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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

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

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

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

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

For this week, I would like to explore the ethical issue of e-book piracy, so please read and respond to this blog with your thinking caps on.

Books lose their value due to wear and tear; but it is the e-reader, rather than the e-book, that loses value due to both wear and tear and new technology. Since what causes a physical book to lose value does not cause an e-book to lose value, the issue of e-book piracy is a two part issue. First, it is an issue of what we as readers allow to determine the value of literature. Second, it is the issue of what determines the deterioration of the value of that literature.

If it’s not considered stealing to rummage through a used book store’s free book bin, is there a point that an e-book, perhaps 20 years from now, will also lose value? What will cause it to lose its value? If a I can borrow a physical book from a library, shouldn’t I be allowed to borrow an e-book from a library? If I cannot borrow e-books from libraries, why should I buy an e-reader? For me, convenience is not enough.

Perhaps, with e-books, publishers will come out with a technology that allows friends and libraries to transfer e-books provided they agree that e-book be erased from their computer or e-reader. In the case of author royalties, perhaps authors, publishers, and distributors should raise e-book prices, thus accounting for waste and theft.

I am of the persuasion that literature is created to be shared not hoarded, but never stolen or pirated. How should authors and publishers handle e-book piracy? Should they raise e-book prices to adjust for potential piracy? Should they shy away from selling e-books much like so many would be authors never publish because of fears that someone will steal their ideas? I’d love to hear any thoughts or suggestions.

Again, my question is not about what defines e-book piracy, rather it’s where do the ethical lines of what is e-book piracy begin and end, as well as what determines the value and the deterioration of the value of literature? It’s obviously stealing to walk into a Barnes & Noble, take a book off a book shelf, and walk out of the store without paying for it. It’s not considered stealing to go to a library and borrow a book. If authors have a right to expect readers not to download pirated copies of their books, readers have a right to expect that they can share that author’s information with other readers in an ethical way.

Perhaps, aspiring authors, such as myself, can take a lesson from names like Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Faulkner, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky who determined the value of literature according to strong content that caused people to think and change society rather than fluffy literature that did nothing more than allow people to further delude themselves from the ills of society.

Next week, I’ll explore the issue of e-publishing, so make sure to come back.

Erick