Get It Write!

I ran across a free e-book: GET IT WRITE! – The Women’s eGuide to Writing, Publishing and Promoting Your Book by 20 Best-Selling Authors published by Women’s E-Commerce Association, International (WECAI).

Some of the contributors are writers I look upon as mentors; others are new to me.

Much of the advice I agree with; some I don’t.

However, every writer should find something of value … and you can download it for free.

[tags]Get It Write, writing advice[/tags]

A Word of Appreciation

I received the link to the While You Can Movie in a newsletter from Mr. Positive – a brief daily dose of motivation, encouragement, and positive thoughts.

The movie inspired me to take a moment to thank YOU for reading my blog, commenting, and giving me support and encouragement. The response to my request for advance readers for my upcoming book amazed me. Your posts on your own blogs and your comments here enlighten, entertain, and encourage me.

So today, I pause to say …

In Remembrance of 9-11

Updated 9/12/07: I encourage you to read Misti Sandefur’s Day of Remembrance and watch the powerful video.

Today is Patriot Day, a time to remember September 11, 2001, to honor the heroes of that day and every day since, to give thanks that there have been no terrorist attacks in the US in the last six years, and to realize we must be ever vigilant to prevent the next 9-11.

We can enjoy our comfortable lives in the US because of the efforts and sacrifices of our military, their families, law enforcement and other first responders, and all who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe.

O ALMIGHTY God, the supreme Governor of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners, and to be merciful to those who truly repent; Save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee, who art the only giver of all victory; through the merits of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

O LORD God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines of our country. Support them in the day of battle, and in the time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

[tags]9-11, Patriot Day[/tags]

What Do You Think of Virtual Book Tours?

Many authors are doing virtual book tours today. A recent New York Times article described a virtual book tour (VBT) arranged by a major publisher. (Access to article may require free registration.)

Dorothy Thompson at Pump Up Your Book Promotion arranges blog book tours for authors. She also blogs about her experiences and hosts authors at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion.

Updated: Dorothy also has a great article on making your virtual book tour a success at Book Marketing Buzz.

Many authors, however, plan their own virtual book tours. It takes a lot of work to arrange with bloggers and answer interview questions or write a guest post for each stop on the tour.

Glenda Watson Hyatt just finished a virtual tour for her book I’ll Do It Myself. She involved her blog readers creatively in her book tour adventure, describing her “travels.”

Mary Emma Allen, who hosts touring authors at Potpourri of Writing, recently wrote an excellent guest post on using virtual book tours for book promotion at Grow Your Writing Business. Be sure to read the comments as well as the post itself, because some authors with VBT experience share some helpful advice.

I’m thinking about planning a virtual book tour to promote my novel Dream or Destiny when it’s published later this year. I’ve been ambivalent about it, but after reading the articles linked here, I think it might be worthwhile and fun … as well as a lot of work!

Have you participated in a virtual book tour, either as an author or host? Do you read blogs that host VBTs? Has reading an interview or guest post by an author ever motivated you to buy a book?

[tags]virtual book tour[/tags]

Looking for Advance Readers/Reviewers for Dream or Destiny

My romantic suspense novel, Dream or Destiny, is almost ready to send to the book designer. My publisher/editor, Grace Anne Schaefer at GASLight Publishing, is doing a final read-through before the manuscript is turned into a book.

We’d love to have some reader input. If you are interested in reading and commenting on the manuscript, please let me know.

This is what we’re looking for:

• Feedback on any errors, inconsistencies, or loose ends. For example, I wrote the story several years ago before caller ID was ubiquitous. When I updated the story, I had to come up with a reason the hero didn’t get the caller ID on a threatening phone call.
• If you like the book, I’d appreciate comments that could be quoted on the back cover or used as a review at Amazon.com and in marketing materials.
• If you don’t like the book, give me your honest opinion – preferably in a private e-mail.

If you’d like to read my story, post a comment or e-mail me. Let me know if standard manuscript format (Word document, double-spaced, 12 pt font, 1″ margins) is OK or if you would prefer that I create an electronic advance reading copy (PDF file, single-spaced, two-page layout).

Thanks to anyone willing to help out.

[tags]Dream or Destiny[/tags]

The Realities of the Publishing World: Traditional, Subsidy, and Self-Publishing

Publishing is a tough business. I’ve heard numbers from less to 5% to about 10% of manuscripts submitted are accepted and published by traditional publishers. Several years ago a friend of mine researched all the books in the romance genre by first-time authors published by the major romance publishing houses in a given year. She found that, on average, an author had been writing for seven years and had seven completed manuscripts before making her first sale.

Nearly 300,000 books were published by traditional, vanity/subsidy, and self-publishers in 2006, and organizations such as the Book Industry Study Group and the Jenkins Group often report that the majority of all books published sell than one hundred copies. Nonfiction books typically stand a better chance of being published in the first place and, once published, usually sell more copies than fiction.

Obviously achieving success as a book author, especially as a novelist, presents a huge challenge. There is a lot of debate on the pros and cons of the various kinds of publishing: traditional, subsidy, and self-publishing. See my Self-Publishing Primer for a more in-depth review of these different kinds of publishing and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Patricia Fry has written an insightful article, Publishing—The Raw Truth, at Publishing Basics. She includes a series of questions to ask yourself to decide if your book project is really viable.

And if you’d like to hear a passionate debate about the pros and cons of self-publishing, listen to the Writing Show’s podcast Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing Smackdown with Jeff DeRego, Stacie Penney, and Matthew Wayne Selznick. They have an interesting discussion, though some of the participants seem to lump subsidy and self-publishing together, which isn’t a fair evaluation, in my opinion.

I’m a big advocate of self-publishing. Much of my work, and most of my favorite, involves helping writers polish their manuscripts and find their way through the self-publishing maze. Self-publishing authors can be very successful … but many aren’t, just as the majority of writers who strive for traditional publication fail to meet their goal of publication.

The two most important characteristics of successful authors – regardless of how they are published – are these: 1) dedication to improving their craft and learning the industry, and 2) persistence.

Please share your publishing experiences and questions. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll try to find out.

And I have a question for you: would anyone be interested in the Self-Publishing Primer as a free e-book? It’s all here on my blog in 14 separate posts. Would it be more convenient combined into a single PDF and/or HTML file?

[tags]publishing, self-publishing[/tags]

It’s Funny NOW, But Then … Roundup

The group writing project “It’s Funny NOW, But Then …” has ended. Although there weren’t many entries, the quality made up for the lack of quantity.

Thanks to the bloggers who shared their “it’s funny NOW, but then …” moments. They brought us laughter, which was called “cheap medicine” by Lord Byron and “the music of the soul” in an old English prayer. Along with the laughs, we found some valuable lessons.

The entries are listed in the order in which they were received.

WordVixen at I Feel Like Chatting describes accidentally mooning her friend’s boyfriend. You have to read her story to find out how that could have been an accident.

Edith Brown tells about a finding a snake skin in her bedroom, and her description of her friend Franie’s reaction is priceless. Edith kept her entry focused on the theme of her blog with her motivational conclusion.

JerseyGirl89 at Dirty Little Secret also talks about exposing herself. She points out her growth – progressing from letting someone else embarrass her to embarrassing herself.

Laura at WritingThoughts writes about a family trip to the beach with a toddler. You’ll get a good laugh from what her not-yet-quite-three-old said.

Yvonne at Grow Your Writing Business tells a hilarious tale of rosary beads, a speeding nun, and fractured French. In retrospect, though, she learned a valuable lesson.

Heather at Desperately Seeking Sanity shares a teen-aged escapade involving a car, a tow truck, and an attempt to keep the mischief a secret from her parents. Her story probably reminds all of us of our teen years.

I’m so thrilled with the entries that I’m going to give each entrant a small thank-you – an e-book version of a novel that I wrote or edited. Let me know your preference, and I’ll e-mail you a zip file containing RTF, PDF, and HTML formats. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed your entries and appreciate your participation.

Stroke of Luck – a contemporary romance by yours truly
The New Day Dawns: People of the Frozen Earth Book 1 – by Grace Anne Schaefer
As Shadows Fall: People of the Frozen Earth Book 2 – by Grace Anne Schaefer
Spring House: Book 1 in the Westward Sagas – by David Bowles

Well … duh … As I was writing this post, I kept thinking I was missing an entry. I thought there were seven, but my list showed only six. I checked and re-checked, and convinced I hadn’t forgotten anyone, I posted. Then an hour or so later, I remembered … my own entry - the memory that sparked the idea in the first place. Another good laugh at myself!

[tags]It’s Funny NOW, But Then …, group writing project[/tags]

A Blog Contest with $4,000 in Prizes

David Airey’s blog is one year old, and he’s giving away the gifts – actually prizes, $4,000 worth, in a blog contest that is sure to draw a passel of entries.

There are three fabulous prize packages and a couple dozen bonus prizes that will be drawn individually. I’d be delighted to win any of the prizes, but there are several I’d really love. Among my favorites are a logo created by David, a Web site critique from Randa Clay Design, a one-hour blog optimization consultation with Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog Tips, Revolution Premium WordPress theme package from Brian Gardner, and $25 in cash via PayPal from Gayla McCord of Mom Gadget.

Of course, I’d be thrilled with a custom WordPress theme design from Nate Whitehill, $60 of books from Amazon courtesy of Darren Rowse of Problogger, a logo design from Tara Roskell of Graphic Design Blog, a full blog review with deep links and images published on Blog-Op with Chris Lodge, or expert WordPress blog help from Lakshmi Mareddy of Chilligavva.

You’re bound to find lots of prizes you’d like to win as well. Visit David’s blog to find out how to enter.

[tags]blog contest, David Airey[/tags]

What Does Labor Day Mean to Freelancers?

Labor Day was first observed in 1882 by the Central Labor Union of New York to create a holiday for workers and to celebrate trade unions. Cities and states began to recognize the day, and, in 1892, the US Congress designated the first Monday in September for the annual observance of Labor Day. The recognition of Labor Day demonstrates the power of organized labor, especially a hundred years ago. Parades and picnics are traditional Labor Day events.

Jim Blasingame, the Small Business Advocate, points out in his newsletter every year that there is no Small Business Day, even though “small businesses account for about 75% of new jobs created in the country,” according to the Small Business Administration. About half of all employees work for small businesses.

The government’s report on small business for 2005 (released in December 2006) states:

…of the nearly 26 million firms in the United States, most are very small—97.5 percent of employer and nonemployer firms have fewer than 20 employees. Yet cumulatively, these firms account for half of our nonfarm real gross domestic product, and they have generated 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs over the past decade.

But what about those of us who are self-employed? The same report indicates:

The estimated number of nonemployer firms also reached a new high, at 19.86 million.

That means that two-thirds of small businesses have no employees. Freelancers fall into this category. Writers and designers often think of themselves as creative rather than entrepreneurial. However, to be successful, we have to be both.

My guess is that many of us will be working at least part of this holiday weekend. I hadn’t intended to work, but I have a client – a self-employed consultant – who has a big project starting next week, and she needs my help in preparing the training materials for her workshops. So she’ll be working … and I’ll be working while workers employed by small and large businesses will have a day off.

However, even if we’re not honored with a national holiday, and though I’ll be working at least part of the time on the holiday, I am delighted that I am a freelancer and not an employee. Maybe I work a lot harder and longer than I would if I reported to an 8-5 job, but I do it by choice. I have the freedom to tell my client I’m not available if I want, or I can do the work for her between midnight and 5 AM if I prefer. And if I choose to take off later in the week or next week, I can.

I give thanks every day that I do what I love and have the freedom to choose when and how it – even who I work with. There may not be a national holiday to celebrate self-employment, but, to me, every day is a day to celebrate.

Whether you’re a part of organized labor, an employee who isn’t a union member, an employer, or a self-employed freelancer, have a blessed, happy, and safe Labor Day.

[tags]Labor Day, self-employment, small business, holiday[/tags]

It’s Funny NOW, But Then … Deadline is September 4

The deadline for the group writing project “It’s Funny NOW, But Then …” is Tuesday, September 4, at midnight, CST.

Won’t you share something you can laugh about now – something that may have taught you a valuable lesson – that wasn’t funny at the time it happened?

[tags]It’s Funny NOW, But Then …, group writing project[/tags]

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