Fourteen year-olds are doing it.

This guy does it 13 times a year.

My friend Julie is getting pretty famous doing it.

So what about you? Are you ready to take the plunge and see your book in print?

Registration is now open for the Spring Guide to Getting Published class -- a one-day seminar on May 12 at the University of Washington's Seattle campus. We'll talk about the business of books -- what your options are, the pros and cons of traditional and independent publishing, whether you need an agent (and how to get one), how to write a book proposal, and how to build a marketing platform without selling your soul. 

It will be an intense day of discussion and information, appropriate for writers who have already finished their manuscript and those who are just starting to think about writing a book. 

This is my second year partnering with The Experimental College to offer this class, and I'm excited about the people I've met and the doors that have opened for them. (They have lots of other interesting classes, from "Sexy Shakespeare" to "Basic Home Repair.") 

Click here to register, or to find out more about UW's Experimental College.

Or you can register by phone: (206) 68-LEARN.

If you have any questions, email me at bethjusino at gmail dot com. Registration is limited!

I’ve been hearing a lot of this lately: “I self published my book, so I’m not really a published author.”

But I also hear a lot of this: “I published with a small press that only puts out e-books, so I’m not really a published author.”

Or: “I published with a regional press that couldn’t give me an advance or get me into brick-and-mortar bookstores. No one’s ever heard of my book, so I’m not really a published author.”

Or even this: “I published with a big publishing house, but the book’s not selling well. I’m such a little part of their machine that not even my editor remembers my name, and no one really treats me like a published author.”  

Enough already. 

(are all these books at Powells really published?)

There are plenty of noisy people out there who will tell you that their way is the only way. That unless you got a five-figure advance, your book is illegitimate. Or that if you signed a contract with a traditional publisher, you're an antique relic destined for abusive relationships. That your book is somehow unworthy because you didn't do it "right.”

Ignore them. 

And there are plenty of comparison traps waiting to swallow a vulnerable writer who sees other titles getting more shelf space, bigger advances, better sales, more reviews, etc. 

Avoid them.

If you… 

• invest the time to write a good book, and you… 
• put that book out into the world to allow complete strangers to find it and buy copies from a retailer, and finally you… 
• make money from the sales of that book, 

then you are really a published author. 

Period.

Think of it this way: if an independent filmmaker invests her time and resources to make a movie, but doesn’t get a distribution deal from a big Hollywood studio, do we say that she’s not a real filmmaker? No, we recognize the legitimacy of her project, even if it’s only seen in limited release by a handful of people at film festival showings and art houses. That independent film is probably never going to make anyone millions of dollars or show up at the suburban multiplex, but it’s still a film. 

And a book is still a book, no matter how many copies it's sold, or whether you can find it in brick-and-mortar stores or online, or what publishing name is on the spine. 

As an author, you accept some limitations with whatever path you choose. Traditional publishers provide valuable professional services to authors, they’re strong indicators of commercial appeal and quality, and they take all of the financial risk. They earn every penny of the book sale royalties they keep. But authors who seek a traditional publisher (large or small) do give up a lot of control over their work, and are limited by schedules and standards that are starting to feel archaic. It’s a long journey with no guarantees.

Self publishing, on the other hand, can be more nimble and empowers the author to retain more creative control, but some traditional review and distribution doors remain closed, which can limit sales. And indie publishing demands that an author wear a plethora of hats and take on all of the time-consuming responsibilities of being their own publisher, art director, managing editor, marketing director, salesperson, and administrative assistant. Not many writers are prepared for that kind of commitment.

Right now, in this weird state of publishing flux, I don’t believe that any option is right for every author and project. You have to make the best choice you can, based on your book and your priorities, and throw yourself into your publishing journey, wherever it takes you. Whether your book finds its audience is always a mixture of hard work and serendipity, and “success” is an elusive, ever-retreating concept.

But at the end of another long day of being a published author, however that looks for you, don’t let anyone (including yourself) knock your choices. 

It's currently 45 degrees and cloudy in Seattle, which has pretty much been the state of things for four months, and will continue until the Fourth of July. 

So I'm excited to announce my trip to the Tucson Festival of Books on March 10-11 for a number of reasons. 

First, yes, because the event coordinator told me that it's usually about 75 degrees, and that they have this odd thing in the sky called a sun. 

Second, because I'll get to participate in an Editor's Panel on Sunday 3/11 at 11:30 am with Barbara McNichol and Terry Whalin. We'll be pulling back the curtain to help writers build strong, positive relationships with their editors.

Third (and this is the real reason for the trip), because I will finally get to meet my colleagues at The Editorial Department face-to-face, and spend some time brainstorming new ways to make the Book and Author Marketing program even stronger and more visible.

So if you're anywhere near Tucson and want to join the 100,000 book lovers descending on the University of Arizona for the event, let me know. I'd love to say hello.

Did you start the new year determined to finally finish that novel? Or to publish that memoir? Or to turn your blog into a book?

And now that we're a few days into the new year, are you wondering how, exactly, you're going to do that?

Have no fear: The Guide to Published is almost here!

Registration is now open for the winter class of The Guide to Getting Published, the six-week seminar that unravels the business of books. The class starts February 1, 2012, and meets every Wednesday for six weeks.

Offered through the University of Washington's Experimental College, this is an interactive course that walks writers through the publishing process, from query letters to the book launch party. In between, we'll talk about traditional publishing vs. self (or independent) publishing, how to get an agent (and whether you need one), how to write a great book proposal, when to hire freelance editors and publicists, and how you can start attracting readers before the book is even written (that dreaded "author platform"). Exercises and disccusions each week help writers refine their ideas and polish their pitches.

The class is appropriate for writers with completed manuscripts and those who are just starting to think about a book. 

Here's some of the feedback from the Fall 2011 class:

• "Great class and very enthusiastic instructor."
• "The instructor, Beth Jusino, was excellent--smart, funny, kind, well informed, with great insights into the work that her students are doing. It was a course in getting a book published. She knows her stuff, and always had useful comments and ideas for students who know very little about the publishing world. Great class, and a bargain."
• "The instructor seemed to really care and did a great job managing a diverse class."

(Aww, shucks.) 

Click here to register, or to find out more about UW's Experimental College.

Or you can register by phone: (206) 68-LEARN.

If you have any questions, email me at bethjusino at gmail dot com. Registration is limited, so sign up soon!

The presents are put away, the almost-dead trees are sitting by the curbs. The media has moved on to looking back -- holiday cheer has been replaced with summary pieces on who died, who got married, and who went to jail. Typical New Year's fare. 

In that spirit, I went back to consider the best books I read in 2011.* Most of them were new releases, but a few have been out a while. Clearly I was on a fiction kick, and the publishing market has a thing for using a definite article in book titles.

My faves (with links back to more information and my reviews on Goodreads):

1. The Night Circus

2. The Windup Girl

3. The Dirty Life

4. The Fates Will Find Their Way 

5. The Upside of Irrationality

6. The Geography of Bliss

7. Before I Go To Sleep

8. Good Omens

9. The Hunger Games

9 1/2. 11/22/63 (Because I'm only halfway through Stephen King's massive new novel, but I'm wholly in love.)

 

How about you? What were your best reads of 2011?

 

* Caveat: these are the books I read for pleasure, and do not include manuscripts from current or past clients, or even any books from authors I know personally. That's just asking for trouble. 

If you are thinking about writing or publishing your first book, there’s a lot to consider. 

Do you need an agent?

Should you use your middle initial on the book jacket?

How offended will your mother be if you tell that story?

Which font is the most “writer-ly?”

But in the midst of these questions, don’t forget about the most important one:

Who is going to read this book?

Or to put it even more bluntly:

Who is going to invest $10 and 12 hours of their time (give or take) in what I have to say?

It’s a big question. Too often, a writer doesn’t stop to think about the reader soon enough. He or she writes, and revises, and dreams about holding a book, but can’t really imagine the person who is reading it at the other end. The writer spins wheels and come up with a manuscript that doesn’t quite “fit” anywhere, because it was written only for an audience of one. 

“I’m writing for everyone,” the writer says. “They should all read this book.” But no book is written for everyone. Your book may appeal primarily to men or women, to teenagers or “mature” readers. It may attract those who love practical, step-by-step guides, or those who appreciate the complete creativity of an imagined universe. 

The one universal piece to know about your readers, though, is that they are readers. They enjoy books. 

So here’s an exercise: think about the person who will read your book when it comes out, and take a hypothetical look at their nightstand. 

What is my ideal reader going to read tonight?

What is the popular title that’s drawing their eyes, engaging their minds, and keeping them busy until they have the opportunity to pick up your masterpiece? What’s the obscure find that is filling their unique need or desire?

And does that tell you anything new about your own manuscript?

 

 

November marks the one-year mark since I hung out my (virtual) shingle and announced my availability to writers who want to be published. At that point, with only a vague idea of what I had to offer, I couldn’t imagine how it would all come together. I just knew that I missed books and wanted to work with the people who write them.

Now I’ve helped more than 100 writers – some for just a couple of hours of phone conversation, and others through multiple manuscript revisions that have taken the whole year. I know of at least three clients who signed with agents after we developed proposals together, and three more who have already released their titles via independent publishing. Dozens more are working toward one option or another.

(This is the most recent book to release, the first to come out of the new Production/Marketing programs at The Editorial Department. I'm thrilled with the story and the cover design for Angel and excited for the author, Mary E. Kingsley.)

I’ve ghost-written, edited, evaluated, and advised. I’ve written marketing plans, cover copy, and press releases. I’ve created accounts and written content for writers’ blogs and social media outlets, and I’ve taught them how to do it all better. I’ve handled production logistics, taught classes, and tried to come up with new ways to say “show, don’t tell.” I’ve worked with religion, business, speculative fiction, romance, military, horror, thriller, memoir, self-help, and some books that didn't fit into a category. 

I've learned a lot. And I've loved every minute of it.

Since I straddle the line of traditional and self-publishing authors, I get a lot of questions about which is the “better” way. Ten years ago, I had an answer. Back then, what is now “indie publishing” was “vanity publishing,” where writers had to pay big bucks to get cases of books, which tended to collect dust in their garages. The technology didn’t exist yet to make it work the way it does now – the e-readers, the e-retailers, the Print on Demand publishers. Today, I am blown away by how easy it is to create and distribute a high-quality book as an individual. And now that I have walked through the process a few times, I'm also blown away by how much work is involved in doing it well.

Traditional publishers earn their portion of their book sales.

But publishers have their own challenges, and an antiquated business model that increasingly doesn’t work anymore (escalating/un-recoupable advances, returnable product, etc.) So for the right authors – the ones who can think of themselves as entrepreneurs and have a good mind for details and sales – the rewards of self-publishing are excellent. 

And for most writers, the question of “which publishing path” is premature. Once you write a book, the first question should not be “should I traditionally publish or self publish?” The question should be, “Do I want to publish at all?”

A few years ago, USA Today reported that 82% of American adults want to write a book someday. (Other surveys say that 27% of Americans haven’t actually read a book in the past year, which means there are some ill-prepared wanna-be authors, but that’s another story.) To everyone who wants to write, I say go for it. Writing is an act of art and creation, and something that everyone should try. Please (please!) turn off the TV or the video games and write. Write a novel for NaNoWriMo. Write a memoir. Write a travel journal on your fantastic international expedition. Write your unique understanding of how the political system/religion/the economy/education/your boss’ management approach is broken, and how you think it should be fixed. Write the kind of book you love to read, and tell the kind of story you love to hear.

Write it, and work on it, and learn how to be a better writer, and finish it. And then ask yourself, now what? Because everyone should exercise, but not everyone should try to run the New York City marathon.

Who do I think should read this? Who would want to read this? And how much am I willing to commit? Am I willing to put myself (and my family, if I'm writing a personal story like a memoir) out there? Am I willing to market myself and become a public figure? Am I ready for the financial investments, the long waits, the edits and revisions? Am I ready for negative reviews and uncertain income? 

Am I willing for it to take years? 

If so, then you are someone who should not only write a book, but should also publish one. And then we can talk about your best publishing options.

If not, you have still written a book, and that's an accomplishment in itself.

The sun's going down earlier, the clouds rolled in, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees in the past two days. Must be fall in Seattle. 

How will you spend those long, drizzly nights? How about learning how to be a published author?

The fall Guide to Getting Published class will once again be offered through the University of Washington's Experimental College.

This is a 6-week interactive course that walks writers through the publishing process, from capturing your concept to the book launch party.

In between, we'll talk about traditional publishing vs. self-publishing, how to get an agent (and whether you need one), writing a great book proposal, when to hire freelance editors and publicists, and how you can start attracting readers before the book is even written.

The class is appropriate for writers with completed manuscripts and those who are just starting to think about a book. Each week we'll have exercises to help you refine your idea and polish your pitch, so you don't have to listen to me talk all the time.

And there are handouts. Lots of handouts.

Click here to register, or to find out more about UW's Experimental College.

Or you can register by phone: (206) 68-LEARN.

If you have any questions, email me at bethjusino at gmail dot com. Registration is limited, so sign up soon!

Every year or so, a debut novel from an unknown writer crashes onto the publishing scene. Buoyed by word-of-mouth recommendations among friends, passionate booksellers, and good timing, these titles give hope to aspiring authors everywhere. They help us believe that great writing can break through the wall of established brands. 

Two years ago, one of those come-from-nowhere books was The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. The story of rich white women and their black maids in the 1960s struck a chord with book clubs and readers. To date, The Help has sold five million copies and been published in 35 countries. A blockbuster movie based on the book is currently ruling the box office. 

It’s a writer's fairy tale story of an overnight success. Isn’t it? Well, maybe not the overnight part. A few days ago I stumbled across this essay where Stockett shares her publishing story. Hop over to the Yahoo site and read the whole article – how she worked on this book for five years, and how it was rejected by 60 (SIXTY!) agents over another three years before Susan Ramer signed her. (After that, things got smoother. A new imprint at Putnam offered a contract three weeks later.)  

So what can writers learn from this? That there’s more to the fairy tale publishing stories than meets the eye, for one thing. Pursuing publication takes persistence, not to mention some thick skin. Stockett says, “I received 60 rejections for The Help. But letter number 61 was the one that accepted me…. What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60?” If you really believe in your book, keep at it. 

But there’s a second lesson in Stockett’s experience. She never stopped revising her work. After every agent’s rejection, she would go back and review the book, determined to make it better. 

"I received a rejection letter from the agent, stating, 'Story did not sustain my interest.' I was thrilled! I called my friends and told them I’d gotten my first rejection! Right away, I went back to editing. I was sure I could make the story tenser, more riveting, better….. By rejection number 45, I was truly neurotic. It was all I could think about—revising the book, making it better, getting an agent, getting it published. I insisted on rewriting the last chapter an hour before I was due at the hospital to give birth to my daughter."

I meet a lot of writers who spend six months on a manuscript and want to see it published before the year is out. Once they type “The End,” they think their work is done. If an agent turns it down, it’s because that agent lacks the vision, and there’s nothing they can do about it. 

But what if there is? There are plenty of good manuscripts that need not just a fairy tale opportunity, but more research, more tension, more clarity, or more something to stand out.  

If you’re in that in-between stage, with a manuscript you feel is polished and ready but without a publishing contract in hand, take heart. Overnight successes sometimes take years. 

But also, take another look at your manuscript. Is there anything you can do to make it better?

 

Last weekend's Guide to Getting Published class at the University of Washington was long, full, and lots of fun. I took away a couple of new ideas from it that I'll be sharing over the next few weeks, so stay tuned. (Interested in taking a Guide to Getting Published class? The next one will be a six-week series starting October 26. We'll talk about the business of books, as always, and spend much more hands-on time developing book proposals and marketing plans. Registration opens in mid-September, and I will be posting links and more information here.)

But that's not all I have done this summer. Over the past few weeks I've worked with some amazing writers on some fun projects that are getting lots of attention. Here are two just-released success stories:

 

Christa Allan's first novel, Walking on Broken Glass, was called "fascinating, complicated, and above all, funny." So I had high hopes for her sophomore release, Edge of Grace, which came out last week. And I wasn't disappointed. Library Journal gave Edge of Grace a starred review for dealing "sensitively and gracefully with a difficult subject." Christa and I worked together this summer to clarify her brand and identify new, more effective ways for her to reach her readers. We had some great conversations about honesty and voice. But her commitment to paying it forward was all her -- check out how she is using her novel to support The Trevor Project and Project Lazarus. 

 

Right here in the neighborhood, Seattle's own Devra Gartenstein released a book this month, too. Devra is best-known as the owner of the Patty Pan Grills, the popular tamale and quesadilla seller at farmers' markets. Devra is also a cooking instructor and the traditionally-published author of two vegetarian cookbooks. But for her new book, Cavemen, Monks, and Slow Food, she wanted something different. So we worked together to turn a fascinating manuscript about the history of what we eat into a high-quality, retail-ready book. It came out just in time to get mentioned in a July 23 feature from The Seattle Times.  

There's a lot more great stories where those came from, and more just waiting to be told. Over the next few weeks I'll also be polishing up announcements for new, more formalized marketing programs. 

"Lazy days of summer," indeed.