Fire Up Your Imagination...

Once in a while you come across an article that sets your imagination on fire. 

This week that happened to me when I read Dean Wesley Smith’s article on selling ebooks. I have sent the link to indie bookstore owners that I know...small publishers that I know... and tertiary writing course instructors. 

Dean sets out, step by step, an innovative way to market ebooks. It is stunning in its simplicity and very very do-able. Even if you have no interest in ebooks, read this article it will change the way you think about ebooks and marketing. 

If you know any indie booksellers pass the link on to everyone...It might save some jobs!

This week BEA is happening. BEA is Book Expo America...one of the biggest book industry events in the world. 

Why am I interested? Generally what is talked about at BEA or unveiled at BEA changes the publishing industry in some way. Keeping an eye on BEA means you are keeping up with new publishing trends. 

Publishing Perspectives is posting a whole series of articles on what is happening at BEA while it is happening. Think of it as a Daily Newspaper with new editions coming out through the day...Here are two I have picked out for you but there are plenty more...

International rights in a changing world...This is a report from a panel of rights experts talking about what is selling around the world and why...For instance Japan wants self help books...don’t bother trying to sell crime and disaster books there.

Ten tips for producing videos...this link from Publishing Perspectives includes a great promotional video...You will learn stuff!!!

Janet Reid talks about the big news at BEA -  Barry Eisler cutting a print publishing deal with....Amazon.  Check out the advance and then stop and think about how Amazon is now moving into the print publishing business...first the e storefront then the ebook  and ereader and now PRINT...(traditional publishing anyone?)

Jane Friedman this week wrote about 3 publishing trends that writers must be aware of. If you read this blog often you will be able to pick some...Go on, have a bet with yourself and see if you are right.

Scott Young has written a great article on writing. Do you focus on your weakness and strive to master it or just keep writing and learn by osmosis?

The Blood Red Pencil is a source of great articles for writers. Here is a pertinent one for me which might help you as well, How To Earn Your Info Dump. Have you done heaps of research and are now trying to fit it into the book while trying to avoid having a character sound like a textbook....Read this article.

Over on Craicerplus( My Amplify Page) I have links to articles on

Agents As Publishers- Writer Beware. (this is an important post on an increasing trend)

Rethinking The Authors Career Path

Fiction Uncovered- Get Noticed By The Bookstore. (This is a great article on a UK Arts council initiative to expose readers to writers who are flying under the radar...)  On the same theme here is an extra link for you -Romancing the Bookstore.

Seek A Genre-The Path Ahead is Lit ( a very funny take on genre writing)

To Finish,

From time to time, people contact me and ask my advice about something to do with the publishing industry...or the main themes of my blog... or do I know where they can get information on.....

This week I had two different requests...one to do with social media and one to do with which publishing track would be the right fit for a particular project.

I am flattered to be asked...(you think I know something????) I then spend a few hours thinking my way around and through the question before I put together a response...I don’t tell anyone what they should do...but I will help, if I am able, with being a sounding board.

So two links pertaining to those questions which popped up today that readers might be interested in.

7 biggest fan page marketing mistakes and Heather McCorkle’s article explaining her tough publishing decision and why she chose the path she chose...

FaBo Story 2- Planet FaBo is nearly set for lift off. If you know any kids who want to be part of it feel free to direct them to the Fabo Story site...where once again Kiwi Kids Writers pit themselves against Kiwi Kids.... 

Oh the pressure!

enjoy,

maureen

pic is from Freedom's Lighthouse

Author Websites and the Personal Brand....

I’m over rain...and yes I know we were all praying for rain two months ago when we were facing a country wide drought but all those collective prayers seem to have been answered this last week in constant downpours so that we are looking at floods.

So now that we are stuck inside, our attention turns to Social Networking sites...coz I’m researching them for a little project.

As part of your brand profile publishers expect you to be social networking as well. Now some authors engage with their readers very well on facebook but it is a time suck. After all the business of being an author is writing. So before you set up your facebook fan page, your twitter account, your blog, sit down and make up a profile plan. Where do you want to spend your time?

Dan Schawbel of Personal Branding Blog has written an interesting article that has been posted all over the web this week entitled R.I.P Facebook. He has some pertinent things to say about personal branding and one of them is devote your energy to YOUR website not someone else’s!

So with this in mind I am revisiting author websites.

What should an Author website do?

Bookmarketingmaven has a short post profiling some excellent author websites.

Yael Miller has a guest post on Tony Eldridge’s blog about good web design for authors.

 Publetariat has reprinted a page from Joanna Penn about a great example of an author website. Make sure people can buy your book!!! That is the big message but there are lots of other important little snippets as well...profile... engage readers...FAQs...flash stuff....

Writer Tools

Joanna Penn is a great source of advice. She has successfully self published three books and has a huge following for her blog and website.  On her blog, thecreativepenn, this week she has a guest post focussing on 22 websites every writer must use. It is a great list. There are some great new sites to check out. Two from the list are 3D Animated Avatars for your characters and an Emotion Thesaurus (this is a wonderful resource compiled every Thursday by children’s writer Angela Ackerman.)

Icyte is a great bookmarking site that takes bookmarking to a whole new level. Your bookmarked web pages are always available stored with your highlighted tags and comments so you can access them on other computers or servers. This is especially interesting if you are researching or working collaboratively on a project.

For more ideas on author websites check out my Marketing 101 series. 

In the Blogosphere this week.

B.E.A. (Book Expo America) is underway. Check out Alice, in the sidebar-she's blogging from it. 

Galleycat has links to hot topics at the Expo including  this little video where the CEO of Figment Publishing talks about their latest initiative to bring cellphone novels to American teens.

There is a lot of comment flying thick and fast over Neil Gaiman getting 40K to speak at a library.

Neil is bemused by it and his blog post on the subject is very interesting. I always knew he was a great guy!!! More power to him I say...(holding signed copy of The Graveyard Book close to chest and sighing...)

Over on Craicerplus (myAmplify page) I have links to articles on

The Konrath effect - Will technology ruin new authors?

Ask The Publishing Guru - Choosing a title for your novel. (This one started some interesting comment on facebook)

The Feckless Goblin - 9 unsavoury characters traits of real authors (ouch)

From Victoria Mixon – 7 reasons to be glad that you are a writer. (ohhhhhh)

George Orwell, Mills and Boon writer: Taking literary mashups to the next level (ideas for your next masterpiece)

Enjoy,


maureen

pic is the master himself... Neil Gaiman