Posts filed under ‘Publishing’
Five Little Things You Can Do To Get More Attention for Your Book
1. Love your work. If you wholeheartedly believe in your book, other people will notice. Don’t be modest or shy about what you’ve accomplished—encourage people to read it as much as you can (without being overwhelming, of course). And don’t hold out for universal approval either. Take Hemingway, for example; he was amongst the best literary minds of the 20th century, but lots of people can’t stand to read his novels. Not everyone is going to love—or even like—your book. Stand by what you’ve written and some people may just believe in it as much as you do.
2. Know the importance of your cover design. This is the very thing that is going to make most people want to pick up your book in the first place, so don’t take it too lightly. Make sure the cover is eye-catching; whether it’s bright, beautiful or really gruesome, it must win the consumers’ attention. If you’ve hired a cover designer, such as those available through Wordclay, trust the artistic instincts of your designer—it’s their job—but make sure you’re sense of the book is reflected in their work as well.
3. Always have a copy of your book handy. You never know when you’ll run across someone who can help with your writing career! I’m not suggesting you literally take it everywhere, but maybe keep one in your car incase you need it—hey, it can’t hurt.
4. Network socially. Don’t make the mistake of only networking with people you already know are in the publishing/book industry. Lots of editors, publishers and writers have social lives and you may not know who they are when first talking to them in a bar, at the grocery store or in line at the movie theatre. Also, if your group of friends and acquaintances know all about your book, they can talk about it with other friends, and so your “buzz” increases (literally) at an exponential rate.
5. Have a description ready to go. When people ask about your book, it’s way more convincing if you already know what you’re going to say—point out the highlights, the genre and the general message, for example—but try not to sound rehearsed. And, don’t give too much away, or there isn’t any incentive to buy it!
-Colleen
Oprah’s Book Club: Say You’re One of Them by Uwen Akpan
Many of us in the book world have learned that Oprah Winfrey has supreme power to influence the direction of the popular book buying community. Several titles that she selected in the past have created huge waves of sales, controversy and interest.
People have been excited recently, having heard rumors that there was a new pick on the way.
Well we have a winner.
Say You’re One of Them by Uwen Akpan is unlike Oprah’s other 60-plus recommendations. The Nigerian born author has been recognized with awards, nominations and accolades* for this collection of stories. Notably, Akpan, who teaches in Zimbabwe, has a strong talent for selecting the voice and narrator to best convey the piece.
The terrible settings and situations and the gentle nature of the characters are a hypnotic combination. The situations in Rwanda and Kenya and other African hot-spots are fully and unapologetically drawn out with brutal honesty and a powerful sense of the humanity of the individuals involved. The writing can help us to more fully understand what humanity means and what it is that makes life so precious.
Admittedly, I have not agreed with every selection for the Oprah Book Club, but this one is worth considering.
Uwen Akpan is a perfect example of what all writers might be capable of. Having come from a world in which resources were very limited, he has moved mountains with raw talent.
*Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction
Nominated for the Guardian First Book Award
Nominated for the Caine Prize for African Writing
Nominated for the Story Prize
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, African Region
Nominated for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
-1000 Chimps
Yann Martel: Stylistic Identity
The New York Times had an exchange with Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi regarding his upcoming novel, which is an allegorical take on the Holocaust featuring animals as characters. This will likely become a successful yet controversial piece.
The author admitted that this coming work, which is not yet titled, would likely fail to replicate the colossal success of his breakout novel. He hopes that it might become a perennial success in the Holocaust category.
Controversy aside, it is certainly an inventive way of retelling a story that has been on the minds of people around the world for so long.
As authors go about creating new works for public consumption, they should remember the examples of those who have been successful telling a story in their own unique style. Successful writers are those who can embrace controversy and convey the familiar in a brand new way, developing a strong author identity in the process.
-1,000 Chimps
Barnes & Noble Launches e-Book Store: Rumors Circulate of Plastic Logic Partnership
This week, Barnes & Noble opened their e-Book Store online. They have hit the ground running with plans to grow aggressively. The word on the Web is that they are going to be partnering with Plastic Logic to distribute content via a device scheduled for release early next year. The device is said to be a big step in the right direction, hopefully minimizing the annoying parts of the Kindle2, Kindle DX and Sony Reader.
It would be logical to assume that Barnes & Noble will be able to establish themselves in a market that they have dominated for so long. They understand books and consumers, which is quite clear when you visit their site. The eBook Store interface is extremely user-friendly. People can download the apps they need in order to interact with the new eBook Store, including options for your computer, iPhone and Blackberry.
Overall, I think that this is a healthy development. While I don’t see any indication yet that there will be an interface such as the Digital Text Platform available to upload content to the Kindle Store, I would be surprised if this is not in the works. The strength that Amazon has brought to the e-book market is a good starting ground and I believe that strong players getting into the game will drive Amazon and any other serious participants to adapt and improve.
Barnes & Noble’s new eBook Store has a clear impact on your ability to sell your book. Familiarize yourself with this new development, so that you can be one step ahead of where your target audience is going.
-1,000 Chimps
Stop Leaving Self-Publishing Out of the Conversation
On Thursday evening, I watched in horror as my seemingly trustworthy news source, News Hour, completely failed to include self-publishing in its “review” of changes in the publishing industry.
Funny. Isn’t self-publishing part of “the publishing industry”? I vaguely recall that self-publishing’s growth more than doubled last year and now makes up more than half of all books published in the United States … Shame on you, News Hour.
I have the utmost respect for the News Hour. I adore Jim Lehrer, amongst others (Shields and Brooks, anyone?). But the news piece was disappointing.
Sure, they covered e-readers and e-books, the changes this brings to the industry and the challenges that this new form of distribution brings to publishing houses. They discussed how the recession was affecting the industry, and allowed libraries to chime in on the discussion. They had a publisher and literary agent on the show to offer their input.
But that is not the whole story. There is more that is happening in the publishing industry.
Why leave self-publishing completely out of the conversation? Not even one mention in passing. The media surely is aware of this form of publishing – it’s (more…)
So You Want to Be a Novelist? Advice for Writers from a Successful Author
Jennifer Weiner knows a thing or two about writing and publishing. Author of bestselling novels Good in Bed and In Her Shoes (yep, the one that inspired the movie staring Cameron Diaz) , as well as her most recent release Best Friends Forever (released today), she offers a bit of helpful advice for aspiring authors on her Web site.
Here are a few of the highlights from her article on writing and publishing:
Write to Please Yourself
Tell the story that’s been growing in your heart, the characters you can’t keep out of your head, the tale story that speaks to you, that pops into your head during your daily commute, that wakes you up in the morning. Don’t write something just because you think it will sell, or fit into the pigeonhole du jour. Tell the story you want to tell, and worry about how to sell it later.
Get a Dog
Okay, you’re thinking, what does getting a dog have to do with becoming a writer? More than you’d think. Writing is about talent and creativity, but it’s also about discipline – about the ability to sit yourself down in that seat, day after day. … Being a dog owner requires a similar form of discipline. You wake up every morning. You walk the dog. You do this whether you’re tired, depressed, broke, hung over, or have been recently dumped. You do it.
Get Published
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears, has it really fallen? If a writer writes poems and short stories and novels, but nobody ever reads them, is she really a writer? Nope. If you want to be a writer, you’ve got to bear the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (not to mention evil reader reviews on amazon.com). You’ve got to put your stuff out there for the world to see, and fall in love with, or revile. In short, you’ve got to get published.
Read
Read everything. Read fiction and non-fiction, read hot best sellers and the classics you never got around to in college. Read men, read women, read travel guides and Harlequins and epic poetry and cookbooks and cereal boxes, if you’re desperate. Get the rhythm of good writing in your ears. Cram your head with characters and stories. Abuse your library privileges. Never stop looking at the world, and never stop reading to find out what sense other people have made of it. If people give you a hard time and tell you to get your nose out of a book, tell them you’re working. Tell them it’s research. Tell them to pipe down and leave you alone.
Excerpts are from Jennifer’s full article, which you can read here: http://jenniferweiner.com/forwriters.htm.
Want to learn more? Read Jennifer Weiner’s blog: http://jenniferweiner.blogspot.com/
Can you relate to any of the tips here? Do you have any of your own tips or advice? Please share …
-Angie
On Demand: No, Really, It’s the Future
This just in: Traditional publishing declined by 3 percent and On-Demand publishing grew 132 percent. Guess who is in the lead now …
Okay, so that sounds a little bit arrogant, but it’s refreshing to see the prediction that has driven many of us forward is correct. The structure of the traditional publishing business model is rickety and teetering. They have built their reputations and empires on being unbelievably exclusive.
Self-Publishing is remarkably inclusive.
Self Publishing is not the only group to access the Print-On-Demand technology, but it is what makes self-publishing and distribution possible. There is no need to print and pump out title after title in massive marketing waves.
Many of you who have published your books with the POD model have found this process to be accessible and reliable enough to build your business plan around. Professional speakers can maintain their own catalog of titles and have shipments waiting for them at their hotels as they travel and drive their business forward. Teachers can create their own materials to accompany (or even in some cases replace) the mainstream texts that support their curricula. Churches can document their growth and their history and expand their base through affordable means. Companies can create professional training materials that are branded for their needs and their needs alone.
Congratulations to the success of all involved, and congratulations to the traditional companies who decide to leverage this approach in the future!
Kindle DX: Big Man on Campus
The new Kindle DX is set to hit the market. Beyond newspapers and books, Amazon has envisioned that this new device will be adopted heavily by students on college campuses. Ideally, they would be able to prevent injuries and inconvenience by unloading the weight their entire load of traditional textbooks in exchange for this one, simple, lightweight device.
Essentially, Kindle DX’s limitations are outweighed by its sheer convenience. Just consider some of the practical applications in certain areas of study. I am certain that some subjects will need full color images, but the system might work (or eventually work) in a way that allows the students to receive the printed text to have at home—and they’ll just have to purchase the digital download to supplant their experience.
We should consider, however, that many of the individuals in this targeted market already own high-end electronic devices and laptop computers that might prevent them from needing the hardware, so it might take time for the Kindle DX to seep into our culture at large.
Additionally, the new features of the Kindle DX include: auto-rotation for the image displayed and enhanced pdf support. Of course, the price tag has been increases in comparison to the Kindle 2. That said, the DX device will retail for $489.00 this summer. But who knows what other technological reading marvels await us in the future.
Former iUniverse Author Lisa Genova Signed by Simon & Schuster for Still Alice
It’s no secret – one of the major goals for self-published authors is to achieve some literary success and then get picked up by a major traditional publisher. Recently, former iUniverse author Lisa Genova did just that, and her story has invigorated the publishing headlines with new life.
But why would an author want to self-publish and then republish with a traditional publisher? For starters, some desire the recognition and established respect of a traditional publishing imprint. Traditional publisher will also help you promote your book with trusted media contacts, since their profits are staked on book sales primarily. Not to mention how convincing a hefty financial advance when signing over the copyright can be.
Rejection after rejection by traditional publisher for her novel Still Alice, but undaunted, Genova decided to show the industry that her work would sell in the book market by self-publishing with iUniverse. Of course, soon after the book was published, copies sold like hotcakes, and the infamous publishing house Simon & Schuster approached her for a book deal soon after her initial publication.
Now, after more than twelve weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers List, Genova can definitely call herself a self-publishing success story, having already appeared on CNN.com to speak about her book and the advantages of print-on-demand companies nowadays.
Long story short, like Genova, you can also approach traditional publishers with the same strategy and mentality. If you want to demonstrate your marketability and financial value in the publishing industry, there’s no better way than giving the publishers tangible evidence in the form of a great design and sales figures.
Read more about Genova’s experience and book here>>
This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.
Local and Regional Influence: Book Marketing by Celebrities and Public Figures
President Obama has been travelling lately. We’ve seen him pop up in Iraq, meet with leaders in Europe and the Middle East and generally wander the globe extensively. If you don’t know already, he’s looking to discuss our position with other world leaders and improve our relationship with the world at large.
You also may have heard that Obama spoke to Hugo Chavez, the very controversial leader of Venezuela. The mere idea of speaking with Chavez was seen as threatening to Obama’s political opponents here in the United States, especially since Chavez is considered an enemy by some and a criminal by others.
Chavez did, however, give Obama a copy of the book Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano. How interesting that Chavez was able to strategically use a book that has stood on its own in certain circles to bypass his own limited credibility in the public’s eye.
Immediately, after news hit the press, the book shot up at least a half a million notches to become number two on the Amazon charts for the day. More than 30 years old and a steady backlist title, who would have predicted Open Veins of Latin America would once again be headed for the top of the charts?
Can you get a foreign leader to recommend your book to the President of the United States? Maybe not, but perhaps you may be able to have people who are influential at your local level recommend or even just vouch for your book.
Personally, I know that every city that I’ve ever lived in has been chock full of local celebrities. The local politicians and business people who are on television and in the newspapers tend to have positive influence over the local public. If I were marketing a book locally, I would approach these local legends and ask them to endorse my project. Then, I could contact the local newspapers and television and radio stations and tell them all about that endorsement, achieving even more coverage.
