There Are No Rules

The Learning Curve That Comes With New Media

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:28:18 GMT

This video is being spread among F+W staff today. Brilliant.

Two Weeks of WD's Brave New World

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:56:27 GMT

It's been just a little over two weeks since Writer's Digest was re-organized within F+W Media as a community-category (rather than as separate media/business units). Hands down, it's the most exciting time I've ever experienced at WD (and not because of the frenetic energy and craziness of Q4 environment in a poor economy).

Here are the major projects I've been working on these first 2 weeks:

Releasing our books with new-media tools, delivering the same information or concept across all Writer's Digest-related properties in a way that makes sense for each one
(see Donald Maass example below).
Launching new educational sessions (live webinars) through WritersDigest.com by end of year.
Planning an all-new writers conference in Fall 2009 that focuses on the business of being a successful author in a time of great change.
Developing a business plan for digitizing all of our backlist books so that writers can choose, chapter by chapter, what content they want and personalize it for their needs.
Creating a unified brand identity that helps everyone immediately recognize any kind of Writer's Digest experience.
Designating an Online Brand Editor who oversees and creates a strategy for our online content, no matter what its source (magazine, book, event, community/forum), and makes sure it all works in concert with each other. (And also evaluates what YOU visit and enjoy!)
Evaluating WD magazine's editorial plans for 2009: what should our feature packages be and how should the columns/depts change?
Launching of a new community site at community.writersmarket.com (kind of like Facebook for writers), for subscribers of WritersMarket.com

The immediate benefits I've noticed:

We're starting to use our content in smarter ways and distributing it in different ways
We're making better use of our internal talent (editors), who can contribute and be involved across all writing-related properties, not just their formally designated piece of the pie
We're beginning to develop a more integrated and valuable online strategy that better serves writers

I think one of the best examples of our brave new world is how we plan to launch Donald Maass's new fiction-writing book next spring, Fire in Fiction. If this book had released a year ago, we would've run a couple ads, maybe scored an excerpt in the magazine, and that would be it.

Today, with WD run as a community-category, here's what's slated:

WD Magazine
Original article on fiction writing from Don to run in spring/summer 2009

WritersOnlineWorkshops
Original online courses (regular courses plus brief webinars) built around the book, offered in the months prior to and following the book's release

Digital Products
Simultaneous Kindle and other e-book editions

Online at WD.com
Sneak preview chapter posted before publication
E-launch party on WD.com blogs/forums, featuring exclusive live chat with Don

WD Newsletters
Free chapter download and advance purchase incentive (buy book early, get access to exclusive online chat)

Conferences
Feature Don as a speaker for at least one event in 2009

Of course, all this change doesn't come without its challenges, and you'll no doubt get to experience a little of that rough road with us, as we figure everything out. As we boldly move forward, I hope you will come to our aid with ideas and suggestions (and perhaps a sprinkling of patience).

Writer's Digest Magazine: 2009 Editorial Calendar

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:09:39 GMT

Everyone has been so helpful in giving feedback on magazine content, so here's a sneak peek at our issue themes for the coming year. This is a very broad-stroke outline, but gives you a sense of our focus each issue.

If there's a particular technique, topic, or area that you've always hoped we'd cover, let me know!

April 2009
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELF PUBLISHING

The new perception of self-publishing; emerging tools and models
Resource chart on POD companies (what they offer, fees, rights, etc.) and reader feedback on self-publishing experiences.

WORKBOOK: Revision and Self-Editing

How to turn a first draft into a salable manuscript
When and how to work with freelancers to get a book into shape

June 2009
GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL (MARKETING & PROMOTION ISSUE)

How to market and promote yourself before and after you make the sale
The most effective way to use social networking tools to sell yourself & your book
Hands-on guide to online viral marketing tools (blog tours, book trailers, reading groups, podcasts)

WORKBOOK: Writing Memoirs and Life Stories (when you’re not a name)

August 2009
PUBLISHING 101: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU WRITE A WORD

Visual guide to how your book moves from proposal to print to on the shelf—all the steps, all the things you need to know ahead of time
What to expect from your publisher (editorial, marketing, publicity)
How the industry has changed and new steps you need to take to ensure successful publication

WORKBOOK: The Art & Craft of Storytelling; Hooking Your Reader From Page One

October 2009
AGENTS AND EDITORS SPEAK OUT (THE GATEKEEPER ISSUE)

The new roles of gatekeepers and how to be an equal partner in publication
The anatomy of a book deal and a book contract: what you must know and ask about even if you do have an agent

WORKBOOK: Novel-writing related

December 2009
THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING

The changing economic model of media and the emerging role of writers as content providers—five essential rules to follow to stay in the game
How to negotiate the smartest deal for digital rights and e-rights (and when to keep all such rights for yourself)

WORKBOOK: Writing Groups & Critique Group Guide; A Fresh Start in the New Year

Your Feedback on Topics for Writer's Digest magazine

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:00:27 GMT

I thought you might be interested in reading some of the personal responses I received when I asked what you'd like to see in the magazine in 2009.

I'd like to see more focus on writing and editing fiction (less on other types of writing), and I'd love to see regular articles on innovative book promotion—not just the basics or the same things we've all read, but how to really promote your book—most especially novels, because they're not as obvious about how to promote them as non-fiction is.

As someone who is writing a non-fiction social history/reference guide, I would like to see more information about breaking into non-fiction for and by writers of non-fiction when one isn't a celebrity or "name."

What about including more stories from authors about their initial path to publication. Aspiring writers want to know how other writers got started. I think WD does a pretty good job of profiling bestselling authors, but I think aspiring writers want to hear more about numbers of rejections—in other words the struggle involved and how it ultimately paid off.

More news/features on alternative and self-publishing. Thanks to the Internet, the publishing industry is transforming right before our eyes. Today's writers have so many other options other than the traditional publishing routes, and I'd love to read more about these options. Everyone is always worrying about query writing and how to get an agent, when the Internet gives true self-publishers the marketing and distribution tools once reserved only for the big publishers.

I definitely vote for more on self-publishing. I don't see it as a "game" as much as an effective strategy to getting a formal book deal, if one desires it. That's what worked for me. I also see self-publishing as a strategy to experiment with new ideas to gauge the market response. Again, very effective and efficient for me to
test out new ideas with my audience on a smaller scale and monitor impact,
modify, what have you, before courting taking the idea that next step.

I hope the new technological tools you're planning to discuss will
include podcasting.

Thanks to everyone who took time to comment both here on the blog and those of you who e-mailed me personally. Your input is invaluable in helping shape our direction!

Pie Day at F+W

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:44:05 GMT

Yesterday, my creative team at F+W had the honor of organizing and hosting Pie Day. And I had the added supreme honor of judging the pie bake-off, along with my colleague, Jamie Markle (Publisher, North Light Books) and my manager, Sara Domville (President, F+W Book Division).

To read the full update, visit the very new Farmers + Writers blog.

What Would You Like to See in Writer's Digest magazine?

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:41:56 GMT

We're in the midst of planning the 2009 editorial calendar for Writer's Digest magazine, and I'd love to have your ideas and opinions on what you want to see in the coming year. Writer's Digest editors from across the brand gathered earlier this week to brainstorm of list of potential ideas. Feel free to e-mail me directly or use the comments area of this post to give us your feedback.

Craft & Technique Topics

A comprehensive guide to starting or finishing your novel
A step-by-step guide to revision and self-editing (all genres)
How to write a successful memoir (for the non-celebrity)
The art and craft of timeless storytelling; how to hook your readers
How to be a successful critique partner and how to incorporate feedback into your work
How to make poetry a part of everyday life (even if you're not a poet)
A crash schedule for getting a first draft of your book done in 4 weekends
Master plots that work time and time again

Business Topics & Timely Topics

Everything you need to know about self-publishing, and how the self-publishing game is changing
Why and how to get known before the book deal (to attract editor and agent interest, to ensure book sales)
The changing role of the gatekeepers—editors and agents—and how it changes your steps to publication and beyond
The new economic model of publishing/media: how it impacts your career and what you need to change today to remain relevant
How to make a sustainable living with your writing (in tough times)—a freelancer's ultimate guide
The most effective technological tools for marketing and promoting yourself
How to use social networking to reach readers and avoid a waste of time/effort
Negotiating contracts and payments with editors in a digital age; what are digital rights worth and when should you keep them?
How bookstores work, both online and offline, and what the future of bookselling looks like
How to get the most out of writers conferences, both business-wise and craft-wise

New Department/Column Ideas

How I Write: Spotlights a celebrity author in his/her writing space, talking about necessary practices/objects/environment
Popular Fiction Report: Special reports, news, tips, and marketing information in today's hottest genres, including romance, mystery/crime, thriller/suspense, horror, and science fiction/fantasy
What's Selling and Why: A visual list of top-selling books (according to Nielsen Bookscan reports), why or how they made the top of the list, and insider info from authors-agents-editors on how the books came to life

What would you add to our list of ideas?

Serfitt & Cloye Gift Catalog

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:15:21 GMT

The Serfitt & Cloye Gift Catalog now has an online home, with an opportunity to join Serfitt & Cloye's Highest Society.

What's the Highest Society, you may ask?

The world at large may venerate and aspire to the Serfitt & Cloye brand, but very, very few people actually are or ever will become Serfitt & Cloye customers. It was designed that way, they like it that way. And, thankfully, enduring patrician inbreeding should permit Serfitt & Cloye to stay that course indefinitely.

Of course, such an intentionally restricted customer base means that those who do purchase Serfitt & Cloye's superlative super-luxury products and services are tremendously important, even precious. Consequently, the essential objective of Serfitt & Cloye is to overindulge and overfulfill each rarefied heir and Forbes 'Richest' List-aire they serve.

Which is precisely why Serfitt & Cloye created The Highest Society. Those who join The Highest Society are eligible to receive private electronic mail updates regarding the latest Serfitt & Cloye news, products, events, secret societies, lobbying efforts, snubbings, blackballings and much more. Membership is free. (Optional Dolce & Gabbana-designed platinum membership shield with name inlaid in ivory: $250,000.).

But don't delay. Enrollment is limited to the first person to sign up. Because, as you know, any group worth joining is worth excluding everyone else from. Visit this page and complete the form to see if it's you who will be received into The Highest Society.

Talk Like a Pirate Day (Piratical Team Photo!)

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:40:42 GMT

September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day, and since Writer's Digest is the publisher of the ever-popular Pirate Primer, we always have a hearty celebration.

In the words of marketing manager Scott Francis (pictured far left): "Aye! Hoist er up the yard arm! Fly the colors Laughhhren!"

From First Draft to Finished Novel

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:56:55 GMT

One of our newest releases, From First Draft to Finished Novel, scored a positive review over at Armchair Interviews. Here's a little of what they had to say:

From First Draft to Finished Novel is a wonderful addition to the writer’s reference library Wiesner makes things as easy as possible for the reader. She includes a glossary of terms, story plan checklist exercises, editing and polishing exercises and various worksheets. Her writing is concise and easily understood, even for the novice writer.

Find out more about this book here—plus download free worksheets!

A (New) Writing Life Survey: What Are Your Online Habits?

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:17:47 GMT

Writer's Digest has a new, broad survey related to writing and your writing life, particularly your online/Internet habits. Your response will help us develop new products and resources. Give us your feedback here!

If you complete the survey, you'll receive a special discount code that you can use in the writing section of our F+W bookstore. This code will allow you to take 25% off anything you find there.

Update on the Cincinnati Ike-Strike Situation

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:14:16 GMT

Well, folks: To all who have expressed their personal and public concern for my welfare, thank you. But—like nearly 50% or more of the Cincy population—I still do not have power at my apartment building. (I must say, though, everyone in my building has found caring friends and family to take them in during the outage, including myself.)

A few interesting news items from Cincinnati-area blogs:

According to the Cincy Enquirer, power loss could last until Sunday.
My favorite bar, Grammer's, will re-open. Yeah!
Indepedent shops and markets are getting creative with the power outage to keep business going strong. Take, for instance, Shoetopia, in my old neighborhood of Northside. You can shop by candlelight and receive a discount for supplying some candles.

My New Role at Writer's Digest

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:38:30 GMT

An exciting announcement today: I have a new role at F+W Media.

I am now Publisher & Editorial Director of the F+W writing communities, which includes these properties under the Writer's Digest brand:

Writer's Digest magazine
Writer's Digest Books
Writer's Market annuals
WritersMarket.com
WritersOnlineWorkshops
WritersDigest.tv
(Coming soon) WritersDigestBookShop.com

This is part of a larger F+W mission to achieve greater growth by focusing on communities. Our goal is to better serve our customers, and better manage our brands, in their entirety—regardless of platform—in an integrated fashion across books, magazines, events, digital media, and eMedia.

In doing this, F+W has shown itself to be one of the most progressive media companies that I'm aware of—to have the foresight, initiative, and boldness to reorganize in this fashion. It has elements of risk, but it's a risk we must take to keep Writer's Digest a growing and valuable brand. We now have an incredible opportunity to be at the very forefront of what it means to be a media company in a networked era.

I am incredibly fortunate to work with a wonderful team of content creators, marketers, and salespeople who are all very passionate about the community surrounding Writer's Digest. We're here because we believe in it, and because we're proud of its history.

In my new role, here's what I hope to accomplish:

We're going to develop a strong, single, consistent brand identity that encompasses all properties and products.
We're going to aggressively develop online content and product to serve writers better, and in new, exciting ways.
We're going to develop a cohesive and integrated editorial and marketing approach that offers a special experience to each writer we come into contact with.

Writer's Digest already has a strong presence in the writing community, and this reorganization allows us to expand our reach and develop more innovative content.

As the brand leader for Writer's Digest, I will be actively seeking your input into how we can do a better job delivering the most valuable community, information, and experience that helps you achieve your writing goals.

Day Three of No Power

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:19:47 GMT

So far there's been modest improvement in the power situation in the Cincinnati region. My apartment still doesn't have power, and many traffic lights at busy intersections are still out; one news report claims 30% of traffic signals don't work, and based on my drive-about yesterday, I'd say they're the most critical ones (i.e., traffic lights coming off exit ramps).

Yesterday I was on a quest for a bottle of roasted red peppers. A quick summary of this quest:

Stop at Whole Foods in Mason (northern suburb). Store looks strangely barren. Think to self: Did they just open this store? What's going on?
Stop at Fresh Market in Kenwood. Before I can walk in the door, I'm informed by a store manager they're taking only cash and check, plus: "We've sold out in the produce and deli, no bulk foods either, and well, everything else is gone too."
Stop by Kroger in Hyde Park (one of the biggest and busiest in the city). Closed.
Stop by Fresh Market in Oakley. Closed.
Stop by Whole Foods in Hyde Park. Closed.
Stop by Meijer in Oakley. Open! And mobbed! Many things are out of stock and bare shelves abound (especially in deli items and prepared foods). Fortunately I am the only Cincinnati citizen looking for roasted red peppers. Success.

Most gas stations I drove by were closed, which resulted in mass hysteria at all open gas stations. (See photo above from Joe Wessels. Check out his stuff here.) And I-71 has been reduced to one lane in the northern section, due to a water main break that has caused the interstate to buckle.

Monthly News from Glimmer Train

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:57:28 GMT

Glimmer Train just announced the winners of their July Family Matters competition. All winners will be published in an upcoming issue of Glimmer Train Stories.

First place ($1,200)
Nellie Hermann (Brooklyn, NY)
“Can We Let the Baby Go?"

Second place ($500)
Stefanie Freele (Healdsburg, CA)
“Us Hungarians”

Third place ($300)
Rolf Yngve (Coronado, CA)
“Going Back for His Brother”

A PDF of the top 25 winners can be found here. This quarterly competition is open to all writers for stories about family (word count range is 1,200–12,000). Submissions may be sent for the October Family Matters using the Glimmer Train online submissions system at www.glimmertrain.org.

Also: Fiction Open contest (deadline soon approaching! September 30)
Glimmer Train hosts this contest four times a year, and first place is $2,000 plus publication in the journal. It’s open to all writers and all themes, with a word count range of 2,000–20,000. Click here for complete guidelines.

If you didn't know, Writer's Digest partnered with Glimmer Train to publish two compilation volumes of the best stuff from their Writers Ask newsletter. Be sure to check them out.

F+W Cincinnati Office Closed (No Power!)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:09:00 GMT

Cincinnati was hit with devastating winds from Ike yesterday, which has caused the largest power outage in the history of the southwestern Ohio region (at least according to news outlets). I read that as many as 90% of Duke Energy customers are/were without power. My apartment hasn't had power since yesterday evening, and the F+W office (20 minutes away) also is without power. Apparently, it could take days (or weeks?!) to restore power to some areas.

The photo above was taken in my neighborhood of Over the Rhine, where the historic Findlay Market experienced some damage; flying debris hit transformers, causing sparks that set fire to nearby buildings.

You can watch a related Cincinnati news video here.

One of my favorite watering holes, Grammer's, also caught on fire. It's not clear yet from news reports the extent of the damage. Cincinnati reporter Joe Wessels has posted photos on Flickr.

Unwisely, I was traveling by car during the high winds yesterday, not realizing how dangerous it was, and I witnessed:

A metal ladder in the middle of I-75
An entire tree (probably 100 years old) completely uprooted and lying across Central Parkway
Landscaping materials, roofing materials, and other objects caught in trees
Trees completely broken in half, often with branches hanging precariously over busy roads
Majority of intersections without working lights

I was out this morning and very little has improved; the damage and debris is far too widespread for the city's resources to handle. Will be interesting to watch progress.

10 Years in Publishing: What I've Learned (#5)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:51:57 GMT

Instead of a photo of myself today, I'm offering a glimpse of my current workspace. The photo doesn't really capture it all (particularly not the laden bookcases off to the right), but it's a fairly good representation of the environment.

What I've learned (#5): Here I will mercilessly steal the words of poet and businessman Dana Gioia (who just stepped down as head of the NEA):

With each promotion at General Foods, I found that my background in the arts and humanities was more relevant. The higher you get in a corporation, the more you're dealing with qualitative issues. By the time I was in senior management, I was very effective in rebuilding businesses because I had good creative judgment—I had kept parts alive that most business executives did not.

(This comes from an article in Fast Company.)

Although I spend a lot of time on this blog (and in my workshops) talking about the importance of sales, marketing, promotion, and the numbers-numbers-numbers, I've found that making the right decision is almost never about looking at the numbers and instead about this creative judgment, usually critical thinking combined with grandiose, technicolor vision. This is what fuels, I would argue, the best businesses (and projects) in publishing today.

Related point: Numbers and money follow, they do not lead. If you manage by spreadsheet, with no regard to the fact that our work relies mostly on humans, you've made a grave mistake. Humans lead. Numbers follow.

When a Production Coordinator Demands the Job Be Done Right

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:03:51 GMT

Earlier this week I shared a little production coordinator humor from Mark G. Today we were delighted by a new note, on a bundle of page proofs, from the inimitable Greg N.

10 Years in Publishing: What I've Learned (#4)

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:45:49 GMT

Today's photo is from the 2003 Midwest Writers Workshop in Muncie, Ind. There I met George Plimpton (pictured), who was the keynote speaker, and I wrote a personal essay about the experience that was published here.

What I've learned #4:

It's all about target audience.

Lots of writers/authors say their audience is everyone—and life forms yet to be discovered. But you can succeed far more effectively and quickly, at least in the beginning of your career, by identifying and marketing to a target audience. Plus, if you have any knowledge of the Long Tail phenomenon, then you know that the media world is becoming more vertical (specialized information, niche audience) and less horizontal (general information, broad audience).

Bo Sacks frames it perfectly in his piece for Publishing Executive magazine, "5 Easy Steps to Publishing Nirvana."

Who is my target audience?
Where is my targeted audience?
What is the real value of my edit (information) to that audience?
What is the most efficient method to reach the maximum targeted audience?
How do I keep my information valuable and fresh for my targeted audience?

He says, "These may seem like simple concepts on the surface, but they are not. They constitute a complex, Zen-like formula. Success is measured by the antique term called profit. And to achieve the Zen-like state of profit, you must follow the Bo-formula to publishing nirvana (in the box above). On the atomic level, it can all be distilled down to the simple equation of RV = RP or, for the laymen, real value equals real profit."

One of the biggest problems I encounter—both internally at F+W, as well as externally with authors—is a lack of research into the audience or market for a book or product. The focus is all too often on what the author wants to achieve or express—rather than focusing on what benefit they bring to a readership. If an author can make this fundamental paradigm shift in his/her approach, that author becomes instantly more attractive to editors and agents.

How Many Editors to Screw in Lightbulb?

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:28:45 GMT

Discovered this fabulous piece by Leon Ogroske at Writers' Journal: "How Many to Screw in a Lightbulb?"

Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: I can’t tell whether you mean ‘change a light bulb’ or ‘have sex in a light bulb.’ Can we reword it to remove the ambiguity?

Q: How many editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Only one. But first they have to rewire the entire building.

Q: How many managing editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: You were supposed to have changed that light bulb last week!

Q: How many art directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Does it HAVE to be a light bulb?

Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: The last time this question was asked, it involved art directors. Is the difference intentional? Should one or the other instance be changed? It seems inconsistent.

Q: How many marketing directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: It isn’t too late to make this neon instead, is it?

Q: How many proofreaders does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Proofreaders aren’t supposed to change light bulbs. They should just query them.

Q: How many writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: But why do we have to CHANGE it?

Q: How many publishers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Three. One to screw it in, and two to hold down the author.

Q: How many booksellers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Only one, and they’ll be glad to do it too, except no one shipped them any.

———

Inspired by this list, my brilliant team (primarily Amy Schell and Grace Ring) created the following:

Q: How many production coordinators does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: The 80 watt light bulb was too expensive, so we’re switching to 60 watt.

Q: How many production coordinators does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: You’ll need to submit a spec change to change that light bulb.

Q: How many production coordinators does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: No, you can’t change it.

A Book Proposal Is Like a Business Plan

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:17:59 GMT

One of my posts earlier this week (that argued most prescriptive nonfiction books have great info, not great writing) sparked a wonderful comment from Deborah that I wanted to bring to everyone's attention—because, as she says, this might be the most important point of all:

This explains why I have so many personal rejection letters that compliment my writing and my organization -- and some even end with, "I hope to work with you in the future," but I still don't have a book credit.

The real gem of this post is within the parentheses of the last sentence -- a book proposal is like a business plan for a book idea. I've recently asked a couple of published friends if I could see their proposals, and I was left with my chin on my chest in awe over their marketing plans. After reading them, I realized that my little page-long marketing plans seemed really vague and incomplete compared to their plans, which were three for four pages long and filled with VERY detailed information (names of contact people, venues for speaking, etc). When I read this post, it clicked that they had written a business plan for their books.

Put another way: The No. 1 thing an agent or editor looks for in your book proposal: why your book will sell (turn a profit) and why you're the perfect person to market (sell) it.

Many thanks to Deborah for her insight!