Don't you hate it when you can't get anything going? I do. Frankly, I'd like to set Chapter 33 of one novel on fire, except I haven't written that chapter yet. Because it's like it doesn't want to be written. It's maddening.
That's why I'm all about new ways to conjure up ideas. Things that will help boost your brain, whip up some characters - feed the muse, as it were. My favorite is music, but sometimes even that doesn't work. Maybe I can't find a piece that fits properly. Or maybe my muse just isn't hungry for music. But of course, they don't tell us that. They just go wandering off wherever they like and leave you stumbling over the lines on the page (or the keys on your computer) going, "Duh....now what?" It doesn't matter if you're trying to conjure up a new novel idea or if you're stuck under the dreaded 10 ton writer's block. You need help - you need ideas on how to make ideas.
So when FictionVale asked for guest bloggers, I thought, "That would be fun to do," and set out to offer readers as many idea generators as possible. Things that both work for me and things that I know work for others. Things that - hopefully - will get someone's writer mojo going.
You may also want to pop over there to read some of the other guest blogger advice. They've got editors, authors, teachers, and plenty of other people ready and set to dish out all kinds of knowledge. And hey, while you're there, why not submit something and see what happens? :D
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Not In Stores?
I've been meaning to write this for a while. More and more I've noticed that people coming into the bookstore are asking for books we simply don't have. It's not because we're out or that it's not something we usually carry - but it's because the book has been self-published.
A few years ago I remember Nathan Bransford reassuring everyone that even in the seemingly endless mire of books out there people will find the books they want to read. Well, he's 100% right. People already did that when physical books packed the shelves, and now the same is true for all of the electronic books floating around out there. Initially I found it to be a little frustrating. Partly because the people looking for the book would demand to know why they couldn't get the book (if it was only an ebook) or express frustration over it being print-on-demand. Partly because I found it a bit tiring to have to explain the reasons why they couldn't immediately get the book or why this print-on-demand book had to be sent to their home and not the store, etc.
Now, however, as more people come in requesting ebooks and POD books, I don't get frustrated. In fact, I'm actually pleased. I'm happy for those authors that somehow, in some way, these people have discovered their book. What's more, they want to spend the money and buy it. That provides an income to people who have worked hard to create a book. And that is excellent. While it doesn't always work because people still can't quite handle waiting for the book to be made and then sent, sometimes it does, and that's great.
For the longest time my dad always demanded why I didn't just self-publish my books and sell them. For a long time the answer was the same most of us would give. It costs money. It doesn't offer the same distribution as the bigger publishers can offer. You have to work your buns off to convince people to buy your book. A lot of big name authors actually did start out self-published, some even selling their work out of the trunks of their cars (John Grisham, James Redfield). And I thought, "I would do that - if I had the money." I never had the money and I didn't get a car until after college.
Epublishing allows all of us to do that. I'm doing it. I finally decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and see what happens. I want to know. I'm selling my book out of the trunk of my car - the only difference is that now it's all done electronically, I have access to so many more people, and I don't have to pay a dime (except to get an excellent cover, of course). It's terrifying and thrilling all at once. Yes, people are reading my book. No, I have no idea if they'll like it or not. But it allows to me reach an audience I never thought possible - like other countries. I found out today that I sold a unit in Germany. Germany! Someone in that country purchased my book. It's only one book, but that has got to be one of the coolest things ever.
So if you are working hard on a book and feel it is ready to be out there and can't get through the agents or publishers, then maybe epublishing is the way to go. The stigma of self-publishing is slowly but surely going away because there are just too many people out there with excellent stories that they want to tell. Not everything will be amazing, but not everything published now is amazing. And in the end, it doesn't matter because as Nathan said, people will read what they want. They'll be able to find despite the thousands of books out there. And that's pretty cool.
On a final note, if you would like to read my book, it will be available for free April 19th on the Kindle and devices that can host the Kindle app.
You can download the book here. And in case you were curious or in need of a cover yourself, this lovely piece was done by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography. You can also find her on Facebook and her work is amazing. :)
A few years ago I remember Nathan Bransford reassuring everyone that even in the seemingly endless mire of books out there people will find the books they want to read. Well, he's 100% right. People already did that when physical books packed the shelves, and now the same is true for all of the electronic books floating around out there. Initially I found it to be a little frustrating. Partly because the people looking for the book would demand to know why they couldn't get the book (if it was only an ebook) or express frustration over it being print-on-demand. Partly because I found it a bit tiring to have to explain the reasons why they couldn't immediately get the book or why this print-on-demand book had to be sent to their home and not the store, etc.
Now, however, as more people come in requesting ebooks and POD books, I don't get frustrated. In fact, I'm actually pleased. I'm happy for those authors that somehow, in some way, these people have discovered their book. What's more, they want to spend the money and buy it. That provides an income to people who have worked hard to create a book. And that is excellent. While it doesn't always work because people still can't quite handle waiting for the book to be made and then sent, sometimes it does, and that's great.
For the longest time my dad always demanded why I didn't just self-publish my books and sell them. For a long time the answer was the same most of us would give. It costs money. It doesn't offer the same distribution as the bigger publishers can offer. You have to work your buns off to convince people to buy your book. A lot of big name authors actually did start out self-published, some even selling their work out of the trunks of their cars (John Grisham, James Redfield). And I thought, "I would do that - if I had the money." I never had the money and I didn't get a car until after college.
Epublishing allows all of us to do that. I'm doing it. I finally decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and see what happens. I want to know. I'm selling my book out of the trunk of my car - the only difference is that now it's all done electronically, I have access to so many more people, and I don't have to pay a dime (except to get an excellent cover, of course). It's terrifying and thrilling all at once. Yes, people are reading my book. No, I have no idea if they'll like it or not. But it allows to me reach an audience I never thought possible - like other countries. I found out today that I sold a unit in Germany. Germany! Someone in that country purchased my book. It's only one book, but that has got to be one of the coolest things ever.
So if you are working hard on a book and feel it is ready to be out there and can't get through the agents or publishers, then maybe epublishing is the way to go. The stigma of self-publishing is slowly but surely going away because there are just too many people out there with excellent stories that they want to tell. Not everything will be amazing, but not everything published now is amazing. And in the end, it doesn't matter because as Nathan said, people will read what they want. They'll be able to find despite the thousands of books out there. And that's pretty cool.
On a final note, if you would like to read my book, it will be available for free April 19th on the Kindle and devices that can host the Kindle app.
You can download the book here. And in case you were curious or in need of a cover yourself, this lovely piece was done by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography. You can also find her on Facebook and her work is amazing. :)
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Some Light Reading
I thought I might share a few interesting pieces I stumbled upon yesterday.
I've been getting impatient when it comes to publishing and have been seriously entertaining the idea of going the e-publishing route - though I do admit a lot of that is also due to sheer curiosity. How well might one of my books perform? How could I boost the sales? How good are my marketing skills? I didn't know how exclusive Amazon was with their publishing and I'm already familiar with how PubIt, CreateSpace, and Smashwords function, so I was curious as to whether or not Amazon's system could be used at the same time as one of the others. So I looked and found a great article with a few handy additional linked articles.
10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to Any E-Publishing Service
Second, due to my potential e-publishing future, I wondered - if I published my SF novel should I use my name or a pen name? And if I did use a pen name, it would be a male one. Would that help my chances of getting more sales or does it matter? I know that I don't pay much attention to authors - if I want to read it, I read it. But since I was curious, I started looking to see if anyone had done any articles with actual information on whether or not gender still mattered to people and found a quite interesting blog entry that also had a lot of interesting articles linked to it that I ended up reading as well.
Fantasy Book Cafe's Women in SF&F Conclusion
You may find these interesting and helpful - you may not. But I thought I'd share either way. Time to go write!
I've been getting impatient when it comes to publishing and have been seriously entertaining the idea of going the e-publishing route - though I do admit a lot of that is also due to sheer curiosity. How well might one of my books perform? How could I boost the sales? How good are my marketing skills? I didn't know how exclusive Amazon was with their publishing and I'm already familiar with how PubIt, CreateSpace, and Smashwords function, so I was curious as to whether or not Amazon's system could be used at the same time as one of the others. So I looked and found a great article with a few handy additional linked articles.
10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to Any E-Publishing Service
Second, due to my potential e-publishing future, I wondered - if I published my SF novel should I use my name or a pen name? And if I did use a pen name, it would be a male one. Would that help my chances of getting more sales or does it matter? I know that I don't pay much attention to authors - if I want to read it, I read it. But since I was curious, I started looking to see if anyone had done any articles with actual information on whether or not gender still mattered to people and found a quite interesting blog entry that also had a lot of interesting articles linked to it that I ended up reading as well.
Fantasy Book Cafe's Women in SF&F Conclusion
You may find these interesting and helpful - you may not. But I thought I'd share either way. Time to go write!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
It's Alive!
The Big Pink Crayon Project is now live! I encourage everyone to take a quick gander at my madness (because if I am lucky, that's exactly what it will turn into!)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Interview with Pearl North
I was lucky enough to have Pearl North (that's her pseudonym, by the way - I know the secret of her real name, bwahahahaha!) as my mentor while in my Seton Hill writing program where she dished out some indispensable advice that I still use today. I often smirk when a particular moment in the movie Serenity shows up. But now you get to know a little bit about her as well, and at the end of this interview she offers the kind of writing advice you can't ignore.
1. Where did the idea of Libyrinth, and ultimately the trilogy, come from?
From a very early age, I was captivated by the idea of a girl who hears the voices of books. I wrote Libyrinth as a standalone, and then, at my editor's insistence, I wrote The Boy from Ilysies and The Book of the Night. He was adamant that I had more to say about that world, and it turns out he was right.
2. So – are you a plotter or a pantser?
I'd say my career trajectory is from pantser to plotter, and at the time I wrote The Book of the Night, I was about midway along that spectrum. I'd plot out the first few chapters, write them, and then plot some more. Nowadays, I'm doing a lot more planning ahead. We'll see how that goes.
3. If there was one – okay, two – great books you would give to every aspiring author, what would they be?
Ha ha! I bet you already know my answer. The first book, and only if there could only be one, would be Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain. Sure his attitudes toward female characters are hopelessly sexist and dated, but what he has to say about the building blocks of story changed my whole approach to writing, and made me a better, more productive, and happier writer in the process. If I had two, I'd go with Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King. It's a great companion to the Swain book, because where he focuses on story mechanics, they focus on the mechanics of language. I don't think you have to be a slave to everything they say, but it's good solid information.
4. What are some of your favorite books? Words? Desserts?
One caveat: Other interviewers have also asked me what my favorite books are. Every time I get this question, I have different answers. But they are all true. So, today: Freedom and Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, Patrick O'Brien's Master and Commander books, which are really one twenty-volume novel.
5. Do you actually own all the books quoted in the trilogy or are some of those the results of perusing your local library/bookstore?
Almost all of them. I gave some thought to how I was going to handle the books mentioned in the trilogy. I knew I couldn't hope to offer a representative sample of world literature. I didn't try. I needed some sort of limiting parameter on my selections so what I went with was the books on my own shelves at home. That was my selection base. Except for a few instances where for plot purposes I needed to use a specific book that I did not own. But those are rare.
6. What were some of the *best* scenes to write in the Libyrinth trilogy?
I guess I must be a sadist because the first scenes that pop into my head are the ones where my protagonists have been captured and are being tortured by the villains. There's the scene where Haly and Clauda are tied up in the Vault, and the one where Queen Thela makes Po -- oh wait, that's in the new book, better not mention it. But I do have a tender side too. I love the interaction between Haly and Gyneth as they move from antagonists to friends and then to more than friends in Libyrinth, and in The Book of the Night, there are some scenes between Clauda and Selene that I like very much and that I hope will be satisfying for those readers who have been patiently waiting for them.
7. When you started out in your writing career, was teen fiction on the table as something you thought you’d write?
Not really. I was all about science fiction at that time. My father and brother both read sf and they talked about it around the dinner table when I was a kid. It influenced me profoundly. When I decided I wanted to write, I just naturally though I'd write sf, because to me, that's what books were. But then I read more out of genre and I found that I like all kinds of things. So now I write in other genres under other names as well.
8. How do you crack writer’s block?
Well, deadlines are a wonderful tool for that. I find that when someone else is expecting me to turn something in at a certain time it's amazing what I can get done. I've shocked myself a few times like that. However, if I'm writing on spec, and I don't have that external reinforcer, then sometimes I employ what I call blast drafting. I close my eyes and just type like mad, whatever comes into my head goes out my fingers. It can be nonsense at first, but after a little while I usually find that I'm working on something coherent. Well, apart from all the typos, that is.
9. Do you have any muses that really kick-start your writing power (whether or not you have writer’s block)?
I'm often inspired by performances in movies or TV shows, but it's not specific to any one actor or program, just what strikes a nerve with me at the moment. Those experiences can sometimes help me identify an emotion or a state of mind that I wanted to create in a character but had not yet defined for myself.
10. When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
I do love to read. I also like to get outside and do things, run with my dog, or go kayaking. I live in Michigan, and we have a lot of beautiful lakes. Summer is my favorite season because I get to do all of that fun stuff. In fact, my pseudonym, Pearl North, comes from a place my husband and I visit every year. It's called Pearl Lake and it's in northern Michigan. When I got the offer from Tor for the Libyrinth books, I was up there. And my agent needed to know what pseudonym I wanted to use right away because she needed it for the contract. I came up with Pearl North on the spot.
11. Is there anything you’re working on now that fans of the Libyrinth trilogy should be looking forward to in the future?
That's hard to say. I have no immediate plans for another Pearl North book, but I also write in other genres. At the moment, I'm working on a science fiction romance.
12. Quick! Dish out your last minute advice to writers!
Write!
Pearl North is the author of a trilogy of YA science fiction novels: Libyrinth, The Boy From Ilysies (a Norton Award Finalist), and The Book of the Night. A firm believer in human decency, she loves writing and reading about characters that transcend the limits of who they think they are and what they think is possible. She mentors graduate students in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, and writes in other genres under different names. A native and life-long resident of the Detroit area, she has never lived more than two miles from Woodward Avenue in her life.
1. Where did the idea of Libyrinth, and ultimately the trilogy, come from?
From a very early age, I was captivated by the idea of a girl who hears the voices of books. I wrote Libyrinth as a standalone, and then, at my editor's insistence, I wrote The Boy from Ilysies and The Book of the Night. He was adamant that I had more to say about that world, and it turns out he was right.
2. So – are you a plotter or a pantser?
I'd say my career trajectory is from pantser to plotter, and at the time I wrote The Book of the Night, I was about midway along that spectrum. I'd plot out the first few chapters, write them, and then plot some more. Nowadays, I'm doing a lot more planning ahead. We'll see how that goes.
3. If there was one – okay, two – great books you would give to every aspiring author, what would they be?
Ha ha! I bet you already know my answer. The first book, and only if there could only be one, would be Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain. Sure his attitudes toward female characters are hopelessly sexist and dated, but what he has to say about the building blocks of story changed my whole approach to writing, and made me a better, more productive, and happier writer in the process. If I had two, I'd go with Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King. It's a great companion to the Swain book, because where he focuses on story mechanics, they focus on the mechanics of language. I don't think you have to be a slave to everything they say, but it's good solid information.
4. What are some of your favorite books? Words? Desserts?
One caveat: Other interviewers have also asked me what my favorite books are. Every time I get this question, I have different answers. But they are all true. So, today: Freedom and Necessity by Emma Bull and Steven Brust, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, Patrick O'Brien's Master and Commander books, which are really one twenty-volume novel.
5. Do you actually own all the books quoted in the trilogy or are some of those the results of perusing your local library/bookstore?
Almost all of them. I gave some thought to how I was going to handle the books mentioned in the trilogy. I knew I couldn't hope to offer a representative sample of world literature. I didn't try. I needed some sort of limiting parameter on my selections so what I went with was the books on my own shelves at home. That was my selection base. Except for a few instances where for plot purposes I needed to use a specific book that I did not own. But those are rare.
6. What were some of the *best* scenes to write in the Libyrinth trilogy?
I guess I must be a sadist because the first scenes that pop into my head are the ones where my protagonists have been captured and are being tortured by the villains. There's the scene where Haly and Clauda are tied up in the Vault, and the one where Queen Thela makes Po -- oh wait, that's in the new book, better not mention it. But I do have a tender side too. I love the interaction between Haly and Gyneth as they move from antagonists to friends and then to more than friends in Libyrinth, and in The Book of the Night, there are some scenes between Clauda and Selene that I like very much and that I hope will be satisfying for those readers who have been patiently waiting for them.
7. When you started out in your writing career, was teen fiction on the table as something you thought you’d write?
Not really. I was all about science fiction at that time. My father and brother both read sf and they talked about it around the dinner table when I was a kid. It influenced me profoundly. When I decided I wanted to write, I just naturally though I'd write sf, because to me, that's what books were. But then I read more out of genre and I found that I like all kinds of things. So now I write in other genres under other names as well.
8. How do you crack writer’s block?
Well, deadlines are a wonderful tool for that. I find that when someone else is expecting me to turn something in at a certain time it's amazing what I can get done. I've shocked myself a few times like that. However, if I'm writing on spec, and I don't have that external reinforcer, then sometimes I employ what I call blast drafting. I close my eyes and just type like mad, whatever comes into my head goes out my fingers. It can be nonsense at first, but after a little while I usually find that I'm working on something coherent. Well, apart from all the typos, that is.
9. Do you have any muses that really kick-start your writing power (whether or not you have writer’s block)?
I'm often inspired by performances in movies or TV shows, but it's not specific to any one actor or program, just what strikes a nerve with me at the moment. Those experiences can sometimes help me identify an emotion or a state of mind that I wanted to create in a character but had not yet defined for myself.
10. When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
I do love to read. I also like to get outside and do things, run with my dog, or go kayaking. I live in Michigan, and we have a lot of beautiful lakes. Summer is my favorite season because I get to do all of that fun stuff. In fact, my pseudonym, Pearl North, comes from a place my husband and I visit every year. It's called Pearl Lake and it's in northern Michigan. When I got the offer from Tor for the Libyrinth books, I was up there. And my agent needed to know what pseudonym I wanted to use right away because she needed it for the contract. I came up with Pearl North on the spot.
11. Is there anything you’re working on now that fans of the Libyrinth trilogy should be looking forward to in the future?
That's hard to say. I have no immediate plans for another Pearl North book, but I also write in other genres. At the moment, I'm working on a science fiction romance.
12. Quick! Dish out your last minute advice to writers!
Write!
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Want a Free Book?
Yep, it's been a while since I've done a giveaway, but this time I've got some help. I have 3 - count 'em - 3 copies of Pearl North's The Book of the Night to give away!
Now if you've read Libyrinth, then you've got to be ready to finish off this trilogy with a bang! You might want to be ready to have your mind twisted a little too because I'm about halfway through my copy and whoa-hey Stephen Hawking and Michio Kaku would flip out if any of this were really out there (...then again, who's to say it's not? o_O).
If you haven't read Libyrinth...well...I recommend picking up a copy. If you think you've been to enough imaginary places, trust me, you have not been to the Libyrinth of any of its surrounding areas. So, how do you get in on the giveaway? Easy. Just go to my Bookseller Recommends blog and leave a comment and some way for me to reach you (email is best) in case you win. Sharing this blog post with others is encouraged - in fact, tell me how you've shared (Twitter? Facebook? Your blog?) and I'll throw in an additional entry for you!
The closing date for entries will be September 10 at midnight, so get your entry in and find out what's inside of The Book of the Night!
(Please note, this giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. Sorry!)
Now if you've read Libyrinth, then you've got to be ready to finish off this trilogy with a bang! You might want to be ready to have your mind twisted a little too because I'm about halfway through my copy and whoa-hey Stephen Hawking and Michio Kaku would flip out if any of this were really out there (...then again, who's to say it's not? o_O).
If you haven't read Libyrinth...well...I recommend picking up a copy. If you think you've been to enough imaginary places, trust me, you have not been to the Libyrinth of any of its surrounding areas. So, how do you get in on the giveaway? Easy. Just go to my Bookseller Recommends blog and leave a comment and some way for me to reach you (email is best) in case you win. Sharing this blog post with others is encouraged - in fact, tell me how you've shared (Twitter? Facebook? Your blog?) and I'll throw in an additional entry for you!
The closing date for entries will be September 10 at midnight, so get your entry in and find out what's inside of The Book of the Night!
(Please note, this giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. Sorry!)
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Get In Good With Booksellers
You want to sell books? Then do what the title up there says - get in good with the booksellers.
I'm not talking about the owners of a bookstore (okay, well, if it's a mom and pop store then that probably can't hurt), I'm talking about the actual employees who are down in the trenches digging up books for people and - possibly more often than you realize - making recommendations.
I do know that you've probably heard this before, but I don't know how many people actually realize how hard some of us will work to get someone to buy a book because we love it so much.
Did you know that Barnes and Noble employees have access to something called B&N Inside? It's available only to us, only on our network on our computers at the store. Books pop up on it all the time. There's a section of Bookseller Reviews where we send in some of our own favorites and they get featured so we can see what others are recommending. To my delight, I made it on there once with one of my favorite trilogies (which was re-released into a complete volume).
But that's not all. There's also a little something called the 100 Club. I'm sure you can probably guess what that entails. Yep - this is for booksellers who have sold 100 copies of a title. While it's all on an honor system (you have to keep track of your own sales), there's no prize at the end of the road so there is no reason to cheat or lie about your numbers. The people who do this are those who absolutely love specific books and do everything they can to get them into people's hands. Some booksellers will even turn it into a game as well and challenge one another to see who can beat the other to the top. But think; one single-minded bookseller can sell 100 copies of your book. One bookseller sold so many copies of The Christmas Jar that the author actually went to the store to thank them personally. Some of the books showcased by B&N as a company have come not from some suit sitting in an office in New York, but from a bookseller who just loved the book so much.
Right now, this is what I'm trying to do with not just one title, but two. The first is - you guessed it - The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith. The second is The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. We'll see how it goes.
But not every bookseller is going to hit the 100 Club. After all, we have a lot of things to do. And that's just B&N anyway. So what else can we do for you if we like what you've got to offer? Easy - we get your book out there in front of people. Books are supposed to go on various promotions at specific times. Certain books get to have face-out time (where they are faced so the covers are front and center for all to see). But if we like what you've got? We'll put it somewhere people can see it. We'll craft little areas of our own and put them there. From employee recommendation displays to extra space we need to use up, if we can get your book there so people see it, we will. I have both of my titles up there in areas where people can't miss them. And you know what? Sometimes we're way ahead of corporate.
For example, in our teen section we were supposed to have either an endcap (display at the end of an isle) or a mission table (think the size of your living room side table with the lamp on it) for The Hunger Games. Yeah, well, when you get sent over 200 copies of each book in the trilogy plus books featuring movie insider goodies, an endcap or mission just isn't going to cut it. Our managers took a big pine table instead and filled it full of Hunger Games books. But we didn't stop there. Corporate also sent lists of other books to feature on those displays that people might like as well so we made sure to include them on the table. Of course, we could fit more so we got to choose our own ideas of what people might want to try. And because I am a Children's Lead, I have reign over the teen section, so that table has fallen into my responsibility 95% of the time.
I had read and enjoyed Veronica Rossi's book, Under the Never Sky. It wasn't selling too well where it was, and it's got the whole dystopian thing going on that people who liked The Hunger Games could get into. So I snatched them all up and plunked them down on the table. Front and center right next to a James Patterson title. I don't always get to point it out, but now because it's got a sweet location, I don't have to. And you know what? The next week on a title list from corporate wanted that book to be on the next Hunger Games display. I win. And so does Ms. Rossi. Now that list has come and gone, but our table is still there and so is her book. It will come down when I say so - or when a manager decides to get rid of the table (but because we still have over 100-200 Hunger Games books in stock, I think that table is going to be around for a while).
Want another reason to get in good with booksellers? We'll keep your books and try to sell them even after we get a return download. When these downloads happen we are supposed to send designated books back to the publishers (or in the case of 99% of mass markets, strip them). But...if we like your book...or we like you and we think we can squeak in just one more sale...then we'll hang onto them. Technically i don't think we're supposed to, but I have. And you know what? I've sold books this way. Beth Revis's first book, Across the Universe, was on my teen recommendation shelf for far longer than it was supposed to be. The hardcover was due out, but I refused to let it go because A.) I was selling it and B.) the paperback wasn't due to be published until several months in the future. Heck, I ran out and ordered more in while they were still due out. And we both know that hardcovers net you more money than paperbacks.
We'll go the extra mile for you - this can be true even if we've never had the chance to read your book but know you personally. If you like someone you want to help them out, right? I've had the pleasure of meeting Victoria Thompson, but I've never read her books. But when people are looking for a recommendation or mention they've heard of her books, I'll nudge them in her direction if at all possible and speak fondly of her. It warms people to the author and the books and can make them more interested in making a purchase. In the case of Maria Snyder, I've met her and emailed with her a few times as well as read her first trilogy. When a woman called wanting the first book, I told her about Ms. Snyder as a person as well as how much I'd enjoyed her books. After that the woman expressed interest in the next two books. At the time I couldn't find the third book, but because I was determined to get the sale for Ms. Snyder, I kept on hunting until I finally found it. I added it to the customer's other two books on hold. I later checked the sales numbers and saw that she did indeed buy all three. Later when her teen book came out, I hadn't read it, but I currently have it placed on our teen table (not too far away from The Forbidden Game!).
So be cool to booksellers. We can be your best friends. Write a great book and that's even better because if one of us falls in love with it, we'll throw it at every customer who walks in the door.
I'm not talking about the owners of a bookstore (okay, well, if it's a mom and pop store then that probably can't hurt), I'm talking about the actual employees who are down in the trenches digging up books for people and - possibly more often than you realize - making recommendations.
I do know that you've probably heard this before, but I don't know how many people actually realize how hard some of us will work to get someone to buy a book because we love it so much.
Did you know that Barnes and Noble employees have access to something called B&N Inside? It's available only to us, only on our network on our computers at the store. Books pop up on it all the time. There's a section of Bookseller Reviews where we send in some of our own favorites and they get featured so we can see what others are recommending. To my delight, I made it on there once with one of my favorite trilogies (which was re-released into a complete volume).
But that's not all. There's also a little something called the 100 Club. I'm sure you can probably guess what that entails. Yep - this is for booksellers who have sold 100 copies of a title. While it's all on an honor system (you have to keep track of your own sales), there's no prize at the end of the road so there is no reason to cheat or lie about your numbers. The people who do this are those who absolutely love specific books and do everything they can to get them into people's hands. Some booksellers will even turn it into a game as well and challenge one another to see who can beat the other to the top. But think; one single-minded bookseller can sell 100 copies of your book. One bookseller sold so many copies of The Christmas Jar that the author actually went to the store to thank them personally. Some of the books showcased by B&N as a company have come not from some suit sitting in an office in New York, but from a bookseller who just loved the book so much.
Right now, this is what I'm trying to do with not just one title, but two. The first is - you guessed it - The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith. The second is The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. We'll see how it goes.
But not every bookseller is going to hit the 100 Club. After all, we have a lot of things to do. And that's just B&N anyway. So what else can we do for you if we like what you've got to offer? Easy - we get your book out there in front of people. Books are supposed to go on various promotions at specific times. Certain books get to have face-out time (where they are faced so the covers are front and center for all to see). But if we like what you've got? We'll put it somewhere people can see it. We'll craft little areas of our own and put them there. From employee recommendation displays to extra space we need to use up, if we can get your book there so people see it, we will. I have both of my titles up there in areas where people can't miss them. And you know what? Sometimes we're way ahead of corporate.
For example, in our teen section we were supposed to have either an endcap (display at the end of an isle) or a mission table (think the size of your living room side table with the lamp on it) for The Hunger Games. Yeah, well, when you get sent over 200 copies of each book in the trilogy plus books featuring movie insider goodies, an endcap or mission just isn't going to cut it. Our managers took a big pine table instead and filled it full of Hunger Games books. But we didn't stop there. Corporate also sent lists of other books to feature on those displays that people might like as well so we made sure to include them on the table. Of course, we could fit more so we got to choose our own ideas of what people might want to try. And because I am a Children's Lead, I have reign over the teen section, so that table has fallen into my responsibility 95% of the time.
I had read and enjoyed Veronica Rossi's book, Under the Never Sky. It wasn't selling too well where it was, and it's got the whole dystopian thing going on that people who liked The Hunger Games could get into. So I snatched them all up and plunked them down on the table. Front and center right next to a James Patterson title. I don't always get to point it out, but now because it's got a sweet location, I don't have to. And you know what? The next week on a title list from corporate wanted that book to be on the next Hunger Games display. I win. And so does Ms. Rossi. Now that list has come and gone, but our table is still there and so is her book. It will come down when I say so - or when a manager decides to get rid of the table (but because we still have over 100-200 Hunger Games books in stock, I think that table is going to be around for a while).
Want another reason to get in good with booksellers? We'll keep your books and try to sell them even after we get a return download. When these downloads happen we are supposed to send designated books back to the publishers (or in the case of 99% of mass markets, strip them). But...if we like your book...or we like you and we think we can squeak in just one more sale...then we'll hang onto them. Technically i don't think we're supposed to, but I have. And you know what? I've sold books this way. Beth Revis's first book, Across the Universe, was on my teen recommendation shelf for far longer than it was supposed to be. The hardcover was due out, but I refused to let it go because A.) I was selling it and B.) the paperback wasn't due to be published until several months in the future. Heck, I ran out and ordered more in while they were still due out. And we both know that hardcovers net you more money than paperbacks.
We'll go the extra mile for you - this can be true even if we've never had the chance to read your book but know you personally. If you like someone you want to help them out, right? I've had the pleasure of meeting Victoria Thompson, but I've never read her books. But when people are looking for a recommendation or mention they've heard of her books, I'll nudge them in her direction if at all possible and speak fondly of her. It warms people to the author and the books and can make them more interested in making a purchase. In the case of Maria Snyder, I've met her and emailed with her a few times as well as read her first trilogy. When a woman called wanting the first book, I told her about Ms. Snyder as a person as well as how much I'd enjoyed her books. After that the woman expressed interest in the next two books. At the time I couldn't find the third book, but because I was determined to get the sale for Ms. Snyder, I kept on hunting until I finally found it. I added it to the customer's other two books on hold. I later checked the sales numbers and saw that she did indeed buy all three. Later when her teen book came out, I hadn't read it, but I currently have it placed on our teen table (not too far away from The Forbidden Game!).
So be cool to booksellers. We can be your best friends. Write a great book and that's even better because if one of us falls in love with it, we'll throw it at every customer who walks in the door.
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