Charles Martin's Blog, page 52
November 14, 2011
With a little help from my friends: Book Fairs and Conventions
OAFCon was a big bag of wicked this weekend for a number of reasons, but chief among them were:
A community of old school comic collectors that were packed with some stellar stories.
The delightfully eccentric illustrator canvasing the vendor hall while pulling his briefcase behind him on a dolly, packed with some pretty great art.
OAFCon lined up 99% of the Oklahoma Comic Creators in attendance all together, so we got to chat about pop culture, conventions and stick figure Bacchanalia while also reaching a crowd we would normally never see.
This motivated me to dedicate this week's blog to encouraging small presses and creators to reward their community's support by volunteering time for local events. Since I started in this game five years ago, I've been organizing some sort of book fair with the help of other artists and authors. Though this is time-intensive and difficult to pull off successfully, the benefits justify the work in ways that aren't always easy to recognize.
First off, I wouldn't necessarily suggest everyone start a book fair. I'll dedicate a future blog on what I've learned about this process, but I will say that there is a great need for smaller, one day fairs for local artists and authors BUT organization and promotion is difficult and expensive. Instead, you should start off with another larger event, learn what they do and then apply it to your own future events. If you enjoy the process, look into running an event of your own, but START SMALL.
David Doub from Dusk Comics is a good example of how this process can turn a newbie into a seasoned convention pro. He works with the massive convention A-Kon and eventually tapped into their drawing power to produce the side event, Mini A-Kon, which gives other small presses a free opportunity to promote to the public. He is now a super savvy networker because he's seen the industry from both sides. Other creators have organized group events like Drink and Draws and charity events. Scott Sackett organized the Oklahoma Comic Creators and Equinox Comics have donated their time sketching to raise money for charity.
These types of events might distract from your central mission of creating and selling your art, it might suck away time and money, but I still see this aspect as the mark of any legitimate professional creator or press because:
The reason everyone moves to Chicago, LA, New York, Austin and all the other cultural hubs is because there is an existing community with ties to the industry. But why move when you can create that community where you live, and these events are a great way to start centralizing all the talent in your area into one group that can then start helping each other advance their careers. So much more is possible when knowledge and contacts are pooled rather than existing in individual bubbles. You will be amazed by how much opportunity is really out there, if only you create a way for people to find you.
The conventions you need to exist to reach the general public need fresh blood to continue to grow. You can't always assume someone else will step up instead of you.
As a volunteer, you will see how these conventions work, how best to approach them and gain access to contacts from other conventions you might have never known otherwise.
There are probably a bunch of industry veterans, both past and present, in your area. You just don't know about the, but getting out from behind your booth and reaching out to the creative community will get you in touch with these veterans who can then help you refine your approach to the industry and hopefully raise the eyebrows of larger presses.
It is a moral imperative. If you feed off the scene, there comes a time when you must give back, otherwise the scene cannot survive. It is exhausting, it is not always rewarding, but the benefits will impact your career in ways that you cannot predict. There is always plenty of money to go around, so what is good for one of you is good for all of you as long as the effort has been put in to foster a genuine sense of community.
November 7, 2011
aBe a Media Darling in 11 easy steps!
There are approximately 8.23 kajillion other writers in the world, all clamoring for coverage for their inspired epic that is the culmination of their writing career. Sadly, there are only a handful of journalists in any market who actually care about covering books because books are hard to cover. For every review, there is a significant time investment when compared to covering a movie which only requires a journalist to trim an hour and a half out of their day.
It is still possible to rise above the fray and get coverage though. As a journalist, I've managed to take some of the mistakes and handy tricks I've picked up from other writers, artists, and musicians to grab some extra ink for my projects. Here are some of the techniques that have been the most effective:
Everything start's with the pitch. Your press release needs to be flexible and be customized for each media outlet. Your pitch to a local paper will focus on the "local boy made good" angle with the actual substance of the book being secondary. For blogs, angle the pitch to appeal to the blog's specific angle that makes your book a good fit. If you send out a blanket press release, you might get a bite here and there, but a little strategy can go a long way.
Start local. Local papers and glossy mags are always looking for features. The best thing about local is you are much more likely to get a positive review which will then beef up your bio which will then make it easier to pitch your work to larger media outlets.
Be prepared to be ignored. I receive around 20-50 emails a day from publicists and I only open the ones that specifically mention something in their subject line that interests me. Editors get even more than that and probably read even fewer than I do. Customize that subject line for each journalist to give yourself the best shot of getting them to actually read the email. There are services that construct email lists for you and send out blasts. I've never used one, so I don't know if they are affective. I do get plenty of their emails in my box, though, and quickly learn their names and ignore anything from them.
Keep your press release concise. It's like writing a script for a politician. There are certain talking points that are absolutely crucial to getting across you message. The more talking points you have, the less impact each has, so it is better to say too little than too much.
If it is appropriate to call the media outlet, do. This mostly just applies to local media sources. Don't try to sell the story on the phone, just call ahead and let them know that you are sending an email their way and if they want a review copy, you would be happy to send it along. Many media types are starting to prefer digital copies because it is one less thing cluttering their office. If they do want a physical copy, don't be stingy.
Don't hound them with follow-up emails. If they don't want to cover it, no amount of badgering is going to change their minds. In fact, you will just annoy them and guarantee no future coverage. My rule is to call ahead if I can, email, then send one more follow-up email. If I don't hear back from them, it wasn't meant to be.
Worse they can do is say "no", so if you want to get your book in the New York Times, screw it, call up there, find out who the book editor is and send them an email. You aren't likely to ever hear back, but its not like you have to pay for postage, right?
If they do agree to cover your stuff, set a time for the interview as soon as they are ready to talk to you. Stories sometimes fall through the cracks as writers come and go from newsrooms or bloggers run out of steam. Also, make the interview count. Most interviews only last 10 minutes or so. Know what you want to talk about and make sure you hit every point by the end of the interview. Don't dodge questions or try to dominate the interviewer, but make sure you say what you need to say, even if you have to kind of wedge it into answers. As a journalist, I would rather talk to people who have a good handle on their message and feed me print-ready quotes. Also, thank the journalist for their time at every step of the process.
Have print ready images of yourself and your book. Print ready means 300 dpi jpeg. If its an image you pulled from your Facebook page, it won't work for newspapers or magazines since the picture is so compressed, it'll look pixilated on the page no matter how good it looks on your computer screen. Good author images aren't mug shots or you playing with your kids. Hire a photographer and get something slick that mirrors the mood of the book. Always present yourself like the real deal rather than just another retiree who thought it would be fun to publish a book.
Do Not Be A Dick. The journalist might get their facts wrong, they may have typos, they may not ask the most probing questions you feel your book warrants or they may not have even read the book. Regardless, once the review/interview runs, thank them warmly and promote it to your readers like it was a stellar. Don't point out that this main character's name is wrong or that quote was taken out of context. They aren't going to go back and reprint the story without mistakes, so don't even bother. All you will accomplish is annoying the journalist and guaranteeing that they will never cover you again. Plus, you are probably the only person who will ever notice the mistakes.
If you make friends with a journalist, don't hound them to cover every little thing you do and don't get your feelings hurt if they pass on your future projects. There are tons of writers out there and there isn't enough press to go around. Take what you can, be grateful for it and do everything you can to make the journalist's job easier and you will put yourself in a good position to one day become a media darling.
Be a Media Darling in 11 easy steps!
There are approximately 8.23 kajillion other writers in the world, all clamoring for coverage for their inspired epic that is the culmination of their writing career. Sadly, there are only a handful of journalists in any market who actually care about covering books because books are hard to cover. For every review, there is a significant time investment when compared to covering a movie which only requires a journalist to trim an hour and a half out of their day.
It is still possible to rise above the fray and get coverage though. As a journalist, I've managed to take some of the mistakes and handy tricks I've picked up from other writers, artists, and musicians to grab some extra ink for my projects. Here are some of the techniques that have been the most effective:
Everything start's with the pitch. Your press release needs to be flexible and be customized for each media outlet. Your pitch to a local paper will focus on the "local boy made good" angle with the actual substance of the book being secondary. For blogs, angle the pitch to appeal to the blog's specific angle that makes your book a good fit. If you send out a blanket press release, you might get a bite here and there, but a little strategy can go a long way.
Start local. Local papers and glossy mags are always looking for features. The best thing about local is you are much more likely to get a positive review which will then beef up your bio which will then make it easier to pitch your work to larger media outlets.
Be prepared to be ignored. I receive around 20-50 emails a day from publicists and I only open the ones that specifically mention something in their subject line that interests me. Editors get even more than that and probably read even fewer than I do. Customize that subject line for each journalist to give yourself the best shot of getting them to actually read the email. There are services that construct email lists for you and send out blasts. I've never used one, so I don't know if they are affective. I do get plenty of their emails in my box, though, and quickly learn their names and ignore anything from them.
Keep your press release concise. It's like writing a script for a politician. There are certain talking points that are absolutely crucial to getting across you message. The more talking points you have, the less impact each has, so it is better to say too little than too much.
If it is appropriate to call the media outlet, do. This mostly just applies to local media sources. Don't try to sell the story on the phone, just call ahead and let them know that you are sending an email their way and if they want a review copy, you would be happy to send it along. Many media types are starting to prefer digital copies because it is one less thing cluttering their office. If they do want a physical copy, don't be stingy.
Don't hound them with follow-up emails. If they don't want to cover it, no amount of badgering is going to change their minds. In fact, you will just annoy them and guarantee no future coverage. My rule is to call ahead if I can, email, then send one more follow-up email. If I don't hear back from them, it wasn't meant to be.
Worse they can do is say "no", so if you want to get your book in the New York Times, screw it, call up there, find out who the book editor is and send them an email. You aren't likely to ever hear back, but its not like you have to pay for postage, right?
If they do agree to cover your stuff, set a time for the interview as soon as they are ready to talk to you. Stories sometimes fall through the cracks as writers come and go from newsrooms or bloggers run out of steam. Also, make the interview count. Most interviews only last 10 minutes or so. Know what you want to talk about and make sure you hit every point by the end of the interview. Don't dodge questions or try to dominate the interviewer, but make sure you say what you need to say, even if you have to kind of wedge it into answers. As a journalist, I would rather talk to people who have a good handle on their message and feed me print-ready quotes. Also, thank the journalist for their time at every step of the process.
Have print ready images of yourself and your book. Print ready means 300 dpi jpeg. If its an image you pulled from your Facebook page, it won't work for newspapers or magazines since the picture is so compressed, it'll look pixilated on the page no matter how good it looks on your computer screen. Good author images aren't mug shots or you playing with your kids. Hire a photographer and get something slick that mirrors the mood of the book. Always present yourself like the real deal rather than just another retiree who thought it would be fun to publish a book.
Do Not Be A Dick. The journalist might get their facts wrong, they may have typos, they may not ask the most probing questions you feel your book warrants or they may not have even read the book. Regardless, once the review/interview runs, thank them warmly and promote it to your readers like it was a stellar. Don't point out that this main character's name is wrong or that quote was taken out of context. They aren't going to go back and reprint the story without mistakes, so don't even bother. All you will accomplish is annoying the journalist and guaranteeing that they will never cover you again. Plus, you are probably the only person who will ever notice the mistakes.
If you make friends with a journalist, don't hound them to cover every little thing you do and don't get your feelings hurt if they pass on your future projects. There are tons of writers out there and there isn't enough press to go around. Take what you can, be grateful for it and do everything you can to make the journalist's job easier and you will put yourself in a good position to one day become a media darling.
November 4, 2011
Wonderboy Issue IV
It has officially released on digital bookstores across this great series of tubes! If you don't have a digital reader, download it to your desktop at www.smashwords.com. Only 99 cents! Check out Halo Seraphim's rad cover!
October 30, 2011
Surviving Conventions
I managed to pick up a wicked cold from somewhere and am currently feeling like rusty sawblades are scraping away at the inside of my skull. This got me thinking about the do's and do not's of attending conventions. Chief among them is do not eat from the buffet, otherwise you pick up junk just like this.
For those preparing to hit the convention circuit to promote their work, here is a brief primer on what we do to minimize costs, discomfort and come out the other side of the weekend in one piece.
Invest in a rolling cooler and a dolly. Being able to travel in relative ease is crucial since you will be totting a lot of product. Some of these hikes through crowded convention floors can also be lengthy, so keep lean, mean and mobile.
Bring all your own food and water. Keep it healthy! Subsisting on junk food and fast food will take its toll pretty quick, zapping your energy and making those long days of talking to hundreds of people unbearable. Some conventions might bar outside food, but go ahead and bring yours. I've never had a convention bar the vendors from bringing in food.
Develop a concise and engaging pitch. You'll be repeating your pitch ad nauseam , so keep it short, to the point, but also tweak it depending on what type of crowd you are selling to.
Know your audience. For literary conventions, its all about the concept. Merchandise won't move, but you'll sell plenty of books and comics. Comic crowds steer toward original art, so if you are doing comics, make sure the artist is available to do sketches. Anime fans tend to prefer prints and merchandise. I sell books in all of these conventions, but I will pack differently depending on the flavor of the convention.
Don't lie to the convention-goers. If you don't like manga, don't say you do to make a sell. They can always smell a rat.
Don't take rejection personally. Just because someone says 'no' once, doesn't mean they will say 'no' next time they see you. Just keep positive and know that 95 percent of people at the convention won't be into you, but that five percent that are will be enough to make the trip worthwhile.
Be nice to your fellow vendors. These people are connected and if you are a jerk to one, everyone else will find out. If you are nice to them, then opportunities could open up in ways you'd never expect.
Don't buy anything until Sunday. There is so much cool crap at these conventions that you could spend your retirement in just one day. Wait until Sunday, see how much money you've made and take a small portion of the profits as blow money. If you had a good weekend, then its good kharma to spread the wealth. Plus, a $10 book purchase could earn you a friend that could come back to you tenfold.
Research the conventionsbefore attending. A convention with 10,000 people may not be as worthwhile as a convention with 1,000 people depending on how well it is run and the type of people that attend. Talk to your fellow vendors and see what events they've done well at in the past. Also, there are sometimes scammers who put together an ambitious convention and are either not able to hold it together and disappear with the money, or they never intended on following through at all.
Join forces with other vendors. A lonely author with a single book at their table is a tough plight. I've been there and know how hard it is to convince strangers that you are legitimate. It is much better to sit with another artist or author, not only to split costs and work the booth in shifts, but also to help present the appearance of professionalism.
Get a website, print business cards, decorate your booth, spend money on professional design. Do everything you can to foster an image. Promotion is perception. If your work appears worthwhile people will believe that it is.
October 26, 2011
Edmond Outlook reviews Wonderboy
A sample:
Here's the good news: A handsome superhero is to thank for a world without crime. The bad news? He'd be the first to tell you so.
In a modern day re-creation of the dime novel, Edmond author Charles Martin, who also writes under the name Will Weinke, has created Wonderboy — a superhero with a super ego, who, despite his flaws, is trying to do good deeds. And Martin could be considered a sort of "wonderboy" himself.
Read the rest HERE!
October 23, 2011
Services to pay for/do your damn self.
A thriving industry has sprouted up to take advantage of the proliferation of small presses and self-published authors. Some of these services can be valuable tools, many are just wastes of money or, even worse, scams. I will spend future blogs going further in depth on these various aspects of the industry, but what follows is a brief distillation of what I've encountered as an author and a publisher.
1. Distribution:
Distribution can be valuable. It allows publishers and authors to get their books in out-of-state bookstores which is why we go through a Print on Demand company that offers distribution at no extra cost through Ingram. On top of that, there are marketing companies that will push your book specifically to bookstores. I utilized a marketing company for my first book and I did see some success, but the costs severely outpaced the rewards. It was mostly just a vanity thing to say, 'oh, yeah, I've got product in bookstores across the country.' In reality, not nearly enough of those books sold to make the expenditure worthwhile. If you can find a good distribution deal that is very affordable, go for it, but otherwise put that money towards convention fees and travel where you will be much more affective at establishing new readers. You shouldn't give up on bookstores, but rather than casting a wide net, focus on fostering close relationships with bookstore owners and managers who are willing to hand-sell your book.
2. Editing:
Spend money on this! A poorly edited book hurts reader loyalty and is the mark of an amateur, but not all editors are worth the expense. Check their credentials, find out if the editor or book doctor has ever worked in the publishing industry and whether they use the Chicago Manual of Style. Don't just depend on friends and family, get someone vicious and with no concern for your feelings. They will rip your book to shreds and help you put it back together. This is incredibly valuable for any writer serious about their craft. If you have a friend that is really, really good at editing and is doing it as a favor, insist on compensating them. If they refuse, find some other way to pay them back. Talent should always be rewarded! You can expect to spend anywhere from a dollar a page to several thousand dollars on this depending on how much work needs to be done. Either way, the money will be well spent.
3. Graphic design:
Whether book covers, websites or posters. If you can do this well yourself, then go right ahead. If you aren't comfortable, then hire a professional whose previous work is suited to your title. Your book cover will make the majority of sales, so it must look good. If you are lucky enough to have a killer artist in your circle of friends and they offer to do work for you, insist on compensating them. Talent must be rewarded!
4. Technical writing:
Press releases, bios, etc. Some writers hate writing these, but you should at least try to learn. If you just cannot, then look around for a technical writer. In my opinion, if you are a writer, you should do this yourself. It is always helpful to learn a new writing skill. If a friend does this for you, insist on compensating them. Talent must be blah, blah, blah.
5. Agents:
NO! Do not pay for an agent. If an agent offers to shop your book around in exchange for a percentage of any future sales, then maybe. In reality, quality agents don't look for authors that aren't already established. It is much better to build your name first and then wait for the agents to come to you. If an agent offers to shop your book around for a fee, it is a scam.
6. Taxes:
Pay your sales tax. Conventions are starting to crack down on this because state governments are showing up at their events to check tax id numbers at every booth. Plus, it's good for the soul. "Render unto Caesar" and all that.
7. Legal:
Maybe. I've never had much use for this, but my press has more of an artist cooperative model, so the rights all go to the talent. We keep it simple so that everyone knows what to expect, but perhaps a more traditional small press would find legal advice helpful since having the rights and financials in place is critical to ensuring healthy, long-term relationships with the talent. Use your best judgement.
8. Copyright:
Nope. No one cares about your idea. It is hard enough to sell your own work, so stealing other ideas is stupid. Plus, there really aren't that many ideas so Earth-shatteringly original and brilliant that they are worth taking the risk. Once your book is published, its protected and that will be enough.
9. Merchandise:
Depends on your press and what you are selling. If you've developed a brand, then it can help. If you are a writer who can also draw or make jewelry, then might as well. Freebies are kinda nice, but most people will just throw them away. Focus on refining your pitch and don't depend on trinkets and fliers to sell your book. If you have a legitimate way to increase your revenue stream that doesn't cheapen your booth, then go right ahead.
10. Reviews:
There are services out there that will review your book online for a fee. This, in my opinion, is crap and bad kharma. If your book is good and you adequately market it, legitimate reviews will materialize. Yes, its frustrating to get ignored by traditional print media, but there are also lots of local magazines and papers looking for locally produced art to cover in order to fill space. Don't rule out bloggers either, some of my favorite reviews have come from online critics. You may not get the book jacket quotes in time for the first run, but you can add them later when you get earnest reviews based on your book's true worth.
11. Print on Demand versus batch printing:
Print on Demand, hands down. I was prejudiced against P.O.D. when I first started since I believed it was the mark of an amateur. I was wrong, P.O.D. really is the standard for small presses because the price is pretty comparable to traditional printing unless you legitimately need 1,000 copies or more. I have no interest in storing 1,000 copies of every title we carry, so P.O.D. is by far the most feasible option.
So, there you go, a rough and probably incomplete list of services that will pop up as you build your press. Also check out Writer Beware, it is a handy community of writers discussing scams and sleazy predators in the publishing industry.
When deciding whether to supplement your business with any of these services, always err on the side of caution and know that the most valuable marketing tool is being face to face with fans. Anything that takes resources away from convention and traveling costs should be considered very carefully.
