I am so thrilled to post this. I have to say, being a part of LitSisters has changed my life in the most amazing way. And we are starting 2010 off with a bang! Not only did our boutique publishing house, LitSisters Publishing, launch today, but we also were featured on the home page of [...]
1. Create a SMART selling goal. Specific, measurable, realistic, and timely. For instance, aim to sell ONE book a day. If you don’t set a goal then don’t be disappointed if you don’t sell many books. Also, don’t think just because your book is sitting on a bookstore shelf or is listed on Amazon it’s going to sell all by itself! YOU must sell it.
2. Describe features and benefits when pitching your book. For instance, the key feature of my novel To Kill An Armchair Husband, a dark comedy is that it’s a dark comedy. I build this feature into the sub title, so the main title wouldn’t scare off potential readers. And so my family members, namely my husband and children, wouldn’t freak out. The subtitle, a dark comedy also serves to describe the benefit. The book is a comedy, therefore a reader should find the story entertaining and laugh . . . a lot.
3. Believe in your book. An author must be absolutely convinced that his or her book is good, that it’s worth X dollars and X hours of someone’s time. This confidence must come across everywhere, in person, on the author’s website, on promotional materials, etc., etc., etc. If you’re shy or uncertain, then fake it till you make it, baby! You wrote it, it’s published, now go for it!
Terri
Earlier this month I sent off the manuscript for the 2nd edition of my travel guide (due out December 2010). It was a lovely feeling to have it off my plate, for the time being anyhow. Having been through this process before, I knew what was coming…the editing process. And it began today with an email from my editor.
Now, with a non-fiction book, there is great importance placed on how the book is organized. With a travel book this may be even more important. How you’re organizing entries by type, geography, etc. needs to be consistent throughout the book. But, one of the biggest things I struggle with when writing my book is “seeing” how it will look in the end. I’m a very visual person, so I need to see things before they can make sense to me. The 2nd edition of this book has a brand new format (and less words, try downsizing from 90K to 50K, but that’s another blog topic!) and so not only did I need to “see” a new layout for my book, I didn’t have another format to look at. Needless to say, it was a tough process. So, now, in addition to editing content, I’m also helping to re-organize material in a more reader-friendly way.
Ahhh…the joys of writing! But, it will look so good when it’s done and then, after all of the hard work, someone can write on Amazon that it reads like a very boring high school essay. Well, pooh.
Sedona's Scenic Red Rocks iPhone App
I have some great news I’d like to share. After a lot of hard work, the iPhone travel application I’ve been working on is finally done and ready for purchase on iTunes: Sedona’s Scenic Red Rocks” for $1.99. Thanks to everyone who provided help, offered words of encouragement and put up with my numerous posts about the craziness of this project. It’s finally done! (Excuse all the exclamation points – I’m happy!)
Next up is my travel guide (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona & Central Arizona, Great Destinations), which is due to the publisher next week. After that, I’ll be focusing on the next iPhone app — Greater Phoenix Dining! Take a look at the link: http://sutromedia.com/apps/Sedonas_Scenic_Red_Rocks and let me know what you think.
If you decide to buy it and you like it, please review it on iTunes. Your feedback (as always is appreciated), so if there are typos, errors, etc., let me know via email (christine@christinekbailey.com). One of the very cool things about apps is that I can make changes and updates on a regular basis. So let me know what you find!
Also, please feel free to forward this email; you’ll also see tweets, posts, etc. in the coming days. Thanks!
I joined the work force full-time in the late ‘70’s when the accepted career model looked like a ladder. The cartoon version showed a man climbing up even if it meant climbing over others. The route was narrow and only allowed one person on each step at a time. Up was the only direction desired. Walking on others was allowed and even encouraged by some. The ladder stayed grounded. The person moved one measured rung at a time. You could stay in place and hang on. If you fell off, you were toast or like in the game Shoots and Ladders, you had to start all over, again.
I never liked this model. I’ve had a lot of jobs and enjoyed a solid level of career success in terms of titles, responsibilities and compensation. But, I’ve also chosen to think of my career in terms of a carousel not a ladder. I’ve ridden a number of mounts, on an ever moving platform and when I’ve gotten bored, I’ve surveyed to my left, my right, in front and behind to find the new ride that was of interest or presented a colorful opportunity.
Please don’t get me wrong. I am not some Polly Anna skipping down the primrose path looking at the world through rose colored glasses. I’ve tackled tough jobs and worked hard. I’m just saying that life isn’t linear. And, life is more fun when there is music playing. And, no matter how hard you may try to keep things steady and upright and moving forward, life is filled with all kinds of motion and commotion, ups and downs.
So, it’s okay to get up and move around. Explore uncommon opportunities. Stop and say hi to others. Grab a handhold if you need to. But, you can get off, carefully, for awhile, to take a break, take on other important roles outside of your career, concentrate on home or babies or caring for aging relatives. Then, when you’re ready, step back on, find the mount that’s available that suits your needs without pushing anyone off to take their place or stepping on or over anyone to get there. Seek out options knowing there’s more than what’s directly above you. And never forget, it’s just a ride.
Most writers have good days and bad days; days when the words seem to flow almost effortlessly off the fingertips and days when a simple sentence seems too hard to string together.
Ever wonder what is getting in the way of a highly productive writing session or a great writing day? Do you feel like you are too easily distracted? Too open to interruptions? Do your writing goals seem reasonable but never achievable?
Like most writers, I’ve spent time pondering these questions. My first career was textbook Corporate America. I had a series of exciting jobs that demanded all my time, energy and immediate attention. For years, I lived by deadlines and commitments set by others, leashed to my Blackberry which never stopped dinging as it downloaded important information I needed to read and respond to NOW.
In my second career as a writer, my time is much more discretionary. I love that. But, it can be as challenging as my old life. With fewer outside demands and no real bosses, I can be easy on myself and allow time to slip away. Here are three things I have learned to manage to ensure my writing time is dedicated, disciplined and MOR productive.
M is for Music. I love having background music on when I write. But, I need to be selective in my choices. If I am tempted to sing along, I am not deep into my writing. While many rave about the magical inspiration of Mozart, I just pick music that I like but doesn’t distract.
O is for Outlook. Once upon a time, I was required to be an Outlook, email junkie. It was the method of communication and it ruled my work world. Instead of opening Outlook, or whatever your preferred eConnection is, I manage my on-line time and only indulge after I’ve achieved my daily word count.
R is for Reading. Like many writers, I am an avid reader. But, I restrict my pleasure reading (and my researching) time to non-writing hours. Daytime is for writing. Late night and designated days off are for reading.
If I stick to the MOR rules, I can get more out of my writing time.
The following four principles from the book THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by don Miguel Ruiz are great for personal use and for building heroes. Of course, you can create a fatal flaw in your protaganist, a truly despicable villian, or even a comedic character by messing with one or more of them.
1. ” Be Impeccable With Your Word” Opposite: Lie. Gossip. Manipulate.
2. ”Don’t Take Anything Personally” Opposite: Take offense at everything. Start fights.
3. ”Don’t Make Assumptions” Opposite: Don’t communicate your wishes clearly. Be passive-agressive.
4. “Always Do Your Best” Opposite: Be a slacker. Make excuses. Half-ass it.
Creating rules of conduct for each of your fictional characters is essential. That way you’ll know how Ralph will react to Patsy the prostitute, to getting fired from his job, to receiving a major inheritance. How a character thinks and behaves is integral to plot development and to character arc.
Anyone have a good synonym for character?
Define your characters’ principles or lack there of early in the process. Your story will flow much more smoothly if you do.
And don’t forget to have fun, that’s why we do this in the first place.
I am so thrilled to post this. I have to say, being a part of LitSisters has changed my life in the most amazing way. And we are starting 2010 off with a bang! Not only did our boutique publishing house, LitSisters Publishing, launch today, but we also were featured on the home page of Attribute Magazine!
Fabulous!
Here’s an excerpt:
The frontier of publishing is changing rapidly with advancing technology; with the recent weakened state of the economy, publications moving into virtual territory, and practically the whole world moving into cyberspace, things sure aren’t what they used to be. And if you’re stuck and don’t know which direction to go, it’s even more frustrating.
To the rescue: The LitSisters. Based in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, LitSisters is a group of five fabulous literary ladies who have decided to design their own destinies. Rather than fight the tide, they’re rolling with the changes. What they have in mind could open up a new and improved avenue by which writers interact, cooperate, and publish.
Thanks to Marissa Yeamans, the lovely journalist who interviewed us, and to Attribute, for such a great article!
What the heck is this all about? So glad you asked, reader!
Let me introduce myself. My name is CL. I’m the founder of LitSisters. What is LitSisters? Well, we’re a group of women. We write. We love wine, tea, coffee and the occasional pastry. But mostly, we write. And we believe that the term ’self-publishing’ is a four letter word. We’re writers with a strong business sense, empowered to do this publishing thing on our own.
We’re Indie Authors. We’re Writerpreneurs.
And we’ve each got our own poison. Aud, for instance, writes heart-warming stories about families, love, and strength. Terri will make you laugh until you pee yourself, but then smile when you realize that you’ve learned something in between your giggle-snorts. Christine’s literary-noir style will suck you into her sepia-toned world and keep you hooked until it’s 4am and you’re wondering where the night went. Robin’s slow, romantic style will make you swoon, like you’re holding hands with your loved one, taking a walk in the park in the middle of an Autumn day.
As for me? I write about hot guys, smart girls, glitzy parties and fabulous clothes.
So, what is our goal here? Well, in business terms, here’s our mission statement:
To encourage and empower writers to complete, polish and market publishable commercial print and electronic creative work. To provide technical, artistic, emotional and social support. But above all, to be kind and honest.
We support each other in a way we believe all women should, writers or not. We focus on creating quality work that we believe in, and will all stand behind. We’re a family. We’re sisters. And we hope that this site will help you, with your writing, the way we help each other. By providing useful links, interesting articles, and letting you into our worlds.
I hope you’ll come back soon, reader! You’re always welcome to join in the discussion in the comments, send us an email or two, and let us know what you need help with.
Because, just like in our three-dimensional meetings? We’re here to support you with your writing business, too.
