Road Trip
Writing a book is one thing. Selling it is another. Authors write books because we love to write. Being a sales person doesn't have quite the same appeal. But sale persons we are - all of us (even non-writers) in one way of the other. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as we believe in what we're selling.
With that firmly in mind, I took off yesterday for a road trip in order to...you got it...sell my A.C. Gilbert book. My aim was to find book and gift stores that would carry the book. Believe me, this is not my favorite way to spend time -"Good day, I'd like to share with you my latest book for children..." - but I have to admit it was a lot better than I anticipated.
Writers (at least the ones I know) have to steel themselves for rejection because the simple fact is that most things that are written never even get published. So, coming from a rejection mindset, it's a challenge not to carry that into the stores you enter. What a pleasant surprise, however, when booksellers greet you amicably, make positive comments about your work, and then order on the spot. Cool! I'm not saying this happened in every store I went, but it did in most. What this did was reinvigorate me about the work I've done.
If you live in or around Corvallis and Salem, Oregon, here are some great places to find The Magic of A.C. Gilbert:
Corvallis - OSU Bookstore, Grassroots Bookstore
Kaiser - Booksmart
Salem - A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, Mission Mill Museum
Carrying books and inflated confidence, I will continue on.
p.s. I'll keep writing, too.
In The Classroom
The act of writing is the key element for any writer. But, it's important to put that activity in context. In the case of writing for children, it's essential to interact with the audience - with kids. That's why I'll be working in some classrooms this year at a local elementary school as a visiting author and fellow writer. I'll be sharing my ideas and work as well as listening and providing feedback to kids. My first visit was yesterday; I introduced myself and some of my books, then the kids wrote introductions. I am enjoying reading them, and I look forward to working with the fourth graders at Willagillespie Elementary School, in Eugene.
Publishing #4
Producing a book with a publisher has advantages...and disadvantages.
The major advantage that I see is that the publisher takes the financial risk of producing the book. They are responsible (and pay) for everything: the artwork, design, editing, printing, and marketing. That's quite huge, and there's more. They pay for your words, too. They may pay you a flat fee or a royalty, a percentage of the sale of the book. My preference is a royalty and, if possible, a royalty on the retail cost of the book rather than the "net" (what they sell it for, which is usually less than retail). I feel much more a part of the "team" when getting a royalty, and I operate on the hopes on many different printings, which will yield more money. Reality check-in: This does not always happen.
Finding a publisher willing to take on your book in this highly competitive market is very challenging. If you are fortunate to get one, I see two main disadvantages. The first is that, since the publisher has the main responsibility for producing the book, they also are going to make most of the decisions about the book (size, what it looks like, number of copies, hard or soft cover). My experience has been that most are open to feedback from the author, but the ultimate decisions will be theirs. It makes sense, though, given they are the ones taking the risk.
However, the decisions publishers make can cause repercussions for authors. Case in point: I wrote a beginning bio of Christopher Columbus. In it, the editor had cut out some of the text about when Columbus and his crew landed in the "New World." The deleted text had to do with the people (Tainos) who were already living. In addition, the illustrator did not show any of those people in his artwork. Result: I was criticized for the oversight. Was it my fault that this happened? No. But people assume that the person whose name is on the book is responsible for all its contents. Lesson learned for me.
The other main disadvantage of working with a publisher is that the author only makes a small percentage of the price of each book. With self-publishing, all the money goes to the author. However, much of that money will be going to pay the costs of producing the book.
My personal preference has been to work with a publisher in producing books, but to keep an open mind and be willing to "put your money where your mouth is" when appropriate. I am grateful to have had positive experiences in both realms, and I am very pleased that the stigma of self-published books (low quality, unprofessional) has improved over time. Some highly successful authors are now choosing to self-publish despite lucrative contracts offered by publishers. The popularity of e-books is making a huge impact on the publishing industry and I would suggest exploring that avenue as you consider options for your work.
In the end, as in the beginning, anyone can get a book published. It's all about how you want to do it. And I hope you will. Good luck!
Hard at work on the next book.
Start….and Stop
I've been exploring an idea for a picture book that involves General Santa Anna, of Alamo fame, and Thomas Adams, a would-be New York inventor. As the story goes, these two men met in 1870, with Santa Anna handing over a chuck of chicle, a gooey tree resin from Mexico, to Adams in hopes that the inventor could use it as a substitute for rubber. Such an invention would have made the men the two men filthy rich, and Santa Anna was planning to use his share to raise and army to overthrow the Mexican government. But the invention was not to be, and Santa Anna lost interest and left, while Adams kept at it until he had his invention - not a rubber substitute but a new, improved chewing gum.
I have tried the story several different ways, but none seem to work. After a few weeks on the project, I am officially putting all my drafts and notes into a folder and gently filing it away. A possibility for another time. A wasted two weeks? Absolutely not! This was time well-spent doing some basic research as well as shaping the information into some sort of story. That it didn't work out, while frustrating, is a necessary tool for creating something that will be worthy of others reading.
Onward...
Market Update
In case you were wondering about the health of the publishing industry. Note the stats on e-books:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/books/survey-shows-publishing-expanded-since-2008.html?_r=1&hp
Publishing #2
Okay, write first or sell first? It's a huge question, and one that needs to be addressed. How you answer could make a difference in months or years in your life. In honor of full disclosure, I have tried both ways. Additionally, the only things I have sold that were not already written were books that were part of a series.
Write the entire book first if it's something you HAVE to write and, either it never has to be read by others, or you will take personal responsibility for seeing that the work gets published (= self-publishing; more on that later). If your life can go on without writing the book, you're not willing to put the resources into self-publishing, or you don't really want to spend the next six months to ten years working on something that most likely (yes, the odds are against you) will not see the light of day, try selling the book first. Or, at least try to get some interest from agents or publishers abut your project that will inspire you to write on.
If you're going to write first, get going. What are you waiting for? Remember, checking out the marketplace first for your book can be helpful, so that you don't replicate something already done and so you can see what publishers might be on your target list when it comes time to send out a query. Some good resources, in addition to similar books in libraries and bookstores, are The Writer's Market, which list hundreds of publishers and is updated every year, and periodicals like "Writer's Digest" and "The Writer Magazine." If you're writing for kids, check out The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Childrens Writer.com.
Next time, self-publishing. Bring your unbridled energy, and don't forget your checkbook!
Happy June!
And a very happy June it is! Although rain and clouds dominate the Oregon skies, there is good in the air. My sixtieth birthday is creeping closer (the 9th) and I'm given to a bit of reflection. Having once said, "I can't ever imagine myself being thirty years old," in a week I'll be double that! How curious. I am absolutely amazed at how the time has passed so quickly. I can still remember sitting in high school wishing for time to go faster, wishing for my driver's license, wishing to go off to college, wishing for my own car. Fortunately, my wishing disease healed over time, and so I've chosen to make my adult life about "doing" rather than "wishing." Oh, there's been a lot of dreaming, but that's what often powers the "doing." I am grateful for the friends, family, and colleagues who continue to touch my life as the journey continues.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention another June happening. I'll be retiring at the end of the month. I have been working in education since graduating college in 1973. I've worked as a classroom teacher in grades 2 through 8 as well as a language arts staff development specialist and grant director. I'm pleased I chose the route of education, and I leave proud of the work I've done.
I won't be going far, though. I'll continue to do consulting work with schools around writing. I'll keep doing author visits, too. And make no mistake about it, I'll be writing as well. All the projects I've put "on hold" for past ___ years, I'll be pulling out of the files, evaluating them, and choosing to develop the ones in which I'm most interested. This will be hard. But, who said writing was supposed to be easy!
Globe Winners!
Congratulations to Mr. Walker's class of persuaders! They entered a contest to win a globe for their classroom by persuading me that they needed one, and they did the job. Persuasion is NOT about whining. It's about making a reasoned appeal using facts and details to support your point. It's also helpful to anticipate why the person might say "no" and addressing those points.
Words have power. Great job, Mr. Walker and class!
More Pockets
I was interested to see that Abraham Lincoln had Confederate money on him the night he was shot. I wonder why, and where he got it, and when. What do you think that money tells about him?
I think that the things we carry tell a lot about ourselves and who we are. Pull a few things out of your pockets. Why are you carrying them, and not other things? What do they say about you? Write it down and share with others. This is a good way to learn more about yourself and other people too.
April 15, 1865
At 7:22 a.m. on this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died in a boardinghouse, across the street from Ford's Theater, where he had been shot by John Wilkes Booth.
I was curious about what Lincoln had in his pockets the night he was shot, so I started researching. Here's what I found out: http://www.history.com/videos/what-was-in-lincolns-pockets#what-was-in-lincolns-pockets.
What do you wonder about Abraham Lincoln?