Approaching J.R.R. Tolkien's Writings

One of the most common questions I encounter from readers approaching J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings is “Where do I start?” The list of books “written by” J.R.R. Tolkien can be overwhelming and confusing.

Most readers are familiar with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, but locate the Tolkien section at your local bookstore and you’ll likely find a dozen or more title staring back at you. What’s more, many of those will proclaim themselves as “prequels” to The Lord of the Rings.

Ironically, Tolkien only published four books on Middle-earth (his fictional world) during his lifetime - The Hobbit and the three-volume Lord of the Rings series.

The two major posthumous publications are The Silmarillion and the recently published The Children of Hurin. So where should you start? With the “prequels”? The Lord of the Rings? The Hobbit?

Here are my simple ordering suggestions for reading Tolkien’s works:

•The Hobbit
•The Lord of the Rings (three volumes)
•The Silmarillion
•The Children of Hurin

While the events chronicled in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings may occur thousands of years after many of the tales in The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin, these tales stand on their own, without the background necessary for the latter two pieces.

The time to tackle The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin is after reading The Lord of the Rings, and reaching an understanding of the basic heroic structure of Tolkien’s created world.

While browsing Tolkien’s books, you may also come across a number of other titles not listed above - for example The Book of Lost Tales or The Return of the Shadow, Morgoth’s Ring (and many others).

These books are collections of Tolkien’s unfinished and abandoned writings on Middle-earth, generally of interest only to those who have read his core writings and are interested in the development and writing process of Tolkien’s “mythology”. They are fascinating snapshots of the creative process at work, but would likely be confusing and nearly unreadable to someone unfamiliar with his earlier works.

Adam M. Smith is the owner of http://www.tolkien-online.com, an informational website dedicated to criticism and study of the life and writings of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tips on Choosing a Title For Your Book

How many of you have spent hours or days toiling over the title for your book? My first book, The Cliffhanger, was renamed probably six times before I stayed with the current title. Naming your book can be difficult, especially if the book will work as a sort of branding for everything else you do. Non-fiction books are often seen as a stepping stone to speaking engagements, product launches, and a variety of other business endeavors. In fact, the naming of a non-fiction or business book is so critical that a poorly chosen title can actually make or break a books success. If you're in the midst of picking a name, or planning future titles. There are some basic strategies you should consider before you finalize your book cover.

The name of your book must tell people what it's about. If you try to be clever and make them guess, your potential customer will just put it down and move on to a title they do understand.

Put the benefit right in the name - for example Chicken Soup for the Soul tells you right up front that much like a cup of chicken soup when you're sick, this book is going to make you feel better. If this leaves you feeling perplexed, take a moment to list five benefits of your book - once you have those benefits listed slowly but surely a book title will begin to emerge.

Think about all the different uses you might be able to derive from the name of your book. Is it going to be on your web site? Is it a stand alone book or part of a product line? Or is this book one of a series? Determining the exact uses of this title will help you define it further.

And finally, go see what the competition is doing. Spend an afternoon at the bookstore and see what titles have worked well for similar books in your genre.

Other Naming Tips Did you know that some words are easier to remember than others? Sound odd? Not really. Language experts will tell us that we just react differently to certain sounds. The letters K and P for example are what language experts call "plosives." A plosive is a little bit of language that pops out of your mouth and draws attention to itself. A plosive is a "stopper" in language. A plosive makes us pause for emphasis when we say it. The letters B, C, D, K, P and T are all plosives.

IWhat's especially interesting is that brand names beginning with plosives have higher recall scores than non-plosive names. Several studies of the top 200 brand names have made that point. Examples: Bic, Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, Kodak, Pontiac, etc.

If you've picked a title for your book or a name for your business or product line that is "unusual" - you might want to check the meaning first. That goes for foreign translation as well. Here are a few examples of names that were chosen without the proper research:

In 1997 Reebok issued a mass recall of their new women's running shoe dubbed "Incubus" - a savvy news reporter brought their attention to the fact that incubus means: "an evil spirit believed to descend upon and have sex with women while they sleep. Estee Lauder stopped short of exporting their line of Country Mist makeup to Germany when managers pointed out that "mist" in German is slang for "manure." Trying to be clever, The folks at Guess jeans placed the Japanese characters "ge" and "su" next to a model in Asian magazines, intending them to mean "Guess." But "gesu" translated in Japanese means "vulgar," "low" class" or "meanspirited."

Naming Tip! Stumped for a name? Try heading over to The Naming Newsletter. While this site is designed primarily for naming and/or branding companies, there's a lot of great information on titling strategies and tips that can translate easily to your book title.


Penny C. Sansevieri is a book publicist who turns authors into success stories. Get her free author marketing newsletter and insider tips at http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Effective Fiction Research

The question of why research should be a part of the craft of writing fiction I'll leave for another article. Suffice it to say, there are three reasons at minimum to include the skill of research in your craft. The first and second reasons require an understanding of the reader. It may or may not be surprising to learn that far more non-fiction titles are published and sold every year than fiction. And this should tell you that readers would actually rather be educated than entertained (it may also say something about the quality of the entertainment being sold, but that's a soap box I'll resist from stepping atop at the moment). Thus, if you can educate your reader while entertaining them, then you may be able to broaden your readership. Secondly, readers demand a certain level of credibility or authority from their authors, with whom they will be spending so much intimate time.

The third reason requires an understanding of you, the author. Very few of us may be gifted with an imagination of, say, a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz. Everything we need to craft our story may not be stored upstairs. We may and usually must venture outside of our mind to find the raw material to build our worlds, characters, and plots. And truth be told, even if you were King or Koontz, you too might be caught doing your homework from time to time. Research is a core skill of the novelist if for no other reason than to inspire.

So assuming research is, in fact, going to be a tool in our bag, then how can it most effectively be used?

The first thing to understand is that research for fiction can be subtly different than for non-fiction. And the difference ties back to the three reasons for researching fiction in the first place. Fiction is not held to the same standards as non-fiction. Absolute truth is not the goal of the fiction author, nor the expectation of the fiction reader. Metaphoric truth, however, is. As such, there is no requirement to support the research or defend it. In fact, the best fiction is to be written such that the research is invisible to the reader.

With that understanding it may be easier to think of the fiction research method as being more organic, less structured and academic. The whole exercise is really directly for the author's benefit and no one else's. The indirect benefit to the reader comes in the form of a credible and densely written story that engages her both intellectually and emotionally.

Therefore, the methods for effective fiction research are as varied and unique as are the authors. For me, I must first develop a premise founded on a rich theme or themes before I can begin to dive into the research. Once I have my premise, though, I begin by identifying the broader subjects that I'll need to explore for both credibility concerns and for story inspiration. I then give myself a crash course on each subject, assimilating what I learn, what inspires me, and what ideas come as a result. At times this can all be accomplished through reading books, journals, magazines, etc. Other times I must interview subject matter experts, travel to specific locations, or even try a particularly new and foreign activity. Do whatever is required to fill in the gaps in your own knowledge while also following your instincts. If something intrigues you, stumps you, or, heaven forbid, keeps you up at night, then by all means explore to your heart's content.

I mull this material over and over in my mind until I make it a part of my own experience. Then when it's time to write I find that the material I've gained is there at my fingertips and it comes out naturally in what I say. And this is because I'm not lecturing to the reader, trying to teach them, or even preach to them. I'm just talking to them, telling them a story that also happens to relay a message that has become important to me during my research phase.

To give a simple example, during the writing of my first novel, Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis & Clark, I realized that in order to make my premise work I needed to graft my story into the history of the reader's own world. I felt this would be the best way to suspend the reader's disbelief while they read a thriller that had Sasquatch ravaging the characters in the dark woods of the Olympic National Park. I happened to be reading Stephen E. Ambrose's Undaunted Courage at the time. Specifically, I had come across entries from Lewis describing their first close encounters with the grizzly. And bingo, just like that, I had found my answer. I could introduce into my story lost journals of Lewis & Clark that described their close encounters with Sasquatch. Because of research, two subjects that appeared to be unrelated now became integral to my plot.

The most difficult thing to learn and accept about the craft of researching fiction is that the process is essentially organic. So your method of research will differ from mine.

It requires faith in yourself and in the craft. All you can do is take that first step. Start by going to the library, surfing the web, or interviewing your ninety-year-old grandmother. And then have the courage to let the research lead you where it may. After all, research is what insures that the readers don't have all the adventures.

Eric Penz is the author of Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis and Clark. Visit his Web site to learn more, http://www.ericpenz.com

Getting Published:Tips For Young Writers

The task of getting published is one of the daunting aspects of writing. This can be difficult, if you want to get published by a traditional publishing house. It's not as difficult if you want to self-publish. In this article I will share with you the steps involved in getting your work published either traditionally or through self-publishing.

Mainstream publishers are often reluctant to accept work from young writers as anyone under 18 cannot sign a contract on their own and will require parental involvement. That is not to say you cannot submit to them but make sure your work is of high quality as you will be competing with adult writers. There are also several publishers that cater specifically to young writers, for a list of these, check out the book THE YOUNG WRITER'S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED. There are also several sites on the web that accept work from young writers such as http://stonesoup.com and Merlyn's pen. Make sure you edit your work thoroughly and follow the submission guidelines for publishers carefully.

Some publishers prefer that you send a query letter only at first describing your project. The query letter should be only one page long. If it is longer than that a busy editor will likely just throw it to one side. Think of the back cover summary you see on most books you buy, try to summarize what your book is about in a few words. This can be difficult but it must be done and done in a way that grabs an editor's attention.

Some publishers will allow you to submit a query letter and a few chapters of your work or your entire book. It is important that you use the correct font, you can't go wrong with courier new 12 pt and a double spaced manuscript. The query letter can use the same font but there is no need to double space it.

Let's now take a look at self publishing. Self publishing has become quite easy with the advent of self publishers like Lulu. At http://lulu.com you can publish your work for free. However lulu does take a small commission of anything you sell. Lulu also sells ISBN's for around $100 U.S. dollars. An ISBN will make your book available for international sale. It will become available to places like http://Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and hundreds of other distributors worldwide. When you self publish you set your own price and your age never becomes a factor as it will be with some traditional publishers.

If you decide to self publish everything falls into your hands, from editing to formatting. Lulu provides several services for these publishing details, however the costs can add up for young writers. The good news is that with patience and determination you can do it yourself. Lulu provides templates for formatting your book. If you can find a teacher, friend or parent to help you with editing you are well on your way without breaking the bank. Lulu makes making your book cover as easy as possible although you are responsible for finding your own image if you do not wish to use their images.

Finally, there is nothing like seeing your work in print and the opportunities for young writers are greater than ever.

Simone Mary is a teacher, writer and artist. She is the author of the eBook WRITING A STORY? WHAT EVERY WRITER SHOULD KNOW for more writing strategies and for a free copy of the eBook GET ON THE HONOR ROLL-TEST AND EXAM TAKING TIPS THAT WORK visit www.thereadingandwritingshop.com

Understanding the eBook Evolution

Maybe you have seen offers for them on various websites. Maybe you attended a book fair and noticed some authors selling CD-ROMs alongside paperbacks. Maybe you sat next to somebody at a coffee shop as he read a document on his laptop or personal digital assistant. You might think such things are limited to business some other type of work, but the electronic book, or eBook, is fast becoming a mainstream industry. While eBooks may never achieve the popularity or demand of the printed word, eBook readership is definitely growing and will prove a viable form of media in the future.

What is an eBook?

Before one can delve into specifics about electronic publishing, it is important to note exactly what an eBook is and what purpose an eBook serves. Simply put, the term "electronic book" is self-explanatory: an eBook can be a novel, collection of stories and/or poetry, self-help manual, a treatise, or any document of book length. eBooks may be as short as five thousand words or well over a hundred thousand. Some eBooks may have illustrations and charts embedded within the pages, and others may prove to be more interactive and feature audio and/or video capability.

Some eBooks are registered with Books in Print and made available as downloadable files or on CD-ROMs. Some eBook publishers assign ISBN numbers to their titles, while others may register the works with the US Copyright Office. Many publishers consider eBook production a subsidiary right in their contracts, and may option those rights from an author during negotiations.

The fundamental difference between an eBook and a print book, of course, is that the eBook is an electronic document devised to be read on a computer or special handheld device. eBooks are easy to produce and can be made available in a variety of formats, including but not limited to:

HTML - presented as a simple Web page

Adobe PDF - presented to look like an actual document onscreen, read with Adobe Reader

Microsoft LIT - a special format for the Microsoft Reader and Pocket PC

Mobipocket (.PRC) - a special format compatible handheld PDAs like the Palm or old Handspring devices.

EXE - popular among non-fiction eBooks, this self-extracting format presents the book in a unique form that allows the reader to "turn pages"

However an eBook is produced, special reading software may be required to read the document. While a simple HTML document needs only a web browser, others with different extension may not open in certain readers. It is best to always check with a vendor before purchasing an eBook to make sure you can open the file.

What is the purpose of an eBook?

Electronic books are used for the same purposes as print books, namely for entertainment, business, or news.

Entertainment: these are generally novels and short story/poetry collections. Such eBooks are primarily found through specific websites by top NYC publishers that offer electronic downloads, or through smaller publishers who offer books in electronic and print on demand formats. eBooks from smaller companies may be priced according to length and genre, from two dollars to as high as eight for longer works. eBooks from established publishers may cost more, priced to match their print companions. Popular genres for leisure reads in electronic format include romance, science fiction, and erotica.

Works in the public domain, including novels from the nineteenth century, may be presented in eBook format to download for free. The Gutenberg Library online houses thousands of such works for personal and educational use.

Business: Look around the Internet and you may find a number of sales websites offering eBooks that reveal "secrets to success." Online entrepreneurs use the eBook format for its simplicity and low-cost production to market ideas and products to customers. In this realm you may find books on how to open a successful online business or how to lose weight. Books of this sort may be distributed free to attract return business or may be sold for as much as thirty dollars for a self-extracting document.

News: Companies or organizations may employ the eBook format to distribute white papers or other important documents. Government reports, business trends, and other information in the public domain may be available in this format.

How are eBooks distributed?

The most common forms of eBook distribution are through the individual publisher's website and third-party retailers.

The Publisher: Whether it is an established NYC house, a small eBook press or a self-publishing author, chances are high there is a website created to tout the book. A quick Internet search for eBook publishers will land many leads. Such websites offer either immediate download of an eBook through a weblink, or delivery via e-mail as an attachment. Other publishers may burn eBooks to CD-ROM and ship them to customers.

The Third-Party Store: Online retailers like Amazon.com, BN.com, and Fictionwise are good examples of eBook retailers. Such sites offer eBooks for immediate download and may even keep your information on account and make recommendations on future purchases. Such retailers, like eBook publishers, will accept payment through electronic transfer to expedite the sale.

The Future of eBooks

Given the ease of production and distribution, it is likely eBooks may become an important medium in the future. As technology evolves and reading devices become more sophisticated, sales of eBook fiction may rise in the years to come. Handheld eBook readers have the advantage of being able to store several books at once, and offer backlighting for reading in dark places. Cost prohibition on devices and certain eBooks may be the only factor preventing a boom right now, but in time as prices become competitive that may change.

For authors, eBook publication represents the opportunity to polish writing skills and test readership. For entrepreneurs, eBook publication offers a new avenue to product promotion and increasing sales. Whatever your plans for the eBook are, it can be said that electronic books are here to stay.


Kathryn Lively is a published author and editor, offering free SEO advice to aspiring authors. She writes for CINIVA Systems, Virginia Beach website design.

Regency Debutantes: a Feast of Fictional Heroines

The Regency debutante comes in very handy for authors like me, even though she is as individual as the writers who create her. She can appear in just about all shapes and sizes--within a framework of having the ability to attract "Mr. Right," of course. (In other words, she can be anything as long as it's attractive enough for the purposes of a romance.)

Half the fun of a Regency (or any romance) is being able to understand and relate to the heroine; therefore, she must be wonderful in some ways and definitely lacking in others; she must be attractive but not so perfect that you can't believe in her; she must strike a chord in every female reader who picks up your book, and any writer can create such a character simply by making her human. That is the one thing we ALL have in common, our humanity, with all its foibles and faults.

But what is a Regency debutante? How is she different from other fictional heroines?

A dictionary will tell you that a debutante is “a young woman making a formal debut into society.” In our case, it is Regency society, which is the other half of the fun of a Regency novel. No other time period was quite like the Regency; Jane Austen taught us how to poke gentle fun at it while also caring about those who were part of it; and Georgette Heyer showed us ways to really turn up the volume (of fun), concocting plots full of characters plucked from many layers of that society.

The interesting thing about the debutante of the Regency, is that she could be most anyone, from anywhere. Families came from abroad for the 'season' to debut their favored young ladies among the English rich. Most of the time, they, too, had money and therefore were supremely 'qualified' to join the “marriage mart.” But they might also be hiding a bankruptcy—it wasn't always easy to discover the truth in those days of slow travel and communication (by today's standards).

Likewise, any country miss and her mama might aspire to a London “season” and there was always the chance of making an astounding success. (You see how it easily makes for the stuff of romance novels?)

So the Regency Debutante was any young lady of gentle birth making her "come out" into the wider society of adults of her community; If she were wealthy or could gather enough financial backing, (or had good connections) she could make that debut into London or Bath society, circles where the possibility of making a good match (marriage) were greater.

Not all Regency novels use debutantes as their heroines, but to understand what "the season" was about, one must recognize this formal female creature! She often was not in for fun and games, despite the whirl of social entertainments on her schedule, but if she happened to be pretty, and even more important, wealthy, then upper class society was sure to welcome her in.

Another aspect that makes Regencies so enjoyable is the clothing needed for the debutante's season. The quantity AND the quality--it all counted, and it all makes for fun reading. That, along with descriptions of social customs and manners, makes delving into the era an experience you will likely want to do again and again.

The Regency? You've got to love it!


Linore Rose Burkard writes Inspirational Romance with a special interest in the Regency. She also writes articles on Regency Life, Parenting, and Self-Improvement. Get her FREE monthly eZine "Upon My Word!" which includes a monthly fre.e download at HERE

The 7 Habits Of Highly Successful Authors

The more I read how the successful authors do it, the more I realize that, like successful people in all walks of life, they all do things in common that contribute enormously to their success. So how can we learn from successful authors to ensure our own success in 2008 and beyond?

We can start by adopting what I call "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors". Adopt these 7 habits and you just may find that 2008 is the year you break through your own writing barriers!

1. Write about something you care about.

Whether you are writing fiction or non fiction, it is imperative you write about something you care about. The successful authors have some emotional connection to their content or story. If you are writing fiction, then write from a place of emotional familiarity. Your genuine experience will come through in your writing and your readers will connect with that. If you are writing a non fiction piece, choose a topic you are passionate or enthusiastic about. After all, if you are going to invest your precious time in what you are writing, you owe it to yourself to write with passion, feeling and enthusiasm.

2. Take risks

Don't be afraid to put your head, or your hands, on the chopping block when you write. In the world of fiction, you will have no doubt heard about creating characters that are "larger than life". That doesn't mean they are giants, it means they go above and beyond and take risks and make decisions that we would not have the courage to take in our own lives. After all, it's not about what we would do when we are tethered by the restrictions of polite behavior, it's what we would do in our wildest imaginations that make our readers sit up and take notice.

For the non fiction writer, it's time for you to take a stand. Take a view and stick with it, presenting your case with conviction and vigor. No one listens to someone who writes meekly, or with a wishy washy hand. Stick your neck out, and don't be afraid to get it chopped off. All the greatest journalists are the ones who are not afraid to speak their minds. Get into that habit and you're well on your way to being that next great journalist.

3. Plan

This is definitely the most ignored but equally the most important phase of the writing process. Planning is essential to the success of any undertaking and writing is no different. J.K. Rowling spent 5 years planning the entire Harry Potter series before she put pen to paper on a single word that appeared in the books. If you are writing a short story, novel or screenplay, planning the story before you begin writing is as essential to your success as ink in your pen or power to your laptop. There are some writers who claim to just start with an image or a sentence and then the whole thing just unfolds before them, but the writers who can do this with any degree of success are few and far between. Take the time to plan out your story, at the very least know where your beginning, middle and end are. The more planning you do, the more enjoyable the writing process and the less rewriting and editing you will have to do. The same goes for non fiction pieces, where it's always advisable to have an outline in place before you write your article or book.

4. Write every day

Joyce Carol Oates said that she would write, even when her soul felt as thin as a playing card, because somehow the act of writing would set it aright. There are going to be times when you just "don't feel like it", but like any other job or activity that is important to you, you must still, somehow, sit down every day and write. It has been said that it is by sitting down every day to write that one becomes a writer. Stephen King writes every day, including Christmas Day. Whether you are working on a book, story, article or nothing, still sit down and write something every single day. Even if you only write one page every day, that's 365 pages in a year and that's a whole book, isn't it? When you are a writer, you cannot not write, and writing is like breathing. You have an urge to put things down in print, so to keep that fresh and alive, you need to turn that tap on every day. It's more than practice. It's life.

5. Be prepared to work hard

I read somewhere once that John Grisham worked for 4 hours per day and made $20 million per year. Whether that is true or not (about the hours worked or the money he makes) doesn't matter. It is far more common to hear tales today of the world's most popular commercial authors working their proverbial butts off to keep up with deadlines, promotional commitments and the ins and outs of their everyday lives. Janet Evanovich gets up and writes every morning at 5am so she can get a full day's writing in before she has to answer mail, emails and deal with her other affairs of business, Jodi Picoult has a wonderful stay-at-home husband who allows her the luxury of writing through school pick ups and travelling for long periods to do research for her novels. J.K. Rowling also said she (misguidedly) thought that life as an author would be a Jane Austen-type of affair, sitting in a room overlooking a field and writing in anonymity. Of course her life is a whirlwind of book launches, movie premieres, media commitments, school commitments, and of course she has a family with three children. And while we all no doubt wish we had her "problems" it is very obvious that in the early part of the 21st century, the life of an author, successful or not, is a hard-working life. We are either working hard to get noticed, working hard to stay noticed, or working hard to avoid being noticed. Any way you look at it, if you have an aversion to hard work, you need to look elsewhere. Successful authors work hard. Period.

6. Persistence

It is said that persistence outstrips all other virtues. I have a card propped up on my desk that says, "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go". Almost every successful author I have studied has said that their success is due, at least in some part, to pure persistence and determination. If your manuscript or article is rejected, rewrite it and submit it again. Or submit it to someone else. The first Harry Potter novel was rejected by every major publishing house before Bloomsbury picked it up for a song. Even so called "overnight successes" have a story behind them about how many times they were rejected, or how many novels or articles they've written that have no value other than as fire kindling. The authors that succeed are the ones who don't stop until they do. It's that simple. Never give up. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

7. Let it go

And finally when you have written your article, book or screenplay and have submitted it for publication or approval, let it go. If you've done the best you can with it, let it go and trust that it will make its way to where it needs to be. And start something else straight away. Regardless of whether what you have submitted is accepted or rejected, you are a writer and a writer writes. Once you finish one manuscript start immediately on another. If the one you've sent is picked up, they'll be happy that you've got something new already, and if not you're well on your way to finishing your next manuscript.

So those are the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors. Adopt these habits yourself, and before you know it, you too will join their ranks!


Suzanne Harrison is the bestselling author of 4 e-books and courses on creative writing, short story and novel writing. She is also the Director of Writers Central, the innovative online creative writing school, dedicated to creating great storytellers. Visit her at http://www.writerscentral.com.au

Short Story Writing - A Viable Route To Publication For Older Writers

Many people take up writing as a hobby or as a more serious undertaking later in life - maybe even after what would be considered by many retirement age. This article looks at one way the older writer can compete with younger rivals on a level playing field.

There you are, sitting looking at your finished book manuscript. It's probably taken at least a year - maybe a lot longer - to get to this stage. Now, you say, it's finished! Sorry to correct you here - but it's not. It will only be finished when it is published, in book form, and sitting on a shelf in a bookshop where people can buy it.

So you send away your manuscript, bracing yourself - you have been warned about this - for rejection. You may be very fortunate and have your work accepted: if so I take my hat off to you! It is far more likely that the work will be returned. If the reason given is that is out of fashion, or not right for that particular publisher, or just plain badly written, then you can do something about it.

Sometimes though - and this an older, unpublished, writer's pitfall - your age may work against you. I know, it's wrong - but there it is. You may have written a great book, a truly stunning piece of work - but an agent or publisher, being hard-headed businesspeople, have to ask themselves two very crucial questions. These are:

1. Has this writer got more than on book in them? In other words, is this book something you have taken a long time - maybe years and years - to bring to a conclusion? If so, do have any more ideas or are all your guns fired?

2. Now this is not the greatest thing to dwell on - but how much longer are you going to be around? Let's say you're a fit 70-year old lady. You could, these days, reasonably expect another good fifteen or twenty years at least. How does this work with your writing career?

Well - a book - any book - can take five years from first rough to publication. Three years is good going. As you can only write one book at once (unless your name is Simenon!) that means you could well be hitting 90-plus if a publisher gave you a five-book contract - together with all the sales and marketing investment that implies. When they look at these sort of figures you can understand - even if you do not agree with - their concerns.

So - this leaves us with the old problem: how to get into print? Well, one excellent way is via the short story market, particularly those published within popular women's magazines. Hang on, though - what about your age in this environment? Does it not still hold that it may count against you?

Happily, the answer is a resounding NO. Magazine editors aren't offering you a contract beyond purchasing publishing rights from you - hardly a big investment - so concerns regarding your longevity aren't present! Also, many older writers find they have the depth of experience concerning the human condition so essential to many stories found within the pages of this type of magazine.

Then there are other types of magazine - the science fiction short story is one of the types enjoying a keen readership, as popular today as it was seventy years ago. Maybe it's not your thing - but it's worth considering!

The other thing about short stories is that they are, when compared to a novel, quick to write. You could probably write twenty or thirty short stories in the time it would take you to write your book. Too, they give a new writer great exposure. It's fair to say that the buyers of women's magazines probably don't do so just to read the short story tucked away towards the back - but read them they do and some magazines have readerships in the hundreds of thousands. If you sold that many copies of your novel it would be a best-seller!

Maybe the best things about getting your short story published is the great boost to confidence it brings to any fledgling (or indeed seasoned) writer. There's nothing quite like having your name in print as the author! Add to this the bonus of getting your name known to editors and agents - yes, they do read these stories, spying out talent - and it can be seen that writing for the short story market can be a great way to get noticed.

You may decide, if following this route, that short stories are the thing for you - a writing niche that suits your talents and needs. On the other hand, should you again experience the desire to write The Novel, you have a good grounding in economical, well-planned writing (as all short stories must be) that will shine out to any publisher whose desk your manuscript lands on!


If you would like to know a bit more about the short story genre, try clicking here. Or, if you're still determined to have a go at a longer work, just click here.

How Long Is Too Long To Market A Book?

So how long is too long to market a book? According to some studies (both formal and informal) marketing (and seeing the results in the form of book sales) can take anywhere from six months to two years, it all depends on what you want to get out of it.

Ideally though, you should plan to market your book ongoing -- if, that is, being an author is a career choice and not a hobby. If it's a hobby then don't put any more time into it than you have to, or you might not choose to market it at all. For some, having the finished book is sufficient. But generally authors don't write and publish a book just to see it "done;" they publish it to further dreams of seeing their careers flourish. If that's the case then your marketing plan should last as long as your career does and hopefully, that's a really long time.

But how long should you stick to marketing one book before moving onto the next? The answer depends on a lot of things. Topic, for one, will often drive the wheels of a campaign and it's often said that the best way to market your first book is with your second and third and forth and well, you get the idea. But now comes the most challenging question: if you're extending a marketing campaign beyond what you originally had on your marketing outline, what on earth will you do to promote it?

If your book is new and your promotional wheels are just hitting full steam the answer to how you might promote your book should be easy. But if it's a year down the road and you feel you've done everything you can do to market your book you might be asking yourself: what's next? This is a great time to assess what you've done, what's worked and what hasn't. It's often in our nature to stare at a closed door begging for it to open, but if the doors you're knocking on still aren't opening, then perhaps it's time to move on to marketing items better suited to your book.

By this I mean that when you go through and evaluate all you've done, it might be easy to say, "You know, I spent a lot of time on this and it's still not doing anything for me, I'll think I'll invest more time on it and see what happens." This might seem like a good idea. Certainly the folks at Oprah might not want to hear from you the first 20 times you pitched but on 21, you could strike gold. The likelihood is, however, that you're just barking up the wrong tree and need to move onto greener pastures.

For example, let's say you've done some speaking engagements in the past year and every time you do them you get tons of new sign-ups for your newsletter, you sell lots of books and best of all, you get asked back! So why don't you do more of them? Well, probably because the rest of your book marketing is taking up so much time that you're unable to devote as much time to this as you can. Now you're in a perfect position. Why? Because you can dump the stuff that's not working so well and focus on the things that are working well, like your speaking engagements. The same is true for media, if you get a lot of it when you're pitching it, then why not pitch more?

For many of us, deciding what to do and when to do it can be confusing, but after you've spent months doing everything you've ever read or heard about, the obvious successes start to clarify themselves and then, what you need to do becomes crystal clear.

If you've only got one book to promote, here are a few tips that might help extend the life of a campaign and give you more ways to market:

* Creating spin-off products: special reports, eBooks and audio product are a all a great way to get some additional mileage out of your book. Creating products that lead to a product line can help leverage more sales. Often when consumers buy one product in a line, they'll buy all of them.

* Speaking events: speaking on your book's topic can really lengthen a campaign. By setting up speaking engagements you're getting the message out there on your book, selling books to the audience and keeping the wheels on your campaign turning.

* Gather your evergreens: an "evergreen" is a topic that's consistently viable from year to year. This means that if you have a news peg on the topic of Labor Day, you can trot this pitch out year after year and the media will love it. Understanding and building these evergreens into your campaign will greatly help extend your marketing campaign.

* Updating your book: with the exception of fiction, most books could stand a refresher every so often. For some books it's yearly, while others can wait a bit longer. The updated version is a great way to capture additional promotion. I update my books yearly and provided that I've added new content (and not just changed a few URL's) I will re-promote each of these as they come out -- just like I would a new title.





Author: Penny Sansevieri

The Simple 5 Step Secret To Great Fiction

Stephen King says he starts his novels with a "What if?" question. What if a woman and child are trapped in a car by a rabid dog? What if a family pet buried in a Pet Semetary came back to life? What if a young girl could start fires with her mind?

I have also heard many other bestselling novelist such as Jodi Picoult, Janet Evanovich and Nicolas Evans lay claim to the same thing.

And I have heard others say they just saw an image in their mind, or had a persistent sentence knocking on the inside of their brains, and they just followed that to where it lead them.

And while their insight and tutelage is invaluable, when I was a budding writer it left me with another question.

What's next?

It's all good and fine to have a starting point. In fact a starting point is imperative. But in answering the question of "What next?" you will lift your novel from "What if?" to "Howzat!"

So in answer to the "What next?" question, I defined the five essential elements of any good story, whether it's a novel, a short story, a play or a screenplay. Use these five elements to plan your story and you're guaranteed to write a bestseller everytime.

Step One: Desire

It is essential that your main character want something. Even if it's only a glass of water, they must have an "object of desire" to pursue. It can be anything from a way of escaping their predicament, or a way to bring their world back into balance, but the key is that your main character must want something. Without that you will not have a story.

This "desire line" is the golden thread that will run through your story.

For example, in a love story, the object of desire is the beloved. In a story of illness, the object of desire may be anything from a medical specialist who can treat the patient, to a specific medicine guaranteed to cure. In a failing marriage, the object of desire could be the best divorce lawyer in town, or an apartment of their own. It's your choice and will be dictated by the type of story you are writing.

Step Two: Conflict or Opposition

You will undoubtedly know that nothing ever moves forward in story except through conflict. So once your main character knows what they want, there has to be something or someone around to stop them. And the most powerful person, or thing, to oppose the main character is the one who can put the most pressure on them and force them to change.

It's critical to remember this: the strength of any story is directly related to the strength of the opponent. If it's easy for the main character to reach their goal, then where's the challenge? Where's the drama? Where's the struggle for growth and change?

The Harry Potter novels kept us on the edge of our seats for seven books and ten years because of the promise of a showdown between Harry and Lord Voldemort. The success of Star Wars hinged on the multilayered battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. The Bourne series enthrals us because it's one man against the CIA.

In our earlier examples, the opponent in the love story is always the lover. If boy meets girl and they get together and live happily ever after, where is the story? There isn't one! So the lover must resist in some way. In the case of the illness, the main opponent could be a government department that is withholding approval for a drug that will cure you, or it could be a lack of funds to travel overseas to see that one specialist who can treat you. And in the failing marriage, the opponent would be the other marriage partner, who is either trying to send you broke or stopping you from moving out.

Really take the time to explore your opponent. They can often be the most interesting character in the story!

Step Three: Moral Dilemma

The conflict must build so that your main character is forced into a corner, where they must make a decision that challenges their values.

There is only one question you need to ask yourself at this stage, and that is, "how can I push my main character into a place where they feel as though they are stuck between a rock and a hard place?" The decision they make here must be a true test of their core values, and whatever decision they make needs to tip them into the most intense conflict of the story, where they battle the opponent in a do-or-die climax to your story.

For example, in the love story, your character may be forced to choose between love and security, or love and family, as they enter new territory in the relationship stakes. In the illness story, your character may need to choose between health and authority, or health and pride, if they are forced to ask for charity to finance their overseas trip. And in the case of the divorced couple, your main character may be forced to choose between freedom and control, or financial security and love, depending on the scenario you choose.

One way or the other, your character has to make a choice and this choice sends your story into its most intense conflict.

Step Four: The Battle or Climax

You are now entering the most intense conflict of the story and the action here must take place between your main character and the main opponent. This is the classic "fight" scene, or where the great revelation comes out, where you can otherwise surprise or shock your readers. Push it out there! Allow whatever comes out to come out onto the page. Remember you are just exploring your story here. If it goes too far you can pull it back in the writing or the editing. Just remember that the most powerful climax will be one that brings about absolute and irreversible change.

It's a good idea to explore your character's highs and lows at this time. By this I mean look at how they can behave really badly, as we often do when we are pushed into a corner. Does your character come out swinging, or do they submit and surrender? Neither answer is wrong or right. It will depend entirely on your story.

Step Five: Resolution

Every good story asks a question at the beginning. Whether it's a Stephen King "What if?" question, or something entirely different, it's imperative that you answer the question here. How can you show your character having learned their lesson? How are they seeing themselves clearly for the first time? What impact does that have on those around them? What is the "solution" to your story?

I recommend not spending too much time planning this final step, as it almost always simply comes out in the writing. Stories that you are meant to write have a way of just coming out the way they need to, and too much planning of the ending will make it seem contrived.

So those are our five simple steps to great fiction. Have a character who wants something, add something or someone who tries to stop them, put them in an impossible situation, watch them fight their way out and see what they learn in the process!

Simple really!






Author: Suzanne Harrison

Your Love Affair With Your Muse

How's your love affair with your Muse?

That's right, your Muse. Your creative source. Your inspiration for all the kooky, creative things you do. The voice that whispers, "Hey, why don't you try encaustic painting? That looks like fun!"

Or maybe your voice has a more, well, cranky tone. Maybe your Muse's voice gets snarky when she sees others creating. Maybe she feels abandoned in the corner, tucked away behind the towering to-do lists.

It could be time for a relationship check-in. My boyfriend and I do these periodically. We take a walk and discuss the state of our relationship. These conversations clear out any resentments that have been piling up. They offer a safe forum for checking in with our shared dream. And, these tete-a-tetes invariably bring us closer.

Try this with your Muse. Plan a few minutes of quiet time to get connected to your creative source. Use your journal to deepen the connection and listen to what your creative source has to say. Let your pen move on the page and don't censor anything that comes up.

Interview your Muse. Ask the kind of questions that you would ask a really fascinating person that you have always wanted to meet. What motivates you? What do you love? What do you do for fun?

Ask what your Muse wants. Find out if there are any gifts, real or energetic, that she needs. Let her explain whatever she needs. What she writes may be a rant; if you haven't been listening to your creative impulses, she may have some resentment stored up.

Make requests of your Muse. You may ask her for help with finishing projects, rather than confetting you with more ideas, more inspiration, more projects.

Redesign your alliance. What would a really fabulous year with your Muse look like? What do you want to celebrate with your Muse at the end of the year? Look at what kind of relationship would make you eager to get to the studio or the writing desk. Brainstorm how much time you would spend together, where and when you'd meet, what you'd do when you got together.

Complete the check-in with some kind of celebration. Go to a museum or gallery, or a shop devoted to your craft. Take your Muse to tea or happy hour, just the two of you, and giggle together over your plans.

Using these prompts is a great start to cultivating a deeper connection to your creative source. But an ongoing dialogue truly feeds you and your Muse. Make sure that you give yourself this very vital relationship. One of the side benefits of doing so is better relationships with the others in your life.

Other benefits include feeling more fulfilled, completing projects that have been shelved for too long, and gaining a sense of self-confidence and satisfaction from having a truly dynamic creative life.

Sounds good, doesn't it? So take some time to connect with your Muse and see what she has to offer.




Author: Cynthia Morris

Description: the Element of Every Great Story

When I was in the 7th grade, I learned the secret to great writing. It had nothing to do with syntax, vocabulary, sentence structure or tone. The secret was one word; one single, solitary command to be adhered to like a strict diet if you ever wanted to be a great writer. The word? Describe.

If I learned everything perfectly the first time around, I guess I wouldn't have needed all those extra books and English classes that consumed my time throughout high school and college. But, at 13, I didn't quite understand the importance of my teacher's words when she said, "Don't tell me; show me." That, right there, is the key to great writing.

At some time, all of us have heard someone tell a great story. We have sat straight up in our chair, completely enthralled in the words and movements of someone on the other end of the table. With eager eyes, we followed the swing of their hand gestures and noted every swift change of their facial expressions. We were like putty in their hands, eating up every word and ready to go wherever their story led us.

What is it about a good story that has this effect on us? Well, it’s not so much the story itself, but rather the delivery of that story. Anyone can tell a story, but not everyone can make you relive it. A great storyteller puts you in the action of the story, turning a memory, an idea, or a dream into an interactive experience.

In writing, we don’t have the option of great physical gestures or facial expressions. Everything we do relies on words. Therefore, our words must be powerful enough to stand on their own. They must be strong enough to place the reader in the story; to make them feel as if they are in the very shoes of the one who wrote or experienced it.

As E. L. Doctorow says, “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” This distinction is what separates writing from good writing. It is what produces an effect on your reader that cannot be easily shaken. Sure, anyone can tell them it’s raining, but not everyone can make them feel it.

As a writer, my job is not to make you think of rain, or remember the last time you felt rain, but to have you experience a specific rain -- my rain. No, not the warm, gentle rain that lulls you to sleep at night. Not the cool and refreshing rain that sweeps in the crisp autumn air. The kind of cold rain that bitterly pecks at the back of your exposed neck like a hungry crane. Yes, that kind of rain.

Writing, in essence, is all about communication; and the clearest form of communication comes with vivid and detailed description. So if you want to be a good writer, don't just write for the sake of telling a story. Write for the opportunity of sharing the experience. Use your words to make those who read your writing feel and experience your story just as you have.

Author: Gina Sares

The Reality Of Publishing Your Book

According to a recent survey, more than eighty percent of Americans want to write a book. This shocking statistic is somewhat puzzling because the National Endowment for the Arts estimates that only fifty-seven percent of Americans have read one book in the last twelve months!

What is it that makes people -- even non-readers -- want to put pen to paper?

Perhaps it's the desire for fame and fortune. Maybe it's the need to earn respect from others. Or maybe it's the hopeful wish to leave some mark on the future, a permanent record of a life lived.

Whatever the reason, for those who actually complete a manuscript, the odds of seeing it published by a reputable book publisher are slim to none.

For the estimated two million manuscripts that authors complete, there are only 64,000 publishers of record, and only a fraction of those publishers actively seek new manuscripts.

So what are the millions of hopeful authors to do?

The first step would be to ensure their manuscripts are the best they can be. This is usually accomplished by re-writing, editing, and proofreading by an outside firm or by a well-read and literate colleague.

Even then, most of those two million books stand no chance of being accepted by a traditional publisher. Authors who do make the cut are not necessarily the best writers, but rather they are writers who can sell themselves and their stories most convincingly.

Some authors, after rejections from the trade, will find themselves victims of vanity publishers, who take advantage of the hopes and aspirations of writers to extract an exorbitant fee to publish their book. Writers are better off publishing through firms like iUniverse and Lulu. Although their books will likely never see wide distribution, at least their losses will be minimal.

Finally, there are the select few who decide to become publishers themselves, even if it is only to self-publish their own book. These self-publishers will find great obstacles, and a great deal of work in this route. The challenge and reward of having one's success or failure entirely in one's own hands is a powerful feeling.

Whether they choose to publish electronically, or use short run printing service like Lightning Source, or even to go full boar with a print run of 1,000 or more, their success depends on how well they sell themselves and their story to others.

There's an age-old debate about which method is better; using a publishing company or self publishing your own book. You know your situation and you know what will work best for you. You'll want to consider how much time or money you have to invest in the project. That should give you an idea as to which route to take. Using a publisher takes less time on your part, but you'll forfeit some of the royalties by using this method. If you self publish, you'll have to pay "up front" and do the initial work to get the ball rolling on sales of your book.

If you are about to embark on a new manuscript, educate yourself thoroughly about the industry, its scams, and potential pitfalls. More importantly, learn to market yourself well, for this, more than any other skill, is the determining factor in your success or failure.




Author: Brian Konradt

5 Questions To Generate Great Ideas

One of the handiest bits of "equipment" to the idea searcher may be an inquisitive child. The best place for him may prove to be, not the quiet spot on a mountain top he dreams of, away from people, but in a battle of wits with his children. The number of questions a child can ask is astonishing. Why are handkerchiefs square? Why is soap slippery? Why is a clock called a clock?

A list of questions has been devised to keep you moving on a straight track instead of foggily in a circle. These questions will help you quickly analyze an ordinary problem; enable you to see all around it completely, get at its hidden values, give you many fresh ideas, talking points and idea-seeds.

Every newspaper reporter is familiar with the five questions - what, who, when, where, why. These are a good beginning for any analysis of a situation. Using these, you should seek every possible association of your subject - the subjects closely related to it in any practical way.

What?

Begin any search for ideas with a definition. Just what is the problem or the thing? Of what is it composed, and of what other materials might it be made? Thus the use of plastics for metals saves vast quantities of useful natural resources. What is the purpose, and can an additional purpose be found for it, as a truck that moves from town to town and also houses its occupants (the trailer); or a hassock that opens on top and provides space for little oddments inside.

Who?

Who are the people concerned. Every product or idea is good only as far as it is suitable, and available to the people for whom it is intended. You must know the buyer, the audience, the user, the reader, or whatever group you wish to appeal to. You must keep your idea within the range of their capacity to use, enjoy and pay. Think of the people - their needs, tastes, comforts. Think too of the people who will be engaged in producing the product. This often opens up new angles.

When?

When is it used? Can it be used at another time? For instance basic dresses, which may be worn day or evening by a simple change of accessories. Or a canned fruit, which may be preserved in summer for use in winter. Or a book of the month plan which functions recurrently.

Where?

Some ideas can be transplanted from another part of the world. A few years ago someone traveling in Japan found that the natives used only paper handkerchiefs. The practice impressed the traveler for its sanitary, disposable quality, and when he returned, he invented a modern, better way based on this idea, and gave us Kleenex. He also gave us by way of his advertising, countless additional uses for the same product, and was among the first to awaken other people to the value of paper for kitchen and household uses.

Why?

Can you find additional reasons "why" for its use, other virtues or values to exploit in it that make a stronger idea? Some products have such values that are never even realized by users. Thus few people who used a certain well-known soap, knew that there was a reason why there was a little indentation in the top of it. But when the piece was well worn down, you could fit it into this recess of a new cake the two wet pieces merging and thus eliminating waste scraps. Look for these plus values.

How?

Another important question is How. By analyzing all the processes and methods, new ideas and improvements may be discovered. Thus, crinkled hairpins or bobby pins that stay put. Another manufacturer roughened his paper clips, causing them to hold papers together more securely, and made a large fortune on this small improvement. Consider how it was made and whether it can be made a more convenient way, as windows, which may be washed from inside the room.

With these simple questions as your basis, you will be able to generate any number of great ideas. Good luck!
Author: Jimmy Cox

Editorial Advice: To Listen Or Not To Listen?

Whether you're an author publishing through traditional means or delving into self-publishing, you are going to want the feedback of a good editor or perhaps more than one. The difficulty for authors, especially those choosing self-publishing is when do you take an editor's advice and make changes and when do you determine you've gotten enough feedback? This can be a tough call, and it often comes down to the author finding a happy medium.

The first thing writers need to consider is how many editors are too many? In writing and researching Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, over the duration of the project seven editors reviewed the manuscript. Some of them were extremely helpful, taking an objective approach and offering suggestions that made for a better book. Others seemed to check objectivity at the door, letting their personal likes and dislikes influence how they felt the story should develop. By the time the book was completed, I felt as though I had let too many cooks into the kitchen, all fussing over the same pot, either adding spices or removing them.

What I learned from the editors I consulted were two simple things. One, you cannot make everyone happy. It's just not possible, so you write the best work you can, one that as many reader's as possible can relate to. Number two, as an author you ultimately have to decide if the suggestions editors make are enhancing your work, or turning it into the work of someone else. Again, it goes back to the idea of authors finding a happy medium that improves the work, but is still your own.

The first editor I contacted was probably the most beneficial. Prudy loved the book, but thought it should begin with the wedding because she believed this was where the story truly started. She also suggested plotting the story on a calendar over the specific number of years the novel took place. In this way, real life events could be woven throughout the narrative, giving the reader not only a sense of place and time, but information that might arouse their interest in other areas related to the story.

Another editor's feedback was more helpful regarding ways to improve my writing, rather than this particular story. She pointed out little tics in my style - for example using the same word too often, advice which I didn't just apply to the novel, but every other piece I've written. Her observation helped me expand my vocabulary and fine-tune my work. Two suggestions I took issue with was the fact that in the novel Kay and Tim don't have any children, and that as a minister's wife, this editor felt Kay should be shown in church more. I thought both points had nothing to do with the story and verged on stereotyping. I made this decision from my own experience of knowing childless couples where a spouse works in ministry.

One positive aspect of consulting multiple editors is that enough voices may convince an author to make a significant change. Out of seven editors, six wanted to see the ending beefed up providing the reader with an enhanced sense of satisfaction and closure. The one holdout was a good friend and her argument was that by expanding the ending, the author was taking the reader by the hand, when she felt their imagination could do the rest. Of all the decisions I made regarding Shades of Darkness, this was by far the toughest. Eventually I relented and significantly revised the ending.

Authors may also find themselves confronted with one editor who changes something, only to encounter another who changed it back. This was particularly true when dealing with the grammatical aspects of the book. The second editor was an old-school English major, so her placement of commas was more extensive. The fifth editor removed what she believed were too many commas and thus we had a full-scale "Comma War." When the last editor reviewed the manuscript, edited commas were being replaced. What I strongly recommend is authors select a specific grammatical style (such as the Chicago Manual of Style or Modern Language Association) and stick to it.

Ultimately, regardless of what an editor suggests, as the author you need to remember this is a subjective process. The final editor made a suggestion that would have entailed rewriting the entire manuscript in a way that I felt was not beneficial to the story. But because I thought the suggestion had some merit, I compromised and trimmed the scene to a point where I felt comfortable, thereby finding a happy medium.

Author: Catherine Johnson

How to Keep Your Written Work from Being Copied and Plagiarized

It's happened to most of us that write and if it hasn't happened to you yet it will. It's only a factor of time and exposure.

Someone has stolen your labor intensive work and put their name on it. Or, taken your work and rearranged the paragraphs and put their name on it. Or, taken all your good ideas and reshuffled the words and put their name on it. Or any combination of the above.

If you publish and distribute on the web you may have hundreds of articles on a large number of websites, blogs and article databases. That's a lot of exposure. If I google the articles name I might find one that has not given proper credit. Usually they are novices and correct the problem. This type of plagiarism is easy and simple.

It's also a question of monetary gain. My own personal cases of plagiarism did not amount to any monetary gain. Nobody sold my content and made money. So if that is the case, back off and let it go. Notify the infringer and let it go. If big money is involved, talk to a lawyer.

But there are several ways I have found to protect myself. The first is that if I am going to put the article in a public place in the public domain, I want to post the article on my website first. This is proof it is mine.

The next is a bit more involved and it has to do with the content structure.

When I first started writing business articles I wrote nuts and bolts types of articles; what is a balance sheet, what is direct marketing, etc. The problem with these types of articles is that they can be rearranged rather easily and become a 'new' article. There is actually software out there now that purports to do just that.

That's right. There is software out there that can take linear, step by step nuts and bolts articles and rearrange them so someone else can put their name on them.

And of course people can do the same thing. From one hundred dollars down you can buy an article on just about anything from someone else and put your name on it. The only problem is the quality is so bad you may want to use a pen name, which defeats the whole purpose in the first place.

Fortunately this rearranging software only works on content that can be broken up easily. What if the content can't be broken up easily? What if the thread or train of thought of the article is such that it can't be reshuffled and still make sense? What if the text has lots of fragments and subtly intertwined expressions? Ha...just think of the headache of taking it apart and rearranging it. The truth is it takes so much time and is such a pain that it's easier to just write the article from scratch. Go figure...

I also try to spice up my content with slang, offbeat expressions, punctuation and whatever else happens to be handy. Poke, jab, kid, enrage, prod, insult do anything outside the linear behavioral model and your content becomes very difficult to repackage as well as livelier and more interesting.

My strong suspicion is that a lot of these rewrite and write services are offshore, especially in India where English is spoken. So if you add a lot of local zip and slang to your content they won't know that is. It has to be straightforward and linear for them; otherwise they can't do it.

Here's an example. I'm writing an article about the Revolutionary American flag with the snake on it that says 'Don't Tread on Me'. The title I chose was" 'Don't Tread on Me' Snake Motto is Foundation for the Modern Free and Inquiring Mind."

Rearranged, it going to have a lot of rough spots. It's even a tough title as it is...

In the text I open up freely and let it go. The bodacious and frolicking text is very hard to duplicate and repackage. I also consciously try to make the story thread or trail a convoluted and unpredictable one. It can only go this way or it makes no sense. At this point I have probably beaten all the copiers. They of course can take the general idea of the article, but to get another article they will have to write their own.

And so it goes. We all get copied and we all get mad. I just try to make it harder to copy. With fragments. Lots of fragments. Don't forget the fragments.

Think fragments. Mucho fragments...

Author: Jack Deal

Book Publishing - How I Got Into Book Publishing

As a published author and creative writing teacher I often get asked how writers can get published. One of the simplest ways to answer that question is tell the story of my publishing contracts with two different publishers.

Like many other writers, I have always wanted to write a book and started scribbling stories as a child. I have also always been an avid reader. When I started my first book I did not know what I was doing. It was a learning experience and I was not sure I could even write an entire book, but at last I did have a completed manuscript. I then began my search for a publisher.

As I knew no other authors or writers I started with the only place I knew. The Writers Market book. I came up with a list of publishers and started sending out queries. I had some interest from some of the big houses but as time went on I collected a pretty impressive list of rejections. I worked my way through all the major publishing houses and then started on the smaller houses. Then came the exciting day when I got the call that a small house was willing to publish my novel.

Now in hindsight I'm not so sure I should have leaped at the offer. Small publishing houses can offer opportunities that the bigger houses cannot. They are often more willing to take a risk on an unknown author or a manuscript that does not fit cleanly into a niche. But they are riskier ventures. Many small publishing houses do not have a long life span. My first publisher did print my first book and contracted with me for my second but went out of business before the second book even came out. Smaller publishers also have lower distribution. It was up to me to arrange distribution in my regional book stores as well as arrange my own book signings and promotion. However the biggest drawback for me was the lack of editorial support and guidance. Remember, this was my first book and I wasn't even working with a critique group. I could have used more editing than I received from that publisher. While getting my first book published was a confidence booster and an education, it was not a financial boon. I received only one royalty check before the publisher went under.

After that experience, I then became even more determined to learn about publishing. I sought out writing groups, attended writers conferences, and joined a critique group. As I gained more confidence in my writing I started entering writing contests and placed in the top three in several writing competitions. One of my first place prizes included being read by a senior editor at Kensington. The editor liked my manuscript and offered me a two-book contract.

This experience was dramatically different from my first. A major publishing house meant a standard contract, a standard advance, and regular royalty payments as well as good distribution. However I also lost a great deal of control over my book. Both covers are bodice rippers and the title of the first book was chosen by the marketing department and I was not even given the right to approve it. Even worse for my writing career though was the fact that the editor who bought me quickly passed me off to another editor and then when that editor left I was handed to yet a third editor. As an orphaned author my second book received little support and I was not offered a new contract.

I would be lax if I did not mention agents during this article. Many unpublished authors ask if agents are important. Obviously as my story points out you can get published without an agent. In fact, I might have gotten published sooner the second time around if I wasn't working with an agent who did not take advantage of some of my previous contest wins. The problem is that the type of agent who is willing to take on an unproven author is not likely to do you much good. If you can make a contact with an agent through a conference or contest or the like then definitely do so but I would not recommend spending a lot of time trying to get an agent before you are published. After I had my contract with Kensington I did work with a higher quality agent for a time but nothing came of that experience although the fault probably lies with me as well as with the agent.


Author: Deanna Mascle

12 Steps To Becoming A Best-Selling Author

Dan Poynter, author of The Self-Publishing Manual, defines a bestseller is an author who has successfully sold 35,000 copies of their book. However, it is also possible, that if your book becomes a Top-20 book in any given week (maybe only 5,000 to 8,000) then you can become a New York Times, Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Either route you take, you will be more successful if you implement these 12 strategies listed below:
1. Keep Your Day Job: You need seed money to allow you to invest in your book and in this process. Your best source of seed money is your own income.

2. Get Your Book Published: This is the most important step in the process. Too many writers give up on the process and never see their book become real.

3. Commit Yourself To Book: The promotion of your book is something that you need to commit to for the rest of your life. If you do this, you will be successful.

4. Set A Sales Volume Goal: Set your to a minimum of 35,000 copies. Remember due to a lack of marketing, 98% of authors will never sell more than 2,000 copies.

5. Give Away Your Books For Free: Give your books away to individuals who are capable of buying in volume, hiring you to speak, coach or consult.

6. Go To Post Office 2,500 Times: Commit to going to the post office every day and shipping out a minimum of 3-5 books per day to prospects.

7. Implement an Amazon Book Campaign: This strategy will allow you to leverage many others database and achieve

8. Selling Books From Platform: Book as many speaking engagements as possible. In doing so you, you will be able successfully sell hundreds every time you speak.

9. Focus on High Volume Sales: Sell books 10,000 at a time, instead of one at a time. In doing so, the same amount of time is required to write invoices.

10. Co-Brand Your Book: Allow CEO's to do foreword in book only if they are willing to purchase large volumes in advance and pay up front.

11. Sell Out to a Major NY Publisher: Once your book is proven in marketplace, find a good agent and sell out to your rights to a publisher for a large advance.

12. Use Other People's Money: Printing books is very expensive so make sales in advance and have prospects cover all of your printing costs!

Most importantly, NEVER give up as this process will take you three times longer than you desire, cost your three times more than you budget. However the return will be 30X greater than you can imagine. I challenge you to promote, promote, promote! In doing so, you will SOAR in life and your book will also become a bestseller!

Patrick Snow http://www.BestSellerPublishingCoaching.com (800) 951-7721

The Ultimate Book Launch Party

There is no doubt that the day when you finally hold your book on your hands is one of the happiest days for a writer. After so many months -if not years- of writing, revising, editing, submitting and finally publishing you can see and touch your baby. This occasion calls for a big celebration and what better way to send this book off unto the hands of your readers than with a Book Launch Party.

One of the main considerations for this party is that you probably thought of it way back when you were planning to write the book. The book marketing plan must be prepared before the book itself in order to ensure success. Considering the topic and audience of the book determines the theme of the party along with all the activities. The best days to do a Book Launch Party are either Friday or Saturday, in order to get the most attendance. The time of day has a lot to do with the theme; it could easily be a picnic at the beach as a wine and cheese or masquerade during the evening.

Here are the key ingredients on The Ultimate Book Launch Party:
Theme: Select a theme directly related to your book. Fiction books are excellent in this regard.
Invitations: Create one-of-a-kind invitation for the launch. You can get an inexpensive software program and design and print your own invitations. Request to RSVP.

News & Media: Remember to prepare a news release to mark the event and forward it to your local newspaper at least four to six weeks in advance. Do not forget to send a personal invitation to your local news person.

Party Register: Have everyone register on your party register and include their e-mail and mailing address. Tell them they will be the first to know about your next book sale, book release, contests and giveaways.

Game or Contest: Create a game or contest around your book.

Food & Drinks: Have something simple to offer your guests on elegant serving plates.

Reading: Read portions of your books or better yet, have some of your guests read a short portion of it. If anyone assisting has read your book ask them to tell the others about it. Nothing sells more than a satisfied reader.

Pictures: Take plenty of pictures with your guests while the party is going on. You might want to give the camera to one of them to take pictures as you visit with everyone there. The pictures will be great for promotional materials, websites and blogs.

Note: You might want to have a release form ready for all the attendants to sign in reference to authorization to post their pictures online or any printed materials without compensation.

Sell: Offer special discounts to your guests who buy 2 or more signed copies of your book. Have bookmarks, flyers and mail order forms for everyone and the ones who do not buy, they can take it home and order later. For those who don not buy on the spot you might want to offer them the same special discount if they order in the next 48 hours.

Follow Up: Send the guests a thank you note for coming and include 2-3 business cards with a small discount offer for your book on the back for them to give to family or friends. Make sure your discount has an expiration date in order to keep the book sales going on a regular basis.
That is it. Easy, fun and profitable! Let your imagination roll and create The Ultimate Book Launch Party for you and your friends.

About the author:

Clary Lopez is the CEO/Founder of Guerrilla Marketers Café, Free Book Promotion site. She is an author, moderator and publicist. She is preparing to launch her next book, BookPromo Guerrilla Style. You can contact her at guerrilla@clarylopez.com or visit her websites http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com, http://bookhomestead.com and her official author site http://clarylopez.com

Getting the Word Out Through the Media - Utilizing Free Print, Radio & TV to Promote Your Book

Getting your book written and into print is only the beginning. Next you've got to get the word out so it can reach the hands of those who need to read it. One of the least expensive way to get the word out about your book is through the media.

The initial type of free media we will discuss is print media. This could be newspapers, newsletters or magazines. There are a few different ways of getting coverage in these types of publications.

• Interviews: An author in the local vicinity is always a great human interest story for a newspaper. Also, some magazines do feature articles where they may interview an author regarding their story and/or book.

• Articles: You may write a specific article based on the message of your book, or create an article by utilizing an excerpt from your book.

• Book reviews: Many newspapers and magazines regularly review books.
When approaching newspapers, attempt to tie into a national holiday or current event to give them a reason to act now. If that is not a possibility, then just let them know that you are a local author and knew they would be interested in an interview from the human interest angle.

A few years ago we wanted to get the larger newspaper in the Seattle area to cover a writing class my pastor's wife was teaching to some homeschoolers. We made a point to pitch it to the editor as a great story to go along with the national "I Love to Write Day" on November 15. This was just what we needed to get the paper's attention. They came out almost immediately to do an article which later turned into an additional full page article when the journalist was intrigued with Carla's ministry and came out to interview her during a Bible Study and writers critique group.

If you approach a magazine, find one that targets your ideal audience and request their "theme list" for the upcoming year. Keep in mind that many magazines and take home papers work 6-9 months out, and not all of them make their editorial schedule available. But if they do, and you can target your article or excerpt to something they already have on their editorial list, your chances of getting accepted are, of course, much greater. Also, don't send an article or excerpt from your book on parenting to "Biblical Archaeology" or "World" magazine. Make sure the magazine you send an article or excerpt to is geared towards the same audience as your message and that they consistently print articles or excerpts similar to yours.

And remember to query the editor in advance to see if they would be interested in your article. Oftentimes if a magazine accepts your article there will be payment to you as the author. When an article excerpted from my book was used as a "One Woman's Story" in Today's Christian Woman, I opted to waive the payment if they would put the ordering information in my byline at the end of the article. I would rather give the reader the opportunity to order a copy right then than make $500-800 on the article...and buying an ad in that magazine to run concurrently with my article would have cost much more than that, so I felt the trade off was a good deal, and it generated quite a few sales.

When contacting a newspaper or magazine about doing a book review, find out who handles the book reviews and contact them directly. Find out their submission requirements, as some want a "bound galley", some want an "unbound galley", some want the published book, and some don't care one way or another. Be sure to let them know that you can provide them with a digital image of the cover if they need it for the review, and include your press kit so they have some background information on you when they do the book review.

Expanding on different ways to get free media, the next aspect we will take a look at is utilizing electronic media in the form of radio interviews.

I prefer radio interviews, not only because they are much easier to book than TV, but there are way more radio stations with the talk radio format where interviewing authors is the norm. Also you don't have to travel anywhere to make the interview happen. In fact, you can do an hour long interview and be speaking to a listening audience of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of people...in your robe and slippers in the privacy of your own home!

Most of the time the radio station will call you on their dime, but occasionally they will require that you call in on a non-toll-free number.

Radio interviews can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 120 minutes, and if appropriate, may even take live calls for you to respond to. You will need to be fully prepared to articulately communicate your message either way, with short sound byte answers for the shorter interview and more detailed answers if time permits. If you do have call ins, make sure you take notes as they speak, and write down the callers name so you can be more personal with your answer.
And don't be afraid to get the interview back on topic if the host asks you a question that is irrelevant or begins a rabbit trail that will end up off topic. If the host asks you a question that you don't know the answer to, it's ok to say, "I don't know about that, but what I do know is....." and move the interview back to your topic.

You'll want to make sure that you let the host know that you have a toll free number for callers to use to order your book (that is, if you do have one!) and ask if it will be ok for you to give it out once or twice during the show. Don't get too aggressive about promoting your book or the host may get offended and cut the interview short. An interview is not intended to be one big advertisement for your book, but an informational segment intended to encourage and equip the listening audience and at the same time, it will naturally be a promotional piece about the message of your book. You want to give the listeners lots of good information, but leave enough out so that they have a reason to buy your book. Instead of giving ALL the information when asked, give some of it and then say "I go into much more detail in chapter four of my book."

If your book is available online, make sure you mention that as an alternate way for listeners to order a copy...and be sure, from the start of your interview, to speak clearly and project a little more than you feel that you need to. Your voice needs to carry over all those airwaves and there needs to be enough inflection to keep the audience listening....if you're too monotone, you'll lose them right off the bat.

In order to keep the door open for future interviews, always, always send a thank you card to the host. This business is all about relationships and if you can become a resource to many of the hosts who interview you, it will pay off in the long run.

Now let's take a moment to cover TV as the last type of free electronic media we'll mention in this article.

While TV is a lot more demanding, and requires travel time and expenses, it is not the greatest way to get free media, but it certainly has its place.

When my first book, Consumed by Success: Reaching the Top and Finding God Wasn't There, came out in 1995 I was doing quite a bit of traveling to speak at Christian Writers Conferences all across the country. At that time we did not have an in-house publicist so I was using a freelance publicist to book all my radio and TV. I gave her the list of all the speaking engagements I had scheduled for the year and had her book as many TV interviews as she could at each stop I would be making, scheduling them for the day before or sometimes even during the conference when I knew I wouldn't be needed. That way I didn't incur the added expense of traveling to get the free media, since I was already in town for the conference.

One of the first (live not taped) TV interviews I did was with Dr. Karen Hayter, with Family Net out of Fort Worth, TX.

"You're the first author I've interviewed in a long time who not only wrote your own book but read it as well!" Karen exclaimed after we finished. This was amazing to me, but it still holds true today. Many of the big time authors don't even write their own books (they have ghostwriters) and they often don't even take the time to read them before an interview...which leads me to my first piece of advice regarding TV interviews:

1) Re-read your book before going on a TV interview. Since the camera is on you, it will catch any hesitancy or "deer in the headlights" look you may display if a question comes that you're not ready for! It's not like radio where no one can see the look on your face.
2) Make sure you provide the producer/host with your list of suggested questions ahead of time so you are both on the same page.
3) Give the producer the ordering information on your book. If you have an 800 # to give out for easy ordering, make sure you do that before the show starts so they have it and can refer to it.
4) Stay away from wearing black, white, stripes, plaids, hounds-tooth, or other patterns like that.
5) Apply makeup a little heavier than usual, since the lights will wash you out and you'll need the extra color. (most shows have a make up artist who can do this for you, but some don't).
6) Arrive early, well rested, prepared and at peace. Go with the attitude of a servant, not a celebrity.

Make it a point to offer yourself as a resource or on-call expert to the media in your area. Make that first interview turn into a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship that will, in turn, give your message the exposure it deserves.

Athena Dean, founder of WinePress Publishing and three-time self-published author, has coached hundreds of authors through the daunting task of book production and promotion. Over the last 17 years she has helped bring the degree of credibility for self-published works up to the high level of acceptance in the industry it enjoys today. Athena functions as Acquisitions Manager for WinePress Publishing Group http://www.winepressgroup.com and is currently the President of the Northwest Christian Writers' Association http://www.nwchristianwriters.org Check out her You Can Do It - Promote and Market Your Self Published Book Blog at http://athenadean.authorweblog.com

Promotion Begins With The First Word

Promoting one's work is the toughest challenge writers face. They are passionate about expressing themselves through words, but a lack of marketing knowledge can dampen their enthusiasm. If this is you, then continue reading - there is hope! The success of your work is influenced by that very first word.

You must consider the marketability of your work before pouring your heart and soul into your efforts. Explore your local bookstore to determine if your niche is too small or genre too large. Make sure your book will fill a real need. No one book appeals to all people, so know your target audience. Examine the competition in depth. Most book purchases are determined by either subject matter or the author's reputation. Do you have enough status to be considered an expert in your field? If writing fiction, will the hook of your story be powerful enough to make you stand out from all the other authors in your genre? Take all of this into account before passionately writing a book you cannot sell.

Tie-ins play a key role in the success of a book as well. Start asking yourself now - who would endorse my book? Mentioning specific products, companies, individuals and locations may garner endorsements if you do so favorably. A celebrity endorsement, whether from an actor, an athlete or another author, will greatly increase the credibility of your work. Do not forget organizations, non-profit groups or even political parties that might recommend your book or even use it for a fundraiser. The setting of your story might be of great interest to the people who reside there and in fact could be your target audience. Consider all of these aspects as you create your work.

You must also be aware of the length of your book. When exploring the bookstore, look at the average length of books in your genre. Will yours be too long or too short? Page sizes and fonts will vary, so think in terms of word count. Research your genre thoroughly and be aware of the maximum and minimum word counts. If you have set a deadline for yourself, be sure you will be able to complete the book within that time frame. A 200,000-word novel cannot be finished in just two months! Be sure to allow time for research as well.

The promotion process begins with the writing phase. If you do not prepare during this time, you may find it more difficult to properly market your book. Do not miss any opportunity. Write success into your book right now!

- Author & Speaker, L. Diane Wolfe, http://www.thecircleoffriends.net