Beacon Literary Services

ONLINE BOOK BUILDERS

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:21:10 -0400

by Julie H. Ferguson

Author and professional speaker, Julie H. Ferguson leads workshops that provide aspiring authors with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to approach publishers and succeed. Her workshops are available as e-books and paperbacks through Beacon Literary Services at www.beaconlit.com, then click on Writers' Tools

y mother-in-law turned 80 in September 2004 and the family was stressing over a suitable present. What could we possibly give someone who had everything and that also fitted the auspicious occasion? I suggested a legacy book and everyone loved the idea. The only disadvantages concerned me—I was the one to do it and I had to find a way that we could collaborate in different cities in real time. Three years later, I decided to produce a travel journal about an unusual trip to Paris, which had different requirements. What to do? How to do it?

After some sleuthing on the Web and recommendations from a writer/photographer colleague, I found solutions for both projects that turned out to be excellent. I call the companies I used “online book builders” to distinguish them from print-on-demand firms, but this term will not locate their websites using a search engine. These companies specialize in producing books in small numbers, say one to six copies only, with no set-up fees. I had another requirement too—both books had to accommodate many photographs and reproduce them in high quality without breaking the bank.

I chose Sharedink.com for the legacy book, a company that uses web-based software to produce all kinds and sizes of books, as well as photographers’ portfolios. They offer “web books” that never need to be printed, hard and soft cover books, myriad templates, and excellent instructions. Their customer service is phenomenal. The web-based program allowed our family to work together simultaneously, although we lived 2000 miles apart. We designed and wrote a web book first, then Shared Ink printed us one hard cover book with 120 glossy pages and sent a free .pdf file of it to each family. Our cost: USD$150.00, which is not indicative of the typical books Shared Ink produces. We wanted a one-off humdinger with all the bells and whistles for the 80th birthday. It did the trick too—my mother-in-law was speechless as she leafed through the pages. In 25 years, I have never seen her at a loss for words.

My travel journal did not need collaboration, so I chose a different route and firm—Blurb.com. This company uses downloadable, free software called Book Smart. Again the program has myriad choices of book sizes and types, templates, colour schemes, etc., and it’s a little easier to use than Shared Ink’s. My 40 page book was on my doorstep less than three days after I uploaded it. I marveled at its luminous, glossy jacket and the superb photo reproduction that met my high standards. Cost: USD$29.95 + $12.00 s&h. Wow!

Any family or organization wanting up to six copies of a book would do well to consider these two companies that charge no set-up fees. The biggest bonus is that you don’t have to know how to prepare camera-ready copy either. Both systems are a snap to use and ideal for genealogies, stories for grandchildren, memory/legacy books, company or church histories, etc. Test drive them this summer!

CREATIVITY (1)

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:17:56 -0400

by Julie H. Ferguson

Many have tried to define creativity, which has resulted in almost as many definitions as there are definers. But everyone agrees that we recognize it when we see it.

One way of looking at creativity is that it is the human ability to generate new ideas. But it is more complex than that, as my early research is showing, and includes layers of cognitive ability, environment and culture, and personality traits that predispose towards creativity.

The process itself includes knowing, perceiving, and conceiving (the cognitive ideation phase); then comes preparation; followed by incubation and illumination; lastly, the translation phase transforms the idea into reality. This process is familiar to writers – it is a sequence we tend to follow, consciously or sub-consciously, when we write. However, creativity is easily stifled. Adults tend to judge what they are doing while they do it. This tendency destroys creative writing. We should reserve our judgment for the editing phase.

So can we “learn” creativity? Psychologists and other experts say we can. We are at our most creative when we are relaxed, away from our usual work environment. The best time is during the drowsy state when we wake naturally without an alarm clock and before we get out of bed. Other opportunities to practice the process arise during quiet activities, like taking a bath or wallowing in a hot tub, meditating, or having a massage. Music, not heavy metal but Baroque, and the sound of trickling water encourage our creativity too. Moderate aerobic activity releases endorphins and increases blood flow to the brain, which explains why many writers go for a walk/run when in a “dry” patch. Having fun and being happy (playfulness) have also been linked to enhanced creativity.

Experts also say we have to practise our creativity or we will lose the edge. Here we go again – “Use it or lose it.”

YOUR BOOK'S MISSION STATEMENT

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:44:51 -0400

Can you state what your non-fiction book is about in one zinger sentence? If not, you may not have a clear purpose or theme for your project and you run the risk of writing a book without a point to it. Completing the following sentence is not as easy as it sounds: “My book is about....” Unpublished authors take several tries to boil down their theme to a phrase and usually seek assistance from other writers. Once you have achieved this task, type up the sentence in bold letters, and stick it on top of your computer screen. It will act as an ongoing guide and a baseline against which you can measure everything you include in your book. Ask yourself: Does this section contribute to the theme or not? What does this paragraph add to my overriding purpose?

Books’ mission statements develop from this single sentence and are used in many ways, such as:

. Discovering your book’s angle;

. Writing query letters to agents/editors;

. Speaking to agents/editors at writers’ conferences;

. Preparing your book proposal/synopsis;

. Writing catalogue blurbs;

. Writing promotional material for news releases, flyers, etc; and,

. Giving media interviews.

Your book’s mission statement should run about 150 words and must generate excitement, clearly describe the subject and scope of the book, demonstrate its uniqueness, show its benefits and the features that deliver them (sidebars, templates, illustrations, etc.), identify the audience and, lastly, reveal the author’s credentials. “All that in 150 words,” I hear you wailing! Yes! It takes a lot of work and much rewriting but it is well worth it. Many aspiring authors say it clarifies their thoughts and helps them create a more marketable product.

Answering the following nine questions will help you develop your mission statement:

1. What problem will your book solve for its readers? (One only, in one sentence.)

2. Describe your typical reader in 2-3 words. (eg. Canadian writers)

3. What is the subject of your book? (One simple phrase)

4. What makes your book unique?

5. What makes your book better than others on the same subject?

6. Why is it a good time to have a book like yours available?

7. List the benefits of your book to its readers.

8. List the features that deliver the benefits.

9. Describe yourself in two words. (eg. author and speaker)

Good luck and, if need be, get some help from your writers’ group or individuals who know your work-in-progress.

ATTENDING WRITERS' CONFERENCES

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:01:56 -0400

It doesn't matter if it's your first or tenth attendance! All delegates to a writers' conference need to arrive willing and able to get the last drop of value from the event. Here are some ideas on how to prepare yourself ahead of time and how to benefit once there:

Before you leave for the conference:

Identify what you most need to learn; then,
Choose the workshops in the program that provide it;
Pick the editors and/or agents you wish to meet and submit requests for appointments with your registration – early;
Prepare a short list of questions to ask editors and agents, in case you are struck dumb;
Develop a terrific one-sentence description of your book/work ;

Take with you:

Layered clothing – it can be hot in the breakout sessions;
Samples of your best writing, properly formatted;
Masses of paper and pens;
Business cards (very important);
Money/credit cards with which to buy books, etc;

Once there;

Accept fatigue – you can sleep afterwards;
Separate from your friends and move out of your comfort zone;
Take full advantage of the social events and groups;
Talk to everyone you can, not just those you know – many are attending alone and feel awkward too;
Collect all the handouts, even for workshops you don't attend.

If you do these things you will be guaranteed to have a very valuable conference experience. And, you'll be panting to return.…

THE ART OF THE PITCH

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:50:53 -0400

A query letter sits on my desk from a first-time author of non-fiction who has hired me to whip it into shape. At least two pages long, 50% of the text is consumed in explaining why the writer wrote her first book. Acquisition editors are not interested in an author’s motivation – all they want to know is what the book is about, if the book has a market that is panting for it, and if the author has a following.

Pitches, aka concept statements, can be as short as one sentence or as long as a paragraph of about 200 words. The single sentence is harder to write and answers the question: “What is your book about?” I usually tackle this after I have written the paragraph. Here is the single sentence I used for my latest book: Sing a New Song is about four Canadian bishops who pushed the envelope and changed the world. This short pitch is more suited to conversations than written communications, but it also generates the book’s theme or mission statement. Once you have pinned down this sentence, you can measure everything you plan to include in the book against it. Very useful…!

The longer version of a pitch is a brief summary of a query letter. It includes a description of the book, its slant, the market, why the book is needed, hints about why you are ideal to write it, and highlights some of the benefits and features of the book. To get all this into such a short piece takes tight writing, elegant word choices, and much revision. This pitch must also begin with a compelling hook. Here’s an example, with my thanks to Elizabeth Lyon:

Too many good Canadian writers are rejected by editors, simply because they lack the necessary insiders’ knowledge. Get Published on Your First Try! answers the plight of these writers by teaching them how to develop winning non-fiction book proposals. This how-to guide is written “writer-up” instead of “editor-down,” showing as much as it tells by integrating examples of successful proposals into the text. As the most instructional book on the subject in this country, it features simplicity, step-by-step directions, and offers a template for the best proposal format. Written by author and speaker, Julie Ferguson, Get Published on Your First Try! makes liberal use of examples, exercises, and checklists to guide the aspiring author from inspiration through to a publisher’s acceptance of their first non-fiction manuscript.

(126 words)

The pitch is not enough for a query letter; it needs to be fleshed out more. However, it can be used as the opening paragraph in a proposal. With a little tweaking, a pitch is ideal for a publisher’s catalogue blurb and the copy for the back cover. Phew!!!