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The One Safe Prediction: 8 Guesses About Publishing in 5 Years

April 21, 2012 By 3 Comments

People, companies, and countries that don’t reinvent themselves every three-to-five years will get left behind.

–John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems

The future of publishing is self-publishing.

–Editorial consultant Alan Rinzler

The one safe prediction you can make about the future is that you can’t predict it. Anyway, here goes: the three keys to the future of publishing in the next five years are mobile devices, social media, and self-publishing. Here are eight guesses about the industry’s future:

  1. Successful writers will be CEOs of one-person, multimedia, multinational conglomerates who crowdsource their needs with a community of collaborators and rely on word of mouse to make their work sell.
  2. Agents will be Executive VPs of their clients’ conglomerates, mentors who help them  maximize their visibility and income.
  3. The Six Sisters who dominate trade publishing will be fewer in number and smaller in size, and will survive by empowering their writers and devoting themselves to what they do best.
  4. Because updating ebooks and integrating all media into them will be easy, enhanced ebooks will be huge, and readers will judge writers by their ability to tell a story so compellingly that awareness of medium and technique disappear.
  5. Fans will communicate with authors at teleconferences and receive personalized autographs they can print.
  6. Barnes & Noble will be gone, and a growing network independent booksellers around the country will thrive for four reasons:

–They will be community-supported nonprofits like other cultural institutions, such as libraries, museums, symphony orchestras, and dance and opera companies.

–They will always have the book you want because they will have EBMs, Espresso Book Machines that store books and print a book in a minute.

–They will be even more needed as community centers (and a respite from staring at a screen) that respond to their community’s needs and tastes, provide events and classes, and serve as a meeting place for reading groups and writer’s organizations.

–Readers will understand that a quarter of every dollar spent in a chain store leaves the community while indies spend that income in the community.

  1. Readers will again understand that when it comes to media, it’s not either/or, it’s both and. Books will continue to do what only they can. Concern about design will make books more beautiful than ever. In a high-tech, visual culture, the physical and literary pleasures they provide will be more needed and appreciated than ever.
  2. More than eight billion web-enabled devices will help unite the global village, and the potential they will create for communication, creativity, collaboration, and commerce will open endless possibilities for writers and publishers.

What did I leave out or get wrong?

The goal of the blog is to help you and me understand writing and publishing. Rants, comments, questions, and answers most appreciated.

Just Announced:

The 4th San Francisco Writing for Change Conference / Writing to Make a Difference

September 15, 2012 / Unitarian Universalist Church / Geary & Franklin, San Francisco

The 10th San Francisco Writers Conference / A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / February 14-17, 2013 / www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog /@SFWC/ www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference

San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean/free classes/www.sfwritersu.com/sfwritersu@gmail.com/@SFWritersU

415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 9410

 

 

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A Shameless Guide to the Joys of Not Writing

April 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

Weeding is the flossing of gardening. It’s essential, but it only encourages them. Elizabeth and I visited our friends, Denny and Diana, in Vacaville for the Easter weekend. We dyed five dozen Easter eggs and spent time with them and their kids and grand kids. 

We also ate too much. We went to Murillo’s, an excellent Mexican restaurant, off Highway 80 across from the outlet mall. Diana makes a killer chocolate cheesecake with a recipe created by Elizabeth’s mother Rita. Denny and I crushed the Oreo Cookies, with filling, for the crust. (Baking tip: the 100-calorie package of Oreos doesn’t have the filling.)

I pruned calla lilies and pulled weeds in Denny and Diana’s beautiful garden, immersive jobs that, like writing, are flow experiences that make me forget about anything else by forcing me to concentrate on doing the best job I can. Like editing, weeding is also purgative: taking away what doesn’t add to the effect you wish to create.

Just as silence helps gives music its value, having time away from the laptop makes me appreciate that not writing is as important as writing. Time away gives you the chance to

  • Come up with ideas for your work
  • Let your subconscious help you solve writing problems
  • Give yourself time away from your work so you can return to it with fresh eyes
  • Let yourself be stimulated by new surroundings, people, and ideas
  • Try new things
  • Meet challenges presented by what you’re doing

Even if you don’t have the luxury of leaving town, visiting other parts of where you live will give you time away from work, especially if you have the strength not to peek at your smart phone. San Francisco is a city of inviting neighborhoods, each with its own character. Since the city’s independent bookstores have miraculously survived the chains, many neighborhoods have an indies worth visiting.

Progress didn’t stop in my absence. There was a story in the Vacaville Reporter about Google’s chic glasses that will be a tablet you wear. I returned to find a story in the San Francisco Chronicle about a flying car that can land at 5,000 airports, and the online prediction that in five years, Barnes & Noble, like Radio Shack and Best Buy, will be gone.  

Just another weekend on the accelerating path to an unknowable but limitless future that gives you ever more to write about. Meanwhile, doing anything you love will help your writing. Variety will spice up your work. Taking time to develop all of your potential as a human being will make you a better writer.

 

The goal of the blog is to help you and me understand writing and publishing. Rants, comments, questions, and answers most appreciated.

The 10th San Francisco Writers Conference/A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / February 14-17, 2013/www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog /@SFWC/ www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference

San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean/free classes/www.sfwritersu.com/sfwritersu@gmail.com/@SFWritersU

415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 94109

 

 

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Feedback on the Page: How to Give Feedback in a Writing Group

March 13, 2012 By 2 Comments

Our thanks to Vicki Hudson for the following handout from her session at the San Francisco Writers Conference about how to give feedback in a writing workshop:

In a writing workshop or critique group, the reader has an important partnership with the writer. The writer hands over pages that represent his or her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, hopes and dreams to the reader. The reader’s part is to provide feedback and constructive criticism that will support the writer in improving the final product of his/her hard work.

What if you don’t like the work? What if you hate the story? What if you can’t find anything redeeming in the main character that you can relate to in your own life? None of that matters. Because it is not about you or about the writer, it is about the words on the page, the movement of the story, the flow of events, the development of the characters, and more.

Tools for Feedback

Tools for providing written feedback:

First read the story without critical thought. Just read it through like any story or article you might pick up. Then sit with it for a few moments. Turn it over in your thoughts.

  • What remains when you put the pages down?
  • What are you still curious about at the end?
  • What question pops up for you or what unexpected turn of events makes you chuckle?
  • What are you still curious about?
  • Nothing? Well, that is also important.

After you’ve read and then sat with the piece for a few moments, get ready to read it again. This time, you’ll make comments. Just don’t use that red pen. Red is a loaded color for many writers. Returning the poor writer to freshman English is not a positive experience. Write comments in the margins (writers: make sure to have one inch margins all around) and use the space between lines for recommended language (writers: double space your lines).

What to write about? That’s a long list that includes plot, dialogue, scene, summary, balance of scene and summary, character development, timing, cadence, pace, transitions, technique, point of view, perspective, humor, seriousness, and emotional impact…

Time and Language

If you don’t know where to begin, start with time.

  • What is the chronological pace of the piece?
  • Does that chronological pace make sense?
  • Is it confusing?
  • Does it carry the reader or create obstacles for the reader?
  • Why? (Get used to answering why. Why is a big part of what works or what doesn’t work regardless of what you write about.)

If not time, look at language. Are there phrases that really stand out? Lines that grab and pull the reader into the piece, stopping time and space for the reader or lines that bring the reader back to reality, breaking the hold of the story? Highlight, underline or circle the lines that strike you as bold, chilling, hot, fevered, delicious, enticing, inciting…(you can fill in more).

Look critically not personally. You can find stuff that you like. Zeroing in on something that didn’t work for you, that you didn’t like, or weren’t comfortable with, or didn’t sound right in your head or feel right in your heart when you read the words is vitally important. Why was that your response? And some of that stuff may actually be the gem of the piece. Dive into the dark waters of discomfort.

Editors Edit

A word about editing: Editors edit. Unless you have a pet peeve about a grammatical mistake, and the writer keeps hitting the one thing you hate – leave the copyedits to someone else, down the food chain of the writer’s progress. When she/he has the story at the place where mechanical aspects are crucial – it won’t be a piece brought to workshop for copyediting by committee.

Remember what your mother said, watch your language.

A writer has given you the honor of helping him/her hone the craft. Take that seriously. Be nice. Be truthful. Be honest. Give feedback in a manner that you would hope feedback will come to you. Use real words, not labels, or code because those terms (politically correct/incorrect, clichés, trite, culturally descriptive words that end in ist or ism) mean different things to different people, so define the response you experienced that you want to shorthand by using those terms.

You’ll have comments along the margins, but the meat of your feedback is at the end of the piece or on a separate page.

A four part formula to keep in mind

1. Start with positive comments.

What works well, quote back language, strong character development, solid pacing or cadence – anything you can say that is positive. If you can’t find something positive, look again at language, chronology, or answering what emotions the piece creates for you.

2. Ask questions.

What created a question in your mind? “I felt this at this part. Is that what you wanted to create?” for example.

3. Give constructive feedback about what didn’t work.

What are the areas for improvement in which you encountered an obstacle?

4. Sum up again something that was really positive, that you really liked and a general good point for the writer to remember.

Then sign your name, because when you do, you are saying you stand by what you are saying. You are giving the writer your truth of experiencing his/her story. Take pride in your feedback making a difference.

The simple truth of being part of a writers group or workshop is some people have useful, helpful information to give in feedback, others won’t. Some will just want to hear themselves talk or show off their “wisdom and experience.” You learn over time which members will have something to offer that is worthwhile and who will not. Which comments are worth reading and which to disregard. Be the reader people want to hear from.

(This handout is available online at http://www.scribd.com/Vicki%20Hudson)

(A free download of the book No Red Pen, Writers, Writers Groups, and Critique is available at smashwords.com using the coupon: KL78N which is valid until March 15, 2012.)

 

Vicki Hudson P.O. Box 387 Hayward, CA 94543 510-200-8749 ©2010 Victoria.a.hudson@gmail.com www.vickihudson.com www.throwrockpaperscissors.com

T/@vickigeist, @Vicki_Hudson

 

The goal of the blog is to help you and me understand writing and publishing. Rants, comments, questions, and answers most appreciated.

The 10th San Francisco Writers Conference/A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / February 14-17, 2013/www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog /@SFWC/ www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference

San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean/free classes/www.sfwritersu.com/sfwritersu@gmail.com/@SFWritersU

415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 94109

 

 

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7 Questions for Preparing a Proposal

February 29, 2012 By 3 Comments

Many thanks to Jeevan Sivsubramaniam, Managing Director Editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers and a speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference for this first-rate handout:

Many people have great ideas for books to help change the world politically or socially, or to help individuals grow in spirit and purpose. Keep these seven questions in mind when writing your proposal:

1. Is your book really needed?

Authors often write books that they feel people need to read, but that does not mean people will read them. More and more people are getting cancer, recovering from mental illness, overcoming addictions, or getting sick of the economy every year, but there are already 1,001 books on these subjects. Why is yours different? What makes your book especially compelling? If you have teenage children or nieces and nephews, pitch your book to them and gauge their interest –you’ll receive the same response from the marketplace.

2. Is your book tightly focused?

Too many people want to write a world-as-I-see-it-and-how-it-should-be type of book in  which  they comment on all aspects of a particular subject. These sprawling works hold little appeal for most book buyers. Readers don’t want a grand vision or blueprint for a new government or economy or behavioral model, unless you are an influential world leader who has the clout to make these changes happen. Exhaustive books are just that–exhausting. If you can’t sum up your book’s core premise in two sentences, it’s too scattered.

3. Who is the audience for your book?

Don’t look for overly general markets and say that your book is “for everyone concerned about “the environment,” ” democracy,” or “spirituality.” In nonfiction, there is no such thing as a general reader. Be specific and carve out a niche for which a sizable yet specific audience exists. No one walks into a bookstore and asks for a book about “something that could be for everyone.”

4. Are your qualifications, background, and knowledge directly related to your subject?

There are doctors who write about politics, politicians who write about economics, and economists who write about spirituality. The problem is that these people lack the qualifications and professional consulting and speaking experience in the subject they are writing about. Are professional qualifications the only measure of authority on a subject? No, but if you needed surgery, would you go with someone who has conducted a lot of independent research and learned a lot about medicine or a board-certified surgeon? You can disregard everything above if you are a celebrity, which explains why Tori Spelling can write a New York Times bestseller about parenting.

5. What are the competing titles?

This question is related to question number 1. Who else has written on this subject and what other books are already out there? How does your book differ–again, in a compelling way–from those? Be realistic and don’t list books by Elizabeth Gilbert, Deepak Chopra, Thomas Friedman, and Malcolm Gladwell as competing titles, unless you are as famous as they are. Then again, if you’re famous, you can write about anything you want.

6. What will the length be and how will the book look?

Be aware of parameters that affect your book. Books are getting shorter, so you will run up against more reservations once you pass the 200-page mark. (Book pages are different from 250-word manuscript pages.) Color photographs and other graphic elements increase the costs for most publishers, so they will have to price the book higher to recoup costs. Inserts such as CDs or other materials also drive up costs. Be mindful of factors like these.

7. How will you actively market and support the book?

Books don’t launch movements; movements launch books. A book doesn’t launch an author’s career and build visibility; an author’s career and visibility are what launch a book, so don’t expect a book to kick-start your career. Don’t tell a publisher you are available to write articles, speak at events, and engage in other promotional efforts. You should already be writing, speaking, and consulting. Have an audience ready to buy your book before you start it so you have a base you can market and sell it to.

A Final Suggestion

Be careful when making assumptions about publishers and how publishing works. Publishing is an industry unlike any other, and the rules that govern other businesses don’t apply. Learn the lesson that Borders learned. The company’s last five CEOs did not have a publishing background and tried to run the company like their previous businesses. What could have worked wonders in other arenas drove a great store to bankruptcy.

 

To subscribe to Berrett-Koehler’s excellent newsletter, visit www.bkpub.com.

 

The goal of the blog is to help you and me understand writing and publishing. Rants, comments, questions, and answers most appreciated.

The 10th San Francisco Writers Conference/A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / February 14-17, 2013/www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog /@SFWC/ www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference

San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean/free classes/www.sfwritersu.com/sfwritersu@gmail.com/@SFWritersU

415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 94109

 

 

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Filed Under: Getting a Book Published, San Francisco Writers Conference, San Francisco Writing for Change Conference, Writing for Change, Writing Nonfiction Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Putting Your Passion on the Page: 7 Perfect Places to Write

February 2, 2012 By 2 Comments

Many thanks to Penny Warner, a speaker at San Francisco Writers Conference and the author of How to Party with a Killer Vampire, for allowing me to share her helpful, enjoyable post:

Cooped up in our RV last weekend, isolated in a giant redwood forest without Internet access, and unable to set foot outside for fear I might freeze to death, I was forced to watch some football games. Four of them. Practically in a row. Talk about a weekend in hell. 

I actually felt sorry for my husband, who only had me to talk to about the games. I tried to look interested, even asked questions like “Why’s that guy crying?” and “Who would name their kid “He Hate Me” or “Ochocinco.” But I’m not very good at faking it. At least, not when it comes to sports.

During the games I entertained myself by focusing on the important details, like “Who picked the colors Red and Gold?” and “John Harbaugh? I thought it was Jim Harbaugh.” That’s the only thing that kept me from going crazy with boredom. Truthfully, I’d rather watch “Ice-Road-Trucking New Jersey Housewife Hoarders” than football.

My husband, on the other hand, seems to experience a wide range of emotions while watching the games. For example, that game the other day between those Red and Gold guys versus those Black and Gold guys? I was afraid I was going to have to sedate him but I couldn’t get him out of his “lucky chair.” First he was shouting. Then he was crying. Then he was biting his nails. Then he was screaming. Then he was outside jumping up and down with some RV neighbors he didn’t even know.

I felt so sorry for him that I offered to host an upcoming Super Bowl Party. I told him I’d make some cute little invitations written on mini footballs and stuff them into large puffy envelopes filled with crushed peanut shells. I would ask our guests to come dressed as cheerleaders, referees, or food vendors.

To create the right atmosphere, I’d set out sports equipment, like hockey masks, baseball mitts, and tennis racquets. Then I’d mark the party room floor with field yard lines using tape. As for a centerpiece, I’d set out Ace bandages, Ben-Gay, and crushed beer cans. And each guest would get one of those big foam “We’re Number One” fingers so they could have pretend swordfights during commercials.

When the game inevitably becomes slow and boring, I’d keep the party alive by having the guests place bets on everything from “Who will win the coin toss?” to “Which player will spit next?”  Then we’d play a sports trivia game, with questions like “What’s the name of the team we’re rooting for?” and “Who’s the cutest guy in tight pants?” At halftime, we could go outside for a brisk game of balloon badminton or planking.

Finally, I’d serve typical ballpark food, such as Pigs in a Blanket, mini-quiches, Jell-O shots, and Vodka lattes. Then, depending on whether his team wins or loses, I’d send the guests home with either a Team Logo celebration banner or an embroidered crying towel.

“I think I’ll just get some beer, make some chili, and call a few friends,” he said when I finished telling him my party plans.

That’s fine. If he needs me, he knows where to find me. At the mall.

The Perfect Place to Write Your Book

I began my writing career typing on a Commodore 64 in a corner of my bedroom. After my son left for college, I moved into his room (boy was he surprised when he came back for winter break…), and enjoyed the quiet and seclusion there.

But a few years ago when I was under deadline—and had already planned a trip to Disneyland with the family—I found myself writing at a café table on Main Street. While my kids headed for their favorite rides, I ignored the crowds, the noise, and the commotion, and amazingly, was able to focus on my story.

From that I learned this: I can write anywhere. I don’t need a garret or a coffee shop, a quiet bedroom or a table at Disneyland, to write. In fact, no matter where I go, each location offers something no doubt finds its way into my book. Except Hawaii. By the time I’ve had my third pina colada, I can’t even remember the alphabet.

Here are some suggestions for places to write that you may not have thought of:

1.    Hospital cafeteria. Think about all the drama that’s going on at a hospital and you’re right in the middle of it! And if you need medical advice, just grab a nearby nurse or doctor on lunch break and grill them!

2.    Airport waiting room. Absorb some of that glamorous jet-setting crowd and write your book as you watch passengers come and go. You may even spot a movie star you can weave into your plot.

3.    Hotel lobby. Find a comfy chair at a hotel like the Claremont or Mark Hopkins, pull out your laptop, and write your book in the lush surroundings of upscale accommodations. Need a latte while you work? Drop by the hotel coffee shop and pick up a pick-me-up to keep you going.

4.    University library. I used to hang out at my university library to meet smart guys, but now it’s the perfect place to pen your novel—and have access to all those resources you might need along the way. Plus, you’re in good company, with the works of your favorite authors.

5.    Secret Passageway. Find an old mansion, do a little wall-tapping, and find yourself a secret passageway. Then hide yourself away and don’t come out until that book is done (or the residents come home.) Talk about atmosphere!

6.    DMV or Post office lines. Instead of wasting your time waiting for the next available clerk, write your next chapter on your portable, lightweight iPad. Tap into that seething emotion from other line-waiters and your story will be filled with passion.

7.    Jail. If you can’t get yourself arrested, you can at least find a spot in the waiting room to write that dramatic action scene. Plus, you’ll find lots of character archetypes and may even overhear some good plot twists.

The eighth perfect place to write is wherever you can produce your best work.

So what’s your favorite place to write?

www.pennywarner.com

The goal of the blog is to help you and me understand writing and publishing. Rants, comments, questions, and answers most appreciated.

The 9th San Francisco Writers Conference/A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community/February 16-20, 2012/www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog /@SFWC/ www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference

San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean/free classes/www.sfwritersu.com/sfwritersu@gmail.com/@SFWritersU

415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 94109

 

 

 

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Top 10 Tips About Getting Published from The Writer Magazine

January 24, 2012 By 1 Comment

Here is a handout about ten top tips for getting published from what will be an outstanding breakout session that Elfrieda Abbe, publisher of The Writer, will present at the San Francisco Writers Conference, February 16th-19th.

 10. Never underestimate the power of a good contest.

9. Never underestimate the power of a good article.

8. DIY publishing—More writers are doing it successfully, should you?

7. Platform counts.

6. Publishing is moving online. Are you?

5. Think “packaging content.”

4. Polish your work.

3. The “so-what” factor. What makes your story different and why should we care?

2. Make a good first impression.

1. Study the markets and target your submissions.

 

Elfrieda will have handouts about these tips at her session.

I have an article in the February issue of The Writer.

www.writermag.com

For queries and submissions, queries@writermag.com

 

The goal of the blog is to help you and me understand writing and publishing.

Rants, comments, questions, and answers most appreciated.

The 9th San Francisco Writers Conference/A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community/February 16-20, 2012/www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog /@SFWC/ www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference

415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 94109

San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean/free classes/www.sfwritersu.com/sfwritersu@gmail.com/@SFWritersU

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Filed Under: Getting a Book Published
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