seobridges.com

Before I sat down to write my novel in progress, I determined a writer should focus on three things to be publishable: Writing a well-crafted story, writing well, and marketability. Too many self-published authors have lowered the publishing bar. There is a time and place for self-publishing; though, a writer should always remember publishing, self or traditional, is about sales, not a winning smile. Of course, a smile helps.

For that reason, I decided to go the traditional publishing route. I recommend if you plan to go that route, you follow the rules. AgentQuery gives tips and advice for querying agents. And Nathan Bransford wrote a great blog about what you should do before you start the querying process.

First, make sure you have a well-written, finished manuscript. Literary agents want to know you have a good story idea and can complete a book, and they might ask to read it (Make sure the agent is legit). Next, learn about the publishing business by reading blogs, going to conferences, asking questions, and engaging.

If you heard you need to be published before you get an agent, don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. AQ says it’s not true. Yes, publishing credits help but so does being Justin Bieber. If your book can sell, it can sell. Literary agents get paid for selling books, not previous publishing credits.

Remember, I’m not yet published, so all advice is that of authors, agents, and publishers, not my experience. So, authors, agents, and publishers, I welcome your insight.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Today, I’m starting to blog on Fridays about my journey toward publication, beginning with my search for a literary agent. I’m not an expert, so I’m not going to offer any advice. However, I’ve done much of the research for you on how to use the online world to connect offline. So I’m going to let you know how to use the tools I’m using, starting with AgentQuery (AQ).

On the left side of AQ, you’ll see the ‘Quick Agent Search.’ AQ consists of a database of 972 agents, so you might find it easier to use their full search below that. AQ suggests finding ten agents.

AQ recommends you narrow your search down to the ten most likely agents to want to know more about your work. It doesn’t hurt to keep a list of more than ten agents, but make sure you prioritize which ones you’ll contact first.

For more advice on how to obtain an agent, read AQ’s writers’ section, get advice from writers with agents, follow the conversations I listed in this blog, and sign up for AQ’s social networking site—AgentQuery Connect. They offer forums, a calendar, a live chat room, and other ways to connect.

Along with using AgentQuery and AgentQueryConnect, I recommend you join Goodreads, post book reviews on Amazon, and check out my blog. Next week, I’ll update you on my progress, so come back and join me on my journey toward publication.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

In this blog, I predicted a literary minefield. #Seth#Godin set off the first explosive with The Domino Project.  In that blog, written almost nine months ago, I said of the coming changes to the publishing industry, “rather than the writer trying to seek the approval of a few people in the publishing industry, they will have to find an audience and seek the approval of their audience.”  In this blog, Seth Godin wrote of The Domino Project:

“Readers have been separated from authors by many levels—stores, distributors, media outlets, printers, publishers—there were lots of layers for many generations, and the editor with a checkbook made the process palatable to the writer.”

The Domino Project will give the author more control in the publishing process by publishing on Kindle, audiobook, and hardcover at the same time.  The Kindle version will work on Macs, iPads, Windows, etc. And The Domino Project will strive to publish literary works in foreign languages.

For those intrigued by the idea of  e-publishing but aren’t ready to make the move from traditional paperback, all books published with The Domino Project will be distributed to those stores Amazon partners with and are interested in offering those books at retail.

Right now, The Domino Project only consists of a staff of six people with a great idea.  They are very up front about their limitations, but they are also open to hearing about great ideas.  If you’d like to contact Seth and his publishing team, you can read about them here.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Watch these author interview videos with two completely different types of authors.  The first interview with John Irving, author of “Cider House Rules,” talks about his books and his writing life.  The second video is an interview with Arthur Silber Jr., author of “Sammy Davis, Jr.: Me and My Shadow,” in which he talks about his childhood growing up around Mr. Davis.

Author interview videos are a great way to promo your book without the need to travel.  They may not have the personal touch book tours have, but they are a great way to allow your audience to get to know you.

These videos are more professionally done, but don’t be afraid to think up some questions people might want answered about you and your book, turn on your web cam, and make your own video.  And the great thing is you don’t need to wait until your book is published to start telling the world about it.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Are you finished or almost finished with your book? Are you thinking about a book tour? If not, you should be. MediaBistro thinks you should think about one also, so they posted a couple of videos about setting up book tours.

These videos will help you think outside of the box. For instance, a friend of mine had a book signing at a popular bar, and another friend had hers at a nice country club. Your options are unlimited, but don’t wait until it’s too late.

In this new economy, authors must focus on niche markets and work with established and even people to accomplish their goals. I hope you gathered some valuable information from the videos.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Along with his personal social networking site (myjamespatterson.com), Patterson released what is called, “the first author-created, crime-solving Facebook game” by Allfacebook.com.  Players partner with detective Alex Cross in To Catch a Killer to solve one of 11 crime scenarios.  Of course, there is a book, and Alex Cross is a character in many of those books, but Patterson offers a free online game to go along with this book.

So, what does this integration between literature and online gaming mean for the future of books?  It’s meant what I’ve suspected would happen to literature for a while now.  It will become more interactive.  Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books?  Maybe you read them as a kid or gave one to your son or daughter for Christmas.  They’ve been around for a while.

Well, I think many more books will become online interactive Choose Your Own Adventure games.  Though, with the direction gaming is headed, I think facebook apps only begin to touch the possibilities.  It wouldn’t surprise me if within the next 10 years there are virtual reality games in which a person can interact with the characters of books.

Now, what does this mean for those authors and aspiring authors who are lucky enough to make a profit with their writing?  It means get on Sony Online Entertainment’s good side.  Seriously, it means writing good books is no longer enough.  Instead, concentrate on writing good books people can interact with.  Allow them to get to know you, your characters, and your fictional world.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll look at how some of the best-selling authors in America who have a presence on social media and receive a large portion of traffic to their sites from social media use social media to their advantage.  This week, I’ll look at Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series.

First, 5.74% of people who go to Stephanie Meyer’s site go there from Facebook.  This may not seem like that much, and it isn’t, but it accounts for the second largest concentration of people who go to her site.

So, what is she doing right?  Well, she’s Stephenie Meyer, so she doesn’t have to do much to get a response. There are dozens of Facebook and Twitter profiles and fan pages about her.  Go to her website.  It’s not exactly the most professional looking website in the world.  She doesn’t need a great site, because she has great fans who spread the word about her via social media.  With almost two dozen pages and profiles, she has a potential audience of almost 2.5 million people watching her or news about her on Facebook.

It’s not that she uses social media to her advantage (or at all).  She has a fan base of people who love her work and use social media to keep people informed.  I’ve seen hints here and there of Ms. Meyer trying to connect with her fans through social media.  If I had to guess her secret, I would say it’s not only that she has a great idea that captured the hearts and minds of millions of people who spread the word for her, but it’s that she tries to remain as genuine as she can.  So, what can we new, aspiring, or yet to be famous authors glean from all this?  For current authors, stay connected with your readers offline.  For everyone, be authentic.  People appreciate authenticity.

Instead of articles, every Friday I’m going to post anywhere from one to three videos about online book marketing.

For starters, check out this video on Google Knol.  It’s like Wikipedia, but they rely on experts to provide information to readers.  Of course, if you’re an author of anything other than fiction, you want to position yourself as an expert.  Authors who do write fiction may even want to position themselves as experts in the field they write about.

This video will tell you how to find online forums about the subject your book is about and share your expertise.  This is a basic way to target your Google search; though, many people don’t know how to use Google to leverage their searches.

And here’s a video on a new website called Cinch.  I don’t think this website is storming the Web, but I can see the usefulness of it.  Sometimes, people would rather listen to a quick sound bite than read an entire blog.  I may even try it.

Okay, I’m going start focusing more and more of my blogs on online book marketing.  So, if you’re an author, publisher, literary agent, or what not, come back for more tips on online book marketing.

Enjoy your weekend!

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Book Review Podcast: Per Petterson and Susan Casey | USA Arts … – http://bit.ly/ag60jU

I’m not a publisher, agent, or published author. I’m an aspiring author, who listens to the wisdom of those who have gone before him and pays attention to literary trends. With that said, please do not take this blog as authoritative or having come from first hand experience. Rather, take it as a student of the written word, passing on what he has learned to you.

Almost 40 years ago, Dan Poynter couldn’t find a publisher, so he went straight to the printer and started the trend of self-publishing. Four decades later, self-publishing and the Internet have led to e-publishing. Now, websites like FastPencil, iPadPublishing, and Blurb help people self-publish their books in paper or as e-books.

Over the last decade, because of social networking, it seems agents and publishers have turned their attention more toward finding marketable writers with compelling stories. And it seems the success of writers has been determined more by writers’ writing good content and reaching out to readers.

Now, the advent of e-books and e-publishing will cause a new literary trend. Self-publishing and e-publishing have lowered the publishing bar, and because of that people can’t assume a book is good simply because it has been published. They need to rely on that book’s content. But they won’t know anything about that book’s content unless others who have read that book give them their thoughts.

From my vantage point, I foresee e-publishing causing the roles of the writer, agent, publisher, and even reader to change.  Ever hear that saying, ‘Everyone’s a critic’? The role of the publisher and agent will merge into one marketing entity (publishing consultants). The writer will reach out and listen more to the reader through traditional and social media marketing. And the reader will become like the agent, reading critically, and passing on their opinions to other readers.

All of this means that rather than the writer trying to seek the approval of a few people in the publishing industry, they will have to find an audience and seek the approval of their audience. And as that author’s audience approves more and more or less and less, that author will need listen to their audience (or the lack thereof).  I foresee the writer’s insurmountable publishing mountain will become a daunting literary mine field. Tread carefully, fellow writer.

Whether you’re a writer, agent, publisher, or even a reader, I’d love to hear from you.  How do you think the advent of e-books and e-publishing will change the literary world? Do you think lowering the publishing bar will even the playing field, forcing writers to write more well-written content and compelling stories? Or, do you think a lower publishing standard will simply water down good content, allowing anyone to become an author? I encourage your thoughts.

For more on me and my literary endeavors, follow me on Twitter @ErickWrites, befriend me on Facebook, or just e-mail me and ask.

Erick