Publishing a book is a long and complicated process, and it seems everyone has advice along the way.  There are articles and instructions on writing, editing, publishing, marketing – a complete confusion of advice and how-to’s to get you through.  But before any of that, before the first word appears on the page, there is a very critical step that stymies many writers:

Getting an idea.

This very elementary necessity has put some of the best authors into a complete panic.  The great American journalist and author Gene Fowler decided “Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead”.  But personally, I think there might be some other (maybe less painful) ways to get ideas.

1. Write down an idea as soon as you get it.  I have a good friend who composes music, and he is constantly being teased for the random scraps of napkins, envelopes or illegible bits of paper that fall out of his pockets whenever he reaches for his keys.  When an idea strikes him, he just grabs whatever’s handy and jots it down.  But he is a very successful composer and taught me a valuable lesson.  A “mental note” just doesn’t sustain a good idea (or even a bad one!).  Write it down in the moment and you at least have something to work with later.
2. Don’t throw old ideas away.  Some ideas are garbage, there’s no avoiding that.  But some bad ideas are really great ones, just at the wrong time or approached from the wrong direction.  Scott Adams, who writes the Dilbert cartoons, understood this principle well: “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep”.  If it doesn’t sound good now, or you’re busy with other things, hang onto it.  Some other time when you hit a dry spell you will have a well to pull from, and things can look completely different after a little time.
3. Make time to try.  Gene Fowler’s approach may sound painful, but it does work for a lot of writers (maybe without the bleeding).  I have used this technique myself, and although I hate to admit it, it did work.  Set aside a certain amount of time with no distractions (for me, that included unplugging my internet cable), open up your word processor, and force yourself to stay there until the time is up.  You may not believe it until you try it, but the human mind will come up with all kinds of interesting ideas simply to escape boredom and desperation.
4. Surround yourself with interesting people and situations.  The poet Raymond Carter believed “There are significant moments in everyone’s day that can make literature. That’s what you ought to write about”.  Although this is very true, if all you did that day was wash the dishes and walk the dog you might find it difficult to find your inspiration.  Go to places that fascinate or stimulate you – museums, coffee shops, forests, homeless shelters – the world is an incredibly interesting place, but we have to get out into it. 
5. For lack of a good idea, try a bad one.  This piece of wisdom was an accidental discovery in my life, a little miracle like penicillin or sticky notes (well, maybe littler).  I was given an assignment with a topic that was just horrible.  It was the last possible thing I, or any of my readers, would have found interesting.  I tried every way I could think of to get out of it, but nothing worked.  I started working with that topic, and it led me to something else, which led me to a very interesting person, which led me to a fantastic idea that turned into a fascinating article.  It could have gone differently, of course;  I’ve had other bad ideas that no amount of reworking could make into decent ones.  But if nothing else presents itself, at least you’re working, and you might just get lucky!

A great idea is the wind in the sails of a writer, that force that propels us through the fear of failure or embarrassment and the tedious hours of reworking, proofing and editing (and this sentence was the idea that started this whole blog).  Although none of the techniques I’ve mentioned are miracle workers or magic spells, maybe at the very least they inspired you to close your browser and go back to your blank page.  Even Nobel Prize winner Andre Gile admitted “I have never produced anything good except by a long succession of slight efforts”.

- Beth Ludema

Whether you’re an experienced or novice writer, your story will integrate within a particular genre. The challenge for any writer, however, is discovering your writing niche and executing the benefits of a niche successfully.

Each of us has a type of writing that is best suited for our individual style and compliments our ongoing internal search to outlet creativity. The discovery process of finding your niche can be an adventurous and rewarding experience. Begin by evaluating your own experiences and interests. Then, evaluate the following writer-centric opportunities:

-        Writing Life: What do I want to write? Is there an emerging theme within my writing? Do I have to write?

-        Fiction or Nonfiction: Would I rather tell stories or research facts? Can I let my imagination lead the way or do I need structure and organization? Would I rather create my own truth in the characters I develop or interview people for the truth?

-        Audience: Which shelf do I imagine my book on in a bookstore? What targeted age group am I most comfortable with? Am I more  motivated to inspire or teach?

Defining your niche may take time, trial and error. It begins with knowing you — the you that is different from every other writer. Although you may write within similar topics or the same genre as other writers, your writing technique and style – your writing voice – is unique and separates you from the rest. Your unique writing voice is yours and yours alone, but you can use it within a niche to truly captivate your audience. 

Once you have defined your niche, study it. Read the work of others that are parallel to your storyline and examine your genre. You are not ranking yourself against other writers, but carving out your own uniqueness. The key is to understand the varying elements of different works and to differentiate your writing — establish a personality distinguishable by readers.    

Understand your niche and apply it to every aspect of your writing profession. Market yourself under your specific niche and focus on creating a forte in your writing. Utilize your author blog to contribute content specific to your book’s topic, which also enables constant digging and research into your area of expertise.

Niche development coincides with your branding strategy. It is finding you as an author and knowing who exactly with whom you are sharing your story. The benefit is once you have settled comfortably in your niche your writing and your voice will rise above the clutter.

- Melissa

Each writer has their own method when it comes to sitting down and getting to work. But when it comes time to really get down to business, you need to focus – to get in the zone. Perhaps you have a comfy sweater that you put on, or you fold up in your favorite chair; but one factor that can have a huge impact on your writing is what you hear.

Listening to music while writing helps many writers relax and get into the zone. In fact, some might say that it is essential. But for many, the type of music is crucial. You may enjoy listening to rock while another writer listens to Christmas music. Or perhaps you need music, but you’d prefer to listen to songs and artists with which you are not familiar. You can find free live streaming music Web sites such as Lala.com are helpful in setting the tone for your writing.

Be aware of how music affects your writing. Listening to a cheerful show tune while describing the deep sorrow of your character’s loss of their beloved pet dog is probably not be the best match up.

You might try listening to music to get you into the mood of writing, but perhaps you prefer the sound of silence (actual silence … not the song by Simon and Garfunkel). To many writers, silence is the only way to write.  The only thing that you hear is your fingers clacking away at the keyboard.

For writers who enjoy silence while writing, you may not always be able to achieve this hallowed noiseless state easily. Whether you have children, a noisy neighbor or an office filled with co-workers, there’s not always an option for natural silence. However, a white noise generator could be the key to cure your distractions. Check out SimplyNoise.com, a Web site where you can achieve auditory Zen by streaming white, pink or brown noise for free.

What do you prefer as your perfect auditory setup while you’re writing? Experiment with different setups until you find one that works for you.

Keep writing.
Angie Kelly Pheifer

E-mail marketing is dually a challenging and effective option for extending you and your book’s presence to new and current readers. While e-mail usage is daily, getting your e-mail noticed in a full inbox with a catchy subject and powerful first line that pulls your readers in becomes a task lost in cyber space or dumped into a bin along with other hopefuls. Here is a piece of the puzzle: targeted e-mail lists for promoting your book.

Relationships begin with conversation. Initiate a conversation by e-mail and invite potential readers into your world. Get readers to sign up for your relevant and informative e-mails by including a link or subscription form on your Web site, home page or blog. Your registration field should ask for just enough necessary information from readers to create a marketing relationship relevant to your customer, but not enough information to betray their privacy — something that can turn readers away.

The registered subscriber wants to know their sign-up was successful — they have asked you to market to them. Engage immediately, as too much of a time lapse and your subscriber may forget ever signing up. You can design an e-mail that automatically acknowledges your reader, welcomes them and thanks them for viewing your site and subscribing to your e-mail marketing list. You are essentially building a pool of supporters who have previously shown interest in your work to which you may market. 

Explore the many different options of what you can include in your e-mails. Be creative. Some ideas of how to use your e-mail marketing tool include:

• Announce that your book is available for purchase and inform readers of a book signing or promotional event.
• Involve readers in your current work’s progress by sending a “sneak peek” sample of your writing.
• Offer a promotion in which anyone who purchases a book receives a free bookmark or t-shirt.

Remember that your Web site or blog is an active place for readers, so you want to keep them engaged and coming back. Don’t go overboard with excessive e-mails which can actually annoy your readers. Keep your e-mails simple and relevant to your audience.

When performed correctly, a targeted e-mail campaign as part of your marketing mix establishes a list of  potential loyal readers and buyers. With a reach exceeding geographic and time zone barriers, your e-mail campaign is quick, flexible, cost-effective and allows for customization for each reader or event.

Visit sites that offer free templates for both your registration and e-mails. Browse through www.emailtemplatepro.com or www.campaignmonitor.com and begin setting up your list of opt-in readers to which you can market your book.

- Melissa

(Originally published in The New York Times, print and electronic.) 

By FELICIA R. LEE

Published: October 27, 2009

The founders of Electric Literature, a new quarterly literary magazine, seek nothing less than to revitalize the short story in the age of the short attention span. To do so, they allow readers to enjoy the magazine any way they like: on paper, Kindle, e-book, iPhone and, starting next month, as an audiobook. YouTube videos feature collaborations among their writers and visual artists and musicians. Starting next month, Rick Moody will tweet a story over three days. In its first two issues, this year, the magazine showcased some of the country’s best writers — Michael Cunningham, Colson Whitehead, Lydia Davis, Jim Shepard — and created the kind of buzz that is a marketer’s dream. With a debut issue in June and an autumn issue out last week, each consisting of five stories, the magazine has racked up complimentary reviews everywhere from The Washington Post to a blogger on Destructive Anachronism, who wrote, “High quality content + innovative marketing + multimedia could just equal the new model for literature, post-print.”

The brains behind Electric Literature are Andy Hunter, 38, and Scott Lindenbaum, 26, writers who met in 2006 at Brooklyn College’s M.F.A. program in fiction writing. From an office of roughly 300 square feet in an industrial building between the Dumbo and Fort Greene neighborhoods, they added an iPhone application in July, a month after their first issue.

“Everyone is reading short-form text,” said Mr. Hunter, the editor in chief. “Literature has not made that jump.”

Mr. Lindenbaum, the fiction editor, added, “The short form could work increasingly well in a hectic age.”

Jeffrey Lependorf, executive director of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, an organization that aids independent literary publications, said using new media to deliver content was not an original strategy but that Electric Magazine had a distinctively comprehensive approach.

“A lot of our members have done some of these things, but I am not certain that they have done all of them,” Mr. Lependorf said of Electric Literature’s marketing strategy.

The anthology may have been first with an iPhone application, as its founders claim, he said, because it is a new technology. Of the 350 active council members (and hundreds of others that publish irregularly or in tiny numbers), he said, “less than a handful” are on Kindle.

Electric Literature is coming along at a time when all sectors of the publishing world face challenges because of a weak economy, Mr. Lependorf said. Writers complain that they drown in the great middle between the mega-sellers like Dan Brown and the avant-garde work produced in small quantities.

Mr. Cunningham said he allowed Electric Literature to use an excerpt from his forthcoming novel, “Olympia,” in the debut issue “as a vote of confidence” for Mr. Hunter and Mr. Lindenbaum, who were his students in the M.F.A. program at Brooklyn College.

“I’d been waiting for someone to do something more interesting on the Internet with fiction,” said Mr. Cunningham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. Electric Literature’s YouTube videos “maintain the integrity of the written word and extend its range,” he added.

For the first issue, Mr. Hunter and Mr. Lindenbaum had animated videos created for all the stories after asking the writers (Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Shepard, T Cooper, Lydia Millet and Diana Wagman) to select a single sentence for the animator to interpret.

Mr. Shepard’s video has received 9,000 hits, Mr. Hunter and Mr. Lindenbaum said, and a video based on Mr. Whitehead’s story about a comedian, in the second issue, has about 600 hits and is picking up traffic.

As for Mr. Moody, he said he came up with the idea of Twitter fiction after he fell in love with the new form. “It’s like trying to write in haiku continuously,” he said in an e-mail message.

“I like that E.L. seems as though it will try just about anything, and I think it’s important for literature that it’s always pushing the envelope, colliding with other forms, trying to find new envelopes for its message, and generally renewing itself,” Mr. Moody’s message continued. He called it a method that was partly pioneered by magazines like McSweeny’s and Ninth Letter.

Stephen O’Connor, whose story “Love” is in the second Electric Literature issue, said, “They approached me after a story came out in The New Yorker.” At about 12,000 words, he added, “Love” is a bit long for a conventional literary magazine.

“I’m hoping it will be a younger audience, all those kids like my students at Columbia and Sarah Lawrence who are always on Facebook and iPhone,” Mr. O’Connor said.

Mr. Hunter and Mr. Lindenbaum said they were having a lot of fun (there’s a party for the second issue on Wednesday night at an East Village hotspot) but are working long hours and putting in their own money for Electric Literature. Mr. Lindenbaum teaches literature at Brooklyn College, and Mr. Hunter does freelance writing and editing for an organization at the United Nations.

A start-up fund in the mid-five figures came from private investors, they said, and about 25 people consistently donate their time to the magazine as advance readers and editors, as well as video artists and animators who make the YouTube videos.

To publish the paper version, they use print-on-demand; the e-book, Kindle, iPhone and audio versions eliminate printing bills.

“Instead of paying a printer $5,000, we pay five writers per issue $1,000,” Mr. Hunter said.

Their biggest challenge is to get enough subscribers so the venture is self-sustaining. The cost of a subscription is $24 for the electronic version and $48 for paper. So far, they have 800 subscribers and 1,600 in single-copy sales, as well as 1,300 friends on Facebook and an estimated readership of 4,000 and growing.

“We have an optimistic message at a time of pessimism,” Mr. Hunter said. “As writers, we got tired of the doom and gloom. The future is not something you acquiesce to, it’s something you create.”

One thing Electric Literature seems good at is getting people to read serious literature, making it less like homework. As Sara Nelson, the books director of O, the Oprah Magazine, and former editor in chief of Publishers Weekly, said, “Anything that takes the starch out — go for it.”

It’s who you know, right? And maybe even more important, it’s who knows You. Networking means introducing yourself to anyone and everyone that may have even the slightest impact on the growth of your profession — the viral spreading of your name and work, creating a positive reputation as an author.

A constant focus on expanding your network of contacts can vary from an exchange of information at a professional conference to the person on the plane who has expressed an interest in reading. It is about obtaining and sharing information that can help you in your day-to-day business as well as prospective future. Networking is an essential tool for uncovering new opportunities and is about passing it on — helping others as they try to get ahead.

There are opportunities to network anywhere and everywhere. Walking by a bookstore? Stop in and introduce yourself to those working directly with your potential customers. Engage yourself in industry events. Your contacts should range from highly professional to more personal.

Follow these tips to prepare and improve your networking skills:

1. Always carry your business cards. Be prepared to network at all times; you never know who you might meet.
2. Introduce yourself. Practice introducing yourself and describing who you are and what you do. Repeat the other person’s name, shake hands, make eye contact, and wear a name tag when appropriate. You want others to ask you questions and you want to be remembered.
3. Plan your pitch. Practice your “elevator speech” so that you can persuasively pitch your book and yourself in less than 30 seconds.
4. Be Direct. Are you looking for a mentor or a referral? Clearly communicate what you would like and how the assistance would benefit you. Ask for 20 minutes of time or a brief lunch.
5. Conversation starters. Be up-to-date on current events and industry news. Know your industry, and have ideas broader than the expected.
6. Have a question ready. Approach with a question that expresses interest in the persons with whom you are speaking. Being interested in them will make them interested in you.
7. Keep notes. When someone gives you a business card, write on the back of the cards where you met, topics of conversation, possible opportunities and little tidbits specific to that person for a personal touch.
8. Leave on a high note. As the conversation begins to dwindle down, excuse yourself. You do not want the final impression to be awkward. Know when to break from a conversation.
9. Rate yourself. Be honest. How do you think you did? Were you prepared? How was the conversation? Is there a possible benefit or opportunity?
10. Don’t push. Listen for opportunities in which you may offer insight. Stay away from bragging and simply participate in conversation while still offering memorable information about you that may be of interest to your new contact.
11. Follow through. Keep in touch with your new contacts. Send a “nice to meet you … enjoyed … ” e-mail. E-mail or call time to time just to touch base. Send relevant articles or anything specifically related or of interest to the contact.
12. Build relationships. Strive to form relationships with your contacts — they are more beneficial for both parties and last longer.

Successful networking takes planning and practice. As a strong contributor to your overall achievements, invest in yourself and your profession by getting to know the people involved in your industry. Your active involvement will heighten your own enthusiasm and benefit your work, while creating a feeling of ease at any setting. So begin networking, make friends, open opportunity, and build your writing career. 

- Melissa

While there are traditional methods of marketing collections, new and innovative ways of publicizing your book have been surfacing since the birth of the Internet, such as blogs, online advertising and online communities. These methods can perform a vital role in your book’s promotion, and allow you to actively engage your audience on a daily basis.

If there’s an idea, then there’s already an online community. You and your writing collection could fit perfectly into one of these communities. Do a quick search for “writing community” and read through the results. You may want to narrow your focus even more by selecting “women’s writing community” or “poetry writing community.” You’ll be surprised when you find that more than one actually suits you.

Here are a few things that you can do to market yourself and your book in online communities:

• Become a member and make some friends
• Mention your book on your profile (click here to learn how to create a link to your book’s Bookstore page)
• Post a relevant writing sample for all to read (only where appropriate, such as your profile)
• Embed a link to the order form for your book (only where appropriate, such as your profile)
• Participate in literature conversations and debates
• Provide information about your upcoming events in your profile or on a site-wide calendar

There is a very delicate balance that must be met when marketing in online communities. Simply make your book information available to the communities — without “selling” it to them. Once you’ve become a well-known personality within the community and have other members interested in your writing, they may purchase your book because they like your personality and your writing samples.

Here is a list of things that you should NOT do:

• Post links to your book throughout the site when not relevant to the topic
• Follow up a new connection with a message about how to buy your book
• Post long excerpts from your book when not appropriate
• Message other members repeatedly about your upcoming book events

The bottom line is that online communities do not tolerate blatant marketing efforts. Instead, the major benefit of online communities is that you can promote your book by being yourself, actively talking about writing, and posting your new writing samples and opinions within blogs.

Be on the lookout for non-writing communities as well. Ones that might not have such an obvious link to your stories but may have other connections, such as politics, style, members, message or inspiration. The more places you frequent and provide valuable feedback, the more likely you’ll drive other members to your profile and your book.

Keep writing.
-Angie Kelly Pheifer

As a child, we communicated and generated excitement with ease. One person stood tall with a simple message. Duck, duck, duck … With each contact, excitement grew … duck, goose! And the chase was on. Social media is the chase that delivers a measure of awareness and generates excitement in everyone it touches until a commitment is made.

Creation of a social media platform is your way to personally interact with and promote yourself to current and potential readers. You not only establish author/reader relationships, but build from a variety of outlets all contributing to your overall marketing efforts. Using sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter you can deliver your most current information directly to the thousands of readers following you and your work. Search for and utilize the less common social networking sites that specialize in writing, reading and genre (such as GoodReads) to specifically target your market.

Through a series of networking channels, you create a fan base invested in your writing. This simple way of promotion helps to build your author name among perhaps the most critical element of your writing success — the readers.

Social media is only one major component to your marketing. Add links to each of the locations your readers may connect with you onto your Web site or blog. When e-mailing  family, friends, readers or business associates, include your links within your e-mail. Make it easy for potential readers to access you and your writing. It is about involving as many people as possible in the cause you are working towards, sharing your talent of writing with readers, and finally catching the goose.

Melissa

Read this original article and other poetry publishing tips on Wordclay’s Poetry Spot.

You’ve published your first collection of poetry, and you’re an emerging writer officially on the literary scene — it’s no wonder you’re excited. But you can’t let your excitement run away with your sense of marketing. Publicizing (and selling) your collection requires a realistic examination of your content, your experience and your sphere of influence. However, a marketing plan that sets unrealistic goals only leads to disappointment and disillusionment.

Readers may have lined up hours to buy the latest Harry Potter volume, but how many avid poetry fans do you see camped outside your local bookstore, eagerly waiting the moment when the doors unlock and they can finally buy the latest collection by Li-Young Lee?

Not many.

That’s because poetry is not about the Benjamins. It’s a way of expressing your deepest thoughts and innermost feelings, and besides, you didn’t publish your poetry book to become a millionaire. It would be wonderful to bank on your work immediately and get an impromptu phone call from Oprah inviting you onto her show, but the realistic picture is much different, and the more you try to jump ahead of your marketing plan, the more you’ll miss the mark of your goals.

Some unrealistic poetry publishing goals include:

• A high profile agent coincidently stumbles upon your book and, out of the kindness of his heart, arranges national talk show interviews for you the next morning.
• An acclaimed editor buys your $8.99 book on a whim, loves it and writes an article in the news as copies of your book fly off the shelves without you ever having to lift a finger.
• Simultaneously, bookstores across the nation decide they’ll take a chance on one totally unfamiliar poet and choose to stock your book on their shelves and invite you to read at their benefits for the next five years.

Of course, you’re voice is unique, and your message, critical, and such occurrences have been known to happen once in a blue moon, but you shouldn’t count on unrealistic goals for your literary satisfaction. Being picked by The Oprah Book Club without employing a single marketing strategy is about as likely as winning the lottery, and you don’t see intelligent people planning their retirement around winning the Powerball. Appearing on Oprah isn’t impossible though, nor is winning the lottery, but if you put in the hours, practice effective marketing and keep publishing, you never know – renowned critics could be knocking at your door in the future.

But what are some of these realistic poetry marketing goals, and how can you begin to practice smart marketing?

Consider some of the following methods of smart marketing for your poetry:

• Submit individual poems to literary journals and contests.
• Join online writing communities and network with other emerging writers.
• Post your poems, constructive feedback and opinions onto ongoing blogs.
• Arrange book signings and readings in your local area.
• Attend open mic nights and sell copies of your book afterward.
• Leave flyers and posters at venues where you know your readers frequent.
• Create and maintain a Web site with your biographical and book information.
• Book radio, television and magazine interviews.
• Send your book to professionals for review.
• Include information about your forthcoming books in copies you sell.

The more you focus your efforts on achievable objectives, the likelier you will notice tangible results, in both monetary and emotional rewards. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so make your first step onto the poetry scene a good one and make real, observable progress today.

Read this original article and other poetry publishing tips on Wordclay’s Poetry Spot.

Keep writing.
-Angie Kelly Pheifer

During the creation process of writing, we all tend to pre-edit our work while we are still crafting our story. Schedule your self-edit separate from your regular writing routine — if you are an early morning writer, wait until the evening, the next day, and for some writers, upon completion of the book. The point is to allow your story a chance to develop.

There is no doubt that proper editing of varying elements within your story is a key factor in your book’s level of success. Follow these basic editing tips for an in-production manuscript:

1. Walk away before you edit. When you reach that marking point where you place your computer aside, wait a day before editing so you may gain a fresh perspective. Don’t try to edit or rework your story directly after a session of writing — everything looks different the next day. Approach the editing of your story with a fresh eye.
2. Don’t rely on your computer for editing. Your computer’s spelling and grammar check will only get you so far. Not only can it skip over misspellings and grammatical mistakes, but computers do not recognize meaning or writing style. For instance, did you mean it’s or its? And only you, not your computer, can determine if the correct word is there, their or they’re.
3. Let a professional read your manuscript. It’s okay to share your story with friends and family for their opinion regarding your book. However, you will need to rely on professional feedback that will focus on the content, grammar and structure of your story. Your book will gain from a professionally honest critique and recommendations on improving your writing and story. 

Remember, the interior pages of your book are just as much a representation of your author brand as your investment in an eye-catching, customized exterior. The cover is meant to reach out to potential readers, alluring them to purchase the book. The written words, on the other hand, are what will keep hold of the reader and move towards building a band of loyal readership.

Clean content and a fluid storyline mixed with your own writing style will create an image and expectation for you as an author. You are building a strong foundation leading to anticipation for your future books. Whether you are investing your time or your money, investing in editing assures that your book is within industry standards and ready for your potential readers.

 Melissa

 P.S. You can visit the Wordclay Web site for practical editing options.