| janfields |
October 6, NIGHT OPEN
FORUM begins in five minutes. We'll entertain any writing related
question -- so the sky's the limit. Tell us what's bothering you
tonight. Chat begins in the Auditorium in five
minutes.
|
| janfields |
October 6, NIGHT OPEN
FORUM begins in 2 minutes. There's no set topic -- so ask anything
related to writing.
|
| janfields |
If you want to ask a
question and be sure it has a chance to be posted, you'll need to
use either the "ask a question" button on the bar across the middle
of your screen. OR type /ask...then space once and type your
question. That passes the question to me and I can post it for
answer. If you type the question in the bar at the bottom of you
screen, I may not see it.
|
| janfields |
Welcome to NIGHT OPEN
FORUM! Pull up a chair and tell us what snags you're hitting in your
writing these days.
|
| janfields |
Hi
writerfolk
|
| janfields |
Thanks for popping in
for open forum.
|
| janfields |
We've got some good
questions already but first...
|
| janfields |
I want to do HAPPY
NEWS
|
| janfields |
I love good
news.
|
| janfields |
First...from someone we
know, love, and see right now in chat...
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS: [RAINCHAINS]
Just a note to say my article "What a Tangled Web He Wove" is up on
Fandangle.
|
| janfields |
Is that cool or what?
Congrats, Rainchain
|
| janfields |
And we can all read it
too.
|
| janfields |
Just...well...don't
duck out and read it until AFTER chat
|
| stretch |
Congrats, Rainchain!
Smiles, grins...
|
| janfields |
Now...more good
news
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS: [KATHERINE]
Just wanted to share that StoryMates is going to print my
story, "When is a Green Bean a Red Bean?" in an upcoming issue. This
little story grew out of one of my ICL assignments back in the
1980s. They don't call me "the Queen of Keep" for
nothing.
|
| janfields |
I love hearing about
ICL assignments that sell!!
|
| janfields |
And it's always good to
be the queen of keep.
|
| janfields |
And still more good
news...we are on such a roll these days...
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS: [KATHY]
The Majellan Family Magazine bought my story, "When Nanna
Came To Stay" and it will be published in their Jan-Mar
issue!
|
| janfields |
Another thing I like
about good news...I hear about new markets!
|
| janfields |
Congratz Kathy...great
title.
|
| stretch |
Wow, we're rally on a
roll!!! Smiles all around, congrats!!
|
| dragonlady |
my quiz entitled RESPECT
was purchased by What's Hers magazine, but it has since gone out of
print
|
| janfields |
Dragonlady -- do you
mean What's Hers has folded???
|
| janfields |
Not another
one!
|
| janfields |
ARGH!!
|
| janfields |
Thank you for telling
me...oh, that's so sad.
|
| janfields |
That must have been a
bit disheartening...but at least they liked it.
|
| coloradokate |
I googled Majellan Family
Mag--it's a Redemptorist (?) mag from Australia.
|
| janfields |
Thanks for doing that
for us, Kate...now we know.
|
| janfields |
There are some really
interesting magazines from Australia...I've even seen some in Books
a Million.
|
| janfields |
I have one more big
good news...
|
| janfields |
GOOD NEWS: [DONNA] Good
news: My non-fiction story "The UFO Question: Official Responses to
the UFO Problem" is in the September / October issue of WHAT
IF?
|
| janfields |
Another Canadian
magazine...and one i hope will last forever!
|
| janfields |
Congratz Donna...that
sounds like a very cool article.
|
| janfields |
Oh...and just to sneak
one in...well...because...
|
| janfields |
I was able to come to
terms with the book packager so it looks like I'll have a middle
grade fantasy novel coming out next year...more details as they
become available :-)
|
| janfields |
And it's slated to be
the first in a series
|
| janfields |
Thanks...I'm a little
thrilled.
|
| janfields |
Now I just have to
finish writing it
|
| janfields |
Okay...I know the folks
with questions are hoping for answers so we better get
rolling.
|
| janfields |
Wee Willie Winkie: In
the new Book Market for 2007, there are several publishers that ask
for you to send a business plan with your manuscript. Is this a
growing thing with publishers - and what are we suppose to include
in these?
|
|
|
| janfields |
Basically you'll see a
request for business plans RARELY and only for one of two kinds of
books...
|
| janfields |
Nonfiction of a
specialized nature.
|
| janfields |
Niche
fiction.
|
| janfields |
This means some
publishers of parenting nonfiction will ask for a business
plan.
|
| janfields |
I've seen it for
special interest nonfiction like adoption books, or books to help
parents of special needs children
|
| janfields |
It's not something
you'll need to do for general fiction
|
| janfields |
And for nonfiction for
trade publishers -- publishers who do more general interest
nonfiction for the mass market.
|
| janfields |
What the business plan
does is suggest special niche buyers...
|
| janfields |
like
museums
|
| janfields |
or
organizations.
|
| janfields |
Special conferences at
which the books might sell in large numbers.
|
| janfields |
Things like
that.
|
| janfields |
Because these
publishers target fairly specific groups
|
| janfields |
They need to do it very
well, and they are looking for authors with specialized knowledge
and connections
|
| janfields |
So your business plan
will show them that you know the market and can reach it...that you
have "platform"
|
| janfields |
But you'll not be
expected to actually PLACE the books in the museum stores or at
conferences...
|
| janfields |
just tell the publisher
about them, so they can make arrangements to get the books in
there.
|
| rainchain |
a small local house here
asks what you would do to promote
|
| rainchain |
your book I think that is
like a business plan too
|
| janfields |
It's similar...but
sometimes they'll call that a "promotional plan"
|
| janfields |
Which implies it's
"YOUR" part of promotion.
|
| janfields |
Large publishers LIKE
authors who are out doing stuff to get attention
|
| janfields |
like school visits and
signings
|
| janfields |
but they don't depend
on it
|
| janfields |
But for some micro
presses...it's really about the bulk of the sales
|
| janfields |
so the really tiny
publishers tend to want to know what you're going to
do
|
| janfields |
Because they just don't
have the funds to do much themselves.
|
| janfields |
But by that we're
talking the really teeny presses...like the one I'm going to mention
in the next question.
|
| janfields |
Wee Willie Winkie: Can
you tell us anything about the writing contest by Mayhaven
Publishing. I went on their website and checked it out and it seems
to be an "open" contest. as far as what the subject is
concern.
|
| janfields |
Mayhaven is one of the
teeny micro presses.
|
| janfields |
They have a very
eclectic list and they have really blindingly hideous book
covers
|
| janfields |
Which suggests they
don't have a professional design team
|
| janfields |
When you don't have a
professional design team...you can be sure you don't have serious
distribution.
|
| janfields |
I expect they make some
money from their contest at a pop for entrance fee
|
| janfields |
But mostly it's a way
to get paid for reading slush
|
| janfields |
They have had "winners"
who went on to publish with real presses with some
distinction.
|
| janfields |
Personally, I wouldn't
pay to get my book read by a micro press.
|
| janfields |
With a publisher that
small -- basically, you're going to be shlepping books around in
your car to sell them.
|
| janfields |
And you'll get no
advance
|
| janfields |
And see very little
money out of the book.
|
| janfields |
Not to mention that
editing at those micro presses tends to
be...um...casual.
|
| janfields |
I don't think it's
worth even if I were to win.
|
| janfields |
But it's not a
scam...just kind of a not really impressive "first
break."
|
| coloradokate |
I think I sold a story to
Our Little Friend--the email was a little vague but they did ask for
my SSN so they could send a check!
|
| janfields |
Hey, GREAT
KATE!!
|
| janfields |
They do some really
cute art with the stories...should be a nice clip.
|
| dell |
With a couple small PB
publishers, I've noticed they want info on how you, the author, will
market your book
|
| janfields |
Yeah, again, that's to
help them "make up" for having such a small budget for promo and
distribution.
|
| janfields |
You know, I've seen
some really cute books from some of the small picture book
publishers like
|
| janfields |
Tricycle
Press
|
| janfields |
Tanglewood??that might
be wrong press
|
| janfields |
But they aren't getting
the reviews they need to really kick up the
promotion
|
| janfields |
So they really like to
see authors who will get involved
|
| janfields |
Or have some kind of
"platform" that will be able to reach buyers.
|
| janfields |
It's still not a demand
exactly...just a really really reaaaallly strong
desire.
|
| bliss_1585 |
I got a letter from
Juniorstoryteller telling me that their magazine is in black and
white and they don't think it would suit the colourful images that
came with my fun project. But they did mention that if I made some
new pictures to fill in a few confusing parts that it may be
suitable for their online publication, was this an invitation for a
possible sale or am I just kidding myself?
|
| janfields |
Yeah, it sounds like
they would like the piece
|
| janfields |
They just want
different art
|
| janfields |
Good for
you.
|
| janfields |
If you're comfortable
doing the black and white...sounds like you'll get the
clip
|
| michell
p |
Publish America - Pros or
Cons?
|
| janfields |
I personally would not
let Publish America have one of my books.
|
| janfields |
They don't promote
beyond their website and through a form letter press
release
|
| janfields |
Which means all sales
of books will be handsales from you to the reader.
|
| janfields |
Bookstores won't stock
them except in rare instances with single stores
|
| janfields |
No nationwide
distribution...in fact, no distribution at all. They have
wholesalers but no distributors
|
| janfields |
They owners testified
under oath that the company's market plan is to sell books to
authors
|
| janfields |
who will resell to
friends and family.
|
| janfields |
They see it as a way
for "Aunt Jenny" to get her novel out to her friends and
family.
|
| janfields |
The books are very
expensive because the company must make all their profit from sales
of about 50 - 75 books per author.
|
| janfields |
When you divide your
profit into such small numbers...you have to cut costs to rock
bottom and you still charge a lot.
|
| janfields |
Editing is done with a
computer program.
|
| janfields |
It's not uncommon for
errors to be introduced at the editing step and never
corrected.
|
| janfields |
The covers are nearly
as good as Mayhaven
|
| janfields |
But if you have a book
that you only want to distribute to friends and family and you don't
have the money for set-up fees
|
| janfields |
It might be something
to consider...but watch for errors because they
won't.
|
| janfields |
And make your own
cover...because...ewwww
|
| rainchain |
What is the difference
between professionally edited and
|
| rainchain |
having something
critiqued by published serious writers
|
| janfields |
Umm...you mean a hired
editor vs a critique group?
|
| janfields |
I once took part in a
little study to see the value of some "hired
editors"
|
| janfields |
that were being offered
by well respected groups
|
| janfields |
Not ICL...other
groups.
|
| janfields |
I got an extremely
mixed bag.
|
| janfields |
I was submitting
picture books for this "test"
|
| janfields |
All the books had
serious clear problems.
|
| janfields |
None of these hired
editors were nearly ... direct enough about the
problems.
|
| janfields |
As a writer, I needed
to be told these were problems...serious problems that needed to be
fixed.
|
| janfields |
You can't "hint" at
stuff with new writers -- you need to tell them.
|
| janfields |
But since I was
"paying" these folks...they were all very nice.
|
| janfields |
And none of them caught
enough of the problems to give me the guidance I would have needed
to make the books competitive in the submission
process.
|
| janfields |
My critique group is
much, much, much, much, much more direct and
critical.
|
| janfields |
Basically, if you want
to be published...you need to be helped, not
petted.
|
| janfields |
Now, I did submit a
chapter book to one of these hired eiditors
|
| janfields |
She was a retired
editor from a publishing house -- THE ONLY EDITOR with decent
credentials.
|
| janfields |
Alway always check
credentials if you're going with an editor.
|
| janfields |
Some "professional"
editors have worked for micro presses (and you know what I think
about that editing level)
|
| janfields |
and some are --
honestly -- self-published writers.
|
| janfields |
So, I would look for
someone retired from a publisher..
|
| janfields |
And when you submit...I
would ask the editor to list ANYTHING that would be a problem for an
acquring editor.
|
| janfields |
And I would list
specific things I want to know about -- characterization,
motivation, story arc, plot pace, voice, etc....
|
| janfields |
Let the person know you
want everything.
|
| janfields |
Personally, I am way to
cheap to pay a professional editor...but if you get a good one, I
can see how that could give you much more confidence about your
manuscript.
|
| janfields |
But it's still ONE
editor's opinion.
|
| janfields |
So you could pay or
more (sometimes much more) and then you still only sell to a
publisher if you hit an editor with the same sense of
taste.
|
| janfields |
Not all good books will
sell to all editors.
|
| dragonlady |
One of the folks on ICL
boards asked a question that was a very good one: Do interviews have
a "best before" date?
|
| janfields |
I think sometimes
that's intuitive.
|
| janfields |
Obviously, if you're
interviewing a researcher...research is constantly
on-going.
|
| janfields |
So it's going to change
in a year...sometimes in months.
|
| janfields |
If you're interviewing
a lawyer about something hot...it could change.
|
| janfields |
It's always good to
follow up if it's taking you a while to sell the piece with the
interview
|
| janfields |
Or if you "recycle" a
piece that sold one place and sell it somewhere
else.
|
| janfields |
But there are some
quotes that I'm comfortable using long after...especially if they
are defining concepts.
|
| janfields |
For example, I had a
law professor say that ultimately using trademarks is about risk
aversion...how daring do you want to be.
|
| janfields |
And I would be
comfortable using that remark any time because the basic nature of
trademark law doesn't change...just some things...some details in
it.
|
| janfields |
Also, if you interview
Jane Yolen and she tells you why she thinks kids need books...she's
not likely to change that view much.
|
| janfields |
So it's got a long
"shelf life"
|
| janfields |
But with any kind of
trendy topic -- hey, take the time to ask the interview subject if
the stuff i n it is prone to change.
|
| little
lulu |
Jan, do you have a degree
in law? If so, from where and why did you choose to write and not
practice law?
|
| janfields |
No, not me...I had a
minor in law in college because I thought I wanted to grow up to be
a media lawyer.
|
| janfields |
And I love media law so
I try to stay abreast of it.
|
| janfields |
But I am but a lowly
writer.
|
| janfields |
I have a friend who is
a judge and he told me once that he thought I would have been a fun
lawyer.
|
| janfields |
I shall try to see that
as a compliment.
|
| rainchain |
I think if you interview
someone in the limelight like sport
|
| rainchain |
figure it may have a
short shelf life
|
| janfields |
Right...the person
could do something icky
|
| janfields |
and a kid's mag might
not want him any more.
|
| janfields |
But the basic facts of
his young life wouldn't change...so if he stayed "hot"...you
wouldn't really have to worry about his childhood
changing.
|
| dell |
Do you know how/why
amazon.com sets their book prices? What would make them offer less
of a discount on a PB (go from a 20% discount to a 15% discount),
for example?
|
| janfields |
Amazon and absolutely
positively everything about it is a mystery whose secrets are known
only to a few monks in Tibet.
|
| janfields |
They say it's all
because of decisions made by publishers and
distributors.
|
| janfields |
But publishers say they
lie like rugs.
|
| janfields |
So who
knows?
|
| little
lulu |
Jan, as an author of
several books, are you in a critique group, do you have readers that
you ask for critique, or do you still need this
help??
|
| janfields |
I am actually not the
author of much, Lulu...I have 20 books I did for a toy company..that
impressed my mom and impressed my 6 year old...and that's about
it.
|
| janfields |
I need my crit group
very much.
|
| janfields |
They tell me when my
jokes don't work.
|
| janfields |
When I'm falling into
pet phrasing.
|
| janfields |
When I'm not making any
sense.
|
| janfields |
Actually I don't send
anything to my crit group until it's fairly
polished
|
| janfields |
But they still find
things that aren't clear enough..and clarity is
everything
|
| janfields |
If you confuse a
reader, you lose a reader.
|
| janfields |
So .. yes, I'll always
love my crit group...y'all have seen a couple of
them
|
| janfields |
Lisa Mullarkey --
amazing writer
|
| janfields |
Deborah Lynn
Jacobs...totally brilliant
|
| janfields |
A fantastic British
author Sheridan Cain
|
| janfields |
And a few more wonder
writers...great group.
|
| janfields |
I have been in a lot of
groups finding one that really meshed with me.
|
| janfields |
I like pretty hard
critique...I can get hugged by my daughter...I need to get smacked
by my crit group.
|
| janfields |
But not every one works
well with that...so it pays to find what works for
you.
|
| little
lulu |
Is it good to be in more
than one critique group to work on different
projects?
|
| janfields |
I know folks who
are...Deb, for one...but I totally would not be able to keep
up.
|
| janfields |
It does help if your
group is familiar with the sort of writing your
submitting.
|
| rainchain |
In a mystery do you agree
the solver must have a stake in
|
| rainchain |
the outcome or can an
outside detective be just as good?
|
| janfields |
Either can work...you
just must give him a compelling reason for wanting to
know.
|
| janfields |
And make him lively or
interesting.
|
| janfields |
Outside detectives
usually have a stake in finding the outcome...if it's a big
motivation, then you're fine.
|
| jobranham1964 |
how long should i wait
before checking with Nature's Friend
|
| jobranham1964 |
mag as to whether they
will use my article?
|
| janfields |
I never check back on
ANYTHING in less than three months (except online
magazines)
|
| janfields |
Even when they say 6
weeks, I personally give them 3 months.
|
| janfields |
Editors can't sneeze in
less than 3 months.
|
| janfields |
But the "rule of thumb"
is to take what their "stated" longest response time is and add two
weeks.
|
| stretch |
Again, where can one find
a free critique group? People who just want to band together to help
each other?
|
| janfields |
Go where a lot of
writers ARE...
|
| janfields |
discussion
lists
|
| janfields |
boards
|
| janfields |
conferences
|
| janfields |
libraries
|
| janfields |
community
colleges
|
| janfields |
If you want a real life
groups -- you can check announcement boards in libraries and
colleges.
|
| janfields |
Or put up an
announcement stating your interest AND WHAT YOU
WRITE.
|
| janfields |
Never ask about a group
without saying what you write.
|
| janfields |
For example, I would
never say : I'm looking for a writing group.
|
| janfields |
I would say
(personally) -- I'm looking for a critique and networking group of
no more than 8 writers of children's middle grade fiction or
YA
|
| janfields |
Because I don't need
critique for my younger magazine stuff.
|
| janfields |
And I don't need
critique for my nonfiction.
|
| janfields |
So I want a group that
looks at what I write.
|
| janfields |
And then if you can't
FIND one, form one.
|
| janfields |
If it doesn't work out,
you don't have to marry the folks...hand the group over to one of
the members and move on.
|
| janfields |
I've been in and out of
at least a half dozen groups...they were good for the folks in it,
bad for me.
|
| janfields |
No one ended up mad at
me or anything.
|
| janfields |
Okay...I still have
some questions but I'm way out of time here.
|
| janfields |
So I promise to answer
the remaining questons for next Friday's newsletter -- scouts
honor.
|
| janfields |
And if any look like
good questions to pass to Bonny...I'll let her answer them
too!
|
