Orrin Jason Bradford's Blog, page 22

Keep the Communication Channels Opened

You may notice a new addition to the right hand sidebar of this blog  It looks like this:

[image error]And it's the various ways for us to connect:

email,
the front page of this blog,
twitter (Okay, I'm still learning about this one), and
my author's page on Facebook.

Isn't that ingenious?  Well, it wasn't my idea, but I know a good thing when I see it or read it as I did yesterday on Write to Publish, written by Robin Sullivan of Fairfax VA. She's also the  publicist for her husband, author Michael J. Sullivan.

She also writes one of my favorite blogs about writing — favorite because she provides such useful information like how authors can stay better connected with their readers and fans.  In this particular blog post, she gave detailed directions on how to create the above series of connecting points, so I'm passing the info on to you.

Communication is so foundational to any and all relationships, including the one between writers and readers, so let's keep those communication channels open.  Good job Robin!

Your Turn

What's the best tip for writers and authors you've learned recently?  Why not share it here in the comments section.

 

 

 

How to Find a Publisher – Maybe You Already Have

I recently received the following message from an aspiring author who asked a couple of "those questions" so many other aspiring authors have that I felt it deserved more than just a quick or private response.  Here's her question:

I have been attempting my first try at writing a book. I am putting the finishing touches on it now. But, I do not have a clue what's next and how to go about finding a publisher . Can you please help? Thank you I am a new subscriber to your website and am loving every minute of it!

So, the first question I read in this is, "what's next?"  My immediate response is — start on your next book.  Here's why:  Your first book or even first several books may not be publishable, at least not by the traditional route.  Over the past year I've read and heard (via podcasts like one of my favorite, Writing Excuses) a number of well known and well published authors confess how many books they wrote before finally selling one to a publisher.  The numbers ranged from one (though hardly the norm) to seven to twelve. Ouch!

And most writers are probably familiar with the now famous quote that goes something like this:

The first million words you write don't count.

The other reason to get on with your next book is…well, you're a writer now and writers write, right?  But there's also another question to address:  "How do I go about finding a publisher?"

How indeed?  But here I believe there's another question each author needs to ask themselves first — especially nowadays.  That question is:

"Do I want to concentrate primarily on the 'traditional book publishing route' or is it  a better fit to concentrate my efforts in becoming an 'indie author.' (which is today's catch phrase to describe someone who's focusing on the "self publishing route".)

Traditional or Indie Route

Now, you may have an immediate negative reaction to that latter idea — self publishing.  If so, either get over it, or know that for you, for now, the traditional route is where to focus your efforts.  You see, the publishing world is in the midst of some radical changes. You might even describe them as transformational…maybe of the caliber of when that Gutenberg guy built the first printing press.

A significant part of the change/transformation is that many authors, including published, unpublished, newbies, and old-timers, are going the self publishing route. Of course, that's a subject that could legitimately fill many other blog posts (and probably will), but here are just a few reasons you might want to consider self publishing:

No need to find a literary agent,
You can cut off months, even a year or longer off the publishing cycle
Your potential profit per book is much higher
You have much more control over such matters as the book cover, the content, layout, etc.

So, I believe this question really needs to be asked and answered first, and I recommend you give it some quality "purposeful pondering" time.  If you haven't already done so, read about the changes that are taking place in the industry, and look to see which of these directions feel like a better fit for your personality and your purpose in writing.

And remember, your not necessarily blocking off the other route.  You're simply making a choice which one will be your primary focus.  In future posts, I'll explore the process I took that led me to choosing to focus primarily on the self publishing route, and what I'm learning along the way — the good, the bad and the 'not so pretty.'

Now, it's your turn.  What insights have you gleaned from today's posting? If you're an author or aspire to be, which publishing route are you taking or would take?  Leave me a comment or two so I know there are still people alive out there!

And I'm back to working on "My Manifesto for Visionary Writers" so I can start the Bloginar in early October. Stay tuned.

My Manifesto for Visionary Writers

Click On to Enlarge

If you've been following me through Life On Purpose Institute for very long you know that one of my most purposeful, pleasurable and prolific ways I've chosen to express my life purpose is through the written word (as I have been doing with Purposeful Pondering Ezine since it's launch in 1997).

For 25 years I've written hundreds of magazine articles for regional, national and international magazines, published hundreds of ezine articles, written numerous Purposeful Reports, and published five books with more on the way.

I have found during that time that I not only love to express my purpose through writing, I also love to share what I've learned along the way with other aspiring writers.

In fact, I believe writers are key players in our creating a World On Purpose. The following quote captures why I believe this to be true:

"Words do not label things already there. Words are like the knife of the carver. They free the idea, the thing, from the general formlessness of the outside. As a man speaks [and writes], not only is his language in a state of birth, but also the very thing about which he is talking."  — Old Eskimo saying

It is this belief that has led me to taking a stand for "Visionary Writers." (And yes, this blog is a part of that stand.)  I will soon be sharing my stand through:

My Manifesto for Visionary Writers —

Creating a World On Purpose with the Written Word

Manifesto Bloginar Date Set

The first phase of the manifesto will be offered through a "Bloginar" (Like many writers I enjoy making up words too). Every Tuesday and Thursday I'll post a part of the manifesto starting on:

Tuesday, November 1, 2001

That's right. I'm taking a stand for Visionary Writers On Purpose — fellow visionaries who know the power of the written word to 'free the idea, the thing, from the general formlessness of the outside,' and through writing to create a World On Purpose.

Interested? If so, here are the simple steps to take:

1. Sign up to receive an email message when new postings are written (look over to your right), or use the RSS Feed option. (RSS button is at the very bottom left as well as top right of this page).

2. Please, share this opportunity with other aspiring visionary writers through Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and by word-of-mouth and

3. Stay tuned. November 1 is right around the corner — My Manifesto for Visionary Writers – Creating a World On Purpose with the Written Word.

A Synchronicity 19 Years in the Making

My editor for Dominion Over All sent me an email this week: "This video made me think of Zak." The video she mentioned is below.  Zak is the protagonist of my YA fantasy novel about a 13-year old boy who is commissioned by the animal kingdom to speak to the United Nation's Conference admonishing the world leaders to stop polluting our world.

While I remember learning about the U. N.'s Conference during my research, I only heard about Severn Suzuki, the young girl in the video this week.  As I watched, I was moved on several levels — by the power of her words and by the synchronicity of her speaking at the same Conference that I had Zak speak at in my fantasy world.

Severn Today

I originally wrote Dominion Over All in 1992-93. I wanted it to be both entertaining and enlightening and to make a difference in its own way. This year I decided it was time to quit waiting around for some agent or publisher to magically appear and to start putting my visionary fiction out into the world because we're running out of time, so I revised and updated it.  I feel we all need to do our part for the planet and for our fellow beings with whom we share this earth.

Already I'm seeing the effects of my decision. I doubt I would have seen this video or heard of Severn if I'd not taken action.  I share this video in the hopes that we all can become more conscious and proactive — to paraphrase Severn, "to stop breaking things we don't know how to fix."

I invite your feedback with your comments below.