It’s the end of the bookselling world as we know it
… and I feel fine!
This article (sent to me by client and friend Byron Thompson) predicts the demise of publishers at the hands of retailers like Amazon and Apple.
Meanwhile, this article predicts the decline of—you guessed it—retailers like Amazon and Apple, at least when it comes to selling books and other media like music.
These types of articles sometimes make us wring our hands and fret: what, oh what, are we to do?
How will we ever survive without NY publishers… or even worse, without retailers like the mighty Amazon and the amazing Apple?
I think there’s nothing to worry about, and let me tell you a story that illustrates my thinking why:
Back when I was in middle school, I loved reading Michael Crichton sci-fi thrillers like Congo, The Andromeda Strain, and Sphere.
This was around the time when the first Jurassic Park movie came out.
One time, I remember being so wrapped up in one of his books during lunch hour that I missed my next class!
And where did I buy most of my Michael Crichton novels back then?
Why, my local Borders Books, of course.
You know—the chain that declared bankruptcy in 2011!
My point is that publishing players, including retailers, come and go—but readers will always seek out great books.
Sometimes they may even miss class in the process!
If you don’t want to be vulnerable to the winds of change in the publishing industry yourself, the best insurance policy you can have is your own platform.
That way, you’ll always have fans, regardless of whether people are buying books at a physical store or renting them from an online retailer on a subscription plan.
It seems like a daunting task, but we’ve made it as easy as possible for you.
If you haven’t already, register to check out the presentation “The ONE Way to Market Your Book.”
And go delight your fans!
Happy Wednesday,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: Have you ever lost track of time while reading a book? Tell me which one was the cause in the comments section below!
What has Tom Hanks got that you don’t?
I came across this article this weekend.
It’s about how Tom Hanks got his first piece of short fiction published… in The New Yorker.
Now, in case you aren’t already aware of this, getting a short story published in The New Yorker is pretty much the ultimate accomplishment for a writer.
Many authors submit stories for months, or years, or even decades… and never get their work published.
But not Tom Hanks. Did I mention that this was his first published short story?
What exactly has Tom Hanks got that you don’t?
“Duh, Grael,” you’re probably saying to yourself. “He’s Tom Hanks!”
My point exactly.
Tom Hanks is a famous actor, so he’s able to get his fiction published by The New Yorker his first time out.
What this phenomenon refers to is the idea of “platform,” which Tom Hanks most certainly has.
The New Yorker knows that publishing Tom Hanks’ fiction will help sell magazines.
They know people will talk about it.
That’s the power of “platform.”
It’s probably too late for you to become a movie star like Tom Hanks.
What it’s not too late for you to do is start building your own platform.
It seems like a daunting task, but we’ve made it as easy as possible for you.
This week, register to check out the presentation “The ONE Way to Market Your Book.”
Happy Monday,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: Platform. It’s the key to your success as an author!
Is the book dead?
My friend and client at Wheatmark Frank Babb recently sent me the link to this thought-provoking essay in The Economist.
As the article notes, people have been predicting the death of the book—and even the death of reading itself—for more than a decade.
I’m not so sure about that, but one thing is certain: there are more books being published now than ever before!
According to Bowker, around 8,100 ISBNs were issued in 1960… compared to around 1.4 million in 2013!
That’s a lot of books—and that doesn’t even include all the self-published books that the author didn’t get an ISBN for.
Suffice it to say that the competition for readers is fiercer than ever!
That’s why it’s so important to invest in training programs like the Authors Academy and attend live, in-person events whenever you can.
Knowledge (and it’s application) is your greatest asset as an author.
I’ll be presenting on Choosing a Publishing Service at the Avondale Writers Conference in Avondale, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix) on November 15th. That’s next Saturday.
You can read all the details about the conference here.
If you’re in the area, or up for the drive on I-10 from Tucson, I’ll see you there!
Until then, let’s apply the immortal (though misquoted) words of Mark Twain to the death of the book:
“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Happy Friday,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: Remember, the conference is coming up next Saturday, so register now!
Iris Murdoch Made the List!
Thanks to all of you for your emails letting me know what a great job my staff did while I was on vacation. I received so many email that I haven’t had a chance to respond to everyone yet.
I had a wonderful trip visiting family, traveling to Prescott, AZ, Albuquerque NM, Washington, DC, Sparta, NJ, then back to Albuquerque. Of all the places visited, Sparta, which none of you will have heard of, was by far the most beautiful. Situated on Tomahawk Lake, it is lush, green, and peaceful. Forget any negative stereotypes you have of New Jersey and visit Sparta if ever you get a chance.
Last month Grael Norton, Wheatmark’s director of marketing, posted a blog that included a list from The Telegraph of the “100 novels everyone should read.” I was very happy to see that a book, Under the Net, by my favorite twentieth-century novelist, Iris Murdoch, made the list. It was the first time that I’ve seen one of her books included on such a list. (Oddly enough, of Murdoch’s twenty-six novels, Under the Net was my least favorite.)
Murdoch’s novels have elaborate, sometimes gothic, plots, that keep you turning pages, while dealing with serious themes like morality, good and evil, the unconscious motivations of human action, and the nature of free will. If you’re an aspiring or active novelist, I recommend you read one or more of her books to see what one of the masters of your craft can do. The Unicorn, Henry and Cato, and A Fairly Honorable Defeat are all good first reads.
Unfortunately, in the late ’90s, Murdoch fell victim to Alzheimer’s disease. Her decline and death are chronicled in the book Elegy for Iris by her husband, John Bailey, and in the film of the same name staring Kate Winslet and Judi Dench.
By the way, some of the books on the list of “100 novels everyone should read” I really don’t get. Why is Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern considered a classic? I slogged through it to the bitter end hoping to find out why, but never did. And, Moby Dick must get interesting at some point, but it didn’t happen in the first chapters, which I’ve read a few times during my various unsuccessful attempts at reading the entire novel.
Who are your favorite novelists? Let me know in the comments!
Even Kerouac secretly did this
I was reading this article my friend and colleague Jack Rochester mentioned on The Fictional Café recently, and it got me thinking.
Specifically, it got me thinking about the myth that your first draft is the “purest” expression of your work, and that editing it will somehow compromise your artistic vision.
Of all the authors out there, Jack Kerouac probably contributed to this myth the most, since he publicly railed against self-editing, and the story of how he drafted On The Road on a single, giant scroll in only three weeks is legendary.
However, if you read the article above, you’ll see that Kerouac both meticulously outlined his book and had already written portions of it before that inspired three-week period.
Not to diminish Kerouac’s accomplishment in any way—it’s still impressive—but the truth is that “Writing is rewriting,” as the saying goes.
So true: I wrote eighteen drafts of my first screenplay—and it’s still bad!
This doesn’t just apply to fiction, either, or only to long-form writing. Our blog posts and even our emails can benefit enormously from getting better at self-editing.
If you could use some help with this, and you’re local to Tucson, AZ, I invite you to check out my colleague Barbara McNichol’s upcoming Wordshop on October 25th.
If you are a:
- Blogger, author, or journalist
- Business professional
- Administrative assistant
- Marketing copywriter
- Grant or report writer
This Wordshop is for you!
All the details are here.
Happy Wednesday,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: October 25th is a Saturday—before the
holiday crush begins and you’re too busy to
think about this. It’s also the last time
Barbara’s holding a Wordshop this year, so
don’t miss out!
A social media site that costs nine thousand dollars to join?
A social media site for the 1%? No, this isn’t a joke. It’s real!
You can check out the article about it here.
I didn’t link to this article just to shock you, or to piss you off.
(Though if you’re signing up for the site as others are reading this, I tip my hat to you, Richie Rich!)
I linked to this article to remind you of the incredible power of targeted marketing.
This is marketing that is targeted at a particular audience—not just “everybody.”
“My book is for everybody,” authors say to me.
No, it’s not.
Every book has an ideal target audience, an “avatar reader.”
This is the kind of person who would buy your book based on the title alone.
For example: The Rich Person’s Guide to Social Media—How to Keep the 99% from Cluttering Up Your Online Feeds
Or: The Thrifty Buyer’s Guide to Coupon Clipping—Save an Average of $20 Every Time You Visit the Grocery Store
See how that works? These two books are unlikely to appeal to the same reader.
On the other hand, there’s a group of people out there who will say: “That book is for me!” in each case.
It works with fiction, too, though it helps to communicate more information with the cover:
Clear and Present Danger. Comanche Moon.
The Firm and The Client.
Even Remembrance of Things Past!
If you’re having trouble marketing your book, odds are this is the primary culprit.
Discovering your target market can be tricky, though. If you need some help with this, why not join us in the Authors Academy?
This Friday we’ll be holding Office Hours. It’s a chance for all our members to get together in an open Q&A session with the Senior Faculty to discuss their unique marketing challenges.
For some, folks, their challenge is the very first step: identifying your target market.
If you’d like to join us this Friday and get instant access to all of our archived marketing presentations as well, just click here.
Happy Monday,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: Office Hours is as much about the feedback you can get from other members as it is about the help you can get from us. Members share their top info with the other members there, and everybody wins!
Can a book change your life for the worse?
Last week we discussed life-changing books.
For most people, that means “life-changing for the better.”
But is it possible for a book to change your life for the worse?
This article from the Sunday Book Review in The New York Times considers the question.
For my part, I love the idea that a book can be a bad influence—just like it can be a good influence.
I also happen to believe that it’s true!
But that’s not what this article got me thinking about, which is the subject of influence itself.
Books are perhaps the most influential media out there.
They can convince people to dress up like characters on Halloween (and on other days, too.)
They can convince people to make major lifestyle changes, like changing their diets or beginning an exercise program.
They can convince people to drop everything and go on a spiritual quest.
They can even start wars.
There’s just one problem: most of the time, you have to buy a book (or at least know about it) to read it.
In marketing, we call this a “barrier to entry.”
That’s why the most successful authors on the planet have a “free line”—an electronic medium like a website or social media where their readers can read their work and connect with them without having to spend any money.
This way, those authors can begin to influence readers who may not yet be paying fans.
If you’re slacking off in this critical department, you’ve got one last chance to check out my complimentary online presentation “The One Way to Market Your Book” this week.
Here’s a hint: it’s all about influence!
I’ll see you there,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: And if you find your influence with your audience waning, why not register for a quick refresher?
“Never have so many said so little to so few”
A lot of people would have you believe that blogging is passé, or even dead. They think if you’re not on the “bleeding edge” of technology, you’re wasting your time.
“Never have so many said so little to so few,” they say. And they have a point: many, many people’s blogs are read by their family and close friends only.
Is blogging dead? No, but writing a boring blog is!
You may have noticed that we’ve been playing with a new format here at Wheatmark for the last couple of days.
That’s because I just attended a GKIC Fast Implementation Bootcamp in Tempe last week.
Dave Dee, one of my mentors, taught a course on email marketing that was just incredible… but when I got home and reviewed my notes, I realized I’d already learned these exact same techniques… four years ago!
I just hadn’t bothered to implement what I’d learned.
The moral of the story? You’ve got to actually do it!
So if you’ve been having trouble implementing a great blog, I invite you to attend my colleague’s Authors Academy presentation tomorrow on how to write a blog post that will find its audience and perhaps more important, will be shared.
Atilla will be teaching how to craft blog posts that drive traffic and attract readers like flies to a picnic!
This presentation is for Authors Academy members only. If you’re not a member, you can take care of that unfortunate situation right away by clicking here.
Once you sign up, you’ll have instant access to our archives, where there are dozens of presentations available for you to watch and listen to on demand, and most important—take action on immediately!
Take it from me: don’t let four more years go by without making the kind of progress you should be making as an author.
See you there tomorrow,
Grael
Grael Norton
Wheatmark, Inc.
PS: Authors Academy members also have exclusive access to Office Hours, where senior faculty members answer all your questions about marketing and publishing your books. It’s killer!
Don’t Sweat Those One-Star Reviews
I read Light in August by William Faulkner when I was in high school and remember not being able to put it down. It was unlike anything I had read before. The story was so dark. All of the characters led such bleak alienated lives in the unforgiving society of the rural deep South in the 1930s. Faulkner opened a window for me onto a place, time, and people that I was unfamiliar with, and I couldn’t look away. The disorganized narrative style was also new and interesting to me—like some new kind of atonal music.
Out of curiosity I went to Goodreads to see what current readers thought of the book. I was surprised to find 662 one-star reviews, with 7% of readers giving the book one or two stars. This for a book that is always included in any list of the best novels of the twentieth century, and whose author was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature!
The one-star reviewers described the book variously as “absolute torture to read,” “paint-dryingly boring,” and “puzzling and difficult.” One reviewer, Patti, wrote: “What a depressing read! I kept with it, expecting it to get better, but it stayed depressing all the way through and then they died at the end. What a waste of time for someone like me who reads to escape reality. If I want this kind of reality I can read the newspapers.” What Patti disliked about the book was one of the things I liked; it gave me a view into a depressing reality that I wanted to learn about.
Another reviewer, Kerri, wrote “I really disliked this book. The ‘stream of thought’ style to the writing is difficult to follow. I didn’t have the patience for it.” The “stream of thought” style gave me, on the other hand, a compelling new reading experience.
I shouldn’t have been surprised by the large number of one-star reviews. Everyone gets bad reviews. Patti’s and Kerri’s reviews might actually encourage some readers to read Light in August because these readers are looking to explore and understand reality’s darker corners, and are bored with tight plots and snappy prose. In the language of modern marketing, some people are in Faulkner’s target market, and some aren’t. That’s as it should be.
I’d much rather you get lots of reviews than all five-star reviews. (Light in August has 31,796 reviews, averaging 3.91 stars.) Lots of reviews means you are doing your job as a marketer and growing your audience.
Perfectionism, Writer’s Block, and Marketer’s Block
Nearly every month I’m late turning in this article for our Marketing Letter and this Publishing Success Blog, to the great frustration of my staff. Why am I late? The old saw comes to mind: “Perfectionism, Procrastination, Paralysis.” My article needs to be perfect because it will be sent to the most important audience I have: you. Because I want it to be perfect, I procrastinate, sometimes to the point of paralysis. And so the article gets turned in late. Many of you have had writer’s block, and will attribute it to the same root cause: perfectionism.
Not so fast! A few months ago I heard a radio program whose topic was whether perfectionists do, in fact, procrastinate more than other people. Two researchers from major universities who studied this subject were interviewed. (My apologies for the missing citation, but I don’t remember the names of the researchers, and couldn’t find information about the radio program on the Internet.) They found that perfectionists actually procrastinated less than other people. They postulated that anxiety and fear, not perfectionism, were the real causes of procrastination—an analysis that seemed intuitively right to me. Maybe the maxim should be changed to: “Phobia, Procrastination, Paralysis.” Thought of in this way, writer’s block is a result of the fear of, and anxiety caused by, the writing task or deadline itself, not of how good your writing will be. Maybe that’s why techniques like having strict deadlines, daily page or word count requirements, scheduled writing times, and private writing-only environments work so well at overcoming writer’s block. These techniques force you to confront and overcome your fear and anxiety.
Why don’t perfectionists procrastinate as much as everyone else? Because their perfectionism necessitates that they confront and overcome any fear and anxiety standing in the way of the (granted, not completely attainable) perfect result they desire. Perfectionism is what makes great writers and books!
It’s also what makes great book marketing. So, don’t let marketer’s block slow you down. Use the courage and techniques you used to conquer writer’s block to conquer marketer’s block, and your perfectionism to make your marketing the best it can be.
PS: Submitting this article five days before the deadline felt really good!