MAKING YOUR WEB SITE

USER FRIENDLY FOR JOURNALISTS  

The Web is one of the most important research tools for journalists, Jakob Nielsen states in his latest report. When asked how they would get basic information about a company or organization (and that includes an author, a book or a publisher), all journalists in the study said that they would begin by doing some Web research.

They use online search regularly, and when viewing your web site for information are impatient with bloated sites that don't serve their needs or don’t list a readily accessible PR contact. A web site must be painfully clear about the purpose, products, and services it offers. 

If journalists can't easily find what they're looking for on a web site, they probably won’t include that company in their story. Journalists repeatedly warn that poor web site usability could reduce or completely eliminate the press coverage they had planned to give you, Nielsen, a noted expert on usability cautions in his report released this month. 

Click on http://www.useit.com/alertbox/pr.html to read more detail from this important study. Press coverage for you and your book will benefit. 

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BOSTON IS BECOMING A MAJOR HUB

FOR BOOK REMAINDER VENDORS 

With the announced move of the Great American Bargain Book Show to Boston, the region that is known for its beans is fast becoming a key region for books as well…remaindered books that is. Great American joins World Publications located in Bridgewater, MA and Strictly by the Book in nearby Fall River, MA. 

The show moves from its current Atlanta location to Boston’s Hynes Convention Center for two days, August 21 and 22. Co-owner Larry May has shifted locations from the start-up in Nashville to Atlanta and now to New England. May explains that the Northeast has a preponderance of indie bookstores and Boston is highly accessible for both domestic and international buyers.

An ideal location for this large show. 

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Charlie’s Choice

Weekly Tips to Help You Write.

Publish & Promote Your Work 

THE WHAT AND THE WHY OF NONFICTION 

      The variety of nonfiction titles is vast and varied. The category spans writing from journalism to the most sensitive memoir, with how-to, self-help, history, erudite scholarly treatises and text books (to mention just a few)  included in this category. 

      With a range that large, it is no wonder that nonfiction has overtaken fiction in popularity. The latest sales figures for books indicate that in 2007 nonfiction hardcovers outpaced sales of fiction by a little more than 5 million units, according to Nielsen BookScan. You might also be interested to learn that the Authors Guild considers a fiction book successful if it sells 5,000 copies. It sets the mark at 7,500 copies for nonfiction. 

      Of course, the distinction between these two categories of writing is gradually diminishing. Perhaps the most dramatic departure is the number of memoirists who have been found to play pretty loose with the truth, although memoirs are expected to be factual and confirmable. Those who craft books that are offered as historical reality often add dialogue that they feel honestly is appropriate to the events in which it takes place. Many novelists base their tales on real life happenings, but they carefully avoid detail that could expose them to an invasion of privacy charge. 

Freelancing Articles 

      Many nonfiction hopefuls launch their careers by writing articles for newspapers, magazines and even scholarly periodicals. Most of them believe that it is far easier to take a specific subject and concentrate on a limited aspect of it in an article than it is to write a book on the broader subject. However, other feel that writing a book is an easier task, albeit a good deal longer, because it is often very difficult to condense your thinking into the limits of an article of 1,000 to 2,500 words.  

      After churning out more than 750 articles, I tend to agree with both sides of the discussion. The great advantage of writing articles is that it does not require the same level of expertise and experience in the subject you are writing about because it is limited. Conversely, it takes rather careful planning to be able to condense all you have to say within those limitations. 

      One of the great benefits of article writing is the variety of subject to which you are exposed. Once you are published and recognized, you will find editors giving you a variety of assignments. I often call it an educational experience after covering topics like hot pepper farming, gambling, Christmas tree farming, real estate, travel and on and on. 

      I do tend to recommend to beginners that they start by crafting articles on subjects with which they are familiar. As their writing skills progress, they will find it a lot easier to sustain an extended project like a complete book.  

      In future columns, we will look at several specific categories of article writing like travel and digital articles designed for distribution on the Web. These deserve special attention.  

Why Tackle a Nonfiction Book? 

      There are a variety of reasons why authors turn to nonfiction when they plan to write a book. Number one is the ability to pass to others information on an issue that is of compelling importance to the writer. A more pragmatic reason is what I mentioned at the outset of this column: the fact that readership of nonfiction has surpassed fiction. 

      In this age of specialization, the public hungers for books on subjects that fascinate them.

Despite the fact that a number of books may be in print dealing with the general subject you plan to tackle, there is always room for another that approaches the topic from a fresh angle. A hook, as we often call it in the business. 

      As an example, I am a devoted skier. Thousands of words have been printed about skiing. But there are so many facets of the sport, even of the industry, that there is constantly room for another book for people as hungry as I to learn about the latest technique in downhill, the newest trends in ski design, the fascinating work of the Ski Patrol and so much more. 

      But with all of this, it is vitally important to research properly. You cannot rely on just your own knowledge. Information changes, techniques change, and you must stay up to date on every new twist and turn of the subject you write about. Readers rely on the authenticity of what you put on paper. You are in essence considered an expert when you write a book, and therefore your responsibility is a heavy one. The information that you relate must be current and accurate.  

      The benefit of a quality nonfiction book is shared by reader and author. Pleased by the information he/she has gained from your work, the reader now has found a new source to which to turn when in need of additional information on the subject. You, the author, brand yourself as an expert when you turn out a first-rate book, and probably will become a primary source for journalists writing on the subject who seek either more information or a quotation. So you see that content is as important, indeed in many cases far more important, than writing style and ability.

Do your homework and give your reader what he/she is searching for when selecting your book. 

      Next week, we will dig into the nuts and bolts of writing a powerful nonfiction book. We will look at key elements in designing it and discuss how one plans the book to present information in an easy, flowing way that that makes learning comfortable for your readers. See you then. 

      Keep Writing! 

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PAID SEARCH POSTS HUGE GAINS

IN 2008’S FOURTH QUARTER 

Media Post reports that paid search  advertising soared 43% ahead in the fourth quarter of 2008 despite the tumbling economy. This bright spot is a finding from a study by the online analytics firm Covario.  The growth continued a pattern for the year, topping third quarter results by a healthy 7.2%. 

The study also found that the average cost-per-click (CPC) fell to 86 cents in the final quarter, a 17% slippage from the third quarter. Google sustained the heaviest drop in CPC, while MSN posted an amazing 45.7% cost increase. Of course, MSN represents less than 4% of total paid search spending. 

CPC may drop low enough to make it inviting to authors looking for a cost-effective way to sell their books. 

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AMAZON CLAIMS IT HAD THE “BEST EVER” HOLIDAY SEASON,

BUT ACTUAL RESULTS WILL BE RELEASED TOMORROW 

Despite the woes of retailers in almost every category of merchandise this holiday season including books, Amazon states that its selling season was the “best ever.”  The experts are waiting for formal results, due to be released tomorrow. Overall holiday sales on the Internet were down 3% from last year, according to comScore. This was the first time since 2001 that sales fell behind. 

Observers attribute much of Amazon’s fourth quarter success to its offer to customer to participate in a one month free trial of the “ Prime” program in which members are charged an annual fee of $79 and receive free two-day shipping without the requirement of a minimum purchase. According to Compete Research, 3.5% of Amazon’s customers signed up for the trial, but with no guarantee they will continue once they have to pay the fee. 

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LEADING POD HOUSES CONSOLIDATE 

In the early days of Publishing-on-Demand, Author House (then known as First Books), Xlibris and iUniverse were the dominant names among the better-established POD houses. With the announcement of its acquisition of Xlibris, the relatively new boy on the block Author Solutions (ASI) is now the corporate owner of all three, plus Wordlay and Inkubook. 

The group now handles some 70,000 authors and publishes approximately one out of every seven titles in the burgeoning American POD market. Despite that remarkable growth, Publishers Weekly pointed out recently that only 14 of their titles were being sold nationally in Barnes and Noble units. 

Used judiciously, POD can be a superb tool for Advance Review Copies and for testing markets. It is an ideal introduction to publishing for beginning authors, helping them learn the step-by-step process of creating a finished book. But, of course, it is still quite expensive when you combine the initial production fee with the profit the POD house takes on every copy, and questions still exist about ownership of the ISBN. So be sure to study each house carefully before placing your signature on a contract. 

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SOME IMPORTANT TRENDS IN ARTICLE MARKETING

AS SEEN BY PREMIER DISTRIBUTOR EZINE ARTICLES  

In a recent newsletter to participating writers, ezine articles President Chris Knight offered his predictions on a number of trends in the article marketing industry for 2009. He anticipates strong growth resulting from the sluggish economy and the fear of unanticipated costs in pay-per-click (PPC) programs. 

Knight also predicts that specialization in preparing articles is becoming more important (probably because readers are becoming far more sophisticated), and sees a trend away from generalist ghost writers who grind out articles in quantity, but with little quality. Nonetheless, Knight sees an emerging industry of well-informed service providers to support people who have the expertise in their subject, but little skill in writing and submission techniques. Listen up, because this is another way for writers who are qualified in a subject to improve their income stream. 

Another important concern voiced by Knight is the proliferation of dead links in older articles. Many articles that were published on the Internet some time ago are still highly relevant, but the links in the text and in the bio boxes are out of date. Links still point to many web sites that no longer exist. So check your older articles to be certain the linkage is still relevant.  

For more trends, click on www.ezinearticles.com

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Charlie’s Choice

Weekly Tips to Help You Write,

Publish & Promote Your Work 

AT THE STARTING GATE 

      As we dig into the 2009 series of Charlie’s Choice columns, it makes sense to begin at the beginning…the starting gate for wanna-be authors that can also serve as a refresher to help more advanced writers review some of the basics that they may well have forgotten. 

      There are two questions that newcomers always ask. The second is “Can I become a published author?” I answer, “Of course you can, but it does require some diligence and some effort.”  We’ll talk about those next. (I skipped the inevitable first question because, frankly, it is totally irrelevant and vain: “Can you get me on Oprah?”  The answer to that is a resounding “No” because you don’t deserve to be until you have proved yourself as a writer.) 

Building Confidence 

      You have to believe in yourself to become a good writer. You must have the confidence to let the words flow no matter how poor they seem as they first arrive on the page. To agonize over each word or even each sentence as you start to write is a guarantee that your prose will be stilted. You run the risk that it will sound forced, labored or possibly even grandiloquent when you try too hard. It won’t flow smoothly…or as Shakespeare described it “trippingly on the tongue.” 

      Let your words flow each time you sit down at the computer. Editing and rewriting are two of the most used and most effective tools in the writer’s kit. Once your thoughts are on paper, you can go back and massage the way you’ve expressed them. Almost every great writer reworks his/her content several times before it is ready for public display. Ernest Hemingway prided himself on revising his work over and over again until he finally fashioned it into what he labeled “a polished, tiny gem.” 

      Dorothea Brande, one of the most revered writing instructors of decades ago, stated, “Genius cannot be taught, but there is a magic to writing that is teachable.”  As all of us in the industry know, it is teachable if you are willing to practice and perfect what you are taught whether you gain your knowledge in a classroom or from a book. Practice makes perfect, as the old adage states.  

Picking a Topic to Write About 

      It would amaze you to discover how many would-be writers come to me and ask, “What should I write about?”  I can’t imagine planning to write a book without having a topic that cries out for expression from the depth of your soul. Completing a book is a major task even if it is relatively short, perhaps 20,000 words or so. Without a burning desire to tell your story to the world, you will never have the fortitude to complete the task. 

      Whether fiction or nonfiction, there are endless sources of ideas. Look for them, but don’t ever start the project unless you are completely intrigued by its possibilities and feel others will be as interested as you are in the book. 

      The most meaningful topics are probably those that have a personal relationship to your own life experiences. These can be adapted as novels that give you a great deal of freedom to wander from the actual happenings and add new dimensions to the story and the characters that you create. Or you may want to tell the story with the accuracy that characterizes a solid memoir. 

      In addition to memoirs, nonfiction categories range across the fields from history to travel, business to how-tos, politics to true crime. The choices are endless, but once again, it is vital that you tackle only those subjects in which you have a real interest.  

      If you need some help selecting a topic, I strongly recommend you read your daily newspaper with great care. Endless possibilities exist on those pages. Faced with continuous deadlines, news reporters don’t have the luxury of time to research and expand their stories. You begin where they leave off, and research and interview to fill in all the details on a story that intrigues you.  

      Clip and save stories that interest you. Even if you decide not to begin work on them at once, keep them in a file, and add to them as you clip additional pertinent information. At some future time you may want to proceed, and this will give you a welcome jump start. 

      You might reference Writers Market, a marvelous directory of more than 1100 pages that lists hundreds of consumer and trade magazines, categorized by subject. Looking through those various subject may well trigger an idea.  

      By knowing your subject well—outlining and organizing what you plan to say—you will avoid many of the pitfalls of writing a book.  At the start, you will avoid that great nemesis Writer’s Block. It occurs because an author begins a project without a complete mastery of the subject. As you can see, I have little patience with those who used this block as an excuse. Carefully planning a novel will keep you from the dead ends that far too many authors encounter when they haven’t thought through their story line. 
 

Discipline 

      If you don’t begin and you don’t continue, you will never end. I know that’s a rather simplistic statement, but it is a very true one. To become a successful writer, one must exhibit a substantial degree of self-discipline. No one stands over you insisting you sit down and write. When you freelance, there is no boss. Just you and you alone to ensure that a regular schedule of writing is adhered to. 

      University of Mississippi Professor David Galef has expressed the need for self-discipline quite well. He says, “Writers need a daily regimen—waiting for the thunderbolt is too uncertain.”  Sure, inspiration offers a wonderful stimulus. But there’s no guarantee that it will happen each time you face that empty computer screen.  

      Establish a regular time of day or night and a location that protects you from daily distractions that occur in every household and/or office. Very shortly, it will become a regular part of your daily routine just as taking a shower or brushing your teeth has become. You probably will grow to enjoy it just as you do those personal habits. 

      Join us next Wednesday as we begin several weeks of analysis of the nonfiction field and the wide choices it offers. We’ll start with several columns to help you better understand the world of freelancing and how to squeeze the greatest benefit out of it as you build your reputation and your bank account. Following that, we’ll spend several weeks looking at the possibilities of crafting different categories of nonfiction books. See you next week. 

Keep Writing! 

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HAS E-MAIL LOST ITS ATTRACTION

FOR THE YOUNGER SET? 

With texting now the favorite channel of communication for high school and college students, worries that e-mail may become archaic have increased among promoters who use this tried and true method of reaching people. However, a study last October by eROI reports that 26%  of students still rely on e-mail. But with one important proviso: it must be relevant. 

More than 60% of the students eROI surveyed who use e-mail do not respond to e-mail marketing solicitations unless they are particularly relevant and target their exact interests. They reserve e-mail for use primarily as a personal communication tool.  

So if you plan to use e-mail methodology to sell your books, be certain that your sales pitch is highly relevant to your target audience or you will waste a great deal of money and effort with little or no return. 

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AN IMPORTANT WARNING FOR E-MAILERS 
 

Did you realize that 90-95% of all e-mails sent end up in SPAM? That’s one of the key findings of Forrester Research’s study “Secrets to E-mail Delivery.” We all worry about the path our e-mails will take once we hit the send button, but that path is determined by you, the sender, and the results are based on the amount of prep work the sender undertakes. 

Reinforcing the fact that “the keys to good deliverability are still under the sender’s control,” a recent article in Media Post’s e-mail Insider stresses the importance of keeping your mailing list up to date and clean to avoid accusations of SPAM. A complaint rate of more than one tenth of one percent can result in messages blocked by major ISPs. Falling into a single spam trap can lower your deliverability score by 19 points. 

Conversely, if you make the effort to keep your reputation as a sender pristine, you’ll be able to qualify for whitelisting by receivers. That’s an effort well worth making! 

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