Tips for Writers

Your Publisher Defines You as an Author
By Jerry D. Simmons | July 1st, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Writers who make a decision to publish independently in any format have plenty of choices. Since the eBook is a hot topic I receive lots of emails from companies touting their services. Recently I received a blind email from a consulting company offering to publish my book in an eBook format and offered me a whole list of added bonuses if I responded immediately. Obviously they purchased a mailing list and thought I would be a good candidate. 

It seems the more that is written about the opportunities with digital publishing the more the competition for conversion from a vast array of people calling themselves publishers’ pops up in our inbox. The real decision for any writer is: who do you trust with your writing? Understand that your publisher is the one who defines you as a writer. Your publisher is someone you need to feel confident in their ability to maximize the potential for your writing. 

Printing is not publishing, creating a Kindle edition and throwing it up on Amazon is not publishing. This is a business of creating content that offers the reader something special. Good publishing involves skills gained from years of experience in the business of making quality content better, more marketable and potentially bestselling. Publishers have experience with all types of genres, authors, marketing plans and distribution.  They understand the nuances of the market for readers and books. 

Today I’m fortunate to work with a group of editors, designers and marketers with unmatched experience and qualifications in New York publishing. The decision for writers is who do you place your trust in to make your writing the best it can be? Who do you want to be associated with as a publisher? Would you prefer working with a company who sends blind emails? Or do you think experience in publishing is a major factor? How successful do you want to be?  

It boils down to choice and certainly who you decide to team up with regarding your writing is very important. If you feel you made a mistake with your print edition then correct that for the eBook and consider someone with experience. Publishing is perception and the logo on your published content sets the stage for much of what will follow.  Publishing is about writing and selling quality content to share with the world.

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Marketing at a Minimum
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

Selling books without a minimum marketing effort will result in poor sales. Here are the basics every author should follow when marketing their book: (1) seek book reviews prior to launch, (2) write a press release announcing the publication and availability of your book for sale distributed to all online outlets, and (3) pitch yourself and your book to local print, radio, television and online for publicity. 

Remember the local media is not interested in the fact that you wrote a book, they are interested in one of the following: (1) the story, (2) the author, or (3) the message. They must have an interesting angle in which to promote you as a guest. Figuring out the proper angle can be difficult; however this is the only way to give you the best opportunity for publicity which is what sells books. That angle may be the facts surrounding the writing of your book, or your background as a writer, or even the unique message from your book. The key is figuring out how to find and focus on that angle. 

If you want to go beyond the basics and aim a bit higher then consider: (1) sending a free sample of your writing in an email promotion, (2) alert genre specific web site to your book, or (3) create a social networking campaign. The best marketing approach is a combination of all of these parts taking into consideration the category, price, title, format and a variety of other components that go into creating a targeted marketing program. 

Marketing is the most difficult part of successful book publishing. A publisher can get everything right and fail due to a poor marketing campaign. It’s so easy to publish in today’s marketplace but extremely difficult to sell books. If you find yourself struggling then consider a professional marketer, someone with experience and publishing knowledge to give you the best chance at becoming a successful author.

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Finding the Best Web Designer by Jeniffer Thompson
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 31st, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Why Are Web Designers Such Flakes?  A Reality Check.

Circling the drain of unresponsive or missing in action web designers is a common dilemma.  The Question is this:  As a self-respecting author with a plan and a purpose, how do you choose a designer you can afford and rely upon? 

As a small publisher, or self-published author, you are faced with the high-cost of publishing a book.  Your ever-growing budget includes editors, book cover and interior design, maybe a book coach or adviser, printing costs, fulfillment needs, marketing … my goodness, where does it end?  When does the author start making money?  Well, this is a question for another article all together. The point here is, how much should you allocate to the added expense of hiring a web designer?  Can you hire someone who can do it all and is affordable to boot?  

Ah, herein lies the problem.  The one-man show dilemma.  A newly graduated artist (or even an established one-person show) can be a very enticing option for someone with a small budget, especially when they are often a third of the price you would pay with a full-service design house.  They are typically hungry, excited, talented, reasonably priced, and they can do it all.  Yeah!!!  So what goes wrong?  Burnout.  A freelance artist often over promises and eventually under delivers.  They over commit because of the opportunity to build their portfolio; they chock it up to needed experience, and maybe even their desire to help another artist.  But at the end of the day this is the perfect recipe for disaster.  Why?  Because it’s truly hard to do it all yourself and when you finally reach that wall, you shut down and walk away, close the door, stop returning calls—you move on.  

This does not mean that because someone is reasonably priced that they are a bad choice for your needs. The question we seek to answer is: How do you protect yourself? 

As you search for a reliable, talented designer consider the fallout.  As you become overwhelmed with the production of your book, you tend to need a leaning post.  That is, someone you can consider a partner, someone who cares as much as you do and will be there till the bitter end, or God willing the glorious payout.  But let’s talk reality folks.  Few people care about your project as much as you do.  At the end of the day, people will do what is best for “me.”  If you lay something precious in someone else’s hands you have to know that they will cherish that precious thing and treat it with the same care that you would.  In the business world, this means you pay them to care—you appreciate them, you praise them, you create an environment that is rewarding, you pay them hard-earned cash.

What you are looking for is a long-lasting relationship, someone who delivers, who knows their stuff and someone who isn’t going to close up shop and leave you holding the bag. 

A Sad Tale of Trust and Where it All Went Wrong:

The Spark:  You have just written a book! You are ready to meet your public.  You are told you need a web site.  You look around, you ask a few people for references, you weigh the costs, you’re not quite sure how it will benefit you, you’re just about out of money, or worse your sinking further into debt.  And then you meet Bob at a community function.  Bob is great!  He is dynamic, he loves your book, he has great ideas, he is excited, talented, and he can help you build a site for a fraction of the cost—this you can afford. 

The Honeymoon:  You get started on the project and Bob really seems to listen, he’s working quickly, he answers your calls, he has something for you to see right away, and it’s pretty good, you like it, ok maybe it’s not great, but hey it was practically free and it’s something, it’s better than nothing.

The Fallout:  You have a big signing at the local bookstore, you’re excited, but your site needs to be updated and there’s that issue of those few spelling errors you haven’t gotten around to fixing.  You know you need to talk to Bob.  But Bob is out of town until next week.  You call some friends to see if they know of anyone who can help, yes, but do you have access to the web files?  Hmm, no Bob has that.  Bob doesn’t seem to be returning your calls, or emails—Bob is MIA.

The Reality:  So what if you do find someone who is so excited and hungry that they are willing to do it for very little, or even better, for free.  What happens when your designer needs a leaning post and you are pushing for more—you’ve started with this person, you need them to finish the job, your marketing success depends on it…they stop returning calls, they are less and less responsive…you go crazy with frustration, the process of getting a simple update to your site is maddening, you throw your hands up in exasperation, the love affair is over and you are left to pick up the pieces.

You face the facts, you know you must find another web master, you search for people in your area, you are horrified by the high-prices, your benchmark, what you had come to rely on was so much less expensive.  How can this be?  Ok fine, you find someone you think you can trust and they tell you your previous web designer didn’t know what they were doing.  Salt. Wound. Pain. They tell you that you have to start over and it’s going to cost you. 

The Answer:

Finding the right Web designer can be like finding a grain of salt on a sandy beach. So what’s a savvy author to do?

  1. Get referrals. Qualified referrals will save you a lot of time, especially if they are from fellow authors. For this reason, consider joining your local authors’ guild and attending authors’ conferences where you can connect with other people in your industry.
  2. Industry Experts: Be sure to choose a designer who is familiar with your industry. A successful Web site goes way beyond the nuts and bolts of programming and coding. Your designer should have a firm understanding of what you are trying to accomplish and a definitive plan to reach that end. For instance, your navigation should lead your visitor in the direction of a sale—think of it like a funnel. You should implement an effective call-to-action that will guide your readers through the funnel and convert traffic into revenue.
  3. Ask for testimonials. Does he or she complete projects on deadline? A typical site should take from two to five weeks to design and build. Also, ask to see samples—including live sites. Test them for ease of use and loading time, as well as the general feeling you get from the sites you view. Chances are if you dislike everything someone has done, you will be unhappy with what they produce for you as well.
  4. Does he or she listen to your needs? A good way to tell if a company designs for the client or for themselves is to view their samples. If all of their samples are similar, this could be a red flag—unless, of course, that is exactly the style you want in your design. A good designer should be able to listen to your needs and translate them into a workable site that exceeds your expectations. Ultimately, your site should reflect your personality—not theirs.
  5. Communication: Make sure your design team is easy to communicate with. Do they understand your needs? Remember: this should be your vision, not theirs. Ego can often get in the way of your goals. When it comes down to it, they work for you. They should be able to set their artistry ego aside and follow your line of thinking, providing you with valuable insight and ideas that you hadn’t considered.

What You Can Expect From a Professional Web Designer

Most design firms will provide you with multiple design samples. This is the part of the project where you will have the most involvement. That’s not to say that you should be able to stare over their shoulders as they create for you—but you should be given ample opportunity to verbalize your needs. Make sure you approve the design before it goes to the programmer. Also, find out what their policy is on additional changes once you have approved the final design; you do not want to get stuck with hidden costs halfway through the project.

Always get a contract. Know exactly what to expect. A contract protects you as much as the design house. Read your contract thoroughly. Be sure that you own the rights to your site, the design, all the images, and your copy. When it’s all said and done, your designer should provide you with a disc that contains all of your design files and your Web files; keep this disc and all your passwords in a safe place—in fact, make backups. Should something happen to your design house, or they go out of business, you will need to seamlessly transfer everything to a new firm. And remember: this is a relationship, if you are not happy with your team, or you are not getting the results you expected, then don’t be afraid to find someone else.

Don’t rush it. Costly mistakes are made when people rush. Once your site is up and running, you can decide to change it, but it will likely mean starting all over and costing you twice what it should. Often, this can be the straw that breaks the marketing camel’s back. It is easy to get discouraged when you have invested so much of your heart and soul into a project only to find out you are back at square one. From the perspective of a coder, it is less costly to start over than to give your site a facelift—changing colors, navigation, and the overall look and feel of your site isn’t as easy as it may seem. Avoid costly mistakes in the beginning, even if it means stalling your project just a little longer.

How Much Should a Web Site Cost?

While industry standards are typically followed, prices vary wildly. The Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines is a sufficient reference guide for industry pricing standards when it comes to illustration and design; this will give you a firm place to start.

It’s possible to pay anywhere from $200 to $44,000 on a Web site; all of this depends on the size of your site and your programming needs (and who you hire). What you want to concentrate on is the relationship you have with your designer. Meet with this person, and see if you like him or her; after all, you will likely be working very closely with this person. You should be developing a relationship that will help make you and your book shine.

Keep in mind, just because your site looks great doesn’t mean it’s effective. Discuss these elements and see what kind of ideas your potential designer may have that can bring your project to a higher level. Use someone who understands books and the publishing industry. While one firm may be able to design and build an incredible site for real estate agents, they may not know the first thing about selling books.

All of these things are crucial elements that you must consider before signing that contract. Always ask for a contract; no matter how much you trust this person, business is business—be professional. It’s okay and even necessary to build relationships and even friendships in this business, but never forget your end goal: You are an author with your own business, and only you will look out for you in the end.

Make a List—Check it Twice

Before you start shopping for a design house, jot down a list of your expectations; that way if it comes down to one or two firms / designers, you will make an educated decision based on all your needs.

Lastly, follow your gut feeling; listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t mesh, move on.

Finding a design team can be an emotionally overwhelming process. The following checklist will help you find the right team for your needs. And remember: just because the price is right doesn’t mean the fit is, and vice versa; an expensive team may be just that—expensive. You want to choose the best designer for you and your book. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.

Key Questions to Ask Potential Web Designers:

1.   Do they listen?

2.   Are they responsive?

3.   Do they explain things in a way you can understand?

4.   Do you like the other sites they have designed?

5.   Are all of their design samples the same? Do they have the feel you are looking for?

6.   Are their sites easy to navigate?

7.   Do they have experience in your industry?

8.   Do their sample sites load quickly?

9.   Will they give you recent testimonials and references? Do they have happy clients?

10. What is their timeline?

11. Do they provide more than one design sample for you to choose from?

12. Are the designer and the programmer different people? Does the design firm have a specialized team?

13. Do they offer hosting services?

14. Do they offer E-commerce solutions?

15. Do they understand Internet marketing?

16. Do they have a company Web site?

17. Do they provide a contract that outlines your rights?

18. Do you get to keep the rights to every element of your site, including design and images?

19. How much do they charge for Web site maintenance?

20. Do they employ a solid back-up system? If so, do they keep back-ups offsite for added security?

21. Upon completion, will they provide you with all your files and passwords?

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Jeniffer Thompson is the author of the highly acclaimed Website WOW, Turn Your Web Site Into Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool.  She is an author, speaker, Internet Marketing strategist and a co-founder of Monkey C Media, a full service design house offering web and print design services. For more information, visit www.jenifferthompson.com

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Bestselling Books and Bestseller Lists
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 25th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Kate Gosselin is an author and star of a cable TV series Kate Plus Eight. She has used her stardom to become a bestselling author. The 35-year-old mom’s first two books, “Multiple Blessings” and “Eight Little Faces,” both climbed to number five on the New York Times’ list; “Multiple Blessings” sold 523,000 copies in 2009. 

Her latest book isn’t exactly flying off the shelves. Since its release, “I Just Want You to Know: Letters to My Kids on Love, Faith, and Family” has sold just over 10,000 copies, according to national book sales tracker Bookscan. The non-fiction title debuted at #11 on the New York Times’ non-fiction bestseller list, and at #103 on USA Today’s bestsellers chart. Its Amazon.com rank was #862. This is in spite of Gosselin’s relentless promotion on TV and radio. 

Jim Milliot, business and news director of book-industry magazine Publishers Weekly, tells UsMagazine.com that the numbers “nowhere near a blockbuster” and “not that impressive.”  Could “I Just Want You to Know” end up selling 500,000 copies in the long run? Not likely, Milliot tells UsMagazine.com, explaining that the lion’s share of book sales typically occur “in the first month or two of publication.” He adds that Gosselin will have “a very tough time getting to 50,000, let alone 100,000…I think it will be a disappointment in the end.” 

The real question for authors and book lovers alike is: how does a book that sold only “a little more than 10,000 copies,” end up on national bestseller lists? For information on how a book becomes a bestselling title, read my article explaining how the system works. Click here.

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New Face of Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 14th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Once the current top management of the major publishers move on and out, younger executives with new ideas that fully embrace the digital technology will take over and more emphasis will be placed on eBooks. For the independent author the delay from old to new provides a window of opportunity to be among the first to gain a footing in the digital world before the majors take over and attempt to dominate like they do with print. 

Every author with a print title should not hesitate getting into the eBook market—AS LONG AS—they do it the right way with the correct brand and global distribution. The major publishers will eventually attempt to influence the market as they do with print titles and will do everything they can to dominate and eliminate competition. Small category publishers who have been around for fifty years are still holding space on shelves due to their longevity and ability to hang on. If they were new publishers today trying to gain a foothold in the market with print books their chances of survival would be slim at best. 

Don’t make a digital mistake that you may have made in print, select your publisher wisely, be concerned about the level of production, become part of a quality group of authors and not just another name on a list. Digital publishing will eventually focus on the “perception” of the product and the independent author will improve their chances at success by making wise decisions today. If you have questions about digital product or the market for eBooks, please send an email Jerry@WritersReaders.com and let me help you navigate the process.

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Publishing & Marketing Dilemma
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 7th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

The most common complaint I receive from independently published authors is that they paid several thousand dollars for a book which in the end has a bad cover, poor production quality and too high of a cover price. After this sad story is played out in an email they follow with a question: What do I do now? In every case their publisher offered to help market and sell books for a sizeable fee which is in addition to the amount already paid. It’s the same each time.

What I don’t understand is how writers continue to fall into this trap? It amazes me how so many are blinded by the promises only to be left with a few dozen copies of a badly published book.  Unfortunately there are no good answers and certainly very few solutions to this problem. If you build a bad house rather than try to repair it’s always less expensive to tear down and start over. Sorry but in most cases that is the best solution for a badly published book.

So-called print-on-demand companies that dominate the self-publishing business are not publishers. They are printers masqueraded as publishers with little or no actual marketplace experience. Their strength is in sales and marketing of their product and making promises that cannot be realized. They have a very slick promotion piece that is called a bait and switch. They make big promises, playing into the hopes and dreams of writers, offering a low introductory price. Once they get a signed contract then the writer realizes the additional add-on for services grows to an industry average $2,200 per title after the low start-up of $399.

Shortly after I decided to start my free informational web site WritersReaders.com it became apparent that the giants in the self-publishing business were not about to let a lone voice with twenty-five years of New York publishing experience hurt their business. As I began to write and speak about the truth in publishing and offer services that would counter what they had to offer, the heavy distorted promotion began and without the deep pockets on my part to advertise my message, it has been left to the readers of my blog, newsletter and those who have heard me speak to spread the news.

As I continue to battle the injustice of bad publishing and marketing scams, I’m asking that more independent writers and authors share my story with others. Now that the market for self-published titles has grown to more than 760,000 last year, this means more and more unsuspecting writers are being taken advantage of by these self-publishing elements whose motivation is only money and not the marketability of books.   

The marketplace for books is very crowded and extremely competitive. If an author has any hope of realizing dreams of becoming a legitimate, successful author then the rules of the market must be followed. I’ve written extensively about the dos and don’ts of publishing and I do my best to offer as much free advice as possible. The problem is that I need to make a living too and it’s impossible to answer every question for free. The services I offer are reasonable and the experts I have access to have unmatched New York publishing experience.

You can cut corners and save money but you must realize that it will negatively impact your book. It’s not inexpensive to publish professionally which adheres to Book Industry Standards. Writers must be willing to invest a bit more to have any chance of success which can be defined as a product with the potential to sell copies. Don’t make publishing mistakes that you can rarely overcome, seek professional guidance and be willing to invest in what’s important for your book.  

Why spend countless hours writing and then follow the crowd by publishing a bad book? It doesn’t make sense, spread the word, there is an alternative.

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Information is Critical
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 23rd, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

After publishing a recent newsletter I received an email from a long time reader asking, “Why are you writing so much about eBooks?” The answer of course is that I write about what the industry is talking about. I want to make certain that my readers are up to date on the latest topics of interest and how it impacts them as authors. 

It takes time to read articles, talk to experts and pull a newsletter together to present to my readers. My focus is on the latest publishing information which I believe is critical to success as a writer and author. I enjoy explaining how the business works and hopefully offer ideas and tips that make reading the newsletter worthwhile.

Certainly at this time digital publishing is the talk among New York publishers and the reason I have shifted my efforts to digital is because I want everyone to be aware of the opportunities. I try and provide a free information service both through my newsletter and web site. The eBook publishing and distribution program utilizes my years of experience and provides opportunities for independent authors. 

Anyone who is a regular reader of my newsletter understands that eBooks are going to open doors far beyond what print books will ever be able to offer. For anyone reading this blog, converting a manuscript into an eBook is easy and creates a new format for which anyone can sell content.

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Book Expo for Readers
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

I’ve received many emails commenting on my post dated April 5th titled Book Expo America. Most have asked about the relevance of attending if you are not an author or publisher but a reader. The answer I would offer anyone that is curious about attending as a consumer of books is YES! If you enjoy trade shows, or have never attended but are curious, then by all means go and enjoy.

The cost of entry is steep but this conference offers a full day of activity and the opportunity to get a boat load of free galley copies that the biggest publishers offer. The food is expensive, the crowds can be a pain, but overall the experience is worth the effort if you enjoy browsing what is essentially a huge bookstore.

When you buy your ticket you will receive a badge that indicates by color that you are a visitor, which means when you walk through the booths of the big New York publishers you will be ignored, which is fine. If you are seen carrying what appears to be a large envelope, or manuscript, they will run the other way because these companies do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Carry a canvas bag for all the free stuff that is given away and wear comfortable shoes.

You should bring bottled water, assuming they let you take that into the center (you might want to check online before you head off to get details). Restrooms are plentiful but you must have a map of where you can find the biggest publishers. You can easily get lost and turned around if you do not have a map of the show and where everyone is located. You must check out the booths for Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Putnam, Holtzbrink/MacMillan/St. Martins, Harper Collins and Hachette. Those are the biggest and will offer the most for free.

Take your time, don’t be in a hurry and enjoy the day. It’s a huge air conditioned hall with carpeted walkways and booths. Parking could be a problem so again, check online before leaving your home since mass transit may be your best bet. Book Expo America offers readers and fans a great opportunity to see the business up close and personal.

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Book Expo America
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 5th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

Soon the largest book showcase in the world will take place, Book Expo America, also referred to as BEA. For anyone planning to attend, let me provide you with some ideas on how to maximize your time and experience. Two years ago I was interviewed about Book Expo and the entire text is below.

1) For those who are reading this who don’t know what BEA is, can you explain what it is?

Book Expo America is the annual showcase for the largest publishers in the world. It’s a place where companies rent booth space to display their goods and services. The convention hall includes publishers and related businesses both large and small that offer products and services to industry professionals directly or indirectly related to the industry.

2) Someone reading this might wonder? Why would I attend BEA? Do you think it benefits anyone in publishing to go to an event like this and if so, why?

If you’ve never attended it is fun to attend at least once just to get a feel for what the bigger world of publishing is all about. Depending on your particular situation either as an author or business person, it is the one place where all related companies gather to display their offerings so if you want to see what the industry is all about and how you or your business might fit, it’s worth the visit. Book Expo can be as much or as little as you want out of it, but if you derive your revenue from books, publishing, or anything related, you should attend at least once.

3) Can you explain the set up of BEA? It seems that the big 6 New York publishers are always taking center stage of this event, is that true? Is it a case of “whoever can throw the most money at this event gets the biggest booth”? Or is BEA generally a primary focus of corporate publishing?

BEA is focused around the six big publishers, no doubt, without them the BEA would hold little relevance to the general public. As it stands today, the media is interested simply because of the celebrity authors and future bestsellers that are on display. Each of these big companies may spend well in excess of $1 million on this show so it is a big deal for them and they spend a lot of time in New York preparing.

Booth placement is key for this show and the sponsors do the best they can to make everyone happy. Size of the booth is indicative of how much money the sponsors are receiving from the big publishers. Having attended more than 20 I would have to say that the BEA as it now stands is as much representative of corporate publishing as anything else.

4) So, let’s say I’m a small publisher looking for more exposure for my books. How would I strategize BEA to my best advantage?

For small publishers BEA becomes a necessity to attract the kind of attention it takes to build your business and sell books. If you are small and do not attend, then industry wide you are not seen as a “player” in the publishing business. The best way to strategize if you are a small publisher is to make sure your booth reflects who you are or who you want to be as a publisher. You have to promote your company to the industry, such as agents, authors, and other publishers. It’s important for you to put forth the perception that you publish quality product and are serious about your own development as a company. The BEA is the place where you have an opportunity to capture the attention of the bigger players regardless of their area of expertise. This is especially true if your books rarely get reviewed in the traditional media and if you are not based in Manhattan.

5) As a small publisher, what’s my best plan of attack? How should I prepare for this event?

The first thing you have to do is make sure you have developed an image you want to portray to the industry. If your focus is quality fiction then you need to have large images of your covers, with free and review copies available, and complete marketing plans, including promotion, publicity and advertising. You have to mimic what the big publishers are doing which gives the impression you can compete even if you are on a smaller scale.

6) If I’m a vendor, looking to acquire more business. Let’s say I’m a publicist or marketing person…why would I want to go to this event and how could it benefit me?

The first thing I would do is walk the halls and get the lay of the land, in other words, where are the big publishers located and what are all the other booths about. It’s one thing to read the BEA catalog or read Publishers Weekly for the convention layout, it’s quite another to walk the hall to see for yourself what each of these businesses are all about. The employees of all the big companies constantly walk the halls looking at their competition, and not just the big publisher booths, but the entire hall.

As a vendor trying to acquire more business, I’d gather as much free information in the form of handouts as you can possible carry, including catalogs from everyone. I would also gather as many business cards as you can and shake hands and speak with as many people as you can meet. Then at night in your hotel pour over all of this information looking for opportunities. I’d pick up as much competitive information as possible and then use this information in acquiring more business.

7) As an author, how could BEA impact my career? How could BEA help me?

Depending on where you are in your writing career attending a BEA for the first time should open your eyes to the possibilities. The books you see from the biggest publishers could easily have been written by you, it‘s all about understanding the market, positioning your manuscript, having knowledge of what the big guys are looking for, how they purchase rights to publish books, and then knowing how to market yourself as an author. As you walk the hall you will get a sense of just how big the industry, how serious you need to approach your writing, and how extremely important it is to know how the business operates. The books you see in the catalogs of the big publishes are no more talented than you, but they know something about the business and how to market themselves and their writing. If you’re serious about a career as a writer, you can learn what you need to know to be successful by keeping your eyes open and developing your plan.

Eight) As someone who’s attended many of these events, what are some insider tips you can share about event networking and attracting new business at an event of this magnatitude?

The idea that you can walk into any booth and make a cold call on an editor, publisher or any business and accomplish something is the easiest way to be seen as an amateur. When that happens no one will take you seriously. The BEA is not the place to try and transact business, it’s the place to meet people that will hopefully allow you to transact business in the future. The only way for anything to get accomplished at BEA is to have established some contact prior to the show and then set an appointment to meet during the show. That is the only way. Dropping in on people and sticking your hand out with a business card is the quickest way to ruin what reputation you might have established.

9) Many people say that “deals are made at Book Expo” but is that true, are there deals made on the event floor?

The biggest deals the largest publishers make is international rights transactions. I can’t say that deals are never done on the floor, but if there are, then BEA is the end point, not the beginning. Discussions are held that lead to business being conducted, but rarely do agents and authors, service and product vendors initiate contact at BEA that result in business being conducted at that moment. The atmosphere is more festive and most executives hate to have serious discussions on the floor. BEA is the place for introductions, exchanging of information, but not serious business.

10) As an service prodivor, publisher, or author – what are some things to look for in book placement, catalog placement, or promotional piece that might clue me into new trends, or vendors one might want to connect with…

First of all depending on the product or service you provide, you need to scope out the competition. Who else is offering the same and how are they presenting themselves to the public. This is very important. If you are looking for opportunities from publishers catalogs, look for books that are similar to ones you have worked on in the past. Particularly check out the marketing of these titles and make a mental note on those which you have something to offer that is new and exciting for the publisher.

If you are a small publisher again, take note of the competition. Publishing is about perception, compare your presentation to your competitive publishers. Does your catalog compare? What about your marketing plans? Prices? Page counts? What are they doing different? The goal is to figure out how to compete effectively.

As an author, there are tons of free and review copies available on the floor of the big publishers at all times, these are the titles they are heavily promoting. Pick them up and read them, this is what is selling today, compare the story, not the writing and pay attention to what publishers are doing to promote their books. Regardless of how you publish, there are plenty of marketing ideas floating around, right in front of your eyes, pay attention because chances are you can take those ideas back home and use them.

11) What type of information gathering do you recommend someone do prior to the event? What’s the best way to prepare for Book Expo?

Remember, the BEA is not the place to transact business, it’s the place to meet people who you can eventually do business with. It’s okay to have a plan on how you want to tour the hall, especially if your time is limited. But the best preparation is hunting and gathering as I’ve discussed before. The BEA has plenty of information to share, take advantage of the free offering in one location, and it happens only once per year.

The best way to prepare for a BEA is REST! Attending a BEA can be exhausting, go in with your eyes open and don’t let the show overwhelm you. It can be daunting to walk in and see all the huge displays and walk away feeling like your lost. This is the place to see what’s going on in the world of publishing. I tell my clients that the bookstore is their laboratory, where they can find out what’s being published and how books are being marketed. If the bookstore is your lab, the BEA is the PhD program for students of the business. There is a lot to learn and much you can gather at a BEA.

As a final note, let me share with you what the Independent Bookstores around the country are looking for when they attend BEA. There are searching for non-book product that is compatible with their store and shows promise of selling. They are not looking for books. Yes of course they drop by the big publishers booths and visit but they rarely make appointments. If they do, they typically are promoting their stores to the publicity department asking for more author events. For those book professionals BEA is not all about the books, but the industry as a whole.

If you have questions about any of the answers please send an email Jerry@WritersReaders.com.

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Could Ernie Pyle’s work fly on the Internet by Dave Lieber
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 1st, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

you, the columnist
Could Ernie Pyle’s work fly on the Internet?
By Dave Lieber
Dave Lieber

A little disgusted is how I feel when I read these words from Time magazine book reviewer Lev Grossman about how writers are going to have to write differently for people who read their work on cell phones or who can’t focus too long on one subject:

“You’re going to want to have blood on the wall by the end of the second paragraph. And I think that’s something writers are going to have to adapt to, and the challenge will be to use this powerfully narrative form, this pulpy kind of mode, to say important things.”

(Thanks to Lynn Neary of NPR.org for that quote, and for Jerry Simmons of www.WritersReaders.com for reprinting.)

But how much do we have to change our writing?

I’m hoping the answer is not all that much. Many newspaper columnists already try to write like that. Not blood on wall, necessarily, but some kind of question posed or mystery offered that makes the reader want to get to the third paragraph. And on and on. We call it the dramatic arch.

I wonder how Ernie Pyle would have handled this dilemma.

This April 18, 2010 marks the 15th anniversary of a proclamation by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists establishing the date as National Columnists Day. That’s the day our patron saint, Ernie Pyle, was killed in a foxhole by a Japanese sniper.

As the young pup who helped then-NSNC President Bill Tammeus pick that date, it holds something special in my heart. Ernie was the greatest columnist of the 20th century, maybe ever.

But he didn’t go for blood on the wall in the second graph.

My favorite Pyle column is not so well known. It was his public announcement of the death of his mother and the circumstances surrounding it. He didn’t hammer it home by the second graph. As my National Columnists Day psyche-up gift to you, here are excerpts:

One drear evening in London a friend and I started out to dinner. We had gone about two blocks when we heard hurrying footsteps behind us. We turned and saw that it was a little bellboy from my hotel. The lad’s name was Tom Donovan, and he was the one who had showed me my room on that first strange night months before when I arrived in London.
“This telegram just came for you, sir,” he said. “I thought maybe I could catch you.” I thanked him and he started on back.
I stepped over to the curb, out of people’s way, while I tore open the telegram and read it,
“What is it?” my friend asked. “More good news from home?”
“Read it,” I said, and went on ahead. When he caught up he said, “I’m sorry,” and we walked toward Leicester Square as though nothing had happened.
It was the cablegram that told me that my mother, far away in Indiana, had come to the end of her life.
That night in London, back in my room, it seemed to me that living is futile, and death the final indignity. I turned off the lights and pulled the blackout curtains and went to bed.
The pictures of my mother raced across the darkness before my eyes. Pictures of nearly a lifetime. Pictures of her at neighborhood square dances long, long ago, when she was young and I was a child. Pictures of her playing the violin. Pictures of her doctoring sick horses; of her carrying newborn lambs into the house on raw spring days. I could see her that far day in the past when she drove our first auto – all decorated and bespangled – in the Fourth of July parade. She was dressed up in frills and won first prize in the parade and was awfully proud….
I could see her as she stood on the front porch, crying bravely, on that morning in 1918 when I, being youthful, said a tearless good-by and climbed into the neighbor’s waiting buggy that was to take me out of her life.
The pictures grew older. Gradually, she became stooped, and toil-worn, and finally white and wracked with age – but always spirited, always sharp.
On the afternoon that I was leaving London I called little Tom Donovan, the bellboy, to my room. One by one the floor servants had come in, and I had given them farewell tips. But because I liked him, and more than anything else, I suppose, because he had shared with me the message of finality, I wanted to do something more for Tom than for the others. And so, in the gentlest way I could, I started to give him a pound note.
But a look of distress came into his face, and he blurted out, “Oh no, Mr. Pyle, I couldn’t.” And then he stood there so straight in his little English uniform and suddenly tears came in his eyes, and they rolled down his cheeks, and then he turned and ran through the door. I never saw him again.
On that first night I had felt in a sort of detached bitterness that, because my mother’s life was hard, it was also empty. But how wrong I was. For you need only have seen little Tom Donovan in faraway London, wretched at her passing, or the loneliness of Snooks [her little dog] after she had gone, or the great truckloads of flowers they say came from all over the continent, or the scores of Indiana youngsters who journeyed to her both in life and in death because they loved her, to know that she had given a full life. And received one, in return.

To me, this is perfect writing. Everything works. The man knew his readers, and he knew his heart.
Do you believe that writing can no longer be presented like that to readers?
I don’t. Well crafted words will always strike a chord, awaken curiosity, around passions.
Those universal truths about our audiences shouldn’t change because of our audience’s shortened attention span due to all the electronic toys that, for the time being, are more fun than we are.
***
Do you know the secret size cup of coffee at Starbucks? No? Then you better watch Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Dave Lieber’s video at: http://bit.ly/starbucks-secret

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