Lacking Blog Comments? Afraid of a Bit of Controversy? by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

So many of us prefer to stay on the sidelines and keep out of the way of controversy. We fear it may hurt our image or our reputation in the industry. So we stick to safe topics, non-controversial subjects and keep writing our blogs and wondering why we haven't provoked or inspired someone to leave a comment. It doesn't feel good when someone leaves a comment that is in direct conflict with our own opinions or what we have publicly stated. We are ingrained to want everyone around us to agree with us.

Some of the most read blogs are the ones that challenge us--these are the blogs that provoke us. And do you know what? Most of them have the largest following. Some people follow because they agree and like the subject matter. Others follow because they think it's interesting to see people argue over opposing opinions, but they lurk and don't get involved themselves. Another group follows because they definitely disagree and they want to know what the opposing side has to say. They like giving their $0.2 worth.

While the most controversial topics are politics, religion, atheism, there are other topics that might relate to our books or a common theme in our writing and we're missing an opportunity. Perhaps instead of another blog about writing and books among the millions already in existence, you could start a niche blog that feeds on some controversial thoughts, but something you're passionate about and it will build readership based on the need for such content. It doesn't have to be negative, but informative. It doesn't have to be judgmental, but challenging. It doesn't have to be arrogant, but open-minded to discussion. It doesn't have to tolerate rudeness, but be moderated with fair and equal boundaries.

Here are the top 50 Controversial Mom Blogs. I'll be honest, I never thought of parenting as controversial, but after reading through some of these blogs, I can see where some valid points are made--things I had never considered, but maybe should have. They aren't negative as much as very thought-provoking.

What are your thoughts on finding a niche blogging topic that will generate REAL discussions. Do you shy away from ANY kind of controversy, moderate controversy, or do you not care one way or the other? Can you see where a bit of controversy could increase your blog traffic if handled appropriately and moderated well? Do you follow any controversial blogs that you think do this well? Share your thoughts.

What makes a best-seller? by Terry Burns

I’ve heard this discussed a lot and it is hard to say... a major effort? Luck?

It’s just my opinion on the subject, but I think there are several major paths to a book becoming a best-seller:

First: The most common path is the book is by a previous best-selling author. There is a huge readership base built up and the author really has to drop the ball for the book to FAIL to achieve best-seller status. In addition, based on the track record of the previous books the publishing house throws major advertising, promotion, and the full distribution and placement support behind the title. Occasionally a book fails to live up to this promise and in spite of the publisher support does not get the job done.

Second: An author, maybe regardless of the strength of the writing, has so much name recognition and such a huge platform that the book has major potential. Presidents, politicians, major sports figures, and other celebrities would fill the bill on this. Once again, based on this potential, the publishing house throws major advertising, promotion, and the full distribution and placement support behind the title. Once again this does not always work and sometimes in spite of the huge name identification the public does not respond in the necessary numbers.

Third: A publisher can decide when they acquire a book that it is going to be a best-seller. The editor that acquires it goes into committee and convinces the PR people, the marketing people, and the company leadership that the book has the potential to do it. Even though it is a debut author that does not have a large platform, the publishing house decides the book justifies it and puts major advertising, promotion, and the full distribution and placement support behind the title. Yet again in spite of the faith and confidence of the publisher this does not always work.

Fourth: Even if the publisher has not pegged the title as a potential bestseller and the author does not have name identification, the author themselves may generate so much word-of-mouth publicity, or buzz, and may on their own pursue so many avenues of publicity and promotion that the book begins to produce much better than anybody thought. Even if a publisher has not planned major support for a title, they will respond when a book starts to attract notice and will begin to match or exceed author efforts. There generally isn’t a large number of authors that achieve this but it can work, and again ends up with the publisher putting advertising, promotion, distribution and placement behind the title. On occasion a book starts producing so strongly in a small house that a major house comes into the situation, taking the efforts to a whole new level. That’s what happened with ‘The Shack.’

So, is it luck? Yes, I’d have to say some luck might be involved.

For Christian authors is it something ordained by God and beyond our control? No. Ordained by God, yes, but the Lord works through people and it is possible that we fail to do what He wants us to do in order to achieve His purposes. How often we fall short of what the Lord wants us to do. If God wants it to happen, it will, as long as we do what He needs us to do in the process.

Do publishers decide what books will be bestsellers or not? That one is both yes and no. If I am correct in my assumptions above, it is very difficult to reach best-seller status without a publisher that believes in the book and throws their support behind it. But we also see whether they decided it was a possibility up front or came to give that support later that it did not always guarantee success.

But how about these books that go straight to ebook and go viral – achieve best-selling status with no publisher involved at all? I’d have to say these comments are about traditional print books reaching that elusive status. I’d have to address doing it in ebooks in a separate blog – as soon as I come to understand what really causes one of the titles to stand out that strongly there.

The Indy Christian Writers Conference is open for registration

The 10th Annual Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference, held in Fishers, IN., is November 4-5, 2011. The Keynote Speaker this year is well published beloved author Angela Hunt.

Combined with special guest Todd Burpo, author of Heaven is for Real, makes this an attractive one 1/2 day conference for those that might consider attending.

Andy Scheer of Hartline commented: The Indianapolis conference is a nice event; I've been there three times with the Guild and am attending this coming November. It's short: half-day Friday and all day Saturday and very well run and organized by the staff of Wesleyan Publishing House. And the facility, at Wesleyan HQ just off exit 10 on I-69 northeast of Indianapolis, is among the best of any conference. With the short duration, there are limited appointment opportunities, but the emphasis tends to be more on teaching the craft than on selling your manuscript.

Jeanette wrote: "I've gone two years, and I loved it. It's small, but that translates to a feeling of intimacy and casualness, and all the editors and agents who attend are super approachable. The presenters are as knowledgeable and articulate as those at the larger conferences. The worship is awesome. The time is manageable, since it's only a day and a half. I hope to attend again this year.

I Like Sausage by Andy Scheer

You likely know the quote: “Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made.”

The person to whom that quote is attributed, nineteenth American poet John Godfrey Saxe, could easily have extended that comparison to the process of publishing.

The strange thing is, I not only like sausages, I also like books. True, I've never worked on a farm or in a packing-house. But I have worked in and around publishing since 1976. And I still like books.  I read them. For fun. In my spare time.

Even after a week spent sorting through queries and proposals. Even after myriad fiction first chapters burdened by exposition and excess adjectives. Even after an intense two weeks in a “virtual mentoring retreat,” working one-on-one with a relative neophyte to help her prepare her first book proposal.

This morning I hope to be standing outside my nearest bookstore, checking my watch, when they open the doors. For perhaps six months I've known this will be the novel's release date. I've discussed this with a friend who introduced me to this author's novels.

That was three books ago. Since then I've read the first three novels in this series, and perhaps another eighteen he's written (three under a pseudonym he's used to brand himself in a different sub-genre).

All going well, I'll have finished the book by Friday night, when I hope to attend one of this author's rare signings. That shouldn't be hard. It's easy to suspend your critical, editorial instincts when the author knows his craft. When the story, the characters, the conflict, and all those infinite details of the art of fiction fall into place and allow you as a reader to submerse yourself in the tale.

And then it doesn't seem anything at all like sausage.

How Do They Do It? by Linda S. Glaz

I’m not sure how they do it.
Authors who write what they don’t love.

I can’t imagine sitting down at the keyboard or pad, trying to get the creative juices flowing by writing something I don’t read or don’t particularly even like. Writers do it all the time, but I just don’t understand what drives them. I always think of Jack Nicholson as the male romance writer in As Good As it Gets when he talked about getting inside a woman’s head for his novels. Removing logic, etc. to make it believable for women.

Thanks, Jack!

But there ARE writers, writing what they don’t even like—because it sells.
I love first responder stories, probably the leftover military in me. I love to read romance and/or suspense about military, law enforcement, and firefighters. Anyone in a protective role.

What drives you? Is it the dream of fame, money, or do you write what you love because you just have to?

Tips on Preparing for Writing Conferences by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

With all the upcoming writer conferences over the next few months, I thought a post with a few tips on preparation would be helpful. Whether you're planning to attend your next writing conference or your first, below are a few things to consider.

Creating Promotional Materials

The purpose of attending a writer’s conference is to learn and network. While you'll receive a conference packet, you may want to bring an extra folder with a pad of paper and a pen to take notes, as well as a folder in which to place workshop handouts. As you meet new acquaintances and renew old friendships, you need to leave business cards with people. Once the conference is over, a business card will entice them to look up your blog or website, and perhaps friend you on Facebook when they are back home. This helps you keep and foster the connections you have made.

If you’re unsure as to what you should include on a business card, I’ve written a blog post on Author Business Cards Are Different. In this post I give suggestions on what to include and why.

If you’ve signed up for any Editor/Agent appointments, you will need to bring a Sell-Sheet and a one-page flyer promoting a book or series. I’ve written a blog post on Creating Sell Sheets and provided an image of an example.

              

On occasion an editor or agent may ask for the first five copies, but there would be no need to bring more than that. They do not like hauling more sheets than necessary on their flight home.

Editor/Agent Appointments

If you have an editor/agent appointment, I recommend arriving a little early to spend a few moments in the prayer room. It helps one focus, improves confidence, and eases the nerves. Bring your business cards, sell sheets, and sample sheets.

           

Be prepared to give your Elevator Pitch or High Concept Pitch, one or two sentences that indicates the hero and heroine’s goals. Think of a movie description you might see in the TV Guide. You're Elevator Pitch should be similar to this. Include the word count, genre/subgenre, location setting, time period if it is an historical, and the danger or obstacle to achieving their goals. 

For example, I've written a 100,000 word novel set in Scotland in 1477. The hero is contracted to restore a local castle, but the heroine wants him and his men to leave before they discover a secret that could destroy her future and the entire village where she lives.

             

You should not sign up for editor/agent appointments unless you have completed at least one manuscript. Even if you are already published and have an agent, there is no reason why you shouldn’t set up an editor appointment if you are looking to try and publish something that your current publisher may not be pursuing in a particular subgenre. Also, even though your agent can submit your work to any editor, a one-on-one meeting will help you determine which editors you would prefer working with in regard to personality, mannerisms, and work style.

            

I've written a blog post on Surviving the Pitch to Editors & Agents. In this post I discuss how to tell when you’re ready, the four elements a pitch should contain, what to expect, and possible scenarios.

Other Things to Consider

Be sure to bring a casual dressy wardrobe with comfortable slacks, skirts, and blouses with matching blazers and/or sweaters. Layers are best as the air condition can sometimes be quite cold. You’ll want to wear shoes that are comfortable since you’ll be doing a lot of walking. A writer’s conference is not the time to break-in a new pair of shoes.

             

You may want to smell nice, but be considerate of others and leave the perfume and cologne at home. Even a dab of this or that can cause another person’s allergies to flair up and make them miserable. I'm one of them. It isn't fun to spend your entire conference with a runny, stuffy, red nose, pounding headaches, watery, itchy, red and swollen eyes because the person next to you has on perfume or cologne.

            

You may feel that you have to attend every workshop and opportunity based on the cost of the entire conference, but you aren’t wasting your money if you skip a workshop and gain some much needed rest. Don’t be afraid to take a nap if you feel tired and overwhelmed. You can't pack everything into a 4-day conference. It's simply too much! Do what you can without wearing yourself out. Perhaps you can later purchase recordings of the other workshops you couldn't attend.

            

Remember to network, make friends, learn, and enjoy the experience! 

If you'd like to share some ideas and suggestions for others, please do!

Why do submissions take so long? by Terry Burns

Sometimes I get a question from a client and instead of just answering it I realize it is an answer I need to share with others. I mentioned the other day that I had spent the whole day trying to get a couple of submissions out on a client and was asked why it took that long.

The client in question had given me the name of several publishing houses they thought would be appropriate and all I had to do was shoot them a proposal, right? Not that easy.

You see, there is generally more than one editor acquiring at a publishing house, the larger ones there may be a dozen or more. So if a client tells me that Random House has published a book that is a great comparable for their manuscript that is a good tip, but it is a long way from being the correct intel for a proper submission.

First, Random House has multiple imprints and chances are only one of them is right for it. Send it to another one and it will be promptly rejected. Second, in the proper imprint there are multiple editors, and if I send it to the wrong one it will probably be rejected. I need something that tells me a particular editor is the right person for what I am trying to pitch. This research is what takes time. Finding that right person can be very difficult.

On occasion one of my clients talks to an editor at a conference and finds out such a lead for me, the right editor for a project. A number of the sales that we have made started with just such a lead.

Third, the timing has to be right. A similar book can show us an editor has interest in a certain area, or it can be an indication that they just published one and is not interested in doing another one. Hard to tell which one of those two possibilities it might be.

Fourth, I am often in possession of more information. A client may see something that looks like a great possibility but in my database I have info that says they are only doing published authors, or maybe are no longer taking a certain thing even though the market guide lists that they are. Or maybe I know they are not actively looking at submissions until a certain date. There are lots of factors like this that all of us at Hartline share with each other to help us stay on top of the rapidly changing industry. And the things clients pick up in their writing groups and at the conferences they attend often contribute to the picture to help us stay on top of things.

No, it isn't as easy as just looking in the market guide, pulling out everybody that lists a certain genre and shooting off submissions. If we did that our agented submission would stand no better chance than one just coming in blind, except it would probably get looked at a little quicker.

Doing something well means doing it right. I tell people who follow up on submissions they sent to me within a fairly short time that I can give them an answer right now if they want, but the only fast answer I can give is no. A yes takes more time. It's that way with the editors I make submissions to as well.