9-8 Promoting Your Book

(c) 2010, Mona Leeson Vanek

Promotion is 85% of becoming a successful author. Unless your book sells, whether self-published or through a publishing house, promotion is the number one key to sales. You must be involved and be able to generate sales on a broad scale. Besides being a benchmark of your success, sales of your book pay the bills.

But sales don't happen without promotion.

Whether your books is the product of a publishing house or if you self-publish it, promotion is largely up to you. Your promotional efforts are integral to becoming a successful author. Your job includes discovering or generating ways to spread the word about your new book. And time quickly runs out, and yours is quickly bumped from the new book list.

One opportunity not to be ignored is The Habitual Reader, http://www.habitualreader.com/, 00an online fiction book club that features reader profiles, book reviews, and favorite community bookstores. Along with a wealth of information, it offers free promotion of your book(s). Here is your chance to "shamelessly self-promote your masterpiece." If you're published, click "Authors."

Charlotte Cook, President of Habitual Reader and Komenar Publishing suggests,

"If an author wants to have substantial impact on our site, he or she should use the other offerings as well, such as Reviews and Profiles. We are also looking for some original editorials. Each of these offers participants in the site an opportunity to be featured and showcased. And those authors who send us more readers ... not just other authors ... help the site become successful for all of us."

Also, take advantage of the excellent help you'll find by visiting, http://www.komenarpublishing.com/home.htm (featured in Shelf Awareness.) I especially recommend that you click "About Us," and scroll down to Charlotte Cook and click "See some examples."

Two books belong on your reference shelf:

• The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
• Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors, by Steve Weber.

Each provides a wealth of information and ideas on how to market and publicize your book, especially Weber's book, which also includes an entire section on blog tours and social networking.

Book promotion is increasingly the burden of the author, rather than the publisher, so regularly search online for news articles that address the issue. Search dilligently to find opportunities to promote your book.

Arrange book signings at local book stores; smaller stores generally yield better results than large chain book outlets like Barnes and Noble, etc.

Join or monitor writers discussion lists, too. And read, Advice From The Pros, What About Distribution and Publicists?, http://tinyurl.com/2dw2teo.
End

Chapter 18 - Book Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/38d98qf

Next: 9-9, Trade Book Publishing Agreement: http://tinyurl.com/2eq4myf

5-5 Screenwriters Online Resources

(c) 2010, Mona Leeson Vanek

Drew's Script-O-Rama Index of movie scripts available on the Internet:
http://www.script-o-rama.com/

Simply Scripts, Screenplays, transcripts, and partial scripts of old, current and soon to be released movies:
http://www.simplyscripts.com/

Movie-Page.com: Scripts, Large archive of movie screenplays in plain text or PDF format:
www.movie-page.com/movie_scripts.htm.

Full Sail University. Awesome Scripts and Screenplays. Read dozens of film scripts online:
http://www.awesomefilm.com/

Weekly Script, Movie and television screenplays and transcripts, listed alphabetically:
http://www.weeklyscript.com/

Screenplays-Online.de. Read over a hundred scripts online or join a screenplay-related discussion group:
http://www.screenplays-online.de/

The Scriptwriters Network, founded in 1986, is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization created by writers for writers and industry professionals:
http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org/

TV Film Rights.Com. A world marketplace community for TV and film rights;
http://www.tvfilmrights.com/

The Hollywood Script Readers' Digest, a division of Alliance Diversified Ltd. Showcases synopses of unproduced screenplays and TV series proposals:
http://www.screenscripts.com/

Colin's Movie Monologue Page. Multitude of movie monologues:
www.whysanity.net/monos

List of screen writing software
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screenwriting_software
End

Chapter 12 - Other Writing Opportunities: http://tinyurl.com/35w2nju

Next: 5-6, Medical Writing:(under construction)

9-3 Audio Book Publishing

(c) 2010 Mona Leeson Vanek

The audio book industry is on a fast track ~~ with over a billion dollars in sales annually. Over 40 million audio books were sold last year alone, according to Spoken Books Publishing, http://www.spokenbookspublishing.com/

• Words come alive and fictional characters quickly become real.
• How-to-information becomes understandable.
• Sightless people can enjoy books again.

The reasons go on and on, and profits to authors soar.

Read summaries from publishers that specialize in audio books, at Spoken Books Publishing, http://spokenbookspublishing.com/faq.htm, and also study at Publishing Central, http://tinyurl.com/5elkqp, and at Green Leaf Book Group LCC, http://www.greenleafbookgroup.com/.

Also, type (Tip -- fast method, copy\paste) audiobookpublishing into http://www.dogpile.com/ and http://www.msn.com/ to get many sites to check out.

The importance of new developments in the industry must always be considered.

As I write this, a major concern with electronic publishing is being tied to a format which can only be read by proprietary hardware or software.

Keep an eye on this by checking news reports. Ie. Adobe, Kindle, Mobipocket, iPad. etc. (Today, 07/21/10, Amazon.com is offering a free download of Kindle to your PC, http://tinyurl.com/2ep4pcx. I have no idea how long this offer will last, but you can check on it at Amazon.com.)

In ten years time, all of them could be past history, or if they are available they won't use the same format. Nor is it likely that today's devices will still work that long into the future: they break down, they get dropped, they get lost.

• Where does that leave readers who have bought books in these formats?
• Or writers whose work has been published in these formats?
• Do similar fates befall audio books, too?

Experienced professional writers keep abreast of the market place, because the book marketplace is changing lightening fast.
End

Chapter 18 - Book Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/38d98qf

Next: 9-6, Book Publicity and Marketing?: http://tinyurl.com/3aj2nrw

7-2 Infringement and Plagiarizing

Dealing With Plagiarizing
(c) 2010 Mona Leeson Vanek

Many things have changed since litigation was initiated because of plagiarism issues in electronic databases, and writers still await settlement awards. Read the latest update on that Copyright Class Action lawsuit here: http://www.copyrightclassaction.com/. Publishers and writers now negotiate contracts that avoid plagiarism issues, but they still occur. Writers are encouraged to contact the perpetrator every time someone uses their work without authorization, whether in print or online.

In today's electronic marketplace, plagiarism and copyright infringement may be better understood, but they're still serious problems for ALL writers. When negotiating a magazine's contract, freelancers may prefer to strike everything beyond use in a single print edition. Negotiating for all they're worth, they wrestle with clauses covering audiotape, microfilm, microfiche, CD-ROM, and broad electronic rights like database. They'll try for time limits, and excise one vicious clause that boils down to 'rights of the purchaser to secure copyright as proprietor', or in other words, giving their copyright over to the publisher.

However, even with successful negotiating, freelancers too often end up finding themselves inadequately protected.

Say you don't write for on-line publication; that doesn't necessarily mean that your words aren't going to be on-line. Freelancers say one problem is that print publishers don't always own the rights they've sublicensed, but realistically nearly every publisher obtains at least non-exclusive electronics rights for some period of time; whether the author limits archiving or allows archiving their writing ad infinum.

Expect to find that copyright infringement spans all countries and many continents, but laws differ. For example, Canadian law allows copyright cases to be heard in small claims courts. Copyright infringement in the United States is decided in federal courts, although suits charging breach of contract may be heard in small claims or other state courts.

Plagiarism by an individual, in some cases such as in educational use, has a slightly different connotation from the use of your works without permission by a concern or company. The need to consult an attorney who specializes in intellectual rights cannot be over-emphasized.

At home, or at the library, you can use the capabilities of spider searches on the World Wide Web, to routinely track down plagiarizers and infringers. If a publisher has exceeded the terms of its license the writer's contract is breached, and the writer may also still charge others in the chain of plagiarizing with copyright infringement. A publisher's indemnification doesn't let the others off the hook. Each time a violation is found, writers need to take aggressive action.

Immediately ask Internet Service Providers (ISP) to remove the offending Web sites alleged to have illegally post your copyrighted works. Be prepared to prove you are owner of the copyright. The subject of on-line copyright infringement is complex and serious.

Five organizations in the writer's favor are, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc.(ASJA), http://www.asja.org/, The Authors Guild, http://www.authorsguild.org//, The Authors Registry, http://www.authorsregistry.org/works.htm, the Text and Academic Authors Association, http://www.taaonline.net/, and the National Writers Union, (NWU), http://www.nwu.org/.

Send information and scuttlebutt to American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA): Contracts Committee, ASJA, 1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. ph: 212-997-0947. Visit their searchable archive of ASJA Contracts Watch at http://www.asja.org/cw/cw.php. Contact info is on the web page. Read the other valuable information and tips on freelance contracts, electronic rights and copyright. Subscribe to get e-mail announcements.

Study posts at Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, search 'writer beware', http://www.sfwa.org/tag/writer-beware/

Only vigilance will protect you from copyright infringement. Don't let plagiarists and copyright infringers steal your material!! Be concerned. Stand up for the rights of ALL writers!!
End

Chapter 14 - Tending to Business: http://tinyurl.com/32rr8a5

Next: 7-3, What About Taxes : http://tinyurl.com/25ssc52

6-3 Character traits

(c) 2010, Mona Leeson VanekBegin learning about character traits and their importance from the book many professional writers recommend, The Writer's Guide to Character Traits, Linda N. Edelstein. Edelstein talks about common traits such as, being dependable, creative, ambitious, charismatic, curious, etc. As your character first begins to evolve, step back and make a list of this person's character traits.Practice this technique by writing a short vignette that tells a story about a character, using one set of characteristics. For instance, show a "responsible" character's deeds in your story. Then write another vignette, using a different set of characteristics. Make a habit of this exercise while you're writing.Study online at Suite101, http://tinyurl.com/lsk5mr.When you want to expand your understanding, type character traits into a search engine, such as http://www.dogpile.com/, and follow links to continue your studies about character traits and their importance in a story.
END

Chapter 13 - Genre Writing and Writing for Children: http://tinyurl.com/3x33osl

Next: 6-4, Show Versus Tell Issues: http://tinyurl.com/298dogs

6-2 All About Names

(c) 2010, Mona Leeson Vanek

Exploring names and their meanings for your characters can not only be fascinating, but very enlightening. Names bear more thought an consideration than many writers realize.

BabyNamer.com, http://www.babynamer.com/ is fast, efficient and very useful for finding names, their origins and definitions, nicknames, etc.. Click a letter of the alphabet at the top to generate girl\boy lists alphabetically. Click color button, pink or blue to get names by gender. Click name. Panel on right gives clickable options that return information about Name Page, Name Sakes, Similar and Drawbacks, each requiring only a mouse click to bring information lightening fast!

Behind The Name, the etymology and history of first names, http://www.behindthename.com/, is a terrific resource that lets you check popularity, related names, name day, name ratings, etc., arranged by nationality, mythology, biblical, and many more options. You'll like the Alphabetical Navigator in a box at the left.

Kabalarian's site is an invaluable and fascinating site that concerns names, Kabalarians Philosophy, http://www.kabalarians.com/. Although time ran out before I was ever able to download alphabetical name list, by using the Search box near top right of page, typing in a name, and then checking What Does My Name Mean?, I gleaned some information. Kalabarian Philosophy Electronic Newsletter, The Newsline, contains a vast amount of information about names.

Find the top 100 names in any given year at Social Security Online, http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/. You can also search a name to discover the year(s) it was most popular.

After you've studied at these sites, you'll be much better equipped when naming your characters, and you'll probably visit repeatedly.
End

Chapter 13 - Genre Writing and Writing for Children: http://tinyurl.com/3x33osl

Next: 6-3, Character Traits: http://tinyurl.com/2cmgumc