What's Your Brand?

The buzz I’ve been hearing lately makes me tingle inside. This is a wonderful time to be an aspiring author. Really? Do tell. Our options are endless compared to years ago when the only way to get your book read was to land a contract with a traditional publisher or spend tons of your own money and go the self-publishing route and pray.

With the internet and now the ease and availability of marketing your own e-books, the cost of publishing your own baby and getting it out to the public has opened up a flood gate of opportunities. For published authors it means having a bit more control, or say so, if you will about their book. Published authors can no say no to what the big publishers want and going it on their own via e-books. And it’s paying off. Take J.A. Konrath for example. Great blog post here. http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2010/10/can-ebooks-outsell-print.html . Let me tell you, it’s got me wondering why I’m chasing that contract from a big publisher. Now I don’t have a readership like he does, so it would take a lot of work on my part. That’s why a brand is so important.

A BRAND is not something you come up with only after you sell. It’s also not something you do differently for every book. It’s your identity. The one you want readers to recognize and associate with you and your books. You need to make your Brand original and keep it the same so when they see your name, they immediately know who you are and what you write. With a name like mine, I don’t think readers will get me confused with someone else. But just in case they don’t know what they are in for when they open the pages of my books, my tagline says it all. “Where Love and Danger Collide.” Lots of running, mystery, danger, suspense and it all comes crashing down on my hero and heroine leaving them no choice but to fall in love and survive.

Now if you write in several different genres, (raising hand) a different brand for each one might be what you need. Writing for children or Young Adult might not mesh so good with your Hot and Steamy Romance novels. For example, I write suspense. So even though I’ve written middle grade, young adult, and Romantic suspense novels the theme remains the same. Someone is in trouble and needs to be rescued. My Brand should probably mesh in some sort of way over all these genres. Still thinking on how to pull this off. LOL

So, stop and think over where you want your career to be in the coming years. What do you want readers to remember about you, about your books? Write down a list of words that come to you off the top of your head when you think about your books. Is there a common factor? Will it last? How can you market it?
From what I”ve heard, your name is the best bet for a brand. It’s yours. Lots of people already know you. Use it and use it wisely.  This will be your platform to build on and generate those mega sales.

Pitching Success

Well, let's hope letting this manuscript sit pays off. The conference was amazing. So many wonderful people and the agents were awesome. A huge thank you to the NWHRWA board members who made it all possible. :)

I used to be petrified about pitching to an editor or agent. I'm an introvert, but not by choice. To be able to enter a room and strike up conversations with people I don't know has become one of my biggest hurdles as well as goals. And although it is getting easier all the time, I still have to work at it. But the three ladies who joined us and took pitches at the Lone Star Conference made it seem so easy.

I've had an agent in the past tell me "Don't use your notes. I'll take them away." Right off the bat, I knew this agent was not right for me. Had me wondering just how much say I'd have over my own books and career if I was working with them.

But all three agents I sat across from this weekend had no problem listening to my pitch as I nervously read it to them. Now for me, this is the kind of people I want in my corner. Yes, I know my book. Frontward, backward, upside down even. But having to tell it to someone on the spot like that just isn't going to work for me. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever. I would be proud and thrilled to have any one of these ladies represent me and my work. So a big thank you to Christine Witthohn, my dream agent who request a full of both my middle grade and suspense, Naomi Hackenberg and Amy Boggs. You ladies Rock!

Four requests in all! Now the hard part starts. The waiting....

Let it Sit & Rest

A few posts back, I mentioned I was letting my current WIP sit and rest for a while. I've been polishing and editing it for months and felt like I was getting nowhere. Nothing sounded good, my words were lame, and boy were the doubts building about me really having what it takes to pull this writing off.

Well, I highly reccomend this "sit and rest" technique. With our local conference coming this weekend where I will be pitching this story to Christine Witthohn, I needed to check back in with my characters and make sure they were doing alright without me. To my surprise, the words I'd written didn't sound half bad anymore. Heck, they sounded pretty darn good and at times I had to stop and ask myself, "Did I write that?" Yippee! The wind is back in my sails! I'm back to editing and feeling a whole lot better about the process and my story. I guess you really can work yourself into a corner when dealing with this editing stuff.

I'm so exciting to hear what Randy Ingermanson has to say at the Lone Star Writer's Conference. Advanced Fiction Writing and Marketing Tecniques...just what the doctor ordered! LOL

Check out his website: Advanced Fiction Writing
You won't be sorry you did! :)

Socialnomics - It's Not Just a Fad

I just had to share this video. The internet is alot more powerful than I've ever given it credit. It really is all about the networking no matter what you've decided "Living the American Dream" means to you. As an aspiring author, this is a bit overwhelming and exciting at the same time. It's how we choose to use this wonderful resource that will make all the difference.

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng

Lone Star Writer's Conference Oct. 16, 2010

Time is running out! Be sure to check out www.nwhrwa.com for more information.

Scheduled Highlights


1- We will spend half the day learning advanced techniques for creating great characters, writing the perfect scene, improving weak story architecture and other critical aspects of writing.
2- You will learn about a great method to plan out your book using the Snowflake Method created by Randy Ingermanson.
3- You'll learn techniques of internet marketing and why it's absolutely necessary for a writer. Make Google go GaGa over you!
4- Randy will show us how to build a massive email database and how to create a successful book launch.
5- You will have the chance to pitch your story to Amy Boggs(Maass Literary Agency), Naomi Hackenberg (Elaine English Literary Agency), and Christine Witthohn (Book Cents Literary Agency).
5- The first 35 registered are invited to a cocktail party on Friday night to visit with agents and our speaker.
6- Christine Witthohn will share her secrets of getting and staying published in this volatile industry during lunch.
7- Randy Ingermanson will give an electronic coupon code for 70% off items for sale at his online store and email all attendees a power point with all of his slides in a PDF file. What a great resource!
8- Last, but not least, Katy Budget Books will be there to sell books and there will be a book signing.


Don't miss this opportunity to get your work in tip top shape and make personal contacts with three great agents! :)

Write It and They Will Read

My days are so hectic since school started back up. Two girls in high school and my son starting 6th grade has really been an eye opener for me. I'm having to really work hard to get any writing worked into my action packed days. And I don't like it one bit. Edits are going so slow I've decided to put them on hold for a while. It might be just what the story needs, to sit and not have me cutting and rearranging till my eyes go all cross-eyed.

I'm working on several short story ideas and they seem to be progressing better. So I guess this is the route I will be taking until things slow down again and I can focus for longer periods of time.

Soon I hope to figure out a schedule that works. One where I can write and still enjoy my kids as they continue to grow up way too fast for my liking. There are tons of magazines out there and new e-magazines are popping up every day. I've never really given this avenue much thought, but for now it seems like the best option. Here's to writing! Of any sort! Long, medium or short. The proof is every where you look. Write it and they will read! :)

My Baby's 14!

Where has all the time gone!!

Market Ready ?

I’m stuck in a dilemma of sorts. How do you know when to stop? I mean edits of course. I found a great article in “the Writer” magazine that addressed this. Submit is a word we writers use all the time. But have you ever stopped to think about what it really means? I hadn’t. Pop in the mail and sit back and wait doesn’t even come close.

Submit means to lie down, give up or surrender. Wow! Now that’s what I feel like. I’ve gone over and over this WIP till my fingers ache and my eyes cross. At this point, I’m just rearranging or searching for a word that might make the sentence a bit more powerful. But the truth is, the story is finished. I don’t intend to change it. I must submit.

According to the article by William Kowalski, I’ve reached the state of mind a novelist must enter before deciding my work is ready. I guess I should be excited about this, right? It couldn't come at a better time. The kids will be going back to school soon. That means I'll have more time to research agents and publishers. Until then, I’m going to sleep on it and see if I come up with a reason not to just surrender and take that next step with all I've got. :)

Conference Time!

The Lone Star Writer’s Conference

DATE: October 16, 2010

LOCATION:

Houston Marriott North at Greenspoint
255 N Sam Houston Parkway East
Houston, Texas 77060

Telephone: 281-875-4000

$69.00/night - Direct Link for reservations:
https://resweb.passkey.com/go/NWHoustonRomanceWriters


Richard Dix
Event Manager
Houston Marriott North at Greenspoint

REGISTRATION FEE: $120.00

Scheduled Highlights coming soon!

***First 35 to register will be invited to a special Meet and Greet Reception on Friday, October 15, 2010.

SPEAKERS AND AGENT LINEUP to date:


Keynote Speaker:

Randy Ingermanson - was both the class clown and the class nerd in high school. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from UC Berkeley and then went on to publish six novels and win about a dozen awards for his writing. His most recent book is "Writing Fiction For Dummies." Randy is known around the world as "the Snowflake Guy" in honor of his widely used Snowflake method for writing a novel. He is the publisher of the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, which has over 21,000 subscribers. He has a wife and three daughters, and works full-time serving the needs of three tyrannical cats. Visit his web site at http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.


Christine Witthohn – Luncheon Speaker
Book Cents Literary Agency - “How to maximize your chances of getting published or staying published in this volatile market.”
***


Agents:


Naomi Hackenberg
Elaine P. English, PLLC
www.elaineenglish.com

Naomi Hackenberg joined The Elaine English Literary Agency in 2008, where she began by assisting with the agency’s commercial fiction projects and selling foreign translation rights. She is currently building her own list and is actively seeking commercial manuscripts with strong writing, stand-out narrative voices and compelling characters. In addition to reading (of course!), Naomi likes cooking and going to baseball games. Naomi’s academic background is in American Studies and Creative Writing, and she holds a Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and a Master’s degree from The University of Chicago. She’s an associate member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives and a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.


Naomi will be looking for manuscripts for herself and Elaine English at the Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star Writer’s Conference. She’s looking for young adult fiction of all ilk (including contemporary, romance, dystopian, multicultural, paranormal with a brand-new hook, normal protagonists in paranormal worlds, etc.); romance (historical, contemporary, sweet, erotica, dark and gothic, multicultural, paranormal, etc., but not time-travel or inspirational); women’s fiction; mysteries of all types; psychological, legal and medical thrillers with believable characters and well-constructed plots. Naomi is not seeking non-fiction or picture books. Above all, she’s looking for a strong narrative voice and unique, well-paced plot that keeps her up past her bedtime just to find out what happens next.

Amy Boggs –

Donald Maass Literary Agency
www.maassagency.com

Amy is an associate agent at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. Born and raised in Utah, Amy came to New York to attend Vassar College and pursue a career in publishing. During college, she worked at a children's bookstore, a library, and a quarterly magazine, as well as interning at a literary agency. After a short stint at a psychology magazine, Amy joined DMLA as an intern. She is now actively building her list looking for fantasy and science fiction, especially urban fantasy, paranormal romance, steampunk, YA/children's, and alternate history. Historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, Westerns, and works that challenge their genre are also welcome.


Christine Witthohn
Book Cents Literary Agency
www.bookcentsliteraryagency.com

Christine Witthohn is a literary agent and the founder of Book Cents Literary Agency. She is one of the main sponsors of the International Women’s Fiction Festival held annually in Matera, Italy, and has strong ties to the international market. She is member of AAR, RWA, MWA and is actively building her client list. She is on the hunt for well-written commercial and women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and would love to find some great new YA projects. Christine is looking for: middle grade, young adult, mystery/suspense, thrillers, romance: contemporary, rom coms, paranormal, fantasy.
Christine is NOT looking for: inspirational, westerns, sci fi, horror, erotica, or poetry.