Posts tagged ‘Author’
The (Not-So-Risky) Business of Business Cards
One of the most powerful, yet highly underestimated marketing tools in today’s technology-based world of publishing is the business card. Call it old-fashioned if you want, but business cards are a worthwhile investment. Look at it this way: you spend hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars on your book—not to mention all the blood, sweat and tears—you owe it to yourself to invest in a set of business cards to market yourself as an author.
Here’s how business cards can help you as an author:
1. Relay the basics. In a society obsessed with instant gratification and convenience, the business card is the simplest and most efficient way to give someone your general/contact information. As an author, it is important that a publisher not only remember your name, but your book as well! You should include the title, a short description, where the book is available and even a picture. Bottom line, business cards relay the important stuff and minimize miscommunication.
2. Be professional. This is self-explanatory. It reflects much better on you if you already have your information prepped and on hand, rather than asking someone to find the resources and the time to write it down.
3. Express Your Uniqueness. Business cards are marketing cards, and you are the product. This is a direct and easy way to convey what you and your book are all about. Maybe you designed your card so that it communicates the genre of your book, (a romance or spy novel, for example), or maybe you pulled a great quote and printed it beneath the title. Remember, it’s your chance to be creative and stand out!
4. Pass it On. Business cards quicken the networking process. Think about it! If a third party is inquiring about your book or manuscript, it is much easier for someone to hand out your business card than sift through old papers or e-mails to find your contact information. Ultimately, it’s less work for everyone involved—it’s so minor, yet so important. A person is more likely to pass along your information and/or recommend your work if playing the middle-man isn’t quite on par with getting a root canal.
5. Stand Out and Be Remembered. Neither a Twitter account nor a Facebook page give you the advantage of that first impression handshake accompanied with a timeless, “Here’s my card.” Face-to-face time is important, but being memorable is key. A tangible business card is something that they have to hold onto, and chances are, they’ll remember you and your book.
Do You Know These Famous Authors?
A Little Bit of Author Trivia… Guess the Author.
– Melissa
(Ernest Hemingway, Jim Harrison, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost) — Now can you name a piece of writing by each author?
Perfectly Imperfect in Your Writing
You are a writer — an artist of words. You’re creative in nature and a bundle of self-doubt and neurosis (when it comes to our craft anyway). And if you’re like the majority of writers out there, you’re hell bent and determined to believe that you’re writing will never be good enough — never perfectly complete. Oh, the life of a tortured, misunderstood writer, right?
Well, as a friend recently said to me, “Perfectly Imperfect.” A phrase now embedded in my thoughts and interactions — a liberation of who I am. With these two little words, my writing world was tilted to its side and I was somehow granted freedom within my words.
I am, as a writer and an individual, perfectly imperfect. And, oh the bounty it brings.
Just to clarify, I am not speaking of the physical quality — or tangible end result. This is about writing — wordage, the expression of thought. Being perfectly imperfect allows each of us to display our strengths and weaknesses, characterize our personality in our writing. And, it allows us to embrace the quirks, flaws, side roads and tone that we each personally take.
An easy concept to accept, I know. Almost too easy. So if you still need a few tips to boost that writer’s ego, here you go…
- Trust your voice. You’re excited about an idea. And may have even started writing, fuelled by a burst of enthusiasm and a spurt of passion for what you are saying. Keep writing. Don’t concentrate on what your “possible, maybe someday” readers will think of your work. Write for you. This is your story and in the end it is you choosing to share it.
- Embrace your angle. Avoid a generous wash of generalities. Find your niche — your uniqueness. It isn’t about mass appeal. It’s exactly the opposite — a target, a need, a solution.
- Let it lay. There’s always a new idea around the corner, another way to finesse your storyline. And then another couple of days will bring yet another idea. Jot your ideas down but don’t get too caught up in altering your work so that you can’t progress past the first chapter. Focus on the whole — your entire storyline. There will be time for multiple revisions and editing. And you do want to actually finish the book, right?
- Never give up. Writing’s hard. You probably know that. It can be incredibly frustrating, painful and sometimes awkward to place words on a page. It’s part of the process and it will pass (then come back and pass again). Don’t give up. Words won’t flow all of the time (and then you come here and visit us). Simply remember why it is you are writing.
And there you have it. An idea of the bliss of imperfection and a few ways to help ease the mind towards this utopian notion. Understand who you are as a writer and go with it.
–Melissa
The World Needs Writers
Writers have a direct impact on our daily lives — every day, all day. As a society, we’re increasingly consuming more and more headlines, verbs and adjectives. It’s amazing how many times a writer touches our lives each day, and you may not even realize it.
Take this example: You’re watching TV and your favorite show airs its season premiere. No writing here, right? This is TV after all … the anti-book. But, as you watch the closing scene fade to black, it happens: you think, “Man, they must have different writers now; this show has changed a lot since last season.”
That’s right, writers.
But writers don’t only influence our entertainment. Every morning or evening (or both) we rely on news sources to inform us of the day’s local and global events. Whether you watch a news program on TV, read the paper, or visit a Web site, writers are behind this transfer of knowledge. And, even though journalists try to stick to the facts, they play a big role in how the story is told, thus, interpreted by you.
It’s not just large scale media where writers intersect our lives. For example, when you read the description of the cob salad or chicken sandwich from your lunch menu, someone wrote that. Another writer composed the instructions to your new camera. And another wrote the marketing copy on boxes in the cereal aisle; and another typed the words written on the parking ticket you received because you spent too much time in your grocery store’s cereal aisle. From the tag inside your shirt that you ignored when you did not “lay flat to dry” to the millions of pages of text on every single Web site that you visit today, they are behind each sentence, each letter, each apostrophe.
Writers play a necessary role in our society beyond the obvious “author” role. Of course, there are novels, magazines and poems, but even if your book never hits the bestseller list, the world needs writers.
-Angie Kelly Pheifer
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.
Free Writing Contest at WritingRoom.com: Enter to Win Publication, Marketing and Cash Prizes
Remember WritingRoom.com’s 2009 Author’s Choice Contest is approaching its deadline, and all you need to enter is a manuscript. Register for free, upload your manuscript, shoot them an email with your entry, and mail three copies of your book to their screeners. Then you’re entered for a chance to win publication, marketing and some serious cash — it’s that simple!
The contest is designed especially to help aspiring novelists achieve their goals of success. The top 10 winners will receive help from acclaimed bestselling author Jon Land (The Seven Sins, one of the Library Journal’s Top Five Thrillers of 2008)to improve their manuscripts.
The top three winners will have their manuscripts published, marketed and promoted. In addition, one Grand-Prize winner will have their book read and considered by one of the top New York literary agents, Loretta Barrett and a traditional New York publisher.
It’s free to enter, and the only cost involved is that you have to foot the bill to order and ship three copies of your book for the judges’ review. Below are a few of the details concerning the contest, but you can read all the details about how to enter the writing contest on PublishingRoom.com.
2009 WritingRoom Author Choice Contest:
- Contest Start Date: Feb. 1, 2009
- Submission Deadline: May 18, 2009
Publishing, Marketing and Cash Prizes:
- Top 10 finalists will receive advice, help, and guidance from the judges to help improve quality and overall marketability of their books to a wide audience. The judges that will provide the advice know a thing or two about writing: 1) guest judge Jon Land, and 2) Lindsay Preston, CEO of WritingRoom.com.
- Third Place and Runner-Up Winners receive Publishing Packages valued at $600 (Third Place) and more than $1,000 (Runner-up), in addition to the book marketing campaign from WritingRoom.com, including a regionally-distributed press release and local media coverage. Let’s not forget the cash prizes either: $100 for Third Place and $250 for the Runner-up.
- Grand-Prize Winner receives: (1) Publishing Package with PublishingRoom.com valued at more than $1,000, (2) book marketing efforts by WritingRoom.com including a nationally-distributed press release, local media coverage and video interview with WritingRoom.com, (3) cash prize of $500, (4) read and considered by a top New York literary agent, Loretta Barrett, and last but not least (5) read by top editor Eric Rabb of Tor/Forge books.
Don’t let the WritingRoom.com contest pass you up without first submitting your book. Read the official contest rules and guidelines, and then enter for a chance to get read, get your book recognized by the press and win some extra money.
Reminder: Post Feedback on Wordclay Titles by April 30th for a Chance to Win Free Books
Really, the blog challenge is that simple. It’s free to submit your review, and you have the potential to win a printed copy of your favorite Wordclay self-published book. Simply post a comment to this blog that details the author and title of your favorite Wordclay publication, along with a brief (100 words) explanation of why you made your choice.
Spare five minutes to write your blurb about a Wordclay book, and next month you could have a copy of a great title for free (standard shipping and handling is included), so don’t be shy. Post your review or thoughts on one of our titles before April 30th (deadline has been extended) for a chance to win a printed book that you’ll be proud to feature on your coffee table or bookshelf.
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CONTEST DETAILS
Start: March 20, 2009, 12:01 a.m. EST
Deadline: April 30, 2009, 11:59 p.m. EST
Prize: Single printed book copy of your selection
Submission: Post the full title, author name and your personalized blurb of the book you’re nominating for serious consideration by the judges. Blurbs should not contain special formatting and can be no longer than 100 words.
Contact Info: After submitting, send a copy of your submission as well as your full name, e-mail address and mailing address (no PO Boxes) via e-mail to blog@wordclay.com.
Notification: The winner will be notified via e-mail the week after the contest ends, at which point the book selection will be printed and mailed to you with standard shipping immediately.
Shipping: Winning book will be send using standard shipping methods, whose cost will be covered by Wordclay for the purposes of this contest.
Conditions: Nominations must have Wordclay as the publisher without exception. Authors cannot nominate their own books, and any individual suspected of favoritism beyond the content and quality of a book will be immediately disqualified. Only the first nomination per participant will be considered, and all other nominations will be dismissed. One person may nominate more than one book, but each nomination must be submitted as a separate blog comments and entry for consideration.
Contest Terms: Wordclay will judge the contest solely at our discretion, and we reserve the right to disqualify suspect entries at any time. Each entry will be judged fairly based on sound argumentation, testimonials, personal experience, truth of statement, writing quality and passion for the nomination in question.
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Seriously, there’s no risk, and five minutes of your time could win you a book to share with friends or read again and again over the years, so submit your nomination for a chance, let our authors know what you think and win a free book in the meantime.
Submit Your Writing Tip & Prompt: Share Your Secrets with Other Writers
For those of you new to our publishing blog (and for those who already know about our weekly tips and prompts), our blogging team is now asking for your input. What helps you get the creative juices flowing? What’s your ritual like before you pull up your chair to the keyboard or press your pen to the legal pad?
Each week, us Wordclay blogger generate a writing tip and prompt for our visitors and post them on the sidebar for everyone to use for inspiration. Now, here’s your chance to share your own trade secrets with our writing community, so don’t be shy and help your fellow writers through some blocks by dishing some ingenious writing techniques that work for you.
Simply post how you start a story or poem as a comment below. Write what stretches you do before sitting down at the desk, whatever works your creative mojo. Or perhaps you have a special revising technique that’s worked for you for years — anything and everything is fair game — and who knows? you may just end up helping the next great author who makes tidal waves on the literary scene, all thanks to your little ritual.
Author Giveaways and Contests: How to Host Contests for Book Promotion
If you’re a published or self-published author, you already know the importance of promoting your book online, creating a buzz around your new title and recruiting new readers on a daily basis. What might elude you are the common methods of achieving those goals. Luckily, the Wordclay team has provided some handy author giveaway tips and contest basics, which you can easily implement in order to reach thousands of potential book buyers.
Tip #1: Consider launching your own Web site or blog. Posting regularly on topics of interest and generating useful content or free previews of your book will help to solidify your credibility in the eyes of readers. You can use your site to establish a strong Internet presence, loaded with valuable keywords which could lead Internet surfers to your page. Remember that securing a memorable, unique domain name will help readers find you again whenever they have time.
Tip #2: Offer a limited-time book giveaway. You could offer a free e-book download whenever a person registers with your mailing list and verifies their e-mail address. Any portion of your book can be given-away for free and serve as an enticement to readers, from your book’s first chapter to a complete printed copy to a PDF. You’ll not only establish immediate trust between author and audience, but you’re also supplying interesting and useful content to the world.
Tip #3: Host a review contest. Invite readers to buy your book, read your work and submit a review to win cash prizes, not unlike Bryan Hutchingson for his book One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir. And if you don’t have the means to offer cash prizes, a copy of your book in exchange for a brief testimonial or even an e-book to winners of a random drawing just might be enough to earn you a following of devoted fans.
However you decide to market your book online, don’t be afraid to get creative with your promotions by launching contests as well as giveaways, but no matter what, you always want to offer a practical, useful incentive to your Internet visitors to keep them interested.
Contacting a Literary Agent: Why? What? How? When? Who?
Here’s the bottom line: there are people who prefer the royalty advantages and book design control of self-publishing, and there are those who prefer to take their finished manuscript the traditional route. Either way, there are some essential questions you should ask yourself about representation.
Why Is a Publishing Agent a Good Choice?
Only you can decide the answer to this question. If you’re going to traditional publishers, then representation always helps. The acquisitions editors of traditional publishing houses are much more willing to listen to agents they know and trust rather than read blind submissions that somehow appear on their desks.
But if you’re considering self-publishing, you can be your own representation. These days, you can even publish with your own imprint through Wordclay, giving you the power to coordinate all your future publishing and marketing efforts at little cost, without a strict association to a DIY publisher.
Remember, contacting and securing an agent is more about securing a contract with a publisher than about the entire publishing process, so you’ll want to choose based on their specialties. But whether you self-publish or send your manuscript to publishers through an agent you trust is completely based on your level of comfort and the control you desire over your future publication.
What Should You Include in Your Publishing Queries?
The rule of thumb is: Give the agent only what he or she needs. You don’t want to send too much (like your whole manuscript), and you don’t want to send too little (as in just a query letter). What you want to do is send them all the relevant information and a sample (more…)
