|
ATTENTION FICTION WRITERS: FEB. 2 IS THE DEADLINE FOR
SUBMISSION TO THE AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL COMPETITION
Get those fingers moving and your keyboard clicking. You have only a few weeks before the February 8th deadline to submit your unpublished novel to the world-wide competition sponsored by Amazon and the Penguin Publishing Group.
This great opportunity could mean a highlighted critique of your book by a panel of top experts in the field. It will be posted on Amazon for the top three manuscripts. The grand prize for the winner will be a contract with one of the Penguin Group’s divisions. Actually, Penguin offered contracts to five of the top ten winners last year. What an opportunity for an author with an unpublished manuscript. The winner will be announced on May 22nd, and along with the contract will receive a $25,000 advance.
More info on the contest is available at www.amazon.com/abna. Submissions must be unpublished manuscripts in English and must be sent between February 2 and February 8.
Technorati Profile
|
|
BAKER & TAYLOR IS THE THIRD COMPANY
FACING CREDIT PROBLEMS FROM INSURER EULER HERMES
It’s hard to believe that the spin-off from the credit crunch has affected one of our industry’s long-time stalwarts. B&T now follows in the footsteps of Borders UK and The Book People. Euler Hermes, the huge international credit insurer, considers them too risky to cover. It has announced that it will refuse to cover any company that transacts business with B&T.
The insurer has given it a high risk rating because of what it claims is the company’s deteriorating finances and the fact that it is undergoing corporate restructuring. This is quite a blow to a company that views itself as “the world’s largest book and entertainment distributor,” and one that is so important to all of us who write and sell books.
The backlash from the current economic situation has begun to impact the publishing industry. We recently discussed the effect it has had on publishing houses, and now it has reached distributors and retailers. Not a happy situation at all.
Technorati Profile
|
|
Charlie’s Choice
Weekly Tips to Help You Write,
Publish & Promote your Books
CREATING A WEB SITE IS VITAL TO
LAUNCHING YOUR CAREER AS AN AUTHOR
Months before you anticipate completion of your first book, it is time to begin work on designing and creating a powerful web site. The site serves a number of functions and becomes the base for your writing career.
At the simplest level, it is a mailbox through which others can reach you with their e-mails. These digital messages are fast becoming the favored choice for most messaging, both personal and business. They save time and expense for the sender and are easy to read and store for the recipient. The site allows you to serve in both capacities, sending and receiving. But that is only the beginning of the way this multi-tasked miracle machine, your computer, will serve your needs.
An Information Source
Your web site will provide interested parties with a great deal of detail about you personally and about your works. It should carry a photograph and bio. But the bio should zero in on your professional accomplishments and your experience in the field in which you specialize and write about.
Readers who arrive on your site are not much interested in the details of your family life, your spouse and children or other relatives. They have ventured onto the site to learn more about you as an expert, a professional who can offer them a benefit because of your extensive knowledge. They are hungry for information. If you are strictly a fiction writer, they will undoubtedly have a greater interest in getting to know more about you personally. Conversely, as an expert crafting nonfiction books in your specialty, surfers interested in that topic will arrive on your site with the intent of adding to their store of information
Whether you’ve written short stories as a fiction author or articles as a nonfiction professional, include the best of them on your web site. They serve as an ideal attraction to new visitors. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this, and we will go into that detail in future columns.
Your Personal Showroom
One of the primary functions of your web site is to sell the products you write. It is the ideal place to tout your work. The stories and articles I mentioned become samples of your work. That’s why they should be carefully crafted. Those visitors who like your writing should be able to scroll to a page (we call it a landing page in the industry) that is devoted exclusively to the book you are trying to sell. It must contain complete information about the book and a convincing sales pitch to buy it.
You are at a great advantage selling on your site. Your reader has arrived because of a prior interest in your subject. His/her interest is reinforced by the quality of your stories or articles. That should move the reader closer to becoming an actual buyer.
The landing page should move the reader into the site’s shopping cart smoothly. Once they arrive there, you have the option of using any of several banking program to collect payment. I prefer PayPal because it is particularly well known and people have confidence in its integrity and security. And they must have that confidence, for they are giving you very private information, including credit card numbers and identity codes.
Next you will have to either handle packing and shipping yourself or create a contact between the company that collects the payments and the fulfillment house that handles filling the order. That is best done by using an autoresponder, a digital device that automatically sends the needed notification.
Socializing Digitally
The web site becomes the base from which you reach out for all social contacts, such as links from other relevant web sites and messaging on social networks like MySpace, Face Book or Twitter. All of these contacts are initiated from your web site, and responses must have a place to land. So your web site once again serves a dual function, sending and receiving your social messaging.
When you add the ability to create audio messages and receive them as well, you increase the viability of your site. All reports of future trends seem to indicate a heavy leaning toward audio and video messaging, and you don’t want to be left out in the cold. So it is wise to begin adding that capability early on.
One of the most effective tools to improve your presence on the search engines is linking, particularly incoming links from quality sites in your field. Without a base site for others to link to, it is impossible to use this tool. Linking is something you can readily do yourself. It involves carefully checking to find the most respected and effective sites that deal with your key subject and contacting them by e-mail. You must convince them that it is to their benefit to link to you to offer additional sources of information to the hungry, info-seeking surfers that click onto their site.
Reaching Out
Another very effective technique to reach out to others and bring them to your site to help you sell your books is to create a blog or an ezine (electronic newsletter). While they can stand alone, many authors tie them in as part of the web site. For example, my site is called www.retirement-writing.com. When that is followed by /blog, a reader is taken directly to the blog. So the blog is accessible on its own or from the navigation bar of the site. We will discuss blogging in depth in future columns.
If you choose to create a newsletter—and it is a major undertaking that demands a good deal of time researching and writing interesting content—you piggyback on your web site. You may create a separate URL for the ezine, but it should be closely related to your site by name and even style.
The newsletter can be a very effective invitation to your site if it is packed with interesting and informative content. It can also be advertised on your site as a free giveaway to provide you with a list of potential contacts for other promotions and possible sales. Once you have built a solid following, it can be a source of revenue both through subscription fees and/or paid advertising. As you can see, the web site is the core of a variety of activities all inter-related. But you must have this solid base to make them all work.
Stay with us as we begin a whole new year of educational columns, several of which will deal directly with ways to set up your site, the technology you should understand and best methods of maintaining it and using it effectively.
See you next week.
Keep Writing!
Technorati Profile
|
|
THE ISSUE OF DEFAMATORY LAWSUITS
IS TAKING CENTER STAGE AGAIN
That constantly nagging issue, defamation of character, is the subject of a legal action before the New Jersey Supreme Court where the Association of American Publishers has joined a group of publishing organizations to petition the court to affirm the First Amendment right to publish accurate reports of court documents even if those documents contain defamatory statements.
This case centers around a story in The Record, a Bergen County, NJ newspaper, of a bankruptcy court hearing in which trustees claimed the company had been looted by a member of the family. A lower court threw it out on grounds that it was a matter of public record since the case was heard in court.
The suit was reinstated on appeal to the state appellate court. It is now before the Supreme Court to clear up “the utter chaos and confusion” these conflicting decisions cause writers and reporters and of course expose them and their publishers to potential prosecution.
A firm decision will be a boon to all of us who place words on paper, often with some degree of trepidation, even though we know the facts we write are absolutely true.
Technorati Profile
|
|
SOME INTERESTING FINDINGS FOR
THOSE OF YOU WHO WRITE CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Shopping on the Internet by young children is surprisingly high, a study by MediaMark Research Inc (MRI) found. According to the study, four out of ten children ages 6 to 11 have visited a web site they learned about in a commercial or an advertisement.
The group studied breaks down to 25% ages 6 and 7, 33% ages 8 and 9 and 40% ages 10 and 11. These children were found to be 41% more likely than others to have an e-mail address and 48% more likely to go online daily.
eMarketer reports that a study sponsored by Scholastic last June showed an even higher rate of Internet usage. More than one-half of youngsters 5 to 8 were online. The number grows as the ages increase. By ages 9 to 11, the number reached 85% and leaped to 95% among teenagers.
Smart juvenile authors should capitalize on these statistics by tailoring their promotional efforts to the survey results. Those who felt the Web was strictly the province of teenagers and adults had best take a second look.
Technorati Profile
|
|
SOME INTERESTING PREDICTIONS
FOR 2009
eMarketer, that trusty analyst of economic and digital trends, predicts that spending on search marketing will grow by almost 15% this year, bringing the total to $12.3 billion. Despite the fact that growth in 2009 will be slower than in previous years, the gains still will be higher than in any other major form of advertising, on or offline.
Similarly, the research firm reports that total US Internet ad spending will increase by 8.9% to $25.7 billion. This may sound high, but it is the lowest per year gain for online advertising ever. But that is still substantially higher than growth figures posted by other media. Online retail sales, with the exception of travel, will post a modest growth.
The analysts at eMarketer anticipate substantial enhancement of self-serve advertising systems on My Space and Facebook, allowing consumers and businesses to buy and sell real world goods and services. They also predict that Twitter will be acquired this year, although it turned down an offer last year from Facebook. The new buyer will undoubtedly use it to offer targeted marketing and analytics to advertisers.
Not surprisingly, eMarketer anticipates the highest declines in advertising will be felt by newspapers. TV ad spending in the US will decrease by 4.2% to $66.9 billion. Broadcasters will be forced to refocus their business model to create more programming online along with a variety of other changes.
It is shaping up as a most interesting, albeit rather frightening, year.
Technorati Profile
|
|
DESPITE THE TREND TO HANDHELD COMPUTERS,
A PEW STUDY SAYS IT WON’T HAPPEN IN 2009
Despite the growing success of smart phones like the Blackberry and the iPhone, the shift to these devices has been reflected principally among business users, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The survey firm reports that its study of more than 600 digital experts indicates the widespread adoption of mobile phone/computer combos will take another ten years or so to materialize fully.
Only 15% of the current four billion cell phones in use are fully Internet-enabled. However, the experts generally agree that by 2020 mobile phones will function primarily as computers. They also believe that a world-wide network will be in operation. This will result in more portable and less expensive devices to access the Internet.
That represents some pretty remarkable changes: from the mammoth early versions of the computers to desk tops, then on to lap tops and soon-to-be total mobility. Amazing progress!
Technorati Profile
|
|
Charlie’s Choice
Weekly Tips to Help You Write,
Publish & Promote Your Books
Welcome to a New Year and a new series of Charlie’s Choice columns. Before we start on the regular cycle of instructional articles, I thought you might enjoy this piece that is both a good deal lighter and still of some value to authors.
DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT AUTHORS
Far too many people view authors as unique beings who have been blessed with superhuman talents, the kind the rest of the world aspires to, but never achieves. It just isn’t so!
Some have a remarkable ability to place the perfect word in the perfect spot in the perfect manuscript. But most just plug away to the best of their ability, repaid generously by the satisfaction of sharing their thoughts with so many others. So let’s take a quick look at some of the myths that surround us. You decide which, if any, apply to you.
Writers enjoy an easy lifestyle without working very hard - Hardly so. With rare exceptions, the majority of writers eke out a living. Many work a full-time job to meet expenses, and write in their free time. Royalties as low as 5% of net profit coupled with the discounts offered to wholesalers, mean that many of us make less than $1 per book sale. That means we must turn to part time work, ghost writing or coaching to make ends meet.
The writer’s life is glamorous and fun – I agree it’s fun and I love my life, but it surely isn’t glamorous for most of us. Only the best selling stars, celebs or well known politicians enjoy the elegant launch parties you read about. For most, the routine is rather solitary. Tucked away to avoid interruptions and glued to a computer. Most of us cherish our time alone. That’s when we are most productive.
Writers are born, not created – That’s nice to think about, but not very realistic. Yes, we have different degree of inherent talent, but with honest effort and a good deal of work at the computer, almost anyone can become a writer. That doesn’t guarantee placement on a best seller list, but it can ensure seeing your hard work in print.
The best way to learn to write is to study the style of a successful author and copy it – Absolutely wrong! The key is to develop your own unique, individual style. It must come from inside you to be authentic and effective.
There is nothing original to write – That statement is true, but of little concern. What you must seek is the originality that comes from the unique treatment you give a subject or a story. Even the US government, often insensitive to creativity, understands that. That’s why you can’t copyright a subject, only the way in which you write about that subject.
Teachers seem to teach a very formal style of writing, but authors often break all the rules – So many of the old “saws” one hears in school are archaic. Following them can make your prose stilted and formalized. It is important to understand the basic requirements of good grammar. Listen, but then use them judiciously.
Here are a few examples of what I am talking about: “Never start a sentence with a conjunction.” Good advice generally, but there are many times when it makes sense to break the rule to help coordinate your sentences, tie the thought together and help the flow of your narrative. “Don’t use contractions.” There are many times when contractions are needed to help convey the character of the speaker in dialogue. Often their use offers an easier flow to your narrative. I could go on and on, but I think you get the sense of what I am talking about. Respect the rules, and then break with them whenever it improves your writing.
Writer’s Block, the worst of the myths – Far too many authors use this as an excuse when the words or thoughts aren’t flowing well. It is really meaningless, and I never allow myself to defend a shortcoming by using that crutch. Many times the real reason for stilted writing or the inability to place words on paper is exhaustion or distraction. Even more commonly, it is the fact that the writer has not done adequate research. Go back and fill in the knowledge gaps. Then plunge ahead and write. Get the words down on paper, even if you’re not thrilled with them. Very soon you will realize, they are flowing well once again. Rewriting and editing are two of the most effective tools in a serious author’s tool chest. Use them.
Next week, we’ll take a look at the importance of creating a base for all of your writing, your web site. Every author must have his/her own signature site, where readers can head to learn more about you personally and the pertinent information about your book(s). It is a combination of reference site and sales site. Because of its importance to your success, I have chosen to begin this year’s instructional columns by discussing this key element.
Once again, let me wish all of you a very healthy, joyous and fulfilling New Year and thank you once more for the interest you have shown in Charlie’s Choice and in the blog in general.
Technorati Profile
|
|
TWO NEW COURSES KICK OFF THE
2009 AME-UNIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAMS
A Marketing Expert, PR guru Penny Sansevieri’s program of free teleclasses, are off to an impressive start this year with the first scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, January 8th) at 4pm. This first one is called “The Building Blocks of Book Marketing.” As all of you who regularly read her newsletters know, Penny is an outstanding specialist in book promotion. I have found her ideas are always on the cutting edge. I suspect her AME-U will be equally valuable.
The second session that’s been announced will be held on Thursday, January 22 at 4 PM. This one is called “Book Signing Gold,” and will cover “the top 10 savvy ways you can promote yourself without setting foot in a bookstore,” where only 35% of readers get their books.
Sign up by sending an e-mail to author@amarketingexpert.com. It will be well worth the modest effort.
Technorati Profile
|
|
JUST IMAGINE! 90% OF E-MAILS
END UP IN SPAM
Forrester Research found in a recent study that 90 to 95% of all e-mail sent out is classified as SPAM. As emailinsider@mediapost.com comments, marketers have little control over what they send once they hit the send key. You’ve probably crossed your fingers and hoped that all of your mailing arrives safely at its destination. It’s hard not to worry and fret over this concern.
There are ways to minimize problems. Your list must be regularly checked for up-to-date accuracy. Study the responses you receive, and adjust your list accordingly. One of the values of using a quality mail program like Constant Contact is that they will do the list maintenance for you.
The cost of sloppy handling is high. Once you gain a reputation for spamming, delivery of your mail will be blocked by more and more ISPs. Conversely, good maintenance can mean you will be eligible for white listings by receivers and that translates into more access.
Make sure you don’t get mired and blacklisted. It will represent a heavy loss in your visibility.
Technorati Profile
|
|
|