September 7, 2010
Cathy Collins writes: I heard you on the Leonard Lopate show and subsequently bought your book. I may have missed it, but I didn’t see (or hear) anything about the value for a writer of getting an MFA. This is really stressed in workshops I’ve taken and in Poets And Writers Magazine. What do you think? Does it help to have an MFA–for networking if nothing else?
Our two cents: There is no right answer to this question. Your path to becoming a published author and your education are as unique as you are. We have no doubt that many MFA programs offer good teachers and contacts. However, a broad-based education and varied life experience can often provide a richness of material that simply cannot be found in graduate school.
The successful writers we know, and we know quite a few, took different and often circuitous paths in their writing careers. We are not saying you shouldn’t go for an MFA, but we don’t think it’s required, or even best, for everyone.
We’d love to hear from other BookPage readers, with or without MFAs.
Thanks for Writing,
Kathi Kamen Goldmark and Sam Barry
The Author Enablers
Authors of Write That Book Already: The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now
Visit us at www.kathiandsam.net
1 Comment | 
Uncategorized | Tagged: Author Enablers, BookPage, creative writing, graduate school, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, MFA programs, publishing, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, writing | 
Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
September 3, 2010
Michelle Free of Knoxville, Tennessee asks, “I have a very pleasing voice, read well aloud and would like to be considered for reading books on tape. Do you know the process that I might follow, or a person/company/agent I might contact?”
Dear Michelle,
It’s great work if you can get it. Start by doing a lot of reading aloud–volunteer to read for children at the library and for the sight-impaired, and the elderly. Act in a community theater group or take some classes to hone your skills.
Next, put together a demo recording that shows off your skills. Include different voices, accents, and styles of books, as appropriate. Put it up on your website if you have that capability. Also, connect with people in the acting and publishing worlds with the ultimate goal of getting your foot in the door with an audio book producer. Look at the credits on various audo products and identify the companies, publishers, and readers who create audio books.
Send your demo to talent agencies, boutique publishing houses, and authors who might get you a toehold in the industry. Be humble and willing to do all kinds of work, including pro bono work for non-profits or demos for a company that might lead to paying gigs. Really, if you think about it, it’s just like trying to get any interesting job! Follow up after you’ve sent your demo out, to make sure it’s been received…but don’t be a pest. Best of luck!
Thanks for Writing,
Kathi Kamen Goldmark and Sam Barry
The Author Enablers
Authors of Write That Book Already: The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now
Visit us at www.kathiandsam.net
1 Comment | Advice, Writers | Tagged: audio books, Author Enablers, BookPage, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, publishing, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 30, 2010
Your trusty Author Enablers are at one of the loveliest places on earth, Rancho La Puerta. We’re here with our illustrious colleagues, author and publicist Leslie Levine and literary agent Joelle Delbourgo, teaching the ins and outs of writing and publishing. Another guest presenter is author, activist, minister, and sex educator (wow!) Debra Haffner. Debra is the author of a number of books, including From Diapers to Dating. She wrote most of her books before the advent of the e-book, and was surprised to discover that several of them are available for sale online in that format.
“Whoa!” Debra thought, pleasantly surprised. Then she thought, “Hey—what’s the deal? Do I get royalties?” Debra has a good relationship with her publisher, so a phone call will probably resolve her questions, but the e-book rights issue is heating up. Literary agent Andrew Wylie is starting a publishing venture called Odyssey Editions that will focus on publishing older classics for which the digital rights are up for grabs. These e-books books will be available exclusively at Amazon’s Kindle store for two years. The announcement of the deal raises questions in two major areas: e-book royalties, and ownership of e-book rights for backlist (older) titles.
In general, trade (or traditional) publishers have said they own the electronic rights to backlist books, but this has been disputed in court by some authors and their estates, who have argued that the books were published before e-books existed, which means the digital rights were not explicitly sold to the publishers. It looks like this will continue to be an area of contention for some time. We seem to be witnessing a shift in the balance of power between authors on one side and authors and agents on the others. We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
2 Comments | Advice, Writers | Tagged: amazon, Andrew Wylie, Author Enablers, BookPage, Debra Haffner, e-books, electronic rights, Finding a literary agent, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, publishing, self-publishing, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 24, 2010
Jo Maeder, author of When I Married My Mother, writes: I’m thrilled to be a published author. However, almost every article about my book has had a factual error. The one where they said I was in my 30’s when the story took place (instead of 40s). I have no quibble with, of course. The one that referred to my memoir at one point as a novel, I did. Or spelled my name Joe when the book cover clearly says it’s Jo. What are the guidelines for pointing out an error and/or requesting a correction and is the satisfaction of setting the record straight worth the risk that the reviewer will think you’re a pain and steer clear of you in the future?
Our 2 cents: We’ve noticed a lot of this lately, too—anecdotal observation suggests that increasingly understaffed news outlets don’t do as much fact-checking as they used to, but that’s a whole other issue. In terms of etiquette, we think it’s perfectly OK to point out a misspelled name or misunderstood genre. If these are online reviews, they can be corrected on the spot. For factual errors, you might borrow a page from Amy Tan’s book. On her author web site (one of the best we’ve ever seen) she playfully lists all the fiction that has been written about her, stating the facts while not calling out specific journalists by name.
A matter which you didn’t raise, but which we consider worth noting, is whether or not to respond to the content of a review, especially negative ones. We think authors should tread carefully when considering writing scathing letters to negative reviewers. These angry missives often get printed in the publication’s next edition, and sometimes end up looking whiney and embarrassing.
4 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, Author Enablers, book reviews, BookPage, How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons, Jo Maeder, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, mistakes in book reviews, publishing, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 22, 2010
Your trusty Author Enablers were honored to spend the weekend in Austin, Texas as guests of the Writers’ League of Texas (a name which we want to fondly sing to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas”). Our gracious hosts brought us down to teach a workshop based on our book Write That Book Already!, and we had a grand time with a group of talented, hardworking aspiring authors at the WLOT headquarters.
Friday evening we did a reading at Austin’s Book People, one of the finest independent book stores in the United States. Book People is the kind of bookstore that has any title you want, beautifully displayed, and a staff that knows and loves books, so that after a few minutes walking the floor you want to buy dozens of books. And that isn’t all—they also sell highly literary Whoopee Cushions.
Both the Writers’ League of Texas and Book People are vital parts of Austin’s thriving cultural scene. We’d like to hear about the literary events in your community, whether you’re in Manhattan, New York or Manhattan, Kansas.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Austin, Author Enablers, Book People, BookPage, creative writing, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, Writers' League of Texas, writing | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 18, 2010
My agent got a nibble from a New York publishing house. The acquiring editor seems to like my writing and ideas but wants a complete overhaul of my book proposal, which will result in a different book than I was planning to write. What do I do now?
Laura Ruth
Berkeley, CA
Dear Laura,
You have a big decision to make—whether to try to play ball with the publisher who is interested now, or move on and gamble that you can find a publisher who will love your book idea as is. Remember that any editor is likely to ask for revisions, and accepting a publishing deal implies working as part of a professional team. We suggest that you save a copy of the original proposal just in case, but also make the requested changes and resubmit. You’ll get some valuable practice in the art of revision, and you might end up agreeing with many of the editor’s suggestions once you’re done. Best of all, you might end up with a book deal.
2 Comments | Uncategorized, Writers | Tagged: Author Enablers, BookPage, creative writing, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, publishing, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, writing | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 13, 2010
The technology revolution in book publishing has created fertile ground for grassroots networking. If you want to participate, while taking advantage of opportunities to meet publishing professionals and other writers, we recommend attending a writers’ conference. Each conference has its own personality, style, and emphasis. Some are focused on craft of writing, while others are all about sales and marketing. Which writers’ conference is right for you? Good question.
Carol Jankowski, Head of Circulation and Events Coordinator at the Duxbury Free Library, recommends one such event in Boston. Held by Grub Street ( a fantastic organization that supports writers at all stages!), it is called the Muse and the Marketplace. Check out Grub Street’s web site: www.grubstreet.org.
We’d love to hear from other BookPage readers who have attended writers’ conferences. What did you learn? Who did you meet? How did you feel when the dust settled? We at Author Enablers’ World Headquarters are eager to hear your story.
********
Attention Texas readers: We’ll be making two appearances in Austin next weekend; here are the details:
Write That Book Already!: the Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now
By Sam Barry and Kathi Kamen Goldmark, with a foreword by Maya Angelou
Friday August 20 at Book People
7:00 PM—free and open to the public
603 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, Texas 78703-5413
http://www.bookpeople.com/event/sam-barry-and-kathi-kamen-goldmark-%E2%80%93-write-book-already
and…
Saturday August 21 at the Writers’ League of Texas
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: $149 members / $209 nonmembers**
Writers’ League Office, 611 S. Congress, Suite 130
Austin, Texas 78704
http://www.writersleague.org/programs/classes.html#barry-goldmark
**Price includes a copy of Write That Book Already!
3 Comments | Advice, Writers | Tagged: And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, Author Enablers, BookPage, creative writing, Grub Street, How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, publishing, Sam Barry, self-publishing, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, writers' conference | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 9, 2010
Warren Wightman of Fairport, New York has a number of questions about the new printing technology known as Print on Demand, or POD, which allows small numbers of books to be published by pretty much anyone:
Is there any place like a website or publication where reviews of new (POD) books can be found?
Not that we know of; since POD is used widely, by everyone from trade publishers to university presses to POD publishers to individuals, there is no one clearing house for all the latest print on demand books. However, some bloggers review POD books, and of course Amazon features customer reviews.
How do librarians find new Print-On-Demand books that they may want to buy?
Librarians, who are in our opinion among the world’s most highly evolved beings, have an organization called the American Library Association (ALA). The best way to reach librarians as a group is through this organization.
Does Bookpage look for new POD books to review?
BookPage, like most other printed review publications, tends to focus on books published by traditional publishers. Some of these books may be POD, but they are also widely available in retail outlets.
POD is obviously the wave of the future, even for traditional publishers. Isn’t it about time POD books got onto the radar screen?.
POD is a printing technology in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received. This technology has made an impact on the distribution of books and given rise to new models. As to the future, no one knows how it is all going to shake out. In the United States new ventures “get on the radar” when they prove successful in the marketplaces of ideas and commodities.
4 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, BookPage, How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, POD, Print on Demand, publishing, Sam Barry, self-publishing | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 4, 2010
It’s hard enough to write a good book; now, in addition to being good writers, authors have to be effective self-promoters. These days this means (among other things) creating a good website. “Oh no!” you cry, awakening your dog from his six-hour nap. “How can I write the great American novel and maintain my own website too? It’s just not fair.”
Agreed. But that’s the way it is, sweetie. (Kathi wrote that last sentence.) So—what does a “good author-maintained website” mean? We know of two very different but equally terrific sites that might give you some ideas.
First, check out Ridley Pearson’s site. This one is especially interesting because Ridley writes in two different genres: psychological thrillers and young adult/children. Notice how Ridley highlights his latest, In Harm’s Way (which we suggest you rush right out and buy). We love the way this site presents the two sides of Ridley Pearson, the author.
Another wonderful site is Amy Tan’s. Amy built it herself and it’s intimate, creative, and fun. Poke around a bit and you’ll get to know Amy the person as well as Amy the writer—not to mention Bombo and Lou and the array of colorful characters who populate Amy’s life. She talks about her own writing and all of the fiction that has been written about her, too. You can find out where Amy is making personal appearances, the causes she supports, and—our favorite section—she provides an “anxiety tip of the day.”
We’d also like to humbly suggest you take a look at our website, www.kathiandsam.net. We’re proud of this new site and think we do a pretty good job of handling our several roles as BookPage’s Author Enablers, individual authors, and the musical side of our lives, all in one place.
If this all seems too daunting, an easy way to get started is to sign up for www.redroom.com or www.filedby.com, two fine examples that provide user-friendly tools for building an author website. Now it’s time for you to think about building your own author website!
1 Comment | Advice, Writers | Tagged: Amy Tan, And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, Author Enablers, author website, BookPage, creative writing, How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons, In Harm's Way, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, publishing, Ridley Pearson, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, writing | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
August 2, 2010
We just returned from the New York area, where we appeared on radio, television, and a few bookstores, promoting our new book Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now. Talented writer and esteemed schoolteacher Richard Siegelman of Plainview, New York came to one of the events. His questions:
1. Do book-signings help sell your book?
The short is answer is yes. Even if you only sell a few books at the event, making personal connections with the booksellers and people at the event can lead to more word-of-mouth sales.
2. Do you give the same reading and talk at each stop ? Does it get boring for you?
Our reading, which is also a performance, is the same at most of our events. However, the questions raised by the audience make each reading unique. Also, the reading evolves over time. There are other settings (such as the interview on The Leonard Lopate Show) where we don’t do a reading at all. And we never get bored.
3. Do the publishers put you up at 5-star hotels—or one-star motels ?
We didn’t think of your couch as a “five-star hotel,” but thanks for everything.
4. Do you gain weight (like I do on all my own trips) ?
We are always gaining weight. What does travel have to do with it?
5. Which of the 3 holes in your kazoo do I have to blow into in order to produce a sound? (Note to readers: in one of our more ridiculous marketing ideas, we give out kazoos imprinted with our website www.kathiandsam.net at every event.)
The other one.
1 Comment | Advice, Writers | Tagged: And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, Author Enablers, book tour, BookPage, BookTour.com, How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, publishing, Sam Barry, Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, writing | Permalink
Posted by Kathi and Sam
