Marketing -- a Must Part of Publishing

            Most people don't recognize marketing as a part of publishing, but it is. Once a publisher accepts a manuscript or an author decides to self-published, marketing on the part of an author (and an illustrator) needs to begin.

         Somehow someway, the rumor that an author's job ends once a manuscript goes to press spread throughout the world. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Remember, authors and illustrators are the best promoters of their books. If an author like James Patterson has to promote his books, those of us not as well known or as popular must promote even more.

         Below is a list of ideas whose sole purpose is to assist authors and illustrators in their marketing efforts. No one needs to try all the ideas but should try several. If some don't work, try something else. However, a few are needed, such as numbers 1, 8, 9, and 12.

1. Promote on Facebook and other on-line social media. (Contracts state authors should have a blog, a website, and be at least on Facebook.) Get that website up and running -- before the book is released.

2. Send handwritten notes, cards, or greeting cards to inform friends or the public of your new book or existing books as well as any appearances you are making.

3. Use handwritten fonts as an alternative to actually handwriting cards.

4. Use Sendoutcards.com or a similar medium as a way to contact others.

5. Search out and enter contests. Researching online is one way to find contests. OWFI has a writing competition every year (owfi.org).

6. Join the Chamber of Commerce and use its networking opportunities.

7. Promote your book on radio, t.v. spots, and/or talk shows.

8. Talk to your librarians about purchasing your book for their shelves or fill out a book request. The library will often purchase that book after the request. Also, have friends and relatives request your book at their local libraries.

9. Have a giveaway once in a while. There are different ways to do this. Be creative. B.J. Daniels gives away special bookmarks, magnets, aprons, and other mementos of her books. Personally, I prefer not to give away a current book, but if you have previous books, you might give away one or more of them to build an interest in your new book.

10. Set up a booth in art, crafts, street, or book festivals. Sell your books directly. Authors and illustrators usually make more by buying their books at a discount, selling at retail (or slightly lower), and pocketing the profit.

11. Donate a copy of your book to one or more local schools and get media coverage, even if in a small local paper.

12. Write a very short story about one or two of your book characters and post it on your blog or other places as a FREE item, a lead-in, or attention-getter for your book.

13. Build your name's brand, or that of your book, by giving away pencils or pens with your name and email address on them, bottles of water, bookmarks, postcards, etc. Always have business cards to give away.

14. You should provide information (links) on social media and on handouts such as fliers and postcards so that people know where to find your book or books.

15. Prepare postcard-sized inserts with your autograph to place in each book: On the card, have your photo, brief info about books, and a polite request for the reader to place a rating and brief review on Amazon if book pleased reader.

16. Prepare and keep an event diary for annual events in which you are interested in participating. In that digital or hard-copy diary, keep a compilation of press releases, press clippings, email blasts, photos, marketing materials, a monthly to-do lists, and anything else that would be helpful for you to plan the next year's attendance or that would be helpful for the next year's publicity person. For example, OWFI has a conference annually. If you attend, speak at that conference, and/or have your book or books in their conference bookstore, then have an event diary for that event.

17. Don't write just one press release. Customize the release for each specific media. A different slant is needed for media out of town than for local media.

18. Promote your book at least 3-4 months before it's released officially. This idea may not work or be wanted for every book, but it will help for some books.

19. Find local places to host a book signing for you and/or to carry your book(s). For example, a book about sports might grab the interest of a sporting goods store; a book about dolls might interest a toy store; a book about a dog or cat or other pet might interest a pet store.

20. Have a guest book for people stopping by your booth at an event. Be sure visitors write their emails so you can send messages (with a way for the recipients to "opt-out" of receiving more emails) go share writing tips and information about upcoming events or books.

21. Be aware of opportunities to promote your book.

For example, one 4RV author carries a copy of her book and another book to read with her. While waiting for an appointment or for a friend, she reads the extra book and looks around to see if anyone else is reading. When she sees a person reading, she asks the person the title of the book. She tells the person she is an author and is interested in what people like to read. That short conversation provides an opportunity for her to talk about her books. She doesn’t always sell a book, but she can give the person a business card and flier about her books.

         Finally, search for other ideas to promote your book. Be creative, but don't be afraid to "borrow" ideas from others. You are the best person to promote your book because you know it better than anyone else. Be proud of your "baby" and present it to the world. You may not be a James Patterson, yet, but you can promote as hard as he does.

Submission Etiquette

   

     The publishing world is rather small considering authors are found all around the world. One problem that is shared is the way authors act and react when it comes to publishers and editors. 

         Authors used to be half afraid of editors and publishers, but apparently, most aren’t anymore. Some authors don’t seem to have even good manners when dealing with publishers and/or editors. In fact, some are rude and arrogant.

         Let’s look at some submission etiquette.

1. Follow the guidelines for submissions for the publication exactly. Don’t assume that you know better or that you can “do your own thing,” and your submission will be accepted because you’re such a wonderful writer.

2. Be sure your submission is well-written with few mechanical, grammar, or spelling errors and shows rather than tells. Publishers are not interested in doing major editing jobs on manuscripts. Have your manuscript edited by a professional who knows and understands what is wanted by publishers, not who just knows grammar.

3. Give the editor or publisher time to consider your submission. A good way to upset the person making the decision as to whether to accept your work or not is to become a nuisance.

4. Don’t assume that the publisher or editor will automatically remember your name or the title of your work. Many names and titles cross the desk or computer of an editor every day.

5. If your work is rejected, don’t continue to demand reasons from the editor rejecting it. It is not his/her job to give you an edit-job or to give reasons for the rejection. If a publisher is nice enough to give a few suggestions so you can improve your work, don’t keep asking for more.

6. If you are given the option of revising your manuscript and re-submitting, count your blessings and do it. Not every publisher gives another opportunity.

7. Nothing obligates a publisher to accept your work. With more submissions than open slots in a publisher’s schedule, the publisher has the right to accept the manuscripts that “fit,” and to reject those that are not acceptable.

8. Don’t continue to call or email an editor or publisher unless your work has been accepted and an editor is assigned to you.

9. Throwing a fit or calling editors or publishers names does not endear you to anyone and makes acceptance less likely – acceptance by other publishers, too. Word does spread.

10. If your manuscript is accepted, then work with your editor or editors. You become a team, and if you cooperate, your book will benefit. Be uncooperative, and you may be without a contract and not well-liked. Again, word does spread.

11. You don’t have to become a “slave” to an editor or publisher, but you need to realize who controls whether your manuscript becomes a published work or not. Good manners are always a good decision. If you are respectful under all circumstances, you are more likely to be treated respectfully.

         Those ideas are just a few tips for good etiquette concerning submissions, but they will help provide a better relationship and allow publishers and editors to have kind thoughts about writers.
 


           For anyone wanting to submit to 4RV Publishing, follow the guidelines found under submissions on http://4rvpublishing.com    

4RV Makes Front Page of Newspaper

The 4RV Shop-lett at Serendipity Market, Edmond, OK

        4RV not only has two shop-letts, one at The Market at Quail Springs, Oklahoma City, and one at Serendipity Market, Edmond, but the company also has made the front page of the Edmond Sun. Paul Fairchild interviewed owner Vivian Zabel and authors Wayne Harris-Wyrick and Charles Suddeth by phone before putting the information gained through the interviews and from the 4RV website into a well-written article, copied below, which appeared on the front page of the Midweek edition.

Area book publisher fills gap between major, vanity publishers

• Paul Fairchild | Special to the Sun
• Jul 25, 2017

     

Edmond resident Vivian Zabel, a professional writer for almost five decades, loves to tell stories. Ten years ago she branched out. Today she tells other peoples’ stories, as well. Her small, award-winning publishing company, 4RV Publishing, is one of the best kept business secrets in Oklahoma.

”We are a small, traditional publisher that produces quality books for all ages,” said Zabel.

4RV looks for authors who fall through the cracks at major publishing houses, victims of a cost-cutting war being fought at those companies, Zabel said. With margins in the industry shrinking, larger publishers tend to focus solely on marquis authors. She finds gems in their throw-aways.

“There needs to be something between the major publishers who won’t accept anything and the vanity or self-publishing entities,” she said. “Ten years ago, I made the decision that maybe I could help fill that gap.”

Despite 4RV’s small size, it offers all of the services of a larger publishing house, separating it from other smaller publishers. Authors do not pay for editing, illustration, color art, formatting or other needs.

A big part of Zabel’s strategy is giving authors a lot of attention in sales and production.

“A major publisher puts a book out for six weeks,” she said, “then takes it off the shelves. We leave it out there as long as the author is with us. We don’t put a time limit on it. It may be six years or 16 years, however long they’re with us. That book will be available to be sold.”

Major publishers lock authors out of the production process, she said. It’s not uncommon for an author to be excluded from the illustrating, editing or cover art procedures. 4RV gives authors input on both, attracting writers who are tired of the way big publishers operate.

“Since we’re a traditional publishing company, we don’t request or require that manuscripts be through an agent,” Zabel said. “I think we’ve only had two that came through agents. Everything else is directly from the authors.”

4RV also anonymously evaluates manuscript submissions. Race, creed, color and gender don’t enter the equation. Neither does an author’s sales history. The process is so carefully anonymous that Zabel has had a couple of her own submissions rejected from 4RV. The company only wants quality.

“It’s the only way to keep the company honest because we want it to be universally open for anybody that meets our standards,” she said. “Good writing is good writing.”

A great-grandmother, Zabel does impose a few restrictions on submissions. Excessive violence and profanity are off limits. But her rules aren’t getting in the way of attracting — and keeping — authors.

“In 10 years we’ve released at least 115 books. Of those, we still have about 100 that are still under contract,” she said. “Our contracts aren’t long-lasting like a lot of other publishers’ contracts. Most of our authors choose to stay with us.”

Authors like the agility and speed with which 4RV books works. They also like the laser-like focus on quality.

“Like all writers, I submitted to multiple publishing houses. 4RV was very quick to respond. They do a thorough editing of every book they accept. I think it’s very critical to make sure it’s the best product that it can be,” said Wayne Harris-Wyrick, writer of four 4RV titles.

4RV keeps its production process lean by handling everything from soup to nuts in electronic communications. There are no physical offices.

“We have email. We have different ways that we can store files on Google Drive. We can put all of our files together and look at them and share them and go on,” Zabel said. “The only thing physical is when the books are actually shipped and there they are. Real, live books.”

Sales are largely electronic, as well, she said, adding that Barnes & Noble charges for shelf space, increasing sales costs with low to no promotion. But while readers might not find 4RV on the shelves of the bookselling giant, they can order titles from the stores.

4RV uses one of the industry’s largest companies — Ingram — to handle printing and distribution. Ingram ensures that titles are available on Amazon and available for order by brick and mortar stores. It also allows Zabel to print titles on an as-needed basis, wiping out warehousing costs.

Zabel’s  company's small, agile size allows her to move books through the publication process faster than larger publishers. It’s a process that can take up to seven years at bigger publishing houses. Zabel has shaved that time to a matter of months, giving 4RV crucial chances to recoup its investments quickly.

“Publication happened quicker for me than other friends of mine that publish at other publishing houses. Kabam! I guess that’s because it’s a small publishing house and they focus on the authors that they have,” Harris-Wyrick said.

Zabel is not getting wildly rich, but her strategies work. She’s had four books do sales in the thousands, she said. But due to her cost-cutting efforts, it doesn’t take a best-seller to be profitable.

Her focus on quality rewards 4RV in other ways. She’s had roughly 20 books garner major awards, including Literary Classics Awards, Oklahoma Book Awards, and Mom’s Choice Awards for some of her children’s books.

Zabel is always on the hunt for new ideas. In June she published Spearfinger, a first-of-its-kind offering. A Native American legend, the story is told in both English and Cherokee. 4RV created that niche from scratch with no competitors on the field.

“What I really hope is that enough Cherokee kids will get interested in the book and get interested in the language and keep speaking Cherokee,” said author Charles Suddeth.

Zabel does make books physically available for Edmond residents. 4RV titles are available at Serendipity and The Market at Quail Springs. A book signing is scheduled at Serendipity July 29.

“We really have been one of the best kept secrets in Oklahoma and especially in Edmond. Nobody realizes who we are here and they’re surprised to find out we are not just another typical independent book publisher,” said Zabel.

     Everyone within driving distance of Edmond is invited to the Meet the Authors event July 29 at Serendipity Market, 917 E. Danforth, next door to Pickles (between Boulevard and Bryant). Wayne Harris-Wyrick and Kathleen Gibbs will be autographing their books from 10 AM - 2 PM. At 2 PM, Jodi Heaton Hurst and vehoae will be signing until 5 PM.

The Future of Books

Is a PDF a book?

One definition of a book is Physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together.

Another definition of a book is A written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

Although there are almost as many E-Book readers as there are formats available for reading E-Books, can you call them books by the definitions above?

When reading for review, I prefer PDF format only because of simplicity, and I can delete it after I finish the review. I don’t call it a book; it is just a written story by some author.

There are many companies where authors can publish their book, even the venerable Simon & Schuster created Archway Self Publishing, where anyone can write and publish.

Companies like Lulu, Xlibris, Book Locker, Outskirts Press, Create Space, and many more will publish manuscripts; an author can pay to have a manuscript printed into book format, either hardbound or paperback creating a publishing house.

Is this to be the future of books?

As an avid reader for over six decades, the future of books and the written word are something special in my thoughts, I wrote a blog post titled The Demise of the written word. In that post I mention the use of software, I see in commercials extolling the virtue of diction software to write. Is this manuscript creation of the future, this type of manuscript will likely end up requiring more editors and proofreaders, because no software is 100 percent effective and correct.

Publishing houses no longer have editors and proofreaders for every manuscript and proof copy of the books they print. Although, publishing houses are adding to the burden authors face in today’s publishing environment, which begs the question, Are books better or worse than years past?

I leave it up to you to answer.

Robert Medak

Freelance Writer, Blogger, Editor, Proofreader

Published Author, Reviewer, Marketer

http://xeeme.com/RobertMedak

Why is it hard to publish your book?

First, as a writer you are competing against roughly 99,999 other writers trying to publish their book per year.

Second, traditional publishers tend to look at self-published, vanity published, or published online less as writers than writers in highly rated magazines, or published traditionally.

Third, traditional publishers expect writers to have a marketing plan, followers, a PR plan, and a promotional plan for their book.

Forth, traditional publishers want to know about how writers will use social media marketing, and network marketing to garner interest in their book.

Fifth, traditional publishers might like the writer to have a blog, book trailer, and web site for the book as well before the writer completes the book so there is a ready-made audience before publishing the book.

Sixth, publishers want a book with few errors needing editing. These errors include, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typos. Traditional publishers are looking for ready to print manuscripts. They don’t want to spend time and money, correcting manuscripts in today’s publishing culture.

Seventh, is a good deal of luck with the right genre, homework, and the publisher willing to chance publishing your book, and a ready-made audience and a large number of followers.

This is the hardest part of publishing, especially for new writers if their name is not a household name like, James Patterson.

Eighth, reading the submission guidelines carefully. What potential publishers are looking for as to the type of genre they publish. You’d be surprised how many publishers receive the wrong material.

Ninth, the proposal letter. If a writer’s proposal letter doesn’t show writing ability, the manuscript may never reach a reader, because of the number of manuscripts received in a year and the time it takes to read a manuscript by an acquisitions editor to see if the book is worthy of publication.

From this partial list, it’s easy to why it is hard publishing your book. Read articles from editors and reviewers online and you will read many complaints about the quality of self-published books, vanity published book, and more about the lack of quality writing.

Writers need to take responsibility for the quality of their babies to ensure they are the best book possible to help in publishing them so readers will ready quality writing, thus insuring they will want to read the writer when their next book is available.

Robert Medak

Freelance Writer/Blogger/Editor/Proofreader/Reviewer/Marketer

http://www.authorsden.com/robertmedak

http://rjmedak.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/freelancewrtr

Who is responsible?

Who is ultimately responsible for the quality of writing that reaches the eyes of the reader?

First, traditional publishers don’t have the time or resources to copyedit or proofread books because of today’s publishing environment.

Second, many authors choose to self-publish or create digital books on various platforms.

Third, authors choose POD or companies like Lulu, Create space, Xlibris, Booklocker, and more publishing companies showing up daily.

Fourth, do publishers offer copy-editing as part of a publishing package?

Fifth, but not final, is the author.

As a reviewer who has reviewed over 100 books within a period of six years, I’ve seen what appears to be what I call quality writing becoming passé.

I have written blog articles about the trend of quality writing becoming obsolete; or has editing become outdated?

I have no explanation; I’ve noticed a trend in published books that makes me wonder if teachers still teach English in schools as it was when I was in school. In many books, I read for review, there are errors in grammar, punctuation, typos, and wrong word choices. I’ve also notice errors in punctuation consistency, and word usage.

Example: If the author uses the word, truck in a story, than car is used. It might be nice if the author would explain where the car came from. Am I the only one that finds this weird if the character arrived in one or the other in the story then they get in to a vehicle in the next paragraph that uses the other word? I’ve seen it.

I have noticed the use of old clichés, so old that they were old when I was young. What about taking a cliché situation and turning it around to make it new again. Authors are supposed to be creative.

What this all boils down to is, the author has the ultimate responsibility of the quality of the book that the reader purchases to read. If authors choose to publish a book, they need to obtain a copy and proofread it for any errors in the production and correct them before readers get to read the book.

Robert Medak

Published Freelance Writer, Editor, and Reviewer

3 Important Tips to Increase Your Chances of Getting Published

If you’ve been sending out your manuscript for months or even years, you may feel like you’re beating your head against a wall. And it may comfort you to know that you’re not alone. It’s no easy feat to get published these days, but rest assured that hard work does pay off.

You can also use these top three tips to increase your odds of getting published:

1. Spend the majority of your time reading and writing. As a rule of thumb, make it a priority to read more often than you write. How can you expect to become an expert author in your genre if you haven’t read hundreds and thousands of related books? The more that you read and absorb, the better that your manuscript will be. It’s also important to stay informed in your industry so that your work remains relevant and fresh.
2. Write what you know. This may seem like a complete no-brainer, but your work will not be authentic and relatable if you are not writing about what you know. Even though you do need to stay aware of trends in your industry, you can’t follow trends exclusively; a trend will probably be over by the time that you complete your manuscript. If you write what you know and stay true to yourself, you can be a trend starter inside of a trend follower.
3. Submit your manuscript strategically. If you want to see your manuscript in print, be smart about who you submit to. You will probably find that some publishing companies and agents will be interested right off the bat, with strings attached… Don’t waste your time submitted to companies that want to sell you a publishing package or push you into self-publishing if that is not what you are interested in. A good agent or publishing company will be selective and may take time to get back to you. Make sure that you research a publishing company or agent before submitting to ensure that they represent your genre. There is no bigger waste of time than submitting your romance novel to an exclusive publisher of children’s books. All you have to do is do your homework beforehand and submit to agents and publishers that will be legitimately interested in your work. Problem solved!

Bethany Ramos is an author and full-time freelance writer with experience in Internet marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. She is passionate about writing captivating children's books and witty chick lit. For more information, you can visit her blog at chicklit-books.com.

Writing, Submission, and Working with Editors

Every writer, at least hopefully, will work with an editor from time to time. While, we’d all like it to be on a regular basis, time to time is better than nothing. When in the joyous situation (you’ve gotten something accepted for publication), there are some tips that will help you in your working relationship with an editor.

The first thing, even before you think of submitting your work, is to have your manuscript or article in the best shape possible.

Getting to the Point of Submissions

1. Be part of a critique group. Every writer needs the extra eyes of writers working in the same genre. Their insights and critiques will prove to be invaluable to you.

2. Revise and self-edit . . .  repeat and repeat . . .

3. When you think your manuscript is in perfect shape, send it to a freelance editor. You may think this isn’t necessary, but it is. Ask around for one that comes with recommendations.

Now, you’re set; off you go on your submissions fishing trip. But, don’t just drop the line randomly; be sure you do research and find the best spot – one where you know the fish are biting. What this means is to look for publishing houses that are best suited to your manuscript, and ones that are accepting submissions.

After you’ve found a few publishing houses suitable. Read their submission guidelines CAREFULLY, and follow them just as carefully. Now it’s time for the infamous query letter. If you’re unfamiliar with queries, do some research.

Okay, you’ve done everything you needed to, and now you cast off. AND, you get a bite.

Working with Editors

Once you’re accepted by a publishing house, you will be assigned an editor. And, don’t be alarmed, but that manuscript you meticulously slaved over, and even paid an editor to go over, will end up with revisions. This is just the nature of the beast—each publishing house has their own way of doing things. They will want your manuscript to fit their standards.

Note: the purpose of those long hours of writing work, and hiring an editor is to give your manuscript the best shot of making it past the editor’s trash can, and actually getting accepted.

Now on to 4 tips that will help make your editor/author experience a pleasant one:

1. Always be professional.

2. Don’t get insulted when the editor requests revisions. They are not trying to hurt your feelings; they are hired by the publishing house to get your manuscript in the best possible salable state. They want your book to sell as much as you do.

3. Keep the lines of communication open. If you have a question, ask. If you disagree with an edit, respectfully discuss it. Editors are not infallible; sometimes your gut feeling is right.

4. Take note of deadlines and be on time—this is your career, and in some cases your livelihood.

~~~~~~~~~~
Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter, and freelance writer. For writing and marketing information visit Karen at http://karencioffi.com and sign up for her free newsletter: A Writer’s World. You’ll get 2 free e-books on writing and marketing in the process, and two more just for stopping by.