Top ten writing industry issues you should care about

with guest Amy Green.

“To help stand out in a crowd, authors should understand the industry,” they say. “They” are all the people in blog posts, conference panels, and magazine articles—the experts, the people who secretly have all the answers in a vault somewhere and aren’t telling the authors because it’s fun to watch them look confused.

Or maybe getting up-to-speed on issues in publishing isn’t that complicated after all.

I call myself an “insider-outsider,” because while I’m not a novelist myself, I’m aware of what authors are talking about (due to superior in-person and online eavesdropping skills) and what publishers are talking about (due to actually being invited to strategy meetings and pub boards).

Being aware of these ten issues—maybe even doing a little research on a few of them that are new to you—will show publishing teams that you know what you’re talking about, and even help your writing reach a broader audience.

Here’s a quick plug for an easy and fun way to get up to speed on some of these issues: In addition to working for Bethany House, I’m also a member of the Christy Award board, and this year we’re planning a day of author workshops before the award ceremony called The Art of Writing. Four of the speakers are addressing, you guessed it, three of the points below. (And the panel of editors and marketers will probably speak to others.) This will give you in-depth research and practical insight about how to make your writing career stronger. Best of all…the workshops and the gala dinner are only $99 together.

Is a trip to Nashville in your future? I hope so, because A.  I genuinely think these workshops will be valuable to writers, B. I’m a frequent Seekerville lurker and would love to meet lots of you, and C. maybe I’ll find someone who wants to visit the Nashville Parthenon or Belmont Mansion on Thursday morning after the event. (If you’re already sold, you can register here.)

So here we go, rapid-fire issue time! Remember, this is a broad overview. If anything catches your attention, you can find a wealth of information about it online and in writing groups.

One: Readership Demographics

Who, exactly, is reading your books? Or, if you’re unpublished, how would you describe the audience you’re trying to reach? Those are two excellent questions, because you can’t find out more information about your readers until you know who they are. One place to start if you have a Facebook page (not a personal profile) is the “Insights” portion. (Read FAQs about how to find and interpret that section here.) If you’re not yet published but have friends who are, consider asking a writer in your genre if he or she would be willing to share some general demographics with you. Asking questions of your readers can also be helpful. (Things like “What shows or movies are popular in your circles?” or “How does your small group choose a Bible study?” or “How much do you usually pay for an ebook?”)

 

Two: Online vs. Brick-and-Mortar

Because “digital migration” always sounds to me like the stampede scene from The Lion King, I mostly think of this as where people are buying and why. You’ve probably seen studies that show that ebook sales are tapering off to a steady level, and print hasn’t disappeared for good. (Hooray!) That said, traditional retail stores continue to struggle with more and more people buying online.

As an author, you can celebrate both ways of readers discovering your books, but here’s my take: remember that Amazon doesn’t need your promotional help, whereas your local independent or LifeWay or B&N might. If you have a website, include all retailers there, and try to vary what links you post on social media. Meeting-and-greeting at your local store is a great way to build relationships, and anything you do on Facebook to promote stores (whether it’s encouraging readers to take and post photos of your book in retail stores or giving away a gift card) is appreciated. And if you’re looking for a way to link to an independent Christian store, here’s a newly-created  indie store finder you can use!

Three: Diversity

In both Christian and general fiction, there’s a lot of talk about what we can do to make our novels better represent the world we live in. There’s a lot of complexity here, so I don’t want to simplify it, but this is my challenge to you: think it through, do some reading—try searching for things like sensitivity readers or the We Need Diverse Books movement—and join the conversation.

(Dr. Theon Hill is going to be addressing the challenges of opportunities of writing diverse stories at The Art of Writing, and from the first interview with him that I listened to, I knew I wanted him to be the one to do so. It’s going to be fantastic.)

Four: Platform

I’m obligated to put this in as a marketing person, but here’s something you might not have thought of: with more and more sales online, even publishers are thinking about their platform. The more we can directly connect with readers, whether it’s through a blog or banner ads online or newsletters, the less power the whims of Amazon and Facebook are to disrupt our strategy. You’re not going to be able to keep up with every promotional trend out there—and you shouldn’t try—but you should take some time to think about every marketing activity you do and evaluate with these two questions: what is my goal? And how could I change what I’m doing to be more efficient and effective?

Five: Changes in Reader Expectation

Intuitively, you probably know a book written today is different in tone and content than one written thirty or one hundred years ago. But have you thought about why? Are shorter sentences proof that Americans are dumber or that the relationship of authors to readers has changed from teacher-to-student to friend-to-friend? What word choices will make your writing sound dated? What “rules” (grammar or content) do editors no longer care about?

The best place to find out is to read articles like this one in Readers Digest, read current fiction in your genre, and ask specific questions of agents and editors when you get a chance.

Six: When to Break “Rules”

Here’s my opinion as a marketing person: if you have a brilliant story that you’re passionate about, you can break some rules. Not all the rules at once, usually, but some. The very thing that goes against industry standard might be what makes your story stand out. Just make sure that you find out from trusted readers and writers whether the story itself is working before you decide to go against conventional wisdom. (You also have to know the rules and conventions first before you break them—reading blogs like Seekerville and reading widely is the first step for that.)

Seven: The Future of Your Genre 

Yes, it’s great to scan shelves for new trends, but I’d suggest hanging around agent blogs and subscribing to authors’ newsletters for information on what might be coming next. (Agents will often talk trends, and authors will release information about books they’re working on months before release.) Sometimes, though, you have to realize that there is no crystal ball. Many of the bestsellers in the Christian market broke out by doing something completely new (Amish with Beverly Lewis, supernatural with Frank Peretti, apocalyptic with Left Behind), not learning from and applying an existing trend.

Eight: Writing in Community

All you Seekerville villagers are one step ahead in realizing the importance of learning from other writers and connecting with each other in community. Here are some side issues to consider, though: what’s the difference between “thick-skin-necessary” constructive criticism and just plain being mean? How do you celebrate others’ success without becoming envious? What’s the line between learning from watching someone else and ripping off their original idea?

Nine: The Impact of Free

I’m not speaking out against ebook deals—Bethany House often has a number of them going on our specials page. But, whether traditionally published or indie, you will have to think about how to leverage free content to your advantage and not in a way that devalues books. If nothing else, you need to have a kind-but-firm reply ready for the many readers who will request a free book upon release. (If you need an article to link to, I wrote a post on this a while back.)

 

Ten: Time Management

It seems like there are a thousand more demands on your time than there ever were before. This may not be an industry issue in the strict sense, but an author’s ability to prioritize and use time effectively is something that we talk about even in pub board meetings when discussing contracts. If you learn what is a good use of your time—which includes prioritizing quality writing and deadlines over almost any other item on your to-do list—it will help your career immeasurably.

So, there you have it. Ten issues that hopefully won’t stress you out—even realizing these conversations are going on might be enough so that you can sound industry-savvy at conferences, on blogs, and in proposals. You don’t have to be an expert on everything, but being thoughtful about questions that affect your life and career is a great idea for everyone.

SIX BOOK GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for the Bethany House books up for a Christy Award? Six books, six winners. They are: Counted With the Stars by Connilyn Cossette, A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander, Her One and Only by Becky Wade, King’s Folly by Jill Williamson, From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden, and The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green. 

Bio: Amy Green has been the fiction publicist at Bethany House Publishers since 2013. Her typical day might involve planning book tours, handling media requests, interacting with reviewers, answering author questions about marketing, and completing other tasks designed to introduce readers to great books. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Professional Writing and was excited to find a job with a publisher whose books she’s loved since childhood. You can find her running Bethany House’s social media and blogging every Thursday at bethanyfiction.com—feel free to stop by and comment anytime!

7 Tips for a Manuscript that Will Impress an Acquisitions Editor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Connealy with Charlene Patterson and Lauraine Snelling

7 Tips for a Manuscript

That Will Impress an Acquisitions Editor

By

Bethany House Editor Charlene Patterson

I’ve been involved in acquiring books for publishers for about sixteen years now, and for the past eleven years, I’ve acquired Christian fiction for Bethany House. In that time, I think I’ve encountered nearly every subgenre, every type of character, and every type of setting, and I’ll be honest: it’s hard to impress me. So today I’m going to let you in on my tips toward creating a story that will catch the eye of the AE at your desired publishing house. 

Write in genre-Publishing companies are businesses first and foremost. We love publishing great books, but almost every decision is weighed on how it affects the bottom line. When we’re deciding whether to publish a book, we say things like, “This will succeed because [this similar book] was a success.” “This is worth publishing because it appeals to the same readership as [this author].” Know your genre, know what readers in that genre are looking for, and write with those things in mind. You can still be super creative with your voice, plots, settings, and characters, but stay within a definable, marketable genre, one the AE and the Marketing Dept. will recognize. Read bestselling and award-winning books in your genre of choice and consider what’s working about those stories. Examples of genres are romantic suspense, Biblical fiction, contemporary romance, historical romance, dystopian, legal thriller, etc.

Start off with a bang-A well-thought-out proposal is great, but almost every AE I know only glances at the proposal and then skips to the writing sample. We usually have a big stack of proposals on our desks, so you get only a few pages to pull us in. Make sure your story starts off in a really exciting way. Get past your first ideas to something more original—I get so tired of stories that start with a character arriving on a train or stagecoach, or returning to her hometown, or receiving an inheritance. Think of a more original situation, and make that situation as engaging as possible so I’m excited to keep reading. I very quickly want to know what obstacles the characters are going to have to overcome, and why overcoming those obstacles is going to be difficult but worth it. By the end of Ch. 2, I’d like to be able to form this statement about your book: “If [the main character] doesn’t accomplish [this] by [this deadline], [this bad thing] will happen.”

Create likable, realistic characters-Note that I didn’t say perfect, super sweet, innocent characters. It’s just as hard to like someone who is sweetly boring or perfect than someone mean. If your hero doesn’t seem like he could possibly exist in the real world, I’m not interested. And don’t mistake things like clumsiness, trying too hard to serve others, or feistiness as “flaws.” Make your characters real, honest people—someone who might live on your block or might be in your family tree. Make them people we can root for because they are facing difficult circumstances but are still persevering.

Flesh out the world-I’ve heard a lot of editors say it’s the secondary things that make or break a story—the secondary characters, the secondary plotlines, the secondary romance, the descriptions between the dialogue. If those things are done well, the book shines. So make the “world” of your story come to life. Describe it--make me feel like I’m there, seeing it, hearing it, smelling it. Create fleshed-out secondary characters and secondary plotlines. Who are the extras you’d hire if this was a movie? What do they look like, and what do they do all day? How do they interact with the hero and heroine? What’s going on in history at this time? What makes the town they live in unique? What are your characters’ backstories and how does that influence who they are today? Where are they in the birth order of their siblings? How much schooling did they have access to? What was their favorite subject? Who is their best friend? Bonus tip: Don’t isolate your characters, if you can avoid it. It’s hard to create a riveting story with only a couple people living far away from everyone else.

Put big obstacles in the characters’ way-Editors read tons of books, so we’re looking for a story that sucks us in, something we don’t want to put down even when five o’clock rolls around. That means we’re looking for conflict, action, adventure, and situations that have us on the edge of our seat. Why are the Biblical stories of Noah, Esther, Joseph and his brothers, and Jonah the ones we retell to this day? Because they were in crazy-impossible situations that still capture our imagination. Always be making things worse for your characters. Escalate. Be MEAN to your characters. Make them want something they can’t have, dream something that’s nearly impossible, have a plan that’s about to go absolutely haywire, love someone who doesn’t love them back. Put big obstacles in their way every chance you get.

Find your voice-You hate this advice, right? Because everybody says it and nobody really knows what it means. I think one of the reasons it keeps getting said is because so many manuscripts sort of sound alike. The characters and places are sort of interchangeable with other things I’ve read, and the prose is rather bland. I mentioned you should write in genre, but you still want your story to stand out because of its unique flavor. You want the AE to think, “Hey, we should acquire this author because he or she brings something new and fresh to the genre, something we don’t already have among our current authors.”

If I gave you three unidentified pieces of fiction and told you to guess which was from Janette Oke, Tamera Alexander, and Mary Connealy, I bet you wouldn’t have much trouble telling me which was which. That’s voice.

So how do you find your voice? Ask others what stands out about your writing to them, and then build on your strengths. Figure out how you naturally use words, lay out scenes, let the reader in on details about your characters. How do people know they are reading a book by you? Will they laugh? Cry? Feel like they are living in 1865? Fall in love with the hero? Fear the bad guy? Even when you write in third person, think about how your characters would write if they did so in first person, and try to bring that out in the writing style. Think about who your narrator is, how he or she would talk if telling this story aloud, and try to bring that out in the writing.

Cut 5,000 words-This one might be the toughest of all because those words reflect hard work--your blood, sweat, and tears as you tried to accomplish all the things I listed above. But stick with me here. A large portion of the manuscripts I turn down aren’t bad, per se; they’re just boring. Your manuscript has unnecessary words. Lots of them. Whole unnecessary scenes, even. So go back and be ruthless. Cut out all the unnecessary stuff, all the boring stuff, any time the action or tension lags for more than a couple paragraphs, or the characters have long stretches of dialogue or interior thought, or times when their life is too happy and easy to be interesting. A breather now and then in a story is fine, but never let your characters dwell on any one thing for too long, and don’t let them get too content or settled until the very end. Trimming that kind of stuff will make your manuscript more engaging and more polished. Every word will count.

As a bonus, here are my 7 things NOT to do in your manuscript:

Give your hero or heroine a weird hair or eye color.

That’s not a good way to make them interesting or attractive, and it looks strange on the cover.

Strong romantic feelings too early in the story.

Let the relationship between your hero and heroine develop slowly and naturally. It takes all the fun out of it when they are too in love too soon. I know they’re going to fall in love by the end of the book. You know they’re going to fall in love by the end of the book. But your job is to convince me, for several chapters, that there’s no possible way they’ll have their happy ending.

Write 3 good chapters and 17 bad ones.

You’re going to polish those first three chapters a lot because they’ll be the ones you submit to contests, submit for critique, and put in your proposal. But I can’t tell you how many times the first three chapters have been great while the rest of the manuscript was terrible. So polish those first three chapters, but make sure the rest of the manuscript lives up to that promise. I think the hardest part of a story to make interesting is the middle, so watch that part carefully. That might be a good place to add in something new, something unexpected, up the stakes a little.

Have the characters step into a church one time or read the Bible one time and it changes their life.

Also be very careful about God speaking to characters directly.

Characters who dwell on the same thing over and over.

It’s good to be aware of your characters’ internal motivations, tensions, and conflicts, but you don’t need to remind the reader of them in every chapter. Remember those 5,000 words you’re going to cut? Start with any time the characters ponder things internally for more than a paragraph.

Money or love solve all their problems.

To be satisfying, the denouement of the book needs to have some basis in real life, or at least be realistic in the world you’ve created.

Never write it.

Get those ideas on paper and see what they become. Some won’t work—and I warn you, you may not discover they aren’t working until you’re in Chapter 14, which is why you’d better start now. You have to write in order to create a manuscript, and you have to create a manuscript in order to edit it and make it awesome.

Thanks for letting me guest post on Seekerville!

LEAVE A COMMENT TO GET YOUR NAME IN A DRAWING

FOR A SURPRISE PACK OF BETHANY HOUSE BOOKS.

BOOK BLAST BONANZA!!! Hourly Giveaways as Seekerville Welcomes The Bethany House Marketing Team!

Today we have very special guests who are, IMHO, the very BEST at marketing in the Christian fiction world. The marketing team from my publisher Bethany House. Noelle Buss, Fiction Publicist, gives us some advice on how best to market our books.

Noelle and/or other members of the Bethany Marketing Team are hoping to stop in today and respond to your comments. So behave!!!

To celebrate their visit we are holding a HUGE BOOK GIVEAWAY. One Bethany book every hour on the hour starting at 8 am through 5 pm.

We are giving away:

8 am Out of Control--Mary Connealy
9 am Siri Mitchell--Heart Most Worthy
10 am Karen Witemeyer--To Win Her Heart
11 am Beverly Lewis--The Thorn (The Rose Trilogy Book 1)
12 pm Tracie Peterson--Hope Rekindled
1 pm Stephanie Grace Whitson--A Most Unsuitable Match
2 pm Laura Frantz--The Colonel's Lady
3 pm Janette Oke & Davis Bunn--Tomorrow's Dream
4 pm Falls Like Lightning--Shawn Grady
5 pm Out of Control--Mary Connealy

(PS because The Thorn is book one in a trilogy we chose it to give. HOWEVER Beverly Lewis's latest release is book three and if you'd prefer a later book in the series, claim it and it is YOURS...if you win that is!) Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing.
We will draw the winners all through the day, but announce them on Sunday on the Seekerville Weekend Edition

Here is Noelle Buss:
Marketing fiction books is largely about marketing an experience. Novels, at times, get a bad rap because people claim they aren’t directly useful items (exceptions found here) in the way, say, a bread-making machine or a car is, or even non-fiction.

Yet this aspect of “experience” is what, personally, I think makes fiction so powerful. Inspirational novelists often provide very beautiful experiences—ones that touch, inspire and uplift. Positive experiences create strong emotional connections, which in the world of books means loyal readers. So here are three suggestions to help you truly value and maximize this advantage.

1. Create a Brand: Brand does not equal a clever tagline that describes your writing style. When it comes down to it, your brand is what your author name represents. The names Beverly Lewis, Lynn Austin, Tracie Peterson, Francine Rivers all have come to be associated with particular kinds of emotional experiences. It’s often hard to break down into words what separates each author’s style from the next, yet readers can instinctively understand these differences once they become familiar with your work. So the best thing you can do as an author is to develop a distinctive writing style that is true to you and your interests. The more you solidify in your mind who you are and what you write as an author, the more consistent quality your books will be and the more individualized your brand will become.

2. Re-think Booksignings: Frankly, in most instances booksignings are not worthwhile. Sitting at a table in a bookstore for two hours and encountering only seven people—three of whom asked you where the bathroom was and two of whom were unwitting browsers lured by free stuff— just doesn’t seem like a worthy use of your time. Time is valuable to people, and they aren’t going to share it with you unless they are reasonably certain you’ll provide a worthwhile experience in exchange. So think of ways you can morph the traditional booksigning into an experience—incorporate an informative talk beforehand, include a fundraising component that will benefit a local charity, become a part of church or library speaking programs, or create a party atmosphere that includes treats, games, and other activities associated with your book. The options are endless, but the goal is the same: provide people with a unique experience that will make them feel like they’d be missing out if they didn’t attend.

3. Focus on Social Media: By focus, I mean specialize. Pick one or two things you enjoy doing or are interested in and learn to do them really well. Otherwise, unless you are Superwoman, you’ll be scrambling to update and keep fresh all your social media outlets, eating up your precious writing time and forcing your efforts to be scattered and rather superficial. Focusing will also let you cultivate a particular and dependable experience and ultimately a relationship with your readers online. Are people gathering to follow you on Twitter because you keep passing on great historical tidbits each day, or do they value the insights you offer on your blog about daily life and writing? Whatever it is, be consistent and share something meaningful.




Mary again...let's talk about branding, booksignings and social media today. Do you know your brand? Do you have booksignings, if you're an author, or go to them, and how involved and skilled are you at using social media? What are the tricks?



Let's talk MARKETING. And check in to put your name in for the drawings, the more you comment, the more chances you have to win.