This is the second in a series of posts on finding an agent. I'm sharing the things I've learned about the publishing industry over the last few years in the hope that it will be helpful to you.
To start, here are the steps I listed last night:
1) Know Your Manuscript
2) Identify Potential Agents
3) Beware of Scammers
4) Stay Aware of Industry Trends/News
5) Refine Your Pitch
6) Develop (and Then Refine) Your Query Letter
7) Maybe The Problem Is Something Else
8) Start Thinking About That Contract
Last night, I suggested that you begin by identifying the genre of your manuscript. You MUST be able to tell any potential agent a single specific genre. DO NOT cross genres with a description like, "My manuscript is a fantasy sci-fi romantic suspense." Pick a genre and stick with it.
The next step is to begin identifying potential agents. I strongly suggest that you start this process at least six months before you are ready to submit your manuscript. That way you'll have developed a list of potential agents by the time you're ready to query.
There are several ways to build your list. I'm giving some of these below, starting with the least expensive and working up to the most expensive:
1) Go to the bookstore and check the dedication pages of books in your genre. Many writers will thank their agent by name in these dedications. You can make a list of potential agents representing your genre that way. You'll then need to track the agencies and addresses down.
2) Go to www.agentquery.com. They have a free searchable database in which you can look up an agent by name or by the genre they represent. The database has expanded enormously over the last eighteen months. It includes mailing addresses. It does not include names of clients represented by the agents.
3) Buy a copy of Writers' Market or Guide to Literary Agents. There is a problem in that there is a long lag between the time when the data for the book is collected and the time when the book is released. Data becomes outdated very quickly.
Alternatively you can subscribe to www.writersmarket.com for a year ($29.99) or month-by-month ($3.99/mo). The site has a searchable database. You can query agents in a genre, or agents by name. The database is more current than the hard copy of the book. The database also gives you info on the clients represented, whether the agents are currently accepting queries and the way they like to receive the queries (snail mail, email).
4) I mentioned Publishers Marketplace last night. They operate two lists. One is the Free Lunch, which arrives once a week. The other is the paid Daily Lunch which arrives every weekday. The paid Daily Lunch is a $20/month subscription. When I originally subscribed to the Free Lunch, they included some of the deals being made in the publishing industry. I talked with a writer friend today who is currently getting the Free Lunch, and she advised they no longer list the deals being made. You now have to pay to get access to that information.
I subscribe to the Daily Lunch because I find it a valuable resource for a writer interested in keeping track of the industry. Their Daily Lunch lists all the news in the publishing industry. In addition, the Daily Lunch provides a once-a-week-list of the deals agents are making (including the author, genre, publishing house and approximate size of the deal) and a searchable database. I can look up a specific agent and see any deal they've reported for the past several years.
When I was searching for an agent, I made index cards for any agent who'd made a deal in my genre. An option might be to subscribe to the paid Daily Lunch for a couple of months or a quarter while you're building your list.
Just developing your list is NOT enough. You need to check out the agents whose names you have collected. There are four ways you can do that:
1) Google each agent's name. Start with a search that just includes the agent's name. Do a separate search for the agency. Find out everything you can. Pay particular attention to complaints.
2) Check the agent's name out on Preditors & Editors. This is a database originally compiled by the sci-fi writers. It is now widely used by writers to check out agents and publishers. While not foolproof, it usually identifies the obvious scammers in the industry. Site: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
3) Check Writer Beware for any recent alerts on the agents on your list. Website: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/.
4) Network. Join writers' groups and loops where you can ask questions about agents and read about other writers' positive and negative experiences with agents. You'll find most writers are supportive of each other and willing to share important information, if sometimes only in private.
Networking will also help you keep aware of the trends in your genre and the industry. Don't underestimate the value of gossip. I waited too long to join writers' organizations. I've gotten a huge amount of help from both RWA and Sisters-in-Crime.
RWA has online groups for various genres as well as geographically-placed groups around the country. As an example of the kind of information you can obtain, the RWA loops and chapters were talking about the over-saturation of the chick lit market long before the market actually slowed.
Sisters-in-Crime operates several online groups for new writers (called Guppies for the great unpublished), including one called AgentQuest. Such groups can keep you informed about agents moving from one agency to another, agents who are slow to respond to queries and agents who are retiring from the business.
We'll stop here for today and pick it up again tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Finding An Agent, Part I
I attended a meeting of the Dallas Area Writers' Group last week. I talked briefly with one of their board members. She told me their writers' most frequently voiced need was help with finding an agent.
Not two days later, one of the writer loops I belonged to had a lively discussion about how to find an agent.
Therefore, for the next couple of days, this blog is going to focus on steps to take and things to do when looking for an agent. I've probably referred to most of these things in the past, but this will be the first time I've tried to organize them into an actual process. My thanks to everyone who shared their wisdom with me while I was searching for an agent.
Okay, to start, here are the steps:
1) Know Your Manuscript (Sounds simple, doesn't it?)
2) Identify Potential Agents
3) Beware of Scammers
4) Stay Aware of Industry Trends/News
5) Refine Your Pitch
6) Develop (and Then Refine) Your Query Letter
7) Maybe The Problem Is Something Else
8) Start Thinking About That Contract
I've listed them in the rough order I think (at least now) that we'll cover them, but be aware that we'll be going back and forth between them because part of looking for an agent is constantly refining what you've already done--based on feedback that you trust ("that you trust" is very important in this equation--don't change "just because." Be sure you have a legitimate reason for the changes you make. Otherwise you're just flopping around in desperation. And desperation never looks good in a query letter or during a pitch).
As I said, it starts with knowing your manuscript. And I'm dead serious about this step.
Over the last six months, I've probably talked to a hundred writers who've describe problems in finding an agent. I have consistently asked the same question, "So, tell me, what genre are you writing in?"
Invariably, I get a lengthy, messy, incomprehensible answer. Variations on the following:
**"I don't really know. You see, I think I'm not really a genre writer."
**"Oh, gosh, this manuscript is so rich. It's a little mystery, a little romance, and might even need to be called literary fiction."
**"I think this may be a new genre."
**"It's a paranormal time travel sci-fi."
If you don't know what's wrong with those responses, after you finish this post, go read my blog for September 3rd. For now, I'm only going to copy two paragraphs from that blog:
"This is pretty important--and pretty basic. Agents and publishers are in business. This means they know their market and how to place a manuscript in that market. They need to know how YOUR novel will fit. When they pick up a query letter, it's with the expectation that you, the writer, can identify the genre of your own manuscript.
Think back on your last visit to your local bookstore. Remember how the books were shelved by category or genre? When you are trying to interest an agent or a publisher in your novel, you need to be able to tell them where it will be shelved in the bookstore. Most agents and publishers specialize in certain types of fiction. When they read a query, they want to know if what you're offering is what they're looking for."
When a writer flops around and is unable to clearly define his/her novel, agents get irritated. YOU know your manuscript better than anyone else. If you can't classify your novel, agents tend to assume that your manuscript is going to be all over the map, too. Their kneejerk response is to quickly reject the query.
So--first homework assignment: Figure out your genre. If you can't identify it, take a look at my blogs from 9/4 to 9/6.
If you still can't identify your genre after that, try summarizing your plot in fifty words. That exercise should focus your thinking to the point that you can identify the genre.
If you still can't decide on the manuscript's genre after reading the definitions and writing a fifty-word summary, email me at mayareynoldswriter@sbcglobal.net and tell me what's tripping you up. I'll try to help. Be sure to include the fifty-word summary.
Second homework assignment: if you aren't already receiving Publishers' Marketplace's free lunch, go to: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/lunch/subscribe.html and sign up.
Once a week (on either Sunday or Monday), you'll receive an email listing some of the industry news and some of the deals reported to Publishers' Marketplace in the past week.
Publishers' Marketplace also provides a paid daily letter in additional to the free weekly lunch. The paid subscription costs $20/month. I'll talk about this some more tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm quoting one deal from this week's Lunch as an example:
"Julie Buxbaum's debut novel THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, about a 29-year-old attorney who lost her mother as a teenager and finds her well-constructed life falling apart when she can't commit to the man who loves her, to Susan Kamil at Dial Press, in a major deal, for publication in winter 2008, in a two-book deal, by Elaine Koster of the Elaine Koster Agency (US)."
Sign up today for the free lunch, and we'll talk about what to do with this information tomorrow.
Regards,
Maya
Not two days later, one of the writer loops I belonged to had a lively discussion about how to find an agent.
Therefore, for the next couple of days, this blog is going to focus on steps to take and things to do when looking for an agent. I've probably referred to most of these things in the past, but this will be the first time I've tried to organize them into an actual process. My thanks to everyone who shared their wisdom with me while I was searching for an agent.
Okay, to start, here are the steps:
1) Know Your Manuscript (Sounds simple, doesn't it?)
2) Identify Potential Agents
3) Beware of Scammers
4) Stay Aware of Industry Trends/News
5) Refine Your Pitch
6) Develop (and Then Refine) Your Query Letter
7) Maybe The Problem Is Something Else
8) Start Thinking About That Contract
I've listed them in the rough order I think (at least now) that we'll cover them, but be aware that we'll be going back and forth between them because part of looking for an agent is constantly refining what you've already done--based on feedback that you trust ("that you trust" is very important in this equation--don't change "just because." Be sure you have a legitimate reason for the changes you make. Otherwise you're just flopping around in desperation. And desperation never looks good in a query letter or during a pitch).
As I said, it starts with knowing your manuscript. And I'm dead serious about this step.
Over the last six months, I've probably talked to a hundred writers who've describe problems in finding an agent. I have consistently asked the same question, "So, tell me, what genre are you writing in?"
Invariably, I get a lengthy, messy, incomprehensible answer. Variations on the following:
**"I don't really know. You see, I think I'm not really a genre writer."
**"Oh, gosh, this manuscript is so rich. It's a little mystery, a little romance, and might even need to be called literary fiction."
**"I think this may be a new genre."
**"It's a paranormal time travel sci-fi."
If you don't know what's wrong with those responses, after you finish this post, go read my blog for September 3rd. For now, I'm only going to copy two paragraphs from that blog:
"This is pretty important--and pretty basic. Agents and publishers are in business. This means they know their market and how to place a manuscript in that market. They need to know how YOUR novel will fit. When they pick up a query letter, it's with the expectation that you, the writer, can identify the genre of your own manuscript.
Think back on your last visit to your local bookstore. Remember how the books were shelved by category or genre? When you are trying to interest an agent or a publisher in your novel, you need to be able to tell them where it will be shelved in the bookstore. Most agents and publishers specialize in certain types of fiction. When they read a query, they want to know if what you're offering is what they're looking for."
When a writer flops around and is unable to clearly define his/her novel, agents get irritated. YOU know your manuscript better than anyone else. If you can't classify your novel, agents tend to assume that your manuscript is going to be all over the map, too. Their kneejerk response is to quickly reject the query.
So--first homework assignment: Figure out your genre. If you can't identify it, take a look at my blogs from 9/4 to 9/6.
If you still can't identify your genre after that, try summarizing your plot in fifty words. That exercise should focus your thinking to the point that you can identify the genre.
If you still can't decide on the manuscript's genre after reading the definitions and writing a fifty-word summary, email me at mayareynoldswriter@sbcglobal.net and tell me what's tripping you up. I'll try to help. Be sure to include the fifty-word summary.
Second homework assignment: if you aren't already receiving Publishers' Marketplace's free lunch, go to: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/lunch/subscribe.html and sign up.
Once a week (on either Sunday or Monday), you'll receive an email listing some of the industry news and some of the deals reported to Publishers' Marketplace in the past week.
Publishers' Marketplace also provides a paid daily letter in additional to the free weekly lunch. The paid subscription costs $20/month. I'll talk about this some more tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm quoting one deal from this week's Lunch as an example:
"Julie Buxbaum's debut novel THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, about a 29-year-old attorney who lost her mother as a teenager and finds her well-constructed life falling apart when she can't commit to the man who loves her, to Susan Kamil at Dial Press, in a major deal, for publication in winter 2008, in a two-book deal, by Elaine Koster of the Elaine Koster Agency (US)."
Sign up today for the free lunch, and we'll talk about what to do with this information tomorrow.
Regards,
Maya
Somebody Smelled the Bacon After All
On Saturday, I went on a rant about the music industry.
I awarded the Judge Judy "Dumb Is Forever" Award to Doug Morris, Chief Executive of the Universal Music Group. On Thursday, Mr. Morris took a swipe at the Internet's social networking sites like MySpace.com and YouTube.com.
Instead of recognizing that these websites permit young people to discover new musical acts and hype favorite songs, Mr. Morris was quoted as saying, "We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars . . . How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."
I railed about how short-sighted the music industry was for not embracing social networking as a trend of the future.
Imagine my joy this morning when reading Kevin Maney's column in USA Today to read the following announcement:
"YouTube, Inc., a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, and Warner Music Group Corp., one of the world’s leading global music companies, today announced an agreement to distribute on YouTube the library of music videos from WMG’s world-renowned roster of artists as well as behind-the-scenes footage, artist interviews, original programming and other special content. In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, YouTube users will be able to incorporate music from WMG’s recorded music catalog into the videos they create and upload onto YouTube."
Now that's what I've been talking about. Embrace the technology. Stop trying to hold back the tide. Otherwise you'll be swept out to sea.
Three cheers for Warner Music Group!!
I awarded the Judge Judy "Dumb Is Forever" Award to Doug Morris, Chief Executive of the Universal Music Group. On Thursday, Mr. Morris took a swipe at the Internet's social networking sites like MySpace.com and YouTube.com.
Instead of recognizing that these websites permit young people to discover new musical acts and hype favorite songs, Mr. Morris was quoted as saying, "We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars . . . How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."
I railed about how short-sighted the music industry was for not embracing social networking as a trend of the future.
Imagine my joy this morning when reading Kevin Maney's column in USA Today to read the following announcement:
"YouTube, Inc., a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, and Warner Music Group Corp., one of the world’s leading global music companies, today announced an agreement to distribute on YouTube the library of music videos from WMG’s world-renowned roster of artists as well as behind-the-scenes footage, artist interviews, original programming and other special content. In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, YouTube users will be able to incorporate music from WMG’s recorded music catalog into the videos they create and upload onto YouTube."
Now that's what I've been talking about. Embrace the technology. Stop trying to hold back the tide. Otherwise you'll be swept out to sea.
Three cheers for Warner Music Group!!
Amended Post
Yesterday, I mentioned in my post on FanFic that my friend Eileen and I had written our own version of fan fiction way back in seventh grade.
Eileen was quick to send an email, reminding me that there were two other girls who also participated in our juvenile literary endeavors: Sharon and Lynda.
So, in the interests of truthful reporting, consider this a correction.
I'm fortunate in my friends. I have a notoriously unreliable memory. However, my friends are always ready to help me fill in the blanks.
Six years after those early efforts, Eileen and I went on to room together at the University of South Florida. We remain friends to this day. She was the first person to read my first novel, and she was incredibly supportive along my journey to finding an agent and a publisher.
Eileen has a birthday coming up at the end of this month so I'm taking this opportunity to wish her a very happy birthday. I love you, 'Leen.
Eileen was quick to send an email, reminding me that there were two other girls who also participated in our juvenile literary endeavors: Sharon and Lynda.
So, in the interests of truthful reporting, consider this a correction.
I'm fortunate in my friends. I have a notoriously unreliable memory. However, my friends are always ready to help me fill in the blanks.
Six years after those early efforts, Eileen and I went on to room together at the University of South Florida. We remain friends to this day. She was the first person to read my first novel, and she was incredibly supportive along my journey to finding an agent and a publisher.
Eileen has a birthday coming up at the end of this month so I'm taking this opportunity to wish her a very happy birthday. I love you, 'Leen.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Anna Quindlen
I'm procrastinating this morning. Diane Rehm is interviewing Anna Quindlen on NPR, and I'm listening to their discussion as I write this.
I love Anna Quindlen. I first encountered her as the result of her op/ed column in the New York Times (NYT) for which she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992.
I have a special affinity for Anna. We share the same ethnic hodgepodge: Italian and Irish, a somewhat unusual combination. And the same religion (with those ethnicities, need you ask?) although Anna is better at it than I am. And we both lived in New Jersey as children.
I have long admired her courage. In 1995, wanting to spend more time with her three children, she quit her job at the New York Times to devote her efforts to being an at-home writer.
Since that time, Anna has published several books containing copies of her NYT columns as well as several novels. The interview with Diane Rehm is part of the tour for her latest novel, Rise and Shine, about a morning anchor who utters an obscenity on the air when she doesn't realize her mike is still on. The book follows the protagonist's (Megan) journey, along with that of her sister, Bridget, a social worker in the Bronx. The book hit the top of the NYT best-seller list for fiction yesterday.
In talking about Rise and Shine, Anna said, "Success is internal while fame is external." She went on to explain that fame refers to the external trappings of one's life, while success is the way one feels internally about that life.
One of my favorite books remains Anna's One True Thing, a powerful novel about families, illness and death. The book was published in 1997, shortly before my own father died. I read and reread that book many times in the two years that followed.
If you are not familiar with Anna, you can take one of several routes to get acquainted: Your first choice is to pick up a copy of one of her non-fiction collections of the NYT columns. She did a wonderful job of weaving her public life and opinions with her private life (Her husband once asked her if she could get up and get him a beer without writing about it). The second choice is to pick up one of her six novels. Alternatively, you could find a copy of one of her two children's stories. Or, you can read her online columns in Newsweek.
Trust me. You won't regret it.
I love Anna Quindlen. I first encountered her as the result of her op/ed column in the New York Times (NYT) for which she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992.
I have a special affinity for Anna. We share the same ethnic hodgepodge: Italian and Irish, a somewhat unusual combination. And the same religion (with those ethnicities, need you ask?) although Anna is better at it than I am. And we both lived in New Jersey as children.
I have long admired her courage. In 1995, wanting to spend more time with her three children, she quit her job at the New York Times to devote her efforts to being an at-home writer.
Since that time, Anna has published several books containing copies of her NYT columns as well as several novels. The interview with Diane Rehm is part of the tour for her latest novel, Rise and Shine, about a morning anchor who utters an obscenity on the air when she doesn't realize her mike is still on. The book follows the protagonist's (Megan) journey, along with that of her sister, Bridget, a social worker in the Bronx. The book hit the top of the NYT best-seller list for fiction yesterday.
In talking about Rise and Shine, Anna said, "Success is internal while fame is external." She went on to explain that fame refers to the external trappings of one's life, while success is the way one feels internally about that life.
One of my favorite books remains Anna's One True Thing, a powerful novel about families, illness and death. The book was published in 1997, shortly before my own father died. I read and reread that book many times in the two years that followed.
If you are not familiar with Anna, you can take one of several routes to get acquainted: Your first choice is to pick up a copy of one of her non-fiction collections of the NYT columns. She did a wonderful job of weaving her public life and opinions with her private life (Her husband once asked her if she could get up and get him a beer without writing about it). The second choice is to pick up one of her six novels. Alternatively, you could find a copy of one of her two children's stories. Or, you can read her online columns in Newsweek.
Trust me. You won't regret it.
FanFic Comes of Age
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) had an article on Saturday about fan fiction titled "Rewriting the Rules of Fiction."
"Fan fiction, stories by amateur writers about characters from their favorite books, movies and television shoes, was once mainly a fringe pursuit. Now, it's changing the world of fiction, as Internet exposure helps unknown authors find mainstream success. Some Web sites are attracting unprecedented numbers of readers and, in some cases, leading to book deals."
Fan fiction has been around for a long time in one form or another. I can still remember being in seventh grade exchanging fanfic about our favorite rock group with my best friend Eileen (of course, we both figured prominently in the stories we wrote).
The first formalized fanfic I remember hearing about related to the Star Trek television series. Fans devastated by the show's cancellation fell back on fanfic to keep the series alive. Back then, writers were constantly reminding each other that they could face legal consequences for expropriating characters that were copyrighted.
The advent of the Internet has spurred the growth of the fanfic industry.
According to the WSJ, "one sign of the growing influence of these authors and stories is that media companies, usually quick to go after people who use their copyrighted material, are increasingly leaving fan fiction writers alone. Mindful of the large, loyal audience the writers represent, many companies are adopting an attitude . . . [of] 'benign neglect."
Not all parties regard fanfic with such a friendly eye. The article talks about the aggressive efforts writer Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has taken to protect her vampire characters from being used by fanfic writers. Her attorney sends out letters of warning to websites using Ms. Yarbro's copyrighted material, demanding removal of the material from the sites.
Star Trek also features prominently in what is called "slash" fanfic (as in the slash between m/m) in which fanfic writers create gay relationships between heterosexual characters like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. The WSJ article says that media companies are looking for ways to capitalize on the large audience these stories have attracted. "A company called FanLib is working with networks and publishers to create fan-fiction promotions and contests for books and TV shows."
On September 7, 2005, I wrote about HarperCollins' new Avon FanLit website where the publisher is running a series of contests for writer/readers. While not strictly fanfic, this initiative demonstrates the interest the imprint has in their fans. The WSJ article quotes an Avon senior vice president as saying, "We're looking for ways to reach the real core readers."
Simon & Schuster paid a librarian a $150,000 advance to publish her online writings about a Jane Austen character from Pride and Prejudice as a three-novel trilogy (she'd been posting her stories online for ten years by then).
Fanfic writers have attracted the notice of agents as well as publishers. The article cites more than one fanfic writer who ended up with an agent contract as the result of stories posted online.
Until I read this article, I didn't realize there was fanfic on the television show House. I'm off to go read it.
"Fan fiction, stories by amateur writers about characters from their favorite books, movies and television shoes, was once mainly a fringe pursuit. Now, it's changing the world of fiction, as Internet exposure helps unknown authors find mainstream success. Some Web sites are attracting unprecedented numbers of readers and, in some cases, leading to book deals."
Fan fiction has been around for a long time in one form or another. I can still remember being in seventh grade exchanging fanfic about our favorite rock group with my best friend Eileen (of course, we both figured prominently in the stories we wrote).
The first formalized fanfic I remember hearing about related to the Star Trek television series. Fans devastated by the show's cancellation fell back on fanfic to keep the series alive. Back then, writers were constantly reminding each other that they could face legal consequences for expropriating characters that were copyrighted.
The advent of the Internet has spurred the growth of the fanfic industry.
According to the WSJ, "one sign of the growing influence of these authors and stories is that media companies, usually quick to go after people who use their copyrighted material, are increasingly leaving fan fiction writers alone. Mindful of the large, loyal audience the writers represent, many companies are adopting an attitude . . . [of] 'benign neglect."
Not all parties regard fanfic with such a friendly eye. The article talks about the aggressive efforts writer Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has taken to protect her vampire characters from being used by fanfic writers. Her attorney sends out letters of warning to websites using Ms. Yarbro's copyrighted material, demanding removal of the material from the sites.
Star Trek also features prominently in what is called "slash" fanfic (as in the slash between m/m) in which fanfic writers create gay relationships between heterosexual characters like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. The WSJ article says that media companies are looking for ways to capitalize on the large audience these stories have attracted. "A company called FanLib is working with networks and publishers to create fan-fiction promotions and contests for books and TV shows."
On September 7, 2005, I wrote about HarperCollins' new Avon FanLit website where the publisher is running a series of contests for writer/readers. While not strictly fanfic, this initiative demonstrates the interest the imprint has in their fans. The WSJ article quotes an Avon senior vice president as saying, "We're looking for ways to reach the real core readers."
Simon & Schuster paid a librarian a $150,000 advance to publish her online writings about a Jane Austen character from Pride and Prejudice as a three-novel trilogy (she'd been posting her stories online for ten years by then).
Fanfic writers have attracted the notice of agents as well as publishers. The article cites more than one fanfic writer who ended up with an agent contract as the result of stories posted online.
Until I read this article, I didn't realize there was fanfic on the television show House. I'm off to go read it.
Resource for Writers
There is a database started for writers who are seeking an agent to enter the turnaround time on queries, both by snail mail and eQuery. I first heard about the site in May but, at that time, there weren't very many entries. I wasn't sure it would take off.
The site is now coming up on six months of operation and, while there are still not a lot of entries, I did a random check of four agents and found at least one entry for each. Therefore, I thought I would share it with my readers. The more people who are aware of it and contribute entries, the more reliable the info will become.
Here's the link:
http://community.livejournal.com/agentturnaround/
Good luck.
The site is now coming up on six months of operation and, while there are still not a lot of entries, I did a random check of four agents and found at least one entry for each. Therefore, I thought I would share it with my readers. The more people who are aware of it and contribute entries, the more reliable the info will become.
Here's the link:
http://community.livejournal.com/agentturnaround/
Good luck.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Butcher, Baker . . . Magic-Maker
I have early plans for today, Sunday, so this will be a quick post.
Like most writers, I've always been a voracious reader. The bookshelves in my house are so heavy with volumes that I worry the subfloor of my pier-and-beam home will one day give way under the weight.
As my energies became more and more focussed on writing, my reading tastes changed. My time is far more precious these days, and I tend to read shorter, non-fiction articles instead of lengthy novels. I still read fiction, but now confine myself to my favorite authors' new releases. I'm less likely to experiment with an unknown-to-me writer.
I say all this to explain that it sometimes takes me years to discover an author that others have been raving about for a long time. Such was the case with Jim Butcher, whose first novel was published in 2000.
I had actually purchased a Butcher novel three or four years ago, but never got around to reading it. I became interested in Butcher again when I started to think about writing an urban fantasy. I already had a plot line in mind when I began, but wanted more grounding in the urban fantasy sub-genre. I was familiar with female fantasy writers like Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison, but hadn't read any male fantasy writers since reading Dune and Lord of the Rings years ago.
After compiling a list of urban fantasy writers, I started looking for books by authors like Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher. During one afternoon recently, I bought Jim Butcher's entire paperback collection. I'm now about to start my fourth Butcher novel.
For those of you who aren't familiar with urban fantasy, it is a novel that takes the fantasy tradition of magic and places it into a familiar urban setting. The contrast between the urban streets and the fantasy premise is what defines the sub-genre. LKH uses St. Louis; Kim Harrison, Cincinnati; and Jim Butcher, Chicago.
Butcher's protagonist is a wizard named Harry Dresden--hence, the "Dresden Files" subtitle on his books. Dresden is a professional wizard who lives in the basement of a boarding house in Chicago. He has a thirty-pound cat named Mister and a talking skull named Bob (Actually Bob is a spirit that inhabits the skull in Dresden's lab much the way a hermit crab moves into an unoccupied shell).
In each book of the series, Butcher confronts creatures out of fantasy. In Storm Front, it's a wizard killing people with magic; in Fool Moon, it's werewolves; in Grave Peril, it's ghosts.
The books are non-stop action played out on the bad streets of Chicago with lots of great imagery. I'm not going to tell you what Butcher does to Sue, the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex of the Field Museum.
If you enjoy fantasy, you've probably already discovered Butcher. If you don't usually read fantasy, he's a good place to start. His books are imaginative, funny and great reads.
Like most writers, I've always been a voracious reader. The bookshelves in my house are so heavy with volumes that I worry the subfloor of my pier-and-beam home will one day give way under the weight.
As my energies became more and more focussed on writing, my reading tastes changed. My time is far more precious these days, and I tend to read shorter, non-fiction articles instead of lengthy novels. I still read fiction, but now confine myself to my favorite authors' new releases. I'm less likely to experiment with an unknown-to-me writer.
I say all this to explain that it sometimes takes me years to discover an author that others have been raving about for a long time. Such was the case with Jim Butcher, whose first novel was published in 2000.
I had actually purchased a Butcher novel three or four years ago, but never got around to reading it. I became interested in Butcher again when I started to think about writing an urban fantasy. I already had a plot line in mind when I began, but wanted more grounding in the urban fantasy sub-genre. I was familiar with female fantasy writers like Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison, but hadn't read any male fantasy writers since reading Dune and Lord of the Rings years ago.
After compiling a list of urban fantasy writers, I started looking for books by authors like Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher. During one afternoon recently, I bought Jim Butcher's entire paperback collection. I'm now about to start my fourth Butcher novel.
For those of you who aren't familiar with urban fantasy, it is a novel that takes the fantasy tradition of magic and places it into a familiar urban setting. The contrast between the urban streets and the fantasy premise is what defines the sub-genre. LKH uses St. Louis; Kim Harrison, Cincinnati; and Jim Butcher, Chicago.
Butcher's protagonist is a wizard named Harry Dresden--hence, the "Dresden Files" subtitle on his books. Dresden is a professional wizard who lives in the basement of a boarding house in Chicago. He has a thirty-pound cat named Mister and a talking skull named Bob (Actually Bob is a spirit that inhabits the skull in Dresden's lab much the way a hermit crab moves into an unoccupied shell).
In each book of the series, Butcher confronts creatures out of fantasy. In Storm Front, it's a wizard killing people with magic; in Fool Moon, it's werewolves; in Grave Peril, it's ghosts.
The books are non-stop action played out on the bad streets of Chicago with lots of great imagery. I'm not going to tell you what Butcher does to Sue, the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex of the Field Museum.
If you enjoy fantasy, you've probably already discovered Butcher. If you don't usually read fantasy, he's a good place to start. His books are imaginative, funny and great reads.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Judge Judy And The Music Industry
It's Saturday morning, and I'm not planning on hanging around on this blog all weekend. However, I couldn't resist this next story even if it means two posts in one day.
To understand where I'm coming from on this item, I need to make a confession.
I'm not a big television person. I don't have cable, and I never watch situation comedies or reality shows. Except for House, NCIS and Boston Legal, I don't even keep track of the prime time lineup. And I never watch daytime television . . . with two exceptions: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and Judge Judy.
Every weekday afternoon, I stop what I'm doing around 3:30 and settle in for ninety minutes of daytime viewing (Judge Judy is an hour).
I adore Judge Judy. She is arrogant and funny and extremely practical in her approach to justice. Like the irritating (and far more arrogant) Dr. Phil, she has a bunch of axioms that she repeats over and over to the poor slobs who come into her courtroom. One is, "This is some great America" when talking about the U.S. welfare system. Another is, "Beauty fades, but dumb is forever."
I was reminded of the "dumb is forever" comment when reading this next story.
First, you need to understand the upheaval that has occurred in the music industry over the last five years. In my most recent "Industry Matters" column (go to http://www.mayareynolds.com and click on "Articles" to read it), I quoted Nielsen SoundScan: "Total album sales are down 19 percent since 2001, while CD sales have dropped 16 percent during the same period . . . Sales of single digital music tracks have jumped more than 1,700 percent in just two years."
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand what this is saying about the music industry. All you need is a grammar school knowledge of arithmetic. The industry's delivery system has shifted (not "is shifting"--the move has already occurred) from the purchase of CD hard copies to digital downloads.
So, who wins my prize in the "dumb is forever" sweepstakes?
A leading contender has to be Doug Morris, the head of the world's largest music company according to the Los Angeles Times. On Thursday, Mr. Morris, Chief Executive of the Universal Music Group, went after the Internet's social networking sites like MySpace.com and YouTube.com.
Instead of recognizing that these websites permit young people to discover new musical acts and hype favorite songs, Mr. Morris was quoted as saying, "We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars . . . How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."
It just makes my head hurt.
It's been eighteen months since the Supreme Court ruled against Grokster in the lawsuit for copyright infringement brought by MGM Studios, and the music industry hasn't learned a damn thing since then.
Even though MGM prevailed in the highest court of the country, they should have realized that Grokster was only the beginning. Mark Cuban did. In the same way he challenged Wal-Mart's hegemony in the DVD world with his simultaneous release philosophy (read my blog of October 30 and the three posts I did in January on Mark Cuban for more information), Cuban offered to finance Grokster's lawsuit in the Supreme Court.
Now, compare Doug Morris to Mark Cuban. Hell, compare Doug Morris to my previous post this morning about Wal-Mart. Here's the biggest retailer in the world, which accounts for one-third of all DVD sales in the U.S., and they're prepared to walk away from that business because they can see the handwriting on the wall with respect to the digital revolution.
An entertainment analyst suggested that Morris' statement was a negotiating ploy. Let's be kind and agree that it was. Even so, it indicates that the industry is not forward-thinking. Instead of moving ahead and embracing the new technology, the industry is still using old tactics and fighting old battles over and over.
I gotta believe that at least one member of the Supreme Court has a Mp3 player by now. If I'm wrong, I'm willing to bet that all of them (Okay, maybe not Justice Souter) have grandchildren who do.
The Supreme Court is NOT going to buttress the music industry against the barbarians at the gate forever. Like everything else, copyright law changes with the culture. Unless Morris and his peers wake up and smell the bacon burning, their house is going to go up in a ball of flame.
To understand where I'm coming from on this item, I need to make a confession.
I'm not a big television person. I don't have cable, and I never watch situation comedies or reality shows. Except for House, NCIS and Boston Legal, I don't even keep track of the prime time lineup. And I never watch daytime television . . . with two exceptions: Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and Judge Judy.
Every weekday afternoon, I stop what I'm doing around 3:30 and settle in for ninety minutes of daytime viewing (Judge Judy is an hour).
I adore Judge Judy. She is arrogant and funny and extremely practical in her approach to justice. Like the irritating (and far more arrogant) Dr. Phil, she has a bunch of axioms that she repeats over and over to the poor slobs who come into her courtroom. One is, "This is some great America" when talking about the U.S. welfare system. Another is, "Beauty fades, but dumb is forever."
I was reminded of the "dumb is forever" comment when reading this next story.
First, you need to understand the upheaval that has occurred in the music industry over the last five years. In my most recent "Industry Matters" column (go to http://www.mayareynolds.com and click on "Articles" to read it), I quoted Nielsen SoundScan: "Total album sales are down 19 percent since 2001, while CD sales have dropped 16 percent during the same period . . . Sales of single digital music tracks have jumped more than 1,700 percent in just two years."
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand what this is saying about the music industry. All you need is a grammar school knowledge of arithmetic. The industry's delivery system has shifted (not "is shifting"--the move has already occurred) from the purchase of CD hard copies to digital downloads.
So, who wins my prize in the "dumb is forever" sweepstakes?
A leading contender has to be Doug Morris, the head of the world's largest music company according to the Los Angeles Times. On Thursday, Mr. Morris, Chief Executive of the Universal Music Group, went after the Internet's social networking sites like MySpace.com and YouTube.com.
Instead of recognizing that these websites permit young people to discover new musical acts and hype favorite songs, Mr. Morris was quoted as saying, "We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars . . . How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly."
It just makes my head hurt.
It's been eighteen months since the Supreme Court ruled against Grokster in the lawsuit for copyright infringement brought by MGM Studios, and the music industry hasn't learned a damn thing since then.
Even though MGM prevailed in the highest court of the country, they should have realized that Grokster was only the beginning. Mark Cuban did. In the same way he challenged Wal-Mart's hegemony in the DVD world with his simultaneous release philosophy (read my blog of October 30 and the three posts I did in January on Mark Cuban for more information), Cuban offered to finance Grokster's lawsuit in the Supreme Court.
Now, compare Doug Morris to Mark Cuban. Hell, compare Doug Morris to my previous post this morning about Wal-Mart. Here's the biggest retailer in the world, which accounts for one-third of all DVD sales in the U.S., and they're prepared to walk away from that business because they can see the handwriting on the wall with respect to the digital revolution.
An entertainment analyst suggested that Morris' statement was a negotiating ploy. Let's be kind and agree that it was. Even so, it indicates that the industry is not forward-thinking. Instead of moving ahead and embracing the new technology, the industry is still using old tactics and fighting old battles over and over.
I gotta believe that at least one member of the Supreme Court has a Mp3 player by now. If I'm wrong, I'm willing to bet that all of them (Okay, maybe not Justice Souter) have grandchildren who do.
The Supreme Court is NOT going to buttress the music industry against the barbarians at the gate forever. Like everything else, copyright law changes with the culture. Unless Morris and his peers wake up and smell the bacon burning, their house is going to go up in a ball of flame.
What's Wal-Mart Up To Next?
I found a small story in Investrend this week that has huge connotations.
"Wal-Mart, which sells about one-third of all DVDs sold in the United States, appears to be preparing an online movie download service to compete with the services just announced by Apple Computer Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc."
Why is this story so big?
To understand, you'd have to have read my post for October 30, 2005 titled "The Cuban Revolution." I discussed an article by Edward Jay Epstein in which he described the "video window," an artificial barrier "which prevents cable operators and TV stations from showing movies at the same time as their release on DVD." Epstein said the delay for pay-per-view is 45 days, and the delay for subscription cable (like HBO) is at least four months.
Epstein claimed that it would be to Hollywood's advantage to eliminate the video window and encourage viewers to switch to an electronic delivery system. In the same way that e-books eliminate much of the expense of hard copy print books, pay-per-view and cable are much cheaper means of product delivery for films (eliminating "the manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, sales and return costs" of the hard copy DVD). He said that electronic delivery directly to the consumer's home would eliminate video stores which (at that time) were getting about 40 percent of the rental money.
Why then were the studios not moving more rapidly toward electronic delivery? Epstein said the reason was . . . Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart. In addition to being the biggest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart is the single biggest seller of DVDs. Epstein said Wal-Mart "has made it clear that it does not want to compete with home delivery."
Fearful of ticking off the mega-company which provided studios with "more than one-third of their U.S. DVD revenue in 2004," Hollywood maintains the artificial barrier that protects Wal-Mart's DVD sales.
We're left with two questions: How do we know Wal-Mart is changing its stance on the video window and, if their DVD retail business is so successful, why would they do so?
The "how" is in Wal-Mart's recent job postings. According to Investrend, they're "seeking a business manager for a new digital video venture at Walmart.com." Investrend said there were no clues as to when this new venture might be launched.
As to the "why," by now, most people have heard the hype about the new downloadable services being offered by Apple and Amazon. In addition, as the fall preview for the new television season gets underway, several stations have offered free video downloads of their upcoming shows. Electronic delivery is fast becoming a staple of consumers' lives.
Everything we know about Wal-Mart says they have their gaze firmly fixed on the bottom line. That means if they want to retain their position at the top of the food chain for delivering movies to the American public, they're going to have to adapt to that public's changing tastes.
Stay tuned . . .
"Wal-Mart, which sells about one-third of all DVDs sold in the United States, appears to be preparing an online movie download service to compete with the services just announced by Apple Computer Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc."
Why is this story so big?
To understand, you'd have to have read my post for October 30, 2005 titled "The Cuban Revolution." I discussed an article by Edward Jay Epstein in which he described the "video window," an artificial barrier "which prevents cable operators and TV stations from showing movies at the same time as their release on DVD." Epstein said the delay for pay-per-view is 45 days, and the delay for subscription cable (like HBO) is at least four months.
Epstein claimed that it would be to Hollywood's advantage to eliminate the video window and encourage viewers to switch to an electronic delivery system. In the same way that e-books eliminate much of the expense of hard copy print books, pay-per-view and cable are much cheaper means of product delivery for films (eliminating "the manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, sales and return costs" of the hard copy DVD). He said that electronic delivery directly to the consumer's home would eliminate video stores which (at that time) were getting about 40 percent of the rental money.
Why then were the studios not moving more rapidly toward electronic delivery? Epstein said the reason was . . . Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart. In addition to being the biggest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart is the single biggest seller of DVDs. Epstein said Wal-Mart "has made it clear that it does not want to compete with home delivery."
Fearful of ticking off the mega-company which provided studios with "more than one-third of their U.S. DVD revenue in 2004," Hollywood maintains the artificial barrier that protects Wal-Mart's DVD sales.
We're left with two questions: How do we know Wal-Mart is changing its stance on the video window and, if their DVD retail business is so successful, why would they do so?
The "how" is in Wal-Mart's recent job postings. According to Investrend, they're "seeking a business manager for a new digital video venture at Walmart.com." Investrend said there were no clues as to when this new venture might be launched.
As to the "why," by now, most people have heard the hype about the new downloadable services being offered by Apple and Amazon. In addition, as the fall preview for the new television season gets underway, several stations have offered free video downloads of their upcoming shows. Electronic delivery is fast becoming a staple of consumers' lives.
Everything we know about Wal-Mart says they have their gaze firmly fixed on the bottom line. That means if they want to retain their position at the top of the food chain for delivering movies to the American public, they're going to have to adapt to that public's changing tastes.
Stay tuned . . .
Friday, September 15, 2006
Neener-Neener. I Told You So
Over this past year, I have nattered on and on about the risks of self-publishing and the dangers of getting scammed by the so-called subsidy presses (the new PC term for what used to be called vanity presses).
At the same time, I have repeatedly said I thought self-publishing was the wave of the future--once the significant hurdles were overcome. IMHO, the three largest hurdles are:
1) Vetting for Quality. Bookstores and libraries trust that "real" publishers that make their profit from reader income (as opposed to subsidy presses that make their profit off payments made by the author) will vet the manuscripts. A large part of the reason why libraries don't accept self-published books is that they trust in the quality of the books they order from publishers' catalogs. There is no system in place to guarantee quality in self-pubbed books.
Please understand, I'm not saying there are no quality self-pubbed books. I'm saying there is no CONSISTENCY in the quality of self-pubbed books. This makes them suspect in the eyes of booksellers and libraries.
2) Establishing a Marketing System. The vast majority of self-pubbed books sell less than 100 copies. This is because there has been no viable system set up for selling self-pubbed books. Yeah, you can list them on eBay and Amazon, but that doesn't guarantee that anyone will see them there. You need something to drive traffic in your direction. Merely having a bound book is not enough.
3) Overcoming a Negative Reputation. The subsidy presses have peed in their own pool. Greed led to their accepting any manuscript--no matter how bad the quality--and has given their industry a reputation for poor quality. At this point in time, only the most naive and impatient authors do not realize that claiming to be a "published" author and then saying, "My publisher is PublishAmerica," (or any of another dozen subsidy presses) will result in derision and eye-rolling.
Having said all that, I see signs that self-publishing is making real progress. Yahoo had an article on August 31 titled, "Book Publishing Turns the Page, Thanks to Technology."
It's important to note that the article was geared toward non-fiction, not fiction. By its very nature, non-fiction has some advantages, especially when it comes to the marketing issue.
Most people who purchase a non-fiction book are predisposed to be interested in the subject matter. Those of you who remember my June 20th blog will know that I said authors writing for a niche market may be one of three groups that would do well to self-pub.
A niche market is a small segment of the publishing industry. Large publishers may be reluctant to take on a manuscript for a tiny and very specific area of the market because the anticipated return on investment is not high enough. However, an author who takes advantage of print-on-demand technology is able to economically do a small print run of books. If the author is well connected to his niche market and has a pool of readers ready and willing to buy his book, he can overcome obstacle #2 above.
Allen Noren, director of online marketing for O'Reilly Media (a company that helps writers self-pub technical books) says, "Other publishers aren't our biggest competitors. Our biggest competitor is what people are able to find for free via the search engines." Noren validates my point re a niche market. Readers will go looking for a book on a subject in which they are interested.
The Yahoo article describes O'Reilly's SafariU.com, which "caters to professors who want to build their own custom textbooks by combining selected chapters from other texts, course notes and article handouts." O'Reilly will manage the copyright issues, create an index, design the cover and oversee the printing.
Of course, when you're talking about a college professor who dictates what book his students must buy, you're talking about a captive niche market. Even so, the technology has now improved to the point that O'Reilly estimates the cost of a 200-page text at $32 as opposed to the cost estimate for a standard college text, estimated to be $125 by Pearson Education. If the price for that self-pubbed text is set at $75 (a bargain for a new textbook these days), you can see why the professor might be interested in self pubbing. And, using print-on-demand technology, the non-fiction author can order just the number of books he needs when he needs them. Far be it from cynical me to suggest that the professor could issue a new edition of the book every couple of years, ensuring continued new purchases and to defeat any secondary market in used books growing up around the college in question. :)
According to the Yahoo article, "The falling cost of owning a press is key to the growth of print on demand. Hewlett-Packard's Indigo line of digital presses has been called the Cadillac of on-demand printing technology. The presses cost $150,000 to $750,000--chump change compared with the $1 million-plus cost of a full-size offset press . . . this kind of economy is making small markets much more attractive for booksellers."
As more legitimate operations like O'Reilly Media's come available, hopefully the rapacious subsidy presses will be driven out of business. The new print-on-demand operations need to focus on developing a decent reputation, instead of allowing greed to encourage them to print any manuscript offered to them.
Non-fiction is already making headway in the self-publishing arena. It's only a matter of time before the fiction genre develops some viable marketing methods, and self-pubbing starts making headway over there, too.
Then I really will say neener-neener, I told you so.
At the same time, I have repeatedly said I thought self-publishing was the wave of the future--once the significant hurdles were overcome. IMHO, the three largest hurdles are:
1) Vetting for Quality. Bookstores and libraries trust that "real" publishers that make their profit from reader income (as opposed to subsidy presses that make their profit off payments made by the author) will vet the manuscripts. A large part of the reason why libraries don't accept self-published books is that they trust in the quality of the books they order from publishers' catalogs. There is no system in place to guarantee quality in self-pubbed books.
Please understand, I'm not saying there are no quality self-pubbed books. I'm saying there is no CONSISTENCY in the quality of self-pubbed books. This makes them suspect in the eyes of booksellers and libraries.
2) Establishing a Marketing System. The vast majority of self-pubbed books sell less than 100 copies. This is because there has been no viable system set up for selling self-pubbed books. Yeah, you can list them on eBay and Amazon, but that doesn't guarantee that anyone will see them there. You need something to drive traffic in your direction. Merely having a bound book is not enough.
3) Overcoming a Negative Reputation. The subsidy presses have peed in their own pool. Greed led to their accepting any manuscript--no matter how bad the quality--and has given their industry a reputation for poor quality. At this point in time, only the most naive and impatient authors do not realize that claiming to be a "published" author and then saying, "My publisher is PublishAmerica," (or any of another dozen subsidy presses) will result in derision and eye-rolling.
Having said all that, I see signs that self-publishing is making real progress. Yahoo had an article on August 31 titled, "Book Publishing Turns the Page, Thanks to Technology."
It's important to note that the article was geared toward non-fiction, not fiction. By its very nature, non-fiction has some advantages, especially when it comes to the marketing issue.
Most people who purchase a non-fiction book are predisposed to be interested in the subject matter. Those of you who remember my June 20th blog will know that I said authors writing for a niche market may be one of three groups that would do well to self-pub.
A niche market is a small segment of the publishing industry. Large publishers may be reluctant to take on a manuscript for a tiny and very specific area of the market because the anticipated return on investment is not high enough. However, an author who takes advantage of print-on-demand technology is able to economically do a small print run of books. If the author is well connected to his niche market and has a pool of readers ready and willing to buy his book, he can overcome obstacle #2 above.
Allen Noren, director of online marketing for O'Reilly Media (a company that helps writers self-pub technical books) says, "Other publishers aren't our biggest competitors. Our biggest competitor is what people are able to find for free via the search engines." Noren validates my point re a niche market. Readers will go looking for a book on a subject in which they are interested.
The Yahoo article describes O'Reilly's SafariU.com, which "caters to professors who want to build their own custom textbooks by combining selected chapters from other texts, course notes and article handouts." O'Reilly will manage the copyright issues, create an index, design the cover and oversee the printing.
Of course, when you're talking about a college professor who dictates what book his students must buy, you're talking about a captive niche market. Even so, the technology has now improved to the point that O'Reilly estimates the cost of a 200-page text at $32 as opposed to the cost estimate for a standard college text, estimated to be $125 by Pearson Education. If the price for that self-pubbed text is set at $75 (a bargain for a new textbook these days), you can see why the professor might be interested in self pubbing. And, using print-on-demand technology, the non-fiction author can order just the number of books he needs when he needs them. Far be it from cynical me to suggest that the professor could issue a new edition of the book every couple of years, ensuring continued new purchases and to defeat any secondary market in used books growing up around the college in question. :)
According to the Yahoo article, "The falling cost of owning a press is key to the growth of print on demand. Hewlett-Packard's Indigo line of digital presses has been called the Cadillac of on-demand printing technology. The presses cost $150,000 to $750,000--chump change compared with the $1 million-plus cost of a full-size offset press . . . this kind of economy is making small markets much more attractive for booksellers."
As more legitimate operations like O'Reilly Media's come available, hopefully the rapacious subsidy presses will be driven out of business. The new print-on-demand operations need to focus on developing a decent reputation, instead of allowing greed to encourage them to print any manuscript offered to them.
Non-fiction is already making headway in the self-publishing arena. It's only a matter of time before the fiction genre develops some viable marketing methods, and self-pubbing starts making headway over there, too.
Then I really will say neener-neener, I told you so.
A One-Year Milestone
Yesterday was the one-year anniversary for this site. Today starts my second year of blogging.
I started blogging with a great deal of trepidation as to whether I could find something to write about every single day. I've been pleased to find this was not as big a challenge as I'd anticipated.
In some ways, this year has flown by. In other ways, it has been filled with anxiety and lots of "Hurry up and wait." I've met tons of wonderful people who have sent interesting and encouraging emails. I've made some good Internet friends, too.
Thanks to all who read this blog on a regular basis. I appreciate you and NEVER take you for granted. I understand you make a conscious choice to visit this site, and I don't want you to feel that you wasted a trip when you arrive.
I started blogging with a great deal of trepidation as to whether I could find something to write about every single day. I've been pleased to find this was not as big a challenge as I'd anticipated.
In some ways, this year has flown by. In other ways, it has been filled with anxiety and lots of "Hurry up and wait." I've met tons of wonderful people who have sent interesting and encouraging emails. I've made some good Internet friends, too.
Thanks to all who read this blog on a regular basis. I appreciate you and NEVER take you for granted. I understand you make a conscious choice to visit this site, and I don't want you to feel that you wasted a trip when you arrive.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
A New Book By Janet Evanovich
I read in this morning's USA Today that Janet Evanovich has a new book on writing coming out on September 29th. Titled How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, it describes the mechanics of writing and the publishing process.
The article brought back memories. A little more than two and a half years ago, I had just received my sixth rejection on my first manuscript. Not knowing anything about publishing, I was feeling as low as a earthworm in a hole. In the same weekend, I attended my first meetings of RWA and Sisters in Crime, hoping to find some direction.
The RWA meeting was a little overwhelming. Those ladies were intent on being published. They were organized, very much into networking and extremely supportive of each other. I was impressed and a little intimidated.
The Sisters in Crime meeting was much lower key with as many readers as writers in the group. It so happened that they were handing out free tickets to a talk Janet Evanovich was giving in Fort Worth the following week. I ended up with one of the tickets.
The next week, I schlepped over to Texas Christian University without much hope or interest. I'd never read an Evanovich novel. I like my mysteries hard-edged and suspenseful. Her brightly colored book covers screamed "light" and "chick lit" to me. The only reason I attended was that I felt so needful of direction on what I hoped would be the road to publication.
I'd left home early because I was unsure of where I was going and where I would park. In retrospect, that was a lucky decision. When I arrived at 7:00 PM for an 8:00 PM lecture, I got one of the few single seats left at the front of the auditorium. The place was jammed with hardcore Evanovich fans. I was startled to see that the audience was almost equally divided between men and women. I'd expected a heavily distaff group.
Evanovich was a delight. Blunt, humorous and a little profane, she told of her ten-year battle to get published. She described dozens of rejections on multiple manuscripts, making my six letters for one manuscript seem paltry by comparison.
She explained that, after a decade of rejecting her submissions, Harlequin at last purchased one of her romances. Following her initial success, she wrote a dozen category romances for Harlequin (and those twelve books are now collectors' items). In a moment that shocked some listeners, she said she finally got tired of writing about "the male member pulsing with need." She decided to abandon category romance just so she could "call a dick a dick."
In a hilarious recounting, she described deciding to make her new heroine, Stephanie Plum, a bail bondswoman after watching a late night rerun of Midnight Run on television. To the accompaniment of laughter, she recounted tales of her "research" forays into the world of bail bonds in New Jersey.
Evanovich was exactly what I needed that night. She was upbeat, encouraging and--above all--matter of fact about the need to never give up on your dream of being published. I left that lecture, drove to a nearby bookstore and purchased her novel Hard Eight in paperback. Her lecture had been part of the book tour for To The Nines, which was then just out in hardback.
She gave me a needed boost at just the right moment. For the first time, I realized that there was more to getting published than just writing a good book. I would need to learn a lot more about word count, the industry and the process of getting published. I made the decision that I was willing to do the hard work she described.
Because of that kick in the pants, I stuck to it and set out to learn everything I could about the publishing industry. I networked and got critiques and took workshops.
I owe Evanovich one. Without her lecture, I might have put my first manuscript under the bed and forgot all about my dreams of being published. Instead, today I have a contract from NAL and am working on my next novel.
I'll buy Evanovich's new book when it comes out later this month. It's the least I can do.
The article brought back memories. A little more than two and a half years ago, I had just received my sixth rejection on my first manuscript. Not knowing anything about publishing, I was feeling as low as a earthworm in a hole. In the same weekend, I attended my first meetings of RWA and Sisters in Crime, hoping to find some direction.
The RWA meeting was a little overwhelming. Those ladies were intent on being published. They were organized, very much into networking and extremely supportive of each other. I was impressed and a little intimidated.
The Sisters in Crime meeting was much lower key with as many readers as writers in the group. It so happened that they were handing out free tickets to a talk Janet Evanovich was giving in Fort Worth the following week. I ended up with one of the tickets.
The next week, I schlepped over to Texas Christian University without much hope or interest. I'd never read an Evanovich novel. I like my mysteries hard-edged and suspenseful. Her brightly colored book covers screamed "light" and "chick lit" to me. The only reason I attended was that I felt so needful of direction on what I hoped would be the road to publication.
I'd left home early because I was unsure of where I was going and where I would park. In retrospect, that was a lucky decision. When I arrived at 7:00 PM for an 8:00 PM lecture, I got one of the few single seats left at the front of the auditorium. The place was jammed with hardcore Evanovich fans. I was startled to see that the audience was almost equally divided between men and women. I'd expected a heavily distaff group.
Evanovich was a delight. Blunt, humorous and a little profane, she told of her ten-year battle to get published. She described dozens of rejections on multiple manuscripts, making my six letters for one manuscript seem paltry by comparison.
She explained that, after a decade of rejecting her submissions, Harlequin at last purchased one of her romances. Following her initial success, she wrote a dozen category romances for Harlequin (and those twelve books are now collectors' items). In a moment that shocked some listeners, she said she finally got tired of writing about "the male member pulsing with need." She decided to abandon category romance just so she could "call a dick a dick."
In a hilarious recounting, she described deciding to make her new heroine, Stephanie Plum, a bail bondswoman after watching a late night rerun of Midnight Run on television. To the accompaniment of laughter, she recounted tales of her "research" forays into the world of bail bonds in New Jersey.
Evanovich was exactly what I needed that night. She was upbeat, encouraging and--above all--matter of fact about the need to never give up on your dream of being published. I left that lecture, drove to a nearby bookstore and purchased her novel Hard Eight in paperback. Her lecture had been part of the book tour for To The Nines, which was then just out in hardback.
She gave me a needed boost at just the right moment. For the first time, I realized that there was more to getting published than just writing a good book. I would need to learn a lot more about word count, the industry and the process of getting published. I made the decision that I was willing to do the hard work she described.
Because of that kick in the pants, I stuck to it and set out to learn everything I could about the publishing industry. I networked and got critiques and took workshops.
I owe Evanovich one. Without her lecture, I might have put my first manuscript under the bed and forgot all about my dreams of being published. Instead, today I have a contract from NAL and am working on my next novel.
I'll buy Evanovich's new book when it comes out later this month. It's the least I can do.
On Recovery
I've been having a rough time in the mornings lately, and it's all Charles Gibson's fault.
For nearly twenty years, at 7:00 AM, I switched on Good Morning, America in the bedroom and den and got ready to face the day. Charles Gibson's voice provided counterpoint to the morning rituals of breakfast and shower. I liked Joan Lunden, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts, but my heart belonged to Charlie. I trusted him to give me the straight scoop in a no-nonsense, caring fashion.
When Gibson abandoned GMA in late June, I didn't realize how much his departure would affect me. It started in sneaky little ways. I'd sleep fifteen minutes later--then thirty minutes--and finally an hour. I starting going straight to my study, turning on the computer and beginning to work without taking my shower and dressing. Before I knew it, it was 10:00 AM, and I was still in my nightgown. I started staying up much later at night, too, going to bed at 2:00 AM instead of midnight.
I was suffering from Charlie Gibson withdrawal.
I am now in recovery. Yesterday morning, after twenty years of loyalty to ABC, I switched the station to NBC--a move that I would have scorned while Katie Couric was on board. Her cute perkiness early in the morning irritated the hell out of me. Now that she is safely tucked away on CBS, I'm willing to take a gamble on Meredith Viera. Matt Lauer is the Joan Lunden of morning news for me. I'm there for Meredith and, as long as he isn't too obnoxious, we'll get along fine.
But it was really hard to get out of bed at 6:55 yesterday morning and today. I have to keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time.
Both mornings I've had to switch the television off at 8:15 when the hard news focus abruptly ended, and the saccharine level threatened to swamp me. That's okay. As I write this, NPR is playing in the background, a safety line I can cling to in emergencies.
It remains to be seen whether I can make the transition from Gibson addiction to Viera recovery.
Stay tuned . . .
For nearly twenty years, at 7:00 AM, I switched on Good Morning, America in the bedroom and den and got ready to face the day. Charles Gibson's voice provided counterpoint to the morning rituals of breakfast and shower. I liked Joan Lunden, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts, but my heart belonged to Charlie. I trusted him to give me the straight scoop in a no-nonsense, caring fashion.
When Gibson abandoned GMA in late June, I didn't realize how much his departure would affect me. It started in sneaky little ways. I'd sleep fifteen minutes later--then thirty minutes--and finally an hour. I starting going straight to my study, turning on the computer and beginning to work without taking my shower and dressing. Before I knew it, it was 10:00 AM, and I was still in my nightgown. I started staying up much later at night, too, going to bed at 2:00 AM instead of midnight.
I was suffering from Charlie Gibson withdrawal.
I am now in recovery. Yesterday morning, after twenty years of loyalty to ABC, I switched the station to NBC--a move that I would have scorned while Katie Couric was on board. Her cute perkiness early in the morning irritated the hell out of me. Now that she is safely tucked away on CBS, I'm willing to take a gamble on Meredith Viera. Matt Lauer is the Joan Lunden of morning news for me. I'm there for Meredith and, as long as he isn't too obnoxious, we'll get along fine.
But it was really hard to get out of bed at 6:55 yesterday morning and today. I have to keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time.
Both mornings I've had to switch the television off at 8:15 when the hard news focus abruptly ended, and the saccharine level threatened to swamp me. That's okay. As I write this, NPR is playing in the background, a safety line I can cling to in emergencies.
It remains to be seen whether I can make the transition from Gibson addiction to Viera recovery.
Stay tuned . . .
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Another eReader Update
I gotta get out of this habit of doing two and three posts in a day. However, I'd just finished publishing my post about MSN's www.live.com search engine when I saw an item too delicious to ignore.
Any regular reader of this blog knows that I am very interested in the development of eReaders. My personal belief is that the only thing standing between an explosion in popularity of eBooks is the release of a really user-friendly eReader.
I last blogged about this on July 24th and July 27th in posts titled "An Update on eReaders" and "Follow-Up on eBook Readers."
Today, I have links to TWO of the upcoming eReaders.
The first is the Sony PRS-500. The release of this eReader has already been delayed multiple times. Its expected retail price is around $350, and there are rumors that it will be released later this month. Sony still states its expected debut is scheduled for "around the holidays."
Sony has published a photo on their site, but Make magazine has a better look at it on their site here:
I printed the Sony's specs on July 27th. It's reported to be 6.9" by 4.9" by .5" with a weight of 8.8 ounces.
There has been a lot of grumbling among authors in recent weeks as books, which had been carried on Amazon.com, suddenly disappeared from the site. The rumor was that Amazon is moving all books marketed on their site to their proprietary format (Mobipocket). I suspect this is Amazon's way of providing support to both their format and their upcoming eReader, Kindle.
Engadget got a look at the Kindle and has a photo here:
Engadget also gives the specs for the Kindle. The size is 4.9" by 7.5" by .7", making it slightly larger than Sony's eReader. Its weight is 10.2 ounces, making it slightly heavier than the eReader. Still no word on the launch date or the price.
Stay tuned. I'll provide more details as they come available.
Any regular reader of this blog knows that I am very interested in the development of eReaders. My personal belief is that the only thing standing between an explosion in popularity of eBooks is the release of a really user-friendly eReader.
I last blogged about this on July 24th and July 27th in posts titled "An Update on eReaders" and "Follow-Up on eBook Readers."
Today, I have links to TWO of the upcoming eReaders.
The first is the Sony PRS-500. The release of this eReader has already been delayed multiple times. Its expected retail price is around $350, and there are rumors that it will be released later this month. Sony still states its expected debut is scheduled for "around the holidays."
Sony has published a photo on their site, but Make magazine has a better look at it on their site here:
I printed the Sony's specs on July 27th. It's reported to be 6.9" by 4.9" by .5" with a weight of 8.8 ounces.
There has been a lot of grumbling among authors in recent weeks as books, which had been carried on Amazon.com, suddenly disappeared from the site. The rumor was that Amazon is moving all books marketed on their site to their proprietary format (Mobipocket). I suspect this is Amazon's way of providing support to both their format and their upcoming eReader, Kindle.
Engadget got a look at the Kindle and has a photo here:
Engadget also gives the specs for the Kindle. The size is 4.9" by 7.5" by .7", making it slightly larger than Sony's eReader. Its weight is 10.2 ounces, making it slightly heavier than the eReader. Still no word on the launch date or the price.
Stay tuned. I'll provide more details as they come available.
MSN Goes Live With Improved Search Engine
It's been quite a while since I've talked about search engines. MSN gives me a reason to address the subject again today.
For several years, Google has been the most popular search engine, capturing up to 48% of all searches. Their lead is so commanding that the term "google" has entered our vocabularies as a verb meaning "to search the Internet."
Google is followed by Yahoo!, MSN and AOL respectively in terms of the popularity of search engines. Because Yahoo! is the portal for so many Internet users, it wins the race for the more popular website, but Google comes out on top in the category of pure search engine.
If #2 tries harder, #3 obsesses more. MSN has apparently decided to challenge both Google and Yahoo! on the search engine front. This week, they unveiled their new and improved www.live.com search engine. And they have a feature that many users (including me) may find useful.
Most Internet users are familiar with the phenomenon of having a query come back with references to all kinds of things unrelated to what the user wants. As an example, if I type "Saturn" as my search engine query, I will get a mixed bag of references, including the car model, the planet and the Roman god. It's left to me to sort through the results to find the one I want, or to refine my query to "Saturn the god" at the outset.
The holy grail of search engines is a refinement by which the search engine, knowing my personal preferences, would be able to differentiate among the multiple meanings for the term "Saturn" and, recognizing my interest in mythology, give "Saturn the god" priority over other meanings for the term.
Google--usually known for its secrecy--has been very vocal in acknowledging that it is seeking to refine its system to the point where it could use its stored knowledge of a user's previous searches to select the meaning most likely to matter to that specific user. If it succeeds, Google would be able to recognize that I probably wanted the god Saturn, but my friend Terry, who recently bought a Saturn, probably is looking for data on the car.
This morning, I went to www.live.com and entered only the word "Saturn." I got the same mixed bag of results I would have gotten at Google--with a crucial difference. Off to the right (where Google runs its commercials), MSN has a column titled "Related Searches." When I checked those related searches, MSN had divided them up into categories. There were car searches, including separate listings for Saturn dealers, Saturn parts and the Saturn car model Sky. There was also a listing for the planet Saturn although not a listing for Saturn the god.
Think of this as a stepping stone in the direction of that holy grail of providing customized searches. While MSN is not able to offer me a search customized to my preferences, they are categorizing their results by type. To my way of thinking, this is a large improvement.
Let's see how Google responds.
For several years, Google has been the most popular search engine, capturing up to 48% of all searches. Their lead is so commanding that the term "google" has entered our vocabularies as a verb meaning "to search the Internet."
Google is followed by Yahoo!, MSN and AOL respectively in terms of the popularity of search engines. Because Yahoo! is the portal for so many Internet users, it wins the race for the more popular website, but Google comes out on top in the category of pure search engine.
If #2 tries harder, #3 obsesses more. MSN has apparently decided to challenge both Google and Yahoo! on the search engine front. This week, they unveiled their new and improved www.live.com search engine. And they have a feature that many users (including me) may find useful.
Most Internet users are familiar with the phenomenon of having a query come back with references to all kinds of things unrelated to what the user wants. As an example, if I type "Saturn" as my search engine query, I will get a mixed bag of references, including the car model, the planet and the Roman god. It's left to me to sort through the results to find the one I want, or to refine my query to "Saturn the god" at the outset.
The holy grail of search engines is a refinement by which the search engine, knowing my personal preferences, would be able to differentiate among the multiple meanings for the term "Saturn" and, recognizing my interest in mythology, give "Saturn the god" priority over other meanings for the term.
Google--usually known for its secrecy--has been very vocal in acknowledging that it is seeking to refine its system to the point where it could use its stored knowledge of a user's previous searches to select the meaning most likely to matter to that specific user. If it succeeds, Google would be able to recognize that I probably wanted the god Saturn, but my friend Terry, who recently bought a Saturn, probably is looking for data on the car.
This morning, I went to www.live.com and entered only the word "Saturn." I got the same mixed bag of results I would have gotten at Google--with a crucial difference. Off to the right (where Google runs its commercials), MSN has a column titled "Related Searches." When I checked those related searches, MSN had divided them up into categories. There were car searches, including separate listings for Saturn dealers, Saturn parts and the Saturn car model Sky. There was also a listing for the planet Saturn although not a listing for Saturn the god.
Think of this as a stepping stone in the direction of that holy grail of providing customized searches. While MSN is not able to offer me a search customized to my preferences, they are categorizing their results by type. To my way of thinking, this is a large improvement.
Let's see how Google responds.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Books for Our Troops
I love Joe Konrath's blog, and today I love it even more than usual.
Joe is asking for donations of books to go to American servicemen in Bagdad. This is a small, very concrete way of supporting our troops.
I'm planning to raid my shelves, write a tiny note of thanks to be tucked into each book and ship them off.
Here's the address of Joe's friend in Bagdad. Joe says that the postage is not expensive because it's treated like domestic mail:
SFC Douglas Hansen
C Co / 163 MI Bn
COB Speicher
APO AE 09393
Do it today. You'll feel good for yourself and for the men and women serving our country.
While you're at it, spread the word. Let's really build a library over there.
Best regards,
Maya
Joe is asking for donations of books to go to American servicemen in Bagdad. This is a small, very concrete way of supporting our troops.
I'm planning to raid my shelves, write a tiny note of thanks to be tucked into each book and ship them off.
Here's the address of Joe's friend in Bagdad. Joe says that the postage is not expensive because it's treated like domestic mail:
SFC Douglas Hansen
C Co / 163 MI Bn
COB Speicher
APO AE 09393
Do it today. You'll feel good for yourself and for the men and women serving our country.
While you're at it, spread the word. Let's really build a library over there.
Best regards,
Maya
Word Of The Day
I know. I know. This is my third post for the day, but I can't help it. I keep finding such interesting stuff.
Miss Snark just taught me a new term: sock puppet.
To quote Wikipedia's definition: A sock puppet is "an additional account created by an existing member of an Internet community pretending to be a separate person. This may be done so as to manufacture the illusion of support in a vote or argument or to act without social effect on one's 'main' account. This behaviour is often seen as dishonest by online communities."
I have to confess that, although I've encountered the phenomenon more than once, I didn't know there was an actual term to describe the behavior. Cool beans.
My most memorable experience with a sock puppet was the one my mother made for me when I was about five. On a family trip from New York to New Jersey to visit my paternal grandparents, I dropped the puppet out the window of the car. My father had already scolded me for dangling the puppet outside the car while I waved to fellow motorists, and I lacked the courage to admit what had happened. I just sat in the backseat crying quietly until my mother realized something was amiss. Of course, several miles had already passed by the time this happened.
The memory of my father and mother both walking along the shoulder of the Jersey Turnpike looking for the puppet I'd lost is only outweighed by the remembrance of my joy when they actually found the freaking thing.
Years later, my mother told me that my puppet was the first craft project she had ever taken on as an adult. She sewed the doll together by hand. Since she didn't expect to ever do such a thing again, there was no way she was going to see it abandoned on the side of a road.
Sock puppet. A good memory and a good word for the day.
Miss Snark just taught me a new term: sock puppet.
To quote Wikipedia's definition: A sock puppet is "an additional account created by an existing member of an Internet community pretending to be a separate person. This may be done so as to manufacture the illusion of support in a vote or argument or to act without social effect on one's 'main' account. This behaviour is often seen as dishonest by online communities."
I have to confess that, although I've encountered the phenomenon more than once, I didn't know there was an actual term to describe the behavior. Cool beans.
My most memorable experience with a sock puppet was the one my mother made for me when I was about five. On a family trip from New York to New Jersey to visit my paternal grandparents, I dropped the puppet out the window of the car. My father had already scolded me for dangling the puppet outside the car while I waved to fellow motorists, and I lacked the courage to admit what had happened. I just sat in the backseat crying quietly until my mother realized something was amiss. Of course, several miles had already passed by the time this happened.
The memory of my father and mother both walking along the shoulder of the Jersey Turnpike looking for the puppet I'd lost is only outweighed by the remembrance of my joy when they actually found the freaking thing.
Years later, my mother told me that my puppet was the first craft project she had ever taken on as an adult. She sewed the doll together by hand. Since she didn't expect to ever do such a thing again, there was no way she was going to see it abandoned on the side of a road.
Sock puppet. A good memory and a good word for the day.
Hie Thee to Lit Agent X
This is my second post for the day, but I just couldn't resist directing you to a very helpful blog.
Rachel Vater is an agent with the Lowenstein-Yost Literary Agency. She blogs under the name "Lit Agent X."
Rachel has begun periodically listing (anonymously, of course) the query letters she has turned down for representation along with the reasons why she did so.
Writers seeking publication can learn an enormous amount just from her comments on why she rejected a manuscript. It's similar to Miss Snark's Crapometer, but more condensed.
Yesterday's post includes twenty such rejections.
I really recommend taking a look at what she has to say. The link is:
http://raleva31.livejournal.com/
Rachel Vater is an agent with the Lowenstein-Yost Literary Agency. She blogs under the name "Lit Agent X."
Rachel has begun periodically listing (anonymously, of course) the query letters she has turned down for representation along with the reasons why she did so.
Writers seeking publication can learn an enormous amount just from her comments on why she rejected a manuscript. It's similar to Miss Snark's Crapometer, but more condensed.
Yesterday's post includes twenty such rejections.
I really recommend taking a look at what she has to say. The link is:
http://raleva31.livejournal.com/
The Other Shoe Finally Falls on James Frey
On January 30th, 2006, I posted a blog titled "If It's January, It Must be a Literary Hoax."
That post was prompted by the numerous scandals rocking the publishing industry as multiple best-selling authors were revealed to have plagiarized or embellished their manuscripts.
Probably the best-known of the literary hoaxes was James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, described as a "memoir" by publisher Random House. Although the book was published in 2003, sales didn't really take off until Oprah gave it an enthusiastic endorsement on her show of October 26, 2005.
Thanks to the recommendation from Oprah, Frey's book moved to the top of the New York Times non-fiction best-seller list. According to The Smoking Gun, the "memoir" sold more than 3.5 million copies.
Then, in early January, 2006, The Smoking Gun revealed that "major sections of . . . A Million Little Pieces . . . were fabricated" (ABC News). After days and weeks of evasion, Frey finally acknowledged that the allegations were true.
According to the New York Times (NYT), "readers in several states, including New York, California and Illinois, filed lawsuits saying that Mr. Frey and the publisher had defrauded them by selling the book as a memoir rather than as a work of fiction."
Thursday's NYT had an article stating that Frey and Random House "have agreed in principle on a settlement" with those readers.
Neither the author or publisher are admitting to wrongdoing, but both acknowledge that Mr. Frey altered facts for dramatic effect, changing the book from a memoir to a piece of fiction.
Three months ago a federal court judge in New York consolidated the various lawsuits into one. According to ABC News, "Ten of the 12 plaintiffs have accepted terms of the settlement, which call on Frey and Random House to pay out no more than a total of $2.35 million . . . That total covers the refund to consumers, lawyers' fees for both sides and an unspecified donation to charity."
CNN.com reported that David Drake, a spokesman for the Random House imprint Doubleday said, "I can confirm that we have an agreement in principle . . . However, it requires court approval and may take several weeks and even months."
Under the agreement, readers will be asked to provide proof of purchase for the hardcover or the paperback. They will also be asked to sign a statement that they purchased the book thinking it was a memoir. Hardcover claims will be paid $23.95 and paperback claims will be paid $14.95.
Whether this is the end of the Frey debacle remains to be seen. The Associated Press reported, "Frey has also acknowledged extensive falsifications in a second memoir, My Friend Leonard, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, which reportedly dropped him earlier this year."
That post was prompted by the numerous scandals rocking the publishing industry as multiple best-selling authors were revealed to have plagiarized or embellished their manuscripts.
Probably the best-known of the literary hoaxes was James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, described as a "memoir" by publisher Random House. Although the book was published in 2003, sales didn't really take off until Oprah gave it an enthusiastic endorsement on her show of October 26, 2005.
Thanks to the recommendation from Oprah, Frey's book moved to the top of the New York Times non-fiction best-seller list. According to The Smoking Gun, the "memoir" sold more than 3.5 million copies.
Then, in early January, 2006, The Smoking Gun revealed that "major sections of . . . A Million Little Pieces . . . were fabricated" (ABC News). After days and weeks of evasion, Frey finally acknowledged that the allegations were true.
According to the New York Times (NYT), "readers in several states, including New York, California and Illinois, filed lawsuits saying that Mr. Frey and the publisher had defrauded them by selling the book as a memoir rather than as a work of fiction."
Thursday's NYT had an article stating that Frey and Random House "have agreed in principle on a settlement" with those readers.
Neither the author or publisher are admitting to wrongdoing, but both acknowledge that Mr. Frey altered facts for dramatic effect, changing the book from a memoir to a piece of fiction.
Three months ago a federal court judge in New York consolidated the various lawsuits into one. According to ABC News, "Ten of the 12 plaintiffs have accepted terms of the settlement, which call on Frey and Random House to pay out no more than a total of $2.35 million . . . That total covers the refund to consumers, lawyers' fees for both sides and an unspecified donation to charity."
CNN.com reported that David Drake, a spokesman for the Random House imprint Doubleday said, "I can confirm that we have an agreement in principle . . . However, it requires court approval and may take several weeks and even months."
Under the agreement, readers will be asked to provide proof of purchase for the hardcover or the paperback. They will also be asked to sign a statement that they purchased the book thinking it was a memoir. Hardcover claims will be paid $23.95 and paperback claims will be paid $14.95.
Whether this is the end of the Frey debacle remains to be seen. The Associated Press reported, "Frey has also acknowledged extensive falsifications in a second memoir, My Friend Leonard, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, which reportedly dropped him earlier this year."
Monday, September 11, 2006
September 11
I woke early this morning with a heavy heart. I didn't know why until I turned on the television and realized today was the fifth anniversary of September 11th. My subconscious had remembered what I did not.
Five years ago today, I had taken the week off work. It was a Tuesday morning, and I was getting ready to switch off "Good Morning, America" to go shopping. Charles Gibson abruptly interrupted GMA to report that a plane had slammed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I can remember pulling my hand away from the television and sitting down to wait. My cousin Claire worked in that area although I did not know in which building.
Within minutes, ABC was flashing photos of the smoke pouring out of the first tower. They were speculating on the "accident" that had occurred. And then--suddenly the second plane hit the WTC, and the whole world knew that this was no accident.
Nearly thirty-six hours passed before my mother called to say that my cousin Claire and the rest of my extended family were all safe. Most of my very large Irish (Mom's family) and Italian (Dad's family) clan live and work in the New York area. It took some time to do a nose count. Through luck and accident, we had been spared.
I never left my house that day or during the rest of my week's vacation. In the hours and days and weeks that followed, I channeled my grief and horror over the nearly 3,000 deaths into very specific behavior. I would not, could not, be away from a radio or television at any time. I have three television sets in my home--den, study and bedroom. When I was at home, all three were on at all times--even while I slept.
I realize now it was a post traumatic stress reaction. I became hyper-vigilant--as though by doing so I could protect me and mine. It was nearly three months before I recognized the dysfunction and began to wean myself away from what was behavior grounded in magical thinking.
I remember those days when people searched for ways to express love and support for our brothers and sisters in New York. Everyone seemed a little less rushed, a little less self-absorbed, a little less "me, me," as we reached out to help the first responders and the families of the fallen. It was comforting to see other countries extending their sympathies to America. I was very proud to be an American back then.
-----------------
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind...and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Five years ago today, I had taken the week off work. It was a Tuesday morning, and I was getting ready to switch off "Good Morning, America" to go shopping. Charles Gibson abruptly interrupted GMA to report that a plane had slammed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I can remember pulling my hand away from the television and sitting down to wait. My cousin Claire worked in that area although I did not know in which building.
Within minutes, ABC was flashing photos of the smoke pouring out of the first tower. They were speculating on the "accident" that had occurred. And then--suddenly the second plane hit the WTC, and the whole world knew that this was no accident.
Nearly thirty-six hours passed before my mother called to say that my cousin Claire and the rest of my extended family were all safe. Most of my very large Irish (Mom's family) and Italian (Dad's family) clan live and work in the New York area. It took some time to do a nose count. Through luck and accident, we had been spared.
I never left my house that day or during the rest of my week's vacation. In the hours and days and weeks that followed, I channeled my grief and horror over the nearly 3,000 deaths into very specific behavior. I would not, could not, be away from a radio or television at any time. I have three television sets in my home--den, study and bedroom. When I was at home, all three were on at all times--even while I slept.
I realize now it was a post traumatic stress reaction. I became hyper-vigilant--as though by doing so I could protect me and mine. It was nearly three months before I recognized the dysfunction and began to wean myself away from what was behavior grounded in magical thinking.
I remember those days when people searched for ways to express love and support for our brothers and sisters in New York. Everyone seemed a little less rushed, a little less self-absorbed, a little less "me, me," as we reached out to help the first responders and the families of the fallen. It was comforting to see other countries extending their sympathies to America. I was very proud to be an American back then.
-----------------
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind...and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Differences Between Trade Paper & MMP, Part II
This is the second of two posts on the differences between trade paper and mass market paperbacks (MMPs). Yesterday, we talked about the differences in size and in the quality of the paper used to print both types of books. Today we're going to look at the way the books are treated once they are removed from the shelves of stores.
Before we get to that difference, I'm going to detour for a moment to talk about the return/remainder system. You need to understand that system to understand the rest of this post. And it starts with how hardback books are handled.
Hardback books are sent to bookstores/retail stores essentially on consignment. Depending on the size of the chain, bookstores/retail stores purchase these books at a discount directly from the publisher or from a book distributor. Obviously, a chain like Wal-Mart gets a huge discount--based on the expected volume of their sales--which explains why Wal-Mart can sell books so cheaply. Chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble or Border's get a smaller discount than Wal-Mart does, and independent bookstores get an even smaller discount than the chain bookstores do.
All of these retailers purchase their shipments with the knowledge that they can return any unsold books. The retail outlet usually has to pay for the cost of shipping the books back, but they then receive full credit.
According to agent Richard Curtis, "this practice was originally created as an admirable incentive for booksellers to take chances on new writers." Essentially, the publisher guarantees that the bookstore won’t get stuck with the bill for a book that didn’t sell well.
When the consignment system began, returns were only about 10% of the total books shipped to retailers. In recent years, however, returns have gone as high as 50% to 60% of books shipped.
By the way, this is another issue confronting authors who self publish. Many writers who go to the so-called subsidy press companies (read here: vanity press companies) are unaware that the consignment/return system even exists.
After the hardback books are returned, they are often remaindered, meaning they are then resold at a huge discount to remainder specialists and retail outlets. The publisher is trying to salvage something from the returned books--if only the printing costs.
Remaindered books are placed on sale tables in bookstores, supermarkets and even used bookstores to be sold at a fraction of their original retail price. Today, I can buy remaindered hardback books that originally retailed for $25 for $5.99 in my local Tom Thumb supermarket or at a Half Price Books outlet. The books are new, just remaindered. All those books on the discount shelves at the front of your local Barnes & Noble are also remainders.
An easy way to tell that you are purchasing a remainder is to look to the white page edges of the book. There will usually be a black magic marker slash drawn across the pages on either the top or bottom of the book, signifying a remainder.
There is also an alternate system known as “remaindered on the shelf” where the remaindering process is streamlined. The original retailer takes a smaller credit on the unsold stock, but then doesn’t have the expense or bother of shipping them back. Instead, they move the books directly from their own retail shelf to their sales tables and mark down the price from the original retail price.
I recently learned from Joe Konrath's blog of a new phenomenon called "strip and bind." Instead of remaindering the returned hardback books, some publishers remove the hardback cover and rebind the book as a trade paper. They then ship the books back to retail outlets to be sold new at a price anywhere from $12 to $16. Selling the rebound book new again is a significant improvement (for the publisher) over the enormous hit they will take for remaindering the book.
Now that you understand the system, let's return to our discussion of trade paper books and MMPs.
Remember: we identified mass market paperbacks as the smaller books printed on much cheaper paper. A completely different system is in place for handling these books when they are removed from bookshelves.
Instead of shipping MMPs back for credit, their covers are ripped off (stripped) and sent back to the publisher as proof that the book didn't sell.
Stripping a MMP saves labor and shipping costs on a very cheap product. Publishers give credit for the MMP covers received back while the rest of the book can be recycled (pulped) locally. That is why you often see notices printed or stamped in mass market paperbacks saying, "If this book is sold to you without a cover, it is being illegally sold." That notice is meant to alert you that the bookstore ripped the cover off and sent it back to the publisher for credit. The store is, therefore, prohibited from turning around and reselling the coverless book again (double dipping by being paid twice for the same book).
You'll recall that trade paper books are larger than mass market paperbacks and printed on much heavier paper than a MMP. The name "trade paper" comes from the fact that, in addition to being sold to traditional bookstores, they are sold directly to the trade--airports, supermarkets, etc.
When a trade paper book is removed from retailers' shelves, its covers are not stripped. Trade papers are treated like hardback books instead of like MMPs. Rather than being stripped, the entire trade paper book is returned for credit and then remaindered.
What does all this mean to authors? Well, first of all, you get no royalties on remaindered books. But there is still an upside for the writer in remainders. Your book is still out there being sold, and you are still gaining name recognition--even if you don't pick up any money from those sales.
It's a simple concept. The more of your books that are out there circulating--whether new, used or remaindered--the more chances a reader will pick one up. Think of used or remaindered books as part of your publicity campaign. Even though you won't get paid for those sales, they are increasing your name recognition and giving you additional opportunities to develop new fans.
From personal experience, I know that I am rarely willing to invest $25 in a hardback by a new author. I prefer to buy new authors in MMP or trade paper format. However, I will often pick up a remaindered hardback by an unknown author to read. If the book is good, I will make a point of finding and purchasing other offerings by that same author to guarantee a royalty will accrue to him. It's my small way of supporting my peers.
I hope this post has been helpful in explaining one aspect of the publishing business.
Before we get to that difference, I'm going to detour for a moment to talk about the return/remainder system. You need to understand that system to understand the rest of this post. And it starts with how hardback books are handled.
Hardback books are sent to bookstores/retail stores essentially on consignment. Depending on the size of the chain, bookstores/retail stores purchase these books at a discount directly from the publisher or from a book distributor. Obviously, a chain like Wal-Mart gets a huge discount--based on the expected volume of their sales--which explains why Wal-Mart can sell books so cheaply. Chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble or Border's get a smaller discount than Wal-Mart does, and independent bookstores get an even smaller discount than the chain bookstores do.
All of these retailers purchase their shipments with the knowledge that they can return any unsold books. The retail outlet usually has to pay for the cost of shipping the books back, but they then receive full credit.
According to agent Richard Curtis, "this practice was originally created as an admirable incentive for booksellers to take chances on new writers." Essentially, the publisher guarantees that the bookstore won’t get stuck with the bill for a book that didn’t sell well.
When the consignment system began, returns were only about 10% of the total books shipped to retailers. In recent years, however, returns have gone as high as 50% to 60% of books shipped.
By the way, this is another issue confronting authors who self publish. Many writers who go to the so-called subsidy press companies (read here: vanity press companies) are unaware that the consignment/return system even exists.
After the hardback books are returned, they are often remaindered, meaning they are then resold at a huge discount to remainder specialists and retail outlets. The publisher is trying to salvage something from the returned books--if only the printing costs.
Remaindered books are placed on sale tables in bookstores, supermarkets and even used bookstores to be sold at a fraction of their original retail price. Today, I can buy remaindered hardback books that originally retailed for $25 for $5.99 in my local Tom Thumb supermarket or at a Half Price Books outlet. The books are new, just remaindered. All those books on the discount shelves at the front of your local Barnes & Noble are also remainders.
An easy way to tell that you are purchasing a remainder is to look to the white page edges of the book. There will usually be a black magic marker slash drawn across the pages on either the top or bottom of the book, signifying a remainder.
There is also an alternate system known as “remaindered on the shelf” where the remaindering process is streamlined. The original retailer takes a smaller credit on the unsold stock, but then doesn’t have the expense or bother of shipping them back. Instead, they move the books directly from their own retail shelf to their sales tables and mark down the price from the original retail price.
I recently learned from Joe Konrath's blog of a new phenomenon called "strip and bind." Instead of remaindering the returned hardback books, some publishers remove the hardback cover and rebind the book as a trade paper. They then ship the books back to retail outlets to be sold new at a price anywhere from $12 to $16. Selling the rebound book new again is a significant improvement (for the publisher) over the enormous hit they will take for remaindering the book.
Now that you understand the system, let's return to our discussion of trade paper books and MMPs.
Remember: we identified mass market paperbacks as the smaller books printed on much cheaper paper. A completely different system is in place for handling these books when they are removed from bookshelves.
Instead of shipping MMPs back for credit, their covers are ripped off (stripped) and sent back to the publisher as proof that the book didn't sell.
Stripping a MMP saves labor and shipping costs on a very cheap product. Publishers give credit for the MMP covers received back while the rest of the book can be recycled (pulped) locally. That is why you often see notices printed or stamped in mass market paperbacks saying, "If this book is sold to you without a cover, it is being illegally sold." That notice is meant to alert you that the bookstore ripped the cover off and sent it back to the publisher for credit. The store is, therefore, prohibited from turning around and reselling the coverless book again (double dipping by being paid twice for the same book).
You'll recall that trade paper books are larger than mass market paperbacks and printed on much heavier paper than a MMP. The name "trade paper" comes from the fact that, in addition to being sold to traditional bookstores, they are sold directly to the trade--airports, supermarkets, etc.
When a trade paper book is removed from retailers' shelves, its covers are not stripped. Trade papers are treated like hardback books instead of like MMPs. Rather than being stripped, the entire trade paper book is returned for credit and then remaindered.
What does all this mean to authors? Well, first of all, you get no royalties on remaindered books. But there is still an upside for the writer in remainders. Your book is still out there being sold, and you are still gaining name recognition--even if you don't pick up any money from those sales.
It's a simple concept. The more of your books that are out there circulating--whether new, used or remaindered--the more chances a reader will pick one up. Think of used or remaindered books as part of your publicity campaign. Even though you won't get paid for those sales, they are increasing your name recognition and giving you additional opportunities to develop new fans.
From personal experience, I know that I am rarely willing to invest $25 in a hardback by a new author. I prefer to buy new authors in MMP or trade paper format. However, I will often pick up a remaindered hardback by an unknown author to read. If the book is good, I will make a point of finding and purchasing other offerings by that same author to guarantee a royalty will accrue to him. It's my small way of supporting my peers.
I hope this post has been helpful in explaining one aspect of the publishing business.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Differences Between Trade Paper & MMP
Writers frequently ask about the differences between mass market paperback (MMP) books and trade paperback books. There are three major differences: size, quality and how they are treated once they are removed from the bookshelves. Those differences result in other differences, too, like pricing.
Today we'll address size and quality. Tomorrow we'll deal with what happens when the book is removed from the shelves.
Before we begin, let's review the early history of the mass market paperback. According to Wikipedia, the first paperback books were produced by Albatross Books in Germany in 1931. "British publisher Allen Lane launched the Penguin imprint in 1935, with 10 reprint titles; this started the paperback revolution in the English-language book market."
According to USA Today, "the traditional paperback is usually 43/16 inches by 63/4 inches," or approximately 7" x 4". They retail for around $8.
In recent years, publishers have been experimenting with a premium-sized mass market paperback. The premiums are 41/4 inches by 71/2 inches with slightly larger type and more loosely spaced words for easier reading. This move is prompted by Baby Boomers and their aging vision.
As I mentioned at the outset, the first major difference between mass market paperbacks and their trade paperback cousins is size. Trade paper books are approximately 8" x 5" with larger printing and a price around $14.
The second major difference between the two is the quality of the paper. The paper quality is much higher in a trade paper. This is important because, with heavier paper, a trade paper book will have a longer life than a MMP. The pages will not yellow nor tear as easily as they will on a MMP. The paper quality in a trade paper is more similar to that of a hardback book than it is to a MMP.
I did some research to find out when trade paperbacks first made an appearance. The only date I'm sure of is that Putnam Berkley (the same group that debuted the first English mass market paperback) introduced Perigee Books, a trade paperback imprint, in 1979. I don't know if another publishing house had an earlier version but, from this date, we can conclude that the trade market paper has been around for at least twenty-five years.
Tomorrow we'll talk about how publishers dispose of MMP, trade paper and hardback books.
Today we'll address size and quality. Tomorrow we'll deal with what happens when the book is removed from the shelves.
Before we begin, let's review the early history of the mass market paperback. According to Wikipedia, the first paperback books were produced by Albatross Books in Germany in 1931. "British publisher Allen Lane launched the Penguin imprint in 1935, with 10 reprint titles; this started the paperback revolution in the English-language book market."
According to USA Today, "the traditional paperback is usually 43/16 inches by 63/4 inches," or approximately 7" x 4". They retail for around $8.
In recent years, publishers have been experimenting with a premium-sized mass market paperback. The premiums are 41/4 inches by 71/2 inches with slightly larger type and more loosely spaced words for easier reading. This move is prompted by Baby Boomers and their aging vision.
As I mentioned at the outset, the first major difference between mass market paperbacks and their trade paperback cousins is size. Trade paper books are approximately 8" x 5" with larger printing and a price around $14.
The second major difference between the two is the quality of the paper. The paper quality is much higher in a trade paper. This is important because, with heavier paper, a trade paper book will have a longer life than a MMP. The pages will not yellow nor tear as easily as they will on a MMP. The paper quality in a trade paper is more similar to that of a hardback book than it is to a MMP.
I did some research to find out when trade paperbacks first made an appearance. The only date I'm sure of is that Putnam Berkley (the same group that debuted the first English mass market paperback) introduced Perigee Books, a trade paperback imprint, in 1979. I don't know if another publishing house had an earlier version but, from this date, we can conclude that the trade market paper has been around for at least twenty-five years.
Tomorrow we'll talk about how publishers dispose of MMP, trade paper and hardback books.
Friday, September 08, 2006
A Mugging in a Mall
I was mugged today. And buffed. And polished. All against my will.
It had been a very stressful morning. After it was all over, my friend CN and I visited a mall to decompress. Men drink. Women, being multi-taskers, shop first and drink later.
I'm out of practice at mall shopping. Hadn't been inside one since last Christmas. When a hunter doesn't keep in shape, she loses her edge. That's the only excuse I have for what happened next.
CN and I were walking through the center of the mall when a woman at a kiosk smiled at me. Without thinking, I smiled back. Huge mistake. Never make eye contact with a predator.
Before I realized what had happened, the woman grabbed my right hand and began examining my nails. Checking out her prey.
I tugged, trying to free my fingers, but she was already buffing my thumbnail.
Damn! Trapped. I would have to chew through the thumb to escape.
I looked for CN, but she was still walking. I called, "CN!" and then realized she had sacrificed me to save herself. After fifteen years of friendship, she'd thrown me under the bus without a second glance.
The Israeli woman released my thumb, and I dutifully admired what the dead sea salts had done to make my thumbnail shiny and smooth. She complimented my natural nails, saying my clean white tips looked like French nails, and I was lucky. I winced, hearing the ca-ching of pennies getting ready to depart my purse.
It was time for defensive action. "Okay," I said, trying to staunch the sales patter. "How much?"
"That's not the important question right now," she responded, refusing to take the bait. "Tell me. Do you cut your cuticles?"
"No," I said, already plotting my next move. Skills I hadn't used in more than six months were coming back. "How much?" I repeated with firmness.
She sighed in resignation, disappointed to find she'd snagged a miserly philistine instead of an extravagant Yuppie.
I suddenly realized why she had cut me out from the herd. I was dressed in business attire with makeup and my good jewelry. Apparently, my usual oh-so-casual-approach to attire innoculates me from becoming a target for predators.
She pointed to a little blue bag filled with a buffing brush and body lotion.
"Forty-nine ninety nine," she replied.
Annoyed at being taken for an amateur, I began to flex my rusty muscles. "Give me a break," I snarled.
She shrugged, accepting that she had overplayed her hand. "I do have a newcomer's special I can give you for $39.99."
"Thanks for the shiny thumb." I began to walk away.
"Wait," she called. "I can give you just the buffing brush for $19.99."
But now, the relative safety of the food court and play area beckoned. I could sense freedom just steps away. "I'll catch you on our way back through the mall," I promised, crossing my fingers.
"Let me do all your nails," she whined, her chirpiness giving way to desperation. I didn't bother to answer.
Whew! Freedom. Time to deal with the traitor.
CN was lurking behind a nearby pillar. "I didn't think you'd make it out alive," she said.
"No thanks to you," I growled. "If that had happened to you, I would have stayed to distract her until you could get away."
She shook her head. "Sorry. My contract only requires five hours of loyal friendship per day. I reached my quota for today about an hour ago." She grinned. "Besides, you would have had to set your hair on fire to distract that one."
I couldn't argue with her take on the situation. And, she had already proved herself a loyal and steadfast supporter on a day when I really needed help.
A woman at another kiosk smiled at me. My eyes automatically unfocused. I ducked my head and pulled in my limbs, making as small a target as possible.
It's like riding a bike. You never truly forget how to survive life on the veldt.
Thank you, CN, for your help today. I love you.
It had been a very stressful morning. After it was all over, my friend CN and I visited a mall to decompress. Men drink. Women, being multi-taskers, shop first and drink later.
I'm out of practice at mall shopping. Hadn't been inside one since last Christmas. When a hunter doesn't keep in shape, she loses her edge. That's the only excuse I have for what happened next.
CN and I were walking through the center of the mall when a woman at a kiosk smiled at me. Without thinking, I smiled back. Huge mistake. Never make eye contact with a predator.
Before I realized what had happened, the woman grabbed my right hand and began examining my nails. Checking out her prey.
I tugged, trying to free my fingers, but she was already buffing my thumbnail.
Damn! Trapped. I would have to chew through the thumb to escape.
I looked for CN, but she was still walking. I called, "CN!" and then realized she had sacrificed me to save herself. After fifteen years of friendship, she'd thrown me under the bus without a second glance.
The Israeli woman released my thumb, and I dutifully admired what the dead sea salts had done to make my thumbnail shiny and smooth. She complimented my natural nails, saying my clean white tips looked like French nails, and I was lucky. I winced, hearing the ca-ching of pennies getting ready to depart my purse.
It was time for defensive action. "Okay," I said, trying to staunch the sales patter. "How much?"
"That's not the important question right now," she responded, refusing to take the bait. "Tell me. Do you cut your cuticles?"
"No," I said, already plotting my next move. Skills I hadn't used in more than six months were coming back. "How much?" I repeated with firmness.
She sighed in resignation, disappointed to find she'd snagged a miserly philistine instead of an extravagant Yuppie.
I suddenly realized why she had cut me out from the herd. I was dressed in business attire with makeup and my good jewelry. Apparently, my usual oh-so-casual-approach to attire innoculates me from becoming a target for predators.
She pointed to a little blue bag filled with a buffing brush and body lotion.
"Forty-nine ninety nine," she replied.
Annoyed at being taken for an amateur, I began to flex my rusty muscles. "Give me a break," I snarled.
She shrugged, accepting that she had overplayed her hand. "I do have a newcomer's special I can give you for $39.99."
"Thanks for the shiny thumb." I began to walk away.
"Wait," she called. "I can give you just the buffing brush for $19.99."
But now, the relative safety of the food court and play area beckoned. I could sense freedom just steps away. "I'll catch you on our way back through the mall," I promised, crossing my fingers.
"Let me do all your nails," she whined, her chirpiness giving way to desperation. I didn't bother to answer.
Whew! Freedom. Time to deal with the traitor.
CN was lurking behind a nearby pillar. "I didn't think you'd make it out alive," she said.
"No thanks to you," I growled. "If that had happened to you, I would have stayed to distract her until you could get away."
She shook her head. "Sorry. My contract only requires five hours of loyal friendship per day. I reached my quota for today about an hour ago." She grinned. "Besides, you would have had to set your hair on fire to distract that one."
I couldn't argue with her take on the situation. And, she had already proved herself a loyal and steadfast supporter on a day when I really needed help.
A woman at another kiosk smiled at me. My eyes automatically unfocused. I ducked my head and pulled in my limbs, making as small a target as possible.
It's like riding a bike. You never truly forget how to survive life on the veldt.
Thank you, CN, for your help today. I love you.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Avon FanLit Website
This is my first post about Avon's (HarperCollins) new FanLit blog and contest site. Avon announced its opening last month, and I've periodically checked the message forums over there to keep track of what's going on.
To quote from the contest description on the website, "Avon Romance editors have come up with six different story premises for you to choose from." Once readers vote on a premise, aspiring writers are invited to submit chapters using that premise in a series of consecutive contests. Prizes include a shopping spree at Saks and a development deal with Fox TV.
Harlequin's been doing a variant of this online since 2000 although their prizes have not been anywhere near as showy. Harlequin recently revamped their program (see my post of August 31 entitled "A Digital Revolution").
A friend (thanks, Cat) suggested I take a look at the growing debate on the message board this morning. I found the issues being raised interesting.
It all started with a reader who asked on the forum if her work could be stolen if she posted her WIP (work-in-progress) on the Avon website. She expressed concern about Avon putting "us struggling writers in jeopardy."
Reading the thread of emails, it quickly became obvious that readers were talking at cross purposes and offering confusing or incomplete information to each other. I could see three distinct areas of concern:
1) If I post my WIP (work-in-progress) on the Avon message board, can someone steal it? Do I need to copyright it first?
2) If I enter the Avon contest, do I need to copyright my material?
3) Who owns my posts or my WIP if I post them on the message boards?
All the cross posts were muddying the waters. The Avon moderator responded with this post on Thursday morning:
----------------------------
Hi everyone,
Here's a quick update on this topic. We've been in contact with HarperCollins/Avon personnel who have assured us it is not their intent to claim ownership over material posted in the forum, only that which is entered in the contest itself.
Also, they intend to claim a non-exlcusive (sic) right to publish comments posted in the forum, but not creative works.
A revision to the site terms of service that relects (sic) the above will be posted in the next few days. Until then, the exact terms cannot be affirmed and this post can only be viewed as an indication of what will probably occur. So, it's up to everyone's good judgement.
Thanks and stay tuned...
CalamityJ
--------------------------
I posted the following response to try and sort out the three issues that had people resorting to posting excerpts from the U.S. Copyright Office on the website:
I'm not an attorney, but I think you all have about three issues, and they're getting all mixed up:
1) Someone "stealing" your work. I guess that's always a possibility, but they can't steal it verbatim. If they do, you have recourse. Applying for a copyright does give you some additional rights in a lawsuit.
If, however, they steal the idea and write it in their own words, all the copyrights in the world won't help you because you can't copyright an idea.
2) Contest material. Your price for submitting to the contest is that you give up rights to what you submit without expectation of any compensation (beyond any prize you may or may not win).
Copyright has nothing to do with this issue. You automatically own your material when you put it in fixed form. You surrender rights to that material (copyrighted or not) when you accept the terms of the contest.
Now, of course, if you win the contest, you'll probably consider that sufficient compensation. If you lose, will you be okay with saying goodbye to your entry?
In other words, don't enter any scenes or excerpts from your WIPs to the contest. Write something fresh and consider surrendering those rights the entry fee for the contest.
3) Material posted on this [Avon] blog. Calamity seems to be saying that Avon has no designs on your blogged postings, but may reserve
some non-exclusive rights. We'll have to see what those rights are when they give us an answer.
Hope that helps.
Maya Reynolds
-----------------------------
Stay tuned for more.
You can read the entire thread here:
http://avonforum.fanlit.com/forums/3035/ShowPost.aspx
To quote from the contest description on the website, "Avon Romance editors have come up with six different story premises for you to choose from." Once readers vote on a premise, aspiring writers are invited to submit chapters using that premise in a series of consecutive contests. Prizes include a shopping spree at Saks and a development deal with Fox TV.
Harlequin's been doing a variant of this online since 2000 although their prizes have not been anywhere near as showy. Harlequin recently revamped their program (see my post of August 31 entitled "A Digital Revolution").
A friend (thanks, Cat) suggested I take a look at the growing debate on the message board this morning. I found the issues being raised interesting.
It all started with a reader who asked on the forum if her work could be stolen if she posted her WIP (work-in-progress) on the Avon website. She expressed concern about Avon putting "us struggling writers in jeopardy."
Reading the thread of emails, it quickly became obvious that readers were talking at cross purposes and offering confusing or incomplete information to each other. I could see three distinct areas of concern:
1) If I post my WIP (work-in-progress) on the Avon message board, can someone steal it? Do I need to copyright it first?
2) If I enter the Avon contest, do I need to copyright my material?
3) Who owns my posts or my WIP if I post them on the message boards?
All the cross posts were muddying the waters. The Avon moderator responded with this post on Thursday morning:
----------------------------
Hi everyone,
Here's a quick update on this topic. We've been in contact with HarperCollins/Avon personnel who have assured us it is not their intent to claim ownership over material posted in the forum, only that which is entered in the contest itself.
Also, they intend to claim a non-exlcusive (sic) right to publish comments posted in the forum, but not creative works.
A revision to the site terms of service that relects (sic) the above will be posted in the next few days. Until then, the exact terms cannot be affirmed and this post can only be viewed as an indication of what will probably occur. So, it's up to everyone's good judgement.
Thanks and stay tuned...
CalamityJ
--------------------------
I posted the following response to try and sort out the three issues that had people resorting to posting excerpts from the U.S. Copyright Office on the website:
I'm not an attorney, but I think you all have about three issues, and they're getting all mixed up:
1) Someone "stealing" your work. I guess that's always a possibility, but they can't steal it verbatim. If they do, you have recourse. Applying for a copyright does give you some additional rights in a lawsuit.
If, however, they steal the idea and write it in their own words, all the copyrights in the world won't help you because you can't copyright an idea.
2) Contest material. Your price for submitting to the contest is that you give up rights to what you submit without expectation of any compensation (beyond any prize you may or may not win).
Copyright has nothing to do with this issue. You automatically own your material when you put it in fixed form. You surrender rights to that material (copyrighted or not) when you accept the terms of the contest.
Now, of course, if you win the contest, you'll probably consider that sufficient compensation. If you lose, will you be okay with saying goodbye to your entry?
In other words, don't enter any scenes or excerpts from your WIPs to the contest. Write something fresh and consider surrendering those rights the entry fee for the contest.
3) Material posted on this [Avon] blog. Calamity seems to be saying that Avon has no designs on your blogged postings, but may reserve
some non-exclusive rights. We'll have to see what those rights are when they give us an answer.
Hope that helps.
Maya Reynolds
-----------------------------
Stay tuned for more.
You can read the entire thread here:
http://avonforum.fanlit.com/forums/3035/ShowPost.aspx
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Defining Novel Genres, Part III (Paranormals & Sci-Fi)
This is the third in a series of posts intended to help writers identify the genre of their manuscripts. We'll be talking about paranormals and sci-fi today. HINT: You might want to refill your coffee before you start reading. This is an extra-long post.
First, let me give credit to the people who helped me learn how to think about paranormals and sci-fi. Special props to Cathy Clamp, who teaches terrific classes on genres, and to the FF&P loop (Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal). FF&P is an online chapter of RWA and a fantastic group of writers. Cathy is an extremely versatile author, and her latest novel (together with writing partner, C.T. Adams) is Captive Moon. You can read about it at their website at: http://www.ciecatrunpubs.com/. Thanks to Cathy for being willing to share the information attributed to her with my readers.
Let's start with science fiction, often called sci-fi. A good working definition is Robert Heinlein's. Boiled down, it reads, science fiction is "realistic speculation about possible . . . events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method."
The operative word in science fiction is science. Sci-Fi must be based on science. It can be speculative, meaning it can suggest how present-day science will evolve, but the fictional advancements MUST be grounded in real scientific principles.
Even though it's implied in the above definition, Cathy Clamp emphasizes that the science involved must be Earth-based (the only reality we Earthlings know). This is an important distinction. To understand why, let's look at two stories: the original television show Star Trek and the first Star Wars movie, Episode Four.
The fictional starship Enterprise's five-year mission originated on Earth. A futuristic Earth, yes, but Earth nonetheless. In the nearly forty years since the show debuted, one of the compliments frequently paid to Gene Roddenberry, the scriptwriter who produced it, was that the show used "real" science as the basis of its episodes. Star Trek is truly science fiction.
By contrast, Star Wars begins on the planet Tatooine where Luke Skywalker lives with his aunt and uncle. Star Wars is filled with rich world-building, but the worlds are not real. Star Wars is, therefore, a fantasy.
I can almost hear someone reading this and saying, "But wait! Star Trek also created worlds that were not real." Yes, of course, they did. However, Star Trek is almost always classified as sci-fi while Star Wars is almost always classified as fantasy. And, now you can see why I think Cathy's stipulation about the science being Earth-based is so important.
When selecting a genre, you don't want to have a laundry list. You want to select the predominant one and stick with it. Believe me, it helps with the query letters. While Gene Roddenberry might have written a query letter listing Star Trek as a futuristic, paranormal sci-fi with elements of fantasy and time travel, I guarantee he didn't. You shouldn't either with your query letters.
Since we've mentioned fantasy, let's look at that genre next. If you look for a definition of fantasy on the Internet, you'll find lots of entries. I'd like to start with the one I found on Experiencefestival.com: "A critical characteristic [of fantasy] is that the world features some difference from Earth that is not a result of science or technology, but rather the result of magic or other anomalous phenomena."
Just like Star Wars, we're talking about world-building. However, unlike our definition of science-fiction, the world-building does NOT have to be Earth-based. Also, note the reference to magic. Many fantasies from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter include magic as a critical element.
Once again, IMHO, Cathy Clamp clarifies the definition. She divides fantasy into two types: building a different world with creatures that don't exist (again, like Star Wars) OR building an alternate reality, picking and choosing the parts of Earth history to keep and changing others to build your alternate world. Perfect examples of alternate reality novels are Jim Butcher's Dresden File stories or Kim Harrison's stories about Rachel Morgan and The Hollows. Both are set on Earth, but an Earth with an alternate reality. Both series include witches, wizards, and vampires (remember, our definition of fantasy included magic, another distinction from sci-fi).
In honor of FF&P, let's look at futuristic (the second "F" in FF&P) next. A lot of writers would consider futuristic a sub-genre of sci-fi. However, we know by now that sci-fi must be science-based. Futuristic is under no such limitations. The only requirement is that futuristic be set at a future time from our present time on Earth.
An interesting debate started on the FF&P loop in January, 2005. A writer who had a book in which an Earth woman traveled to the year 2176 wanted to enter FF&P's Prism contest. However, she could not decide whether to enter it in the futuristic or time travel category.
Lots of published and unpublished authors chimed in with opinions, most of them leaning toward futuristic, but without really giving a solid reason for their gut instincts. Finally, one very knowledgeable author of paranormals cut through the rhetoric with a simple statement. She voted for futuristic because the heroine could not return to her own time. The membership was happy to have a defining reason and the debate ended. (Thanks to Rowena Cherry for both the solution and for being willing to share it here. Check Rowena's website at http://www.rowenacherry.com for her latest print and e-Books).
Therefore, on the basis of that discussion, FF&P (the authority for such things in RWA) agreed that time travel can include travel to the past or to the future, but the time traveler MUST have the ability to return to his/her own time (whether s/he chooses to do so or not).
Our last definition will be the "P" in FF&P: Paranormal.
The Free Dictionary defines paranormal as "Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation." Wikipedia states that "The term is derived from the Latin use of the prefix 'para', meaning 'against, counter, outside or beyond the norm.' Wikipedia also says that "Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of purported anomalous phenomena." That's why I titled this post "Paranormal and Sci-Fi." All of the genres I've listed here except sci-fi could fit under the paranormal umbrella (I'm not including science fiction since it is speculative rather than paranormal and because it contains that element of "real" science).
Fantasy, futuristic and time travel can all be considered subsets of paranormal. You can refer to your vampire novel as a paranormal and be perfectly correct. But check your bookstore. It is likely to be filed under "Fantasy," which is a more specific term. Pay attention to how your bookstore shelves books. Given a choice of a very broad term like "paranormal" or a more narrow term like "fantasy," always go with the one that says where a bookstore will shelve it.
I hope that the posts over the past three days will prove helpful to you in defining your manuscript's genre. Again, I would emphasize selecting the dominant genre. Resist the temptation to fancy--or worse--cute. Remember: if agents or publishers can't easily pigeonhole your market, they are likely to pass on your query.
P.S. To provide support for my last paragraph, I just read this in Miss Snark's blog. The first line is from a query letter; the second is MS' response:
"Wing Nuts" is chick lit, humor, mystery and strange phenomenon (like a boy who talks to asparagus).
There's nothing I hate more than a string of adjectives tellling (sic) me what a book IS. Tell me where it goes on the shelf, and 'classics' isn't an option.
P.P.S. I'm still catching up on Miss Snark's blog. Just came across a question posed by a writer who wanted to describe his manuscript as "character-driven" instead of "literary fiction." Here's the Snarky One's response:
Literary fiction is used to describe where something is shelved in a
bookstore. You may describe your book as character driven as soon as you send me a .jpg of a section called 'character driven' in a bookstore.
Any bookstore. Anywhere.
First, let me give credit to the people who helped me learn how to think about paranormals and sci-fi. Special props to Cathy Clamp, who teaches terrific classes on genres, and to the FF&P loop (Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal). FF&P is an online chapter of RWA and a fantastic group of writers. Cathy is an extremely versatile author, and her latest novel (together with writing partner, C.T. Adams) is Captive Moon. You can read about it at their website at: http://www.ciecatrunpubs.com/. Thanks to Cathy for being willing to share the information attributed to her with my readers.
Let's start with science fiction, often called sci-fi. A good working definition is Robert Heinlein's. Boiled down, it reads, science fiction is "realistic speculation about possible . . . events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method."
The operative word in science fiction is science. Sci-Fi must be based on science. It can be speculative, meaning it can suggest how present-day science will evolve, but the fictional advancements MUST be grounded in real scientific principles.
Even though it's implied in the above definition, Cathy Clamp emphasizes that the science involved must be Earth-based (the only reality we Earthlings know). This is an important distinction. To understand why, let's look at two stories: the original television show Star Trek and the first Star Wars movie, Episode Four.
The fictional starship Enterprise's five-year mission originated on Earth. A futuristic Earth, yes, but Earth nonetheless. In the nearly forty years since the show debuted, one of the compliments frequently paid to Gene Roddenberry, the scriptwriter who produced it, was that the show used "real" science as the basis of its episodes. Star Trek is truly science fiction.
By contrast, Star Wars begins on the planet Tatooine where Luke Skywalker lives with his aunt and uncle. Star Wars is filled with rich world-building, but the worlds are not real. Star Wars is, therefore, a fantasy.
I can almost hear someone reading this and saying, "But wait! Star Trek also created worlds that were not real." Yes, of course, they did. However, Star Trek is almost always classified as sci-fi while Star Wars is almost always classified as fantasy. And, now you can see why I think Cathy's stipulation about the science being Earth-based is so important.
When selecting a genre, you don't want to have a laundry list. You want to select the predominant one and stick with it. Believe me, it helps with the query letters. While Gene Roddenberry might have written a query letter listing Star Trek as a futuristic, paranormal sci-fi with elements of fantasy and time travel, I guarantee he didn't. You shouldn't either with your query letters.
Since we've mentioned fantasy, let's look at that genre next. If you look for a definition of fantasy on the Internet, you'll find lots of entries. I'd like to start with the one I found on Experiencefestival.com: "A critical characteristic [of fantasy] is that the world features some difference from Earth that is not a result of science or technology, but rather the result of magic or other anomalous phenomena."
Just like Star Wars, we're talking about world-building. However, unlike our definition of science-fiction, the world-building does NOT have to be Earth-based. Also, note the reference to magic. Many fantasies from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter include magic as a critical element.
Once again, IMHO, Cathy Clamp clarifies the definition. She divides fantasy into two types: building a different world with creatures that don't exist (again, like Star Wars) OR building an alternate reality, picking and choosing the parts of Earth history to keep and changing others to build your alternate world. Perfect examples of alternate reality novels are Jim Butcher's Dresden File stories or Kim Harrison's stories about Rachel Morgan and The Hollows. Both are set on Earth, but an Earth with an alternate reality. Both series include witches, wizards, and vampires (remember, our definition of fantasy included magic, another distinction from sci-fi).
In honor of FF&P, let's look at futuristic (the second "F" in FF&P) next. A lot of writers would consider futuristic a sub-genre of sci-fi. However, we know by now that sci-fi must be science-based. Futuristic is under no such limitations. The only requirement is that futuristic be set at a future time from our present time on Earth.
An interesting debate started on the FF&P loop in January, 2005. A writer who had a book in which an Earth woman traveled to the year 2176 wanted to enter FF&P's Prism contest. However, she could not decide whether to enter it in the futuristic or time travel category.
Lots of published and unpublished authors chimed in with opinions, most of them leaning toward futuristic, but without really giving a solid reason for their gut instincts. Finally, one very knowledgeable author of paranormals cut through the rhetoric with a simple statement. She voted for futuristic because the heroine could not return to her own time. The membership was happy to have a defining reason and the debate ended. (Thanks to Rowena Cherry for both the solution and for being willing to share it here. Check Rowena's website at http://www.rowenacherry.com for her latest print and e-Books).
Therefore, on the basis of that discussion, FF&P (the authority for such things in RWA) agreed that time travel can include travel to the past or to the future, but the time traveler MUST have the ability to return to his/her own time (whether s/he chooses to do so or not).
Our last definition will be the "P" in FF&P: Paranormal.
The Free Dictionary defines paranormal as "Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation." Wikipedia states that "The term is derived from the Latin use of the prefix 'para', meaning 'against, counter, outside or beyond the norm.' Wikipedia also says that "Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of purported anomalous phenomena." That's why I titled this post "Paranormal and Sci-Fi." All of the genres I've listed here except sci-fi could fit under the paranormal umbrella (I'm not including science fiction since it is speculative rather than paranormal and because it contains that element of "real" science).
Fantasy, futuristic and time travel can all be considered subsets of paranormal. You can refer to your vampire novel as a paranormal and be perfectly correct. But check your bookstore. It is likely to be filed under "Fantasy," which is a more specific term. Pay attention to how your bookstore shelves books. Given a choice of a very broad term like "paranormal" or a more narrow term like "fantasy," always go with the one that says where a bookstore will shelve it.
I hope that the posts over the past three days will prove helpful to you in defining your manuscript's genre. Again, I would emphasize selecting the dominant genre. Resist the temptation to fancy--or worse--cute. Remember: if agents or publishers can't easily pigeonhole your market, they are likely to pass on your query.
P.S. To provide support for my last paragraph, I just read this in Miss Snark's blog. The first line is from a query letter; the second is MS' response:
"Wing Nuts" is chick lit, humor, mystery and strange phenomenon (like a boy who talks to asparagus).
There's nothing I hate more than a string of adjectives tellling (sic) me what a book IS. Tell me where it goes on the shelf, and 'classics' isn't an option.
P.P.S. I'm still catching up on Miss Snark's blog. Just came across a question posed by a writer who wanted to describe his manuscript as "character-driven" instead of "literary fiction." Here's the Snarky One's response:
Literary fiction is used to describe where something is shelved in a
bookstore. You may describe your book as character driven as soon as you send me a .jpg of a section called 'character driven' in a bookstore.
Any bookstore. Anywhere.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Defining Novel Genres, Part II (Mysteries)
This is the second in a series of three posts intended to help you identify the genre of your manuscript. Today we're going to talk about mysteries.
When most people hear the word "mystery," they think of crime fiction. In fact, the terms "mystery," "crime fiction," and "detective fiction" are often used interchangeably.
This post is one writer's take on the subject. The explanations here owe a great deal to the Sisters in Crime loops, especially the Guppies, who helped to teach me the subtle differences between the genres.
Strictly speaking, a mystery does not have to involve a crime. It merely needs to involve a puzzle. Therefore, we'll identify the broad genre as "mystery."
Within that broad category are other classifications, including crime fiction, thrillers, historicals and romantic suspense. A couple of these terms can be broken down further, and that's the level at which we'll begin: the sub-genres within crime fiction.
Crime fiction involves the commission of a crime, which must be solved by the end of the novel. The stories are usually plot-driven with clues and suspects sprinkled throughout the book. The protagonist--who can be an amateur sleuth or a professional--seeks the answers while the reader follows along on the journey of discovery. Crime fiction is usually a whodunnit, which distinguishes it from a thriller, which is often more of a "how do we stop it?"
As a unifying concept, we're going to use a quote from Gillian Roberts, who writes the Amanda Pepper series. In her book, "You Can Write a Mystery," published in 1999, she says, "Crime fiction subgenres evolved out of various authors' world views (Is the crime an outrage in an orderly world or just another day's slaughter in the human jungle?) and what they wanted to say about them." (Thanks to Thelma S)
This is a terrific approach because it helps to string various sub-genres along a continuum. We'll begin on the safe side of the crime fiction street and gradually move to the wild side.
Cozy: What mood does the word "cozy" conjure? Think of being warm and comfortable. There are no overt descriptions of violence or sex in these novels. That doesn't mean violence and sex don't happen; it just happens off screen. The actual acts don't take place in real time and are not described in detail in a cozy. This blunts the impact and makes the tone more . . . cozy.
The setting is intimate; the suspects are usually limited to a specific group: members of a family, a club, or a small town. The detective is almost always an amateur sleuth, like Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple. The world of a cozy is ordered and controlled. A fellow Sister in Crime once said that, in a cozy, things "are out of kilter and [need to be] put right again." (Thanks to Bobbie G)
Soft-Boiled: This is a catch-all category for a group of novels that are a little harder-edged than a cozy, but still far less edgy than those novels called hard-boiled, which usually feature cops or private detectives. There may be violence in this category, but it will be subdued and not terribly threatening.
In this sub-genre, the protagonist moves out of the amateur category and toward a more professional point-of-view. Although amateur sleuths are still seen here, often these mysteries contain a protagonist in a job closely aligned to criminal justice. These include lawyers or insurance company investigators. Some have a humorous tone. Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum, who is an inept bail bondswoman, is a good example.
If your novel is overtly funny, call it a humorous mystery. If you have a sassy, young heroine with an attitude, call it a chick lit mystery. If neither of those apply, try calling it a soft-boiled mystery or a traditional mystery.
Police Procedural or Hard-Boiled Detective: We have now crossed the street to the wilder side. From here on, the violence is overt, and there are often explicit references to sex. Also, at this point on the continuum, the dueling element frequently surfaces where the protagonist is pitted against the antagonist, who might be a bank robber or a serial killer. The identity of the villain is sometimes revealed to the reader early on, and the action can be described from the perpetrator's point-of-view as well as from the protagonist's.
A police procedural describes the activities of one or more cops. These novels illustrate the behind-the-scenes workings of police officers. The cops often have more than one crime to solve--just as they would in real life. Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series is the perfect example. J.D. Robb's mysteries about Lieutenant Eve Dallas could also be called procedurals.
The hard-boiled detective is the civilian equivalent of the police procedural. Instead of a cop, the hero/heroine is a private detective faced with solving one or more crimes. Robert B. Parker's Spenser is an example as is Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe.
Remember Bobbie G's assessment of a cozy, where things are put right again? In a hard-boiled or police procedural, Bobbie claims the detective (whether cop or PI) "fixes one small corner of the world." He solves that specific crime even while more crimes are taking place all around him.
Noir: A noir is the polar opposite of a cozy. There is nothing warm and comfortable about these mysteries. They depict a dark, gritty world in which sex and exploitation are the norm. I'm thinking here of the Carol O'Connell novel where a dog commits suicide on the first page by jumping out a high-rise window. Andrew Vachss' stories of his dark vigilante Burke are also noir novels. Bobbie G says noir describes a world that "totally sucks and nothing sets it right; no matter how hard the detective spins his wheels." The protagonist may solve the mystery, but the overall tone is fatalistic, not upbeat.
This post is much longer than I expected it to be. I'm going to refer you to yesterday's post for a description of romantic suspense. Also, please see my blog of June 28th for a lengthy description of the thriller genre. And, finally, a historical mystery is exactly what it sounds like: one which takes place in the past. Lynda S. Robinson's Lord Meren mysteries, which take place in ancient Egypt, are good examples.
Tomorrow, we'll do paranormals.
When most people hear the word "mystery," they think of crime fiction. In fact, the terms "mystery," "crime fiction," and "detective fiction" are often used interchangeably.
This post is one writer's take on the subject. The explanations here owe a great deal to the Sisters in Crime loops, especially the Guppies, who helped to teach me the subtle differences between the genres.
Strictly speaking, a mystery does not have to involve a crime. It merely needs to involve a puzzle. Therefore, we'll identify the broad genre as "mystery."
Within that broad category are other classifications, including crime fiction, thrillers, historicals and romantic suspense. A couple of these terms can be broken down further, and that's the level at which we'll begin: the sub-genres within crime fiction.
Crime fiction involves the commission of a crime, which must be solved by the end of the novel. The stories are usually plot-driven with clues and suspects sprinkled throughout the book. The protagonist--who can be an amateur sleuth or a professional--seeks the answers while the reader follows along on the journey of discovery. Crime fiction is usually a whodunnit, which distinguishes it from a thriller, which is often more of a "how do we stop it?"
As a unifying concept, we're going to use a quote from Gillian Roberts, who writes the Amanda Pepper series. In her book, "You Can Write a Mystery," published in 1999, she says, "Crime fiction subgenres evolved out of various authors' world views (Is the crime an outrage in an orderly world or just another day's slaughter in the human jungle?) and what they wanted to say about them." (Thanks to Thelma S)
This is a terrific approach because it helps to string various sub-genres along a continuum. We'll begin on the safe side of the crime fiction street and gradually move to the wild side.
Cozy: What mood does the word "cozy" conjure? Think of being warm and comfortable. There are no overt descriptions of violence or sex in these novels. That doesn't mean violence and sex don't happen; it just happens off screen. The actual acts don't take place in real time and are not described in detail in a cozy. This blunts the impact and makes the tone more . . . cozy.
The setting is intimate; the suspects are usually limited to a specific group: members of a family, a club, or a small town. The detective is almost always an amateur sleuth, like Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple. The world of a cozy is ordered and controlled. A fellow Sister in Crime once said that, in a cozy, things "are out of kilter and [need to be] put right again." (Thanks to Bobbie G)
Soft-Boiled: This is a catch-all category for a group of novels that are a little harder-edged than a cozy, but still far less edgy than those novels called hard-boiled, which usually feature cops or private detectives. There may be violence in this category, but it will be subdued and not terribly threatening.
In this sub-genre, the protagonist moves out of the amateur category and toward a more professional point-of-view. Although amateur sleuths are still seen here, often these mysteries contain a protagonist in a job closely aligned to criminal justice. These include lawyers or insurance company investigators. Some have a humorous tone. Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum, who is an inept bail bondswoman, is a good example.
If your novel is overtly funny, call it a humorous mystery. If you have a sassy, young heroine with an attitude, call it a chick lit mystery. If neither of those apply, try calling it a soft-boiled mystery or a traditional mystery.
Police Procedural or Hard-Boiled Detective: We have now crossed the street to the wilder side. From here on, the violence is overt, and there are often explicit references to sex. Also, at this point on the continuum, the dueling element frequently surfaces where the protagonist is pitted against the antagonist, who might be a bank robber or a serial killer. The identity of the villain is sometimes revealed to the reader early on, and the action can be described from the perpetrator's point-of-view as well as from the protagonist's.
A police procedural describes the activities of one or more cops. These novels illustrate the behind-the-scenes workings of police officers. The cops often have more than one crime to solve--just as they would in real life. Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series is the perfect example. J.D. Robb's mysteries about Lieutenant Eve Dallas could also be called procedurals.
The hard-boiled detective is the civilian equivalent of the police procedural. Instead of a cop, the hero/heroine is a private detective faced with solving one or more crimes. Robert B. Parker's Spenser is an example as is Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe.
Remember Bobbie G's assessment of a cozy, where things are put right again? In a hard-boiled or police procedural, Bobbie claims the detective (whether cop or PI) "fixes one small corner of the world." He solves that specific crime even while more crimes are taking place all around him.
Noir: A noir is the polar opposite of a cozy. There is nothing warm and comfortable about these mysteries. They depict a dark, gritty world in which sex and exploitation are the norm. I'm thinking here of the Carol O'Connell novel where a dog commits suicide on the first page by jumping out a high-rise window. Andrew Vachss' stories of his dark vigilante Burke are also noir novels. Bobbie G says noir describes a world that "totally sucks and nothing sets it right; no matter how hard the detective spins his wheels." The protagonist may solve the mystery, but the overall tone is fatalistic, not upbeat.
This post is much longer than I expected it to be. I'm going to refer you to yesterday's post for a description of romantic suspense. Also, please see my blog of June 28th for a lengthy description of the thriller genre. And, finally, a historical mystery is exactly what it sounds like: one which takes place in the past. Lynda S. Robinson's Lord Meren mysteries, which take place in ancient Egypt, are good examples.
Tomorrow, we'll do paranormals.
A Nice Way to Start The Day
I usually begin the day by scanning Publisher's Lunch and Publisher's Weekly.
Imagine my excitement to find this announcement of a deal listed in Publisher's Lunch:
"Maya Reynolds's YOU'VE BEEN A BAD GIRL, to Tracy Bernstein at NAL, by Jacky Sach at BookEnds."
It was a very nice way to start the day.
Imagine my excitement to find this announcement of a deal listed in Publisher's Lunch:
"Maya Reynolds's YOU'VE BEEN A BAD GIRL, to Tracy Bernstein at NAL, by Jacky Sach at BookEnds."
It was a very nice way to start the day.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Defining Novel Genres, Part I (Romance)
Yesterday I talked about the importance of knowing your manuscript's genre before querying either an agent or publisher. Today I'm going to begin a three-part series of genre definitions.
We'll start with the genre in which I've sold both short stories and now a book for NAL Heat, a division of Penguin: Romance. Tomorrow we'll do mysteries and, Wednesday, we'll look at paranormals/science fiction.
Romance: The important thing to remember about romance is that its focus is on the relationship between two lovers. The second most important thing is that traditional romance readers expect a HEA (happily ever after) at the end.
The level of spiciness in romances ranges widely from the innocence of an inspirational to the overt language of the erotic romance.
Romance has spun off multiple sub-genres, but I'm only going to talk about one or two of them as examples. Historical romance is a romance that takes place sometime in the past (purists say the novel must take place before 1900 to be a true historical). Historicals require that the writer do enough research to create an accurate setting for the time period in the novel. Fans of the genre will spot mistakes instantly.
Romantic suspense is a novel that mixes a romantic relationship with a woman-in-jeopardy theme. Each romantic suspense author decides on the mix of romance to woman-in-jeopardy plot her novel will have. Some are 50/50; others may be 70/30 in one direction or the other. The important thing is that there are two parallel plots that weave through the novel; both are resolved at the end.
There are a couple of romance sub-genres that have either already spun off into their own genre or that are on the edge of becoming their own genre. I'll mention two of them:
Chick Lit is usually thought to have been inspired by Candace Bushnell's newspaper column entitled "Sex and the City." Those columns later led to the television show of the same name that began in 1998 and ran for six seasons on HBO.
Although most of the attention was given to the externals: compulsive shopping or an obsession with shoes, chick lit author Shanna Swendson says the three essential components are: "An interesting, sympathetic heroine with a growth arc; female relationships; and a wry or sarcastic voice." See my blog of March 19, 2006 for more details.
Erotic romance has gotten huge amounts of attention in the last eighteen months. There is a lot of confusion about this new sub-genre. Many people describe it as "porn" or as "a lot of sex scenes," but--remember--the title of the sub-genre is erotic romance. This is the story of a relationship in which the sex scenes deepen the intimacy between the partners. It also has a HEA because, again, it is a romance. See my blog of February 25, 2006 if you want to read the difference between erotic romance and erotica or erotic romance and porn.
Feel free to email me at mayareynoldswriter@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions.
We'll start with the genre in which I've sold both short stories and now a book for NAL Heat, a division of Penguin: Romance. Tomorrow we'll do mysteries and, Wednesday, we'll look at paranormals/science fiction.
Romance: The important thing to remember about romance is that its focus is on the relationship between two lovers. The second most important thing is that traditional romance readers expect a HEA (happily ever after) at the end.
The level of spiciness in romances ranges widely from the innocence of an inspirational to the overt language of the erotic romance.
Romance has spun off multiple sub-genres, but I'm only going to talk about one or two of them as examples. Historical romance is a romance that takes place sometime in the past (purists say the novel must take place before 1900 to be a true historical). Historicals require that the writer do enough research to create an accurate setting for the time period in the novel. Fans of the genre will spot mistakes instantly.
Romantic suspense is a novel that mixes a romantic relationship with a woman-in-jeopardy theme. Each romantic suspense author decides on the mix of romance to woman-in-jeopardy plot her novel will have. Some are 50/50; others may be 70/30 in one direction or the other. The important thing is that there are two parallel plots that weave through the novel; both are resolved at the end.
There are a couple of romance sub-genres that have either already spun off into their own genre or that are on the edge of becoming their own genre. I'll mention two of them:
Chick Lit is usually thought to have been inspired by Candace Bushnell's newspaper column entitled "Sex and the City." Those columns later led to the television show of the same name that began in 1998 and ran for six seasons on HBO.
Although most of the attention was given to the externals: compulsive shopping or an obsession with shoes, chick lit author Shanna Swendson says the three essential components are: "An interesting, sympathetic heroine with a growth arc; female relationships; and a wry or sarcastic voice." See my blog of March 19, 2006 for more details.
Erotic romance has gotten huge amounts of attention in the last eighteen months. There is a lot of confusion about this new sub-genre. Many people describe it as "porn" or as "a lot of sex scenes," but--remember--the title of the sub-genre is erotic romance. This is the story of a relationship in which the sex scenes deepen the intimacy between the partners. It also has a HEA because, again, it is a romance. See my blog of February 25, 2006 if you want to read the difference between erotic romance and erotica or erotic romance and porn.
Feel free to email me at mayareynoldswriter@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
How To Define Your Novel
One of the things that struck me this week in reading Miss Snark's Crapometer and various writers' loops is what a poor job many writers do in classifying their novels.
This is pretty important--and pretty basic. Agents and publishers are in business. This means they know their market and how to place a manuscript in that market. They need to know how YOUR novel will fit. When they pick up a query letter, it's with the expectation that you, the writer, can identify the genre of your own manuscript.
If you expect to be taken seriously, you'd better learn the terms used to classify your work. For the purposes of this post, I'm only talking about fiction.
First, a novel is always fiction. Don't ever say you are submitting a manuscript for "a fiction novel." It's like saying your pet is "a feline cat." It's redundant and makes you sound pretentious, or worse, stupid.
Second, think back on your last visit to your local bookstore. Remember how the books were shelved by category or genre?
When you are trying to interest an agent or a publisher in your novel, you need to be able to tell them where it will be shelved in the bookstore. Most agents and publishers specialize in certain types of fiction. When they read a query, they want to know if what you're offering is what they're looking for.
I saw a wannabe writer on a loop last week who identified her novel as an historical romance with horror and fantasy elements. Also saw another novel described as a suspenseful thriller and cozy mystery. Miss Snark critiqued a query today that the writer described as a mainstream novel with a science fiction premise.
I suspect writers who give a laundry list of genres think that the manuscript will have greater appeal. When I see cross genres, I wince. Agents and publishers scribble "No, thanks" and lay the query aside.
Pick the overriding genre and stick with that description for a single manuscript. If you're having trouble easily identifying your manuscript, it may be a warning sign that your plot is all over the map and needs tightening. Remember if you can't label it, an agent or publisher will have trouble marketing it.
Tomorrow we'll talk about some of the more popular genres to help you in making that decision.
This is pretty important--and pretty basic. Agents and publishers are in business. This means they know their market and how to place a manuscript in that market. They need to know how YOUR novel will fit. When they pick up a query letter, it's with the expectation that you, the writer, can identify the genre of your own manuscript.
If you expect to be taken seriously, you'd better learn the terms used to classify your work. For the purposes of this post, I'm only talking about fiction.
First, a novel is always fiction. Don't ever say you are submitting a manuscript for "a fiction novel." It's like saying your pet is "a feline cat." It's redundant and makes you sound pretentious, or worse, stupid.
Second, think back on your last visit to your local bookstore. Remember how the books were shelved by category or genre?
When you are trying to interest an agent or a publisher in your novel, you need to be able to tell them where it will be shelved in the bookstore. Most agents and publishers specialize in certain types of fiction. When they read a query, they want to know if what you're offering is what they're looking for.
I saw a wannabe writer on a loop last week who identified her novel as an historical romance with horror and fantasy elements. Also saw another novel described as a suspenseful thriller and cozy mystery. Miss Snark critiqued a query today that the writer described as a mainstream novel with a science fiction premise.
I suspect writers who give a laundry list of genres think that the manuscript will have greater appeal. When I see cross genres, I wince. Agents and publishers scribble "No, thanks" and lay the query aside.
Pick the overriding genre and stick with that description for a single manuscript. If you're having trouble easily identifying your manuscript, it may be a warning sign that your plot is all over the map and needs tightening. Remember if you can't label it, an agent or publisher will have trouble marketing it.
Tomorrow we'll talk about some of the more popular genres to help you in making that decision.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
A Review for the Holiday Weekend
Fun day. A friend and I went shopping, to lunch and a movie.
Half Price Books was having their 20% off sale so we spent some time there. I bought the Enron story (The Smartest Guys in the Room), a reference book on omens and symbols, and two thrillers by writers I'd never heard of before--all for less than $10. At these sales, I try to buy books I would usually not purchase: writers I'm trying out for the first time or reference books. I like to support my favorite writers by buying their books new.
Since it's the holiday weekend, I thought I'd talk about the film we saw today.
The movie was Oliver Stone's World Trade Center starring Nicolas Cage.
I need to say at the outset that I'm not a big fan of either Stone or Cage. I find Stone's films manipulative and too quick to go for easy, dramatic and--coincidentally--commercially profitable explanations for important social events and issues that are rarely as simple as he paints them.
While I often like Nic Cage's choice of films, his character portrayals are usually a little too mannered and quirky for my taste. I never forget I'm watching Nicolas Cage up there on the screen.
My friends and I trade out turns to select the films we see, and today was NOT my turn to pick. I walked into the theatre with trepidation. I wasn't certain I was ready to see a film about 9/11, and I was concerned about seeing that day through Cage and Stone's eyes. I did not want either the day or that awful shrine to become more grist for Stone's exploitative mill.
Imagine my surprise. Cage and Stone were both far more restrained than I would have anticipated. Oh, there were moments when Stone slipped. As the film opens, the five Port Authority cops who went into the WTC together that morning were shown getting ready to go to work. Several times during those sequences, the camera casually picks up a view of the World Trade Center as it was before the planes crashed. Each time, the sight is jarring.
Later in the morning, Stone just can't resist showing a man falling from a tower and hitting the sidewalk.
However, the moments when he slips are understandable in a film that--despite the subject matter--is very deliberate and almost slow moving.
Cage's performance shocked me. He was stoic and--again that word--restrained. His face--all that you can see of him for a large part of the film--is gaunt and totally without the tics and mannerisms that are his trademarks.
Another unexpected surprise: Stephen Dorff. I have liked Dorff since I saw him first as the villain in Blade in the early nineties. He plays an unexpected hero here. A former marine working as an accountant in Connecticut on the morning of 9/11, he walked off his job to drive to New York and search for victims among the rubble. Dorff's portrayal of Staff Sergeant Karnes offers the gritty resolve and the touch of patriotism that offers hope for America to rebound after 9/11.
Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal play the wives of Cage and Michael Pena. Their performances and that of Pena are sympathetic and well done.
All in all, the film did a credible job in telling one of the few success stories on that morning five years ago. I didn't even realize I was crying until my cheeks began to burn from the dried salt on my skin.
I'm glad I went. The deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans need to be remembered often--even if the experience makes us uncomfortable.
Half Price Books was having their 20% off sale so we spent some time there. I bought the Enron story (The Smartest Guys in the Room), a reference book on omens and symbols, and two thrillers by writers I'd never heard of before--all for less than $10. At these sales, I try to buy books I would usually not purchase: writers I'm trying out for the first time or reference books. I like to support my favorite writers by buying their books new.
Since it's the holiday weekend, I thought I'd talk about the film we saw today.
The movie was Oliver Stone's World Trade Center starring Nicolas Cage.
I need to say at the outset that I'm not a big fan of either Stone or Cage. I find Stone's films manipulative and too quick to go for easy, dramatic and--coincidentally--commercially profitable explanations for important social events and issues that are rarely as simple as he paints them.
While I often like Nic Cage's choice of films, his character portrayals are usually a little too mannered and quirky for my taste. I never forget I'm watching Nicolas Cage up there on the screen.
My friends and I trade out turns to select the films we see, and today was NOT my turn to pick. I walked into the theatre with trepidation. I wasn't certain I was ready to see a film about 9/11, and I was concerned about seeing that day through Cage and Stone's eyes. I did not want either the day or that awful shrine to become more grist for Stone's exploitative mill.
Imagine my surprise. Cage and Stone were both far more restrained than I would have anticipated. Oh, there were moments when Stone slipped. As the film opens, the five Port Authority cops who went into the WTC together that morning were shown getting ready to go to work. Several times during those sequences, the camera casually picks up a view of the World Trade Center as it was before the planes crashed. Each time, the sight is jarring.
Later in the morning, Stone just can't resist showing a man falling from a tower and hitting the sidewalk.
However, the moments when he slips are understandable in a film that--despite the subject matter--is very deliberate and almost slow moving.
Cage's performance shocked me. He was stoic and--again that word--restrained. His face--all that you can see of him for a large part of the film--is gaunt and totally without the tics and mannerisms that are his trademarks.
Another unexpected surprise: Stephen Dorff. I have liked Dorff since I saw him first as the villain in Blade in the early nineties. He plays an unexpected hero here. A former marine working as an accountant in Connecticut on the morning of 9/11, he walked off his job to drive to New York and search for victims among the rubble. Dorff's portrayal of Staff Sergeant Karnes offers the gritty resolve and the touch of patriotism that offers hope for America to rebound after 9/11.
Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal play the wives of Cage and Michael Pena. Their performances and that of Pena are sympathetic and well done.
All in all, the film did a credible job in telling one of the few success stories on that morning five years ago. I didn't even realize I was crying until my cheeks began to burn from the dried salt on my skin.
I'm glad I went. The deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans need to be remembered often--even if the experience makes us uncomfortable.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Could You Be The New Jackson Pollock?
My friend, Carol M., sent me a link today.
It's addicting.
You can paint like Jackson Pollock.
Go here: http://www.jacksonpollock.org/
Every time you click your mouse the color will change.
If you stay still for a moment, you will make a perfectly round circle.
I've been so entertained. I'm sure this says a lot about me, but I'm just not sure exactly what it does say.
It's addicting.
You can paint like Jackson Pollock.
Go here: http://www.jacksonpollock.org/
Every time you click your mouse the color will change.
If you stay still for a moment, you will make a perfectly round circle.
I've been so entertained. I'm sure this says a lot about me, but I'm just not sure exactly what it does say.
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