Here's what we've got coming up to help you stay on top of the tasks at hand:
APRIL 2008
MAY 2008
JUNE and BEYOND
Last
weekend, the weather here in my little corner of the planet was
gloriously warm and sunny. This found me out in my yard assessing the
state of all things green, planning for the weeks ahead. 
I
started the actual roll-up-your-sleeves work with edging. First,
because it's my least favorite chore, and second, it was the task least
likely to wake the neighbors. Our driveway is now a few inches wider and the sidewalk isn't a defacto part of the front lawn any more.
I
followed that with filling holes, digging up dead stuff, raking,
pruning bushes and more. The yard still looks pretty much the same to
the neighbors, I'm sure. Only I know just how much work it took to make
that happen.
I'm the only one who really sees how much crisper
things look and how the damage control now will allow the landscaping
to thrive later on this season. I'm the only one who knows what needs
to happen during the next few weeks to keep a few things that look
great now from overgrowing to the point of having their own zip code.
I'm the only one who senses it was worth trimming the once stunning
rosebush to within an inch of its life, on the off chance it will
rejuvenate.
As you create your book, there are going to be
more than a few times you exert a tremendous effort to enhance your
material, your strategy or your marketing... and no one will notice or
know but you.
When others question your intensity or
intention, what will you do if you are the only one who can see the
impact or the road ahead?
I don't have any answers or revelations to offer, only the assurance that you'll be in that position more than once.
Most
times you'll be able to take stock, trust yourself, take a deep breath
and stay the course. Other times, you'll feel like you are at
crossroads. Will you walk away, or will you find renewed commitment?
Last
week I visited a friend's office--the first time I had been to the
inner sanctum. I was delighted by her decor of "Early Modern Sticky
Note." 
Sprinkled
between, in, and amongst the bookshelves, photos, mementos and
off-beat chotskes were little squares of paper everywhere. Whether or
not she meant to, she has created a collage of inspiration to confront
and challenge herself everywhere she looks. There is no escaping what
she wants and needs to think about in these pithy, well-chosen "notes
to self."
I felt so at home there. My own office decor is
similar in that I am in the continual act of covering two of the walls
with cards, graphics, quotes, photos, ads. If it ranks high on the
"off-the-charts-clever barometer", the "wake-up-and-smell-the- coffee
scale", or the "that-really-hits-home meter" it becomes part of the
collage. It grows as it grows, without rhyme or reason to anyone but
me. It represents what makes me tick.
What makes you tick? If
you haven't crossed the boundaries of traditional interior design like
my friend and me, I'm betting you still surround yourself with things
that inspire you. Colors? Plants? Photos? The view from a specific
window? What is in your collage and how does it inspire you? How does
it represent who you are? How can you expand it and be even more
inspired?
As a nonfiction author, collage is your friend. Creating a collage to represent
what makes your audience tick is an invaluable tool to keep you
connected with how they think and what they need. This technique will
open doors of insight into your audience by helping you stay focused on
what it is like to live in their world. You may know your topic inside
out but they know your topic from inside the trenches: from a position
of need. To write a book that they can't live without---and that will
serve them well--get to know them intimately. Where does she shop? What was the last movie she saw? What does he do in his spare time? Who will they vote for? 
Your collage doesn't need to encompass your entire office---all you need is piece of paper, some scissors and glue. As
you come across words and pictures in your work that represent your
reader, add them. Post the collage somewhere you can't avoid it.
Fiction
authors have known about this trick for a long time---using collage
and/or sticky notes to create representations of their characters,
themes and story line. Best-selling author Jennifer Crusie (perhaps you've heard of her?) does this for every book and has grown a following of authors who have adopted her technique.
Shown
here is Crusie's Rosemore collage---click for a larger view and you
will see this goes above and beyond--it's a three- dimensional piece
that reflects just how deeply she dives into getting to know her
characters.
Read about the why and how of collage as a writing tool in Jennifer Crusie's own words.
When
I came across Jennifer's collage work, I was so excited that I toyed
with talking about it at the beginning of this essay. Then I
remembered---oh yeah---I'll need to ease into it. We nonfiction types
have this tendency to think we're different, that we live in a world of
facts and figures and formats that separates us from fiction authors.
Egads! Fiction authors are writing about the lives, needs and motives
of the people who will buy our books (aliens, necromancers and time travelling immortals notwithstanding). We are all in this together; we just come at it from different directions.
What are you waiting for? Take a lesson from our fiction-feathered friends on this one. Get out the scissors, glue and sticky notes and get to work!
My family has
just returned from our annual spring trek to the Colorado mountains.
Each passing year I've wistfully dreamed of the day the my little boys
would be able to get up, eat, dress themselves, find matching gloves
and somehow end up on the mountain with all of their ski gear, in under
an hour, without too many knock down drag out tantrums. It seemed like
an impossible dream year after year, but I've kept hoping.
This
year, those little boys suddenly now are young men. One of them not
only shaves but drives and neither needed any help from me getting out
the door aside from a ceremonious handing over of the car keys.
It
seems like just yesterday my husband and I giddily returned home from
the hospital with our first little bundle of joy. We gingerly removed
the baby from the car and went inside. We set the baby carrier in the
middle of the living room floor. We looked at each other. We looked at
the baby. We looked back at each other.
When
you bring home your bouncing baby book, what will your next steps be?
As young parents, we had the benefit of sensory clues to help us know
exactly what we needed to do next.
Your
book will not be as forthcoming with clues. Once you bring it home,
will you have to start figuring out what to do next, or will you be a
parent with a plan?
The
anticipation of giving birth to your book can be overwhelming, but
don't let the excitement keep you from preparing to become its parent
and planning how you will shepherd it, once it's made its debut.
As
your book moves toward publication, "get the nursery ready" for its
arrival by turning your attention to how you will introduce it to your
target audience and maintain a consistent presence in that marketplace.
It's never too early to work on marketing your book.
Talk to anyone who has attended BEA in the past and one of the first words out of his or her mouth will be, "overwhelming!" It's truly impossible to comprehend the scope and expanse of this event until you've been there and impossible to maximize of the opportunity without a plan of action.
While BEA is the place to make connections to agents and publishers, this event can be quite intimidating. It's full of over-stimulation, with thousands of people running in all directions. The Expo goes non-stop every day for the entire three days. There also are educational events and parties each evening.
Publishing houses and literary agents are not always easy to approach, as they are primarily interested in promoting the work of their current clients. Here are a few tips to increase your chances of making the connections you want:
1 · Know what to expect from BEA and make a plan of attack for your time there. Pace yourself and know what you must do and what you would like to do if time permits.
2 · Do your research in advance. Come with a list a preferred publishers right for your book. If possible, make appointments to meet acquisition editors at the Expo.
3 · Create a book proposal to maximize your preparation to meet publishers. Not only do you want to have a proposal prepared so that you can send the proposal to the publisher as soon as the Expo ends, but also going through the book proposal process will prepare you to answer any questions the publisher will naturally will ask you (the audience, the size of the market, competitive titles, your platform). It is rare for a publisher to ask for your proposal, manuscript or book at the Expo, but make sure you bring them just in case.
4 · Create a sell sheet to leave with interested publishers and others. It will work for you long after the Expo is over. Giving them only one sheet of paper with all of your relevant information shows them that you understand that they are overwhelmed with books and paper at the Expo and that you recognize the demands on their time and will be there later when they have the time to talk with you in more depth.
5 · Prepare a pitch sound-byte pitch about your project to present to publishers. Just 200 words, or something you can say in less than 15 seconds. Prepare to answer follow-up questions.
6 · Get your registration badge and program the day before the Expo opening, if possible. Take time to study the map and the program. Each exhibitor is described and the exhibitor representatives at the booth are identified by name and title. You can use this information to know who you would like to connect with at the booth.
7 · Pitch your project to the editors at your preferred publishers at times when they are least likely to be busy with booksellers - probably early morning. Be aware that the primary staff at each booth will be sales reps selling their books to retail and other booksellers. Be friendly and conscious of what their mission is and ask if you can speak to an editor.
8 · Collect catalogs and business cards from everyone who indicates they are interested in you or your book. Make a note on the back of each card so you will remember what you need to do when you get home. Come prepared with labels to be able to ship things home that you cannot carry in your luggage. You can accumulate many free books, as well as catalogs at BEA.
9 · Attend educational and social events. You are just as likely to meet an editor or media representative there as you are at exhibit booths. Be personable and friendly, not pushy and insistent.
10 · Have fun and don't expect to walk away with a publishing contract. Don't look at this as your only opportunity to sell your book - it isn't. Your goal at the Expo is to allow people to get to know you and have a face to put with the name on your book proposal or book. You are starting relationships you hope will turn into book contracts.
11 · Follow up as soon as you can after returning home. The best way to make sure your time was well-spent is to do what you committed to doing at the Expo. Many good first impressions have resulted in book contracts. This is your opportunity to differentiate yourself from the thousands of authors who are only known to publishers on paper.
12 · Don't go it alone. Join peers for the guided tour experience like the one offered by AuthorSmart.com.
Learn more about Gail in our Faculty Directory
Registration is FREE but you must sign up in advance.
Using
competitions as a way to sharpen your prose and get things done is a
great motivation. The "Writer's Digest" annual competition has numerous
categories---certainly one to fit your material either in full or
abbreviated form. Get all the details: Annual Writer's Digest Competition.
Entry Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2008.
In Case You Missed It...
We often turn to outside experts when we want to make a change within ourselves (i.e. breaking through resistance) instead of drawing on and trusting our own past similar experiences.
Carol's Return on Experience (ROX) model focuses on asking yourself these five questions:
By not just answering but applying the answers to those questions, you can uncover a path to lead you out of your own resistance.
What do you need to know today? The answer is likely to be found in our Audio Library. If you haven't visited it lately, you're in for a big surprise.
ALL of our audios are now available to download for just $5 each. We cover our production costs; you cover your bases with the information you need.
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