Help From My Friends - Louise Marley

Another week, another great author looking to help out the general populous of writers looking to get published, speaking by their varied experiences. Today's speaker is Louise Marley, an award-winning Sci-Fi  author. With about a dozen and a half novels, and another handful of shorts, under her belt her career is in full bloom with some amazing storytelling. Without further ado, please welcome Louise:

What is/was the most important step in getting yourself established in the industry?

I’d love to have a clever answer to this, but in truth, I think the way to get established is just like the way to get published:  write great stuff and submit it.  We are as good as our last novel or story, and a nice little stack of high-quality material is the way to earn a reputation.


I think libraries all hold a near-and-dear place in our hearts, what is your take on the situation of libraries and how can we help stop the downward spiral?

This is of great concern to me.  My own public library, here in Redmond, WA, is one of the most-used libraries in the country!  It’s constantly full of ESL folks, students, people in need of an internet connection, and all sort of other people.  I wish we could, as a nation, spend more on libraries and less on bombs.  The only way I know how to effect that is to try to vote for the best people—and of course, if the library asks for anything, I give it.


If there is only one book people can read of yours, what should it be?

 

Of course I love readers who tell me they’ve read everything I’ve published!  But if I had to choose just one, it would probably be The Terrorists of Irustan, because in that particular novel, the plot worked out in that inevitable fashion that is always my preference.  It’s hard to pull off, but out of my seventeen novels—so far--I think that one came the closest.


What is the biggest pitfall in the publishing industry that people should stay away from?

Thinking that self-promotion on the internet can replace solid writing efforts!

Getting international book deals is another cog in the wheel of success, how should authors go about doing this?

I’m not sure how much authors can affect their international sales.  I do hear stories, occasionally, about how someone persuaded a foreign publisher to pick up one of their books, but I’ve had to rely on my agent.  Perhaps I’m not the best authority in this area—I’ve only had books published in French and German and Czech, which leaves a lot of countries who don’t yet know my name!


With more authors relying strictly on e-book sales for their success, what is the one thing that is being overlooked in the e-book industry that people should be focusing on?

I’m still of the opinion that authors who are making a big success by going strictly with e-books, especially self-published ones, are a tiny percentage of the writing population in general.  I love e-books.  They’ve made my most recent novels sell through a hell of a lot faster than just paper editions would.  I would still, however, hate to have to rely just on e-editions.  We who are colleagues more or less live on the internet and communicate electronically, but there are still many, many folks who want to hold a paper book in their hands.


Kindle Select - good or bad?

No idea, sorry.  I only barely know what it is.


With the declining sales of print books, what do you feel needs to be done to resurrect this portion of the industry? At this point, can it come back?

I think the proportional sales of e-books is just going to rise.  It’s inevitable.  In every way, an e-book is more cost effective—production, distribution, shipping (none), sales.  The day will come when my answer to your Question #6 will be outdated.

When editing, how do you separate yourself from the book to make it better when your editor gives you constructive criticism you may not agree with?

It’s important to stick to your original inspiration as closely as you can.  You’re the author.  The editor is trying to help you make it a better book, but it wasn’t her idea (usually) in the first place.  If you don’t have a clear vision of what it should be, who will?


What has been the best way to promote your work (knowing that success is different for each individual)?

I think I’m not great at this.  I love one-on-one contact with readers, book events, conventions, that sort of thing.  The sort of mass promotion done over the internet has so far eluded me, although Facebook and GoodReads have been extremely helpful.  The answer to the promotion question for me is an “all of the above” response—if I can think of it, I do it.  I send review copies, I send press releases (mostly ineffective, in my experience), I do Facebook and GoodReads ads, I keep an up-to-date website, I blog a bit at http://redroom.com/member/louise-marley/blog.  I do bookmarks.  I pray.  And I hope.  That’s about it!  =)


With so many self-publishing options out there now, apart from making more money (as stated time and time again by Joe Konrath) what is the biggest pro and biggest con of going about it yourself?

Biggest pro:  cover art control.  Much bigger con:  distribution, distribution, distribution.


What would you suggest bookstores do to stay with the changing industry? Would your answer be different for chains vs. local?

I have rather strong opinions about this, especially since seeing (as I predicted--http://redroom.com/member/louise-marley/blog/how-we-buy-books-or-a-farewell-to-borders) the demise of Borders.  One of the things Borders did wrong was ignore local interest in assigning books to their bookstores.  They didn’t seem to care that in Seattle, we read a lot of sf, while in Florida, they buy a lot of romance.  My first hardcover sold out the measly three copies they had ordered in two weeks—and my local Borders wouldn’t reorder.  How do either of us stay in business with a model like that?

Barnes & Noble does a much better job, and their CRMs (Community Relations Managers) are wonderfully responsive to local authors.  For independent bookstores, it all comes down to letting their customers know they’re really, really interested in what they want to see in the store, and then following through.  And it behooves us, as writers, to promote our local indies in whatever way we can.

What sets you apart in a sea of competition?

Quality writing.  Good storytelling.  Strong characterizations.  In other words, the usual.


What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?

Practice.  (Learned it in my musical life.)


What is your most humbling moment in the industry?

Oh, God.  The Death Spiral, when my first hardcover came out just after 9/11, and the story began with a terrorist incident.  It took years to climb out of that.


What aspirations do you have left that you've not yet met?

NYT Bestseller List.  Don’t we all?  =)

What is the best way to handle a negative review?

Do your best to forget it.


Do you ever thank a positive reviewer? How do you go about it to not seem like you paid them for the good review?

Really, I follow the rule:  Never, ever respond to the press.  Good or bad, a review is out there, and all publicity is good publicity.  If a good friend has written a nice review, of course I’ll thank her, but even if it’s not so good, I’ll still thank her for taking the time to read my work and write about it.  I may occasionally, however, ask someone to help with a good Amazon review to counter a bad one, since the most recent one is always at the top, and that can hurt.

I was a classical singer for a very long time.  Mostly, I was blessed with good reviews, quickly read and just as quickly forgotten.  However, I can tell you that every bad one was instantly committed to long-term memory, whether I wanted to have it there or not.  We’re human, and as artists, we’re particularly vulnerable.  We can only suck it up and go on.

What fact is stranger than fiction in the publishing world?

That writers have no control over their covers!  My readers have difficulty believing this, but if you’re with a big publisher—we’re now calling them legacy publishers, although I don’t know why—it’s the truth.  I’ve had two novels destroyed by bad covers.  The publishers don’t want to believe it, but I’m convinced it’s true.  My small press editions are my favorites, because my editor and I work together on the covers.  And they matter, they really do.

Thank you to Louise for taking the time to stop by and lend a hand! Please be sure to visit her website, louisemarley.com, or find her on Facebook. Please be sure to leave a comment or to ask a question if you have one - thanks for stopping by.

Bio:

Louise Marley, a former concert and opera singer, writes stories of the fantastic. Sometimes set in the past, sometimes in the future, and often in a curious present, her novels tend to be feminist, often musical, occasionally dark, but always with compelling, colorful, and complex characters. Louise is in demand as a teacher of writing workshops for adults and young adults.

Help From My Friends - Kevin Kaiser

Good Monday evening, everyone!

I hope this post finds you well. Today's guest is Kevin Kaiser, an uber-intelligent publishing professional working on both other people's writing and his own. When this boy speaks, you must listen - it will only help you. Not that I would call him a soothsayer, but much of what I have heard him talk about has come to fruition in he publishing world. Read on, folks.

What is/was the most important step in getting yourself established in the industry?

KK: Oddly enough, it wasn't one step but just learning how to be patient. Everyone's looking for the silver bullet or the shortest path to whatever it is they're trying to do. When I stopped trying to push and force things that's when I started becoming established. It just takes time.

I think libraries all hold a near-and-dear place in our hearts, what is your take on the situation of libraries and how can we help stop the downward spiral?

KK: It would be a tragedy if libraries went away. They're community centers as much as they are book repositories. The only way to stop the spiral is to become more involved in our communities. Sometimes we're so consumption minded that we forget about the important stuff around us. Libraries are one of those things.

If there is only one book people can read of yours, what should it be?

KK: I helped author Grey West with a project called Double Barrel. It's a serialized zombie thriller set in the 1800's. It's The Walking Dead meets True Grit. I'd start with Episode 1 of Double Barrel.

What is the biggest pitfall in the publishing industry that people should stay away from?

KK: (Laughs.) Is there just one? I think it might be this: believing that the most important relationship is between the publisher and the reader. It's not. Does anyone remember who published The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter? The most important relationship is between the author and her audience.

Getting international book deals is another cog in the wheel of success, how should authors go about doing this?

KK: Working with a foreign rights agent is the best way, but most agents won't work with an author unless they are already published and have some level of success. International publishers are looking for authors with cred.

With more authors relying strictly on e-book sales for their success, what is the one thing that is being overlooked in the e-book industry that people should be focusing on?

KK: If I knew that I'd be rich.

Kindle Select - good or bad?

KK: Anything that locks you into a walled garden without a significant amount of upside is bad in my opinion. I'm not sure the upside is there anymore.

 

With the declining sales of print books, what do you feel needs to be done to resurrect this portion of the industry? At this point, can it come back?

KK: It will normalize and level out. Every new technology has a steep spike early on before it finds a reasonable, organic growth rate. Print will never be what it once was, but it'll never go away in my opinion. It's still the majority of sales and it'll probably stay that way for awhile.

When editing, how do you separate yourself from the book to make it better when your editor gives you constructive criticism you  may not agree with?

KK: Practice. The first time working with an editor is terrible. But with time you learn how to hear people and learn how to glean the things that truly matter from those that don't.
 

What has been the best way to promote your work (knowing that success is different for each individual)?

KK: Word of mouth using social media. It's painfully slow, but that's part of the deal.

With so many self-publishing options out there now, apart from making more money (as stated time and time again by Joe Konrath) what is the biggest pro and biggest con of going about it yourself?

KK: The upside is that you can do anything you want whenever you want in terms of your writing. The downside is that you're responsible for everything. You're running a start-up, essentially, in a very crowded market. That means you not only have to be a good artist, but also a good entrepreneur, which most people aren't.

What would you suggest bookstores do to stay with the changing industry? Would your answer be different for chains vs. local?

KK: Care about readers and do more to build community around books. Create an experience in your stores. Many retailers say they do this, especially the indies, but they don't. They're actually in the consignment business and rent shelf space to publishers. Most bookstores are no more plugged into their communities than Amazon because they focus on simply processing transactions. That's why they'll go out of business because they can't compete on price.

What sets you apart in a sea of competition?

KK: I have nice hair. (Smiles.) Actually, it's the ability to tap one particular subset of the market, which I connect with most. But the hair also helps.

What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?

KK: Only this moment is life. Be aware of that fact.

 

What is your most humbling moment in the industry?

KK: There was a time I "Replied All" to an email that I shouldn't have. Let's just say, if you don't have something nice to say, never put it in an email. Especially if it's going to the CEO of one of the Big Six.
 

What aspirations do you have left that you've not yet met?

KK: The second two thirds of my life. I'm a young guy so my list is too long to run down.
 

What is the best way to handle a negative review?

KK: Respond with kindness and don't let yourself identify with it on a personal level. You're not what someone says you are. And, honestly, you aren't your writing either. Your writing is an expression of you, but it's not you. I think most writers are to insecure to let people berate their work without it sending them into a depression.

Do you ever thank a positive reviewer? How do you go about it to not seem like you paid them for the good review?

KK: Occasionally, but I'll do it privately via email.

What fact is stranger than fiction in the publishing world?

KK: I once had an executive at one of the Big Six tell me, "You know, don't tell anyone else, but we don't know what the hell we're doing. We just put stuff out and hope it sticks. We'll just let everyone keep thinking we're geniuses, though." So that'll be our little secret. Don't tell anyone.

Many thanks to Kevin for taking the time to answer these questions. If you have anything you would like to have him answer, please leave it below - questions and comments are always welcome. I hope that you received some new info you had not previously had. Oh, and by the way, no lies about the hair!




Bio:
Kevin Kaiser is Senior Brand Manager at CreativeTrust, an entertainment management company based in Nashville, Tennessee. He oversees creative development, digital marketing and social media strategy formany international bestselling authors and advises several of the Big Six publishers on effective grassroots marketing. He is also co-founder of The American Fossil Company, which publishes the popular Double Barrel series. More at AuthorGreyWest.com

Help From My Friends - John Gilstrap

This week's guest is New York Times bestselling author, John Gilstrap. Author of the Jonathan Grave series, John is a well-known mystery author with about a dozen books under his belt. He also finds time to blog at The Kill Zone, a site for budding thriller and mystery writers to check out that taps into the mind of 11 top authors in the genre.

Without further ado, please welcome John Gilstrap.



What is/was the most important step in getting yourself established in the industry?
I feel very strongly that there's only one way to get established in this business, or in any other: and that's to produce high-quality product and to get it noticed by others.  There are no shortcuts, at least none that I've found.  Every book brings new fans to add to the fans earned in the previous book(s).  Sooner or later, a critical mass is reached.

If there is only one book people can read of yours, what should it be?
The answer to this will always be the one that is about to come out.  Every book holds a place in my heart, and every one of them represents my very best effort at the time I wrote it.  I like to think that I get better at this game as I go along, but that's for other people to decide.


What is the biggest pitfall in the publishing industry that people should stay away from?
This answer is going to ruffle a lot of feathers, and it relates directly to Question One above.  Budding writers need to understand that there truly are no short cuts, and that there are truly no grand conspiracies to keep them out of the publishing industry.   There's a reason why so few people who want to be published ever are, and that is because it's all more difficult than it looks, and most people who put words on paper don't have much to say in the first place, and they don't say it very well.

New writers need to ask themselves what they want to get out of their writing experience.  If the answer is to leave a legacy for their children, or to entertain their social group, then there's nothing wrong with self-publishing.  On the other hand, if the goal is to publish hundreds of thousands of books, then they need to embrace the fact that self-publishing is a fool's errand and a money pit.

Smart minds will disagree, and that's fine.  But I've been in this game for the better part of two decades, and from where I sit, the vast majority of the do-it-yourself advice on the Internet is utter crap, designed to make money off of those who are ostensibly being advised.

Getting international book deals is another cog in the wheel of success, how should authors go about doing this?

I only know of one way, and that is through foreign agents.  How do you get those?  Either through your publisher or through your domestic literary agent. 

With more authors relying strictly on e-book sales for their success, what is the one thing that is being overlooked in the e-book industry that people should be focusing on?

The focus should always and forever be on quality.  Good quality writing, good quality production values, good quality editing.  Right now, the publishing world is like the Wild West.  There seem to be few rules, and many of the old ones are being broken.  At the end of the day, though, the one thing that everyone will want—whether in an ebook or in its paper cousin—is a good story well-told.

My crystal ball is no clearer than anyone else's, but I do predict that the flood of really bad writing that is being hawked as ebooks is ultimately going to ruin the ebook market as we now know it.  In three to five years (less?), readers are going to look more and more for the validation of a publisher's imprint.

With the declining sales of print books, what do you feel needs to be done to resurrect this portion of the industry? At this point, can it come back?

Actually, the hardcover market is still thriving, and the trade paper market is doing pretty well, too, considering.  I think that the mass market paperback is a dying breed, however.  But it's too soon to count anyone out.  Business is a resilient thing, and I have every faith that there'll be some combination of packaging and pricing that keeps the traditional print book in existence. 

When editing, how do you separate yourself from the book to make it better when your editor gives you constructive criticism you  may not agree with?

I turn in pretty clean copy because I self-edit compulsively and extensively throughout the entire writing cycle. I make a deal with each of my editors at the very beginning: I ask them to be brutally honest about what does not work for them and why, but then I want them to leave the fixes to me.  If I need help on the creativity side to fix the problem, then I will ask for it.  That's a system that has worked very well for me over the years.  I've never had a serious disagreement with an editor.

What has been the best way to promote your work (knowing that success is different for each individual)?

I believe with all my heart that there's only one way for an author to have any significant impact in promotion or sales, and that is to write good books.  One per year, minimum. Readers will find good-quality product sooner or later.  Advertising, blogging, Facebooking, and all the rest don't hurt, but I don't think it does much to move the needle.  Most book trailers I've seen are so awful that I think they do harm to the authors who created them.

Again, there are no shortcuts.  It's all about the writing, which is all about the reader.  Concentrate on the stories and the characters, and the rest will come.  And remember the old saw that nothing destroys a bad product more quickly than good promotion.

What would you suggest bookstores do to stay with the changing industry? Would your answer be different for chains vs. local?

I think the chains need to find a way to market and distribute ebooks.  We need to get people into stores to see the covers and to shop around.  I don't know how to accomplish it, but I think that if they don't brick-and-mortar stores will quickly become things of the past.  

What sets you apart in a sea of competition?

I write thrillers that have a big heart.  My characters seem real to my readers—or so they tell me.  My protagonists are all people I wish I could be.  They have strong moral centers, and they work hard to do the right thing--even if that means killing the bad guy. 

What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?

No one can inflict failure upon another person; it has to be declared by the individual.  There's always an option not to give up.  Unless and until you do, the future is all about hope.

Now it's your turn! I'd love to hear what you think about his answers. Did you take anything away from this post that you can turn around and use in your career? With all of John's experience, I hope that is a resounding 'YES'. If not, what did you disagree with? Send us your feedback.

Again, thank you John for taking the time and answering these questions in the hopes to provide authors with poignant, timely industry information. You can email him or find him on Facebook.