Are Traditional Publishers Avoiding the “R” Word?

redhead reading
What about the readers?

A few weeks ago I travelled back in a time warp. I attended a writers festival and discovered there are still some rickety, old fences being propped up by the pomposity of the old gatekeepers.

The writers festival in question is truly a magnificent event. It’s held at a library and the organizers are exceptionally generous in giving time to self-published writers alongside agents and publishers from the traditional world. This was the second year they’ve invited me to speak and a few months previous the same group even hosted me one evening to give a reading. The organizers offer a balanced blend of information for writers. These are progressive people who understand the current state of books and publishing. I sat on an early morning panel and there were five of us. Four were self-published authors and the fifth was a well-known local traditionally published writer who was a nice addition to the group. For sixty minutes we talked about connecting with our readers, working at our craft and producing professional product. We answered questions from the one hundred and fifteen audience members and tried to pass along the information that has been so freely given to us. Continue reading “Are Traditional Publishers Avoiding the “R” Word?”

The 1,000 Words a Day Project – The 1000/2000 Pledge

martin crosbie writing machineOne hundred and eleven days ago I undertook a personal challenge. I made a pledge to write one thousand new words a day. Every day. No matter what. I described how I was going to try to accomplish this in an article for Indies Unlimited right here. I’m pleased to tell you that as of today I have over one hundred and eleven thousand new words written. Since it’s gone so well I decided to expand on the challenge, which I have now renamed the 1000/2000 pledge.

In the past one hundred and eleven days I’ve written twenty blogs. Because of this accumulation of articles I’ve been able to blog for the BC Editor’s Association, Whistler Writers group (soon to be published), Book Reader’s Medallion (twice) and several others. I’ve offered my opinions on pricing, social networking, paying it forward (my favorite topic), the glut of eBooks on the market, and I put together a list of places where authors can access hundreds of thousands of images and photos for free. I referenced Rob Ford, the ex (I hope) mayor of Toronto. I wrote about how it felt to turn fifty last month. And, I even wrote a blog when the manager of my favorite football team, Manchester United, was fired. It’s been fun and it’s given me a break from the other stories I’ve been working on. Continue reading “The 1,000 Words a Day Project – The 1000/2000 Pledge”

Seven Ideas for Better Author Interviews

interviewI’ll blog, speak, or be interviewed by almost anyone almost anywhere. Most articles that I’ve written or interviews I’ve participated in have led to other opportunities. It’s an honor to have someone donate part of their valuable online real estate to me or my books. I don’t look at their Alexa ranking or check out how many followers or friends they have I just try to do it. And, I always try to be engaging. Sometimes I suppose it works and sometimes it does not.

Now, I’m about to say something very controversial. Get ready – Most interviews that I’ve read recently where a self-published author is asked questions are boring – incredibly boring. Although the person being interviewed may be a wonderful writer that talent does not always shine through in the answers they’re giving. Sometimes, as a reader, it’s quite difficult to get past the first couple of questions. This is unacceptable because, as most of you know, the questions are sent to the author in advance. So, unless you’re under an incredibly tight time frame you usually have time to ponder your answers and display your creativity and writing prowess by giving the reader something entertaining to read. Admittedly, I haven’t always been able to accomplish this but I do try.

I’ve put together some guidelines that may help you when trying to engage your readers. Remember, the people who are reading your guest blog or answers to questions or listening to you speak at an event are going to be able to help you in several different ways. They could purchase your book. Or, they could talk about your book to someone else. Or, and this is the biggie, they could offer to promote you through other means. Please accept these suggestions from someone who has made most of these mistakes. Continue reading “Seven Ideas for Better Author Interviews”

The Only Three Social Networks I Need

social-media-seo-logosI have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Blogger, Shelfari, Goodreads and many others whose names escape me. I’ve spent time on Kboards, KDP Community Forums, Yahoo Groups and again, many other forums with long-forgotten names. I’ve posted ads for my books on Craigslist as well as multiple other free online classified sites. And, in between all that I’ve written some new books. Eighteen months ago it became too much so I made some decisions. I knew I had to pare down my efforts and decide which sites were working for me and I had to eliminate the ineffective time drainers. So, I determined which three sites were the platforms that would help me connect with readers. I ignored the ones that weren’t working and I found the ones that worked. For me. Continue reading “The Only Three Social Networks I Need”