23 Mistakes First Time Authors Make (And How to Avoid Them) By Barbara Joe-Williams

Hi folks,

I've copied below an excerpt from a publishing e-mail I receive regularly, hitchnews, this one focused on every writer's Achilles heel, marketing. Some of the points made here may raise questions; that's why I've included some links to the author of the article. Of course, this blog is an excellent forum for discussing such things, too.
Good writing (and marketing) to all,
Bob Mustin

As a first time self-published author, you want to avoid making as many costly mistakes as possible. Based on research and over two years of publishing experience, I’d like to share some of the mistakes that I’ve made and show you how to avoid making them. Please proceed with caution.

1) Publishing books with unattractive covers and spending too much money on them. Hire someone to design an attractive front book cover. Or you can save money by developing the book cover drafts yourself. Simply download royalty-free pictures and add your own text.

2) They print their book in large quantities because it’s the most economical value. With print-on-demand (POD) printers, you no longer have to print large quantities of books to receive a good return on your investment. You can print as few or as many as you need at one time.

3) They pay large amounts for website development and maintenance. Find a web hosting company, download a template, upload your book information, and maintain the site yourself for a low monthly or yearly fee. Most of these companies provide 24/7 customer support.

4) They work without an action plan or any means of accountability. Writing may be your passion, but publishing is a business. Therefore, you have to develop a business plan to follow and show accountability for your funds.

5) Not testing their cover design or the titles before publishing. The key to avoiding this mistake is developing more than one book cover draft and testing them on potential buyers. You can also develop more than one title and test them too.

6) They wait until the book is published before they start marketing it. Start marketing your book the first day that you start writing it. Tell everyone that you know and/or meet about your new project.

7) Pricing the book too high or too low based on the market. Be sure to research the price of other books on the market that are similar to yours and price your book accordingly.

8) Not identifying their target market for the publication. The first rule of publishing is to know your target market and how to reach them. Where do they live and shop? How will they learn about your book?

9) Not pre-selling copies of their book or taking pre-orders. You can set-up your website to take credit cards and start taking pre-orders months before the book is ever printed.

10) They rely solely on one marketing model to sell their book. Develop several marketing strategies before your book is published. Communicate with other authors to find out what has and hasn’t worked for them.

11) Writing books they think people should read instead of what the market demands. The publishing business is also a matter of supply and demand. You may enjoy writing fiction, but a non-fiction project that serves a desire or need, will be more profitable.

12) Paying for expensive advertising, marketing/promotional ideas. Marketing doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. Look for strategies that will provide you with free publicity such as library workshops and radio interviews.

13) They write the book without developing a timeline for completion. Once you start writing your book, set some realistic goals for completing it and stick to it. Don’t let down your target market after you’ve announced the book to them.

14) Not having a reader’s or audience database. You can start developing a reader’s database as soon as you start working on your book by contacting local book club members and attending library events.

15) Not being open to the editing or revising process. Find an editor that you feel comfortable with and trust. This will make it easier to accept criticism and make recommended revisions.

16) They miss deadlines for writing and publishing. It’s very important to the success of your writing career that you meet the realistic deadlines that you’ve already set. Once you set a book release date, readers will be expecting the book at that time.

17) They don’t read enough from the competition. Make sure you know what the competition has to offer and be able to explain how your book is different. You want your project to stand out from every other book on your chosen subject.

18) They waste time trying to make the copy perfect the first time. Focus on completing the manuscript and getting it to the editor instead of trying to make sure that it’s perfect. You’ll have plenty of time to go back and make revisions later.

19) Not being able to verbalize the content of your book in a concise manner. You should be able to summarize you entire manuscript in a few sentences upon request. Most readers want to know what the heart of the book is about in one-minute or less.

20) They don’t join writer’s group or read writer’s magazines, or attend conferences. Joining a writer’s group is a way to learn from other authors or aspiring authors. Reading Writer’s Digest each month will provide you with valuable information and attending conferences will give you an opportunity to meet major publishers and agents. 21) They rely solely on bookstores to sell their books to make a profit. According to the Publisher’s Marketing Association, approximately 52 percent of published books are not sold in bookstores. This means that you must find more creative ways of selling your product.

22) They concentrate too much on sales and not enough on publicity. Of course, your publishing goal is to make money, but some events should just be about publicity and then the money will follow.

23) They don’t reinvest money back into their book business. This is a valuable lesson to learn. If you spend all your profits on personal expenses, it’s impossible to keep producing books to keep your business growing.

About the Author:

Barbara Joe-Williams is a freelance author and an independent publisher living in Tallahassee, Florida. She has written three romance novels and a non-fiction e-book titled “A Writer’s Guide to Self-Publishing & Marketing.” As the sole owner of Amani Publishing, she has published non-fiction books for other aspiring authors. In addition, she has composed an anthology featuring eighteen multicultural authors to be released in February 2007 titled “How I Met My Sweetheart.” For more information about this author/publisher, please visit her website.

Website: www.AmaniPublishing.net or www.Barbarajoewilliams.com
E-mail: AmaniPublishing@aol.com
Blog: www.Barbarajoe.blogspot.com

Sunday Message

The Appalachian Authors Guild will be issuing a call for original writings in an effort to encourage writing among young people.  The writing contest will be in conjunction with the annual Heritage Writers Symposium and cash prizes in the form of scholarships will be awarded.  Check back for more details.

Guild Members will have opportunities to showcase their works at upcoming events throughout the region.  If you haven't signed up for one or more event, contact me.

We need new members in the Guild.  I look forward to a time when our ranks will swell to the thousands across this great Southern Appalachian Region.  There is such a wealth of talent from which to draw.  Everyone has a chance to bring in new members, to encourage and assist new writers, to further the Guild's state purpose of  promoting the written art form in Appalachia.

Jack (J Russell) Rose, President

Appalachian Authors Guild & Associates

Sunday

A Place of Belonging

A Place of Belonging

A Review 

Some people pick up stray dogs or cats – Steven Banks brings home a stray girl, who has suffered a memory loss.

Ex-Atlanta cop Banks, the principal character in Bob Mustin’s A Place of Belonging, (I Universe), has a lot more on his plate than just a poor unfortunate lost soul.  Banks is complicated, it’s obvious, but moreover, he is confused and conflicted.

North Carolina Real Estate tycoon Terrence Gaines has lost something – something of much greater value than all his fortune, and he wants his possession returned, whatever the cost.

Ginger Begay, the amnesiac, is a waif-like Native American woman who, quite by accident, ends up on the streets of Clarksville, GA, and walks into the lives of Banks and those around him.

Mattie Hollister, the woman who loves Steven Banks and tolerates his non-committal behavior in their relationship, accepts Ginger into her home with some reservation, if not fear of what this young mysterious woman’s presence portends for her family and her life with Banks.

Unfortunately for and unknown to the folks in Georgia, Ginger has led a troubled past which has culminated in her being accused of a murder she witnessed.  Banks seems drawn to this woman for more than a purely altruistic desire to help her uncover her buried past.

After a good amount of detective work as well as bits of returning memory, it seems that Ginger’s most recent past and the primary cause of her memory loss may lie in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  Hopeful that returning to the locale combined with concern for their personal safety – after a break in at Banks’ home and subsequent attempted bodily injury – Banks and Ginger set out for the west in his old pickup truck accompanied by his loyal canine companion Warwoman.

As a traveler, I have never been one for side trips along the way – I always tend to focus on getting to my destination as quickly as possible.  Therefore, I was somewhat bothered by the erratic if not circuitous route they take from Georgia to New Mexico, passing through many of America’s prime and oft visited vacation spots.  Banks doesn’t seem particularly eager, for reasons we can only assume, to reach their destination.

Is his motivation simply for more personal time alone with Ginger?  It seems unlikely he would be afraid of what they will find in New Mexico.  We don’t get a good answer as to why all the meandering.

But, while in San Antonio – yes, as in Texas, they finally tire of being on the road and with a certain degree of urgency they take the most direct path west then northward to New Mexico.  As Ginger’s memory returns, spurred by revisiting Taos and the surrounding area, the pieces of this mystery/puzzle fall into place, and they are prompted to return East quickly.

Mustin has constructed a first-class work of mystery and suspense in A Place of Belonging, giving us a view, primarily through the use of narrative, into the lives and thoughts of credible and well developed characters.  His picture-story is painted against a backdrop of real beauty – some of the best America has to offer, including: the Southern Appalachian foothills of Georgia and Alabama; the Ozark regions of Arkansas and Missouri; eastern Oklahoma’s Indian Territory; San Antonio – home of the Alamo; and finally the Western Mountains of New Mexico.

Interwoven in the journey portion of this story, Mustin touches on some of the great tragedies of American history – slavery in the south, the infamous Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, and the Cherokee’s “Trail of Tears.”  In doing so, we are reminded of some of the darker aspects of American development.

   Mustin is an excellent storyteller, quite possibly with the potential of becoming a great Southern writer in the vein of Faulkner or Thomas Wolfe – both of whom were masters in the presentation of the literary anti-hero.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Banks, Mattie and Ginger.  I eagerly anticipate Mustin’s future works.

J Russell Rose, Author

www.jrussellrose.com

President, Appalachian Authors Guild & Associates

www.appalachianaga.com

A Long Run Of Luck

I'd like to mention a recent publication of mine - it's on an e-zine, one I'm proud to be associated with: languageandculture.net. If you go to the "prose backdrop," you'll find some stories listed, mine among them. It's as southern a story, and a fun piece to write. It was one I wrote in a creative writing class at UNC-A a couple of years ago. Received an A- on it. The instructor, who has published some six or seven books with the larger publishers, told me, "That little mark behind the letter is there, well, just because I wanna."
She knows I get lazy with my writing sometimes, and need to be goaded a bit to make things better.

Hope you enjoy it,
Bob Mustin

Honey Child

In Honey Child, a soon to be released novella, Tim Rouse speaks with the voice of a mountain poet. His description of Appalachian people and mountain existence rings true and clear. His mamaw and papaw could well have been my own.
He transports the reader back to a time of country kitchens heated to a Hades-like temperature by wood-fired “cookstoves.” He recounts how his mamaw felt obligated to cook nearly everything in site – “…not one day would pass when every pot, plate, coffee cup and dish wouldn’t be filled, emptied, washed and re-used at least twice…”
Rouse talks of people who were god fearing church goers with fondness and reverence. He also tells, with unflinching honesty and without apology, of those who are not drawn to the churches or guided by the Bible. His papaw, Gene and Uncle J. C. (Ooze) displayed a passion for strong drink, sharp knives and strong language.
The people of Honey Child are real – at least to me, because I grew up in these mountains. I knew Gene, Ooze and others like them when I was a child. However, I’m certain that had I grown up in a city, the words of Tim Rouse would make me feel as if I were right there at his mamaw’s table, watching young Timmy try bravely to eat a bite of her rice pudding, or perhaps sitting on her front porch enjoying a cooling evening breeze as it wafted down from the mountain tops.
Honey Child is a true delight – a fair and adequate tribute to a generation who are gone, but not forgotten.
By J Russell Rose, Author (www.jrussellrose.com)

Rhythm & Roots '09

Bristol's Rhythm & Roots Reunion '09, is now history. From all accounts this event will go down in the record books for all-time high attendance - and the music was good, too.
The Appalachian Authors Booth was well visited - if somewhat under represented by author members.
Carol Jackson of Lost State Writers was there yesterday with me. We had many wonderful conversations, met some very nice people, and hopefully made some worthwhile contacts.
On Saturday, I fielded questions of interest from people who are now, or want to be published writers. Hopefully, the Guild will see several new members as a result.
I did reasonably well, in spite of the rain - deja vu, Virginia Highlands Festival - fortunately, there was no mud.
November promises to be a busy month with many opportunities for book signings. Stay tuned.
Jack (J Russell) Rose, Pres.
AAG&A

Sunday Summary

These past few weeks have seen a bit of activity. In politics, the country is divided over health care/health insurance. The space shuttle couldn't land because of bad weather. Kids are all back in school. And, finally, it seems Michael Jackson will be allowed to Rest in Peace.
Rhythm & Roots Reunion is upcoming - September 18, 19 and 20. Donna Akers, Lightnin' Charlie, Carol Jackson (at various times) and yours truly, will occupy the tent in front of William King Clothier on State Street. Frank Kerr was supposed to be there with me for the entire event, but due to a back injury he had to cancel. Get well Frank. Come by if you can.
October 3rd, Neva Bryant has arranged a Literary Reading and Food Drive in St. Paul, to benefit people in Russell and Wise counties. Spread the word. October 18th and 19th, Darrell Fleming and I will join several other Guild members (Addie Davis is scheduled) in Big Stone Gap - Mountain Empire Community College.
November is shaping up to be a busy month for authors: In addition to the event (still in planning) at the Bristol Public Library, there are: Mistletoe Market and Coomes Center craft show in Abingdon, and Viking Hall Craft Show (Thanksgiving Weekend) - and no, I still don't have the application for that.
As the new president of the Appalachian Authors Guild, I hope to see the Guild achieve new prominence during the coming year. This can only happen through the combined efforts of everyone involved. So get involved, stay involved, and encourage others.
There are many talented writers out there who are not active members of the Guild. Please contact at least one or two and encourage them to join and support the Guild.
Regards to everyone. Good Writing. Good Reading. Good Blogging.
Jack (J Russell) Rose
Appalachian Authors Guild & Associates
www.appalachianaga.com

William Zinsser's "On Writing Well" as Social History

For those interested in the craft of non-fiction, one would do well to have this book on a nearby shelf:

One of the most trusted resources in the craft of non-fiction writing has been William Zinsser’s On Writing Well. Having sold well over a million copies now, the book has recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Which led The American Scholar magazine (Spring 2009) to offer up an essay by Zinsser on the book’s evolution.

During my reading of the essay, two thing about Zinsser’s book– and the craft of writing in general – came to mind. First, writing, like language itself, is never static. Writing, one might say – in the vein of a glass half empty – is always held captive by the society it reflects. And in this day of ongoing future shock, writing and language will change with every social twist and turn (something all writers should heed).

The second thing Zinsser’s essay brought to mind: Writing a how-to book on non-fiction writing, a book constantly amended to reflect social change becomes an historical roadmap of such changes. Zinsser gives us such a roadmap through the evolution of non-fiction writing over the past thirty years of his book. He does this by offering the reader rhyme and reason for his regularly recurring amendments to On Writing Well. His chronology goes something like this:

1974-1976 – Writing for the first edition

Zinsser began with another writer’s chestnut, The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White, which gives a compendium of principles on writing that seem somewhat abstract, arbitrary, and binding. What's missing here is how to apply such principles. To supply this missing element, Zinsser turned, oddly enough, to a book on writing popular songs by composer Alec Wilder. If there’s ever been a social phenomenon that maps contemporary changes through the decades, it’s pop music. Still, his explanations on how to apply non-fiction writing principles remained in "freeze-frame" in one respect: most of his exemplars were male.

1980 – The second edition

By the eighties, technology had become king of social change. Zinsser added a chapter on jargon, something that had been giving composition teachers fits. In this edition, he tried to make such technical items seem more human. In league with this no-nonsense time, he also advised more terse writing, paring adjectives and adverbs. Interestingly (yes, I’m aware of the adverb I've just used), he also cautioned writers to higher ethical standards, to defend their work to editors, publishers, and agents. This, in an age of business and financial upset that still haunts us today.

1990s – Yet more editions

By the 'nineties, America might have been unrecognizable to someone from the 'seventies. Women, who had come to dominate fiction in the late twentieth century, were making serious inroads into non-fiction, particularly in the memoir genre. The nation had seen a new wave of immigrants – from Africa, Asia, the Middle East - and they were now beginning to shape these United States. Zinsser flushed a good number of male graybeards from his exemplars to make room for up and coming women. He even showcased technical journals, in the form of a magazine of electrical and electronics engineers, which lent its technical expertise to the field of political writing. To reflect this more clinical mindset in society, Zinsser began advising, where possible, life without pronouns.

1998-2001 – A sixth edition

In this edition, On Writing Well turned personal. It reflected Zinsser’s own interests, more so than the collective interests of the society about him. He wrote chapters on jazz and baseball. In this new turn, memoir became a literary obsession. He began to lead writers into understanding the process of writing such non-fiction, that it’s an organic phenomenon, impossible to map out ahead of the day-to-day process of writing.

When you think about it, writing must be captive to its time (the glass half-full now), not only in language usage and style, but in the ways it reflects people, their unique responses to both internal and external social conditions.
Surely Zinsser will eventually stop editing his book, but I certainly hope someone picks up his banner and continues it, if only to extend his mapping of our language and times.

Bob Mustin

How Fiction Works, by James Wood

It’s breathtakingly inspiring, within today’s coterie of less-than-well-informed book reviewers, to find one as well versed in what brings the best fiction robustly to life as James Wood. But then he’s also a novelist, essayist, and Harvard lecturer in literature. His book, How Fiction Works, has been widely reviewed in the print press, but it’s apparent to me after reading the book that reviewers either see it as academic and abstract, or as one colleague of mine said, “It left me with the notion that reading his book would be like sticking pins in my eyes.” I want to rectify that view of his book.

I will say that the casual fiction reader, who limits his/her self to the over-popular genre pulp on the best seller lists, may fall asleep reading this book, muttering, “So what?” On the other hand, one doesn’t need to know literary theory or hold an MFA in creative writing to gain insight from Wood’s book. All one needs is an openness—as either reader or writer—to why fiction is an enjoyable and instructive experience.

Wood begins with a simple explanation of Point of View (POV), that stories are best told in the first person (“I fell asleep, but then the butler…”) or third person (“The butler gently shook him awake…”), that such narration may be reliable or unreliable, and quite a bit about the history of modern narrative in fiction. Throughout this section, as in all others, his view of prose teems with examples any reader will find easy to follow and understand.
His view of character development isn’t a common one; he believes either “flat” or “vivid” character development is valid, depending on the writer’s intent in telling the story. Once again, his insights regarding character in fiction are vivid to the point of being liberating.
He talks about the rhythm of writing, something rarely discussed regarding prose, but always a vital part of spoken poetry and oratory.
One area that particularly enlightened me is his depiction of how humor is made to work in fiction, even subtle humor. Here, Wood claims that humor erupts from changing “registers,” in narrative, i.e. unexpected changes of tone, for instance, can bring a reader to laughter.
His view of well-wrought dialogue is one of subtlety and ambiguity, leaving readers with multiple possibilities regarding the characters’ intents in engaging in conversation.
His perception of the many erudite schools of fictional technique resolves to this: “What seems real?” He’s clearly not a fan of the notion that postmodernism in fiction is a necessary step; instead it's simply one more way of depicting what seems real. His main precept in fiction, then, is one of “live-ness.” He does seem to want to return to Plato’s and Aristotle’s views of fiction as mimesis, or a description or depiction of what is actually real. But once again his views should liberate both readers and writers of fiction in limiting the “what works” of fiction to how a writer successfully uses words and language to make the page come alive.

Clearly, Wood knows his stuff. This is a book I’ll read constantly as I write on future projects, and it’s one both the curious reader and the grappling writer will find invaluable.

Bob Mustin