A Book Publishing Conversation

By Sophfronia Scott

Can I share something with you? I had a conversation recently with an entrepreneur eager to grab one of the handful of chapters being offered in my new anthology project, “How the Fierce Put Family First”. It turned out to be one of those talks where I thought you might like to be a fly on the wall because the things we talked about are the things that every entrepreneur trying to make a business work must think about right now.

I knew it was important to share this information with you. So here’s what went down:

This entrepreneur and I were discussing the value of the anthology project. Since I designed the program to offer as much value as possible, I enjoyed sharing with her the fact that if she were trying to publish a book on her own right now, she might be able to produce the book, but she would not be able to afford the extras that help a book sell well including:

**professional cover and interior design for the book
**a full marketing campaign
**an Amazon.com bestseller campaign
**connection of being published with other top co-authors

She also wouldn’t be able to get copies of her book without paying extra and she wouldn’t necessarily have the best distribution for the book.

(By the way, all of these valuable pieces and more are included in my anthology program. You can read all about it at http://www.PublishingShortcut.com.)

But after I presented the entrepreneur with this I said, “You know what? I can give you all the value in the world, but only you can know if this project will fit in with who you are and what you want to do with your business.”

I could tell she was surprised, so I went on to explain:

“You could get 200 books out of this program,” I told her. “If you can sell them all for $20 each, you’ll make your investment in this program back quickly. But can you do that? Is your website set up to sell? Do you speak at events where you can sell this book? Do you have an audience to sell to? Only you have the answers.”

I also pointed out that only she would know where her business is right now and what strategies would be best to take her to the next level. If a book could be one such strategy, she would have to figure out how best to implement that strategy. My project would be one such way. Doing it herself would be another. Again, she would know best what would be best for her.

You see, I have this conversation with each and every client I work with. This type of thinking is what I teach in my Business Book Bootcamps. (The Fall 2010 Session is now enrolling!) This is how you would think about any book you choose to do, not just this anthology project. If you don’t have a plan for how to use the book in your business, it will be a wasted opportunity.

It doesn’t have to be that way for you. If you would like some help in thinking through a strategy for how you would benefit from participating in “How the Fierce Put Family First”, here’s what you can do:

1.) If you haven’t done so already, listen to the call I hosted earlier this month, “Co-Authoring Your Way to a Bestselling Book”. You can access the recording at this link:

http://www.doneforyouwriting.com/audio/newanthologycall.mp3

2.) Review the information page on the anthology project at http://www.PublishingShortcut.com.

3.) Send me an email at editor@doneforyouwriting.com to schedule a strategy session so we can create a plan for how you would use this book in your business.

It’s as simple as that. No more worrying, no more hand-wringing or anxiety about whether or not you can make this investment.
No more wondering if you’ve missed your chance and then kicking yourself next year when this book comes out because you know you didn’t do your homework.

It’s really all about making a sound, well-considered decision just like the ones you make for your business everyday. I know you can do it, and I don’t want you to miss out on this book because you thought otherwise, especially since I know you probably have a great story to share in your chapter!

I’ll wait to hear from you, unless you hear from me first telling you that all the spots in the book are taken.

Best wishes,

Sophfronia

Sophfronia Scott
Publisher, Messenger House Books
Executive Editor, The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company

Anthologies: Your Shortcut to Getting Published

By Sophfronia Scott

Why is the world so caught up in the hype around where basketball superstar LeBron James will play next year? (If you didn’t already know, his decision is meriting its own primetime show, a full hour on ESPN!) Because they know there’s a strong possibility he will team up somewhere with other key superstars such as Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. The idea of a group of talented people getting together to practice what they do best captures our imagination and we all want to be a part of it, directly or indirectly.

It’s the same idea behind assembling a group of talented people and inspiring them to write an essay for a book based on a hot topic and sporting a snazzy title. The result:  an anthology, one of the more popular form of books being published today. The New York Times noted “the wave of anthologies has not yet crested” and the phenomenon is still a great seller. You can take advantage of this trend to get yourself published faster than working on your own. I know it might not be what you dreamed-sharing a byline and being in a book that’s not wholely yours, but it is a way for a first time author to get a foot in the door. Here’s how they work.

Choose Your Topic

Anthologies are organized and driven by their subject matter. And the title usually makes it crystal clear what that subject is. Examples: Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives; The Bastard on the Couch: 27 Men Try Really Hard to Explain Their Feelings About Love, Loss, Fatherhood and Freedom. When you choose your topic you’ll want it, of course, to be something you’re interested in writing about, but you’ll also want it to feel as though you are responding to what’s on the minds of a particular group or society at large.

When I came up with the title for my recent book, How the Fierce Handle Fear, I was responding to my observations that fear seemed to be on a lot of minds. I read about it in magazines, saw it in the undertones of many television news stories and heard it in conversations with clients and friends. I knew this would make a good–and important–topic for a book. When you consider your topic you’ll want to do your best to plug into the zeitgeist because that’s what will generate buzz about your book and get you interviewed in the media.

Gang Up! Find Your Co-Authors

Next, find other writers interested in participating. You can do this by Googling your subject and seeing what writers are already working in the field. You can also scan online groups, like on Yahoo, to find unpublished writers looking to do their first book as well.

How Will You Publish and Split Costs?

If you self publish your anthology, you’ll have to come up with a plan for how you’ll handle the costs and oversee the project. Will it be “your baby”, in which case you’ll pay for the book’s production (and possibly even pay the bigger name writers if that’s what it takes to get them involved) and marketing costs. If you go in with a group of first timers, you’ll all be able to split the costs, but it might be a good idea to have someone act as the project manager, to keep from having a “too many cooks” scenario develop.

Co-Market For Your Best Results

The best part about working with more than one writer is that you’ll be able to use the muscle of marketing to more than one list. Ideally each writer will have their own list (either their personal contacts or a list they developed as part of a business) and that automatically multiplies the number of people you can reach with the book. You’ll want to put your heads together to develop a good marketing plan so you’re all sending out similar materials with a similar message. Again, you can designate a project manager to handle submitting the book to media markets (your co-authors can handle local media if they already have their own contacts). Hopefully everyone will pitch in and do their share. After all, if the book succeeds it could be the stepping stone the writers need to their own individual book contracts!

Would You Like to Learn More?

If this type of book project sounds interesting to you, I invite you to join me for a free teleseminar where I’ll be discussing the finer points of anthologies. The call is entitled “Co-Authoring Your Way to a Bestselling Book: The Secrets to Gaining All the Benefits of Being a Published Expert with Just a Fraction of the Work”. Just go here for all the details and to register for the call. By this time next year, you could be a published author!

© 2010 Sophfronia Scott

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, but you must include this complete resource box with it: Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of the Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Learn what a difference being a published author can make for your business. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

Writing Your Memoir Today

By Sophfronia Scott

Fair warning: if you’re pitching an interesting novel based on your life story, don’t be surprised if an agent or editor encourages you to write it as a memoir instead. (James Frey discovered that the hard way when he first pitched the book that became the ill-fated A Million Little Pieces.) Memoirs still sell well in the guessing game that is the publishing industry. And, as we’ll soon see by the upcoming filming version of Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts, memoirs can make good film fodder too. So whether you come to it on your own or by suggestion, you may be writing your memoir very soon. That leads me to Fair Warning, Part 2: I’ve learned that when a person starts thinking about telling their life story, they tend to overthink it. They get caught up in worrying about things such as what others will think and who would publish it. The whole thought process results in paralysis so they can’t even figure out how to get started. But if you do your thinking in a more focused way, and then follow it up with specific actions, you’ll have your completed pages done before you know it! Here’s how to get going.

Who is the Book For?

Before sitting down at your desk, decide who you are writing for. Are you writing for a wider audience (the general public)? Are you hoping to write the next Eat, Pray, Love? Or are you writing solely for your children and grandchildren? Answering this question will take many concerns off your plate from the very beginning. For instance, if you are writing only for family members, your writing style can be more intimate and informal, almost as though you are writing a letter. You also wouldn’t have to worry about getting an agent or attracting a publishing house because you know you’ll either print the book yourself or have a self-publishing company produce a bunch of finished books for you.

If you are writing for a wider audience you will have much more to deliver in terms of story, action and writing style. But let’s keep this on the back burner for now and only think in terms of one thing: you know you have to write well. The rest you can worry about when the book is done.

What Story or Stories Do You Want to Tell?

You don’t have to do the David Copperfield thing and go all the way back to “I am born.” Contrary to popular belief, real life doesn’t always make for interesting writing. So instead of going the James Frey route and embellishing, as he did with A Million Little Pieces (and you see where that got him!), focus instead on the great stories that have happened to you. I’ve heard from many people who desire to tell the story of their World War II experiences. They can do whole books just on that subject. There’s no need to do more unless you have more to say.

Joan Didion’s  memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, is all about her months of grieving after the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. It is a beautiful example of what can be done by examining just a small portion of your life. Likewise, Maya Angelou covered her life experiences in more than one book. So you don’t have to write down everything in one place. Just think: What story are your burning to tell right now? Start there!

Skip the Writing Part–For Now

This may seem counter-intuitive to your intent to write a book, but if putting down that first word or sentence is too hard, you may find it easier to talk your book first. All you have to do is give yourself a rough outline of what you want to talk about and then speak your stories into a recording device. You probably tell these stories anyway more often than you realize, which is probably why people say, “You should write that down”. This will feel natural for you, especially if you enlist a friend or family member to interview you. That makes it easier than just lecturing into the air, plus the person you choose can help you to dig out certain details that you have either  forgotten or just didn’t think to bring out. For instance, a curious interviewer might ask “Who was with you when you stormed that beach in France?” or “What kind of car were you driving when you first saw Mom walking down the street?” or “What were you wearing when you met Martin Luther King Jr.?”

Mitch Albom did this. Even though I had read Tuesdays with Morrie, it didn’t hit me until I saw the television movie based on the book that he had recorded Morrie during each visit. He didn’t have to work from notes or memory. I’m sure the tone of Morrie’s voice was a constant inspiration for Mr. Albom to keep going and finish the book. I’m sure your family would love to have such a recording of you. The recording could be a gift itself, even if you never turn it into a book. But this is about creating a book so…

Transcribe for an Instant Rough Draft

Have a friend or family member or hire someone to to take the words from your recording and put them on paper. Most transcription services can do this fairly quickly, depending on the length of the work. I use eTranscription Solutions (http://www.etranscriptionsolutions.org) to transcribe my seminars and they are fast and accurate. The beauty of this is that once the transcript is done, you’ll suddenly have a rough draft of your book in your hands. No more blank pages to contend with!

Shape Your Book

Now this part should be really fun. Once you have your rough draft, you can begin to shape your story, like an artist with clay. Again, beware the impulse to embellish, but try to give things a beginning, a middle and an end. Keep your audience in mind. Remember, your writing doesn’t have to be fancy. You just want to make sure you’re being compelling, and that you’re getting your message across. If you have any doubt about the way something is written, read it out loud. You’ll be able to hear whether a phrase is awkward, if your sentences are too long or if you have fragments instead of complete sentences.

Finish It!

The best way to ensure that you’ll complete your project is to set a deadline for yourself and honor it. Otherwise you may let it linger for months or years, working on it only a little at a time. Maybe you could tie your deadline to a family event such as a holiday or a reunion. Wouldn’t that be the perfect place to present your completed memoir? If you seek to get your book published traditionally instead of doing it yourself, you may not have control over when you’ll have a finished book in your hands, but don’t let that stop you. Go as far as you can and present that work, even if it’s a stack of photocopied pages or a box of cassette tapes to your loved ones. They will appreciate the gift–and your effort–for years to come.

© 2010 Sophfronia Scott

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, but you must include this complete resource box with it: Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of the Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Learn what a difference being a published author can make for your business. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com