Q: Where using the Internet can I access a list of syndicated columnists (both newspaper and online) specializing in personal finance? Free is preferred, but I'd be willing to pay a modest fee for the right list.
A: best place is Bacons on Line - but that costs a lot. Next- Dan Poynter has great lists that are very reasonable www.parapublishing.com.
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Q: I have written a book entitled ELABORATE NAPS which is a memoir about my 40 years in the field of mental health treating patients with psychotherapy and hypnosis. Several people locally (including a novelist with 10 books and her agent) have agreed it is a good idea and it is well written - based on a proposal and 40 pages. However, literary agents have rejected my email queries en masse (100 and counting) and the few agents who have actually reviewed it have said they either don't like the writing or they don't think it will sell. This MUST be wrong because I am published in literary journals such as the Gettysburg Review and the idea of hypnosis is interesting to the entire world. I don't know what I'm doing wrong here. Got any suggestions? Thanks.
A: I can't really speak for the market potential for his book or the writing since I haven't seen it.That said, you're facing multiple rejections the same as writers past and present. You have three options- keep submitting until you find a publisher (have you tried small presses? e-publishers?) or you can publish the book yourself. Or you can work with a professional editor who will assess the book and give you feedback, make changes and then start submitting to editors & agents again.
That's about all I can suggest under the circumstances.
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Q: I am a suicide researcher with many published articles. Now I am half-way through a book that relates suicide prevention to my ideas on the causes of suicide. My question is: considering my limited computer skills, would I be better off promoting my ideas and work via a blog, or should I opt for the more difficult task of getting a website. Basically, I'm interested in building up a list of people I can interest in my book when I get it published. Thanks.
A: A simple website with a dynamic blog linked to or imbedded in the site would be my first preference. Blogs are great in that you can update them daily with new articles or blurbs or book reviews. But a static website is also important for anyone in the book biz.
Hope this helps!
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Q: Expert question is directed to LAUREL JOHNSON: I have a short story in process about 3 elderly women who set out to rob a bank in a suburb of a big metropolitian city because they are lonely, unhappy and desire some thrills before their end comes. One of the old ladies is caught holding the pistol on the Teller. (A Range Rider Special with a broken barrel) Her two friends make their escape only to be captured as they drive into their drive way. One of the women's son is a Deputy Sheriff (on duty when the call comes in) The third robber is Japanese and only takes the watches from the gentlemen. She is impish and speaks broken English.
Because of the age and attire of the women, they are interrogated at an old court room by the Judge and the Sheriff. Do you think this would have any appeal to readers of a magazine and if so which kind.
A: Short stories placement is not my area of expertise but I'm happy to share what information I know first hand.
I have one short story published in the Cup of Comfort anthology series. This is a paying market, but for non fiction.
I've had short stories accepted by the online literary e-zine, New Works Review, but this is a non paying market. www.new-works.org
A very reputable hard copy literary journal named Bellowing Ark favors stories written by women. Bellowing Ark has a good reputation and has been around 20 years with a great circulation, but again, is a non paying market.. www.bellowingark.org is the URL. The editor favors work that highlights the power of women living in a man's world.
www.janesstories.org is a literary group that favors unknown female writers and publishes a book each year featuring work by women, including short stories. I've never submitted to them so don't know if they pay for submissions they publish.
AARP magazine occasionally publishes fiction and I would think since your ladies are elderly, it might appeal to AARP.
My technique is to publish my work anywhere reputable that will accept it whether they pay for submissions or not.. In that way, my name becomes known in ever widening circles and familiar to editors and publishers around the country. I don't know where you live, what country, but many American writers submit to overseas publications. Ireland and UK have been particularly open to American writers.
I'm sorry my experience with short story submissions is so limited. With the exception of the Cup of Comfort submission and acceptance, I don't submit to paying markets. My preference is literary journals.
Good luck
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Q: Expert question is directed to Lisa Lenard-Cook: I wrote a short fiction novel a couple years ago. Everyone who has read it has raved about it & said they couldn't put it down. But I have never done anything about trying to publish it. I have no clue where to start or what to do. I don't have the money to pay to have it published. Any advice on getting started?
A: Go to authorlink.com, writersdigest.com, fwointl.com or any of the many other writing websites for information about this. They're there to help you. If you'd like to find more websites, I'd suggest a Google search. Best of luck! ~
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Q: I am submitting a rhyming alphabet and other poems for a picture book. Do I double space lines and capitalize first letters of each line? Thank you for your help.
A: I would use a single space between each line, and then a double space between each verse. Yes, use a capital at the beginning of every line.
NOTE: It is always a good idea to go online and check out the publisher's website. Read their submission guidelines. Different publishers want different things, so see what this publisher asks for by way of page set-up for a rhyming manuscript. Always send them what they want.
Good luck with getting your books published.
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Q: Expert question is directed to Maureen McMahon: My novel, Rainbow Dust, a 226 page softcover paranormal romance, was published by Treble Heart Books in October, 2005. I had a review from Harriet Klausner on Amazon.com, and a review from TCM online, but I am wondering how I can get newspaper, magazine, or library association reviews since these reviewers only review advance review copies, and small publishers generally cannot afford to provide ARCs.
A: Most small press publishers will provide a certain number of ARCs - at least those I've dealt with. Check with your editor. However, you can always create your own ARC with your publisher's permission. I've printed ARCs of my own novels and sent them to reviewers who require hard copies of the work. That said, I prefer to use reviewers who will accept emailed copies. There are plenty of review places online who are reputable and will review your work. Join a good online listserv for writers/authors (i.e. at Yahoo Groups) where this sort of information is shared. Also, once your book is in print, you can send published copies to reviewers. Your publisher should provide a certain number for review purposes. I hope this is of some help.
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Q: Expert question is directed to Cynthia Brian: My book, The Boy On The Side Of The Road, was published in November 2005. Feedback has been very positive and a lot of readers have told me this would make a great movie. I do
not have an agent, so my question is, how would I go about getting my book to a movie producer?
Thank you for any advice you are kind enough to provide.
A: Do research to figure out which director you'd most like to make your book into a movie. Find an entertainment attorney or a literary agent dealing with movie deals. Then send reviews copies out. You can get addresses via The Directors Guild or online.
Most directors, producers, and talent agents will NOT open an unsolicited manuscript, script, or package that is not represented by an attorney or agent.
Best of success to you and for more information, you may want to order a copy of my book, The Business of Show Business. Go to www.businessofshowbusiness.com and click on the Starstyle Store.
Starsmiles,
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Q: Expert question is directed to Katherine Gibson: I survived 4 years of living with my son who was a heroin addict and I experienced lots of abuse--he died two months ago of an overdose. I want to write an article about single mothers enduring the physical and verbal abuse of children. I know it is happening and it needs exposure. Mothers feel like bad mothers when their children abuse them so they remain silent. Where should I send an article on this? I have taught writing for 35 years so I do have a bit of experience.
A: You are a brave and lovely woman to want to share your experience with others and I admire and respect your initiative. This is a story that needs to be told. It may even have potential as a book, but testing the waters as an
article is a good first step. Do approach womans' magazines. And this is ideal for Reader's Digest. If you do not have solid publishing credits, you may want to start with a state magazine, but do query Reader's Digest. It is perfect
for them. And please, do let me know how ou make you.
Blessings,
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Q: Expert question is directed to Maureen McMahon: Dear Maureen, I have a problem: I type very slowly, I did not learn to type professionally without looking at the keyboard.
My question is:
A). Where and how can I find a reliable person(s) to type my 4 manuscripts. They are in a form of: (1) tapes that I dictated, (2) my “bad” handwriting. Here only I can read it, and in order to type from it -- I must dictate it.
B). Or, should I spend time learning how to type professionally without looking at the keyboard. That way I do not need to look all the time for a reliable person(s) to type.
Thank you. I appreciate your help and suggestions.
A: There are many outlets for typing your manuscript. I would suggest you buy a copy of Writer's Digest Magazine and look in the classified section. There you should find a few places that will type your manuscript, and/or professionally edit it.
Also, check the classified sections of local newspapers and/or advertise for a secretarial temp to do the typing.
Another suggestion is to us Dragon Speak or Dragon Naturally Speaking (same thing), which is a word recognition software. You load it onto your computer, teach it to recognize your voice, then you can read your manuscript and the software will write it to your computer. I hope this helps! Good luck with your writing.
Cheers!
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Q: Expert question is directed to Katherine Gibson: Hello, I'm writing a self-help book about healing from abusive parents. Can you offer advice about writing for this genre, and where to submit my manuscript?
A : Are you writing this book as a professional in the field, or from personal experience? The success of a self-help book (and the success of landing a publisher) depend a great deal on the credibility of the author. So, you will need to establish that first.
Also, what is your motivation for writing the book? An author needs to be very clear about this as this will come through in the writing.
Before writing your manuscript you will need a strong book proposal and two sample chapters. This is your marketing tool and is what you will send to prospective publishers, as they do not accept whole manuscripts for non-fiction. Once you have completed your proposal, go to the library or a bookstore and see which houses are publishing the self-help genre and approach them. Be sure to check out each publisher's website first to learn any specific requirements they have. (The larger ones will only accept proposals through an agent. ) I cannot stress enough the importance of a good book proposal. Not only is it a way into a publisher's door, but it will be your roadmap as you write the book.
Best of luck,
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Q: Expert question is directed to Toni Leland: Hello, First, I'd like to thank you for your time. I'm a first time writer of non fiction, my memoir, dealing with the accounts of a functioning, single parents high school teacher and the acceptance of my addictions. I have just begun searching for an agent a week ago, and am already participating in the rejection parade. I have researched recommended agents on the P&E Literary site and Marketplace, and have created an listing in the Marketplace, too. I am realistic, and realize that only a small percentage of work is selected by agents and publishers. What direction can you give me, and suggestions on self publishing? Thanks, again.
A: Searching for an agent is a time-consuming and daunting experience. If you've only been at it for one week, now would be a good time to scrutinize the list of agents you've chosen to contact, then culling those who are less than optimistic for your work. In other words, save yourself the disappointment of receiving rejections from those agents who probably aren't right for you anyway. And realize that the chicken-egg-chicken analogy is more prevalent in our industry than most: agents want published authors, but getting published is difficult without an agent!
As for self-publishing, non-fiction fares better than fiction, especially books with several themes, as yours seems to be. When looking for an electronic publisher, do your homework as you would for an agent. Be sure the company is reputable; read all the testimonials you can find (not on the website, but other places where authors are likely to be more candid); be sure you understand what your "contract" entails and what you will get out of it. Understand that when you self-publish -- no matter what the publisher says -- YOU will do the bulk of promotion for your book.
I hope I've been of help. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Regards,
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Q: Expert question is directed to Patricia Fry: Dear Patricia, I'm sure you're busy, so I'll try to make this as brief as possible. I would like to thank you in advance for your time and any response you may give me.
My question needs a slight amount of background. I'm 25 years old, never been published (other than a couple of poems in a local, very small newsletter), and have never even written anything longer than about 20 pages. Writing for me has always been a hobby, and one I enjoy when the mood strikes me.
Lately I've been wanting to push my writing a little, and I have found myself coming up with story ideas, plot twists, characters, and so forth. I'm working on a small part of a large project I've had in mind for a couple of years, and while I'm having fun with it, I know that I'll most likely never finish it as a hobby project. Like most people, I have a day job, and one that pretty much leaves me useless after I clock out for the day. I might have enough energy to add a couple of pages at most, but it'd be another 10 years at this rate to get something even close to a reasonable sized novel (which, if I'm able to get this story out the way I'd like, would be nowhere near large enough.)
Now, I know better than to think I can submit the handful of pages I have to an agent or publisher and get a massive advance, especially without having any credentials even as poor as graffiti on a bathroom stall. What I'm wondering, is how exactly would I go about finding someone who is willing and has enough experience to tell me whether or not I have enough talent to seriously consider writing as a career? How can I take 4-5 pages that I have -- or whatever is the generally accepted minimum -- and find out if it's worth pouring more energy into or if it's something better left to those with more talent?
I have no intentions of giving up writing even if I were to get shot down, and I realize that even if one "expert" were to tell me my writing's worthless or best-seller material, it means little if I don't have a finished story or a publisher. But it would also let me know whether it's something worth an extra pot of coffee a day to stay awake, or something to keep limited to the weekends or other days I can keep my eyes open and my fingers moving.
The project -- in case it helps at all -- is a sci-fi story, my take on the quintessential "alien invasion" story (more fiction, less science than most that I've read.) I'm currently working on it as multiple short stories, but leaving them open enough to make it easy to tie together into a single story if desired. Aside from this project, I don't really consider myself part of any single genre; I have ideas for sci-fi (obviously), romance, horror, Forrest Gump-esque "regular life" stories, nothing that would tie me to one particular area, and stuff that could be wrapped into any other kind of story.
I really appreciate any help you can give me, and I look forward to your response.
A: Nice to hear from you. One way to find out if you have something worth publishing is to write some short stories and submit them to magazines.This would also help you to become more disciplined.
Do you have a favorite author in your category/genre? If not, look at books like yours and locate an author you can admire.Contact him/her and offer to pay for their time to evaluate your work.
As for finding the time to write, I have one word for you: Sacrifice. I once wrote an entire book in 8 months while working a full-time job. I would get up at 4 in the morning and work for two hours before taking my walk and getting ready for work. I also spent some time on weekends writing. What is it that you could give up in order to write? Sleep? TV? Clubbing? Reading? Overtime at work?
I would certainly encourage you to do whatever it takes to keep writing whether you consider it a hobby or you aspire to someday be published. And, by the way, while you may not get the big bucks for your first book, most traditional royalty publishers do pay an advance and it's possible that you could get something to help finance the writing of your best seller.
I hope this has helped. You might also want to learn more about the publishing industry, your publishing options, how to approach and work with a publisher, how to avoid common publishing-related mistakes, the author's responsibility beyond the writing, how to write for magazines and much much more by reading my latest book: "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book."
Best of luck,
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Q: Expert question is directed to Sherry Tucker: I've been working on a book proposal for a memoir, which I would co-author with a man who's had a fascinating life. But that life included a lot of criminal activity, for which he was convicted and sent to prison for a number of years. Now that he's out, he's really turned his life around.
But I'm worried about the effect of Son of Sam laws, which keep a criminal from profiting from his crime, including discussing that crime in books and movies. I notice there are very few memoirs out there of convicted criminals. He's consulting a lawyer, but my question is: will his criminal past, including felony convictions, plus the Son of Sam laws have a chilling effect on agents or publishers of memoirs? Even if he put all the profits into a fund for victims, would agents and publishers consider the proposal, providing it's good enough? Thanks for any advice!
A: I really don’t know what effect his criminal record would have on publishers and agents. My best advice would be to self–publish so he wouldn’t have to worry about it. And, if it becomes a success, it’s possible a larger publisher would pick it up.
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Q: Expert question is directed to Rick Frishman: I have written a book on spiritual development and after going through the frustration of trying to find a publisher, many of whom said it was a very good manuscript, just didn't fit their publishing needs, I decided to publish it as an ebook and market it online. I have a website up and running, focusing on this one ebook. What is my best way to market the book and draw customers to the web site? I have a very limited budget to work with.
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Q: Expert question is directed to Lana Jordan, forwarded to Patricia Fry: Any comments, advise, suggestions on self-publishing vs. POD vs. pounding the beat for an agent and/or publisher? I have a small collection of poetry and a long manuscript ready to go.
A: Francine has asked me to respond in place of Lana Jordan and I'm glad that she did because this is my area of expertise. I am the author of the book you should have read BEFORE you wrote your manuscript, "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book." I maintain that hopeful authors must do quite a bit of work before ever putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. If you do what my book suggests, you will know who your target audience is, the best way to promote your book and even the best publishing path to take. One thing I recommend that all first-time or fairly new authors do is to study the publishing industry. I feel this is so important that I devote about 60 pages in this book to understanding the publishing industry--the choices that you have, the ramifications of those choices and your responsibilities as a published author. I also include a chapter focusing specifically on the pros and cons of using fee-based POD publishing services such as AuthorHouse, etc.
Now, to answer your question, if I can: I would have to know more about your manuscript and your purpose in writing it and what you hope to gain or experience as a published author before I can guide you in a publishing direction. As for the collection of poetry, I would certainly seek out appropriate traditional royalty publishers first. Maybe search the web for a group or an individual who is putting together a book of poetry and are looking for submissions. Of course, it is important to target publishers who typically publish books of poetry. Find books like the one you have in mind and see who is publishing them. Contact those publishers.
If you can't land a publisher, then consider either self-publishing or going with a fee-based POD publisher. Be sure to read Mark Levine's new book, "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing" (Bridgeway Books) before signing any contract. He actually rates many of the PODs. He and I both agree that Booklocker is among the best, for example.
Before going to the expense of publishing poetry, I might suggest bringing it out in a simple format and do some test marketing. If you can sell copies of a spiral bound or plastic comb-bound book with pages copied at Kinkos, for example, you might be able to interest a publisher eventually.
As for the manuscript, if it is nonfiction and related to a topic that you can easily promote and if you have a wide audience, I would self-publish (establish your own publishing company). If it is fiction and you do not have a track record, you may find it difficult to land a publisher unless you have some major major connections to help you get lots of media attention, then a publisher might be interested.
As you can see, there is much to think about when considering the world of publishing. Publishing is a business, you know and, once you decide to publish, your book becomes a product.
I am going to leave you with these thoughts in hopes that you will follow my basic recommendations and spend more time in study mode. Read my book, "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book" (www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html -- or Amazon.com) and Levine's book (see information above) and if you have additional questions, please feel free to email me.
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Q: Expert Question directed to Susan Taylor Brown, forwarded to Margot Finke:
I recently wrote a childrens book. I paid to have it illustrated by a well known artist. I have it copywrited and have submitted it to various school districts that were willing to read it to their students. I also took it to "Borders" in Portland Oregon. Borders told me that they recieve many books to look at and they very seldom see much that impresses them. They said that they were, quote, "astounded" by my first effort and said that when it was printed that they would be interested in buying,(at the right price)some small quantities. Apparently Borders corporate allows their stores to do this on a very limited basis. The school districts that read it sent me "tons" of letters from young chidren who enjoyed the book. Most of them also asked when it would be available as they are able to select books for their classes. I don't have a clue if this book is worth submitting to a publisher. I have tapped out my resources just getting it proofed and put on a disc. I had a private indivijual offer to buy the book, but I would take a loss if I did so. I have twelve thousand dollars invested and I want to get my name out there....but I am not certain what to do at this point. I would be happy to send you a copy,(5mb E mail), and perhaps you could tell me if you feel it is worth going after. Or should I just let it go for four thousand dollars and at least have a chance at developing a reputation? Sorry to be so wordy!!
A: Before I offer suggestions I need to know the word count of your book, and the subject matter. Is it a picture book or an illustrated early chapter book? Traditional publishers like to choose from their own stable of in-house artist when illustrations are needed. However, as you have already paid for the artwork, perhaps POD publishing would be an option. If your writing is well polished and tight, traditional publishers could also be approached. That Borders and various schools really liked your story is a definite plus. After I read your manuscript, I will have a much better idea of how to advise you.
If you are interested in my help, e-mail me at this address (address withheld) and enclose your manuscript as an attachment. Also send the information I asked for above, and we can chat further about the best steps for you to take. I also suggest you go to my website and look over my writing and publishing help. This, and a lot more, is listed on my "Site Directory" at the top of home page.
I look forward to hearing from you and reading your story.
Note to readers from Maureen McMahon: Always do your homework before investing money into a writing project. Twenty thousand dollars will most certainly not be recouped, and it's entirely possible a publisher would have paid this person to publish the book to begin with if submitted properly to the correct publisher.
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Q - Expert question directed to Fern Reiss:
I am having one of my deceased mother-in-law's book published by Vintage Romance on November 30th 2007. As a non-author, I am struggling to get reviews, do marketing & promotion. I have joined several groups and am learning a lot, but feel that I could do with more advice. Hoping you can put me straight as I'm getting 'bogged down' and a bit confused.
A - Thanks for your email. Marketing and promotion is always the pitfall for authors--most authors know how to write, but they don't always know how to best promote their books. Luckily, being in Panama is not a problem, because almost everything these days is done on the internet anyway, and physical location matters much less than it has in the past. And it's great that you already know that even though the book has been accepted by a publisher, you'll need to do the publicity yourself; even the largest traditional publishers these days are not doing much in the way of publicity. So how can you publicize the book? A website is a good idea, and having a blog as part of a website can be helpful, because the daily posts to the blog help your search engine optimization, so more people are likely to find the website. Doing a regular e-mailing to your mailing list can be helpful for buzz, though you'll need to begin developing a mailing list to do this--I'd start by putting a little notice on your website (once it's up) saying that if people are interested in hearing more about the topic, they can sign up for complimentary monthly emails. (Offering something small that you can send via pdf download for free also encourages people to sign up for a mailing list--see http://www.PublishingGame.com/signup.htm for an example.) There are a ton of other publicity ideas on the home page of my http://www.PublishingGame.com website. If you get to the point where you'd like to spend some publicity money on the book, you might also want to take a look at my Expertizing Publicity Forum (http://www.Expertizing.com/forum.htm) where you can publicize the book to different prestigious journalists each week for five months, but that only makes sense for a nonfiction book.
Best of luck with it!
Fern
