Your Publisher Can See Your Hot Pink Polka Dot Undies!

I often explain to my clients and prospects that during the writing, editing, and publishing process, they may feel as if we are rifling through their underwear drawer -- and it really does feel that way.
I feel it too. I often know way more about a virtual stranger than I want to know, but it is necessary because authors are sharing their inner most thoughts through their writing.

Call it the Bermuda [Shorts] Triangle, if you will.  And if you don't feel like that, well, I say you aren't done with your publisher yet.

Here's a brief explanation ...

On the top tip of the triangle you should ask yourself one or more of these questions whether you are writing fiction, nonfiction or children's books:

Do I know enough about the topic to write this book?

Should I tell this story?

Is this story mine to tell?

This first point is something you will have to analyze from within.  An author questionnaire that goes deep into your platform, your experience, your knowledge and your goals will help you determine the answer.

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On the second point, ask this:

Will anyone care?

Will anyone buy my book?

The second point is answered by some good research.  Is there a market for this book outside of your mom reading it and saying she couldn't put it down.

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On the third point, it's personal and deeply hidden within from one's third grade teacher's glare. It's the thing that stops a lot of writers in their tracks. Consider these questions:

Am I paralyzed by the fear of using incorrect punctuation?

Will people be surprised/disappointed/judgmental about my grammar?

Will I be embarrassed by my horrible spelling?

This is the one we want you to stop worrying about. If you are hiring a qualified book editor, let them help you. Your job is to drive the car and let the editor be the mechanic. (P.S. We have book editors.)

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Now, write your book and realize that you are in the same boat as every other author.

End of my Analogy Salad for today.

Epitaph for the Epigraph

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"The nice thing about quotes is that they give us a nodding acquaintance 

with the originator which is often socially impressive." 

Kenneth Williams, Acid Drops (1980)

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What is an epigraph? It's a short statement (a quotation, an idiom, a poem, etc.) that comes at the beginning of text, but the words are written by a different author who is usually cited after the statement.

I am not a big fan of using famous quotes or epigraphs of any kind in books. Why? Because it doesn't do anything to further your voice as the author. It validates the person you quoted, and usually that's about it.

The worst thing that could ever happen to an author is that you get on a fabulous show, the interviewer reads your book, and during the interview says something like, "You quoted Winston Churchill at the beginning of Chapter 2. Tell us about that."

UGH!

Now you are in the position of telling the interviewer why you chose the Churchill quote, what it means to you, and how it relates to your book. What will the audience remember? The Churchill quote.

Why not use pull quotes (highlighted text pulled from the main body of the text) from your own insightful prose? You have ideas. You have profound thoughts. You have wisdom. Your words are valuable too, and you are the first one who should honor them. Why not celebrate your own wisdom and talk about that when given the chance? After all, you want that interviewer to say, "Mr. Author, at the beginning of Chapter 2, you said something profound. Tell us about that!"

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"Craft your thoughts into such profound wisdom that 

future authors will endeavor to quote you in their own books."

Lisa Pelto, CMI-Keyring, 2017

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Is it time for your story?

Why are we seeing so many WWII and

Holocaust Memoirs these days?

Simple answer... It's time.  It's important to capture stories while those who lived them are still around to tell us, in their own words, what they went through.

We have produced two Holocaust memoirs and are working on our third; we've done many WWII era stories -- some private family histories, some major releases.  WWII stories are in the forefront right now because it is just that time in the cycle. These stories have to be told when it is time for that author and family, and not before. It's the same for biographies, family histories, and history in general. It's what we know now, what we didn't know then, what we should learn from it, and how to prevent bad things happening in the future by knowing what happened in the past.

There is no more vulnerable time in a person's life than telling their story when they don't know who might read it... so we help them organize their ideas and their goals prior to beginning writing to ease them into the writing process.  It's a beautiful legacy to leave for the generations that follow. You have a story to tell, you have lessons we should hear, and you have the perfect time to tell it.  

Here are some great WWII era memoirs/biographies we have had to honor to help publish:

Lusia's Long Journey Home

Bread or Death

Four Blue Stars in the Window

The Dust Covered Days of Dorie Archer

Searching for Stanley

Teen Topics

Letters Home: An American Reporter in China 1939-1944

United Press Invades India: Memoirs of a Foreign Correspondent, 1944-1952

Stop the Fraidy Cat from Blocking Your Writing

What stops many writers from completing their books?  Fear.

• Fear of having enough of a story to tell.
• Fear of being able to get it all out once they start.
• Fear of exposing their thoughts and secrets.
• Fear of exposing their knowledge or conversely, their lack of expertise.
• Fear of hurting someone.
• Fear of people not getting or liking their writing.
• Fear of nobody taking out $15 to buy it.
• Fear of exposing their grammar and writing skills.
• Not to mention the fear of the publishing world in general 

I can sense one or more of these things in nearly every writer. I tell my clients that it's very common to have these fears, but the most important piece of advice I can give them is to get the story out of themselves in some way.  If you can see that you have one of these fears, stop the Fraidy Cat, and get the book out of your head and on to paper, computer or recorded.

Writers Edit. Write. Edit your writing. Step away from your writing for a moment and edit some more. Writing is rewriting.

Writers Read. Read Stephen King's On Writing or Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird

The Contract Between the Writer and the Reader

As I was listening to the 15th of 25 hours of the Steve Jobs Biography by Walter Issacson audiobook, I realized the depth of the promise the writer must make to the reader, and the trust the reader gives the writer. It doesn't have anything to do with the retail price, or how I downloaded the book, or how pretty the cover is -- those are publishing issues. Who in their right mind would choose to listen to 25 hours of an author reading his book? Who has 25 hours to listen to any audiobook?  What is the "reader" going to get out of this book?  At that moment, I thought this book better deliver what it promises for that much of my time.

We ask all new authors:  What is your intended goal? What do you want the reader to come away with from your writing?  Then we use that stated goal as our Reader Contract for all decisions throughout the publishing process.  If something about the book does not fit within the stated goal, it needs to be changed, added to or deleted.

Walter Issacson's work is nothing short of genius in this contract, and I appreciate that he never wavers from his promise that each reader is experiencing his books in a way that he has visualized.

Are you visualizing your reader while you are writing your book?  What do you want your reader to get from your book?

Sample the Grapes Before You Buy the Four Pound Bag

About once a week, I hear of another author who was "helped" through the publishing process by an acquaintance who said they could help them publish. Not surprisingly, they ended up being disappointed in the process. Many times, it's not a publishing novice either, but a former literary agent or publishing professional from New York exploiting their former employer's name to get the work. It can sure sound impressive, but do they have the know-how to go through the whole process and have they actually ever done it?

There is a simple test you can administer if someone tells you they can help you publish your baby (That book you have been dreaming about for five years. You know, the one.). Ask the person to show you the books they have done and what processes they performed to publish those books, start to finish. While you are interviewing them, ask how long they have been helping authors through the entire publishing process. Things are very different now than they were three, five, ten, twenty years ago, and they are changing literally every month!  Historical perspective can be valuable when paired with up-to-date savvy.

Make sure you taste the grapes. Ask to see samples. The proof will be right in front of your eyes. 

Get Organized and Start Writing

It's the second week of January and you are sitting there this morning wishing you could get to writing your nonfiction book. Here are some lessons I have learned from working with writers for three decades:

GET ORGANIZED!

• First, remember that fiction is made up, non-fiction is "not made up". Interestingly, 70% of first-time authors are not able to identify which is which!
• Do give your project a working title. Don't put pressure on yourself to create the perfect title. Your working title is a destination - make it precise enough to give you a path to reach it and if something doesn't get you to that destination, don't put it in your book.
• Do set aside a place for your writing.
• Do set aside time for writing. Tell yourself  "I will write two paragraphs today," and then do it. (Notice I didn't say "I will write two perfect paragraphs today," nor did I say "I will write a chapter."
• Do write out a table of contents on index cards with suggested points bulleted underneath.(Hint: don't call it an outline.) I like index cards because you can rearrange their order. Don't expect to have your table of contents complete in one sitting -- it's a dynamic and fluid guide at this point.
• Do buy a three-ring binder and a bunch of plastic pockets and start gathering photos or other items you want to include or write about in your book.
• Do write the low-hanging fruit stories first ... and in the words of Anne Lamott, "Give yourself permission to write a shitty first draft."
• Don't try to write the first paragraph or the last line first. 
• Do be yourself in your writing -- One of each Tolstoy, Hemingway or Dr. Seuss is enough
• Do take a class on writing -- any and all types of writing classes. If you were going to try yoga, you would go to a class to learn and perfect your technique. Works the same for your writing.
• Do read a book in your genre. 

Today is day one.  Two paragraphs.  Go.

Is this the year you will become a published author?

This could be your year!  There are more alternatives, more opportunities and more distribution channels than ever to share your story.  Brush off those beginning chapters you started but didn't know how to finish and what to do next, and stay tuned...

1. Define what success is to YOU. Be specific!  Why are you writing a book?
2. Who will want to read your book. Be specific - Everybody is NOT an answer.
3. Decide who will BUY your book. If you are self publishing, your marketing dollars go here.
4. Don't spend a dime until you fully understand 1-3.
5. Be realistic, positive and get informed. Realize that no matter what your budget is, there IS a way to get you published.

My 2013 resolution is to complete a useful blog post every week of this year with lots of great tips and things to think about as you embark on your exciting journey.

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Want to get the info in condensed form?  

We have classes at Metro Community College in the Omaha area.

How to Write Your Book:  January 12, 9:00am to noon, Sarpy campus (Course COMM-005N-70)

How to Publish Your Book: February 16, 9:00am to noon, Sarpy campus (Course COMM-525N-70)

How to Market Your Book: March 2, 8:45am to 11:45, Sarpy Campus (Course COMM-530N-70)

Register: All classes are $29 (senior discounts are available) www.mccneg.edu/ce or call 402-457-5231

What did you have for lunch...every day last year?

Ridiculous question, right? Unless you had the exact same thing each day for lunch in the last 365 days, you probably would have a lot of trouble answering this question.  If you wrote it down, you would be able to do it, no problem.

Yet many authors don't write down who helped them, and then end up forgetting about people who contributed. You don't want to put "And for those of you who helped and are not mentioned, you know who you are" in your book.  How lame is that?

As you are working on your book, write down the names and contact information of the people and organizations that have helped you along the way.  All of them, no matter how small the contribution seems at the time. Don't expect to remember everyone you will want to thank later in your acknowledgments -- and you should acknowledge each person that helped you.  

Everyone likes to be recognized for making a contribution to something with permanence.  Also, if you need to follow up on something later, you'll know who to contact.  Finally, most of those in your acknowledgments will be your little marching marketing army because they are in a book! 

Now, back to work!

Your Writing has Style - So Use a Style Sheet!

If you are a computer programmer, you have probably used style sheets in your day-to-day work. If you are an editor, no doubt you use style sheets on a daily basis (if you don’t prepare these for your clients, you should). However, as a writer, you may not have even heard of a style sheet until an editor or publisher has made you use one. It’s a good thing to know before you start your book – it will save you many headaches later.

A style sheet is your list of style standards and practices for your book, article or even your entire vision of your own image. It is composed of your grammar and punctuation rules, your protocol for capitalization, numbers, italics, proper names and nicknames, character sketches and profiles, details of the settings you use, timelines. Most book publishers use Chicago Manual of Style, so look things up if you are accustomed to writing with another stylebook (MLA for medical articles, AP for newspapers, ALA for college for example).

In addition to your own style sheets, you may be asked to adhere to a publisher’s own rules and recommendations, so make sure you inquire early on. The Chicago Manual of Style may have special rules for specific things that go against what you or your publisher may want  – most of the time, there are good reasons, but sometimes there are just “taste” things that the author wants to convey, or cultural things that add to the flavor of the book. DO NOT allow yourself to misspell things or to use incorrect grammar for cultural reasons except in those instances where it adds flavor to dialog or verse.

The purpose of a style sheet is to keep the writer on track throughout the writing process, and to inform the editor about spelling, punctuation, numerical practices and other items so a manuscript can be consistent throughout. This is particularly important for a writer who takes breaks between writing sessions – or for one who is writing several items at once.

If you are a novelist, you should have a detailed spreadsheet listing out scenes, plot lines, and timelines—and one for character traits (physical descriptions, language habits, and their history). I also suggest producing these same detailed spreadsheets if you are writing non-fiction—particularly a memoir or family history. Take the time to do this and you will have an easier time ensuring consistency and you will reduce your chance for error.

Use a style sheet as your rule book

• List names: first, last and nicknames used. Verify those names to make sure you are spelling them correctly in the manuscript, because your style sheet is the rule of law!
• List your punctuation rules, including serial comma or no serial comma, em dash or en dash, other rules special to your manuscript.
• List your rules for using numerals and words for numbers. Are you following Chicago Manual of Style for your number handling or does it make sense for you to have rules specific to your manuscript? Don’t decide this arbitrarily—ask your editor what might be the best way to handle them, and always treat them consistently.
• List abbreviations and their extended meanings. Also note why they are abbreviated and when they should be spelled out.
• List words that are always capped, and those that have unconventional capitalization specific to your manuscript.
• List words that you make up, along with their meanings, capitalization rules, and spellings.
• Note anything unusual that the writer or copy editor should know about. For example, any oddities that would not appear in standard language. Keep in mind that the reader may not have previous knowledge of certain phrases—and your job as writer is to guide the reader through your journey or story.
• If you have author notes or footnotes, spell out your rules for those ahead of time so you know when you should be using them.
• Last, but not least, make a comprehensive spreadsheet of characters, including the spelling of their full names, descriptions, timelines and special characteristics in mannerisms, gait, language, etc.  If you have people in your book, you should always use this, no matter if it is fiction or non-fiction.

You don’t have to start your style sheet as you put the first word on paper, but it will help you in the long run if you do. If you have already written your first draft, sit down now and prepare a style sheet as you reread your manuscript.

It's Saturday. Practice Saying YES to Yourself

It's the weekend, but if you're like most authors, you won't stop thinking about your book, your dreams, your interview with Oprah, or that one sentence that haunts you. But the work of publishing? Why ruin a good Saturday with all that reality? Publishing and marketing your book successfully, against all odds and against the mega publishing world, is possible -- I see it every day. I found this quote yesterday and was pondering it all evening:

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." ~Mark Twain

The concept must be in the air. Just like every morning, I opened my email and went straight to Seth Godin's blog. If you don't read it, you should. He's the guru of building the modern "Tribe", and so many other thought-leading principles of our culture. (click here for Seth Godin's blog). His posts are what I call "consumable". He provides one nugget to digest all day. In his post today he said:

"There will always be someone telling you that you're not hip enough, famous enough, edgy enough or whatever enough. That's their agenda. What's yours?" ~Seth Godin

Two great thought leaders a century apart; one important message pushing its way into today's consciousness. Today, think about what "success" in publishing actually means to you in both dollars and "sense". Then start making a realistic plan -- set a goal, plan a strategy, develop a list of tactics, put together a team that understands your goals. Above all, don't let people who are not experts discourage you and put their own agendas in the way of yours.

Find Your Niche Market Before Publishingby Lisa Pelto

“Everybody” is not a niche. When I speak to the author of a new book, I always ask them “Who Cares”? It’s not meant to be a rude question. If you can’t identify WHO your book will appeal to, don't waste your time and money publishing it. (Note: I didn’t say you shouldn’t write your book, you should; I mean you may not want to spend the money publishing it. That's the BIG question, kids.)

Be able to identify who your book buyer is (not necessarily who the reader is). Frankly, as a micropublisher, the buyer is more important than the reader. Why? One of the best markets for independently published books is actually the person who is buying a book for someone else. Steve Farner, author of Hey! I'm the Manager...Why Aren't You Listening to Me? describes how he found his niche:

"My book evolved from my management seminars and keynote talks. I had key stories, theories and concepts that I used in my speeches. Writing my book allowed me to hone my speaking skills by clarifying details of my stories. By putting things in writing, I was able to find clearer, more succinct ways to tell my story, and thus improve my entire product set. Now my major audience is corporations who are training their managers."

More questions you must ask yourself:

• Are you willing to share your expertise with enough detail and
  clarity to make the product valuable to your buyer?
• Are your target buyers willing to see you as the expert in whatever
  field you choose to write?
• Are your target buyers willing to shell out $20 for it?
• Does it fill a need currently not filled in the genre?
• What features can you add to make it fit the niche?
• How will you reach buyers once identified?

Lisa Pelto, President
Concierge Marketing
and Publishing Services