Can We Have a Moment, by Steve Piacente & Jenny Milchman

The Help has struck a fat, juicy, chord.

Kathryn Stockett seems accustomed to the idea, but points out that her novel was rejected 60 times by agents before she found one and was awarded a contract by publisher Amy Einhorn. Let’s go back, because the ignition sequence – that period that launches authors from inspired writing into creative marketing – is a witch’s brew of luck, timing, self-promotion, and several more mystery ingredients.

Today’s consumers have a limited amount of intellectual capital to expend each day. Most goes toward the essentials – things like the kids, the jobs, and the bills. Then there’s a small percentage left for leisure; think of it as discretionary intellectual capital.

This is when consumers may be open to suggestions about a good new book. Of course you’re also competing with movies, yoga, restaurants, and, jeez, other good books. How do you fight your way in when the competition already has the door blocked?

The challenge is not much different for self-published authors and those who land deals with a major house, like Jenny Milchman did. Jenny toiled for 11 years before selling her novel, Cover of Snow, to Ballantine.

When it arrives in stores in 2013 – despite the fine crafstmanship that defines the work – the odds are that it will not resonate like “The Help.” So how do you change the odds? (--Steve)

Can We Have an Hour?

Not an hour to present our books—our readers’ eyes would have long glazed over by then, of course.

But I use the word “hour” intentionally to suggest that what an author needs to do in terms of marketing requires lengthy hard work and what I think of as investment building. It takes hours—but most of these come in before you ask the reader for that one minute of his time.

“Permission marketing” is a whole different animal from cold calling. If someone comes to your door with vacuums for sale, that’s a cold call. If your mom’s best friend—who keeps the cleanest house in town—calls up to say she loves her Electrolux but is moving and would like to offer it to you at a good price, that’s permission marketing. You know this woman. And moreover, you trust her level of expertise and knowledge about her product. Just look at her rugs.

(Thank you, Seth Godin, for the concept of permission marketing).

If we translate this to the world of publishing, then a cold call is the 300^th Facebook announcement you get from someone you’ve never heard of announcing that his book is number 1,700 on the Amazon bestseller list of mysteries that feature a monkey sleuth.

While permission marketing would be when Steve Piacente, whom I know to be an intrepid explorer in the independent publishing landscape, suggests that I might like to read the book that started it all.

How do you get to permission status? How did Steve ensure that I knew his name so that he wouldn’t just be thumping on my door while I was trying to prepare dinner?

He blogged. He offered substantive content about what he’d learned, some of which might be of use to me and others. He commented on others’ blog posts so that I started seeing his name around, and realized that he had things of value to say. He put himself out there so that by the time he was marketing anything, I was already halfway to yes.

Does this change for an independent author versus someone like Kathryn Stockett, who had the whole Penguin publishing machine behind her debut? I’d say yes and no.

Kathryn was put on people’s radar by Penguin while the indie author has to put him or herself on the radar through efforts like Steve undertook. But once there, the author has to have something of substance to offer no matter what. Tips for creating a book cover or trailer. Reflections on whether big expenditures like Book EXPO really matter.

And of course, a great book.

One that, when they come calling, we already want to buy. (--Jenny)

Steve and Jenny would like to know what you think. If two well-written, engaging novels are released at the same time, what factors will make one succeed and the other fail?

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Steve Piacente has been a professional writer since graduating from American University in 1976. In 2010, he self-published Bella (www.getbella.com). Steve started as a sportswriter at the Naples Daily News, switched to news at the Lakeland Ledger, and returned to D.C. in 1985 as Correspondent for the Tampa Tribune. In 1989, the native New Yorker moved to the Charleston Post & Courier. He is now deputy communications director at a federal agency in Washington, D.C., and teaches journalism classes at American University.

Jenny Milchman recently received an offer on her debut novel of literary suspense, after eleven years of trying to break in. COVER OF SNOW will be published by Ballantine in early 2013. Jenny teaches for New York Writers Workshop, and co-hosts the series, Writing Matters. Last year she founded Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, a holiday that enlisted over 80 booksellers in thirty states, Canada, and England. This year the Day spread to Australia. She features international bestsellers, Edgar award winners, and independent authors in the Made It Moments forum on her blog. Her short fiction can be found in an e published volume called Lunch Reads and in the forthcoming anthology, ADIRONDACK MYSTERIES II. Please visit Jenny at http://suspenseyourdisbelief.com.

How to Make Digital Books Work for You by Agent Kevan Lyon

I am always in awe of authors and agents who seem to easily write thought provoking or inspiring blogs, and the few times that I give it a go I seem to struggle to come up with something nearly as interesting as what is out there! But, that said I will give it a go and talk about something that is foremost on everyone’s minds these days in the agent/author world – e-publishing and self publishing and what it all means for each of us?

I have always thought that the introduction and adaptation of e-books was a positive thing for authors, giving them more opportunities to bring their work to readers and to make their “author-brand” more widely known. In the early days I thought e-books represented incremental sales to the traditional retail market. Now, with the loss of retail bookstores and the amazing ease of use and power of the many reading devices, there seems to be no doubt e-books are replacing some traditional print books sales.

For authors, digital books represent a real alternative to get their work published for the first time, or maybe even more importantly, e-books can become part of an overall strategy to reach new and existing readers and draw them to their work, both in print and e-book formats. For debut authors stepping into the world of e-publishing on their own, I think it is an amazing opportunity, but proceed with care. There will be so much content available that rising above the fray and getting your work noticed by readers will be an ever greater challenge. Be sure that what you are publishing is your best work, it will always be out there – and may bring you a nice royalty check, or painful reviews that may haunt you for some time to come. Consider investing in editing and a well designed cover. The world of self-publishing may begin to look like a giant agent slush pile of reading, and to be honest reading through that can be painful at times. But in the end readers will ultimately dictate what is sold, read and reviewed, and early indications seem to point towards established authors topping the e-book bestseller lists, although there are those lovely surprises that can be found out there. Yes, there are the few self-publishing mavericks we have all read about that are making zillions of dollars, but don’t expect this when you put your book up for the first time and you can just enjoy the “ride” and you just may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Should this deter a new author from stepping into this world? Absolutely not. For new authors who have tried to sell to traditional NY publishers this may be your chance to prove them all wrong – you can be the next runaway bestseller. Or, if you are just stepping into the publishing fray you may want to approach your writing career strategically with e-publishing as just one of the many approaches you plan to take to reach your readers. I encourage my clients to explore including digital-only stories in their writing plan. If you are working with a traditional publisher you may be able to publish a short story that introduces characters in your upcoming book, or provides a transition between books in a series. Some publishers are introducing a writers’ backlist at value prices, digitally - to introduce that author to new readers just before their new release. Keep existing readers engaged with your writing, by providing them more, or tempt new readers into your series with that well priced novella you just published in a digital first format. If you are lucky enough to have options, coming up with a creative combined print and digital strategy will be your best bet.

In this very exciting time in publishing – and I do see it that way – I think authors have the chance to connect with readers in a way that they never have before, and it all points towards a very interesting future for this business that we all love.

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Marsal Lyon Literary Agency – Kevan Lyon

With over 20 years in the publishing business, including 5 years as a Literary Agent with the Dijkstra Agency and 17+ years on the wholesale, retail and distribution side of the business, Kevan Lyon brings an informed and unique perspective to her work with clients. Her background on the buying and retail side of publishing affords her helpful insight into what types of books will sell and how to market them. Kevan holds an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Kevan handles women’s fiction, with an emphasis on commercial women’s fiction, young adult fiction and all genres of romance. Her particular interest is historical fiction of all types. She is particularly drawn to stories that draw the reader in and loves a sweeping, complex story with strong female characters. Her authors in women’s fiction span a broad range of genres from more literary, commercial projects to all genres of romance including historical, contemporary, suspense and paranormal. She loves to be surprised by a unique plot or characters and is always looking for a new, fresh voice or approach. A few of Kevan’s recent and soon to be published books include UNFORGETTABLE, by Laura Griffin (Pocket Books); SCOUNDREL by Zoe Archer (Kensington); LEGACY by Cayla Kluver (Harlequin Teen); CATFISH ALLEY by Lynne Bryant (NAL), THE GENTLEMAN POET by Kathryn Johnson (Morrow); THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS by Lynn Sheene; THE GUARDIAN by Margaret Mallory (Grand Central Publishing) and EARL OF DARKNESS by Alix Rickloff (Pocket Books).

She is also interested in non-fiction, representing authors in the areas of current events, narrative, memoir, environment, parenting and pets/animals. With non-fiction projects she looks for topics that she is passionate about or that speak to issues of particular concern to women and families.

For more information visit the agency web site at www.MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com, visit their Facebook page, or follow Kevan on Twitter!