Tag: book publishing

Writing a Book vs. Desiring to Sell Copies

Posted on | by Julie Schoerke | 7 Comments on Writing a Book vs. Desiring to Sell Copies

Best Seller Books

With the explosion of indie publishing and self-publishing, there’s a conundrum that was avoided through traditional publishing because there were gate keepers. Now, indie published or self-published authors need to ask themselves the tough questions hopefully before writing, and certainly before releasing.

You have a story to tell and you can’t bear not to tell it. It’s burning inside of you and you’ve always considered yourself a pretty good writer, so why not?!

Well, what some people feel compelled to write many more people do not feel compelled to read. If you don’t want to be encumbered by any “rules” or “gatekeepers” who annoyingly want you to conform to practices that have proven successful for other books and authors, then fine. But, be aware. Be very aware. Just because you write it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll read … and certainly doesn’t mean they’ll buy it.

Recently I’ve had conversations with several authors who are determined to write exactly the book that they want to. And those same people often are determined to sell a lot of copies. Here in lies the problem.

Consider other industries. A self-trained musician who took some music appreciation classes in college may want to write a song, or many songs. That’s fine. But what do you think the chances are that the musician, working alone in her house without the guidance of Quincy Jones or another tried and true producer of hits, making it BIG? What about a kid who plays basketball on his driveway—every day for hours—but never against anyone else on a team and without a coach. What are his chances of making it to the top of the NBA? There are flukes. But I think we all agree that someone working with a mentor who has already made it in the big leagues probably has a better shot of selling more records, or tickets to a basketball game, than someone who is going it totally alone.

I believe that there are books that people have to write. Are compelled. But, and especially when it comes to writing about personal experiences, determine why you are writing and be honest about what your goal is. If your goal is to make a permanent statement or capture a time gone by, do it! If your goal is to sell as many copies of a book as possible, consider finding a veteran mentor. Surround yourself with other people successful in the business (go to author events at your local bookstore, follow and study your favorite authors and figure out what makes them successful, find a killer editor who has had success in your genre). Just as parents encourage kids on the basketball court—“Honey, you are really great at shooting that ball!”—recognize that family and friends don’t have a financial stake in your success. They love you, so they’re going to say your book is great. I promise, I’ve seen it literally hundreds of times. I get calls, “Twenty of my friends loved my book! One said it should win a Pulitzer!” I’m much more interested in what someone who doesn’t know the writer, doesn’t care about the writer, thinks of the writing. How can you get an unbiased opinion? I loved the ingenuity of one clever author that told me she gives her manuscripts to family and friends and says, “A friend wrote this and gave this to me to read. Let me know your thoughts.”

Lots of kids play little league baseball. Fewer kids play for their high school team. Really great kids play college or farm team baseball. The minutest number of those terrific baseball players ever makes it to the big leagues. And how many baseball players playing today can you name? My point is that there is a place for everybody on that baseball scale, but very few will become famous. It’s the same odds for writing a book. There are authors who will delight their family and friends. Some will go on to make an impression in their community or field of work. The really great ones who get some breaks along the way will sell 100,000. And of the millions of people who write books each year, many less than 1 percent will become household names. In baseball, the current players don’t have to play against Babe Ruth and stars of the past. In the book world, you’re still competing for the attention and time of readers against every book ever written as well as all the new stars coming up through the ranks this year.

Set realistic goals while reaching for the stars. Understand that if you choose to go it alone, then that doesn’t mean that you also necessarily get to have the luxury of demanding that others purchase and read your book.

Whether you’ve written a book that 2,500 people buy and many hold close to their heart or you become an overnight sensation like JK Rowling (and how many have there been since her?!), celebrate what you have done. You’ve created art that has its place. If you’re determined to rise to the top, make sure you’ve got a coach and team surrounding you that gives you a pretty good chance to showcase your talent on a national stage.

 

6 Tips to Make You and Your Books Stand Out!

Posted on | by Julie Schoerke

Book Tips Kapow

In the tsunami of books being published, what are some things you can do to really make your book stand out and pop off the shelf?

  1. A book absolutely is judged by its cover! Don’t go cheap. Hire someone who has a great track record of creating book covers. It’s a specialty, and your book deserves to be the “best dressed.” Remember, a cover is just to pull in someone browsing books and get them to read the back cover or pick it up in a shop. It’s not meant to tell the whole story. Intrigue the would-be buyer to lean in closer.
  2. The synopsis or back-cover copy is really important! Don’t allow it to be an afterthought as you’re racing to get it to press. Sometimes it really requires a third-party perspective to write what the heart of the book is . . . as an author, you may be too close to it. Work with someone who has read the book and is involved in the book industry in some way.
  3. Blurbs! Those sentences on the front and back cover of the books by New York Times bestselling authors, literary magazines or celebrities are good to have. People in the industry have mixed feelings about how successful a blurb is in selling a book. But some blurbs can push that would-be reader over the edge to take a chance. A great twist on who to get blurb your book: a bookseller (name and bookstore included) is a really cool blurb to bag!
  4. Releasing your book in November or December to “catch the holiday sales” is a poor idea. Unless your last name is Patterson, Clark or Grisham. If you have control over your publishing date, hold it to the new year. That way the ISBN and copyright dates stay fresh for many months, rather than being “last year’s news” just as people are learning about it. Also, there’s a whole lotta noise about all kinds of things at the end of the year, and you want to have a little oxygen for your book when it comes out.
  5. For the good of your book, make sure you’ve come up with a plan prior to releasing it into the world. Have a website. Have a social media presence. And brand all these as you, not the title of your book—unless you are positive beyond all reason that you will never again in your life write another book. It’s weird to see authors’ profile pictures as a book cover on social media when they have a different book coming out . . . or they forget to update their website. Make it easy on your fans to find you.
  6. And now, the really BIG way to make your book stand out . . . write a GREAT book and edit it within an inch of its life. Most people wouldn’t invite 100 people for dinner without working out the menu and making all the dishes several times to be sure they are the best you can present. Same with a book. Don’t put something out that is half-baked. Many of the authors we work with have at least 4 feet stacks of manuscript pages they whittle through to get an 80,000 word final manuscript.

Publishing is Personal

Posted on | by Guest Author

I was recently at a conference where one of the other speakers, an author with her first book out, said she doesn’t blog. She said she put out a monthly newsletter, but she didn’t like blogging so she doesn’t do it.  OMG, radical rebellion – she doesn’t blog! What happened to the rules? One must blog, one must run Facebook ads, one must Tweet!

I am well into the process of launching my first legal thriller, and as any newly published author knows, there is more to do than can be done. No matter how large the staff or how many contract vendors one engages, every opportunity cannot be mined. There is also more available than most can pay for. How does a newbie in the publishing world decide which avenues to explore and which to leave for the next author or the next book? How does a writer new or experienced select the marketing items where they can wisely spend their time and money?

I went through my process by trial and error, at first slinging mud to see what would stick. Early on, I realized that I was going to drop from exhaustion and never have time to finish the next book. Two major things came to the fore that helped me to narrow my focus and discover my personal path to publishing.

First, I hired an expert who kept up with the latest trends, and second, I started paying attention to what I enjoyed in the process. This sounds simplistic, just hire an expert and do what you like – but it’s not that easy.

With regard to the expert, I began my pre-launch process with an enthusiastic, but inexperienced advisor who cost a third as much as my current advisors, but who thought that every idea was a great idea. I followed this enthusiasm for a time, ordering promotional items, buying advertising, and wasting time on things that sold no books, got me little exposure, and drained my energy and my bank account. When I began working with a new publicist, I found that just by nature of the contract process, we explored what was important to me, what would be emphasized, and the strengths that both the advisor and I had that supported my launch. When we executed the contract, we followed a plan we had laid out in advance, without adding new tasks every time we saw a shiny new distraction.

Ok, you may say, “I’m on a budget or I’ve decided to do everything myself.” Same here for part of my campaign. Next, I evaluated each of my virtual staff members and re-assessed my ability to monitor and manage them.  For the things I was keeping in house, I broke the plan into parts and looked at each one individually. I had a mental talk with the part of me that wears the publicist hat, then put on the social media hat, etc. until I went through each member of my internal and virtual team to assess what was working and what was not. I thought about what I or the consultant was good at in each department and set limits based on my honest response to that assessment.

Second, I looked at the tasks I hated doing and either delegated them to someone else or eliminated them from the publishing plan. My personal process brought me to a few conclusions. For example, I love to cook and have a recipe included as part of the story in each of the Texas Lady Lawyer novels, so I did a free Cookbook of Southern Recipes that I give to readers in exchange for subscribing to my mailing list. I also included wine in DOLLAR SIGNS as a part of the plot, so I partnered with wineries for book signings and paired books and wine in my newsletter to promote other authors. These items might be time consuming and feel like work to others, for me it’s play. Next, I looked at social media. I originally thought that Twitter was the place for me, but through the process, I realized I could make a more personal connection on Facebook and chose that method to interact. I designed memes of the best quotes about my book and put those up in a rotation so that I always had someone else praising my novel.

These realizations led me to the point of doing the things that fit my personality best. I began to make genuine connections with winery owners, other authors, and readers with similar interests. I found that when I signed books in another town, I found readers through these mutual interests in addition to reading.

I prepared a presentation entitled Legal Issues For Authors that I use to give a free talk to any writer’s groups that request it. (A similar talk could be given on lighthouses, childcare, ghosts, etc.) The presentation allows me to talk about a subject in which I specialize – law, and combine it with an area that I love – writing. It allows me to make a personal connection with other authors who are also readers, and allows me to feel I am giving something to my community.

All of these time consuming activities, and many others too numerous to mention here, feel less like chores and more like play because they suit my personality and allow me to show my strengths. They also eliminate the black box syndrome where all the information goes in mixes around and comes out the other end in a mysterious fashion. I can actually see the target with this new method and assess whether I hit the bullseye or fall short.

And, to answer your inevitable question, yes, I do blog.  But, I blog about things that interest me – travel, photography, cooking, what’s going on in my real life. Not only does it follow my internal compass, but it provides a more organic and satisfying way to move through the publishing day.

 

Manning Wolfe is an author and attorney residing in Austin, Texas. She writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers with a salting of Texas bullshit. The first book in her series featuring Austin Lawyer Merit Bridges, is “Dollar Signs: Texas Lady Lawyer vs Boots King.” A graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.

This post was originally published on Murder by 4.

Writers – Creatures of Habit

Posted on | by Guest Author

Writers- creatures of habit

Writers often claim to be creatures of habit. These habits may vary from only being able to write using a computer to scribbling on legal pads with special pens or insisting on being in a dark silent room vs. light streaming in and music blaring. Some writers, the planners, can’t produce a word until every nuance of a piece is outlined while others, known as pansters, write strictly from the seat of their pants. I wish I could tell you that I am a creature of habit, but I’m not. I write like I cook – different every time even if I am recreating the same dish.

One would think as a former litigator and judge, my writing habits would be unimaginative. That I would outline every word and idea, much like Jeffrey Deaver does. I outlined the beginning and ending of my first book, 2012 IPPY award winning Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan campus in the 1970s, but the middle flowed, like magic, through my fingers to the keys of a standalone computer in my office. I attributed my writing to the characters’ voices leading me through their story. The only thing necessary for the words to pour out of me was playing the soundtracks from 1776 and They’re Playing Our Song repetitively in the background.

The same songs and physical location didn’t work for my second book. In order to write Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery (Five Star Publishing – April 20, 2016), I relied on my laptop and an oversized chair in my living room. Century old furniture, which once belonged to my parents and grandparents, interspersed with modern cherry wood floors and an orange, gold, and blue carpet brought me a sense of peace that allowed me to bring new life to the characters from a short story published in 2010. I occasionally played folk songs and soft rock hits from the 60s and 70s, but for the most part I wrote and rewrote in silence. It was the ambiance of the room that enabled me to find and contrast the voices of the Sunshine Village Retirement Home Mah Jongg players with the 29-year-old corporate attorney protagonist and her former lover, the detective assigned to her murdered mother’s case.

My work in progress represents a hybrid of the plotter and panster habits that produced my first two books. Because the book is set in the present and the main characters are twins, I drew on my experience as a mother of twins when I outlined the basic story premise. Unlike Poker, that I wrote and edited on a laptop, this book was drafted free flow style on a laptop in an easy chair in my bedroom, revised on my stand alone computer, and the score from Frozen played constantly. Why Frozen for a book set in a small town in the South? I don’t know, but it worked.

For some, being a creature of habit is the only means to writing successfully. For me, a willingness to try different techniques and practices is what stimulates the muse and helps me avoid stale ruts. What about you? What does it take to prompt you to write effectively?

 

 

Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery, which will be released in April 2016 by Five Star Publishing. “Her debut novel, Maze in Blue, received a 2012 Independent Book Publisher Award and was reissued in May 2014 by Harlequin Worldwide Mysteries. She serves on national and local boards including Sisters in Crime, Alabama Writers Conclave, YWCA of Central Alabama and the Alys Stephens Center and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Forum and Zonta. Goldstein lives in Birmingham, AL, with her husband.

I Made A Twitter Account…Now What?

Posted on | by Courtney Stevens

Twitter

Twitter, (social media in general), is an opportunity to interact with the world in 140 characters or less. But how do you best use those 140 characters?

  • To promote your new book?
  • To share links?
  • To encourage?
  • To be political?
  • To share your latest McDonald’s lunch?
  • To ???

Here is what some big name authors across multiple genres have been tweeting about lately. (Examples pictured below.) In a snapshot: politics, movies, boredom, sports, inspiration, contests, quotes, blogposts, etc. Each of these accounts represents very different styles of Twitter feeds, which is good news for people coming to Twitter for the first time. It tells us … there are many acceptable ways to Tweet.

But if you’re asking about the best way to Tweet, let’s look closer.

Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods has 2.35 million followers, and he’s tweeting about being bored in a cab. Then he offers an invitation to ask questions, which he answers. In a world where conversations with Neil Gaiman would typically be limited to three seconds at a signing event, I have a unique opportunity because of Twitter.

Twitter is access.

It is a glass door into the life of a celebrity. (In this case, you are the celebrity.)

Janet Evanovich, a number one NYT bestselling author, has nearly 40 thousand Twitter followers and she primarily uses her Twitter feed for promotional advertisement of her novels. Whereas John Green, young adult author of The Fault in Our Star, uses his feed to … share … whatever comes across his unique mind: politics, DFTBA items, birthday shout outs, etc. He has 4.8 million followers. What does this tell us?

Twitter isn’t a bookstore.

It isn’t the place we go shopping for items; it’s the place we go shopping for sameness. This is why the number of Twitter followers does not translate specifically to sales. Janet Evanovich sells more than 40 thousand books, and John Green doesn’t sell 4.8 million copies with every new release. If you made a Twitter account to sell books, you might be disappointed with the results.

With these concepts in mind, consider a Twitter feed that is a reflection of your self—a place where you are providing sameness and searching for sameness. Marketing guru Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it.” Twitter puts that why on display and opens up doors of potential friendship. Early in my career, I listened to Jon Acuff give some great advice on utilizing social media. “Remember,” he said. “You’re asking for a friend, not a favor.” As you set about your 140 characters, ask for a friend.Screen Shot 2016-01-07 at 10.01.47 AM Screen Shot 2016-01-07 at 10.01.58 AM

Should YOU be using Instagram?

Posted on | by Caroline Davidson

How authors should be using Instagram

With over 300 million users a month, it’s hard to see the downside to using Instagram when it comes to promoting your book(s). Authors are unique in the way that they write these incredible stories that connect with readers in ways they could have never imagined. The beauty of social media for an author is allowing their reader to get a glimpse into the life of the person who wrote the words that touched their life.

I understand why some authors may not see the value in Instagram because it’s a social media platform based on photographs and visual appeal…but isn’t that what a book cover is? Here are a few reasons you should be utilizing Instagram as an author…

Bloggers are on Instagram

Book bloggers are using Instagram…to share their love of books, what they’re reading, and offering followers a glimpse into their real lives. You can connect with book bloggers by searching specific book-related hashtags or research some of the largest book bloggers in your genre and follow them (#bookblogger #amreading)!

Connect with your audience

No one wants to follow an author, musician, brand, etc. that has a third party running their social media all the time. There is a level of trust that is lost with your followers when posts seem artificial or fake. Instagram is a perfect way to give followers a glimpse into your REAL life…a mix between posting about your book and posting about your everyday life– including family, hobbies, inspirations, and (of course) your pets (#catsnbooks).

Target Your Hashtags

Hashtags are a strategic way to target your audience and potential new followers. It’s important to have at least 1 or 2 unique hashtags—for example, instead of #reading you could use #readingBreakingDawn. In addition to your unique hashtags, it’s also important to use widely popular hashtags targeted at your audience—for example, #amreading #bookworm #booksncats. Instagram users can search specific hashtags and discover new accounts.(see Giveaways below for more hashtag tips)

Product Placement & Giveaways

Following and connecting with some large-follower accounts can be beneficial to getting your book in front of their followers as well. For example, let’s say you have a new young adult book and you follow a YA book blogger on Instagram that has 10K followers. It’s in your best interest to send that blogger a copy of your book and ask them to Instagram a picture of your book with one of your unique hashtags!

If your book is featured in some local bookstores or boutiques, ask them to also post a picture of your book in the store on their Instagram account and use your hashtags!

This would be the perfect opportunity to have the book blogger or bookstore do a signed copy giveaway to their followers—have them post a picture of your book & ask them to share the photo and use your unique hashtag!

Cover Art

Cover art is everything when it comes to sales. Imagine yourself walking through a bookstore looking for a new read…what draws your attention first? The book covers. As you go through the design process for your book cover, post pictures of your changes on your Instagram & ask for follower input! Some authors even do social media cover contests so that the followers can vote on which cover they like best…this is a great promotion to do when you have a series or trilogy.

To read more about the importance of book covers, check out our blog post Cover-to-Cover by Courtney Stevens.

Author Support

The beauty of the writing community is that authors support authors! Follow authors you admire and know on Instagram and show them support—share & comment on their photos! You can also get some great photography and marketing ideas from fellow authors who are touring and doing events. 

Video

Instagram allows you to upload and post 3-15 second videos. Utilize this option by compiling a short video that has pictures of your novel or characters from the book. You can give a quick “hello” to your followers too or announce an Instagram giveaway contest winner! There are some really useful apps that can help you compile a short video! Here are a few apps that will make your Instagram videos easy to create AND amazing!

  1. PicPlayPost (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picplaypost/id498127541?mt=8)
  2. Lapse It (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lapse-it-time-lapse-stop-motion/id539108382?mt=8)
  3. Videoshop (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/videoshop-video-editor/id615563599?mt=8)

The Most Important Question Authors Never Ask

Posted on | by Chelsea Apple

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting to Know You: Why Media Matters

Posted on | by Angelle Barbazon

Author Interview

When you’re gearing up to launch a new book, building buzz can be difficult, even for seasoned authors who have a loyal following of readers. The fact is, there are regularly more than 300,000 titles released by traditional publishers every year in the United States while the non-traditional publishing sector churns out more than 1 million books annually, according to Bowker. So what’s the bottom line? There is a lot of competition out there.

One of the most worthwhile ways of breaking through all the noise is with the media. This can come in the form of interviews, book announcements or reviews –though reviews are becoming increasingly less common and more difficult to secure because of shrinking newsrooms and resources.

Interviews are the best way for readers to connect with the people behind their favorite books on a deeper, more personal level. It gives readers an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look into the writing filling their home libraries, or even get introduced to new voices in the literary world.

Just about every writer wants “big media” attention like the New York Times or National Public Radio, but they shouldn’t underestimate the power of local media. Similar to a grassroots movement, local media can help build buzz on the ground level. It’s a good place to start, especially for new authors who are just getting their feet wet. A feature in a local newspaper or a spot on a morning news show is a great starting point for bigger things to come.

Big or small, every media outlet will consider a few factors before setting up interview or other types of coverage. Knowing the questions that journalists will ask themselves before covering a new book can be invaluable. Here are a few questions they may consider:

  • Why do my readers care about this book?
  • Does the author have a local connection?
  • Why is it important to feature this book now?
  • What makes this book or author unique?
  • Is this book or author controversial in any way?
  • What kind of impact will this book or author have the community that my media outlet serves?

 

Angelle Barbazon is currently a publicist for JKS Communications. She is an award-winning journalist who worked for various print newspapers across the country and NPR before succumbing to her love of books.