Category: Writing

August Authors Forward Interview with Lynn Slaughter and Lori Robbins

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Welcome to our Authors Forward series, where our innovative and talented Books Forward authors interview other great, forward-thinking voices in the industry.

August Authors Forward Interview with Lynn Slaughter and Lori Robbins

Lori Robbins is the award-winning author of the On Pointe and Master Class mystery series. A former dancer, Lori performed with a number of modern dance and classical ballet companies. After ten very lean years onstage she became an English teacher and now writes full time.

  • Tell us about the On Pointe Mysteries and the character of ballerina/amateur sleuth Leah Siderova. Is her personality similar to your own?

Leah and I share a similar sense of humor. We both love cities, and we’re equally devoted to the art of dance. Other than that, we’re quite different. Leah’s upbringing, personal relationships, and aversion toward calories, carbohydrates, and commitment are uniquely hers. I fear I’m more like Leah’s mother, Barbara. Or, even worse, her aunt Rachel.

  • Does Leah have special skills which help her solve crimes?

Leah comments, only half-jokingly, that after she takes her last bow she’ll end up on the unemployment line, with nothing more than a high school diploma and a borderline eating disorder on her resume. In spite of this disclaimer, her lifelong devotion to ballet has rendered her far more determined and resourceful than most. Because ballet prioritizes daily discipline over fleeting desires, Leah’s ability to control herself and her environment becomes her superpower. She pairs that self-restraint with an extraordinary ability to inhabit fictional roles. For example, she’s afraid of heights, so when she has to climb down a fire escape she imagines herself as the Firebird. When the threat is personal, she imagines herself as Myrtha, who condemns mortal men to death by forcing them to dance until they die.

  • What might surprise readers about a mystery set in a professional ballet company?

Like many dancers, Leah obsessively calculates every calorie she ingests. What might surprise some readers is that dance companies often include what’s colloquially known as a “fat clause.” Staying thin is literally part of her job. The precarious nature of life as a ballerina is also something not many people understand. Every dancer, no matter how successful, is one injury—or one birthday—away from irrelevance. Willpower plus uncertainty make dancers creative and innovative problem solvers. Those very high stakes are a great backdrop for a murder mystery.

  • Were any of your books inspired by real life events?

Yes! Theaters are full of drama, both onstage and off, and I’m often inspired by true stories. When the Metropolitan Opera did a new staging of one of Wagner’s operas, the elaborate set design was infamously loud, creaky, and unreliable. I transferred that idea to Murder in Third Position, in which Leah has to dance upon a platform that hovers over the stage. It ended up a metaphor for Leah’s life. She’s on top of the world, but she’s never been more vulnerable.

  • There is a lot of delightful humor in your books. Has humor always been important to you in navigating life?

When faced with adversity, dancers might say something like: “What are you going to do? Slit your ankles and cha-cha to death?” It’s ironic, silly, resigned, and sarcastic. That pretty much sums up my attitude. Humor in all its forms gets me through.

  • We are both former professional dancers, and I haven’t met a lot of us who’ve made the transition to fiction writing. Can you tell us about that journey for you?

The same skill set that fueled my career as a dancer helped me as a writer. Both professions require tremendous self-discipline, as well as the ability (and humility) to take corrections and make them work for you. It also helps if you enjoy working for very little money. When I think of it that way, the gulf between those two pursuits doesn’t seem quite so wide.

  • What’s next for you writing-wise?

My academic mystery, Lesson Plan for Murder, will be released this summer. It features an English teacher who solves crimes using clues from her favorite books. The protagonist refuses to believe her colleague’s death was a suicide, because no self-respecting English teacher would kill herself without leaving a perfectly penned note, complete with obscure literary references and suggestions for further reading.

 

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.

July Authors Forward Interview with L.S. Case and Jeannie Moon

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Welcome to our Authors Forward series, where our innovative and talented Books Forward authors interview other great, forward-thinking voices in the industry.

July Authors Forward interview with L.S. Case and Jeannie Moon

Jeannie Moon is a USA Today bestselling romance author known for her Compass Cove and Forever Love Stories series. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jeannie has three kids, three lovable dogs, and resides on Long Island, NY.

1. Your Forever Love Stories and Compass Cove series have engaged readers in beautiful romances. How do you make your novels stand out from others in the genre?  

One of the most important things I’ve done is to create compelling characters that readers can connect with and root for. Whether a billionaire or a librarian, my goal is always to create characters who are relatable, flawed and easy to connect with. My other strength is creating a strong setting that keeps readers engaged in the story. Even in the Forever Love Stories when the super-rich take center stage, there’s a grounded feeling to the places they live and work. (Okay, maybe the mega-yacht in the first Forever Love Story was over the top, but it was fun.)

2. How has your approach to book promotion evolved since your debut novel? What’s your advice for young writers trying to build an author platform? 

In the beginning, I tried to do it all. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… Don’t do that. It’s exhausting and a time suck. Find where your readers are, and use social media to connect with them on a personal level. Look for small reader events to attend, connect through local libraries. Last, I wish I’d paid more attention to my newsletter in the beginning. The popularity of social media platforms ebb and flow, but if you build your mailing list and send a message once a month, not just when you’re selling something, you’ll grow your fan base. 

3. What is the best investment you ever made in your writing? 

The best investment is the time I’ve spent with other writers as part of a local writing group or at small conferences and workshops. I learn from every class I take, but the time with other writers is priceless. Writing can be very isolating and building a community is the best thing I did for myself. 

4. What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Too much information can be a problem. Everyone has a theory about how you should write, about how to be more productive, about how to sell books, and I’m not saying advice is a bad thing, but too much can weigh you down. Find a process that works for you and let it evolve naturally. If you have reams of information, pick and choose what makes sense to you. If you attend a workshop and you come away with two or three tips that help your process, that’s fantastic. No “system” works for everyone. Trust yourself and your process. 

5. Have you ever resuscitated a shelved project? What made it more successful the second time around?

My very first book was 120,000 words long and was like a soap opera. At its core was a lovely romance, but it was buried in superfluous details and melodrama. It was rewritten several times, words were culled, and it did have interest, but it didn’t sell. In 2014, I went back to it, stripped it down, and re-envisioned the story. The Playing Field went from 120K to 45K words and became the novella, This Christmas. The reimagined version was character driven and emotional, and that’s why readers loved it. It was a reunion story, and focusing on the couple and their love story–not extra characters, jobs, or extraneous drama–made the book special. 

6. How can readers contact you and learn more about your upcoming projects?

The best place to find me is on my website, jeanniemoon.com. Readers can sign up for my newsletter, find my social media accounts, and see where they can meet me. It’s where I’ll announce new projects and book news.

June Authors Forward Interview with Sid Balman Jr. and James Wade

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Welcome to our Authors Forward series, where our innovative and talented Books Forward authors interview other great, forward-thinking voices in the industry.

June Authors Forward Interview with Sid Balman Jr. and James Wade

James Wade lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and daughter. He is the author of River, Sing Out, and Beasts of the Earth (winner of the 2023 Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel) as well as the critically-acclaimed debut novel All Things Left Wild (winner of the MPIBA Reading the West Award for Debut Fiction, and the Spur Award for Best Historical Novel). James’s work has appeared in numerous literary magazines, and his novels have been featured by publications such as PopSugar, BookBub, Deep South Magazine, and the New York Journal of Books. 

Your novels – All Things Left Wild, River, Sing Out, and Beasts of the Earth – seem to share a common theme: the loss of innocence in characters swimming amid a pool of evil. In your view, is that the inevitable dilemma of the human condition? 

I think so. Mostly. Maybe. It’s certainly the dilemma of those humans who have been cursed with awareness and ambiguity both. I think the central characters (Caleb, Jonah and River, and most recently, Harlen) in each book are those types of people. They’re weighed down with guilt, but they’re also weighed down with this longing for inner peace. Their primary struggle is whether or not they can be okay with things not being okay. Ignorance is bliss, and none of these characters are ignorant, so they have a tough time finding solace– not just from the world, but from their own thoughts about it. It’s a great way for readers to connect with the characters and something you do a wonderful job of with the Laws and Zarkans in Seventh Flag, showing readers the tension and anxieties that exist within these families and the world they inhabit. 

Your central character(s) survive this crucible, a happy ending if you will. How do you square this in the nihilistic worlds you create in your novels?

Not to spoil things, but they don’t all survive. Some of the central characters make it. Some don’t. To your point, it speaks to what some folks would consider nihilism or randomness. I think it’s just realism. There’s a desire to create realistic outcomes, which means the main character can’t always survive dangerous situations. However, there’s also the goal of the novels, which in large part is to show how a character is changed by the circumstances they come up against. That’s tougher to do when you kill them off. But even for the ones who do make it through, there’s not always a happy ending waiting on the other side. 

God, or a divine force, is the one character that seems missing from your novels. Of course, writing a novel is an act of pure faith and folly, prima facie evidence that all novelists must have some form of faith. How does your faith, or lack thereof, impact your stories?

I’d argue that there is a God in my novels. Maybe a different God for each one, or maybe not the God most folks are used to seeing, but it’s there. The desert, the river, the Watchmaker. Wise old men and women. Innocent children. Love and grace and the hurt it takes to be human– to be alive.

The truth is I struggle with this world– with all of it, not just its religions and politics. And faith, or lack thereof, is certainly a part of that struggle.  Because I often write about the things I struggle with, it makes sense that faith and religion would make their way into my novels pretty frequently. I’m also a regional author, with all of my novels being set in Texas, and it’s only natural that the dialogue and worldview of many of my rural-Texan characters is centered around God.

I worry that I write too much about that stuff, or maybe use too much biblical allegory. That’s just part of who I am as a writer and as a person. I was raised Southern Baptist. I’ve read the Bible in its entirety several times and still reference it regularly. But because I approach it now in a literary context rather than as holy scripture, I’m able to access the storytelling techniques and beautiful prose without being beholden to a certain viewpoint. And ultimately writing a novel takes faith in yourself more than anything else. If outsourcing that faith to a deity makes you a better writer, then I’m all for it. But in the end, divine intervention or not, you still have to put your ass in the chair and get it done.

Only a ‘real’ Texan like you, as opposed to a Houston transplant from New York or LA gallivanting around Marfa in a shiny new pair of cowboy boots and a crisp Low Crown, could write about their state with such authenticity and gravitas. What is the ‘it’ about Texas that infuses your life and writing?

Texas is the perfect character. It has a little bit of everything, from a terrain or cultural or culinary standpoint. I grew up in East Texas where we’re more culturally aligned with the southeast than we are with the southwest. To think El Paso and Beaumont are in the same state seems ridiculous. Or Marfa and Gun Barrel City. Or Dallas and Fort Davis. So many places in Texas are unlike anywhere else, including the other places in Texas. I’ve worked at newspapers in rural Texas, worked at the State Capitol during the legislative session. I’ve driven across the state to cover high school football, to lobby for water conservation, and even to deliver beauty supply products to rural salons while I was in college (there’s a book in there somewhere). We’re as diverse a state as exists in this union, and no matter how much Texas is talked about, there’s still always more to say. I’ve been asked if I’ll ever write anything set outside of Texas and the answer is always, “why would I?”

Tell us a little about the book you’re incubating, and why your editor wanted a rewrite. An inevitable part of our process, but how does that make you feel. Do you push back, or simply go back to the drawing board? 

I’m working on a prohibition/great depression era novel set in a fictional East Texas town. The basic theme explores what folks will do to survive when put in precarious situations, and how our psyches are shaped by tragedy.

My biggest weakness as a writer is plotting. I like characters and landscape and conversation. If I could sell a novel where two characters sit in the woods and talk to each other about pain and anger and beauty and loss for three hundred pages, I’d do it. But my publisher, rightfully, wants action, pacing, plot, etc. so I tried to give that to them with the first draft. Get all the elements out there and let them decide which ones to develop more and which ones to cut or revise. That’s basically where we’re at now.

As for how edits and revisions make me feel, it’s twofold. First, I have incredibly thick skin. I’m lucky and grateful to be a writer, and I accept criticism as a reality of my very fortunate position. Second, I have to look at it as a business decision. My publisher is paying me. They have to sell the books in order to make any money back. I have to put them in the best position I can for them to succeed, and they let me know when I haven’t done that. That’s the business.

If I feel incredibly strongly about something, I’ll definitely push back, and they’re great about being receptive. But I have such severe imposter syndrome, that I usually don’t feel that strong about my work to begin with. That’s a confidence that I believe will come with time and experience. In my opinion, I’m still learning how to write. There’s no critique I can’t benefit from. Even if I don’t agree with something, it helps to see it through another person’s eyes. 

Ego can be a difficult thing to manage. You have to have a certain amount of ego to write anything in the first place, but then you have to immediately discard it when it comes to feedback and reception. 

 

What does it mean to be a NYT bestselling author?

Posted on | by Jackie Karneth

For many authors, writing a book that becomes a bestseller is their dream goal. But what does it really take to become a bestselling author?

In the most broad strokes, you’ll want to sell at least 5,000-10,000 books in a single week in order to be considered by any of the major bestseller lists. Unfortunately, there’s no magic number of sales that will guarantee you a spot on a list.

And when you focus on the New York Times bestseller list in particular — which is perhaps the most well-known and considered by many to be the most prestigious — things get even more hazy. 

The NYT bestseller list isn’t representative of pure sales data alone. After all, recording every sale of every book within the U.S. in a single week is an impossible task. So, there’s some wiggle room as far as accuracy goes. But, there are also other factors that appear to work for or against certain books.

Right away in the against category, we have certain genres that are excluded from the list. At the time of writing this article, NYT states that “the categories not actively tracked at this time are: perennial sellers, required classroom reading, textbooks, reference and test preparation guides, e-books available exclusively from a single vendor, journals, workbooks, calorie counters, shopping guides, periodicals and crossword puzzles.”

If not all genres are created equal in the eyes of The New York Times, the same can be said about retailers. 

NYT has said it receives sales reports from some, but not all, independent bookstores, along with (we assume) major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Since not all stores report to The New York Times, some sales may go unrecorded.

It’s also been rumored that diversity in sales will work in a book’s favor. The idea is that if sales are coming in from retailers in different regions across the country, and if the retailers vary from indie stores to big-box chains, this will increase an author’s chance of hitting the list.

This approach has caused some authors who sell the majority of their books on Amazon, and who appear to have met sales quotas, to question why they’ve not been featured in the NYT’s list. It’s possible that NYT favors sales from indie bookstores and that these carry more weight than sales via Amazon. This could be for legitimacy reasons, as NYT tends to be suspicious of authors or publishers who try to game the system.

As far as we know, a list of all indie stores that report to The Times is not publically available. That said, many authors will try to identify stores they believe report to NYT, and then they will arrange events with those stores, hoping to boost their rankings. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this strategy. It’s always a good idea to connect with indie bookstores, and if they happen to report your sales, even better! But, some authors have taken to more aggressive sales-boosting strategies that NYT frowns upon.

For example, some authors have admitted to purchasing bulk orders of their book from NYT-reporting stores with the intention of hands-selling them later on. But, if a book’s sales appear to be artificially inflated by bulk orders, The Times may not count those sales at all. Or, if they do, they’ll place a dagger next to the book’s title to denote that the sales numbers may have been given an unfair boost.

We get why authors are keen on making the NYT bestseller list. It usually results in increased sales and it’s excellent for branding. It’s an honor that you can carry with you throughout your career. Any book you publish in the future can have the words “NYT bestselling author” on it!

However, there are no shortcuts to making the list. Many authors who appear to have done everything “right” by getting the 5,000-10,000 sales they hoped for are left disappointed when they don’t make the list. 

Instead of making bestseller status your primary goal, try setting your sights on the stepping stones that may lead you there, such as building strong, lasting relationships with indie booksellers, or growing your fanbase and running a successful pre-order campaign. 

You may surprise yourself by all you can accomplish, and after each milestone achievement, you may even find yourself an unexpected bestseller. 

Do I need a press release for my book?

Posted on | by Jackie Karneth

If you plan on reaching out to booksellers, librarians or media contacts, then you might benefit from creating a press release for your book! A professional press kit is the perfect way to organize your exciting news, author profile, and book information in a clear, concise, and eye-catching format that will tell media professionals and event organizers everything they need to know about you and your work at a glance.

In this article, you’ll learn the key elements that make a successful press release and why they are valuable.

The anatomy of a press release:

  1. Logo
  2. Headline
  3. Subheadline
  4. Dateline
  5. Introduction
  6. Body (1-2 paragraphs)
  7. Book specs (ISBN, pub date, etc)
  8. Author bio 
  9. Talking points
  10. Sample interview
  11. Contact details
  12. Media (images, videos)

Example

Take a peek at this press kit to see how these elements are formatted

Logo

Insert your publisher’s logo or your brand logo at the top of the page. Even if you’re publishing independently, adding a logo to your press kit is a great way to make everything look sleek and professional.

Headline

Your headline should convey the most essential, eye-catching information about your news. Much like the headlines in the news or features sections of a newspaper, your headline should be catchy, specific and to-the-point. If you can tie your book release to current events, be sure to do so for added “relevancy” points.

Subheadline

Use this space to briefly share any key info that didn’t fit in the headline. This is a great spot to show off a powerful blurb, some notable statistics, or impressive award wins.

Note how the example press release uses this spot to convey a statistic: How a mother of six turned $5 into 5 million+ cupcakes sold

Dateline

Here’s where you’ll include the city and state where you’re located. If you’ll be sharing your press release internationally, feel free to include your country as well. 

Introduction

Your first paragraph should include the main gist of your news. It should grab the reader with why this book release is important. Ask yourself, What new ground am I breaking here? In what ways does this book contribute to a relevant conversation happening in the news? Be sure to include your book title, publisher, and release date somewhere in here! 

Body

The main body of your press release will consist of 1-2 paragraphs. Use this space to elaborate upon your introduction, possibly including more in-depth details about the book’s plot. You can also use this space to:

  • elaborate on who your target audience is and why they’ll enjoy the book
  • share a powerful quote from you (the author) or from the book itself
  • share a unique review blurb (one that doesn’t reiterate what’s already been said so far in the press release)

Book Information

Here’s where you’ll share your book title, author name, publication date, publisher/imprint, ISBN, format (hardcover, paperback etc), price, and genre. Booksellers in particular will need to quickly access your ISBN and other book data, so be sure to format this so that it stands out on the page and is easy to find.

Author Bio

Drop in some more information about your accolades, publications, education, and personal life. Be sure to include a link to your website and social media pages if you have them!

For more tips, check out this article on writing an author bio that stands out.

Talking Points

This bulleted list is a quick, easy way for you to communicate the topics you would like to be interviewed about. Write 5-7 topics pertaining to your work, your book, and/or your field of expertise that you can elaborate on in an interview.

Sample Interview

The sample interview section helps media professionals pull quotes from you that they can use in an article. It’s also helpful for event coordinators to get a feel for what a Q&A during an event might look like.

Choose 5-10 questions and topics that reveal more about who you are and why you wrote your book. Answer those questions in a short paragraph (3-7 sentences).

Contact Details

Include your phone number, email address and website in the footer (and/or header) of your press release. If your publisher is going to help field media interest for you, feel free to include their contact information as well.

Media

Studies have shown that media professionals are more likely to engage with press kits when they feature multiple images (and/or videos). At a minimum, you should incorporate your book cover image and author headshot into your press release. If you have other images or videos (TikToks, book trailers) to include, be sure to add a link or embed them into the release!

Your press release is the perfect tool to use in your outreach to media and events contacts. If you plan on reaching out to any media professionals via email, be sure to link to your press release. Or, if you’re stopping by a bookstore or a library near you, print out a copy of the press release to bring with you. 

As your career progresses, you’ll likely obtain more accolades, blurbs and media links. Be sure to go back and edit the release with this new information so it stays current!

 

The value of book bloggers, influencers and niche media

Posted on | by Jackie Karneth

Authors, especially those who are new to publicity, often wonder: What is the value of coverage from book bloggers, influencers and other niche media? 

A fair question! 

The value in traditional media coverage (think: New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle) is obvious. These sources have wide-reaching readerships, and positive coverage from them will meet a lot of eyes and ears. Yet, they represent only a fraction of the bookish community and the media they consume. There are plenty of benefits to working with more niche media outlets, and oftentimes, these benefits fill in the gaps where traditional media falls short.

The numbers problem

A thought experiment: If media Outlet A has an audience of 1,000 and media Outlet B has an audience of 500, will a book review in Outlet A always lead to more sales? Though it may be tempting to work this out mathematically (if the likelihood of a purchase is 10%, I can expect 100 sales from Outlet A compared with 50 sales from Outlet B…) book sales never follow such solvable patterns. If Outlet A has more followers, but they are on the whole less engaged with Outlet A’s content, they’ll be less likely to make a purchase. By the same token, if Outlet B has a smaller – but more dedicated – following, coverage with them may leave a more meaningful impact on a larger number of readers. 

Consider an author who has written a book about fishing. A review in a niche hunting and fishing magazine may lead to equal or greater engagement than a review in a general interest publication with a larger audience because only a fraction of those readers like to fish.

Furthermore, a sale is a sale no matter how small! Even if a media link inspires only one person to buy a copy of the book, that’s one more reader than you had yesterday. Every new reader is a potential long-term fan, and every one counts!

General benefits

One of the goals of a publicity campaign is to build up online buzz by securing multiple media links for a book. That way, when someone hears about it and they search around, they can easily find plenty of positive reviews, mentions, and coverage. Most readers won’t check to see how many followers certain websites have; instead, they’ll be more interested in the content (“Wow, they really loved this book!”) and the number of links out there (“It seems like everyone’s reading this book!”).

Having all these links is also good for your SEO, as these sites often link back to you and instigate more google searches for your name and/or book title.

Bloggers often cross-post their reviews to Amazon and Goodreads as well, which is great for your brand, too!

Loyalty

Many authors who’ve been interviewed on national media in the past feel this should give them a one-up on the competition. Surely they’ll be a priority for future coverage right? Sometimes this is true, but unfortunately, a wide variety of factors can (and often will) stand in your way. 

If your previous interview was about a nonbookish topic, it’s unlikelythis will give you an advantage for a book-related interview. If you interviewed about a past book, but have since switched publishers or changed genres, that can be enough for producers to pass on future coverage.

Ultimately, this comes down to loyalty. No one can blame these media giants for being picky with their coverage. But what many authors seek are loyal supporters who want to cover all their work and follow them throughout their author journey.

This is why we love working with book bloggers and influencers – they are the most fervent supporters of authors! If they become a fan of your work, they often remain a fan for life. We’ve heard from some bloggers that they’d be willing to read outside of their preferred genre if the book is written by an author they trust, which we think is the ultimate sign of loyalty.

Additionally, influencers and bloggers will often follow you on social media, helping you grow your accounts, and they’ll spread the word about your work through online and in-person brag-sessions. There’s no better feeling than knowing that someone is out there championing you!

Don’t forget about the little guys

National media will always be on our bucket list, but we never want to forget about the bloggers and influencers who work so hard to keep the book community fresh, fun and full of joy. They do so much for authors, often for free and without thanks. So, be sure to show your support for these folks who promote new books everyday, simply for the love of reading!

Guest post: A self-published author’s brush with Hollywood

Posted on | by Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

As a self-published author, convincing people to buy your book is no easy feat. It’s hard to get noticed by anyone, let alone by an agent or a producer in Hollywood. But with a stroke of random luck, that’s exactly what happened to me.

I published Jay the Great (my modern retelling of The Great Gatsby) in January of 2021, to coincide with the original novel’s release into the public domain. Several other writers had the same idea as me, and it seemed my book was destined to be quickly forgotten. Over the next three months, I sold less than 10 copies and lost the will to do any sort of marketing.

Then one day, I woke up to an email from a New York agency asking me if the film and television rights for my book were still available. I thought I was being catfished or scammed at first, but the sender’s email address looked legitimate. I figured it couldn’t hurt to send a reply back, so I wrote and said that yes, for the moment, the screen rights were still available (as if there might be a bidding war soon).

After a few more emails back and forth, the agency said they were eager to pursue an on-screen adaptation on my behalf. I was flattered, though still confused about how they had even stumbled upon Jay the Great. It started to make more sense a month later, when I was told that a Warner Brothers production company had made an offer to buy the rights to my book. Evidently they had been scouring the internet for Gatsby source material and fell in love with my retelling of the classic novel.

Soon I received a check for selling them the exclusive option rights. It wasn’t a life-changing amount of money by any stretch, but still a lot more than I had ever made selling my own books on Amazon. I got to meet with the producers over Zoom (if you are a fan of the show Supernatural, you’d be jealous) and talk to them about how the book came to be. They were upfront about wanting to hire professional screenwriters to work on the project, and honestly I was relieved to hear that, since I had never tried to write a TV pilot myself. All I asked was to be kept in the loop about how the project was progressing, and the producers were kind enough to do so.

For a full year, I couldn’t tell anyone about this exciting news. Warner Brothers seemed eager to get started on the project, but I learned quickly that things move slowly in Hollywood. The producers introduced me to the pair of writers they found to work on the pilot and I had the chance to review their outline for the first season of a Gatsby TV show. I gave them some notes and then went back to the waiting game.

By the summer of 2022, I was told that the writers were ready to make their pitch to some of the top streaming services in Hollywood — a list which included Netflix, Amazon, and HBO. I started checking my inbox compulsively, eager to hear how the meetings had gone. Then finally I got an update, but not the one I was hoping for.

The head of the production company wrote and said that the pitches went well, the studios loved the premise of my book, and yet none of them had made an offer to buy the show. Just like that, my option deal expired and the project was officially dead. Everyone involved was moving on.

Looking back on the whole experience, I obviously would have wished for a different outcome. Maybe it was just bad timing. Or maybe my streak of good luck was bound to run out. Either way, it was still encouraging to know that my writing had potential. Because as a self-published author, it’s rare to feel validation from something you wrote. And you never know when that feeling will come or go.

Benjamin Frost was born and raised in New England and graduated from Boston University with a degree in communications. Since then, he’s lived all across the globe, including a stint in Melbourne, Australia. He is the co-creator of bookdigits.com, a book review website, and has self-published several novels including JAY THE GREAT, a modern retelling of The Great Gatsby. His new book is NUMBER ONE IS GONE, a mystery set in the tennis world.

Tips for connecting with booksellers and librarians

Posted on | by Jackie Karneth

If you value the booksellers and librarians in your community (and you should!) you’ve probably wondered how to earn their support. 

A meet and greet is an opportunity for you to make a positive personal connection with booksellers and librarians who have the ability to promote your book to customers and patrons long after you meet them.

After connecting personally with these industry “tastemakers,” they will often consider your book for events, official staff recommendations, and special displays (like a local author’s table). They may even nominate your book for awards in the future!

The first step for connecting with a bookseller or librarian is to call ahead. Be respectful of their time, and ask to arrange a brief 10-15 minute meeting.

You should bring:

  • a copy of your book
  • a printed copy of your press kit or one sheet (your ISBN should be displayed here for quick reference)
  • (optional) swag, bookmarks or treats to help you stand out

A meet and greet is all about creating a personal relationship with the bookseller or librarian. You can’t show up once and expect the world. As an author, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort, especially if you want their help in return!

A few tips for your meeting:

  • Emphasize that you just want to introduce yourself and not take up a lot of their time.
  • Thank the staff for all they do to support the literary community in your area.
  • Give them a copy of your book and press kit.
  • Share a quick summary of the book and explain why you wrote it (this is your elevator pitch!)
  • Mention that you hope they’ll consider ordering a few copies, or ask about the possibility of scheduling an event/stock signing.
  • If planning an event, be sure to mention what you expect to see in the way of attendance and/or book sales.
  • Be considerate and flexible. If you’d be open to a dual-author or panel event, let them know! Mention that you’re open to their ideas, and you want to collaborate with them to make sure their financial needs are being met.
  • Thank them for their time and for keeping your book in mind.
  • Show support and make a purchase while you’re there.
  • If they don’t decide to order copies on the spot, that’s okay. Continue supporting them by shopping locally and attending other author events. Show them you’re serious about mutual support in the industry.

If you want to reach booksellers and librarians outside of your local community, or if a meet and greet isn’t feasible, you can still make a good first impression. Here are a few strategies: 

  • Attend an event or take out an ad with your regional bookseller association. Not sure what that is? Check out my article here for more information!
  • Take out an ad in an industry publication that reaches booksellers and librarians directly, such as Library Journal/School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Foreword.
  • Create a postcard that highlights all of your essential book information and positive blurbs and mail it to the libraries you want to reach.
  • Make phone calls asking if you can send a copy of your book to the store/library and set up mailings for those that are interested.

Reaching librarians and booksellers can be a lot of work, but once you’ve opened the door to a new relationship, they will be far more likely to support you in your next book release! Building these personal connections early on in your career is a powerful investment for any author.

Remember that relationships are always a two-way street, so try not to ask too much of your new contacts, and support them as much as possible to ensure a healthy, lasting partnership!

What Is An Indie Bookstore Association?

Posted on | by Jackie Karneth

What is an indie bookseller association?

It takes a village to write a book, and the same can be said for running an independent bookstore! With online retailers – Amazon in particular – threatening the survival of many specialty mom-and-pop shops, it’s essential for these independent stores to join forces, learning from each other’s successes and finding creative ways to engage and support their community. In a nutshell, this is what bookseller associations do – provide a space for booksellers to unite for the good of their local community and region-at-large. 

Founded in 1900, the American Booksellers Association is a non-profit trade association that promotes independent bookstores across the United States. Under ABA’s “umbrella” are eight different regional associations:

California Independent Booksellers (California)

Great Lakes Independent Booksellers (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky)

Midwest Independent Booksellers (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan)

Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming)

New Atlantic Independent Booksellers (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and West Virginia)

New England Independent Booksellers (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island)

Pacific Northwest Independent Booksellers (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon)

Southern Independent Booksellers (Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Mississippi)

How can authors get involved with their regional bookseller association?

There are several ways that authors can connect with their regional associations:

  • Add purchase links to your website. We recommend linking to your book’s page on IndieBound and Bookshop.org as a way to encourage your fans to shop local.
  • Attend events. Most regional groups gather for annual conferences, and there are often opportunities for publishers and authors to share their new and upcoming book releases with booksellers.
  • Take out an ad. These regional groups also have email newsletters. Purchasing an ad is an easy and effective way to reach booksellers in your area. 
  • Send out mailings. If you’re able to gather addresses for the booksellers in your area, you can send them a personalized mailing with an ARC of your book and marketing/sales information.
  • Make personal connections. Attend events at stores near you and support them by purchasing books there! You can also call ahead and arrange a time to speak with a buyer or event coordinator. 
  • IndieNext. As you develop your relationships with booksellers, they may be more willing to nominate you for the IndieNext awards. These awards showcase the titles that booksellers plan on hand-selling to customers, and being nominated is a great honor!

There are plenty of ways that getting involved with your regional bookseller association can benefit you as an author, but remember: you only get what you give! Be sure to tell your readers to shop local, promote stores in your area, and let booksellers know that you’re sensitive to their financial needs. After all, bookstores are the literary heart of every city, and they can’t operate without the support of readers and authors in their communities like you.