Write Nonfiction NOW!

Do Your Excuses Stop You From Reaching Your Writing Goals?

I got some interesting feedback to this post about hard work in two other places where I posted it (Redroom.com and VibrantNation.com). Some people found it inspiring. Others had a bunch of excuses about why they couldn’t get their writing done…or about putting in the work hard.

In the latter case, I heard excuses. I’ve had some of those over the years. I still do. I whine, “I don’t have enough time.” I tell you what, though; ever once in a while I give myself a deadline or I set my mind to achieving a goal, and I make the time. I give things up. Like I said in that other post, I let sleep and exercise and other things fall by the wayside as I turn to doing what I want to do: write.

I did that when I entered the National Novel Writing Month contest one year. (Yes…I wrote some fiction—the same novel with which I won the pitch contest at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference a few years ago.) I didn’t have time to write a novel. I wanted to write a novel, though, because I thought it would be fun and I had an idea I wanted to pursue. So, I gave myself a daily word count I had to meet, and meet it I did. And I “won” that year.

So, what are your excuses? And are you willing to toss them by the wayside to get down to the task at hand—writing? How badly do you really want to achieve your writing goals? If you really want to achieve them, you’ll stop whining and making excuses and just do what you say you want to do. Write.

BEA to Return to 3 Days Next Year

BookExpo America (BEA) has ended for another year. Although Publishers Weekly reported that it drew mostly high marks, one change was not met with widespread approval: reducing the exhibit floor time from three days to two. A quick decision was made by BEA executives at the event’s conclusion  to go back to the former format of a mid-week three-day convention, however,  this met with mixed reactions.

On his blog, event director Steve Rosato confirmed reports that the exhibit hall will return to its former schedule of three days beginning next year.  He wrote:

“BEA this year was about change and making a good event great that served the publishing industry in a meaningful way. Moving to mid-week was absolutely the right decision. We also felt strongly that the 2 day format was the right thing to do because the value of BEA is in the audience we deliver. We executed a strong plan that we knew would deliver that audience for BEA 2010 and that the quality would prove that was the right choice as well. A lot of people genuinely like the 2 day format and it did work for them. However — I have to acknowledge while people liked the 2 day format – a lot of people genuinely need 3 days to meet their objectives at BEA. While our mantra has been quality versus quantity – there is a reality of what people can accomplish in 2 full days. We will always do what will make BEA the best event possible for the people we serve.

“In the end while many people liked BEA as a 2 day show — more people need BEA to be a 3 day show. We will remain mid week with the show days being Tuesday – Wednesday – Thursday. My plan right now is to keep the conference program on Monday because the impact of the conference this year running on Tuesday without competing with the show floor was tremendous. There were great sessions that had overflowing audiences.”

New York-based publishers actually liked the two-day event.  The majority of other attendees and participants, particularly booksellers, librarians and international publishers, preferred a return to a longer show, Publishers Weekly reported. In particular,  international visitors complained loudly about the shortened convention, and many were questioning whether they would spend the money to make the trip next year unless the third day was restored.

That said, the staffs of the New York publishing houses generally liked the shortened show; it gave them enough time to do what they needed to do at BEA without cutting into too much of the work week.

You can read more, here.

How Hard Are You Willing to Work to Succeed as a Writer?

A lot of people say they are willing to work hard. A lot of people say they want to write and publish a book–for them that equates to success. A lot of people say they will work hard to write and publish a book.

How hard are you really willing to work to succeed as a writer? How many hours will you work? What will you sacrifice?

I’ve been working really hard to get a lot of things in place so that when my agent submits my next proposal, publishers will notice. I’ve been working really hard on this for several months. Prior to this, I’ve spent quite a number of years building my platform. In one area of my work, I’ve been building platform for over eight years.

For about two months I’ve been going to bed between 1:30 and 3 in the morning in an effort to get done everything I felt I needed to get done for my new book proposal and for my normal life and work.

I’ve sacrificed sleep, exercise, and other things…not totally but in some cases. I’ve worked hard, I think.

Could I work harder? Yes. I could spend less time on the Internet. I could be more organized. I could stop fiddling with my blog themes…I could write more.

I know I’ll be able to work a bit less hard soon. I’ll be able to catch up on my sleep. My proposal is just about done…I’ll rest, then a new surge of hard(er) work will begin. That’s how it goes…in spurts, but I’m always working hard.

Alternative Ways to Have Your Book Discovered

I’m always talking about blogging a book into existence and that if you do it well your book could be discovered. However, there are more ways to use high-tech publishing models and other opportunities to successfully publish books these days–and have them discovered.

Actually, for some authors having a traditional publisher discover their content and offer them a contract isn’t the goal. The goal lies in producing e-books and other information products that simply sell tons of copies from their websites. They are happy to sell to those customers and to have those readers–and to reap those profits.

Other writers find satisfaction in simply winning a contest or having an essay or short story published in a reputable magazine. The by line and acknowledgment by editors fills their need for recognition, and knowing someone has read their work makes them feel good.

In any case, here’s an interesting article about three northern California writers who used varied methods to help them get their books out there. Hopefully it will give you some ideas on alternative ways to get your book written and published.

10 Reasons To Blog A Book Rather Than Write It

With the recent flurry of blogs turned into books, aspiring writers might want to consider blogging their books into existence. Lots of good reasons exist for doing so—only one of which involves being discovered by an agent or publisher and landing a big advance.

Not sure if blogging a book would work for you? Consider the following 10 reason why you should do so:

1. You can publish as you write.
2. You get exposure and build “platform.”
3. It can give you expert status.
4. Your writing gets read.
5. You can test market your idea.
6. It’s a daily writing commitment.
7. You get feedback on your writing.
8. It provides a method to make sure you complete your manuscript.
9. To show what you’ve got…but not all you’ve got
10. You and your blog might get discovered!

I created a blog, called How to Blog a Book, as a way to demonstrate the ease with which a writer can blog a nonfiction book. Fiction writers can use many of the same principles to blog novels as well; however, my expertise lies in writing, editing and publishing nonfiction books.

I started the first week in February. The book is almost complete. Well…I have a “secret” element I plan to add to the print version.

The posts in the blog offer readers information on how they can write their own book via a blog. By reading the blog, you can follow me along as I blog my own book–a book about how to blog a book. The posts offer information based on my knowledge as a freelance nonfiction book editor, writing coach and publishing mentor.

In How to Blog a Book, I recommends that nonfiction writers who choose to blog a book go through what I call the proposal process to evaluate their blogged book idea.

This is outlined in the blog, as are a variety of other necessary tools and tips for blogging.

Check out the blog here.

E-Books Are On the Rise!

On the heels of last weeks news, here comes more about the e-book market–and more reason to begin writing, publishing and promoting e-books of your own.

E-book sales rose nearly 252 percent in the first quarter of 2010, to $91 million, according to Publishers Weekly. This news comes from from the Association of American Publishers, which has 13 publishers that report results monthly. Growth actually slowed somewhat in March from the earlier two months of the year, but sales still increased 184.8 percent to $28.5 million the association reported this morning. The gains in e-book sales were easily the biggest in the industry in both the quarter and March.

For the quarter, sales were up in seven of the 14 categories tracked by AAP with the strongest gains among print segments coming in trade paperback, with sales up 23.5 percent. Paperback sales in the category were down 8.6 percent.

So, will you write an e-book this year? Think about what niche you might target. Are you blogging in a particular niche? Do you have specialized knowledge? Do you have the answer to a question burning in many people’s minds? Can you solve a problem many people have? If so, you have the material for a successful e-book.

Consider writing an e-book. They are short. They don’t require a large outlay of money to publish. That said, I’d caution you to be sure you produce a high-quality e-book. Have it professionally edited; many people do not do this. Have it designed nicely. And then put some time and effort into promoting it well.

To read the whole Publishers Weekly story, click here.

Advice on Making the Most of BEA

Book Expo America can prove an overwhelming experience. I know people who go under the tutelage of others to be sure they make the most of their time at the convention. Some who go on their own without any prior knowledge of what to do when they get there or after they leave find they’ve wasted both time and money; they simply don’t know how to take advantage of all that’s offered at BEA.

After attending Book Expo America, Michelle Dunn, an award winning author and columnist, wrote a series of articles that those of you attending the convention might find helpful. She offers the advice you need to make the most of the BEA experience.

Michelle is the founder and CEO of the American Credit & Collections Association, one of the Top 5 Women in Collections, and one of the Top 50 most influential collection professionals in her industry. She has been quoted and featured in The Wall Street Journal, Smart Money Magazine, CNN & other national publications.

Here are a couple of her posts:
How to effectively work the floor at the BEA
Preparing for the BEA
How I make the BEA work for me
What to do AFTER the BEA

Learn more at www.MichelleDunn.com & www.Credit-and-Collections.com

Barnes and Noble Offers Digital Publishing Services

Nonfiction writers soon will have another place to publish their e-books. On the heels of Google’s announcement that it will open an e-bookstore this summer, Barnes & Noble announced that it will offer digital publishing services. As it launches PubIt! this summer, a service that will allow independent publishers and self-publishing writers to distribute their works digitally through Barnes & Noble.com and the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, this brings B&N  into the self-publishing business. Publication and distribution will be limited to digital works with no sales through the B&N stores. The company said it will release details of the royalty model and compensation process at a later date.

To distinguish itself from other companies offering digital self-publishing services, B&N is highlighting access through the Nook, it’s e-reader,  and other devices compatible with the -pub, or e-book, format.

B&N move into this area offers just one more indication that e-books are here to stay, and every nonfiction writer should be considering how to get into this market.

Google Gets Into the E-Book Business–Will You?

The fact that people are buying fewer books represents old news. The fact that big tech companies are becoming increasingly determined to sell them isn’t current news either; Amazon has been pushing its Kindle e-book reader and accompanying Kindle book store for some time. Barnes & Noble and Apple have online book stores of their own as well. Plus, Apple broke into the market with its iBooks service for the iPad.

Now, however, Google says it will open a Google Editions book store this summer–and you won’t need to purchase  any sort of special device to read books bought on Google; any Web browser will work. That’s news.

With all this high-tech reading going on, have you considered producing an e-book of some sort? You don’t have to give up your dreams of a traditionally published nonfiction book or even of becoming an independent publisher. Just find something to turn into an e-book. Nonfiction books lend themselves perfectly to e-books.

Catch the wave, as they say. Get on board with publishing technology and big tech companies. Create an e-book of your own to sell from your website or blog or from any one of the other on-line sites that will sell them for you.

If you don’ t know how to create an e-book, this post will get you started. Plus, you can search the Write Nonfiction in November archives for information. You’ll find more posts on the subject.

If you don’t know where to sell your e-books, read this post by John Kremmer. It provides a list of all the sites where you can upload your products. John wrote this post and this post for Write Nonfiction in November last year.

For more information on Google’s new e-book store, read this Forbes.com article or this Eweek.com article.

I have one e-book for sale on my website, but you’ll see more soon. On my other website, Pure Spirit Creations, all my short books (booklets) have been produced as e-books as well.

Why Attend Book Expo America?

Have you heard of Book Expo America? BEA is North America’s largest gathering of book trade professionals, typically attracting between 20,000–30,000 people. A range of book industry business is conducted at this global event by an international audience.  BEA is known as a preeminent venue for launching books and creating buzz about current and new titles  just hitting the marketplace. However, it's also a place where authors--and aspiring authors--gather to meet the people who publish, sell and market books. (Get all the details here.)

The BEA begins next week, May 25-27, so I thought I'd start Write Nonfiction Now! off with a BEA bang, I asked veteran BEA attendee, author, marketing consultant, and copywriter Shel Horowitz to provide me with a guest blog post about why nonfiction writers should attend BEA. I have to admit, I have not attended. I know lots of people who have and rave about the opportunities there. I planned on going this year, but it didn't work out. I hope to be there with Shel next year.

Here's what Shel has to say about why you should attend the BEA along with me next year. Or, if you live in the New York area or have the time to get there next week, it's not too late to attend this year.

Why Attend Book Expo America?

By Shel Horowitz

Book Expo America (BEA) is the largest book-industry gathering in the United States (though Europe has a far larger one, in Frankfort). Hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of authors, numerous educational events, chances to rub elbows with authors you admire (and perhaps make a contact that could lead to an endorsement).

By attending BEA and the events around it (this will be my 14th straight), and sometimes having a book at one of the co-op exhibits, I’ve been able to leapfrog my publishing career. Among other things:

• Initiated a book deal by having a conversation with a publisher in his booth! Yes, Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World was actually sold because I walked the floor of BEA
• Sold rights to one of my books for India and Mexico
• Made direct contact with agents and editors who expressed interest in books by my wife, my clients, and/or myself
• Met people who later became clients or vendors (or both)
• Been offered speaking gigs
• Developed in-person friendships with industry gurus such as Dan Poynter, Fern Reiss, and John Kremer (who have all since endorsed at least one of my books)
• Gotten autographed copies of cool new books (Studs Terkel’s publicist actually traded me Studs’ latest forone of mine, when we were autographing in neighboring booths several years ago)–however, this alonewould not be a reason to attend; it’s just a fringe benefit that you should not let dominate your precious time on the show floor
• Learned an awful lot about the publishing business

BEA has changed over the years. When I first started attending, it was mostly a chance for bookstore owners and staff to get acquainted with and purchase new titles. These days, bookstore folks have other ways of picking their inventory, and you see a lot more private deal-making meetings, but a lot less order writing. This year will be a new format: instead of Friday through Sunday, it's just Wednesday and Thursday—which means I will have to really hustle to get through the whole show in just two days; it usually takes me all three days, even skipping the massive sections of remainder dealers and such.

I’ve attended most years as a journalist, and all my reports are online here.

Incidentally, I’ve never taken a booth, though I've often exhibited my self-published titles at a cooperative display stand. For the traditionally published ones, it's up to my publisher to display. I walk the floor, and attend both educational events and parties.

Pre-BEA Seminars

If you’re planning to attend BEA, (an extremely good idea), you should definitely attend at least one of the seminars. I published my first book over 25 years ago, and I still get good stuff. This year, I’ll be attending Fred Gleeck's seminar on Monday, May 24.

I believe that a good live seminar is especially helpful to people starting out, but still useful (in different ways) to those with experience. I live my whole life in learning mode: books, teleseminars, and a least a few live events every year. If you attend the Gleeck seminar, definitely come up and introduce yourself.

About the Author

Marketing consultant and copywriter Shel Horowitz works with authors, publishers, and small business owners to develop affordable, effective, and ethical marketing strategies and materials. His two most recent books are Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet (co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson, John Wiley & Sons) and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers (AWM Books).