How To Market Your Writing - The Right Way

Purely for advertising purposes ...

In my attempt to finish my Writing Magazine - October issue (I'm still a month behind!) - I was reading an article which got me thinking, and made me want to blog.  I did have another idea for a blog post, but that can wait for next week, or even tomorrow.

Funnily enough, I didn't get to the end of the article, real life got in the way - the washing up was just nagging to be done! If interested, it's p46-47, Just The Right Cup Of Tea by Rebecca Woodhead.

It's about finding your network niche, and one of the paragraphs, which made me decide to blog said, 'As with all other networks, it is important not to pitch.' Thank you, Rebecca. She continues, 'Rely on what marketer Diane Hochman calls "the nosy gene" to guide people to the blog URL in your profile. In other words, be engaging and make sure your profile has a link to your blog and books. Keep all your sales message to your blog.' 

I don't know about you, but I do follow some on Twitter who really I shouldn't bother with, because all they tweet about is 'Their book available here'. Boring!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Twitter (and Facebook and wherever else) is a place to share your excitement if you've got a new book about to be published, etc. Even tell me where you're blogging. I like that. But don't ram your book down my throat. (If I ever do this - once I become a Successful Published Writer - you have permission to slap me!).

Diane Hochman is right. If I like you, find you fun, I go click on the URL and look at your blog, and find out more about your book that way. I'm a writer, I'm naturally nosy. I don't enjoy my wall (on Facebook or Twitter) constantly reminding me of your book and where I can buy it and how much for.

Excuse the dust!

<---- This is the piles of books I have to read already... (some on this shelf are actually my husbands - the Patricia Cornwell's) and there are ones tucked inside the bookshelf standing up I haven't read either. Even targeting myself to read 40 books per year, this pile is still not going down. Plus the book pile I have to read on my Kindle are growing. Seriously, I don't actually have to buy any more books for a year, I've got plenty for next years reading!

The reason I buy more books than I need is usually because the author hasn't actually knocked her book over my head, she's done it by much clever marketing.

n.b. This blog post is not aimed at any of my writing friends, because you don't do this. It is aimed at those 'friends' that won't even read this blog because they've just friended me to plug their book. Harsh, but true.

If you agree, please leave your comments. If you think I am harsh, please comment, too! Does it annoy you, or not?

p.s. I sneaked in picture of Richard Armitage there... he looks better on my Facebook profile than my dusty old bookshelf!

Right, better finish off reading this article now ... and the rest of the magazine.

More Writing Success!

Back in February 2010, part of my Writer's Bureau coursework, I sent a letter to Writing Magazine. It was my first letter to them. I got a reply saying it was being considered for the letters page, then over a course of emails, they asked if they could use if to for their marketing material. Of course I said yes! But never saw anything of it ... until now.

The other day an internet friend emailed me to say I was quoted on the subscription renewal form for Writing Magazine! She scanned it in and sent it over to me. (Thank you, Laurie.)

So I'm going to take this as another success of my writing being published. Okay, so I didn't get paid, but my name is out there!

So look out, if a subscription form comes through your post.

Now I must get back to reading July's issue... August will be here before I know it. As I pay for this magazine by subscription, I read it from cover to cover (only lately I've been slacking). There are a lot of useful information in this magazine. I've tried books from authors I wouldn't have heard of before (Gerald Seymour) and have added books to my to-read list, too. I haven't made money from writing yet, (but then I need to send stuff out and I haven't been lately) but I am sure when I do, it will be thanks to the Writers Bureau and this magazine.

Another Day, Another Blog

Today I managed to read a bit more of Writing Magazine - June edition! (I know, I've got July sitting here. Bloody August isn't far away the rate time passes.)  Anyway, I digress, it made me think of a blog topic - Clichés.

'Under The Microscope' is a new article they've been printing, where wannabe authors send in the first 300 words of their manuscript to be critiqued. I am considering being brave and sending in The Wedding Favour actually.

In the June edition the story is titled 'Prominence' by Neal Schafer, and a lot of the points in this article raised how the author used too many clichés. I didn't realise some were clichés! (Blushes.)

I must admit this is something I am afraid of as a new writer. I'm petrified I'm writing clichés I'm not even aware of - but my Beta's soon point them out when I do. And I think I get them muddled with metaphors, paraphrases, idioms etc. (Though some of these can be clichés too).

After googling, I did find this useful site: Clichés: Avoid Them Like The Plague which might help us newbies in steering clear.

But what if your character says a cliché - is that okay, because it's their character? We must all have sayings we say every day, or regularly - I know I do! And so, if a character used a cliché in their dialogue (or even thoughts), would that make them seem realistic too?

Or do we steer clear at all costs? (That, believe it or not, does not come under the cliché link above lol!)

So do you fall into the cliché trap? Have you learnt how to get out of it? Do I need to study and memorise the contents of the above link?

Some seem ludicrous to me - I mean, E-ticket? How is that cliché? When booking my dad's ferry crossing earlier today, I was emailed the E-ticket. That's what they're called.

Right, well, I've given my two cents, and will probably have plenty of pain and suffering, leaving me as poor as a churchmouse.

Now I Am Worried - 1000 books?

Today, in my tea break at work I was able to read my May issue of Writing Magazine.

I know, I know, my June issue has already arrived and I'm not even half way through this magazine!

I managed to read the article on Lee Child. It was very interesting. I do tend to like reading about different authors, it actually makes me go buy their books, (or follow them on Twitter and add their books to my to-read list). That's how I came about to read Gerald Seymour's The Collaborator and stumbled across Sue Moorcroft.

I liked Lee Child's ideas about language and even agreed with him. He raised good points about characters too, and I even would now like to read one of his books. I'm interested in his 'Jack Reacher'. (Which one should I read first?)

What worried me is that he said, "If you are starting to write and you haven't read a thousand books first, you're not ready." 

Maybe I need to up my forty books a year challenge? I've read far from 1000 books!

I agree that you need to read, but do I have to wait until I've reached a thousand?

Am I Being A Grumpy No-So-Old Writer?

Today was productive in the writing sense. I finished my first fiction assignment and sent it off to my (new) tutor and I even sent off a letter to Writing Magazine.   But to be honest this letter, and the article it was related to, also prompted me to want to blog.

This morning I had some time to read through April's issue of Writing Magazine - yes I know, May Issue will probably arrive tomorrow and I still haven't finished this one yet. I fail at reading magazines!

I read the Grumpy Old Bookman column (p35 Writer's News) by Michael Allan, and funnily enough, after all the commotion over the past couple of days of self-published Jacqueline Howett and her unprofessional approach to critiques, the subject was on self-publishing and those making money from it.

He discusses how self-publishing is working for some, and the potential money writer's are making.  He then goes on to talk about Ms Vianka van Bokkem who has 15 books published, but actually they are short stories, ranging from around 5,000 to 13,500 words and the prices are between $2.99-$3.99.  She's sold around 2,500 ebooks in December alone!  Vianka has had reviews such as "The worst book I've ever read", to the other end of the scale giving praise.  I assume she hasn't acted like Ms Howett when given negative feedback or we may have heard about it

Then Allan quotes some of her text, proving she isn't a polished writer - and that some readers (considering the reviews) simply can't care, it hasn't bothered them in this new digital age.  I'm an easy going reader, but I really do care about good presentation of the written word, especially as it's something I'm striving for in my own writing.  (Whether I'm achieving it is another matter!) 

He ends on a note of good luck to her, she's having fun, making friends and money.  However, although yes, in someways I don't want to scoff at someone else's success - yes, good luck to her, if people are prepared to buy her stories, and she's not doing anything deceitful to sell them.  But is she improving her skill?  Is she another writer giving self-publishing a bad name?  Has it become too easy to get published (and sell) with the likes of eBooks?

I've been trying to think up a suitable analogy, because as usual I fear I'm not getting my point across in the way I want - something as a writer I need to work on, but I've always been like it in life - I really do have trouble spitting my words out at times!  So here goes;

Imagine I turn up on X-Factor, singing badly (because I can't sing - I only sound good in the car, on my own) something like "I Will Survive," and I have no intentions of trying to improve.  In fact I think I'm brilliant! Simon Cowell says I can use his recording studio to get my stuff out there (for a small fee).  I then put it on Amazon and make money by selling my badly sung song.  (I imagine there could be a lot of con-artists in the record industry preying on wannabe-singers, yet we never actually get to hear the music.)


Is it happening in the record industry?  I'm not in that line, so I haven't heard about it.  The thing is, everyone can actually write, or type, but it's not necessarily good.  I imagine it's a lot harder to get a song on iTunes and actually make money from it than it is to get an eBook out there.  The equipment you need to record a song is a little bit harder to come by than what you need to write - that's what I'm trying to say!

Writing is a craft, a talent, a skill, an art, like singing - isn't it?

Yes, I do see the need for self-publishing, even if thanks to the likes of Ms Howett who give it a bad name, and the vanity press that prey on wannabe writers.  But I suppose what niggles me now is that there seems to be readers out there that don't mind this slack approach to writing.  Part of me is annoyed that society is getting lazy in all sorts of ways, and now it seems we're getting lazy in what we expect in good writing.  Or am I wrong?

I've tried to write this as diplomatically as I can, and not sound out of turn - I apologise now if it seems that way.  I don't want to sound like some snobby writer - I'm not.  As an unpublished writer trying to find my way, I'm interested to know what others think.  Are you frustrated that people actually can make money out of bad writing?  Who are the con-artists really?  Are readers being duped?

How Do You Write?

Today, in my break at work, I started reading Writing Magazine's March issue.  I was glad to see another article from Bob Gale and David Baboulene, using the example of Back To The Future, illustrating the development of ideas into a story.  All very interesting, and I haven't finished reading it yet (my break ended far too quickly).  But one thing I read and I sat there nodding, agreeing, 'yes I do that':

"If you don't know where the story is heading, you can't aim towards it..." 

I agree with that statement 110%.  When I write, I do have a vague idea of where the story is ending, not necessarily exactly how, but I do have some shape or form of how it needs to end in my mind.  (As I write romance that normally means happy ending).  And usually, I need to know before I start writing.  The middle can be a fuzzy mess, but I do like to know where I am heading. 

Then, coming home and reading Stephen King On Writing, he discusses letting the characters lead the story.  He 'distrusts' plot.  I believe he could be talking 'seats of pants' writing, not that he calls it that.  He talks about not neccesarily knowing the ending, and that if he's not sure how it's going to end while writing it, imagine what the readers might be feeling... which I suppose works great for a suspense novel.

"I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves."  (p188)

So two pieces of contrasting information there - slightly.

The article in Writing Magazine is looking at creating a story through a questioning process and putting it onto index cards so you can spread out your story and move stuff around etc. I admittedly don't work like that, though maybe I should - I tend to make lists on my PC.  Stephen King still says ask the questions, if an idea pops into your head, but as you write, let the characters do it their way.  Sometimes it goes the way he'd visualised it, sometimes it doesn't.  I can agree with that too, as I've had scenes/ideas pop out of nowhere which the character has helped lead.

I suppose this is a case of taking what you can from advice and using what works for you.  I'm not great at sitting down and outlining a story, but sometimes that just feels like wasted time, I want to write it, damn it!  I can brainstorm a little, or if (while doing the washing up or in the shower) an idea comes in my head, I'm quick to note it down, and in my little head I'll be expanding that scene or playing it over and over.  But I have stared at a blank screen and created the next chapter, scene, or even 1,000 words to a short story.

So how do you write?  If I've understood this all correctly, and admittedly, I feel a bit of a novice at all of this, never sure if I'm understanding things correctly about plot lead or character lead (I may have misunderstood Stephen King), but it seems I'm a cross between 'seats of the pants' writer, and a bit of a planner.

All I know is that I like - and love - to write.