.99 Ebooks by Shawneda Marks

CNET turned the spotlight on indie authors in a way that made me smile despite being hurt because a fellow author said it made them want to cry. In years past this would have left me upset for days. My mind would be riddled with questions of why? Apparently I’ve grown because I had none of my past reactions. It’s easy to recognize how new technology, if untapped, could be seen as a threat to traditional authors and publishers who benefit from the elite and exclusive atmosphere of the publishing industry before the invent of POD and ebooks.

While speaking as a panelist on the future of publishing at the 10 Year Anniversary RAWSISTAZ Affair, we talked about the potential impact of ebooks. Several of the attendees who owned first and second generation Kindles said they would give unknown authors a chance if they lowered their price point. I lowered my prices that evening! Over the course of several weeks and now months something amazing happened. People started reading my books.

My love for reading and writing is something I learned existed right after walking. I couldn’t stop if I wanted to (because believe me I’ve tried). Once I accepted this, I prayed, fasted and sought God to show me a way to share my words not only with those my short arms could reach but all the people He wanted me to reach, with the resources I have now. When the newest evolutions in ebooks happened I realized the digital revolution that liberated independent artists in music and movies had finally arrived in the publishing world.

The interesting thing is my desire initially was to give free copies of my books. For some reason only the corporate execs at BN and Amazon know this is an option unavailable for direct content publishers. Now in addition to my books being read (which to me as an author is most important) I’m also receiving a small financial benefit from it. There are those independent and traditional authors who say they work too hard to sell their books for so little. When you have thousands of readers enthralled with your characters and anticipating your next work this may be an attitude you can choose to take. I on the other hand work too hard to create stories to let something like money keep me from connecting with the truly important people in the literary community, readers.

Shawneda Marks is an avid reader, book reviewer and author. Her third Christian fiction awareness novel, My True Essence, released summer of 2011. She lives in metropolitan Atlanta with her husband and daughter.

STAY CONNECTED

Website: http://www.shawneda.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Shawneda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShawnedaMarks

To ePub or not ePub… that is the Question

Written by L.A. Banks

Those of you who know me, also know that I’m curious to a flaw and I’m always doing stuff I probably shouldn’t be, LOL!  However, this time I think I may have stumbled upon something really cool (even if I’m a little late to the party.)  Yeah, yeah, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought her back J Well, this time, watching the changing landscape of publishing and how it is becoming less and less favorable to authors in general, made me do some research into ways I could do my thing the way I wanted to do it (and get paid properly)… and lo and behold, the Universe messed up and threw me a bone—BIG SMILE!  Necessity is always the motherhood of invention.

Once again technology is leveling the playing field in the world of self-publishing.  With the advent of eBooks, an author can literally launch their title into cyberspace for under a thousand dollars (ask me how I know)—whereas in the past self-publishing a book was at least a $25,000 endeavor with a whole lot of inventory management involved.  You’ve heard about or maybe even remember the nightmare of schlepping cases of books into your garage or basement, to then go into your trunk, to then drag around to all kinds of vending festivals because major bookstores wouldn’t have you… only to then find yourself chasing down small independent bookstores for your money, if you’d left your books there on consignment—right?  So when was “the writer” going to write?

The prospect of that gave me the shivers, even though the margins of publishing your own title were always much better than dealing with a major house, advance notwithstanding.  But I confess that I didn’t want to deal with the “process” of it all, if I didn’t have to.  To me, self-publishing was a daunting feat.  So the concept was one I’d always shied away from.  You’d have to become sales, UPS Logistics, collections, freight and storage, and sometimes an enforcer (to get your cash.)  Crazy.  But for many people, that was the only option back in the day, and a lot of folks did it and excelled, finally bootstrapping themselves up into the major houses with phat contracts. Much respect.

However, for many others, the process was so overwhelming and the results so frustrating that, they could never break the glass ceiling.  Making the transition had the same odds as trying out for the NBA.  Sure, some folks definitely made it… but there were a WHOLE LOT that didn’t.  Wisely, the ones that didn’t kept their day jobs, throttled back their enthusiasm, and sadly their dreams died by the side of the road after a few titles went bust.

Those stories were/are heart-rending, and the frustrations are very real.  We’re not gonna even talk about the whole issue of having one’s money tied up in account receivables, or jacked up in inventory sitting in the trunk of one’s car.  Under that old model, the drama of being an “entrepreneur” left little time to sit and write and develop a solid project, because if you were self published, you had to be “on your grind” to get your danged investment money back; you had to hustle, no two ways about it

Times have changed.  Today, with technology leveling the playing field, all one literally has to do is have someone format the MSWORD manuscript into epub format ($200 if you go to Rob Siders – rob@52novels.com), and have cover art developed (my cover for Shadow Walker—which I love–cost $300 through Carl Graves, cgdouble2@sbcglobal.net .)  Of you need a back cover, spine, and the layout done for POD (print on demand), Cheri Perez will hook you up for about $300 (perezcher@aim.com) – conversely, if you have your own hook-up or skills, you can get it done on your own terms for less.  [Editing is another issue and a quality control factor you want to employ; for that, prices vary. But you see my point.  We are not talking a gazillion dollars of investment.]

So now with Amazon’s Create Space—that allows for actual paper, print on demand books as well as the famed Kindle eBook version, B&N’s Pubit (for the Nook), and Smashwords—that puts your title in Sony Reader, iPad, Kindle, PDF, text, and smart phone formats… the world is your oyster!  These cutting edge publishing options also PAY.  Yeah, you heard me.  They pay a hefty 70% royalty against sales, and they deliver the check to your bank account MONTHLY.  Folks, I’ve been in publishing since the mid-nineties and never once was my royalty check delivered with that cut of the deal or that fast!

In addition, these on-line avenues offer full service, publishing business turnkey solutions.  You don’t have to come out-of-pocket upfront beyond like a $75 set up fee or less.  Unlike going to a traditional print on demand place like Lightening Source, Inc. – which does NOT do third party billing – you do not have to pay for books ordered by bookstores, libraries, and schools up front.  Create Space has an app for that, LOL.  Seriously.  They have a reseller program, a library program, and a school program in their distribution options, and the institutions pay them directly.  You just wait a month for your commissions/royalties on what’s been sold.  Okaaaay… are you hearing me?

Therefore, if some library orders books by the case, you aren’t going broke and waiting for the state or city library system to cut you a check.  Once I compared Create Space to LSI, I was like… really?  Are you playin’?  I would NEVER go to a place that doesn’t do third party billing to tie up my cash.  Create Space will give you your own ISBN#, everything is turnkey, down to the barcode on the back of your book.  You upload two files—one JPEG of your cover flat and one of your PDF that has your book contents (formatted for print or eBook or both.)  You set your pricing.  You push send.  They review your title (takes a couple days to make sure your content is cool), and then they ask you to order a proof to review.  Once you approve your proof, your title is launched.  Five days later you show up on Amazon.  Six weeks after that you’re in the Ingram and Baker & Taylor distributor’s catalogs like anyone else.  Voila.

The other upside is—NO INVENTORY!  You do not have to ship jack, deal with customer service yang, none of that.  If somebody wants a refund, it goes back the way it came—through Amazon and debits out of your sales.  Period.  Clean.  No hassle.   You are left to your own devices as a writer, which is the manufacturing of a top shelf product—the book.  You now don’t have to be all the back office of the business.  Sales can be done on-line through social media and your website.  But all that running around dragging books in wheelie suitcases is history (unless you just feel you must, smile.  Some habits are hard to break.)

However, what you do have to do is become savvy about pricing, and to understand the laws of volume, loss leaders, and doing fire sales.  There is a lot of noise on-line, namely a lot of things competing for your readers’ dollars in alternate forms of entertainment.  So why would someone pay $9.99 for your eBook title when you don’t have a presence in Barnes and Nobles or Borders, and New York Times Best-sellers are on the racks for $7.99?  Be serious.  Know the game.  You’ll make more money if you drop that title down to $1.99… $2.99… tops $3.99, and if you don’t have a base, a .99/cent title will get you a bunch of new readers exposed to your work, then you can slowly escalate your pricing.   But if you stay in the old mentality of the way it was done under yesteryear’s self-publishing models, the authors with name recognition are gonna smoke you when they jump into this game—and they are by leaps and bounds, trust me.  Just sayin’.

That’s my two cents for the day about the changing landscape of publishing.  Joe Konrath is “the Yoda Master” on this thing.  Check out his blog on his website at JoeKonrath.com.  He taught me, I’m passing on the knowledge.  I call him my hero, because one bad contract taught me to have a back-up plan in place, even with 40+ titles under my belt.  That one YA book, Shadow Walker, earned out in the first two weeks and has been climbing with the bullet.  On Joe’s last blog that one of my fellow sister authors sent me, he posted a list with people who were selling 2,500 units, 5,000 units, 10,000 units, then 30,000, and ultimately 100,000 units in a single month.  If they got just ONE DOLLAR off each of those titles… dayum… you do the math.  This is the direction folks are going; this is the direction the industry is going.  Don’t sleep this, people.  Do not sleep this change in the wind.  Just because it’s getting tougher to get into a major house and it seems like that door is closing, keep your eyes peeled for the new door opening on the horizon.  Opportunities for success still exist!

GOOD LUCK!

Bio:

Ms. Banks is a New York Times and USA Today Best-selling author and has written over 42 novels and contributed to 23 novellas.  As a novelist, she fluidly moves between the genres of YA/Fantasy, Romance, Suspense, and Urban Fantasy, but is also skilled in comic script writing and screenwriting.

Banks is a proud member of The Liars Club of Philadelphia, is a Board of Trustee member for the Philadelphia Free Library and serves on the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy.  Banks is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program with a Master’s in Fine Arts from Temple University. She is a full-time writer living and working in Philadelphia.

Visit her on the web at www.vampirehuntress.com or at www.LeslieEsdaileBanks.com.

**If you run into any problems tonight, send a tweet to @rawsistaz and I’ll do my best to walk you through any problems, but do try to test it out a bit early.  If you’re attending and already set up, pls take a minute to send a quick tweet using @rawsistaz, @blackbookchats  and/or #blackbookchats so I can follow you.

Twitter Chat w/Tionna Tee Smalls to discuss Girl, Get Your Mind Right is tonight at 8:30PM EST (Quick Link).  If there are ANY problems, we will move the chat IMMEDIATELY to the RAW Site in the Black Book Chats section (Quick Link)

For those who can’t make the Twitter Chat, don’t/won’t do Twitter, you can join us via the site starting Thursday at noon and it will be up the remainder of the week (and after) for you to participate.  The link will go live after tonight’s chat, for those who want to jump in early.

Twitter Tips for Black Book Chats w/RAWSISTAZ

For those not familiar with Twitter or who missed the Twitter 101 classes via the main group we held last Fall, I have a quick guide below to help you make the best of our Black Book Chats and Parties being held via Twitter.

Step 1 – You’ll need to sign up for a Twitter account at www.twitter.com.  It’s free and I would suggest you use a name that will make you recognizable to other members.  You can find RAWSISTAZ under @rawsistaz and @blackbookchats.

Step 2 – Set up your account and update your profile.  Please keep in mind that if you make your account private, we will NOT be able to see you in the chat.

Step 3 – You’ll want to look around Twitter, check out how things work and send a few test tweets.  (Your messages or status updates are called tweets).  The one thing to keep in mind is that you only have 140 characters to share your thoughts and other comments.  Yeah, I know, this is my biggest struggle w/Twitter.  LOL!! I’m a wordy-lit-diva.

Be sure to follow us and send a shout-out to us by typing something like: “@rawsistaz, we’re following you to stay IN THE KNOW with Black books, authors, & events.”

**When you type in @ and a person’s acct name, it will automatically put your message in their stream.

Step 4 – The hashtag for most of our chats is #blackbookchats. A hashtag is basically what identifies the topic/chat and the # symbol is used in front of it.  To participate in a twitter chat/party, you must use the hashtag given or you will not show up in the chat stream, various 3rd party tools (like Tweetdeck & Tweetchat) or searches. Your tweets will be out there, but may not be seen by the organizer and other attendees.

Step 5 – Now that you have the basics, it’s time to chat.  The easiest way to chat is to use one of the 3rd party tools I mentioned above like Tweetdeck or Tweetchat.com. What these do is allow you to log into Twitter via their platform so you can focus on only the tweets which have to do with the #hashtag you’ve indicated. Or you can use links like the ones below which have been set up already and automatically puts the hashtag in for you in all your tweets.

http://www.twebevent.com/blackbookchats or  http://www.tweetchat.com/room/blackbookchats

That’s it! Feel free to share your twitter names below so we can follow you!!

*Please note that everyone who is following you (and the hashtag) will receive ALL the tweets you send out via the chat room.  So, it can be a lot if you’re heavily participating in the discussion.

TMLG ~ FILM REVIEW: FOR COLORED GIRLS by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts (October 29, 2010)

I write this having just returned from a special screening here in Philadelphia of the film, “For Colored Girls.” For those who may not know…the movie was written and directed by Tyler Perry and is based on the seminal work of author/artist Ntozake Shange: For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuff.

For me, Shange’s book (and later Broadway play) both shouts in the sunlight and whispers in the darkness all of the beautifully ugly journeys of the women of color that are her main characters. Given my dramatic use of metaphor it is perhaps needless to say that I admire her as a poet and artist. So much so that the off-off-Broadway play Khepera that I co-wrote with my cousin, actress/director Nzinga, borrowed heavily from her choreopoem format. So going into the theatre tonight, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’ve seen all of Tyler Perry’s films and I believe, in spite of my critique of them, they have a place at the artistic table. However, I wondered if it was even possible to effectively translate writings like Shange’s into film.

So let me say this: The acting was phenomenal. These stunning brown and black and beige and tall and wide and short and lean women brought their A game. I respected their performances even more after hearing Kimberly Elise (a star of the film that did a Q&A after the screening) share how cathartic the process was for her and the others; how she still hasn’t been able to loose herself from the character she played.

In terms of directing and cinematography, I thought the film was well done. There were quite a few shots that had a very indie, art house feel to them and I appreciated the stretch Perry made in that area.

Now the writing. It was…alright. Not quite “great”. But certainly well above “It didn’t suck.” I think the challenges Perry faced was one that any screenwriter would have in adapting this kind of literature (poetry is different from novels or memoirs). In order to honor the material…which he definitely did…he was inevitably going to lose the fluidity that viewers are used to. The choppiness in many places are reflective of that. Shange’s book and play are essentially a series of monologues, so again, to stay authentic to the material (which I sensed maybe he tried too much to do), the traditional screenwriting story arc suffers. There is an arc. But it is faint. This, I think, may result in some restlessness in those who just may not be familiar with the original work or who aren’t like me and are just madly, enamored with elegant, poetic words and phrases.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some really powerful, raw, and poignant moments in the film. Moments that will stick with you long after the lights come up. But you will have to wade through some longer less-moving stretches to get there.

All of this being said, I must say that while watching this film I came to an understanding about this movie, Tyler Perry and his body of work. There is more of difference than I ever realized between writing and storytelling – particularly the kind of storytelling that comes out of the African oral tradition. The kind that often makes no literal sense with all of its disorder and exaggeration but yet still can prick your emotions. There is no structure to this kind of storytelling but it moves you just the same. It’s grandma talking about moving from Carolina to Chicago back in ‘39. No neat 3 acts. Inciting incident all in the “wrong” place. But yet, tears still flow. Passions still flame. You still feel it. I think that’s what Perry has tapped into. He doesn’t write in the way that us writers have been taught in our workshops and MFA programs or may have learned through literary reading and discourse. He tells stories. Stories, as in this case, that have been told before. Stories that caused many people in the audience tonight to sob audibly at different points in the film.

I would encourage everyone…colored or not…to put aside whatever skepticisms or reservations you may have about Tyler Perry and go see this film when it releases next weekend. Why? Because it’s really not about him. It’s about the dialogue that I believe will be created around issues in the community that we haven’t seemed to be able to shake even since the 70’s when Shange wrote the poems. AND it’s about the doors that the success of this film will open to those writers who just might be able to better blend the writing and the storytelling.

There is one thing I know for sure. This film, in its imperfections, reminded me of why I do what I do. So that God can use my words to expose humanity’s brokenness, minister to our souls, and hopefully, in spite of the many critics I’m sure I have of my own writing, restore and reconcile us back to Him and each other.

That’s my take.

- Tracey

————————–

Tracey Lewis-Giggetts is a writer, speaker, and educator. She is the author of 6 books, including the novel Interruption: The Gospel According to Crystal Justine. Tracey blogs regularly at www.traceymlewis.com.

Remember the days of old when professionalism was an automatic notion?  Where have those days gone? You know what I’m talking about, the days where in spite of one’s differences, manners were a must. Can this old art form be recovered?

I was flabbergasted during a recent trip to a local department store. In times past a sales associate would rush to my aid to take care of my every need. For he or she knew that in addition to gaining a new sale, good salesmanship and professionalism could only help their commission prospects. To my surprise, after ten minutes of perusing the store, none of the available sales associates bothered to offer me any assistance. I decided against the large purchase which was my sole intention for the visit and opted for a pair of stocking instead.

I was even more floored when I approached the checkout stand and two cashiers were yelling across their registers expressing hatred for their jobs and how they would be calling in on the next day. I stood for a moment waiting for a manager to appear and immediately fire the young ladies on the spot, but it never happened. The young lady who rang up my items never acknowledged me and never even looked at me, even when she gave me my credit card receipt to sign – let alone a “Thank you for your business.”

Recently a colleague expressed her frustration as she held the door for three men, who in turn never gave her a thank you.  Are you kidding me?

My experiences don’t stop there, so imagine my frustration with the lack of professionalism I’ve come to find in the literary industry. In my lifetime, I’ve worked in many career fields – from being a nursing assistant to a stock broker, from a bill collector to a private investigator. No matter what my job title, I always practiced professionalism.

Professionalism has been one of the pillars in which successful careers have stood on. So why don’t we as literary representatives take our positions seriously and professionally?

Being the owner of Literary Wonders! and Bryant Consulting, I’m always getting submission requests, review request, critique requests, editing and other literary requests. Far too many times I find that the people making these requests have seemed to have forgotten what professionalism is; or had no idea in the first place. In which case, let me help you out here.

A simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can take you very far. The mere acknowledgement of the person or entity that you are asking to do something for you can be a matter of acceptance or rejection. I often find myself frustrated at someone who has asked for a friend request via a social network such as Facebook, who immediately appears in your chat book after you’ve accepted their request, only to ask you have you read their profile yet or looked at their web page. Or better yet the person that blindly sends you their manuscript via e-mail, of course expecting you to edit or critique it, with no introduction. They totally ignore the fact or never even look at the disclaimer on the LW! site that says we do not accept blind inquires and that we do not accept emailed manuscripts unless prior approval was granted. These requests go directly into my file 13.

Instead of bombarding someone with your work because YOU think they should drop what they are doing and honor your request try this on for size:

1. Introduce yourself. We don’t know who you are. And if we do, you still need to introduce yourself.
2. State your request clearly.
3. Before you even attempt step one or two, research the person, company or entity that you are making the request to find out their rules
4. Don’t assume anyone owes you anything because they don’t.
5. End with a simple thank you or some words of appreciation.

Now that wasn’t so bad was it? I’ve heard many wise people say, “You’ll catch more bees with honey than vinegar.” What does that mean? Simply put, be pleasant and professional and courteous.

In this literary industry, as in any field, it is also important to remember to put your best foot forward because what you give out is a representation of you! If you put forward sloppy work, people will not take you seriously and therefore not utilize or consider you for anything.

It’s the same as applying for a job using a resume. Would you turn in a sloppy, unprofessional resume, riddled with errors to a potential employer? I should hope not. I recently interviewed reviewers for LW! I asked for a sample review, and I tell you I cannot believe what I received. I had to ask myself, was this person serious? Certainly they couldn’t be.

I’ve gone to networking events where I have exchanged business cards with other networkers. In one instance someone passed me someone else’s business card and hand wrote their information on the back. I’ve had instances where others have torn off a piece of paper and even a napkin after they printed their contact information on it. Again, are you serious? How am I supposed to take you serious?

I can go on and on about this issue, but I think you get the idea. If you are a writer, it is okay to fake it until you make, however, you have to put the best possible foot forward. There is no reason you shouldn’t have a website. In this day and age, they are extremely cheap. Your website should be www.yournameorcompany.com not www.yournamandcompany.bravehost.com. And your e-mail address should be whatever@nameofyourcompany.com not yourname@yahoo.com.

If you don’t know how to build a website, hire someone to do it for you, learn how to do it yourself (there are several online tutorials that are FREE) or barter with someone. Secondly, there is no reason you should NOT have a proper business card. If you can’t afford them right now, companies like Vista Print (www.vistaprint.com) Will give you 250 FREE cards – you just pay shipping and handling. Even with a decent printer and business card paper, you can make one on your own personal computer.

When corresponding with someone for the first time, introduce yourself. Do your research. I cannot stress the importance of research.

And finally if your professionalism and courteousness does not render your desired result, still, remain professional and courteous. You will never know when you might need a favor somewhere down the road.

What tangible milestones can I bring back to my clients that shows that we are moving steps forward on our book marketing campaign?

There are a few deliverables that make the grade for authors:

• print media placements
• broadcast interview placements
• retweets with links attached
• click thrus on buy back buttons
• book festival placements
• public library requests
• bookclub president rtps
• many others

However, before I bore you with tips on obtaining such desirables, I want to have an honest conversation with you about book marketing. If you let me…

The purpose of book marketing [social network/online marketing included] is to obtain and maintain your ideal customer: book buyers. Period.

So ask yourself this.  Is what I’m doing online helping me obtain and maintain my ideal customer?

Let me throw you a life-line. These things below will not:

1. Adding your graffiti [Facebook Notes] to a friend’s Facebook wall that looks like this: “please buy my ____ book…you fill in the blank)

That’s advertising.  It’s improper to advertise on someone’s wall without their permission.

2. Adding uninvited strangers, whom you’ve stalked on another author’s guestbook to your email list, then spamming them with #9.

3. Begging.

Newsflash: Book buyers purchase books and donate to charities. Decide which one you are, then act accordingly

4. Complaining about bookstores online.

5. Complaining about book reviewers online.

6. Tagging someone who is not in your picture or video.

Tagging inappropriately is backdoored spam and can get you kicked off Facebook.

7. Bad-mouthing other authors  and cat-fighting with other authors online.

Really?!

8. Not having buy buttons on your site and Facebook fan page.

I’ve lost count of the evites and blog tours that don’t have a Buy Now button on them. Come on You’ve convinced us now close the sell.

9. Sending boring email newsletters.

That includes Facebook Notes. Learn how to craft better copy or hire someone. Pam Perry, Ty Moody, LaShaunda Hoffman, and Marina Woods are great at this.

10. Forgetting that authors, bookstore manager, librarians, publicists, editors, and book reviewers buy books, too, so be careful, who you alienate online

Now, if you honestly don’t know whether your book marketing efforts are working, hit me up in the comments. I’ll tell you, honestly. And come back later this fall; I’ll tell you what things work. Also, check out my E-lunch show Media Candy Radio which airs every Wednesday at noon at http://blogtalkradio.com/mediacandy. It’s devoted to marketing techniques and answering your questions live. Also subscribe to our station for news about our other shows. Dee and Marina return this fall, as well as a new fun show with Dee and Martin Pratt of Rolling Out Magazine.

-Dee Stewart

I’m a mom, pr boutique owner, editor, book critic, and published author (Miranda Parker.)  Google me or Find me

Last week, we talked about authors who have been missing from the scenes and we wanted to expand on it this week with not only sharing those authors we miss, but discussing why they’re missing. At the top of my list are Marcus Major, Timmothy McCann, Elyse Singleton, V. Anthony Rivers, Gregory Townes, T.L. Garnder–I could go on and on! Where are you at, folks?? I miss you and want you to come back soon!

I’ve had many conversations at literary events over the last few months with authors who didn’t get book deals, others who had returned to self-publishing, but didn’t have the finances to get their latest book or two off the ground and those who have seen/experienced rejections galore. What is the problem?

Is the economy really that bad or is it just the easy answer for why your book isn’t selected? Why can someone else get a $50 million advance, yet a new author or lesser known author gets rejected or gets no advance. Seriously? Take that $50 million advance and get in some new writers, new stories & shoot, sometimes better stories. Furthermore, if I hear “it’s not marketable” one more time, I might just scream. I mean seriously–and this is just my take–a well-written book IS marketable if you actually get behind it and market it. There are numerous books I see plastered all over the place and when I flip open the book, sadly I’m disappointed, unimpressed or turned off by all the sex. I know book reviews and opinions on the books are subjective, but I do believe I know a good book. So, when I hear an author (who most of our members rave about) say she can’t get a book deal, it makes me sad and then it ticks me off.

So, beyond being sad (or ticked off), what can we do?

I have a few suggestions and here are my first two to get things started:

1) Authors, stop being desperate. I know you want to be published and hey, if you have a great book, I want you to be published too. We need more books! But, don’t just accept anything a publisher offers you. Decide what your deal breakers are going in and stick to them! If you want your ebook rights, walk away if the publisher says no. If you want foreign rights, keep them and if they say no, walk away. If you DO NOT think overly-detailed sex scenes are necessary to tell your story, then don’t agree to put them in there just to get a deal.

2) Write what you know/love.Yeah, this may be selling and that may be selling, but if you force it, trust me, a real reader knows it. And seriously, can you keep it up? Don’t write for the trends unless it is something you love. What do you read when you’re in the mood to read? I’m not saying don’t stretch yourself or write in other genres, I’m saying don’t write for money.

Okay…before I get off on a tangent…

Let’s hear from YOU! Who are some of the authors no longer on the scene you’d like to see back with new books? And please share their book titles & genres. And, what do you think we can do to see these authors again??

In How to Survive and Thrive as a Literary Entrepreneur in a Down Economy, Maxine covers how an author can:

• Find ways to make money as a writer
• Develop multiple streams of income
• Use the Internet and sell books

An excerpt of Chapter 1 is included below and she’ll be stopping in throughout the day to answer questions and share more tips from the book.

CHAPTER 1

Are you angry about the economy? I don’t know about you, but I get angry in this down economy. Why? Because it has a trickle-down effect on all small businesses.  In my case, particularly as a literary service provider, some clients don’t
pay when they should because someone hasn’t paid them.

In the spring of 2008, gas hit over $4.00 a gallon here in Los Angeles so you had to make your next move your best move, and that includes going to much needed conferences (which included the Book Expo of America, The Leimert Park Book Fair and the Los Angeles Black Book Expo within the next month here in L. A.). Not to mention the high prices of food—well, that’s the subject of another column.

Just as the actors in Hollywood and the technicians have had to adjust since returning to work after their 2007 to early 2008 strike, we, as literary entrepreneurs, must adjust our marketing strategies.  But, instead of getting angry, how about if we get busy? How about if our anger could move us to another level? A level of action.

Let’s look back in history. During the depression, women found ways to make it for their families by cooking, sewing, quilting, washing and ironing clothes for other families, etc.  I grew up during a recession in the fifties, and I look back. How did my parents survive with six children? To supplement my construction worker father’s income, my mother did what we called “day work”—cleaning for white women. We often had filling meals of beans, soup, chili. We were seldom
sick—later I found out we didn’t even have health care, which is happening a lot today because of layoffs. So I know, with God’s help, we can make it through this economy. It is something our ancestors always did. Make a way out of no way.

In times like this we need to examine ourselves:

• 1) Find your strengths.
• 2) Find your core competencies.
• 3) Get around others who are strong where you are weak.
• 4) Build your teams.
• 5) Get people to fill in your gaps.
• 6) Find multiple streams of income from your book, such as speeches, workshops, seminars, teleseminars, webcasts, podcasts, blogs.

Ask yourself, what can I do to give people hope?  Believe it or not, it starts with giving away what you have that has value. How can we be of value and how can we provide service to others?  What do you have of value which you can give away? Can you build business relationships which are mutually beneficial to yourself as well as others? Can you teach what you learn as a literary entrepreneur?   Can you provide sales, marketing on line, coaching, or seminars first
locally, then around the world? How can we get financial freedom?  We must take consistent action every day in our business.

On one day a week, work on your business rather than in it. Have meetings to brainstorm with your team as to what your next steps will be.  The words we communicate to ourselves and to others will pay dividends to you. It will help you and others solve a problem.

Right now, people are hungry for freedom. People want to get into sales and people want to write at least one book.
What are sales ingredients? First of all, you have to believe that the book you are offering has value.  Ask your readers what do they like to read? Sell them on the benefits of your book. Find out what pains them.  Often you’ll find readers who want to write a book themselves. This is how I started my literary services, then later my literary agency. I also have done Internet radio since March 5, 2002 (currently on Artistfirst.com) to provide writers with an international platform to market their book.

What was the painful motivation? People were tired of not seeing their words in print, then tired of not being able to get their books out to the market. So find what pains people enough to move them to action and you will be able to make the sale.

————-

Dr. Maxine Thompson is a novelist, poet, columnist, short story writer, book reviewer, an editor, ghostwriter, Internet Radio Show Host, and a Literary Agent. She is the author of The Ebony Tree, No Pockets in a Shroud, A Place Called Home (A Short Story Collection), The Hush Hush Secrets of Writing Fiction That Sell, a contributor to bestselling anthologies Secret Lovers, All in The Family, and Never Knew Love Like This Before.  Hostage of Lies is her latest fiction novel.  Visit her online at http://www.maxinethompsonbooks.com.

What are your overall thoughts on the literary industry?  What about as it relates to African-American authors?  What do you think we’ll see in the next 5-10 years and what one thing would you do if you were in charge of things.

Dee Stewart shares her answers below:

If I Were Queen of American Publishing by Dee Stewart

Overall:

The industry is experiencing a paradigm shift. We no longer build books but information assets. Be it books, ebooks, novellas, manga, comics the way we share information is no longer just bound in books, but packaged digitally, mobi, and in artistic form(i.e. artists books.)

Therefore the industry is working at lightning speed to adjust to this shift in thinking. As the digitization of the music industry changed the way the players were paid, authors, publishing houses, distributors, and retailers will expand their stream of income. But only if they get ahead of the digital divide.

How does this relate to the African-American Author?

As I’ve said before AA authors must get ahead of the pace car, so to speak. There is no longer an excuse why AA authors do not:

• know what is going on with their publisher
• understand book digitization
• get digitized and mobi
• become advocates for their writing career
• understand basic marketing principles
• understand social media’s role in not just marketing, but a gamut of functions that will help them leverage their base

If an AA author does not get educated like yesterday on doing listed above, then they will not be prepared for the very near future.

Five year prediction:

And, thus, African American Authors, who haven’t gotten it together will be pushed out of the industry, because in less than five years expect:

1. A higher percentage of e-book purchases will make up your income mix.
prepare for the cost of ebooks to matter to your bottom line.’

2. A shift in dynamic pricing on ebooks that will take the price of ebooks up, which for the first three years will cause AA ebook purchases to drop.

Our culture, historically are the last to accept change in the marketplace. Some book buyers will complain of ebook price raising. However, they will—just like they did with itunes and mp3 downloads—will pick it up and be the largest consumers of ebooks.

3. A redux of AA books acquired in the industry
Publishing houses have already begun dropping their old flagship authors, but not necessarily for celebrity packaged authors like they do now, but to diminish an imprint. As publishers streamline more will not see the need for having imprints, but will add according to a specific need.

4. Publishing houses will focus on branding more, which will oust the midlist and many AA authors.
With digitization of publishing, publishing houses will secure self-pub entities to take care of the midlist and focus more on branding the house. In order to compete globally especially with the UK American publishing houses will redefine the PH using Thomas Nelson as a possible model.

In Ten Years:

1. A Change in Readership

The African American literary marketplace is saturated with poor quality, poorly written, poorly distributed, poorly crafted books. PH self-pub entities will squeeze out those books, because once traditionally published authors will have their own smaller presses and produce better looking books.

2. Mobi Books

1. Not only will the digitization of publishing add more e-readers, but smart phones will begin—as they already have—provide e-reader apps.
2. These books will be shorter and serialized. Readers will subscribe for installments.
3. These installments will also provide graphics or 12 second videos to accompany the text.

3. Language Conversion

1. More stories will become global faster. These stories need to be easily convertible by the user.

If I were queen of publishing:

1. Host a Publishing Summit, to convert all houses to agency model.

I would host a publishing summit –not digibookworld—but a summit to encourage all publishers, including small press to convert to the agency model for ebooks and begin a concerted shift to dynamic pricing for ebooks. that is the only way Amazon will stop dropping buy back buttons and the only way readers will realize that the current model isn’t doable in the long run, even for the consumer.  it is also the only way the African-American author will stop complaining to their readers about the price. let’s not make the mistake many recording artists made when the music industry went digital. many have gone out of business, lost contracts and are no longer viable in the industry. and guess what most music lovers haven’t missed them yet.

2. Change Bookstore Infrastructure & Design

• I would do away with the African American section and house books according to genre.
• I would reinforce the old buy back program, whereby publishing houses pay according to terms on books returned from bookstores that are less than a certain set amount and credit stores for books over that amount. it is not fair for publishing houses to return payment to a bookstore that cannot manage inventory, but on the other hand if a bookstore has a few books to return because of an instore event they should be credited.
• authors should receive an addendum to ebook commissions once universal dynamic pricing for ebooks have come into effect

3. Personally, if I was a published author, I would start a small press that can handle mobi.

Whoever said imitation is the greatest form of flattery lied. Or they haven’t been on the receiving end of someone listening to your plans and ideas, in confidence, and using them for their own, personal gain.

A recent experience had me livid. I wanted to jump through the computer and practice my best old school Taebo moves or pull off my earrings and apply some Vaseline to my face.

I know…I’m being a bit extreme but I was having a moment.

My emotions fluctuated from anger to rage and they settle quite comfortably at disappointment. You see, in this literary game there are a lot of players, but I believe there are very few innovators, especially in the area of Black books.

It’s my goal as a book marketer and writer to be ranked as one of the innovators because I am known for creating signature events and unusual promotional campaigns. And after sleepless nights, hours of research, crazy budgets on technology, and custom styling, I have found myself…swagga jacked!

I had my hissy fit, and I felt like calling my girls (which I did) and have a whining session (Thanks Tee!) but when the smoke cleared, I wondered when is duplication flattery and when is it fraud?

Instead, of going down the slippery slope of the legal ramifications associated with intellectual property, or catching a criminal case for assault, I thought I’d consider the true issue I had when I felt like one of my campaigns was “imitated.”

Professional Integrity

Professional integrity calls on fundamental goals and standards practiced within a profession. It’s about how professionals will conduct themselves and if we handle matters with grace and professionalism we will benefit our industry, businesses’, brands, and clientele. Professional integrity also requires that we hold each other accountable for behavior that reeks of poor judgment and poor values.

Well, Dana, what is swagga jacking? I’m so glad you asked. Have you ever considered “borrowing” an event title because it’s cute? Or have you listened in on a conference call just to use the content, in the same manner, for your personal gain (i.e., using it in your business)?

I believe swagga jacking is when you utilize someone else’s ideas in the same manner or carry about it in a way that it appears closely similar or identical to the work of another person and pass it off as your idea or work. Somewhat like plagiarism.

Now, I want to be clear, very few ideas are original — I get that. However, what I won’t concede to is blatant disregard for the time and work that another person puts into their business and end product.

My friend’s grandmother would say “If you’ll lie, you’ll cheat. And if you’ll cheat, you’ll steal. And if you’ll steal, you’ll kill.” One little mishap will lead to others and then you’ll find yourself staring at a cease and desist letter. But for many professionals it really isn’t necessary since one of the ways for building a brand and audience it through collaboration.  Other professionals do it, and we can too.

Skimming Karma

In that moment, I believe a little birdie sits on his/her shoulder and whispers, “if it worked for her, it could work for you.” I’ve heard it call skimming karma, when you believe that you will have the same results as another person because you do the same things they did.

Life, my friends, just doesn’t work like that. And if that little birdie has you convinced here’s what you do: Call her up. Yes, call up him/her and see if they are willing to collaborate or bring an event to your town. They could surprise you.

For example, I host an event in Houston called “Books, Beauty & Banter.” I’ve collaborated with two groups taking it to other cities. We had a great time. The group had a wonderful turn out, and I’m sure we will work together again in the future. They held the event and I had an opportunity to expose a new audience to one of my signature events.

If You Can’t Beat Them

In the past we heard “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Well, I think the new saying is “if you can’t beat them swagga jack them”. But don’t do it, it’s not worth it, and consider how you could negatively impact your name and business brand by simply appreciating a good idea, that’s not your own.  Instead expand your professional reach and consider collaborating, or reach deep down inside can create your own stamp on the industry and you too may find yourself…swagga jacked.

* * *

Dana Pittman is the marketing strategist for Nia Promotions. She has worked with authors such as Anita Bunkley, TL James, Jean Holloway, Evelyn Palfrey, and she recently established S.I.R. Authors, a book marketing promotion group. Books are her passion and marketing is her lifeline.

For more information visit www.danapittman.com and www.sirauthors.com.

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNET MARKETING

In the over ten years since I’ve been on the Internet, marketing a book has grown in leaps and bounds.  As the Internet turns 40, authors are able to reach even more people to read their written work of art. It really has changed over the years.  Now I’m not going to go into all the details, and I might bounce around history in this post. We’d be here all day if I became obsequious and began to go into detail of exactly how and when and so forth.

In the beginning, authors used groups and online communities. One really had to know their niche in order to weed out readers that would enjoy their book.  Next came email blasting. Getting your news directly to readers was a great way to get direct sales. Email blasting is still prolific and strong in getting direct sales to this day.

It’s really only been seven years when the bomb happened though – social networking. Though it’s been around for a long time, it really didn’t take off until Myspace.com made a splash.  Bamn!  Now whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced Internet Marketing Author, you will benefit from today’s post.

eBooks

Definition: a digital file of a book. E-books can come in a variety of length and media, formatted to be read on a digital device.  These formats are that are majority used are:

• epub – An open industry format, supported by the Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, most mobile apps [Stanza, Aldiko, Shortcovers], and many other reading systems.

• Sony Reader (LRF) – LRF is the format used on Sony Reader e-Book devices.

• Kindle (.mobi) – Mobipocket is an e-Book format supported on Windows PCs and many handheld devices. Important if you want your book easily importable into Amazon’s Kindle reading device.

• Palm Doc (PDB) – PalmDoc is a format primarily used on Palm Pilot devices, but readers are available for PalmOS, Symbian OS, Windows Mobile Pocket PC/Smartphone, desktop Windows, and Macintosh.

• RTF – Rich Text Format, or RTF, is a cross-platform document format supported by many word processors and devices. Usually pretty good at preserving original formatting from Word documents.

• Plain Text – Plain text is the most widely supported file format, working on nearly all readers and devices. It lacks formatting, but will work anywhere. For best results with plain text, your source document should not contain fancy formatting or images.

From eReaders (Kindle, Sony Readers, Nooks & etc) e-books are becoming the most purchased item on the Internet.  From 2008 to 2009, e-books purchasing jumped to over 300%. Amazon boasted a lucrative December just from e-Book sales.

In order to change your book to an e-Book, there are various services out there to assist.  My favorite has become Smashwords.com. Mark Coker, the founder, created a site where you can upload your .doc or .rtf to the site and Smashwords would format the book in six different formats. Once you upload a cover, fill out the information for the book and paying you, your book is ready.

There are other e-book sites as well including Amazon’s Kindle site (http://dtp.amazon.com) and let us not forget Overdrive, which reaches a lot of International Audiences. To download Overdrive and find out about more software, you can check out the contact and information page on The AA Electronic Literary Network (www.aaeln.com).

In a pinch, even Dan Poynter states your book should be in all forms in order to reach the reader. (By the way, Dan’s book is available on Smashwords too.)

eBlogs

A lot of people don’t know this but blogs have been around for over several decades.  The original name was weblog. Basically, it’s a journal mixed with a Content Management System (CMS). Once Matt Mullenweg took over www.Wordpress.com, he changed the face of blogs completely and freely.  According to Google, a blog is created every three seconds. What’s great for writers, more and more people are reading blogs daily.

The main questions I get from authors and writers is: How do I get people to read my blogs?

Here are four quick steps you need to do this:

1. If you have a website – DUMP IT and get your own weblog.

a. Get a free blog from wordpress.com or blogger.com and then have a proprietary domain name forward over there. Use this as your website/blog. With pages, you can have a contact page, book page and even upload your media kit. With posts, you can create excerpts, articles and so forth. The use of categories, labels and tabs are necessary in order to bring new readers and you need to know a little HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) to really make your weblog dazzle.

b. Get a host server and domain name and then either using JavaScript or just uploading WordPress.org’s free software, you instantly own your website for less than $70 a year. As a CMS, you’re able to easily update it on your own and not beholden to any website designer for anything.

2. Post at least 52 articles on this site a year. That equates to an article per week. When you send out information that you’ve posted, make sure you just send part of the post out and not the full post – unless you’re familiar with RSS (really simple syndication) and feeds.

3. Have a subscription box on your site where visitors can leave an email. No form or newsletter, but a subscription to your bog where they can get updated instantly once you your post makes it easy for you and for your reader. For blogger.com, you can utilize www.feedburner.com and www.wordpress.com, there is actually a subscription widget you can add to your sidebar.

4. The best and easiest way to get more traffic to your website is to include your website (in blue) inside of your email’s signature line. Every email you send out, if your website is not in the signature line you are missing out on an opportunity to generate traffic to your site.

Starting off with just these basic tips will start to increase your traffic.

eNetworking

As mentioned before, social networking (Myspace, Facebook, etc) blew up a little over seven years ago.  Yet, online social networking has been around for decades as well.  Currently, Facebook.com and Twitter.com are the top social networking sites. An author needs both!  I tell authors if you’re getting on there to play games, throw pillows, share drinks, then you aren’t getting on there to sell books.

Basically, a social network site is an open source site everyone can publicly join and you have an option to connect with them.  A recent study emerged that more people visit Facebook.com than Yahoo.com or Google.com.  That’s saying a lot.

Tips to being a success on these sites:

1. Remind people you do sell books. We often get on these sites and forget to post a link to our book page.
2. On Facebook.com set up a Fanpage instead of just a profile page. Facebook.com only gives you five thousand friends, whereas Fanpages are social networking on crack. You can do a lot more with them. Also, ask your readers, friends, fans to share you with others. The more people who are connected to you, the best page views to your site you have.
3. Stay in touch. Not with just “buy my book” related items or your calendar of events. Connect with these sites at least three or more times a week with personal notes, quotes, videos, inspirations, tips and so forth.  (No TMI news and usually keep sexual innuendos to late at night. People do not want to know how you just felt ten pounds lighter after leaving the bathroom nor the great time you had with your partner in details w/pictures.)
4. Synergize, Retweet and Share! Connecting yourself with other authors, retweeting expert advice and sharing other’s information is a great way to become a resource. A resource is an asset to people. Like my mother says, be an asset in this world and not a liability.

Along with all these tips, to expand on your Internet Marketing Tips:

1. Comment on other blogs. Not with “Buy my book.” Respond to what the blogger was speaking about
2. Visit other people’s sites and leave a guest comment. Book sites, reader groups, expert sites are ways to get people to follow you back to your weblog.
3. Guest post on other blogs. Share articles you’ve written.
4. Article Market. Uploading articles to sites such as http://ezinearticles.com is a great way to generate web traffic to your site and get people to know your author’s platform.
5. Have videos on your site. Whether it’s a book trailer, instructional video or more, there should be no excuse for you not to have a www.YouTube.com channel. With the invention of the Flip Camera, anyone can even make a home movie. As long as it’s no longer than ten minutes long.
6. Have PowerPoint presentations. Slideshare.com offers ways for you to share you PowerPoint presentations online. You can also use Camtasia as well to make your PowerPoint presentation into a small movie.
7. Audio. Whether you’re reading a story, talking about your author platform or sharing advice, having audio downloads on your site is a great way to interact on with new visitors and keep others coming back to your website. http://blogtalkradio.com is a great way to get great quality for free and you can download the audio from them, edit this download with www.Audacity.com (adding music and even sound effects on three other tracks), and uploading to your site for a wonderful listening experience.

To get more tips, you can go to http://WritersGuide2InternetMarketing.com and subscribe for an update of How To’s, Marketing, Promotion and even writing advice.

If you are an AA e-book author, you can subscribe to The African American Electronic Literary Network (http://aaeln.com) or join the social network at: http://aaelectronicliterarynetwork.ning.com).

Now that we’ve gone through the basics, I’d love to help and assist you with your Internet Marketing needs.

——–

Facilitator: Sylvia Hubbard – Detroiter and independently published author, Sylvia Hubbard’s foundation genre has always been romance. Always urban and contemporary styled, her writing is enjoyed all over the world by all nationalities. She’s published 4 paperbacks and over 10 e-books. In the upcoming year, she will be featured in several anthologies & will be publishing more e-books. For the past five years, she’s taught writers how to sell products on the Internet at conferences, workshops and with her book, Internet Marketing for Writers & Businesses.

She is founder of Motown Writers Network & The African American Electronic Literary Network, plus chairperson of The Essence of Motown Literary Jam.  Aside from running her own personal author blog, plus a blog for the Michigan Literary Network, she also hosts two other blogs: How To Love A Black Woman and Writers Guide To Internet Marketing.

Related Websites:

http://sylviahubbard.com | http://motownwriters.com | http://essenceofmotown.com | http://michiganliterarynetwork.com | http://aaeln.com |  http://writersguide2internetmarketing.com | http://loveablackwoman.com |

In a society of, “I want it now,” it can be hard to develop patience. Patience for writers is like ink to a pen—you can’t survive in this business without it.

As a new author, it can be hard to be patient as you’re building your audience.  You go to a bookstore and pick up a book by a veteran author (insert name here) and think, “They have it so easy! They have readers clamoring to get a copy of their new book.”

While it is true that some veteran authors do not face the problems of gaining readers like us newbie authors, they do have the problem of expectations.

Readers can be very vocal about what they like or don’t like about your books.

“Your new book lacked the spice of your other novels.”

“This book was different than your other books. I like the older books better, why did you have to change things?”

When readers follow you, they grow with you. As such, they begin to expect certain things from you. If you write romance—they want you sticking with that genre. Write thrillers? Expect a lot of feedback if you choose to switch to romance. Readers want whatever made them pick up your book in the first place. The more experience you gain in writing, the more you have to remember your readers. Without losing you, you have to write for them.

Case in point. Beyonce’s latest album had two disks—her spicy, Sasha Fierce side, and the more personal, Beyonce side. Why did she do that? While wanting to reach out to do more ballads—a song that she could relate to—she had to remember her fans—the people who made her famous in the first place.

The expectations put on writers by their readers, editors, agents, critics, can be crippling. Many big-time authors have mentioned the stress of delivering a book that can meet everyone’s high—and sometimes unreachable—expectations.

So what does this teach us newbies? Well, we share a struggle to be heard, but with that struggle, we have something to be treasured.

Freedom.

We have the freedom to write without voices in our head, chanting about what our readers want. If we have never been published we have no readers. (Save for a few family or friends.) If we’re newly published, we are fighting to gain readers. With each book signing, tweet, or blog post, we are screaming to be heard.

“Pick me!” we scream as readers roam already crowded bookshelves. And several times we are heard when someone picks our book up. What though do these new readers expect of us?

“I hope this book is good,” they think as they walk to the register, our book clutched in our hands.

Hope. That is their only expectation—they hope that our book will be good. They hope that they haven’t wasted hard-earned money on our book. They take a risk on us, a gamble as it were. They do not pluck down their hard earned money with confidence. We have not earned that confidence, and that would require an expectation of us that we have not delivered yet.

So, fellow newbies, lets revel in this freedom. Don’t be jealous of the veterans—the ones whose work has been tested again and again and continue to live up to their readers expectations. Remember, they too were once in our position. And they remember fondly, when they were able to write with freedom.

The Author Press Kit by Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant

Marketing is very importing to an author, so it goes without saying that every author should have a professional press kit in their possession. Obtaining and building a press kit is not that difficult, but can range anywhere from low priced to high priced. If you are on a budget, it’s okay to compile your own press kit, just make sure it is simple and professional.

My personal suggestion is to always start with an author bio. Keep it simple. What is simple you say? I’m glad you asked. You will be fine by simply addressing: Who? What? Where? When? Why?

You will then want to add a nice glossy 8×10 author photo. This photo can be color or black and white and should be limited to a head shot or from the waist up. I understand that everyone cannot simply afford a pricey photo, however there are other ways to obtain a high quality photo at a low cost. Have someone take a photo of you with a digital camera in a nice park setting, or an office setting. A nice touch would be in a library with a shelf of books as your background, maybe a nice piece of art. You can also take a photo on a solid color wall with a nice picture in the background or perhaps a nice large plant. One just has to be creative and know how to use basic photo editing software.

And if you absolutely MUST take a photo with a cell phone, please consider the picture quality and background. I currently own a Blackberry Storm and it takes awesome photos. Keep in mind that it is not professional when a door, clutter or other people are in the background of yout photo. If you have taken a picture with a cell phone and your arm looks like you are reaching to take the photo or it looks like you are in a bathroom stall or in a club, you may want to leave that photo on your cell phone.

Next include a nice cover photo of your book or books. Make sure that the photo includes the books ISBN number and other publishing info on the bottom right hand corner or bottom left hand corner of the photo.  If you have more than one book, be sure to include information on all your books and not just the current one. Remember your press kit is your resume and your marketing tool. A suggestion would be to have a color photo of your book(s) and on the back of that photo have a printed synopsis of your book.  Make sure to include past and present press releases.

Next, include any newspaper articles, interviews or reviews you may have received. Also include any awards or nominations you may have received for your work.  It doesn’t hurt to include a resume that is limited to your writing history, literary associations and literary accomplishments, but this is not required.

Make sure your press kit includes books marks, flyers and post cards. You may find that those interested in your press kit sometimes like to have something smaller to glance at. As an author, there is no reason you should not be without bookmarks and/or business cards.

To tie everything together, house your press kit in a nice pocket folder. Make sure there are pockets on both side so that when your press kit is opened the right hand side will display your photo and your business card and the right side displays your bio.

It’s that simple! Remember that you are a walking billboard. Present yourself in a professional manner and make sure that your press kit does the same.

Dee on Twitter

Last month I asked a question on my Facebook profile: If you could give up one social media platform– Twitter or Facebook– what would it be? Most respondents chose Facebook, because they didn’t get it. Although the results weren’t shocking, they were problematic. Many of those responders were authors… African-American authors.  But in this “Relationships are Imperative for Survival” age, black authors need to get Twitter. They need to get it like two years ago…

Social Media affords us (all writers) the opportunity to communicate with our readership about our stories. However, we must realize that communication is a two way activity that requires both listening and speaking.  And truthfully, more listening than speaking.

Oftentimes authors come to me with an interest in becoming a public speaker, but little to no one ever asks me how to become a Public Listener. The latter is the tipping point.

If you want to have a long lasting relationship with your readers you must listen to them. To do that effectively, authors need to master the art of building better listening stations.

Twitter is the foundation of that listening station, because:

• services like monitter helps the authors listen to the reading community within their zipcode
• services like summize helps authors listen to publishing industry buzz, especially digital publishing issues, bookstore needs,  and reader feedback about your book
• services like tweetgrid allows you to listen and respond in real time faster than Facebook
• services like hootsuite allows you create specific listening channels like
  • publishing
  • bookstore
  • deegospel
  • bookclubs
• services like disqus allow your to listen to your blog subscribers via twitter
• and guess what services like Facebook’s many twitter applications allows you to listen to your facebook friends without being tied to your laptop

All of this vital chatter, authors miss by the second, hour and day because they aren’t listening. Granted, Facebook helps you to talk to your readers better. However, Twitter allows you to listen to them and then give them what they say they need and want.

Psst…I’m seeking listeners for my upcoming book release, A Good Excuse to Be Bad. Follow me as MirandaParker2 and DeeGospel on Twitter.

For those who know me, you know I try to steer toward the positivity in things, stay away from drama, and do my absolute best in everything I do.  I am the same with my family, with friends, and with business.  I’m passionate about the literary industry and also when it comes to raising my children.  Sometimes though, I just want to tell folks off, rant and rave, and throw up my hands in frustration. Talking it through helps at times; other times I’m too in shock to even wrap my mind around an issue. But lately I’ve been through both and keep finding myself at the OH NO THEY DIDN’T realm of things.

I have been completely pissed off over the last two weeks and while I’m pretty vocal about a lot of things, to be pissed off to this level had to take something major; especially when I didn’t get over it in a day or two, say what I had to say and move on.  Shoot, I’m getting worked up now typing this up.  To make matters worse, it’s not something I’ll be getting over any time soon because it affects me day-to-day on two levels.

First, on the literary level.  Yes, I’ve been in the literary industry coming up on a decade and I’ve done a great deal of work championing authors, supporting their efforts and getting the word out to readers and book enthusiasts alike about great Black books. In addition to the promotional side of RAWSISTAZ, I’ve done work as an editor, reviewer, and a literary agent, so I have more than one view of things.  This comes in handy, yet it has fueled the flames for the most recent things happening in the literary industry.

Secondly, I am a mother and while I’m passionate about the lit world, me being a mother trumps everything else.  I’d give up all of the literary stuff if I had to choose between sitting quiet over an issue or speaking out when it comes to something that affects my child(ren).  Folks want to combine the two and think I’m going to sit quiet?  Oh no…that is not going to happen.  Mama Tee don’t play!

What had happened was…

Bloomsbury, once again, decided that a book with a protagonist who was a POC (person of color) couldn’t have a book cover with a POC on it.  Instead, once again, they published the book (Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore) with a white girl on the cover?  WHAT? They did this just last year with Justine Larbalestier’s book, Liar.  The internet was buzzing and Bloomsbury (in this case, their Children/YA imprint) eventually backed down and replaced the cover (for their financial benefit, no doubt).  BTW, Ms Larbalestier was also against the cover.  And now, here they (Bloomsbury) go again with the whitewashing.  WHAT?  They didn’t learn from their past mistake a mere 6 or so months ago?

Excuse me…but as a mother, I am NOT trying to hear “this is a business and books with people of color on the cover don’t sell.”  Because, what you’re telling me (and my daughter who loves reading) is that she is not good enough to have a cover which represents her on a book (even when the main character may look like her), that it’s normal not to see covers reflective of our diverse world (because publishers won’t make the covers match and because librarians won’t order books that do show us), and that you don’t respect the book buyer enough to remember the whole issue with Liar (and no, we didn’t forget).  I’m sorry, but this is NOT ACCEPTABLE to me as a mother or as a lit industry professional. How dare they!  :::taking a deep breath:::

I’m going to end here and continue this on a post later this week, because I am no where near done with my thoughts on this and other literary happenings.  I’ve been sharing bits and pieces via threads on my Facebook account and via the RAWSISTAZ Fan Page.  I would also encourage those concerned with the Bloomsbury issue to join the Readers Against WhiteWashing (RAWW) group, to buy more books with POC on the covers, to talk to librarians at the schools or in your communities and to donate books reflective of our diverse world to your child’s classroom.  My children are going to be okay because I do these things already, but what about the rest of our children? This is simply not okay…

**Posted via my column at Blogging in Black.

Part 2 – Selling Out or Making a Sell by Dyanne Davis

Let’s move it a bit past the super explosive to the not as explosive. The manner of publication also garners much attention and sadly I might add with each group thinking they’re a bit better for whatever reason: For not making concessions, for doing it themselves. For not giving up knocking on doors until a mainstream publisher wants the work. The truth of the matter is there is no right or wrong way. Each writer has to make that decision for him/herself.  Let’s face it no matter the method some readers will like it and some will hate it.

In the past months heated debates have been sparked across the internet about the legitimacy of e-publishing, self-publishing and vanity publishing. (I won’t go into the differences about self-publishing and vanity publishing.  That would take at least another page.) One of the largest romance organizations Romance Writers of America, (RWA) is in the middle of the fray. Self-publishing and vanity rendered a writer as unprofessional by their guidelines.  And until recently so did e-publishing. None of this is important unless you’re a member of the more than 10,000 member organization.  I’m mentioning this here because in order to make a sale many RWA members turned to these forms of publishing. Were they selling out?  And if so whose business was it?

In November 2009 one of the largest major romance publishers, Harlequin made a decision to go into a joint venture with a vanity publisher. They would refer the aspiring writers who submitted to Harlequin and was rejected to this company. The company would then, for a very substantial amount of money, eventually publish the work. Harlequin would receive 10% referral fee from this company for any aspiring writer they referred, who then purchase the service of this company. The writers were told Harlequin would be watching the sales very carefully and that maybe some of the writers would be brought over into the legitimate Harlequin.  That’s the carrot that is dangled in front of the aspiring author who has work in the slush pile and will be or has been rejected by the romance giant.

This decision led to Romance Writers of America to place Harlequin on their not approved publisher’s list. I’m sure that before it’s done it will become known as the sound that rocked the publishing world.  Traditionally published and non-published alike wondered what this move would mean for them. Agents were fielding frantic calls from their clients. Writers were weighing in with their opinion. The question of self publishing and vanity publishing was discussed at great length. Internet fights broke out, complete with name calling. (Seriously)

And with every day that passed as I worked on this article trying for the most part to keep out my personal opinions on the decision, to not be contrary. To not be me. The fights did lead me to post a couple of times that their beliefs in the quality of self-publishing had led me to a decision to do it myself. I was emailed off loop by several well-meaning readers trying to dissuade me. My question was this: If I wrote a book and it was edited by the same editor how would said book be of any lesser quality?

I swear writing is a crazy business where the public at large obviously feels justified in making decisions they don’t have the right to make. How dare anyone down a writer for making their own choices for their careers. If they do not choose to write a certain genre or to tell of the plight of people of color shouldn’t that be their choice? If they decided to sell to publishers their peers may not like, shouldn’t that also be their choice? If they decide to publish their own work shouldn’t that also be their choice? Why should the question ever be asked, Am I selling out or making a sale?

Okay, as you can see I got a little sidetracked there. For a moment I was rereading some of the nasty posts in my mind concerning different forms of publishing. As we all know the publishing world is ever changing. Sometimes it takes someone with a big enough name to make a difference and to turn the tide. This came in the form of Donna Hill, a respected author and pioneer in African-American romance.  It was announced in Publisher’s Weekly that Donna has launched her own ebook publishing company. In recent weeks I’ve talked to several multi-published authors with mainstream publishers who have future plans for striking out on their own and doing what Donna has done.

That still leaves writers who write for Harlequin and those who want to worried about how all the publishing changes will affect them.  With all of the changes in the publishing industry, I and many more writers will be asking ourselves, ‘Do we want to make the sale?  How badly to we want to do so and if so are we selling out?  If we sell to a certain publisher say for instance Harlequin, are we selling out? What if it’s a publisher we’ve had problems with in the past? Are we selling out? What if we decide to see if it makes a difference if we change our names and write characters who do not share our ethnicity whatever that might be? What if we go with an e-publisher? What if we self- publish? Do we take in to account that writing is an expensive endeavor? A lot of money is spent on writing, computers, the latest software, conferences, printers, ink, toner, paper. How do we pay for just the supplies if we don’t make a sale?

Why do we write, to sell, or for our enjoyment? I’ll leave you with this thought: Each writer will have to make the determination for themselves.

My personal opinion:

It doesn’t matter which medium a writer chooses to bring their work to the public. It only matters the quality of the work that’s produced. If you were a respected Harlequin author before Harlequin partnered with a vanity press, you’re still a respected author.

By the way if you’d like to catch Donna Hill live or whatever you call it when you watch a show via the internet (smile) you can catch a portion of an interview I did with her on my cable television show when she came to Chicago.  It’s posted on the home page of my website: http://www.dyannedavis.com. I posted the section where she’s giving tips for writers and telling what work she’s looking for.

Take care everyone.

Dyanne

This article is about the little concessions that most writers make to have that contract that we all crave—to see their work in print.  How do we as writers view the choices we make?  How do the readers view them?

This is an opinion piece. But it’s also a topic I’ve wanted to broach for several months. Seriously, it has taken me longer to write this article than it has to write a book. I’ve rewritten it so many times because I’m fully aware of the implications of some of the things I wrote. Just this morning when I was reading the printed copy of this to edit for mistakes it just wasn’t doing it for me.  I then went to “My Documents” to see if I had anything already written that I liked. I looked at a blog that I did for Parker’s blog last Feb, Why do Writer’s Write? I still liked and agreed with what I had to say. I then reread an article I’d saved (probably from RAW) Are You Token Negro Romance Queen Material?

This was perfect. It was just what got me fired up again. It detailed all the reasons I shouldn’t be submitting this article.  First off, I really like the ‘Token’ article, or I wouldn’t have kept it. But like my Parker blog post said, “I write because I’m contrary. So… remember that going in and treat this article like a buffet. If you like it fine, if not, ignore and see if what I write next is more appealing. I like a bit of dissension from time to time, something that makes you think.

Because I know that the members of RAW (and RAW4ALL) are members of every conceivable racial group I’ve tried to write this article being politically correct.  My aim is never to offend. But in working so hard to achieve that goal the article was hard to write and I’ll admit it, it was downright boring. But I think I’ve figured out how to finally finish this.  I’m sure you’ll let me know later.

Since a good portion of the RAW family (specifically RAW4ALL) are writers I’m thinking that at least a few of you have had this issue. The idea for writing this article started at least a year ago when several friends said to me that they believe they’d sold out their muse for money. I just about had this article where I wanted it to be when I received an email from a friend yesterday saying the exact same words.  So I threw out a lot of what I’d written and started over.

The message from the friend took me back to my original point for the article. I know dozens of writers who would give anything to be in this particular friend’s shoes, me included.  But that doesn’t make her feelings on the subject any less valid. Yes, she’s having four books a year published by major publishers, but she’s not happy. She’s had to make concessions in her work that warred with her inner spirit. In essence she feels she’d sold out her muse.

Several writer friends and I have discussed at great length writing under a pseudonym and writing about characters that did not resemble us or share our experiences. We’ve wondered how the work would be received and how it would affect sales. Would we in fact be selling out, or trying to make a sale? In other words we talked of writing strictly fiction.  Would writing fiction move us into the sell out phase?

As writers are we under an unspoken obligation to tell the stories of people of color? Are we allowed the freedom of writing simply to entertain? What if we’re writing to put food on the table?  (Okay, for most writers that’s a big laugh) Still, the worry over what our peers and readers would think colored our conversation thus the talk of writing under pseudonym. That in itself produced another problem. If we started over we’d have to start with building a new fan base. If we were in fact selling out would doing so in that instant to make a sale be worth it? Would we be stalling the progress other writers had made in staying true to their muse. Would we be selling out if we wrote something that the mainstream publishing housing would find acceptable?  Is it our responsibility as writers to try and uplift people of color by the kind of stories we write? If we write to make a sale how much damage will we do to our own cause and to the cause of future generations? In 2010 and beyond is this the writer’s burden to bear?

There was a time when many major publishers rejected out of hand stories from writers of color simply because the characters were people of color. It wasn’t uncommon.  Still, some writers were given a choice—change the ethnicity or forget it.  Some did. Some didn’t.  I’m sure those writers wondered the same thing, is making concessions, even major life altering concessions selling out or making a sale? Now here we are in America with significant changes all around us. There is an African American family living in ‘The White House.’  Our president is a man of color.  Yet and still, I find the need to ask the question: If the stories we write would become an instant NYT Bestseller if we changed ‘Something’ (I’m leaving that to your imagination) would we be selling out or making a sale?

We all know this isn’t the first time this question has been talked about by a group of writers. Who knows maybe that’s one of the reason many writers have chosen in the past to self-publish their work. Perhaps it was in order not to make concessions. But what of the ones who have not chosen this path? If they make a different choice will they not only have to deal with their own conscience but the voices of their peers reminding them of the struggle? Will they hear words much to the effect that what harms one of us harms us all?

To be continued…

-Dyanne Davis

I have a red indicator light on my Blackberry that glows when I have a new e-mail.

I’ve looked at my phone a record twenty six times today.

And it’s not even lunchtime.

“E-mail me!” I want to scream. “Tell me something!”

Being a writer, you’re always waiting on something or someone. You have to wait until you get home from your day job before you can get home and write. When you finally get finished with your first book, you have to wait as your writing critique group reads it. (Or for some of us, our close friends and family.) After revising, you send out query letters to agents and wait. And wait. And wait. After getting a round of rejections you send out a few dozen more. And wait. And wait some more.

You would think with all the waiting writers have to do, that we would have more patience. We don’t. We’re like everybody else in this I-want-it-now society. Like a petulant child, we stomp our feet and whine, “When? When will I know something?”

It’s hard to wait. You spend years pouring your blood on a page and yet can’t wait the necessary months that it takes to get answers from agents, editors—the world. Playing the waiting game can drive you crazy, but the one tip that helps me endure is to treat that ever elusive e-mail or phone call like a man.

When you want a man, you try to find every opportunity to get one. You try not to show it, but your desperation is clear—all the way down to your pretty French-manicured feet. You want a man. And you want it now. You start bugging your friends to hook you up, you find yourself taking golf lessons, taking routine trips to the hardware store—anything that will get you within inches of your Prince Charming.

But with all your effort, nothing happens.

“What is it?” you find yourself asking.

“Is it the way I look, my personality? I’m a good woman, so what gives?”

After a pep talk from your family, you continue to put yourself out there.

And nothing happens.

“Forget it,” you say. “If this is the way it has to be, then I’ll be alone. I’ll work on ME. Make myself a better person.”

You start doing things by yourself—you go to the movies alone, shop alone, and do the thing you thought you would never do—dine alone. And you find yourself having a good time. You’ve put the thought out of your mind.

And when you are having the time of your life, enjoying your singlehood—you meet someone.  Your Prince Charming. And the timing is perfect because you were ready.

The same goes for us writers. When we watch the mailbox, or stare at our computers, or wait aimlessly by the phone for The Call, we’re wasting time. We have to keep living. Keep writing your next book as your agent shops your current one. As writers, we have to keep moving.

It’s funny when you finally pick yourself up and say, “I will not wait by the phone/mail/computer a moment longer. If they call, they call. If they don’t, they don’t.” As soon as you move on—spend time working on your craft by pounding out your next novel—the call comes. Right in the middle of life. If you want to be a writer, you have to learn to wait. The two go hand and hand, like paper to pen. But you don’t have to stop living while you wait. Keep living, keep writing, and then your prince will come.

Today marks the last day of 2009 and it has certainly been a year of change, both personally and professionally, but it’s been a great year!  I’m closing out December over at Blogging in Black with an article on Reacting To & Learning from 2009.  It’s not just about the things you may have gone through this year on your literary journey or even the things to come, but what you learn from them. –> READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

I’ve had a wonderful year of doing what I love most and I’m grateful.  I’d like to take this time to extend a special THANK YOU to everyone for your support of RAWSISTAZ, our reviewers, the re-designed website & projects we rolled out this year.

We look forward to 2010 and even more opportunities to “Keep you in the know regarding the African-American literary community.”

Story Structure: And The Crowd Roars, An Unforgettable Ending

Have you ever watched a basketball game and your team was down by a few points? They have possession of the ball and the clock is winding down fast. Whether you are sitting in the bleachers or on your living room couch, the anticipation of the final outcome has you riveted. All is quiet as the crowd watches a player throw the ball from what seems like miles from the basket. Swoosh! And the crowd goes wild! “We won! We won!”

Okay, so what does this sports analogy have do with writing the ending of a novel? Well, I do have a few “points” for you. By the time a reader reaches the last third of your book, there should have been some emotional highs and lows. As the writer, you are the player who has everything riding on his shoulders as he attempts to make the winning shot – that an unforgettable ending.

Think back to a book you’ve read where you closed the book in disgust. There have been a few books in the last few months, if it wasn’t for the fact I’m a mature adult, I would’ve thrown it across the room. The endings were either rushed, didn’t make a bit of sense or just left me hanging with questions.

Let’s review a few elements you can use to please your crowd (readers).

1)  Increase the Tension

Keep the tension tight by creating page-turning scenes that flow. You want to keep the reader on the edge of their seat (bed, wherever they are reading). Now, creating tension can be a bit tricky. You can either make the story move too fast or painfully slow.

Lately, I have been reading romance novels, which I rarely read, but I am now for research purposes. In a few of these novels, the tension towards the end was a tad bit on the soap opera side. The “drama” slowed down the reading experience for me. While your novel is meant to entertain, keep it realistic and keep in mind your readers wants a good story, but also don’t want to be insulted in the process.

If you write suspense or mystery, don’t drop too many surprise or twists as a way to create tension. You might leave the reader scratching her head, trying to figure out where you’re going with this drastic turn of events. The ending is NOT the time to lose your reader’s focus (Well, actually you never want to do that).

2) Don’t Forget to Tie Up Loose Ends

You are going to have to tie up loose ends, especially those created through subplots. Don’t be tempted to overload the reader in the last few pages. If you are plotter, you might want to really review your outline to see where you can wrap-up minor story lines. A pantser (seat-of-the-pants writer), should review previous scenes to make sure there is a flow to the story.

When a few of my critique partners started asking similar questions about my manuscript, it dawned on me, that I had not fully developed and completed a subplot, even though my ending made sense. So, remember if you don’t resolve loose ends, the reader will have questions even after the conclusion of the book.

In some cases, no matter what you do, readers will still be curious about characters. I know many authors who have completed a novel, but those characters (or fans insisted) wanted to come back to life. It’s quite possible a minor character may receive the starring role in a future book.

3) The Defining Moment

In every story, ever written, the protagonist (main character) has a defining moment. The reader will find out if your character is a hero/heroine or a wimp. If he/she are going to stay the same or burst forth into a new level of maturity.

This particular moment works very closely with the tension you’ve created up until this point. Your character may have to make a life-changing decision. She could be fighting for her life. The antagonist (or villain) may have the advantage and there’s just no possible way for the outcome to turn out in the protagonist’s favor.

You can visually see this moment demonstrated in movies and television. Think about your favorite movie or recent episode. Were you on the edge of your seat (remember the basketball scenario earlier)? Did you start crying or fussing at the screen (like they can hear you)?

Brainstorm some ideas and work on writing something fresh. A defining moment can really push the reading experience up a notch or dash it to pieces.

4) Provide Closure for Your Readers

The overriding motivation for a reader to finish a book is to find out the conclusion. Who was the killer? Will John and Jane finally be together forever? Will Karen experience freedom from her childhood secret?

However you are led to end a novel, try to bring some closure to the reader. I’ve noticed with serial books, where the author will be publishing book two or three in a few months, they may leave some unanswered questions on purpose. I personally don’t like this because some publishers pump out these series books so fast, it’s hard to keep up with them. I’d rather read a book and have a satisfying ending with the choice of continuing to read the series.

With all that said, I must add there is nothing quite like typing “The End.” I don’t know about other writers, but for my first time, I felt like I heard “a crowd” roaring in my ear, “You did it!”

This concludes the Story Structure Series. Next month, I will start a series on points of view.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tyora Moody is the editor of WrittenVoicesBlog.com where she features “African American Literature that Edifies the Soul.”  Known simply as “Ty” in many circles, she’s also a writer, blogger, and the owner of Tywebbin Creations, a marketing and design company.  Follow her journey to publication on TyoraMoody.com.

All three aspects of me require basic marketing acumen. All further require a brilliant press release(either on the part of me creating one or me receiving one) to help me stay successful.

What I’ve found is that my press release submission ratio is higher than most and my press release acceptance ratio is very high. In short, I’m pretty successful creating press releases, but unsuccessful retrieving good ones to help me satisfy my many writing assignments.

So I thought it would be best if I share the three major guffaws a writer should never take when creating a press release. All three are mistakes I’ve witnessed and/or participated in before I knew any better.

3 Dont’s:

1. Do not send a boilerplate press release to media contacts and book group gatekeepers. I can’t tell you how many Facebook, Twitter and email messages I receive about promoting their book on my sites, columns or on Media Candy Radio, and how many of those messages I never read. Instead take the time to research the media (including blogging) outlets that fit your book’s audience. Learn the correct contact’s name, when to contact them and the type of content they prefer to receive from you. Then provide exactly that. Generally, here at the blog I work with about five publicists, three editors, ten trusted literary sources, ten published authors, and three book clubs to source content. These people have become my dream team. Imagine if you were a member of your favorite blog’s dream team.
2. Don’t submit a boring, non buzzworthy event. Newsflash to you and unfortunately to some of my present and former clients…Submitting a news release about your upcoming book club event isn’t good enough anymore. It’s no longer news, but a community event that is befitting for a local events calendar(nothing wrong with that, by the way.) To ensure that your media contacts take you seriously, however, listen to what they want from you, submit them press releases that are relevant and helpful and trendy. Otherwise use the online events calendar to submit your book club meetings and signings.
3. Don’t include your book’s synopsis in your press release. A press release should be formatted correctly and contain info that suggests to media that my book has a public takeaway value. Use your press release to do that. Here are two examples:

The 2009 Faith and Fiction Retreat
Sherri L. Lewis Award Announcement

We will talk about the DO’s next time. In the meantime send me your current press release and let me fix it here on the blog. Email me at deegospel pr at gmail dot com for details.

Dee Stewart
www.christianfiction.blogspot.com

Look, the most important thing to do is to just write. Whether you use pen and paper, use a computer or tape yourself telling the story, just get the basics down. It has been my past experience that the longer you wait to put your ideas down , the better the  chance that you will lose the information.

I, myself, am an electronic and sticky kind of gal. I like to see the writing flow onto the screen as I type, which makes it easy for me to go back and make changes. Have you seen my handwriting? I also keep a tablet and a pad of sticky notes in my night stand, next to my bed. That way if I awake in the middle of the night, I can immediately jot down my idea, because chances are, I won’t remember it in the morning. It’s not a bad idea to keep a small tablet with you in your purse and/or pocket for those times when you are on the road and need to write down your idea. A tape recorder is also an excellent idea.

For now, don’t worry about putting your writing in any particular order. Just get it down. You can always go back later and re-arrange parts so that they flow together. Then your editor will work with you to make sure that the grammar and flow is going the way it should.

Speaking of editors; if your intent is to bypass and editor on your project, bad idea! One has to understand that although we think we can edit our own work, which we do several times, we will almost always come up short. Allowing an editor to have the final say in a manuscript is key. When an author edits his/her own work, it will flow as the writer remembers the story in their mind, which makes it very easy for a writer to miss errors. It is always good to have a fresh set of eyes to go over your work. And when I say fresh pair of eyes, I mean an editor and not your cousin Louie. I speak this from experience. There are several short cuts one can take in publishing their book, but editing is not one of them.

So put that anxiety on the back burner and ‘get to writing’. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Trust me, you’ll have plenty of time to worry about in the later stages of completing your project.

Yolanda M. Johnson-Bryant
Author, Writer and Publisher
2009 Presenter for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Learning and Leadership Conference
www.literarywonders.com
www.yolandamjohnson.com
www.bryantconsultingonline.com

In the past months I’ve been researching where to send shorter pieces of fiction.  I’ve decided it’s time to find out more about markets that would pay for our work.  I began with purchasing the newest edition of  Novels and Short Stories Writers Market.  It wasn’t until I reflected on my own work that I’d already began my journey into short stories.

Several years ago while at the RWA National Conference in Atlanta an Amazon representative  gave a talk and told all about Amazon Connect where you wrote a prequel or sequel to your novel that was available on Amazon. It was an opportunity to get your work before people who’d never read you for a reasonable price. of .49 (cents).   I can’t remember now what I wrote, but was surprised when I got the rejection.  Before you go there, let me tell you it wasn’t ego that made me surprised, but I’d thought I could just write what I wanted as long as it pertained to the book that was coming out.  I was trying to tell a little without giving away too much from the book. After a few emails with my contact person he told me what was needed was a complete short story. It had to have a beginning, middle and an end.

The work had to be accepted.  The challenge still remained of introducing the characters and giving a flavor of the book that would hopefully have readers wanting to buy the latest book.  Word count was generous, 2-10,000 words. I redid the rejected story following the guidelines and had three accepted.  I didn’t think too much of it at the time that I was writing a short story.

(At this time the Amazon program is no longer doing the shorts.)

I didn’t even think of it a couple of years later when once again my novel was turned in with 11,000 words over.  Sidney was given the job of cutting out 10,000 words.  After we were done with the first edits I was now 15,000 words over and my editor said she had no idea how to cut anymore. The reason:  Well, I’d cut the things she suggested but new scenes cropped up as I did the cutting.  Since the book was the beginning of my vampire series, the scenes were part of the foundation I’d need for the rest of the series and therefore needed.

Shortly after that I received an email from the publisher of New Love Stories magazine asking me to contribute. Being in the middle of edits for another book I didn’t have the time nor  the inclination.  The publisher and I exchanged a few emails. I told him that I didn’t do short stories, but as soon as my scheduled permitted I would attempt one. I mentioned this to Sidney.  We’d worked on fourteen novels by this time.  She and I were having a back and forth email conversation and I told her I was thinking of writing a short story. She said she didn’t think I had a short story in me.

Challenge. Someone telling me what I can’t do.  Hmm. Not going to happen.  I was still way too busy to write anything at that time, but a light bulb went on. Sidney was wrong, wrong, wrong.  I’d already written a short story for another purpose. A large group of writers were each doing a short story for inclusion in a book.  The publisher was set, the contracts were signed and as oftentimes happen in the publishing world, things changed and the book was not going to be done.  Around the same time one of the groups I belonged to asked me to participate in a holiday round robin.   I started thinking about the fact that I had written two short stories without thinking too much about it. Then it hit me, submit the two stories to the magazine. Both stories were bought and the one for the round robin appeared in the premier issue of New Love Stories. For me personally I enjoyed the physical act of submitting something myself. Having an agent limits the works I can submit on my own. The short story market gave me a chance to be on both sides of the fence at once.

During the twelve months of waiting for the first issue of the magazine to come out I begin researching the short story market. I discovered that in this market, it was possible for a writer to actually make a living.

Make a living, a consistent living.  That had a nice ring to it.  It was now time for me to kick the research up a notch.  I scoured the bookstores for books on where these markets were,  took online classes, bought ebooks that claimed to be filed with this information. I will admit that if you look hard enough you might find one or two things that might interest you. Don’t write it off, it’s a start and you get to take the cost of the material off your taxes.  There are two items that are more than worth the purchase, The 2009 Writers Guide to the Short Market and Writers Magazine.

Matter of fact there was in article in The Writer that touched on what I was planning on writing.  (See what I mean?  Research is never wasted.) There are lots of how to markets and markets wanting articles and blogs and some of them pay extremely well.  The side benefit is that most of the magazines hold first rights, meaning you can sell the story again and again. There are also a few markets (mainly children markets) that will pay each time they reuse an  article. When the writer of the article mentioned making $10,000 from his one article, my interest soared.

Of course you’re aware that not everything connected with writing is all about the money. If it were, so many writers wouldn’t continually say they don’t write for the money but the love of writing. So on the other end of the spectrum I’ve discovered what writing for the love of it truly means. Through my research I’ve discovered tons of literary magazines that will enable writers to get their name before the public. I purchased Most of these magazines are basically salve for the soul as they pay in one to two copies of the magazine.

Suffice it to say that while I’ve been researching the market, studying the types of stories that they buy  (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT) and graphing my progress, I have gained untold respect for the writers who have mastered this.  My rejection pile is getting high, but you can’t sell if you don’t write.

Two pieces of good news. And yes, even in rejections there can be good news.  I’ve received two handwritten notes from an editor of one of the markets I’m trying to break into. The first one she told me how much she loved my story and my voice. But sadly they didn’t accept stories where there was marital strife of any kind, even if there was a HEA. Last week I received another handwritten note that said, she really loved another of my stories, but they didn’t publish political stories. Keep trying, she said, keep studying the weekly issues for the types of stories we publish. You’re getting close.

So I leave you with this: Short stories can be used as a kind of pallet cleanser. They’re fun to write and a challenge if you’re used to overwriting as I am. They are also a very lucrative market.  Just don’t go into it thinking it’s just fluff and you need not do anything but write.  That’s a huge mistake.   (THIS PART IS INTENTIONALLY REPETITIVE) You should always research your market and definitely research the publisher you’re submitting to. Read what they publish and learn their needs.  Until then do your homework and don’t write off the short story market. There are many things you can do while waiting to make the sale. Do your homework:  Work at finding the Right Markets, finding story Ideas, developing and writing your stories. Follow the rules of each individual magazine publisher, query them first if that’s what they want. Learn what happens after you submit your story or article. What’s the wait time?  How about your rights? What does the contract state?  Will you get paid, if so, when and how much?

While the writing might be a lot shorter for the short story market if you’re a professional writer it’s still a business and you should treat it as such. Have fun with it and never ever give up.  When I finally figure out what it is they want and make my first sale, I will come back and share.

Dyanne Davis —- http://www.dyannedavis.com

Authors and/or writers, there is NO reason that you should not have a website.

And no I don’t mean a website that has an URL of www.yournamehere.bravehost.com or www.geocities.yournamehere.com (used as an example; not actual links). You really want to look as serious and professional as possible. It has been my experience people who have their own domains are taken more seriously than those don’t. The others give off the notion that you are faking it.

If your exact name is taken, i.e. www.yolandamjohnson.com (which is one of my domains), try something creative like www.authoryolandajohnson.com or www.yolandamjohnsononline.com or even www.authoryolandaontheweb.net and so on.

Now blogs are the in thing and by all means if you have the time and effort to host a blog do so, but this should NEVER take the place of an official website.

Some may argue that blogs are free and this is true, but there are so many hosting and domain companies out there that cost so little there is no excuse. I have had a site that I maintained since 1995 and I used a hosting and domain firm by the name of Netfirms.com. I started off paying them about $75 – $120 a year up until 2007, when I finally gave GoDaddy.com  a try. I now have three domains through them (www.literarywonders.com, www.yolandamjohnson.com, www.bryantconsultingonline.com) for what it cost me for the one. And since I don’t want to do my own hosting I allow them to. If you are more technically savvy, you can purchase a domain name for as little as $1.99 a year and host it yourself.

So you see, there is absolutely no excuse for not having your own web address. And some tools today make it easy to create and maintain your site. The web is all about networking and marketing. Use it to your ultimate advantage.

1. Show by example. Let your kids see you reading—newspaper, magazine, books, etc.
2. Find out your child’s interest. Find a way to connect his or her interest to reading material.
3. Take your teen to the library or book store. Ask your librarian for book suggestions. When at the book store, let your child wander the aisles and observe which area of books seem to hold their attention.
4. Buy a book on his or her favorite interest. If your teen loves video games, surprise him or her with a book on the characters of those video games.  If your teen watches TV shows like Gossip Girl or That’s So Raven, find those books at the library or book store and surprise your teen with it. The key is to show your child they can find interesting things in between the pages of a book.
5. Encourage reading. For those of you whose teens may be reading material you deem inappropriate, try to explain to the teenager why you feel that way and offer alternate reads.
6. Read young adult books too and discuss. It’s a great way to start dialogue and could lead to ongoing communication with the teen in your life.

Shelia M. Goss is the author of the young adult series – The Lip Gloss Chronicles and six women’s fiction books.

For more information, visit www.thelipglosschronicles.com or www.sheliagoss.com.

Young Adult Books

The Ultimate Test by Shelia M. Goss © Jun 2009

Splitsville by Shelia M. Goss ©  Oct 2009

Paper Thin by Shelia M. Goss ©  Jan 2010

Women’s Fiction Books

His Invisible Wife by Shelia M. Goss © July 2009

Hollywood Deception by Shelia M. Goss © April 2010

My Invisible Husband by Shelia M. Goss ©  2006

Roses are thorns (Violets are true) by Shelia M. Goss © 2007

Paige’s Web by Shelia M. Goss © 2007

Double Platinum by Shelia M. Goss ©  2008