Q&A with The Lit Coach

Happy Friday, Writers!


Because this is kind of an oddball month with no virtue focus, but an awesome post on high concept fiction by author Darynda Jones this Monday (The Charley Davidson series) and an exciting announcement later in the month, there will be few Flashback Fridays. So today, I'm doing a quick Q&A culled from some questions a writer had sent me recently. Which brings me to my latest announcement!

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have seen my shout outs to LitReactor. LitReactor is a new literary website launching October 1st, brought to you by the cool folks who created Chuck Palahniuk's The Cult. I'll be writing a bi-monthly Q&A column for LitReactor (among other things which I'll announce later this month) and I'll be sharing a lot more about what LitReactor aims to do soon. This month, you'll have an opportunity to hear from some of the amazing crew and instructors who are behind the curtain there. In short, I am beyond thrilled that literary writers (and not just Chuck Palahniuk fans) will have a place that's designed for their needs and their aesthetic with plenty of opportunities to learn craft from some of the best literary authors and pros out there. Check out LitReactor on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for their newsletter and you'll receive a lovely welcome note from our Educational Director, Mark Vanderpool (who happens to be one of the smartest people I know), along with some exceptional writing advice created especially for LitReactor from Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Bret Easton Ellis, Holiday Reinhorn, Amy Hempel and more.  

Ok, on with the Q&A!


Q: How does the emerging mainstream novelist get noticed until he or she gets published (if you know what I mean)? Attempting the short story would be sending one down the wrong alley, I would think, as they are two quite different forms and the market for the short story seems to be evaporating anyway. Anon

A: The only way you're going to get notice is by getting involved in a literary/writing community (your choice) and finding appropriate venues to pitch your work. It's all about building your author platform and your expertise right now - all of which take time.

I don't think short stories are going anywhere. Yes, they're hard to sell, but they've always been hard to sell - they have literary leanings and many traditional publishers would rather publish something from a writer who enjoys, or could enjoy, a far reach, a big fat market (and there's nothing wrong with that). I adore short stories as much as I enjoy a quick page turner and don't feel the shorts are going anywhere. When is the last time you heard of a major literary journal going under? In fact, I've just been made aware of a refreshing new LA based lit journal, SLAKE, that popped up in 2010 to counterbalance all this "quick" reading we're doing. Anyway...I digress. 

That said, short stories aren't every writer's medium or market, so don't feel you have to write and submit short stories just to get your work out there and read. Many mainstream novelists write newspaper, magazine and e-zine articles and columns; blog contributions are another opportunity for you. Think about what's timely about your novel - are there any major themes in your novel that reflect what's going on in the news? Maybe your novel is about a sticky family issue - what's at the heart of that issue? Does it echo what's going on in our world? There's your article! Now, learn how to pitch to the appropriate news editor and you're in business. 

Or you could write an essay or personal narrative, find the appropriate market for your piece and pitch that. Maybe your blog is your creative outlet outside your novel and you begin to build your readership that way. 

There are many opportunities for you to get your work shown. With a little creativity, focus and of course some time investment, you'll be heard.

For more about platform and experience, check out this article I wrote for Pitch University.

Good luck!

Q: I have just read about an "excerpt contest." I am not sure what that is and where one can find more information. Do you have any specific recommendations for submitting while you are writing your novel? Is it wise to send out excerpts when one is still bumping around in the dark? Anon

A: Excerpt or manuscript contests are usually largely supported by genre or literary writing organizations, literary journals, specialty or trade journals and magazines. The judging panel, usually comprised of like-market literary and publishing professionals, will read and judge the incoming submissions, choose a winning submission and usually a runner-up. The winners are awarded a prize of some kind - sometimes cash, sometimes serious consideration from an agent and/or an editor at a large publisher, among other things. And of course, if it's a major contest, the acclaim is prize enough.

I'm sure there's opportunity online for this, but I'm less sure about the who/what/when/where/why with this avenue - my advice there would be to stick with the big, reputable names who also have a legacy in print. 

As far as timing goes, if you feel you have an excerpt from your novel in progress that's as polished as it can be, send it in, but I would rather you wait until you have the manuscript finished and fully edited - you never know how it'll change in the editing process. Sometimes the prize for these contests is literary representation and/or a review from some Big 6 publishers. It's best to put your most polished foot forward with a finished piece of work. 

Good luck!

Thanks for your questions.

Darynda Jones!

TLC

Focus and Today's Writer: The Long Pitch

In my most recent article for Pitch University, I discuss the difference between what I consider the "short" pitch - the air tight, expertly crafted query letter or face to face pitch that allows your foot in the door (partial or full manuscript read) and the "long" pitch, the foundation upon which your craft is built and how all that experience appears on paper. 

Expertly crafted pitches will only open doors for you if your work is great and you have the platform to back up the work. You could have a fabulous query letter that's been hand crafted for you by an expert but if the actual writing of your book doesn't live up to that query, it's over. I see this happen more often today than I did as an agent nearly 10 years ago. Why? Does it have to do with all the new resources and services focused ONLY on pitching? Perhaps, but those resources aren't the problem - they're a GREAT tool available to writers when the time is right. I feel it's because more and more people are pulling up to the writing table wanting to write but don't want to take that oh-so-necessary time to learn the craft, build on their skill and get their work seen before they approach an agent or publishing house.  

Writers, there are no short cuts. I don't care if you want to self-publish or go the traditional route, if you're just starting out, if you've just been at this thing for a few years, you must learn to write well and begin to make your work public in some form or another before you approach the publishing world. This track record of success becomes your platform - the thing you desperately need to really get your foot in the door of a publishing house or as many would say, into a reader's hands. But the process is not the same for all writers.

Fiction Authors

It might help, but you don’t need an MFA to write a brilliant, compelling, thoughtful, kick-butt novel. However, you do need a track record. It could be built on the shoulders of a career in journalism as with Tom Wolfe. It could be built in the wordsmithing operation of an advertising firm, or it could be built on nothing but the natural ability of being a keen observer. The point is that you have to start somewhere, baby steps if you like, but you’ve got to get your work out there. It needs to be seen, critically evaluated and someone other than your mother needs to see its value. If you’re not building on a track record, you are nowhere as a writer.  I’ve seen writers without any talent go on for years deluding themselves, believing all they needed was a break, and what they really needed was someone to tell them the truth. You need to be part of a writing community that speaks to your genre and supports your ongoing education as a writer.

Many literary writers submit their work to literary magazines or journals. Some enjoy contests and the vigor of competition. This work is all very time consuming and emotionally taxing. You’re earning your spurs. For most it’s a full time commitment, but no one ever said your passion was going to be easy.

Agents and editors expect to see a track record of previous publishing success from newly acquired writers. Does that mean you need to be published in The Iowa or Paris Review? It doesn’t hurt, but there are many reputable literary journals, magazines or other outlets to place your work. What about a blog with ten thousand subscribers? As with anything, you’re only limited by your own imagination. You need an outlet that suits your genre and voice. That’s a beginning. Join organizations that support literary authors and their work. Build your community - learn, contribute, share and submit. Work the process but most importantly, get it in print. Your track record will not only help you get your foot in the door. It will help you assure you have something to offer once you do.

For commercial fiction writers, the same generally holds true – find the outlets and contests that best suit your work and start submitting. If you’re a hard-core genre writer, joining appropriate writers’ organizational chapters is a must! There you will find the resources to help you fortify your craft, thereby strengthening your platform and approach to publishing.

Another good platform builder that helps put food on the table is the freelance article. Can you find an outlet to showcase your subject matter? Is there a newspaper or magazine hook that will fit your needs?  What topics or concepts are explored in your novel? Consider developing an article about those elements. Did you learn anything in your process? Do you have advice for someone? Most magazines for writers offer a section for authors to share a little bit about what they know about writing. How about personal essays? How did you find an agent? What do you have to offer?  What do you care about? I know one author who built a reputation writing letters to the editor and was asked by the paper to write a weekly column. Get creative, it’s your stock in trade.

Blogging is not right for everyone, but if you feel you have the time to develop a solid blog that will serve as a showcase for your writing, it’s an effective way to build a fan base and community. If you can demonstrate numbers to a publisher, there’s nothing more persuasive.

Nonfiction Writers  

Memoir and Essayists: Blog, contribute to blogs, submit to literary journals and magazines, develop your own column and pitch to appropriate newspapers, magazines, websites, etc. Let your perspective be known – find your voice and sell it!

Prescriptive “how to” experts/advocates/specialists:  Consider blogging as a feature to your website. People come to you for advice – you’re the expert – so open the lines of communication and develop your faithful following - extra credit if you offer your community an opportunity to submit material to you - questions, pictures and their on-topic experiences). Build value in your platform and fortify your base. Keep a regular blogging schedule and you will underscore your credibility and professional integrity.

Freelancing is a great experience builder for prescriptive writers. Submit to appropriate journals, magazines, websites, blogs, etc. Put your short pitch game to work by constantly pitching to editors, television and radio segment producers and anyone who might have interest in your services.   Hold workshops and seminars. Get noticed and find success.

Special Topic Writers: The same rules apply if you write about specialized areas of interest like sports, military, religious, history, pop culture and so on. Blog when and if appropriate; submit your work to journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, other blogs; develop new story ideas; pitch to segment producers; pitch to radio; sit on event/lecture panels, etc.  Be seen, be heard and be read.

Remember: The Long Pitch is all about preparation. If you're truly passionate about what you do, there will never be enough time in the day and before you know it, you'll have a platform worth pitching. 

Focus and Today's Writer - A Blogshop with Literary Agent Bree Ogden

The topic of author platform came up in a professional editorial group I'm in (doesn't it always?). The hot button issue was when do writers need to build their web presence - before, while or after they finish their manuscript?

Today I give the floor to literary agent, Bree Ogden with Martin Literary Management Group to shed some perspective on the what comes first, the author or the platform issue as we continue our focus on FOCUS in a writer's life this month.

BO: Aspiring young adult writers, I’m talking to you. How many Twitter followers do you have? High hundreds? In the thousands, you say? What about blog followers? You’re kidding me! 600?? Wow! Impressive!

So…where can I buy your book? Oh it’s not published? I see…

So admittedly, that was a bratty introduction. But sometimes you have to be bratty to get a point across (Sorry, mom). While creating a huge and loyal fan base is just the bee’s knees, it won’t necessarily help you get you manuscript published. And that’s what I want to talk to you about today.

Where is your focus and is it in the right place?

All the followers in the world aren’t going to write that manuscript for you. They aren’t going to query that agent and they sure aren’t going to convince an editor to shell out upwards of 60K for a manuscript that you neglected because you were too busy tweeting and blogging.

It’s a bit of a vicious cycle, it is. Your fan base doesn’t matter until you have a book deal, but once you have a book deal you are too busy editing to build a fan base. There is, however, one social media outlet that will help you when your agent is trying to get you that coveted book deal or even more importantly, when you are trying to land an agent.

Blogs/Web sites!

A word about blogs; it’s not about how many followers you have who have actually “subscribed” to your blog. It’s all about the stats. How many hits do you get a month? Where are those hits directed? Are they going to that guest post Stephanie Meyer wrote for you, or are they directed to the page about your manuscript. (The latter is a more beneficial place for them to be hitting).

Are you following?

Editors care more that your blog is getting attention because of the product they might possibly spend thousands of dollars on. If I may use one of my clients as an example: He has a Web site that generates an insane amount of hits a month. But he has a variety of his other projects and work on his Web site and only a small portion of it is dedication to his manuscript that I represent. However, 47% of his Web site hits go straight to that particular section. Now that’s something to write home about. Of the 20 or so other pages that people can explore on his Web site, nearly half his hits go to his manuscript page.

I know. I’ve just told you to focus on your manuscript before worrying too much about a fan base, and then I tell you how impressive it is to have a ton of hits on your site. Here is the distinction. And it’s a big one.

His work is completed.

Once you’ve written, rewritten, rewritten, edited, reedited, reedited and perfected your manuscript, that’s when you focus on a fan base. That’s not to say you can’t slowly build it up while you are working on you manuscript. But I know how tempting it is to get distracted with all the fun social media. And that, my friends, without a completed manuscript, is a road to nowhere.

TLC: Writers, publishers expect a lot from you. They want a knock-out manuscript, they want you to publicize yourself and sell your book in a very big way. Don't lose your focus, my dears. You've got to have something to sell before you can sell it and something to talk about before you go social.

About the Contributor

Holding a master’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, Bree Ogden of Martin Literary Management represents graphic novels, children’s books and young adult. Bree has a passion for the middle grade genre, especially boy-centric fiction. She loves dark and quirky humor, as well as dark writing in general. While she is not a huge fan of paranormal or supernatural in young adult, she loves sci-fi and horror. Bree finds inspiration in the television shows Dexter and the late Pushing Daisies, classical music, authors that can entertain while building the imagination and writers without egos. She loves anything that will make her scream in terror or laugh in delight.

http://www.AgentBree.Wordpress.com

http://www.MartinLiteraryManagement.com

http://www.Twitter.com/Breeogden

Focus and Today's Writer - A Blogshop with indie author, Brandon Tietz

This last year left me a little concerned about the role of social media in the writer's life and how all this seemingly instant socialization affects a writer's focus. As I've said in previous posts, writers (well, writers 35+) have had to evolve pretty quickly to keep up with the PR demands of most traditional publishing houses and compete with the thousands of other books begging for attention. All this competition is a lot to think about. As a result, I'm seeing more writers consider the market and their marketing plan before they have a finished product.

Marketing and PR is an important piece of the publishing picture, but what I'm seeing on my end are too many writers dreaming and scheming about how they're going to get their book into your hands or onto your reading device BEFORE the book is finished. Somewhere along the way, more attention is focused on sales and all things social than craft and the book finds its way to me needing TLC. And my answer to the distracted writer is, "Snap out of it!" (she says with Snow White kindness).

Enough is enough. I'm introducing FOCUS as a new writer's virtue, which will be our focus all month.

This week, indie author of Out of Touch and Chuck Palahniuk Writers' Workshop moderator Brandon Tietz snaps us back into focus with 5 must-implement essentials of writing, platform building and social media profile development.

Via Twitter, we now know which celebrity is on bump alert.

We know which pop star is in rehab by Facebook update.

And we know that you have a novel for sale.

This is your “instant voice.” It’s how you keep hundreds—potentially thousands of people in the loop about what’s going on with you.

So you tweet about your book, and you upload pictures of the cover art to Tumblr and your Wordpress, and then you start a Facebook fan page because you know you’re going to be a New York Times bestseller one day. You say “buy my book” in every online corner you can imagine. The problem is that everyone with a screenplay, modeling portfolio, or Nikon camera hanging around their neck is doing this too. Surrounded by all this competition, it’s hard to feel special.

So the big question is: you’re demanding all this attention, but do you really deserve it?

Just like with anything in a creative field, you have to earn it. So here are some tips to social networking as they relate to writing.

1.) First things first, your novel can’t suck. I don’t care if you reached your 5,000-person friend limit on Facebook or how many Twitter followers you have, if your book is shit, you’ll be seeing #craptasticbook hashtags with your name mentioned left and right. Always remember that craft takes priority over marketing. The most important thing about writing is and always will be: the writing.

2.) Don’t be spam. This is the biggest mistake I see aspiring authors make in relation to social networking. Around the second or third “buy my book” tweet of the day is usually when I click the “unfollow” button.

3.) Publication is the best kind of networking; it’s a reason to pay attention to you. A published short story or an article in a literary magazine will not only give you credibility, but also serves as a form of marketing by association.

4.) Don’t neglect in-person appearances. Live events are meant to be the proverbial pay-off for both the reader and author alike. I can honestly say that a good review will never compare to the sound of applause, so go out and do something. The whole point of social networking is to further enable being social in real life. Don’t forget that.

5.) Turn off the “author” switch from time to time. Some of the most interesting authors I follow talk about their work in less than half their posts. The rest is mentions of random things in their lives: what they’re reading, a good movie, etc. Never forget that a public persona also involves you being a regular person.

These are tips to keep you from getting buried in the static that is social networking—not hard and fast rules. Ultimately, you have to decide what works best for you. Finding your social voice may very well be just as difficult as discovering your literary one, but not impossible by any means.

This is probably the best top 5 rules for using social media to your benefit list I've seen. Feel free to use them after your major crafting is all wrapped up.

And of course, if you have tips that help you stay focused please share.

Here's to getting FOCUSED!

TLC

About the Contributor

Brandon Tietz is the author of Out of Touch and one of the moderators of the Chuck Palahniuk Writers' Workshop. He has been published in Cannoli Pie Magazine, Red Fez Publications, Troubadour 21, Outsider Writers Collective, and the upcoming Velvet Anthology, along with flagship authors, Stephen Graham Jones and Craig Clevenger. His next book, a themed collection, is called Vanity. You can visit him at his official website: www.wearevespertine.com

Flashback Friday: Creative Platforming with BenBella Publisher, Glen Yeffeth

This post originally published 7/25 /10. Looking back on this year's worth of work with authors in this new age of ebusiness - two things about the process of publishing remain the same: editing and platform building; both take time to do correctly and build with quality, respectively.

In publishing, the evergreen issue of Author Platform is one more and more savvy writers are finally becoming familiar with. Ah yes, the P word. The very short and sweet definition of platform from a publishing perspective is how you reach your audience; columns, articles, journal pieces, newsletters, blogs, workshops and regular appearances on TV (or your own show!) are considered platform. Pick up a reputable publishing trade magazine and no doubt you’ll see a “how to” article on crafting a successful platform. Head to your local bookseller and you’ll find a few books on the hot topic. The bottom line is, if you want to attract an agent or editor’s attention, you must possess a strong platform, period! Clearly, I see aspiring authors are listening to this “must have platform” message when I scroll through their social media pages and read their status updates about their projects and blogs – another building block of the author platform.

Relatively new to the social media scene, I’m totally fascinated by how today’s author is using this tool as a means to promote their work and broaden their network and influence. Authors don’t just have a website anymore, as they did when I was agenting, they’re now updating their status (stati?) on several social media and professional networking sites. They’re blog, blog, blogging away. Some even have pages for the main characters of their books, which I find fascinating. What agent or editor wouldn’t love an already strong following of a character that hasn’t even been formally introduced to its book cover yet?! Brilliant! Caveat: You better make good on your promise to deliver your exciting character and get that book published one way or another or suffer some very public professional humiliation not to mention loss of integrity.

Looking around my city, I see the majority of people’s attention turned downward to the glowing rectangle in their hands. Scrolling through scads of info, suddenly “more important” things are happening online in real time. We’re getting used to this, aren’t we? This new speed of instant connection, communication and gratification? Push button publishing is easy! Sweet validation!

So does all this super quick online activity affect the speed of successful platform building, which traditionally takes years to build? Amazon has so far successfully proven self publishing through e-books has saved many writers from years of traditional publishing anguish. Will we experience the same evolution in platform crafting?

I asked Glenn Yeffeth, Publisher at BenBella Books:

"Since an author's platform is so critical to their publishing success, how have writers become more creative with their platform building? How are you seeing writers use social media to boost their platform?"

GY: There has been an enormous amount of nonsense posted about social media and the need for a platform and I think this has taken a lot of writers in the wrong direction. So here are a few realities about social media and building a platform.

Your book has to be strong, original and fascinating to your target market. I see a lot of proposals by folks who seem to have put a lot more thought into their platform building activities than their book. Everything you do with platform building and social media is simply to light the kindling underneath the big logs – word of mouth. If your book isn’t great your social media efforts will be fairly pointless.

Having said that, using social media effectively takes as much effort and creativity as writing a book. It takes focus and passion. “Everyone should blog” is nonsense. Authors should blog if they have something unique to say and if they are prepared to invest years in building an audience. A platform transcends any given book; in fact it transcends books altogether. A strong platform drives opportunities for speaking, consulting, free-lancing, selling non-book products, career-enhancement, etc. Whipping up a platform for a book proposal is pretty much impossible. It takes time – calendar time as well as hours.

Figure out what you are really good at – speaking, television, essay writing, radio, short pithy blog posts, whatever – and what you really know a lot about and leverage these two things to build your platform. Focus is important, and don’t feel like you need to do everything. If twitter doesn’t fit your strengths, don’t tweet. Originality and creativity are less important than finding your strengths and focusing around them. Once you’ve done that, creativity will come a lot more readily.

TLC: So, dear writers, you may have more options and opportunity to connect than 5 years ago, but this new connection speed doesn’t necessarily change the speed or quality of platform building. It doesn’t mean your book will write itself, either (check out Inkygirl’s apropos cartoon, First Things First for some comic perspective). Take heed and take a breather – good books are still good books no matter the format. A well written book by an author who has taken years to build an impressive platform will still distinguish itself well above the slosh in the marketplace. And stellar platforms are built slower than you can say, What’s your status update?

Your Exercise This Week: Do a little research on your favorite author (this century, please. Even more preferable, no later than the last 20 years). How did they get their start? How long did it take them to build their successful writing career? What was their first publishing success? What do they do (other than write books) that makes them uniquely qualified to be THE EXPERT in their field (for nonfiction work)?

Have any platform building tips or success stories? Share them with the group! I want to hear all about it!

Have a fruitful day, writers!

TLC

Glenn Yeffeth is Publisher of BenBella Books. Before BenBella, Glenn was a corporate strategist and marketer who ran companies in Chicago, London and Dallas. BenBella Books, named after Glenn’s children Benjamin and Isabella, publishing boutique that aims to be the publisher of choice for a select group of authors who value personal attention, a partnership philosophy, flexibility and a creative approach to marketing. Glenn has an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago and a BA in history from Oberlin College.

The Difference Between Blind Ambition and Educated Confidence

Ambition: 1 b: desire to achieve a particular end.

Confidence: 1 a: a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or reliance of one's circumstances.

Whether you're a traditionalist or an indie, it's a great time to be a writer (so what's with that dark scary forest pic, Lit Coach? Hang on). No doubt about it. More and more, writers are taking the reins of their career and guiding themselves toward self-made success. After thoughtful planning and execution, they're e and self-pubbing with great results; traditionally and indie published are reaching out to their readers in ways that continue to amaze and delight me. They've turned something that most artists abhor, the act of selling, into connecting - and through those connections, the sales follow.

Sounds so easy! Most of us have read the articles about how J.A. Konrath and Amanda Hocking have made thousands (millions?) off their books. Konrath found the e-route via Amazon more lucrative than traditional publishing and Hocking decided to let one of the Big Six publishers take the reins after she successfully became a self-made millionaire through e-pubbing her own books.

I love these success stories, but...

Again, I repeat, writers have more options today and that is a very good thing. However. It takes years of writing, editing, reading and connecting to make this dream come alive. It does not happen overnight. You will not be able to pay next month's rent on the e-book you self-pubbed this month (Konrath and Hocking will tell you as much). I'm joining the other agents and publishing experts who've shined the light of reality on this hot-topic discussion because it still bears repeating.

When I was an agent I was approached by a lovely writer with a fun idea for a niche market nonfiction book. Loved her writing style and voice. She was highly professional and had a mind for marketing, so I knew connecting her with any number of editors would not be an issue - I was confident of the whole package...well, mostly. The only problem was, she had no platform. She spoke with authority, sure, and her passion for the project was contagious, but nobody knew who she was. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking about her book. I knew I could sell it if she had a little more road under her. Rather than pass on the project because of the platform issue, I signed her.

And then we hatched a plan.

She needed to become visible as an "expert" in her field. So, I suggested she start an interactive website (this was about 7 or 8 years ago). The website became a place where she would share her daily advice on her subject matter and share the stories (and pictures) of others (her potential book-buying audience). She began a Q&A column and a book club, further connecting with her online community. She was consistent and organized in her approach. It worked. I still remember her enthusiastic email letting me know she had readers in Ireland and the UK. Her message spread from there. She started freelancing articles to the magazines and websites her audience read. Eventually one of the major morning news programs contacted her for her expertise. Other organizations invited her to "be the expert" on their websites and on their boards, etc. All the while, we honed her book proposal and continued to work the plan. After about 18 months of hard work and patience, it was time to send out the proposal. I was confident the time was right - we worked the plan. I submitted and we made a deal. Eighteen more months later, her book was released and it continues to be a strong backlist seller to this day.

The point? Ambition is good, that's the energy that gets our butts off the couch, but you need a plan to direct that energy otherwise you'll be frantically running through a thick, dark forest without a flashlight...and all that blind ambition ain't gonna come in handy when you've invested your time, energy and money into a project that has not been fully fleshed out. If you're a nonfiction writer, a solid platform is a must BEFORE you create your book proposal. If you're a fiction or a nonfiction writer, create a business plan - you are a small business owner. What realistic steps will you need to take to eventually earn money from your craft? The plan is your map, flashlight and compass through this forest.

Share the plan with people you trust, ideally, business-minded people and ask for their feedback. Be open to their suggestions. Publishing is a business and you've got to work the plan to succeed. If you do, you will spend less time running through dark, scary forests, you will have less time for fear and anxiety, you will be focused, confident and you just might sell your book. I really hope you do.

Action: Take some time to create a solid publishing plan. Be realistic about the time you'll need to create success. In my author's case, it took nearly two years to build her platform. If you're new to writing or if you've yet to successfully publish, plan to spend those two years getting to know the business, getting to know your audience and finding ways to get your name out there through freelancing, blog contributions, interviews, you-tube videos, social media, etc. Continue to work the plan (and most of all, your craft!) until you have a solid product and an invested audience.

Have a fruitful week, writers. Work the plan.

TLC

Services for Nonfiction Writers

Services for Fiction Writers

Want to get started building your author platform or creating your publishing business plan? Email me: erin.reel@gmail.com

New Service Packages for Nonfiction Authors

As I mentioned last week, I've come up with a few new service packages for fiction and nonfiction authors. This week, I'd like to share with you the highlighted version of a few of my new packages for nonfiction authors.

Full Length Nonfiction Proposal Read and Critique

Is your book proposal ready to hook an agent or editor? Does it look professional? Is the concept strong? Will the book marketing and book promotion section convince a publishing team to invest in your book?

What I Do: Thoroughly review your nonfiction book proposal and offer detailed editorial critique and suggestions for improvement.

What We Do Together: We'll have one, one-hour phone/skype session to discuss your proposal and my notes/direction as well as any questions you may have.


Nonfiction Author Platform Development Package

Ideally, before you put your message into book format, you've invested real time and energy into building your author platform - all the ways in which you're visible to your audience and all the ways your message is available to them (think newsletters, blogs, social media, articles, columns, book contributions, etc.). However, many nonfiction writers who approach agents with their nonfiction work have yet to develop this piece of their brand.

Whether you choose to publish traditionally or self-publish (E or otherwise), people must know you as an expert in your field. Your platform is how you reach your audience. Agents and publishers won't consider your work if you don't have a platform. Readers won't know how to find your book if you self-publish.

What I Do: Full assessment of your book material and any sample work you've written about your subject matter so far. Review your expertise, education, and experience. Full exploration of your career and publishing goals.

What We Do Together: Develop a strategy for you to begin meeting your career/publishing goals; ensure your method of communication is aligned with your brand; develop a way for you to capitalize on your current experience/education while seeking opportunity to expand in these areas further strengthening your platform and adding value to your brand; perfect your pitch to your target audience, collaborators, potential agents and the publishing world. BONUS: One, one-hour agent readiness counsel session OR publishing options counsel.

I also have two Entrepreneurial Nonfiction Author Packages designed for the entrepreneur who has already built their platform and are ready to expand their brand by publishing traditionally or self-publish. This list of what I do and what the author and I do together is extensive. I invite you to check out these packages on my site, thelitcoach.com.

Please note, if you're writing memoir, the process to develop a platform is a little less intense but important to your overall success, nonetheless.

How can I help you with your nonfiction project? Email me and let's begin the discussion.

Thank you for your readership!

TLC

Q&A with The Lit Coach

Welcome to another session of Q&A with The Lit Coach! Thanks to those who submitted.

I'm changing the delivery structure of the Q&A sessions a bit. Usually this is a once weekly updated blog, but since I feel these questions need more meat than a quick paragraph or so, I'm going to expand my answers. So, you'll get my responses to a question submitted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. When we're not in Q&A week (unless there's a special occasion), you can expect only one blog post from me during the week.

Ok, so let's get this show on the road!

Q: "I realize it's up to the authors to arrange their publicity but what about websites (not social media sites like Twitter or Facebook) - who creates them? The publisher? The author? What role does the agent play in this?"
-Anon

A: Just as it's up to the author to take responsibility for the majority of their publicity efforts, it's up to the author to create their own author website, or hire a branding/website company to create and coordinate your whole online image. Your publisher will expect this. An agent may be open to helping you shape your site...giving you ideas and examples of what they'd like to see, what best represents you and your book/work, but it's not their job, per se.

If you're just starting out as a fiction writer, say, and you really have no platform or previous successes but are beginning to query agents with your novel, I don't feel a website is necessary. You can wait until your book is sold to begin thinking about creating a website to support your book.

Websites need to serve a distinct purpose for you and your audience. Depending on what kind of an author you are and how cozy you'd like to get with your readers, they must do one of the three: inform; inform and sell; inform, sell and interact.

Let's take a look at some examples.

Inform: This type of website, much like my own right now, is only for informative purposes. It's considered your flagship, your online bricks and mortar. Its function is to simply let people know who you are and what services you provide (if applicable), contact info, where people can find your work (links highly recommended), professional endorsements, dates of workshops and appearances (again, with links), blog, links to your social media, press info, anything else that lets people know about who you are and what you're doing. Let this online space represent your personality, but keep it crisp and frequently updated as necessary.

Inform and Sell: This type of site will include everything from above, when/if applicable, but will provide an opportunity for your viewer to buy your book or other products (other book-related merchandise, webinar, workshop, professional services, etc.) via your site. Check out NYT Bestselling author (and TLCG contributor), Chelsea Cain's website for a great example of an Inform and Sell site. I also love what author Michelle Hoover is doing with her site (her blog is fabulous). And Inkygirl. I LOVE this site because I feel it's authentic to who she is...and it has cartoons!

Inform, Sell, Interact: This type of site will usually always include everything from above AND provide an opportunity for the author/expert to interact with their audience via an open invitation or login only online community. This is for an author who can either hire an assistant or two to monitor the site, manage updates and keep the online community well informed and validated or for the author who is a master and commander of their own time management. Stephen King's site is an awesome example of this, Neil Gaiman is another.

For nonfiction, I love what my former client, Cheryl Lage has done with her twins support site since I signed her on so many moons ago. She's grown from a writer with a great idea for a book about raising twins through the first year to a nationally recognized twins expert whose blogsite serves as a hub for those seeking any supportive info about raising twins (side note: a producer from one of the VERY popular morning shows contacted Cheryl through her site to seek her assistance in rounding up twins for a twins segment they had). Cheryl's site is a great example of how to use your blogsite as your website...and it's free!

Somewhat related in topic - blogs. Are they for every writer? Stay tuned. Next week I'll show you some examples of blogs that work and tell you why.

Hope this helps, Anon!

On tap for Wednesday - The best resource for finding your authentic voice.

Have a productive week, writers!

TLC

Connecting With Your Audience: A Blogshop with Lit Agent Laurie Abkemeier

This month we're focusing on Connecting in The Writer's Life. How an author connects with their audience plays a major role in their book's success and their overall success as an author. If you've been following any brand of publishing trade news you already know that the author with the biggest mouth enjoys better sales of their book (in this context, being loud about your book is a good thing). And while I don't feel it's necessary for every author to be a big mouth, to be constantly present and available on Twitter, Facebook, etc., the fact remains that once your book hits the (e)shelves, you have a responsibility to sell it. To a lot of people other than your family and friends.

Nonfiction authors must indicate in their book proposal just how they're going to do this - reach their target audience to sell books. But now fiction authors also must consider how they're going to reach out and connect with their audience as well.

A large part of the effort that goes into to selling your book actually happens before your book launches - it's called building pre-pub buzz. You want people talking about your book before it comes out. You want them anticipating it's arrival. You want pre-orders!

So how do you find your PR voice and connect with your audience before your book launch? Literary Agent, Laurie Abkemeier of Brian DeFiore & Co. shows you:

"During my years as an editor, and now as a literary agent, I’ve seen countless nonfiction books rise out of relative obscurity and become bestsellers. Some rode a trend, while others created their own categories, but in every case, the key ingredient to success was the author’s commitment to promoting the work. Too often, I see authors who are committed to writing the work, but when it comes time to promote, they lose steam or they have better things to do. They are too busy to contact bloggers or put together a mailing list of organizations. They don’t want to get on Twitter or Facebook or build a website or start a blog. They think that writing the book will be enough, and that people will, perhaps by telepathy, sense that the book is available. Or worse, they think that it’s the publisher’s sole job to get the word out to the largest possible audience. While expending time and energy can’t guarantee a successful publication, it is rare that an author can achieve success while also being a recluse. Even publishers know this. When editors get on the phone with authors, they often ask point-blank, “How are you going to sell this book?”

That’s why, when I work with an author to develop a proposal, a lot of work goes into the publicity and promotion sections. My authors detail their social media and online connections, their contacts at magazines and newspapers, and previous experience with radio and television. They list every friend who might endorse their work. They research the membership numbers of relevant organizations and associations. They build new websites, start a blog, and get on Twitter—long before the proposal goes out the door. Part of this is for the benefit of the editor reading the proposal; it’s important that the editor understands an author’s reach and ability to get the word out. But I also require my authors to go into this level of detail so that they can see what is expected of them, that their role in promotion is going to be critical, and that their responsibility to the publication goes far beyond the last word on the page.

Assuming most of you visiting this blog are anticipating the publication of your first book, here are a few tips to get you started:


1. Plan to earmark a certain percentage of your advance for promotion—whether it’s a new website, business cards, a freelance publicist, or ads in specialty publications.

2. Schedule a meeting with your agent, editor, publicist, and the marketing staff to discuss the publisher’s promotion plans. A good time for a meeting is six months before publication, when the publisher has a clear idea of what it will do, and it’s not too later for you to fill in the gaps.


3. Once your manuscript has been sent off to a copy editor, turn your former writing time into promotion time. Reach out to people about endorsing your work, keep lists of bloggers and their contact information, pitch original articles to long-lead magazines, continue to build your social media presence, and revamp your website to launch within four months of publication. (And it goes without saying, discuss your plans with your agent and editor.)

Writing a book is a big commitment, but the bigger challenge for most authors is to do the work to promote the book. Commit yourself to the long haul. Your book needs you more than anyone."

While Laurie's focus is more geared toward nonfiction authors, I would urge fiction authors to take heed and begin considering how they might begin building their author platforms and pre-pub buzz just as a nonfiction author would.

Your action: Yet-to-be-published authors - get organized. Create a budget devoted to your pre-pub buzz efforts, NOW. You'll be glad you did! Then, connect with your audience. Make friends. Collect emails and subscribers to your newsletter, blog posts. Gain followers to your social media accounts. Most of all, understand this takes a lot of time and focus. You're building your foundation a block at a time.

Published authors: Get creative. Get together with other published authors in your area and create an event. Maybe the event has nothing to do about selling a book - maybe it's a charitable effort, a major donation of your time for a good cause. Make sure you send out a press release...then consider holding a book signing/reading event to celebrate with your community. Have fun with it!


You've got a full plate, writers! Have a fruitful week.

TLC


About the Contributor:

Originally from California, Laurie Abkemeier began her publishing career in 1992 as an editorial assistant in the Touchstone/Fireside division at Simon & Schuster. In 1994, she moved to Hyperion where she was responsible for five New York Times bestsellers and many other national bestsellers. Since 2003, Laurie has worked as a literary agent, exclusively representing nonfiction. Her talented roster of authors includes journalists, bloggers, poets, academics, and artists. You can find Laurie on Twitter (@LaurieAbkemeier) where she posts her AGENT OBVIOUS TIP OF THE DAY—the inspiration for her app, available as a free download for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch.