ARE EDITORS BUYING BOOKS ANY MORE?

I know. It seems like the only thing writers and agents are getting is rejection slips. The stakes are high--indeed. What's the favorite phrase of agents and editors? AUTHOR PLATFORM. But editors still become smitten with a new author's voice and writing, whole publishing teams get excited by the nonfiction book that is coming to market at just the right time with all the media working correctly. There is still the experience of the public falling in love with a story, a book, an author. The readers are still there.

Here is a taste of what editors have bought lately:

Fiction:

Screenwriter Kathy Ebel cuts a wide comic swatch with FAST & SLOPPY, the story of a deeply flawed but unsinkable young woman whose misguided attempts at finding love and security in 1990s New York City include sleeping with her best friend's father. To Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, by Betsy Lerner at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

NPR news editor Krishnadev Calamur's debut novella, MURDER IN MUMBAI, featuring a beleaguered cop and a journalist who reluctantly collaborate to solve the murder of an American businesswoman in India, as the debut title in Dutton's Guilt-Edged Mysteries e-imprint, to Ben Sevier with Stephanie Kelly editing, by Josh Getzler at Hannigan Salky Getzler.

Lorrie Thomson's EQUILIBRIUM, about a woman who, along with her two teenaged children, is trying to pick up the pieces a year after her husband committed suicide, to Peter Senftleben at Kensington, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds.

Former Politico writer Karin Tanabe's THE CAPITOLIST, in which a 20-something journalist leaves a cushy NYC magazine job for DC's hottest (and most cut-throat) political rag, where she uncovers a juicy scandal involving a senator that could make or break her career, to Sarah Cantin at Atria, in a nice deal, by Bridget Wagner at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency.

Susan Spann's SHINOBI, in a new samurai mystery series featuring a Samurai and a Portuguese priest, who must clear a teahouse entertainer of murder, with each book focusing on a different aspect of 16th-century Japanese culture, to Toni Plummer at Thomas Dunne Books, in a three-book deal, by Sandra Bond at Bond Literary Agency.

And a whole host of Romance, Inspirational, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy....

Nonfiction buys  (not listing the obvious celebrity books like Whitney Houston biographies and Amanda Knox's memoir):

Former journalist who now works in digital strategy and data analysis Amy Webb's DATA, A LOVE STORY, a humorous and instructive memoir about how Webb "gamed" the world of online dating and used her skills to figure out what sort of man she really wanted to date, then crunched the numbers to figure out how to successfully attract just the right one, including her eventual husband, to Jill Schwartzman at Dutton, at auction, by Erin Malone and Suzanne Gluck at William Morris Endeavor.

Fortune Magazine journalist Carol Loomis' untitled book about Warren Buffett, drawing on her more than 40-year friendship with America's most successful investor, in which she collects and adds new commentary to six decades of articles in Fortune, to Adrian Zackheim at Portfolio, at auction, by Tracy Brown at Tracy Brown Literary Agency.

Ray Walker with Rachel Holtzman's THE ROAD TO BURGUNDY, the story of his long, hard journey to realize his dream, chucking his California office job in favor of winemaking in Burgundy, starting with no money, no vineyard, no grapes, and no French, starting with a wife, a new baby, and more determination than anyone in his new village had ever seen before; the learning curve for the Walker family was steep, but from that hardly-promising start, he became the first non-Frenchman ever to make the hallowed grand cru Le Chambertin, and founded Maison Ilan, a wine that sold out its very first vintage, to Lucia Watson at Gotham, for publication in Summer 2013, by Sharon Bowers at Miller Bowers Griffin..

CEO of the Special Olympics Tim Shriver's book about the athletes who "have taught me more about how to live this life than anyone," presenting "really important lessons for a time and an age when people are really looking and seeking ways to find more fulfillment, more purpose, more peace ... in their lives," to Sarah Crichton at Sarah Crichton Books, by Rafe Sagalyn at The Sagalyn Agency.

The Comedy Bible author Judy Carter's THE SPEAKER'S BIBLE: Turning Your Life Story into a Money Making Career, helping readers discover the keynote speech buried inside their life story...and then shows them how to build a successful speaking career from that speech, to Daniela Rapp at St. Martin's, for publication in Fall/Winter 2012 and 2013, by Penny Nelson at Manus & Associates.

Fast Company, Slate, NPR, and NYT contributor Farhad Manjoo's MASTERS OF OUR UNIVERSE, an account of the war among today's major tech companies, primarily focused on Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon, as they expand beyond their traditional services and move aggressively into each other's territory, battling for dominance of our lives, to Jofie Ferrari-Adler at Simon & Schuster, at auction, by Larry Weissman at Larry Weissman Literary.

This will get your brain going!
Onward.
Laurie

http://www.authorbiz.com/

"A Little Break Would Do You Good"

It has been a long silence for me on this blog and I regret that. I've been "busy in the doing." The launching of 2012 began with an onslaught of wonderful consulting jobs that had me on the run, but now things are settling into a more normal pace, as I suspect they are for you too.

For the writer and book author, the deeper into their writing they go, the more people there are saying "Hey, come on over, a break would do you good. We'll open some wine..." It's the law of nature. Tempting. But. Dangerous.

To the outside world, what's the big deal if you take an evening, a day, or a weekend now and then to get away from "the book" and play. "It might inspire you and give you ideas!" True. Unfortunately, you have no shortage of ideas and the slightest inopportune interruption can hijack a train of thought that has taken you days (or weeks!) to get to, which you might never get back.

I recommend explaining to family and friends early on that when you put up the Do Not Disturb sign, for however long it is up, it really does mean "Don't even knock to ask if I want a cup of coffee." That you are constructing a piece of writing that has every bit the architecture of designing and building a new house. That in order for you to have original thought and to express it at your highest capability, you must periodically withdraw altogether from the world at large.

The DND sign, however, comes with a promise:  There will be a party!

Until then, stay in the cocoon of your mind.
Onward!
Laurie
http://www.authorbiz.com/

WRITE IT, DON'T TELL IT

As holidays approach, I am mindful of how this messes with authors. Just when you are “getting somewhere” on that chapter or piece, a holiday or work project comes up to hold you hostage. “I’ll never get back into it. I’m going to lose the momentum I have,” you lament. The only solution I have found for this is to –

• not worry about the full writing of it—just keep jotting notes, thoughts, fragments down in the notebook you keep on you at all times. This can even be just words you scribble down, which will trigger the whole thought;
• KEEP QUIET--do NOT tell what you are planning to write to anyone, which will only ensure that you will never write it

This last point is critical. Every time you TELL someone what you are going to write, you give away the very heart and soul of it, and you will never fully write it as you first envisioned it. Really.

WRITE first, TELL later.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Laurie 

http://www.authorbiz.com/

Self-Publishing After Being Published: New Questions Arise

Most authors feel loyalty to their agents who have placed their books with a traditional publisher, and been at their side through the early years. So now the question arises: Once there has been termination of those contracts, with reversion of rights, and the author now self-publishes the book to keep it in print, should the agent continue to receive commission?

Most, if not all, Agency Agreements signed prior to 2010 probably do not have a provision for this scenario. All newer Agreements certainly will.

The author can argue that the contract(s) which the agent placed are terminated and completed. And just as the author has the right to terminate his or her agent for next books, he/she has the right to re-license the book whose rights have reverted, and it is under completely new publishing contracts.

The agent can argue that he/she created the opportunity through all the original sales and licensing and the intent of the original Agency Agreement was that he/she would be the agent of record on this book no matter how many lives it has.

The Author then thinks, gee, what has this agent done for me lately? And true, the agent should earn the commission doing something, but the original selling of the book is not NOTHING...it did create all further opportunity.

The Agent thinks of all the work and hours invested in this author that have never been paid for no matter how many sales or licenses were placed…

The Author thinks, well, I haven’t been paid all I should have earned either, that’s why we were partners…

Agent: And we still are partners, and you don’t know what I could do for you in the future.

The author thinks the agent seems greedy. The agent thinks the author seems greedy and ungrateful.

There is a contractual aspect, of course, that says if it isn’t provided for in the Agreement, the author doesn’t have to give the agent anything further. But it might be vague, or implied, and this necessitates the discussion, consideration, and decision, case by case. Even if the Agreement allows the author to take self-publishing elsewhere, that doesn’t mean it’s the smart thing to do, or the ethical thing to do. Don't draw a line:  consider all sides, consider the future as well as this moment, and make your decision based on working relationships that you want in your professional life.

Tell me what you think. Let’s hear from each other on this.

Lauriewww.authorbiz.com

Halloween is a great reminder for writers. It’s time to put on

someone else’s clothes and get a whole new perspective on this

book…. Take Captain Jack Sparrow for instance… now, what

would his take on things be? (Not yours!) Spend a day as someone else,

 Besides having fun, it can’t do anything but help get you

unstuck from the grooves you’re digging in rewrites. 

Break free!

Captain Jack

The Quickest Way to Kill Your Online Success

Reprinted with permission from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Penny Sansevieri

I have a friend who lives in San Diego. She and her boyfriend rented this lovely home outside of the city. They have tons of land, a great house. It was really a fantastic deal. Since they were in such a good place, the rent was cheap and they had no intention of moving anytime soon, they decided to do some minor renovations to the house. This became their "weekend warrior" project. They'd paint, tinker, plant and in the end, they had a great and slightly improved property. Then one day the owner stopped by for a visit. "Bad news," he said, "I need to sell this property and I have a buyer who wants to offer top dollar, in a market like this I'm sure you understand why I need to take it." They had 30 days to move out.

Now, you might think this is a very sad and unfair situation, but it happens all the time. And it doesn't just happen to real estate, it happens online too. It's a great thing, this social networking, but what a lot of people forget is that you don't own the sites you are populating. While Facebook owns the world (pretty much) right now, things could change. But more than that, sometimes a slight "uh-oh" from you and a slight violation of the site's terms of service can cause you a world of grief. We had a client several years ago who built up 5,000 friends on his personal profile. I kept cautioning him about doing promotion on that page as Facebook has rules against doing promotion on a personal profile. He continued to do promotion (though not heavy) and lost his page. He never got it back. His entire tribe of 5,000 people was lost in the minute it took Facebook to pull down that page.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to utilize these tools and promote yourself, but just remember: as much as you might feel "at home" on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, and Twitter, you don't own these properties. They do. Be smart and make sure you aren't making these sites the center of your success. Here are a few tips to help you own your real estate:

Website. You should always, always, always have a website. I know some authors who use Facebook as their websites. Big mistake. I know other authors who get a website that doesn't belong to them, meaning they are part of a community of free sites they don't own. If the community decides to stop doing websites and goes away, guess what happens? So does your content.

Smart Social Media. One of the things I really recommend is that you center all of your content around your website. That's partially why I suggest linking your blog to Facebook and Twitter. The content starts on your site and gets funneled from there, rather than in reverse.

Other ways to promote. Consider other ways to promote your stuff that isn't social media centric. Interviews on (other) blogs or websites, for instance. Yes, you are still putting stuff out there on other sites, I'm not saying not to. I'm saying that you need to make sure that whatever content you put out there is reflected on your site as well.

Duplicate content. There's a problem with posting huge amounts of duplicate content online, but unless you are pushing hundreds of pieces out a month, I doubt you have anything to worry about. However, the flip side is that you want to make sure you have copies of all the content you put out there. If you're uploading a video on YouTube, don't delete it off of your computer because you think it's "safe" on this site. It may very well be, but if you lose your page or YouTube gets bought (again) and morphs into something else, you're in trouble.

Enhanced website. When I talked about having a website, I'm not just talking about having a one or two-pager. I mean have a robust site packed with content. Make sure that you have a blog, and you might consider adding a resource section, etc. All information about your books should be on the site (don't rely on Amazon to house this for you) and be sure that any ordering information is on your site as well. Wait! You might ask, is Amazon in danger of going away? Not likely. But as they've shown in the past by pulling down books and buy buttons without warning: Amazon can do whatever it wants.

Traffic. So, the nitty gritty of promotion is what? Sales, right? Sure, and exposure too (though I think you should target exposure first, then sales, but that's another article). If you're sending all of your traffic to social media sites, guess what? Your website traffic is probably pretty low or non-existent. If you send traffic to social media sites guess who benefits? Well, certainly you do in the way of exposure, but long-term this isn't a good plan. Let me explain why.

If you aren't promoting your site as the center of the universe, and instead pushing people to social media sites, then your website isn't getting those super valuable incoming links from blogs, websites, etc. that you are promoting yourself to. As a result, your site will sink in Google rankings. That means if you lost one or more of your social media sites, you could certainly pick up the pieces and start sending people to your site, but that will be a long, hard haul. Better to focus on that now and gather that traffic, along with the buzz you create in social media, so you aren't caught with a zero starting point if anything happens.

You might think that the moral of this story is a slightly paranoid "trust no one" mantra but it's not. It's about protecting your stuff and being a smart and savvy author. You would never open up a store in a mall without a lease that locked you in for a certain amount of time, right? While there are no guarantees in anything, you need to be smart about all of these wonderful, free, not-owned-by-you social media sites. You might do a fantastic job of driving traffic, fans, and likes to various pages. But the reality is that you should focus on what you own, your website. I love my social media sites and yes, it's a widely known fact that I'm addicted to Twitter. Yet they aren't the center of my online universe, my website is. Yours should be, too.
____________________________________________________________________________

Thought you should know--
Laurie

www.authorbiz.com

Reading in Bed

This is wonderful and fun—and a reminder that we can do this even as an adult:

http://www.trendir.com/interiors/diy-reading-nook-inspired-design-idea.html
 
Thanks to http://dcuniversegirl.tumblr.com/
 
Laurie
www.authorbiz.com

The World Without Bookstores

 For quite some time we’ve heard people wondering out loud about a world without bookstores. It’s understandable, we all see stores closing right and left no matter where you live, and now Borders is officially history. As publishing people, we have to ask: Does it matter if we have only online bookstores, Target, Wal-Mart and the like?

Of course I love going in actual bookstores—who doesn’t!-- whether it’s Borders, Barnes & Noble, my local Red Balloon Bookshop for children, Sixth Chamber used books, Garrison Keillor’s Common Good Books, Louise Erdrich’s Birchbark Books in Minneapolis, or my old haunts in the Bay Area—Kepler’s, Book Passage. So many fabulous bookstores, so little time.

But where do I BUY my books?

Honestly? I have bought mostly online for at least ten years now. I have a budget like most people—price matters. Time matters—I don’t like running around looking for books that are not on the shelves. I go to bookstores to browse and see the books, pick them up, and spend time with them. And then I buy books I didn’t know I was going to have to buy—budget be damned. But for books I know I want or need to read for work, I buy them online quickly, efficiently, and with free shipping. I don’t think I’m different from most people. So no wonder bookstores have seen their business drop and drop and drop…..and that was before the e-book explosion.

Historically, when the corporate chain stores first opened (and I’m sadly old enough to remember when they were new) it was all about huge selection and price leverage over the independents. The price wars were between the chain and the independent bookstores. Right there and then we started watching the painful disappearance of hundreds of independent stores as Borders, Barnes & Noble, and other chains came in down the block from them (every bit like You’ve Got Mail).

Then came Amazon, and even the corporate bookstores cried FOWL and struggled to compete with Amazon’s pricing. Then Amazon became King Kong, calling major shots and ruling the publishing show in many ways. The brick-and-mortar bookstores started losing their power way back then, over a decade ago. E-books and online commerce just finished something that had already started.

Do we care if Borders or Barnes & Noble is gone? That is a world I can envision and not lose any sleep over. As author Brian Freeman says: “First, large retailers don't devote much real estate to books, so their selection is extremely limited. If your name isn't James Patterson or Nora Roberts, you may never wind up on their shelves, which means readers will find it harder to browse and discover new writers.”

Having no physical bookstores is the biggest problem for the new and “midlist” authors because readers need to browse in order to find them. For the average author—anyone who isn’t a bestselling name—it doesn’t matter what happens to any of the chain stores. It matters what happens to the independent booksellers. It matters that authors continue to have avenues to be published, that their books are available in as many formats as possible, and that they have both online and offline avenues to connect to readers.

Independent booksellers are the ones who have always served their communities, reading new authors, bringing those authors into the store for readings and talks, and being live “shelf talkers” for books. The independent booksellers put new authors’ books on tables and in window displays, and in many, many cases put the author on the bestseller lists.

I don’t think we’re looking at a world with no bookstores, rather, a world of fewer stores. And if ever we are going to vote with our dollars and make sure our local independent bookstores stay in our communities, now is the time. It’s going to take every one of us, me included, dedicated to putting our business where we want it to matter. So even if you’re buying online, buy online from an independent store. The independent booksellers were here long before the corporate box stores and it’s up to us to make sure they are here long after “the chains” are gone.

Bowker, PubTrack Consumer, and Publishersmarketplace (subscription site) conducted a joint survey on book-buying trends as Borders closes its doors. Here is an excerpt:
by Sarah Weinman on July 19, 2011

As we reported last month, the good news for the trade is that more of those primary Borders customers expect to continue to patronize bookstores than one might expect. If a Borders is not available to them, just over half of the group says they would find another bookstore, and 27.6 percent say their book purchases would move online. Only 8.3 percent expect that they would buy fewer books if the chain goes out of business, and another 20 percent expect to borrow more books from the library.

Separately, a surprisingly loyal 14.7 percent say they would move their business to Borders.com, assuming such a site survives. That response alone could indicate a reason for others to consider bidding on the website--similar to Pearson's acquisition of the Borders and Angus & Robertson websites in Australia. (Another 7 percent says their book buying would not change, so it's not clear what they would do.) As you would expect, the anticipated change in book acquisition behavior was smaller for those people who don't see Borders as their primary bookstore.

If A Borders Store Was Not Available, How Would This Impact Your Book Purchasing?
When Borders Is the Primary Bookstore:

• Would Buy Fewer Books 8.3%

• Would Buy More eBooks 5.7%

• Would Borrow More Library Books 19.9%

• Would Buy From Borders.com 14.7%

• Would Buy More At Other Online Stores 27.6%

• Would Find Another Bookstore 49.9%

• Purchasing Would Not Change 7.2%

When Borders Is Not the Primary Bookstore:

• Would Buy Fewer Books 3.7%

• Would Buy More eBooks 3.7%

• Would Borrow More Library Books 17.5%

• Would Buy From Borders.com 4.5%

• Would Buy More At Other Online Stores 22.0%

• Would Find Another Bookstore 53.3%

• Purchasing Would Not Change 25.2%
                                   #######

In Mitch Albom’s tribute to Borders, he said:

“It grew from a dimly lit space to a high-ceilinged warehouse to a coffee-smelling, couch-laden superstore to a multipurpose entertainment outlet. The old bookstores were swallowed by chains. Packaging, bundling, synergizing and the tantalization of profits became the principles. Actual books in these places seemed to be an afterthought, nudged aside by videos, calendars, music and electronics.
         But Borders? Surely Borders was safe, right? Didn't we have a soft spot for them? Anyone who ever made that pilgrimage to Ann Arbor on a Sunday afternoon, anyone who ever lost track of the hours while cooing at the sheer enormity of the written word, would insist, absolutely and without hesitation, that Borders, like mankind, would somehow survive.
         Instead, we are once again reminded that no matter how lovely the casing, how beautiful the print, how fetching the binding or how stunning the cover, business is still business.
         And books are a tough business.”

                                   #######

And last, let’s hear from the booksellers themselves, as they bid Borders goodbye:
Shelf Awareness had an interesting Goodbye to Borders.

Now if this blog has not made you want to run out right now and buy a book from your local independent bookseller, read it again!

Laurie
www.authorbiz.com

MEMOIR: What Makes It Publishable?

The beauty of a memoir is that it can be funny, sad, poignant, outrageous…it is voice-driven creative narrative, which gives each writer a broad canvas. The trick, of course, is to understand the natural style, structure, tone, and voice that your story calls for. And that your own personality demands.

So it’s one thing to write it. It’s another to offer it to The Public Reader. What’s in it for the Reader? Readers can be swept away by the sheer beauty of language in a memoir, or the imagery. Sometimes we’re carried along by the vivid portrayal of events, or the surprising circumstance and turn of events of the story. A memoir can change the way people see the world, or think about their own lives. It can inspire us; caution us; maybe even save someone else the hell you’ve been through.

Many memoirs begin as catharsis for the writer, a way to figure out a life lived. Often a memoir is the writer’s final piece at the end of a long personal journey. Many new writers begin one simply because everyone keeps telling them to write one. I am always thrilled to read one that just stuns me with its craft, story, voice, insight, and thoughtfulness. “Unforgettable” would be one of the highest compliments a memoirist could hope for.

So why are so many authors having a hard time getting their memoirs published?

The memoir presents a marketing problem for the publisher right off the bat—unless you’re a celebrity or well-known author, so I won’t beat around the bush on that. An agent and then an editor can absolutely adore your book, and get shot down in five seconds by a marketing team. Since it’s the first thing a publisher looks at when considering ANY book, including memoir, let’s get a grip on this first.

Ask yourself what the marketing people ask the editor, agent, and author:

• What is the hook of this memoir? (Preferably in one sentence.)



• What makes it media-worthy? (Timely topic? Rare circumstance? Common dilemma? Shocking discovery?—write the press release on it)



• What is the author’s internet presence? (blog? tweet? Facebook? fan base? etc)



• How will the author promote this book and reach readers?

Until you can answer these questions intelligently and thoughtfully, the rest of the publishing process is moot. Beautiful writing won’t overcome insufficient marketing possibilities.

Now let’s assume you have addressed the marketing aspects, so we can address the editors’ evaluation of the memoir.

Writing: Beyond the ability to simply write well, an editor looks for an original, compelling voice uniquely expressing a sensibility and viewpoint from which that author’s particular set of life experiences are told. Such a voice, combined with skillful writing, can make even a commonplace story come alive. Without it, even the most gripping story will have low-impact on the page. And the editor looks for the memoir to be enlightening, reflective, and/or inspiring, as opposed to confessional. [Note: The commercial success of confessional memoirs typically belongs to celebrities, those involved in scandals, or for prurient interests or shock factor (Confessions of a Madam…of a stripper…of a recovering transvestite addict….etc). ]

Content: One of the most common reasons for rejection is “Not fresh enough.” This translates to “Many people have similar experiences or thoughts; I have seen a lot of this.” Imagine how many stories editors have read about sexual abuse; overcoming dysfunctional family upbringing; recovering from alcoholism or other addictions; weight loss battles; mother-daughter struggles; father-daughter struggles; coming-to-terms-with-motherhood; depression and/or mental illness; chronic or terminal illness; caring-for-elderly-parents. If you don’t have a particularly unique kind of story, use your unique personality, voice, humor, and perspective to make your memoir stand out.

Another common rejection: “Lacks a structure to pull it all together.” This means you’re busy just telling us what happened (“and then…and then…and then…”), without any framework or underlying message or direction to give it context, momentum, cohesiveness, and meaning. If you don’t put in the emotional, psychological, spiritual, or mental aspects that are inherent in the stories and experiences, there is nothing for editors or readers to latch onto, no reason to keep reading. “Here’s what happened to me” is pretty presumptuous, if you think about it. “Here’s what I learned,” on the other hand, opens a door for the reader and says “Maybe you’ll benefit from hearing my story.”

Here are some helpful resources for you, among many:
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Selling-Your-Memoir-Somebody/dp/1599631350/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309830636&sr=1-12

http://www.writersdigest.com/article/walls-big10/

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-craft-of-memoir-writing-a218447
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/13-FE-AnnetteFix.html

I hope this will help you do the final shaping of your memoir, long after you’ve written your first couple drafts that are for you, after you’ve made some editorial passes, and are now focused on the final shaping for the reader, and the publisher.

Onward!
Laurie
http://www.authorbiz.com/

When Your Way Forward is Backwards

There are two sides to the book you want to write: (1) what you are inspired to write (2) what your readers want to read. You might think these two sides will inevitably meet, and let's hope they will (without that long-sounding "inevitably"). You will save yourself many rewrites and a lot of pain if you figure out # 2 first, and then back into # 1.

If your book is nonfiction, consider:

• What problem are you solving for your reader?


• What puzzle are you solving?


• What information are you providing that readers know they need to know?


• What is your reader's body of knowledge that are you building on?


• What is the actual "hook" of your book that will trigger their interest?


• What have you done for the reader by the time they close the book?

If you're writing a novel, consider:

• What journey are you taking your reader on?


• What beliefs are you challenging?


• What vision are you inspiring?


• Which fears are you playing on?


• In what way should the reader be moved by this story?


• And after the last page, what makes him or her want to start reading this book all over again?

When you know these things, you are ready to write your book. Never forget your reader.

Laurie
www.authorbiz.com
Photo credit: 2011 Bing images

When Interesting is Deadly

For nonfiction books, one of the Great Divides between what sells and what doesn't, is:

NEED to know

vs

INTERESTING to know

Gee, you can almost feel the difference just saying each one. Guess which one flies off the shelf?

Let's say you're in the bookstore perusing the health shelf because you always have a sore back. There's one prominently featured book titled A History of Back Pain: Medical Advances for Those in Pain. The book next to it is titled NO MORE BACK PAIN. Which one do you pick up?

Or, you're a constant dieter. You're addicted to that shelf in the bookstore. One title: WHY ENDLESS DIETS DON'T WORK. Next to it: YOUR LAST DIET: You Can Finally Meet Your Goals. Which one do you pick up?

Or, you're still trying to learn to budget after all these years. You go to the finance/business bookshelf. One book titled THE ESSENTIALS of BUDGETING catches your eye: Next to it is HOW TO LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS WHEN YOU NEVER HAVE.

The "need to know" combined with a promise to you is almost irresistible. First, the title speaks to you directly about the problem you want solved. As soon as you see the title, you know you need to know what it has to say. Second, it makes a promise to truly solve your problem, once and for all. Whether it ultimately does or not, it's the title and the promise that make you buy THAT book instead of the others. You can buy the "interesting" ones some other day. Today you'll buy the one you NEED to have.

If you're working on your nonfiction book, outline, or proposal, stop and make sure you are casting, titling, and writing the book that solves the NEED TO KNOW. You can have "interesting" things sprinkled throughout the book, but you're only going to get your potential readers to choose yours if they NEED to know it and want what you promise.

And this is as blessedly brief as I can be on the topic. :-)

Laurie

http://www.authorbiz.com/

Photo credit: famousreadingcafe.blogspot.com

Speaking Into Silence

For an author, the publishing process can be like an awkward conversation with a stranger; filled with clumsy silences.

When you write a book, you are initially having a conversation with yourself; a very deep and exciting conversation. But when this conversation eventually extends to the publishing community--writers, agents, and publishers--suddenly the conversation may make you feel like you're on a blind date. Awkward. Foreign. With fits and starts, and enough silences to drive you mad.

In the normal course of life, we're all used to communication being relatively immediate; with text messages, emails, and phone calls returned. In publishing, however, it's "take a number."

Isn't this rude? Yes.

Isn't this unprofessional? Not really. It isn't personal--really.

When you give your manuscript to a friend to read, they might read it in two days, for you. They know how excited you are and how much work you have put into it. They know you are waiting to hear from them.

When you give your manuscript to a freelance editor, they will tell you their schedule and when to expect their feedback. Fair enough. But then you get to the Agent Stage.

While it's natural to expect that when you have done your homework and sent off your query to the agents--exactly as stipulated in their agent listings--that you will receive a courteous acknowledgement of your query, perhaps, and certainly a timely response. . .you probably won't. Instead, what you'll get is silence. The first really clumsy and painful one.

Hey, did you get my query? you want to ask. Two weeks go by. Four weeks go by. While your brain is spinning with What did I do wrong? Can I call them? What should I do?, the agent is fully and legitimately occupied with the daily work for his or her existing clients (selling, negotiating, meeting/calling editors, managing and problem solving, licensing rights, etc).

Agents are always interested in new clients and fabulous new books, but incoming unsolicited non-referred queries are not high on the daily priorities. The hard truth is that agents typically set aside a particular time during the week to look at new queries. Sometimes they get through five queries that week, sometimes twenty. But an agency will typically receive between 50 and 100 queries a week. . .hence, the delay in responding to you.

Publishing house editors have an even steeper time challenge. The editor's daily life consists of meetings (editorial, sales, title and positioning meetings, production, etc), phone and emails with agents and authors, negotiations on new books, agent meetings...they are lucky to have one hour of any day to edit. Most reading and editing is done at home in the evenings and weekends. Remember, each editor is managing new books bought, books delivered and now in production, books just launching at publication, and books previously published. It isn't a stretch to see how they might not respond to a query for three weeks, even at the best of times.

As has always been the case, the sheer volume of manuscripts funneling in to agents and publishers prohibits timely response. Count on it and put the periods of silence to best use.

While waiting for agents or publishers to reply:

• Work on your website, content and search engine optimization. Make sure it showcases the work you do, your speaking and workshops (including your schedule). Don't showcase your book until it is near publication date--people only want to hear about a book they can buy in the next two weeks. Potential agents and publishers look at your website and blog to see how effective you will be at driving your audience to the book, how many people are you getting in front of,your client base, your following.
• Build out your network for speaking, workshops, seminars, panels, conferences, etc. It is never too early to build the network. READ and FOLLOW GET KNOWN BEFORE YOUR BOOK COMES OUT by Christina Katz (and no, I don't get paid to recommend it).
• Write more chapters of your book, if you have not completed it--even if you're largely drafting them or completing the research. If you are selling your book via proposal, outline and sample chapters only, you will speed up the delivery time for final manuscript and possibly get an earlier publication date if you get ahead now.
• Get a jump on Permissions, if you're going to need any for your book. Permissions can take months to complete and they are due along with your final manuscript, which becomes a big hassle for many authors. Get organized: source all your material/locate your files, determine what permissions you will need, and locate the copyright holders and contact information for them.
• Continue to research agencies--online and in resource directories. As you find those whom you think are a good match for you, read a couple of their authors' books. Don't lose time waiting while five or ten agents have your query or proposal/manuscript. Be prepared to send the next queries if necessary. It only takes one agent to say YES.
• Note about Form Letters: We all bemoan the use of form letters, but honestly, they are essential to the sanity of the agents. You are basically asking, Are You Interested In Me or This Book? It is perfectly okay that they say No -- if they aren't. Fair enough. A form letter is annoying but you still got your answer. Move on. Don't let it stop you. Do more research. Ask more agents.
  

While your book is in production and your are waiting for it to be Published!

• Work on endorsements. Endorsements can take a long time because not everyone says yes, and when they do, they need long lead times. And the bigger the Name Author, the less likely you are to get your request to them without connections. You may need friends-of-friends, or your agent, or your editor, to help you make contact to get to them. Start early!
• Switch your brain to marketing. Read RED HOT INTERNET PUBLICITY by Penny Sansevieri; 1001 Ways to Market Your Book by John Kremer; and The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. These are going to give you more ideas than you'll have time or energy to do, but spend the time to weed out the best of their advice for your book and your goals.
• Start work on the Author Marketing Questionnaire (which you'll get from your publisher). Write up a synopsis of your book in three ways: 250 words; 500 words; and one sentence. You will need to do this once your book is sold to a publisher, and now you have the time to do it right. This Questionnaire will be used by the publisher to sell your book to booksellers and distributors, as well as by publicists to the media. Think of these summaries as sales pitches that can be used in different ways by different people on your team.
• Do your Blogger research. Research bloggers so you know before publication which bloggers could be helpful in spreading the word about your book. Who has your audience? Who is a logical connection for you? Study who, what, where, when and why...how will you approach them? How can you partner? What do you have to offer them? Figure out the strategies and do the prep work.
• Research magazines you want to contact, to either excerpt your book, or have you write for for them (using your by-line to promote your book). If you know nothing about selling to magazines, start studying! Magazine presence is extremely helpful for driving sales of your book(s) and people to your website. They have a big reach.

Perhaps one of the cruelest silences is when your book is published. It's The Moment. It has shipped to the world. It is Available. And there is the Silence. You start checking Amazon sales maniacally. You go to your local bookstore; they have two copies. You turn your copies cover-out on the shelf, or better yet, swap them onto a table display on your way out!

There is generally about a a 3-month lag time for all the pre-launch and launch marketing work to show up in sales figures. Galleys have gone out for reviews, pitches have been made for radio interviews, perhaps magazine excerpting. The books have physically shipped to distributors and bookstores, it's listed online, you have your website cooking along, and perhaps are blogging. And still the silence.

The good news? Your book is out--you don't have time to worry about the silence anymore. You have a marketing plan to execute, goals to reach, and you know how to use your time wisely.

Your agent and publisher love you because you spend your time telling the world about our book. The more you do, the less silence there will be.

Laurie
www.authorbiz.com

Photo credit: Spacewall/Hubble

Advances: They're Good...Right?

Let's wade into the quagmire of publishers' advances to authors. They used to be a lot bigger, we know that. But in good times or bad, there is a certain thinking that goes into them, from the publisher's and the author's perspectives.

Here's how the author thinks about it: (1.) The more the publisher pays up front, the more they are forced to market my book. (2.) The more money I get, the more I can put into marketing and publicity for the book. (3.) The more they pay, the more my book means to them. (4.) The more they pay, the faster I can write the whole book. (5.) I'll be embarrassed to get a lower advance than my friend got for his book.

Here's how the publisher thinks about it: (1.) Advances are not meant to fund the writing of a book. It's a good faith payment in advance of royalty earnings, as a contribution. (2.) It is calculated on estimated first year's sales -- at a minimal level [read "worst case"]. (3.) If the author really believes in her book, she will be willing to wait for the royalties and be a vested partner in its publishing.

These are both legitimate points of view. So how does a savvy author think about advances? For starters, don't lump all publishers into one category. If a smaller independent publisher offers you a $4500 advance, that may be the equivalent of Random House offering you $45,000--by scale. There are also very different incentives between the two. The smaller independent has to sell every book because otherwise it goes bankrupt. The larger corporate publisher can write off a loss and survive it (for at least another decade). The larger publisher can underperform at every turn and not really know it. The motivation for marketing is always stronger with a smaller independent publisher. This is important to authors.

Of course, the larger corporate publisher has deeper distribution channels, wider networks. This has traditionally been a big plus for larger publishers. But in today's publishing, it doesn't matter as much with more books selling in non-bookstore channels, and largely online.

Half of your author brain is saying "I can see that I'm better off with a strong marketing publisher behind the book year in and year out," but the other half is saying "Grab the cash and the publisher can do what they want with the book--I've been paid!"

Answer these questions:

1. Where are my readers most likely to buy my book--in a bookstore or online? In paperback or as an ebook?

2. Where and how will I be marketing the book, predominantly--online or by speaking and traveling, giving workshops?

3. What do I need the publisher for? (editing, production, distribution, media access, in-bookstore presence)

When you understand your book in these terms, you start to understand what kind of publisher is most suited for you, and what your priorities are. You then understand how the advance will work within these parameters, and you will have a realistic grasp on how to make choices.

I'm a proponent of good advances for authors, but I'm not in favor of overpayment, for one good reason: When the author takes a large advance and the book does not earn out, that publisher will not touch your next book. The love affair is over. You can end up a one-book wonder pretty quickly. If you can take less on the first book and be sure to earn out, you pave the way for a publisher to support your second book, and to leverage up your advance and marketing support from the publisher. A better bet long-term.

You only profit when your publisher profits.

Laurie

www.authorbiz.com

To Read or Not To Read: The Author's Dilemma

The other day one of my favorite authors brought up a familiar Author's Dilemma: The more she reads in her genre and area of interest, the more she thinks everything she wants to write about has been said.

Many new writers respond to this by not reading. This is not a savvy author's decision. Tempting, but not smart. Blissful ignorance catches up and bites you when you go to get an agent or publisher, when you have to demonstrate your familiarity with authors "on your shelf"--competitive intelligence, so to speak. You have to ultimately position yourself as a writer, identifying your readership, which is often done by way of what else your audience is reading. You also have to position your book's message or sensibility within what is already published, in order for a publisher to see how to market and position you within the field. Blissful or stubborn ignorance is publishing suicide.

So how to keep reading and remain (a) fresh with your own thinking, (b) largely uninfluenced by the style and content of other authors, and (c) confident in your writing?


Maintain fresh thinking: If the book you are writing is largely informational (as in a self-help or reference/resource book) then "fresh thought" may not apply: The information already either exists in a useful form or it doesn't. But if your book involves narrative, reflection, forming a perspective on something, analyzing something towards a given mission or objective, and such, which is unique to the writer's mind, experiences, and "voice," there is room for you. Whether your arena is memoir or business books, readers read across a wide variety of authors on the same topic because this is how they figure out their own thinking, how they are ultimately satisfied in their quest for particular knowledge.

And let's be honest: You are informed and influenced by what you read, which doesn't mean you are stealing someone's work, any more than discussing ideas in a group means you've taken others' ideas. You should be diligent in tracking what you read, sourcing what you might use (for later permissions), and to be able to find something later if you want to make sure you are not guilty of copyright infringement. But you don't stop thinking because other people have thoughts. What you write will one day influence other writers as well.

The confidence in your writing comes from listening to your own heart and mind, staying solidly within yourself. No imitation, no attempt to be like someone else or to conform to prevailing wisdom. Listen to your own unique voice--that one in your head. Let it out, with all that makes you Y-O-U. If something is compelling you, driving you to follow, then get it on paper. Don't let someone else stop you. Whether you later decide to publish or not publish doesn't matter: What matters is that you first explore what you have to, find the answers you need. To thine own self be true. The rest will sort itself out.

So happy New Year to you -- happy new year of exploration!


Laurie
www.authorbiz.com

You Are HERE

It is so easy to fall into the regrets trap...if only I had started earlier...if only I had taken that class...if only I had not blown off that editor....if only I had listened to X...Whatever you are writing and whatever stage you are at, don't stop because of nagging regrets.

Remember: No one else knows, or even really cares, what all happened before The Book became The Book. Only you know. If it started as one kind of book and morphed into another, your reader doesn't know. If it has taken you ten years and you're half way there, your future reader doesn't know. And as you get closer to the book's completion, you, too, will forget all the side-winding, bizarre oops-moments.

Your reader's experience begins when they pick up the book and start to read the first page.

So start again today, and take the reader on the journey you want to take them on. Never mind the woulda, coulda, shoulda.

You are here, now. Lead the way.

Laurie

http://www.authorbiz.com/

Feedback From Hell

No, I'm not referring to rejection letters from editors and agents, though that can be feedback from hell. Have you given your manuscript to your writing group for feedback? Or the writing class for fellow student's critique? To your group of friends who have long heard about this book you're writing?


That would be the feedback I'm talking about. Not because it's necessarily bad or wrong feedback, but because it is very often too much feedback, and not at the right time for you to hear it. When you get too much feedback too early in your process, your brain scrambles to make sense of conflicting feedback and tries to address it all. You lose the book you set out to write. This is so common that it deserves a blog of its own.


Once you have written many drafts of your book, perhaps had some qualified editor feedback, and are secure in what your book is about, who it is for, how it needs to work, then you can get feedback that will help refine or clarify things for the reader. At this stage, you can decipher helpful suggestions or comments from sheer opinion or "what I would have done" tips. You won't be sent off on the wrong track because your own gut will tell you which suggestions make sense; which ones tap a nerve about something that bothered you too.


If, however, you are on the first or second draft, still pondering structure, focus, characters, plot, and such, then the feedback is more often confusing, derailing, frustrating, and damaging. Many an author has come to me with his or her book in a jumbled mess from all the rewrites and critiques. There is only one thing to do: (1) mediate on and remember what the core idea was that set you off to write this book in the first place (your actual inspiration), and (2) start again, not reading or using anything that has already been written. Write it now, informed only by what has stayed in your head.


You can avoid this nightmare by waiting to submit your work until you are far enough along, secure in the basics of what you're writing. Yes, be open to outside feedback. Yes, listen to critiques you are not inclined to want to hear. But remember that the most important aspect of feedback is that it points out a problem for your reader. How you address the problem is entirely up to you. Sort through it all, and then listen to your gut.


OR, if forced to provide work for critique, sacrifice a new piece for that purpose; not your work that is not ready.


Laurie

www.authorbiz.com/
Photo credit: (c)2009 L Harper

In the Eye of the Storm

This blog has been silent, but not because the publishing world is quiet--that's for sure. In fact, I have seen good energy and activity with publishers large and small the last six months, and reports from the fall Frankfurt Book Fair expressed relief for the rebound from last year's depressed mood. Publishing is still tricky for everyone and no one is throwing money around, but with a careful match of author, book, and publisher, and some measure of patience and luck, a reasonable deal can still be put together like the "good ol' days."

Publishers are putting out e-books and digitalizing the backlists as fast as they can, making a significant investment, as they should. Authors are smartly evaluating whether the "e-book revolution" is an opportunity for them to brand themselves and self-publish or if they benefit from having a traditional publisher. And of course the broad answer, as always, is "There are advantages to either -- it just depends." If your book needs to be in a brick-and-mortar bookstore to find its broadest readership, and you have the marketing muscle to back that up, then a traditional publisher would be essential. If you can find your readership online and market accordingly, then the economics might dictate self-branding and self-publishing online, where you keep more of the earnings. Either way you have to do the marketing--it's your book and only you can win over an audience to become your loyal reading fans.

If you're sitting in the eye of the storm, wondering what to do with your book and confused about which way is the right way for you to go, here's your to-do list:

1. Keep writing the book. Only stop writing it if you lose interest in it yourself.

2. Do some speaking on the book's topic if it is nonfiction--get some test-runs under your belt. Get appropriate networking at least up and running, to build on later.

3. Finish the book.

4. Edit the book.

5. If nonfiction, write a proposal for your book (see archives of this blog for pointers on proposals). If it is fiction, write your synopsis and "pitch" query for agent and publishers.

You can always choose to self-publish, but write your book and do all the work to be ready for agents and traditional publishers. If in the end this either does not work out or you decide the offers are not good enough, then the work was not in vain because you are miles ahead on being prepared to successfully self-publish. If you go the traditional route with an agent and/or publisher, having the manuscript completed, edited, and ready to go will give you more leverage with the deal and speed up the publication date. You win either way.

Being in the eye of the storm gives you the opportunity to gather information, consider your options, make a plan, batten down the hatches and prepare. Then give it your best shot. Onward!

Laurie

http://www.authorbiz.com/

Photo credit: (c)2007 L Harper

What the Editors Bought Recently (Nonfiction)

This is an interesting, diverse group of new publisher purchases that might fascinate you:

Advice/Relationships

Deb Brody at Harlequin bought Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe's untitled book about dating, mating and sometimes hating Hot Men of the Otherworld, to be designed like a woman's magazine.

Business/Investing/Finance

Kathe Sweeney at Jossey-Bass bought Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Professor James Shein's REVERSING THE SLIDE: A Strategic Guide to Turnarounds and Corporate Renewal, illustrating how to reverse any corporation's decline and identify distressed companies as investment opportunities.

Tim Sullivan at Basic Books picked up Kellogg School of Management professor Leigh Thompson's THE CREATIVE CONSPIRACY: How the Science of Collaboration Can Transform Your Organization, offering surprising and counter-intuitive findings about teams and innovation that will challenge managers and leaders to adopt some unconventional, controversial, and downright blasphemous best practices.

David Owens's THINKING INSIDE THE BOX: Recognizing and Overcoming the Innovation Barriers in Your Organization went to Susan Williams at Jossey-Bass, explaining to managers that to create real innovation in their organizations they must present a compelling and irrefutable case that motivates their people to adopt all of the changes that the innovation demands.

If you want to make millions on our idea, you'll want entrepreneur and licensing expert Stephen Key's ONE SIMPLE IDEA: Become Rich and Successful While Letting Others Do the Work, a book that explains how to make millions without having to actually invent, create, or produce a new product, that went to Gary Krebs at McGraw-Hill.

Cooking

Chef and owner of top San Francisco dining destination The Slanted Door, Charles Phan's VIETNAMESE COOKING, featuring 100 classic recipes and select favorites from the Slanted Door repertoire, will be published by Ten Speed Press.

Anja Schmidt of Kyle Books bought James Beard Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning TV food personality Ming Tsai's SIMPLY MING ONE-POT MEALS: Quick, Healthy & Affordable Recipes, co-authored with Arthur Boehm, 80 recipes with an Asian twist -- every ingredient can be found at your local market, every recipe will track its salt and fat intakes, calories, and allergens, every dish will cost under $20, and you'll only have to use one vessel in which to cook.

This should be fun--"Desperate Housewives" Eva Longoria Parker's EVA'S KITCHEN: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends, her debut cookbook reflecting her passion for cooking and her life -- from her Texan roots and Mexican heritage to her French NBA-star husband -- including a broad range of international influences as well as personal stories and intimate photographs, to Emily Takoudes at Clarkson Potter.

Diet

Tanya Becker and Jennifer Maanavi's PHYSIQUE 57, a 2-week diet and fitness plan for total body transformation, based on the workouts taught in the exclusive NY and LA Physique 57 studios, to Diana Baroni at Grand Central (perviously known as Warner Books--and still called Warner by many of us!).

Shannon Welch at Rodale picked up Women's Health contributor and CBS Early Show Nutrition Expert Keri Glassman's book presenting a 4-day cleanses and 2-week plans adapted to the most common goals and lifestyles based on the principles she put forth in her O2 Diet.

History/Politics/Current Affairs

The first of undoubtedly many books about the recent oil spill, DEEPWATER HORIZON: The Oil Disaster, Its Aftermath, and Our Future, by the executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Peter Lehner, writing with Bob Deans, former head of the White House Correspondents Association, will be published by John Oakes of OR Books.

Author of THE ARABS - A HISTORY, Eugene Rogan's THE GREAT WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1914-1920, an account of how The Great War totally shaped the Middle East, to Lara Heimert at Basic and Simon Winder at Penguin Press UK.

Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago Stephen T. Asma's AGAINST FAIRNESS: In Favor of Favoritism, arguing that some of the assumptions of liberal democracies are wonderful but unrealistic and troublesome, and that tribal ethics can provide a more realistic and peaceable approach to life, to Elizabeth Dyson at University of Chicago Press.

Victor S. Thomas and Leila Ahmed's THE QUIET REVOLUTION: The Story Behind the Veil's Resurgence, a surprising and heretofore untold story of Muslim women's role in the period of Western colonialism through to the growing religious fundamentalism of the present day, told through the lens of the veil, to Jennifer Banks at Yale University Press.

Stefan Bechtel's MR.HORNADAY'S WAR, the story of pioneering early environmentalist William Temple Hornaday, founder of the How-ToBlogger of DigginFood.com Willi Galloway's GROW. COOK. EAT, tips, advice and information for growing and preparing fifty of the most popular and best tasting vegetables, herbs and small fruits, to Susan Roxborough at Sasquatch Books.

ModernJune.com Kelly McCants's SEWING WITH OILCLOTH, featuring 20 hip handmade houseware projects -- including a market tote, bench cushion and party banners -- to make with laminated cotton and oilcloth, to Roxane Cerda at Wiley

Humor

Magnus Muhr's THE LIFE OF FLY, a hilarious photographic revelation of the secret life of flies, to Emily Haynes at Chronicle.

Illustrated/Art

MTA Metro-North Railroad and New York Transit Museum's GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL AT 100, the only official book celebrating the 2013 Centennial of one of the world's great railroad stations, offering 300 archival and contemporary photos never before seen of this historic building and its surrounding area, to Jennifer Levesque at Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Memoir

Ultrarunner and star of BORN TO RUN, Scott Jurek's EAT & RUN, an inspiring memoir of Jurek's remarkable running career, fueled, surprisingly, by an entirely plant-based diet, written with Bill Gifford, to Susan Canavan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Tony Hendra and son Nick Hendra's book on basketball and life, documenting, exploring and celebrating the thrills, setbacks, excitement, tedium, hopes, dreams, stark realities, emotional highs and lows, timeless human truths, hilarious predicaments, and weird, touching or insane characters they have encountered during a journey which began in earnest six years ago and whose outcome is still unknown, to Patrick Mulligan and Bill Shinker at Gotham.

Musician (and former Van Halen member) Sammy Hagar's memoir, to Lisa Sharkey for Harper Collin's It Books, with Matt Harper editing.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's WHILE I WAS GROWING UP, her experiences and those of her family during and immediately after World War II, drawing on her own memories, her parents' written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and other primary source materials, giving a child's view of the time and also an adult's broader perspective, to Tim Duggan at Harper.

Rachael Herron's KNITTING IN THE ROUND, a memoir in essays about the ways in which knitting defines the milestones of her life -- from surviving a typhoon, to marrying the love of her life, to grieving for her mother's death, to Jodi Warshaw at Chronicle.

Narrative

Sally Koslow's THE WANDER YEARS: A Mother's Display of Public Reflection, combines interviews, personal observation, and social science, on the modern phenomenon of "adultescents" (kids who return to the nest after college until who knows when) from the point of view of their beleaguered parents, to Clare Ferraro and Carolyn Carlson at Viking.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Big One David Kinney's THE DYLANOLOGISTS, a participatory journey into the lively global community of zealous Dylan followers, seeking to understand why he's mattered both to individuals and to our culture, again to Jofie Ferrari-Adler at Grove/Atlantic.

MacArthur fellow Will Allen's THE GOOD FOOD REVOLUTION, the story of a former fast-food executive who bought a derelict two-acre plot in a struggling neighborhood in Milwaukee and built a pioneering urban farm that feeds thousands who otherwise would not have access to healthy food, demonstrating how a relationship with the soil can heal broken communities and people, to Lauren Marino at Gotham.

Religion/Spirituality

Greg Paul's CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR GOD BREATHING, awakening readers to the fact that there's a wonderful and intimate connection between our own life experiences and the "Great Story" -- the whole of the Bible viewed as one extended account of the loving relationship of the Creator with his creation, to Brian Hampton at Thomas Nelson.

ScienceScience journalist Kayt Sukel's THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON LOVE: The Neuroscience of Love, Sex and Relationships, exploring the latest research on the neurobiology behind love, attraction, pair-bonding, and sex, to Hilary Redmon at Free Press.

Celebrated mathematician and FLATTERLAND author Ian Stewart's THE MATHEMATICS OF LIFE, an investigation into the role of mathematics in life sciences, and THE GREAT MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS, on the challenges and eccentric personalities surrounding some of history's most important math problems, again to Lara Heimert at Basic.

Sports

Sports Illustrated journalist David Epstein's THE SPORTS GENOME, exploring what genetics reveals about athletic performance, and questioning the correlation between effort and excellence, to David Moldawer at Current.

General/Other

Whitley Strieber's THE KEY, fresh insight into the nature of the universe and the soul of humanity, delivered to the author by a mysterious stranger who offers us the Key to our ultimate destiny as co-creators with and companions of God, to Mitch Horowitz at Tarcher.

Laurie

http://www.authorbiz.com/

Photo credit: (c)2010 clipart

Attention BLOOMBERG PRESS Authors

John Wiley purchased Bloomberg Press--smart move on Wiley's part. Fine. But then they decided they didn't want to adhere to the contracts of Bloomberg authors--since they paid Wiley authors less than Bloomberg paid. So they sent an amendment around to the authors to sign, couching it in the most favorable terms a la "We're happy to announce the great news that we're reducing your royalties!" The Authors Guild was all over this the last couple days.

Even if you're not a Bloomberg/Wiley author, it's relevant because publishers sell to each other all the time, and this situation of the new publisher trying to change terms is fairly common. Heads up, Authors.

The author wonders, Do I have to sign it? What happens if I don't?

The best case scenario is that after your refusal to sign, negotation, and debate with the publisher, they agree to honor the contract they bought, as is -- as they should. Buying the publishing house does not entitle them to change the contracts they are buying.

Worst case, you negotiate higher royalty rates on the "net receipts" than they are offering, or they let you go! Yes, release you, and you resell the book to another publisher.

Authors Guild:

Late yesterday afternoon, John Wiley issued a press release disputing some of the assertions in our alert of yesterday morning. In our alert, we called Wiley's April letter to its Bloomberg Press authors "deceptive" and "misleading" and that it would "materially and adversely affect the royalty rates of many Bloomberg Press authors."

We stand by every word of our alert, and we again call on Wiley to start over. No sensible Bloomberg author with a contract providing royalties based on the retail list price of their book would have signed Wiley's amendment if they were fully aware of its effects. Wiley should send Bloomberg authors a new letter, informing the authors that they are disregarding any previous consents to Wiley's proposed contract changes and clearly explaining how the new terms they're suggesting differ from the authors' existing contracts. Or, as Scott Turow put it on reviewing their response, "Wiley should knock it off and do the right thing."

In any event, here are our replies to John Wiley's various assertions:
1. Wiley's response says that its April letter to Bloomberg authors "explain[ed] the changes in plain English" and invited authors "to discuss these changes or raise questions."
Wiley's April letter is plain enough, but it avoids any hint that its changes will greatly reduce many Bloomberg authors' royalties. This is fundamental. Wiley's a sophisticated publisher, well aware of what it's doing and well aware that most authors aren't publishing attorneys. It could have spelled out the effects of its proposed contractual changes in equally plain English. If it had done so, then the offer to discuss the changes would have been meaningful.
2. Wiley says that Bloomberg authors' "response to this new alliance has been positive."
This doesn't really respond to our assertions, since it says nothing about the actual letter amendment. To the extent this does refer to the letter amendment to the contract, we note that if one sends a misleading letter, one might successfully get positive responses.
3. Wiley says it "believe[s] former Bloomberg authors will be paid higher royalties in most instances." The calculation is pretty simple, really. For Bloomberg authors that were paid royalty rates on the basis of retail list price, as is the case for every Bloomberg contract we've reviewed, the author, for example, might receive royalties of 15% of the retail list price on a hardcover priced at $25, or $3.75 per book. If you instead base the royalties on the publisher's net receipts, and the discount to the retailer is a typical 50% off list price, then the author receives 15% of $12.50, or $1.88 per book.
So we're not quite sure where this is coming from, but we note that Wiley doesn't say that it will be paying higher royalty rates, nor does it say that it will pay higher royalty amounts per book sold. It may be assuming that its marketing will be better than Bloomberg's was, so sales will be higher, and the author will benefit, even with reduced royalties per book. That could be, but increased sales are no reason to reduce the contractually agreed royalty rate.
Or, it could be that most Bloomberg authors were already paid on the basis of net receipts, so the effects of the Wiley amendments might be minor. Perhaps there are many such contracts, and perhaps the effects would then be minor. Beats us: we haven't seen an example of a net receipts Bloomberg contract yet.
4. Wiley says that "the limited number of contract amendments the AG apparently chose to select are not therefore representative; nor are their 'calculations' accurate."
While it's true we didn't discuss all of the amendments, things don't look much better if we expand our review. For example, here's one of the amendments we didn't discuss: "For any sales made at a discount of fifty six percent or more, your royalties will be calculated at 7.5% of net receipts and there will be no deductions for manufacturing costs." But the Bloomberg Press contracts we've seen pay authors more than 7.5% of net receipts for those deeply discounted sales. Again, an author who doesn't happen to be a publishing lawyer might not get that. That there will be no deductions for manufacturing costs sounds like a good thing, but the Bloomberg contracts we've seen only deducted those costs for what are essentially remainder sales, books sold at discounts of 75% or more. Royalties on remainders have always been trivial.
We stand by our calculations, which were done using real sales figures by an independent royalty auditor. Wiley can't possibly know if our calculations are inaccurate, since they don't know which books were in our sample.
5. Wiley says we issued our alert "without speaking with Wiley concerning its specific assertions."
Actually, we raised these specific concerns with Wiley in an e-mail on Friday, May 7th: "[T]hese letters strike us as a deceptive way to make substantial, material changes to a book contract. We think any signed letters you received in response should be ripped up and this whole thing redone. When it is redone, we don't think there's any good reason to change the royalty structure or the termination rights of the Bloomberg authors." We then spoke to Wiley. Wiley told us that the net effect of the changes was complicated and that authors would do better overall. We weren't persuaded, but we hired a royalty auditor to be doubly sure that we were reading the changes correctly.

Our job, in any event, is to play the role of watchdog. While in this instance we raised our issues with Wiley, we don't believe we're obligated to speak to a publisher when we see egregious behavior before we alert our members. Do not sign Wiley's misleading letter and send it back to them. First consult us or your agent or your attorney. If you have signed the letter, we urge you to contact us immediately.

Wiley asked us to send you their response. It follows.

Wiley Responds to Authors Guild
Hoboken, NJ, June 10, 2010—Since Wiley acquired the rights to all formerly Bloomberg book titles on March 11, we have been working to provide a wider audience and more sales for these authors. On April 29, Wiley sent letters to the affected authors explaining the changes – in plain English, which we felt would be most helpful and informative for our authors. Wiley invited authors to speak directly with a specific (and named) publishing officer if they wished to discuss these changes or raise questions. Their response to the new alliance has been positive.
This morning – without speaking with Wiley concerning its specific assertions – the Authors Guild issued an “alert” to its authors, claiming that the Wiley letter is deceptive and inferring that the Wiley changes it effects will reduce royalties for all or most former Bloomberg authors. This is simply not the case. We believe former Bloomberg authors will be paid higher royalties in most instances. The limited number of contract amendments the AG apparently chose to select are not therefore representative; nor are their “calculations” accurate. In any event, Wiley stands by its offer to discuss their individual contracts with all affected authors. We are happy to address any questions and concerns they may have about their individual contracts. Wiley is committed to the Bloomberg authors and is confident we will provide the best possible working relationships for them.

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Laurie

www.authorbiz.com

Photo credit: (c)2009 clipart

Quotation of the Day

This quote was in this morning's Shelf Awareness (http://www.shelf-awareness.com) e-newsletter:

HANDSELLING: "This Simple, Physical Gesture Can Change Lives"

Who was that bookseller who thought, 'Here is an almost-eight-year-old girl who loves Abraham Lincoln. What other book will she love? Oh, yes. This book about a cricket.'? There was nothing logical about that decision. It was a leap of faith. Those two books changed me. Together, they cemented an idea in my eight-year-old heart. That idea was this: It doesn’t matter how small, how lonely, how broken or sad or poor you are. There is a way to make yourself heard. There is a way to sing. A bookseller put those books into my mother’s hands, and my mother put them into mine. Sometimes we forget that this simple, physical gesture can change lives. I want to remind you that it does. I want to thank you because it did."--

Kate DiCamillo, winner of the 2010 Indies Choice Award for Most Engaging Author, at ABA's Celebration of Bookselling Luncheon during BEA.

The most recent book I put in a friend's hands this weekend was Mary Pearson's THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX. What book have you put in someone's hands lately?

Laurie

Author Biz Consulting

www.authorbiz.com Photo: www.bing.com