LoveReading Site

Since I introduced LoveReading yesterday, I thought I’d highlight their website today.

The site is so new (still in Beta Testing) that I can’t recommend it yet, but it’s worth looking into, so I’m linking to it in case you had any trouble finding it.

You can look up books by genre. You can also search by categories, like Publisher of the Month, Author of the Month, Green Reads or Mind & Body. You can read extracts from books, find reviews, link to other books by the same author, and find out more about the author.

There are personalized email newsletters you can sign up for and a way to earn points. Plus, the site is searchable.

So, check it out.

Book Promotion Site

The UK is trying a new approach to promoting books by print-on-demand authors. Like the US, the UK is experiencing a surge in POD books, and they recognize the problems authors can have getting their books in brick-and-mortar stores.

The online book recommendation service, Lovereading, has just launched Lovewriting. Lovewriting is so new, it’s still in its Beta Test phase.

The press release about it in BookTrade was clearly a marketing piece, with tons of praise and hype, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on, especially if you’re an author in the UK.

Crucially – and this will be a major attraction for independent authors – on Lovewriting, just like on Lovereading, readers will be able to download and read, for free, Opening Extracts of each book. And if readers like what they read, they will be able to order and buy independently published books all in one Basket and all in one payment (by credit card or Paypal).

The site intends to help authors who published through publishing houses as well as guide POD authors through the process.

Additionally, Lovewriting has formed a relationship with the recognised and respected self-publishing house, Matador, who will guide unpublished authors through the publishing process. However, if a would-be author would rather go it alone and get their book published, Lovewriting provides an easy to use guide to take them through every step of the self-publishing process.

If anyone signs on with Lovereading, let us know how it goes.

Books: News and Not News

There’s news and then there’s not-news. When it comes to books and reading, here in the U.S. we hear a lot of not-news.

People are not reading as much as they used to. Young adults turn to the Internet and YouTube for their news. Publishers are struggling to make money and are turning to ebooks and no-royalty books. Bookstores are closing. Some people feel writers should get a one-time payment for their books, then give up all rights and make them available for free. Illiteracy is high. Frankly, this is all Not-News. We know it already. We may not like it, but we, as a nation, are not doing a whole lot about it.

Then there’s News. Take a look at the article in AllAfrica.com called, “Nigeria: National Book Policy Ready Soon.”

Dr. Jerry Agada, Minister of State for Education, at a press briefing to commemorate the 2008 World Book and Copyright Day (who in the U.S. even knows there is such a day!) said

the draft policy will address key issues in the book publishing industry such as how to make standard books available to Nigerians, copyright and book piracy. The policy, according to the Minister will also serve as a guide to Nigerians and motivate the citizenry to imbibe the habit of reading books and maintain personal libraries in their private homes.

According to Agada,

the development of a National Book Policy was a proactive step by the Federal Government to have a nation that reads and a nation that thinks, since meaningful socio-economic development cannot be attained in an illiterate environment.

Now that’s news. Good News. We could use a bit more good book news in the U.S.

Can a YA Author Successfully Move to Adult Fiction?

For a young adult author to change gears and write for an adult audience is not always easy. Margaret Wise Brown, who wrote the timeless classic Goodnight Moon, tried for years to do it and could never make the switch.

Some are able to make the move. Judy Blume has been successful with her adult books.

Author Stephenie Meyer is now trying to make the leap. She’s the mega-selling author of the Twilight Saga vampire series. In that series, she’s got three out and a fourth on the way. (I’ve read the first two.)

Now she’s publishing her first “adult” book. It’s a science fiction called The Host.
Her publisher hopes it will be successful, but doesn’t seem to be expecting it to be an immediate mega hit like her vampire series.

According to The Canadian Press,

The publisher has announced a first printing of 750,000, huge for most authors, but not so special for Meyer. She has more than 7.5. million books in print worldwide, according to Little, Brown, and is currently enjoying a Harry Potter-like presence on Amazon.com.

Oh, that we could all be that “not so special.”

In the article, Meyer admits that she started The Host as a “side project.” She did not “consciously write ‘The Host’ for an older audience and did not think of it as an adult book until she had completed it and showed the manuscript to her agent, Jodi Reamer.”

But a lot of adults, like even moi, picked up her YA vampire series and read them. Her publishers are hoping they’ll continue reading her as she makes this foray into adult fiction.

Amazon in the News Again

Amazon has been making news for months now. Some good; some not so good.

Remember Amazon’s ebook reader, the Kindle? Its sales seem to be still going well.

You’re hopefully aware of their push to have all publishers who use print-on-demand technology have to publish through Amazon’s POD arm in order to sell on Amazon. You can look at my post back in March to learn more.

You have to go back a little farther to remember that New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance put the screws to Amazon by deciding to tax Amazon and other e-tailers who don’t have a presence in the state.

This so greatly affected Amazon that this bill became known as the “Amazon tax.” Finally, according to Wired, after all this time Amazon has decided to fight.

The Seattle-based online retailer filed a complaint with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, calling the law unconstitutional.

Amazon argues that it shouldn’t have to pay (or collect) New York state taxes since it doesn’t have an office in the state. They also argue that the law “intentionally targets Amazon.”

If you sell your books on Amazon, especially if you’re an affiliate, this is something to keep an eye on.

Bookmark It! – Literary Rejections on Display

Here’s a blog worth bookmarking so you can go back to it for fun and information. It’s called Literary Rejections on Display.

Writer, Rejected’s bio reads:

I am a published, award-winning author of fiction and creative nonfiction--but whatever. In the eyes of many, I am still a literary reject.

S/he talks about publishing and about rejections – his or hers and others. (Clearly, I haven’t figured out whether Writer, Rejected is a man or a woman.)

Here’s a sample of what s/he has to say:

Remember when that was what it meant to be a writer? I find these days of celebrity worship to be confusing time. Whatever happened to contributing to the collective wisdom? I think mostly I write to figure out what the heck is going on in the world; at the very least, to know what I think about it.

S/he also posts his/her own rejection letters.

Stop by Literary Rejections on Display and take a tour.

Joe O’Connell – Guest Author

Our guest author this month is Joe O’Connell, award-winning short story writer and author of Evacuation Plan, a novel-in-stories. O’Connell is also a film columnist for both the Dallas Morning News and The Austin Chronicle. He's also written for Variety and Texas Monthly. Plus, when he’s not writing, he teaches writing to grad students at St. Edward's University and undergrads at Austin Community College.

Joe blogs about film, fiction, and his life. You can also find out a lot more about him and his teaching at his Austin Community College website.

Joe agreed to be interviewed about writing in general and his writing specifically. Not only did he answer all my questions, he’s offered a free copy of his book to a reader. At the end of this blog post, you’ll find out how to add your name to the drawing.

Welcome Joe.

Helen: How has your work as a film industry columnist and journalist helped you in fiction writing?

Joe: When I was a newspaper reporter in mid-sized cities, we'd have to take turns working Saturdays and the dreaded "festival beat." Every Saturday, particularly during warmer months, there would be a festival of some sort with a theme-watermelon, cotton, corn, you name it. Throw in some rodeos and you have a real challenge. Well, as an undergraduate I minored in business. The one class that actually stuck with me was economics where the talk was about the macro and the micro. Most reporters wrote the macro story ("A good time was had by all."), but the writerly reporters learned quickly that it was all about the micro--telling the big story by detailing the small tale of a young girl riding her first bull as her nervous family watched. I learned from this how to pay attention to detail.

At the same time, reporting teaches you to listen. Evacuation Plan grew out of a project I was chosen for that sent writers and visual artists into Hospice Austin's Christopher House, a residential hospice. Because I was an experienced reporter, I had less trouble shutting up and listening to people's stories. And the main character, Matt, is a screenwriter going into the hospice in search of a plot from his next script, so that's clearly inspired by my involvement writing about the film industry.


Helen: Evacuation Plan has an unusual structure. How did you come up with it? Was it planned or did it evolve as you wrote or researched?

Joe: When I did that project at Christopher House, I wrote poetry about it. I don't know why; that's just how the experience came out. Later, sitting at the bedside of my wife's feisty 93-year-old grandmother as she died, I realized this was a story I wanted to explore more in fiction. I'd read Tim O'Brien's novel July, July, which tells of a college reunion then jumps off into the stories of what experiences had shaped these old friends in the intervening years. I saw that I could do that with Evacuation Plan as well. Tim O'Brien, by the way, received some of the same reaction to this novel-in-stories style that I have! Some people love it, while others are put off by it and refuse to accept that this is in fact a novel. I think it's all about our expectations as readers. But it's the style I chose because it allows me to fully tell the story of this place while concentrating as well on a larger story of redemption and loss.

Helen: How much work did you do on each character's story, background and voice? Did some characters come whole to you? Were some based on real people?

Joe: That's a tough question. Some parts of the book date back a good while and others are very recent. My actual experience in Christopher House largely involved a friendship I developed with a wonderful 80-year-old woman. When I decided to write this as fiction, I knew I couldn't tell her story per se. Instead I thought of the one time I chickened out at the hospice. It was with an older man who reminded me too much of my own father. I left his room without hearing his story. So I decided I would tell his story as I imagined it. I also wanted to tell an entire family's story. I wanted to know the children's stories that the father never knew. My friend from hospice is alive in my book though. My experience with her and with other people at Christopher House is sprinkled throughout the story. We also get the stories of nurses, a funeral home worker, a cook, all sorts of people who move through this world of last moments.

Helen: A lot of published authors say that marketing is more difficult than the actual writing of the book. Have you found that to be true? What ways are you using to get the word out about Evacuation Plan?

Joe: It is tough. An author can choose to release the book out into the world and let it quickly disappear or work very hard to get people to read and talk about it. As the book was nearing publication, I met with a woman from Hospice Austin who offhandedly said, "It's good you realize how you can be of use." That hit me hard. I realized this book comes with a responsibility. While I consider myself an artist and writer and therefore mainly responsible for creating the best work possible, I also must work to get the word out about hospice. That message as I see it is that hospice gives people the gift of taking charge of the ends of their lives in as peaceful and pain-free an environment as possible. So I'm spreading that word. I talk to book clubs, writers groups, at book festivals, at pretty much any event that will have me. It's hard work--both finding places that want me to speak and devoting the time. But I think it's worth it. Celebrities dominate the book world these days. Serious writers who want to get noticed are going to have to do the heavy lifting themselves. And that's OK. As my personal writing mentor, the late Andre Dubus, said to me: we volunteered for this job. I guess the truth is marketing is putting me book on the festival circuit, only this time it's book festivals!

Helen: As a writing instructor at both St. Edward's University and Austin Community College, what advice would you give to Straight From Hel readers who are aspiring writers?

Joe: Know that it's not easy, and be sure that this is what you are driven to do. Find some good mentors to help you hone your craft, whether it be teachers or a solid critique group. I got an MFA in creative writing, and that helped me a lot, but I also got just as much after graduate school from a critique group that included mystery novelist Mary Willis Walker. They didn't talk much about plot in grad school, but the critique group did! And pacing, character motivation--all of those important things. The big advice I have is to be both humble and arrogant as a writer. Don't get too attached to your words, but don't bend to everyone's advice. The worst thing about being a writer is you essentially volunteer to be rejected over and over again. The writers who are successful learn to get past that. Ask yourself why you are doing this. If it's because you have to, keep going and never quit. Success comes to the persistent.

Helen: What are you working on now?

Joe: I wish I could say I applied for the project that brought me into hospice for all the right reasons. Actually, I was doing research for a mystery novel. I'm completing the second in a series that involved a small-town newspaper reporter and actively looking to place the first book, which was a finalist for publication from Poisoned Pen Press. I'm also doing some screenwriting projects. I've got a script treatment going out right away to a very influential producer. But that side of writing is even tougher! I've got enough story ideas to keep me busy for a long time, and I like that.

Thank you Joe!

Beth Newcomb, with The Paisano, said this about Evacuation Plan:
"Evacuation Plan: A Novel From The Hospice" by Joe M. O'Connell is nothing short of remarkable….While reading this book, one feels a need to race to the end and unravel the mystery surrounding this complex story.

If you’re interested in buying a copy of Joe’s book, you can find a link on his website. And if you’d like to possibly WIN a copy, all you have to do is go to his blog and leave him a comment with your contact information. Good Luck!

Thank you again, Joe.