Today, we’re continuing the #Publishing Law for Writers mini-series on finding the perfect literary agent to represent your work. While not every author needs an agent–author-publishers and those who want to work only with small presses may do equally well with a lawyer’s help instead–authors who want to publish traditionally, with larger publishers, normally do better with the help of a literary agent. (However, all authors do better with some kind of legal or literary representation.) Many times, authors who want a literary agent struggle to find one. This struggle may have a variety of causes, from the author’s work not being ready for
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When “Should” Writers Use a Pen Name?*
* Note: This is a re-post of a post that originally appeared in December 2014. I’m out of town at the Left Coast Crime Convention this week (seahorse fans, never fear…my husband stays home to fish-sit), but the question “Should I use a pen name?” seems evergreen, so I’m running this post again. To clarify from the outset: I don’t think there’s a single answer to the question “should I use a pen name?” Use of a pseudonym involves multiple legal, business, and personal issues, and is a question each author needs to answer on his or her own (if appropriate, with the assistance
Read moreTips for Publishing Success
Many authors believe that the key to becoming a successful author is “writing a book” or “getting lucky enough to find an agent/publisher/contract offer.” Although there are undeniably elements of luck involved in publishing–perhaps more accurately explained as “being in the right place, with the right manuscript, at the proper time”–there are also some important things authors can do to increase their chances of being on the spot when the lightning strikes. First and foremost: KNOW THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. Publishing is an art, but it’s also a business, and savvy business people learn about the way the industry works–regardless of whether they’re
Read moreWriting a Business Plan For Your Book: The Budget
The final section in the business plan for your book is the budget (in a standard business plan, this section is usually called “Financial Factors and Statements). The budget for your book may be simple or highly complex, depending on a number of factors, including your publishing path. Marketing and travel budgets are part of this section also, as are any other book-related costs the author will bear. Note: Traditionally published authors do not bear ANY of the costs of publishing, sales, or distribution, and do not pay the publisher’s editing costs. Self-published authors are responsible for all of the costs of publishing
Read moreWriting a Business Plan For Your Book: the Development Timeline
Today we return to the series on How to Write A Business Plan for Your Book with a look at the fifth section of the business plan: the Development Timeline. The “Development Timeline” section actually consists of multiple timelines, one for each phase of the author’s work. When preparing your timelines, use a calendar and establish concrete dates (at least, to the extent you can)–but also remember, this is YOUR timeline, and unless you’re under contract, the dates can change. Sometimes, they even change if you are under contract…but that’s less common, and trickier. You can also plan your timelines in block-style increments
Read moreAvoiding Copyright Infringement When Creating Images Online
Today, I’m pleased to introduce a guest post by K.M. Robinson, a professional photographer and writer I met on Twitter. We share a respect for copyright and a dedication to helping writers and other artists understand not only how to protect their rights, but how to show respect for the rights of others. And now, I’ll turn the blog over to K. M. Robinson: To learn more about image copyright, creating your own imagery, marketing, branding, and designing for authors, there is a free online course, Author Bootcamp, being offered during February 2016, that will equip authors to more effectively
Read moreWriting a Business Plan For Your Book: The Competitive Analysis
Today, we continue the ongoing series: How to Write a Business Plan for Your Book. (If you missed any previous installments, you can find links at the bottom of the post.) Last week we finished off the marketing section by looking at how to plan your post-release marketing (spoiler: “write another book”). This week we leave marketing behind and move to the fourth section of the business plan: the Competitive Analysis. Writing a competitive analysis requires analyzing your work in comparison to other books in the marketplace, looking for strengths and weaknesses, and brainstorming ways to enhance your strong points and minimize the reasons a buyer would bypass your
Read moreWriting a Business Plan for Your Book: Post-Release Marketing
Welcome back to our ongoing series on “How to Write a Business Plan for Your Book.” In case you’ve missed any part of the series, I’ve added links to the previous installments at the end of the post. Today we resume our discussion of the third section of the business plan (Marketing Strategies) with a look at marketing “after the party’s over” – how to plan your marketing efforts for the period after the book’s initial few weeks in release. The third section of the business plan contains your plans and strategies for marketing the book, and serves as a marketing road map.
Read moreHow to Write a Business Plan for Your Book, Part 5: Release Phase Marketing
In case you missed the earlier installments in this series on “How to Write a Business Plan For Your Book” you can find them here: Part 1: Writing a Business Plan for Your Book Part 2: The Overview Part 3: The Synopsis Part 4: Pre-Release Marketing The Marketing section of a book business plan has three sub-sections: pre-release marketing, release week (or “marketing around release”), and marketing efforts after the “release publicity” push. Last week, we looked at Pre-Release marketing, which means it’s time to look at marketing during (and right around) the book’s release. In its most expansive definition, “release” marketing starts when the cover is finalized and/or
Read moreHow to Write a Business Plan for Your Book (Part 2: the Overview)
Today, we start our in-depth look at the sections of a “book business plan” and how to write them, with a look at the “Overview” section. If you missed last week’s overview, you can find it here. Authors should prepare a business plan for every book. The plan doesn’t have to be written (though it tends to be more valuable as a road map and a reference if it is). Business plans are helpful for authors, regardless of publishing path, and sometimes, writing the plan can help the author decide between traditional and self-publishing. Analyzing where the book fits in the marketplace, as well as
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