You Get What You Pay For

 

For 25 years, I’ve been advocating for transparency in book publicity–a cornerstone of Books Forward’s culture since 2000.

It’s heartbreaking when authors come to us after their books have launched, sharing stories of disappointment with their initial publicity efforts. Many debut authors thought they’d hired the right experts, but were misled or let down. They ask if we can help get their campaigns back on track. While we do our best, it’s tough to fix an anemic publicity effort after a book has launched. Sometimes we can, but if we can’t, we’re always honest about that.

When you pay for a service, you are paying for the expertise, knowledge, contacts and creativity of a professional. Just as a lawyer charging $25/hour isn’t likely to be a Supreme Court litigator, or a $12 haircut isn’t coming from a top stylist, bargain-priced book publicity is unlikely to deliver the kind of buzz necessary to stand out in a market where more than 3 million books are published annually in the US.

There’s a reason that certain book publicity firms have clients who regularly hit bestseller lists and win major awards. Their value lies in their contacts, their ability to create compelling stories that the media wants to share, and their track record of securing stellar reviews. These qualities are built on years of experience, not shortcuts.

When you’re hiring a firm to represent your book–your blood, sweat and tears–ask tough questions. Be wary of “bargain basement deals” and understand what you’re truly getting for your investment. There’s a select group of highly sought-after publicists for authors who are serious about success, but they’re not a dime a dozen.

Great Clips is fine if you’re looking for a quick, generic haircut. But if you want to stand out , that’s probably not where you’re going. The same principle applies to book publicity: “Great Clips” prices will get you “Great Clips” results.

For all but a rare few authors whose books are “lead titles” for major publishers, the reality is clear: to rise above the noise of the other 8,000-plus books being released on the same day as yours, you must commit your resources–time, energy, and money–into promotion .

A top-tier book publicity firm will provide a detailed proposal outlining what they’ll do for you, how they’ll reach readers in diverse ways, how they’ll keep you informed about your campaign’s progress.

Their track record will show success with books like yours, along with insights into what works and what doesn’t…

Just as importantly, they’ll offer cutting-edge strategies developed by some of the most creative minds in the business.

Be deliberate when choosing a book publicity firm. Consider your budget of time, energy and money, and invest wisely in your book’s success

Julie Schoerke is the founder of Books Forward’s, an award-winning literary publicity company, and its sister publishing company, Books Fluent.

Some Common Fears We Writers Share.

JOIN US TODAY

 The awesome co-hosts for the May 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat Garcia!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Remember, the question is optional!

May 7 question - Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them?

When I first started writing for publication, I could write “all of the above,” but that’s not true anymore. 

I don’t fear rejection. I just don’t like it.  When it happens, I find a safe place to hang out for a while, then I set out again.

morguefile

I haven’t failed because I'm still writing and publishing, so I can’t fear that. 

Too much success? Is that possible? 

But now we get to something that does keep me on the ropes. There are times I’m sure I’ll never write the story I want to because I don’t have the talent or ability, and I'll add knowledge because that's a huge chunk of what writing well is all about. I’m dealing with a lack of knowledge right now as I work on a new story that I want to write. 

morguefile

The problem is I keep running into barriers—gaps in what I know. My only recourse is to fall back on research, so I’m not making a lot of progress on the book, but my knowledge base has increased in several different areas: maritime research, cybersecurity, and Alaska. I've even learned how to make a wireless telegraph and a smoke bomb. You never know when you're going to need some of those.

I read a post by Jacqui Murray on research that inspired me to continue my efforts to learn as much about my topic as possible. You might enjoy reading her POST, if you haven't already.

If I manage to successfully combine all that I've learned into a cohesive story, I hope to come up with something that people will want to read. I'll probably be posting about this newest challenge for a while.

Now, I'm off to see how other members have answered this month's question. 

Have a wonderful May!

Reflections on Good Writing and Good Writers

What makes good writing, and how do I become a better writer?  

If you are a writer you have likely considered these questions.
Certainly I have, as a writer and as a teacher of writing for many years.

Surely writing is one of the most complex things we do as humans,

and pinning down what makes good writing

is as slippery as trying to catch a pollywog in a stream.

We know good writing when we see it, but understanding what it is

and applying that understanding to improve our writing is an ongoing challenge.

Not everyone takes up that challenge the way that writers do.

Many people learn enough to be proficient writers

for their chosen path in life, plumber or phlebotomist.

And that's okay.  It's practical and proactive.

But for those of us who have chosen to write, that challenge is a lifelong passion.

Morning Pages

Aurora, Colorado, USA

June 29, 2024

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Do you remember the childhood magic of discovering

that you could make marks on paper and tell a story?

Few of us do because we were so young, perhaps as young as when we were toddlers.

I don't remember a time that I couldn't read or write,

but I have spent enough time in the company of young children

to see the wonder and delight in their eyes when they realize 

they can tell a story by making marks on paper with pencils, crayons, or markers.

I think storytelling must lie at the heart of what it is to be human. 

Just Scribbles?

This is my sister Bertie's earliest preserved writing at 2 years and 3 months old.

Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada

Circa June 1961

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

At its simplest writing is visibly forming symbols

on a surface to communicate thoughts and ideas.

Whether it was a prehistoric man scratching with charcoal on a rock wall 

a Sumerian pressing a reed stylus into damp clay,

a Medieval scribe putting quill to parchment, 

or a contemporary person writing with a ballpoint pen on a notepad

or thumbing words into an iPhone,

humans have been compelled to communicate and to preserve their thoughts and ideas.

These intentions often start when we are very young.

Just scribbles?  

Take another look at my sister Bertie's earliest preserved writing,

a letter to our father.

Perhaps you missed the face, the body, or the arms holding something.

I was stunned when the scribbles first resolved into a definite image for me many years later.

Twenty-seven-month-old Bertie worked very hard on the middle section of her letter, 

and I am convinced that the person is holding our dachshund Gretchen in his or her arms.

I can see Gretchen's nose, eye, ear, and front paws.

Of course, as a reader, I am bringing my knowledge and ideas to her story,

but that is what readers do.

Bertie grew up to become a teacher,

but also the author of two published books, one fiction and the other nonfiction.

The intention to tell a story was innate in her, as it is for many writers.

Author Roberta (Bertie) Heembrock Shares Her Book Oscar the Herring Gull with Penny Graham

Penny has been a friend of our family for over 50 years.

She owns Mariner Cruises, a popular whale-watching business on Brier Island in Nova Scotia.

On the Bay of Fundy out of Westport, Nova Scotia, Canada 

July 31, 2014

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

When we write we have the intention of communicating effectively.

The general consensus is that good writing includes structural and stylistic components,

with an additional literary component if the writing is creative. 

As writers we want to connect with our chosen audience in a meaningful way.

We want to engage readers, impact them, make them remember our writing,

whatever form it takes.

Good writing also has an emotional component, especially in creative fiction or nonfiction.

Connecting with an audience emotionally

makes writing more compelling, meaningful, and memorable.

Some might argue that Bertie's scribbles aren't true writing, 

because she is not using a recognizable language and its conventions.

Perhaps, but for its intended audience, my father, 

Bertie's scribbles would have had a lasting emotional impact.

He was flying around Northern Ontario in bush planes visiting remote Indian schools,

while my mother, we five, and Gretchen were living in a fish camp on Lac Seul.

Our father missed us terribly and was dreadfully lonely.

Portrait with Fish

Barbie, Me with my arm around Bertie, Roy, and Donnie

with three lake trout

Two Point, Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada 

Late June 1961 

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Gretchen with Roy, Me, Mom and Bertie

We don't have a lot of photos from this time ~ Film was expensive to buy and to process.

Attawapiskat Lake, Northern Ontario, Canada 

Early June 1961

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

It is the emotional impact of Bertie's "story" that makes it unforgettable for me,

long after the death of my parents and our beloved Gretchen.

It makes toddler Bertie as vivid and alive to me as current Bertie. 

I would argue that her "writing" was compelling, meaningful, and memorable;

good writing.

As an IWSG Admin I have been given this platform to post on now and in the future.

My intention for new posts is to look more closely

at some of the elements of effective writing and how writers can become better writers.

What do you think makes good writing?

How do you work on becoming a better writer?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments. 

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue.