Time to Write

Marketing Your Writing: persevere--with what works (10 of 10)

Marketing your writing isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. If you're writing articles or scripts, you have to sell only once, to a publisher or producer. If you're writing books, you have to sell twice: to a publisher and then to your target readers (or directly to the latter if you're self-publishing). Marketing to readers isn't a one-time thing, you have to keep at it in order to keep your book selling.

Persistence is important, but only if you're persisting with things that work. Here are some tips on what to do:

1. Keep an open mind. Certainly be aware of what has worked for others, but don't assume it will work the same way for you. Be willing to try anything legal and ethical.

2. Whenever possible, measure the results of each thing you do. For instance, you can easily monitor how many people are visiting your web site, how much time they spend on it, and what they look at while they're there.

Don't forget, though, the one key metric is how many books you are selling.

If ten thousand people download your free sample chapter, but only ten of those order the book, that's not a success. If only 1000 people visit your website that's not a failure, either--if half of them order your book.

3. Do more of what works. If we have two methods, one of which works well and one of which doesn't, our impulse is to spend more time trying to improve the one that doesn't. This isn't the best use of your time. Instead, find ways to do more of the thing that's working, and drop the one that isn't. Add another method and see how well that works in comparison to the one that's giving you the best results currently. If it does better, make that your new number one priority.

4. Don't get bored with what works. Have you noticed that some ad campaigns run for year after year without any changes? That means they're still working. Because you're a creative person you may find yourself getting bored with the look of your website or the wording of your sales page. Your impulse will be to change them just for the sake of change. However, while you should always be testing new methods, don't replace anything that's working until you find something else that works better. Just because you are bored with your materials, that doesn't mean your target audience is.

5. Listen to your customers. Most of them won't bother to communicate with you, but pay attention to the ones that do, whether their feedback is positive or negative.

If it's negative, what can you do to make them happy? There's nothing worse than an unhappy customers going around trashing your brand or your products, so try hard to satisfy them. Are some of them unreasonable? Certainly. Should you have to cater to their whims or unreasonable demands? There's no "should", there's only reality. Unless they demand something totally out of the question, it is better to go the extra mile to satisfy them. Then consider whether their complaint contains any useful information for what you might change or add or subtract from your product or service.

If the feedback is positive, brainstorm how you can build on whatever features they like best, and how to make other potential customers aware of these positive points. Be sure to thank people who compliment you or your product. Ask them whether they are OK with you using their feedback as a testimonial, or ask them to write a review on Amazon or other sites.

This completes my series of ten "must-do" marketing tips for writers, but I'll be returning to this topic frequently. To be sure not to miss any of the posts, please subscribe to this blog. You may also want to get my book, Marketing for Entrepreneurs. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or  your other favorite bookseller.

 

A crowdfunding site and publisher - are they right for your book?

You’ve probably heard about crowdfunding site Kickstarter, where people can ask for pledges to help them fund just about any kind of project: a new product, a film, a book, etc. Not as well known but of particular interest to writers is Unbound (www.Unbound.co.uk) which deals specifically with crowdfunding books.

They put it this way:

“Unbound puts the power of publishing in the hands of authors and readers. Authors pitch their book ideas directly to you. If you back a project before it reaches its funding target, you get your name printed in the back of every copy and immediate behind-the-scenes access to the author’s shed. If any project fails to hit its funding target, you get refunded in full.”

So far, most of the writers chosen for the site have been well known, but a few are proposing their first project. There are a variety of rewards depending on how much money you pledge.

All supporters get their names in the book and the e-book version. Some higher levels include a meeting with the author, perhaps at a site relevant to the book.

The author has 50 days to attract the needed funding, which varies depending on the nature of the book and I didn’t see that amount revealed on the site (Kickstarter is transparent about the amount that needs to be raised for each project). I also didn’t spot how many days of fund-raising were left for each project.

As a supporter you also get updates on how the book is coming along, draft chapters, and the chance to give your feedback. 

What is the experience like for an author? This is what Kevin Parr, author of “The Twitch”, a novel about an extreme bird-watcher, said:

“It’s been a lot of fun for the most part. I really feel as though I am part of something that is going to be pivotal in the future of publishing. The staff are lovely and there is a real sense of camaraderie between the authors, who are all really keen to support one another and spread the word. 

It has been tough convincing some people of the concept. Anything ‘new’ seems to be met with suspicion, and a lot of people have been unnecessarily concerned about the safety of their pledges or the idea of buying into something that, for the time being at least, is virtual.

This attitude is definitely changing, and as more and more people become aware of Unbound, then so the reader and the author will benefit.”

Unbound acts both as a funding mechanism and a publisher. They split the book’s net profit 50/50 with the author. Some people have expressed skepticism—is this just a way to remove all risk for the publisher, while the author goes ahead to write the book—at least for 50 days—without knowing whether or not it will be funded? Also, how much overhead is built into that initial target and charged before there is any net profit? It’s hard to make an intelligent assessment without specific figures.

It’s true that authors could do the same thing for their own project and keep 100% of the profits but they wouldn’t have the platform of the Unbound website and would have to hire an editor, work with a printer, etc. 

One book funded via Unbound was“Evil Machines,” a collection of black comedy linked short stories by Python Terry Jones, who was an early supporter of the venture. You can see a video of him talking about the book here. 

A project that has just 4% of its desired funding at the moment is “Titanic and Me,” by Hart & Nikkel. It offers three levels: the ebook, access to the author’s shed, and an e-book version for £10, those plus a first edition premium hardback for £20, those plus the author’s autograph and personal dedication in the hardback for £50. 

If you think you might want to submit our project, here are the guidelines:

We welcome all types of proposals: if you’re a novelist, historian, philosopher, economist, biographer, scientist, journalist, comedian, filmmaker, gardener, cook, academic, traveller or have lived an interesting life or done extraordinary things, we’d love to hear from you.

Each proposal has the potential to become the book you really want to write, pitched to the people who really matter: your potential readers.

If you are a published author - or a literary agent - and you’re interested in finding out more about Unbound, you can drop us a line at HYPERLINK "mailto:authors@unbound.co.uk"authors@unbound.co.uk.

If you are a first-time author, we will consider proposals submitted through literary agents or writing websites like HYPERLINK "http://www.abctales.com/"www.abctales.com and HYPERLINK "http://www.jottify.com/"www.jottify.com, but we will also accept unsolicited proposals sent to HYPERLINK "mailto:authors@unbound.co.uk"authors@unbound.co.uk. These must be in the form of the pitches we have on the site:

 - a first person pitch summarizing what your book is all about (max. 400 words).

- a short excerpt (approx. 1000 words).

- a first person author biography (max. 300 words).

(If you need some help writing your book, get a copy of Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

Marketing Your Writing: the Second of Ten Things You Must Do

Yes, it's Marketing Tuesday again and because writers who want to get their work seen have to be marketers as well, here's number two in my ten essential strategies and tips:

2: MAKE IT DIFFERENT

You've probably encountered the terms USP, unique selling proposition. It refers to what makes your product or service unique--in a way that will help you sell it. 

This can be quite difficult to identify sometimes. If yours doesn't have a USP at the moment, your creative challenge is to come up with one.

MAKE SURE IT'S RELEVANT 

Do notice the qualifier: " [different] in a way that will help you sell it." A gimmick is not enough, it has to be relevant to the product or service itself. I see a lot of marketers forgetting this.

For instance, I know of one screenwriter who had his query letter delivered by a GorillaGram (a guy dressed as a gorilla). Now if he had been pitching "Planet of the Apes" that might have been a good idea. However, the story had nothing to do with gorillas or anything related to them. That made the GorillaGram a empty gimmick. Different, but not in a good way.

YOU'RE A STORY TELLER...SO TELL A STORY

One example of powerful story telling is from a company that sells subscriptions to financial newsletters. They always couch their sales pitch as a dramatic story. For instance, instead of just offering you an energy stocks newsletter that will help identify possible disasters,  they might describe the day the Middle East erupts into a major war...the region's oil stops flowing...the major cities of the world grind to a halt...food has no way to get to markets...you are alone in your house, your children are hungry, but there is no bread on the table... You get the idea. 

They are also skilled at making mundane things sound exotic and secret by giving them a different name. If I were to adopt this method I might tell you about "The Author's Key." I might describe this as the document that determines whether you are successful (and I'd tell a little story about what this success would be like) or a failure (and I'd tell you a little story about how horrible that will feel). I'd say that this document is like having a key that unlocks the doors of the world's top agencies...production companies...publishing houses. I'd never tell you the mundane name of this document (have you guessed it yet?) but I'd offer to sell you a report that will reveal all of its secrets. Truth be told, often I find that method quite annoying but it has made them a fortune.

If your product or service actualliy does have a story that can be the USP by all means tell it. If you can give it a different descriptive name without being dishonest that also can work.

LOOK FOR SUPERLATIVES

Is your product the most anything? The shortest? The longest? The longest in the making? The most quickly written or produced? The most expensive? The cheapest? The first time two paticular elements have been mixed (e.g., "Pride and Prejudice"/Zombies)? The first time in a long time that something has been done? The oldest? The youngest or newest? 

FORMAT OR PACKAGING

If the product itself isn't very different, how about the way it's presented?

One author took pages of newspapers and blacked out most of the words; the ones that were not blacked out formed the content of his story.

A graphic novelist whose stories were about the inhabitants of an old house had the cover of her book die-cut so it appeared that we were looking through the house's windows. 

ADD VALUE

These days many books have an associated website. Simply slapping up an "about" page and a blog, however, may not attract too many readers. Someone self-publishing an erotic novel might have a link to a website where readers can take a private quiz in order to get their kinkiness rating.

What can you offer people via another medium that adds value to their experience?

WHAT DIFFERENCES APPEAL TO YOU?

One way to get ideas regarding a good USP simply is to be aware of what differences attract your attention. What makes the products you enjoy different from others you could buy? Every time you become aware of one of the differences, consider whether and how you might take advantage of it with your products or services.

(A lot of creative writers stop being creative when it's time to market their work. One way to keep having more ideas all the time is to use the methods I describe in my most recent book, the second edition of "Creativity Now!" You can get it from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

Oh yes, I nearly forgot...The Author's Key to Golden Riches (I just thought of adding 'to Golden Riches', kinda cool, eh?)...the mystery document is...the query letter. Sounded better as the Author's Key to Golden Riches, didn't it?

52 Tips for Writing Success - 18: Build in surprises

As you write your novel, screenplay, article or short story look for ways to build in some surprises for your reader. It's a pleasant feeling to realize that what we thought was going to happen isn't what actually does (at least it's pleasant in books and films; in real life we may not appreciate it as much).

The surprise may be the way a man we'd assumed is a coward suddenly steps forward and shows some courage, or an unexpected turn of phrase, or a twist at the end of a story. 

Of course the challenge isn't thinking of the surprise, but making it plausible despite not being predictable. That means that the moment when the coward shows courage has to be out of the ordinary. It may be that he's afraid of his own shadow but the one thing he cares about is his dog and when that's endangered he'll do whatever it takes to save it.

Or we find out that the car mechanic who suddenly spouts something from Shakespeare is attending night classes in literature because he's always felt held back by his limited education.

And whatever that twist ending is, it has to make sense when we look back over everything that went before. 

The more crowded the marketplace, the more important it is to surprise people. For instance, printed magazines are facing a tremendous challenge from their electronic competitors. Some publications have responded with features that surprise and delight.  Examples include Mono.Kultur, which features a different binding every issue, La Mas Bella, the formats of which have included a map, an apron, and a tapas-making kit, and MK Bruce/Lee, which comes in two versions (Lee for women, Bruce for men) and includes fold-out posters, stickers, and other goodies. 

Whether it's the writing itself, or your query letters to agents, publishers or producers, or your blog--look for ways to surprise your readers and they'll come back for more.

(My book, "Do Something Different," contains 100 case studies of inexpensive and innovative ways people have marketed themselves and their products. You can apply the same principles. The book is published by Virgin Books and features an introduction by Richard Branson. You can get it from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

Marketing Your Writing: Why, How, and the First of Ten Things You Must Do

If people are not aware of what you are offering they can’t buy it. That’s why most writers these days also have to be marketers.

Want to get an agent? You have to sell them on yourself and your work. 

Want to get a publisher (or producer, if you're writing screenplays)? Same challenge.

Planning to self-publish? You have to make people aware of your ebook and convince them it's the right book or ebook for them to buy right now.

Marketing doesn’t necessarily come easily to us and it may not be our favorite activity, but it’s necessary. That’s why over the next ten Tuesdays (or more if the response is good) I want to share with you some of the best strategies and tips that I have discovered and employed.

1: Don’t reinvent the wheel

Two questions can lead you to a much faster and more effective marketing approach. The first one is: What are your successful competitors doing that you can adopt or adapt?

There's a good chance that your most successful competitors have spent a lot of time and money coming up with the methods that are working for them. These are not hidden, they're right out there for you to see in action,analyze, and adapt. 

I'm not suggesting plagiarism. Generally these are methods that are not protected by copyright and you're not doing anything illegal or immoral by figuring out how to use them to promote your product or service.

For instance, let's say you're a coach in the field of nutrition and fitness. You notice that the your successful competitor uses contests to motivate people to sign up for their sales newsletters. There's nothing wrong with coming up with your own contests--don't use exactly the same contest name and don't give away exactly the same thing, but otherwise feel free to copy them.

The second question:

What are successful people or companies in other fields doing that you can adopt or adapt?

In this case you're not looking at competitors but at what's successful in other fields. Sometimes you can copy, other times you might parody. For instance, a while back one of the most talked-about and most successful campaigns was conducted by a company that sells blenders. Their gimmick was to make videos showing their blender destroying a variety of items. These videos got millions of views.

At that time, as a coach you might have garnered attention by using a blender to destroy the foods that people who are trying to get fit or lose weight should avoid--candy bars, potato chips, etc. You would have acknowledged that you were following in the footsteps of the blender campaign.

For example, you might have said something like, "I don't know why those other guys are destroying iPods and wristwatches and all that other stuff--what you really need to destroy if you want more energy, better health, and to be more fit and slim is THIS STUFF! Here we go, candy bar, 543 calories!" And in goes the candy bar. 

That could have made an amusing lead in to your main message that you have a system that will help people to make the right food choices.

One warning: In both instances, be sure you are copying or adapting things that work now. Things are moving so fast that what worked a year ago or even 90 days ago may no longer be as effective. Keep track of what's successful and constantly ask yourself how you can take advantage of it. The video parody I described above would have been great at the time; now, not so much. 

APPLYING THIS TO YOUR WRITING

Who is most successful at marketing the kind of writing you do? What's working for them? This could be a publisher or an individual author. Are they using videos? Contests? Tieing in to events? Giving out free sample chapters?

Who is most successful at marketing other products that appeal to the same target audience as yours? For instance, distributors of independent movies have a lot in common with self-published authors. Or take a look at the most successful people on Kickstarter.com, the crowdfunding site. Don't look only at the successful authors using that site, but also designers, film-makers, artists, etc. What makes their videos stand out? What kinds of incentives do they offer? What kind of sales pitch?

Returning to the timeliness issues, while it's still useful to be aware of the marketing methods used by two of the most successful Kindle authors, John Locke and Amanda Hocking, keep in mind that when they first had success there were not as many Kindle titles available. Now there are hundreds of thousands more, and many of the authors are using the same methods that were a novelty when Locke and Hocking used them. Be sure you are also looking at the methods being used by newer writers whose books are high on the Kindle (and other ebook) charts now. 

(Come back next Tuesday for then next essential marketing strategy. Also find loads of useful information in the chapters on traditional and guerrilla marketing in my book, "Your Writing Coach." You can get it from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller and it's also available as an ebook.)

 

 

 

 

 

An innovative way to get people to be aware of your writing

I’m always on the lookout for new ideas on writing and reading, and here’s an interesting one: The Underground Book Club. That’s Underground as in London subway. In an interview in What’s New in Publishing, the co-founder, Andy Brown described it this way:

It’s a book club for commuters and travellers using London Underground. It’s free to join and passengers can read the first three chapters of a number of top book titles for free. The idea, of course, is that rather than read the same old gloomy headlines in the papers they can read the introductory chapters of some really good books whilst travelling to and from work. Publishers also benefit because their books get trialled by new readers and then hopefully bought from Waterstones, Amazon and the like, or downloaded via our iPhone and iPad app.The Underground Book Club is a new, powerful distribution channel for publishers.

They hand out hard copies at the larger Underground stations during commuting hours, or you can download their app from iTunes, or go to their website, www.theundergroundbookclub.com and download from there.

Their first three books are by well-known writers but Brown says they’re also committed to introducing readers to new authors.

Their income derives from advertising and a small commission on the sale of the sampled books. It’s too early to say whether it will be successful but they’re projecting turnover of £700K in the first year, which sounds quite ambitious.

Does that give you an idea for how to bring your writing to the attention of your target audience? Here's how:

1 Identify your target audience

2 Figure out where to find them

3 Create a sample of your work and an interesting, different way to present it to them

4 Make it easy for them to buy the full product

What and how? That's where your creativity comes in. If you need guidance on how to generate ideas, my book, "Creativity Now!" will help. If you want some further inspiration, how about 100 case studies of inexpensive and creative ways people have marketed themselves and their products, along with tips on how to apply their methods? You'll find those in "Do Something Different," published by Virgin Books (with an introduction by Richard Branson). Both are available from Amazon or your other favorite 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.)

 

 

Writing a powerful query letter: learning by example what (not) to do

Authorbuzz is a service that promotes books for a fee (I don't have any personal knowledge of their service or how well it works). On their site they give their authors a chance to pitch their books directly to readers who sign up to the site. I thought it might be useful to you to read two pitches and compare them, to discover what works and what doesn't.

 

First up: HELPLESS, by Daniel Palmer. Here's what he wrote about his book:

 

"Nine years after he left Shilo, New Hampshire, former Navy Seal Tom Hawkins has returned to raise his teenage daughter, Jill, following the murder of his ex-wife, Kelly. Despite Tom’s efforts to stay close to Jill by coaching her high school soccer team, Kelly’s bitterness fractured their relationship. But life in Shilo is gradually shaping up into something approaching normal. Normal doesn’t last long. Shilo’s police sergeant makes it clear that Tom is his chief suspect in Kelly’s death. Then an anonymous blog post alleges that Coach Hawkins is sleeping with one of his players. Internet rumors escalate, and incriminating evidence surfaces on Tom’s own computer and cell phone. To prove his innocence, Tom must unravel a tangle of lies about his past. For deep amid the secrets he’s been keeping—from a troubled tour of duty to the reason for his ex-wife’s death—is the truth that someone will gladly kill to protect."

In my opinion that's a pretty good pitch. It sets up the relationships nicely--the father-daughter conflict suggests that this story isn't just a by-the-numbers crime thriller. It doesn't give away the ending, but the last sentence adds another element of conflict and danger, and suggests that the secrets might have several levels.

 

Let's look at the next one, BLUE MOON BAY, by Lisa Wingate. This is how she described her book:

 

"When Seattle architect, Heather Hampton returns to Moses Lake, Texas, family secrets and a small-town mystery blow her plans completely off course. Heather wants to sell the family farmland to giant Proxica Foods, so she can design Proxica's new flagship facility. But when local banker, Blaine Underhill, and Heather's crazy family get involved, all bets are off. Suddenly, Heather's quick trip to Texas leads to Valentine's Week in the family funeral home, and a revelation that could change Heather's life forever.

What do you think?

 To be fair, it's quite a bit shorter, which works against it, but I think there are other problems.

It refers to Heather Hampton's plans being blown off course. When, in the next sentence, I hear what those plans are (to sell the family farmland to a big food company), I don't care about that one way or another--there's not the kind of emotional appeal that you get from the store of a father trying to protect his daughter.

If Heather had an urgent need for the money, for something we can identify with, we might care.

And when the pitch mentions the deal, I think, Oh no, not another tale of the ordinary folks vs. the big bad company that wants to build on land and do terrible things, like provide jobs for the local young people.

Furthermore, phrases like "Heather's crazy family" remind me of sitcoms with stereotypical characters.  Phrases like "all bets are off" are so general that, again, I don't get a connection with the story.

Sorry, Lisa Wingate, for all I know the book is far better than the pitch. 

Writing this kind of blurb, whether in a query letter to an agent or publisher or for the back of tbe book, is very difficult. Looking at how others have done it, whether really well or not so well, is a great way to get better yourself. 

(Marketing what you write is an important section of the new edition of Your Writing Coach, just out from NIcholas Brealey Publishing and available from Amazon and other book sellers.)

 

What are publishers buying? (including a survey of UK editors' wants)

I get the Publisher's Lunch deal news report, which lists some of the publishing deals made recently. It gives a good peek at what traditional publishers are buying these days. Here are a few recent deals:

* Director and producer Chris Columbus's HOUSE OF SECRETS, co-authored by Ned Vizzini, about siblings who go to live in a creepy old house built by a troubled fantasy writer when their father loses his job;

* National Book Award finalist Ken Kalfus's EQUILATERAL, an intellectual comedy set in 1890s Egypt about an astronomer who sets out to communicate with life on Mars;

* Rosemary Sullivan's STALIN'S DAUGHTER, about Svetlana Stalina's journey from the beloved daughter of a fierce autocrat to her death in small-town Wisconsin;

* Claudia Hammond's TIME WARPED: Adventures in the New Psychology of Time, also to Harper;

* Jim Ziolkowski's WALK IN THEIR SHOES, written with Willie Mays, James Hirsch, recounting the author's life journey from risk-seeking backpacker to the leader of buildOn, helping inner-city kids transform their own neighborhoods and the world.

* An oral history of MTV by the four surviving original MTV veejays, written with contributing editor at Rolling Stone Gavin Edwards;

* Hip hop star Lil Wayne's GONE TILL NOVEMBER, based on diaries he kept during his eight months on Rikers Island;

* Astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell's thought experiment on the scientific knowledge survivors of a global catastrophe would need to rebuild a technological society from scratch;

* Emma Chapman's HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE, a novel following a woman who can barely remember life before her marriage -- until she begins to have eerie visions that make her question her past;

* NYT bestselling author Kate Carlisle's KILLER COOKBOOK and books 8 and 9 in the Bibliophile Mystery series;

* Leah Stewart's WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME, a novel about three adult siblings who return to their childhood home.

WHAT DO UK EDITORS WANT?

The Andrew Lownie Literary Agency website featured a survey of what UK book publishers are looking for. Here are some excerpts:

"What interests me, as always, are books which are focussed on alternative views of how we should live our lives and are also focussed on community and local identity." Hugh Andrew, Managing Editor, Birlinn (publisher based in Scotland).

"It is striking how stories that seem to have waned from people’s memories can have a massive resurgence – so perhaps new takes on old stories might be a vein to mine." Myles Archibald, Associate Editor, Harper Collins.

"We’re especially good at selling entertaining, accessible and informative true stories, and based on what did well for us last spring, these are the areas I’m looking in." - Jennifer Barclay, Commissioning Editor, Summersdale (She also mentions true crime, travel (especially British travel), quirky narrative books about gardening, pets, nature, and sport.)

"My focus is on commercial non-fiction, spanning a wide range of genres from true crime, sport and humour to biography and memoir. In terms of memoir, I’m always looking for original and compelling stories - whether the focus is inspirational, nostalgic, military or otherwise, and whether the subject is a celebrity or just an ordinary person with an extraordinary story to tell." - Dan Bunyard, Editor, Michael Joseph

I won't cover all 20, you can read them here: http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/2012/01/10/what-editors-want-2012.

Some common elements are:

* more interest in non-fiction than fiction (this has always been true, partly because non-fiction titles are easier to promote)

* books whose title and subject matter will make them stand out

* authors who have a platform and are comfortable discussing their topic in the media

* popular science

* history, especially from a unique perspective, including nostalgia and historical true crime.

* celebrity and sports memoirs (even though there have been some huge flops in celebrity memoirs, a few every year take off and make a fortune)

* and (of course) terrific writing.

I wouldn't advise trying to write to order; rather, see whether a project you are working or would like write fits these needs. Go to each publisher's website to find out the submission process. Some will consider only material submitted by agents, so you may have to start with getting one of those. 

(Need a guidebook to take you through the confusing process of going from ideas through to publication? You're in luck--it's called "Your Writing Coach" and you'll find it at Amazon and other booksellers.)

Three ways writers can deal with rejection or unfair criticism

When feedback is constructive and helps you achieve what you set out to achieve it's terrific.

When it's destructive or a rejection, it can get to you if you let it. However, there are ways to cope. 

One method comes from an illustrator I admire, Jeff Fisher (his images illustrate this post). What annoys him most is clients who hire him to use his creativity but then micro-manage the job.

He says, "I get annoyed with fussy clients. I write cross letters and emails--they calm me down. I draw over the letters and make a piece of artwork out of them, then usually throw them away. It makes me feel better." (Quoted in Making Great Illustration, Derek Brazell and Jo Davies. By the way, the place you are most likely to have seen Fisher's excellent work is on the cover of the paperback of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.)

A method I recommend is to imaginge yourself a month from that point. Will the rejection or criticism still sting? What about six months? What about a year? What about five years?  

If you are strongly visually oriented, a way to make this method more powerful is to imagine the rejection filling your full field of vision right now--probably that's how it feels.

Then imagine it as a much smaller part of the picture six months from now, because you'll have all kinds of other things you'll be thinking about then.

By the time you imagine all the things, both past, present and future that you'll have on your mind half a year from now, today's thought will be just a tiny dot.

When you return to how it looks today you may be surprised to find it has already shrunk.

If you are more auditory, do the same thing with rejection as a voice or sound. Right now it's loud, but what will it sound like in a month, three months, six months? At each point in the future there will be many more things to hear, and today's roar will turn into a whisper.

You can do the same with a feeling. Today it's strong, in the future it will be just one tiny pin prick, if that. 

The third is to hope for acceptance but not expect it, to remind ourselves that all of life is a mixed bag. I've noticed that when something bad happens, people say, "Why me?!" but when something good happens seldom are they shocked or do they question why they were so fortunate.

Maybe we were read too many "and they lived happily ever after" fairy tales. For most of us, it takes a good deal of living before we accept that we're not the exception; as unfair as it seem, we will not be spared slings and arrows, and at the end of it all, we'll leave the game the same way that millions before us have left it and the world will go on as before. In that context a rejection shrinks in importance--but an acceptance is still better!

(One thing that makes it easier is to be working alongside others on the same path, and to get support from someone who can give you a constructive outside perspective. Those are on offer via my Writing Breakthrough Strategy Program. It's an 8-week online coaching program also available as a one-to-one process. The next session starts on January 16, 2012. You can find out more here:  http://www.writingbreakthroughstrategy.com/)