Time to Write

Red alert: Undead Press? Keep Walking!

Thanks the excellent Writer Beware Blog for a heads-up about Undead Press. Writer Mandy DeGuit submitted a story to an anthology published by Undead Press and when she got her copy she was astonished to find they had made big changes including giving the main character a memory of animal abuse and adding a suggestion of rape at the end.

When she wrote to the publisher to complain, here is what he answered:

"it clearly says publisher has the right to EDIT work. you signed it. are you saying you are a dishonest and immoral person and will now try to deny you signed the contract? well i have a copy right here and as for the story. the editor had a hard time with it, it was very rough and he did alot (sic) to make it readable. despite what you think, your writing has a long way to go before its worthy of being printed professionally. we did what we had to do to make the story printable. you should be thankful, not complaining. ah, the ungrateful writer, gotta love it"

Hmm, if a story is not ready to be printed, how about rejecting it?

Apparently other authors have had similar issues.

I wouldn't be caught dead submitting anything to a publisher with the attitude of Anthony Giangregorio of Undead Presss. How about you?

(What does Chekhov advise about showing rather than telling? You'll find out in my newest book, "Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and available now from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

Self-publishers, beware!

If you’re thinking of self-publishing, beware! You are the new target of a lot of scamsters and people offering overpriced or unnecessary services. Over the past six months I’ve seen these people come out of the woodwork. They’ll milk writers until there’s not much left and then they’ll ride some other trend to make more money from unsuspecting folks.

The excellent Writer Beware Blog pointed to e-Publishing Revo, which promises 100% royalties (which actually is 70% for books you price between $2.99 and $9.99, and 45% of list price for books costing more or less than that range. How is that 100%?).

The company behind e-Publishing is Bookwhirl, which Writer Beware describes as a “notorious Internet spammer.” WB also points out that are various inconsistencies in the description of what you get for the sums e-Pubishinging Revo asks for helping you self-publish, and in the fine print it mentions that if you buy their package you’re also agreeing to be contacted by email, mail, and telephone about other products and services they want to sell you.

 Sounds like one to stay away from.

Although you can do all of the tasks that go with self-publishing, some people don't have time or don't like dealing with technology, so I'm not saying all companies that offer to provide these services for you are bad. However, before you hand over any money do a Google search, see what others are saying, and be sure that the terms and conditions are absolutly clear before you sign anything.

 

Inkubate? It may incubate a long time before this writing scheme works!

I had an email asking me what I think of a venture called Inkubate. 

The site (www.inkubate.com) lets writers post their work on the site and charges publishers to have access to it. 

I have a hunch that if I asked my publishers what they think of that idea I couldn't print the answer in a family blog.

There is no sifting on the part of the people running the site, which means there's no quality control. It's asking publishers to, in effect, pay to access a great big slush pile. 

The site has been in beta for quite a while--in July 2011 they were saying when the full site is launched authors will get paid when excerpts are read by publishers or agents. Now, April 2012, it says the same thing. 

I wondered whether lurking somewhere in the background is the intention to ask authors to pay for posting their material. Sure enough, the Frequently Asked Questions says "Right now, it costs you nothing to post your work."

Also the terms and conditions make reference to the writer's current annual subscription fees. 

Yes, I think we can see where this is headed. Furthermore, they stipulate that if you list your manuscript with them, you can't independently seek an agent or publisher.

I'd say at least until you see a complete list of the agents and publishers who have signed up to use the service, and confirmed at least one or two yourself, my advice is stay away.

(For friendly guidance from idea through to publication, see my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

 

The increasing need for stories you can write (zombie edition)

If you want to write for money these days you need to expand your vision of how stories can be used. Award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman ("The Lessons") turned her story-telling talent to use in helping create "Zombies Run!" 

It's a phone fitness app that motivates runners by telling them that zombies are chasing them. If you go too slow, you'll hear the moans of your brains-eating pursuers. You take on the role of "Runner 5," who has to collect crucial supplies to help save non-zombie civilisation.

You'll also hear messages from fellow survivors and there is a kind of storyline, presumably featuring the gruesome deaths of a few runners who gave up too soon. 

The first "season" consists of 24 episodes as well as plot-free sessions and season two is in progress. It works on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android, through headphones. You set the speed based on your level of fitness and how far you want to run, and you can add your own custom music playlist. 

The project was funded via Kickstarter, the crowdfunding site. You can find out more at http://www.zombiesrungame.com. 

(I've heard that zombies are especially drawn to people who haven't yet bought my latest book, "Your Creative Writing Masterclass," so if I were you I'd get it right away from Amazon or your other favourite bookseller.)

 

Writing 12 novels in 12 months with Crowd Funding

The novelist Matt Forbeck (“Amortals”) has set himself an impressive goal: write twelve novels in twelve months, to add to his previous sixteen. He described the venture in a post at suvudu.com.

“I had the ability, but not the money, so I found ways to hedge my bets. In a world in which ebooks are starting to dominate, length isn’t as much of an issue, so I decided to go with shorter novels, about 50,000 words each. I also chose to line up pre-orders for the books through Kickstarter, the world’s top crowdfunding platform. Since I’d be writing without an advance, that gave me the money I needed to feed my family while I worked on the projects.

I call this plan 12 for ‘12. So far, it’s been a smashing success. I broke the dozen novels down into four trilogies of books, and I’m running a Kickstarter drive for each one of them. The first two were fully funded and then some, ranking in the top twelve — there’s that number again — fiction projects ever on Kickstarter. Today (March 31), I’m finishing up the third book, meaning that I’ve completed three novels in the last three months, each on schedule.”

His Kickstarter crowdfunding goal for the first book was $3000 and he actually raised $13,276. If you’re considering trying this kind of campaign you might be interested in the incentives he offered.

 The 56 people who pledged $5 will get an ebook edition of the first in the first trilogy, the 92 who pledged $25 get a personalized and autographed ebook edition, an mp3 of a song and will be named as a Player in the credits.

The 27 who pledged $35 also get a limited edition softcover of the first novel and named as a Citizen in the credits.

 The 16 who pledged at least $50 get all that and will named as an Accomplice in the credits.

There are more levels, all the way up to one backer who pledged $1000 or more and will collaborate with the author to create a major superhero or villain (an Alpha) and will be named as an Alpha in the credits. 

There were no takers for the $2500 or $5000 levels, the latter of which would have seen the author fly to the donor anywhere in the world to deliver 50 hardcover copies of the novel for a reading and signing for the donor and friends. (To see the video and other details of this part of the crowdfunding campaign, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-10-bnw-novels)

The campaign for the second book raised $12,800, with the highest pledge being $500.

Obviously it helps enormously if you already have a loyal following. If you are unknown and want people to fund your book you will have to have a vey appealing story, a compelling video, some great incentives, and the time and energy to use social media to reach your target audience.

 (Who knows about how to write? How about Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen? Their advice to writers--along with the advice of more than another modern and classic authors--is in 'Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller now.)

 

 

Date the Author - can the reality show be far behind?

On April first I got this email from Limehouse Books:

    At Limehouse Books we like to put social at the heart of everything we do, whether it's organising events, connecting on Twitter and Facebook, or hosting parties. We've been trying to think how we could be even more social, then we had a brilliant idea: why not let our community of readers make intimate connections with our list of talented authors. And so we created Limehouse Dates.

    All you have to do is visit the Limehouse Books website, where you'll be able to view profiles of the available authors. You can then email dates@limehousebooks.co.uk to begin the process to arrange your date. All Limehouse Books takes is a small management fee. Please watch our promotional video to get a taster of what's on offer.

    Bobby Nayyar, Limehouse’s MD, said, ‘A lot of publishing houses have been creating new ventures, to further utilise the talents they have on their lists. We thought about it carefully and decided to create Limehouse Dates, as we have a list of young, talented and attractive authors. This seemed like the natural way forward. All prospective dates are rigorously vetted, and have so far been completely satisfied with their evenings out, and in.’

Of course the fact that it arrived on April Fool's Day wasn't lost on me, but given the emphasis on sharing everything every moment of the day via Social Networking and the fact that authors are encouraged to do everything possible to market their books, can a real version of this be far behind? Hmm, I feel an idea for a reality show coming on...

(Want to get writing advice from Mark Twain, Anton Chekhov, and Ernest Hemingway? It's in my newest book, Your Creative Writing Masterclass, published by Nicholas Brealey and available now from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

Video: Hunter Thompson & Kafka make a weird odd-couple bookseller promo

The online book sales site Good Reads donates all profits to Oxfam. They have commissioned a series of animations on great writers and good books. They started with one that promotes the odd couple of Hunter Thompson and Kafka, with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Metamorphosis, respectively. 

I wouldn't put Thompson in the same league as Kafka, nor consider him a "great" writer, but the animation certainly is one of the stranger promotional productions I've ever seen. You can watch it below (slightly unsafe for the office--one f-bomb slurred by the actor channeling Thompson). 

 

(You can order my books from Good Books --the url is www.UseGoodBooks.com; they send books all over the world postage free. You can adjust the currency in which the prices are shown, but using the selector at the top right of their page. Why not get your copy of my newest book there--it's Your Creative Writing Masterclass, published by Nicholas Brealey.)

The 3 elements that made "Hunger Games" such a successful book series

We're about to get caught up in "The Hunger Games" movie mania, but why were the books so successful?

First, it was a great concept: teens threatened by the Establishment (which teen doesn't feel that way?) with the threat pushed to the limit, namely death (did you like melodrama when you were a teen?).

The Games have an element of reality TV, which is very big with teens. In fact, Susan Collins, the author, told Publisher's Weekly the idea came to her when she was channel surfing and noticed contestants competing on a reality show and then coverage of the war in Iraq. They "began to blur in a very unsettling way."

She put both a boy and a girl at the center of the story, which increased the appeal of the book for notoriously reading-shy boys, as did the high level of action and violence.

There was also the marketing. In the Whiskey and Gunpowder newsletter, Jeffrey Tucker wrote, "The marketing guru behind the push -- and don't kid yourself, for everything needs marketing -- is Tim Palen. He began his work three years ago. He used social media to the max. He had video and smartphone app games created. He tweeted constantly. He made puzzles based on finding pieces within Twitter. He worked on amazing posters and pushes of every sort. Not one day went by when he and his staff weren't pushing some button."

The fact that it was banned (on the basis of being too violent) from some school libraries probably only helped.

Tucker warns,"But here's another thing to know about this. There is no point in marketing -- and it certainly doesn't work over the long haul -- if the essential product isn't good. You have to have both: good selling technique and something good to sell. Only then does the magic happen."

That applies to these books as well. Most critics felt the books were well written and they have found the holy grail of YA books: crossover, meaning adults read them as well. 

There we have what is about as close as we probably ever will get to a formula for success for Young Adult or other novels:

1. A concept that resonates with the readers by integrating or referencing some things they know about, introducing them to something new (in this case, the post-Apocalyptic world), and having a theme that appeals emotionally to the target audience.

2. Good writing.

3. Clever, consistent, unrelenting marketing. 

Easy to specify, hard to do. Did anybody promise you it would be easy? (If they did, they were selling something.)

(You'll find friendly guidance to take you from idea through to publication in my book, "Your Writing Coach." If you want to find out what the greatest writers of all time, including Dickens, Chekhov and Austen, said about how to write, get my newest book, "Your Creative Writing Masterclass." Both are published by Nichoals Brealey and avialable from Amazon and other book sellers.)

Writers: still holding back on using social media? Read this.

This is a guest post from Dave Thomas, Business.com:

Some authors are reluctant to use the social media to promote their craft. The reasons can be include the notion that not much is gained from the time expenditure, there is no perfect way to track a return on investment (ROI), and social media is essentially a fad that will come and go.

If those are your concerns, take a minute to consider these benefits:

•  It gives the author the ability to have real-time interaction with your readers. You are able to get instant feedback from readers, both good and bad;
•  It puts you in the conversation. Authors can participate in chat rooms, forums and more, to interact with readers and other authors;
•  It gives you the ability to stand out as a respected writer in your area of expertise; 
• When you use a site such as LinkedIn you can join groups specific to your targeted areas of writing to share and discuss your work and that of others;
• It assists you in promoting upcoming book tours and signings, conferences, etc. Instead of sending out a press release you can simply go to social networking sites and alert readers to where you will be.

Marketing Your Writing

Use social media to determine where your most likely readers are hanging out online so you are using targeted marketing.Try some of these tips:

• Register on a number of social media sites so that all your eggs are not all in one basket;
  
  
• Update on a regular basis so that you stay engaged with the public. If you have a blog, promote it without coming across as a spammer. Exchange promotional links with other authors so that you are helping one another out;
  
  
• With more than 700 million users, Facebook is still the king of social media. If you don’t already have one, start a Facebook fan page for your writing.
• Consider all the different audio and visual opportunities. Use the formats you are most comfortable working with: videos, podcasts, blog posts, article marketing, guest posts on others’ blogs, slideshows, etc.;
  
  
• Market at optimum times. Look for patterns as to when people seem to be chatting with you or other authors in order to best enhance your get-togethers;
  
  
• Use online tools such as Google Analytics with your blog to see which topics, lengths, and styles are most popular with your followers. Do more of those.

If you have been hesitating, this is the time to get started. You’ll discover that you can get results with even a modest investment of time—and you may also enjoy it more than you think!

(Dave Thomas, who covers among other items advice on small business loans, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.)

 

 

 

Michael Frayn shows you can write what you don't know

Michael Frayn’s prize-winning play, Copenhagen, is an imagined meeting between the physicists Neils Bohr and Werner Heisenberg and is about the race to develop the atomic bomb. You leave it assuming that Frayn, among is other accomplishments, must be a real science buff.

Therefore I was surprised to read what he said about that in an interview with Nick Ahad in The Yorkshire Post:

“There was never any decision between the sciences and arts for me. I wasn’t any good at science so the choice was made for me. I have no mathematics and can only understand the physics involved in a play like Copenhagen with the help of science writers who explained it to me.”

That should encourage anyone who feels unqualified to write about a field that isn’t theirs or for which they don’t have a strong affinity. While the science is crucial to the play, of course it’s not about science per se, it’s about moral dilemmas and choices. Those could play out in any number of arenas, but putting them in the context of a weapon that could destroy the world gives them gravity.

Frayn is equally adept at comedy. My favorite of his plays is Noises Off, a hilarious play within a play.

Despite these accomplishments, apparently what Frayn values even more is journalism. He said, “All I ever wanted to be was a journalist. The books and plays have come as well as my journalism. All I have ever done is follow the ideas in my head that appear to be asking for – or demanding – attention and eventually I write them. Or don’t. You don’t have a choice about the ideas that fall into your head. It’s as simple as that.”

Of course it’s not simple at all, but how refreshing to hear a master of several forms be so modest and unpretentious. At 78, perhaps he’d forgive me for labeling him an inspiration for writers of any age.

 (What kind of writing do you want to do? My book, “Your Writing Coach,” will help you decide and my other writing book, “Your Creative Writing Masterclass” will give you writing advice from greats such as Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Anton Chekhov and many more. You can get both books from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)