We need to cooperate
I am thankful that Barbara has taken the initiative on this. Those of us who are truly independent writers. Need to do as much as we can to promote such efforts. ‘Nuff said!
Don’t Sell Me Your Book—Sell Me YOU!
By Len Lawson
Much has been written in recent years about how the publishing industry and its consumers have changed. The gaps among the success of authors published through traditional publishing, small press, and self-publishing continue to be diminished. The difference in the success remains in the marketing of the product. Regardless of the means of publication, an author in today’s writing industry needs to have a clear marketing strategy for their own work. Publishers may even be more likely to consider an author’s work if authors submit their queries with some options for marketing their books.
The core of these marketing ideas exists in the individual author. Readers not only want to read a good book, but they also want to read from a good author and more books from that author. Then, they will tell their friends about this great new author whose book they read. The more readers can identify with their authors, the more likely they will be return customers. The key here is more transparency, especially for first-time authors. Authors that market themselves can turn readers into fans!
Below I provide some tips for how an author can brainstorm ways to impress agents and publishers how to market—and eventually sell your book.
Much has been written in recent years about how the publishing industry and its consumers have changed. The gaps among the success of authors published through traditional publishing, small press, and self-publishing continue to be diminished. The difference in the success remains in the marketing of the product. Regardless of the means of publication, an author in today’s writing industry needs to have a clear marketing strategy for their own work. Publishers may even be more likely to consider an author’s work if authors submit their queries with some options for marketing their books.
The core of these marketing ideas exists in the individual author. Readers not only want to read a good book, but they also want to read from a good author and more books from that author. Then, they will tell their friends about this great new author whose book they read. The more readers can identify with their authors, the more likely they will be return customers. The key here is more transparency, especially for first-time authors. Authors that market themselves can turn readers into fans!
Below I provide some tips for how an author can brainstorm ways to impress agents and publishers how to market—and eventually sell your book.
- Be unique. To establish a brand, discover a quality that distinguishes you from the millions of other authors in this saturated industry. For example, if you are a teacher, start a blog that is unique to your subject area or to education in general. As a platform, you can speak at teacher conferences or write articles for teacher newsletters to build an audience. Share the story of your career path or your passion for your subject. Once again, the key is transparency. If you have a niche or a passion, then there are readers waiting to learn more about you and subsequently about your writing!
- Be proactive. After you decide who your audience is, find the readers where they are, talk to them directly, and establish more settings to meet readers besides just book signings. Finding book clubs to join or market to is a good idea, but why not start your own book club? Rally other readers around you who enjoy your genre. This creates a built-in audience that can expand exponentially! Don’t just sit back and wait for readers to come after you write your book. Go out and get ‘em before the process starts!
- Be enterprising. Some of the best partners for book marketing are in other industries. Someone you know with their own business can use your assistance in exchange for publicity. For example, a store owner may provide a space for your books in their shop in exchange for publicity. Partner with others who believe in your work. The key here is to be creative and to think like an entrepreneur.
- Be diverse. Since your readers are diverse, different aspects of your book may appeal to different readers. For example, your romance novel may be set at the beach. During the summer, this would be a great read! Therefore, you could market to beach readers or readers going on a long trip. Once again, be creative.
No Namby-Pamby…Just Write It.
By Kimberly Johnson
To borrow a phrase or two from singer/songwriter John Mayer: “It’s better to say too much than to never…Say what you need to say, Say what you need to say…”
Those words underlie the crux of Jason Whitlock’s sports column Real Talk—say what you mean or better yet, write what you mean.
That’s why I relish reading Whitlock’s articles for FoxSports.com. Whitlock has the chops. He majored in Journalism from Ball State University. He’s the first sports writer to win the National Journalism Award for Commentary from the Scripps Howard Foundation. He even played high school football with Jeff George, a former NFL quarterback. He’s got some notoriety for being fired from ESPN.
I want to strengthen my writing style and use Whitlock’s techniques. I don’t if I could take the stones and daggers from his detractors. No worries though, I still like his flair because:
#1: He frames out his main argument in simplistic terms. Most writers know that is not as easy as it sounds.
#2: He provides provocative examples to illustrate his argument.
#3: He has an astute sense of humor.
Here’s one example from a September 7, 2012 column:
Some football fans believe I dislike Peyton Manning and refuse to recognize his greatness out of some twisted loyalty to my high school teammate and former Colts QB Jeff George. …“Breaking Bad” is Peyton Manning. We want both of them to be what they once were. We want them to fulfill their promise. It’s not going to happen. That does not mean I hate either of them. It simply means I’m not going to sit quiet as a significant portion of the media mislead (and in some cases lie) you into believing something that isn’t true. Elway and/or Montana are still the greatest. Tom Brady has the best chance of catching them. Manning is one of the 10 or 15 best QBs to ever play the game.Ouch. For non NFL fans, that’s the equivalent of soap opera diva Susan Lucci slapping a young, blond ingénue in the face for disrespecting her. Again, Whitlock got to the point (Peyton Manning ain’t that great.). He provided an example. (Read the full story online). He gave us a laugh. (Compared him to a t.v.show). By the time this blog comes out, there’ll be a winner in the NCAA basketball tourney. I’m sure that Jason will have a lot to write…and mean it. Source: http://msn.foxsports.com
Finding Your Writing Influence
By Len Lawson
It is
a crucial benefit for writers to discover the authors who have had the most
significant influence on their work. This revelation will help us to understand
what type of writers we truly are and in what direction our writing can and
should go. Without knowing who has influenced us, it remains difficult,
especially for beginners, to understand how we write. However, we do not have
to become the same authors as others who have influenced us. We should use this
knowledge as a door to greater awareness of our individual craft.
For
example, I first became interested in literature in high school. We read the
classics like Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and others, but the one author
we read who intrigued me most was Zora Neale Hurston. When we read her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, I was
overwhelmed with Hurston's diction and dialogue.
Reading
Hurston led me to my writing idol at the time Toni Morrison. However, when I
made the decision to become a writer, my words came out similar to Morrison’s
words with long sentences and many adjectives. When I first allowed others to
read my writing, its density confused them. Moreover, I discovered that
Morrison read much of William Faulkner’s and Virginia Woolf’s writing before
writing her own. Her works are really a combination of both their styles.
I
realized that if I were to become a serious writer, then I would have to
develop my own style. Nonetheless, my influences instantly came out onto the
pages because I had read so much of them. I channeled Hemingway’s use of
dialogue in a matter-of-fact tone. I disseminated Hurston’s African American
dialogue in some of my writing with Southern settings. Furthermore, yes, I did
use what I learned from Morrison’s uniqueness yet sparingly so as not to
confuse my readers. I incorporated the best of those authors fused with my own
creativity and paradigm.
The
result has been a style all my own. Critics might say that I am simply copying
other writers and pasting them into my work. I say that without reading a
variety of styles, writers cannot discover their own. I leave these tips for us
to discover who our writing influences are and to discover who we are as
writers:
- What
writers do you enjoy reading? What is great about these writers and their
works?
- What
can you detect in your own writing that resembles what you see in other
writers you have read?
- What
else can you learn about these writers that can better influence your
writing (i.e. their biography or autobiography, how they became writers,
what writers influenced them)?
- Which
of these writers’ works, if any, most resemble your own?
DJANGO, HISTORICAL BUFFOONERY
By Bonnie Stanard
Anachronisms are the bane of serious historical fiction writers. If we rack up too many, our validity as researchers if not writers is called into question. For those of us who spend a lot of time figuring out things like whether alcoholic drinks were served with a straw in 1858, Leonardo Dicaprio had us choking on our popcorn in the movie Django Unchained. There he was on the screen, surrounded by his slaves and sipping a coconut daiquiri with a straw. Whatever the blood and gore, that straw was indefensible.
As improbable as the straw were some of the situations. Any black person, slave or free, who wore a pistol in 1858 wouldn’t have worn it long. Nor would he sit at a dinner table with white people. And since slaves were considered property worth from $500 to $1500, what owner would damage his own property? And there was a lot of damage here.
But wait a minute. Director Quentin Tarantino signals that the movie is unorthodox on the posters used for promotion. How can anybody take seriously a 19th Century cowboy wearing sunglasses? Obviously Django is not intended as a traditional Western.
In a review of Django, Stephanie Zacharek of NPR claims that if the movie “takes significant liberties with history … , it also faces certain historical truths head-on.” She doesn’t elaborate on these truths and I’m still wondering what they could be. She also says it isn’t a screed because “there’s too much joy in it.” Huh? Did she say “joy?” Amusement … maybe.
Those of us expecting a cowboy adventure of the more typical sort were twisting in our seats by the second half, hardly aware of the playfulness. Early on, I scoffed at the poor approximation of what was supposed to be cotton plants growing in a field. However, Tarantino had everything under control. He hadn’t been so stupid as to accidentally make cotton look like soy beans with blooming boles.
Anyway, director Quentin Tarantino is not easy to interpret. The historical inaccuracies are a way of messing with the concept of suspending disbelief. Even as we immerse ourselves in the story, we are kept out of Django’s world. The movie is a tongue-in-cheek offering that dares you to like it. It’s deliberately provocative.
It’s listed as an “Action” movie but begs for another label, one that will acknowledge the element of absurdity. It’s been well received by critics and has an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. If it weren’t for the violence, I’d watch the movie again with the hope of more insight into Tarantino’s unconventional talent.
For all Zacharek says about Tarantino, her comment about his use of the n-word prompted the most responses, some of them acrimonious (http://www.npr.org/2012/12/24/166898958/tarantinos-genius-unchained). There are critics who reduce Django to that one issue and would throw Tarantino under the bus for using the word. Several weeks ago on my WritePersona blog, I addressed this dilemma, one that haunts those of us who place our stories in the South in the 19th Century. (http://writepersona.blogspot.com -- scroll down to “Tough Words”)
Free Down Loads On Kindle
By Mike Long
Until recently I’ve steadfastly resisted giving any of my books away. Sure, I sent copies to folks for reviews (with mostly good results) and even donated a case to a US Army aviation unit in Afghanistan – but that’s not the same as listing a book as ‘Free’ on Kindle for several days. Why on earth would a sane person do that?
I’m not sure why sane folks do anything, but what pushed me to try a ‘free download’ promo was the fact that I just wasn’t selling many copies as E-books. I had my first novel (No Good Like It Is) and the sequel (Dog Soldier Moon) available on Kindle, Smashwords, Sony, Nook, etc., but was only moving maybe twenty or twenty-five on each per month.
I’d already gone through the Kindle pricing drill, starting at $9.99, then $5.99, then 99 cents and finally establishing my ‘sweet spot’ as $2.99 per. At that price or higher, the author gets 70% of each sale; below that, it’s only 35%.
And when Kindle offered their Kindle Owners Lending Library (KOLL), I was slow to join up (why loan books for free, rather than sell them?) – until I learned that the KOLL program actually pays a little to the participating authors. You do have to give Kindle an ‘exclusive’ on your books, but I’d never received a penny from Sony, Smashwords, Nook, etc. anyhow. Another no-brainer, once I studied it.
And all that led me to the free download promo. A friend explained that the folks who hold out for freebies on Kindle were probably never going to pay for one of my books – unless maybe they got the first one free and just had to have the sequel, especially if it didn’t cost much.
I ran my experiment Nov. 26-30 2012, after a good deal of mostly free advertising. I used Facebook (all my groups therein) and LinkedIn, and found more than a dozen sites that would blog or advertise my effort for little or nothing.
There were over 6500 free downloads during that five day promotion; most (6200) were in the first three days, so a two or three-day promo is probably enough. But what happened afterward is what has really surprised me.
In the nine days since I stopped the promotion, I’ve had over 220 paid downloads (purchases, KOLL Loans) of my first novel; the figures on the sequel aren’t in yet. Remember, I was only doing about 22 of each per month before. I don’t expect this pace to continue, but it’s sweet now.
And there are still 6500+ potential buyers for the sequel. Write On!
YOU WANT ME TO CRITIQUE YOU?
When I was fortunate enough to find the South Carolina Writer’s Workshop, be accepted as a member, and joined the Surfside chapter, I was of course thrilled. I remember discussing how the meetings work. You know, the usual stuff like dates to meet, how to submit my work, how to accept critiques of my work. And then the first meeting came. I remained thrilled and naturally went through all the normal emotions -- excitement, anticipation, nervousness -- all the feelings anyone might experience when they’re about to have their work looked at and yes, scrutinized.
I knew I needed to be open-minded about the critique. I knew not to take the feedback personally and to leave my ego at the door after all, I was in this to learn and to improve.
Then they told me I would also critique others in my group. Huh? Really? Didn’t they know I like to be liked? What would I say to others? I don’t have a PhD in English Lit. I screw up tenses and make the age old mistake with its versus it’s all the time.
Okay. I can do this and so can you. Remember, the person whose work you are reading wants feedback. They want to improve. They wanted to present their work and be scrutinized because it’s a tough, competitive world out there. They are like me. Tired of the family/friend who says, “This is good.” They can’t say why it’s good or bring themselves to point out weaknesses instead, they say, “No. It’s really good. I liked it.” You try to help them along with questions like, “Was the conflict believable? Did the story move along? What about how the protagonist fought the giant ants and then came face-to-face with Bambi’s mother? Did it make sense?” And they respond, “I liked it. It was all good.” Bull. Nothing is all good. Hence the need to find a writer’s group and seek feedback.
So you’re like me and want to be liked. Okay. Just critique the way you would like to be critiqued - honesty with encouragement and give examples of what you mean. Help to focus the writer on the main issues. There are two objectives to a critique. 1) To identify weaknesses; and, 2) Offer constructive advice. That doesn’t mean you have to destroy the author. Be objective and honor the writer’s voice but help them learn so it isn‘t a waste of their time or your own.
I checked out some web sites to assist me in the art of critiquing. I also tried to come up with a checklist to help me. The checklist isn’t all-inclusive but it’s a start that keeps me on track.
Before I give the list, I want to say that you should always let the author know if the type of story you’re asked to read isn’t really your thing. Let’s say it’s a fantasy about animalistic-like aliens who come to earth and take over dog mills so they can conquer the world. Well, fantasy might not be of interest to you so tell the author. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer feedback. You recognize a good story when you see one so provide comment on the areas that matter in any good story telling.
1. Opening - was it captivating? Did you find it interesting? Did it grab your attention?
2. Conflict - is there action? Struggle? Emotional conflict? Something that keeps your interest and makes you want to turn the page?
3. Setting - does the author paint a picture of where the story takes place? Is it consistent to the era? Is there too much detail that drags the story down? Two pages on how the hotel room looked right down to a complete description of bedbugs will probably not help the story plot or keep the reader’s interest.
4. Point of View - is that consistent? Through whose eyes are we seeing the story? Whose emotions are in play? Is there a lot of head hopping?
5. Show Versus Tell - how much is the author telling us and how much does the reader simply know because of how the story is shown? Is the POV consistent with the character? Does it represent how he/she would think, feel, react?
There are other elements as well to a critique. Pacing is important. Does the story move along or slow to a snail in parts? Does it flow well in a logical order? If the story involves flashbacks, is it confusing? Does the reader get lost in to much background information? Does the plot make sense or does it get lost along the way? Is too much time spent on details that get too technical while the main action is left flapping in the wind? Are the characters believable even if they are aliens who bark and quote Hemingway? Is the dialogue consistent to their personality? Can you sense who is speaking without being told? And finally, the mechanics of grammar, spelling, choice of words all play a part. Writer’s know what they want to say, what they intended to say, and when they read back their own words, that’s what they see…even if it isn’t there. I no of what I spoke.
As much as possible, give examples on how to fix the weakness. Offer suggestions without taking over the style and let the author come to their own conclusions on how to improve.
Above all else - praise. That is so important. Add positive comments on where the author did something really good. It might be a funny line or a description, or the story itself that has good potential, but there is always something good that can be found. "We all need to be told where we are very good as well as where we are very, very bad. We cannot grow, otherwise." - Pete Murphy.
For more resources check out: http://www.crayne.com. Also see: shortstorygroup.com; and suite101.com.
Hope to see you at the SCWW Conference October 19-21.
Linda Cookingham (aka. L. Thomas-Cook)
Writer, Photographer, Member of the BOD SCWW, Mother, Wife, Beach Walker, Dog Lover, and all around dreamer.
When I was fortunate enough to find the South Carolina Writer’s Workshop, be accepted as a member, and joined the Surfside chapter, I was of course thrilled. I remember discussing how the meetings work. You know, the usual stuff like dates to meet, how to submit my work, how to accept critiques of my work. And then the first meeting came. I remained thrilled and naturally went through all the normal emotions -- excitement, anticipation, nervousness -- all the feelings anyone might experience when they’re about to have their work looked at and yes, scrutinized.
I knew I needed to be open-minded about the critique. I knew not to take the feedback personally and to leave my ego at the door after all, I was in this to learn and to improve.
Then they told me I would also critique others in my group. Huh? Really? Didn’t they know I like to be liked? What would I say to others? I don’t have a PhD in English Lit. I screw up tenses and make the age old mistake with its versus it’s all the time.
Okay. I can do this and so can you. Remember, the person whose work you are reading wants feedback. They want to improve. They wanted to present their work and be scrutinized because it’s a tough, competitive world out there. They are like me. Tired of the family/friend who says, “This is good.” They can’t say why it’s good or bring themselves to point out weaknesses instead, they say, “No. It’s really good. I liked it.” You try to help them along with questions like, “Was the conflict believable? Did the story move along? What about how the protagonist fought the giant ants and then came face-to-face with Bambi’s mother? Did it make sense?” And they respond, “I liked it. It was all good.” Bull. Nothing is all good. Hence the need to find a writer’s group and seek feedback.
So you’re like me and want to be liked. Okay. Just critique the way you would like to be critiqued - honesty with encouragement and give examples of what you mean. Help to focus the writer on the main issues. There are two objectives to a critique. 1) To identify weaknesses; and, 2) Offer constructive advice. That doesn’t mean you have to destroy the author. Be objective and honor the writer’s voice but help them learn so it isn‘t a waste of their time or your own.
I checked out some web sites to assist me in the art of critiquing. I also tried to come up with a checklist to help me. The checklist isn’t all-inclusive but it’s a start that keeps me on track.
Before I give the list, I want to say that you should always let the author know if the type of story you’re asked to read isn’t really your thing. Let’s say it’s a fantasy about animalistic-like aliens who come to earth and take over dog mills so they can conquer the world. Well, fantasy might not be of interest to you so tell the author. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer feedback. You recognize a good story when you see one so provide comment on the areas that matter in any good story telling.
1. Opening - was it captivating? Did you find it interesting? Did it grab your attention?
2. Conflict - is there action? Struggle? Emotional conflict? Something that keeps your interest and makes you want to turn the page?
3. Setting - does the author paint a picture of where the story takes place? Is it consistent to the era? Is there too much detail that drags the story down? Two pages on how the hotel room looked right down to a complete description of bedbugs will probably not help the story plot or keep the reader’s interest.
4. Point of View - is that consistent? Through whose eyes are we seeing the story? Whose emotions are in play? Is there a lot of head hopping?
5. Show Versus Tell - how much is the author telling us and how much does the reader simply know because of how the story is shown? Is the POV consistent with the character? Does it represent how he/she would think, feel, react?
There are other elements as well to a critique. Pacing is important. Does the story move along or slow to a snail in parts? Does it flow well in a logical order? If the story involves flashbacks, is it confusing? Does the reader get lost in to much background information? Does the plot make sense or does it get lost along the way? Is too much time spent on details that get too technical while the main action is left flapping in the wind? Are the characters believable even if they are aliens who bark and quote Hemingway? Is the dialogue consistent to their personality? Can you sense who is speaking without being told? And finally, the mechanics of grammar, spelling, choice of words all play a part. Writer’s know what they want to say, what they intended to say, and when they read back their own words, that’s what they see…even if it isn’t there. I no of what I spoke.
As much as possible, give examples on how to fix the weakness. Offer suggestions without taking over the style and let the author come to their own conclusions on how to improve.
Above all else - praise. That is so important. Add positive comments on where the author did something really good. It might be a funny line or a description, or the story itself that has good potential, but there is always something good that can be found. "We all need to be told where we are very good as well as where we are very, very bad. We cannot grow, otherwise." - Pete Murphy.
For more resources check out: http://www.crayne.com. Also see: shortstorygroup.com; and suite101.com.
Hope to see you at the SCWW Conference October 19-21.
Linda Cookingham (aka. L. Thomas-Cook)
Writer, Photographer, Member of the BOD SCWW, Mother, Wife, Beach Walker, Dog Lover, and all around dreamer.
Writing Non-fiction with Panache
By Chris Mathews
Writing non-fiction does not have to be a dry,
pedestrian venture. In fact, in today’s internet world, original ways of
approaching real-life events can make the difference between prose that touches
people and prose that bores.
In the piece that follows, I tried to inject the
simple act of doing a project with my grandchild into a piece that captured the
frustration and joy of the experience.
Excavating
the Triceratops with Poppy and Granddaughter Sidney Grace
On
Saturday, August 18th, in Ridgeland ,
South Carolina South Carolina
Poppy and Gracie dug out a triceratops together,
using only a small blue, plastic spade and brush. Gracie did most of the brushing, Poppy
scraped with the spade. This joint expedition took place in the Mathews’ den
atop a glass coffee table.
The team of Poppy and Gracie unearthed this find
by extricating a clay egg enclosed in vacuum-sealed plastic labeled Dino World
Fossil Kit. Excavating instructions were listed on the back in both English and
Spanish:
1) While
over an easily cleanable surface or newspaper, remove the dino egg from its
wrapper. MarMar, grandma,
suggested the kitchen table as the perfect location for this expedition but
Poppy wanted a challenge, so he placed a poster sized “No Diving” sign on the
clear glass wood-rimmed table.
2) Make sure that the egg is firmly held in
place. Carefully, remove dirt using the excavating tools provided (the
previously mentioned spade and brush) Wanting results, Poppy left out the
“carefully”. After shaving slivers for a short time, he squeezed the clay to
smithereens. Gracie reveled in the clay, fragments cascading off the table and
onto the carpet, leaving her looking like a street urchin. Feeling the
exhilaration of risk-takers, the two opted not to “WEAR EYE PROTECTION” as posted
at the bottom of this step.
3) When done removing dirt, clean fossils using
the brush. It is very important to
remove all dirt from holes that are used to connect pieces to allow a more secure
fit.
Poppy discovered this important fact as Gracie brushed off the pieces and he
tried to force the tiny nubs into the dinosaur’s torso.
4) Never force the pieces together. If they are not fitting, check for dirt in
the holes. Poppy jammed the nubs of the legs into the tiny holes, but
only managed to reconstruct a three-legged Triceratops with tail and horned
head. Each time Poppy wedged the last
leg in its hole, another leg fell off. The plastic legs matched the light tan
carpet exactly so finding one that dropped was not easy. After twenty minutes of dropping, picking-up,
and twisting legs, Poppy had taken on the demeanor of a mad scientist. Sidney
Grace, however, did not lose confidence in Poppy. She just kept playing with the clay, spilling
a few crumbs on the carpet as MarMar gleamed with pride at the two with a look
of “I knew it wouldn’t stay on the table”.
Finally, after blowing profusely in the holes
and delicately washing and blow-drying these tiny orifices, Poppy assembled the
Triceratops on four legs. Sidney Grace was impressed, even though Poppy failed
to mount the two back legs in the two holes provided on the plastic stand shown
in the illustration, deeming the stand “for nincompoops”. After the two proudly gazed at their tiny monstrosity,
Marc, Sidney Grace’s dad and Poppy’s son, proclaimed “naptime” for the
smudged-face waif.
SCWW Conference Labor Day Special Offer
By Ginny Padgett
2012
SCWW Conference – October 19-21 – Myrtle
Beach
It’s
that time of year again. School is back in session, football returns to
fan-filled stadia and South Carolina Writers’ Workshop holds its annual
conference.
Here’s
the latest conference news. The early-bird
registration rate ended yesterday (September 1), but if you register by
September 15 and email me at ginnypadgett@sc.rr.com
and tell me you saw this blog, I will extend the $50.00 discount. Additionally,
I’ll extend the deadline for purchasing a manuscript critique to September 15.
Registration
remains open until October 17; however, you’ll pay full price and only pitch and query-letter critique appointments remain
for sale.
I hope you’ll join us for the conference. It’s an excellent opportunity to network with other
writers and industry professionals, hone your craft, expand your knowledge of
publishing trends…and who knows, come away with a book deal! It’s going to be a great weekend for writers in South Carolina
Take
a look at the weekend activities that will mark the 22nd SCWW Conference. (See http://columbiawritersworkshop.blogspot.com/search/label/Ginny%20Padgett) You can go to www.myscww.org/conference/ for all the information, including links to registering for
the conference and making your Hilton reservations.
Playing Tennis with the Net Down
By Bonnie Stanard
Robert Frost was quoted as saying,
“Writing in free verse is like playing tennis with the nets down.” I would ask,
If you’re playing tennis with the nets down, are you playing tennis?
Free verse is usually defined as verse
without meter or rhyme. Most poetry I read today is free verse, whether we
classify it by form as narrative, lyric, sonnet, etc.
Take a
look at the excerpt below from “Nightclub”, written by former poet laureate
Billy Collins and printed without its versification. Is this poetry or
prose?
You are so beautiful and I am a
fool to be in love with you is a theme that keeps coming up in songs and poems.
There seems to be no room for variation. I have never heard anyone sing I am so
beautiful and you are a fool to be in love with me, even though this notion has
surely crossed the minds of women and men alike.
Prose poems have enthusiastic
defenders. This is a poem that “appears as prose, but reads like poetry,”
according to www.poets.org. I’d like to know what reads like poetry means. Prose poems throw out meter and rhyme as
well as versification. What meaningful difference is there between prose poems
and flash fiction? For poets to stake a claim on prose can only mean the genre
is desperate for an audience.
Some poets are staking out territory in
music. Poetry on Record, a CD
collection, includes several poets reciting to music. I have to wonder when
some writer will come out with a CD collection of, not lyric poems, but “song
poems” with a trio knocking off a beat in the background.
Poetry slams, defined as performance
poetry, have emerged as competitive events. In this case, the success or
failure of a poem depends not so much on the merits of the writing as the
performer’s ability to entertain. Written representations of these poems convey
less in terms of drama or substance.
Fiction writers rehash characters and
plots that have been around since the first written words. They’re able to make
prose interesting for the contemporary reader without abandoning the devices
that serve the style, things like dialogue, foreshadowing, symbolism,
narration, point of view, etc.
In the 20th Century, rhyme morphed into
assonance/dissonance, and meter went from structured beat/lines such as iambic
pentameter to syllabic and blank verse. Innovation in poetry today seems to be
missing the mark. Why have we abandoned rhyme and meter rather than pioneer
revolutionary varieties? Surely there are more avenues to explore. Aren’t
there?
Working Behind the Scenes
We’ve been very busy over here at
SCWW and hope that you have noticed our work. In the last two months, we have:
Updated the website
Opened conference
2012 registration
Assembled the
conference faculty
Found a keynote
speaker
Decided on classes
and seminars for the weekend
Selected
volunteers to assist with the conference
The majority of the above has been
accomplished through the tireless efforts of our organization president and
conference chair, Ginny Padgett.
What have you been up to? I hope you have been
thinking about joining us in October. Or that you have been telling your
friends about what a great time we have in Myrtle Beach
Whether or not you’ve been thinking
about coming to the conference this year, let me tell you a bit about what we
have planned: sessions on social media; sessions by some of SCWW’s own on their
adventures in getting published; an interactive discussion with Patti Callahan
Henry, our 2012 Keynote speaker; sessions specifically geared to non-fiction,
memoir, children’s literature and a Friday intensive especially for poets or
anyone seeking a new way to be inspired. There are also slushfests, which are a
big hit every year; book signings by the authors on faculty; and the critiques,
pitches and real-time queries we have each year. We hope you’ll be as thrilled
as we are with the things on offer this year.
If you’re available the weekend of
October 19 – 21, we’d love to see you there. In the meantime, send us an email
or leave us a comment, let us know what you think of everything we’ve been up
to. You could even let us know what you’re up to.
A Tome, Extensive Research and a Good Story.
By Alex Raley
Big books were the norm in college and graduate school. I also read such books for pleasure, but as I
moved forward in time I found tomes rarely held my attention.
Recently a friend passed on to me a novel of 847 single-spaced
pages. How could I tell him that I don’t read tomes? I kept it for six months
without opening the cover. Then in January, 2012, I realized that I was 80
years old. To read the book might take the rest of my life. I knew I’d better
get on with it.
I found myself buried in a page-turner: Stephen King’s 11/22/63.
Why was this book gripping my mind? On the surface, the novel did not
appear to be worth 847 pages, but an analysis of how King kept my attention
began to turn up some answers:
- The novel has a theme that is always present, though, its pinnacle is close to the end of the novel.
- There are several subplots that are interesting in their own way. King weaves them into the overall story and theme.
- The characters in all the plots are skillfully drawn.
- Details flow as easily as the dialogue. In fact, most of the story and details are moved forward by dialogue.
- The novel takes an almost overworked time-space-travel idea and makes it a great tool to address King’s philosophical stance.
- Yes, King is philosophical here. He poses the question of whether we should tamper with destiny, even if this were possible. He takes his main character back in time-travel several times before he takes a firm philosophical position, which piles on more intrigue for the reader.
- The work is based on an amazing amount of research. So much research that one has to forgive an occasional mishap. King can afford a research assistant, but he also visited many of the sites himself.
- 11/22/63 has plenty of gory actions to please all King lovers. For those who don’t like gore, the final trip back in time erases most of the blood and guts. You are left with only a memory of the gore.
We have all been surfeited with
how-to workshops, but I found that a reading and analysis of King’s novel gave
me examples to hang my hat on. This was not someone telling me what to do but
my own examination of a successful author’s work. I tried the same examination
on the work of a little known author. I easily could see why he is little
known.
The next time you are tempted to
pay for a how-to seminar, try reading and analyzing the work of a good author.
It’s cheaper, and you might even be entertained while you are being
informed.
Wallabies in the Bathroom
How many people have a wallaby toilet
paper holder? Not many. They are cute animals. So why don't more of
us have them?
Recently my husband and I rented a
house for a few days in northern Michigan. We saw photos on the
Internet of the family's big game hunting exploits. Stuffed heads
(and complete animals—more than 70) hung on the walls. They were
above eye level, and I could ignore most of them. I didn't look up
much. My daughter is a vegetarian. Enough said.
In two of the bathrooms taxidermied
wallabies held the toilet paper like a servant from bygone times.
That gave me paws.
Once I got over the shock of a
wallaby's adorable face, furry ears and vacant eyes—and avoided the
little paws—I thought it might be an opportunity for inspiration.
I recently revised and finished a
picture book for my four-year-old granddaughter I wrote and
illustrated a long time ago. The illustrations were crayon drawings.
The story had little plot, no conflict and no satisfying ending. I
rewrote the story with a plot, conflict and an ending. With Photoshop
Elements I turned the illustrations into a cute little story about a
frog who escapes from an octopus. I know frogs and octopi live in
mutually exclusive environments, but my granddaughter loved it.
Inspiration can come anytime, anywhere.
A story began gestating in my mind. I have a vague idea of a picture
book about a wallaby. But I'm not an artist. I'm a digital
scrapbooker. I don't have a clue how to draw a wallaby. If I figure
that out I can use Photoshop to separate the drawing into its
disparate parts, then cobble them together in different poses. The
wallaby in my story will never encounter a hunter, because that's too
scary for little children. He will have an adventure, escape some
difficulty and live happily ever after.
My granddaughter is enamored of
princesses. How about a wallaby princess who wants to have adventures
instead of being rescued by the handsome wallaby prince? Princesses
can do anything: have adventures, slay dragons, rescue princes. A
tale of star crossed lovers whose wallaby clans have been feuding
forever? Or the wallaby princess who rescues the wallaby prince from
the big bag wolf.
Right now I'm in Vermont on a mountain
with my son's in-laws. No wallabies here. Last night while we slept I
think the forest crept closer to the house. I'm going to pace it off
to see if it really did. There's a premise for a creepy horror story:
what happens when the trees encroach on the house? Hopefully, I won't
be around when that happens. I'm leaving in the morning.
The point is that inspiration comes in
many forms. We just need to look and truly see, and listen with our
hearts.
Wait. There is so much wilderness here
in the Green Mountains. What if a woman's car breaks down on a
country road, and, when she goes for help, she meets a seemingly
ordinary family who conceals a horrible secret. There's a creepy
story there somewhere. Beware, this won't be a child's cautionary
tale about a wallaby. You won't want to go outside in the dark after
you read this one....
THE GIFT HORSE YOU LOOKED IN THE MOUTH
In February, The Quill offered our members a free
subscription to a service called AUTHOR SALON, a 24/7 writer’s conference
complete with online critique groups AND a slew of big time agents and editors who regulary shop member's work.
Michael Neff, the gracious brainchild behind AS told me he was disappointed that there was
no response from our membership besides me.
Granted the signup process is hard for folks who hadn’t been
to one of his pitch conferences. It
forces you to think of your work on a marketing level that often times reveals
the flaws in your story. But the good news is, AS also requires that you be in
an AS online critique group made up of members who write in your genre, and
with four other sets of eyes, the flaws are easy to fix.
Does it require a lot of time? YES. But each month, dozens of projects written by aspiring authors on Author Salon have been
requested by New York publishers and literary agents on both coasts--all part
of Author Salon's ongoing "Literary Showcase" initiative. Genres
represented include mystery, young adult fantasy, upmarket and general fiction,
women's fiction, adult fantasy and SF, historical fiction, and more.
Which is where the gift horse comes in. If you looked at AS http://authorsalon.com
and found the FREE lifetime membership daunting, but you’re still in this to publish, look again. You may have to pay a few dollars a month for
the service, but it’s worth it if for no other reason than you’ll know IF your
idea is marketable, and you’ll have a clear understanding of HOW to sell your work
at The South Carolina Writers' Workshop Conference in October. And, most importantly, you’ll have a polished first 50 pages and a great pitch,
which makes a dandy query letter.
Adventures in Book Publishing, Part 1
To hell with New York publishers. I’ll do it
myself.
No, that’s not quite the reason I printed my own book. To
echo M. J. Rose’s article in last month’s Quill, I decided upon a unique way to
market my book on the Internet by appealing to my niche market.
What’s my niche? My protagonist is Penelope, my 9th
great grandmother who was shipwrecked in 1648 on her first day in America and
scalped on her third day. She survived to have 10 children and 502 descendents
when she died at age 110 (as the legend says). This tale fascinates every
genealogist who stumbles across it (like I did), and obviously Penelope had a
lot of descendents. Genealogists tend to flock together on the Internet to
share information about common ancestors and to share email addresses.
The e-book route might appear to be the logical
companion to email marketing, but my daughter owns a real bookstore, Fiction
Addiction in Greenville, SC, and e-books are her enemy. Furthermore,
genealogists will want to possess and display a printed copy of a book about
their ancestors. I know I do—even if I had to write it myself. And you can’t
autograph an e-book.
To start the process, I looked at book selling from the
bookstore’s perspective. The retail price of historical novels of 300 to 400
pages in trade paperback is about $15. The bookstore expects a discount of 40%
off the list price, free delivery, the option to return unsold books, and a
long time to pay for them.
Many “self-publishers,” such as iUniverse, set the retail
price but they set it too high—$20 for a book equivalent to mine. Furthermore,
many self-publishers concentrate on selling “author packages,” not books. And they offer none of the terms a bookstore
expects. The author can’t even buy them cheaply enough to sell to a bookstore.
Thus iUniverse books are seldom found in a bookstore simply because of
economics, regardless of the quality of the writing.
Other publishers, such as Lightning Source and
CreateSpace, let the author set the price and provide options to get your book
into the book distribution system. But those expensive distribution options
consume almost all the revenue from selling the book.
Many unpublished writers operate under the fallacy that
if a book is printed, every bookstore in the country will carry it. The truth
is that it’s a pull system, not a push system. Your book only gets into a
bookstore or the hands of a reader if someone asks for it. If the
Barnes&Noble corporate buyer asks for it, then all right! Otherwise,
someone (that is, you) has to persuade each individual bookstore owner or each individual
reader to ask for it. Marketing is the beginning and end.
The third option is to print a bunch of copies, that
is, to become a traditional publisher. I found that I could get 250 copies
printed and shipped to me for less than $5.00 a copy. At least my economics are
reasonable: a bookstore will sell my book for $15 and pay me $9 for something
that cost me $5. I once hauled 1400 Nicholas Sparks hardcover copies to a book
signing, so 250 paperbacks sounded manageable. Indeed, my stack of seven boxes
occupied less space than my body.
Next question: How do I get my book into lots of
bookstores?
The answer: I only need my book in one bookstore.
Why: My marketing scheme involves email and the
Internet. The Law of Instant Gratification says that if I interest a person in
my book, I need to provide a convenient way for her to order it immediately.
Most websites have a link to Amazon or B&N. My link is to my daughter’s
bookstore; her inventory is also on Amazon Marketplace and B&N Marketplace.
What are the advantages of a real bookstore? The
website looks legitimate; they handle credit cards online, collect sales tax,
wrap and ship; track shipments; and are in business every day.
Make this offer to your favorite bookstore (assuming it
already does a significant volume of on-line business): here’s a box of my
signed books; I will direct traffic to your website; you sell and ship the
books; quarterly you pay me 60% of the selling price; call me if you sell out
and I’ll bring more.
Pick a nearby bookstore if you agree to personalize the
signings because you’ll drive there often, especially if most of your customers
are your 10th cousins.
Next time--the details of preparing a manuscript for
the book printer.
Jim McFarlane
Author of Penelope:
A Novel of New Amsterdam
Available at www.fiction-addiction.com/si/9780061804199N.html
Secret Diary
4/26/2012
Its 3:46 A.M. and I’m
sitting in my recliner pecking away on my laptop. Assigned the task of
producing a thought-provoking article for our organizational website, I plod
along, deleting more words than I allow to remain. The import of what I am
doing an ever present burden, I write thoughts that will be read, or at least
looked over, by several people, maybe even four.
I’m supposed to be
writing a blog. Even old people, such as I, know what a blog is; it’s a web
log. Why it’s not called a web log, welog, wlog, web message, or online diary
is less clearly understood. I think I’ll title this one SECRET DIARY, probably
not though, wouldn’t want to disappoint so many when they learn there’s no sex
in it, but then again. Grammar police
– If you think, the second sentence of this paragraph should read “old people
like me” take it up with Elvis Presley, he sang “a fool such as I” and you
didn’t ding him for that.
In my previous blog, I
wrote of the enormous possibilities for dissemination of information through
social media. I thought I was leading a charge of well-educated people into a
new and exciting way of promoting one’s writing.
Since then, I’ve learned many literate people
don’t even check their email regularly. Many don’t FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube,
or even Link In. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion some intelligent people
don’t have cable, broadband, or Wi-Fi in their homes and might not turn on
their computers for days at a time! I’ve even heard of a person who still uses
a typewriter and pen and paper to write! They don’t use smart phones, Ipads, or
Kindles! How do I deal with such an astounding revelation? I must admit, I went
through a stage of denial when first confronted with this information. This
couldn’t be, not in 2012!
Then I made a discovery
that might explain this situation. Libraries and bookstores still exist. People
actually go to them, physically, to borrow or buy books. Theaters still exist
and people visit them to watch movies. How Quaint!
The literary world is in
the midst of a paradigm shift. Some reside in the old, others in the new, and,
as always, many haven’t a clue. Who am I to judge which is the better milieu?
I don’t think I’ll live long enough to see the
apex of the pendulum swing into modernity. Maybe I should just play it as it
lays and do the best I can by interacting with those who use technology; oh,
and not use as many clichés and metaphors.SCWWsecretary
Conference Volunteers and Hotel Information
The deadline for
submitting your application to be a volunteer for this year’s conference is
fast approaching. There is still time to request and submit an application.
Contact me at scwwveep@gmail.com and
I’ll get an application to you as soon as possible.
As
I said in my April 4, blog there are no special requirements to be a volunteer
other than being a member in good standing of South Carolina Writers’ Workshop
through the end of the conference. For information on your membership renewal
date contact Jim McFarlane at scwwtreasurer@juno.com.
And don’t forget
there are discounts for early reservations at our host hotel, the Myrtle Beach
Hilton. We don’t have the reservation
code yet; once it’s available, it will be added to the conference area of our
website. We ask anyone considering attending the conference please use the code
when making their reservation.
The hotel doesn’t
charge your credit card when you reserve a room. Your card is only charged when
you check-in so reserving early costs you nothing, but it does let the Hilton
know that our members are interested in our event. The deadline for receiving
the discounted price for your Hilton hotel stay is September 12, 2012.
SCWW Website
The long wait is almost over. The SCWW Board has been planning and saving for a website revamp for almost two years. Hopefully within a few more weeks, we'll unveil a new content-management site that we'll be able to update at will. The address will remain the same, only the appearance will be fresh and new. We'll let you know via FaceBook, Twitter and the Quill when it's up and running.
PS: Don't forget the annual SC Book Festival, May 18-20. Two Master Writing Classes will be offered on Friday, May 18, 2012 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The classes run from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Registration is $35 per person. Topics include the "How to Get Published" with faculty Eric Liebetrau, Elizabeth Keenan, and Signe Pike and "Children's Writing: The Road to Publication" with faculty Kami Kinard. Register and pay online at www.scbookfestival.org.
PS: Don't forget the annual SC Book Festival, May 18-20. Two Master Writing Classes will be offered on Friday, May 18, 2012 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The classes run from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Registration is $35 per person. Topics include the "How to Get Published" with faculty Eric Liebetrau, Elizabeth Keenan, and Signe Pike and "Children's Writing: The Road to Publication" with faculty Kami Kinard. Register and pay online at www.scbookfestival.org.
The Last Minute
By Martha Greenway, SCWW Contests Chair
I hate to admit it but all too often I live by the adage, “If it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done.” But, you don’t have to live that way! Today is April 8 and you have twenty-two days to submit an entry in the 2012 Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Awards contest.
There are some major changes this year. First, the deadline now coincides with The Petigru Review (March 1 - April 30). Next, the first place award is a full scholarship (including the Friday night banquet) to the Annual Conference in October and the second place winner receives a free 30-minute critique at the Annual Conference plus the Friday night banquet and both first and second place winners will be published in The Petigru Review.
We’re going green, all submissions are electronic. No more printing out four copies of your submission and mailing those heavy packages.
You can submit one each in three genres: First Chapter Novel (up to 3,500 words), Fiction (up to 2,500 words) and Nonfiction (up to 2,000 words). Check out all the guidelines at www.myscww.org. Click on 2012 Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Awards or SCWW Contests.
Be inspired by the rebirth of spring and create something new or dust off an older manuscript, do a little re-writing if needed but submit.
I hate to admit it but all too often I live by the adage, “If it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done.” But, you don’t have to live that way! Today is April 8 and you have twenty-two days to submit an entry in the 2012 Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Awards contest.
There are some major changes this year. First, the deadline now coincides with The Petigru Review (March 1 - April 30). Next, the first place award is a full scholarship (including the Friday night banquet) to the Annual Conference in October and the second place winner receives a free 30-minute critique at the Annual Conference plus the Friday night banquet and both first and second place winners will be published in The Petigru Review.
We’re going green, all submissions are electronic. No more printing out four copies of your submission and mailing those heavy packages.
You can submit one each in three genres: First Chapter Novel (up to 3,500 words), Fiction (up to 2,500 words) and Nonfiction (up to 2,000 words). Check out all the guidelines at www.myscww.org. Click on 2012 Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Awards or SCWW Contests.
Be inspired by the rebirth of spring and create something new or dust off an older manuscript, do a little re-writing if needed but submit.
April showers bring… Conference Volunteers in October?
It’s April. Pollen was floating through the air and coating every surface until the rains came. The azaleas in front of my patio have bloomed. So of course, the bees are all over the place. I’ve turned on my air conditioner. Have I mentioned Columbia is already hot? On Monday, it was 90º and this is only the beginning.
This is spring in the south and these are some of the things we’ve gotten accustomed to dealing with around here.
Another thing I’ve gotten accustomed to in the spring is creating a To-Do List for SCWW.
This year it isn’t a long list:
1) Clean out last year’s stuff – make room for 2012
2) Make list of potential faculty for this year’s conference
3) Do we have enough bags for the conference?
4) Do we still have volunteer buttons from last year?
5) Where are the badge holders and lanyards?
6) MUST CLEAN STORAGE UNIT
7) Get Volunteers for 2012
On Saturday, I crossed number 6 off my list and found answers to 3, 4 and 5. I spent several hours cleaning out SCWW’s storage unit and making notes and lists for this year.
Now, I’m working on item 7: getting volunteers.
A few weeks ago our Quill special edition came out announcing that we are looking for volunteers. So far the response has been pretty good, but I would like encourage any SCWW member in good standing to apply to be a volunteer at the conference. We don’t require any special skills or talents, just an enthusiasm for SCWW and a desire to help your fellow members have the best conference experience possible.
There are part-time and full-time opportunities available. Both will require the volunteer to work a few hours each day during the conference. Full-time volunteers receive free attendance to the conference while part-time volunteers get a 50% discount on the conference registration cost. All volunteers are responsible for their travel and lodging.
There are some pre-conference opportunities available such as: publicity, gathering items for the silent auction and setting up for the event to name a few. So if you’d rather work during the year leading up to the conference we have that as an option as well.
To request an application send me an email at scwwveep@gmail.com and I’ll email you back as quickly as I can.
This is spring in the south and these are some of the things we’ve gotten accustomed to dealing with around here.
Another thing I’ve gotten accustomed to in the spring is creating a To-Do List for SCWW.
This year it isn’t a long list:
1) Clean out last year’s stuff – make room for 2012
2) Make list of potential faculty for this year’s conference
3) Do we have enough bags for the conference?
4) Do we still have volunteer buttons from last year?
5) Where are the badge holders and lanyards?
6) MUST CLEAN STORAGE UNIT
7) Get Volunteers for 2012
On Saturday, I crossed number 6 off my list and found answers to 3, 4 and 5. I spent several hours cleaning out SCWW’s storage unit and making notes and lists for this year.
Now, I’m working on item 7: getting volunteers.
A few weeks ago our Quill special edition came out announcing that we are looking for volunteers. So far the response has been pretty good, but I would like encourage any SCWW member in good standing to apply to be a volunteer at the conference. We don’t require any special skills or talents, just an enthusiasm for SCWW and a desire to help your fellow members have the best conference experience possible.
There are part-time and full-time opportunities available. Both will require the volunteer to work a few hours each day during the conference. Full-time volunteers receive free attendance to the conference while part-time volunteers get a 50% discount on the conference registration cost. All volunteers are responsible for their travel and lodging.
There are some pre-conference opportunities available such as: publicity, gathering items for the silent auction and setting up for the event to name a few. So if you’d rather work during the year leading up to the conference we have that as an option as well.
To request an application send me an email at scwwveep@gmail.com and I’ll email you back as quickly as I can.
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