Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 1

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James D. Macdonald

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I posted this before in another thread. I'm going to put it here, too:

==========

What type of "promotion" should one expect from a publisher once a book deal has been struck?

I'm going to talk about novels here, because that's what I know about.

Things vary, of course, but the minimum you should expect:

1) Review copies/advance reading copies well in advance of publication to major venues (Booklist, Library Journal, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly) plus major newspapers, and any specialized magazines that deal with your subject matter (you'll work with your publisher on this -- you know your subject).

2) Ads in trade publications.

3) Listed in the catalog.

4) Talked up by the sales force.

5) Press releases to state and local newspapers (you'll work with your publisher on this, too -- they'll already have a list, you can add to it.) Press releases should have copies of the book attached. (A press release without a copy of the book is wasted paper.)

Attractive cover, carefully written back cover blurb ... those should go without saying.

TV/Radio/Newspaper ads, book signings, book tours ... they're a waste of time and money for a first novel. There are other resources a publisher can use, depending ... they vary from foiled-and-embossed covers, up through endcaps, shelf talkers, front-of-the-store placement ... depends on whether they think that the book will get enough extra sales that way to pay for the extra expense.

The single biggest reason someone buys a novel is because they read and enjoyed a previous book by the same author. The next biggest reason anyone buys a novel is because a trusted friend recommended it. All the other reasons fade into single-digit percentages.

A first novelist doesn't have that earlier novel that someone read (that's one reason selling short stories is important, even though there isn't a lot of money in them). So you have to rely on the early adopters, the adventurous folks who pull books off the shelf even if they've never heard of the author, to tell everyone in their carpool or in their bridge club, "You have to read Nameofbook!"

This is tough. But the single most important thing to do is write your second book. Make it better than the first. Then you will have all the people who read and enjoyed your first book buying it, and talking to their friends.
 

jchines

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"But the single most important thing to do is write your second book. Make it better than the first."

Thanks ... as if I wasn't anxious enough about my second book coming out in a few weeks :)

Seriously, the advice and experience are much appreciated!
 

NicoleJLeBoeuf

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Jennifer L

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upthread update: on betas

Thanks, Nicole.

Upthread I mentioned my beta reader's response to my WIP, and you said it was perfectly possible that my beta meant one thing and I inferred another.

So I did sit down with her to ask for more specifics and it turns out that she did think she was giving me a compliment (and liked the novel), but that she felt she was not familiar enough with the genre to get a feel for what readers would want or expect. (That's not something I particularly need her to worry about, but that's why she didn't have much to say -- she felt inexpert as a reader in the genre.)

The interesting thing was that she said the ending answered questions the rest of the book didn't ask (oy!), which reminded me of Uncle Jim saying he very often writes toward an ending that he doesn't end up using in that particular book. So clearly I had an ending in sight, but it's not the right ending for this book. I was concerned because I felt as if the WIP headed in the wrong direction early but I didn't know what to do about it; now I realize that the WIP just headed in a different direction, and that a changed ending to match the book as it exists is really all that's required.

That plus a month in a drawer somewhere.

And I did find another beta -- as others here suggested, I found another writer and she is extremely helpful, seeing the kinds of things I need her to see.

So I appreciate all the good info and advice from everyone.

Jennifer Lawler
 

bsolah

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That's some interesting thoughts about the beta reading feeling inexperienced with the genre; When I finished what I thought was the final edit of a horror short story of mine, my mum, wanting to be supportive and encouraged asked to have a read. She read the whole thing through and said that she liked it. "A bit of mystery," she said. Somehow I wasn't quite convinced she liked it. Was it shit? Did it make sense? Did it totally make her think differently of me?

Your comment and another exchange with my mum has put things in perspective. Last week, mum saw that I had bought a copy of The Game, a twisted horror movie with Michael Douglas in it. Her eyes widened in horror and she said, "I hated that movie, but you'll love it."

It seems mum just isn't a horror fan.
 

jamiehall

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That's some interesting thoughts about the beta reading feeling inexperienced with the genre; When I finished what I thought was the final edit of a horror short story of mine, my mum, wanting to be supportive and encouraged asked to have a read. She read the whole thing through and said that she liked it. "A bit of mystery," she said. Somehow I wasn't quite convinced she liked it. Was it shit? Did it make sense? Did it totally make her think differently of me?

Your comment and another exchange with my mum has put things in perspective. Last week, mum saw that I had bought a copy of The Game, a twisted horror movie with Michael Douglas in it. Her eyes widened in horror and she said, "I hated that movie, but you'll love it."

It seems mum just isn't a horror fan.

In a writing group I'm in, we had considerable problems a couple of years ago with readers who criticized work because it was a genre they didn't like or understand. We had to make rules about it. One member actually said "People don't want to read about space ships" and I could hardly keep my jaw from hitting the floor.

In a previous club I had been in, where the average age seemed to be about 85, some of the members tried to convince me that nobody wanted to read about werewolves! They did not try to say that the market was oversaturated, but that it was an uninteresting topic!

Where would we be if nobody wrote about space ships or werewolves?


:Jaw: :Jaw: :Jaw: :Jaw: :Jaw: :Huh: :Huh:
 

Niteowl

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Where would we be if nobody wrote about space ships or werewolves?
It would be a sad, sad world. A world bereft of joy, the laughter of children, or a sunny afternoon naps on the beach. A world where the mere suggestion of levity would be lambasted with a critical word and a flint edged stare.

It would also have less pew pew pew and RAWR and oddly scary hairballs.
 

James D. Macdonald

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Kurt Vonnegut offers advice on writing:

http://puppetmaker40.livejournal.com/326453.html

Some writing advice by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. on the subject of short stories from Bagombo Snuff Box

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.​
 

Lilybiz

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Monday, April 23rd, is International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day.

That's the day to post a complete story or novel, your best work, on your webpage for anyone to read absolutely free.

Details here: http://papersky.livejournal.com/318273.html


Also the day we celebrate the birth of Mr. Shakespeare, is it not? So it's apropos, as his stuff is in the public domain (aka free) these days as well.
 

James D. Macdonald

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I've just learned of a new time-and-energy waster for writers: http://charteo.us/

These nice folks will make automatic graphs of your book's Amazon sales rank.

Naturally my first move was to add Mist and Snow's ISBN. Please help move the graph-line upward. You can make little Jimmy smile, or you can turn the page....
 

Mom'sWrite

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Why -- yes! Yes, you can!

In the meantime, buy my books....

With pleasure, sir.

I have The Land of Mist and Snow (signed by the author and treasured by me.) I need to order The Apocalypse Door and of course I'm wondering if I can still get my hands on a copy of Atlanta Nights.

My friends at Mission Liquors and Wines (www.missionliquor.com) won't deliver to New Hampshire. Jerks. Someday though, first round's on me.
 

James D. Macdonald

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In honor of International Pixel-stained Technopeasant Wretch Day, I've put up one of our short stories, The Queen's Mirror.

Y'all enjoy.

pixelstained.jpeg
 
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