long, arduous road to seeking out an agent, a publisher, hoping their book will become a best seller. It won't. Why?

Because you are not famous, your publishing support amounts only to a three-month book tour, billed against your sales. Your book's shelf life at Barnes and Noble or other brick and mortar bookstores is about three months too. And, you the author must promote it full time to receive less than 50% of the profits.

Another reason bookstores disappoint the author is that most people go into the store to browse. They want fiction, some non-fiction, but they aren't sure what. If your book is shelved among more popular authors, potential buyers will pass it by for the well-known name.

Marketing guru, John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, says "I'm glad I don't rely on retail 'brick and mortar' bookstore sales for my income, but it will be nice to add that icing on the cake into my cash flow again."

Before his updated version this year, John has sold 45,000 copies of his book in three years. He is a marketer par excellence. He uses non-traditional marketing strategies; his web site, his ezine which offers tips, products and seminars, specialty stores, foreign markets, libraries, and back of the room sales from speaking engagements.

Because John is a recognized name, he gets a lot of shelf space in the bookstore - cover side out. For your lesser-known book, only your spine will show and after three months of initial placement, your book will fade away unless you put on your promotion hat to get customers to the store.

In one book coaching session, a new client thought he wanted to sell to the bookstores. I asked him who was his particular audience. He said business people. What kind of business people? Do these people go to the "brick and mortar" bookstore for a business book? Or, will they be more likely to subscribe to online business ezines or visit a business Web site for specific kinds of business books?

Your book coach knows that online promotion is the cheapest, easiest, and most profitable way to sell books.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Seventy percent of US adults haven't been in a bookstore for the last 5 years.
• Bookstores sell only 45% of all books sold.
• Bookstores return non-sold books to the author-think of the Starbucks people dripping their coffee and scone on your book.
• Bookstores will take 90 days, even a year or more to pay you for your total book sales.
• Bookstores only order two or three copies at a time because of limited shelf space.
• Bookstores buy only from a distributor or wholesaler.

Why the big push to get a wholesale or distributor and get into the bookstore?

These people represent so many other authors don't you wonder how much attention your book will receive? They exact healthy fees, around 55%. That leaves a small profit for the author, and remember, bookstores, distributors and wholesalers don't promote your book!

After her distributor went belly up and she lost $160,000, one author said she would rather have more control over her priceless products. She distributes them all herself now through various venues that suit her personality.

Authors spend a lot of time and money chasing the improbable, when the "golden egg" of self-publishing and self-promotion is right in front of them. In my opinion, I'd sell my books everywhere except the brick and mortar bookstore!

Book and Internet Marketing Coach Judy Cullins helps businesses get all the clients and sell all the books they want.

Author of 11 business books including How to Write your Book Fast and Advanced Article Marketing, a 3-Book Special.

Judy offers free articles and eBook "Book Writing and Marketing Tips" with monthly ezine subscription at http://www.bookcoaching.com

Get fresh, free, weekly articles on book writing and article marketing on HubPage and Ezine Articles:

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Women on Writing Blog Event emphasizes Family

Women On Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships today and we are participating.

Why family relationships? We're celebrating the release of Therese Walsh's debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers.

By Anthony S. Policastro

My most memorable family relationship was with my father. He was the hero in my life.

He moved through life with bold strokes, never letting other people bend him from the way he wanted to go. He was a pioneer in his family going where his ten siblings would not go. His bold strokes made all of our lives better.

When he returned from World War II, he took on the world – he married my mother and did things his way. He was always himself and didn’t care what other people thought of his thoughts or his actions whether they were laughable or significant.

He taught me to always reach for the stars even if you couldn’t touch them – just keep reaching. He wanted a better life for me and now I have it because of him.

“I want you to do better than I have,” he would often say and when life beat him down many times, he still had a smile, a joke, and a cheerful, contagious presence that no one could resist.

He taught me that keeping one’s word is more important than anything else in life because that is what made the true grit of a man, not his wealth or his position or his looks.

When we were teenagers, we would play cards on the back porch during those lazy, nothing to do summer afternoons and my friends would not play without him. His contagious personality appealed to all generations.

There are many heroes in the world today, but a true hero’s words linger inside of you all your life and guide you when you have to make the tough decisions. That’s what my father did for me – his words and presence are always with me providing a guidepost that I have used all my life. He is my hero.

Samuel Anthony Policastro 1925-1999

Visit The Muffin (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/blog.html) to read what Therese has to say about family relationships. And make sure you visit Therese's website (http://www.theresewalsh.com) to find out more about the author."

About the book: The Last Will of Moira Leahy By Therese Walsh A LOST SHADOW Moira Leahy struggled growing up in her prodigious twin's shadow; Maeve was always more talented, more daring, more fun. In the autumn of the girls' sixteenth year, a secret love tempted Moira, allowing her to have her own taste of adventure, but it also damaged the intimate, intuitive relationship she'd always shared with her sister. Though Moira's adolescent struggles came to a tragic end nearly a decade ago, her brief flirtation with independence will haunt her sister for years to come. A LONE WOMAN When Maeve Leahy lost her twin, she left home and buried her fun-loving spirit to become a workaholic professor of languages at a small college in upstate New York. She lives a solitary life now, controlling what she can and ignoring the rest--the recurring nightmares, hallucinations about a child with red hair, the unquiet sounds in her mind, her reflection in the mirror. It doesn't help that her mother avoids her, her best friend questions her sanity, and her not-quite boyfriend has left the country. But at least her life is ordered. Exactly how she wants it. A SHARED PAST Until one night at an auction when Maeve wins a keris, a Javanese dagger that reminds her of her lost youth, and happier days playing pirates with Moira in their father's boat. Days later, a book on weaponry is nailed to her office door, followed by anonymous notes, including one that invites her to Rome to learn more about the blade and its legendary properties. Opening her heart and mind to possibility, Maeve accepts the invitation, and with it, a window into her past. Ultimately she will revisit the tragic November night that shaped her and Moira's destinies, and learn that nothing can be taken at face value, as one sister emerges whole and the other's score is finally settled. Note: To read reviews about The Last Will of Moira Leahy, please visit Therese's website: http://theresewalsh.com/News_Reviews/news_reviews.html ------------------ About the author, Therese Walsh: Therese is the co-founder of Writer Unboxed, a blog for writers about the craft and business of genre fiction. Before turning to fiction, she was a researcher and writer for Prevention magazine, and then a freelance writer. She's had hundreds of articles on nutrition and fitness published in consumer magazines and online. She has a master's degree in psychology. Aside from writing, Therese's favorite things include music, art, crab legs, Whose Line is it Anyway?, dark chocolate, photography, unique movies and novels, people watching, strong Irish tea, and spending time with her husband, two kids and their bouncy Jack Russell. Therese's website: http://theresewalsh.com Therese's blog: http://theresewalsh.com/blog.html Writer Unboxed: http://www.writerunboxed.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThereseWalsh Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/therese.walsh

Participating Bloggers! Day By Day Writer: http://daybydaywriter.wordpress.com/ Adventures in the Writing Life: http://adventuresinthewritinglife.blogspot.com/ The Beautification Project: http://thebeautificationproject.wordpress.com/ Reading Frenzy: http://lumorgan.blogspot.com/ A Girl, Her Career, and Life on the Dairy Farm: http://sandhillssequitur.blogspot.com/ The 5th Line Project, Page 56, Line 5: http://the5thlineproject.wordpress.com Read These Books and Use Them!: http://margodill.com/blog/ Julie Bogart's blog: http://juliebogart.com/blog/ A Ponderance of Things: http://rcponders.wordpress.com/ A Woman's Life Stages: http://www.awomanslifestages.com Danielle Buffardi's blog: http://www.daniellebuffardi.com/ Just Another Perfect Day: http://gundiva.blogspot.com/ Stories of life: one writer-mom's odyssey: http://www.kristinemeldrumdenholm.blogspot.com/ Once Written, Twice Shy: http://www.shywriters.blogspot.com/ Writing Cops...It's What I Do: http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com/ Anna Louise Lucia's blog: http://annalouiselucia.com/blog/ Word Wranglers: http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/ Erin Denver's blog: http://www.erindenver.com/ Writers Inspired: http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/ Romancing the Blog: http://obe-romancingtheblog.blogspot.com MamaBlogga: mom's search for meaning: http://www.mamablogga.com/ About.com's Freelance Writing: http://freelancewrite.about.com/ GardenWall Publications: http://www.gardenwallpublications.com/blog/ Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem: http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/ Five Scribes: http://fivescribes.blogspot.com/ R.J. Writes: http://www.ruthjhartman.blogspot.com/ Catch a Star Before It Falls: http://celestialgldfsh.livejournal.com/ Words from the Heart: http://contemplativeed.blogspot.com/ Magical Musings: http://magicalmusings.com/ Fat and then, a journey back to my true self: http://fatandthen.blogspot.com/ Gayle Trent, Cozy Mystery Writer: http://www.gayletrent.com/blog/ Paris Parfait, Tara Bradford writes from the City of Light: http://www.tarabradford.com/ Cathy C.'s Hall of Fame: http://www.cathychall.blogspot.com/ Misadventures with Andi: http://www.misadventureswithandi.com/ Kristin Bair O'Keeffe's blog: http://www.kristinbairokeeffeblog.com/ Awake is Good: http://www.awakeisgood.blogspot.com/ The Writer's Edge: http://writersedgeinfo.blogspot.com/ Writing is About Putting Yourself to Words: http://aspnovelist.blogspot.com/ Squirrel's Treehouse: http://www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com/ Gaijin Mama: http://gaijinmama.wordpress.com/ Multi-Tasking Mama: http://www.multitaskingmama.com/ Self Help Daily: http://www.selfhelpdaily.com/ Words and Coffee: http://jonathandanz.wordpress.com Elizabeth Kirschner's blog: http://elizabethkirschner.wordpress.com/ One Woman's Eye: http://onewomanseye.blogspot.com/ Entering the Age of Elegance: http://www.maturingmodernwomen.com/ The Write at Home Mom: http://www.thewriteathomemom.blogspot.com/ Mother Daughter Book Club Blog: http://motherdaughterbookclub.wordpress.com/ Muse: http://erikarobuck.wordpress.com/ the SIMMER blog: http://simmerblog.typepad.com/ Scales and other lies: http://scalesandotherlies.com/wordpress/ Natalia Maldonado's blog: http://www.nmaldonado.com/blog/ writers, dogs, and germans*: http://sdennard.wordpress.com/ Meryl's Notes blog: http://www.meryl.net/section/blog/ Little Miss Information: http://s-frostie.tumblr.com/ Linda Mohr's Blog: http://lindamohr.wordpress.com/ Reconsidering Sanity: http://www.reconsanity.blogspot.com/ So Many Books, So Little Time: http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/ Cynderella's Castle: http://www.cynthiadalba.blogspot.com/ Dianne Sagan, Life as a Ghost(writer): http://diannesagan.wordpress.com/ Janel's Jumble: http://janelsjumble.blogspot.com/ North Side Four (plus Eleanor Roosevelt, the Senator and the President): http://www.northsidefour.blogspot.com/ Teresa Shen Swingler's blog: http://teresashenswingler.com/ Color Your Life Happy-Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D.: http://coloryourlifehappy.com/blog/ a-century-of-thoughts: http://chehrenegar.blogspot.com/ Behind Brown Eyes: http://right2write.blogspot.com/ 'Manda Blogs About...: http://mandablogsabout.blogspot.com/ SFC Blog: Families Matter: http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/

Publish and Sell Helping Writers to Publish their Work

Today we have an interview with Henry Hutton, a good friend of mine who is helping revolutionize the publishing industry with his self publishing agency, Publish and Sell Enterprises. Known in publishing circles as The PublishingGuy, Henry has also created an online newspaper called PublishingGuy's News Update offering the latest news in the dynamic publishing industry - Anthony

1. What made you start Publish and Sell?

I’ve always had a passion for helping authors realize their dreams, and the revolution in publishing - especially with sites like Lulu.com and Createspace.com, along with POD - has enabled millions of authors the opportunity to see their book in print. We quickly learn, however, that publishing is not the hard part. Selling is.

Our goal at Lulu was to change the world of publishing and by turning it on its head. With our free publishing tools any author could publish their work into a printed book or ebook and make it available for sale to their buying audience. Although that in itself is a great achievement, it doesn’t get the author to the goal line, and authors quickly realized that publishing their book was the easier first half of the publishing process.

Generating sales is the biggest challenge to overcome.

Fortunately, while at Lulu I witnessed two sides of the independent publishing phenomenon:

1. Authors that published their book and waited for sales to happen, and

2. Authors that aggressively marketed their books using free social networking sites. 

Needless to say, the authors in the former group faltered while the authors in the latter group, even through trial and error, achieved moderate - and often surprising - success.

My goal is to help authors better position themselves for success by not only making the best publishing choices, but by making smart marketing choices. In today’s Internet world, every author can identify, find, interact with, and sell to their audience much more efficiently and economically.

2. What makes Publish and Sell unique? Are there other companies like Publish and Sell? 

I consider Publish and Sell Enterprises as a self-publishing agency. Although you can find many companies that offer author services similar to ours, those companies typically work with specific printing and distribution outlets.

I do things differently. I examine the needs of the author - the genre of their book, the audience that they’re trying to reach - and determine the best path to take in terms of publishing and marketing. Some authors might be best served by Lulu, while others might be served through Booksurge, and still others should go directly into the Kindle. I’ve learned over the years that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to author services, and forcing an author’s square book into a round publishing and marketing hole is asking for failure.

3. Do you think there is a large market for your services?
There’s no doubt about it. A large percentage of authors that attempt the free publishing sites - Createspace, Lulu, Wordclay, etc. - never finish the publishing process. Furthermore, an equally large percentage that do publish never sell more than a couple copies. With a little hand-holding I’m convinced that many authors can do better. They just need to be educated and pointed in the right direction.

4. How does Publish and Sell work? 

When an author contacts us we walk through their situation - including the “completeness” of their book, the genre, the market - and assess the overall strategy for reaching a successful outcome. This is a completely interactive process with the author.
We then put a plan and timeline together that reflects the publishing and marketing activities that will be required to accomplish our goals.

5. What challenges do you see for Publish and Sell? 

There are a few significant challenges we face. First of all, since every author is different it’s hard for me to accurately predict resource needs. Will I need another ghost writer in three months or another cover artist? So far, however, we’ve done a good job managing our resource needs.
Secondly, as you know, the publishing world is rapidly changing. A few weeks ago Lulu changed their retail distribution program, and just last week Createspace began offering author services. It’s imperative that we stay on top of these rapid developments so that we can properly advise our clients regarding their options.


Lastly, it’s critical that authors make the proper choices when it comes to social marketing. Although there’s an abundance of free networking and social media tools, some may not be suited for the book’s genre, its market, or even the author’s personality. Some sites go in and out of favor, so it’s our job to stay on top of these changes and try to anticipate the trends that will work to the author’s advantage.

6. Are authors successful using your services? 

You’d have to ask those authors, but I think it’s fair to say that they’re more successful than they would have been without my services. Especially when it comes to marketing, I can only educate and show them the best way to present themselves online, build and interact with their audience, and influence that audience to buy their book. At the end of the day the book must deliver. 


7. What advice would you give to authors considering self-publishing?
Do it, and don’t wait. You’re only harming yourself if you do. I’ve seen too many authors that have waited years to garner a publishing deal, without success. By self-publishing, authors - especially first-time authors - will better understand the process and challenges of publishing. They’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and actually become better positioned - through the self-publishing success - to get picked up by a traditional publisher. Or, alternatively, they’ll find their niche and remain as a self-publisher to maintain control over their book and income. It can be a win-win, but you won’t know if you don’t try.

Thousands of people are self-publishing every day. Their book is being purchased, it’s being read, and the author is receiving feedback. Yes, sometimes the feedback is negative, and sometimes the book wasn’t as good as it should have been. If that’s the case, it’s better to have a small self-publishing failure (that you can quickly recover from) than a failure with a traditional publisher. That’s almost impossible to recover from.  Take advantage of every learning opportunity that self-publishing provides.

8. Do you think self-publishing could be a path to commercial publishing? 

Definitely! We saw this happen all the time at Lulu. Publishers would look at our top seller list and contact those authors. It made their job easy, because these authors knew the process of publishing, they knew their target audience, and they knew how to market to that audience successfully. That’s a publisher’s dream come true. 

9. What do you think will be the future of publishing? 

The most interesting and immediate dynamic the industry is facing is ebooks. Devices like the Kindle and Sony Reader have made it easy and convenient to purchase and read books. These ebook readers are still a little too expensive for the mainstream market, but I’m confident that in time they’ll achieve critical mass and revolutionize the reading and publishing landscape.

For example, I love printed books, but now that I have a Kindle I very rarely buy a printed book. For one thing, the ebooks are always cheaper. Furthermore, I feel that - in a very small way - I’m saving a few trees every time I opt for an ebook. I don’t need another book sitting on my bookshelf anyway - I’ve got too many already!

Lastly, ebooks provide many advantages to authors. Although it takes a little time and effort, an author can publish their book as a Kindle ebook for free. Just go to http://dtp.amazon.com and follow the instructions.

Talk about removing barriers to entry. Upload and publish today, and your book is being purchased and read by your audience in no time. Oh, and you’re receiving royalties in no time. In tomorrow’s world, ebooks will be an author’s best friend.

10. What do you enjoy the most about Publish and Sell? 

I enjoy working with authors, and every author’s situation is different. No two poetry books are alike, nor are any two novels alike. That keeps things fresh, along with the fact that the publishing industry and its associated technologies are changing almost daily.

Also, as much as I dream of being a novelist, I can’t seem to write for the long haul. I am a musician, so I have a lot of songs that I’ve penned - along with some poems and short stories - but after a couple pages I’ve run out of things to say.

So I admire authors. I admire the varied processes by which they write, and I’m envious of the way that an author’s thoughts seem to flow uninhibited from their mind and into their manuscript. This capability - to tell a story, to invoke emotions, and sometimes even change the life of your reader is, frankly, astounding.

For more information on Publish and Sell Enterprises and how Henry can help you publish and market your work visit his site at http://www.publishandsell.com or call him directly at 919 247-1832.

You can also find Henry on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/henry.hutton, on Twitter at @PublishingGuy and on Linkedin at http://www.linkedin.com/in/henryhutton

Fear is the Driving Force Behind My Writing

By Anthony S. Policastro

This article is part of a blog tour in September.

DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM and ABSENCE OF FAITH, both mystery/thrillers, were written out of fear, universal fears that I believe all of us consider at one time or another.

DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM is about Dan Riker, a computer security expert whose family is kidnapped by digital terrorists who take over the power grid and cell phone network and hold the United States hostage. Dan is the only one with the know-how to stop them, but the hackers have his family and he must decide to save his family or save millions of people.

While I wrote this book the fear of losing my own family pervaded my thoughts and I wrapped a plot around this fear using the latest wireless technologies and a lot of imagination. I still have my family and the thought of losing them is unimaginable. This was the fuel for DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM.

Dan's life is well planned, predicted and uneventful like most of our lives and I wanted to see how Dan would react when all of that is shattered in an instant when his family disappears.

Does Dan have the courage to save his family or will he just give up because he never had to face such insurmountable odds? Will he save millions of people whose lives are threatened by the terrorists or will he save his family? The book is not just about technology.

These are some of the questions I addressed in the book and when or if you read the book you may ask yourself these same questions and maybe better understand your own capabilities.

ABSENCE OF FAITH also addresses universal fears when residents in a highly-religious small town have horrible near-death experiences and wake up with burnt skin.  They believe they went to hell and that God has abandoned them. Matters get worse when a local Satanic cult emerges and wins over many residents.

My fears of losing all hope and all faith in the face of a downturn in life is what spawned ABSENCE OF FAITH. Again, I was interested in how people would react if you stripped them of all hope and faith. Would they pick themselves up and continue their lives? What would they do when this great fear overtakes them.

These are the questions I address in ABSENCE OF FAITH.

Bestselling author and psychic Sylvia Browne writes in her book, Prophecy, that, "...our beliefs are the driving force behind our behavior, our opinions, our actions. Without faith, without our beliefs, we're lost."

I have always been interested in religion and why and how it has such a powerful hold on all of us and what would happen if it were taken away.

I not only wanted my books to entertain, but I also wanted them to inspire, educate and leave readers with something to think about after they put the book down for the last time. I wanted the books to be relevant to people's lives today and some of the problems we all face in the journey of life. I hope my books are that and more.

Both DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM and ABSENCE OF FAITH are available as paperbacks from Outer Banks Publishing Group, Amazon.com and as ebooks from Smashwords.com and the Amazon Kindle.
Both books will soon appear on Barnes and Noble's new ebook site.

Visit my personal blog for tips on writing, publishing, and books, WRITING IS ABOUT PUTTING YOURSELF TO WORDS.

Interviews can be found at

The Lulu Blog
Ask Wendy - The Query Queen
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Review of Absence of Faith by Shannon Yarbrough
If Tim LeHaye and Michael Crichton had ever gotten together to write a book, it would probably end up being something like Anthony Policastro’s Absence of Faith.  It’s part medical mystery and part religious thriller all rolled up in a plot of Christianity, Unexplained Phenomenon, New Age Beliefs, and Satanic Occults. It’s a white-knuckle read that would probably drive a Baptist preacher to an early death, and probably have Stephen King saying, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”

Self Publication or Commercial Publication - Is There a Difference Anymore?

Editor's Note: We have a guest blog by best selling author Jeremy Robinson, who I refer to as the author's author. I followed Jeremy's career when he started as a self-published author, watched him create ingeniously unique marketing events for his books and finally land a lucrative three-book contract with a traditional publisher, Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. He is an inspiration to all aspiring and just-published authors.- Anthony


By Jeremy Robinson

So what is the difference between being a self-published author and an author with a commercial publisher. Being a self-publisher for three years, this was a question I often wondered about. NY publishers and authors are very quiet about the inner workings of publishing and in some ways it felt like this secret society that you had to become a part of to learn the truth. In a way, that's true, because I didn't really know until I was in the club, so to speak.

I should mention that this is MY experience. I am a professional interior and cover designer and have hired editors for my books. Because I tried to treat the process of self-publishing as much like a publisher as I could (going so far as to start a small press), you will not find those typical self-publishing/big gun publishing differences in my perspective.

But I'm happy to talk about it and let YOU in on the secret. First, I'll start with the differences, because there aren't that many and, honestly, they're not nearly as important as the similarities.

1. You get paid an advance. Most of the time. Which is nice. It says, "Hey, we think your book is going to sell X amount of copies and we're so sure of it, we're going to pay you in advance for those copies". Wow! What a shot in the arm. But its not as grand as it sounds. Odds are, as a first time author your advance will be far less than you need to live on for a year, so don't quit your day job. And then there is the pressure to actually sell what was expected of you...which can be a lot harder than you think.

2. This is the big one, distribution. Your books, if the publisher is doing their job, will not only be available to brick and mortar stores, it will also be on the shelf without you having to lift a finger. Deep breath, smile, and sigh. Ahhhh.

3. Royalties. As a self-publisher I was accustomed to making $4.00 per book sold. That's now at $2.50 for hard covers and something like $.65 for mass markets. So to make the same amount of money, I need to sell roughly double the amount of books, which is, again, harder than you think.

And that's about it. There are other obvious differences, like working with an editor that's been in the business for a while, and a team of artists at a publishing house, but that experience is totally different from person to person, and for me, hasn't been too different than what I'm used to in my own self-imposed system of publishing.

As for what has not changed (despite how much I wish it would) is this: marketing. When I got the catalog from the publisher with PULSE in it, I looked at the list of marketing that was going to be done for the book...and you know what I saw? Everything I have always done for my books. Meaning, I would still be doing them...and that was it. There would be no marketing beyond what I could manage on my own.

If you're an author, you might be aghast right now. But you shouldn't be. This is life for most newbie authors. Many choose to do nothing and let the book sell from the shelf on its own, but I wouldn't suggest this.

You must act like you're still trying to prove yourself as an author, because you are! Getting a big publisher is just the first step in having a career as an author. What happens after that, once again, largely depends on the author's action or inaction. So, what hasn't changed is that I am still spending insane amounts of hours marketing. I created my video trailer. I hired a narrator to podcast my previous novel, Kronos, an inserted ads for PULSE. I'm active on my blog, website, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Youtube and Goodreads. I had multiple contests. Wrote and released press releases. Booked radio shows. Scheduled signings. And a slew of other things I have mentally blocked.

In fact, I would suggest you not think about what is different between self-publishing and commercial publishing. If you get a publishing deal, great, but don't think you've "made it." You're still a long way from that. I'm still a long way from that. So stay focused on what remains the same. Keep your desperation. Your drive. And maybe you'll get a second book deal when the first is done.

For more on me and the novels, please visit www.jeremyrobinsononline.com - Sign up for the newsletter while you're there!

PULSE is now available.

Buy from Barnes&Noble

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"Jeremy Robinson's latest novel, PULSE, ratchets his writing to the next level.  Rocket-boosted action, brilliant speculation, and the recreation of a horror out of the mythologic past, all seamlessly blend into a rollercoaster ride of suspense and adventure.  Who knew chess could be this much fun!"
-- James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST ORACLE

What Makes a Good Memoir?

By Paula Margulies

As a publicist, I'm sent books of all genres by authors interested in my services, but lately I seem to be on the receiving end of a lot of memoirs. I've also spoken to a higher-than-usual number of memoir writers, who either telephone or approach me with questions at writer's conferences. The bulk of these conversations have to do with why their memoirs aren’t selling and what the authors can do to make them better.

My first suggestion for all memoir writers is to take a look at their market and identify the different types of people who would want to read their book. This is tricky, for while many memoir writers have done a good job of detailing certain aspects of their personal history, a number of them have not thought about who might be interested in reading what they've written.

A lot of memoirs I've seen recently are nothing more than personal recountings of an individual’s experiences – some of which are, indeed, memorable. But I've found that a great number of memoirs contain information that might only be interesting to the author. In this category, I include stories about having a child out of wedlock, rescue missions by health care workers, struggles with family members over an elderly relative’s care, vacations or trips abroad that the author found life-changing, collections of stories that the author told his/her children while they were growing up, or collections of a family member’s letters from World War II. Although engaging and, occasionally, entertaining, books with these topics typically focus on material and/or experiences that a number of us have already encountered in our own lives. And, thus, because we readers are familiar with the situations ourselves, stories like these don’t always make interesting reading.

So, what makes a compelling memoir? I believe that in order to become a bestseller, a memoir must have a strong storyline. That means that there is a beginning, middle, and end to the events that are recounted in the book. Examples of breakout memoirs with clear timelines are Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa, where the author, Danish baroness, Karin von Blitzen-Finecke, describes the political and emotional barriers she faced while trying to build a coffee farm in Kenya, and Before Night Falls, by Reinaldo Arenas, the rebellious and flamboyant Cuban poet and playwright, who describes both his early years as a homosexual artist under the Castro regime, including his imprisonments and escapes, and his last days as an exile in the United States.

Successful memoirs also have compelling or distinct characters in them. Just like fiction, a good memoir will introduce the reader to individuals who are memorable and, sometimes, highly unusual. Examples include Augusten Burrough's mother, Deidre, and her unorthodox psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, in Running with Scissors, or the sadistic mother in A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer.

Oftentimes, as in fiction, the individuals in a memoir will be sympathetic, so that readers strongly identify with them. This is particularly true of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, who begins her book by depicting herself in a heap on the bathroom floor, devastated by a recent divorce, or Joan Didion in The Year of Magical Thinking, who lost her husband to a sudden heart attack and shares the aftermath with the reader in a way that is heart-wrenchingly honest.

Another reason for the success of these two memoirs is the fact that they both tell love stories. In Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert begins the memoir with the loss of love (after a failed marriage) and then ends it with the start of a new relationship with the man who will become her next husband. Likewise, Didion recounts the significant moments of her marriage to her husband, John Gregory Dunne, as she describes her attempts to grapple with her grief at his passing. These two books are skillfully written, with clear, strong voices and brave directness, and both authors draw painful moments with great tenderness.

People in successful memoirs often face situations with high stakes consequences and experience an emotional trajectory, or arc, whereby the individuals are changed somehow at the end of the book. Many memoirs have to do with the author or a parental figure teetering on the brink of alcoholism (Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller), destitution (Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt), poverty and spousal abuse (All Over but the Shoutin', by Rick Bragg), drug addiction (A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey), cultural adversity (Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver-Relin), and life-threatening adventure (Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer). What makes these books stand out above the others is that in all of these stories, the authors and/or their loved ones faced extreme circumstances – incarceration, kidnapping, starvation, emotional abandonment, and, sometimes, immanent death – and somehow survived.

In addition to the victim/survival type memoir, there are celebrity memoirs, where the author recounts his own story as a celebrity or his experiences living or working with one (examples include Here's the Story by The Brady Bunch star, Maureen McCormick, or Everything about Me is Fake and I'm Perfect by supermodel Janice Dickenson). There are also tell-all or insider memoirs, where the individual describes events in an environment that most of us would never have a chance to experience. Many of these are political in tone, such as John Dean's Blind Ambition, the anti-Nixon tome published in 1976, or George Stephanopoulos's All Too Human, which described intimate details about the first family during the Clinton administration.

The message here is that unless your memoir is something like the ones I've mentioned in this post, you might have a tough time selling it. That doesn't mean that authors shouldn't write memoirs – on the contrary, writing a memoir can be a wonderfully revealing and cathartic experience for the author and of great significance to family members and friends. But to reach further audiences, memoirs that don't involve a celebrity connection or insider information must have a definable storyline, remarkable characters, high stakes, and a great love story – or some combination, thereof – in order to experience breakout success.
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Paula Margulies is a book publicity and promotions expert in San Diego, California. You can reach her at paula@paulamargulies.com, or visit her website at www.paulamargulies.com.

New Publishing House Announces "What We Look For in Book."

By Anthony S. Policastro

Outer Banks Publishing Group, my newest venture, is one of the few publishing houses to use state-of-the-art digital printing technologies, social networking, virtual marketing, and the Internet to produce, promote, sell, and brand you and your book in the largest market in the world – the Internet.

Outer Banks Publishing Group was created with the same innovative and pioneering spirit displayed by the Wright Brothers who achieved the first flight more than 100 years ago. Hence, the name seems appropriate for what we hope to achieve in the publishing industry.

Image via Wikipedia

Whether your have written nonfiction or fiction, all books in essence are about a story.

In light of more than 400,000 titles published last year and the number increasing daily with the explosion of ebooks and self-publishing, your book has to be exceptional to get noticed and to ultimately be purchased.

Here are some basic elements that should be in every book:

1. Known as the lead in newspapers, the first sentence or paragraph should effectively communicate something that will entice, interest or emotionally attach the reader to your book so he or she will want to read the rest of the book.
2. Every word, sentence, paragraph and section or chapter should relate in some way to the theme or story in a significant way. Background information on a character, a situation or concept should not be there just to fill pages. It should all relate in some way like the Ying and Yang - each complement each other, each are relevant to each other as parts that create the whole.
3. This may sound obvious, but your book should have a beginning, a middle and an end. In essence, all questions, concerns or conflicts should be resolved by the end of the book. The reader should not be left with any questions whether your book is nonfiction or fiction.

Content is king. No matter what you write about, if the content and the writing engages, inspires, entertains or educates with an emotional attraction, the world will open up to you.

Be Careful What You Wish For

By Paula Margulies

At a lunch meeting a few weeks ago, a client of mine, who is getting ready to release the second edition of her young adult novel, confided to me that she found the business of marketing a book to be a bit daunting. "It’s a full-time job, isn't it?" she stated (a bit ruefully, I might add). I have to agree with her, especially since I do book publicity for a living (it’s definitely a full-time job for me) and since I’ve also been promoting my own first novel, which was published by a small press last April.

Every writer dreams of the day he can hold a printed copy of his book in his hand and, even better, sign copies of that book at bookstores across the country. But a lot of writers don’t realize the costs, both literal and figurative, that come with the realization of that dream. For being a published author brings an incredible crush of new responsibilities with the title. Even if a writer is lucky enough to be published by a large press, in most cases, the burden for promoting a book falls squarely on the shoulders of the author. That means that the majority of writers who end up having a book published (either by someone else or on their own), will have to spend a great deal of time and money to ensure that the book is a success.

How much money? When I speak at writers’ conferences, I advise potential authors to save all of the advance dollars they might be lucky enough to get. And for those who don’t receive advances, I recommend having at least $10,000 set aside for promotion and travel expenses (and that figure doesn’t include what they'll spend on printing, etc., if they decide to self-publish).

I still meet writers who naively believe that once they're published (by a large New York publishing house, of course), their book will quickly become a big hit and the money will roll in. On the contrary, the reality is that for the vast majority of the writers out there, there will be no big publishing house (many will be lucky to find a small press for their books) and little or no advance (the amount publishers give authors against what they hope to recoup in royalties). In addition, there will most likely be a limited number of distributors and book sellers willing to sell their books, and the money the authors make will either be a small fraction of the book's price (the majority shared with their publishers), or will come from their own pockets.

But the biggest revelation for most newly-published writers, especially those who are hoping to do a book tour, is that, in addition to having to spend their own money to publish, purchase, and promote their books, they will oftentimes have to spend hours – and sometimes entire days – traveling to market their work. For most beleaguered authors, who write, hold full-time jobs, and have extended family, kids, and pets to support, the idea of adding time away from home to their already full plates is not something they’ve considered.

So, what should a writer expect when he gets an offer from a publisher? Here’s what I’ve learned: When a book is published, the author will most likely spend long hours negotiating his publishing contract (hopefully with the help of an agent or publishing attorney); writing copy for book jackets and back covers; helping to locate experts, including professionals, and celebrities, for blurbs; proofing the manuscript – sometimes multiple times – before it's printed; writing reader's guides; writing c.v.’s, bios, and bits of copy for press releases; and promoting the upcoming book launch to his friends, family, and niche readers.

Once the book is out, if he’s lucky to have a publisher with a marketing staff, he'll have to commit to a certain amount of travel for book signings and speaking engagements. If his book isn't published by a house with a large staff, he’ll hire a publicist, or make calls on his own to book signings, speaking gigs, and newspaper, television, and radio interviews. He'll send out review copies, pay for booths at book fairs and trade shows, order books for events where the organizers prefer that the author bring copies, have promotional material – posters, bookmarks, post cards, business cards, booth signage – made, and create and place advertisements. He’ll set up his own website, blogsite, social networking pages, and blog tours. He'll pay his own travel costs (unless these are included in his publishing contract) and spend time, sometimes weeks, away from home.

In some cases, especially if he's self-published, he'll have to find his own wholesalers and distributors and may even need to write a marketing plan to have his book considered by these entities.

But the biggest surprise of all to new authors is that their special gift, the ability to write, may have to be put on hold while they squeeze this new job – promoting the book that just sold – into their daily lives.

If all of this sounds daunting, wait – there's more. How much a writer is offered for his next book is going to depend on sales numbers for the first book. So, if the first one has a poor sales record, the likelihood of enthusiasm for the next one will wane considerably. That means less advance money or even rejection by the same agent and publisher the author had before when the second book is ready for publication.

So, still want to publish a book? Most of us do, despite the competitive and economically traumatized publishing environment that exists today. The trick is to learn as much as possible beforehand about the business of book promotion and what publishers are offering writers. Then, if you're lucky enough to have your wish come true, be prepared. Save your shekels (or your advance, if you get one), and plan on spending a good chunk of money and time promoting your newly published book.
______________
Paula Margulies is a book publicity and promotions expert in San Diego, California. You can reach her at paula@paulamargulies.com, or visit her website at http://www.paulamargulies.com/.

The Ebook Market Just Got Hotter

By Anthony S. Policastro

If you thought the eBook market was hot before, it just went super nova with Smashwords newest distribution to "major online retailers, the first of which is Barnes & Noble and their various properties including Barnesandnoble.com, Fictionwise, and their eReader app."

Like the other 2,600 authors on Smashwords, I received an email Friday evening from Smashwords owner and creator, Mark Coker announcing the new distribution arrangement.

"To put everything in perspective, we're developing a process that will enable

your books to receive widespread retail distribution within days or weeks of

publishing on Smashwords. Some of what we're doing here has never been done

before, so like I said above, please be patient as we work together to pioneer

the brave new world of ebook distribution," wrote Mark Coker in the email.

In addition, Barnes & Noble just ramped up its eBook efforts and currently has more than 700,000 eBook titles listed on its site and it hopes to surpass one million books within the next year. The book retailer will also be the exclusive eBook provider to Plastic Logic's upcoming eReader device - an eight and a half by eleven inch device with a touch screen and wireless capabilities for downloading content. AT&T will be the wireless carrier for the reader and this means users in Europe and parts of Asia will be able to download content. The Kindle's wireless feature works only the United States.

All of these developments could be a paradigm shift in the eBook market because Barnes and Noble is opening its arms and accepting the work posted on other commercial eBook sites. They are clearly scooping up as much market share as possible to compete against the Amazon Kindle. (See the related article below in The New York Times.) Even their pricing model is similar to Amazon's with major titles selling for $9.99 - the same price as the Kindle. Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is featured on Barnes and Noble eBook site as a preorder for $9.99.

What's more significant is that you can download a book from Barnes and Noble and read it on your iPhone, iTouch, Blackberry or PC or Macintosh by simply downloading the B&N eReader software for the particular device. And they announced they will be adding additional devices. Kindle books cannot be read on the Blackberry or on a PC or Macintosh. This move could pull market share from the Kindle.

It will be interesting to see how the eBook market evolves in the next few months or years with these two titans battling for the same market share on an equal playing field. If Barnes and Noble keeps its pricing in line or lower than Amazon and stays a step ahead of the technology, they could be the winner.

Smashwords photo is the official logo of Smashwords.com. The photo of Plastic Logic's new eReader is from Plastic Logic's website.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Irex partners with Barnes & Noble to challenge Amazon's Kindle (digital.venturebeat.com)
• Barnes & Noble Plans Online Bookstore to Battle Amazon (nytimes.com)
• EBooks: Sony Announces Wireless Reader and Partnerships with More Booksellers & Libraries (readwriteweb.com)
• Barnes & Noble to Distribute Smashwords Ebooks (smashwords.com)

Think Outside of the Bookstore Box

By Anthony S. Policastro

I recently attended a friend of mine's book launch and signing at a local coffee house here in Raleigh, NC and I found it highly successful.

Martin Brossman, the author of Brossman's Social Media and Online Resource Directory for Business definitely thinks outside of the box and the bookstore.

Instead of having his book signing at a local bookstore, he choose the New World Coffee House, a small, cozy spot that worked well with his book.

The event lasted about three hours and more than 50 people came and went, bought signed copies or drank a latte or a mocha and mingled. Several of the book's contributors were also there so it was like an author's fest - you could meet and talk with several authors.

One of the reasons for the success of this event was the atmosphere - people could mingle, talk, ask questions of the authors the entire time unlike a bookstore signing where there is only a short time for questions and the author is gone.

The moral of the story - don't restrict yourself to just bookstore signings. Think of places that compliment the content of your book. Martin's book is about social networking, viral marketing and the best ways to promote your business on the Internet. The coffee house was a perfect setting for his book - people could socialize, network, and indirectly promote their businesses.

And if you want to know how to promote yourself or your business online, definitely pick up Martin's book. I've read it cover to cover and it is an invaluable resource for online marketing.

Should There Always Be a Free Lunch?

Image by gwydionwilliams via Flickr

By Anthony S. Policastro

I recently received a comment from a reader named Pepe on my earlier post Would You Pay $26 for an ebook? about the price of ebooks. I was impressed at what he said because he is a reader in favor of the author.

Here is what Pepe wrote:

"I think that 10$ is too much for having a book with drm, indeed for a book with drm I wouldn't pay more than a dollar.

Otherwise, if a get a book at a small price, provided it's without drm, and provided at least more than 50% of the price goes to the author I would pay for it, gladly, even these 10$ if the book really pleased me and is a long one."

He believes at least fifty percent of the book price should go to the author. And he has good reason.

"But this is even expensive, lot of people paying this amount will consider they have the right to give it away freely, and this is not good for the author, so why not sell them really cheap, let say 2 or 3$ and convince people that they should pay for reading it because that way the author will be able to produce more of these books they really enjoyed?

I think this is really possible, there's money for the author, for the online editor and people will be happy knowing most of the money they pay goes to whom really deserves it."

Like many authors, Pepe believes that Internet users should change their mindset in the belief that digital products on the Internet should be free.

Whether you believe it or not, there is a cost to someone to create the book, upload it to an ebook site and promote it so that readers may buy it. The cost may not always be physical, but it is a cost in time - time the author could be using to write the next great American book or just spend thinking of something new to write.

We need more readers like Pepe.

Building a Writing Life/Community After Your MFA

By Chris Stewart

I was recently asked to speak about this topic at the reunion of nonfiction MFAs at Goucher College in Baltimore and thought this information would be great to share here at The Writer's Edge, as well.

Once you recover from graduating from a MFA program and discover that you need to make your peace with the void it leaves, and that you are now your own keeper/disciplinarian, the big question hits you: What do I do now?

My philosophy on this has TWO POINTS:

1) Try everything you can handle in terms of your time and energy. Just give it a go, even if you're not sure it's for you (as long as it's not a big financial commitment like an expensive class or conference. You should really want to participate in those before plunking down the credit card). You'll stir things up. You'll meet people. You'll discover important strengths, weaknesses, passions. Other things will start to show up for you.

2) Based on what shows up - do what's in front of you. Opportunities will come to you through all this activity and connection. You might be offered a class to teach or asked to give a talk on a conference you went to, or write an article for your local paper. I see these as bread crumbs that you follow to the next thing and the next and the next. You'll be amazed where you end up. Each opportunity trains you for the next one. Follow them. Don't push. If something you want to do isn't working that's because you aren't ready.

HERE'S THE LIST:

1) If the void is too much for you, take a class. It doesn't have to be a writing class. Explore a subject that might bring new life to your work: art – like ceramics or painting - history, science, film, religion. You can find these in continuing ed programs everywhere, and many arts organizations that sell pieces also offer classes in various disciplines.


2) Join a critique group. Here in Maryland we have the Maryland Writer’s Association and it lists critique groups in many forms on its website. Or start a critique group. Your fellow MFA students are a good start. People you meet at literary arts events or at a meeting like the your state's writing association meetings are good candidates. But if you don’t admire and even envy the writing of at least 3 people in the group – get out.

To read my previous posts on finding and being part of a successful critique group, click here.

3) Get a writing coach/mentor. We're around. Do some internet research. You can be just as successful working with someone by email and/or phone as you can in person. A coach/mentor will keep you motivated and help you set and meet your goals in ways a critique group might not.

4) Find literary arts organizations in your area: small presses, literary magazines (usually online magazines), libraries that present readings. Also orgs like The Writer's Center, The Loft, Grub Street, CityLit Project - these are organizations that present programming for writers and readers in their cities. Find the ones in your area and get on their email lists. Go to their events/readings. Offer to read. Stick around to talk to people afterwards. If it's not something you're comfortable with - have a compliment or question ready, say your piece and then run away if you must.

5) Apply to contests and send your work out to literary magazines. Yes it's a huge pain in the ass and can be expensive and disappointing. Do it anyway. It's good practice and your work will be accepted somewhere. It has to. It's the law of averages. Choose one or two magazines with whom to build a relationship. You never know who will see your work and respond (maybe one of the judges or someone who reads your honorable mention poem in the magazine). Years ago I won an award and received a fan letter for my poems from Ted Kooser (who later became US Poet Laureate). If it's an overwhelming prospect - make folders for every month of the year and every time you find a contest or submission deadline for a lit mag, print it out and put it in the folder. Each month look through your options in the folder for the next month and decide where to send your work.

6) Apply for a grant. Your city and/or state arts council probably has an individual artist award. Maryland has poetry, fiction, and playwriting. You can win about $1,000 usually and can meet the other winners in your category at the ceremony. I formed a critique group that's been going two years now with a writer I met this way. The award also looks good on your CV.

7) Go to conferences. There are books everywhere that list them. You can apply to the heavy hitters like Sewanee and BreadLoaf or start smaller. Retreats for writers are listed as well. State Parks often have places for writers to stay and some offer a stipend. I've met wonderful, committed, talented writers at every conference I've attended and still keep in touch with 1-3 of them from each. You can critique each other's work and share resources long after the conference is over.

8) If you have a graduate degree, apply for a post-graduate fellowship like the Stegner Fellowship at Stanford. Princeton, Emory, and University of Wisconsin all have them. You write, you teach a couple of classes, you may go to a class with your fellow fellows, and you get a stipend. Amy Holman has a great book that pulls info on residencies, conference, etc. together.

8) Teach. Offer a class at a library, church, senior or rec center. These are low key places to get your feet wet. Once you gain more confidence, go to your local college's continuing ed or undergraduate program and propose a class. Or go into your child’s school and offer to help them write poems or stories. Talk to their teacher. If you have teaching experience, check in with your local arts council, your state arts council or organizations like Young Audiences, Arts for Learning. These all maintain rosters of teaching artists which you can apply to be on and then be available to do writing residencies in schools and be paid for it.

9) Go to area book festivals and talk to the writers in the authors tent. Volunteer for the festival itself, or to help out in the tent of one of the literary arts organizations.

10) Facebook. Find the literary arts groups. Join them. Friend writers you find there. Twitter too, if you can stand it. (I can't, but it's your time!)

11) Read blogs for writers and comment. If you build a relationship, you can offer, or might be offered, a chance to guest blog.

12) Keep a writer's journal of observations, overhead conversations, images, etc.

13) Read the journals of writers. Maybe start a group with other writers to talk about process and share resources and inspiration. Or make every fourth critique group session this type of meeting.

14) Host a Writers Dinner. Invite people you know and ask them to bring another writer. Do this in your home or meet at a restaurant. Just hang out and talk. Don't read your work or make it a brainstorming session about anything really serious. Just be in the company of your peers.

There’s no magic formula. You’re in charge. No one is going to force you to do anything. You have to decide how much you want to be involved and how much on your own. Whatever you can or want to do is right for you. Pay attention to your rhythms - seasonal, monthly, daily. If you have a very rigid practice and it's been a struggle for awhile, or you're no longer inspired by the groups you're in, it's time to make a change/adjustment.

It's also okay to take a break and do nothing (including not write). Allow that space. Embrace it.

Chris Stewart is a writer/mentor in Baltimore where she founded the Write Here, Write Now workshops, and the program director for arts in education and literary arts with the Maryland State Arts Council. Her website is www.therealwriter.com.

Never Judge a Book by its Genre

By Anthony S. Policastro

My newest book, Dark End of the Spectrum has received several reviews and they have caused me to nearly fall off my chair when I heard them.

When I finished writing the mystery/thriller, I thought it would appeal mainly to computer geeks, readers interested in technology, and people who knew their way around the Internet.

Not only does it appeal to these audiences, it also appeals to women who are not so computer savvy, women who don’t really care about technology, but simply enjoy the story.

Here's what Sheila Deeth of Oregon said about it on Amazon:

"But the novel isn't just about technology gone wild. Dan has a wife and child and a home life too, and the up-down relationship of a marriage strained by work grounds the tale very realistically. The author writes convincing dialog, and Amelia's sudden anger as Dan leaves to help the CIA saddened me because of its plausibility."

What is even more interesting is that she obtained the ebook version first and read it on her computer. Here is her comment on that:

"Descriptive details and discussions slowed the story down at times, but not enough to distract me from reading on. I stayed hunched over the computer late at night, wishing I had a paperback to carry to bed, but unable to stop reading. This is certainly a thrilling book for anyone who likes technology, conspiracy, action and disaster; one to read when you've plenty of time to spare because you'll not want to put it down."

Several others who are currently reading Dark End of the Spectrum have said the same thing - "It's a page turner and I can't put it down."

I'm lost for words.

Why? Because I didn't expect those reactions. Because I first billed the book as a high-tech thriller. At first, there didn't seem to be much interest. I changed the description to suspense/thriller and there was a bit more interest. When I changed it to mystery/thriller lots of interest.

The family elements in the story - the real struggles with marriage, raising a family, making a living, and just trying to enjoy life - have broadened the book's appeal to a wider audience, primarily women who are not into technology.

What can you learn from this as a writer? Be very careful how you describe your book and the genre you choose for it. Genres tend to pigeon-hole the book into a specific audience and even turn away audiences who may find it interesting enough to buy.

Always include a family element. After all, everyone has a family whether they are blood relatives, cherished friends or a special group.

Never judge a book by its genre. Judge it by its content, the story, and whether you would truly want to read it. Be a cross-genre reader. You will be surprised how it will make you a better writer.

Using Q & A's and FAQ's to Market Your Book

By Paula Margulies

One of the least expensive ways to promote your novel or non-fiction book is to create a Q & A or FAQ and ask bloggers to post it on their blogs and websites. These postings can be coordinated to appear at certain times/dates (this is known as a blog tour), or you can approach individual bloggers and ask that they list your information in future posts.

It's easy to create Q & A's or FAQ's -- use simple questions that all readers want to know about writers, and write brief, sincere responses to them. Examples of commonly asked questions include: What was your inspiration for this novel/book? How long did it take you to write this book? Who are your favorite authors and why? What is your next novel/book about?

Once you have a list you like, send it with a jpg of the book cover art, an author photo, and other information about your book (ISBN number, ordering information, links to websites, etc.). It's good protocol to follow the blogs where your information is posted and to include links to that blogsite or website on your own sites. Also, don't forget to thank those who agree to post information about you and your book after the post has run.

Here is a sample FAQ I use for my own novel, Coyote Heart:

Coyote Heart by Paula Margulies
ISBN: 1-933794-16-X
Publisher: Kirk House Publishers, April 17, 2009
$15.95
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.kirkhousepublishers.com/
http://www.paulamargulies.com/


Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long have you been writing fiction?
I started writing fiction about nine years ago, when I was in my mid-40's (kind of a mid-life crisis, I suppose). I was an English major in college, but I studied composition and teaching, and had never taken a creative writing class.

2. Where did you learn fiction-writing?
In 2001, I took an Intro to Creative Writing course at Mesa College in San Diego. I wrote a few short stories that won some awards, and took one of them to the San Diego State University (SDSU) Writer's Conference in 2003, where it won an Editor's Choice Award from Brenda Copeland, who was then an editor at Simon and Schuster. She suggested that I try writing novels instead of short stories, and I decided to take her advice.

3. Where did you get the idea for this novel?
I had the idea for a short story about a married woman who falls in love with a Native American man. I don't know where this idea came from, but I kept seeing the image of the husband, who I imagined had been in an accident of some sort, sitting in a chair with a rifle in his hands and his arms raised up in an Indian victory gesture. This image haunted me so much that I began a story about it, and that evolved into the novel, Coyote Heart.

4. How long did it take you to write this novel?
One and a half years.

5. How long did it take to get the book published?
I began Coyote Heart (then called Bow and Arrow) in 2003 and finished it in 2004. In January 2005, I took it to the SDSU Writer's Conference, where it won an Editor's Choice Award from Shaye Areheart, an editor at Crown Publishers. I met my agent, Bob Tabian, at the same conference, and in 2008, I was offered a royalty contract by Kirk House Publishers.

6. How did you find your publisher?
After the book made the rounds with the bigger publishing houses from 2005 – 2007, I submitted it to some university and smaller presses. One of them, University of Nevada Press, held it for one year and almost took it (it made it through internal and external reviews, but the editorial staff passed on it in a final publishing meeting). Kirk House was one of the small presses originally approached in 2007; they extended an offer in 2008.

7. Do you have a favorite character?
I read somewhere that an author should love all the characters in her novel, and I feel that way about this one. They are all flawed and all have suffered some kind of loss, which makes me feel for each of them, but if I had to pick one, it would have to be the husband, Everett Weedman. He is a rational man, who likes order and logic in his world yet, at the same time, he has a deep love of nature and he's willing to sacrifice for what matters.

8. What is your next novel about?
I am working on an historical novel called Favorite Daughter, which is about Pocahontas, who tells the story in first person, from her own point of view. I recently read Sena Jeter Naslund's novel, Abundance, which tells the story of Marie Antoinette in her own voice and was fascinated by the way it dispelled so many myths about her character, while showing us who she really was as a person. I’m trying to do the same thing in Favorite Daughter, by telling the story from Pocahontas's perspective and letting her show us the true nature of her relationship with John Smith and how she came to play such a significant role in American history.
__________
Paula Margulies is a book publicity and promotions expert in San Diego, California. You can reach her at paula@paulamargulies.com, or visit her website at www.paulamargulies.com.

Factors to Consider When Plotting a Novel

By Paula Margulies

Over the years, I've had some fabulous writing instructors here in San Diego. Some of the classes were taught at the UC San Diego or San Diego State University extension programs, others were at local community colleges or writing organization meetings. A few of the wonderful teachers I've had include Drusilla Campbell, Carolyn Wheat, Bonnie Zobell, Mary Balogh, and Diane Dunaway – all talented writers, in addition to being great instructors.

I recently came across notes from some of these classes and thought I'd share a few of my favorites. Many of these changed my life as a writer; in fact, I considered the following list so important, I pinned it to the wall above my computer while I was writing my first novel, Coyote Heart.

The following notes came from a course on novel writing, taught by Drusilla Campbell. I send deep thanks to Drusilla for sharing these tips and for her wonderful insight and instructive wit.

Here is a list of factors to consider when plotting your novel:

▪ Characterization is key.
▪ The story will demonstrate your character's growth, her change from one kind of person to another.
▪ There will be a back-story influencing the current story.
▪ The story is about something that matters (a strongly-held belief).
▪ The story will not be predictable.
▪ The story will be full of conflict, tension, and suspense.
▪ The story will be rich with emotion.
▪ The story will be detailed and sensory.
▪ There will be a major inciting incident that will take the main character out of her comfortable state and put her in trouble.
▪ After the inciting incident, the major character has a goal, which can be put in the form of a question.
▪ The goal is always something tangible, though it may represent a spiritual or moral goal.
▪ There will be mystery in your story.
▪ Your plot will constantly generate questions in the reader's mind.
▪ There will be a mix of good and bad characters, and no one will be either too good or too bad.
▪ Every character will always be fully motivated.
▪ Opponent(s) will thwart the view point character's goal.
▪ The story will be about an active hero.
▪ There will be a darkest moment for your heroine.
▪ The hero and his opposition will confront each other at the end.
▪ Your story will follow the patterns of cause and effect, stimulus and response.
▪ Any flashback will move the story forward and deepen characterization. PROMISE.
______________
Paula Margulies is a book publicity and promotions expert in San Diego, California. You can reach her at paula@paulamargulies.com, or visit her website at www.paulamargulies.com.

The Future of Publishing is Really the Future of Reading

Cover of Brave New World

By Anthony S. Policastro

I recently came across a very interesting article by Clive Thompson in Wired Magazine about the future of reading.

Here are some of the points that struck me as highly significant:

• People should start thinking about the future of reading rather than being always preoccupied with the future of publishing.
• Every other media that has gone digital has been transformed by its audience with the ability to comment on the content.
• Books need to be set free digitally to improve book discovery. It may also spawn a class of "professional readers" whose commentary is so informative that you would pay to download their take on a particular book.
• Programmers are already working on XML-like markup languages that would link every chapter or significant passage of a book to a unique URL address. Then you can easily examine the contents of a book with a few clicks.
• A few authors have given away digital copies of their books and found they end up selling more print copies. (I'm one of the those - both of my novels are free as digital downloads.)
  

It's a brave new world out there for books, but the publishing industry is moving like a snail to embrace these new technologies. But that's Ok because others will do it before them and reap the benefits along with us readers.

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• Digital books will by transformed by their readers (lib.uiowa.edu)
• Thinking "instead about the future of reading" (jwikert.typepad.com)