Category: Reading

Not Sure If Email Blasts Actually Work

11/2/2013

I'd say be very careful with this one.
Of course, I want exposure for my books and for my business, but I'm leery about email blasts. Impersonal and annoying. I know it's a fairly popular form of marketing, but if it bothers me, I'm sure it bothers other people. There's got to be a better way to get people to support you.
I think about how annoyed I get when my friends (who NEVER or almost never) communicate with me otherwise, tend to forward, forward and FORWARD all those random emails from to me and everyone else in their address books. There's no personal touch, and something about that is cold, stale, and insincere. And annoying.
I love my friends, but I hate those emails. I think it's kind of the same thing with trying to email blast people about my books and business. I think a lot of people feel the same way. There's got to be something else that can be done to make people feel connected and not just collected. *Thinking*

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Where's Your Pride?

9/14/2013

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I don't care if it is "just Facebook." If you're out there in cyberspace or outer space representing yourself as a writer, you should care about typos, context and spelling.

Intentional shorthand and text-type for the sake of brevity in comments is one thing. Pushing words out of your crowded head in the form of a scribbled first draft, before the fleeting thought passes and is lost forever, is one thing; but if you own the thread, and you've posted some God-awful text to be damned, fix it. For the sake of goodness, for the love of Pete, delete it, and start over. Anybody who's interested in what you have to say will wait.

Just so you know, that whole, "It's only Facebook," thing only works for folks who are being lazy on purpose. Writers rarely have the luxury of being lazy on purpose. Find your pride and fix that shit. Respect the craft.

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Work, work, and more work! Such is the life.

9/13/2013

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As the target date of 16 September approaches, I have a bundle of mixed emotions. Again, I will have the opportunity to release a body of work in memory of my uncle Harvey, and in honor of all my family and friends who have supported me along the way. But I'm also very nervous. I know the work is good, but even after having been a writer all of my life, I still get a case of "Is it good enough?" swirling about in my head. Not in a crippling fear sort of way, but in an always overthinking everything sort of way. I tell myself that such is the life of a published author.

I've put in a lot of effort to making this revision of The Other Side of 30, 2nd Edition (TOST2), something that readers can enjoy as much as (hopefully more) than the last release. I'm a good kind of tired, with lots more to be done, to make sure that the book is available for purchase on time. Figuring out these links is exhausting, but I want to make finding and buying my book an easy task, so I gotta just work it out.

And right on the heels of the TOS2, is the Up from Here project, and then The Other Side of 40 (TOSF), my sort of sequel to TOST2. All of this, I'm hoping to get accomplished by the end of the year. Whew! Work, work, and more work! But I'm liking this life.

I said I wanted to own my own publishing house, and that's what I've got. And everything that goes along with it. Planning, budgeting, publicity, marketing, hiring editors, designers, publicists, and running everything by my attorney and accountant before making my decisions. It's not what I thought it would be like, but it's nice to be in this kind of control. Plus, once I'm good and off the ground with my own pet projects, I'll be a better informed and vastly more experienced publisher. I can start helping other unknowns and upstarts to get their chances at sharing their work with the world.

I'm not in the "Awesome" phase, yet, but I think I'm on the right track. I no longer fear not being "good enough" If someone doesn't like the work, I just tuck that away into the "needs improvement" file, and know that I just have to keep improving and growing.
I think that's important for anyone who would call him/herself a writer. I think that writers who don't improve and grow are not being the best they can be.

As always, good luck, to all writers and artists to put out the best products possible. We have to remember that no matter how hard the work is to get to quality, junk peddling is not an option. Love the craft.

Buy Now

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One Step Closer to Publication of New Release

6/21/2013

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Finally sent the completed proposed publishing agreements to the remaining contributors of the Up from Here project.
I'm looking forward to turning out a great piece of work for a great cause, and I'm trying hard to stay motivated through the whole process. It's nice to be one step closer.
I know quite a few people who run their own publishing companies, so many others who publish their own books. Some, I admire. Others, not so much. I just want to get this right. I have to admit that I get discouraged seeing how some people make it look so easy and so fast.
This project has been turning and churning in my head since 2009. It was already like pulling teeth to get people to contribute, especially considering all of the very talented people I know who would have been great to have on board, and along the way, some who initially agreed to participate have bowed out. Understandably so, since it's taking so long to get it off the ground, but still. I wish I would know more sooner so I could do more faster. *Sigh* Some contributors have stayed on board, but I can't help but wonder how long they'll stick with it. I hope, I hope, I hope!
Geez. It really is a labor of love. So much time, energy and money invested in getting this right. And then, more time. And then, publicity! God, help me.
But yeah. It's still nice to be one step closer. I hope that readers will find it all worth the wait. *Shoulder to the wheel.*

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If Writing is Talking...

3/4/2012

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Reading other people's blogs, stories, and books helps us to become better writers. We're somehow more prolific, more compelling, and more engaging as communicators. If writing is the talking part, then reading is the listening. And who couldn't stand to be a better listener? Besides that, who wants to "listen" to someone who never lets you get a word in edgewise?

Believe it now or later, there is something to this karma and reciprocity thing.

PREVIOUS POST: Know Who You Are and Then Be Who You Must

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Socially Inept Writers, Artists, and Other People

2/6/2012

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I guess I just don't understand the creepy weirdness of some people. Some creepy weirdness, I get. I am, after all, an artist.

I tell myself that perhaps a few generations ago, it might have been the "in" thing to be a complete social recluse of a writer. It made the authors mysterious, and by extension, some kind of cool. I suppose.

In the days of writers and artists like Poe, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Harper Lee, as well as others, composers, painters, musicians, etc., who were so hard to get to, but so easy to "get," I guess people probably expected it. Maybe it even added some validation to their talent. I guess.

But now, we are in the age where being socially inept is not a good look, for people in general, but especially for those who have to rely on themselves to publicize, promote and market their own work.

Setting aside my own loathing of texting, et. al (electronic/non-human exchanges as preferred mediums of communication), I still feel confused, even grieved a bit for the seemingly dying art of communication. There is something fundamentally sound in developing social skills that require actual talking, listening, and face-to-face human engagement. Social networking was introduced to enhance and complement effective communication, not to replace it.

The speed and the convenience are one thing, but if you can only comfortably interact with other people in text messages, emails, or instant messages, then you're socially impotent. Your so-called comfort zone is threatening to strangle the life out of your relationships. Of course, there's nothing wrong with being adept at the latest modern technology, but there's something missing if you prefer all of that over personal contact. Least of all, your communication skills are lacking. Not enough attention as a child, maybe. Too much attention as a child, maybe. Who knows? But something is missing.

That especially goes for the obsessive video gamer types. In fact, they kind of creep me out. When video gaming crosses the line from casual recreation to necessary activity, it's obsessive. And creepy. Here is where all the addicts would say, "I can stop anytime I want," feel insulted, and proceed to hurl insults in the comments section. I digress.

But as I think about it, people probably thought that some of those writers and artists above were a bit creepy, too. You know, the socially awkward, nerdy types. And I suppose that was okay with everyone back then, since those folks had a lot of good writing, composing, music and artistry to do their socializing for them.

I suppose if one is a writer who creates and delivers on that level, then reclusive, socially awkward behavior is acceptable. But self-flattery aside, what of those of us who are not on that level? What if you're not even a writer or artist, but just someone who's weird for no reason?

PREVIOUS POST: Suiting Up is Never Enough

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Suiting Up is Never Enough

1/29/2012

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It's one thing to be very good at what you do. It's a whole other thing for others to know how well you do it; and still another whole other thing for them to support you in your endeavor(s). Having a high opinion of your skills only serves to get you out of bed in the morning, but it's not enough to move anyone else. The time to show and prove is always right now. Don't just suit up. Show up and show out.

All writers have a high opinion of our skills, but that's not what gets us read. Writers who claim to only write for themselves are probably full of bunk, and has yet to work through their issues with criticism. If that "writing for myself only" stuff were truly the case, then they would be writing in private journals where no one had access to the words.

Most writers I know want to be read. Some want to make money at it, which means that they want a lot of traffic to their blogs, and they want a lot of readers of their works. If that is the case with you, then work at it constantly.

Work to improve, even though perfection is a complete impossibility. Study others. Interact with others, writers and readers. Listen as much as you talk. Read more than you write. Be more than just a person who knows your words should move the world. Be a person who nudges the world along with your words. Put in the work to improve, then the moving will work itself out.

PREVIOUS POST: Got the Goods? Prove It!

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Take Your Writing Seriously, So That Others Will, Too.

1/7/2012

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Here is your main take-away from this post:

Serious writers should strive NOT to be junk peddlers.

If you're going to make a business of your writing, do your best to make it worth someone's time and money.

Here are a few things to increase the chances of your writing being well-received.

1. Read more books.
One of my college professors told me that reading expands the vocabulary, improves the attention span, cures laziness, and staves off over all ignorance. So, I guess that makes it a cure all. But if nothing else, the more you read, the better you write. No one wants to read any work that looks like it was written by someone who never read a book...ever. Spend some time in a library and/or a bookstore and just read.

2. Read articles and blogs.
Find useful information and apply it to developing your craft and preparing yourself for publishing, including learning what to look for and what to avoid.
Here is one most excellent blog by the Passive Income Author, Skellie with tons of great insight.
Here is another one from Maria Murnane about the importance of editing.
One more, from Mallary Jean Tenore, speaking with bestselling author, Jennifer Weiner about social networking tools.
And Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors are excellent reference sites for authors looking for publishing options, editors, and agents. Yes, I know "predators" is misspelled, but I'm sure they thought it was a really clever play on words at the time. It's still worth a look.

Speaking of being aware, the publisher, PublishAmerica, has a bad reputation. I do not recommend working with anyone who has so many bad reviews, complaints, and negative publicity; but by all means, do your research, and consider your sources before making any decisions. Remember: Be careful out there. Form your own opinions.
Look around. Read, read, read!

3. Observe other writers and learn from them.
For this, you should be willing to read through some other up-and-coming authors' work, and not just authors whom you already admire. Visit their websites and blogs. Attend author events, workshops, and conferences, if possible. If you can't attend a conference or workshop...you guessed it. Read! Learn what other authors do well, and decide what you want to emulate. Learn what they don't do as well, and decide what you'd like to improve for your own writing platform and future works.

4. Write openly, honestly, and without inhibition.
Yes, this takes work. Writing is personal, and it's hard enough to allow someone else to see your work without the added pressure of someone not "getting" it, and therefore not enjoying it. Take your time to get to this point. You'll be ready to share when you're ready to share. But at some point, you'll need to put fear and inhibition in your back pocket and move. And a lot of it will be painful and scary, but that's what good writing is, in my opinion.

5. Write for readers, not for other writers.
If you're developing a story, a character, or something else in draft form, or if you're writing just to vent or blow off steam about the challenges and lessons of the journey, then it's always a good idea to bounce your thoughts off of other writers. For that, find a good writer's forum, like She Writes. But once you're ready to push forward with a finished work, understand that your audience is different. Most of your reading audience doesn't care about the journey. They just want you to bring the story home. In order for your readers to care about you and your work, and to want to support it, they need to feel connected to you and what you're offering. Write about things that they care about, and they will care about you.

6. Treat your writing like a business.
If you want exposure, and possibly to publish and distribute your work, create and build a presence, online and in real life, and that's more than just spamming people with BCC emails and regularly blasting ads for your book on their Facebook walls. It's lazy, ill-mannered, annoying, and usually ineffective.
Remember: Engage and connect. While your Facebook page is a great place to socialize and network, you'll find that it's not the best place to sell books. Think about it. How many books have you bought from your Facebook friends? How much actual support have you given to a business listed on Facebook, other than "Like" the page? Exactly. All the more reason to get out and about on the Web and broaden your cyber horizons.

7. Create a website, or at least a blog, that's geared toward attracting readers. Take an interest in what interests your readers. Search for and find readers who are actually interested in what you write, i.e., your genre or subject matter.
Don't assume that one person's audience will be drawn to your writing just because you write in the same genre. Put in the work. Research. Pay attention.

8. Compartmentalize.
If you have a personal website, Facebook page, or Twitter profile, consider creating and maintaining a second website or profile that is exclusively for your writing business. And for the love of beans and gravy, please treat your website with care. Check it and update it regularly, especially to catch and correct typos, and to make sure your links work. No one will take you seriously as a writer, editor, publisher, etc., if you don't take the care to maintain your web presence. There are tons of places that you can build free or inexpensive websites, such as Weebly. And believe me when I say that they make it super user-friendly, and still help you put together an attractive, professional site. If you want to invest in a professional to build your site, then okay; but just know that there are some free-of-charge options out there.

9. Keep it professional.
Whatever you do, don't treat your business website like an old MySpace page, with music and graphics bouncing all over the place. It's distracting, especially if it's a song that I know, and too many moving parts and too much noise will make it look (and sound) amateurish. It's all right to be an amateur, as long as you put a professional foot forward. For an occasional sanity check, ask family and friends to look over it and give you feedback. A fresh set of eyes will often catch things that we miss in our own work. I prefer a silent website, but depending on your target audience, music and a few subtle graphics may work for you. Just keep it professional.

Well, that's it for now. As always, this is just what I'm learning as I go. Use what works for you, and brain dump the rest.

Take care, all. Happy Writing!

PREVIOUS POST: Off the Top of My Head

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Writers Should Know This is a no frills, learning-as-I-go blog for new writers seeking insight on the writing and publishing journey, and for any readers who may be interested in what we do to get written, published and read.

Not Sure If Email Blasts Actually Work

Where's Your Pride?

Work, work, and more work! Such is the life.

One Step Closer to Publication of New Release

If Writing is Talking...

Socially Inept Writers, Artists, and Other People

Suiting Up is Never Enough

Take Your Writing Seriously, So That Others Will, Too.

Writer Stuff

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