How To Write a Book Foreword: Step by Step

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The Foreword is an Important Selling Tool
The foreword of a book can, and should be, a very important selling tool for the book. If it is written properly, and by the appropriate person for the job, you and the book’s author will gain a lot of credibility in the reader’s eyes. I have assembled some information about the foreword that will give you a basic idea about what should typically be included. It is important to remember that the author of the book usually should not write the foreword. Instead, the author of the book can use the preface as well as the introduction to say what needs to be said about the book.

The Foreword Establishes Credibility
Forewords introduce the reader to the author, as well as the book itself, and attempt to establish credibility for both. A foreword does not generally provide the reader any extra specific information about the book’s subject but instead serves as a reminder of why the reader should read the book. Writing a foreword can be a lot of work, but it can prove beneficial for the author of the foreword as well as the author of the book. With the foreword, you are trying to make an emotional connection with the reader. You want the reader to like you and your story. This will help get the reader to believe and trust what you have to say about the book’s author and the book itself.

The Typical Foreword is Short and to the Point
Typically a foreword is one to two pages in length – 750 to 1,500 words. As the author of the foreword, you can go longer if you have an interesting story to tell about the book’s author or about the book itself. There should be four sections of a foreword: the introduction; the middle, or main body; the conclusion; and then the name of the foreword’s author.

1. Foreword Introduction: Introduce yourself and your connection to the book’s author
The first section should introduce yourself in a few short sentences and then describe the connection you have with the author and the book. If you don’t know the author personally, explain how important the message of the book is for the reader. This provides credibility to the author of the book. Making a foreword personal also lets the reader make an emotional connection. Remind readers who you are. Tell them what you are famous for. Tell them why you are the right person to be writing the foreword for this book.

2. Foreword Middle: Discuss the book and why this author is the best one to write this book
The middle section should explain the contents and benefits of the book to the reader. The reader should know why the book is relevant to him.  Therefore, you should give the reader an intriguing reason why this particular book is unique or important. Connect the book to experiences that a reader might face in everyday life. Mention the good points about the book and what the readers will get out of reading it. Be sure to give a very brief synopsis of the book. Try to use short anecdotes about the book and the author. This could be anything from a chance meeting with the author to a realization that the book was able to help you solve a problem. Try to include a real-world example that illustrates the theme of the book. This is a way to show the reader that the author of the book is credible on the subject matter.

3. Foreword Conclusion: Remind readers why you are writing the foreword and why it matters
In the conclusion, remind the readers why you are writing the foreword, and why it matters. This is important for both the author’s career as well as your own career. For the author, it will boost the credibility of the book and help sell more copies. For you, it will remind the public of your career and improve your credibility for your next book or article. This will keep readers motivated to continue on to the book because you, the expert, is telling them that the book is a worth reading. Bring the foreword full circle. If at all possible, you should reference something from your first paragraph in your final paragraph. This will add cohesiveness to your foreword.

4. Sign Your Name
Type your name at the bottom of the foreword. After your name, add your title. If you have several titles, add the most relevant one. You can also add the title of your most recent, or most famous, book that you have written. Then add the city where you live, and the year.

Conclusion
It is essential that you remember that the foreword of a book is a very important selling tool for the book. It must establish credibility for the author and the book.  It must be short and concise. You can help make the reader want to read the book by making an emotional connection with the reader. Talk to the reader as if you were talking to a friend. Keep it engaging and tell an interesting story.

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com.

Indie Author Discrimination

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This post, from indie author  Melissa Conway, originally appeared on her Whimsilly blog and is reprinted here with her permission.

I thought I’d write about some of the issues that led to the creation of my popular video The Indie-Author Lament. By "popular," I don’t mean viral or anything, I just mean it hit a nerve with a lot of self-published authors like myself – you know that nerve in your elbow when you bonk it that hurts like hell but makes you laugh helplessly like a loon? Yeah, that one.

From the feedback I got on the video, it’s pretty clear that just about every self-published author out there has a story similar to mine. I decided to write the song after two weeks of intensive marketing that left me feeling like a dog that couldn’t quite catch its tail. The video was never overtly intended as a marketing tool, even though I did have it in the back of my mind that almost anything that gets me attention can be used to direct people to my product. So in that respect, I accidently stumbled upon a unique marketing tool in itself. People have asked whether the song is true; it mostly is, but I exaggerated some parts to make it funnier – and to make a point. The song is a composite of what the average indie-author goes through.

For those of you who aren’t writers, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about.

There are two roads to getting a book published these days, the long road and the shortcut. A simplistic description of the long road is that it’s the traditional route where your book has to pass muster with first an agent and then an editor at a publishing house. The shortcut, referred to by its detractors as "vanity publishing" is where writers self-publish their manuscripts. Usually they attempted to take the traditional route, but roadblocks and detours prevented them from reaching their destination. So they chose to self-publish, which on the surface might appear to be a smart move to shave off time in their journey, but more often, like many promising shortcuts, leads them through alligator-infested swamps.

I know I’m pushing the metaphors, but in the war against bad books, agents have traditionally held the front line. They function as the roadblocks; well-armed with opinions on what the reading public wants, and they only allow a chosen few books to get past them. Those that do, must detour on to another set of roadblocks set up by the editor. In this way, books that eventually reach the public are supposed to be error-free and high-quality.

The books that don’t get past the agent are a mixed bag. Some are good, some are bad, some are very bad – but some are excellent, because agents aren’t perfect and sometimes they reject based on what’s hot in the market at the moment, etcetera. There’re a lot of subjective reasons why an excellent novel wouldn’t get traditionally published, but on the other hand, there’s no vetting system in place to prevent the very bad self-published books from stinking up the shelves. Anyone who wants to publish a book can do so, but the bad books erode public perception of indies as a whole. If someone reads a traditionally published author’s book and hates it, they aren’t likely to give that author’s next book a chance, but they probably won’t boycott the publisher. If someone reads a badly written or poorly edited self-published book, there’s a danger that they will lump all indie-authors into the same category and avoid them altogether.

The marketing advice most indie-authors are given is twofold: establish an internet presence in forums and on social networking sites, and solicit book bloggers to review their book. So whereas publishing houses can provide advertising and obtain reviews from professional book reviewers for their stable of authors, indie authors are on their own – and unfortunately, some do a piss poor job of promoting themselves.

In a certain subset of self-published authors, I’ll refer to them as the Spammers (because that’s what they are), there’s a decided lack of professionalism as far as marketing is concerned. Spammers are not subtle. They are the ones who tweet the link to their book every hour on the hour. They are the ones with seventeen links in their signature line. They dive-bomb forum threads, comment off-topic on blog posts and generally make a nuisance of themselves – and a bad name for indie authors in general.

While the forum and book blogger advice has worked in some cases really well for authors who didn’t abuse it in the past, there’s been a recent backlash. Some forum administrators purportedly fielded so many complaints about spam that they were forced to create separate groups within the forums, effectively segregating self-published authors – who can now spam each other to their hearts’ content – because you can bet readers won’t venture to the back of the bus. Amazon UK, in a move they have yet to explain to their customers, has just banned indie promotion on their forums altogether.

Major book review publications like the New York Times actually have policies in place that exclude self-published books. Whether this is a result of pressure from publishing conglomerates who advertise with them or an unwillingness to dedicate the manpower necessary to sift through the chaff: they won’t touch them. So indie-authors are forced to seek out alternative ways to get reviews, which are essential to sales. Indie-authors’ family, friends and peers often volunteer, but what they need most in order to avoid the appearance of dishonesty is unbiased opinions, and that’s where book bloggers come in.

The majority of book bloggers don’t accept self-published books, but those that do have unwittingly taken on the road-blocking role of agent. They get the exact same kind of queries agents do and perform the same basic function of filtering out poorly written or badly edited books. This is ironic to the author given that taking the shortcut to publication was supposed to bypass these sorts of roadblocks in the first place. Book bloggers have popped up everywhere and some have become extremely popular: they weather a steady deluge of requests from indie-authors. Many are backlogged several months or even years, so even if they agree to read your book, it won’t be any time soon. Many also have a policy of only posting reviews on books they liked. Some do that because they don’t like negativism, but in others it’s a defense mechanism to avoid confrontations with disgruntled authors. There have been cases of self-published authors engaging in very public and embarrassing flame-wars with reviewers.

So you can see how the aggressive, unrelenting actions of a few have severely curtailed the already limited marketing options of the many.

This anti-indie shift is understandable, but very very frustrating for most of us. My song was a spoof – it didn’t offer advice on how avoid these minefields because even though in general indie-authors stick together and support each other, at the end of the day, marketing is a very personal commitment. Each of us has to budget our time and resources as best we can and something that works for one won’t necessarily work for the other. But just because things look dire right now for indies doesn’t mean it will always be that way. Public opinion swings back and forth, and indie-authors themselves are scrambling to think up unique ways to market themselves and their books. The majority of us keep tight rein on our marketing efforts so we don’t humiliate ourselves or compromise our integrity. It’s not hopeless, just another challenge. Until someone comes up with a viable solution to the lack of a cost-free, unbiased vetting system for self-published books, the best defense is to have a solid product and to maintain decorum. And it looks like the best offense in today’s climate is to think up a unique, non-spam generating marketing platform to wow your potential audience. 

 

Amazon's Grip Tightens On The Entire Book-Publishing Chain

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This article, by Julianne Pepitone, originally appeared on CNNMoney on 9/27/11.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Amazon’s low-priced bestsellers and Kindle e-reader are famous for changing the book industry. What’s not so well known is how deeply Amazon’s tentacles reach into all parts of the industry, including its growing interest in inking deals with authors to publish some of the hit books Amazon sells.

Booksellers and publishers are crying foul, saying they’re being cut out of the chain by an aggressive Goliath. But some authors who have recently signed with Amazon Publishing say the company simply offered them a better, fairer deal than traditional publishers.

And those Amazon deals are a boon for consumers, the authors say, because they bring earlier book releases and cheaper prices.

Amazon quietly launched its own book imprint in 2009. The effort expanded the next year into a line of foreign translations and another of "manifestos" from thought leaders, but it stayed fairly under-the-radar until this May, when Amazon brought in famed New York editor Larry Kirshbaum to head up its Amazon Publishing unit.

Kirshbaum quickly dumped gasoline on Amazon’s publishing sparks: Last month, he signed uber-popular self-help author Timothy Ferriss, whose book The 4-Hour Workweek (published by Crown, a division of Random House) remains a perennial bestseller. Amazon plans to publish Ferriss’s next book, The 4-Hour Chef, in April 2012, in all formats: digital, audio, and old-fashioned ink on paper.

Ferriss is the highest-profile author yet to jump ship from the traditional publishing houses, and his defection has rivals spooked.

"Amazon is holding the entire book industry hostage," says Oren Teicher, CEO of the American Booksellers Association. "First they disintermediated retailers, and now it’s publishers and authors."

Amazon’s expanding reach:

 

Read the rest of the article on CNNMoney.

Using Testimonials and Endorsements to Promote Your Book: A Guide For Self-Publishers

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Testimonials and endorsements must be an integral part of your self-published-book promotion program. These testimonials and endorsements should be shown and used everywhere and anywhere you have an opportunity to show them. Here are a few excellent suggestions to get you started:

 

1. Front Book Cover: Display one on your book’s front cover if it is very strong, or by a well-known celebrity, or by an industry guru. The name of the author of the book’s foreword, which is a type of testimonial, should be shown on the front cover – especially if written by a very important person.

2. Inside the Book: Place the best ones on the first pages of the book.  With POD, it is very easy to add new and better testimonials and endorsements to your book.

3. Press Releases: Any press release that you send out should be flaunting your best testimonials and endorsements. Make sure that you include your press releases in your media kit.

4. Website: Put every testimonial and endorsement on your website where you promote yourself and your book. Here you can display all the testimonials and endorsements that you get – and keep adding to the list as you accumulate more. Highlight the ones that give you and your book the most praise. Also highlight the ones from the biggest and most well-known names.

5. Promotional Material: The best testimonials and endorsements must be used in any advertising and promotion for the book. These testimonials and endorsements are essential for your book sales. These testimonials and endorsements will help make shoppers take a second look at your promotional material. The longer you can get a shopper to spend reading your promotional material, the greater chance you have of getting them to jump over to your website or to Amazon to explore what your book is about.

6. Media Kit: They must be used in your media kit, which should be on your website. Your media kit should be on your website/blog as a downloadable PDF. Make sure that you use active links inside your media kit.

7. Interviews: The best testimonials and endorsements should be used in any written discussion about yourself and your books. Always try to associate your name with the authors of the best testimonials and endorsements. Associating your name and book with these big-name people will give you an enormous amount of credibility within your market.

8. Email Signature: This should include your name, all of your websites, and your best testimonials and endorsements. Do not underestimate the power of the email signature. The email signature is a simple and direct way to promote yourself and your book.

 

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com

25 Things Authors Should Know About Theme

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This post, by Chuck Wendig, originally appeared on his terribleminds site on 9/26/11.

1. Every Story Is An Argument

Every story’s trying to say something. It’s trying to beam an idea, a message, into the minds of the readers. In this way, every story is an argument. It’s the writer making a case. It’s the writer saying, “All of life is suffering.” Or, “Man will be undone by his prideful reach.” Or “Love blows.” Or, “If you dance with the Devil Wombat, you get cornholed by the Devil Wombat.” This argument is the story’s theme.

[Publetariat Editor’s Note: strong language after the jump]

 

2. The Elements Of Story Support That Argument

If the theme, then, is the writer’s thesis statement, then all elements of the story — character, plot, word choice, scene development, inclusion of the Devil Wombat — go toward proving that thesis.

3. Unearthed Or Engineered

The theme needn’t be something the writer is explicitly aware of — it may be an unconscious argument, a message that has crept into the work like a virus capable of overwriting narrative DNA, like a freaky dwarven stalker hiding in your panty drawers and getting his greasy Norseman stink all over your undergarments. A writer can engineer the theme — building it into the work. Or a writer can unearth it — discovering its tendrils after the work is written.

4. Theme: A Lens That Levels The Laser

Knowing your theme can give your story focus. If you know the theme before you write, it helps you make your argument. If you discover the theme before a rewrite, it helps you go back through and filter the story, discovering which elements speak to your argument and which elements are either vestigial (your story’s stubby, grubby tail) or which elements go against your core argument (“so far, nobody is getting cornholed by the Devil Wombat”).

5. Do I Really Need This Happy Horseshit?

Yes and no. Yes, your story needs a theme. It’s what elevates that motherfucker to something beyond forgettable entertainment. You can be assured, for instance, that 90% of movies starring Dolph Lundgren have no theme present. A story with a theme is a story with a point. No, you don’t always need to identify the theme. Sometimes a story will leap out of your head with a theme cradled to its bosom (along with the shattered pottery remains of your skull) regardless of whether or not you intended it. Of course, identifying the theme at some point in your storytelling will ensure that it exists and that your story isn’t just a hollow scarecrow bereft of his stuffing. Awww. Sad scarecrow. Crying corn syrup tears.

6. Slippery Business

I make it sound easy. Like you can just state a theme or find it tucked away in your story like a mint on a pillow. It isn’t. Theme is slippery, uncertain. It’s like a lubed-up sex gimp: every time you think you get your hands around him the greasy latex-enveloped sonofabitch is out of the cage and free from your grip and running into traffic where he’s trying desperately to unzipper his mouth and scream for help. Be advised: theme is tricky. Chameleonic. Which isn’t a word. But it should be. It jolly well fucking should be.

7. For Instance: You Can Get It Wrong

You might think going in, “What I’m trying to say with this story is that man’s inhumanity to man is what keeps civilization going.” But then you get done the story and you’re like, “Oh, shit. I wasn’t saying that at all, was I? I was saying that man’s inhumanity to cake is what keeps civilization going.” And then you’re like, “Fuck yeah, cake.” And you eat some cake.

8. Mmm, Speaking Of Cake

In cake, every piece is a microcosm of the whole. A slice contains frosting, cake, filling. Okay, that’s not entirely true — sometimes you get a piece of cake where you get something other pieces don’t get, like a fondant rose, but really, let’s be honest, fondant tastes like sugary butthole. Nasty stuff. So, let’s disregard that and go back to the original notion: all pieces of cake contain the essence of that cake. So it is with your story: all pieces of the story contain the essence of that story, and the essence of that story is the theme. The theme is cake, frosting, filling. In every slice you cut. Man, now I really want a piece of cake.

9. Grand Unification Theory

Another way to look at theme: it unifies story and bridges disparate elements. In this way theme is like The Force. Or like fiber. Or like bondage at an orgy. It ties the whole thing together. Different characters, tangled plotlines, curious notions: all of them come together with the magic motherfucking superglue of theme.

10. Put Down That Baseball Bat, Pick Up That Phial Of Poison

Theme can do a story harm. It isn’t a bludgeoning device. A story is more than just a conveyance for your message: the message is just one component of your story. Overwrought themes become belligerent within the text, like a guy yelling in your ear, smacking you between the shoulder blades with his Bible. Theme is a drop of poison: subtle, unseen, but carried in the bloodstream to the heart and brain just the same. Repeat after me, penmonkeys: Your story is not a sermon.

 

Read the rest of the post, which includes 15 more points about theme, on Chuck Wendig‘s terribleminds.

Do You Have What It Takes To Freelance?

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This post, by Nathan Meunier, originally appeared on his Freelance Writer / Game Journalist / 8-Bit Dude Shop Talk blog on 8/30/11. While the article is addressed specifically to aspiring freelance game journalists, its content really applies to any kind of aspiring freelance writer.

Few job descriptions are as awesome as: “play lots of video games, then get paid to write about them.” Game journalism is a fun and fulfilling career, but it’s far from easy. Unlike landing a staff position at a game magazine or website, being freelance means you’re completely on your own. The freedom of managing your workload and schedule the way you want to without someone breathing down your neck is exhilarating. However, being your own boss can quickly turn into a soul-sucking black hole of stress if you’re not careful. There’s a reason why so many freelance writers pack it in and return to the relative safety and comfort of a nine-to-five job.

As a freelancer, you’re essentially creating and running your own writing business. Playing games and churning out words is only a small portion of the many day-to-day tasks you have to juggle. From pitching editors and chasing late paychecks to managing your finances and tracking assignments, it falls on your shoulders alone to handle every important facet of your business. For some, that weight can be stifling. Not everyone can hack the rigors of the freelance life, but those who can stick it out through the rough patches will find it can be a rewarding and lucrative career. Are you sure you’ve got what it takes? Consider these important questions:

Do you have tight writing chops?

A solid command of the English language is an absolute must for this gig. Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and creative flair are not things to be taken lightly. Spewing an abundance of unintelligible word vomit at an editor’s in-box is the fastest way to unemployment. While a college degree in journalism or creative writing certainly doesn’t hurt, having fancy writing credentials is far less important to editors than your ability to write well. The good news is you can always hone your chop with practice, but you still have to possess a certain level of requisite writing skill to get off the ground first.

Can you write well under pressure?

Deadlines can be a real bitch, but they’re an ever-present reality in the freelancer’s regular routine. Failing to meet them is not an option. Juggling rolling deadlines for different editors between multiple outlets can get hairy at times, and you need to be able to keep cool and do good work when it gets down to the wire. Sometimes inadvertent scheduling bottlenecks force you to bash out multiple assignments in a very short time-span. Other times editors want a particular piece done on a lightning quick turnaround. If you can’t deliver the goods by go-time, you’re pretty screwed.

Can you make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?

Because you totally need to be able to do that shit if you want to freelance. Ok, trick question. Moving on.

Are you willing to sell yourself and market your work?

 

Read the rest of the post on Nathan Meunier‘s Shop Talk blog.

Working With Your Spouse As a Business Partner

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Here is some advice about working with your spouse in your self-publishing venture. I am sure that you can find a zillion more of these tips on the internet.  But here is advice that Michele and I have created for other married business partner couples.  We have been learning how to be good marriage partners and business partners for the last 26 years – and will continue to learn for the rest of our life. We consider the following advice to be very important to our successful business and marriage. We hope you find it useful too.

1. Each Spouse Should Have Their Duties Spelled Out In Detail
Each spouse must know exactly what is expected of them. When working together for so many years, each learns what the strengths and weaknesses of the other is. If a situation comes up that one spouse doesn’t know how to handle, or is uncomfortable dealing with, they must have enough trust in the other spouse to speak up, get help, and work it out together – without hesitation, without harsh judgment, and without criticizing each other.

2. You Must Be Able To Let The Other Spouse Do Their Job
But at the same time, each spouse must realize that it is in their own best interest to help each other do a great job. This is especially true with a family business. Each person brings their special ability to the business. Helping each other find that special ability is also one of the joys of owning a business with your spouse. Helping each other flourish in that job makes the business and relationship grow peacefully, happily, and successfully.

3. Each Spouse Must Strive To Be The Best That They Can Be In Their Duty  Or Function
They must have the desire to be the best they can be – because the family is depending on them to do this. For example, the person that manages all of the websites must constantly show that every effort is being made to make the websites as good as possible, as profitable as possible, as popular as possible, etc. They prove this by staying up-to-date on everything involving website design, taking classes, writing articles, talking to website consultants,  keeping track of the website statistics, etc.

4. Major Decisions About The Business Cannot Be Made Without Consulting With The Other Spouse
Even many of the smaller decisions should be discussed or mentioned to the partner.  Each spouse must be made to feel that they are part of the business, and that their thoughts, ideas, and feelings are important. And because we care about each other, the other spouse’s thoughts, ideas, and feelings are important to each of us.

5. Any Disagreements Must Be Ended Quickly
Any heated discussions or disagreements that arise should be considered to be ended after a few minutes. Never go to bed angry over something without discussing it and defusing it. Most disagreements and arguments are not worth all the effort and time that gets wasted on them.

6. Family Time And Business Time Are Compatible
Many of these relationship advice lists that you can find on the internet tell you to keep your family responsibilities completely separate from your business responsibilities. In our case we can’t do that. We don’t want to do that. Our business is our life. Our business mission is our life mission. We also have bills to pay, and mouths to feed. We are able to seamlessly combine our business responsibilities and family responsibilities. We take all of these responsibilities very seriously. In our case the cell phone, the computer, the internet, and our reliance on each other makes this possible.

7. A Business Partnership Is The Same Thing As A Marriage
Finally, the most important thing to remember is that a business partnership is the same thing as a marriage. In order for it to survive and thrive, it needs trust, compromise, honesty, respect, and diplomacy. A sense-of-humor and a bit of playfulness don’t hurt either.

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originallly posted on KunzOnPublishing.com.

Critters Makes For Better Writing

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My husband is a big Star Wars fan.  He watches all six movies often, though there’s a couple he watches more often than the rest.  He collects the action figures (never call them toys to a “true” collector).  He rushes to the video store that sells the comic books the same day they call him to let him know his comic is in.  And everytime a new SW novel appears in print he combs the bookstores (ranting about it being released in hard back first and having to wait a year or more for its release in paper back, but that’s another story for another blog).  All of this means that when he found his favorite SW author’s web site he, of course, emailed a link to the site to me.

Usually I look at these “helpful” links others send me with half-hearted attention, but the fact that he raves about this author’s writing made me curious.  My initial reaction to Karen Traviss’ web site was, if possible, even more curiousity because the first page link she has is to something called Critters.  (My husband, being the wonderfully oblivious man he is, assumed the author was talking about her pets or some such thing.)  After looking at her other page links, which all had to do with how to be a better writer, I figured it had to have something to do with writing.

I haven’t been so surprised at being right in a long time.  It turns out that Critters is a group of writers from novice to pro who critique each others’ work.  (Hence the clever name.)  It’s a great idea.  The only catch is that all members are required to submit a minimum of one critique per week.  The good news is that there are ways to get ahead in critiquing and ways to catch up.  The benefits of having your work honestly, and tactfully, critiqued before it hits the publishers desk or you’ve already submitted it to a POD (print-on-demand) company far outweigh the commitment in time and energy spent doing a critique a week.

The best part is that you can have your complete novel critiqued as well as smaller works.  There are special provisions for entire novels and a way to get your work bumped up to the top for critique if you just don’t have the time to wait an entire month.

While it would be nice to be able to write the perfect story from the first word, a good writer knows that editing and rewriting are a must in the craft.  Having your work critiqued by others who have no reason to stroke your ego, as family and friends do, makes the process that much better (though no less painful).  Thanks to authors like Karen Traviss, who are willing to give new and emerging writers advice, and to fellow writers like those on Critters, every would-be author has a better chance at success.

 

This is a reprint from Virginia Ripple‘s blog.

Have You Bashed Your Indie Author Today?

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This post, from Dani Amore, originally appeared on her Goodreads blog on 9/21/11 and is reprinted here in its entirety with her permission.

If you read the headline above, you may think I’m going to launch into a rousing defense of indie authors everywhere.

I’m not. Frankly, I think there are a lot of bad indie books, but I also feel there are a lot of bad books put out by the established publishing industry. I also think there are a lot of fabulous indie books, as well as amazing traditionally published books.

[Publetariat Editor’s note: strong language after the jump]

So why write this post?

Well, I recently read a thread on which indie authors giving their books away for free, or pricing them cheaply, were compared to street corner prostitutes with syphilis, metaphorically willing to service clients orally for pocket change.

Being a person with a sarcastic and often caustic sense of humor, I laughed initially. But then I thought about it. And I thought of some of the bestselling novelists who are giving away, or have given away, their books away for free.

Lisa Gardner, for instance, offered her novel ALONE for free. Andrew Gross offered one of his novels for free. Currently, Ted Dekker has a short story/prequel for free on Kindle.

I don’t hear anyone referring to Ms. Gardner, Mr. Gross or Mr. Dekker as cheap whores.

So what do I make of this?

Well, I work in advertising. So I’ve experienced firsthand the meeting of brands with the marketplace. I’ve sat through many, many focus groups. The result?

I believe good products survive. There are always critics. Some with sound, astute comments. Others, sheer nutjobs. Like the lady in a focus group who raved with great eloquence about my television commercial, then proceeded to talk about having sex with aliens in the Everglades. (True story.)

So what do I think of the glee and vitriol that seems to accompany the skewering of indie authors?

Couple things.

No fear of retribution.

I think it’s a lot easier for someone, let’s call him Wannabe Writer William, to bash an indie author than it is for him to trash a bestselling novelist.

Why?

Well, the bestselling novelist, let’s call her Bestselling Betty, has clout within the industry. She’s with a big publishing house and probably a big literary agency.

(Who knows, maybe Wannabe William has submitted his unpublished novel to both and is hoping to hear some good news – he wouldn’t want to jeopardize anything.) Bestselling Betty also writes dynamite blurbs and the occasional book review. If William ever sells his book, he might be asking Betty for a blurb.

Does he want to piss her off?

Hell no.

But what about bashing Two Jobs Ted? Ted’s a grocery store manager and a part-time reporter for his local paper. He’s married, with three kids. He’s also an indie author who just published his first book. It’s good. He didn’t have money to hire an editor, but he had friends he respects read the book, as well as proofread it. It’s a little rough around the edges, a few typos slipped by, but overall, it’s a good story.

Wannabe William reads it. He catches the typos. Maybe there’s a small plot twist that doesn’t make sense. Wannabe William decides to bash Two Jobs Ted. This is just the kind of thing these indie authors are putting out while his book sits in the corner, garnering no interest. So William tees off on Ted. He’s not afraid of Mr. Two Jobs – what’s he going to do, send William some day old bread from the grocery store? Write an unflattering story about William in his paper, the East Bumfuck Bugle?

The Power of the Asterisk

You all know the guy or gal. If they ever lose a game, or their favorite team gets knocked out of the playoffs, they have a knack for creating what I call the Asterisk Excuse. It usually goes something like this: “Well of course my team lost, three of our starters were out with Indonesian Malaria, and the waterboy spilled Ecstasy into the team Gatorade.”

You get the idea.

Wannabe Writer William has yet to sell his novel. And it pisses him off to see indie authors selling books, getting reviews, maybe even making it on to a few bestseller lists. But what really chaps his ass is when they refer to themselves as “authors.” It infuriates William!

Each rejection letter from an agent, editor or publisher makes William feel worse, and fuels his anger.

What would make him feel better?

To point out that books from indie authors all have asterisks. They’re not “real” books or authors. Want proof? Look at Two Jobs Ted? He sucks! In fact, ALL indie authors blow!

There, now William feels better.

My response…So what?

Sorry, that’s my take on everything I just said. So fucking what.

The marketplace is cold and cruel. Yes, there are hidden agendas. Yes, there are mean spirited people who love to rip others to shreds.

Again, so what?

Raymond Chandler, when asked about the dead body in the trunk of a car in his timeless classic THE BIG SLEEP, replied “Oh, I guess I forgot about that.”

In Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe has his hero take off all of his clothes, swim out to the wreck, then immediately begin stuffing food into his pockets.

Oops.

I was just reading a new thriller by a New York Times bestseller. The hero of the book, who is supposed to be incredibly intelligent and street-smart, was obviously being duped. I had a basketball coach who if he felt you telegraphed a pass would scream at you, “I saw that one coming from Cincinnati!” Well, I’m guessing every reader saw that plot twist coming from Cincinnati. I stopped reading the book.

Again. So what?

If you want to write a book, write it. Tell your story. If you’ve got the money, hire a reputable editor, proofreader, and ebook designer.

If you don’t have the money, do the best you can.

Just know that when you go out with your book, the headhunters will show up sooner or later, looking to crack your skull.

Do what I do. Read their reviews. Hear them out. Honestly ask yourself if they have a point. Use the good feedback to make yourself a better writer. Do a better job with each book.

If their take on your book is as bloody as all 120 minutes of The Passion of the Christ, that’s okay, too.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

As both a person.

And a writer.

Hey, if you get kicked in the crotch seven times, say “fuck you” eight times.

And then get back to work.

 

TIPS FOR WRITING DIALOGUE

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Dialogue is one of the first things agents and editors look at when they receive a manuscript for consideration. If the dialogue is wooden, stilted, and artificial, most agents will assume that the rest of the writing is amateurish, and the manuscript will be quickly rejected. Here are some concrete ways to make your dialogue more compelling and natural-sounding.

Dialogue needs tension, conflict and emotion
This one is huge. As Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy say in Writing Fiction for Dummies, “Dialogue is war! Every dialogue should be a controlled conflict between at least two characters with opposing agendas. The main purpose of dialogue is to advance the conflict of the story.”
 
·         Leave out the “Hi, how are you?” “I’m fine, and you?” “Nice day,” stuff, and cut to the chase. Skip past introductions and all that empty blah-blah small talk.
 
·         Avoid any kind of long monologue or dialogue that just imparts information, with no tension or emotion.
 
·         Don’t use dialogue as “filler” – if it doesn’t advance the plot, heighten the conflict, or deepen the characterization, take it out.
 
·         Include lots of emotional or sexual tension and subtext in your dialogue. Silence, interrupting, or abruptly changing the subject can be effective, too.
 
Loosen up the dialogue
The most common problem with dialogue for new writers is that it often sounds too stiff and formal. Here are some easy, quick tips for loosening up the dialogue to make it sound more natural:
  • Read your dialogue out loud. Does it sound natural? Can you cut some words out, or use more common, everyday conversational words, rather than more “correct” words? In conversation, use “bought” rather than “purchased,” “use” rather than “utilize,” “but” instead of “however,” etc.
  • Use contractions. Change “I am” to “I’m”, “we will” to “we’ll”, “do not” to “don’t”, “they will” to “they’ll,” etc.
  • Break up those long, grammatically correct complete sentences. Nobody talks in complete sentences in informal conversations with friends (or enemies) and family, especially in stressful situations. Frequently, use some short sentence fragments, and one-word answers.
  • Don’t have one person go on and on about a subject. Fiction is not the place for a lecture on a topic, or somebody speaking at length about himself. It’s not natural, and your readers aren’t interested in long monologues! Have the other person interrupt to ask a question, give their opinion, seek clarification, change the subject, etc.
 
Keep it real
Avoid unnatural dialogue caused by having the characters say things they would never say, just to impart some information to the readers. An extreme example of this would be a character saying to his sister: “As you know, our parents died in a car crash five years ago.” Using dialogue this way to get some information across to the reader is artificial and a sure sign of an amateur writer. Work the information in subtly, without having one character say something that the other would obviously already know.
 
Give each character his or her own voice and style
Make sure all your characters don’t sound the same (like the author).  
First, pay attention to differences in gender, age, social status, education, geographical location, historical era, etc. Some characters, especially professionals, will use more correct English and longer sentences, while a cowboy or blue-collar worker will probably use rougher language, with a lot of one- or two-word questions or answers, sprinkled liberally with expletives.
Then, think about individual personality differences within that social group, and the situation. Is your character: Shy or outgoing? Talkative or quiet? Formal or casual? Modern or old-fashioned? Confident or nervous? Tactful or blunt? Serious or lighthearted? Relaxed or stressed? And give each character their own little quirks and slang expressions, but exercise caution when using slang or expletives. (More on that in another article.)
 
Gender differences
Bear in mind that men and women tend to express themselves differently.
In general, men are terser and more direct; they usually prefer to talk about things rather than people or feelings; and they often use brief or one-word answers.
Women, on the other hand, like to talk about people and relationships; often hint at or talk around a subject, tend to express themselves in more complete sentences; and often want to discuss their feelings.
These differences are especially important to keep in mind if you’re a female author writing dialogue for male characters, and vice-versa.
 
So to keep your dialogue natural-sounding, keep it loose and casual (unless it’s a formal situation), add lots of tension, and give each character his or her own distinctive voice and style.
 
© Jodie Renner, March 2011

12 Style Blunders in Fiction

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No, I’m not talking about the fashion police coming after you. I’m talking about those little errors and bad habits that creep into your manuscript, weaken your message, and add up to an overall feeling of amateurish writing. The good news is that, unlike the more critical creative flow of ideas for plot and characters, these little bad habits are easy to correct, resulting in a much more polished, compelling manuscript.

 

1.    Take out wishy-washy qualifiers like quite, sort of, almost, kind of, a bit, pretty, somewhat, rather, usually, basically, generally, probably, mostly, really, etc. Forget “He was quite brave,” or “She was pretty intelligent” or “It was almost scary.” These qualifiers dilute your message, reduce the impact, and make the imagery weaker. Take them out. Even very is to be avoided – it’s like you’re saying the word after it needs reinforcing. “She was beautiful” packs more punch than “She was very beautiful.”

 

2.    Show us, don’t tell us how your characters are feeling. Avoid statements like, “He found that funny,” or “The little girl felt sad.” Show these emotions by their actions, words, and body language: “Eyes downcast, shoulders slumped, head down, she refused to answer as she pushed her food around the plate.”

 

3.    Avoid colorless, overused verbs like walked, ran, went, saw, talked, ate, did, got, put, took. Get out your thesaurus (or use the MS Word one. Hint: look up the present tense: walk, run, eat, say, etc.) to find more expressive, powerful verbs instead, like crept, loped, stumbled, stomped, glimpsed, noticed, observed, witnessed, spied, grunted, whimpered, devoured, consumed, gobbled, wolfed, munched, or bolted.

 

4.    Avoid –ing verbs wherever possible. Use -ed verbs instead – they’re stronger and more immediate. “He was racing” is weaker than “He raced.” “They searched the house” is more immediate than “They were searching the house.” Rewrite -ing verbs whenever you can, and you’ll strengthen your writing and increase its power.

 

5.    Keep adverbs to a minimum. Instead of propping up a boring, anemic verb with an adverb, look for strong, descriptive, powerful verbs. Instead of “He walked slowly” go for “He plodded” or “He trudged” or “He dawdled.” Instead of “She ate hungrily” say “She devoured the bag of chips,” or “She wolfed down the pizza.” Instead of “They talked quickly,” say “They babbled.”

 

6.    Use adjectives sparingly and consciously. Instead of stringing a bunch of adjectives in front of an ordinary, overused noun, find a more precise, expressive noun to show rather than tell. Overuse of adjectives can also turn your writing into “purple prose” that is melodramatic and overly “flowery.”

 

7.    Dialogue tags – Stick with the basic he said and she said­ (or asked) wherever possible, rather than “he emphasized” or “she reiterated” or “Mark uttered,” etc. These phrases stand out, so they take the reader out of the story, whereas “said” is almost invisible. However, I like dialogue tags that describe how something is said, as in he shouted, she murmured, he grumbled, she whispered. You can often eliminate the dialogue tag altogether and just use an action beat instead: He picked up the phone. “That’s it. I’m calling the cops.”

 

8.    Describe the stimulus, then the response: When writing an action scene, make sure your sentence structure mimics the order of the actions. The reader pictures the actions in the order that she reads them, so it’s confusing to read about the reaction before finding out what caused it. So describe the action first, then the reaction:  Instead of “He yelled when the dog bit him,” write: “The dog bit him and he yelled.”

 

9.    Avoid the passive voice: For greater impact, when describing an action, start with the doer, then describe what he did, rather than the other way around. Use the more direct active voice wherever possible. Instead of “The house was taped off by the police,” write “The police taped off the house.” Also, avoid empty phrases like “There is”, “There was,” “It’s,” “It was.” Jump right in with what you’re actually talking about.

 

10. Avoid negative constructions wherever possible – they can be confusing to the reader. Instead of “I didn’t disagree with him,” say “I agreed with him.”

 

11. Avoid frequent repetition of the same word or forms of the same word. If you’ve already used a certain noun or verb in a paragraph or section, go to your thesaurus to find a different way to express that idea when you mention it again. Also, avoid repetition of the same imagery. Whether you’re describing the setting, the weather, or the hero or heroine, vary your wording.

 

12. Avoid formal sentences and pretentious language. Rather than impressing your readers, ornate, fancy words can just end up alienating them. As Jessica Page Morrell says, “if a reader is constantly consulting a dictionary when reading your prose, you’re dragging him from the story. Words in manuscripts such as capacious, accretion, plangent, occluded, viridian, arboreal, sylvan, obdurant, luculent, longueur, rubescent, and mendacious always pull me from the story. Just say no to showing off.”

 

As Morrell points out, “Simple words are close to our hearts and easily understood…. simpler words are unpretentious, yet contain power and grace….Pompous words are alienating, boring, and outdated.”

 

Copyright © Jodie Renner, July 2011

 

Resources: Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us, by Jessica Page Morrell; Manuscript Makeover, by Elizabeth Lyon; How NOT to Write a Novel, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman.

 

Jump-Start Your Self-Publishing Adventure in 10 Steps

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This week we are pleased to promote Publetariat member Joseph C. Kunz Jr.‘s blog post from his member blog to the front page.

These ten steps will help you painlessly jump-start your new adventure. Although most of these steps are very easy to accomplish, I believe that they will help you quickly lay the foundation for a successful self-published book. Now is your chance to go for it. Have fun.

1. Realize that this is a business: Self-publishing is a business. It can be your side-business, main business, or even be your hobby. But you must still run it like a business. That means you will need to learn the basics of management, marketing, sales, public relations, accounting, negotiation, etc.

2. Start your due-diligence: You must research what will be involved in self-publishing. Buy several of the most popular books about self-publishing, such as those by Dan Pointer and Robert Bly. Visit the popular self-publishing blogs, such as TheBookDesigner.com and Publetariat.com. Visit the biggest websites that can sell your book, such as SmashWords and Scribd.

3. Keep your current job: This will ensure that you will have a regular paycheck. It is also very important to keep building your resume. A good resume will help build your credentials and be your proof of your accomplishments. This will give you more credibility with your readers.

4. Discover your niche: In today’s terms, this means “micro-niche”. As a self-publisher you will most likely find the biggest success by narrowly defining your market niche. It is much easier to become an expert in a very specific market where it is much less crowded with big well-established writers and publishers.

5. Start with an ebook: This is the smartest way to get started. It is fast and inexpensive. It is the perfect way to dip your toes into the water and see how comfortable it is. Starting with an ebook allows you to feel out your market. It also allows you to make any changes or corrections well before sending your book to a print-on-demand printer and distributor.

6. Set-up your blog: Once you figure out what your niche is, start your free WordPress blog right away. This will get your creative juices flowing. It will also establish an internet home for you where you will show the world your expertise in your niche.

7. Get your spouse/partner on board: It is important to keep your family involved with a decision like this. Keeping your family informed and involved will help keep all of you happy.

8. Join professional groups: This will help keep you informed of what is going on inside your market niche. These same people might also become the market for your book. Professional affiliations also give you more credibility with your readers.

9. Advocate for your target market/audience: Nowadays, especially because of the internet, you can immediately start to show the world that you are an expert. Start writing for industry publications and websites.

10. Start your next book: Now that you have accomplished the previous steps, keep the momentum that you have built-up going. Keep improving your business model. Never stop learning about marketing and promotion. Keep enhancing your blog. Keep improving your first book. Start your next book.

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com.

 

Crowdfunding Or Panhandling? The New Arts Funding.

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This is going to be one of those posts where I ramble on without any real direction and hope I discover a point along the way. “How is that different to any of your other posts?” you ask. Well, screw you. You’re the one reading. In truth it’s because I have a lot of thoughts on this subject, and I’m keen to discuss it, but no really firm opinion yet. And I’m not the kind of person who would usually be described as lacking in opinion. Let’s start with a description of the concept.

 

Crowdfunding is something that’s not really new, but something that’s gained massive traction in the internet age. Essentially it works like this: Someone comes up with an idea that needs funding. They ask “the people” if they would support said idea by pledging cash. If enough cash is pledged to pay for the idea, the people are charged and the idea goes ahead. If not enough moolah is pledged, no one is charged and the idea sinks like a lead turd, never to be spoken of again.

It’s not unlike general arts funding, except everyday folk are approached for the cash. And the internet makes it especially easy with sites like Kickstarter and Pozible streamlining the whole process. People pledging money tend to get something out of it too. They can chip in a small amount just for the warm feelings of contributing to something worthwhile, or they can pledge more and get something tangible if the idea goes ahead. For example, if it’s an event being crowdfunded a pledge of a certain amount could include a ticket to the event. A higher pledge might include a VIP pass. Higher still and you get a VIP pass and a t-shirt. And so on. There are all kinds of incentives. And it’s becoming de rigeur for arts funding. Which is, on the one hand, great – it helps to get arts things funded. On the other hand, it’s fucked – arts things should be government funded anyway, but the sad reality is that they’re not. And they get funded less and less all the time. But I’m going to avoid a political tirade here and just talk about the concept of crowdfunding.

My first direct experience of it was with a Kickstarter project where film-maker Christopher Salmon was asking for funds to make a short film of Neil Gaiman’s short story, The Price. For a fully-realised animated feature he needed $150,000 of funding. Neil Gaiman himself endorsed the idea (which is how I heard about it via Twitter) and the thing went viral. The funding has hit $161,774 and the short film is being made. I kicked in and my contribution will result in me receiving a DVD of the film when it’s made. The Price is one of my favourite Gaiman shorts, so I’m dead chuffed about that.

I’m now directly involved in another crowdfunded project. The Emerging Writers Festival wants to run a digital publishing event up in Brisbane and they asked me to be involved with one of the panels. I was happy to oblige, but the whole thing can only go ahead if it gets funding from the people, as the government are so tight they eat coal and shit diamonds. The project has hit its goal. Sweet – I’m going to Brisbane. Here it is.

These are examples of great ideas becoming real because the people behind the ideas asked the public if they would be interested, and the public responded by making it happen. Kinda awesome, no?

But it’s gone beyond that. I’ve noticed several “name” authors using Kickstarter or something similar to finance a new novel. They’re completely skipping the publisher and using ebook and Print On Demand technology, essentially self-publishing so they don’t need a publisher. But, and this is important, they’re recognising the need for professionals in editing, proofing, layout, cover design and so on. All of which costs money. Plus, they want to be paid for their efforts. I know! Authors expecting to be paid! Are they mad? Yes – mad as a hessian sack full of Hatters in Wonderland. But then again, we all know writers are mad. We wouldn’t be writers if we weren’t stark raving bonkers. So these authors have asked the fans to kick in if they want to see the book.

This is truly the most democratic path to publishing you can imagine, as only those people who want to read the book will contribute. Therefore, if the total requested is raised, the book will happen. (If only trad publishers had anything like that assurance when putting out a new book.)

However, and here’s the real rub, those authors need a fan base in the first place. I’m quite okay with self-publishing and indie publishing, as regular readers here well know. I’ve had a varied path to publication myself and have dabbled like a mischievous sorcerer in a variety of methods. Any path that leads where you’re going is the right path.

Yet I know that some newbies in the writing game – and other areas of the arts for that matter – see crowdfunding as a way to get a start without having to work so hard. The trouble is, someone with no real following, without any proven track record or an existing fan base, will have a hell of a job getting any cash at all through a crowdfunded project. Like those self-publishers really nailing the market, especially with ebooks, who are actually trading on their past publishing success, only established artists are likely to get any crowdfunded money. The Amanda Hockings of this world are most certainly the exceptions not the rules, as I discussed at length here. People trying to start out will still be struggling along like tiny minnows against the flooding tide of existing artists.

Of course, you’re always going to get those who buck the trends and emerge out of obscurity like a lucky butterfly made of cash, but they’re going to be very rare. I guess it’s fair in some ways – we all need to work hard to get successful. I think there’s something fundamentally damaging about success that comes too easily. Then again, I work like a son-of-a-bitch and success is a slow burn for me. So maybe I’m just bitter. But people expecting a handout without proving themselves are unlikely to get one, and that’s where this is different from panhandling. After all, it’s far easier to ignore a beggar on the internet who wants you to fund their desire to write than it is to ignore someone on the street who’s really doing it tough and simply trying to eat. The truly destitute in society need our compassion and assistance. Would-be writers crying out online, pleading with people to pay their rent and grocery bills while they try to make a go of writing, do not. They need to do something to earn our attention, then maybe we’d be more inclined to throw a few shekels their way and see if they can climb a rung or two of the ladder.

It sounds harsh and I don’t want to be accused of ignoring the struggle of emerging talent, or stepping on people trying to get a start in this game. Thor knows, I’ve struggled hard enough myself, and still do. But I’ve mentioned it before, determination and hard bloody work are as important as talent in this game. If you can wrangle a few bucks out of people without proving yourself first, more power to you. I wish anyone trying it the best of luck. But don’t get shitty when you post a Kickstarter saying you want five grand to try to finish your first novel and get pretty much sweet fuck all. We’d all have loved five grand to finish our first novels, but none of us got it and we went ahead and did the work anyway. Of course, a few people do get actual arts grants for this stuff but, like the established writers making a go of crowdfunding their next books, those arts grant recipients had some history to prove themselves worthy of receiving said grant.

So I guess my opinion really is this – I see the whole new trend in crowdfunding to be an extremely exciting thing. Let the voice of the people be heard. It’s a great way to finance things which might otherwise slip under the radar and never happen. But I don’t think it’s a way for unknown names – in any field of endeavour – to suddenly circumvent that harsh crucible of slaving away at their art like a motherfucker while also scraping a living, engaging personal relationships and generally being a human person. Which is a shame, but I guess these things aren’t easy for a reason. I compare it often to my life as a martial artist, and like I often tell my students, “Kung Fu is seriously hard work. After all, if it was easy, everyone would do it.”

I’m certainly interested in your comments on the subject, so do chime in below. (Publetariat Editor’s note: click here to leave your comment on the original article, where it appears on Alan’s site.)

And maybe I’ll see you in Brisbane!

 

This is a reprint from Alan Baxter‘s The Word.

Jump-Start Your Self-Publishing Adventure in 10 Steps

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These ten steps will help you painlessly jump-start your new adventure. Although most of these steps are very easy to accomplish, I believe that they will help you quickly lay the foundation for a successful self-published book. Now is your chance to go for it. Have fun.

1. Realize that this is a business: Self-publishing is a business. It can be your side-business, main business, or even be your hobby. But you must still run it like a business. That means you will need to learn the basics of management, marketing, sales, public relations, accounting, negotiation, etc.

2. Start your due-diligence: You must research what will be involved in self-publishing. Buy several of the most popular books about self-publishing, such as those by Dan Pointer and Robert Bly. Visit the popular self-publishing blogs, such as TheBookDesigner.com and Publetariat.com. Visit the biggest websites that can sell your book, such as SmashWords and Scribd.

3. Keep your current job: This will ensure that you will have a regular paycheck. It is also very important to keep building your resume. A good resume will help build your credentials and be your proof of your accomplishments. This will give you more credibility with your readers.

4. Discover your niche: In today’s terms, this means “micro-niche”. As a self-publisher you will most likely find the biggest success by narrowly defining your market niche. It is much easier to become an expert in a very specific market where it is much less crowded with big well-established writers and publishers.

5. Start with an ebook: This is the smartest way to get started. It is fast and inexpensive. It is the perfect way to dip your toes into the water and see how comfortable it is. Starting with an ebook allows you to feel out your market. It also allows you to make any changes or corrections well before sending your book to a print-on-demand printer and distributor.

6. Set-up your blog: Once you figure out what your niche is, start your free WordPress blog right away. This will get your creative juices flowing. It will also establish an internet home for you where you will show the world your expertise in your niche.

7. Get your spouse/partner on board: It is important to keep your family involved with a decision like this. Keeping your family informed and involved will help keep all of you happy.

8. Join professional groups: This will help keep you informed of what is going on inside your market niche. These same people might also become the market for your book. Professional affiliations also give you more credibility with your readers.

9. Advocate for your target market/audience: Nowadays, especially because of the internet, you can immediately start to show the world that you are an expert. Start writing for industry publications and websites.

10. Start your next book: Now that you have accomplished the previous steps, keep the momentum that you have built-up going. Keep improving your business model. Never stop learning about marketing and promotion. Keep enhancing your blog. Keep improving your first book. Start your next book.

This article was written by Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. and originally posted on KunzOnPublishing.com.

The Ebook Marketplace Could Definitely Confuse The Average Consumer

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This article, by Mike Shatzkin, originally appeared on his The Shatzkin Files blog on The Idea Logical Company site on 9/17/11.

There are no links in this post. I refer to searches done in several ebookstores, but the pages reporting results would be dynamic, so creating a link wouldn’t assure you’d see the same results as I saw. You can replicate the searches and you may or may not see the same thing because the facts might change.

Here’s what the ebook marketplace looks like without agency pricing.

 

Having just polished off Phil Pepe’s “61″ about Roger Maris’s great home run season of 50 years ago, I was ready for my next read. No book has gotten more press on my radar over the past week than the new memoir from Jacqueline Kennedy, transcriptions of interviews she did with historian Arthur Schlesinger just a few months after JFK’s assassination. That looked like a good next choice for me.

(I have learned through the exercise described herein that the book is actually billed as “by Caroline Kennedy”, who controlled the property, edited it, and contracted for its publication and also “by Michael Beschloss”, the historian who wrote the introduction.)

Although I have several readers loaded on my ereading device (the iPhone), I have found myself recently defaulting to the Kindle store because it is the best place for me to browse. It allows me to search very granularly by category and sub-category (which the others don’t) and to array the choices in inverse order of publication (which the others don’t, or if they do, they don’t make it obvious enough how). That’s how I found “61″ and “The House That Ruth Built”, my two most recent reads in baseball history (my favorite subject.)

However, when you know you want a very specific book, all the ebook services are pretty much equivalent. They all let you search by title or author and deliver what you’re looking for. Since I like to spread my reading around to keep up with what the various experiences are like, I decided to search Nook first for “Jacqueline Kennedy”.

And the search engine found 22 items matching my search, the first two of which were what I was looking for.

Sort of.

 

Read the rest of the post on Mike Shatzkin‘s The Shatzkin Files.