Writing, Blogging, Books and Balance

For years, most of my Thursday posts have featured books I have read and enjoyed. While I have loved giving shout-outs to titles and authors whose work I enjoy, the burden of reading and writing this material for the blog has gotten overwhelming. Meanwhile (for all of you other author-bloggers out there), I have not seen any measurable return in terms of my own book sales. 

Lately, I've also been struggling more than usual with balancing promotion of my upcoming novel with completion of my next manuscript. Maybe it's the unusual amount of freelance work I've picked up this fall. Maybe it's missing my eldest son, off to college. (Tuition bills are one reason I tend to accept all the aforementioned freelance work, btw!) Regardless of the "why," I still have to try to realign the scales.

So, for the fall, the "how" is going to be a commitment to just once-weekly blogging (Mondays) and to allow myself to just read for fun at night without the self-imposed pressure of having to write about books. Meanwhile, I full intent to FINISH the book I am writing by October 25th. New deadline. The first, missed, date was August 30th.

Here's hoping the second deadline is the charm. Are you doing any realigning this fall? Got any good advice? Spill, okay?

Back to Business: SWAG

Summer is drawing to a close and I am starting to prepare for a fall round of author events. Thus the
time has come to order swag to support the upcoming publication of THE SOUND OF LETTING GO. The book has some lovely interior art, featuring an abstract pattern of black-and-white flowers. And the cover colors, about which I felt uncertain when I saw the mock-ups, look beautiful on the arc. So I am getting excited to choose a few fun items to share with readers and educators.

Did you know that most authors (not people like Rick Yancey and Suzanne Collins) pay for the swag they distribute? This stuff does not come from the publisher. Back in the "glory days" of trade publishing (aka 1990s), publishers produced posters for picture books, and items like bookmarks and two-color biography booklets for authors producing titles at all levels of the children's markets. Now, you pour an author a glass of wine and in no time they'll be quoting you swag prices and bemoaning the whole scene.

That said, these mementos are fun to give away--kind of like business cards with a "kick." Bookmarks are relatively cheap and can hold a lot of information. Authors have produced items from jewelry to magnets, and from t-shirts to pens. Personally, I am a huge fan of custom sticky notes but the per-unit price sometimes feels a bit too high given their value as a promotional item.

WEIGH IN...

As a reader, book blogger, maybe librarian: What is your favorite kind of swag? What do you do with bookmarks, etc., you receive from authors?

As a writer: What has been your relationship with swag? Has it been worth the investment?

ANY SUGGESTIONS for the type of swag I should have made for the new book?

Back-to-Business Monday: AUTHOR BIO ADVENTURES

Well, my website author bio is written.  It's too long.  But I'm going to let it simmer a few days (just like a manuscript, though I let those simmer longer) and then, hopefully, edit it down.  Meanwhile, here are two fun pix and some bio-related thoughts.



I'm the littlest one in tutu- right



Ballerina-me at age 16

 1. As I wrote the bio, I realized that some of this material might be better in another part of the website, such as an "advice to writers" page or as part of my also-coming-in-March A YEAR OF AUDITIONS blog.

2. In this process, I've realized that I spent about a decade dancing before every trying writing, so it's hard to make the early-life part seem like a writer bio when it's mostly a dancer bio.  (This problem remains unresolved.)

3. I remember quite clearly when I started to enjoy writing (eighth grade).

4. I am not hugely fond of writing about myself.  Much prefer writing fiction.  Even doing revisions :)

Back-to-Business Monday: IT'S ABOUT THE BOOKS, RIGHT?

It's a fine line we 21st century writers walk between writing great work to go between the covers of our books AND writing, almost constantly, as part of our efforts to reach out to our readership through websites, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and so on. So many words, so little time.


Every week (and sometimes almost daily), I have conversations with authors struggling to find balance between producing their best work and promoting what's already published (not just on line but through bookstore appearances, author visits, conferences and other types of in-person promotion) so that they'll continue to have opportunities to write. I always have the greatest sympathy for this conundrum--I struggle with it myself. And I so wish I had a magic formula to help authors choose which types of promotion are worth the time and angst and which are not.

Right now, for me, I feel strongly pulled toward writing (over promotion). This always happens when I'm revising something that really excites me. You know, when you find yourself driving along the road or standing in the shower and all of a sudden you think, "Of course, and then the mc HAS GOT TO do/say/think..." and you've got to pull over quick or wrap yourself in a towel to write your idea out, dripping wet or running late to whatever's next in your real world.

To this end, I'll close today by pointing you to my lovely friend Molly's blog to read about her November event, the Golden Coffee Cup. Molly has a knack for spreading good writing karma and for those of you who are "all about the book" like me right now, you might want to head on over and join in the golden fun!

Wordy Wednesday: A BLOG BY ANY OTHER NAME...

Should I change the subtitle of my blog?  The main title even?

When I started blogging about three years ago, I just wanted to discuss my journey as person (mom, choreographer, teacher, chauffeur, laundry goddess, pretty good cook, lousy housekeeper) and a writer.  Slowly, the blog morphed into a place where I shared my knowledge of book marketing and love of children's and YA literature though I was still a writer-on-the side.  Now, I am counting the months until I can see my work in print.  The blog is evolving again into a place where part of the story is about me as an author (wow!!!).  And, though I still write in stolen moments and, often, with a preschooler tugging at my arm, I don't quite feel like a writer-on-the-side anymore.

So, do I rename the blog after myself (feels a bit egotistical yet, perhaps, rather practical)?  Do I incorporate my name into the subtitle (though it might be tricky to do so and still have main title make sense)?  Or do I leave well enough alone?

Sighs.

Does not like decision-making.

Especially on Wednesdays.

Back-to-Business Monday: Okay, after much delay...

My headshot.  Actually, two headshots as I still can't choose between happy-writer and serious-writer.  In fact, I have a very tough time looking at pictures of myself in general.  But here they are and I am going to make myself choose one because, revisions complete, this week I'm going to get started on a little bit of promotional work.  My first goal is to get the website into some kind of shape by December.

I'm starting to prepare by compiling everything I want to include, both ideas and images.  I am also thinking about organizational issues such as how/if the blog should link to website, whether the focus should be on the book or more generally on me as a writer, etc.

In terms of visual elements, besides the headshot, I'd like to include some photographs of me as a kid, dancing, acting, etc.  I went through my parents' photo albums this past summer and finally had the snaps I borrowed converted to jpeg files--I'll share some soon. 

In the next few weeks, I'll be asking some author friends about their web-site creation experience and will share what I learn.  For now...serious or happy?

Back-to-Business Monday: TIPS FOR AUTHOR PHOTOS

My photo session proofs are in and I am struggling to choose a winner. It turns out I am pretty indecisive. So, I've given myself a deadline of Wednesday to pick a picture.  Meanwhile, here are a few tips from the folks who helped me prepare for my author photo:

• Chat with the photographer (professional or otherwise) before the photo session. Discuss the setting for your photo (indoor or outdoor; studio or personal scene) and what type of image you are hoping to get. If possible, provide a couple of examples of author photos or other portraits you like. Most of all try to choose a style that reflects your personality and/or your writing.
• Choose clothing that you'd wear when you want to look and feel extra good--maybe for a fun evening out. Consider trying a couple of outfits so you have some choice not only in poses but in looks.
• Professional photo lighting can wash out up to 80% of make-up color, so be a bit bolder than usual. Avoiding shine is a big priority, so a great foundation is a good bet.
• If you're having make-up or hair done for you, bring along a digital camera and take a few snaps to get a sense of what the pro will be snapping. Don't use too much hairspray as this can yield a stiff result as you move and pose during the photo shoot.
• Aim for a picture in which you look like a well-rested version of yourself so that when folks meet you in person, they see the connection to the photo :)
• Try to have fun. Or at least, take a few snaps where you're smiling.

Back-to-Business Monday: AUTHOR, ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP?

As writers and illustrators, the self we want to share with the public is our words or artwork on the page and not necessarily our physical image. So, the author photo is something to which many of us pay limited heed. In my years working in education and library marketing, I have run into a surprising number of challenging situations resulting from this situation. Here are a few fun ones (names omitted of course):

• Author with two head shots which barely seem to be of the same person (in one, he has long hair, in the other a bean shave) and no way to tell which is more current

• Author of children's books who sent me a lovely snap of herself surrounded by books--only problem is the book right in front of her has the word "sex" in big letters on the cover (not so hot for the children's library crowd)
• Author has obviously cropped a photo of herself with another person whose disembodied hand sits clearly on her shoulder
• No author photo can be found anywhere and author is reluctant to provide one (!)

Not to mention the myriad tousled hair, rumpled shirt, and laundry/household stuff in the background shots.

Here's my personal photo tale (it really wouldn't be fair to tell you about those others if I didn't have an embarassing story of my own): When my agent recently asked me to send my author photo along, the best I could do was to have my thirteen-year-old snap a picture of my in front of a bookshelf. In her inimitable, polite way, she said "it's a nice picture but the light is a little strong." (Okay, I'm at an age where pretty much all light is a little strong!) But, her comment immediately made me think back to the stories above and I realized this amazing truth:

It's GREAT to have a decent author photo.

The fact is, when I schedule an appearance for an author, the first thing I want to do is help the host publicize this event in the best possible way. I send along links to the author's page at the publisher website, the author's own website/blog/etc., high-resolution images of their book jackets and, if possible, an author photo. In sum, when you promote your work, despite our great literary aspirations, there are times when a picture can be worth a thousand words.

So, I set forth to learn more about getting a good author photo and I HAD ONE TAKEN.  In my next few Book Biz posts, I'll share some tips from folks I consulted, tell you about my photo shoot, and then... The BIG REVEAL (aka a picture of me not taken by one of my kids).

Back-to-Business Monday: SUMMER SEND-OFF

Well, June is here and the kids are wriggling in their desk chairs waiting for vacation to begin. Teachers are frantically wrapping up units, completing testing, and writing up final report cards. Authors may be noticing a slow-down in appearance requests and school-library correspondence in general. Before you take your own break, consider one of the following promotional ideas:


1. Send a "Wishing You a Super Summer" newsletter/note to your "e-mailing list" or add a Summertime page to your website. Make your letter/page link sunny and fun. Include a book-themed summer recipe or craft, a vacation plan based on your book's setting, your own summer reading list, or some good book-biz gossip about friends and colleagues with new titles being published in the coming months. ASK FOR FEEDBACK on a question such as, "What is your #1 wish for your students this summer?" (Offer a signed book or other prize to be awarded to one or more feedback respondents.)

2. Offer a discount or other incentive (e.g., extra 30-minute writing workshop for up to 20 students) for 2010-2011 school year appearances booked before, say, August 15, 2010. Post the special on your website, blog and note in your newsletter, above, if you're sending one.

3. Support summer reading programs. Offer to stop by libraries, bookstores, museums, or other appropriate venues near your hometown (or perhaps locales where you'll be vacationing) to do a free book talk, signing or other special event in support of their summer programs. If you set these up, make sure once again to note the dates on your blog, website, Facebook page, etc.

Summer is also a great time to create some of those value-added elements for your website or author appearance programs, such as reading and activity guides and tips for preparing for an author visit.  And, spend a couple of beach blanket hours thinking about fall promotions, such as contests. Speaking of which, next month I'll be posting information on my own first BLOG CONTEST. Get ready...!