Sixteen Ideas for Convincing You to Publish the 'Book Inside You'

Defeating Naysayers and Negative Thoughts

16 Reasons Why You Should Publish a Book 

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series
of books for writers

There are naysayers enough to fill every dark crevice in your defense against negativity. When people telling you not to publish a book (no, I won’t list all the reasons they will give you), here is a list for you to check to see if you have a viable reason for ignoring them: 

1.    My favorite: You want a book of memories or your genealogy to give to friends and relatives as holiday gifts—or to have just such a record organized and readily available. There are dozens of other examples. Perhaps you are Armenian, and you have dozens of of old-country remedies you’d like future generations (in your family or community) not to forget. 

2.    You want a hobby. You’ll love the book launch. You may love planning a creative book tour, too! 

3.    You want to improve your résumés. For college submissions or your next job. (Of course, if it is a popular book, that might be a more convincing résuméentry, but admissions officers might give a high school junior extra credit for doing something

other than the typical pink-lady kind of charity work.)

a.    This might work especially well if you are looking for a job in the media—from hometown press to online efforts. A blogger with a book? Not bad!

4.    If you are already an author, you often hear “establish yourself as an expert.” A book with the right theme or content can help anyone do that, but a book alone will not do it. An author must take build an entire platform, not just add a plank. Do not be mislead to think, “once published, immediate expert.” 

5.    If you want to run for public office, your book that can be shopped to the media to get more air and print attention, but a booklet you can give away to like-minded people who might support will also work well for you.  Don’t forget e-books that can be downloaded immediately—and free—by anyone!

6.    You are already a public speaker.  Don’t you want an additional income stream from selling your book at the back of the room? Wouldn’t having a book give you a better chance of convincing a program director that they need you? I once attended a free lunch at a chic club sponsored by a large investment firm searching for new clients. The author (or her agent) had sold her appearance by offering an imprinted swag bags with the author’s book and lots of souvenir memories inside for each attendee.

a.    A book might be a pathway to using your speaking skills as a spokesperson for a large corporation or your favorite foundation. You have seen celebrities do it, but you need only be an charismatic expert with speaking skills to find success this way.

7.    You are speaker who has been mostly speaking for free. In combination with a good marketing plan, more high-powered program directors with an available budget might find your resume more appealing.

8.    You are becoming aware that you must brand yourself. There are lots of ways to do this—some of them are outlined in my The Frugal Book Promoter—but most any profession, product, or business can benefit from having a published book as part of their branding. I’ve been in many doctors’ offices that distribute booklets, but a couple give away their entire book which is branding that suggests not only generosity as well as expertise. That book--an extra benefit for the same price as that expensive procedure—may get passed along to others. “Free” books are about building buzz.

9.    You are dedicated to a nonprofit group. There is power is ideas and words. A book might convince others to support the same group. A book might help that group get what they need from their own members. I published a booklet to encourage college seniors to continue their dedication to our group as alumnae. And I didn’t have to write it myself. Many members contributed anecdotes about how continued participation had benefited them. Booklets like this can be given as gifts or sold to raise funds for pet projects.

10.  Publishing houses love books that are suitable for selling spin-off products. But this works the other way around. You have a toy you’d like to market. Write a book using the toy as a character! Think about The Little Engine That Could.

11.  A screen writer once took a class from me at UCLA. He thought if he wrote a book, he could break into the movie business more easily. It’s possible! He was already great with dialogue, right? What he didn’t plan for is the steep learning curve required to write narrative. Even a screenplay writer with manuscripts secreted away in the bowels of her computer might suddenly become more interesting to Hollywood if an she has an amazing, original story or manages to make a book into a bestseller.

12.  Advocate. Your advocacy could be inspired by your religion, your passion for what yoga can do for lives, your politics, your profession. If you have a knack for inspiring others—personally or professionally—you may ask yourself what took you so long to write your book.  

13.  You want more visits to your website. Would a free book (or a book with a catchy title) attract extra clicks? Expect that you must use marketing skills to make an offer like this attract attention. I have been heard to say, “For a promotion to be successful, ya gotta promote the promotion!” 

a.    Here’s a reason you might want to draw more eyes to your site: The more traffic, the more ads you can sell on your site and the more you can charge for them. 

14.  You can publish to publish. The book you write and publish on your own might lead to an agent and an offer from a big publisher. This is not the direct line to such a goal, but it sometimes works out that way. 

15.  My least favorite reason: You can get revenge or speak out. This has been particularly popular in recent years, and if you live in a place that has a free press or free speech amendment, you have the right. In spite of my negativity, this kind of book works very well. A book like this has a better chance to sell well because—as they say—“controversy sells.”

16.  And last, you just want to publish a book. Call it ego. Why not. The learning curve necessary to make yourself proud is steep, but it’s also a lot of fun!

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST BLOGGER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers have won multiple awards. That series includes both the first and second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter 

and The Frugal Editor won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethicallyis the newest book in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts. 

                  

The author loves to travel. She has visited eighty-nine countries and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal wherever she goes. Her website is www.howtodoitfrugally.com. 

Small Book Publishers Fill the Gap

Oh, boy. In 10 years I've never missed a post publishing, but I did on the first of this month. Between family and work, my life is a bit out of control. I'm working hard to reign it in. To make up for the first, here's an interesting post for those who are having trouble getting a major house publishing contract.

One of your primary concerns as an author is to get your book published. While self-publishing is a viable option, many authors still strive to be traditionally published.

The problem though is getting your manuscript past the acquisitions editor of a major publishing house. And, while I always say nothing ventured nothing gained, getting published by one of the “Big 5” publishers isn’t very probable for a new author.

According to Book Business, the Big 5 are: Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. (1)

And, while you may have a better chance with one of the Big 5’s imprints, getting published will still be a tough goal to achieve.

So, what do authors who want to be traditionally published do?

Simple, they submit to small publishers.

In an interview with her local paper, Edmond, Oklahoma, Vivian Zabel said, “There needs to be something between the major publishers who won’t accept anything and the vanity or self-publishing entities.”

Taking the ‘bull by the horns,’ Zabel created her own small publishing company, 4RV Publishing. It’s put out 115 quality books over the last 10 years.

Zabel went on to say, “4RV looks for authors who fall through the cracks at major publishing houses.” Larger publishers look for the “marquis authors.” Because of this, 4RV gets to find some great stories.

To read about 4RV and get an idea of how a small publisher works, check out Zabel’s interview at:
Small Publisher Fills the Gap Between Major and Vanity Publishing


This post was originally published at:
http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/2017/07/30/small-book-publishers-fill-the-gap/

Reference:
(1) http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/post/big-5-financial-reports-reveal-state-traditional-book-publishing/

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children's author and children’s ghostwriter as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. You can find out more about writing for children and her services at: Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.

Check out the DIY Page and don’t forget to sign up for the Newsletter that has great monthly writing and book marketing tips.

And, get your copy of Walking Through Walls (a middle-grade fantasy adventure set in 16th century China. Honored with the Children’s Literary Classics Silver Award.)


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5 Must-Use Tips on Writing Fiction

Author Kimberley Griffiths Little on Deep Point of View

"Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow
after your characters have run by on their way to
incredible destinations." Ray Bradbury, WD

Do you write romance novels? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Whatever your genre, you strive to create a close personal relationship between your main character and your reader. To shed light on this topic, at a recent New Mexico Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, SCBWI Regional event, Kimberley Griffiths Little presented the workshop, “Close Third Person or Deep Point of View, DPOV.” Kimberley has written many Young Adult novels, such as Returned (Forbidden), Forbidden, Banished (Forbidden), and for Middle Grade, When the Butterflies Came and The Time of the Fireflies. Also, as Kimberley Montpetit, she has self-published The Executive’s Secret, Unbreak My Heart, and many other books.

As Kimberley described DPOV, it is capturing your main character from the inside out. What she “knows, sees, hears, feels, experiences—filtered through her world. DPOV creates an immersive reading experience. In DPOV we see more of who the character is.” Add to that a writer’s greatest prize: DPOV is how you gain THE VOICE.

Boot out the Narrator

I received one of the first drafts of my first book back so fast from a beta reader it wasn’t funny. There were few notes, few edits. But in huge letters on the first page she wrote: "GET RID OF THE NARRATOR! Then send it back to me."

Oh my, was I in a world of rewrite! I think all authors would agree that finding that voice, showing and not telling the story, nixing the narrator, takes practice and experience. Also, I’ve talked to writers who agree that even in later stages of revision, "telling" and "the narrator" crop up and have to be banned. It has certainly happened to me. Examples offered at the workshop:

Narrator: She wished she could whisk back in time and redo the last few minutes.

Without the Narrator: Too bad life didn’t come with an undo button.

Narrator: He had to think hard about what to do next.

Without: What should he do next?

DPOV in Action

According to Kimberley: Become your character. Live inside your character’s mind and heart. Immerse yourself by staying in your character’s point of view. Take your reader on a journey through your character’s experiences. Want to see how? Here goes:

Shallow: Desiree’s skin prickled with pleasant excitement.

Deep: Shadows loomed. The place reeked of ancient secrets. Desiree’s skin prickled.

Shallow: He could see the tip of the dog’s nose peeking out of the closet.

Deep: Barry stepped through the door and entered the room. “Aha! There you are!” The tip of the dog’s nose peeked out of the closet.

DPOV is not italicized. According to Kimberley, italicizing thoughts takes the reader out of DPOV.

With italics: Jane looked out the window. Wow! Look at that sunshine and dew sparkling on the roses. What a perfect day for gardening. I’d better go get my tools.

She went to the garage and scanned her shelves. Now where did I put my gloves and trowel?

Without: Jane looked out the window. The dew on the roses sparkled in the morning sunlight. Wow! Would there ever be a better day for gardening?

Humming, she hurried into the garage. Her gaze searched the wooden shelves. Where had she stored her gloves and trowel?

Avoid “Pitfall Words”

Do a search in your manuscript and look for “pitfall words:” Think, Know, Feel, Realized, Caused, Made. Focus instead on the senses and play-by-play action in the NOW: Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, Sound, Emotions.

Word No-No’s that create narrative distance:

• Saw, considered, made, caused
•  She felt: watched, thought, realized, wished, decided, wondered
• Avoid prepositional tells: with, of, in
• Beware the IT Trap. It’s vague—(What's vague? The It Trap! There, that's better!) What does IT mean? Namely, that substituting "it" instead of specific nouns and descriptions isn't nearly as dynamic. 
• Choose power words

Workshop Tips Served up on a Platter

• Overuse of “to be” verbs
•  Don’t summarize: Write the scene 
•  Share from the inside out rather than a “watcher’s” perspective
•  Research physiological reactions 
•  Write moment-to-moment
•  Break up long description with an action; break up internal dialogue with action
•  Don’t name the feeling—Show the feeling by physical effects on the body, thoughts in keeping with that particular emotion: ASK HOW YOUR CHARACTER WOULD REACT
•  Everything can’t be written in DPOV. Your reader sometimes needs distance to relax, such as your character reflecting and telling friends.

A word of thanks: Experienced and successful authors like Kimberley and others in our New Mexico Regional SCBWI chapter, who take the time to attend meetings and events and share their expertise, are appreciated by our members. Thank you, Kimberley, for sharing.

To learn more about Kimberley, visit: www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com
Image courtesy of: https://www.goodfreephotos.com

It all started here!

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Her first book, a mystery/ghost story for children 7-11 years old, will be published in September 2018. Currently, she is hard at work on Book Two in the series. Follow Linda at www.lindawilsonauthor.com.

Write for Magazine Publication #5

Writing for Magazine Publication is a great way to monetize your writing and test your topic for readership interest. This series offers tips and ideas for magazine publishing: a list of genres or categories and where we find ideas (posted 5.25.18), research tips (posted 6.25.18), standard templates for essay and article pieces (7.25.18), query letters (informal known to editor 8.25.18) and (formal query tips 9.25.18), formatting for submission, and copyright definitions.

Essays are all about the writer, but articles are all about the reader. An essay is an opinion piece: an analytical or interpretative work with a limited point of view. However, an article is non-fiction text presenting information to the reader.

In prep for writing our query letter, be sure to revisit your research of the particular magazine you want to pitch.  To gauge how you approach the magazine and determine their audience, you’ve:
1.    Thoroughly read a few copies of the magazine, including advertisements
2.    Found the editor to address your query in the masthead.
3.    Copied the submittal requirements and reviewed them point by point.
4.    Visit and read the magazine’s website.
5.    Read the market listing in Writer’s Market

Today, let’s talk about a formal query written to an agent or editor new to you. 

Do Tips:
•    Our goal is to present a query letter in a professional manner that is clear and concise. It should be one single spaced page with block paragraph format.
•    Use customary typeface and font: Times New Roman, 10 or 12 point, and one-inch margins.
•    Demonstrate you are knowledgeable about the specific magazine you are contacting.
•    Query letters are a call to action, so be specific from the first line of your letter, thus honoring the editors time.
•    Include some biographical information to show your personality and voice, but don’t go overboard.
•    Always follow the submission guidelines specific to the magazine you are querying.
•    Thank the editor for considering your query and always include your contact information (name, address, phone number, email address and website if you have one).
•    Wait the noted response time before contacting an editor to follow up on your query. (refer to the submittal guidelines)

Not for the Query Letter Tips:
•    Discuss pay rates
•    Mention that your work is copyrighted
•    Don’t hint you are willing to rewrite the piece

Kerrie Flanagan’s new book and Informative Links:
5 Things You Need to Know to Write for Magazines:   http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/42-FE2-WriteforMagazines.html   Know the Reader, Know the Magazine, Know the Style, Know the Submission Guidelines, Know How to Write an Effective Query Letter.
and her new book --  “Writer’s Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing”  by Kerrie Flanagan

http://www.writersmarket.com/assets/pdf/Query_Letter_Clinic.pdf     *includes good and bad letter samples

 https://www.writersdigestshop.com/query-letter

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her web-blog: Deborah Lyn : My Writer's Life

Write clear & concise, personable yet professional.
Know your reader.
Use quotes & antidotes.

An Important Skill for Every Writer

By W. Terry Whalin

About 25 years ago, my phone rang and it was an editor for a publishing house in Chicago. He asked, “Can you write back cover copy?” The back of a book contains enticing words which sell the reader on the contents inside the book. To write these words involves a specialized writing skill that I have learned.

“Absolutely, I can write back cover copy,” I said yet inside I was trembling because at that point I had never tried it. I received the assignment and the publisher sent the manuscript for the book. I had several days to skim the contents of the book, and then craft the words for the back cover. The payment was a modest $50 per book and in that period I wrote several dozen back covers. There was no publishing “by-line” or credit for my work but I gained valuable experience and increased the diversity for my writing.

Many writers have never tried copywriting or considered it. Possibly you are one of those writers and I want to give you some encouragement to learn this skill and highlight a resource with some additional instruction. Brian Clark, known as copyblogger, defines copywriting as, “one of the most essential elements of effective online marketing. The art and science of copywriting involves strategically writing words that promote a person, product, business, opinion, or idea, with the ultimate intention of having the reader take some form of action. So, whether you're looking to sell something or to build traffic by earning links from others, you’ll need to tell compelling stories that grab attention and connect with people so that they’ll respond the way you want.”

Whether you are writing a book proposal or a query letter or an ad for your website or a sample back cover for your book or any number of other types of writing, learning copywriting will help you put power and persuasion into your writing. Every writer needs this skill. If you are a fiction writer you need to learn good storytelling skills--and nonfiction writers need to learn to tell stories. In addition, every writer needs to learn to add the power of copywriting to their set of skills.

For many years I’ve read and reviewed many how-to-write books on a wide variety of topics—but I’ve never seen a single book on writing back cover copy—until I read Shelley Ring’s excellent book, HOW TO WRITE BACK COVER COPY THAT SELLS.

In seconds, every author needs to capture the attention of their readers. The back cover of your book are some of the most important words written to sell your book—in the bookstore or online. As Ring explains in her book, “Each chapter of How to Write Back Cover Copy walks you step-by-step through the creation of your copy package. Putting together the copy package first allows you to cement your non-fiction ideas and message, work through your fiction plot, develop your character arc, and strengthen your motivation. Much like a synopsis, writing the summaries first also keeps you on track as you complete the book or fiction novel.” (Page 6)

Ring has written back covers for traditional publishers and indie authors. Whether you are writing nonfiction or fiction, you will learn valuable insights in this well-crafted book. I loved the appendix which contains simple templates every writer can use for key aspects of the creative process. I highly recommend HOW TO WRITE BACK COVER COPY THAT SELLS.

Many writers need this skill of copywriting. Have you studied copywriting? How did you learn this skill? If you have other resources, please let me know in the comments below. 

Tweetable:

It is an important skill for every writer. Discover the details and resources here. (Click to Tweet)

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W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His work contact information is on the bottom of the second page (follow this link).  One of his books for writers is Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, Insider Secrets to Skyrocket Your Success.  He lives in Colorado and has over 205,000 twitter followers.
 

Try This for A Creative Start to Your Day

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, it's good to start your day with a little creative writing practice.

It gets your juices flowing—so no matter what you spend time writing the rest of the day, the writing seems to come easier.

Plus, if you try this on a regular basis, you'll get better at writing dialogue, using sensory details, and creating dramatic tension in your work.

Here's what to do.

Get a new spiral notebook and use it just for your creative writing practice.

I say "practice" because most of what you write in this notebook won't be full-fledged stories, just snippets of stories.

Still, the longer you stick with this morning writing practice, the more creative you will get.

And, after a while, you'll find that you might be writing complete stories using the prompts.

If so, good for you.

But the main purpose of the prompts is just to give you some creative writing practice every day.

Here are some visual and written prompts to help you get started:

1. "Where are we going?" Evan asked his sister.
"You'll see," she said.

2. Nathan frowned. "You never told me you had a cat," he said to Martha. "I'm allergic to cats."

3. Logan had waited all day for Lacy to text him. But there was still nothing from her. What's going on with her, he wondered.

4. Maggie sat looking out at the water. Her dog, Max, sat next to her. Her boyfriend, Richard, had dumped her this morning when they met for breakfast.
"At least you'll never leave me," she said to Max.

5. Casey wanted to keep running forever. But she knew she'd eventually have to stop running and go back home and face everyone.


First thing every morning, choose one or more writing prompts and spend just 15-20 minutes writing in response to the prompt(s).

Make a commitment to do this for one week and see what happens.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 35 published books and a writing coach. Visit her website at www.writebythesea.com for more articles and resources about writing. And, for daily tips about writing, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at www.morningnudge.com.

How to Reboot

It's inevitable. Every now and then you need a personal or professional reboot. 

Whether you just survived some massive stress, like moving - I know that one really well - or illness; need to refocus or revamp your business - yup, know those, too; or have to climb out of a rut (post-summer or otherwise), there are a few steps you can take to get back on track and move your work forward.

1. First things first, take a deep breath. Now, take another one. Before you can move forward, it's essential to acknowledge that bump in the road. It's more than likely it came from outside sources and, hence, is not your fault. Allow yourself ample time to get your head back on straight, and do whatever rituals you need to refocus. That could mean extra me-time, meditation, binge tv-watching, exercise, or taking up a hobby. Do something that makes you feel good and productive, as that will help to get your engine going.

2. Once you are settled out, regroup mentally. Remember your mission: what do you do and why do you do it? By the way, if you need to, now would be a great time to revamp your mission. 

Next, think of what you can do to get back on track. Make a list of at least 10 things.

Here are some project ideas to get you excited about your work.

- Refresh your LinkedIn profile

- Revamp your website

- Play with visuals: take photos or design graphics you can use for social media and blog posts

- Design and get new business cards

- Start a new blog post, book, or marketing campaign

There are also ongoing items you can do, as well, to reignite your visibility.

- Send "Hi, how are you?" messages to current and past clients and prospects

- Post helpful tips and resources on social media 

- Find events and attend them

- Reconnect with old friends

- Check HARO (helpareporter.com), and respond to  queries related to your expertise.

3. Jump in with both feet. Check your list. Pick a big-picture item to work on. Plus, do at least one of your ongoing items each day..

Whether you work for yourself or someone else, use this as a guide to get out of a rut and get back on track. If you work on your reboot consistently, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get things going again.

What do you do when you have to refocus and reboot? Please share your experience and any tips in the comments.

* * *

Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of The D*E*B Method: Goal Setting Simplified and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. Like the Write On Online Facebook Page and join the Facebook Group.  She is author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, and host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat. Debra is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.