A Rajasthani Treat

Indian Sweets for @WNBA_Charlotte

Last week I ran into the Indian market, looking for authentic treats. I used to frequent markets like it when I lived in Abu Dhabi, so the aisles full of spices, rices, and chapati flat breads were tempting.

The kids were off from school, so I dragged them along with me. They had a different experience. As they wandered, they noticed people noticing them. 

Later, at the Women's National Book Association's international event, author Monika Schroeder made the comment: "Tourists come to look at India, but really India is looking at you", and my boys understood what she meant.

The rest of her presentation opened all of our eyes.

Monika explained the extensive field research she used for Saraswati's Way, and gave examples of how she "Fit reality into the story."

• An article by the Telegraph about "British patios fueling child labor" turned into Akash's obstacle.
• A tour of the New Delhi train station with a social worker, and a glimpse of the street children's hiding place turned into the Akash's temporary home.

I could go on and tell you more about the book, but you should read it yourself, and don't miss the chance to hear Monika speak, if you get one.

Praise for Saraswati's Way:

“This rare combination of math and culture is a boon for discussions and makes this stand out.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS

2010 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Asia/India/Middle East

CCBC Choice (Univ. of WI)

NCSS Notable Social Studies Tradebook
for Young People

A Bank Street College -
Best Children’s Book of the Year

Selected for North Carolina's Battle of the Books

Two Editors and a Comma

North Carolina writers, here's a great opportunity to hone your query and pitch, and get a professional critique on your first words:


For Release: April 9, 2012

Contact Carin Siegfried: 704-608-6559, carinsiegfried@earthlink.net

Two Editors and A Comma Announce: Getting Your Foot in the Door:

New York Editors Tell All on How to Get a Publishing Deal.
An Insiders’ Guide to Submitting Your Book Workshop

Two former editors from St. Martin’s Press and Random House have teamed up to tell writers what it takes to get noticed by agents and editors alike. They’ve seen thousands of book proposals, edited hundreds, and given many authors the offer of a publishing contract.

"I struggled with my query letter, had several different versions composed and in one evening Carin shaped it into a solid, fluid query letter that captured all the essence of my manuscript as well as all the elements an agent looks for. I couldn't imagine having a more professional editor than Ms. Siegfried and am grateful for all her suggestions, especially the query letter as that is what catches the interest of an agent." – Sasha Hibbs, author of Black Amaranth (on submission)

"If you have a chance to work with Betsy Thorpe, all I can say is ‘don’t pass it up!’… Betsy provided structure, industry knowledge and personal coaching to a process that is unpredictable, overwhelming and downright crazy." – Charla Muller, author of 365 Nights (Berkeley Books)

With their experience, find out:

 How to compose an effective elevator pitch

 How to write a query letter that will not be overlooked

 How to write your author bio and come up with a marketing plan

 How to research and land a literary agent

 What to expect if you get an offer from a publishing house

Editors Carin Siegfried and Betsy Thorpe will also provide an individual critique of your first 500 words and let you know how to best pitch your book.

Meet fellow writers and bond over this exciting process. Enrollment limited to 15. Price $250,
1:00-5:00 PM, Saturday May 12th, snacks and beverages provided.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two Editors and a Comma Workshops

7308 Quail Meadow Lane, Charlotte, NC 28210, 704-608-6559

UNICEF Tap Project

Half full, I say.

I've blogged about water in the past - sources of it, lack, or quality of it, etc. My antics as a maladjusted American bride abroad make for amusing, and hopefully enlightening posts. Since March is World Water Month, that means I get to blog about water again, with more serious information that serendipitously ties into my platform.

• Istanbul Water Consensus Pact (IWC): Istanbul is a sprawling metropolis with complex water issues, as evidenced by the many cisterns and aquaducts crisscrossing the city. The World Water Forum's 5th annual conference concurred with a location there, and an important document in the name of the city was born. In a nutshell, leaders of cities from around the globe decide to meet or exceed certain goals in providing clean, safe water to their citizens. The IWC has 1070 signatories to date. (Note: I <3 Istanbul.)

• UNICEF Tap Project: Created in honor of World Water Month, and supported by the Women's National Book Association. (Note: Contact me for more info about the WNBA, and check out my previous posts. I'm the Charlotte Membership Chair.)

What Is the UNICEF Tap Project?

In 2007, the UNICEF Tap Project was born in New York City based on a simple concept: restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free, and all funds raised would support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world. (source: tapproject.org)

Cinna- I mean Lenny Kravitz is endorsing this.  He was offering his song "Faith of a Child" for free with a UNICEF Tap Project donation until 3/23, which was very generous of him. (Note: Timely YA super blockbuster mega-amazing movie/book tie-in :D)

Important Blog Management Note:  I am switching my "Turkish" posting days with my "Writer's Life" days, beginning next week.

Publicity 101

public relations methodology

Remember I told you about an organization called the Women's National Book Association? (Disclosure: I'm the membership chair for Charlotte, NC.) Last week, we hosted an event-

From Book Idea to the Book Shelf: The Process & Business of Publishing

There were some amazing panelists:

Quinlan Lee from the Adams Agency; freelance editor Carin Siegfried, formerly of St. Martin's Press; author MaryBeth Whalen; Angela Harwood, VP of Sales & Marketing at John F. Blair Publishing; Amanda Phillips of Baker & Taylor distributors; Sally Brewster of Park Road Books;   marketing, sales and promotion consultant, Susan Walker; and Nancy Clare Morgan, former publicist at Random House Inc.

You can follow the link above to a summary of the event, but I want to concentrate on the publicist, Nancy Clare Morgan. She's the one with relevant tidbits on building buzz, maximizing IMPACT, and possibly getting our books shelved, face forward, at front of the store.

Here's a glimpse into the life of a book, through the eyes of a publicist.

1) The book is evaluated for a print schedule. Is it a good beach read? Then spring release dates make sense. Ms. Morgan's example: It's no mistake that a book about Tiger Woods is scheduled for release just before the Masters.

2) Bylines are developed. Get interesting, so your credits are more than "Joe-the-writer's debut". For non-fiction writers, this is easier, because there is usually some sort of credibility or a platform of expertise to draw from - Dr. such and such, cardiologist, etc. What is a fiction author to do? I'll think on that one. Maybe someone will be kind enough to comment with a brilliant idea.

3) Talking points are created. These are the ideas you will provide to journalists, bloggers, etc. It highlights what they need to sell your book to the public. In fact, I think this is something we've already done with the query, but they need it in a different form. These points might come from the jacket copy too.

4) A "big mouth" list is compiled. Who needs to read the galley? Have you met any authors who might give you a few lines of praise for your back cover? Is Oprah your long lost sister? You get the idea. This is where all the years of networking come into play. Get out there. Get to your local conferences and book associations. Don't just sit home and write. Ms. Morgan's general tips: Respond to everything, and be nice to everyone.

When the Advanced Reader Copy (aka ARC, or galley) goes out, this "big mouth" list is top of mind. Reviewers can get 400 copies per month, so you need yours to stand out. A personal connection is the best way. More and more e-galleys are being used instead, but these can get lost in the even larger digital pile. Slush all over again. Also, keep in mind that e-galleys don't get book store owners excited. (Per Sally Brewster, the book store owner on the panel.)

5) Six months ahead of the release date, the glossy magazines are contacted.

6) You might plan a blog tour sometime around your release date, since the traditional book tour is apparently "dead". Ms. Morgan's words, not mine, by the way.  Sally Brewster suggests visiting stores for another reason. Her tip: Talk to the clerks, owners, etc. "Signed books are sold books", she says. She also won't take a book off the shelf, if she knows the author, and has a reason to hand-sell it. So love your independent book store owners.

7) In general, Ms. Morgan also recommends looking for opportunities in the press that are related to your topic. If you see something on CNN about mutant gadflies, and mutant gadflies are your thing, find a way to contact someone there. When you are the expert, they will listen.

8) If you and your publicist have done all that is humanly possible, and your most excellent book still gets pulped, don't blame the publicist. As Ms. Morgan says, "There's no accounting for taste".

Here's an excellent example of networking and publicity done well: I met author Monika Schroeder at the SCBWI Carolinas Fall Conference, and as a direct result, she is the WNBA Charlotte guest speaker in April.



An Evening of Multi-cultural Books and Reading
Monday, April 9
6:30 – 8:30 PM
International House
322 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204
www.ihclt.org

Our guest speaker is children’s book author, Monika Schroeder. She will be presenting her book Saraswati’s Way and concentrating on the issues of child labor and education, in India and the world. She is an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner.

International House promotes international understanding by serving as a center for diversity, advocating for people of diverse national backgrounds, and facilitating professional and cultural exchange programs. International House is affiliated with the US Department of State via the National Council of International Visitors.

Park Road Books will have a book table at the event so people can purchase Monika’s books, as well as a group of selected titles including WNBA National Reading Group Month selection Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away by Christie Watson.

The Social Media Monster

via wikipedia

Social media can make (see Amanda Hocking ) or break your career, or it can leave you in the dust wondering why everything is passsing you by (Homework: Nathan Bransford's article about Chances). As an aspiring author, I realize the social media beast must be tamed, but finding the right way to go about that task is...daunting.

Serendipitously, my WNBA group (books, not basketball) recently devoted an entire evening to social media, with some great PR panelists to guide us along the path to enlightenment. I picked up some great clues to grow my sphere of influence.

Key notes on blog content: 

Expert knowledge- Choose topics you really like. I can write all day about Turkey!
Engage your audience- Be approachable. Cater the voice to your audience.
Entertain with interesting material- Share great content your audience. The internet is a great place to mine!

Next step:

Tag your blog posts and create a path for readers to follow on your site. For example, say I write about Cilician Pirates... there should be several posts with that tag. Seed posts with teasers about upcoming topics. *ahem* Link back to posts you've already written. (I get the concept. I try.)

Take it farther:

Feed your blog into Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media account you have.
Arm yourself with widgets like Link Within.
Follow bloggers with similar posts and don't forget to comment.
Tweet related info or interesting bits about your topic. (This is where I fall off the cart.)
Find people who are the best Online Influencers and share with them. When (if) they interact with you, their followers are led to your site. Who are these online influencers? Well, they usually have the most followers, and they are the perceived experts.

Monitor Effectiveness:

Use Google Analytics for your site data to recognize successful topics and plot new ones. To compare your blog authority with others, try Technorati or another rating tool. (To which I say: Do I really want to rate my insignificance? Really?)

Reputation Management:

After the recent author review debacle, we all can use a little reminder here. We are responsible for our own reputation. This means a) not writing things that can bite us back, and b) creating enough good content to bury the odd negative remark. Another good point to remember here is that faithful followers are the best defenders. If you are not building an online presence for yourself, someone else will do it for you. Many people have pounded this into my head, so it's my turn to pass on the tough love. Also, keep your social media profiles current. (WTH is my password for Linked In?)

If you can't do it, find someone who can!

There are people out there who can ghost for you. Maybe its a family member, or a local small business.... It's your message. Own it!


Thank you shout out to the awesome WNBA Panelists who inspired this post:

Kelly Yale of Paper Blossom Marketing ( She reps authors, btw)

Rebecca Plaisance of  Macaroni Kid Charlotte

Lyell Petersen, Director of Web Strategy for cruisedeals.com

Jessica Daitch, Public Relations Specialist and Freelance writer


Also:

Don't forget to enter the contest for a copy of Tracy Marchini's new e-book, PUB SPEAK: A WRITER’S DICTIONARY OF PUBLISHING TERMS. I'm taking entries until 6 p.m. EST tomorrow. Results will be in Friday's post on Treehouse Hotels.