Author: Chelsea Apple

Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.

Ask an Expert: What is “Ghostwriting”?

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

What is ghostwriting, how does one become a ghostwriter, and is ghostwriting “cheating?” Today, on the blog we’re sitting down with Mallory Burgey, a professional fiction ghostwriter who is giving us a peak behind the curtain at this mysterious and often misunderstood job.

What exactly does it mean to be a freelance fiction ghostwriter? What does your job entail?

I’m sure this answer is different for everyone who answers it, but for me, I work with small, independent publishing companies. I am hired to turn a provided 10,000-word outline into a full-length book. In my case, I ghostwrite under a pen name. There is no “real author” publishing the books, but rather a team of people who create the outlines, edit, and do the marketing to publish and promote the books. I am just another member of that team!

I receive an outline and have the opportunity to read through it and provide notes and feedback. I’m lucky that I have a lot of creative freedom to change things to better suit the story. Then I write! I work in chronological order, starting with chapter one and writing ~5,000 words per day until the book is complete. Occasionally I will do edits when I’ve written something that isn’t quite how the client imagined, but that is rare.

How many books have you ghostwritten?

I don’t have an exact number to offer, but it is definitely over 100 books at this point. It could be as high as 150, but it would take me a long time to go back and count! In the five years I’ve been a ghostwriter, I’ve written everything from short stories to 18,000-word novellas to 125,000-word novels. Early on, I was working on three projects per month to make a decent wage. At this point, I work on one project at a time and exclusively write novels.

How does someone get “into” ghostwriting?

Again, I’m sure this answer is different for everyone. For me, I went the freelance route. There was a window of time after college (I received my BA in English and Creative Writing) where my husband and I moved to a new state and had no clue how long we would be there. The thought of hunting for a job to potentially leave it in six months felt ridiculous, so I made some accounts on freelance sites and job hunted. I was privileged enough to be in a position where we didn’t *need* for me to make money to survive, so I was able to freelance for pennies for a couple months to build up my resume. With more experience, I could ask for a better rate. From there, I built up a loyal, stable base of clients and have had constant work ever since.

Do you write under your own name as well?

I have yet to publish anything under my own name, but that is definitely the plan! Working full time with two small children keeps me busy, but my long-term goal has always been to write under my own name, as well. Hopefully sooner rather than later! Even then, it is very likely I’ll continue ghostwriting. Momma’s still gotta eat!

What are some common misconceptions about ghostwriting?

The misconceptions about ghostwriting are innumerable and run the gamut. I’ve heard it all! People think I’m being cheated by my clients when my name isn’t on the cover of the books I ghostwrite. Or they think I’m not a “real writer” because the ideas are generated by the person who writes the outline. There are other people who seem to think I’m some kind of rare, superhuman writer because I can pump out 5,000 words per day.

When stuff like this comes up, I make it clear that I signed a contract. I’ve agreed to write a certain number of words per day or per week, the same way other people agree to work a certain number of hours. I am not being cheated when I get paid for the work I agreed to do, and I am not sad when my name is not on the cover of a book I wrote. That’s the deal! Yes, I put real thought and creative energy into writing the books I work on, but the idea belongs to someone else (in this case, to the independent publishing company I work for). There isn’t the same emotional attachment there that exists with my own personal writing projects. And while I can admit writing 5,000 words per day is impressive, money is a great motivator. Knowing I get paid per word is the kick in the pants I need to sit down and get the job done every day. At the beginning of my career, I could pump out 10,000 words per day, which is unfathomable to me now! I attribute it to my twenty-something, pre-kid brain power. Thirty-year-old me does not have that same energy!

What would you say to those who think that it’s “dishonest” for someone to put their name on someone else’s writing?

This is definitely one of the big misconceptions about ghostwriting. I can understand how some readers feel cheated by the idea of a ghostwriter. A lot of authors can attest to the fact that readers often equate them with their art. They believe an author writing about a character who has a certain background or feelings about a situation must have that same background or feel that same way. For the reader, authors can be intimately tangled with their understanding and experience of a book. In some cases, this is true! Especially when looking at memoirs or fiction books about incredibly heavy or socially relevant subject matter. But in most cases, it isn’t that deep. Usually, the books that people know are ghostwritten include celebrity memoirs. Do we really expect people who are top of their field in acting, singing, athletics, etc. to also be good writers? No. That would be unfair to us mere mortals. Plus, when it comes to celebrities, we are paying for a story full of hot gossip, not their writing ability. Other ghostwritten works are decades-long series like Goosebumps or Nancy Drew where it would be difficult for any one person to keep up with the quick publishing timeline. Then there are a slew of genre books like the ones I work on. I love genre books (give me all the romance, thrillers/mysteries, and fantasy), but they are primarily books meant for entertainment. If the ghostwriter gets paid and the reader is entertained, I don’t see any problem with it. Now if people still feel cheated, it’s pretty easy to suss out which books might be ghostwritten, so do your research and avoid those.

Optional bonus question: What do you think it means to be a “successful” writer?

A successful writer is a person who has written something and is proud of it. That is the cheesy, cliché answer, but in this case, I stand behind the cheesiness one-hundred percent! At one point in my life, I thought I would only be successful if I published a book that topped bestseller lists. Now, I’m really content knowing I write books that bring people a few hours of entertainment. They don’t know I wrote the book, and I don’t care. My goal was to be paid to write for a living, and I’ve made it! If I one day top bestseller lists, that would be amazing, don’t get me wrong. But I feel like a success right now. I hope the same feeling for any writer, whether they get paid for it or not.

Are preorder campaigns “worth it” for authors?

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

Preorder campaigns are all about offering incentives for readers to purchase books in advance, usually in the form of some kind of bonus material, like exclusive swag and/or signed books. But are preorder campaigns “worth” the time and expense of doing them? New York Times bestselling author Joan He is known for her creative preorder campaigns for her YA novels Descendent of the Crane, The Ones We’re Meant to Find, and Strike the Zither. Today on the blog, we’re sitting down with her to discuss if the book sales and reader appreciation that result from preorder campaigns are “worth” the time, effort, and expense of putting the campaigns together. Plus, we get an inside look at some of the creative preorder campaigns she’s put together! 

Did you do a pre-order campaign for Descendent of the Crane? 

I did (details as to what it contained here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BteDNryng7Y/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=). 

My strategy at the time, that I didn’t realize was a strategy until later, was to make sure every item was high quality, and as tailored to the book as I could make it. I think personally illustrating the cards added a personal touch—something that I still try to maintain now, even though I outsource the art—because I want to make it feel like a gift to readers. 

I do think that it takes extra effort to remember to preorder something, as opposed to more organically finding it on a shelf. And I want to say ‘thank you’ for that! 

The other thing that made the campaign stand out was the robust international component. Even though these sales don’t help with US lists, readers are still readers when it comes to word of mouth. 

What role, if any, have your publishers played in your pre-order campaigns?

My publisher offered to help with the actual mailing, but I actually declined so as to keep my international component, which can be hard to do through publishers because of legal issues.

How effective do you find pre-order campaigns to be in your experience? Are the early sales “worth” the time and effort you put into promoting pre-orders?

I think the “worthiness” is probably the inverse of how much your publisher is doing. 

I do think Descendent of the Crane was more worth it in that readers might not have discovered it otherwise, in a Barnes & Noble per say, compared to The Ones We’re Meant to Find which had a more robust push from the publisher and better brick-and-mortar distribution. 

At the same time, I don’t think The Ones We’re Meant to Find would have listed [on the New York Times bestsellers list] without preorders—so hard to say. Also, for me, it’s always worth it because I genuinely enjoy making and designing the swag.

A preorder campaign probably isn’t worth the swag costs/time/effort, assuming you’re able to expend those of course, if you can’t figure out how to make yours stand out or if it’s just not something you want to do.

How to get author blurbs

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

An endorsement or “blurb” is a positive statement about a book, most typically quoted on book covers, from other authors, experts, or celebrities. You’ll also see blurbs on online retailer sites or in advertising. Endorsements are important marketing tools: they subtly encourage readers to purchase the book by promoting the author’s credibility and the book’s strengths.

But how do books get these endorsements? Books receive blurbs because the author (or publisher) asks people to read and endorse the book. There are three types of people you should ask for an endorsement:

  • Authors/experts who work in the same genre or field as you–and the more accolades they can reference, the better. For example, if you’ve written a romance novel, it will be best to get an endorsement from another romance novelist–preferably one who can reference a memorable accolade, like “[Name], Romance Writers of America ‘Author of the Year’.”
  • Authors or experts who are recognizable names. Celebrity endorsements sell books (even if they don’t have any expertise in your genre). If Oprah Winfrey endorses your book, it will boost sales. Note that celebrities pretty much only endorse books when they have relationships with the author already, which leads us to the final category:
  • Authors and experts you have personal relationships with. Even if a prospective endorser doesn’t work in your genre, having a positive quote about your book is better than not having any blurbs at all. When in doubt, reach out to authors and experts that you have relationships with to gather endorsements.

Begin seeking endorsements 3-6 months prior to your book’s production if possible, and no later than 1-3 months prior to production. You can seek out as many endorsements as you like, but 5-7 solid blurbs is a “sweet spot.”

Here’s how to get author endorsements and book blurbs:

Step Zero: Network.
Meet other people who write, promote, and publish books, or who share in your particular field of expertise, or both! Sign up for events and conferences, join writer / professional groups, connect on social media, and promote the work of other authors and experts. You never know where a connection may lead!

Step One: Make a list of prospective endorsers.
The list could include friends, colleagues, mentors, and other respected names in your field or genre. Identify your most desirable and realistic endorsers, and prioritize your list strategically. Keeping your timeline in mind, select the best prospective blurbers from the list, and identify back-ups in case an endorsement falls through.

Step Two: Reach out to your prospective endorsers.
Here are some do’s and don’ts for contacting your potential blurbers:

Do:

  • Email them. Reach out via their personal email addresses, website contact forms or email their publicists or representatives. We don’t recommend using social media for blurb requests.
  • Personalize your message. Explain why you’re reaching out to them specifically. If they’ve written a book, it would be meaningful for you to read their work before asking them to read yours. Compliments never hurt: tell them what you admire about their work, and why you would be grateful for them to take a look at yours.
  • Offer a clear deadline – this will make it easier for the person to say yes or no.
  • Follow up if necessary. If you have a relationship with the potential blurber, feel free to follow up as much as that relationship allows. If it’s a cold contact, follow up once, and if you don’t hear back, move on or ask a personal contact if they happen to know them / have a way to reach them.
  • Accept that some commitments will fall through. Life is busy, and some people who express interest in or even agree to endorse your work won’t deliver. That’s part of the process; accept their response gracefully and have your back-ups ready!

Don’t:

  • Contact via social media. It’s not a professional look, and as recommended above, there are better ways to get in touch.
  • Be demanding. You’re asking for a favor: ask nicely, and accept responses (or no response) gracefully.
  • Offer to write the blurb for them, if they’ll sign their name. Again, it’s an unprofessional (and ethically questionable) move, and it’s frowned upon. If an endorser or representative specifically requests for you to ghost-write your own blurb, you can make your own decisions about that — but don’t offer pre-emptively.
  • Share your endorsements before you’ve collected them all. If you brag on social media about a great endorsement you’ve received and another potential endorser sees it, it may de-prioritize your book in their TBR pile (after all, you’re getting great blurbs already, so do you really need theirs?). This won’t be the case every time obviously, but sometimes discretion is best.

Step Three: Thank your endorsers (and stick to your production deadline!).
Be swift, authentic, and enthusiastic in your thanks every time you receive an endorsement. Once you’ve collected all of your blurbs by your deadline, be sure to include them on your book’s endorsements pages, online retailer sites, personal website, and pick the strongest 1-3 for your cover.

Ask an Expert: Should Authors Join TikTok?

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

“BookTok” (the reader community on TikTok) is showing up everywhere these days–but is it “worth it” for authors to join TikTok to promote their books? Stephanie Cooke is an award-winning writer, editor and author of the “Oh My Gods!” graphic novel duology and Paranorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse, and she’s been growing her following on TikTok since last year (and you can follow her at @helloc00kie).

Today on the blog, she’s opening up about how being on TikTok has impacted her author career, what she’s found rewarding and challenging about the app, and her advice to other authors who are thinking of joining TikTok to promote their books.

1). When did you join TikTok?

2021, coinciding with when my first books came out. I felt like I wanted to try to reach younger audiences that aren’t as prevalent on other apps I use like Twitter.

2). Why did you initially join TikTok–what was your motivation? Did you always intend to use the platform to promote your books?

Yes, exactly. I was very wary of using yet another app and the learning curve involved there but I really wanted to try to promote and grow my audience. I also wanted to help people interested in creating comics and graphic novels find out about the process and what’s involved in it.

3). What kind of attitude did you perceive in your offline reading community (friends, agents, publishers, editors, publicists, and/or other authors) towards TikTok when you first joined? Were people excited about the platform? Nonchalant? Dismissive? Unaware of it entirely?

I think a lot of my friends felt wary of it in that they didn’t want to learn a new app and try to build a following from scratch. Also not everyone wants to be on video and that can be hard to find a niche for yourself there when that’s not your thing. I don’t think anyone in my professional circle was actively against it but I definitely didn’t know of a lot of people on it when I decided to try it out.

4). How did your TikTok content change over time? Among the videos you posted, which “type” did you find attracted the most engagement/attention from users, readers, and fans?

I still think that a lot of my videos are a little more niche. I am prone to talking a lot (being succinct is not a strong suit of mine) so you need to want to learn about the industry for some of my videos. I get engagement on my shorter videos and when I kind of do goofier things based around my geekier interests though. I think my content is largely the same, though with the caveat of it’s getting better as I learn more.

5). Has TikTok made an impact in your author career? If so, how?

I’m not sure! It’s definitely connected me with some new fans, authors, and peers which I don’t know that I would’ve come across otherwise. And I’m definitely watching and learning other creators as they grow their followings and get their books in front of people. But it’s still a bit of a learning curve for me and I struggle with putting myself out there sometimes.

6). What do you enjoy most about using TikTok as an author? What do you find the most challenging?

I love connecting with the other creators and authors on there. I’m an avid reader too so seeing what everyone else is doing is always a blast. For me, the most challenging thing is coming up with content to regularly post there. I definitely overthink it and want to plan things out but I know a lot of people just basically throw things against the wall and hope that something sticks…which is an approach I should try more.

7). What advice would you give to other authors seeking to use TikTok to promote their books?

Don’t be closed off to it! While it might not ultimately be for you, it’s a fun tool that can connect you to different audiences and it’s a lot of fun to explore (albeit sometimes a bit of a rabbit hole…)

How Should Authors Promote Their Books in 2022

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

In our new “State of the Industry” blog series, we’re breaking down how the pandemic has transformed the publishing industry. By understanding how the industry has rapidly transformed in 2020 and 2021, writers and authors will be better prepared to navigate the new state of the industry in 2022.

Last month, we explored how the pandemic changed the way people buy books.

Now it’s time for the final question: How should authors be promoting their books in 2022? What does author promotion in 2022 look like?

Answer: Here are some savvy promotional steps you can take to take your promote your book and author brand in 2022:

1). Pay closer attention than ever to the news: locally, nationally, and internationally.

Regardless of where you get your news or what you think of the media, it has never been more important to be as informed as possible on current events. The events of 2020, and how they were reported–particularly pandemic news, the Black Lives Matter movement, and political / election events–heavily influenced both the type of books that publishers acquired, book sales, and the types of books publishers and booksellers will invest in in the future. Stay ahead of the curve, don’t race to catch up.

2). Let’s talk about what genre trends we’ll see.

Genre trends that will continue:

  • Children’s education, as people continue to homeschool, or make decisions about homeschooling
  • Race/diversity/antiracism: Nonfiction on antiracism will continue to sell well, if not AS strongly as in 2020. Fiction in all genres with themes of race, antiracism, diverse characters, representation, and justice will continue to grow.
  • Commercial YA: This genre juggernaut is only going to keep getting bigger.

Genre trends that will emerge (predictions):

  • How-to books on rethinking life and work post-pandemic: All over the world, people are rethinking their lives now that they have been severed from a sense of “normalcy.” The market is ripe for nonfiction that directly addresses how to create fulfilling, purposeful, previously-inconceivable ways of living in a mid-/post-pandemic world.
  • Domestic how-tos on working from home: A work-from-home model is here to stay for many industries, and work life balancing is changing and will continue to change as a result.
  • “Pandemic fiction” (or allegories for pandemic): Once pandemic-weariness has become a more distant memories, in a few years we predict we’ll see a spike in pandemic fiction, which can include everything from romance novels about love blossoming between partners in isolation/quarantine to dramas and thrillers with isolationist themes.
  • Factional/political/polarization/radicalization dystopia: The world is still too tired and burnt out from living in an actual dystopia, so dystopian lit won’t make a huge resurgence straight away–but the social polarization that has occured won’t go unnoticed by publishers (or savvy authors).
  • Sweet, fluffy, escapist, ANTIi-dystopian lit: Get ready for a FLUX of feel good escapist fiction. We’re all tired of talking about how terrible life is–so let’s not.
  • Horror (especially YA horror): Good, intelligent horror is going through a renaissance in film and TV, and the literary world will have some catching up to do to meet demand

3). Seek to connect with readers as directly as possible. One way to do this is through targeted ads and outreach to boost your online exposure.

Online book sales are still dominating the market; remember that this means that most visible titles (celebrity names / endorsements, great SEO, big ad spend) will get seen. Think strategically about making your book stand out online

4). Get on TikTok if you’re a YA or romance author.

TikTok is one of the most powerful sales tools YA and romance authors can use. Other genres–but not all–may also find an audience on TikTok, but keep in mind that their primary book-buying base leans heavily towards romance and young adult fiction. (True crime, real-life mysteries, historial dress, how-tos, “lifehacks” and supernatural content can also find audiences on TikTok). Spend time on TikTok and become familiar with the app before using it to promote your author brand. Do not use it just to sell your books–commit to creating consistent, engaging, creative, and (most of all) authentic content that will help readers connect with you–a person, not a sales pitch.

5). Consider releasing audio media if you haven’t already done so.

Audio is booming. If you haven’t released an audiobook yet (available on Amazon/Audible, etc), do it. It’s also a great time to explore audio-only literature.

6). Be a visible champion to bookstores.

Supporting local bookstores was important before, and it’s super important now. Boost local stores on social media. Raise money and awareness for indie stores. Talk to your local store about their needs and how you can be a good partner to them. Not only will you be improving your community, any benefit you provide to local booksellers will be received with gratitude and goodwill, and could lead to future opportunities.

7). Understand that publishers and booksellers are examining how to reinvent the wheel right now. You can be a part of that reinvention.

Traditional publishing and book marketing methods aren’t working like they used to. There’s never been a better time for creative solutions, fresh approaches to writing and marketing, and experimentation. We’ll end this blog series on a New York Times quote from April 2021, which still holds true today:

“As fear for their industry turned to a stunned optimism last year, publishers started to rethink almost everything they had once taken for granted, from how to cultivate new literary talent to the ways that they market and sell books. Live literary events like book signings and author appearances have been replaced, as with so many things, by Zoom. BookExpo, the largest gathering of publishing professionals in the United States, which typically took place in May and drew thousands of booksellers, publishers, editors, agents, authors and librarians to the Javits Center in New York, has been canceled. The convention center is now being used as a mass vaccination site.

‘One of the most significant things that’s going to change is the re-evaluation of all that we do and how we do it,’ said Don Weisberg, the chief executive of Macmillan.”

State of the Industry Blog Series: How the Pandemic Changed the Way People Buy Books

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

In our new “State of the Industry” blog series, we’re breaking down how the pandemic has transformed the publishing industry. Writers and authors will be better prepared to navigate the new state of the industry in 2022 by understanding how the industry has rapidly transformed in 2020 and 2021.

Last month, we explored how the Black Lives Matter movement affected indie bookstores, and how indie booksellers are doing in 2022.

Now it’s time for a new question: How did the pandemic transform how readers buy books and engage with authors?

Answer: There are four major areas of impact, which we’ll break down below, including: the “re-emergence” of the backlist, which genres dominated the bestseller list, the continued rise of audiobooks, and the power of TikTok.

More readers than ever are buying books online.

Booksellers had to become commercial e-tailers almost overnight when physical bookstores shut their doors – something many of them were not equipped to handle. With shoppers unable to browse in-store, and book tours and festivals canceled, a book’s discoverability became limited by search terms and to titles readers have already heard of. Despite massive leaps for online retail from indie bookstores, major corporations like Amazon, Target, and Walmart continued to dominate book sales.

The consequence of this is that titles with celebrity names and big budgets, as well as recognizable and/or timely backlist titles, were getting the most attention. As a result, new, small, and debut titles struggled harder to find their audience.

What you need to know in 2022:

While things have balanced out in the publishing industry, prepare to see publishers promoting their backlists like never before, as they’ve realized that backlist titles are indeed commercially viable long after their pub date. This is good news for all authors in the long run. But it may mean new titles continue to struggle for attention as older titles are pushed back into an already-saturated market.

The events of 2020-21 ignited a firestorm of interest in specific genres.

Books exploring race, antiracism, diversity, and justice dominated the bestseller charts. Political books were hot sellers. Thanks to the pandemic push for homeschooling, children’s nonfiction, reference, and language saw a surge, as did domestic books on cooking and gardening.

Perhaps the most visible change in the publishing industry, at least when it comes to YA fiction, is the impact of TikTok on the book industry, in part because YA fiction was already becoming more diverse and incorporating themes of justice, antiracism, and inclusion that were even more popularized during 2020-21.

What you need to know in 2022:

Readers are more socially and politically aware, motivated, and ”charged” than ever before. We will continue to see these genres dominate nonfiction for the time being, and influence forthcoming fiction. Savvy authors will stay on top of – and ideally, ahead of – the curve by writing books that leverage these dominant themes and genres in 2022.

Audiobooks are booming.

In 2020, publishers in the United States released a record number of audio titles — more than 71,000 titles, an increase of nearly 40% over 2019. Publishers’ revenues from audio rose 12% to $1.3 billion over the same period, the ninth straight year of double-digit growth, according to the Association of American Publishers. Revenue from downloaded audiobooks grew more than 18% from January to May in 2021.

A 2021 New York Times article quotes Lance Fitzgerald, vice president of content and business development at Penguin Random House Audio, as saying “Audio listeners are so voracious, they listen to so much, we have to keep supplying content for them.”

The article goes on to explore how mega-bestselling author Erik Larson is experimenting with a stand-alone audiobook, and publishers are exploring/expanding stand-alone audiobooks and other audiobook production.

What you need to know in 2022:

There’s never been a better time to produce and market an audiobook. We will continue to see audio expansion in the publishing industry, and ever-creative ways of producing, distributing, and marketing audio literature.

TikTok is changing the way readers (especially YA readers) discover books and connect with authors.

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms, and YA and romance fiction feature heavily within the app’s reading community (colloquially named “BookTok”). In January 2018, the app had 55 million global users, which ballooned to 271 million by December 2018. A year later they were at 507 million, and they hit 700 million monthly active users in August 2020. By September 2021, the company reported that their user base had hit 1 billion.

More readers than ever took to TikTok to gush about, critique, and (yes) cry over their favorite reads during the pandemic – creating a demand that landed certain books back on the bestseller list in ways that surprised even the savviest of publishers and authors.

We’re now seeing “Booktok” endcaps and signage at bookstores, and celebratory “smash hit on Booktok” taglines on covers – that’s how powerful the app’s influence became.

What you need to know in 2022:

Authors active on TikTok – or whose books are heavily promoted on TikTok by “booktokers” — will find an enthusiastic audience of extremely motivated book buyers. Authors who join TikTok will have a great opportunity to promote their work creatively and connect with fans directly.

How else should authors be promoting their books in 2022?

Join us next month when we wrap up our State of the Industry blog series with a comprehensive plan for how authors should be promoting their books this year.

Ask an Expert: A conversation with audiobook narrator and voice actor Thomas Judd

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

Ever wondered what it was like to be an audiobook narrator and voice actor? Today on the blog we’re sitting down with Thomas Judd, a talented vocal artist who has narrated over 180 audiobook titles, including books by George Orwell, Bernard Cornwell, James Patterson, David Mitchell, Georgette Heyer and Anton du Beke–as well as titles from our sister company Books Fluent like One Must Tell the Bees: Abraham Lincoln and the Final Education of Sherlock Holmes by J. Lawrence Matthews, where Judd’s performance was highly praised by critics and reviewers. Judd’s audio drama work includes Six Degrees of Assassination (Audible), 2000AD and The Noise (Penguin) and he’s done cmmercial voiceover work includes Fiat, Channel 4, The Times.

Judd shares how to be a great audio narrator, how he got started in vocal work, and how he brings audiobooks to life with the power of his voice.

How did you get into audiobook narration?

I was steered in the direction of audio while I was at drama school. I took part in the BBC Radio Carleton Hobbs competition, and when I graduated a tutor of mine advised me to get in touch with an audiobook studio she had recorded at which was based in Bath, where I’d studied at university. In the meantime, I was spotted performing at Liars’ League, which is a live event in London where actors narrate new short stories by writers. After that I was invited to record my first audiobook and twelve years later here I am!

Can you please tell us more about the other kind of acting, narrator, and voice work you do/have done?

My background is in theatre, and I do a lot of Shakespeare. My wife runs a company called Open Bar which performs Shakespeare in Fuller’s pub gardens across the south of England. This year I’ll be playing Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. I’ve also done VO commercials and audio dramas – I was part of Penguin’s 2000AD audio adaptations last year; I got to play a villain in a Judge Dredd adaptation, which was a lot of fun.

If you were speaking to an aspiring voice actor or narrator right now, what attributes would you tell them they need to succeed in the audiobook/voice work industry? What makes a “good” narrator / voice actor?

Firstly, you need a voice reel – that’s absolutely essential. I started out with a couple of them – one specifically for narration, and another with some commercial stuff. Because I didn’t have any professional credits, I just recorded anything I thought suited my voice and once I’d done some professional jobs I put those on there.

I’ve never had a voice agent (I’ve tried!) so I don’t think that’s essential, particularly in the audiobook world. I wrote and wrote, and once the work started coming in, I was able to write to more people and I built contacts that way. It’s definitely possible to succeed as a self-represented VO.

I think of narration as being very similar to any kind of acting performance – it’s about clear storytelling and engagement with the listener. I often imagine I’m just reading to someone else in the room. Sight-reading ability is important for working consistently, because the more fluent readers will always be asked back. And be nice!

You’ve narrated nearly 200 audiobooks (wow!). What do you find challenging while recording audiobook narration? What about it do you enjoy the most?

It demands so much stamina, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect from something that involves sitting down all day! The brainpower that is required is exhausting, and I’ve definitely felt this more recently now that I have two young kids who don’t let me sleep as much as I used to. I tend to spread narration days over a longer period now so that I’m fresher each time.

I absolutely love being a narrator. I get to read and tell so many fantastic stories, I get to play all sorts of characters I would never get to play on stage or TV. I grew up doing impressions, voices and characters so continuing that is definitely my favorite part of the job.

What is something you aspire to do with your acting/vocal career that you haven’t done yet?

I would love to do more drama and radio. I’ve done a few projects where several actors are in the studio together, and it’s so much fun.

Follow Thomas Judd on Twitter: @tjudderman.

How the Black Lives Matter Movement and the Pandemic Transformed Bookselling

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

State of the Industry Blog Series:
How the Black Lives Matter Movement and the Pandemic Transformed Bookselling

In our new “State of the Industry” blog series, we’re breaking down how the pandemic has transformed the publishing industry. By understanding how the industry has rapidly transformed in 2020 and 2021, writers and authors will be better prepared to navigate the new state of the industry in 2022.

Last month, we explored how the pandemic impacted indie bookstores, and whether or not Bookshop.org “saved” indies.

Now it’s time for a new question: How did the Black Lives Matter movement impact indie bookstores? And how are indies doing today?

Answer: BLM boosted indie bookstore sales in a surprising way. Bookstores fared better than expected during the pandemic, but they are still struggling.

The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 sparked outrage against racially motivated police violence, spawning mass protests and a highly visible reckoning with racism that swept America, and the globe. The “Black Lives Matter” movement (also known as “BLM”) inspired active discussion about race, racism, anti-racism, white privilege, and allyship that reverberated from the streets to The White House to the world — and was felt clearly among publishers and booksellers.

In June 2020, The New York Times reported that “As Americans grapple with the country’s history of racism, many of them have turned to books, propelling titles like “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi and “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo to the best-seller lists.”

The article also reported that some bookstores, especially Black-owned stores like Semicolon Bookstore in Chicago, saw a “huge financial boost,” with sales rising from 3,000 books per week to 50,000 books per week. Store owner Danni Mullen estimated that at least half of her store’s income resulted from “the 10 or so race-related books dominating best-seller lists.”

By May of 2021, the general consensus was that indie bookstores had not suffered as much as had originally been projected at the beginning of the pandemic.

Booksellers experienced a surprisingly strong holiday season in December 2020 that, coupled with other unexpected boosts like the sales resulting from the BLM movement, helped keep many stores open at the start of 2021. Booksellers reported a huge boost in online sales in 2020 and 2021, compared to previous years. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans enabled some store owners to meet their payrolls. Bookshop.org directed more than $14 million to indies in revenue as of May 2021.

There was also arguably more awareness of and support for “supporting local” businesses like indie bookstores than ever, due to the economic pressures of the pandemic.

However, indie stores were (and are) still struggling. Bookstore sales fell 30 percent overall in 2020 according to the US Census Bureau. While BLM gave a huge financial boost to some stores, those bestselling titles did not dominate sales in the same way as time went on.

Stores were operating on the same limited budgets, but were combatting higher costs that were unimaginable two years ago: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hazard pay, postage, extra cleaning and sanitizing products, etc. Bookstore staff had to work hard to ship books and reorganize/sanitize stores. With reduced income and population capacity in-store, these challenges demanded more of the remaining staff.

As of October 2020, in-store foot traffic was still way down, and it was hurting revenue. Some stores (especially those in NYC) were hit hard by the fact that a substantial portion of their customer base were tourists, who were no longer visiting in the same capacity.

As of May 2021, profits were still down for indie stores, according to the Associated Press. In-store events had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. And despite the influence of Bookshop.org, Amazon still commands a hefty share of the book market.

Without a doubt, the pandemic transformed bookselling in a variety of ways: Booksellers, authors, and customers got a crash course in how to approach sales and events virtually; Bookshop.org proved to be a noteworthy competitor for Amazon; and the Black Lives Matter movement helped open publishers’ eyes to the sales potential of their backlists.

While some bookstores will return to some semblance of pre-pandandemic “business as usual,” the events of 2020 and 2021 have certainly changed how booksellers, authors, and readers understand and approach bookselling as a whole.

And it’s not just the publishers and booksellers who have changed — readers themselves, and their reading habits, have transformed as well.

We’ll explore this in more detail in our next blog: How the Pandemic Transformed Readers and Consumer Habits.

Ask an Expert: A Conversation with YA Author Dahlia Adler on How to Edit an Anthology

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

Today we’re sitting down with Dahlia Adler, author of the YA novels Cool for the Summer and Home Field Advantage, a Buzzfeed books blogger, and editor of four anthologies that reimagine the stories of Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, and various fairy tales. Dahlia gives us an inside look at what it takes to edit an entire anthology, how to get involved in an anthology project, and what she loves best about YA.

1. You’re a YA author, Buzzfeed books writer, and the editor of four (!) anthologies. What is it about the YA genre that appeals to you, as both a reader, editor, and a writer?

I love how much life changes in those young adult years, how big the feelings are, how fascinating the transition is as you gain more independence and try to balance the increased responsibility you want with the increased responsibility you don’t. You can and do make massive mistakes that feel catastrophic but generally aren’t. It’s just such a fraught, exciting, marvelous time, with so many possibilities, and so many relationships to explore, and I love getting to live it again a thousand different ways. (Which is easier to say as an adult who knows that This Too Shall Pass.)

2. You’re the editor for the anthologies His Hideous Heart (a Junior Library Guild selection), That Way Madness Lies, and your newest release, At Midnight (Flatiron Books, 2022), plus the forthcoming Out of Our League (Feiwel & Friends, 2023) with Jennifer Iacopelli. How did you “get into” editing anthologies?

It was such a wild, whirlwind thing. I posed the question on Twitter “What would you choose if you could pair any author to retell any story?” and a teacher named Jaclyn (hence the dedication) came up with the idea of a Poe anthology. I tweeted about loving the idea but particularly loving it for two of my favorite psychological thriller authors, and before I knew it, I had an incredible lineup of authors tweeting at me that they wanted to join in. I filled in the rest of that lineup, and it felt so obvious to me after seeing the response to it that there needed to be another one, reimagining work by another author who was at least as widely read. And so on. As far as I can tell, anthologies are to me the way tattoos are to other people: so painful to undertake and yet as soon as you’re done, you want to do another one.

3. How are writers selected for an anthology? Who does the selecting — the editor, the publisher, or someone else?

The answer has varied a little bit for each one of mine. In the case of His Hideous Heart, since I put that together before having a publisher or even an agent, that lineup was completely selected by me. The next one was definitely more collaborative–we went out to lunch, discussed a long list of authors I’d provided plus some suggestions of hers, reached out to a bunch, and then kept drawing and redrawing the lineup as it filled in to make sure we had an even amount of tragedies and comedies in addition to diverse representation. At Midnight was similar to that, but it’s definitely the one with the biggest publisher input in the lineup; three of the authors already work with my editor, and she thought they’d be really great for this collection in particular. (She was correct!)

4. What advice would you give to authors who want to contribute to an anthology?

Be loud about your passions, and don’t be afraid to put out there that contributing to an anthology is something you want to do; I’ve found a whole bunch of contributors this way. If you don’t have any publishing credits, it’s going to be particularly challenging to be considered, but you can always be more proactive and do searches for anthology calls (I mean this literally–put it in your search bar on Twitter); they happen all the time. And if you are contributing, try to be responsive, hit deadlines, and promote the anthology; your editor is already wrangling so many people, and it makes such a big difference when your authors move things along smoothly and help with the publicity.

5. Should a writer already have an established platform (a book release, social media presence, etc) before seeking to contribute to an anthology, or can they contribute at any time, even as a relative unknown?

There definitely are collections that’ve featured relative unknowns, and some actively seek them! The two ways in which this generally happens are 1) someone involved in the anthology (editor, agent, publisher) is familiar with them and their writing, or 2) there’s a submission call, which is rarer for traditionally published anthologies but I’ve definitely seen happen at least once or twice a year these past couple of years. Since I don’t have time to go through submissions on top of the other stories, putting out a call isn’t part of my process, but it’s certainly worked for other anthologists! That said, it’s going to require more work on your part to do that (ordinarily, stories aren’t written for traditionally published anthologies before they sell), and you certainly can’t get “discovered” if you have literally no presence or network, so I do recommend at least a basic presence on the social media site(s) of your choice and a very basic website that showcases any writing/passions you may have and also makes clear how to contact you.

6. What kind of stories do you enjoy reading (either short stories or novels)?

I read all across the board, but I definitely have favorites, specifically contemporary romance, thrillers of all subgenres, and mysteries. His Hideous Heart was such a delight to put together because I was able to just tap most of my favorite authors of thrillers, horror, and dark fantasy, and since I’m such an avid reader of those genres, that took about two seconds. As you may have guessed, I also quite love retellings, especially if they’re taking on something I haven’t seen before. And I am a massive sucker for foodie books; if it’s about a cooking competition, I’ve already read it and loved it. In general, I love books where the protagonists are really, really nerdy about their passions, whether that’s cooking, sports, fandom, crafting, or what have you.

7. When you contribute a story to the anthology you’re editing, does someone else edit your contribution?

Always. I have a beta reader for each story before I turn it into my editor, and then she edits it as well. Of course, for Out of Our League, having a coeditor works out nicely, and Jen and I edit each other’s stories before sending them in.

Bonus: In your opinion, what does it mean to be a “successful” writer?

Success is a tricky marker, because it’s easy to say something like “When you make enough at writing to go full time,” but first of all, people have different professional aspirations, and second of all, how much it takes to go full time is very different depending on where you live. Personally, I think that if you’re finding readers and enjoying what you’re doing, you’re doing A-OK.

Dahlia Adler is an editor of mathematics by day, a book blogger by night, and a Young Adult author at every spare moment in between. She is the editor of the anthologies His Hideous Heart (a Junior Library Guild selection), That Way Madness Lies, At Midnight (Flatiron Books, 2022), and Out of Our League with coeditor Jennifer Iacopelli (Feiwel & Friends, 2023). She is also the author of Cool for the Summer. She lives in New York with her family and an obscene number of books.

Ask an Expert: A Conversation with Jenna Noll on How Libro.fm Impacts Indie Authors and Booksellers

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

Today we’re sitting down with Jenna Noll, a software developer with Libro.fm, an online platform that allows you to purchase audiobooks in a way that benefits your local bookstore. The site features audiobooks from indie and traditional authors alike, and has partnered with thousands of booksellers. Jenna gives us an insider’ss look at the audiobook industry via Libro.fm, and reveals the best way for authors to promote their audiobooks on the site.

1). What is your role at Libro.fm? What do you do?

I am a software developer on the small but mighty cloud team. I work on the website and the backend. A recent fun project I worked on was customizing the homepage so that if your bookstore has added bookseller recommendations, their picks will show when you visit the site.

2). How does Libro.fm benefit indie bookstores?

We see ourselves as a technology partner to local bookstores. Through our tech and bookstore partnerships, we enable readers to buy audiobooks through their local bookstore, rather than through a big, impersonal company.

We split profits with local bookstores (50/50) and currently partner with more than 10,000 booksellers at more than 1,600 partner bookstores based in the US, Canada, and online.

3). Can indie authors get their books featured and sold on Libro.fm (even if their books are available on other platforms like Audible)?

Yes! We love seeing indie authors’ audiobooks on Libro.fm! If authors are producing their own audiobook, the best way to get them on Libro.fm is to work with Authors Republic.

If authors are not producing their own audiobooks, they should talk to their publisher about making the audiobook(s) available on Libro.fm. For more information about audiobook accessibility and avoiding Amazon Exclusive contracts, check out our blog.

4). What suggestions would you make to authors (indie or traditional) who want to get their audiobook featured on Libro.fm?

Great question! First of all, we suggest they visit Libro.fm/authors. Once they’re ready to promote their audiobook, they should read over the ideas and tips collected here: https://blog.libro.fm/author-guide/

One fun option for authors is to curate a playlist. They can just complete a quick form, and we’ll create a custom playlist that they can share on their channels. This is a good opportunity to support other authors, as well as their favorite bookstore.

We also encourage authors to become Libro.fm affiliates so they can earn commission on sales of audiobooks (including their own), while driving sales for bookstores at the same time.

5). How has the pandemic affected subscriptions/usage of Libro.fm from audiobook listeners, as well as participation from bookstore and publisher partners?

The pandemic has made a big impact on audiobooks in general. In 2020, there were double-digit audiobook sales increases, according to The Audio Publishers Association’s annual survey—67% of audiobook listeners said that one of the reasons they enjoy the format is because it reduces screen time.

It was also a big year for Libro.fm, as we offered another way for people to support their local bookstores while staying safe. We saw a 202% increase in monthly members. The pandemic also made it necessary for booksellers to be flexible and become well-versed in technology; we saw a 48% growth in bookstore partnerships, and a 398% increase in amount paid to local bookshops.

Overall, 2021 was a time of healing, growing, and learning how to thrive in our “new normal.” You can check out our annual report here for more details of the past year’s impact.

6). What kind of audiobooks do you enjoy listening to? Tell us some of your faves!

I love listening to big, well-researched nonfiction audiobooks! Some of my favorites are:

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe – this audiobook is about the history of the Sacklers, the family that owns Purdue Pharma, and their ties to the opioid epidemic. It is so informative and gripping! I couldn’t stop listening.

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson – this book is about the great migration of black southerners who left the south from 1915 to 1970, seeking better lives and opportunities. It closely follows the stories of three individuals through the whole book, and intersperses stories of many others along the way. I learned so much from this one, and the writing is superb.

How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith – Clint Smith traveled around the country and beyond to explore America’s history of slave ownership. For each historical site he visited, he recounts the conversations with people he met. It feels deeply personal and reflective, and still remains accessible and informative. I highly recommend it!

Yearbook by Seth Rogen – I did not consider myself a huge Seth Rogen fan until I listened to this. It had me cackling nonstop. It was fun to learn more about Rogen’s experiences in Hollywood, and his life before he made it there. Listen to it when you want to laugh!

7). Do some genres fare better as audiobooks on Libro.fm than others? If so, what are the three “top” selling genres on the site?

This was a fun question to figure out! Outside of our more general genres of fiction, nonfiction, and literary fiction, our top-selling more specific genres are Biography and Memoir, Social Science, and Fantasy.

Last year we also looked at the top-selling audiobooks in each genre – you can find the blog post with the results here: https://blog.libro.fm/2021-top-audiobooks-by-genre/

One of my favorite ways to browse the site is to look at the bestsellers for different genres. You can get to the genre-specific rankings by visiting our bestsellers list, and then using the buttons at the top to find your favorite genre.

Want to learn more about turning your book into an audiobook? Check out three reasons you should consider releasing an audiobook now!