Too Many Books?

Can a person have too many books? In the past, I probably would have said, no. But I’m now thinking, yes.

The “person” I’m referring to is me. About a year ago, we converted what used to be our son’s room into my office. (Yea!) My husband built shelves in the closet. Some were for my office supplies. Along the back wall, he put in seven shelves, running floor to ceiling. That is my “library.” I love that closet.

Problem is it’s full of books. The top shelf is reserved for my “resource” books. Then there are three shelves for autographed books, then the bottom three are for what I consider the check-out section. You want a book to read? Come to my house and get one of those. You don’t even have to return it.

When we added books as we read them, I rearranged and re-shelved. I was managing. But then this past weekend, we started doing a clean-up on our storage unit (that we filled about six years ago during a move). Yeah, you know where this is leading, there were boxes of books. Some I put in donation. Others I brought home where they now sit in the garage. I have no room for them. My library is full. So are the shelves in the living room. So is the coffee table which gets piled with books being read or recently read.

I hate to get rid of books. But I don’t have any choice. I have to admit … I’ve got too many books. The impossible has happened. My name is Helen Ginger and I’m a book-nut. (Equal emphasis on book and nut.)

National Novel Writing Month is Almost Here

National Novel Writing Month is almost here. It runs annually from November 1 through November 30. What started out as one person’s idea to write a novel in one month has become a worldwide phenomenon. People from around the globe have embraced NaNoWriMo.

Fifty thousand words in one month. No one expects those words to be brilliant. This is the kamikaze approach to writing. Put your seat in your chair and your hand to the pen or typewriter. And write. And write and write. No worry about quality. No time to research or edit. No judgment.

You can sign up on the NaNoWriMo site (no cost) and join thousands of other writers. In 2006, 79,000 people signed up. Thirteen thousand made it to the 50,000 word mark in one month.

Will you be one of them?

When you sign up, you can create a profile, give information about your possible book, and find out about other NaNoWriMo participants in your area. There’s advice if you want to read it on site. And NaNoWriMo will send you updates, if you want.

Then you write. If you manage the 50,000 words in one month, you get a nifty certificate. If you don’t, you’ve still accomplished something – the start to a possible novel. And the satisfaction of knowing you tried.

Go for it.

The Future of Books

More news about the death of traditional books. This time it’s from Great Britain. The article doesn’t go so far as to ring the death bell, but you can imagine their hands reaching for the pull rope since the title of the article is: Electronic Books the Future of Publishing.

“…publishers are turning to digital books in an attempt to attract younger audiences.”

True enough. Young people are much more likely to use digital books or books downloaded to their laptops than are older folks.

“HarperCollins is leading the digital revolution with the launch of a service that allows people to download the first 10 pages of the first two chapters of forthcoming books onto the Apple iPhone.”

That doesn’t sound like wrenching people away from print books. Sounds more like luring people into buying the hard copy.

"Far from causing the book industry's downfall, free access to electronic versions of novels has the potential to be its saviour. And to publishers, struggling for relevance in a digital age, that should be music to their ears."

Agreed. There’s no going back to the dark ages before computers. The digital age is here to stay. But while it may save publishers, I’m not totally convinced it’s good for writers. I think there is still work to be done to protect writers’ rights.

Building Your Author Platform

While browsing the news in the publishing world, I came across an article in yesterday’s Mercury News called “A How-To on Buying How-To Books.” Now, the advice on buying how-to books wasn’t all that new or unique: check out the author’s credentials and look for books with multiple editions since this indicates they’ve sold enough for the publisher to keep updating them.

What I found interesting was the story of Danielle Babb, author of Commissions at Risk. Her book is about real estate and she has some credentials in the area. Her bio says that she’s a “California Licensed Real Estate Professional” with “years of experience in the real estate industry.” It also says, “She has worked as an IT Leader in residential, commercial and multi-unit real estate.”

So … she decided to write a book in the area of her creds. She sent out 300 queries to agents. She got two responses. Two. She went with one of them and that agent sold her book in three months. Making other deals after the first book was easier, but she apparently still wasn’t a household name.

But she didn’t give up and this year it apparently paid off. She worked a deal with RealtyTrac, which operates a Web site with foreclosure listings. They’ll promote her most recent book to its 3 million subscribers and she’ll give RealtyTrac a cut of the book sales.

Okay, she gets a ton of publicity in the deal. But there’s more. Now that she’s gotten this partnership, her publisher has decided to kick in. They hired two public relations firms, which resulted in several television appearances. She now has a platform.

Some people think a platform means an issue that you’re speaking out on. An issue can be a means to get you a platform, but it’s not your platform. An author’s platform is your ability to promote yourself and your book. Do you have a highly visited website or blog? Do you have an in-road to publicity on television or radio? Do you already do a lot of public speaking, especially on the subject of your book? Do you perhaps have a record of publishing articles on the subject in related magazines or newspapers? Do you have a newsletter that goes out to thousands? Have you been building a contact list of people you can promote your book to? Do you have a solid and active presence online in your area of expertise? And so on and so on.

Babb apparently kept working on building her platform and as she says:

I can now say I have a platform. I signed a new book deal in 24 hours this week. . . . For the first time, the advance is making it worth writing the book.

Celebrities, politicians, children and wives of politicians, chefs of celebrities and politicians, nannies of the kids of celebrity politicians have automatic platforms. They can get on TV easy. This is an example of someone who didn’t have a platform when she started out, but she kept working until she built one.

The Successful Book Tour Wrap Up

For the last two Thursdays, we talked about targeting your audience when you are out on a book tour. Today, we discuss Doing the Extras.

Offer to speak whenever you can. Dale Furutani, best-selling author of Kill the Shotgun, has said that things go better when he's had a chance to talk to the audience. I think most authors find this to be true. Readers are more likely to buy your book if they feel like they know you.

For the actual signing, consider taking some bookmarks with you to slip into the books you sign -- maybe ones that promote your next book due out. April Kihlstrom has said that she takes "copies of tip sheets for new authors (for the invariable would-be writer who would otherwise monopolize my time indefinitely)." And, no, she's not copping an attitude -- she's trying to make sure everyone who wants to talk to her gets her attention in the most efficient way possible. She also likes to take pins with her bookcover to give to store clerks to wear.

Remember to sign stock before you leave the store (check with the CRC first). Autographed books sell better and remain on the shelves longer than unsigned copies.

Follow up with a thank you note to the bookstore. Think of it as establishing a long-term relationship. You want to be invited back book after book.

And last of all, smile, be patient, be gracious. Be thankful you have fans who want to buy your book -- whether that's a hundred fans waiting in line or two.

One Book at a Time Potter Works to Save the Environment

I know there are people tired of hearing about JK Rowling and Harry Potter. I’m not one of them. I think it’s great that she’s had such success, although it’s hard to imagine that much money. I’m not a Potter fanatic, but I do like the books and have read all of them. And contrary to a friend of mine who thinks they’re poorly written, I don’t have a problem with them. They weren’t written to be literary classics, although I do believe they will be classics.

I say all this because I read a post in the Scotsman News about JK Rowling and the four comments on the post were all basically, I hate Rowling. That I don’t understand, especially since the post was about something she did that was good for the environment.

The last Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows, was the fastest selling book in history. It sold more than 11 million copies in the first 24 hours in Britain and the U.S. There are now 16 publishers around the world printing millions of the Harry Potter books.

How is this good for the environment? All of them were printed on “green” or eco-friendly paper. “In the UK, publishers Bloomsbury ensured the book was printed on 100 per cent ancient-forest friendly paper.” The Scotsman News also said: “It is estimated that the use of eco-friendly paper has saved at least 197,685 trees.”

Why would news like that draw out people saying how much they hate Rowling? Maybe because she won an award. “The Edinburgh author was awarded Canada's Order of the Forest during the final stop of her Open Book Tour in Toronto.”

I say, good for her. She has the money and the clout to make a difference. And she did.

Authors: Stand Up For Your Rights

There was an article called “Just An Online Minute … Book Piracy: Overrated Problem?” in yesterday’s MediaPost Publications that seemed a bit illogical. The author, Wendy Davis, compared the music and movie industries’ concerns over Web piracy of their products with the concerns of book publishers over piracy of their products (books).

Davis doesn’t see a problem for the book publishing industry.

She starts by saying that file-sharing isn’t a significant problem for book publishers. “After all, the general public hasn't yet taken to e-book readers the way it has to iPods or digital music,” she wrote.

Let’s look at this. Movie piracy didn’t used to be the problem it is today either. The movie industry has been doing everything possible for years to keep ahead of the problem and they’re still not on top of it totally. Does Davis think the book publishing industry should wait until the situation is out of control and can’t be held in check?

In addition, she points out that readers have long been able to check out audio books at the public library. To her, this means that, “While anxiety about Web piracy isn't totally irrational, it seems misplaced here.” She fails to include the fact that libraries have long offered music tapes and records for check-out. Most offer videos for check out, as well. Yet she seems to feel that the music and movie industries' concerns are legitimate while the publishing world’s concerns are not.

Should authors, because they have generously allowed libraries to lend their books free of charge, give up their rights, their royalties, their claims to their works? Every time a song is played on a commercial, used in a play, sung on a TV show, the artist is paid a fee. But authors are expected to sit back and not try to protect their rights, their livelihood?

I don’t believe authors and book publishers object to having books available online. They’ve been available in that format for years. What they object to is people or companies stealing their work without compensation. Just as the movie industry has worked to make it so someone could buy a video and watch it as many times as they want, but not be able to make copies and give or sell them, so should book publishers be able to do the same thing.

Davis concludes the article with: “Book publishers, who don't appear to face the same threat from file-sharing, also need to realize that consumers will be more likely to purchase their product, not less, when it comes in a format they want.”

She’s missed the whole point. If consumers buy the book, that’s great. No problem. Yippee!

Authors are artists just like musicians, actors, painters, and sculptors. They are not slugs in the mud who should shut up and let their work be copied and stolen. They work hard, sometimes years, to produce a piece of work. To not get paid what is rightfully – and I stress that word right-fully – theirs is not fair and those rights should not be ignored or trampled on.

Authors and book publishers don’t have a problem with someone buying a book. They have a problem with a book being made available so that a third party makes money instead of the publisher and author, the rightful owner of those words.

NY Times Bestseller Lists: More Than You Ever Wanted to Know

Clark Hoyt has written an article for The New York Times that will give you more information about their Bestseller Lists than you’ve heard before. Some you probably already knew, especially if you read my blog post of September 18th this year. Like, there’s not one NY Times Bestselling List. There are actually 13.

Hoyt admits that the list “is not a completely accurate barometer of what the reading public is buying, and it has generated controversy from time to time.” He also says what every writer knows is the truth: “Making the list can be huge.” And “Not making the list, or falling off — some books last only a week — can be devastating.”

Why is making the list so important to authors? Money. “Alan Sorensen, an associate professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, who has studied the list’s impact on sales, said that if a first-time author makes the list, the book will sell 57 percent more copies than it would have otherwise.” Sorensen said the list is less helpful to established writers, but topping the list is important to them as well. “Michael Korda, the former editor in chief of Simon & Schuster, said some authors’ contracts call for bonuses as high as $100,000 for hitting No. 1 on the Times list.”

It’s quite an interesting article, so take time to read the whole thing.

Literary Agents in a Cat Fight

The agenting world has gone a bit wacky across the pond. Today’s issue of The Economist has an article called Literary Agents: A Tale of Glamour, Greed and Gossip. Sounds rather like an Enquirer headline.

Apparently an agency in England called PFD is in chaos. The agency was bought six years ago by a sports-marketing firm and recently hired Caroline Michel, from America’s William Morris agency, to run the agency. Apparently the agents at PFD weren’t so much upset with Ms. Michel as they were with the direction the sports-marketing firm was taking the company.

Twenty-one of the company’s 70 staff have turned in resignations. Some of the agents tried to buy the company, but were turned down. Board members accused the agents of taking big bonuses and commissions for themselves. Departing agents intend to take their loyal clients. The company says they keep the reprints and film rights for books, new productions of plays, and video and DVD rights for films that have been released on the big screen – the backlist. The defectors intend to start up their own agency. And so it goes, back and forth.

In the meantime, Ms. Michel is working to make PFD the European version of America’s William Morris – aggressive, big, fingers into everything from books to films to play to authors to actors. She’s still losing agents, though. And the reputation of PFD is suffering.

The Successful Book Tour - Plan Ahead

Last Thursday, we talked about targeting your audience when you are out on a book tour. Today, we discuss Planning.

Plan ahead. Don't just show up and hope for the best. Send out your own press releases. Work with the store's CRC (Community Relations Coordinator), either in person or via the phone. Send the CRC an advance copy of your book. Store clerks can do amazing things hand-selling your book, but they're more likely to do that if they've read it. Make sure there will be copies of your book available to sign and sell (yes, I've seen signings where the author showed up, but no books did). If the store will provide a big poster of your cover with information about the signing to promote the event, as well as to stand close by during the signing, that's great. If not, make your own. It'll draw over people who might otherwise avoid the scary-looking person sitting at the table (you).

Some authors, when possible, visit the store a week or so ahead of time. They introduce themselves to the CRC and leave bookmarks or postcards that can be put in customers' sacks.

Also, Ray Bard with Bard Press recommends that you give all the information about your tour to your sales rep. It'll help her promote your book when she goes to bookstores to sell it.

As part of this "plan ahead," consider teaming up with other authors. Find others who have books coming out about the same time as yours and go together. That not only saves time and money, it can be a good gimmick to help with promotions and convincing stores to book your event. Look for authors who have a common theme, either via genre or time frame or setting or whatever.

Once you know your schedule, try to set up radio and/or television interviews to coincide. Send newsworthy press releases to local papers with a release date that converges with the day or week you'll be in town. Work with the bookstores to get invitations and announcements sent out.

Next Thursday, the final tip for The Successful Book Tour.

Three Recently Sold Books

Okay, three entries in today’s Lunch Weekly, caught my eye, so I thought I’d share them with you.

Here’s the first:

Patrick Lee's two untitled Travis Chase thrillers, starring an ex-convict who's a combination of Jack Bauer and Jack Reacher, with supernatural suspense reminiscent of Dean Koontz and James Rollins, to Sarah Durand at William Morrow, in a pre-empt, by Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management (world).

Patrick Lee, or whoever wrote this blurb, is going to have a lot to live up to. In one sentence, the main character, Travis Chase, is compared to Jack Bauer of TV fame and Jack Reacher of suspense fame. I like both characters, but if I buy this book and Chase is not like Bauer or Reacher, I’m gonna be sorely disappointed. In the same sentence, the author Patrick Lee is compared to two very good writers, Dean Koontz and James Rollins. Plus, the book is not just suspense, it’s … supernatural! As I said, it’s a lot to live up to.

Children's author and illustrator (and multiple Caldecott winner) David Small's first work for adults, STITCHES, a graphic memoir about his 1950s childhood in a family where free expression was forbidden and where abuse was both emotional and physical in the most unusual of ways (the son of a radiologist, his exposure to x-radiation at the hands of his father gave him cancer at age 14; supposedly minor surgery left one of his vocal cords severed, leaving him virtually voiceless for ten years), to Robert Weil at Norton, at auction, for publication in fall 2009, by Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties (world, excl. Canada; already on offer at Frankfurt).

This made me go, whoa! A lot of us think we had not so great childhoods, but this guy had a whopper of a miserable time growing up. This is one I may want to read.

Psychologist, professor, dean and expert on the phenomenon of lying, Robert Feldman's lively analysis of the underlying causes, functions and implications of deception in contemporary society, including the
discovery that in a ten-minute conversation, the average person lies two to three times, to Jonathan Karp at Twelve, at auction, by Gillian MacKenzie at the Gillian MacKenzie Agency (NA).

This one caught my attention because of my recent participation in A Week of No Lying. I don’t believe I, at least, lie two to three times in a ten-minute conversation. That must mean the person I’m talking to tells a lot of lies!

Article Writing: Melding Research, Stats & Interviews

When I’m writing an article, I like to do as much research upfront as possible. That includes doing interviews with subjects.

Once I interview someone, I transcribe the session as soon as possible, then read and highlight things I think might make interesting or relevant quotes. I do basically the same thing with research, highlighting important stats or information.

By doing research and interviews first, I can get an idea of where the article might begin and where it might eventually lead. I have an idea of what various topics the article might cover.

Then I sit down to write, pulling from all the various information I’ve gathered. Mostly, in the beginning, I work on quotes. Putting them together, working on brief transitions from one topic or area to another. Then I add in stats or hard information. Then I go back and build in more information, so it’s not just one quote after another.

Once this first draft is done, then I can go back and cut or add, move around, work on the wording, look at the whitespace, the word count, the weight of the quotes, etc.

Sort of like creating a collage. You add things here and there, move things around until they look or feel right, balance the colors and textures, work on it until it feels right. Until all the pieces meld together into a whole.

Book Signing Tips

Here’s a tip when doing a book signing: have a poster made of your book cover that can either be stood on the desk your at or on a stand close by. That will draw in the readers. Another is for you to stand in front of the desk and (in the beginning) force yourself to talk to people going by. You seem less intimidating than if you're sitting behind a desk or table. Plus, a reader is more likely to buy your book if he or she has talked with you. Have something ready to give to the ones you call over. Maybe a bookmark, you can make those up yourselves or have a local copy shop do them. Be sure your web or email address is on it. This way, after you sign a book for them, you can suggest they let you know what they thought of your book.

Just imagine how intimidating you might look to me, the average reader, walking by: you're this big-time author with your published book sitting there daring me to come pick it up; and what if I don't want to buy it -- are you going to spit on me?; or what if I ask some stupid question?; or what if I get so nervous I blurt out something really dorky like, You look a lot like my Aunt Tilly who never wears underwear? Those are things flashing through my head as I glance your way, then avert my eyes before you catch me. Then, you smile and invite me over, tell me a little about the book (that spiel you've been practicing on friends). Well, hey, you're not so bad after all.

Just as we as writers think it's scary to do book signings, readers can find it scary to approach a writer. But while they may not know what to say to you, you do know something you can talk to them about -- your book. And who knows your book better than you? Who believes in your book more than you?

And once again, all of it becomes easier with practice. Opening lines to draw people over, answers to questions you repeatedly get, making small talk, participating on panels at conferences, etc. -- difficult in the beginning, but more natural feeling as you do it. You may be someone who grows to love the business of meeting your "public," or you may be someone who never gets used to it totally. But you *can* do it.

Four More Interviewing Tips

Did another interview for the TSTC project I’m working on. This time in Dallas, specifically at the Methodist Hospitals of Dallas.

If you read the previous post, then you know that the interview I talked about was in Bryan. From my house, the drive should have been about two hours, so I allowed two and a half. But with traffic, I only just barely made it in time for the interview, but with no time to pull myself together. This time, I was told by the friend whose house I’m staying at to expect the drive to be about an hour and a half, since it would involve morning commute traffic. To be safe, I left a little before seven for the nine o’clock meeting. And got there in 35 minutes. Hard to predict travel time.

In that previous post, I listed two things to remember when interviewing:

Be prepared for the unexpected.
Check your tape recorder and know how to use it.

While I was doing this interview (which actually turned into two interviews), I thought of other tips, the first one I mentioned briefly but should have stressed.

Listen.

Simple as that: Pay attention. Yeah, sure, you’re going to have a list of questions you hope to get answered. You may have those typed out to refer to, or, in my case, I write keywords at the top of my notepad that will remind me of my questions without having to have a typed page to hold onto. That way I have the questions in my head, but if need be, I can glance at the keywords. And if you have them on your notepad, you can look down, ostensibly to write a note, but really to check your cues. By knowing your questions ahead of time, you don’t have to be plotting what to ask next. And, as a result, you can … listen.

Very often what the subject is saying will lead you right into one of your prepared questions. Just as often, the words will lead you into an area you hadn’t even thought of asking. If you have time, follow the trail. It can lead you to information or quotes you can use. It may even lead you in a new direction for the article.

By following the lead of the subject, I got new information, material different than what I’d gotten in other interviews. By listening I got a tour of the facilities. By taking advantage of an unexpected offer, I was able to interview another person in the department. And I still got all my questions answered.

Second tip:

Be accommodating.

They’re giving you their time, which is precious, and their knowledge. If something happens during the interview, for example, a phone call they have to take, pick up your recorder and leave the room.

And another tip:

Leave your business card.

By leaving your contact information, you give that person a way to contact you if they think of something they want to add. Usually, they will give you their card so you can follow up with them, if you need to.

And finally:

Send a thank you note.

This is your opportunity to thank them for taking time out of their schedule to sit with you and share their expertise and information. If you didn’t have business cards with you at the interview, include one in the note.

Listen, don’t intrude, leave your contact information, and follow up with a note. Happy interviewing!

The Successful Book Tour

I know there are authors who feel like book signings in stores are a waste of time. There are just as many that swear by them.

Malcolm Jones in _Newsweek_ said that touring is "as much about selling the author as the book." He also said that a successful tour is "still more about chutzpah and glamour than literature." I think that's true. You have to sell yourself as well as each particular book.

I also think it's true that it's easier to do if you're a big-time author with a big publisher and a well-paid publicist. But most of us are not only the writer, we're also the editor, the publicist, the tour bus driver, and everything else. We couldn't afford to pay someone to do all that we do!

A writer has to have more than chutzpah to sell books. He (or she) has to be organized and relentless. And he has to be frugal -- most of us don't have the $2,000 a day that publishers estimate it costs to send an author on tour.

First of all, target your audience. This means going to the cities that will net you the most sales. Certainly, visit all your local stores. You're going to sell best there. Do some research and find out which stores elsewhere have a record of good sales. Big independents in cities like Denver, Seattle, and St. Paul are known for their author promotions. They're not the only cities or the only stores that have good track records, though. Decide where you're going and target the stores on your route. Targeting your audience also means aiming your promotional time and money on the people most likely to buy your book. If your book takes place in an officers' club, then why not sign at stores close to military bases? If your book involves a librarian, then make sure press releases and posters go to close-by libraries.

Next Thursday, Step 2.

Even Writers Have To Speak

Writers in today's world learn to have two personalities. In one, we sit alone at our computers with only imaginary characters in our heads. In the other, we have to talk to real people and pretend we have a bubbly personality.

The good news is that the business side not only can be learned, it becomes easier with practice and experience. And while you may feel like you're the only one afraid of having to get out and publicize your book, you're not alone. I tend to be an introvert when it comes to one-on-one situations. I think it's that way with a lot of writers. I do more listening than talking (it's the reverse, though, if you get me up in front of a group of thirty or a hundred people).

There are some things you can do now, before you reach the point where you have a book out and suddenly find yourself sitting forlornly in a mega-bookstore behind a stack of books. Start practicing.

Talk to people. In the line at the grocery check-out. In an elevator. At the post office. Not necessarily about your manuscript, although that's even better practice. Talk about the weather, the slow service, the latest movie you've seen, the headlines on the tabloid magazine, whatever. Just force yourself to initiate conversations.

Keep the chat going. Think of things to say to that stranger. Come up with ways to get that person to talk to you. Not just yes or no, but get them to respond in real sentences.

And if you're talking to another writer or a friend, tell them about your book. Encapsulate it into two sentences. Work on it until you've got it down to a logline that tells the plot. Analyze your story and decide what might appeal to the person you're talking with -- the sex or career of the protagonist, the theme, the setting, the side-kick's cat, the genre, the time period? Talk up that angle. Judge what kind of response you get. Practice. Prepare yourself for that glorious day when you attend your very own first book signing.

If you're still a little shaky when your book is published, find someone to sign and tour with, someone who, hopefully, has an outgoing personality. Watch and learn, and enjoy having a partner who can pull in the passers-by. If you're both quiet, that's fine, too. Talk to each other, smile at those going by. You won't be alone and will seem more approachable. If you don't mind speaking to a group, try to arrange signings where you can either read from your book or give a talk. Both are appealing to readers. And afterwards, readers will come to you to ask questions or get you to sign a book.

Just remember. It will get easier the more you do it.

Two Tips on Interviewing

No blog post yesterday. I was off the grid. Or, more specifically, I was in the car. Left at 8:30 in the morning and got back around 4:30.

I’m working on an article for Texas State Technical College. It’s about employers of biomedical equipment technicians. So, as you might surmise, I need to interview some of those employers. This explains my day-long trip to St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, Texas. Now I have two hours worth of tape to transcribe. Then, Friday, I’ll be in Dallas doing another.

Which brings me to two things I learned (or were reinforced) during this interview process.

Be prepared for the unexpected.

Of course, that’s difficult since the unexpected is, well, unexpected. After interviewing the Director of Clinical Engineering Services at St. Joseph’s, he asked if I’d like to interview a couple of the BMETs (Biomedical Engineering Techs). Heck yeah, I’d come all that way; couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

But had I prepared questions? Not really. I had a few, but … I had brought my notebook on this project, so I quickly pulled out the questions I did have, then winged it from there. Luckily, I’d been doing my research on the field, so I wasn’t totally in the dark and could come up with things to ask. Plus, a big part of interviewing is listening and giving the subject room to explore ideas.

That’s why I like to tape (or in this case, digitally record). I can take only a few notes and spend the time listening. If would be nice if I remembered my shorthand. But I don’t. And I just can’t write fast enough to get things down word for word. I have a friend who takes her laptop and types while the person she’s interviewing talks. I don’t know if I could even type that fast. Which leads me to the second thing to remember before you interview:

Check your tape recorder and know how to use it.

I had gotten a new recorder before going to Bryan. A teeny little digital voice recorder that came with a manual four times its size. My other recorder was too clunky, plus I didn’t want to finish the interview and realize it’d run out of tape an hour earlier. This one, depending on what recording mode you set, can record up to 138 hours. I’d practiced beforehand, but once you’re in the chair sitting across the desk from a subject, you can only hope you’re setting it right. Once you do it, there are no do-overs. Once I got back home, I hit the play button and held my breath. And cheered when it worked.

I said there were two things I learned or were reinforced. Actually there’s another.

Go to the bathroom before starting the interview.

I estimated it’d take two hours to drive to Bryan, so I allowed two and a half. But the traffic between Austin and Bastrop was so heavy that by the time I parked at St. Joseph’s, there was no time for a stop without making me late. And I hate to be late. Then the interview took two hours. So let me amend that “Go to the bathroom” statement to say: Go to the bathroom before starting the interview or don’t drink water during the drive there.

Texas Book Festival -- Volunteers Needed

The Texas Book Festival is in need of volunteers.

Last year the Texas Book Festival was a huge success, in large part due to the support of about 900 volunteers. The Texas Book Festival will be held November 3rd and 4th in downtown Austin, Texas, at the State Capitol grounds.

It’s not too early to volunteer.

Volunteers sign up online at the TBF website: http://www.texasbookfestival.org

Contact the Texas Book Festival for more information.
Web -- http://www.texasbookfestival.org
Email -- bookfest@texasbookfestival.org
Phone – 512.477.4055
Volunteer information – lkilman@austincc.edu or 512.223.3066

Thank you for your support!

NOTE FROM HELEN: When I say “it’s not too early to volunteer,” I mean it. People are already signing up, so the earlier you sign up, the better your chances of getting the event and time slot you want. Don’t miss out on what or who interests you. While all the volunteer slots for my events at the Austin Museum of Art are already spoken for, there are still tons of things to volunteer for at the Festival. It seriously does take about 900 volunteers to pull off this huge event.

An Interview with Author James V. Lee

Nonfiction author James V. Lee is the Senior Editor and owner of Salado Press. For the past year, he’s written monthly essays for the Dallas Morning News. This is the second and final Thursday that we talk to Lee.

GINGER: Do you think everyone has had life experiences worth writing about?

LEE: I think there is an interesting true story in every human being. It's just a question of how much you want to tell. When Surrender Was Not an Option (WSWNAO) covers only sixteen months relating to WWII, but what a dramatic sixteen months! George had a brilliant legal career after WWII, served in the California Assembly, and retired as a judge. None of that is in the book. Conversely, Escape From Korea includes incidents from WWII but focuses on the entire duration of the Korean War.

GINGER: I would think it would be a major shift to go from writing full-length adult books to short essays for the newspaper. In making the change, what did you learn about yourself and your writing?

LEE: I have deep roots in the Bible plus scores of philosophical writers, all of whom have shaped my character to some extent. And I've always had an avid interest in both history and current events. Being a person of strong convictions and a bit opinionated, it was an easy fit, especially since I also taught essay writing for five years.

But opinion pieces get chewed up faster than a TV sitcom series. Over several months of 1958, people woke up in a world of anxiety every morning wondering if the Chinese shelling of the islands of Quemoy and Matsu was going to trigger WWIII. Writers for newspapers, magazines, and TV opined endlessly about that crisis. Today, who besides old geezers like me even know where those islands are located? "Enterprises of great pitch and moment, with this respect their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action." One of the things impressed on me during the last year is that neither my opinion nor anyone else's opinion amounts to much. "This, too, shall pass."

GINGER: Was your editor at the newspaper supportive or a hard task master?

LEE: Michael Landauer, my editor, was quite supportive. Fortunately for both of us, my essays required very little editing, and he was extremely generous in his praise. Writing is a lonely, solitary undertaking requiring discipline and dedication to the final outcome. This is true of all writers, whether they be writers of fiction, non-fiction, essays, or poetry. Agents tend to discourage new talent looking for a publisher. Negative, snide letters to the editor far outweigh those that compliment. The loss of self-esteem can be a real danger for any writer. Having an advocate or sounding board is an asset whose worth cannot be measured.

GINGER: What about when you act as the editor for other people’s books? Are you a nose-to-the-grindstone editor or one who encourages with praise?

LEE: First, express the truth as you understand it. Always praise that which is praiseworthy. Treat all else with dignity, respect, and thoughtful guidance.

GINGER: It’s been said that you are a master at marketing. Any secrets you could share with other authors?

LEE: Recognize that above all else you are a salesman. For many writers, that's a tough truism to accept. But you had to sell your spouse on marrying you, didn't you? For some people that was a tough sale! So any other sale is downhill from there. There is no point in writing unless you have some idea about marketing your work. Second, write a saleable product. Just because you like it doesn't mean there is a market for it. Tread carefully, and do your homework on this point. Third, develop a personality that attracts people. If they're not attracted to you, they won't be attracted to your book. John Kremer has written a book entitled 1001 Ways To Market Your Books. There ought to be some in there that works for you.

Thank you, James, for three weeks of great information. You can find out more about James V. Lee and his books – Nine Years in the Saddle, Escape from Korea and When Surrender Was Not an Option – on his website.

All three parts of this interview has also been presented in my free weekly newsletter for writers, Doing It Write. You can also read Part 1 of my interview with James V. Lee here on this blog.

How Do You Rate With Your Publisher?

How much help should you, the author, expect from your publisher? Well, like with most things, that depends. Depends on you. Depends on your book. Depends on your publisher.

Let’s look at some basics.

1. How much of an advance did you get? That’s a hint as to where you rate in the publisher’s stable of authors. But consider that advance in relation to the average advance of the other authors with that house. Small presses generally have lower advances. They're small, after all. The bigger the advance, the more likely the house is to help you with promotion.

2. Where are you in their catalog? All houses have catalogs they send out to bookstores. Some even send them to anyone who asks for one. If you can’t look at the catalog yourself, then ask. Where is your book placed in the catalog? How big is the write-up? Once again, big is better.

3. What will be the print run? Two hundred? A thousand? Tens of thousands? That gives you an idea of how many they expect to sell. And the more they expect to sell, the more they’ll work with you to make it happen. They don't want to lose money.

4. Will they send you, or help send you, on a book tour? Book tours are expensive. If they send you, that’s fabulous. Give it all you got. If they won’t, set up the appearances yourself or with the help of a professional, hop in your car and give it all you got. If you’re willing to do that, the house may find a bit to help you.

5. Will they help you get reviews? You may have to do a lot of the work yourself, sending out ARCs, asking for cover blurbs, asking local papers for reviews. But it will be difficult on your own to get reviewed by Kirkus or Library Journal or Booklist or Publishers’ Weekly magazine. Having the help and support of your house will make those easier to obtain.

I'll Show You My Secrets If You'll Show Me Yours

Recently, Rebecca Camarena of Chitchat and All That tagged me to write 8 things about myself and my writing that others may not know.

This is difficult since after 8 years of doing a weekly e-newsletter and a year of blogging, I feel like readers know just about everything about me. But here goes …

1. I recently took on a project for Texas State Technical College. They assign me articles for their planned book called TechCareers. My first project is on the Biomedical Tech career. I knew nothing about Biomedical Technicians and what they do. But that was one thing that drew me to the project – the chance to get to learn about the field.

2. I’ve written a variety of things in my lifetime from screenplays to short stories to books. In the past ten years, I settled on books. But in the last few months, I’ve been toying with the idea of doing freelance. Another reason for taking on the TSTC project.

3. Yesterday I joined Freelance Austin, at the urging of a friend. Making moves down this freelance path I’ve stepped onto.

4. Haven’t given up manuscripts, though. I’m constantly looking for character names. I see them in road signs, town names, on TV show and movie credits, names of people in the news. Quirky names, funny names, descriptive names. When I find something that strikes me, I write it down.

5. I have to have quiet to write or, more specifically, to think. If the TV’s on or my husband is upstairs on the phone, I keep drifting off to the outside noise. The TV has to go off. I close my office door. Even music bothers me. I start singing along and totally lose my thoughts.

6. Probably like everyone else older than 30, I started out writing longhand on paper. Not on a typewriter and certainly not with a computer. As computers became prevalent, I knew I was hopelessly stuck on paper. If I wrote it longhand, I could then transcribe it. But to think as I typed? No way. Ideas flowed from a pen, not a keyboard. Now I do all my writing by computer. And, as a result, my handwriting that as a kid I practiced diligently and made soft curlicues and loops – gone, kaput, transformed to chicken scratch.

7. I’ve written for as long as I can remember. In high school, I wrote books, one hand-written page at a time. I don’t have any of them, though. As I wrote a page, friends would take it and read then pass it on. Back then, I wrote what was probably romance, except all my stories had tragic endings.

8. In college I wrote poetry. Yeah, just like everyone else. Angst ridden. Anti-war. Love gone wrong. Love gone good. Can’t remember writing a lick of poetry since.

Now, here are 8 other writers I tag to tell us about themselves and their writing. I’ve listed a couple who don’t have blogs. They’re welcome to post it here on mine.

Redneck Crime -- http://redneckcrime.com/

Chez Robert Giron -- http://chezrobertgiron.blogspot.com/

Diane Fanning -- http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=203736407

Writing the Westward Sagas -- http://www.westwardsagas.com/blog/

Lila Guzman -- http://www.lilaguzman.com/

Writing Thoughts -- http://www.writingthoughts.com/

James V. Lee -- http://www.saladopress.com/

Exile on Ninth Street -- http://exileonninthstreet.wordpress.com/

5 Free Ways to Access Publishing News

It’s important for writers to keep current on what’s going on in the publishing world – at least as much as possible without searching for news all day long.

Regular readers of Straight From Hel will remember that I wrote a post about my group of friends who participated in a week of No Lying. The same friend who instigated that week has another idea: a week of No News.

I did pretty good on the week of no lying. I’m gonna have to pass on the week of No News. I like keeping up with what’s going on in the world. Sometimes I catch the morning news, but you have to turn on your TV between 7 and 7:05 – after that it’s all celebrity, fashion, or cooking stuff. I try to catch the evening network news. During the day, I’ll check out the BBC online. Plus, I daily try to keep up on what’s going on in the publishing world. Besides, I’ve gone a month without news before. In 2005, the Brown Foundation gave me a full fellowship to go to the Vermont Studio Center. I spent four weeks with no access to TV, radio, newspapers or Internet news. Coming home, I felt like a hibernating bear emerging into a foreign world.

I could probably give up the TV and Internet news. It’s only for a week after all. But publishing and writing news? That would be much harder. First of all, when I come across something interesting, I post it here. And news in the publishing world is integral to my weekly e-newsletter, Doing It Write. I have set things I put in each newsletter, two of which have to do with news. One is a Quote. Sometimes it’s just something someone said about writing; often it’s news about agents moving to different agencies. Another is a condensed article about writing or publishing. So, in order to do this blog and the newsletter, I have to keep up on the news.

Sure, if you subscribe to my newsletter, Doing It Write, you get a bit of news delivered free to your ebox every week. But there are other things you can do.

1. Subscribe to Publishers Lunch. There’s an expanded version, if you want the complete information, that’ll cost you. Publishers Lunch goes out to over 24,000 people involved in the publishing world. You get information on book deals, stories from the publishing field, plus original stories from Publishers Marketplace. But there’s also a free, mini, version that can be delivered to your ebox daily.

2. Google Key Words. Pick out words that relate to the kind of information you’re looking for, like agents, editors, writers, authors, mystery, romance, whatever. Instead of doing a regular google search, do a google news search. A list of relevant articles (and some not so relevant articles) will come up. Pick the ones you want to read.

3. Read Blogs. Find blogs about writing or publishing or your genre and bookmark them. Of course, you’ll want to read Straight From Hel, but there are a lot of other ones out there. Spend some time browsing blogs. You’ll find some here in my sidebar. Those will lead you to others. Note the ones you like. Eventually you’ll narrow it down to a manageable number you can keep up with.

4. Set up Google Alerts. Searching online yourself for news will get you tons of sites to look at. It can also be time consuming. A faster way to search, although not as comprehensive, is to set up Google Alerts. You go to Google and tell it to search for you – you set the search terms and tell it how often to send you results. You can search for something simple like “writing,” but expect to get a lot of results since many blogs and articles might have that word in it. It’s not perfect, even when you are more specific. I have an alert on my name, Helen Ginger. Sometimes the items Google sends me are actually about me. Often it’s recipes with “ginger” as an ingredient. I also Google Doing It Write and usually get a list each day of about ten to twenty links. Out of that list, two or three are ones I’ll go check out.

5. Check out Blogosphere. You’ll notice that I’ve added a widget to this blog. It’s the box on the right in blue. This is a quick way to check out blog posts about writing. Since I’m preaching keeping up on publishing news, I’ve tried to make it easy for you. All you have to do is come to Straight From Hel and if you see an interesting article listed in the blue box, click on it and go directly to that blog. Each article will be something related to writing.

There are plenty of other ways to keep up on publishing news. I chose these five to get you started. They’re easy and they’re all free!