Author: Chelsea Apple

It’s Time for Ebooks to Get Innovative and Interactive

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

I saw something recently that blew my mind: Piotr Kowalczyk pulled together a list of “35 Most Interesting Animated Book Covers,” which left me saying not only, “Wow, these 35 covers really are the most interesting animated book covers I’ve ever seen,” but also, “ANIMATED BOOK COVERS ARE A THING? How have I not heard of this??”

Perhaps you’re sitting back and chuckling to yourself, thinking, “Of course animated book covers are a thing. What rock have you been living under?” But I won’t hear this remark, because I am still scrolling, bright-eyed, through simple animated gifs that bring average ebook covers and illustrations to life, going particularly gaga over the gritty Batman and Joker motifs and, oh yes, the elegant reimagining of the Harry Potter series.

Ebooks are becoming more interactive, and it’s about time, too. In a world where new digital masterpieces continue to flood a thoroughly oversaturated market daily, it’s surprising that more authors aren’t taking advantage of, or at least exploring, new technologies that enable readers to truly interact with the written word—and taking advantage of opportunities to make their ebook stand out from the crowd.

Granted, some of this technology is still in development, but we can’t ignore the possibilities technology affords us not only for publishing work online, but also for creating multidimensional works of literary art.

Consider, for example, Ryan Woodward’s superb Bottom of the Ninth, an interactive graphic novel that not only showcases Woodward’s impressive animation skills, but gives us something truly “novel”: graphic panels that move fluidly with the plot, which the reader can interact with thanks to the tap of a button. The graphic novel, which follows ace baseball pitcher Candy Cunningham, can be read on its very own app, an iPad, iPhone, or online (take a look, it’s super cool).

Consider Eli Horowitz’s The Silent History, a digital novel written specifically for iPad and iPhone and also available via a custom app. This mysterious story about a generation of unusual children who are unable to create or comprehend language, but who demonstrate surprising skills, unfolds gradually via 120 “eyewitness testimonials” about the children’s unusual abilities. Plus, according to the novel’s website, “For readers who wish to explore the world of the novel in more depth, there are also hundreds of location-based stories across the U.S. and around the world. These can be read only when your device’s GPS matches the coordinates of the specified location.” New stories unlocked based on the reader’s physical location? The plot thickens, indeed.

Consider that Al Dixon, the visionary behind the innovative new digital imprint Imaginary Books, is publishing a new mystery novel, the real pleasure in life, in “dynamic typography,” or interactive, animated text. The gritty, animated text is integrated into the plot itself, so that the movement of every word illustrates a plot development, or reveals a clue in a philosophical, slapstick adventure about a man whose life is turned upside down after he receives a mysterious summons to a surreal version of Athens, Georgia, and, after falling in with an eccentric set of new friends, discovers that nothing in his life will ever be the same.

Here’s what all of these innovative digital stories have going for them: They utilize new technology not as a gimmick or a “look-what-I-can-do” bit of time-consuming irrelevancy, but as an actual enhancement to story itself. The technology isn’t there for the sake of being there, but because it actually enhances the story, and enables the reader to interact with the literature in wholly new ways.

In a world where there’s an app-improving update or new system available for your device every week, it’s surprising that tech innovations to digital publishing haven’t become more mainstream. However, the current innovations that exist—or will exist in the near future—offer savvy, enterprising authors a relatively untapped realm of creative possibilities for creating, releasing, and promoting their newest digital book.

Saying “Everyone” Will Love Your Book is Actually Hurting Your Readership

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

There are three cringe-worthy statements when authors explain “who” will read their book:

“My book will appeal to both men and women, ages 10—100. Everyone will love it!”

“It’s the next [insert mega-selling international franchise here].”

“My book is completely unique. There’s absolutely nothing like it out there, there never has been, and there never will be.”

The fact is, the book that “everyone” loves does not exist, and never will. The only book that ages 10-100 are even potentially cracking open in the United States is the Bible (if that)—not exactly a great comp title for a new thriller. The misconception that everyone will love a book (or that it’s so unique that it’s completely dissimilar from books that are being read right now) can actually damage how authors understand and approach readers, and ultimately it can damage their sales.

The good news is that you do have a readership out there, and you can reach them if you identify them correctly. Here are some steps authors can take to understand and reach their real readers:

Identify your target demographic—really identify them. When I worked as an editor and wanted to acquire a book for my publishing house, I had to be very specific in identifying the book’s readership if I wanted to “sell” it to our team. For example, if I wanted to acquire a book about healthy living, explaining to the team that it will appeal to “women aged 18-50” isn’t realistic or useful. Saying it’s perfect for women aged 22-35, urban, physically active, interested in fitness and healthy eating habits, who probably shop organic is more accurate; we can research what these women read, and strategize how best to reach them. Your readers are out there, and the more you understand them, the better you’ll be able to approach them.

Choose good—and realistic—comp titles. Comparative or “comp” titles can do a lot of the heavy lifting when you’re pitching your book to an agent or publisher, writing a synopsis, or just trying to explain the premise to a friend. Publishers do it all the time when writing sales copy: “Fans of The Lunar Chronicles will love [this new book]” and “It’s the next read for fans of Eleanor and Park and The Spectacular Now.”

Be realistic when choosing three or four comp titles. Just because your novel has magic in it doesn’t mean it’s the next Harry Potter. Just because it’s a nonfiction memoir about a teen with cancer doesn’t mean it will appeal to fans of The Fault in Our Stars. While it would be amazing if your book really was the next literary phenomenon, picking comp titles just because they’re popular or have a thin connection to your book isn’t realistic—and can actually lead you to overlook books that are truly similar to yours, and are already garnering fans who would pick up your book when it hits shelves.

Also, if the comp title or franchise is older than three years, it’s outdated. With over three million books coming out every year, there’s always something new on the market. Once you’ve successfully identified your demographic, do some research and find out what they’re reading right now, and choose titles that accurately compare to yours.

With a little brainstorming and research, authors can more accurately identify and approach their target market, which can truly make all the difference in how a book is sold, read, and enjoyed!

The Most Important Question Authors Never Ask

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

When I first begin working on a publicity campaign with an author, we have a lot of bases to cover—How far can they travel for events? What type of media will fit the book best? How much lead time do we have? But there’s one question that I ask every author, and it will determine how the entire publicity campaign goes from that point. It’s this: “What does success look like to you?”

If you’re an author, take a minute to think about it—what does success look like for you? Is it a big New York Times Bestseller splashed above your name? Is it the mouth-watering prospect of your book sales spiking into the thousands, the tens of thousands, or more? Is it the movie deal, or the cross-country tour?

Or are your goals more compact, more personal—Is it about spreading an important message? Sharing a meaningful life experience? Connecting with readers, or helping readers connect with some part of themselves? Or maybe it’s simply that you’ve written and published a book at all—that’s a huge accomplishment in itself!

The answer is typically comprehensive: Many authors begin writing because of some personal catalyst, a desire to process, create, and connect. And it’s natural to want your art recognized, to see that big beautiful book you created find its way into more hands (and, let’s be honest, bestseller lists would be great too).

Why is defining what success means to you personally crucial as you embark on the publishing journey?

First: If you’re not sure what success looks like to you, you won’t be sure how to get there—or what it will even look like when you do.

For example, an author may dream of reaching the coveted #1 slot on the New York Times list, but knows that realistically she’ll have a higher chance of hitting a local bestseller list. Measuring success solely by the Times list will (statistically) result in nothing but bitter frustration—but if she takes strategic steps to hit a local bestseller list, she has a higher chance of hitting her goal, and becoming a bestselling author in the process.

Second: If you’re not sure what success looks for you personally, you may not recognize it when you get there. I’ve seen authors become so focused on the “big” gains—the mythical interview on The Today Show, the glowing reviews in the major trade publications—that glowing endorsements from smaller, respected reviewers feel insignificant. The meaningful event at the small bookstore doesn’t feel “big” enough. Although the reviews are good, the books are selling, the venues are confirming events, the author isn’t having any fun.

So take a moment, and write it out: What does success look like to you? Make a list: What are you big goals, your top-shelf ambitions? Now, what are some realistic, achievable goals? What personal benchmarks will you celebrate? What steps will you take to get there? As you figure out what success means to you personally, you may discover that “making it” as an author is closer than you think.

How Do I Keep Writing? An Editor’s Advice

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

We’ve all been there: The sentence won’t work the way you want, you read over something you’ve written and somehow the magic just isn’t there anymore, or worst of the worst—the blank page stares at you, mute and judging. You stare it down; you write, scribble out, rewrite, delete, stare some more.

When I worked as an assistant editor at Hachette Book Group, our community of authors would sometimes hit the inevitable snag. Here are five tips we would share with our authors—and aspiring writers we met along the way—to help with writing woes:

  1. Get it all down. Some writers can happily and effortlessly churn their stories out on paper. But for perfectionists, this step is the worst. “Vomiting” on the page feels messy, and the end result can feel frustrating because it’s not necessarily “your best” work. Try to push through; you will feel more productive with 10 rough pages than with two perfectly pruned paragraphs. Better still, freeing the story from your mind helps you better understand the direction in which it needs to flow.
  2. Watch your language (but not too much). Maybe word-vomiting is really not your style. That’s ok! As you push to get your entire piece on paper, a little self-editing can encourage you by reassuring that what you’re writing is “good”
  3. Take a break. Close your laptop. Take a walk. Call a friend. Do something that gets you up and away from your project. But you’ve barely gotten started! But you still have so much to do! I promise: It will still be there when you get back. If you’re in the zone, stay in the zone. But cut yourself some slack during lull periods. Choose intentional, set amounts of break time while writing, so you can stay loose, relaxed, and creative.
  4. Share. Share your work with a trusted friend, family member, mentor, and/or fellow writer. If asking for feedback, try to ask someone who could reasonably understand where you’re coming from (i.e. if you want a critique of your 250-page science fiction novel, share it with someone who enjoys or could enjoy science fiction). Outside readers will be able to lend perspective.
  5. Let it go. When is a piece of creative work truly finished? Simple answer: When you decide it’s done. Sometimes a piece feels perfectly finished, ready-to-print. Sometimes you depart with the lingering sensation that it still “needs work,” but you’re not sure how. Put it down for a while. See how it snags your mind—the line you keep repeating and rewording in your head, the new character that seems to spontaneously appear while you’re eating dinner. Finish things you start writing, share them, release them—then move on to the next project!

 

 

 

 

Chelsea is a publicist and editor for JKS Communications. She formerly worked as an Assistant Editor for Hachette Book Group.