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WIWA NEWSLETTER
News from the Whidbey Island Writers Association
Vol. 6, No. 4 August - September, 2006
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CONTENTS
Letter from the Editor, by Achaessa James
Writing Community Special
Secrets of Striking Media Gold With Blogs, by Penny Sansevieri
2006: A Self-Publishing Odyssey, By Tom Trimbath
WIWA Website News and Member Services
To Contact Us or Submit an Article
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Okay, this is a jam-packed edition, so I’ll keep this overture short. Let’s just say that when I sent out the word that I was looking for pieces on the theme of Innovation, I never expected to get such a resounding response. Here I was thinking how futuristic it is that I’m writing this newsletter from
Everybody is jumping at the mention of blogs, digital publishing, on-demand publishing and I’ve discovered Amazon Shorts – “short works delivered digitally for 49¢ each” – essays, ponderings and other short works by published authors, famous and infamous, often on unexpected topics. Just imagine the revenue potential - 49¢ for a few typed pages with no printing overhead. My current favorite is an 8 page missive “Why I Write About Elves,” with an Author Spotlight on Terry Brooks. With a title like that, I’ll pay 49¢ to read an essay. And then comes the Author Spotlight; how was I supposed to know he’s famous – you know, The Sword of Shannara Terry Brooks. I love fantasy; guess I’ll have to go read his books (and isn’t that the point of a 49¢ tease – ohmygoodness, I just realized that now I’m paying to read advertising).
This summer will be jam-packed, too, if we attend even half the events in this issue: WIWA’s newest classes have been announced, we’ve got a new online writing group, WIWA has teamed up with Barbara Moran on the Special Species Project, we have new and tempting information on the 2007 Whidbey Island Writers Conference (did you know you can get college credit for attending the conference?) including a special contest that I am sponsoring myself (and the prize will be awarded immediately – none of that waiting for judging stuff). Plus we’ve got some great new websites listed under Cybersurfing, a mile long list of Contests and Market Request, and another mile long list of On Island and Off Island gatherings and performances. And that doesn’t even include all of the between-issue event announcements you miss out on if you’re not a WIWA member, like the July workshops by Gloria Kempton – if you were a WIWA member you would have gotten Erika’s special announcement on these.
Whew, I’m out of breath just thinking about all the cool writing events available to me this summer – when I get back from
Keep writing and keep in touch. Warmest regards, Achaessa
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WIWA Local Classes – Fall Quarter 2006
We have a new instructor for fall classes -- Molly Larson Cook, who is well known throughout the
* Making Use: The Poetry of Ordinary Things – by Molly Larson Cook, Thursdays, Sept 14 through Nov 2
Explore the art – and hard work – of poetry as we observe the ordinary around us and experiment with various poetic forms to bring forth the lyrical. After the first sessions, writers will be invited to bring work-in-progress for peer and instructor critique and discussion. This class is suitable for poets at all levels. Serious beginners are encouraged to join us. This class is limited to eight students.
* Telling the Story Well: Short Fiction Forms – by Molly Larson Cook, Thursdays, Sept 14 through Nov 2
Explore the work of a number of short story writers. Each of the stories offers a point of departure for discussing the elements of short fiction – voice, character, action, setting, conflict and arc, among others – and the unique nature of short fiction itself. After the first sessions, writers will be invited to bring work-in-progress for peer and instructor critique and discussion as time allows. This class is suitable for writers with at least one short story completed. Serious beginners are also encouraged to join us. This class is limited to eight students.
* Advanced Fiction Workshop – by Wayne Ude, Tuesdays, Sept 12 through December ??
This workshop is recommended for experienced writers of fiction, whether novels or short stories. Workshop focuses on discussion of members’ work, though some discussion of craft (viewpoint, characterization, etc.) will take place. Each participant will have three stories or chapters workshopped during the course.
Editor’s Note: Rumor has it that Susan Zwinger is also getting a memoir class together. No description for this class was available at press time, but Erika will keep us posted as soon as plans are finalized.
2007 WIWC Image Art Competition – The Whidbey Island Writers Conference is sponsoring a competition for artwork that will be used as the main image for conference advertising and marketing materials. All art work must represent the theme Writing on Whidbey. The contest ends August 15. To participate in making our conference memorable, please review the submission guidelines at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/ArtContest.htm.
Wear a Poem; Support a Student – Students of the Whidbey Writers Workshop, WIWA's Master of Fine Arts program, are now selling T-shirts featuring the poem Muse by renowned poet David Wagoner. Don't miss this opportunity to promote poetry and support the MFA students' endowment scholarship fund. Go to http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/MFA_T-Shirts.htm for more details.
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WIWIA Special Partnerships – The Special Species Project
By Barbara (Ms.B) Moran
The Whidbey Island Writers Association and the Special Species Project are teaming to help K-12 students nationwide become published authors. The award-winning Special Species Project was founded by Barbara "Ms. B" Moran, then nature editor of a
“This is a wonderful match for the Special Species Project,” said Moran, “since a key component of the project is to help kids work with accomplished mentors in writing.” After appearing at schools to speak about nature writing, she conceived this endeavor in 1990, so students could write, illustrate, and be published while learning more about science, the environment, writing, and related careers.
Ms. B (as students call her) established a highly successful K-12 educational model that teams students with volunteer advisors. Advisors work with classroom teachers in various ways to help students research native plants, animals, habitats, or create ecology projects. The students then write and illustrate what they have discovered. Their work gets posted on the Special Species web site for free (http://www.specialspecies.com).
A secondary component of the project publishes the children’s writing in books that are sold to sustain the project. All proceeds from book sales help cover web hosting and book publishing costs. This project facilitates mentoring between kids and adult role models in writing, art, and sciences; introduces students to career possibilities in writing, art, and sciences; enhances children’s self-esteem through self-expression.
The project helps teachers meet curriculum goals in English, science, social studies, and art. The project has received numerous awards, including the Newsweek Environmental Class Act Challenge Award. Ms. Moran is a member of WIWA who teaches English, Journalism, and Media at the
How YOU can help:
1. Science/nature community: Become an advisor. The Special Species Project teams classroom teachers with caring, knowledgeable advisors in areas of nature and science. Advisors come from many walks of life, including: research scientists, docents, museum education specialists, conservationists, wildlife rehabilitators, park rangers, environmental consultants, master gardeners, nature organization members. Your contribution of time and care is always acknowledged on the web site. To sign up, visit the web site’s homepage and click: Become a volunteer advisor for Special Species projects
2. Educators: Sign up your class to create a project. Teachers in public, private, or home school settings are invited to sign up their students. The project is free. Visit the web site’s homepage and click: Create your own Special Species project and post it here--for free!
3. WIWA members: Serve on the submissions committees. Every time a submission arrives, WIWA volunteers are needed. Sign up for one of these standing committees and help when you can. Just send an email to msb@specialspecies.com with your contact information and committee preference. It’s not time-consuming and it’s a lot of fun. You will be recognized on the web site for your volunteer service:
a. Submission review committee: You will read the submission as a fact checker. A science background is helpful here. Each submission requires about one hour’s time.
b. Scanning and organization committee: Submissions come in many forms – from CDs to big packages filled with original art and handwritten entries. Submissions must be organized; artwork scanned, and parent permission slips checked before everything can be posted on the site. Each submission requires about one-two hours’ time. Anyone with a scanner is needed!
c. Publicity committee: If you are involved with schools or with science, nature, or environmental organizations, help spread the word about the project. Information is provided for you to distribute. Pick up fliers about the project at the WIWA office to give to teachers you know.
http://www.specialspecies.com or search “The Special Species Project.” If you have any additional questions, please email Barbara Moran “Ms. B” at msb@specialspecies.com.
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WRITING COMMUNITY SPECIAL
There are many ways to assist and encourage writers in their pursuit of publishing success. WIWA’s reputation for going the extra mile in supporting the writing community occasionally results in contacts like the one below. We’d be thrilled if this opportunity brought a new writer into our
Whidbey Island housing opportunity – The Harbour Inn on beautiful
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An Evening with Garth Stein - Meet the author of How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets and learn about his writing process. Teens and adults are welcome to the event on Tuesday, August 1, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Langley Library,
Whidbey Writers Workshop Evening
* Sunday, August 13 -- Focus on Children's Literature: Jane Kurtz, Stephanie Bodeen, Kirby Larson
* Wednesday, August 16 -- Focus on Poetry: Kate Gale, David Wagoner, Carolyne L. Wright
* Friday, August 18 -- Focus on Young Adult and Non-Fiction: Brent Hartinger, Lisa Dale Norton, Susan Zwinger
The free readings begin at 7 p.m., and will be held at Coupeville Coffeehouse,
Information about the featured authors is at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa/faculty.htm
Langley Poetry Slams – For several years, poetry has slammed into
Since the slams began, many other writing activities have appeared on the Whidbey horizon, including, for instance, WIWA and the WPA’s spring Burning Word Festival and workshops, yet nothing quite equals the low-key, improvisational, hysterical events that the Island Arts Council’s Langley Poetry Slams produce.
The slams need your support to continue. The next poetry slam will be on Wednesday, August 30 at the Langley Park, starting at 7:30pm. All you have to do is show up. You don’t have to carry, build or cook anything. No need to sign up for meetings. Show up. Have a drink. Write a poem – or just enjoy the scenery and an evening of word play. Also, if you’d like some input on the slams and their structure (do you like cash prizes, judges, second readings by the top six, etc.?), Marian Blue will be doing an informal survey over the next month to give to the organizers – you can send your thoughts to blueyude@whidbey.com.
Hedgebrook 2007 Residency – Applications are now being accepted for the 2007 residency season; the deadline to apply is September 30, 2006. At its 48-acre retreat on Whidbey Island just north of
One of the most important, effective things you can do in support of Hedgebrook is to encourage other women to apply. Please pass the word along to as many women you know who would benefit from the type of experience you had at Hedgebrook.
For more information on Hedgbrook and for applications for new residents please go to http://www.hedgebrook.org, or inquire by direct mail to Hedgebrook,
Unique Writers’
The exact time and place for this Saturday afternoon workshop will be finalized soon. Attendance will be limited to two groups of ten in order to ensure quality time for each participant, so pre-registration is essential. The fee of $80 for WIWA members and $90 for non-members will go toward the fund-raising campaign for WIWA’s new literary magazine, Soundings. To register or for more information, call the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or email wiwa@whidbey.org.
To learn more about Anjali’s books for children and adults, visit her Web site at http://www.anjalibanerjee.com. Anjali’s fiction has been attracting international attention, including awards such as Book Sense Notable Book for the month of October, 2005 for Imaginary Men; Anjali also writes literary short stories for various magazines.
Uma’s Web site, http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/books.html, details information about her many award-winning children’s books, including 2005 Notable Books for a Global Society for Naming Maya. Her Web site also has great resources for teachers of young children.
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WIWA-Sponsored Writing Groups
NEW Online Writing Group. Do you write memoir or autobiography? Want to be part of a writers group but you live in an isolated situation or are not able to attend meetings? Consider joining WIWA’s first online writers group focused on life stories. To find out more, or to become a member of this new group, please contact John at 360-375-6244 or burbidge@centurytel.net.
Oak Harbor Writers' Group meets twice a month on Tuesday evenings at
The Central Island Writers' Group is a multi-genre writers' group that meets the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at Anna's Tea Room on
The South Whidbey Writers' Group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at
Children’s Writing Group. Have you written a children's book? Do you want to write one? WIWA plans to sponsor a writers group for children's book writers in the central Whidbey area. Writers of all levels of experience are invited to join this group for review of their work, to see what others are doing, and to investigate the possibilities of being published. The exact times and place have not yet been established, but if you are interested, please contact Jerry Mercer at 678-4813 or lamont1040@earthlink.net.
Editor’s Note: WIWA encourages its members to be creative in forming writing groups that meet your genre’s special needs. If you have an idea for a writing group and you’d like to take the lead in making it a reality, we’d love to assist. Please go to http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Classes_Groups/FormNewGroup.htm for the proposal form and group guidelines.
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A Staged Reading of: The Immigrant's Table at
August 4, 11, 18 beginning at 8:00 p.m. Under The Market Clock, 1428 Post Alley (First & Pike). Tickets can be purchased by telephone at 206-781-9273 or online at www.unexpectedproductions.org/ .
Willamette Writers Conference in Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel in
Haiku Garden Reading featuring Karma Tenzing Wangchuk, Monday, August 7, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the
Moonviewing Festival, Saturday, September 2, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the
Fearless Writing Retreat, September 25 through October 1. Women poets and writers! Retreat for inspiration, community, and writing. Sept 25-Oct 1,
Watermark Writers’ Conference, September 29, 30 , October 1, at Alderbrook Resort in Union
Conference includes: Robert Fulghum, John Nance, Gordon Kirkland, John Riddle, Laurie Lindop, Nancy Warren, Nancy Sands , Jan Kardys, Nancy Stenbeck, David Kohner Zuckerman, Greg Greenway, Ilya Kaminsky, Susan Rich, Rachel Rose and Brad Kirkland will present a Young Writers' Program. For more details, see the conference website at www.watermarkwriters.com or write to info@watermarkwriters.com.
2006 International Congress of Poets. in
The Alviogut Foundation in Austria is looking for a journalist/writer to join us on our Medieval Dracula Tour in September. See WIWA’s June newsletter for more details or go to www.alviogut.com
Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer's Journey, will be presenting his inspiring workshop on
WRITE IT TRUE: a workshop for emerging and accomplished women writers of poetry, memoir, and fiction
Sunday, October 8, 9:00am-4:00pm,
October 27-30, 2006 - Victoria Conference Centre, See WIWA’s June newsletter for more details or go to www.victoriaartssymposium.com or contact Stephanie Croft stephanie@victoriaartssymposium.com.
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The Ninth Annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference is scheduled for March 2-4, 2007, with six great pre-conference workshops on March 1, 2007. Events this year include Master Classes on both Saturday and Sunday, one taught by the Executive Editor of Hyperion Books in NYC, and seven new-to-this-conference agents and editors from New York, California, and Massachusetts. Highlights include confirmed faculty of 45 presenters including award winning and bestselling authors, book group idols, and scriptwriters from award winning productions. We feature Northwest writers as well as luminaries in many genres from across the country. Register early because we do expect to sell out with this lineup and because early bird registration saves money. Become a WIWA member and save even more on registration and consults with editors and agents. You really must go to the Conference website for more details and to register http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/, but until then, try your hand at the Conference Puzzler, below
Whidbey Writers Conference Contest
The Benefactor’s Award Contest gives writers an opportunity to submit their best work for recognition during each Whidbey Island Writers Conference in March. Each year, a particular benefactor to Whidbey Island Writers Association is recognized along with the winners in fiction, poetry, essay and children’s writing at the closing ceremonies. For information about our esteemed judges, finalist publication and submission guidelines and to read the work of previous winners, visit the WIWA conference Web site at www.writeonwhidbey.org.
College Credit for Attending Conference
College credit for attending the Whidbey Island Writers Conference? You bet! Both undergraduate credit and graduate credit/clock hours are available. You attend the conference and write a paper about your experience – you’ll receive a syllabus with details. For specific information about this opportunity, visit the conference Web site at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/ and click on the registration page; scroll down and you’ll find a place to click that provides more information about attending for college credit and clock hours.
CONFERENCE PUZZLER AND PRIZE !! The first person to match these presenters with the correct presentation will receive a one-year WIWA Regular Membership worth $20 paid by the WIWA Newsletter Editor (if you’re already a WIWA member, you can gift it to a writer friend or donate the $20 toward the Sponsored Membership Fund). Please send your matches to me at NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com. The first correct response will win the prize.
Presentation:
Bitches, bastards, wimps, and warriors: the psychology of character
Finding the memoir you’re here to write
The essentials to write cowboy poetry and Australian bush poetry
Ricky Raccoon gets royally rejected
Writing the comedy of your life
Eight secrets editors and agents won't tell you
Deadline Love: Managing deadlines
Plotting not plodding
Who dares, wins
Presenters:
Bonny Becker:
Drew Kampion
Gloria Kempton
Dick Warwick
Bob Mayer
Martha Bolton
Penny Warner
Craig English
Joy Castro
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Secrets of Striking Media Gold With Blogs
By Penny C. Sansevieri
If you’re in the midst of your media campaign don’t overlook pitching bloggers, especially those who are opinion makers in your industry. Why? Because in the last twelve months bloggers have gone from on-line journals and opinion pieces to newsworthy opinion drivers and in many cases, the single most reliable place to get an accurate assessment of a news item, product, or service.
One of the main reasons blogs have taken this turn is because the public is increasingly distrustful of mainstream media and media outlets. Why? Because these are often viewed as being somewhat biased and beholden to sponsors, organizations and in some cases, even the government. Blogs and bloggers are beholden to no one because they are a free, unfunded source for media. Consequently, the public is turning their attention more and more to these bloggers, and media relations professionals are using bloggers to help them further their efforts by spreading the word about a topic related to a book/author. We’ve seen this in our company as it relates to our Virtual Author Tours™; one of the main reasons these tours are successful (read: sell books) is because whenever possible we push bloggers who are opinion makers in their industry.
So if you’re convinced that bloggers need to be a part of your media campaign, what’s next? Well, first you need to find the right bloggers for your story and you need to remember that above all else be honest and disclose everything. If the blogger finds out on their own that there are parts of this story you didn’t mention, they’ll address them and this might cast a bad light on you. Bacon’s Media Group recently published a report on pitching bloggers; here are a few things they address (as well as a few ideas of our own) when going after a blog:
1) Know the blog. Don’t just pitch randomly, know the blog and blogger you’re going after. This means reading past blogs – all of them.
2) Don’t worry about exclusives. Bloggers love community and aren’t hungry for the exclusive like the traditional media.
3) Follow the links. Most of the more popular blogs have links to other similar blogs; follow those links and check out those blogs because they might be worth a pitch as well.
4) Create your own blog. It’s that community thing; bloggers want to see you’ve got an active blog as well and are a joiner.
5) Personalize. As with any pitch you want to personalize, don’t send out a standard, generic pitch. Even truer than in traditional media, bloggers hate generic.
6) Understand the ‘blog food chain.’ Not unlike traditional media, the bigger the blogger the tougher it is to break in so be patient and when you’re targeting bloggers make sure you have a blend of first and second tier bloggers so you don’t get discouraged.
7) Become a source. Once you’ve tapped into a blog, become a source for that blogger, even if it means turning a story over to someone more qualified. Try to stay on a blogger’s radar screen with relevant tips, insights and news to keep the blogger updated on their (your) industry and help them make their own blog cutting-edge.
8) Monitor the ‘blog-osphere.’ Keep an eye on other blogs by tapping into blog monitoring services like Technorati (www.technorati.com) and Blogdex (www.blogdex.com). This will allow you to not only follow bloggers, who may not have RSS feeds (for the full scoop on RSS see our newsletter issue#100. Don’t have it? Send away for our free copy, rssarticle@getresponse.com) but also help you determine how many times your name and book has been featured in one of the blogs you’ve pitched (bloggers may not always tell you).
9) The mainstream media reads blogs. If you still aspire to attract traditional media air time, know this: the media reads blogs and will often consider people “experts” who are featured on a number of blogs. Also some bloggers might be attached to media outlets, which allows them to expand on stories featured in the mainstream media and offer daily updates on particular topics.
10) Finding news-driven blogs. While you’re searching for topic-related blogs don’t overlook news-driven blogs. These are blogs that vary in topic but are driven by daily news items. If you have a story that ties into a hot news topic these blogs might be the best place for you to go. (We’ve listed a few of them at the end of this article).
11) Saturate the market. Get your topic/story/book out there; since bloggers don’t need exclusivity you can go crazy with your pitches. But remember, the more saturated your category (for example, money, relationships, diet, and health), the tougher it might be to get to those crucial bloggers’ attention. We addressed doing a mix of first and second tier bloggers, but you might also want to consider doing second (or third) tier bloggers exclusively so you can build your reputation within the on-line market and use that as a springboard to up-tier to more prominent blogs and catch the rising stars.
12) Separate the good from the bad. When it comes to blogs nearly everyone has one now, so how can you find those first, second and third tier blogs while staying away from the “mom and pop” type blogs that can’t really further your message? Well, first you’ll want to start with a Boolean search on Google (search string: “your topic” AND blog) and begin reviewing the various blogs that pop up. You’ll want to look for frequency in blogging (daily, weekly, etc.), tone, relevancy of material and topics/content addressed. A good way to determine this is in the posting. If the postings are all “banter” about recipes, family vacations and other personal anecdotes sprinkled in with relevant on-point material you might want to stay away from these. Why? Because good bloggers stay on-point, which also helps drive traffic to these sites. Bloggers who are just hobbyists and not opinion drivers will differ in their postings and because of this, probably won’t attract the level of traffic other blogs get.
To give your new blog campaign a kick start, I’ll list a few of the major news blogs here. If any of these blogs seem relevant to your campaign, add them to your list of blog media and start following their entries: Bloggerman Buzzmachine Instapundit Ready to launch your virtual media blog campaign? Ask us about our Virtual Author Tours™. Send an email to: virtualauthortours@getresponse.com.
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller, which has been called the "road map to publishing success." AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with message boards, blogs, ezines, and relevant sites to push an author’s message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book's topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her Web site at www.amarketingexpert.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@amarketingexpert.com
Copyright ã 2006 Penny C. Sansevieri
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2006: A Self-Publishing Odyssey
By Tom Trimbath
Say it ain’t so! Did you really sink so low as to self-publish? What kind of writer do you think you are? And so goes the unfiltered version of some people’s reactions when they hear that your book was published by you, not a traditional publisher.
Traditional publishing made a lot of sense when the published word had to be set in lead characters arrayed by craftsmen over the course of weeks. Think back to Gutenberg and Franklin. Technology and economics changed the music and movie industries by freeing independent artists from record labels and
At its simplest, print-on-demand operates just like picking Print from your word processor’s menu, but with far greater reach. Most readers buying books from online bookstores (e.g. Amazon, et al) can’t tell how the book was produced and don’t care. They assume that after they buy it, someone at Amazon picks it off the shelf, packs it, and ships it to them. That can still happen with print-on-demand, but it is also likely that no inventory was ever involved. When Amazon gets the order for such a book, a message is sent to the publisher. Instead of someone running out to a warehouse, that message tells the publisher’s printer to access a file for the cover and a file for the body. An industrial-sized, high-speed laser printer spits out the pages, the cover and binds them in a traditional fashion. The book is shipped to the customer and they never know what went on behind the curtain.
Publishing a book is about more than just spitting out pages. Traditional publishers have experience and skills that I have yet to develop, such as grammar and sales. That’s why I tried the traditional route a few times. My rejection letters were very nice. The submittal process took months and money - resources spent attempting to please editors, which is different than trying to please readers. Being accepted would have been nice when it came to polish and promotion, but the rejections, the uncertainty of being picked, and horror stories of mistreated authors convinced me to try a more direct route.
Self-publishing through a print-on-demand press has distinct advantages. To publish a book, the only person I have to convince is myself. Without editors and agents, my voice may be rougher, but a reader is also more likely to feel my message and emotions more directly. For about $800 (and prices vary a lot), a few graphics files (my books include photos), and a finished manuscript in Word, my publisher will produce a normal paperback and have it available for on-demand printing within sixty days. Many traditional publishers won’t even respond to a query letter within that time frame. Considering that many of my book proposals cost $10 to $20, it doesn’t take long before the traditional route costs as much as an on-demand book set up - but with no product to show for the effort. Two months after I uploaded the files and gave them my credit card number, my print-on-demand book was available worldwide through the biggest distributors; Ingram and Baker & Taylor. At this point, I could sit back, consider it a job well done, enjoy the higher royalty, and let word-of-mouth sell the book.
But writers know it doesn’t end there.
Disadvantages can arise when using such a new process. The print-on-demand industry is full of new businesses, which explains their immature approach to bookselling. Each of the print-on-demand publishers that I researched had some major flaw: bad return policies, bad pricing, poor cover design, inaccessible staff, high costs, etc. They almost all lacked any real effort in helping the author sell the book. The author is responsible for advertising, sales, promotions, negotiations, getting shelf space in real stores (which Whidbey Island booksellers make easier than most), and managing problems anywhere they crop up.
Reality is that getting the book into every online bookseller sounds great, but there it gets lost among two or three million other titles. The only way my book is going to get into readers’ hands is through luck, or for me to print a stack of books, get them onto shelves, and make events happen where the book can be held up and displayed.
Profit is another aspect of reality. Traditionally, costs were kept down by printing as many books as reasonable in a single run. The machines were too complicated and expensive to only run off a few copies. For the traditional publishers, that meant warehouses filled with unwanted books. For the self-published author, it meant back bedrooms and garages crammed with boxes. The cost-per-book was low, but the risk of large losses was very real because a lot of money was spent up front.
Because print-on-demand allows books to be printed as they are ordered, there is less need for big print runs. If a book sells well, more can be printed without having to reset industrial-sized machines. The cost per book is higher, but that is balanced by the bigger savings that comes from not spending money on printing copies that don’t sell. It costs a lot to print a book, ship it to a store, keep track of it, pick it up after it doesn’t sell, and then find some way to dispose of it. Traditionally, the majority of copies printed never get sold. By never printing those unsellable books, the back end costs become much smaller.
Rather than working through an inventory of thousands that cost me thousands, I work from an inventory of dozens that cost me hundreds. I make less profit on each book, but the total amount leaving my pocket is much smaller. If the sales pick up, then I can place big orders, get big discounts, and enjoy better profits.
When technical innovations change the economics, they also permeate the industry. Traditional publishers are installing the new machines, reducing their costs, and effectively eliminating any differences in print quality.
I am fascinated by innovation and am vigorously independent, so it is no surprise that I was willing to try this route. It isn’t for everyone. If you can get published by someone that will treat you and your work with respect, or make you a lot of money, then go do it. A writer that can pay the rent with royalty checks is really onto something. I won’t turn away a publisher that wants to talk about re-publishing my books; especially if they are willing to handle sales and distribution. If I wanted to produce another book, I would send out a few queries and proposals; and simultaneously I would write the book that I wanted to write. For the price of a couple of conferences and some postage, it could be published and available to the world two months after I was done. That is empowering and satisfying.
The changes in the industry are very new and dynamic with subtle implications. If you want to talk about it some more, email me at tetrimbath@whidbey.com.
Tom Trimbath is the author of four books, all of which were self-published through iUniverse, a print-on-demand press. His first book, Just Keep Pedaling, is a mix of a cultural essay and travelogue based on bicycling from north of
A follow up article by Tom discussing the various ways authors make money (e.g., royalties, sales, speaking, teaching), cost discussions, and comparisons between traditional, self-, and print-on-demand publishing will appear in the October edition of the WIWA newsletter.
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Anxious to Please: 7 Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice, by Craig English and James Rapson (Sourcebooks, Inc. April 14, 2006) is now available in bookstores. For more information about the book and workshops, please visit their Web site at www.anxioustoplease.com.
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WIWA Member In Demand – and On Demand
On June 17th, WIWA member Maria Dancing Heart was interviewed by Jacqueline Marcell, on the Internet radio program “Coping with Caregiving” heard free worldwide on http://www.wsradio.com/copingwithcaregiving/. The discussion encompassed Maria’s book, The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Transition. If you missed this live broadcast, the interview is available for listening-on-demand in the website’s Archives. Listen via Windows Media Player, a free download available at the top of the website. Jacqueline is the author of Elder Rage (http://www.elderrage.com/).
WIWC Presenters’ Book Featured in
Craig English and James Rapson presented at WIWC 2006 and will be presenting a half-day pre-conference workshop at the 2007 Whidbey Island Writers Conference. The authors and their book, Anxious to Please, were featured in a July 25 article, Mr. Nice Guy, By Diana Wurn as a special to The Seattle Times. Follow this link to read the complete story - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/ - you’ll have to do a search to get to the article, but it’s worth the extra keystrokes.
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NOTE: When you place in a competition or get a submission accepted for publication, please let us know. We love to celebrate your successes in our CHEERS section.
See The Voice: Visible Verse 2006 call for videos
Pacific Cinémathèque and curator Heather Haley are seeking videopoem submissions from around the world for the annual Visible Verse screening and performance poetry celebration. Visible Verse is
Call for Poets - Burning Word 4
BURNING WORD: INCITE. INFLAME. INSPIRE. IGNITING A FESTIVAL OF POETIC FIRE!
Presented by
Burning Word is a day-long poetry festival hosted by the Washington Poets Association (WPA). Now in its fourth year, the festival features over 30 poets on our main stage, a full day of workshops of various lengths, a nearly non-stop open mic, a small-press fair, bookstore and more.
2007 Headliners: Internationally Acclaimed Naomi Shihab Nye & Canada¹s First Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Bowering. If you’d like to be part of this acclaimed program, the festival committee will review proposals in September and contact you by Oct. 1, 2006 regarding the 2007 lineup. For full submission guidelines, go to http://www.washingtonpoets.org/2007_burning_word_call_for_poets.php
Storyglossia Fiction Prize 2006
This competition awards the winning story $1,000 plus publication in *Storyglossia*, an online literary journal. All styles, subject matter, and forms of short stories in the literary fiction genre are welcome. Stories should be previously unpublished and should run no longer than 7500 words. All contest entries will be considered for publication. Submission deadline is October 1, 2006, entry fee is $10 per story. Find out more at their website http://www.storyglossia.com/fictionprize.html
MO: Writings From The River, The Journal Of The
The editors are currently accepting submissions of high quality poetry, short fiction, essays and creative nonfiction (up to 3000 words for prose). Original photographs and artwork will also be considered. Payment in contributor copies – however, be sure to check out the site link to the Editors’ Prize Contest 2007; one winning poem and one winning short story will each be awarded $500. Submission deadline is October 30, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.msugf.edu/litguild/index.htm.
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WIWA WEBSITE NEWS AND MEMBER SERVICES
Stay Up-to-Date Online With WIWA
If you want to know what WIWA is up to, and we’re always up to something, we've finally created a universal WIWA Calendar on WIWA's Web site that anyone can access. We've tested the calendar in the following browsers and it works perfectly: Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 1.0.6, Netscape 7.2, Netscape 8, Opera 8, and Safari.
Simply enter the WIWA Web site http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/ and select the Calendar of Events button at the bottom of the page. Try it out – click on an event to bring up the details, including the location and even a map. Move from month to month and click the "Agenda" format to see if you prefer that view.
The Calendar was beautifully designed and engineered for WIWA by Bob Richardson, to whom we are already grateful for his ongoing care and keeping of the WIWA website and for regularly making our digital dreams come true. If you like how the calendar operates, let us know so we can pass your praises along to Bob. If you have any problems or suggestions, let us know that, too, so we can make sure the Calendar is accessible to everyone.
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The Whidbey Island Writes Association is looking for generous individuals or groups interested in donating any of the following items to help us in our efforts to offer outstanding and new programs to local writers and readers. Please contact 360-331-6714 if you have any questions or to make a donation, or e-mail wiwa@whidbey.org. As a 501c-3 non-profit organization donations to WIWA may be tax deductible.
--Work station (student desk size) with room for a computer and monitor
--Desk chair
--Computer and monitor to run sophisticated graphics software WIWA received through a recent grant. (Please contact Elizabeth Guss, Conference Director, for specific details)
--The
--AP Stylebook, Associated Press
--New books on writing (to be used as prizes in the annual youth writing contest)
--Phone cards
--Copy paper