Blog Archives

Marketing and Platform

4/26/2011

I hope you pardon me, but today I need to gloat just a little... I received an early birthday surprise last week. I won a contest on Pitch University/www.pitch-university.com. And the prize? A 30-minute consultation with Agent Michael Larsen, plus his book ‘How to Write A Book Proposal.’ (If you’re needing to market or write a proposal, I definitely suggest this book!)

I was truly amazed to win this contest as I’d never heard of this site before entering the contest. Lucky for me, I had been working on my writing platform on twitter and received a tweet about the contest. Intrigued, I clicked on the link. Intrigued even more after reading that post, I devoured the rest of the week’s posts and commented. And the rest was history. Plus, I’m a regular to the Pitch University web site now.

I have to admit I was really nervous about my interview with Literary Agent Mike Larsen. Now Mike handles adult nonfiction, and since I write MG and YA fiction, I knew I had nothing of interest to pitch to him. (Plus my three finished manuscripts are contracted and due to come out later this year.) But Mike did have information I desperately wanted…marketing information.

I made my phone call, and despite me being quite tongue-tied, we fell into conversation. Mike’s easy candor opened up a treasure chest of knowledge and expertise. He quoted ‘a writer needs to have two goals:

1.      First, a writer needs to know what kind of book he/she wants to write and what kind of emotions he/she wants from his/her reader.

2.      Second, a writer needs to have publishing goals.’

Most writers would love to only write, but Mike shared that the publishing goal is a most important part of the equation. He quoted Jack Canfield in saying ‘the success of a book is 90 percent promotion.’ All writers today need to do self-promotion. Mike said ‘promotion won’t sell a bad book, but promotion will make a good book a success.’

Promotion is all about building relationships, to get people to know, trust and like you; to have something of value to offer them. And the best promotion is ‘word of mouth.’

Mike then proceeded to challenge me and my writer platform. I discovered I’m on track with some of my marketing, like a web page, blog, facebook and twitter. But there is still so many avenues to tackle. Below is a list of author must-haves Mike shared with me.

* Web Page. First and foremost, an author needs a web page. Mike confirmed the fact that an author needs that presence way before their book is sold. (And I’ve discovered there are many inexpensive ways to create your web page, even several free web site hosts.)

* Facebook. This is an excellent social media contact for family, friends and followers. These people will follow you and learn and celebrate your good news.

* Twitter. This social media is fast and frenzied. It’s a wonderful tool to send short quips and bursts to as many people want to follow you as possible. (And it’s a great source of information, such as contests like those on Pitch University. ;-)

* Groups. Groups are as important as best friends. They are your NEW best friends. A writer should know who his or her reader is and go after the groups that would find their story valuable. This can be daunting as it’s virtually endless.

* Blog. A blog is a great way to get your name out, to offer something to your readers and followers. But the writer must make sure to offer something of value in return for their visit. Know your reader and give them something to keep coming back for.

* Promotional sites. Just a few of the many to mention are Amazon, Good Reads, Jacket Flap, Borders and Barnes and Noble. Many, many, many!

* Reviews. Okay, this is one area I never realized. I do read…a lot, but I’m lacking in reviews. Why? I really don’t have a reason. But it’s a bad reason, whatever it might be. By writing reviews, one is building recognition, trust, and relationships.

* Trailers/Podcasts. Trailers are a super way to create a memorable image for your book. I seen a great trailer for a picture book today. Made me want to go right out and buy it. And pod-casts…another great way to ‘tell’ your story on the internet…literally!

* Following blogs and websites. Mike couldn’t express this enough. This is how you make friends. Follow the people you admire most and make sure you comment on their posts.

Mike challenged me to be ‘entrepreneurial’ with my writing. With the internet, there is a wealth of opportunities available to us today. As an author, I am a business and I have to promote ‘me.’ But as I pondered this last thought, I realized there is something even more important than just ‘promoting me’…it is that I build these relationships. One can never have enough friends. And I write because I want to offer my ‘friends’ a story…a tale of entertainment, emotion, history, growth, a part of ‘me.’

So…right now I’m a small fish in a very big pond, but with my ‘friends’, I’m growing bigger each and every day. If you see me on-line, I’d love to get the opportunity to say ‘hello’ and ask you ‘to please be my friend.’

C.K. Volnek

P.S. Watch my blog next week for the exciting National Picture Book Writing Week Challenge (NaPiBoWriWee) 7 Picture Books in 7 Days! Please come back and cheer me on! If you want to find out more about this challenge, visit http://paulayoo.com/content/national-picture-book-writing-week-may-1-7-2011

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Do You Judge A Book By Its Cover?

4/20/2011

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How important is the cover art of a book?

This question was posed recently in my Authors’ group. I found the responses very interesting. For these writers and readers, a cover was an important draw.

And according to this wonderful quote from http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2005/12/20/the-importance-of-cover-art/

According to a Times Online article, the story you slaved over for years, and then waited two years for it to be published and hit the shelves, has about the same time it takes to sneeze once or twice to make an impression. The article, You Can Tell a Book By Its Cover, points out that “Studies show that a book on a three-for-two table has about one and a half seconds to catch a reader’s eye. If it is picked up, it is on average glanced at for only three to four seconds. ”

I found myself thinking about this in depth. Was the cover of a book that important to me? Was I really one of the visually fickle of today?

I wanted to test this. So, standing in front of the multitude of book at a local book store, I glanced up and down the rows and tables. I was pleased when I found I could pass by the cover art if the title jumped out and grabbed me. I looked again. When this happened, it was generally if there wasn’t much cover art to be had. To my visual eye, the title was then the cover art. Sigh… I guess it still boils down to the visual grabbing me first.

So, yes…I actually did fall into that fickle visual majority. If I see something appealing, I give it a second look. At second glance, I’ll read the title and if I like that, I’ll move onto the blurb. Sometimes I’ll move into the first page, but most times, if I’m intrigued enough by the blurb, I expect the rest of the book to do the same.

I tested my visual preference choice on the cover art of Lane Smith's, It's A Book. What grabbled me first? I admit, for me, the title jumped out. Why? Because the title is a big part of the artwork. It's big and bold and coupled with the darling monkey character makes a friendly gesture for me to get pulled in. Turning it over I was sold. Not only are the characters terrific, but using the techy slangs in comparison with the written word make me smile and shake my head, remembering the not-so-long-ago days before computers, cell phones and I-pads. (Oh, oh, I feel my age showing.)

So, how about you? Do you judge a book by its cover?

Happy writing and Happy Reading!

C.K. Volnek

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The Writing Dream - with Author John Hart

4/14/2011

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On Tuesday, April 12th, I had the great fortune of attending an appearance with Bestselling Author and Edgar Award Winner, John Hart. His novels The King of Lies, Down River and The Last Child have created quite a stir in the publishing business. And I admit, I felt especially honored as this talented man visited my small-town library (and I mean small-town–population 6,500), and totally skipped our major cities, Lincoln and Omaha, just an hour away

Now John has gained incredible notoriety, money and world-wide fame for his writing. He’s even entertaining offers from Hollywood, though he’d just received a phone call from George Clooney that even though he liked his new book, he was going to pass on the movie rights. Geesh, what is George thinking?

I found John to be not only articulate, but very genuine. And I marveled at how, even though he has reached his goal of being published with great acclaim, he still holds many of the same fears all writers carry. Whether published or not…he cares mostly about his written word and how his readers respond to it. He does not take his popularity lightly. He knows it is the meat of the story that sells the work. When asked how he comes up with his story ideas, he said feels his main job is to build compelling characters and then turn up the heat. He likes to create characters that are ‘normal people overcoming abnormal circumstances…tough guys who know how to get the job done.’

John described some of his more interesting jobs on his way to becoming a bestseller author. He went through college and then worked on helicopters in Alaska for a summer, before deciding law school was the route for him…though he was secretly writing on the side. Two novels lay in his bottom desk drawer…two terrible novels he said with a grin.

John graduated from law school and was fast on his way to building a career as an attorney when he met his first hard-core criminal and decided he couldn’t cross the moral lines he had created for himself. So he decided to take one more chance and write. His wife was his best/worst critic and so he laid his first chapter on her. After a half an hour, he couldn’t wait any longer and burst into the room for her answer. She told him ‘he would never work another day in his life.’ John laughed and said she was sooo wrong. To support his family and his writing, he went to work as a stockbroker. Four years later, he received his first book offer.

To my joy, John admitted he writes with a ‘grope and hope’ method. Ah, maybe I’m not so abnormal after all. He said he treats his writing as a ‘career’ and has an office downtown where he goes to write. But I would definitely like to have an office like this. A roomy office with two very comfy couches…for his daily naps. One couch is in a very light and open room when he just needs a catnap, and the other couch is in a quiet, darkened room when he needs the longer, refreshing sleep. For inspiration, he takes a daily walk in the woods with his trusty canine friend, making sure he had a small stack of note cards and a pen.

So, why was I so enthused to meet John Hart? Not only was I honored with his visit to our small town and enjoyed his presentation about his writing and his books, but I was given hope. Hope that dreams do come true; that not all writers work from a full fledged outline, or have a degree in English. Hope that there is room out there for the stories I have to tell. I may never reach the fame John has but it proved to me that through hard work and never giving up, I could attain my dream of writing. It’s not easy to be published. It’s been quite a journey for me already as I anticipate my first novel being released in September with MIU Publishing. And I won't stop there. I'm going to continue pushing my way through those pages. For as I can see with John's fame, anything is possible. Maybe I too can someday find a comfy couch in my office and enjoy the daily nap he recommends. grin.

Good luck to you all and happy writing!

C.K. Volnek
Photo courtesy of Abigail Seymour Photography.

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Guest Author Interview: Janni Lee Simner

4/4/2011

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Greetings,

I’d like to welcome a special guest to my blog today, Janni Lee Simner, Author and captivating workshop presenter. Janni was the inspiration for my post from last week’s blog. Please welcome Janni! I’m glad you’re here.

Hello. Thanks for having me today.

Janni, please tell your readers something interesting about yourself AND/OR your favorite character.

Here's my official bio:

Janni Lee Simner was born aboard a pirate ship, but as soon as she came of age booked passage with a caravan bound for the Sahara, and spent the next decade as a seeker of lost cities, hidden tombs, and ancient artifacts. While hiding from assassins in the lost Library of Alexandria, however, she discovered she really preferred telling stories, and so she settled down in the Sonoran desert to write, interrupted only by the occasional map-bearing stranger or man-eating Gila monster.(I promise at least part of it is true. :-)

My most recent YA fantasy, Faerie Winter, is due out the first week of April. I've published two other YA fantasies (Bones of Faerie and Thief Eyes), four books for younger readers, and more than 30 short stories.

What was your favorite book as a teen? Tell us about it and how it affected you as a person.

I read and reread Madeleine L'Engle's A Swiftly Tilting Planetthroughout high school. I loved the fantasy and the world-saving adventure, I loved the mythology, I loved the unicorns, and most of all I loved the sense this book--which was about averting an all-out nuclear war--had that the awful things that could happen didn't have to happen. All of Madeleine L'Engle's Murray/O'Keefe books have this sense of fundamental all-rightness about the universe that's really stayed with me. I still believe that no matter how dark the world gets, there's always light to be found in it, too--and that somewhere deep down, things really are all right.

Tell us about the genre you have chosen to write for. Why do write specifically for them?

These days I'm writing mostly YA fantasy, though I've also written middle grade books and adult short stories. I think I write YA because I love coming of age stories, and because I love writing in that space where every decision we make seems to so very deeply matter. As for fantasy ... I've always been a fantasy reader, so it never really occurred to me to write stories without magic. I love so many things about fantasy: the sense of adventure, the reaching something beyond this world, and also, again, that tension among light and dark and all the shades in between that fantasy is so good at exploring. In fantasy, the stakes can be so high--entire worlds can be on the line--and yet fantasy is also very personal, and very much about what it means to be human.

Tell us about your new book. How did it come about and share your favorite excerpt/scene.

Faerie Winter is a sequel to Bones of Faerie. Both stories are post-apocalyptic fantasies, set after the war between the human and faerie realms has destroyed the world. Bones of Faerie began with a single scene and a single image: a girl's father setting her sister, born touched by faerie magic, out on a hillside to die. In that scene, I already knew that there's been a war, and that it had left behind a land filled with deadly magic: trees that seek human flesh and blood, stones that glow with deadly light, darkness that can swallow a person whole. (That scene was all I knew when I started, though. Everything else, I had to learn as I wrote. I'm very much a find-the-story-as-I-tell-it sort of writer.)

It's hard to choose just one scene to share! But I have excerpts from the openings to both books online:

- <a href="http://www.simner.com/bonesoffaerie/excerpt.html">Bones of Faerie</a>

- <a href="http://www.simner.com/faeriewinter/excerpt.html">Faerie Winter</a>

How has writing affected your life? And what’s your favorite part of being a writer?

Ever since I was young, writing has always given me other worlds to escape to. It's also given me a way of observing the world--and a way of making sense of the world, too.

My favorite part of being a writer really is the writing, and the way that I always have a story (many stories, though I only write one at a time) in my head. There are other things I love too--I wouldn't have tried to publish if I didn't want to share my words with others--but in the end it always comes back to the words and the stories.

What advice can you give regarding the writing process?

Find the process that works best for you and embrace it. Writers tend to like to give advice, and often we forget to add a disclaimer: that this worked for me, but it may or may not work for you. Some writers outline; others (like me) just plunge in and find the story. Some write very clear first drafts; some write very messy first (and second, and third) drafts and worry about polishing later. There is no one right way to write, and time spent revising doesn't mean you made some sort of mistake with your earlier drafts. Try everything, but only keep what's useful to you. Every writer is different, and just because another writer, even a writer you admire, writes in a particular way doesn't mean you'll write in the same way.

Regarding publication and marketing, what advice can you offer aspiring writers?

Don't stress it too much. :-)

Write the best book you can. Then be professional, do your agent and editor research, and send out your query letters. As much as you can, think of this as a thing apart from the actual writing--a business thing you do, and do politely and courteously, and then let go. Once your queries are out, go back to working on your next book.

Also, no one can take the process of writing a book away from you. No matter what happens on the business side of things, the time spent writing your book, with all its joy and tears and discovery, is yours to keep forever.

Write what you love. There are no guarantees, but if you're writing what you love--that will show through, and make your stories better, and so also more commercial. Love is no more a guarantee than anything else, but it does add to the work--and to the process, because we live with our books for so long.

How can your fans find, follow or friend you?

I'm all sorts of places online--come visit!

My blog: janni.livejournal.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/janni

Twitter: innaj (that's janni, spelled backwards!)

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/237175.Janni_Lee_Simner

My web page: www.simner.com

Web page for Faerie Winter: www.simner.com/faeriewinter/

Thanks so much for visiting with me Janni. It’s been wonderful getting to know you.
C.K. Volnek

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Marketing and Platform

Do You Judge A Book By Its Cover?

The Writing Dream - with Author John Hart

Guest Author Interview: Janni Lee Simner

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