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WPN, March 2023
The Spring Forward Issue
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From Sandra Murphy, Editor
Spring hasn’t quite made up its mind yet, no matter what the groundhog says. Mild temperatures one day, freezing the next. If you can’t plan for the weather, you can plan for writing and promoting your work. This issue is filled with suggestions; choose the ones that work best for you.
We do look for guest posts, so if you have a topic you’d like to share, email me at the address below. We’re looking for topics about how to get paid for your work, when it’s a good idea to do something for free if there are benefits besides cash, and how to promote to get more sales. Articles run around 1,000 words, and I appreciate it if they are in a Word document, Times New Roman, 12 pt. A bio and photo or book cover is welcome. Run the idea by me before sending an article, just in case it’s already been done.
Time to spring forward!
Sandy, Editor, editor@writersandpublishersnetwork.com
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Ask the Book Doctor: Book Coaches and Editors and Agents, Oh, My! by Bobbie Christmas
Q: What’s the difference between book doctors and book coaches?
A: In a nutshell book coaches work on you, whereas book doctors work on your manuscript.
Coaches encourage you, guide you, give you deadlines, and check on your progress with your book. Coaches may also edit as you go along, depending on the services the coach offers, but not all coaches are editors—or good editors. Some coaches might guide you through your search for a publisher or help you during the self-publishing process, but their services differ, so you need to ask what you will be getting for your money before you invest in a book coach.
Book doctors—another term for a book editor—take what you think is a final draft of your manuscript and line edit to correct errors in grammar, punctuation, syntax, and noncompliance with Chicago Style.
To repeat, coaches work on you; editors work on your manuscript.
Read More... _____
Bobbie Christmas is a book editor, author of Write In Style: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. She will answer your questions too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or BZebra@aol.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/.
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The Way of Memoir — Catherine Ann Jones talks about the craft of writing a memoir in a recent TalkingBookPublishing podcast. Listen anytime!
We'd like to hear from you. If you have topics or speakers you'd like us to interview, please email us at podcast@talkingbookpublishing.today and join the conversation in the comments on our Instagram @writerspubsnet.
Check out all 2021 and 2022 episodes with information that can help you as a writer, a small publisher, or someone looking for information on book publishing or book marketing.
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The Publisher’s Perspective by Jay Hartman
Q: I read recently that Amazon laid off 18,000 employees. Does that have any effect on the publishing end of things, or is it mostly just corporate jobs?
A: Bad news. It definitely affects publishing.
When the new CEO Andy Jassy took over from Jeff Bezos, he made it pretty clear he wasn’t a fan of the book side of the business. He implemented many buying changes that greatly reduced the amount of books to be stored in Amazon’s warehouses. Most of the big NYC publishers reported poor earnings at the end of the year, and all attributed it to smaller orders coming from Amazon.
Unfortunately, it gets worse. Amazon went public with a bunch of the various categories that would see downsizing (i.e.: Grocery, Health, Amazon Air) but most savvy folks noticed those were pretty small departments.
Read More...
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Looking to get The Publisher Perspective? Send your questions to jhartman@untreedreads.com with TPP in your subject line. If your question is used, we’ll send you a free ebook from Untreed Reads.
Jay A. Hartman, CEO and editor-in-chief at Untreed Reads Publishing, founded Untreed Reads to promote ebooks with an emphasis on independent authors and publishers. He’s written about the ebook industry for fifteen years and previously served as content editor for KnowBetter.com, one of the internet’s oldest sites reporting on ebooks and epublishing.
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Featuring panelists Walt Boyes, Joy Ward, Editors at Untreed Reads, Michael Tinker, and Linda Pierce among others—all talking about writing. Port Angeles, Washington https://www.squatchconpa.com/
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Lessons Learned in 'The Business' in 2022 by Gabriel Valjan, reprinted with permission, first appeared on Criminal Minds
Now that 2022 is well and truly “in the books” (!) did you learn any business tips you can pass on?
This author’s public life has been a work in progress. I created a short listicle from practice areas where I am constantly learning. As I strive to improve my writing, I strive to continuously improve my digital footprint and the perception of my work and myself as an author. Any one of the bullets below are worthy of a full-length post, but I think you’ll get the idea without me having to belabor the obvious.The Do and Don’ts of Blurbs
My view on the matter: Asking for them is like dating—you won’t know until you ask. Blurbs are a marketing tool to lure readers to your work.
- Don’t wait to the last minute.
- Don’t make the blurb about prestige.
- Be professional with your request, in person or by email.
- Conferences are an excellent time to request a blurb.
- Don’t underestimate the face-to-face encounter.
- Target authors whose writing is like or similar to what you write.
- Provide a clean and edited manuscript.
Read More...
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Criminal Minds, a weekly blog from the authors of mystery that includes: Gabriel Valjan, Cathy Ace, Susan C. Shea, Brenda Chapman, Terry Shames, Dietrich Kalteis, Catriona McPherson, James W. Ziskin, Josh Stallings, and Abir Mukherjee.
Gabriel Valjan is the author of the Roma Series, The Company Files, and the Shane Cleary Mysteries.
Twitter: @GValjan IG: @gabrielvaljan Web: /gabrielvaljan.com
The fourth Shane Cleary novel, Liar’s Dice, from Level Best Books, is out on March 14, 2023 and is available for pre-order.
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Make plans to stop by if you are in LA! |
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Local Authors and Assisted Living Book Clubs by Mary Brook
Book clubs are an important part of the life-enrichment program in assisted living communities.
Research shows that reading helps residents retain their long-term memory, focus, and concentration.
In her article, “Being a Lifelong Bookworm May Keep You Sharp in Old
Age,” Marina Koren, Smithsonian.com 2013, talks about giving our brains a
workout. Reading and retaining words requires more mental energy than
watching TV or playing solitaire on an iPad. According to Koren, “In
particular, people who participated in mentally stimulating activities
over their lifetimes, both in young, middle, and old age, had a slower
rate of decline in memory and other mental capacities than those who did
not.” It’s important to read, and what better way than joining a book
club?
Read More...
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Mary Brook, a senior living specialist, is an expert in the senior
industry with more than 20 years of experience helping seniors and their
families with the aging process. She received her Bachelor of Arts
degree in Communications from The Ohio State University. Her experience
as a Life Enrichment and Marketing Director, Director of Resident Care,
and Associate Executive Director in several RCFE facilities throughout
the United States gives her an in-depth perspective on helping seniors
improve the quality of their lives. Mary can be reached at mzm.brook@gmail.com.
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Pitching Your Book: Drawing in More Readers and More Sales by Penny Sansevieri
Pitching a book is challenging. There are so many amazing authors out there writing about the same topic, and you need to make your
book shine. You’ve labored over your precious manuscript for months or years, and you’ve likely grown attached. You know how great your work is. But now you need to convince everyone else how great it is.
Successfully pitching a book to readers and the media happens in steps. These steps will be different for different kinds of books, but they all start with an elevator pitch.
Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch
Your elevator pitch is a one- to two-sentence introduction to your book as a product.
It has to wow people. It has to have tension and intrigue, and it has to pose a question or provide a solution.
You have to imagine you have literally one to two sentences to sell your book. If people get to say yes or no based on that short pitch alone, what would you say?
Read More...
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Penny C. Sansevieri, founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book-marketing and media-relations expert. Her company has developed innovative Amazon Optimization programs as well as social media/internet book-marketing campaigns. She is the author of 18 books, including How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon: 2021 Amazon Ads Powerhouse Edition, Revise and Re-Release Your Book, 5-Minute Book Marketing, and Red Hot Internet Publicity, and From Book to Bestseller. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, visit www.amarketingexpert.com.
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What Readers Hate in Books |
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Bits and Pieces – News You Might Have Missed |
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HarperCollins union approves contract, ends 3-month strike
The cause was an ongoing debate about salaries. Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/mrtnade2
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As Book Bans and Legislative Attacks Escalate, the New Press Pushes Back
https://tinyurl.com/2p8rum3e
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Oral Argument Set in Internet Archive Copyright Case
Filed by four major publishers (Hatchett, HarperCollins, Wiley, Penguin Random House)
against the Internet Archive over its program to scan and lend library books, as “a massive piracy operation masquerading as a not-for-profit library."
https://tinyurl.com/2psxrxa6
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Looking for an agent? Check this list for possibilities.
Adams Literary, children’s and YA authors, artists with picture books, middle grade info@adamsliterary.com
adamsliterary.com
Andy Ross Agency, narrative nonfiction, current events, history, journalism, science, literary and commercial fiction, YA andyrossagency@hotmail.com
andyrossagency.com
Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises, literary, upscale, commercial
women’s fiction, mysteries, nonfiction, travel, memoirs, self-help,
cooking, gardening, and more B.amser.assistan@gmail.com
amserlit.com
B. J. Robbins Literary Agency, mystery, suspense, thriller,
historical, biography, memoir, health, travel, sports, African-American,
science robbinsliterarysubmissions@gmail.com
bjrobbinsliterary.com
Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agency, mystery, thriller, suspense, biography, politics, African-American Kim.lonbardini@spitzeragency.com
sptizeragency.com
Talbot Fortune Agency, romance, thrillers, historical, mysteries queries@talbotfortuneagency.com
talbotfortuneagency.com
Writers House, sci-fi, fantasy, memoir, science, parenting, cookbooks, YA, picture books writershouse.com
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WI2023: Only Legislation Can Curtail Amazon's Power
The ABA Winter Institute met in Seattle, Amazon’s hometown, to discuss “Chokepoints, Antitrust, Amazon, and You: How Corporate Monopolies Are Squeezing Bookstores, and How You Can Fight Back.” Included in each swag bag was a copy of “Unfulfilled: Amazon and the American Retail Landscape.”
https://tinyurl.com/yu54fh7y
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New Publisher Sibylline Press Celebrates Women Authors Over 50
“Sibylline is a traditional publisher, but we’re giving our authors unheard-of support and access in producing and collaboratively promoting their books,” says publisher Vickie DeArmon. They plan to publish six novels and memoirs this fall.
https://tinyurl.com/2p9nyhm3
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ITW (International Thriller Writers) Launches Book Business Survey on AI (Artificial Intelligence)
https://tinyurl.com/mry9yk82
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Be willing to speak about your book’s topic for free, especially locally. Ask to sell books afterward. http://buildbookbuzz.com/5-reasons-you-should-speak-for-free/
From Sandra Beckwith of Build Book Buzz.
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How Authors Can Build Relationships with Independent Bookstores by Jane Friedman
https://tinyurl.com/mrxd96cx
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Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is an annual grant of $2,000 for an emerging writer of color. This grant is intended to support the recipient in crime-fiction writing and career-development activities. The grantee may choose to use the grant for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work.
The 2023 Submissions will be open February 1 - March 31
Requirements For Application
An unpublished work of crime fiction. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in progress, 2,500 to 5,000 words.
A resume or biographical statement.
A cover letter that gives a sense of the applicant as an emerging writer in the genre and briefly states how the grant money would be used. No prior writing or publishing experience is required, but the applicant should include any relevant studies or experience.
Submission note: as this award is intended for emerging writers, previous publishing experience is limited to 10 (ten) or fewer pieces of short fiction (excluding poetry) and/or up to 2 (two) self- or traditionally published books.
We accept English-language submissions, with no citizenship requirements.
https://www.sistersincrime.org/general/custom.asp?page=EleanorTaylorBland
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Refer a Friend and You Both Save on Your Authors Guild Dues
The refer-a-friend program lets you earn $20 off your dues for each author friend you invite who joins the Authors Guild. Plus, they get $20 off.
Now is the time to remind writer friends the Authors Guild has long served as the collective voice of American authors on Capitol Hill, in the courtroom, and at the negotiating table with publishers. They have your back, and in these turbulent times for the book industry, we need the strength of a unified writing community.
There’s no limit to how many new members you can receive credit for. If you successfully recruit five friends to join, you’ll get $100 off your dues for the year ahead.
Ready to share and earn?
Just copy and paste your custom referral link and share it via email or social media:
http://go.authorsguild.org/join?rc=f055fc8ab7dbfd67
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Book Fairs and Festivals May and June |
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Nonfiction Writers Conference, May 3-5, 2023, Gold River, California. Since the Nonfiction Writers Conference began in 2010, their mission has always been to take the traditional writers conference experience and deliver it online. This allows more people to attend from around the world, saving valuable time and travel expenses. It also delivers powerful access to speakers during LIVE learning sessions with interactive Q&A
Oklahoma Writers Federation Conference, May 4-6, 2023, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Enjoy sessions with publishing experts who can provide career-advancing knowledge. Speakers on legal issues, short stories, writing for film, editing, literary agents and publicists. Space is also provided for attendees to sell their books. https://www.owfi.org/#!conference/
Massachusetts Poetry Festival, May 5-7, 2023, Salem, Massachusetts. During the first weekend of May, Salem becomes the epicenter of contemporary American poetry, offering rare opportunities to hear the nation’s best poets read and discuss their work in intimate and engaging forums. The Massachusetts Poetry Festival showcases nearly 100 poetry readings and workshops, a small press and literary fair, panels, poetry slams, visual arts, and open-air performances.
Hudson Children’s Book Festival, May 6, 2023, Hudson, New York. The Hudson Children’s Book Festival, established in 2009, is held each year in the historic city of Hudson, New York, and strives to create, sustain, and nurture a culture of literacy in partnership with their community and schools. This free, public event fosters a love of reading as families meet and greet world-class creators of books for children of all ages.
LitFest Pasadena, May 6-7, 2023, Pasadena, California. Founded in 2012, LitFest Pasadena is the free, community literary festival with over 200 authors, publishers, editors, agents, and poets participating in over 60 panel discussions, readings, and workshops at venues throughout Playhouse Village.
Bay Area Book Festival, May 6-7, 2023, Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Park, Berkeley, California. Since 2015, Bay Area Book Festival has featured the boldest and most brilliant literary voices in conversations about issues that matter, with a focus on justice and diversity.
Montclair Literary Festival, May 6,
2023, Montclair, New Jersey. Montclair Literary Festival is a community-wide event that aims to exchange ideas, inspire future literary works, and engage with different points of view. Working closely with the Montclair Public Library, Montclair Art Museum, Watchung Booksellers, and a team of local volunteers, the festival will also generate lasting connections within arts institutions, the schools, and the community, benefiting a broad cross-section of participants and attendees
Bay Area Book Festival, May 6-7, 2023, Berkeley, California. They’re a world-class literary extravaganza taking place each year over two days in Downtown Berkeley. All their programming—250-300 authors on 15 stages—is accessible with one $15 pass, and their Outdoor Fair, a wonderland of literary vendors, kids activities, and family fun, is totally free.
Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books, May 12-13, 2023, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books (GPFB) showcases Pittsburgh’s historic, vital role on the national and international literary stage. Readers, writers, booksellers, publishers, critics, educators, and neighbors will connect with, learn from, and support each other. With free, diverse programming featuring nationally recognized authors (many living in Western Pennsylvania), and across age, genre, and background, the festival will celebrate the joys of literacy.
San Antonio Book Festival, May 13, 2023, San Antonio, Texas. The free, daylong event is a gift to visitors and the citizens of San Antonio, bringing books to life through author presentations, innovative panel discussions, and book sales and signings. Also included in this fun day of literary entertainment are family activities such as children’s theater performances, a technology area, interactive play and art stations, and a selection of the city’s famous food trucks. https://sabookfestival.org/
Kachemak Bay Writers Conference, May 13-16, 2023, Homer, Alaska. Held in Homer, Alaska, this nationally recognized writing conference features workshops, readings and panel presentations in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and the business of writing. Since 2002, the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference has been at the heart of Alaska’s growing literary community. With its focus on community and craft, this conference strives to celebrate and enhance the connection between writers and readers in their communities.
Biographers International Organization (BIO) Conference, May 18-21, 2023, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The conference features panels on current issues in biography and the craft of biography, including discussions on building suspense, getting into print, Black women’s biography, and more. https://biographersinternational.org/conference/
Maine Romance Writers Retreat, May 19-20, 2023, Portland, Maine. Maine Romance Writers strongly supports their members through education, advocacy, networking, support, and recognition of the romance genre. The MRW annual retreat weekend features speakers on a variety of topics related to researching, writing, and self-promotion.
Short Story Fest, May 20-21, 2023, Baltimore, Maryland. Short Story Fest is an annual literary celebration held each year in May, coinciding with National Short Story Month. The purpose of the festival is to bring together readers and writers who enjoy great storytelling, inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to discover for themselves the transformative wonders of a well-written tale.
Gaithersburg Book Festival, May 20, 2023, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has quickly become one of the nation’s top literary events, attracting hundreds of award-winning and best-selling authors, poets, and songwriters from across the country to its beautiful park setting.
Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, May 28–June 1, 2023, Ridgecrest, North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference began nearly four decades ago as a spirit-filled environment where writers could move forward in their writing journey and publishing dreams. The legacy event is focused on God’s path for each writer, and the conference is dedicated to meeting professional and spiritual needs.
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Book Lovers Con, June 1-4,
2023, Orlando, Florida. Book Lovers Con is an event full of fun and
laughter where readers will meet their all-time favorite authors and
find new-to-you authors you never knew were missing from your
collection!
WCU Poetry Center Poetry and Creative Arts Festival, June 09-11,
2023, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Working with a shared respect and
understanding of craft, The Poetry and Creative Arts Festival gives
poets and critics, musicians, as well as visual and performing artists
opportunities to forge connections across disciplines, to delve into
innovative approaches to artmaking, to engage new media and technology,
to reconsider the power of revision, and to sharpen their critical
lenses.
Write-to-Publish Conference, June 13-16,
2023, Wheaton, Illinois. Since 1971, Write-to-Publish has been
training, inspiring and encouraging Christian writers, connecting them
with editors to help them improve their craft, with publishers who are
looking for good books to publish, and with literary agents who can
represent them.
Nantucket Book Festival, June 15-18,
2023, Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Nantucket Book Festival has
established itself as a major summer destination for booklovers with
impressive and eclectic line-ups of award-winning authors. The multi-day
festival offers author readings, panel discussions, and social events
in an informal atmosphere that encourages conversations between writers
and readers. Most of the festival events are free and held within
walking distance of the ferries.
Aspen Summer Words Writing Conference, June 18-23,
2023, Aspen, Colorado. The conference features workshops, including a
workshop with a focus on revision, for poets, fiction writers, and
nonfiction writers; panels; and readings; as well as opportunities to
meet with agents and editors.
Jackson Hole Writers Conference, June 22-24,
2023, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The annual Jackson Hole Writers Conference
brings top agents, editors and authors together each June for a
celebration of the craft of writing. For more than thirty years, diverse
groups of passionate professional and novice writers have gathered at
the Jackson Hole Writers Conference. While attending workshops and
keynote addresses at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts, writers learn
about the craft of writing, share ideas, and make new friends while
networking with authors, editors, and agents from myriad backgrounds.
American Library Association Annual Conference, June 23 – 26,
2023, Chicago, Illinois. Over 25,000 experts in the industry will help
you take your career to new heights. As the world’s largest library
event, the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition brings together
thousands of librarians and library staff, educators, authors,
publishers, friends of libraries, trustees, special guests, and
exhibitors.
International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) 2023, June 25-28,
2023, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia. Sara Bolme,
author of Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace,
considers this the best book show for Christian authors. International
Christian Retail Show will provide a huge platform for the coming
together of suppliers and retailers of Christian products from all
across the world. This event therefore is an excellent forum where
sellers will get to meet buyers directly, and this event will stage a
wide collection of Christian products and items under one roof. This
event therefore will cut down on the efforts of people to go from shop
to shop and thus will save their time and energy.
Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop, June 25-August 05,
2023, San Diego, California. Established in 1968, the Clarion Science
Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop is the oldest workshop of its kind
and is widely recognized as a premier proving and training ground for
aspiring writers of fantasy and science fiction. Applications are judged
by a student selection committee. The review panel selects 18
applicants and a few waitlist students. All applicants are notified of
their status by late March/early April. The review panel does not
comment or give feedback on stories.
The RBMS Booksellers Showcase, June 27-30,
2023, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. The RBMS Booksellers’
Showcase offers a variety of exhibitors and products like original art
and illustration and manuscripts.
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