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SOME LITTLE KNOWN, BUT INTERESTING, FACTS
ABOUT YOU TUBE
Yes, social networking is all the rage today, and You Tube leads the pack. In a study conducted in February, for example, Nielsen Online clocked 83 million unique visitors to the site. Estimates on revenue for the year run as high as $500 million (Jefferies & Co). Forbes has offered its estimate at $350 million.
Those are mighty big bucks. But apparently they don’t come anywhere near the cost of maintaining the site. Credit Suisse claims that total expenses will reach more than $700 million.
That’s because of the cost of bandwidth, licensing agreements, hardware and other incidentals.
Running such a huge network is costly.
Obviously the four-year-old company has to push for a good deal more advertising. Other analysts suggest an increase in videos that can be monetized. It sounds as though the bottom line is that the network has to begin operating like a business, not just a playground for subscribers.
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BOOK EXPO IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
TIME TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Book Expo America, the world’s second largest book event is scheduled for May 28 through 31. It’s being held at the Javits Center in New York City, the heart of the publishing industry. Hundreds of publishers will be on exhibit. Spend at least a day wandering through their booths and making solid contacts. You’ll also find some literary agents, book distributors, PR experts, indeed people from every segment of publishing.
There is a wonderful schedule of “Book & Author Breakfasts.” “Editor’s Buzz” is both fun and informative. There will be lots of involvement of Indie publishers and programs with librarians as well. Try hard to get there. More info is available by typing “Book Expo America” into your search engine for schedules of events and registration forms. Don’t miss this opportunity.
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ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS LEFT TO ENTER
WRITER’S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK COMPETITION
Have you got a self-published book produced between 2004 and 2009? If so, make sure to enter it into the prestigious competition held by Writer’s Digest. Top winner goes home with $3,000 and a strong promotional boost in the company’s highly respected magazine and in Publishers Weekly, plus a number of other perks.
Ten first-place winners will be given a $1,000 prize and an assortment of perks.
But hurry…the deadline of May 1st is fast approaching. More info and entry forms at www.writersdigest.com/selfpublished.
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Charlie’s Choice
Weekly Tips to Help You Write,
Publish & Promote Your Work
CLIMBING THE LADDER TO
SUCCESS AS A FREELANCE WRITER
One of the most frequent questions audience members ask as I speak to groups about writing and publishing is “How can I become a freelance article writer?” Of course, there’s no single magical way that can guarantee success. And it doesn’t happen overnight. Like anything else worth achieving, freelance success comes from building your skill and your reputation step by step. I call it “climbing the ladder.”
Very simply, you pace your submissions to the size of the periodical, whether magazine or newspaper. The likelihood of acceptance is best at the smaller periodicals that serve your immediate region. You begin by compiling a portfolio of your published articles. As you reach for
larger and more prestigious publications, you will have something of value to show those editors.
Choosing a Topic
The next question heard most often from novice writers is “What do I write about?” You are surrounded by potential subjects, but as a freelance writer, you have to keep your eyes and ears open to find them. At any given time, there probably is a dominant issue that concerns you and your neighbors. Express your opinion about it in a short essay. Perhaps there is a specific angle that interests you, but hasn’t yet been written about.
You may be a sports devotee. Why not profile one of the stars of the local high school team? Or interview the coach, and write about his concerns and hopes for the team. Perhaps you’d like to profile a city official or possibly the head of a department whose work is vital to the community, but who seldom makes the news.
Reach out for one of the town’s leading business persons, request an interview, and profile him/her. Contact one of the area’s largest companies and request a tour of the facility. But first do a little research to help you understand the industry in which it is involved. Businesses thrive on publicity, and they will welcome your inquiry and the article that hopefully follows.
Pay some attention to the physical attributes of the region in which you live. Is there something unique about which you can write? Something with historical significance? Or an unusual natural site?
As a high school youngster growing up in my hometown in northern New Jersey, I wrote about our falls. A little research revealed that our own Passaic River Falls was the second highest cascade east of the Mississippi, outdone only by Niagara. That led to a second piece on Alexander Hamilton’s encampment at the foot of the fall during the Revolutionary War. The third piece that grew out of this research was the discovery that Pierre L’Enfant, the designer of our nation’s capital, had designed a series of spillways that powered the factories that were developing alongside the river.
Reaching Higher
So you see, there is never a dearth of subjects to be written about by anyone who is willing to exert some effort to find them. With those stories in your portfolio, you have the clips to convince the editor of a larger magazine—perhaps statewide—that you are professional and he/she can be confident in accepting your proposal for an article.
Followed consistently, that pattern can help you move from local periodicals up the ladder to national success. It should be obvious to you that attempting to start from the top would be unwise. You would be unknown to an editor who must be concerned about your ability to write well and report accurately. When giving an assignment to a writer, an editor must also be confident that the manuscript will be completed on time. Deadlines are critical.
Bear in mind that circulation of a magazine or newspaper depends upon its content. An article on an issue that is current stands a good chance of acceptance if it has substantial content. But equally important is writing about a topic that has real meaning to you, perhaps a hobby or a sport. If you can develop your own unique approach—we call it a “hook” in the industry—so much the better.
Despite the shrinkage of print publications in recent years, there is no limit to the topics you can choose because there is always at least one and usually lots more publications that are devoted to that subject. You will recall last week we talked about periodical directories like Writer’s Market and The Wooden Horse. These directories will help you find the perfect match for your article. But don’t rely exclusively on the information the directory provides. As helpful as that is, it is still vital that you review copies of the publication and study them. Your library probably has a file of recent back issues that you should review as well.
In last week’s column, we also spoke of the way a writer reads a magazine. It is very different from the casual review of the average reader. You are studying it like a professional, searching for every hint you can find that better informs you of the editor’s preferences and the makeup of the readership.
Trade Journals
Trade journals are one of the periodical categories most neglected by inexperienced writers, yet their editors are always seeking informative articles on the subject of their specialty. Style and writing ability, although welcome, are far less important to the editors of these journals than is content. That doesn’t mean you can turn in a sloppy, poorly written manuscript. It means only that the journal editors are willing to polish submissions if they contain information that will be beneficial to their readers.
You may choose to write about the field in which you work or in which you specialized during your active career if you are now retired. Be certain, however, to update yourself on the latest developments in the field. That’s particularly important for retirees who have not kept up with the latest trends since they left active work.
. Connie Emerson, author of The Writer’s Guide to Conquering the Magazine Market, points out in her excellent book, “Trade publications continue to be the undiscovered market for freelancers.” It is an excellent way to gain more clips for your portfolio that supplement the local stories you have published, for these are national magazines, even though they restricted to a specific subject.
Journals exist that cover most hobbies and sports activities. As a long-time hobbyist, you may very well want to write about your passion. Sports magazines cover all aspects from the business of sports to management and coaching to more general articles written for the spectator population. Once again, check the directories and then study copies of the specific magazines you plan to target.
Next week, we’ll look at the composition of a magazine article, how to plan, organize and execute it. And we will talk about how to submit your work. See you then.
Keep Writing.
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THE BLOG HAS BLOSSOMED,
SURPASSSING ALL EXPECTATIONS
Are you publishing a blog yet? Or at least reading several in your field and posting comments? If not, you’re missing a powerful promotional vehicle that can move your books and other products. As Paul Verna, senior analyst at eMarketer states, “Blogging activity presents new opportunities for marketers to influence—and monitor—conversations that may be relevant to their businesses.” Verna recently authored a report The Blogosphere: A-Twitter with Activity.
Today, 27.9 million Internet users in the U.S. publish a blog and update it at least once per month. (To be really effective, reduce that time lag to once a week.) eMarketer predicts that total will grow by another 10 million users by 2013.
Even more significant for you as authors and publishers, eMarketer estimates that 96.6 million American online users will read a blog at least once a month. That figure will grow to 128.2 million in 2013 or 58% of all users in this country. Take heed. The blogosphere is a marvelous venue for promoting your book sales. And it is basically free!
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ACTIVITY WAS QUIETER THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS,
BUT SALES SEEM TO HAVE STOOD UP WELL AT THE LONDON BOOK FAIR
Official attendance figures from the London Book Fair have not been released yet, but the general feeling of attendees seems to be that the event was quite successful. Frank Daniels, chief commercial officer for Ingram Digital, was quoted in Publishers Weekly saying, “Overall attendance may not be that great, but the quality of the attendance has been phenomenal.” He feels that the people who attended “came to do business.”
If it didn’t coop the show, discussion of digital publishing was a key topic. Europe is running somewhat behind America in progress on the digital front. However, it was noted that many overseas publishers were gearing up to place their content in e-book form.
The London Fair is always a strong indicator of the climate in other nations. It looks as though the excitement in e-publishing is contagious on both sides of the Atlantic.
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EBOOK SALES REPORTED TO BE THE
FASTEST GROWING CATEGORY IN PUBLISHING
With slippage apparent almost everywhere on the American publishing scene, the eBook, long a step-sister, is leading the pack in growth, according to the Association of American Publishers. The group keeps tabs on the industry, and reports that despite the downward spiral on print books, growth of eBooks continues to be strong in 2009. January eBook sales exploded by more than 170% over sales posted in January 2008.
Even traditional bookstore Barnes and Noble has plunged into the eBook fray with its purchase of Fictionwire. Competition is heating up, and that has brought improvements in the reading devices available. Now Kindle is adaptable to use on the Blackberry, for example. Among the leading suppliers of hand held readers are Amazon, Sony, Google, Apple and B&N
For those authors and publishers not up to speed on this incredible trend, take a day off and attend the one-day conference on eBooks sponsored by the International Digital Publishing Forum. Scheduled for New York City on May 12, the program also offers a half-day workshop on May 11. Details at www.idpf.org/digitalbook09
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IT’S OFFICIAL NOW! AAP ESTIMATES
2008 BOOK SALES AT $24.3 BILLION
The Association of American Publishers has released its annual estimate of book sales in the U.S., revealing slippage of 2.8 % from the previous year. Sales in 2007 reached $25.0 billion, with 2008 coming in slightly lower at $24.3 billion. Over the last six years, the publishing industry has posted a 1.6% compound annual growth rate.
Data for the report was gathered from 81 publishers and the Bureau of Census. A more detailed breakdown is available at www.publishers.org.
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Charlie’s Choice
Weekly Tips to Help You Write,
Publish and Promote Your Work
GETTING STARTED AS A FREELANCE ARTICLE WRITER
After spending the weekly columns of the past few months on fiction and nonfiction full-length books, I promised many of you that we would shift a bit and review the possibilities available for freelance article writing and related work.
Publications are closing at a shocking rate. News holes on newspapers and editorial wells on magazines are shrinking as advertising lineage falls (see the final article in this blog edition). You know that publications generally strive for a balance of 50/50% editorial/advertising. Today however, that ratio often becomes 60% TO 70% ads, squeezing the editorial space .
Because of that and other budget considerations, far too many writers and reporters find themselves out of work and hoping for freelance placements to help them survive. At times like these, we writers have to take our heads out of the sand and explore every potential avenue for freelance success. So in response to a number of requests, for the next several weeks we will look at the huge diversity available for freelancers.
The Options
Many well known authors have built their reputations by writing articles, not books. Magazines of every stripe and interest exist to accommodate the subjects you enjoy most and about which you are best informed. Believe me, the thrill of seeing your byline above a well written magazine article is wonderfully rewarding. And it is even more delightful to hear someone talking about that fascinating article he/she read in Blank Magazine…your article.
Let’s begin today by looking at article writing, perhaps the most popular freelance activity, but hardly the only one available to you as you will discover in future columns. Let’s begin by understanding the magazine world. Two very broad categories of magazines are looking for well-crafted articles: consumer and business (or trade journals as many call them). Within those two broad grouping are publications that range from academic to pop.
Once again, as I have pointed out in other columns, there are several resources that help you to discover all the information you need to write and submit an article. Writer’s Market, a publication of Writer’s Digest Books offers 534 pages covering thousands of publications. It will tell you how to submit (by query letter or completed manuscript), to whom to submit, the preferences of the editors and a host of additional info to improve your rate of success.
Another excellent source of periodical information is The Wooden Horse, published on the Internet every week by highly knowledgeable editor Meg Weaver. (www.woodenhorse.com) Her listings also give you the editorial calendar for the year of most of the periodicals she lists. That not only helps you tremendously to target your submission to the right magazine, but also gives you enough lead time to submit to the magazine’s special themed editions.
(A tip for you: It is easier to win acceptance from a trade journal than from a consumer magazine. Editors at the trades are particularly concerned about content. Their readership depends on the quality of the information they pass on. Even if your style of writing leaves a bit to be desired, the trades will gladly accept your submission. Their editors will polish your article to the level they feel appropriate for the publication. BUT you must include meaningful content.)
Choosing the Right Market
So how do you choose the right market for your piece? Initially you must decide whether you want to publish in print or digitally on the Web. The likelihood of receiving a decent fee for your work is greater in print, for many sites on the Web pay nothing. They simply give you massive exposure, and that can be a most beneficial reward. You have to decide which of these alternatives is best for your career. Remember, you can always shift back and forth between these two media and between payers and nonpayers.
You can shoot to become a generalist, accepting assignments or deciding on your own to write about a wide variety of subjects. One of the additional perks that I have always loved about freelancing is the educational experience it offers. I was a generalist with one or two subjects in which I had a special background. As a result, I found myself researching on the Web or at the library when the subject was new. Assignments roamed from Christmas tree farming to real estate sales, from growing hot peppers to canoeing in Scotland, and on and on. It’s great fun.
Perhaps you’d like to concentrate on travel writing, a tough market during this economic slump or on some aspect of the burgeoning market for pets. Maybe you are an expert in a sport or hobby, and can write about that. Think about the possibilities of writing on the specialty field in which you work or did work before you retired.
Researching Your Choice
Now that you’ve decided on the subject and the unique approach you are taking, it’s time to use those directories I talked of earlier, and cull out every publication that lends itself to your topic. Select the three or four that suit you best. Buy a copy of each, and read them carefully. BUT, read like a writer, not like the average consumer.
First off, review the cover. Those teasers reveal so much about the editor’s preferences. Obviously, the stories listed on the cover are those the editor believes are the most intriguing to woo potential readers.
Look over the advertisements. The items they promote will tell you the economic level of the readers, as well as their sophistication and in some cases even their educational level. Remember always that advertisers research heavily when they select a magazine in which to spend their hard-earned dollars. It has to serve their type of customer.
Perusing the letters to the editor can help you understand the average reader of the publication, just as a careful reading of the editor’s message will clue you into his/her preferences. Comparing the masthead listings to the bylines on stories will tell you whether the magazine uses its own staff to prepare articles or leans more heavily on freelancers. And last, of course, turn to the table of contents to see the type of stories the publication uses.
Once all of this preliminary work is done, you are ready to begin writing, and have already gained a substantial advantage over the average writer who casually shoots off a manuscript without researching where it best belongs. That happens far too often and is a common annoyance to editors.
Next week, we’ll take a look at how you break in and gradually climb the ladder from tiny publications that are relatively unknown all the way to the top of your field, the biggest and best consumer magazines. See you then.
Keep Writing!
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INTERESTING INSIDER SECRETS ON THE WAY
MEN USE THE INTERNET AND ACT ONLINE
EMarketer, that trusty source of online information, has issued a new report on the way men use the Internet. Since the Census Bureau claims that males represent roughly 49% of the U.S. population, it’s not surprising that they represent 48.2% of the Internet’s users. But what happens once they come online?
They “spend more time online, conduct more searches on a daily basis and don’t mind seeing ads,” according to Lisa Phillips, an eMarketer senior analyst and author of the report Men Online.
Ms. Phillips adds that they are as engaged in social media as women.
These facts seem to be born out by a Neilsen Online study that found men topped women in the number of visits last November by a figure of 60 PC sessions to 54 for women. The Gallup Poll demonstrated that 53% of males spent more than one hour a day online, compared with only 42% of women. 19% of females stated they were online for an hour or less per day, while only 15% of males made such short visits.
All of this is not terribly helpful for planning your book’s overall promo program, but it is kind of interesting to read these statistics and may be reassuring to authors of sports, outdoor and muscle builder books.
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