Jane Friedman's Blog: Jane Friedman, page 218
April 22, 2011
The Big Lesson I Learned This Year As a Professor
[image error]
It's all about structure!
In my
guest post this month for Writer Unboxed, I offer 3 specific ways to add more
structure into your writing life.
I also point to free worksheets and exercises, as well as the most helpful online
articles I've seen on goal-setting.
Click
here to read the post: 3 Ways to Add Meaningful Structure to Your Writing Life
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April 21, 2011
My Thoughts on Drinking + Life + Writing
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This week, I'm the featured interview over at Drinking
Diaries, a site devoted to women's experiences with alcohol.
I had 2 thoughts when I was invited to participate:
Oh, fun!!!
Oh no.
The stereotype of the alcoholic writer always makes me a little self-conscious when
I talk about drinking, or liking to drink. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me
it's a bad habit, it's a bad idea, or—as one person said to me on Twitter—I have a
death wish.
But not every writer's relationship with alcohol has to be tortured or unhealthy.
There are so many cautionary tales about alcohol that maybe it's time to talk about
how it is in fact possible to be a writer and drink while being a better person overall.
To
read more of my thoughts, click here.
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April 19, 2011
Back to Basics: Writing & Publishing Memoir
[image error]
It can be very difficult to sell a memoir when you're not famous. Without a celebrity's
fan base, or a loyal and captive audience, then you need to write like a master, or
have such a fantastical story that no one can divert their attention from it!
The other question that often arises with memoir is: How true does it have to be?
That may sound like a funny question, but it's a valid one.
Below you'll find links to the most useful advice I've seen (or offered) in the past
couple years on writing and publishing memoir.
OR: If you prefer to have someone present material to you in a focused and interactive
format, then I highly recommend the upcoming
Writer's Digest webinar this Thursday with Adams Media editor Peter Archer.
From Writer's Digest magazine
TheMy own advice at NO RULES
Market for Memoirs (July/August 2010), an agent roundtable on what they're looking
for and what sells
The Key
Elements of Writing a Good Memoir (July/August 2010), on story arc
A Hook for Every
Book (July/August 2010), by agent Paula Balzer on finding a salable hook for your
memoir
Do Memoirs Have
to Be True? (July/August 2010)
Full Disclosure by Laurie Rosin (July/August
2010), on why you shouldn't gloss over the tough stuff when writing your memoir (look
on right-hand side of site for link to article)
5
Common Flaws in Memoir Projects
Your No. 1 Challenge
If You're Writing a Memoir
Your
Self-Help Book Should Not Be a Thinly Disguised Memoir
Guest posts at NO RULES
Creating
Memoir That's Bigger Than Me, Me, Me
Writing
Memoir: Art vs. Confessional
3
Important Privacy Issues in Memoir
My favorite agent & editor advice on memoir
WhyMy favorite book on personal stories & memoir
is it so difficult to find representation or a publisher for a memoir focusing on
overcoming personal adversity? from agent Rachelle Gardner
Agent Rachelle
Gardner on writing memoir [similar to above, but different angle]
The
Situation and The Story by Vivian Gornick
What are your favorite articles, blog posts, or books that specifically address memoir
writing? Share in the comments! I'd love to find more resources. In my mind, this
is a topic that's not covered often enough.
Photo
credit: godutchbaby
[image error]
April 18, 2011
The Two Rules for Successful Freelance Pricing
[image error]
Today's guest post is from Laurie Lewis, who has had a freelance medical writing
business for more than 25 years. She is the author of What
to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants.
I know a guest should be gracious to a hostess, so I hate to disagree with Jane. But
I dispute her premise that there are no rules. When it comes to discussing freelance
fees with a client, as I see it, there are two rules.
If you follow both of these rules, you're guaranteed to be satisfied with the price.
If you break either rule when pricing a job, well, just ask experienced freelancers
to share stories about their worst work experiences from a financial perspective,
and you'll likely hear an infraction of Rule No. 1 or Rule No. 2.
Silence Is Golden
Usually toward the end of your initial exchange with a client about a prospective
writing job, money enters the picture. The client either will tell you what the job
pays or will ask what you want for the assignment. Either way, the best response is
to say nothing.
You don't want to be rude, of course, so you won't literally say nothing. You might
say something like, "May I get back to you?" If the client wants an immediate response,
explain that you have a scheduled interview, and you'll call or e-mail back as soon
as it is over.
Then, without the pressure of the client breathing into the phone or looking over
your digital shoulder, take time to analyze the job thoroughly.
Think of everything the client said about the job.
Think of what the client didn't say, tasks or issues that might come up as you do
the work. This process not only clarifies the assignment but also helps you arrive
at a fair fee.
Consider what you, and other freelancers you know, have made in the past for similar
jobs. Were you content with your earnings, or did you deserve more?
Anticipate the amount of time the job might take. Toy with different methods of pricing.
How much do you want to earn per hour? What would be fair as a total project fee?
What is a good page or word rate for this market?
Once you've gone through this process, you might realize that the job is worth a lot
more than you—or the client—originally thought. I don't know about you, but when this
happens to me, I get a bit panicky. I worry that the client won't want to pay what
I know the job merits. It means we'll have to—horror of horrors!—negotiate.
Know Your Bottom Line
Like most writers, you probably don't enjoy haggling over money. But you also don't
want to be a sap and accept without discussion whatever the client is willing to pay.
On the other hand, you likely fear that if you are too demanding, you'll price yourself
out of a job. To get over this hurdle, you need to arm yourself with a negotiating
strategy.
First, come up with a fair fee.
Then, figure out the lowest fee you'll accept. Do you want to counter with this fee
immediately, or would you prefer to lower your price in stages, on the chance the
client will blink first?
And what would you like as compensation for accepting a reduced fee?
Suppose the client's budget is set, and you really really really want a job that pays
peanuts. You might be able to salvage it with head held high by negotiating something
not preceded by a dollar sign. What besides the small check will make this a good
deal for you? For writers, a byline or opportunity to promote your other writing can
be a valuable bonus, even though you can't deposit it at the bank. Beginning writers
may be willing to sacrifice decent pay for a chance to develop a portfolio of clips,
especially from prestigious publications.
Don't Speak Too Soon
What I've said thus far can be summarized in the two rules—the only rules, in my humble
opinion—for successful freelance pricing. Both rules concern when to talk money with
a client.
The first rule cautions against blurting out a price when the client first brings
it up.
you to develop a negotiating plan.
price. In reality, writers often have no choice; the client dictates the fee, and
it is not open for discussion. But the rules work in that case too. When the client
tells you the price, don't react immediately. Decide if it is fair; if not, and you
want the job, figure out how to negotiate to make it a good deal for you.
I've been trying to live by these rules for more than two decades as a full-time freelancer.
The only times I haven't been happy with my earnings were when I locked in a price
too soon or accepted what the client offered even though I knew it was too little.
When I've followed these rules, I've always been satisfied that I'm running my business
well.
--
Laurie L[image error]ewis
has had a freelance medical writing business for more than 25 years. She is the author
of What
to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants. You'll find
much more about the only two rules of freelance pricing in the book. The
second edition was just published; it is available in both print and Kindle formats.
[image error]
Today's guest post is from Laurie Lewis, who has had a freelance medical writing
business for more than 25 years. She is the author of What
to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants.
I know a guest should be gracious to a hostess, so I hate to disagree with Jane. But
I dispute her premise that there are no rules. When it comes to discussing freelance
fees with a client, as I see it, there are two rules.
If you follow both of these rules, you're guaranteed to be satisfied with the price.
If you break either rule when pricing a job, well, just ask experienced freelancers
to share stories about their worst work experiences from a financial perspective,
and you'll likely hear an infraction of Rule No. 1 or Rule No. 2.
Silence Is Golden
Usually toward the end of your initial exchange with a client about a prospective
writing job, money enters the picture. The client either will tell you what the job
pays or will ask what you want for the assignment. Either way, the best response is
to say nothing.
You don't want to be rude, of course, so you won't literally say nothing. You might
say something like, "May I get back to you?" If the client wants an immediate response,
explain that you have a scheduled interview, and you'll call or e-mail back as soon
as it is over.
Then, without the pressure of the client breathing into the phone or looking over
your digital shoulder, take time to analyze the job thoroughly.
Think of everything the client said about the job.
Think of what the client didn't say, tasks or issues that might come up as you do
the work. This process not only clarifies the assignment but also helps you arrive
at a fair fee.
Consider what you, and other freelancers you know, have made in the past for similar
jobs. Were you content with your earnings, or did you deserve more?
Anticipate the amount of time the job might take. Toy with different methods of pricing.
How much do you want to earn per hour? What would be fair as a total project fee?
What is a good page or word rate for this market?
Once you've gone through this process, you might realize that the job is worth a lot
more than you—or the client—originally thought. I don't know about you, but when this
happens to me, I get a bit panicky. I worry that the client won't want to pay what
I know the job merits. It means we'll have to—horror of horrors!—negotiate.
Know Your Bottom Line
Like most writers, you probably don't enjoy haggling over money. But you also don't
want to be a sap and accept without discussion whatever the client is willing to pay.
On the other hand, you likely fear that if you are too demanding, you'll price yourself
out of a job. To get over this hurdle, you need to arm yourself with a negotiating
strategy.
First, come up with a fair fee.
Then, figure out the lowest fee you'll accept. Do you want to counter with this fee
immediately, or would you prefer to lower your price in stages, on the chance the
client will blink first?
And what would you like as compensation for accepting a reduced fee?
Suppose the client's budget is set, and you really really really want a job that pays
peanuts. You might be able to salvage it with head held high by negotiating something
not preceded by a dollar sign. What besides the small check will make this a good
deal for you? For writers, a byline or opportunity to promote your other writing can
be a valuable bonus, even though you can't deposit it at the bank. Beginning writers
may be willing to sacrifice decent pay for a chance to develop a portfolio of clips,
especially from prestigious publications.
Don't Speak Too Soon
What I've said thus far can be summarized in the two rules—the only rules, in my humble
opinion—for successful freelance pricing. Both rules concern when to talk money with
a client.
The first rule cautions against blurting out a price when the client first brings
it up.
Rule No. 1The second rule extends the timeline before stating your fee and reminds
Don't get cornered into naming your price too soon. Find out as much as you can about
the job. Then take time to assess it thoroughly and determine the best rate.
you to develop a negotiating plan.
Rule No. 2These rules may sound as if the freelancer is in charge of setting the
Figure out the lowest acceptable rate and the concessions you want if you have to
go that low. Never agree to work for less than you know a job is worth, even if it
means walking away without the work.
price. In reality, writers often have no choice; the client dictates the fee, and
it is not open for discussion. But the rules work in that case too. When the client
tells you the price, don't react immediately. Decide if it is fair; if not, and you
want the job, figure out how to negotiate to make it a good deal for you.
I've been trying to live by these rules for more than two decades as a full-time freelancer.
The only times I haven't been happy with my earnings were when I locked in a price
too soon or accepted what the client offered even though I knew it was too little.
When I've followed these rules, I've always been satisfied that I'm running my business
well.
--
Laurie L[image error]ewis
has had a freelance medical writing business for more than 25 years. She is the author
of What
to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants. You'll find
much more about the only two rules of freelance pricing in the book. The
second edition was just published; it is available in both print and Kindle formats.
[image error]
April 17, 2011
Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 4/15/11)
[image error]
I watch Twitter, so you don't have to. Visit each Sunday for the week's best Tweets.
If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the comments.
Getting Published + Agents/Editors
Excellent advice!-->Top Five Mistakes
Writers Make at Conferences, by @RoniLoren
@inkyelbows
In the Future, Everyone Will Have a Chance. (But
Not All Chances Will Be Created Equal)
@NathanBransford
Craft + Technique
Crafting compelling characters: ambitionPublishing News + Trends
+ secret + contradiction + vulnerability
@dbschlosser
Third-person objective POV - deliberate distance with
interesting results
@ingridsundberg
How to respect your beta readers' time and get the most
helpful feedback
@lkblackburne
10 Good Grammar Resources > Great list
@nickdaws
The Great Debate: Will Publishers Be Relevant
to the Future?
@PublishersWkly
How Book Publishing Has Changed Since 1984, by Peter
Osnos / The Atlantic
@jafurtado
Social Media
How Twitter keeps @susanorlean connectedSelf-Publishing + E-Publishing
to readers between projects
@mediatwit
Ten Top Twitter Follows for Writers
@BubbleCow
GREAT LIST of writing hashtags for TWITTER. Stay on
top of your industry, network & find tips ...
@WriterThesaurus
Follow Up Interview With Jane FriedmanWriting Life + Fun
About The E-Publishing Process
@thewritermama
Conversion Journey: My Word-to-e-book workflow by
Chris O'Byrne
@JFbookman
Does Your Ebook Need Its Own ISBN?
@BubbleCow
5 Tips On Setting E-Books Prices
@BubbleCow
BookBaby introduces new cover design service for
self-published authors; starts at $99
@eBookNewser
Can a "Normal" Author Make a Living E-publishing?
@GoblinWriter
The Most Valuable Resource to Build Your
Career: Motivation
@DanBlank
Publishing isn't dead. Smart publishing, well, that's a different story.
@FredBubbers
Stephen King on the Creative Process, the State of
Fiction, and More: "I don't think you can force it."
@dbschlosser
Looking for more?
Subscribe to my newsletter, 3 Happy Things.
Want to know about the best stuff I read each week?
Click here to subscribe
to my shared items.
Get Best Tweets for
Writers — Daily!
[image error]
April 15, 2011
Writing a Life
[image error]
Today's guest post is by the lovely Darrelyn Saloom. Follow
her on Twitter, or read
her previous posts for NO RULES. Pictured above: Garden Cottage at Bay Breeze
Guest House
--
Why write? Not for the money. You may hit the big time, some do. Most don't. So why
spend years and years cranking out words to expose what's inside? And why do so many
people choose to write? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons. But keep in mind that
writing is more than a job. To be a writer is a way of life that can be lonely at
times. But the mighty pen takes you on fascinating journeys and surrounds you with
smart, witty people—readers and writers—a cabal of kindness and generosity.
This past weekend, my writing life led me to Bay
Breeze Guest House on Mobile Bay, the home of Bill and Becky Jones. I arrived
the night before the Gulf
Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers Conference in Fairhope, Alabama,
where I was slated to read my blog post, "The Best Education for Writing Memoir."
After giving me a tour and making sure I was settled into a garden cottage, my hosts
went to bed upstairs and left me to prowl their downstairs which was filled with a
fine collection of books and antiques. I even strolled down a long pier to a dock
where I absorbed the sounds of lapping water and gazed at the stars.
One of the reasons I decided to participate in the conference was its setting. I'd
been to Fairhope a few years ago and had vowed to return. Another reason was to tame
my fear of public speaking. But mostly I wanted to spend time with Kat and Angie,
the publishing editors of Rose and
Thorn Journal —gal pals I'd befriended on Facebook and Twitter. Kathryn
Magendie is the author of three wonderful novels, Tender Graces, Secret Graces,
and Sweetie. Angie Ledbetter is
revising her first women's fiction manuscript and dabbles in poetry. But she should
add stand-up comic to her repertoire because her sharp wit can curl the tightest lip.
After prowling the premises of Bay Breeze, I settled into a cozy, red upholstered
chair in the main house to read and grew sleepy. When I stood up to head to my cottage,
I twisted my ankle in mid-step and crashed to the floor.
My ankle swelled immediately, so I untied and removed my sneaker as I swallowed a
scream. Embarrassed by my clumsiness, I did not want to waken the Jones's. I managed
to hobble outside to my guest cottage, fill a Ziploc bag with ice, and fall asleep
with my foot nestled on a stack of embroidered pillows.
The next morning I awoke to pain and a foot and ankle doubled in size. Unable to drive,
I panicked and tried to call Kat and Angie, but they had opted for a remote hideaway
with wavering cell phone service. So I called the only person I knew who lived in
the small town of Fairhope—Sonny
Brewer—the author whose book of collected essays I recommended at the end of the
blog post I had planned to read. Not only did he answer on the second ring, he offered
to drive me to the conference.
[image error]
(Pictured above: Marilyn Shapley, Poetry Editor at Rose and Thorn Journal,
with Sonny Brewer, author of a book club favorite, The Poet of Tolstoy Park.)
It's not as if he had nothing better to do. Driving to the event at the University
of Alabama's Baldwin County Campus, Sonny's cell phone rang constantly. He is a well-known
author, a busy family man with children to wrangle, and he's in the midst of organizing Fairhope
Writers' Colony. Yet he took the time to take care of me, someone he's only met
a couple of times at book events. He even sat beside me at the conference as I read
with my foot propped on a chair, then regaled the audience with his own story of how
he swayed John Grisham to contribute an essay for his book, Don't
Quit Your Day Job: Acclaimed Authors and the Day Jobs They Quit.
That night the Rose and Thorn gang picked me up for dinner. Two of the journal's poetry
editors, Cynthia Toups and Marilyn
Shapley, joined Kat, Angie, and her twin sister, artist Alaine
Dibenedetto. We shared appetizers of fried green beans and new friendships sprouted.
When Angie humorously pointed out that I'd only eaten one of the greasy appetizers
and demanded I eat another, I was reminded that writers are observers and you can't
slip much past one. They will make sure you eat plenty, pick you up when you need
a ride, and sit beside you when they sense you are nervous about reading in public.
Why choose to write when it doesn't guarantee a paycheck? When it means you will spend
a great deal of time alone in a room, often in agony over a word choice or worse—a
blank page. The writing life is all those things. But it's also rich in friendships
with kind, generous men like Sonny
Brewer. And it does guarantee you will more than likely end up in a car after
dinner with a smart, witty woman like Angie Ledbetter, who sends you into fits of
laughter, which blossoms out of control as you listen to her twin sister in the backseat
with Betty Boop lookalike, Kathryn Magendie, as they giggle and snort, giggle and
snort.
[image error]
(Pictured above: View from the chair where Darrelyn tripped in the main house)
In the tradition of generosity and kindness I received in Fairhope, and for working
so closely, sitting next to me in spirit up in the Ozarks as he edits every one of
my blog posts, including the one I read at the conference, I'd like to introduce and
thank my first-reader, editor, teacher, and dear friend, the talented poet and playwright—Dave
Malone—as he launches his new website. Please
visit him here.
Also, be sure to read the spring issue
of Rose and Thorn Journal out today.
If you're ever lucky enough to visit Fairhope, Alabama, I highly recommend Bay
Breeze Guest House on historic Mobile Bay. Be sure to tell Bill and Becky Jones
hello for me. (Pictured below: Pier that leads to a dock at Bay Breeze Guest
House Mobile Bay)
[image error][image error]
Today's guest post is by the lovely Darrelyn Saloom. Follow
her on Twitter, or read
her previous posts for NO RULES. Pictured above: Garden Cottage at Bay Breeze
Guest House
--
Why write? Not for the money. You may hit the big time, some do. Most don't. So why
spend years and years cranking out words to expose what's inside? And why do so many
people choose to write? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons. But keep in mind that
writing is more than a job. To be a writer is a way of life that can be lonely at
times. But the mighty pen takes you on fascinating journeys and surrounds you with
smart, witty people—readers and writers—a cabal of kindness and generosity.
This past weekend, my writing life led me to Bay
Breeze Guest House on Mobile Bay, the home of Bill and Becky Jones. I arrived
the night before the Gulf
Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers Conference in Fairhope, Alabama,
where I was slated to read my blog post, "The Best Education for Writing Memoir."
After giving me a tour and making sure I was settled into a garden cottage, my hosts
went to bed upstairs and left me to prowl their downstairs which was filled with a
fine collection of books and antiques. I even strolled down a long pier to a dock
where I absorbed the sounds of lapping water and gazed at the stars.
One of the reasons I decided to participate in the conference was its setting. I'd
been to Fairhope a few years ago and had vowed to return. Another reason was to tame
my fear of public speaking. But mostly I wanted to spend time with Kat and Angie,
the publishing editors of Rose and
Thorn Journal —gal pals I'd befriended on Facebook and Twitter. Kathryn
Magendie is the author of three wonderful novels, Tender Graces, Secret Graces,
and Sweetie. Angie Ledbetter is
revising her first women's fiction manuscript and dabbles in poetry. But she should
add stand-up comic to her repertoire because her sharp wit can curl the tightest lip.
After prowling the premises of Bay Breeze, I settled into a cozy, red upholstered
chair in the main house to read and grew sleepy. When I stood up to head to my cottage,
I twisted my ankle in mid-step and crashed to the floor.
My ankle swelled immediately, so I untied and removed my sneaker as I swallowed a
scream. Embarrassed by my clumsiness, I did not want to waken the Jones's. I managed
to hobble outside to my guest cottage, fill a Ziploc bag with ice, and fall asleep
with my foot nestled on a stack of embroidered pillows.
The next morning I awoke to pain and a foot and ankle doubled in size. Unable to drive,
I panicked and tried to call Kat and Angie, but they had opted for a remote hideaway
with wavering cell phone service. So I called the only person I knew who lived in
the small town of Fairhope—Sonny
Brewer—the author whose book of collected essays I recommended at the end of the
blog post I had planned to read. Not only did he answer on the second ring, he offered
to drive me to the conference.
[image error]
(Pictured above: Marilyn Shapley, Poetry Editor at Rose and Thorn Journal,
with Sonny Brewer, author of a book club favorite, The Poet of Tolstoy Park.)
It's not as if he had nothing better to do. Driving to the event at the University
of Alabama's Baldwin County Campus, Sonny's cell phone rang constantly. He is a well-known
author, a busy family man with children to wrangle, and he's in the midst of organizing Fairhope
Writers' Colony. Yet he took the time to take care of me, someone he's only met
a couple of times at book events. He even sat beside me at the conference as I read
with my foot propped on a chair, then regaled the audience with his own story of how
he swayed John Grisham to contribute an essay for his book, Don't
Quit Your Day Job: Acclaimed Authors and the Day Jobs They Quit.
That night the Rose and Thorn gang picked me up for dinner. Two of the journal's poetry
editors, Cynthia Toups and Marilyn
Shapley, joined Kat, Angie, and her twin sister, artist Alaine
Dibenedetto. We shared appetizers of fried green beans and new friendships sprouted.
When Angie humorously pointed out that I'd only eaten one of the greasy appetizers
and demanded I eat another, I was reminded that writers are observers and you can't
slip much past one. They will make sure you eat plenty, pick you up when you need
a ride, and sit beside you when they sense you are nervous about reading in public.
Why choose to write when it doesn't guarantee a paycheck? When it means you will spend
a great deal of time alone in a room, often in agony over a word choice or worse—a
blank page. The writing life is all those things. But it's also rich in friendships
with kind, generous men like Sonny
Brewer. And it does guarantee you will more than likely end up in a car after
dinner with a smart, witty woman like Angie Ledbetter, who sends you into fits of
laughter, which blossoms out of control as you listen to her twin sister in the backseat
with Betty Boop lookalike, Kathryn Magendie, as they giggle and snort, giggle and
snort.
[image error]
(Pictured above: View from the chair where Darrelyn tripped in the main house)
In the tradition of generosity and kindness I received in Fairhope, and for working
so closely, sitting next to me in spirit up in the Ozarks as he edits every one of
my blog posts, including the one I read at the conference, I'd like to introduce and
thank my first-reader, editor, teacher, and dear friend, the talented poet and playwright—Dave
Malone—as he launches his new website. Please
visit him here.
Also, be sure to read the spring issue
of Rose and Thorn Journal out today.
If you're ever lucky enough to visit Fairhope, Alabama, I highly recommend Bay
Breeze Guest House on historic Mobile Bay. Be sure to tell Bill and Becky Jones
hello for me. (Pictured below: Pier that leads to a dock at Bay Breeze Guest
House Mobile Bay)
[image error][image error]
April 14, 2011
5 Innovative Poets to Watch & Learn From
[image error]
As everyone knows, you can't make a living from writing and selling poetry.
Or can you?
Well, it IS next to impossible to make a living by only writing poems. Sometimes
I wonder if that's why poets seem to be the ones I see most often experimenting and
innovating. They know that large-scale publication and fat advance checks aren't in
their future (nor is bookstore placement), so they look for other ways to make their
work known.
Here are 5 poets who are doing remarkable things—all very different from one another,
all demonstrating that the only limit to what you can do is your imagination.
[image error]
Robert Brewer
Robert is editor of Writer's Market. That's
his day job. He also runs a successful professional blog, Poetic
Asides (which led to him winning Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2010), and
he runs a personal blog called My Name
Is Not Bob.
Last year, Robert announced that he was publishing a chapbook, ENTER, that
would available in a limited signed edition—just 100 copies—for $10 each.
The chapbook is handcrafted and has a personalized note from Robert. He's working
the scarcity angle—providing something that only a few people can have, and personalizing
it to the max.
The strategy has worked: He took pre-orders up until the release on April 1, and is
almost sold out. (Click
here to read about the release and for instructions on how to order any copies that
are still left.)
[image error]
David Sanders
David's day job is teaching at Ohio University. You might also know him as the former
director of Ohio University Press and Swallow Press.
Late last year, David launched an e-newsletter, Poetry News in Review. It's
a digest of poetry news, new releases, and reviews (and many other informative things). Go
take a look at an issue.
David was already an influencer in the literary community before he started the newsletter.
Now he has a direct line to the people who have been following him all along, which
creates a community around the content he creates, and opens up more opportunities
for him in the long term.
[image error]
Guy Gonzalez
The former head of Digital Book World—and now a digital director at Library Journal—has
his roots in the NYC poetry slam scene. Just this month, Guy released a digital chapbook, Handmade
Memories , available for Kindle, Nook,
and Goodreads for
$2.99.
On his blog, Guy says:
more of this post here.
Notice how Robert took the physical print book route, and Guy took the e-book route.
There is no one RIGHT way to issue a new book or project. You do what fits you, your
personality, and your audience. Given Guy's digital background, a digital chapbook
made a ton of sense since he has the skills and connections to execute it beautifully.
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Greg Pincus
Greg, a professional author and freelancer, has just launched an experiment that explores
how authors can make money without focusing on sales.
He came up with a Kickstarter project designed
to pay him so that he can offer schools free class visits (virtually or in person)
and introduce poetry to kids.
He's creating a situation where fans/supporters get stuff that they want from him,
and he, in turn, gets to do something that is both good for others AND good for his
career. If it works out—the campaign is still in progress!—it's a win-win-win situation. Go
check out the details of Greg's Kickstarter campaign here. You should also check
out his blog on social media.
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Dave Malone
Dave's day job involves teaching and freelancing, but his life focus is on writing—and
getting his poetry out there.
Tomorrow Dave launches his brand-new newsletter, If I Had a Nickel, focused
on poetry and the Ozark life. [Sign up here.]
He's also launching his newest collection of poetry as a four-part series, through
Smashwords, for free. (Hint to all: Series are always a wonderful marketing technique!)
Dave
used my advice about MailChimp to start his newsletter, and it's been exciting
to see his brand come together over the years. Because of his talent and expertise
at website building, film, and other areas of new media, he has almost too many opportunities
to chase down!
--
I hope these stories have inspired you to think about what avenues are available to
you for expanding your reach and building a solid writing career, no matter what genre
you're working in.
I do apologize that on this occasion, I've featured an all-male cast, but that's
how it worked out. I hope you'll comment with examples of female authors and poets
doing wonderful things!
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As everyone knows, you can't make a living from writing and selling poetry.
Or can you?
Well, it IS next to impossible to make a living by only writing poems. Sometimes
I wonder if that's why poets seem to be the ones I see most often experimenting and
innovating. They know that large-scale publication and fat advance checks aren't in
their future (nor is bookstore placement), so they look for other ways to make their
work known.
Here are 5 poets who are doing remarkable things—all very different from one another,
all demonstrating that the only limit to what you can do is your imagination.
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Robert Brewer
Robert is editor of Writer's Market. That's
his day job. He also runs a successful professional blog, Poetic
Asides (which led to him winning Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2010), and
he runs a personal blog called My Name
Is Not Bob.
Last year, Robert announced that he was publishing a chapbook, ENTER, that
would available in a limited signed edition—just 100 copies—for $10 each.
The chapbook is handcrafted and has a personalized note from Robert. He's working
the scarcity angle—providing something that only a few people can have, and personalizing
it to the max.
The strategy has worked: He took pre-orders up until the release on April 1, and is
almost sold out. (Click
here to read about the release and for instructions on how to order any copies that
are still left.)
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David Sanders
David's day job is teaching at Ohio University. You might also know him as the former
director of Ohio University Press and Swallow Press.
Late last year, David launched an e-newsletter, Poetry News in Review. It's
a digest of poetry news, new releases, and reviews (and many other informative things). Go
take a look at an issue.
David was already an influencer in the literary community before he started the newsletter.
Now he has a direct line to the people who have been following him all along, which
creates a community around the content he creates, and opens up more opportunities
for him in the long term.
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Guy Gonzalez
The former head of Digital Book World—and now a digital director at Library Journal—has
his roots in the NYC poetry slam scene. Just this month, Guy released a digital chapbook, Handmade
Memories , available for Kindle, Nook,
and Goodreads for
$2.99.
On his blog, Guy says:
There's been a lot of debate over poetry's viabilityRead
in e-book form, thanks to reflowable text corrupting line breaks and, in many cases,
skewing the reading of a poem. Some of my prosier poems run into this problem, especially
on the iPod Touch's small screen, but being able to flip to landscape mode addresses
most of those issues. I plan to write about this specifically in the near future,
but briefly, my take is that poets (and publishers) intent on forcing legacy
forms into e-books are missing the bigger opportunities digital offers, but that said,
the limitations of e-books are no reason to avoid them. The potential to reach
new readers is far too great to pass up.
more of this post here.
Notice how Robert took the physical print book route, and Guy took the e-book route.
There is no one RIGHT way to issue a new book or project. You do what fits you, your
personality, and your audience. Given Guy's digital background, a digital chapbook
made a ton of sense since he has the skills and connections to execute it beautifully.
[image error]
Greg Pincus
Greg, a professional author and freelancer, has just launched an experiment that explores
how authors can make money without focusing on sales.
He came up with a Kickstarter project designed
to pay him so that he can offer schools free class visits (virtually or in person)
and introduce poetry to kids.
He's creating a situation where fans/supporters get stuff that they want from him,
and he, in turn, gets to do something that is both good for others AND good for his
career. If it works out—the campaign is still in progress!—it's a win-win-win situation. Go
check out the details of Greg's Kickstarter campaign here. You should also check
out his blog on social media.
[image error]
Dave Malone
Dave's day job involves teaching and freelancing, but his life focus is on writing—and
getting his poetry out there.
Tomorrow Dave launches his brand-new newsletter, If I Had a Nickel, focused
on poetry and the Ozark life. [Sign up here.]
He's also launching his newest collection of poetry as a four-part series, through
Smashwords, for free. (Hint to all: Series are always a wonderful marketing technique!)
Dave
used my advice about MailChimp to start his newsletter, and it's been exciting
to see his brand come together over the years. Because of his talent and expertise
at website building, film, and other areas of new media, he has almost too many opportunities
to chase down!
--
I hope these stories have inspired you to think about what avenues are available to
you for expanding your reach and building a solid writing career, no matter what genre
you're working in.
I do apologize that on this occasion, I've featured an all-male cast, but that's
how it worked out. I hope you'll comment with examples of female authors and poets
doing wonderful things!
[image error]
April 13, 2011
Helpful Insights for Self-Publishing Novelists
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I moderated a panel at SXSW called The
Self-Publishing Novelist, which included insights from 3 experienced experts:
John Sundman. Read an interview with John here, Building
an Enthusiastic Fan Base as a Self-Published Author.
Carolyn McCray. Read her helpful articles over at Digital Book World, including Best
Practices for Amazon E-Book Sales, How
to Increase Sales by Promoting Your Backlist Titles, and The
Anatomy of a Successful E-Book Giveaway
Nicole Galland. Check out the Mongoliad Project that
she's involved in.
SXSW has now made recordings of all sessions available! So
you can listen to The Self-Publishing Novelist right now, where I question these
3 experts on current trends and what it takes to be successful.
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April 12, 2011
My E-Book Production Process
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Over at Christina Katz's blog, I
offer an inside look at how I produced my e-book, The
Future of Publishing . Here's a snippet:
Writing an e-book that is high-enough quality
to charge money for is not an easy undertaking. You must have had some concerns at
the outset. Would you be willing to share some of them?
Yes, I had 3 primary concerns.If you're intrigued, go
1. Even if by reading the entire work you had a better understanding of the issues
at play in the publishing industry, I was still writing humor. Humor is not something
people often pay for, no matter how high quality it is.
2. People will pay good money for information that benefits them. But they rarely
pay for speculation—at least in the publishing field! And since I was writing about
the future of publishing, what else could my e-book be called except pure speculation?
3. I knew the work would be quite short, especially given the fast turn-around time.
It ended up being 40 pages, and that's with images and a generous design. (Still,
though, it probably takes 20-30 minutes to read.)
read more! It includes an overview of my e-book production stages.
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April 11, 2011
Your Most Embarrassing Moment As a Writer (Part 2)
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If
you enjoyed my embarrassing story from last week, here's another one.
I was taking one of my very first trips to New York City, to meet with literary agents,
in my early years as an acquisitions editor at F+W Media.
One of the meetings involved dinner at an upscale Asian restaurant.
I'm a fairly punctual person, and in situations like these, I always plan to arrive
early to ensure that I arrive on time.
So I got to the restaurant about 10 minutes early. It was crowded with people, so
I sat down to wait for the agent to arrive.
Ten minutes passed. Still no agent. But no big deal. Another five minutes passed.
Then ten. Then fifteen. I started to feel very strange. It dawned on me that maybe
I missed her coming in, or that she had arrived before me.
Being from the Midwest, as well as rather young and provincial (and not yet a frequenter
of fine dining establishments!), I didn't realize it was customary to check with the
maitre d' to see if the other party had arrived, and/or to go ahead and be seated.
So you can probably guess: The agent was already seated and had been waiting for at
least 15 minutes when I did ask the maitre d'.
The agent clearly wasn't happy, but didn't say a word. She just showed up 15 minutes
late to our next dinner outing when I returned to New York the following season.
Why am I telling you ANOTHER embarrassing story?
Well, if you submitted your own embarrassing story to Writer's Digest last week, it
was lost in an e-mail crash. So I'm posting the call again this week to ask you to
kindly resubmit for consideration.
If you missed the call, here it is again:
Photo credit: yamuhaton
[image error]
If
you enjoyed my embarrassing story from last week, here's another one.
I was taking one of my very first trips to New York City, to meet with literary agents,
in my early years as an acquisitions editor at F+W Media.
One of the meetings involved dinner at an upscale Asian restaurant.
I'm a fairly punctual person, and in situations like these, I always plan to arrive
early to ensure that I arrive on time.
So I got to the restaurant about 10 minutes early. It was crowded with people, so
I sat down to wait for the agent to arrive.
Ten minutes passed. Still no agent. But no big deal. Another five minutes passed.
Then ten. Then fifteen. I started to feel very strange. It dawned on me that maybe
I missed her coming in, or that she had arrived before me.
Being from the Midwest, as well as rather young and provincial (and not yet a frequenter
of fine dining establishments!), I didn't realize it was customary to check with the
maitre d' to see if the other party had arrived, and/or to go ahead and be seated.
So you can probably guess: The agent was already seated and had been waiting for at
least 15 minutes when I did ask the maitre d'.
The agent clearly wasn't happy, but didn't say a word. She just showed up 15 minutes
late to our next dinner outing when I returned to New York the following season.
Why am I telling you ANOTHER embarrassing story?
Well, if you submitted your own embarrassing story to Writer's Digest last week, it
was lost in an e-mail crash. So I'm posting the call again this week to ask you to
kindly resubmit for consideration.
If you missed the call, here it is again:
Let's face it: We all make mistakes. But the best
writers learn from them, rise above them and even find ways to transform them into
happy accidents. What embarrassing moment have you overcome to become a better writer?
Whether your story is funny, humbling or an important lesson learned the hard way,
we want to hear from you.
Share your experience in 150 words or fewer and e-mail it—along with your name, city
and state—to writersdigest@fwmedia.com with "Lessons Learned" in the subject line.
Your story could appear in a future issue of Writer's Digest! (All submissions will
be considered for publication and may be edited for clarity or space.)
Photo credit: yamuhaton
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Jane Friedman
The future of writing, publishing, and all media—as well as being human at electric speed.
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