Business
After the excitement of a “yes” from a publisher comes the job of assessing your publishing contract.
Facing down ten pages of dense legalese can be a daunting task, especially for new and inexperienced writers, who may not have the resources to hire a literary lawyer, or have access to a knowledgeable person who can help de-mystify the offer terms.
And it is really, really important to assess and understand those terms, because publishing contracts are written to the advantage of publishers. While a good contract should strike a reasonable balance between the publisher’s interests and the writer’s benefit, a bad contract…not so much.
In this article, I’m going to focus on contract language that gives too much benefit to the publisher, and too little to the author. Consider these contract clauses to be red flags wherever you encounter them. (All of the images below are taken from contracts that have been shared with me by authors.)
Copyright Transfer
Unless you are doing work-for-hire, such as writing for a media tie-in franchise, a publisher should not take ownership of your copyright. For most publishers, copyright ownership doesn’t provide any meaningful advantage over a conventional grant of rights, and there’s no reason to require it. Even where the transfer is temporary, with rights reverting back to you at some point, it doesn’t change the fact that for as long as the contract is in force, your copyright does not belong to you.
Copyright transfers usually appear in the Grant of Rights clause. Look for phrases like “all right, title and interest in and to the Work” and “including but not limited to all copyrights therein.”
Watch out also for contracts where a copyright transfer in the Grant of Rights clause is contradicted by language later on–such as requiring the publisher to print a copyright notice in the name of the author (which shouldn’t be possible if the author no longer owns the copyright). For one thing, you don’t want your contract to be internally contradictory, which could pose legal issues down the road. For another, such contradictions suggest that the publisher doesn’t understand its own contract language, which is never a good thing.
There’s more on the not-uncommon problem of internal contradictions here.
Life of Copyright Grant Without Adequate Reversion Language
Big publishers routinely require you to grant rights for the full term of copyright (in the US, Canada, and most of Europe, your lifetime plus 70 years). Although they’re more likely to offer time-limited contracts, many smaller presses do as well.
Contrary to much popular belief, this is not necessarily a red flag…as long it’s balanced by clear, detailed language that ensures you can request contract termination and rights reversion once sales drop below specific benchmarks: for example, fewer than 100 copies sold during the previous 12 months, or less than $250 in royalties paid in each of two prior royalty periods. Publishers like to sit on rights, because they can make money from even low-selling books if they have a big enough catalog. Authors, on the other hand, don’t benefit from a book that’s selling only a handful of copies and getting no promotional support. At that point, it’s better to be able to revert your rights and […]
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Last week I sent out a few extra emails. Emails that read:
-I’ve been meaning to congratulate you on xxx.
-How are you holding up – I know you’ve had a rough go and I just want you to know I’m thinking of you.
-I just want to say thanks for your referrals and your wisdom.
-You’ve been in my head and I just wanted to say hi.
The weeks go by so quickly. The days are filled with meetings, deliverables, and requests. Sometimes, we just can’t help but put etiquette aside. But it’s never too late to show gratitude and kindness.
Now, let’s answer some PR and Marketing questions…
So you’re interested in hiring a publicist? Here are some of the common questions I get asked during the discussion phase:
Do you work on commission or for royalties? This is a big no for most seasoned publicists. The math on royalties just doesn’t work. Despite the outcome of any campaign, PR pros put in significant hours, and a good number of us respond to client needs well outside of standard business hours and days of the week. The bottom line is don’t ask anyone to work for free. What you do want to ask is how the fee structure works: Is it a monthly retainer or a project fee and for how long?
Can you only focus on getting me only national press? I’m certain many publicists will say yes to this and in a previous year, I might have said sure too, but the answer to this question today is sorry, that just won’t work for me or for you. A publicist worth her salt is going to ask you what your goals are and where you would like to see yourself. And then she’s going to tell you where else you can and should be because she’s prepared to slice and dice your story for numerous audiences. I’ve found that a good majority of folks in the market for a publicist have little idea about the media out there – the magazines still in circulation, the outlets that have a books focus, those websites that have the best books roundups. And because national media is the hardest get, your campaign may not meet expectations.
I’ve written some articles, can you try and get them placed? I’m happy to take a look at what you’ve written and discuss your goals for placement. But I really want the client to come to me having done his research as to the possibilities. Too often I’m told to go after high-circulation magazines that are either no longer in print, not open to submissions, or whose content isn’t the right fit. When this happens, I will counter with some outlets that I believe could work.
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I’ve been messing up for years now.
I mean, we all make mistakes, obviously. Big ones and small ones, writing-related and otherwise. But the mistake I’ve recently realized is very much related to my publishing career. And now that I’ve vowed to turn over this leaf for myself, I want to shout from the rooftops–to help others, let’s say, turn over their own leaves.
Here’s the thing: it’s an easy mistake to make. If you’ve been lucky–and hard-working and persistent and stubborn and talented and about 83 other things, but especially lucky–enough to write and publish more than one book, your newest book is pretty much always the one topmost in your mind. After all, in some sense, you have to put the others behind to focus on the newest one. If you’re lucky (again, and other adjectives here) enough to write under contract with a publisher, the schedule on which you write the new book is dictated, and then when the book comes out, promotion happens right around one big On Sale date, a brief window where your book is New.
So I’m not beating myself up about it, but for years, when I’ve introduced myself to new people as an author and they ask what I write, I start talking about my newest book. Sometimes it’s the most recent to come out, and sometimes it’s the one that’s coming out next, depending on where I am in the cycle.
Hi, I’m Greer, I write books! What kind of books? Well, my new book Arca, the second in a fantasy series that’s kind of like a matriarchal Game of Thrones, comes out in March!
And I have finally realized, while that’s exactly the right answer for a publishing crowd, it’s almost meaningless to civilians.
People I meet at my kids’ school, or at a fondue party, or at the endodontist’s office, or wherever, don’t care about a specific book of mine. They don’t care about what’s new. I shouldn’t be focusing on that particular book. And if you have multiple books, and someone asks you about your work, you shouldn’t focus on your newest/latest book either.
Don’t tell them what you’ve written. Tell them what you write.
What I mean by that is, don’t start with specific titles. If you write in multiple genres, you don’t even need to start with genre, either. I write both historical fiction and epic fantasy, and the deeper I dive into one or the other of those, the more tempted I am to start listing titles, which is right about when people’s eyes start to glaze over.
Hi, I’m Greer, I write books! What kind of books? Novels about extraordinary women.
That isn’t where it ends, but that’s where it starts. Sometimes, that may be enough to trigger a follow-up question. If not, I could talk next about genre, or specific titles. I could ask the other person a question about what they like to read, and go from there. I could say that sometimes I draw inspiration from real-life figures, like Kate Warne, and ask if they know her story. I could talk about my matriarchal epic fantasy series, including the book that’s coming out next month–but only after setting the stage with the broader description.
Because in the real world, by which […]
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Image – Getty iStockphoto: Joshua James
Girl Power and Boys’ Struggles
As we approach the new year – today on the winter solstice – 2022 seems incalculably long and complicated.
Can this be the same year in which Putin opened his savage land grab in Ukraine? The news industry in which I work is calibrated to promote myriad headlines at once. So many narratives have competed for our attention this year, among them midterm elections; the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade; book bannings; intensifying climate conditions; royal ascent and dissent; inflation and rate hikes; select committee hearings and subpoenas; World Cup controversies; the still-ongoing pandemic; Trump’s travails; Musk’s management; a renewed NASA; a reinvigorated NATO; and a House of the Dragon that’s not the Chinese restaurant on Main Street in Denison, Iowa.
Richard V. Reeves
Amid all that and more, Richard V. Reeves‘ new book, released in late September, has punched through the distractions for many of us. It brings into the sharpest focus yet a deepening crisis. For years, one iteration of that crisis has been responded to handsomely by publishing. But as yet, the flip side is getting far less traction in the book business.
Reeves’ Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It is published by the Brookings Institution Press in the States (September 27) and by Swift Press in England (September 29).
David Brooks at The New York Times called Reeves’ book, “a landmark, one of the most important books of the year.” Many similar accolades have poured in. I agree with them. And yet the book may have flown below your radar because its focus is uncomfortable for many of us to face. Its mission may feel politically incorrect. It is, in fact, exactly the opposite.
US cover: Brookings Institution Press
Reeves goes to the mat to stress his support for the progress that women and girls have made with remarkable speed. “The gender reversal in education has been astonishingly swift,” he writes. “It is like the needles on a magnetic compass reversing their polarity. Suddenly, north is south. Suddenly, working for gender equality means focusing on boys rather than girls. Disorienting, to say the least. Small wonder our laws, institutions, even our attitudes, have not yet caught up. But catch up they must.”
And publishing is one of those institutions. So generously has book publishing worked to lift up and serve its fine women’s consumer base that I’ve written before here about my concerns for men’s unmet interests and needs in literature. From a purely commercial standpoint, I see this as leaving male money on the table. But there are pressures here more crucial than revenue.
One of the things that industry players can feel best about is the robust role the book business has played in creating and providing literature for girls and women. Think of the last few years’ accelerating rollout of uplifting guidance, powerful self-esteem literature, and incisive introductions of formidable women in […]
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One of the comments on my last post in which I asked writers if they liked their online persona, suggested the following:
“I would like to suggest a follow-up post you might consider. This one would be for older writers like me. They grew up without online anything, but in a time when values and standards related to the written word took precedence for anyone who wanted to be a writer. They still have something to say (even to younger readers), and know how to say it, but are lost in cyberspace.
What guidance or advice could you give to such writers? You run a successful PR company, and some writers with deep pockets might be able to do business with you. But what about others with some money, but limited resources? If the writing itself is what still matters, older writers need someone like you to point the way through the minefield. Otherwise, we will be silenced before our time.” – Barry Knister
Dear Lost in Cyberspace,
A good percentage of my client base is above 60. I’ve launched books by authors who have published for the first time at 80-something. To say I adore writers of retirement age would be an understatement. Why? They listen carefully. They are present. They show considerable patience. They value time. They respect the outcome even if it’s not the desired outcome.
The other night I took my daughter to the Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden sponsored by iHeartRadio and Z100-FM. The crowd was rabid with pop music fans in glowing reindeer headgear and bright bulb necklaces. The evening was fantastic, but what I remember the most is singer/songwriter Charlie Puth saying the following, and I paraphrase…It’s great to see my songs on TikTok remixed by so many, but nothing beats this. His hand pans over the crowd of thousands that he just sang his heart out to. And man can he sing.
My advice to you Barry:
Tell your story.
After you’ve found the editor of your local paper, email them your pitch or snail mail a copy of your book with a copy of the pitch. Remember to say what town you live in. If you don’t hear back, send another email a few weeks later.
Go beyond local to your regional daily and magazine. Some communities even have local cable access programs and news and lifestyle websites that you can pitch.
Kathleen Troy and Dylan
I’m very excited to present today’s Author Up Close featured writer to the WU community. I met Kathleen Troy through her publicist and have been delighted to follow her journey to publication. Kathleen is an author, movie producer, and a writing and law professor at Cypress College, but her passion is dog training. She has combined her love of writing with her love of dogs in her Middle Grade mystery series Dylan’s Dog Squad. Three books in, Kathleen’s learned a lot about the industry, including why it’s important for authors to understand the difference between publishing their work and finding distribution for it. In this Q&A, Kathleen shares lots of valuable insight, and one of the most important lessons she says she’s learned along the way: find good people who can help you achieve your goals.
GW: Thanks for agreeing to share your writing and publishing experiences with the Writer Unboxed community. I like to start by asking writers about their author origin story; it’s kind of like a superhero origin story but with a pen. What’s yours?
KT: Writing has always been a part of my life. When I was growing up, if I had a bad day at school, I just came home and wrote myself a better one. No denial there. In undergrad, I minored in journalism. My father always liked to read my stories. When he was diagnosed with cancer at forty-seven, we were told from the onset it was fatal. So when he was in the hospital, I started writing a murder mystery novel for adults. When I visited with him, I would read him a new chapter. Sadly, he died before I finished the book, and I put it away.
One night I was at a very bad play, and I told my friend that my book was better than the play. He said, “Everyone always says that.” I insisted my book really was better and decided to finish writing it. I got an agent on my first try and an offer on my first submission. I was excited until I learned the offer was to sell the novel outright. It would no longer be mine. I really, really wanted to be published but I turned down the offer. I’d written the book for my father, and I realized that I didn’t want to sell a memory.
GW: You write Middle Grade fiction, and specifically, you’ve written a series about a group of friends and their dog, Dylan, solving mysteries together. How did the idea for the series come about?
KT: The Dylan’s Dog Squad Series is largely based upon Dylan, an American Cocker Spaniel, and his true-life experiences, adventures, and training.
In the series, Casey’s brother Aiden, an American professor living in South Korea, bought Dylan but got frustrated with the dog and sent him to Casey, his twelve-year-old brother in California. Casey is thrilled to have a dog, his mother less so. Casey and Dylan have thirty days: Casey to learn the responsibilities of dog ownership and Dylan to learn to be a good dog—or else. They form an inseparable bond, are never apart, and, in each book, they continue to grow as a unit.
The idea for the […]
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If you’re considering self-publishing and wanting to maximize potential income, do yourself a favor and take a peek at Amazon’s Kindle Vella platform.
If you haven’t already heard about Kindle Vella, it’s a place where you can serialize your novel over an extended period, instead of publishing one whole story all at once. Instead of chapters, you are publishing “episodes,” much like a television series.
This isn’t a new concept. Serialized novels first popped up as early as the 17th century and really took off in England during the 19th century when novels were published episodically in newspapers and magazines.
This allowed poorer overworked readers to enjoy stories that would have been too expensive for them to read as leather-bound volumes. In the modern era, Kindle Vella readers are reading on their phones, often during short breaks in their busy days, like while standing in line at the DMV or waiting in the carpool lane.
There was (and still is) a benefit to authors for writing serially. Many unknown 19th century authors were able to establish an audience and grow in popularity by first publishing in serialized format, including but not limited to Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Many modern-day authors are having similar success, building their fan bases through Kindle Vella. Why couldn’t this be you?
In a nutshell. The first three episodes of every Kindle Vella story are free to readers. After which, readers must redeem tokens to unlock future episodes. The number of tokens it takes to unlock an episode corresponds to the length of the episode. For example it takes 6 tokens to unlock an episode that is in the 600-699 word length. It takes 12 tokens to unlock and episode that is 1200-1299 words in length.
Readers can buy tokens in bundles of 200 ($1.99), 525 ($4.99), 1100 ($9.99), or 1700 ($14.99).
As they read, readers can give feedback such as marking your story as a “favorite” or giving an episode a “thumbs up.” This feedback will affect your bonus. More on that later.
How to get started. It is ridiculously easy to set up an author account. If you do not already have an Amazon account, start there. Once you have an Amazon account, access Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Once you sign in to KDP, access the “Kindle Vella Library.”
After that, KDP will take you through the step-by-step process of entering your name/pen name, the title of your story, the genre, and the key words.
As for the cover image, you don’t have to pay for an expensive book cover. Traditional book covers aren’t even allowed. Instead, choose a simple image with no words on it that conveys the tone, theme, and genre of your story. You can find many images for free online. For example, explore Canva. The dimensions of a Kindle Vella cover image should be 1600 x 1600 px.
Here are some examples of cover images from Kindle Vella (the platform will make your square image round):
Writing the Perfect Episode. Kindle Vella allows episodes to be anywhere from 600-5000 words; however, there does seem to be a “sweet spot” with readers. Because they’re often reading on their phones to […]
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The timing for my Writer Unboxed deadline was perfect this month: I just got back from the Texas Book Festival, held this past weekend in Austin, Texas. Much like other book festivals I’ve been to, it was well-attended, well-run, and over too quickly — I would’ve loved to spend several more days meeting readers, hanging out with other authors, and attending panels from both sides of the microphone. But the two days I did get to spend in Austin were very enjoyable. I’d recommend the festival to any author looking to participate.
Attending book festivals can be one of the most enjoyable parts of being an author, but they can also be overwhelming and not always satisfying, even if they’re well-run. I’ve started to keep a few principles in mind as I attend, and figured I’d share them with Writer Unboxed authors looking to make the most of their attendance at similar festivals, wherever they may be located. In this case I’m talking about book festivals aimed primarily at readers, not writers’ conferences. That’s a whole different ball game.
Here are just a few tips to try:
Make a plan. Not only do many book festivals have hundreds or even thousands of readers in attendance, but some also have hundreds of authors, with panels running simultaneously. Obviously you need to attend your own panel or speaking slot, but what else will you do while you’re there? Will you steal some time to work on your own writing? Sleep in to take advantage of the vacation? Make plans to re-connect with friends? Attend talks by authors you admire? You’ll probably deviate from your plan, but if you don’t make one, you may end up not really succeeding at any goal in particular.
Pack a copy of your book. If you’re traditionally published and your book is for sale at the festival, your publisher will generally take care of sending those books, but there are plenty of reasons to bring your own copy. First and foremost, you should have in front of you whenever you’re speaking, either solo or on a panel. It’s also handy to hold up if you’re having your picture taken. Full disclosure: I frequently forget this, and did not in fact have a copy of Scorpica with me in Austin. The moderator of our panel had her own copies on hand to display, thank goodness, but it’s best not to count on anyone else saving our authorly bacon. And if there’s a chance you might be asked to read from your book, you’ll certainly want to have one.
Take something to sign that isn’t your book. You’re going to be meeting lots of people, both authors and readers. You might have business cards or bookmarks, both of which are great; don’t forget to put them in your luggage. (Again, inspired by personal experience here, when I showed up at New York Comic Con last month 100% swag-free.) Having something to hand out can be very helpful if you’re signing next to a more popular author, if the festival runs out of your books, or if you have a conversation with someone and just want to give them a chance to remember you. I threw a pack of playing cards with […]
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In September of this year, a strange and wonderful new force was unleashed on the world: an online conference for the Writer Unboxed audience. Aptly named OnConference (or OnCon for short), the event did a tremendous job of capturing within an entirely virtual environment the unique aspects of the amazing UnConference (UnCon) events that WU has become known for, which rank among the absolute best conferences I’ve ever attended or participated in.
WU Editorial Director and co-founder Therese Walsh and her awesome staff worked long and hard to plan, prepare and host this event, which had major similarities to previous UnCons, as well as some key differences.
Starting with the differences: The entire event was held online, with no in-person interaction. Another significant difference was the timing and duration. Instead of four or five days jam-packed with back-to-back (and frequently overlapping) sessions, OnCon was spread out over several weeks, and relegated to certain times of day, with the goal of allowing attendees to fit the conference in around their busy lives. And a key advantage of the online format was that it allowed for replay recordings to be posted, for those who were unable to attend a session in real time. For the session leaders, a welcome new aspect of this scheduling approach was that there were no simultaneous sessions, so nobody was competing against other presenters for an audience. (As a guy who’s been unlucky enough to have one of his sessions scheduled against a Donald Maass session at the last UnCon, I can tell you that this new approach was a HUGE relief!)
Obviously, the online setting made it impossible to enable the same in-person mingling and socializing that organically occurs in an onsite setting such as the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem (the site of previous UnCon events). But Therese and team did a terrific job of providing a welcoming online environment, complete with a “lobby” and plenty of virtual “tables” where attendees and session leaders could gather and chat—while able to see and hear each other via live-streamed Zoom-like video. Also available was a chat function, at both an event-wide and individual session and table level, along with the ability to send private messages to attendees and session leaders.
On October 18, the 2022 OnCon wrapped up its sessions, with a dual launch party for the new books from WU mainstays Barbara Linn Probst and Vaughn Roycroft, as well as something called an Owl-Off. (No, that’s not prison slang. More on the owls soon.) But early survey results are confirming my own assessment of the event as an unqualified success, with the vast majority of responses rating the event as “Excellent.”
No. Please don’t say it like that. Just… no.
Despite how well the event went, those of us behind the scenes know that what attendees experienced was the result of a long—and sometimes bumpy—journey.
The search is on
First came the challenge of HOW to do an online version of UnCon. This was definitely a “many are called, but few are chosen” scenario. Therese and her valiant crew of testers, led by hirsutely handsome hubby and all-around technical guru Sean Walsh, tried on multiple […]
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“Everyone has to start somewhere.”
It’s a familiar truism. And like most truisms, it states a fact so self-evident that there’s no need to really think about it. There’s no start without a starting point, right?
Too often, however, it’s used to dismiss or excuse a lack of skill or training or experience or some other important qualification for doing something that requires expertise.
Because “starting” doesn’t necessarily mean starting from zero. If you start your own law practice, you’ve presumably gone to law school and passed the bar. If you start your own contracting firm, you’ve hopefully apprenticed and/or worked with other builders. If you start your own real estate agency, you’ve taken courses and obtained a license.
Non-zero starting points are just as important for new literary agents and publishers. This may seem obvious—but it’s a fact that writers too often ignore.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCE
Working as a literary agent, or running a publisher, is not an entry-level job. These are complicated, challenging professions that demand specialized knowledge and expertise—not just because skill is needed for success, but because the publishing industry is weird and opaque and clubby and really, really difficult to figure out from outside.
An agent needs—at a minimum–to have contacts at publishing houses and an understanding of publishing contract terms, as well as a nose for marketable manuscripts (not as easy as it sounds). A publisher must—also at a minimum—understand editing and marketing, know how books are acquired and distributed, be capable of creating a fair contract, be able to hire qualified staff–and, just as important, have a business plan.
Such skills don’t come out of the blue. They’re best acquired through training at a reputable agency, or working in publishing in some capacity. Because there are no licensing or educational requirements for literary agents, however, and the easy availability of digital publishing technology makes starting a publisher as simple as setting up an Ingram Spark account, anyone can become an agent or a publisher…even if they have absolutely no qualifications for doing so.
Inexperienced agents and publishers often have unrealistic ideas about what it takes to succeed. They may believe that a love of books and writing is enough to bridge the knowledge gap, or that the scars of a previous bad publishing experience will empower them to do better. They may imagine that publishing is a fun side hustle they can do in their spare time, or that a career in corporate sales gives them skills transferable to agenting. They may not realize the importance of a business plan, and assume it’s okay to skip the prep work—to just jump in and learn as they go.
That’s not to say they don’t have the best intentions. Frequently, they do. But without professional skills and experience, they are at a significant disadvantage, and face a high risk of failure in an extremely competitive industry that’s precarious even for people with substantial credentials.
THE PRICE OF INEXPERIENCE
Brand-new agents and publishers still building their lists offer the possibility of access, in an industry where access is highly restricted and competitive. Along with hope, dreams, and the frustrations of the query process, it’s one of the main reasons why so many writers are willing to give unqualified people a pass.
Failure isn’t the only thing you’re risking […]
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So much is expected of authors these days: not only the writing and editing of our work, but also promotion, speaking, social media, newsletters…the list goes on.
One efficiency tool used by many authors to help with promotion and social media is Canva, an online graphic design tool that can be used either on a computer or via an app on your phone. The benefits of Canva are endless: designs are professional-looking, easy to create, downloadable, and entirely customizable. You can mix and match designs (copy & paste is your friend here!) to achieve precisely the design you’re wanting. Canva also has an incredible “Help Center” full of design tutorials and content suggestions.
Most Canva design tools are free to use, though an upgraded “pro” version is available for $120/year for anyone desiring premium content. This gives you access to more fonts, branding kits, scheduled social media, and more.
Below, I’ve listed several design ideas for authors looking to get started with Canva. Or, for those of you already using the tool, perhaps something below will spur a new idea!
Canva design idea #1: E-books
This design idea is great for social media to advertise and promote that your book is available in e-book format. Simply choose a design template that you like (try element keyword searches like “kindle” or “ebook”.) Then, upload an image of your book’s cover and overlay it onto the template.
Don’t forget to utilize Canva’s resizing tool, too: it can quickly resize images to fit Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on! No need to recreate the image every time.
In this image below, as indicated by the red arrow, I’ve overlaid my book’s cover onto a “blank” e-reader. I can then download this image and use across any social media.
Canva design idea #2: Audiobooks
The process for this is almost identical to the above, however I used the keyword search “audiobook.” Remember, as you look through Canva’s image results, try to choose ideas that are aligned with your social media or brand aesthetic.
Also, for both e-books and audiobooks, don’t forget that by posting promotional images, you also need to include purchase links so your followers can buy what you’re promoting!
In this image below, as indicated by the red arrow, I’ve overlaid my book’s cover onto a “blank” phone screen, which is situated next to a pair of headphones. I can then download this image and use across any social media.
Canva design idea #3: Press kits and speaker resumes
Press kits make an excellent addition to your website, so event organizers can quickly access key information about your work, location, social media reach, etc. Similarly, speaker resumes are beneficial if you’re seeking speaking engagements or want to partner with a speaker’s bureau.
Thankfully, Canva has countless templates for this. Whether you’re going for something edgy, whimsical, basic, or anything in between, you’re bound to find a design you like. Below are a few screenshots to give you an idea of Canva’s offerings in this space.
Canva design idea #4: Graphics for websites and newsletters
Hate pulling together imagery for your website and newsletters? You’re in luck: Canva can do so much of this heavy lifting for you. Below is an image I pulled together for a Writer Unboxed post about Read More
My family has been enjoying the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, about a Philadelphia public school with limited means that’s run by a principal obsessed with social media and youth. Abbott’s teachers are from different generations with almost nothing in common, but what they share is an incredible dedication to their professions and students. You may have heard that actress Sheryl Lee Ralph won an Emmy for her role as Teacher Barbara Howard. She’s outstanding.
The other night we watched the episode “Wishlist” and it struck a chord. Read on…it’s coming.
The teachers have shared their wish list of school supplies with the greater community, and instead of receiving the necessary notebooks and pencils that are needed, people are dropping off old fax machines that might smoke once plugged in.
Twenty-something teacher, Miss Teagues–ever the optimist–puts together a simple video to share on social media but history teacher Mr. Hill says that it’s missing a little something … the internet is a big place and you need to cut through the noise.
Anyone practicing social media as part of their career marketing efforts has heard about “cutting through the noise.” Am I right?
Miss Teagues seeks out Principal Ava Coleman who just happens to have a green screen in her office. Miss Teagues comments, I can get you a lot of views and that means a lot of supplies. But I’m gonna need full creative control. Do you twerk?
Do you twerk?
The stylized video in which Miss Teagues looks like a Marvel character gets 20K views in a matter of hours and is even shared by Taye Diggs! Her school supplies runneth over.
Now, Mrs. Howard, a seasoned motherly type, hasn’t gotten any new supplies and her students are using water to paint with. So Miss Teagues calls upon Principal Coleman again for help. Principal Coleman creates an emotionally manipulative video that makes the students and teachers look sad, impoverished, and hopeless. The video goes viral. Mrs. Howard receives boxes of supplies and genuinely believes that the Good Lord is working on her behalf. Until a group of influencers shows up with more cases of supplies each holding up their iPhones to capture Mrs. Howard’s reaction does Miss Teagues fess up to her meddling.
Mrs. Howard makes it clear that she doesn’t want her students to think they are lesser than others. To paraphrase…My kids don’t have half of the supplies they need most of the time, but they don’t need to know that. Our job is to build them up and make them confident. My students don’t need to feel less than others because they do not have stuff. Talk about what they do have, and not what they don’t.
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Therese here to introduce a heartfelt community post regarding a friend and guest of Writer Unboxed who needs our help now. It begins with a personal plea on her behalf, authored by her husband, continues with actionable steps you can take to help, authored by former WU contributor Allison Larkin, and finishes with a infographic that you can use and share to help other authors in general. Thanks for reading, and for sharing, WU community! Your support is very much appreciated.
Click the photo group above to be taken to a social media page filled with downloadable pictures you can share over Instagram or other social media sites!
Tuesday is a special day in the world of traditional publishing, because it’s the day that a whole lot of books are released into the world for the first time. These books represent a mammoth effort for those authors, as we who write story understand, as well as the publishing house that releases that book. Every book has an ideal plan — a unique collaboration involving the author, the publicist and marketing team, and important peripheral groups, from stores to clubs, that sign on early as a book’s champion.
But ideals rarely go off without a hitch, because reality brings chaos and chaos can be catastrophic. Especially when the author herself can no longer participate in a book’s release.
Such is the case this month–today–with longtime friend, supporter, and guest of Writer Unboxed, author Ann Mah.
Ann’s story in her husband’s words:
My wife, Ann Mah, always fights hard against what writers call dull thud day — that day when their new books hit stores and sites with little fanfare, an anticlimax. She pushes for her own books, of course, but also for books by authors like her who must do so much on their own to promote their work. Ann’s new novel, “Jacqueline in Paris,” comes out September 27. Because of a serious sudden illness, she can’t make the case for it, not online or in person. It is a great book. I would be deeply grateful if you faithful unboxed writers could help me spread the word.
“Jacqueline in Paris” tells the story of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’ junior year abroad in Paris in 1949-50 — a year she described as the happiest in her life. Ann immerses us in Jackie’s feelings and thinking as she encounters France’s postwar awakenings and reckonings. Her experiences unfold against the backdrop of Paris, which Ann depicts vividly and from the viewpoint of an attuned resident — the scents of fir trees and coal smoke on the street before Christmas; the dusty Roman amphitheater tucked behind a bus stop. Ann also captures the intellectual and geopolitical ferment that made life in Paris and other European capitals so intense in the immediate postwar period.
The book grew from a travel story Ann wrote for The New York Times about Jackie’s time in Paris as a student — but she knew there was more to explore. Ann researched the novel with the energy and rigor of a historian, going horseback riding in the Bois de Boulogne as Jackie did, enjoying […]
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I’ve spent the last several months rekindling an old relationship. We have sneaked off to hotels in Philadelphia and Minneapolis, and to the quiet mountains of Vermont. We’re already plotting another getaway in November.
Before you get too concerned about where I’m headed with this post, please note my travel partner isn’t an old flame — or a scandalous new one. I’m referring to my carry-on roller bag. And those weekend getaways? Think literary conferences.
My no-frills roller bag and I are out of practice after two years of Zooming into literary conferences instead of traveling. We’re both a little older. My needs have changed, and I now expect more out of our 10-year relationship. Covid has altered how I travel, in big ways and small. I’m now obsessed with flying without checking any luggage because of the increase in flight delays, cancellations, lost bags, and missed connections. I want to get in and out of the airport, bus, or train station as fast as possible. And I don’t want to lose my bags.
I’ve assembled a list of my favorite travel hacks that allow me to comfortably pack for at least five days at a literary conference or on a book tour without checking anything. I realize these tips and hacks won’t work for everyone. The types of fabrics, the size of the clothing, and the season will impact how much can fit in any bag. This list is meant to share ideas that work for me. Hopefully, you will find some of them useful. Some items are relatively cheap; others are more expensive. They’d make thoughtful gifts for the writer (or any traveler) on your shopping list — including yourself!
My favorite travel hacks:
All the clothes in this image fit inside the hanging shelves, which compress to fit in a roller carry-on bag.
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