Time to Write

Should you walk away from BookWalker?

BookWalker is a business that has been sending out lots of emails to authors, offering to help them market their books.

The price? A mere $2939.00.

If you are even considering spending that kind of money you definitely need to do your due diligence. Fortunately, the excellent "Writer Beware" blog has done some of it for you. Here's a small sample, about the BookWalker website:

"Similarly, there’s nothing to back up the promotion and relationship claims: no client names, no examples of successful PR campaigns, no mention of who the partner literary agents, collaborating editors, etc. actually are."

That alone should be enough to set off alarm bells, and there's plenty more.

Based on the information in the Writer Beware look at BookWalker, my advice is, don't walk--run!

 

If It Hasn't Happened for You Yet

It can be frustrating to keep on writing while waiting for your break. Sometimes we wonder whether we're just wasting our time. All those days, weeks, months, years with nothing happening.

Of course, it's not really that nothing is happening. You're constantly learning, improving, and bringing new stories to life. The part that hasn't happened yet is the recognition from others, like editors or producers, of the value of what you're creating. And that hurts.

I have experienced this myself, and at times it has put me off even submitting material. I love the process of creating. The process of marketing? Not so much. But, of course, we have to do both. Both call for patience. Here's what the poet Rilke wrote about that:

"Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide. I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything!"

That's the lesson I have to learn and re-learn. Maybe it'll help you, too.

 

A Tool for Procrastinators Only

I’m sure you’ve heard that the way to tackle a big task is to turn it into small chunks. Good advice but I’ve found sometimes I do one or two of the small chunks, get distracted, and lose track of the bigger task. When I’ve confessed this, quite a few people have said they have the same issue. If that’s you, too, I recommend a simple little tool I’ve devised that I call a Task Map.

A Task Map is just a simple diagram of the smaller chunks in the order in which I think they need to be done.

The example pictured here is a breakdown of the steps I need to do in order to launch a feature on TikTok. As you can see, I’m starting from zero; I don’t even know the exact dimensions the graphics should have or the best format for the audio. I also need to find out the best frequency of posting (consistent with what I can realistically produce), and some tips on how to attract followers.

As reflected in the next step, I plan to produce the first dozen posts for launch day (they’re very short). I also want to have the related print-on-demand merchandise ready on a site like Etsy in the unlikely event of the site arousing a lot of interest right away. I also want to get feedback from some more experienced people, do any final pre-launch prep I’ve found out about in the meantime, and then launch. I put a check mark in each circle as I complete that step.

Of course, you don’t need to draw it, it could just be a simple list, but I am visually oriented and find this format stands out more and is less likely to get buried on my desk.

I haven’t done it on this map, but you may want to add deadlines for each step. Sometimes it turns out that something I’ve got down as one step needs to be broken down into smaller steps, leading to another map.

When I get to the end of the map, it's time to draw another one for the next part of the process. In this case, that would be continuing to post, responding to feedback, improving the posts, and perhaps creating additional merchandise. If that sells, there may even eventually be a step that reads, “Spend the income on something nice!”

 

If procrastination is an issue for you, give this a try and let me know how you get on, either in the comments or at [email protected].

You've got to tell the world how to treat you

The other day I ran across this quote from James Baldwin:

"You've got to tell the world how to treat you. If the world tells you how you are going to be treated, you are in trouble."

It reminded me of an email I received recently from an aspiring writer who was doubting herself because she hadn't sold anything yet. "Am I even a writer?" she asked. 

She was letting the world--or one part of the world--define her.

I told her, "You write, therefore you are a writer. If tomorrow a publisher accepts your novel, are you a different person? If a publisher never accepts your novel, are you a different person?"

Yes, of course, most of us want our work to reach and affect others.

We can decide whether to submit our work to publishers or producers, and we can decide not to be discouraged (for long) when it takes time to find somebody who wants to buy what we've written.

We have the option of publishing it ourselves or, admittedly with greater difficulty, making a film ourselves.

But, most of all, it's our decision whether or not we are writers, not anybody else's. When we are confident and proceed with boldness, the world tends to pay attention--sooner or later. 

Having doubts is natural--probably like you, I have days when I lose heart. On those days it's good to remember James Baldwin's words and get back to our desks and do what we were born to do.

Need a Good Title for Your Non-Fiction Book or Newsletter?

In a previous post, I wrote about how the Oberlo Business Name Generator can be useful for coming up with a fictional name or a business that appears in your screenplay or novel. The same tool can be helpful if you're trying to come up with a good name for a non-fiction book or newsletter.

You just type in one word you'd like to have in the title. The Generator comes up with 100 combinations. 

For instance, I'm thinking of publishing a creativity newsletter, so I entered the word "Creativity." Here are some of the titles the Generator came up with, some more mainstream than others:

Power Creativity

Black Sheep Creativity

Creativity Precision

OneMan Creativity

Retina Creativity

Affinity Creativity

Creativity Signals

Simply Creativity

Jumpstart Creativity

Immersion Creativity

Scribe Creativity

High Voltage Creativity

Creativity Road

CreativityGram

Creativity Frontier

Creativity Fix

Creativity Driver

These could work equally well as titles for a book about creativity.

WANT SOMETHING LESS OBVIOUS?

If you want something less obvious, see whether any of the words that were combined with your keyword could work by themselves. In my example, "High Voltage," "Jumpstart," "Signals," or "Retina" could all work as trendier creativity newsletter titles, or as main titles for a book, and you could use a secondary title to connect it to creativity.

How NOT to respond to rejection

Publisher Lee Goldberg recently related how an aspiring novelist responded when Goldberg sent him a polite rejection of his manuscript. The author wrote:

"Keep printing the same redundant s**t, arrogant ass, just remember the title of this book, u will see it on the best seller list, ***hole."

When Goldberg pointed out this is not the way to win friends in the publishing world, the aspiring novelist apologized for lashing out, but still maintained that his work is brilliant and there's no way that Goldberg could have rejected it so quickly if he'd really read it.

Goldberg added, "It was terrible."

Not only terrible work gets rejected, of course. There are dozens of examples of books and screenplays rejected multiple times before finally achieving publication or production and massive success.

But no matter how convinced you are that the people rejecting your work are clueless and will someday regret their decision, keep it to yourself. The film and publishing worlds both are small and making enemies can catch up with you quickly.

Usually there's no need to reply to a rejection unless the person sending it has given you some constructive feedback. In that case, the proper response is a brief thank-you--even if you don't think it was right. You don't have to pretend you agree, something like 'Thank you for taking the time to give me feedback" is fine.

And don't call them an ***hole.

People DO judge a book by its cover - 3 bad examples

The stigma of self-publishing and assisted publishing (in which you pay a publisher to produce your book) is long gone. Many good and successful books have been self-published both traditionally and as ebooks. But one thing that seems to have persisted is the tradition of terrible covers.

People DO judge a book by its cover. If the cover is not inviting, they are unlikely to check out the rest of it.

I hope I'm not being cruel by including these three examples. Just to be clear, I'm not saying these books are bad in any way other than their cover design.  Their content may well be brilliant but I find the covers a turn-off. Let's take a look:

Any idea what this one might be about?

No, me neither.

It's actually a science fiction thriller. 

Less can be more, but in this case, it's less.

It reminds me of the joke, "Not only is the food terrible, the portions are way too small." In this case, not only is the type boring, it's way too small.

 

 

 

 

At least the title of this one gives you some clue as to the genre, but since the protagonist is an 11-year-old boy I assume it's geared to young readers. Do you think they'd be curious to turn to the first page?

Could the designer have made the secondary print any smaller? It says, "A boy trying to find his meaning in the universe unexpectedly saves it." Not a bad logline. Too bad you need a magnifying glass to read it. Ditto for the line telling us this is "The First Book in the Secret Agent Series."

 

 

Didn't ANYBODY notice that the image makes it hard to read the title and the name of the author? Making the text white would have solved that, although it wouldn't have made it a good cover.

Based on the title ("To Slight the Jacket Blue") and image, what kind of book do you think this is? 

My guess was poetry.

The blurb is, "When Ned is sent to the Caribbean to hunt pirates, he hopes to avenge the death of his best friend, Sam."

Pirates! Adventure! Danger!

Too bad all the cover says is, "Waves on a gloomy day."

These three are all from a company called fastpencil. Their design services include custom cover design for $299, Custom PLUS cover design for $599, and Premium Cover Design for $899. The covers of most of their books are case studies in what not to do. If any of the three authors above paid a penny for their cover designs they should ask for their money back.

 

 

 

 

 

Secrets sell books and screenplays

I noticed a pattern today in the "free reads" books featured by Amazon Prime this month. Here are the log lines of a few of them:

"A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness..."

"A chilling story of a woman with a forgotten past and a town with dark secrets."

"A double homicide and a missing woman lead a detective to unearth disturbing secrets in this gripping thriller..."

"A woman unlocks the mystery of her father's wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love..."

THE SELLING POWER OF (SUPPOSED) SECRETS

The theme of secrets shows up a lot in messages from people trying to sell us stuff, too.

They' offer us the secrets of writing a great novel, or having hair that shines, or getting a promotion.

Some of them add a conspiratorial dimension by adding that these are the secrets some "they" don't want you to know.

It seems corny but it must work or else copywriters wouldn't keep using it. We keep falling for it despite repeated disappointments. I've yet to find a book or course that has revealed actual secrets that the Illuminati or anyone else is actively trying to keep me from finding out. 

DON'T KEEP YOUR SECRET A SECRET

In fiction, a big secret in the story suggests that something unexpected will be revealed. We do love to be surprised and in that sense, a plot twist is a kind of secret from the reader or viewer.

Beyond that, being able to incorporate the notion of a secret in your logline may help your project sell.

Obviously it has to fit the story you are telling, but if it is a feature or you can make it one without affecting the integrity of the story, be sure to point it out when you're writing your logline and your query letters.

How to be successful in the TV and film industry

I saw two very wise quotes about the film business by director Gina Prince-Bythewood ("The Old Guard"):

"This industry is about overcoming 'no'."

That's true of the publishing industry as well, and probably all of the arts. 

"You need just one yes."

Actually, sometimes you need more than one, but one gets the ball rolling. 

Yes, it's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, and that's how the people on the other side see it, too.

Producers are looking for something they consider special and often they don't know it until they see it. They see a lot of scripts that aren't it, and finally one that IS it. 

Sometimes--no, MOST times--your script isn't it. But they're going to keep looking so if you keep writing good scripts and submitting them, it may well be that one of those times it is a match.

If you remember that 'no' is the rule rather than the exception, the process gets a little easier to bear. But Prince-Bythewood says, "But it's hard. There were many days where I was on the floor."

I got to know the floor, too, and sometimes I still find myself on it. If you can deal with that, you're on your way.

If you're a writer, there are no opportunities

In his book, Creative Mischief, advertising genius Dave Trott writes:

"I hear people complaining that there are no opportunities.

That no one will give them a chance.

There's nothing they can do and it's not their fault.

Here's a thing. 

There have never been any opportunities.

No one was ever feeling sorry for themselves, when someone knocked on the door and said, "How would you like me to show you a way out of this?"

It doesn't happen like that.

Never has, never will.

That's like sitting around hoping to win the lottery.

It's about hope. 

And hope is putting your problem in somebody else's hands,

Hope isn't very creative."

THE ALTERNATIVE TO HOPE IS ACTION

Trott goes on to give some examples of people in the advertising world who took action when there were no opportunities. I've done it a few times myself:

When I moved to Hollywood and had no contacts, I started a newsletter about screenwriting and interviewed agents, producers, and experienced writers. Through those contacts, I was able to get an agent.

When I noticed that there was a new person appointed to be the head of a publishing division for business personal development books, I called to find out her email address. I congratulated her and mentioned that I happened to have an idea for that kind of book and described it in a couple of lines. She asked for more information, then to meet, and eventually published three of my books. 

And one non-business example: When I was a teenager I read in the paper that Rod Serling, the producer, writer, and frontman of my favorite TV series, The Twilight Zone, was ill and in the hospital. I wrote him a letter care of the hospital and got a handwritten thank-you note from him. I cherished that note until it burned up in my house fire, and I still cherish the memory of it.

WHAT IF YOU DON'T FIND THIS EASY?

In case you're thinking, "Sure, you're the kind of person who finds that sort of thing easy." 

Not true.

I've always suffered from what these days is called social anxiety.

One time, I had the chance to go to a basketball game with Walter Matthau and some of his friends--a great networking opportunity. I was too shy to go.

Another time, I signed up for a residential writers' conference sponsored by the Writers Guild. It was a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. I drove all the way there, panicked, and drove all the way back.

However, the times I managed it have accounted for some real breakthroughs, so it's worth the push. If you are frustrated because there don't seem to be any opportunities, try thinking of how you can make some--even if it's a challenge.

How to find your creative voice, according to Ira Glass and Andy Warhol

Writers are advised to "find your own voice," meaning, express yourself in a way that is authentic and unique to you.

One who managed that is Ira Glass, the creator of the radio series, "This American Life." He started out wanting to tell the stories of ordinary people. This set him apart because usually the emphasis is on interviewing famous people.

There's the first lesson: find something you want to do that's different from what most people are doing.

He says he didn't even know what it would be to be a reporter, he just understood what it would be to talk to regular people. He says, "And it was really a puzzle, how do you do that in a way that would be compelling and exciting to listen to?"

Lesson two: You'll probably struggle for a while to find how to do what you intend to do.

He notes, "You really have to be a soldier, you really have to fight and get in there and just make stuff, just force yourself to make stuff. It's really hard to do."

Lesson three: The way to discover how to do it is to do it. Expect obstacles, and persist.

Although now "This American Life" is a hugely popular radio series, it took time to build an audience and not everybody got it at first. Getting backing can be a challenge. Glass says, "The more idealistic and idiosyncratic the project, the more cunning you have to be about the business side of it."

Lesson four: Be prepared to be as creative in marketing what you create as you are in creating it.

Finally, he points out that it took ages for him to get good at what he set out to do and adds, "I wish somebody had told me that's normal."

Lesson five: That's normal. 

You can watch a four-minute video of Glass discussing these points here.

Another person who went through that process with huge success was artist Andy Warhol.

ANDY WARHOL'S PERSPECTIVE

Andy Warhol also had good advice on this topic:

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art."

He also said, "There is beauty in everything, just not everybody sees it."

Ira Glass found the beauty in the stories of ordinary people, and he helps us appreciate it, too.

Maybe that's what finding your creative voice is about: figuring out your way of helping people see the things you see but most people don't. 

It's clear that finding your creative voice isn't about a flash of inspiration. It's a trial-and-error process and it never ends...and it's what makes writing worth doing.

 

Want your document to be taken more seriously?

Although most communication these days is digital, there are still times when you give someone a document. It might be a business proposal, a brochure, a letter, even a business card. Here's a simple way to have it valued more by the recipient:

Print it on heavier paper.

Yes, that's one of those strange phenomena that sounds illogical. It's the content, not the paper that should matter. But of course when we're dealing with humans, logic is not always what determines perception.

I found this strange and potentially useful information at musestorytelling.com. This finding comes from a couple of studies of the effect of heaviness. When some people were handed somebody's resume on a light clipboard and others were given it on a heavy clipboard, the latter judged the applicant to be more serious about the position and more qualified.

Hmm, maybe you should take along your own heavy clipboard. Substitute it for the one they give you when they hand you a form to fill out. 

In another study, two groups were given the same book. One group was told it was an important book, the other wasn't. Both were asked to guess the book's weight. The group that was told it was important guessed it was heavier than the other group did.

I guess it goes back to the old saying, "Never mind the quality, feel the weight!"

By the way, I'm a big believer in the maxim "do something different" if you want to stand out. These days, sending a letter instead of an email is different. Now you know to print it out on heavy paper. 

 

 

There's no shame in asking for help

We all need help at times, but sometimes we are reluctant to ask for it.

We don't want to be needy or annoying, or maybe we don't like admitting we're not totally self-sufficient.

The present circumstances are forcing a lot of people to overcome that reluctance. It seems like we've been spending the past few years focusing on what drives us apart rather than what brings us together, but when it comes down to it, we need each other.

These days it's about needs that are much bigger than trying to sell books, but it does apply to that, too. I was reminded of this by an email from Derek Doepker, who runs ebookbestsellersecrets.com. Here's part of what he wrote:

"As an author, some "value judgments" could keep you from success.

I still hear from authors who are hesitant to ask their readers to review or share their books.

I've talked about this before, and I want to highlight the deeper reason for that hesitancy comes from a value judgment.

Often that value judgment is asking = annoying.

Consider this though...

Do you ever enjoy helping people?

Do you ever enjoy sharing your opinion?

Do you ever enjoy recommending things you feel others would like?

When you're an author, you're giving your readers all of these 'opportunities for enjoyment' when you remind them they can review and share your book.

Just don't be entitled about it. (clearly my value judgment lol)

It's not... 'review my book or you're dead to me.'

It's... 'If you enjoyed this book, it would mean the world to me if you left a review and shared it with others who may benefit the way you have.'

I think that applies to the broader situation, too.

What do you need?

What is keeping you from asking for it?

If it's the fear that people will resent it or find it too much, make it clear that if they can't do it, you will understand. And that if there's any way you can help them, they should feel free to ask, too.

If it's the fear that they won't come through for you when the chips really are down (in cases when it's about more than a book review), well, maybe that's good (if not always pleasant) to know. It doesn't mean they're bad people, but there are better times coming and when they do, don't you want to spend them with the people who have your back? 

 

Watch our for scams that target aspiring screenwriters

Writers tend to be hopeful souls eager to get our work seen, which also makes us vulnerable to scammers or people selling services unlikely to help you sell your script. Here are a few things to consider.

SCREENWRITING CONTESTS

• If a writing contest has high entry fees and low-value prizes, think twice about entering. 
  
  
• Just as with the lottery, most people who enter writing contests don't win. Yes, somebody will win but before you pay the entry fee, consider whether it's the best use of your money. Have past winners gotten verifiable attention for their scripts? 
  
  
• If a contest claims their winners have projects in pre-production, be aware that "in pre-production" can mean "some producer says they'll read it," or "somebody is sort of interested," or "somebody who wants to be a producer is trying to find the money"...or it can mean nothing at all.
  
  
• If a contest doesn't tell you who is judging it, beware. If they do name them, look them up at imdb.com (International Movie Database) to see whether they have any credits. 

MARKETING SERVICES

• Just because somebody says that they'll send your logline to hundreds of producers doesn't mean the producers will read them. Two have told me they routinely throw these kinds of mailings away.
  
  
• Producers are not interested in looking at storyboards of your screenplay. It's a waste of money to have a service create one for you.
  
  
• Your screenplay doesn't need a website. Sure, you can set up a website that includes information about yourself, but if there's information that's relevant (e.g., your protagonist is a cop and you are a cop), put it in your query letter.
  
  
• Nobody wants to watch a trailer for your unproduced screenplay. Having somebody make one for you is a waste of money. 

AGENTS 

• Reputable agents don't charge a reading fee or any other kind of fee. They get a commission when they sell your work. 

If you've run across any other dubious services for writers, feel free to add them in a comment.

The man with 21,000 rejections

A man who's collected 21,000 rejections? What a loser, right?

Nope, very, very wrong.

Jacob M. Appel is a doctor, lawyer, bioethicist, author, professor, and tour guide. He has seven master's degrees, a JD from Harvard Law School, an MD, and is a practicing psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

His short fiction has been published in 215 literary journals, his debut novel won the Dundee Prize in 2012 and raves from Philip Pullman and Stephen Fry. He's published 16 books and written ten plays. Next month he's making appearances at literary events in Connecticut, Virginia, New York, and Ohio. 

Can we agree this guy must be a genius? 

Maybe, then, you'll be surprised to hear that in addition to all his awards and accolades, he's had 21,000 rejections.

That means he's submitted work 21,000 times (actually more, because not all were rejected). He's 46 now.

I don't know at what age he started submitting work but let's say it was early, at 16. That's 30 years. That's 700 submissions per year, about two per day. And he still had time left over to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, and tour guide. 

Very few will ever match Appel's abilities and achievements, but I think there are four things we can learn from him:

1. You have to produce.
2. You have to get it out there.
3. You will get a lot of rejections.
4. You can't let the rejections stop you.