tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13702471634018410932024-03-08T04:25:09.954-08:00Put Your Book On the ShelfBlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370247163401841093.post-61692286224027477752022-11-17T14:31:00.001-08:002022-11-20T09:53:04.441-08:00What to Do at Author Talks<p><b> What to Do at Author Talks</b></p><p>Now that society, post-Covid, has decided to be more social, we may all need a brush-up on our social skills. With the 2020 Indie Author Award for my latest book, <u>Adventures of a Thought Thief, Part 1, Heredity and Hierarchy</u> (shameless plug notwithstanding), I've been invited to a few <b>Author Talks</b>.</p><p><b>Author Talks</b> are a great way to reacquaint ourselves with our communities, and with the written words that we quite possibly haven't looked at in a while.</p><p>Here are some of the things I found at one of those talks-in no particular order:</p><p>There was but one display table left when another author and I walked in at the exact same time. He raced me for it, except I wasn't running. I politely asked him if we could share the table, and he politely looked straight at me and frowned.</p><p>Another author, seeing the above exchange, told me that I could share with her, and slid her books down to give me some room. I thanked her no less than twenty times.</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, the event began even though there weren't any readers present, only authors.</p><p>There was an emcee, who was also an author, who announced each of us as we took to the podium and read from our books.</p><p>A friend of mine accompanied me and when it was my turn to stand and read, she took a cell phone video of my performance.</p><p>When I got home and viewed the video all I saw was the back of another author's head in the foreground. He was talking to the emcee throughout my reading and checking things on his cell phone.</p><p>Two hours later, the emcee concluded the <b>Author's Talk</b> and told us that we need to leave in fifteen minutes because the library is about to close.</p><p><b>My two cents on these types of events</b> - All is not lost if books aren't being sold and our readership hasn't been expanded. For starters, be gracious and kind to fellow authors. You never know who you're rubbing shoulders with, plus friendly people make friends. Also, these events are great opportunities to practice your skills. When I finished my reading, people asked me if I was a professional reader. <i>Gush. Gush.</i> No, I'm not but I use these events to hone my craft. If you can get a good video out of it, it can become a great post or an addition to your website. Talk to people and find out something new. Talk to people and offer something you've learned on your journey. In other words - share.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.blackcurrantpress.com</div>BlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370247163401841093.post-18307651576121929752014-06-02T13:28:00.001-07:002014-06-02T13:28:04.819-07:00Website Builder<a href="http://blackcurrantpress.blogspot.com/2011/02/to-type-or-write.html#links">Put Your Book On the Shelf: To Type or Write</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.blackcurrantpress.com</div>BlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370247163401841093.post-23902279561572984472014-05-07T12:59:00.002-07:002014-05-07T13:01:58.970-07:00So You Want to Make a Million Dollars Writing Books?As a small press publisher, I
cannot tell you how many times I hear this from writers, “I’m going to write
this book and make my first million.” Nothing would please me more than my
clients having all their dreams come true, the fans, the tours, the writing
prizes –and yes – the money!! Unfortunately, some go out and do incredible in
sales. Some do not. Some wait for the public to come to them, then blame me,
the publisher for not making their book more marketable. Some question their
writing skills when the book doesn't sell.<br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
My thoughts, the first rule of
writing a book that sells is to WRITE A GOOD BOOK! We tend to overlook this
little item when we decide what we think the public wants to read without doing
any research on <u>what the public is reading</u>. Then we get angry with them,
the public, for not buying our books. I realize that this may seem simple, but
it’s not. Can your book stand up to public criticism? Can you name at
least five complete strangers who love your book? <br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
Traditional publishers often
start with the audience first, the readers, discovering through research what
they’re reading. Then, some of them, find a writer who can write those kinds of
books; the types of books that they know already have an audience. If you have
an idea for a book, but that idea doesn’t have an audience, then when you write
the book, edit the book, market the book; that book may not sell until you find
an audience to buy it. This can be a frustrating process because you are
putting your precious work on display and people may not like it. <br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
So, what is the solution?
Do we find out what is selling and design our books to target those
audiences? Do we write whatever we want, no matter the subject and hope
and pray for the best? Put the book in front of a million plus people,
preferably those who love to read? Do we develop an audience first and
then ask them what they would like to read? Believe it or not, these are
all good ideas if you’ve got the time and know-how to execute them. <br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
In my company, my best clients
already have a following or an avenue of putting their books in front of as
many people as possible on a regular basis. They are out in the world on the
internet, in seminars, at parties, in book clubs, in organizations, etc. They
have their own local television and radio shows. They are busy, busy people. I
hardly ever hear from them except to order more books. They never ask me if
their book is selling. They never ask about royalties. I send them a check
every quarter with a statement of sales. I will say this too, they spent more
time crafting their book, than dreaming about making millions in sales. They
were meticulous about the details of making that book the best it could
possibly be. They didn’t rush through the publishing at all. The editing process
meant everything to them. They didn’t want to stop until the book was a perfect
work of art. There is something to be said for drawing an audience to something
attractive.<br />
<u1:p></u1:p><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.blackcurrantpress.com</div>BlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370247163401841093.post-81031162110002188462014-05-03T12:58:00.000-07:002014-05-03T12:58:53.976-07:00To Type or Write...that is the question<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 75pt; left: 0px; margin-left: 189pt; margin-top: 89.4pt; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 57pt; z-index: -2;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-284 0 -284 21384 21600 21384 21600 0 -284 0"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><imagedata o:title="MP900411786[1]" src="file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></imagedata><wrap type="through"></wrap></span></shape><shape id="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 47.25pt; left: 0px; margin-left: -2.05pt; margin-top: 2.75pt; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 76.5pt; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="424 343 424 1371 3388 5829 212 7543 212 8571 12706 17143 18847 20571 19482 20571 21388 20571 19059 16800 2965 686 1694 343 424 343"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><imagedata o:title="MC900435237[1]" src="file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.png"></imagedata><wrap type="tight"></wrap></span></shape><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Typing your prose, poetry, novels, short-stories, lyrics, etc. on a computer – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WINS!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There a mighty good reason to type when you write!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you type one one page per day, by year’s end, you will have 365 pages to send directly to your editor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once your editor receives your work in less than a two minute e-mail, you are on your way to having the work edited and then published!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Now, if you prefer writing your pages out long-hand, you’ll have to type those pages out, or have someone else type them for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on how fast you type or how much money you have to pay someone else to type for you, will determine how long it will take to get your pages out to your editor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">I wrote my first novel, <u>Smart, Sexy, Spiritual, Strong</u> long-hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if I’m still writing it because I had some re-writes that had to be done prior to publication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be out this year for sale, but the original manuscript took me five years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t waste time – type!</span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.blackcurrantpress.com</div>BlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370247163401841093.post-55090561183648631552011-02-21T14:04:00.000-08:002011-02-21T14:04:38.231-08:00Write On<div class="Heading1-Elegant" style="margin: 0in 0in 3pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">that’s the ticket</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">So, you want your first draft to be a masterpiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome to the world of fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had client after client hesitate in writing their extraodinary works because they don’t want the first draft to be a big fat mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a hint on what the first draft should be…it’s really complicated now, so read this very slowly and carefully…the first draft should be….huh, hum…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FIRST</i>…DRAFT!!!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, if you’re waiting for perfect weather before you go to work on your novel - that day may never come.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">I’m asked constantly how I write so many books in such a short period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My response is that I write all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While others are watching television, I’m writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The t.v. may be on, sure, but so is my computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;">Here’s the gest of it all, don’t be the editor when you’re supposed to be the writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writers write!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Editors edit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Understand that you might need to have 99 drafts before your work is finished, but you will be one finished book closer than someone who is still waiting around to get started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write on and on and on and on and on and on-</span></i><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.blackcurrantpress.com</div>BlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370247163401841093.post-79328878792297544172011-02-17T13:00:00.000-08:002011-02-21T14:14:58.172-08:00To Type or Write<div class="Heading1-Elegant" style="margin: 0in 0in 3pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">...that is the question</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 75pt; left: 0px; margin-left: 189pt; margin-top: 89.4pt; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 57pt; z-index: -2;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-284 0 -284 21384 21600 21384 21600 0 -284 0"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><imagedata o:title="MP900411786[1]" src="file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></imagedata><wrap type="through"></wrap></span></shape><shape id="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 47.25pt; left: 0px; margin-left: -2.05pt; margin-top: 2.75pt; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 76.5pt; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="424 343 424 1371 3388 5829 212 7543 212 8571 12706 17143 18847 20571 19482 20571 21388 20571 19059 16800 2965 686 1694 343 424 343"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><imagedata o:title="MC900435237[1]" src="file:///C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.png"></imagedata><wrap type="tight"></wrap></span></shape><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Typing your prose, poetry, novels, short-stories, lyrics, etc. on a computer – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WINS!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a mighty good reason to type when you write!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you type one one page per day, by year’s end, you will have 365 pages to send directly to your editor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once your editor receives your work in less than a two minute e-mail, you are on your way to having the work edited and then published!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Now, if you prefer writing your pages out long-hand, you’ll have to type those pages out, or have someone else type them for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on how fast you type or how much money you have to pay someone else to type for you, will determine how long it will take to get your pages out to your editor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">I wrote my first novel, <u>Smart, Sexy, Spiritual, Strong</u> long-hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if I’m still writing it because I had some re-writes that had to be done prior to publication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be out this year for sale, but the original manuscript took me five years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t waste time – type!</span></i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.blackcurrantpress.com</div>BlackcurrantPresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333986922546893300noreply@blogger.com0