You’re not in a traditional bookstore. In the fast-paced world of digital publishing, users demand instant gratification. They swipe, click, tap, and some barely spend 3-5 seconds looking at a page of book results, let alone one thumbnail. It is now more important than ever to have a cover that stands out. That’s professional. That’s intriguing.

As a self-publisher, you have control over your book cover. You can choose your designer, and tell them exactly what you want. A good designer will take that and bring it to the next level. However, A great designer will read your synopsis, perhaps ask a few questions, and come up with an amazing concept birthed from years of training. If you are hiring a capable designer, you may want to give him the space to really get creative.

Things to look for in a successful cover:

Does my cover stand out?

This involves great balance. Each genre has a specific look, and that’s good. It’s how a reader knows he’s in the right place. But your cover also has to grab someone’s attention. Designers need to avoid clichés just as much as writers do, and strive to always be unique.

How does it make me feel?

The cover needs to appeal to our emotions. A romance cover should turn us on. A thriller cover should make us feel anxious. A memoir cover should intrigue us. A non-fiction cover should inform us. Readers will be relying on emotion as they scroll through thousands of results, finding the cover that exactly fits their mood. A book cover is a promise, conveying an expression of things to come. A good design will make you feel. 

In my pre-made book cover shown here, I found an image of a doll which looked rather creepy. It’s those eyes. They grab your own, and fill you with unease. The darkness under her chin makes her appear beheaded. The tilted and off-centered text contributes to the anxiety. It stands out, draws the reader in, and immediately makes them feel.

Does it convey my story?

This should actually be: Does it convey the emotion of my story, and allude to the storyline? The cover does not need to be too literal, as readers often like to let their imagination determine some aspects of the story. I was browsing through Amazon when this cover caught my eye. “The Dinner” by Herman Koch.

It is conceptual, showing tension in what would be considered an intimate setting– a meal. And that’s just what the book is about. Other books, such as Life of Pi, have such an incredible story that it’s obvious what should be on the cover. A boy, a tiger, a boat. I don’t even need to read a description to be intrigued.

Is it clear?

When browsing on their computer, tablet, or phone, the thumbnail could be as small as a quarter. Some designs may look great when large, but when shrunk down, they could be misleading, too busy, or unreadable. With that in mind, do not be afraid to go with a simple cover design.

Is it good quality?

As a designer, poor quality jumps out at me. Here are just some things that will cause me to stop and frown. Bad kerning (letter spacing). Blurriness caused by over-compressed JPGs or up-scaled images. Hard pixel edges, or over-feathered edges.  Over-use of effects. Outdated or inappropriate fonts. These all add up to an amateur-looking design, which conveys to the reader that the writing is likely also amateur.

Just like investing in a quality suit for an interview, investing in a quality cover design can only bring good results. It is the only thing standing between a reader and your words. You know your story is good, now you need to show them.

___

Deanna Dionne is an award-winning graphic artist whose work regularly appears in national magazines. She understands the writing world, having worked as an administrative assistant at the Backspace Writers Conference for five years. You can find her designs at www.customindiecovers.com

The post Key Questions for a Standout Book Cover appeared first on DIY MFA.

Books that are more than books.

I’m referring to books that are more than just text on a page. These books use illustration, design or some interactive component in a creative way that makes the “book-ness” of it essential. I’ve said it before many times, but I don’t think digital will kill the printed word. But that doesn’t mean that printed books won’t have to “up the ante” in some way. For books to justify their printed existence, they’ll have to raise the bar in some way and these books definitely do that.

Books on my to-read list in this category include The Resurectionist by E.B. Hudspeth (Quirk Books), which depicts anatomically accurate pictures of fantastical creatures.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Quirk Books) which weaves a story based around peculiar vintage photographs, has been out since 2011. A graphic novel version is slated to be released in October 2013 (Hachette), taking this concept of a book that’s more than a book even further.

Often when we think of books that are “more than books” picture books immediately come to mind. This year, the ones I saw at BEA did not disappoint, with several raising the bar on this concept of “more than a book.”

Journey by Aaron Becker (Candlewick) and Here I Am by Patti Kim and Illustrations by Sonia Sanchez (Capstone) show that wordless picture books are thriving. As a huge fan of David Wiesner’s Flotsam and Tuesday, I was thrilled to see more authors and illustrators taking on that challenge. An even bigger plus was getting an autographed limited edition print by Mr. Wiesner himself!

Other picture books, like Giving Thanks by Katherine Paterson (Illustrated by Pamela Dalton) and Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd (both from Chronicle) use cutouts in unique ways to illustrate and add to the story. The former features intricate paper cutout designs while the latter uses die-cut pages to create the contrast between inside and outside.

And finally, Danse Macabre by Anna Harwell Celenza (Charlesbridge) includes a CD featuring the Saint-Saens piece by the same name and applies the same concept of last year’s Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to one of my favorite pieces of music. The music-lover in me can’t wait to check out this book.

This is just a small selection of the books I saw at BEA that fit this topic of “books that are more than books.” Another theme I noticed was the retelling of classic stories in new ways.

 New Spin on Classic Stories

There was definitely a Shakespeare trend going on. I saw a Romeo & Juliet graphic novel by Gareth Hinds (Candlewick) and a retelling of Hamlet set in a prep school (A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison, Carolrhoda Books). Not to menion, Quirk Books’ Shakespearean retelling of the Star Wars story.

In addition to bard-inspired tales, there are other classic stories being retold in unique ways. In Rags & Bones Edited by Melissa Marr and Time Pratt (LB Teen), classic fairy tales and fables get a facelift from YA heavy-hitters like Neil Gaiman, Holly Black and others.

Show Highlights

Aside from trend-spotting, this was one of the best BEA’s I’ve attended. For starters, it seemed less hectic than years past, and the ARC giveaways and signings were far more civilized. (I only got nearly-trampled once!) Joking aside, there were definitely some major highlights for me this year at BEA.

For the first time ever, I actually knew one of the people signing at BEA! It was so exciting and fun to see Betsy Bird signing her adorable picture book Giant Dance Party. I got a signed copy to bring home to my little man.

Major geek-out moment! I got my picture taken next to a life-size version of R2D2 at the Abrams booth.

Could Book Expo get any better than this?

Actually, yes.

OMG, I met Billy Collins!

I got to meet Billy Collins, one of my personal writing heroes and get an autographed copy of his new book. If you don’t know who Billy Collins is, please read this poem: Introduction to Poetry. Seriously, it’s not long. Go read it right now. I’ll wait.

And while you’re at it, if you’ve ever participated in a writing workshop of some sort, then you must read this poem. Or listen to the recording of Mr. Collins reading it. Or both.

It was so inspiring to meet Billy Collins, even if it was only for the 2 minutes it took for him to sign his new book. I told him that I loved his poem “Workshop” and that I read it to students in my writing workshops. He chuckled and advised that I wait to share that poem at the end of the semester and I concurred.

Why was meeting Billy Collins such a highlight?

(You mean, aside from the fact that he’s a former Poet Laureate, that his poetry 180 program has helped high school students across America grow to love and understand modern poetry, and that his poems are just plain awesome?)

Let me explain. For a long time, I had a visceral distaste for poetry. I felt like the emotions were too angst-y the language was too flowery, that poets were trying to be too fancy-schmancy with their words because they didn’t know what they wanted to say. I felt like the purpose of poetry was to make people who didn’t “get” poetry (i.e. me) feel stupid. Needless to say, most poetry I read or heard at readings tended to make me quite angry.

Then I read “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins and in that moment my whole perspective shifted. Suddenly I realized that poetry could be enjoyed just for what it is. That I don’t have to flog the meaning out of a poem and that it’s OK if I don’t really understand what the poet is trying to say. Most importantly, I realized that poetry can be smart and funny and complex without being complicated.

The post Book Expo 2013: Trends and Highlights appeared first on DIY MFA.

Okay. There weren’t actually any blue books. Not that I saw, anyway.

But I did get an old book—The Hunger Games. Yeah. Scholastic was just giving them away. I read The Hunger Games two years ago, but I borrowed the copy. So now I have my own. That was the first book I found. And I thought, Well, today is already shaping up to be a great day.

I had barely even started.

BEA is huge. The Javitz Center, located far west on 11^th Avenue, is huge. From my apartment, it was a thirty minute walk in direct sunlight. In New York, this is not a good thing. By the end of my walk I was starting to feel like I was on a pilgrimage. The Javitz Center—all metal lines and shining windows—literally sparkled in the distance.

And thus I learned . . .

BEA LESSON 1: Arrange Transportation

For the love of books, get a shuttle. They go to the hotels. You can look them up online. Or, if not, take the cross town bus. Pony up for a cab. Then you will not arrive like I did: melting, literally, slouching into the Javitz Center looking like I really had just gone on a pilgrimage, then spending the next ten minutes just standing there relishing the gift of air conditioning.

Which brings me to . . .

BEA LESSON 2: Bring a Sweater

The Javitz Center is FREEZING.  There are about a thousand people, so the air conditioner is blasting. It pays to think ahead and bring something warm. Also, it’s also a good idea to bring a snack. There is food available in the Javitz Center, but you’re at BEA to hear about books, not waste time and money in lines. So chuck away an apple and a water bottle along with that sweater. This will be simple to do if you follow  . . .

BEA LESSON 3: BABOB – Which Stands for “Bring a Big OI’ Bag”

I did not do this the first time around. Thankfully, they had some Hobbit bags available. So I snagged one. This was a good thing, because by the time I left it was filled up with books. Gabi was a genius and brought a rolling suitcase. This might sound crazy, but trust me, it’s worth it, especially if you, like me, did not heed:

BEA Lesson 4: Don’t Grab Everything

There are speeches and keynotes and author signings at BEA, but the biggest part of the event is the floor—where each publisher has set up a huge booth showcasing their upcoming titles. In these booths are publicists, editors and marketing people who are there to talk about the books and—glory be!—pass them out. For free.

The first day, I thought I’d do a once-over of the whole place before diving in. You know, to peruse. Get my bearings. I was going to observe, and pick things up later.

This did not last long.

What happens instead is that you’ll be walking along, admiring a poster of a middle grade series with spirit animals that you’re thinking is pretty awesome, and you’ll see a twenty-something girl in trendy clothing emerge from behind a table with a stack of books.

Free. Books.

It’s like someone puts a freezing charm on the people in the vicinity. It does not matter what the book is. There are twenty of them. There are thirty people. And he who hesitates is lost.

Yielding to this herd mentality, I ended up with several books that I probably won’t read, and I took them from people who probably would have. Don’t mistake me—they are there for the taking. But next year, I think I will be more selective, ignoring that little voice in my head screaming, Grab all the things! And just picking up the Arcs I really want.

How do you discern this? Well, that brings me to:

BEA Lesson 5: For the Love of BOOKS Make a Plan

This year, I mostly just collected books and talked to people. BEA is a great place to make connections at all the different publishing houses. The publishing industry is small and friendly; almost anyone was willing and eager to talk about writers and what’s next. But, as I said before, when you’re on the floor itself, and there are hundreds of people all rushing past, swarming tables, exchanging business cards, and you look up and Veronica Roth is standing three feet from you in the coolest pair of boots you have ever seen, you can easily become overwhelmed.

I started thinking of BEA the way I think of a first draft. Sure, I can just start writing. I can finish an entire book that way. But I’ll save myself a lot of heartache, accomplish more quicker, and keep myself from being overwhelmed if I approach the task with a game plan.

BEA has excellent resources to help you do just that. There is an App that shows you where the booths, signings and speeches are. It’s worth your time to peruse the list, see what’s available, and decide what you really want.

If you follow all these rules, like I’m planning to next time, you’ll probably find yourself walking away from the Javitz center vaguely believing you were just a part of something so wonderful Dr. Suess could have made it up.

You’ll have a massive bag of books and swag.

Tired feet skipping up the city street

Still with time to roam before you head home

And, even for all the miles, a big ol’ smile. 

Actually, that’s pretty much how I left this year, anyway.

The post Lessons From My First BEA appeared first on DIY MFA.

Here’s How the Challenge Will Work:

• Write and revise a story over the next seven days
• Use the hash tag #7DayStory to connect with other working writers.

 

Email:

 

Why Write A Story in 7 Days?

We believe that it is by writing that we become writers. But it’s not just by writing. It’s also by finishing, revising, releasing our work, and connecting with readers and other writers, that we become writers. So we’re encouraging writers to sharpen their writing skills by writing, revising and releasing short stories in seven days.

• Finishing your first draft in a day or two, before you lose momentum
• Revising the story over the next few days in several passes
• Connecting with other writers to find sources of support and feedback.
• Releasing the story to trusted readers, or perhaps even publications.
• Repeating the process often, to learn from your experiences and reinforce the writing habit.

Sign up now to join the #7DayStory challenge.

You’ll get daily updates to keep you on track through the writing and revision process.

 

Email:

 

But That’s Not All…

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to stumble through this process alone? What if someone put together a guide for gathering ideas, writing that first draft and working through the somewhat overwhelming process of revising and releasing your story?

Coming Soon: 7DayStory eBook

Write, Revise, Release, Repeat:
Your Blueprint for Short Story Success

by Gabriela Pereira and Julie Duffy.

Join the challenge today!

What  are you waiting for? Enter your email below and be part of the 7DayStory Challenge.

 

Email:

 

The post 7DayStory Begins Today! appeared first on DIY MFA.

As I approach it, I keep thinking of the children in Willy Wonka, standing just inside the chocolate factory. They don’t know what wonders await them. They only know that there are wonders ahead. That the place is huge. And they’re thrilled to be there.

And Willy Wonka tells them: “We have so much time, and so little to do! Wait! Stop! Strike that! Reverse it!”

When I ask about BEA, I usually hear one of two things: “Free books!” or “The Javitz Center is huge!”

So I’m approaching the weekend with the sage advice to bring a giant bag and wear comfortable shoes. And, also, Gabi’s wonderful guide from Tuesday. If you haven’t checked it out, you can do so right here.

That’s where I started my BEA planning. I tried to answer the question she posed: What’s in it for me?

Well, free books for a start. There are sixty six different industry talks. There are over a hundred authors. There are booths for every single publisher in the business. The chance to mingle with authors. Talks about the industry and writing. And did I mention free books?

And I’m hearing Gene Wilders’ voice in my head, “Come with me, and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination . . .”

So what do I hope to find at BEA? I’ve narrowed my list down to three things:

1) Books

Sorry. Have I not made this obvious? Books are not cheap. I’ve got a Nook, but I prefer a good old-fashioned hardcover. I’ll be collecting anything that might interest me. Fantasy books. Young adult books. Literary books. Thrillers. Anything and everything. You know what’s beautiful about a book? Even if you don’t like it, someone else will. So I’ll be bringing my biggest bag, filling it, and sharing the wealth.

At the same time, I’ll be learning about upcoming books. What the industry is excited about and why. Hopefully, by the end of the day, I’ll have several books to look forward to in the upcoming year.

As if I didn’t have enough to read already!

2) Authors

There are hundreds of authors at BEA. They will be signing books. They will be on panels. They will be giving talks. They will be among us. I hope to find a few of my old favorites, and also discover some new writers to love.

3) Readers

It’s not really fair to lump everyone else at BEA into this one category. There will be bloggers, book reviewers, editors, publicists and agents. There will be unpublished writers. They will all have their own goals—their own answer to the question—What’s in it for me? But they will all be readers. Guaranteed. We got into this business because at some point a book set our imagination on fire. And I think that’s what I’m most excited about for BEA. It’s a place for readers to gather and celebrate one of the best parts of our lives – stories.

Geek out. I’m going to. As Willy Wonka says, “There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination.”

The post BEA Battle Plan appeared first on DIY MFA.

Next week, we’re teaming up with our friends over at StoryADay.org and hosting a week-long short story challenge called 7DayStory. The idea is simple: just write and revise a story in a week.

Why Do The 7DayStory Challenge?

We’ve got two very good reasons:

1. It’s a way for you to challenge yourself.
2. You’ll be able to connect with other writers who are doing the same thing.

Take the Challenge:

7DayStory kicks off next Monday, June 3. Come back for details on how to join the fun. In the meantime, start thinking up story ideas.

Insider Tip: Watch the #7DayStory twitter hashtag for updates!

The post Introducing: The 7DayStory Challenge! appeared first on DIY MFA.

This year, Book Expo opens its doors to the public for the second time running with its BEA Power Reader program on the final day of the show. This one-day ticket offers readers and writers alike, a chance to scope out what’s new in the book industry for the coming year.

Which is why it’s about time DIY MFA put together comprehensive guide especially for writers to help them navigate this unique, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming event. There are a lot of websites out there with practical tips for Book Expo (my current favorite is this post at From Left to Write) but few articles delve into the nuances of how to make the most of this event on a professional level.

That’s where this guide comes in. I want to give you a deeper perspective so you can build useful connections at Book Expo, not just pick up mountains of Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) and swag. Don’t get me wrong, ARCs and swag are great but there’s so much more to Book Expo. We just need to re-frame our thinking a little.

Remember the All-Important W.I.I.F.M?

“What’s in it for me?” Sounds selfish, right? The truth is, deep down that little nagging thought tugs at everyone’s mind at Book Expo. Whether you’re a publisher looking to promote and sell books, or an attendee hoping to score the ARC of your dreams, everyone has some sort of agenda.

Let’s get real: this also business event. People go to Book Expo to make business connections and one of the best ways to do that is to try to align your agenda with that of the other person. The minute you start focusing on how you can help the other person, doors start to open up. Some obvious common sense tips:

• Don’t offer something you can’t give. If you’re a reviewer, you can’t guarantee a positive review (duh) but you might be able to offer something else, like a Q&A or guest post opportunity for an author.
• Don’t foist your wares. If you’re an unpublished author, do not pitch your book. Seriously. Don’t carry your manuscript or copies of your query letter (you’ll have enough to carry, believe me). This is a business event, not a pitch conference. Comport yourself accordingly.
• Have a conversation. While I have do have a general idea of what I’m looking to get from the show, I go into each individual interaction just looking for a good conversation. Usually as the conversation develops, the other person and I discover ways to help each other out that we hadn’t even considered before. These are happy moments of Book Expo gold.

Develop Your P.I.T.A. Radar

The last thing you want is to be a P.I.T.A. (pain in the you-know-what). What ends up happening, though, is that a lot of people try so hard to avoid P.I.T.A status that they end up just floating through the show and never really connect with the industry folk. There is a middle ground but you have to develop your P.I.T.A. radar.

While working in the Toy Industry some years ago, I had the chance to assist the sales team in our booth at various trade shows. (You think people go crazy over ARCs? Trust me, the insanity reaches a whole other level when free toy samples are at stake.) From this experience, I got feel for what it’s like from the “other side of the booth” and that has helped me tremendously in navigating shows like Book Expo.

Put yourself in the shoes of the person working a Book Expo booth. While sometimes things can be a bit hectic, there are moments of down time now and then. Depending on how busy (or not busy) your booth happens to be, a nice conversation with a fellow book-lover can be a welcome break. On the other hand, if you’re in the middle of talking to a group of important buyers, the last you need is a pesky non-buyer interrupting you to ask for an ARC or some swag.

Hone your radar and be aware of when the other person is trying to escape the conversation. In general, I limit myself to 3 minutes, and I’m very careful not to take up any more of the other person’s time. When 3 minutes are up, I’ll say something like: “I’d love to keep chatting but I don’t want to take any more of your time.” At this point one of two things usually happens:

1. The other person says “that’s OK, I’ve time” and we keep talking, or
2. I ask for a business card, and now I have the opportunity to follow-up via email.

Either way, it’s win-win.

Say Something Nice

Writers sometimes ask me: “What if I’m just browsing the show? What if I don’t really have something to offer the other person, but I still want to make those connections? Then what do I do?”

The answer to that is really simple: just say something nice. Here’s an example:

“I read [Book Title] and loved it. Do you have any new books along those lines?”

Never underestimate the power of paying a compliment. Publishers work hard to produce and promote their books. Can’t hurt to say something nice about a book they (or their colleagues) have poured their hearts and souls into. Also, the more specific you can make your compliment, the better. The latter is key because it shows that you actually read the book and you know what you’re talking about.

Note that I’m talking about sincere compliments not hyperbolic flattery. Yes, we’ve all had that experience where the sheer presence of a favorite author morphed us into founts of blathering adulation. It happens. We’re all forgiven. But moving forward, try to keep your inner fan-girl (or fan-boy) under control.

When in doubt, use common sense.

I totally get it. Book Expo is awesome and there are tons of amazing books to discover and people to meet. Sometimes amidst all the literary super-dazzle (LSD) even the best of us might start to hallucinate. When the crazy rears its ugly head, here’s a trick to help readjust your radar.

If at any point you’re not sure whether you should do or say something at Book Expo, just ask yourself: “What would a person with common sense do?”  Examples:

• Would you raid your friend’s house, tear open sealed boxes and walk out with armloads of books?
• Would you and your entourage of ten friends cut the front of a movie line when other people have been camping out, waiting for days?
• Would you push/run/shove your way into a mosh pit free-for-all and waltz out not just with an ARC for yourself, but with copies for your thirty closest friends?
• Would you take stuff (any stuff) from someone else’s turf without at least asking first?

Didn’t think so.

The post Writer’s Guide to Book Expo appeared first on DIY MFA.

The subject of money is almost taboo in our industry but it’s a crucial topic–one that affects our survival as writers and our industry’s survival as well. By tip-toeing around the topic, we’re doing ourselves a disservice. Like it or not, we have to think–and talk–about the money. It might not be a genteel or polite topic. Things might even get a little controversial or uncomfortable. And I’ll be honest with you, at first I didn’t want to go near this subject with a ten-foot pole.

But somebody has to do it, so it might as well be me.

The way I see it, there are two sides to this money issue: the emotional and the pragmatic. The former digs into how we as writers feel about money. What is that relationship like? Why do some writers struggle to get compensation for their work while others seem to have no trouble? And why is it so hard for writers to say those three simple words: “buy my book”?

These emotion-based questions are best handled by therapists and life coaches, and not being either I’m going to focus on the pragmatic side of the equation. The purpose of this article is to figure out a few crucial things. What do we know about writers and money? What are their expectations and how do they interact with money? And most importantly, how can the answers to these questions inform own career decisions?

Where does money fall among writers’ priorities?

Last week I talked a little bit about a survey conducted by Digital Book World. In that recap of the survey, I focused mostly on publishing decisions writers make, but there was another side to the survey results that I think are even more interesting. This has to do with the attitudes that authors have about money. As it turns out, traditionally published, self-published, hybrid* and aspiring authors differ dramatically when it comes to money.

Let’s dig into the data, shall we?

In terms of publishing priorities, aspiring authors seem very focused on building a writing career and fulfilling a life-long ambition . They don’t put nearly as much emphasis making money. In fact, only about 7% of aspiring authors say that making money writing is their their top priority in getting published. Published writers, on the other hand, seem to place money much higher among their priorities, second only to building their writing career. You can see this trend illustrated in the graph below.

If we tease the three categories of published authors, though, we see an even more interesting picture. Authors who only self-publish show a similar pattern to aspiring authors, with money being only the 4th most important factor they consider when publishing. Traditionally published and hybrid authors, on the other hand, both place emphasis first on their careers and second on making money.

But hybrid authors and traditionally published authors have a critical difference between them. For hybrid authors, money is a close second to career whereas the disparity between money and career is fairly significant for traditionally published authors. In fact, the size of that disparity is about the same as what we see with self-published authors.

Check out the graph below to see what I mean. The difference between the green bars and the tan bars in the career and make money columns is pretty stark. The gap in height between the blue bars for those same columns is much smaller. In statistics, they call this type of trend an interaction because the numbers are behave differently for the various categories of people.

What does all this statistical mumbo jumbo mean exactly? I can’t say for sure because while I’ve had the opportunity to review these graphs, I didn’t get to muck around with the actual numbers and do a detailed analysis. But what I can do is extrapolate a story and make inferences about what these data seen to be telling us.

The “reality check” moment of getting published.

There seems to be a stark contrast between the outlooks that writers have about money before and after they get published, particularly if it is via a traditional publisher. It’s almost as if there’s a “reality check” moment writers have when they get published. This realization suddenly kicks in that writing is a business and in order for this business to be viable it has to make money. But if writers wait until they’re published to have this epiphany, then for many of them it might already be too late.

Also, this “reality check” only seems to happen when an author publishes with a traditional publisher because if we look at the authors who only self-publish, their priorities are similar to that of aspiring authors. It seems almost as if authors only start putting money as a priority after they’ve been paid for their work by a traditional publisher. Are these writers not confident in their work? Does that work only have merit if it is vetted by a traditional publisher?

This is the very stigma that writers have been fighting to change for decades. And the irony is, the only way to kill this money-stigma is if we start dealing with the money issue head-on.

As writers, we need to value our work.

As writers we all deserve to be paid for our work, but often we undervalue the fruits of our labor. Sometimes it takes being vetted by an external entity (like a publisher) for us to realize that our work is valuable and deserves being paid. I’m not saying that all writers should be mercenary, calculating the currency of every word, but we need to be confident that we offer a valuable service to the world. Our words are not an unlimited resource and they should be treated with the same respect as the sparkly widgets of other industries.

It turns out that confidence in our work and savvy about the financials puts writers at an advantage. The Digital Book World study clearly shows that hybrid authors (i.e. both self and traditionally published) value their work product more than do any of the other categories of authors. For instance, these hybrid authors expect higher advances and royalties from publishers, and in turn, they make the most money of all the authors polled.

To give you an idea: the average annual writing income for a hybrid author is 50% higher than traditionally published authors and five times that of self-published authors. We’re not talking pennies, but a significant chunk of change. The message here is that while we might not go into writing for the money we writers have to recognize that publishing is a business. For better or worse, money is a critical component.

So, what’s the answer?

Don’t we all wish there was a magic solution? The truth is, making money writing is difficult road for writers to tread, especially now that our culture is now so saturated with free information on the web. Readers have come to expect everything for free which puts us writers in a tough spot. When books sell for $0.99 and writers pour their hearts and words into free blogs, websites and social media, it’s hard to change the rules of the game.

And the answer isn’t to stop creating free content either. Providing some pieces of our work for free is crucial for attracting new readers and connecting with audiences that might not consider our work otherwise. The secret is finding that balance between which elements of our work we can give away and which pieces merit a price tag. Signing with a traditional publisher makes that decision easy because the publisher decides for us. But for writers who choose a more entrepreneurial route, it’s critical that we don that business cap and make strategic decisions about the money.

Join the conversation!

This is a juicy topic and I’d love to hear your take. Change doesn’t happen overnight but open discussion is a great first step. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts about writing and money. In particular, I’d like to know:

Why do you think it’s so hard to make money writing?

The post Why Writers Need to Think About Money appeared first on DIY MFA.

The post Self-Publishing Insights: Q&A With Victoria Noe appeared first on DIY MFA.

What follows are the three main points I took home from the presentation and why I think they’re going to be key for writers’ future success.

1) You can combine traditional and self-publishing in one career.

When it comes to writing, there’s a new kid on the block: the “hybrid” author. This is the author who gets his or her work out into the world both via traditional publishers and through self-publishing and juggle both in one career. Clearly, publishing is not an either-or scenario anymore.

What does the hybrid author look like? Some writers self-publish smaller works to supplement their income and stay in front of their audiences between books. Other authors build an audience through digital self-publishing, then opt to partner with an agent and publisher for the print version. The variations are as unique as the individual writers.

The idea here is that you don’t have to choose. If you want to, you can do both.

2) You can’t ignore social media.

So many writers I talk to feel overwhelmed by everything on their social media to-do lists. It’s tempting to adopt that mindset of “if you build it they will come,” thinking that all you have to do is write a good book and it will sell itself. When faced with that laundry list of different technologies we have to learn and communities where we have to participate it’s tempting to want to bury our heads and hide.

The trouble is, ignoring social media is not going to make it go away. Rather, we need look at social media as one of those things where what you get out of it is directly proportionate to what you put in. Hybrid authors know this. According to the survey results, they are more likely than other writers to be active on social media, with a higher presence on Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads. This increased engagement appears to make a difference. Compared with writers who only self-publish or only publish traditionally, hybrid authors report higher web traffic to their blogs.

What this means is while you don’t want to focus on social at the expense of your writing, but you can’t ignore it either. Find a way to balance the two and you’ll see results. And don’t wait to be published to start building those connections. Start practicing that balance now and once you get that book deal you’ll already be on your way.

3) Traditional publishing isn’t going anywhere.

Much as some of the die-hard fans of self-publishing might love to see the traditional publishers go out of business, it doesn’t look like traditional publishing is not about to die. The end is not nigh and bookpocalypse is not on the horizon.

Is self-publishing going to compete with traditional publishers? Yes. Will traditional publishers have to adapt and adjust? Most definitely. Are these changes going to challenge publishers to bring their A-game? For sure.  Yes, changes are coming but it’s not the end of the publishing world as we know it.

How do we know this? Because even though self-publishing is going strong, most authors are still hoping to publish their next book the traditional way, including authors who have only self-published their books so far. We would expect that authors who have worked with traditional publishers in the past would be inclined to continue pursuing the traditional route, but even 68% of self-published authors (i.e. authors who to this point have not worked with a traditional publisher) report that they would be interested in partnering with a traditional publisher for their next book. That’s more than two-thirds!

So if you were worried that self-publishing was about to put traditional publishers out on the street, fret not. As long as the vast majority of writers are still interested in working with these publishers, the traditional model is not in danger of becoming extinct. Sure, I think the book world will evolve in the coming years but evolution and extinction are not the same thing. And like any evolutionary process, the industry folk who adapt to the changing environment will be the ones who don’t just survive, but succeed in the end.

Information is the key.

Writers need to understand that they’ve got options. There is no one true path to publishing bliss and we can change trajectory along the way. Writers will are more likely to succeed in this changing industry if they learn to “roll with the punches” and turn these challenges into opportunities.

The best part about the current publishing climate is that writers are not “locked in” to one way of doing things. You can change trajectory along the way and if something doesn’t work, you try a new strategy. I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it here: writers don’t have to be entrepreneurs, but they need to be entrepreneur-ial. Having an entrepreneurial outlook means  being able to switch gears fast. The changing book industry is opening up more opportunities for writers to have this flexibility.

This is why studies like the one conducted by Digital Book World are important. These data inform us so we can make better decisions for our careers. Digital Book World is currently conducting a follow-up survey focused specifically on hybrid authors to better understand the benefits and challenges of this approach to publishing.

Stay tuned.

Next week I’ll be digging into aspect of this survey that was so juicy it needed an article all of its own. Hint.

The post 3 Things To Know Before You Publish appeared first on DIY MFA.