Business
In the wake of the online community’s success with Patry Francis Day, Therese and I read with interest this article from Publishing Trends. In a nutshell, PR reps are heading to blogs and websites to help their clients maximize publicity for their books:
It’s unanimous. Publicists think online is the way to go for promoting their authors’ books, but before you cancel your next pub party, read on: Publishing Trends polled publicists at publishers, independent publicity firms, and agencies, and sent a companion survey to members of the book-related media to find out what publicists claim they’re doing, and what the media report they’re actually doing. Nearly all (70.9%) publicists said they devote up to 50% of their resources to online marketing. The remaining said they do even more.
Does this mean a sea change is in the offing for marketing books? Not so fast:
Read MoreLike many of you, I’ve been hacking away at the world of publishing for a bunch of years now. I’ve written five novels, three of which I think truly are publishable, and one of which is on the desks of three agents as I write this. And I’ve been doing my Flogging the Quill blog about the craft of storytelling for three years, and have an Internet platform and many e-friends. I’m putting together a book of the best of the lessons and critiques from the blog.
I’ve had an agent before, who was new and perhaps pitched my novels to the wrong editors—or maybe they were just too out-of-the-box for them to take on. I do know from editorial feedback that the writing was seen as professional.
My urge to self-publish is rising in regard to two of my works, and it would be good to get your thoughts. Like you, I believe in them, and think I have enough evidence and experience (via many beta readers and critique partners) to think that they are publishable. So let me think out loud at you and solicit your thoughts.
Read MoreI should’ve followed it, but I’ve blown the good advice regarding synopses: that you’re supposed to write them sometime between the first and third drafts of your wip, then leave them to improve like fine wine. I’ve finished my third draft, but I haven’t yet begun my synopsis.
Oops.
Agents at the Backspace Agent Seminar I attended in November provided a few pointers I’ll use, though.
CONTENT:
* The synopsis should provide a snapshot of what your book is about.
* Be sure your synopsis is a accurate distillation of your story and holds together all major plot points, internal and external conflicts, and character arcs.
* It doesn’t have to be chronological (“first this happened, and then that, and then…”). Weave your synopsis in a way that’ll read most smoothly to an outsider. In fact, go ahead and test it on an outsider before you send it to an agent, just to be sure your story is understandable to anyone not wearing your skin.
* Whether or not to incorporate flashbacks into your synopsis depends on one rule: If the flashbacks are WHAT happens, the info should be in the synopsis, but if the flashbacks merely explain WHY something happens, leave the info out.
* The synopsis should generally be under 3000 words, though check agent websites for custom guidelines.
* Always include the ending to your story, no matter what. Agents will slam dunk your synopsis if you neglect to include this info.
STYLE:
Read MoreWeekend Update 2: Researchers with the Smart Bitches site have uncovered a new sad truth in the plagiarism scandal involving Cassie Edwards–similarities between one of her novels and the Pulitzer-prize winning novel Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge. Here are two comparable excerpts:
Beyond were red-brown cliffs, dull orange bald rock, and yellow sand, leading away to blend into a kind of purplish brown with hazy blue mountains for background. (p. 63, Savage Dream by Cassie Edwards)
Beyond its level were red-brown cliffs, dull orange bald-rock, yellow sand, leading away to blend into a kind of purplish brown with blue clouds of mountains for background. (p. 115, Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge)
Looking up, he saw magnificent dark firs growing along the ledges. Up there, the ruddy rock, touched by sunlight, became dull orange and buff with flecks of gold and a golden line where the earth met a cloudless sky. (p. 63, Savage Dream by Cassie Edwards)
Looking up, one saw magnificent, dark firs growing along the ledges and hanging valleys. Up there, the ruddy rock, touched by the sunlight, became dull orange and buff, with flecks of gold, and a golden line where it met a …” (free Google preview ended here)
(p. 100, Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge)
Weekend update: Signet has revised its position on the plagiarism scandal. This letter copied from the Smart Bitches site:
Our original comments were based on Signet’s review of a limited selection of passages. We believe the situation deserves further review. Therefore we will be examining all of Ms. Edwards’ books that we publish, and based on the outcome of that review we will take action to handle the matter accordingly. We want to make it known that Signet takes any and all allegations of plagiarism very seriously.
Read MoreYou know that we’re not about bashing other authors here. But the developing scandal over one novelist’s work and her extensive “borrowing” of large amounts of others’ texts does make one take notice.
In a nutshell: historical romance author Cassie Edwards has been accused of plagiarism. She hasn’t plagiarized another novelist’s plot, prose, or dialogue. She’s accused of lifting, verbatim, from non-fiction references and research.
[Form your own opinion by viewing the evidence on the Smart Bitches site–Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, Part 3 HERE, Part 4 HERE, and Part 5 HERE.]
As a blog about the craft and business of genre fiction, we can’t ignore this issue. And we definitely had to say something once Signet, Edwards’ publisher, came through with a response. This, from the Smart Bitches site:
Read MoreKathleen and I are thrilled to announce the latest contributor to join Writer Unboxed: Sophie Masson. (See her page HERE.) Sophie–who lives in Australia now, but was born in Indonesia to French parents and spent much of her life in France–has published many historical YA novels as well as some adult fantasy. Stay tuned to learn more about Sophie, and look for her first post on January 16th. A big thanks to Juliet Marillier for recommending her to us.
Have you heard that the Golden Globes were cancelled over the WGA strike? Did you know there’s a new agency in town? Have you read about the Cassie Edwards scandal on the front pages over at Smart Bitches? Did you know that SOHO press will soon launch a new mystery imprint, or that HarperCollins and MySpace have a joint venture going? Have you seen the clip Neil Gaiman put on his site for his upcoming video animation of his novel Coraline? Then click yourself over to Google Notebook for some of the latest books and business news.
Sometimes, when compiling links for Google Notebook, I stumble across a great article or site that, while not right for the Notebook, is still interesting. Here are a few links to things I think you might like:
Read MoreGoogle Notebooks updates are up. Check them HERE.
I really like to read the Writer’s Almanac daily. Love me my poetry fix, and the graphs that follow the poem often include mini biographies of writers whose birthday falls on a given day. Today’s outtakes were particularly enjoyable. Here are a few:
It’s the birthday of writer Italo Svevo, (books by this author) born in Trieste, Italy (1861). He was a closet writer who worked as a bank clerk and then got a job in his father-in-law’s paint-making plant. When Svevo decided to take some English classes for business reasons, the tutor that he found turned out to be aspiring writer James Joyce, who was living in Trieste at the time. Svevo confessed to Joyce that he had written two failed novels, and after reading them, Joyce told Svevo that he was a neglected genius. Svevo was inspired to write a fictional memoir about a patient undergoing psychoanalysis, which took him 10 years to finish. His self-published book The Confessions of Zeno (1923) is considered one of the greatest Italian novels of the 20th century.
More after the Click…
Read MoreOne of the many things that came up at the BackSpace Writers Seminar was whether or not agents actively seek new clients in December, and whether or not it’s a good time to submit to them.
“I send out more rejections between December 25th and January 1st than any other time of year,” said one agent.
Why?
Maybe like Rachel Vater, it happens in an effort to clear the desk, and the slate, for the New Year. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get an auto-rejection if your work happens to be in the pile. On the contrary, say agents, while they hope to clear their desks, they’re also still looking for the Next Best Thing. Says agent Janet Reid: “…if you’ve got a full out to an agent, don’t forget that we do a lot of our reading in the last half of December. That’s NOT the time to ignore your email or put your phone on no-ring.”
But is now a good time to send a query? What are the chances that query is going to be rejected more quickly than, say, waiting until January?
Read MoreLet’s check in with the state of the Writers Guild of America strike since the disheartening news last week that negotiations had broken down between the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers over the ultimatum that WGA accept a flat residual of $250/year for Internet streaming.
The WGAs latest strategy is now a ‘divide and conquer’ approach. The first suffers of the strike, late night comedy shows, are working with WGA toward rapprochement. The first show to strike a deal is David Letterman, whose company Worldwide Pants, is not part of CBS. Therefore, they’ve made an interim agreement, according to Nikki Finke:
“This trumps NBC’s announcement coming Monday that Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien will be returning by January 7th. Presumably, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel won’t be far behind. “A major announcement will be made by more than one network on Monday,” an insider noted. But Jay and Conan, who are just hired hands and not show owners like Dave, won’t have their writers to rely on when they come back on the air. And Dave will. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, also owned by WP, would return with writers.”
The Golden Globes are taking a hit, too.
Stars Vexed by Picket Line Question
Stars interviewed about their Golden Globe nominations yesterday mainly stood behind their writers, saying that if the Globes ceremony is picketed, they won’t cross the line, Daily Variety reports. Glenn Close, David Cronenberg, and “Mad Men” executive producer Matt Weiner all said they would be hard pressed to cross the picket line, the newspaper says. Some stars, like John Travolta or screenwriter Christopher Hampton, are on the fence about attending, saying it’s too soon to make a commitment, the paper reports.
Meanwhile, scripted television shows are now at the end of their inventory, and networks have turned to ordering more “reality” t.v. to fill the gaps.
Strikers continue to picket, where in NYC, the freezing weather compliments the chill in the air between the two sides.
No end is in sight.
Read More[Note: read posts by WU contributor Susan Schwartzman HERE.]
These days, it’s not enough to have written a compelling work of fiction to keep sales climbing and the contracts coming. Writers have to be media-savvy, often a challenge when most writers would rather be at the keyboard working on their next project than devoting time to self-promotion. Writers are turning to professional public relation firms to bridge the gap and get their work in front of as many consumers as possible. Like any professional relationship, a good publicist can make your career; a bad one can break it.
Susan Schwartzman, CEO of Susan Schwartzman Public Relations, lifts the veil into the arcane world of book publicity. Schwartzman represents some of the hottest names in genre fiction, and her clients have been booked on a diverse range of media opportunities from CNN, Oprah and NPR, to major print publications like NYT and USA Today. Schwartzman believes that it’s essential for authors to take advantage of every shred of media available to them if they wish to grow their sales. In today’s entertainment-saturated marketplace, we agree. Writers need every advantage they can get.
We are pleased to present our interview with Susan Schwartzman.
Q: For those writers who have never contemplated getting their own publicist, explain what a professional publicist can do to help grow their careers.
SS: With so many books being published every month, publishers simply don’t have the man-power to give the focused attention that it requires to get all of their books adequate media coverage. Unless you are a bestselling author, and even if you are a bestselling author, you simply cannot rely on your in-house publicist to maximize your media coverage.
If you are a bestselling author, a professional publicist can complement what your in-house publicist is doing. For example, if your in-house publicist is setting up author signings in various cities, an outside publicist can book media that your in-house publicist doesn’t have the time to do. Many in-house publicists handle national media on a regular basis but may not have strong contacts with local media, which is important as well.
If you’re a debut novelist or a mid-list author, it’s essential to hire an outside publicist.
Read MoreExpect cheers among hardcore online game enthusiasts when they learn Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year. Or, more accurately, expect them to “w00t.”
“W00t,” a hybrid of letters and numbers used by gamers as an exclamation of happiness, topped all other terms in the Springfield dictionary publisher’s online poll for the word that best sums up 2007.
Merriam-Webster president John Morse said “w00t” was an ideal choice because it blends whimsy and new technology.
Read more about it HERE, and check the Google Notebook HERE for more Books & Business news.
And, though not in the notebook, THIS link to a comparison of Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker is a fun way to spend a few minutes. Not that you should be messing around with things like that, you should be WRITING, but, you know…
Write on, all!
Read MoreSnow day in the Northeast yesterday. Hurrah! I had a guilt-free day at home working on my wip. I love it when that happens.
Therese works hard on WU’s Google Notebook page, and I want to point out again what a timesaving resource this is for those interested in keeping up with the latest news in publishing. If you haven’t already bookmarked this link or RSS feed, please feel free to do so. If you did, you’d see that:
More goodies await at the Notebook. Write on, people, and stay warm!
UPDATE: Just found this great interview with Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy, on what he really thinks of the film adaptation.
Read MoreDid you hear the one about writer Catherine O’Flynn? Her novel was rejected fifteen times by publishers before finding a home, and now she’s been short listed for one of the UK’s most prestigious literary awards, the Costa Book Awards. Perseverance, passion and belief. Just sayin’…
What’s going on with the Kindle and how has it affected the price of Amazon’s paperbacks? Who’s won this year’s Bad Sex Award? What’s happening with the strike negotiations? What makes Stephen King afraid? What’s the latest on The Golden Compass and its author Philip Pullman? Where can you find a new and impressive online visual dictionary? Check out all the latest books and business news at Writer Unboxed’s Google Notebook HERE.
Two more days before we’ll post part one of the Donald Maass interview. Kath and I can hardly believe that this one will mark the big 5-0 for us–or that we’re closing in on our two year blogversary. Time really does have wings.
Write on, all!
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