4 Things I've Learned About Book Promotion by Amy Sue Nathan

Whether you are (or want to be) traditionally published or if you want to self-publish, promoting your book is part of your job. It's not writing, editing, or revising, but it's just as crucial to your book's success. Why? Because if no one knows about your book they're not going to read it. But there's more to book publicity, marketing, promotion that just telling people you've written a book. That will work with your friends and your family, but the fact is, you want—no—you need—strangers to read your book. Unfortunately, as much as it should be about the story, there's more to it. 

As a debut author there are four key things I try to remember (note: I said "try" as it's not always easy) when I'm getting out the word about my debut novel, The Glass Wives. Whether it's a book talk at a library or a book store, Twitter, Facebook, blogging, or just meeting someone in a crowded room (I'm romanticizing here), these points are the same:

1. I must know my product. My book is my product and I have to be honest about what it is, and what it isn't. I usually say that The Glass Wives is women's fiction or book club fiction, and I add that it's been called a beach read, but not chick lit. I'd never call it lit fic or a romance. The last thing I want to do is mislead a potential reader. Why? I want her to buy my next book too. 
2.  I should know my audience. I don't jump in on romantic novel chats on Twitter because those folks aren't interested in The Glass Wives, at least not in that setting. I don't poke my nose in where it doesn't belong. This goes back to knowing my product and being honest about it. A little research about potential readers goes a long way. 
3. I have to accept that not everyone is hungry at the same time. What does that mean? Not everyone cares about my book. Even if they read my blog or follow me on Twitter, they might not care about your book right now. That's where patience comes in. And good content. It's about selling books of course, but it's also about being out and about in public—IRL and virtually—so I'm not a stranger. I'm more interested in people I know and who aren't shoving something down my throat. Aren't you? 
4. I must blow away the smoke and throw away the mirrors. Promoting my book is about sales, and it's not. It’s about creating awareness that leads to sales.  No hocus pocus. No bait and switch. Ever been tagged on a Tweet because someone just wants you to click the link? Me too! None of that nonsense for me.  I also don't believe that unrelated giveaways lead to sales. They lead to people who want something free. Does it create awareness? Maybe. It's also a lot of work for people who probably have no intention of buying my book. I focus on good content, sometimes book related and sometimes not, that will make readers curious enough to want more information about me or The Glass Wives.

So far, it's working. I think.

     What are your best tips for book promotion? Or, as a reader, what do you respond to most? 

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The Girlfriends 

Author interview: Jason Odell Williams By Brenda Janowitz

It's always such an honor when I get asked to blurb a book.  When Saira Rao, author of the hilarious novel CHAMBERMAID, and the brains behind In This Together Media asked me to read Jason Odell Williams' debut novel, PERSONAL STATEMENT, I was super excited.

And it wasn't just because Saira told me the book was funny (funny is an understatement).  And it wasn't just because she told me Jason was accomplished (oh, is that what you call that Emmy nom?!).  It was because the subject matter is something I could really relate to: trying to find the perfect personal statement for your college applications.  I'll let Jason tell you more about what the book's about, so without further ado, here's Jason:

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a writer and television producer originally from Columbia, Maryland, now living in New York City. I recently wrote a YA novel called PERSONAL STATEMENT, published by In This Together Media on August 1st this year (and available on Amazon!)  I'm also a playwright and have written several full-length plays. One of them, called HANDLE WITH CARE, will have it's 7th regional production this season in less than three years (including the international debut in Toronto, Canada). We're currently working on bringing the play to New York for an Off-Broadway run later this fall and winter. And somehow I also squeeze in a full-time job as a writer and producer on the hit TV series BRAIN GAMES on the National Geographic Channel; I was even recently nominated for an Emmy Award for my work on the show. It still hasn't sunk in... but maybe it will once we all go to L.A. in September for the ceremony! I've been married for 12 years to an amazingly beautiful and talented woman, Charlotte Cohn, and we live in Manhattan with our daughter Imogen who's almost 8 years old.

Tell us about your novel in 25 words or less.

PERSONAL STATEMENT is satire about the college application rat race set against the backdrop of “competitive volunteering.” I think it's laugh-out-loud funny and hilarious throughout, but at the heart it's a coming-of-age story about several teenagers trying to figure out who they are and want they want out of life.

You're also a playwright.  How does one medium inform the other?

My good friend (and executive producer of BRAIN GAMES) Jerry Kolber once said to me, "Storytelling is storytelling. If you can tell a good story in a play, you can tell a good story in any medium." And i think he's right. So if it's plays, TV, novels, short stories, blogs, it's all about telling a good story. Sure, there's always a learning curve about format and each medium has its own quirks and idiosyncrasies, but you can learn those in a week or two. What you can't learn in a short amount of time is how to tell a compelling story. Beginning, middle, end... like Aristotle said so many years ago. I come from the theatre world - I was trained as an actor in college and grad school and what I learned as an actor was about character, dialogue, plot, comedy, drama... all the necessary tools to tell a great story. Even if it's a 22 minute TV show about the brain, there's still the need for dialogue (voice over) and a driving story with a good flow. And of course writing a novel requires all of those skills too. The other thing about playwriting that helped inform writing the novel was how to rewrite. Playwriting is almost never done. We're tinkering with lines and moments at every rehearsal right up until the end. And it's a great lesson in not being too precious with your words. Keep what works, the best idea wins, and cut everything else!

[Ed. Note: LOVE that advice, Jason!  We writers can’t say it enough: writing is re-writing!!]

When Hollywood (inevitably) snaps up movie rights, who do you see in the lead roles?

I don't know! And the movie rights HAVE been snapped up for "Personal Statement" and we are working on the screenplay right now. I'm writing it with my wife, Charlotte Cohn, who has more or less been my collaborator on all of my plays and she directed one of them brilliantly as well, so she has a great ear and knows what I like; we can speak in shorthand and also be brutally honest and critical about the work without worrying about ego or feelings. It's a great partnership. But in terms of casting: many of the roles are for 17 and 18 year old kids... so i think they'll have to find some up-and-coming actors who I don't even know. But for the role of A.J. (the 26 year old working for the Governor) I see Anna Kendrick in that role. I think she amazingly talented, funny, smart and can do anything. She'd be perfect for A.J. For the role of Governor Watson I'd love someone like Rob Lowe (who was born in Charlottesville where i went to college!) and is so great and funny without trying to be. Loved him on The West Wing and now Parks & Rec... plus he's a very talented writer so he can bring another layer to the text. For his right hand man, Teddy Hutchins, I see Paul Giamatti -- the perfect character actor with intellect and humor. And for the role of Richard Gains, the former TV star and now B & B owner-slash-yoga lover, I'd see David Duchovny or Bryan Cranston. It's crazy to even think about in the abstract at this point, but it would be amazing if we could get even ONE of those actors for any of those roles!

How did you start writing?

I've been writing here and there since college, nothing serious, but I'd write a short story or a short play or short film just because I had a story I'd been mulling over in my head for a few weeks and it needed to get out. Nothing great in those early works, but important to go through... get the crap out of the way, plus it's part of finding your voice as a writer and a way of approaching projects that work best for you. But mostly I was an actor. Right out of college i moved to New York in 1996 and that's was my goal, to be a working actor. And while i found work and had some success, it wasn't as fulfilling as I thought it would be, so one day in 2007 i turned to my wife (a brilliant actress, by the way, as well as a director, writer and producer!) and said, I want to write a play and i want you to be in it, what kind of role do you want. And from there I wrote HANDLE WITH CARE and three years later it got its world premiere and then the writing just escalated. I wrote 4 more plays then got hired for the TV show then started writing PERSONAL STATEMENT. It's all just sort of culminating now at the same time.

What inspired this novel?

Several things, but most notably having a daughter in Manhattan and seeing what it was like when it came time to enroll her in pre-school. It was nuts. The mothers in our Upper West Side neighborhood were talking about nothing but schools and waiting lists and "why haven't you filled out any applications yet, your daughter will never get into a good school or go to a good college if you don't do what we are all doing!!" It was insanity. And that was just pre-school! Then it came time for Kindergarten and we live near a wonderful public school so my wife and i thought, great, one less thing to worry about. But then we found out the school was overcrowded and there would be a lottery and it was the same insanity all over again. So this was always in the back of my mind, when two friends from college, Carey Albertine and Saira Rao (who both have kids as well) came to me soon after they launched their publishing company with an idea for a book about teenagers racing to volunteer after a hurricane to pad their college applications and I was like yes, yes, yes! I get this! We have to write this book! We started talking about how there aren't many great stories about what it's like RIGHT NOW for kids applying to college and speaking to the insanity of it with humor and heart. So over the course of a few months we plotted out a story and all of the characters and it grew from there. But it goes back to my personal experience with the Manhattan pre-school application process. I don't even want to think about what my daughter's college application years. She's the high school class of 2023! I can't imagine what it will be like then. 

Anything I've left out?

The book was optioned for a film as part of a series. The novel was just going to be a one-off, but because of the buzz and interest it seemed to get even before publication, we decided to turn the book into a series called "The Personals" ... Personal Statement is part one, Personal Disaster will be part 2 and Personal Assistant will part 3. We'll follow all of the main characters to college where things won't go as expected and then to their first summer jobs which will also be eye-opening for all involved. I think from ages 18 to 22 are the years we find out who we are  and it's great material to explore. It's where your world-view really changes and to some degree informs who you'll be for the rest of your life. The next books should be a lot fun! Plus I'm anxious to get back to writing these characters. I kind of miss them! 

Thanks for coming by, Jason!  Don't forget to check out Jason's website, follow him on Twitter, and of course, BUY THIS BOOK!

And then when you're done with all that, tell me:  what did you write about for your college personal statement?

I’m the author of SCOT ON THE ROCKS and JACK WITH A TWIST. My third novel, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, was published by St. Martin's on July 2, 2013. My work’s also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly. You can find me at brendajanowitz.com or on Twitter at @BrendaJanowitz.

Hooray! Hooray! Everyday Is My Day, says Jacqueline E. Luckett

My novels, Passing Love and  Searching for Tina Turner, officially hit bookstores in 2012 and 2010. On the release date for both books, I headed directly to my favorite bookstore to see my books, my books, on the shelf next to famous authors. Those release days, and every day afterwards, I knew I could say, “I did it!”

In our society, most gauge success by money. This journey of writing has taught me that success is measured, often with “green,” but also in the joy of small moments where big and little dreams come true.

How many times do we ignore little successes and victories? A lot. Often we celebrate for others, but most of us forget to celebrate our successes. I’m not talking birthdays and  anniversaries. I’m talking moments.

When my son was 8, he played T-ball. He couldn’t hit the ball, or if he did it dribbled off the T and onto the ground. Every time he came to bat, my stomach knotted. I crossed my fingers. I prayed. I see him now, in my mind’s eye, dressed in his uniform, the bulky helmet on his head, the resigned look on his face as he walked up to the plate. He struck out every time. But I remember, too, the look on his face the day his bat connected to ball. He was so startled that he had to be told to run to first base! That hit was success for him. A dream come true.

We experience success every day of our lives: snagging a parking space right in front of the place we’re headed, getting to the bank just as it closes only to have the security guard let you in, paying monthly bills and having money left over in the bank. Yep! That’s success. 

The process, the whole journey of publishing has taught me that success exists in each step along the way: pulling myself together to follow my passion, writing the novel, finding a supportive writing group, pushing through even when it hurt, finishing the novel, submitting the novel, getting an agent, getting a publisher, my editor’s stamp of approval, finishing my edits in time, my ninety-year-old mother reading my book. Each one of those minutes is a success. 

The day I saw MY books on a bookstore shelf—ahhh, that was a personal success beyond words.

The Universe has already decided the fate of my novels. I’m hoping she points me toward success, all kinds of $uccess. Like my son stepping up to the plate, I’m a bit hesitant, but very resigned. Looking back, I believe that I misinterpreted his actions when he made his first hit. I thought he was frozen at home plate because he didn't know what to do. Now, I believe he was taking the time to revel and enjoy his success, and I’m going to follow the example he gave me all those years ago.

I did it!

Find and friend Jacqueline on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Author.JacquelineLuckett of visit her website www.jacquelineluckett.com to learn more about the author and her books.

Cheez Whiz, Anyone?

By Laura Spinella

My Cheez Whiz colored ARCs

A few weeks ago, we entertained some out of town guests. Eventually, probably because the Fed-Ex guy dropped off my PERFECT TIMING ARCs during before dinner drinks, the conversation turned to my work as a published author. Notice I didn’t say job. While outsiders define writer in any number of ways, including hobby, passion, excuse to drink in excess, and that thing I do with pretend people, referring to writing as work does not cross their minds. But they did think to remark, not so subtly, that I should be raking in the dough with book two on the way.

            At this point in our exchange, I did what all uber-successful authors do.  I told them to hang on for a minute--I plumb forgot!  I was supposed to call my accountant that afternoon, so we could rework my portfolio of assets based on my previous book earnings. The accountant line was worth the look on their faces as I left them there, slack-jawed, drinks turning watery. I escaped to the kitchen. If I really did need to call my accountant, the question would have gone more like this: Did I want the nickels to go directly in the piggy bank this time, and just roll the dimes into those little paper cylinders? Once safely in the kitchen, I stuck my head in the oven and screamed. It’s fine. This is the same group of people who couldn’t understand why I didn’t pass out signed copies of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER as Christmas gifts. No matter what basic economic analogy I employed, they couldn’t grasp that aside from a few promotional copies, I had to buy my own books. And, frankly, I wasn’t giving a single copy to any one of them.

         We all know that novel writing, for most of us, is not about the money. It’s about the thing that compels us to write. And I think we’d all agree that said compulsion is another blog entirely. For some authors, their day-job is as far away from the process of novel writing as one can get. Although, does the inner process of writing ever really stop?  We’re always absorbing bits and pieces of other peoples’ mannerisms, features, wardrobe, conversations, and life events, with the subliminal idea that they may resurface as part of a character, plot, or passing quirk in a novel to be named later. In that regard, I have to

be careful with my day job, which is the result of happenstance. I work for a web designer, whose area of expertise happens to be authors’ websites. While the job comes with plenty of perks, including people who really do make a living—and a damn good one—writing, it can be counterintuitive.  It can make you feel like your glass is half empty. But I’ve also learned that even the upper echelon of writers feels this way at one point or another. If we’re talking about money, the satisfaction of being monetarily rewarded for what you do never loses its luster. It’s only where you land on the food chain that differs. It’s merely circumstance that determines whether you’re dining at the Ritz or just squirting Cheez Whiz on yours. So yes, there are days when that glass feels bone dry. But eventually the fledgling novelist wanders in and pours you a drink. This is someone who views a traditionally published author as a success story.  Things like money, multiple printings, or ARCs on a dining room table don’t make a difference to them. In their eyes, you’ve succeeded.  It’s most likely a fact that a “real job” will always earn me the greater paycheck. There are only so many lottery ticket books and careers to go around. And at the end of the book, or the day, that’s okay, because it’s never occurred to me to write a book with the goal of cashing in.         

Laura Spinella is the author of the award-winning Beautiful Disaster and upcoming novel, Perfect Timing. Come visit her at lauraspinella.net.   

How Daily Meditation Can Improve Your Writing and Your Life

By Karin Gillespie

I flirted with meditation long before I actually committed to it.  To be honest, my first few sessions were boring. I’d expected special effects (a vision of a lotus blossom or a white healing light) and when I experienced only a mild torpor, I assumed I was doing it wrong.

Luckily I kept persisting and now I couldn’t imagine my life without meditation. I especially couldn’t imagine my writing life without it. Writing without first meditating would feel as odd as showering before getting undressed. For me, it’s a way of preparing the mind to create.

Experts will give you a laundry list of why you should meditate (It reduces stress! You’ll sleep better! Your skin will look like a baby’s butt!) but let's set aside these happy claims and get to the crux of the matter. The most important reason to meditate is to learn how your mind works.

Most people are extremely caught up in the stream of their thoughts; so much, in fact, they scarcely notice their preoccupation, kind of the way a fly doesn’t notice it lives in garbage. But when you meditate, you deliberately try to pay attention to your thoughts.  It’s hard to do at first, because thoughts are like an episode of “Breaking Bad;” they’re so thoroughly engaging you get caught up in them and forget you were just supposed to be noting them.

So why is meditation important to writers?

Writers are constantly mired in their thoughts, and the best writing comes when thoughts are ego-based.  

 The ego is a menace to writers. It loves predictability, has no originality, and swings from mercilessly belittling its host to giving him or her ridiculous unearned praise. It’s impatient to finish a piece before it’s ready and thrives on fear-based thoughts of any type. It will settle for less than stellar prose, and every few minutes it wants to go on Facebook to see how many likes it got on its last post

Trust me. You do not want this entity in you head when you’re writing. It’s like sharing your office with the world’s worst garage band.

Ego gets in the way of FLOW. (There are a lot of names for FLOW; some call it the muse, some call it the subconscious. The name isn’t important. But most every writer is familiar with FLOW. It’s a state when the writing seems simple and natural and effortless, like a kid playing in a mud puddle.)

When you meditate regularly, you get much better at recognizing and banishing ego, and thus have much longer episodes of FLOW.

It’s that simple.             

And so is meditation. I do it fifteen minutes a day and keep my eyes open otherwise I’d fall asleep. I sit normally and don’t do any fancy pretzel things with my legs. I don’t say OHMMMMM or try to find my third eye. I just watch my endless parade of thoughts. I do not try to stop thinking (although sometimes that will happen naturally.) I just observe. And the more I learn about how my ego operates (it’s incredibly wily) the less likely I’m to be tempted by its crafty Tomfoolery.   

So if meditation is so spectacular, why doesn’t everyone do it?

Mainly because its results are initially subtle and people tend to give up too early as I did. Also we live in a culture of busyness and sitting around doing nothing seems dysfunctional. 

But there’s another huge reason people quit meditation:

 It freaks them out.

If you’ve been stuck in your head for a very long time, never practicing any type of mindfulness, meditation can be a harrowing wake-up call. Remember the fly I mentioned earlier? When you meditate, you're like that fly, suddenly waking up and say, “Oh my gosh! I’m living among potato peels, rotten meat and filth. This is revolting.”  That’s how it feels when you first recognize how thoroughly you’ve been caught up in ego-based thoughts.

You won’t be happy about your realizations, and you’ll want to go back to being an oblivious fly. Thus the ego will be in charge once again, and the writing will suffer

But if you can get through that initial rough period, not only will your writing improve, your entire life will get better, because FLOW doesn’t simply exist in your writing space. It’s everywhere, and it’s everything the ego isn’t: wise, generous, kind, nonjudgmental, funny, original and loveable.

Meditation helps you to tap into the FLOW. It’s no wonder all the great spiritual leaders have practiced it, and it’s likely to be the best thing you’ve ever done for your writing career.