“Your Book Is Your Hook” Show – NY Times Bestseller Angie Fox & Literary Agent Jessica Faust
June 9th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
Jessica Faust, a literary agent and the owner of BookEnds Literary Agency, and NY Times best-selling author Angie Fox, will appear as guests on the Your Book Is Your Hook! Show on WomensRadio.com. Ms. Faust will discuss her role as a literary agent in the publishing process and the top 3 mistakes writers make when approaching and working with an agent like her. Ms. Fox will talk about her latest book, The Last of the Demon Slayers, among her series of books about vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night – and how she does her research. She’ll also share how she’s using her books as her hook and advice for writers who want to write and publish books about vampires and werewolves in today’s publishing world.
NEW YORK, NY (June 7th – June 13th, 2011): Jessica Faust, a literary agent and the owner of BookEnds Literary Agency where she represents a number of award-winning and bestselling authors in the areas of romance, mystery, women’s fiction, young adult, and nonfiction, will talk with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov about her role as a literary agent in the publishing process and what she does and doesn’t do. She’ll also discuss who her ideal client is and how writers should approach an agency like hers for representation.
She’ll also discuss the mistakes writers make when approaching and working with an agent like her, how a writer benefits by working with an agent and share her perspective of the future of the publishing industry.
New York Times best-selling author Angie Fox will discuss with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov how and why she wrote her latest book, The Last of the Demon Slayers, among her series of books about vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night. She’ll also reveal how she does her research, how she got published and how she’s using her books as her hook. Ms. Fox will also share advice for writers who want to write their own books about vampires and werewolves in today’s publishing world.
Host Jennifer S. Wilkov will discuss why getting an agent is like hiring a business partner during her Education Corner segment during the show.
Click Here to Listen Now: http://bit.ly/iPzs3W
If you have questions about any of these interviews or the education corner topic included in the show, please put them here in this discussion thread and I’d be happy to answer them.
Getting An Agent Is Like Hiring A Business Partner
June 9th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
The Literary Agent Matchmaker™
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about why getting an agent is the same as hiring a business partner.
For many writers, there is a mad rush to approach agents with their projects and pitch them to take them on as a client. For some, it is a sign of validation that their work is “good enough.” For others, it is a choice and path to larger publishing houses. And for still others, it is a business and career decision.
Like other businesses, a successful writer’s career is the product of the work, strengths and resources of many. While the writer may be at the center of the writing work, it takes a lot of people to take that writing from the draft manuscript to a published book.
Some writers feel that they don’t need an agent. Others look to hire them and add them to their growing team of career supporters so they can simply focus on their craft and strength which is writing.
For these writers, hiring an agent is a business decision. Funny enough, for agents – taking on the writer is too.
Business partnerships in the writing world include the author-agent relationship. Just like in other business alliances, the relationship can last a very long time when the foundation for it is based on research, information and a good match of strengths and perspectives.
As a writer, it is your responsibility to prepare for the relationship with an agent. Do your homework, Learn about the agents you want to submit to before you send in your work and writing career for consideration. Look at their websites. Read their blogs. Follow them on Twitter. Listen to them speak at conference events. Get to know who they are and what interests they have so you can determine who resonates with your project’s genre, style and audience – and with you.
As agents and agencies, each one has a particular personality and specific genres they prefer to work with. If you are looking for them, they are easy to locate and learn more about.
Just like partners in a business, agents bring skill sets a writer may not have experience with and can take these tasks on while the writer focuses on producing the writing’s end product – a great book. Agents can contact the editors at the appropriate publishing houses, pitch the project and any follow-on projects associated with it, negotiate a deal, pursue foreign rights for it and much more. They are also a good voice of reason for determining projects to work on, suggesting new projects based on publisher mandates, deciding whether to work with the same publisher or to pursue a different one for each project, and other activities to cultivate your growing career.
When people with complimentary skill sets and strengths form a professional relationship that is respectful and supportive, inevitably both individuals and their business endeavors will grow as a result.
These are the ones that last and that stand the test of time.
As a writer, approach the agent process professionally – right from the start. Prepare for it. Align your efforts and energy accordingly. This is not an adversarial relationship you are about to engage in; it is one designed to support you with what you said you wanted: to get your book published and expand your writing career.
When you don’t approach the process of finding an agent professionally, agents most likely won’t want to work with you. For them, this is a business – one they love. They, like any smart business owner, want to invest their time and energy in supporting those who love writing and enjoy the craft AND who want to engage in a relationship that will serve both parties well.
Before you consider whether you want to work with an agent or not, decide whether you want to build a team of professionals around you to support you with your writing career – or if you plan to steward this on your own. Determine what you have to offer and then seek out the individuals who can jump on the bandwagon of your book and champion it to the industry with you.
When you do, you just may find that your book is your hook to finding an agent and so much more.
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Google News and Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
“Your Book Is Your Hook” Show – Tanya Wright & Her Debut Novel “Butterfly Rising” & Operation Virtual Agent
February 23rd, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
Tanya Wright, a premiere actress of HBO’s “True Blood” and new fiction author of “Butterfly Rising,” and Bree Ogden, a literary agent at Martin Literary Management, will appear as guests on the Your Book Is Your Hook! Show on WomensRadio.com. Ms. Ogden will discuss steps for getting an agent and her new Operation Virtual Agent project to support writers with their quest. Ms. Wright will talk about her debut novel, “Butterfly Rising,” and the independent film by the same name that she wrote, produced, directed and will star in. She will also share insights about extending her talents as an author and give great tips to new writers.
NEW YORK, NY (February 22ndh – February 28th, 2011): Bree Ogden, a literary agent at Martin Literary Management, will talk with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov about her new Operation Virtual Agent project and how she is leveraging tools online to provide writers with interactive feedback for their agent questions.
Ms. Ogden will also discuss the difference between a literary manager and a literary agent and she’ll reveal how she finds her clients in the graphic novel, children’s books and young adult (YA) categories. She’ll also provide great advice and insights for writers who are looking to get published in today’s industry and what the future holds for book publishing as a whole.
Popular actress Tanya Wright of HBO’s “True Blood” series will discuss with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov how she wrote her new debut novel entitled “Butterfly Rising” and why she also wrote the screenplay for the independent film of the same name.
Ms. Wright will also talk about the experience of extending her craft from television and film to writing books. She will also reveal why she chose to publish her book using Amazon’s CreateSpace service and how she intends to use her book as her hook in conjunction with the independent film that she has written, produced, directed and will star in.
Host Jennifer S. Wilkov will discuss the keys to your debut in the publishing industry during her Education Corner segment during the show.
Click Here to Listen Now: http://bit.ly/dUkz8K
If you have questions about any of these interviews or the education corner topic included in the show, please put them here in this discussion thread and I’d be happy to answer them.
Social Persona to Social Pariah at the Click of a Mouse
February 23rd, 2011
By Guest Blogger Bree Ogden, Literary Agent at Martin Literary Management
http://www.martinliterarymanagement.com
http://agentbree.wordpress.com
So you’ve landed an agent! Whew. Work’s done. Time to sit back with your Mojito and let the agent take over the reins. ::Bubble:: POP! Let’s talk reality.
True: your agent is there to get you published (hopefully). True: your agent is there to give you sound advice on your current manuscript and future works-in-progress. True: your agent is there to hold your hand when you are lost in this crazy world called publishing. False: (you knew it was coming) your agent cannot be your social persona. And unfortunately, a negative social persona can make you a publishing pariah.
As authors and potential authors, you have the world waiting to hear from you via the Internet. Twitter feeds, Facebook pages (both fan pages and personal pages), blogs, Tumblr, Web sites, even just a simple Google search could have someone reading every bit of material about you at the click of a button.
Hint: Use this to your advantage. Second hint: It’s harder than it seems. While it’s just plain common sense not to post naughty pictures of yourself on the Web, it might not be as intuitive to watch what you say. For example: Publisher X just released a book about reality television star Y, but Publisher X won’t give your “rousing book on the problem in Country Z” a second glance. So naturally you are angry and you post on Twitter: “Publisher X only cares about money and they produce total crap. I cannot believe they release this kind of trash.”
Hmmm…
Unfortunately for you, Publisher X was actually looking at your manuscript as you wrote those angry words, and you just blew it.
You might think you are invisible on the Web. If you can’t see them, they can’t see you, right? Wrong. With tools such as Google Alerts, anyone can see anything posted about them on the Internet. And it will come back to bite you. I promise.
For an agent, the client who breaches etiquette over the Internet is terrifying. They are a loose cannon and it’s hard for an agent to trust them on their own. By saying inappropriate things over Twitter/Facebook/blogs etc, they not only ruin their own reputation and chances of getting published, but they hurt their agent’s reputation as well.
True story time: An editor once told me regarding Twitter, “Once, I clicked through and saw it was your standard, unpublished (but agented) author—complaining about how long it took editors to consider her manuscript and how this would be ‘unacceptable’ in any other industry and what a bunch of bums editors were. I was considering her manuscript at the time.”
This Internet business is hard work. But worth it if you play your cards right.
The Keys to Your Debut in the Publishing World
February 23rd, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about the key to your debut in the publishing world.
Many writers and also those who want to work in the book publishing field don’t know where to begin. Debuts in any industry can be challenging; however, they don’t have to be impossible.
Creativity is one of the keys when it comes to debuting your talents and work. Oftentimes there are great opportunities to get support for your work within the very venue you wish to reach. The publishing world provides these in a variety of ways but first, before you approach the very world you want to be a part of, learn about it. Take the time to better understand the landscape.
In publishing, you’ll find a world that is in constant flux. Publishers and booksellers are contracting while opportunities in digital media continue to expand. Last year more than half of reported sales from major booksellers were ebook sales.
As a writer, you must learn the publishing lingo and process in order to determine the highest and best path for your book. There are lots of outlets to take advantage of for this including blogs, conferences, workshops, webinars, home study courses, books, consultants and others.
What’s important is for you to make the time and take the action to learn about the lay of the land before you go to market with your project or professional desires. Do your homework and prepare your project or resume accordingly to show your best self and your best work to those you want to reach.
If you are looking to connect with an agent, read some blogs. Get to know the agents out there and understand what they have to offer. Some even take questions from time to time and write about the answers to them to help writers better prepare for their publishing path. Here is a smattering of examples to check out:
- Rachel Gardner, a literary agent at WordServe Literary, and her blog and post about How to Get Published on her blog at cba-ramblings.blogspot.com
- Janet Reid, a literary agent at FinePrint Literary Management, who often writes about queries and rejections like this post http://ht.ly/3IozR on her blog at queryshark.blogspot.com
- Scott Eagan, a literary agent at Greyhaus Literary Agency, whose posts like this one about older writers can often be insightful and found on his blog at scotteagan.blogspot.com
A great new resource that is more personal than just a blog post is the new project debuting from today’s guest, Bree Ogden, called Operation Virtual Agent where you can submit questions to Bree via video. Bree is taking the time to create a video answer that she posts on her blog called This Literary Life at agentbree.wordpress.com.
There are a plethora of options outside of the agent world where you can still get published if you choose to take it on. Like today’s show guest, actress Tanya Wright, you can opt to independently publish or self-publish your book too. For example, Tanya used Amazon’s CreateSpace platform to self-publish her book in conjunction with the independent film she wrote, produced, directed and starred in by the same name called Butterfly Rising.
If all of this seems confusing, there are also consultants like me and others who offer support and assistance with this somewhat overwhelming landscape so you can better understand your role, the options you have and your responsibilities in the industry.
Creativity is the hub for your entrée into the publishing world. Getting to know the business so you can put your best foot forward is the key to your success.
For if you are planning to use your book as your hook in today’s publishing industry, you won’t be able to move forward until you have a book – and more importantly, more knowledge about the book business.
So get busy and get down to business with the preparation for your debut in the book industry!
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Google News and Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
Customer Service You Provide As An Author
January 29th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about the customer service provided by you as an author.
“Customer service” is an anomaly for authors. It is usually associated with products, services and companies. However, as an author, your books are your business and so customer service must therefore be a part of your overall platform.
Wondering what “customer service” means for you as an author?
Let’s take a few moments to better understand the nature of what customer service is. By definition and simply stated, a customer is one who purchases a commodity or service according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition. The word service means the work performed by one who serves – i.e.; a contribution to the welfare of others (Merriam-Webster).
Your book is a commodity purchased by others, namely your readers. You wrote it in service to and as a contribution to the welfare of them, whether you entertainment, educate or enlighten them with your book.
Therefore, there is a responsibility you have as an author to provide good “customer service” to the audience and following you’ve cultivated.
There are easy ways to provide this so no need to feel this is a daunting task. Much of it can be accomplished via a simple website with a few specific sections that make you more accessible to the reader – oh and the media.
In service to readers:
1) Make it easy for them to find your website by using your name and separately the name of your book. Own both domains and make sure that each one leads to the other.
2) Include a calendar of appearances so readers who want to meet you in person and hear you speak can find you.
3) On this same calendar, be sure to list media appearances. This is not only so readers can watch and listen, it also informs other journalists and media reps that you’re available for interviews and guest spots on their shows.
4) Provide a blog where you share your thoughts on writing, ideas for your next book and a place where readers and fans can communicate with you through comments. This requires less of your time and at the same time provides interaction opportunities for your audience.
5) Consider a social media forum. Set up a Facebook page where you can easily be found posting and engaging in a short dialogue with readers. This is another place you can show up when you want to and interact through comments. For those who are bolder and more consistent, try Twitter, a 140-character forum where you will need to take some time to learn the lingo to have quick, snappy exchanges with readers and the press. You can also create a simple automatic stream of the posts you want to make on both Facebook and Twitter using social media scheduling tools like HootSuite and Social Oomph.
Most of all, keep writing. The best customer service you can provide in service to your readers is to write your next book. If they like the first one they read, they’ll certainly be on the lookout for more.
While your book is your hook to more readers and the media, it’s also your job to use it responsibly to continue to deliver great value while creating an ongoing conversation with those who consume it and come back asking for more.
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Google News and Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
Why Writers’ Magazines Make A Difference in Your Writing
January 11th, 2011
By Guest Blogger, Phil Sexton, Publisher & Community Leader, Writer’s Digest
www.writersdigest.com
It’s been said that all you really need to do in order to write something of quality, whether it’s a novel, memoir, short story or some other piece, is to read voraciously, write as much as possible, and revise with an honest, critical eye.
I’ve also heard it expressed that writing can’t be taught, so why bother establishing rules. You either have talent or you don’t. In fact, why bother publishing books and magazines devoted to helping writers improve their craft in the first place? (It’s all free on the Internet anyway, isn’t it?) It’s a valid question, I suppose, and one of substantial importance to me given that Writer’s Digest lives and breathes to help people learn how to write better and get published.
A bit of personal history: I spent four years as a copywriter, with the first two of those serving as an apprenticeship of sorts. It was hard, frustrating work. Time after time I would turn in what I thought was a tight, powerful piece, only to have it come back to me with red lines and correction marks peppered throughout. Thankfully, my boss was the kind of person who didn’t just leave me to learn on my own. Instead, we sat together and worked through each piece, word by word, line by line, talking about rhythm, word selection, timing – the literal music of language. It was the best course on writing I’ve ever had.
What surprised me some time later was how that experience impacted my fiction. It became tighter. Word selection became paramount. And I really began to pick apart my work – analyzing it with a critical eye I’d not used before. Is it the best way to write? Likely not for everyone. But for me, absolutely.
It’s with that spirit that I started working for Writer’s Digest. I like the idea of helping people improve their writing and I have all the faith in the world that it’s possible. It’s why I believe that reliable books, websites and periodicals (like Writer’s Digest) are so valuable. They provide a regular stream of insight and instruction from experienced editors, authors and writing instructors who share that same desire to help others improve their work.
Of course, this desire to teach and learn also provides vast opportunities for social networking, which not only facilitates the learning process, but also opens up opportunities for publication. One of the things I’m most excited about is our upcoming Writer’s Digest Conference at the end of this month. At that event, we’ll be hosting a “pitch slam” at which more than 50 agents will hear pitches from nearly 500 attendees. It’s chaotic and raucous – a bit like speed dating, really. It’s also an incredible high to see so many people in one place talking about their writing and how to improve it.
Bottom line: Don’t settle for good enough when it comes to your writing. Use whatever reliable books, blogs, magazines, courses or other resources are available (including your fellow writers) to keep honing your craft. Because once you stop doing that, you’ve got nothing left to say.
The Dream of Success
December 27th, 2010
By Guest Blogger, Shawn Edgington
Author of Read Between The Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting With Simplicity & Style
www.shawnedgington.com
I have to admit, the dream of becoming a successful published author was never included on my bucket list – until late 2008. The fact is, I’m a CEO of a national insurance firm where my company specializes in managing risk and preventing loss for thousands of America’s businesses. I’ve been working in the insurance industry for 25+years, which has NOTHING to do with the book business, let alone the 1001 l things you need to know to become successful within the publishing industry.
I was lucky enough to pitch my book deal to the Milli Brown, the CEO of a small boutique publisher, Brown Books, which is located in Dallas, Texas. Both Milli and her team worked closely with me to get my first book Read Between the Lines written, illustrated, designed and published in early 2010. They are wonderful!
Since then, I’ve joined an author coaching program, attended numerous seminars, teleconferences, webinars, podcasts, joined e-mail lists, purchased a radio coaching program, had my website redesigned three times, turned my book into an E-Book, created The One-Click Safety Series, spoken professionally to thousands of people, completed the manuscript for my second book, The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media and attended a publicity summit in New York City where I pitched my books to over 70 producers like The View, Fox News, The Today Show and Good Morning America. I’ve been a guest on more than 80 radio programs over the last four months, appeared on Fox Business, View From the Bay, Channel 4 news and CNN. And, I’m still working feverishly to become a successful author.
In an effort to help my fellow authors striving for success, I’m offering you this small but significant bit of advice that I wish someone would have told me:
- Every aspiring author (unless you’re famous) needs a great platform BEFORE you send your book proposals and/or query letters to the publishing houses. Your platform will include a great website, your weekly blog, social media, speaking events, and anything else that makes sense for your genre. Your website should be branded to you, not the title of your book.
- Writing the book is only 10% of the work. The other 90% comes after your book is published, and it is a full time job.
- The average author sells 300 books, and makes, on average, $1.00 a book. This means you have to be way above average to make a living in this business. Keep your day job, work twice as hard, and don’t expect to sell a million books in your first year unless you’re Sarah Palin or Kim Kardashian. J
- There are great resources available to authors to help you obtain publicity – too many to mention here. E-mail me if you would like a list of where I’ve found success.
- Come up with your treasure map of additional items you can offer for sale on your website besides your book. Example: Speaking, audio programs, electronically delivered items, subscriptions to your services, games, etc.
- Hire a web designer that specializes in working with authors AND monetizing websites. This is critical and will save you thousands of dollars. Check out my site: www.shawnedgington.com. I finally found the right person to get this right, $10,000.00 later. If you would like a reference, send me an e-mail.
Wow, I’ve learned a lot, and I’m learning more and more every day! If anyone has any great tips to share, or would like more information, please contact me at: shawn@shawnedgington.com.
Shawn Edgington, CIC
America’s Leading Texpert and Cyberbullying Expert
Why Text Messaging Can Help You Target More Readers
December 27th, 2010
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about why text messaging can help you target readers who want to continue the conversation with you more often.
Oftentimes we as authors employ the basic components for a strong platform including a website, a presence on the popular social media sites, and speaking and book signing appearances whenever possible to connect with our readers in person. These components are essential to a platform for every author.
However, many authors have not stuck their toes in the water yet when it comes to adding a mobile messaging component to their overall outreach to their readers.
Text messaging has become an industry unto itself. You may be thinking: yes, I know this. But do you really know?
Here are some staggering facts as of 2008 from the statistics and insights from Nielsen Mobile on the CellSigns.com website. Nielsen Mobile is a service of The Nielsen Company, which directly measures billing activity through an opt-in panel of more than 50,000 personally liable, postpaid U.S. mobile lines across the top four carriers:
US Mobile Content Market = 68.7 million text users
- 86% of the US owns a mobile phone
- 265,000,000 mobile phones users
- 240,000,000+ text enabled handsets
- 65,000,000 text & web enabled phones
That’s just in the U.S. market alone. SMS (Text Messaging) is a breakthrough communication medium as evidenced by growth year after year. As of June 2008, over 75 Billion text messages are sent every month compared to just 18 Billion in December 2006. That number grew by 250% each year for these last two years between 2006 and 2008. And that was 2 years ago.
It has quickly changed the way people communicate and access information.
Think texting is just for the younger generations? Think again. The average 38 year old sends/receives 500 texts a month compared to 200 phone calls. That’s unbelievable… and that trend isn’t slowing down. Consider these other facts:
According to a survey conducted by Tekelec (a messaging company powering telecom operator applications), 60% of 45 year olds were found to be just as likely to use SMS as they were to make voice calls from their mobile device.
In addition, more than 80 percent of respondents across all age groups thought they would get a quicker response from a text than from an email or voice message.
Women preferred to let their fingers do the talking, with 40% describing themselves as ‘mainly texter’, compared to 30% of men. This is significant since statistically women buy more books than men.
Now, maybe you have a parent like I do who doesn’t text but who enjoys reading. That’s where books like Shawn Edgington’s Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style comes in – to help the different generations learn how to text and communicate using this growing technology available on their cell phones.
Text messaging extends throughout the world so you can set up a stream of text messages that your reader can opt in to – and by law, they must opt in. You can be creative and make it possible for your audience at a speaking engagement to instantly opt-in to your email list for your newsletter and at the same time opt-in to receive daily tips from you that are related to your book – right to their phones. The possibilities of what they can opt-in to as a text stream from you are endless.
Most importantly, text messaging gives you, the author, the opportunity to reach out to your reader in a continuing conversation that they’ve asked for while keeping you front and center in their minds each day.
Now that’s a great way to use your book as your hook… to keep a continuous dialogue going with your reader!
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Google News and Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
Why Co-Authoring A Collaborative Book Could Be a Quick Way of Getting Published
December 21st, 2010
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about why co-authoring a collaborative book could be a quick way of getting published
Many writers are searching for opportunities to get their work seen by literary agents and editors at publishing houses. It is very competitive these days to get the attention of these industry professionals – but it’s not impossible!
One strategy that can be easily used in fiction, nonfiction and even children’s books is to join forces with other writers and submit a chapter or short story for a collection of writings in a book edited and published by someone other than you.
This is often done in the fiction and poetry genres through contests. Simply seek out these opportunities to submit your writing for consideration and be aware of the deadlines so you get your work in on time.
A quick search on Amazon reveals that there are 58,095 short story anthologies and collections listed in their book section alone. For you poetry writers, there are 136,875 poetry anthologies listed.
Think short stories aren’t the way to get discovered? Here is a short list of some who were discovered as a result of their short story submissions to magazines, collections and anthologies:
F.X. Toole, the pen name for boxing trainer Jerry Boyd, who at age 69 wrote the stories that inspired the Oscar-winning film Million Dollar Baby, directed by Clint Eastwood. He was published in the literary journal in San Francisco entitled ZYZZYVA.
Annie Proulx, author of the short story Brokeback Mountain which originally appeared in the collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories. She also went on to win the Pulitzer for her novel Shipping News. And The New Yorker won the National Magazine Award for Fiction for its publication of “Brokeback Mountain,” and the story was included in Prize Stories 1998: The O. Henry Awards.
Literary giants including F. Scott Fitzgerald, J.D. Sallinger, and John Updike have also used short stories as rehearsals for their books.
A great resource where you can find opportunities to submit your short story are the hundreds of smaller journals listed from A-Z that can be found in the NewPages Big List of Literary Magazines.
You can also look into the few remaining national magazines like The New Yorker, Esquire and occasionally Vanity Fair that are still publishing short literary works.
In the nonfiction categories, this is a strategy often used with great success to launch the writing careers of those authors who may not have the time to write a whole book themselves, yet still have much to offer in a chapter they can provide for a collaborative book being compiled by someone other than them.
A great example of this is The Big Book of Social Media Case Studies, Stories, Perspectives where Bob Fine, the creator of the Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour decided to solicit chapters from select speakers who appeared during his conferences. He then edited the book together and even got a foreword for the book provided by Sam Feist, CNN Political Director. While the speakers were off doing what they do professionally, that is – speaking, Bob was cobbling together their chapter submissions into a great book that provides a lot of value to the reader while offering greater exposure to the speakers from his tour. This is a good example of an opportunity that arose serendipitously for the speakers to simply write a chapter and be included in a book that is serving so many that they want to reach with their insights and wisdom.
There are also collaborations of poetry, short story collections for children, anthologies of mysteries and more.
Still not sure this is a viable way to go? Even Disney uses this strategy to bring its stories together in the paperback entitled Princess Story Collection (Disney Princess) (Step into Reading).
There are even collections of the classics on audio CD available that include the best short stories from National Public Radio’s Selected Shorts, an award-winning series of classic and contemporary short fiction read by distinguished stage and screen actors and recorded live at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City entitled Selected Shorts: Timeless Classics (Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story). They also have several other collections like this on audio including Selected Shorts: Whodunit?, Selected Shorts: Baseball and Selected Shorts: Lots of Laughs! – just to name a few.
Short stories, individual chapter contributions and poems still have a place in the literary world. You don’t have do it all yourself to get published.
However until you submit your story, poem or chapter, you won’t be able to use your book as your hook.
So get started and write yours today!
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
