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WritersReaders.com Tips for Writers
Audio Message from Jerry
Weekly tips that help writers understand the marketplace and business of publishing books.
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When we use the written word as a means of communication with others, we expect to have it read. Whether we are writing to share information, philosophy, experiences, creating a story to inspire or entertain, or simply a personal note, we need a reader. We want that reader to feel and understand what we’re saying. If fiction, we want to take them on a journey into the world of our story. We don’t want to simply tell them; we want to take them into the experience with us.
How often has a book carried you to another place or time, allowed you to feel a new experience? Has it introduced you to a whole new group of people? Maybe to a new hero, role model or friend? You laughed or cried, loved or loathed, felt joy or rage, but you felt the characters. You experienced the story and shared in the adventure! For a while, you left your own world and ventured into another between the covers of a book.
This is the power of good writing. This result is what every writer dreams of achieving. And, it simply cannot be done alone. Enter the editor.
Having some form of editing is especially vital in these days of huge changes in the Publishing industry and the ever-increasing number of authors choosing the POD or Independent publishing route. My focus here is to share some basic tips and ideas stemming from what I’ve observed as copy editor for a small press and independent contracts.
Rarely, do we open a book and not see an acknowledgement to those who helped make the book possible. In most instances, we’ll see credit given to an editor. So, just what is an editor’s role and when do you need one?
There are three types of editing:
1. Content Editing – Actually guides the creation itself.
2. Copy Editing – Structure and Grammar check of a completed manuscript.
3. Proof Reading – Typographical errors - Final set of eyes before submission to an agent or approving a galley for a publisher or a printer.
But first, the writer must have something of quality and potential to present to the editor. Possibly, the most crucial editor of all is the writer. The writer must take care and pride in their work. No one wants to pay for, nor is it the job of the editor to clean up an ill-prepared or sloppy manuscript.
Regardless the genre, all writers hope to end up with a book that’s a page turner, a book that will teach, touch, inspire, or entertain a reader. In successful novel writing, it’s downright imperative.
We could spend an entire day in a workshop on only one element of fiction writing. Voice, point of view, and dialogue come to mind instantly. Yet, there are many more questions we must ask ourselves. Does fiction require research and authenticity, an element of believability? What’s required in era and setting? Character and plot development? In non-fiction, what is the best way to present facts, figures, philosophy or experiences? The list goes on. In this article, however, I’d like to introduce the need for editing more as an ATTITUDE about how we must look at writing.
Having basic skills in grammar and expression is an obvious requirement but as important, and what I’ve seen sorely lacking in most new authors’ work, is a basic knowledge of the elements of their genre. This is especially true in the case of fiction novel writing.
No matter your past experience or profession, no matter your mastery of language skills, there must be an effort to learn the elements required in your chosen genre - fiction or nonfiction. I’ve literally had to labor my way through novels written by accomplished journalists or teachers simply because they didn’t know the elements required in fiction writing. Regardless how knowledgeable they are in their content or the nonfiction story they wish to tell, I’ve noticed that few new writers are aware of how to best present it.
We’ve all heard the motivator “Practice Makes Perfect” or the more you do it, the better you’ll become. True, but first you must know what is required in the mastering of your specific skill. All the practice in the world won’t make a champion speed skater a figure skater if they don’t know the elements of figure skating. The same is true in writing. An award winning essayist can write ten novels but the tenth will be no better than the first if the elements required in good fiction are still missing.
Once you’ve chosen the type of book you want to write, the easiest and best way to sharpen skills is to read a lot of genre-related books by various authors. Get a feel for it. In the role of reader, what moves you and what doesn’t?
Before you start seriously putting a manuscript together, invest in a few How To books relative to your genre. Get a pocket copy of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, a dictionary, and a Thesaurus. Research the wealth of information available on the Internet and in your library. A subscription to Writers Digest or The Writer magazine is another valuable and affordable asset to all novice writers. Know how to set up a basic Word Document file that is manuscript specific.
There are basic and powerful rules that do apply to all genres.
More is not necessarily better. Every single word must move the content forward. Redundancy, repetition and long boring dissertations can be death for a book. In fiction, the hue and cry is “cut, cut, and cut!” I’ve copy edited novels that could be improved simply by cutting a hundred pages or more.
Stay focused on the plot, the subject, or the message. The reader doesn’t want to go off on an irrelevant side trail just when you’ve captured their attention or moved them to the edge of their seat. If it happens too much, you’ve lost them.
Never subtly intrude on your character’s personality by inserting author-driven opinions or assumptions. This is called author intrusion and it robs your characters of their own voice and impact.
Never write with a condescending tone, assuming you have to over describe, explain and reiterate. If the reader isn’t getting your message or visualizing your scene, maybe it’s because you aren’t presenting it with clarity and active tense.
In fiction novels, good dialogue is crucial. There are entire books devoted to mastering dialogue. Invest in one. Know how to do it and do it well. Know how to punctuate it. A successful novel depends on it.
Avoid ‘ly’ adverbs describing tone. If your character is angry, make the comment itself show the anger rather than the continual ‘he said, angrily’. Or ‘she said, thoughtfully’. Avoid speaker attribution when it’s obvious who’s speaking. He said/she said after every line of utterance is the first indicator of bad dialogue.
Write it like you’d speak it. Make use of contractions frequently. That is how we speak as a norm and it brings the character to life.
Be consistent. If you choose to attempt a dialect, slang, or accent, be familiar with it and be consistent. If you want to drop g’s, that’s fine, just make sure you are consistent throughout. It’s most helpful to read your dialogue out loud, perhaps with a family member taking another speaking part. Feel the sound of it.
It is also imperative to remain consistent in verb tense. Don’t start a sentence in past tense and end it in the present. The one exception may be found in dialogue.
Punctuation is probably the most generally abused element in book writing. In most cases, the hard and fast rules we all learned in high school English apply. But due to the volume and length in book writing, we are given a bit of leeway to facilitate the flow of reading, accentuate a style, and avoid having our book appear like someone dropped bird seed on it.
Over and above the standard rules of prepositional phrases and dependent clauses, think of a comma as taking a breath. Again, read your work out loud and make note of your breathing. The words and, or, and but don’t automatically call for a comma if the statement is one fluid thought.
Learn the proper use of a semi-colon and quotation marks. These are quite likely the most errantly used articles of punctuation. A semi-colon is used when both elements of the sentence can stand alone. Basically, it’s a softer rendition of a period. Many use it as replacement for a comma. Often two short, crisp sentences are more powerful. Nothing is harder to read than long, seemingly endless sentences peppered with commas, emphasis quotes and semi-colons.
Too many quotation marks are distracting for the reader. I call it the picket fence effect. If you want to call attention or add emphasis, use italics. Book titles and proper names are now seen italicized in lieu of quote marks. Single quotes are used only when quoting within a quote. Don’t continually use them for achieving emphasis.
Limit overuse of exclamation marks. Doing so lessens the effect when you really want to show intense emotion.
These are just a few of the things to consider when beginning the creation of a book. Writing is a lot of hard work and a continual learning process. The author is their own first editor by becoming knowledgeable in the elements of good writing and reading out loud, but we are too close to our own work to be the only editor. Close family and friends can offer input and support but, in most cases, shy away from honest critique in deference to author feelings. Writers need impartial and fresh eyes and honest critique. I’m an editor, but I’m an author first and my most valuable asset is my editor.
Susan Haley, Author
RAINY DAY PEOPLE – A Novel
FIBERS IN THE WEB
Susan Haley is the published author of two books, a Children’s E-book, an award winning poet, several articles on networking, the copy editor and book reviewer for Pepper Tree Press Publishing and book reviewer for AME Marketing out of San Diego. She also contributes a column to “The Florida Writer” the official magazine of the Florida Writers Association, of which she is Facilitator for the Sarasota County Chapter. The audio version of her novel “Rainy Day People” was awarded runner-up Finalist in the 2008 Indie Excellence National Book Awards. She also contributes a variety of editorials and excerpts of her work to various E-zines and newsletters and local papers.
Over the course of the past five years, I’ve written numerous articles, blogs, and newsletters, warning writers about the scammers that plague the independent publishing community. It bothers me to no end that these people exist, let along seem to thrive off the backs of unsuspecting authors. I have to give them credit; they are obviously better marketers than me.
I’m not a hard sell person, I do not fill my newsletter with advertisements and I offer free phone consultations to almost anyone that asks. Some call me foolish, while others warn against giving time away, yet I feel a need to help writers and authors before they fall victim to the scammers.
I’m asking for your help. Please, spread the word about this newsletter and our web site, Nothing Binding. We must stop the unscrupulous “experts” who sell nothing but lies and false promises, but it won’t happen without your help. Tell your friends and writing colleagues that we are creating a place where writers and authors can get the facts.
Together we can elevate the self-published author’s reputation and in the process sell more books. The market is ripe for what we do but without a substantial quorum, we will not make progress. Industry perception is critical, and if we join together with the truth about publishing as our foundation, we can create a huge impression in the marketplace which will ultimately translate into book sales.
Understanding the basics of the business of publishing, and how the marketplace operates and the pieces fit together, is important to the success of all authors. The more you understand, the better equipped you are to ask the right questions. If you aren’t self-publishing, then asking the right questions signals your editor or publisher that you are motivated to help them make your book a success. If you are self-publishing, this knowledge is critically important if you want to sell copies of your book(s).
Successfully marketing a book is not difficult. All that’s really required is for you to spend time reading industry publications, my book and newsletter, making blog posts and being a regular visitor to local chain and independent bookstores. However, like most things, research is important. Regular visits to the publishing laboratory, the retail bookstore, will reveal a lot about how experienced publishers merchandise and market books. After a while, you will begin to spot trends and pick up tips on how the biggest publishers attempt to grab the attention of the consumer. Taking time to talk with the manager of such stores, providing they aren’t busy, can also provide a wealth of useful information. All are ideas you can use on your own.
Make it a continuing goal to read about the business, visit bookstores on a regular basis, maintain a positive, never-give-up attitude, and be consistent in your marketing efforts. Remember, the important thing is not how many copies you sell. Your book will sell itself if you find the correct niche for it. Concentrate on developing a platform for yourself. Locate pools of readers who are interested in what you have to say or the stories you have to tell. Regardless of sensational media stories you may hear, success hardly ever comes overnight. Put the required in the time and effort, and you will be successful.
Your book might not wind up on the New York Times bestseller list (unless you have a multi-million dollar advertising budget), but you can look forward to knowing that people enjoy your writing, and appreciate you as an author. Can you think of anything better?
Of all the questions I receive from writers and authors, the single most important issue is: who owns the rights to your manuscript, and for how long? Of all the issues and decisions surrounding publication and how to get it done, the key is rights. Who owns them and for how long is critical information for any author publishing their manuscript.
If you self-publish, i.e. you are paying to have your manuscript published, you should retain all of your rights, but if you make a mistake choosing the form of publication it will cost you time and money. Signing with a publisher may make things easier, but before you sign that contract, you must be absolutely certain you understand the terms, especially where it concerns the rights to your work.
If your work is being published traditionally, meaning you are paying nothing to the publisher, then you must give at least some of the rights to your book the publisher. They can’t legally publish a single word without your permission and most want to do more than just produce books from your work. They are investing in you. In order to recoup their investment, most publishers will try to make sure that they can publish and produce your writing any manner they choose.
If you are going to pay to have your manuscript published, please use caution when choosing a subsidy press. There are many scam artists and unscrupulous people waiting to trap the unwary. I remember one client who had paid such an outfit to publish his manuscript. Then he landed a contract with a New York publisher and discovered that his pay-as-you-go publisher didn’t want to let go of his book. He had a very difficult time recovering his rights. This almost cost him his contract because no traditional publisher will ever sign an author if they do not own the rights to their work. Fortunately, he won the battle with the subsidy press and secured the deal the New York house.
Self-published authors and small independent publishers seeking distribution for their book need to understand, there is a financial risk. Finding a distributor that will handle your book is just one part of the puzzle, what happens next is where you need to be informed.
If you haven’t read my previous post on Distribution, then I suggest you do. Click on the title What is Distribution and Why does it Matter? If you prefer you may cut and paste the link to your browser, http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=206.
Let’s go with the premise that you have a distributor who has agreed to distribute your book. First off they will require an advance payment of anywhere from $500 to $2500 as a set-up fee. Secondly they will expect you to spend in the neighborhood of between $5000 & $10,000 for marketing. Next you will be required to create a sell sheet for your book. You can follow the template they provide or you can be unique and create your own. If you’ve never done this or have never seen one then I suggest you follow the suggestion of your distributor.
Once the sell sheet is created, one of three types of sales organizations will handle the actual presentation to booksellers. They will either be a commission group (not employees of the distributor but paid a commission to sell your book), in-house (meaning employees of the distributor) or merely a tele-marketing staff (they don’t actually make sales calls face-to-face, they do an advanced mailing and follow-up with a phone call). One of these three types of organizations is trying to get orders for your book.
Once the orders start to come into the distributor, which is all cases should be six to eight months in advance of publication or distribution, the orders are sent to you. Your next step is to make certain you have enough copies printed to cover all orders and allow for a very small amount of inventory in the distributors warehouse.
For most self-published titles you should expect orders will range from 200 copies to 2000 copies and anywhere in between. The key of course is exactly where those copies are being shipped. So for sake of discussion let’s say you have orders of 1000 copies for your book, you now need to trigger a print order of around 1050 copies as a minimum. Your distributor will ask you to print more but that isn’t necessary at this time.
So you spend the money, have your book printed and shipped to the warehouse of your distributor. Next step is they package, invoice and ship to each bookseller that placed an order. Your distributor will take a percent of the net billing for your book. For example, if your book has a cover price of $20, then your distributor will resell to booksellers at around a 50% discount, or $10. This means the net billing on your book will total $10,000 (1000 copies in orders X discounted price of your book $10 = $10,000). If your distributor takes 25% of the net billing then their fee is $2500 of the net billing.
You wait 60 to 120 days and eventually returns will start to filter back to your distributor. For discussion let’s say your book achieved a 60% sell through. This means you shipped 1000 copies, had 50 copies in the warehouse for reorders, and you sold 600, meaning returns totaled 400 copies. These returns may not be in saleable condition, so the chances you will be able to resell these is highly unlikely.
Your distributor is now going to charge you for processing of returns, warehousing fees, catalog fees, return reserves, possibly sales reporting and potentially a variety of fees that you need to examine closely in your distribution agreement. Suddenly the $6000 in net sales (600 copies sold X $10 discounted price = $6000) is dwindling, remember you paid $2500 for distribution cost, so actually you now have only $3500 in net sales. At this point you have to take into account the fact that you have the cost of printing the 1050 copies, you spent at least $5000 marketing, and now you have approximately $3500 coming back as sales. Was it worth it?
Of course that is an individual decision and no one can answer that question for you. Also keep in mind that if your book sold through at 60% there is a good possibility that reorders will continue and your book is remain on store shelves for a very long time. Anything is possible, the important point is that you understand the financial risk before you venture into book distribution.
This article is not meant to discourage or frighten you, the intent is to give you the facts so you are smarter and wiser about the process. If you have questions about any of the above please send me an email. I take most of this for granted when I explain to writers and authors and if I’ve been confusing let me know. You may reach me by clicking the Contact link at the bottom of each page. If you’d like to read a great article on how to calculate book profits, click Business Calculations for New Authors by Marilyn Haight, or if your prefer you may cut and paste to your browser http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=155
This blog is unedited, please disregard mistakes in spelling and grammar.
