Get Known Before the Book Deal

Next #platformchat is September 11, 2009 at 11 a.m. PST with Literary Mama's Caroline Grant & Mom Author Cindy Hudson

Our September 11th #platformchat celebrates mom writers to coincide with my 30-day Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway.

On Friday, September 11th our #platformchat guests will be Literary Mama editor-in-chief, Caroline Grant & mom author and mother-daughter book club consultant, Cindy Hudson.

Time is: 11:00 - noon PT (noon - 1:00 MT, 1:00 - 2:00 CT, & 2:00 - 3:00 ET).

Topic: "The Juggle" -- How Mom Writers Balance Parenthood & Writing/Book Promotion

If you missed our recent chats, you are welcome to peruse recent transcripts:

August 7th #platformchat

July 24th #platformchat

July 14th #platformchat

June 26th #platformchat

Anyone with a Twitter account can participate. I recommend using Tweetchat.com and plugging in our hashtag, #platformchat, to follow and participate in the chat. Once you have a Twitter account, you can use your Twitter ID and password to get a Tweetchat account very quickly.

I hope you will bring your questions on this topic and join the discussion!

Please note: #platformchat is (pretty much) on an every-other-week rhythm now. Stay tuned to this blog for updates. Thanks!

Here's a little more about our guests:

Caroline Grant (@CarolineGrant) is the editor-in-chief of Literary Mama, where she also writes the column "Mama at the Movies." She is co-editor, with Elrena Evans, of the anthology Mama, PhD: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic Life (Rutgers University Press, 2008). She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California at Berkeley, where she taught classes on film, women's studies, American literature, and writing; she has also taught at Stanford University and the San Francisco Art Institute. Her essays have been published in a variety of anthologies and journals.  She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons, a life she writes about on her blog, food for thought.

Cindy Hudson (@momdtrbookclub) is a mother-daughter book club consultant, journalist, writer, and editor. She is the author of Book By Book, The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs. She has more than twenty years experience as a marketing and public relations professional, and has founded two mother-daughter book clubs of her own. Visit her online at http://www.motherdaughterbookclub.com and http://www.motherdaughterbookclub.wordpress.com.

#platformchat moderators are:

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer’s Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country. Follow Christina on Twitter at @thewritermama.

Meryl K. Evans is the author of Brilliant Outlook Pocketbook, co-author of Adapting to Web Standards: CSS and Ajax for Big Sites and contributor to many others. The long-time blogger and gamer has written and edited for a bunch of places online and off. A native Texan, she lives a heartbeat north of Dallas in Plano, Texas with her husband and three kiddos. Though born in silence, she tries to show that deaf people are just like everyone else. Follow Meryl on Twitter at @merylkevans.

AMAZON SPIKE DAY FOR KRISTIN BAIR O'KEEFFE & CINDY HUDSON IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH!

Please Mark Your Calendars!

Kristin Bair O'Keeffe's debut novel, Thirsty, will be published by Swallow Press on October 1, 2009. A family saga that explores domestic abuse, race, class, and Pittsburgh's mighty steel industry, Thirsty tells the story of Klara Bozic, a Croatian immigrant who seeks the strength-through love and friendship-to leave an abusive husband.

Can Klara rise above her circumstances and lay claim to her own peaceful spot in the world? To find out, buy Thirsty on September 15th as part of Kristin's Amazon Spike Day!

CINDY HUDSON'S first  book is nonfiction. Book By Book, The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs is coming on October 1st from Seal Press. (Yes, that's right, Kristin and Cindy's books share the same publication date.)

I recently interviewed Cindy about her nonfiction book pitching and writing process over at The Writer Mama Riffs blog. You can read the complete interview here.

Even if you don't have a daughter yourself, Book By Book makes a great gift for a mom who does. I hope you will join me in supporting Kristin and Cindy's Amazon Spike Day on Tuesday, September 15th!

For Your Book Shelf

 

Book Promotion Tips from the Pros: Featured Author Christina Hamlett

By Cindy Hudson

 

In addition to being a script consultant for the movie industry and a professional ghostwriter with The Penn Group in Manhattan, award winning author Christina Hamlett has penned 26 books, 128 plays, and five optioned feature films as well as hundreds of articles, interviews, and columns. Her latest releases include Movie Girl, Screenwriting for Teens, Awesome Plays for Teens and Tweens, and Could It Be a Movie. Readers are invited to visit her website at www.authorhamlett.com for more information and/or to post a question. She and her gourmet chef husband live in Pasadena, California.
 
Q. What can authors do before their publication date to make a book launch more successful?
 
A. Talk up a storm to anyone and everyone! This includes blogging, social networking (i.e., Twitter, LinkedIn, Gather), writing freelance articles (most magazines, ezines and newsletters will let you incorporate a link to your website), doing podcasts, and always including the title of your new book as part of your signature block on all e-mail correspondence.
 
Q. What do you like best about promoting your books? 
 
A. I love hooking people with the premise and then leaving them dangling with a cliffhanger that requires them to go buy the book and see how it comes out!
 
Q. What is one mistake you made promoting your first book that you would recommend others avoid?  
 
A. When the publisher of my first hardcover, The Enchanter (Little Brown & Co.) announced the release date of the book -- a Tuesday -- I was so excited that I assumed this meant the exact date it would be available in bookstores nationwide. A friend of mine who owned a posh salon in a Victorian mansion had always promised to host my very first book-signing. The date we chose was the Saturday right after the release and we invited about 75 people for champagne and munchies. You can imagine my panic when I called the bookstore on Friday morning to see how many copies of books I could come and pick up and was told that they hadn't received any. Yikes! Fortunately, a guardian spirit must have been looking out for me because we were miraculously able to get 50 copies about 2 hours before the party. I have since learned never, ever to schedule anything until and unless I actually have copies in hand.
 
Q. Can you share your top three book promotion tips for first-time authors?
 
A. A professional website is absolutely essential in this industry. This should include a copy of your book cover, excerpts, a brief bio, and author photo, and copies of any endorsements or reviews you have received. Make sure that your URL is printed on your business cards...and carry those business cards with you at all times! Exchange links and banners with your associates and help direct traffic to each other's sites.
 
Utilize companies such as www.vistaprint.com  which offer inexpensive but high quality postcards, stationery, envelopes, business cards, specialty magnets, pens, calendars, t-shirts, and brochures that allow you to upload your own design. I even customize my return address labels to reference "Author of (my latest book)" as the second line below my name. The proof that this latter strategy works came in the form of a surprise e-mail from a clerk at a department store who noticed my return address label as she was extracting my payment slip and check. Turns out that she was an aspiring author, looked up my name on the Internet and decided to write to me for advice on how to get published. Not only are we still corresponding but she also went out and bought some of my books!
 
Clubs, civic organizations and schools are always looking for guest speakers for meetings, special events and "career day." They'll welcome the addition of your name -- a local success story -- on their rosters! Too shy to talk? Let technology be your voice by sharing your views and building a network through interactive channels such as American Chronicle, Gather, BookSpoke, and NovelSpot. Start a ripple, create some waves, and employ all the imagination and tenacity that you can to make your new book the splashing success it deserves to be.
 
Q.  Is there something you would say is never too late to do when promoting your book? 
 
Even after your book has been out for several months, never stop soliciting reviews for it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and BookSpoke. (It always surprises me when I stumble upon new review for books of mine that were first released several years ago.)

 

 
 
Cindy Hudson is the author of Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs (Seal Press 2009). Her website, and its companion blog, feature reading lists, book reviews, author interviews, book giveaways and other book club resources. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Portland, Oregon, where she writes weekly for The Oregonian. Visit her online at MotherDaughterBookClub.com and CindyHudson.com.

JOIN ME IN NYC THIS SEPTEMBER

The Writer's Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published

Use my discount code for $50 off!

Code: KatS8

The Writer's Digest Conference:  The Business of Getting Published is designed to guide any author through the new dynamics of today's publishing world.  This three-day event takes place Friday, September 18, through Sunday, September 20, 2009, at the New York Marriott Marquis, on Times Square in New York.

With emphasis on platform, networking and social media, The Writer's Digest Conference is an innovative and ground-breaking conference, featuring the industry's top forward-thinking speakers, leading sessions on topics relevant to the current and future state of the publishing world.
Chris Brogan, social media genius, is the keynote speaker. 

Other speakers include Kassia Krozser, editor/publisher of BookSquare.com;  David Mathison, whose online sales success is the new business model;  Mike Shatzkin, the industry's top publishing consultant, Seth Harwood and Scott Sigler, whose own podcasts and videocasts have made them superstars in the business;  and many more, plus the editors of Writer's Digest!

Complete program information, including speaker bios, special events related to the conference and registration, is now available here.

Recent Get Known Before the Book Deal News

Here's an update on all the latest goings-on related to my recently released Get Known Before the Book Deal:

•  Get Known Before the Book Deal was recently featured by "Gumbo Writer," Jeff Rivera, in Media Bistro's popular blog, Galley Cat. He says: Katz demonstrates how writers should be promoting themselves, in a slow but continuous steam of action. She delineates just what to do and what not to do in order to gather a readership. Katz maintains that "Get Known offers a concrete plan that can help any writer make gains in the rapidly changing and increasingly competitive publishing landscape." And, with all the numerous changes currently undergoing in the publishing industry, we all need all the help we can get.

• Author Hope Edelman (Motherless Daughters, Da Capo Press) contacted me on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. Here's what she thinks of Get Known: "I told my writing class about Get Known Before the Book Deal and suggested they all order a copy. The publishing landscape is so different now, and evolving so fast, that books like this one are needed to help authors navigate the new territory. I'm grateful to have it to recommend."

• The Association of Writing Programs Conference recently selected two of my proposed panels (out of 850 proposals submitted) for the April 7-10 Conference in Denver. Panel participants include Writer's Digest Publisher, Jane Friedman, literary agent Robin Mizell, University of Ohio & Swallow Press Editor David Sanders, and authors Wendy Burt, Ericka Lutz, and Sage Cohen.

• I have also been invited to participate in a panel at the annual Association of Journalists and Authors Conference on April 24-25, 2010 on blogging, twitter and platform development.

• In a recent Amazon review, Peggy Payne had this to say about Get Known Before the Book Deal: I've been freelancing for 35+ years and have published books with three major houses, and there was still a tremendous amount of material in this book that I'd never thought of and am now putting to use. Coming up with a handle is one I'm still working on.
  
  GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL explains in detail how to create a platform for launching a book. The material is clear and comprehensive: assumes you know nothing and that you want to know everything. Also, it didn't make me feel bad about what I didn't already know. I highly recommend it.

• On August 15, my feature profile with activist and science fiction author Cory Doctorow appears in the September issue of Writer's Digest magazine. I met Cory, author of hugely popular novel Little Brother (Tor, 2008)  at the Tools of Change Conference in NYC last year and he was kind enough to speak with me from the UK a few months ago about his writing process, the trajectory of his career, becoming a father, how to take risks in your writing, which of his books is his favorite...and much more (including his forthcoming self-publishing experiement).

• In September (that's coming right up!) in NYC, I will participate in the Writer's Digest Business of Publishing Conference which will emphasize platform, networking and social media and feature the industry’s top forward-thinking speakers, leading sessions on topics relevant to the current and future state of the publishing world. I will speak on "What It Means to Have and Develop a Meaningful Marketing Program," and will appear on a panel with Jane Friedman and Booksquare's Kassia Krossier on "Social Networking Overload." Feel free to use my discount code for fifty dollars off: Code: KaS8.

Intro to Social Networking: Becoming the LinkedIn Writer

By Meryl K. Evans

 

The frequent e-mails we receive from friends and colleagues urging us to connect with them on yet another network prove that social networking works. Currently,  LinkedIn has the distinction of being the go to network for businesses and professionals.
 
LinkedIn requires more steps than Facebook when you want to connect to others. Typically, you need to either enter the person's e-mail address or ask a mutual friend to introduce you.
 
To make the most out of LinkedIn, you need to go beyond "connecting" to people. Go there for Answers or become a groupie with its Groups.
 
Got Questions? Got Answers? Do Both!
 
For this article, I posted a question in both LinkedIn and Twitter asking writers how they've benefited from LinkedIn. I had more replies to this question in Twitter than LinkedIn. This doesn't mean LinkedIn doesn't work. It shows that relying on multiple social networking sites leads to more successes than just working with one. LinkedIn's  Answers may not have worked well this time, but LinkedIn has come through in the past.
 
Go beyond asking questions by looking for questions you can answer. Helping others grows your reputation and expertise. LinkedIn sorts Answers into categories so you look for questions in your areas of expertise. Whenever you post a question, LinkedIn lets you select the category for your question. It also allows you to share the question with selected connections. However, if you do this, you won't receive as many answers as you would if you post the question in public.
 
Hang out with Groups
 
You can start your own group or find groups by searching LinkedIn  Groups by keyword, category, and language. Using "writer" as a keyword yields 105 search results. LinkedIn provides a summary, the name of the group's owner, and the number belonging to the group so you can decide whether to join. LinkedIn also identifies groups you might like based on your profile.
 
Most group pages show recent discussions, news, posted jobs, list of members, and group settings. Before starting a new group, participate in a few to learn what works and what doesn't. Becoming familiar with Groups also helps you get the hang of LinkedIn's Group features and settings.
 
Find the Right Connections
 
Need an agent? Publisher? Editor? Virtual assistant? Your connection's connections may include people in these careers. Use "people search" to find the right people by keywords, industry, company, title, and more. The search results will show you how close your connections are to you. You have direct access to first-degree connections. For second-degree connections, you share a mutual connection. Contact that mutual connection for an introduction to the second-degree connection.
 
LinkedIn also includes a "recommendations" feature. You can ask colleagues, clients, and managers to endorse your work. You can also check the endorsements of others to see if you want to pursue an introduction.
 
Though LinkedIn has a few small barriers to connecting compared to other social networks, they're there to improve your connections. 

  

 

Meryl K. Evans is the author of Brilliant Outlook Pocketbook, co-author of Adapting to Web Standards: CSS and Ajax for Big Sites and contributor to many others. The long-time blogger and gamer has written and edited for a bunch of places online and off. A native Texan, she lives a heartbeat north of Dallas in Plano, Texas with her husband and three kiddos. Though born in silence, she tries to show that deaf people are just like everyone else. Follow Meryl on Twitter at @merylkevans.

AUTHOR WEBINAR: "SHOULD I SPECIALIZE OR GENERALIZE?"

Evaluating your skill set to get published in the new gig economy"

NEW DATE:
October 13th
@ 10 a.m. EST

If you want to evaluate your strengths, analyze your skill sets, and answer this question as it pertains to you, this will be a helpful learning experience. I'd say this webinar is about as close as you can get to seeing and hearing me speak at a writer's conference. And everyone who participates will receive a copy of my recently released book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform.

I bet many of you have not done a webinar before but there is really nothing to it. You just show up in front of your computer at the scheduled date and time and watch the images I display on your computer screen while listening to my voice in real time. You can even type in questions for me to answer during the Q&A period. Here's the FAQ's. Register here.

#platformchat transcript from Friday, August 7th with Chris Brogan & Wendy Burt-Thomas

Did you miss today's #platformchat?

Man, you really should have been there!

But lucky for you, the queen of all things Internet, Meryl K. Evans has supplied the edited transcript of today's #platformchat.

This transcript is in reverse chronological order, so please start at the bottom and read to the top.

We're posting the chat in PDF instead of cutting and pasting the entire hour-long chat into a blog post.

Hope to see everyone at the next #platformchat on Friday, August 21st at 11 a.m. PT.

I'll announce our guests soon.

Click on the link below to download the PDF of the August 7th transcript of #platformchat:

Download Platformchat8-07_transcript

We are on an every-other week schedule. So, look for new chats every TWO weeks. [However, and this is an exception to that rule, we will skip Labor Day Weekend and jump to Friday, September 11th instead.]

Happy platform-building!

Recent books by #platformchat guests

Thank you so much for coming to #platformchat! We don't accept sponsorship or ads. Instead, I'd love it if you would support our guests by purchasing their books. Here's a round up of books from our first four chats:

 

And, of course, if you need to fill your shopping cart, I'd love for you to purchase my books too.