A writer’s guide to Twitter

As the popularity of Twitter grows writers are increasingly being told that they should be using the service as part of their online platform. The problem with Twitter is that you need to ‘get’ it to see why it can be such an important tool for writers. The aim of this article is to introduce writers to Twitter and hopefully teach you the basics so you can get up and running.

What is Twitter?

At its most basic level Twitter is a way to send small messages (140 characters) to everyone that has chosen to follow your Twitter feed. This means that when you send a message (known as a tweet) it will be visible to each of your followers. As a Twitterer you also elect to follow other people and consequently get a chance to read their tweets.

The biggest problem for new users of Twitter is actually ‘getting’ the process. The main twitter page does its self no favours with the phrase “What are you doing” plastered above the tweet box. Twitter is not about a stream of trivial ‘feeding the dog’ and ‘picking up the kids from school’ type comments. Yes, you will come across users who do this but you will soon learn ignore these. The best Twitterers are instead providing a stream of useful advice, relevant information and conversation. These are the people that ‘get’ Twitter. They set out to build networks, attract followers and participate in conversations.

How do I join?

Setting up a Twitter account is easy. Go to the Twitter website and fill out the form. In a couple of minutes you are up and running. I would suggest that you think carefully about your Twitter name, here are some thoughts:

1. Do you want to use your real name? 
   
2. If you are not using your real name then try and use a name that makes sense?
   
3. Try to avoid using the name of your latest book, a year down the line you may be promoting a new book.

What should I do?

The first thing you should do is follow a few people. If you go to http://twitter.com/bubblecow then you can follow BubbleCow. Take a look at the people that are also following BubbleCow, read their little bios and follow a few of these people. Then…watch.

The first step to Twittering is to get a feel for the water. Watch the tweets that are coming into your feed. Make a note of the way they are formed and the kind of things that are being said. Then, when you are ready, jump into a conversation. The best way to do this is to send what is known as an @reply. By using the @ symbol, your message will appear in the other Twitterers @reply box. 

So if you sent this message:

@bubblecow I am new to this twitter thing and I just wanted to say hi.

I would see it and then be able to react.

Before we go on one other thing you should know about is the ReTweet. This is when you see a good tweet and send it out to your followers. Messages that start with RT have been retweeted. Retweeting is good and you should do it a lot.

What’s a Twitter client?

Once you get into Twitter it will not be long before you have too many followers and are following too many people for the Twitter page to remain practical. At this point you need a Twitter client. This is a piece of free software that sits on your desktop and helps you to control your tweets. I suggest you try Tweet Deck.

So that’s the basics of Twitter. My advice would be to jump in and give it a try. If you @reply bubblecow (@bubblecow) I will retweet you to my followers and spread the love.

Related articles:

Seven Twitter tips

What do agents do?

Part of the standard advice for new writers is to find an agent. Ignoring the fact that finding an agent is often harder than finding a book deal, it leaves the question - what to agents actually do?

Contacts

The single most important thing an agent will bring to your work is contacts. A good agent, and there are many bad ones, will have good, solid industry relevant contacts. They will not know everyone in the publishing world but they will know everyone in your genre that counts.
The advantage of contacts is that they can get your work in front of the correct people. It has now become common place for most big publishers to completely reject unsolicited manuscripts. It’s no longer a case of ending up on the slush pile. The slush pile has gone; it’s now a case of ending up in the bin.

Contracts

Once an agent has secured interest from a book publisher, it is in the negotiations that they earn their money. Agents are not writers. They don’t see your book as the literary masterpiece you do; they see a product to be sold. An agent will be able to negotiate a better deal than a writer almost every time. They know how far to push companies. They know how much royalties to expect. They know the going rate for advances. They know what companies have paid in the past for similar books. In short they know everything they need to know to get the best deal possible.

Money

Once the writer has a deal in place the agent’s job is still not over. They still have two areas of expertise where they will prove invaluable. The first is administration. An agent will make sure that your publisher does what they have promised, when they have promised. They will chase advances, check royalty statements and all the other nifty gritty details that distract writers from writing. The second area of importance is in foreign rights. If an agent has held onto the foreign rights (this may or may not happen). They will try to sell your book abroad. This is often where new writers make the most money early on in their career.

Related articles:

How to write a query letter
How to write a synopsis

How to write a fiction query letter

When submitting a novel to a publisher or agent the Submission Package should consist of three parts: a query letter, a synopsis and an extract (normally fifty, double spaced, pages). This article is about the query letter. You can find out more about the synopsis here.

The goal of a query letter is to get the publisher/agent to read your synopsis. It is your synopsis and (hopefully) your extract that will seal the deal. This means your query letter should be concise and to the point. No waffle, no exaggerated claims, just a focussed and honest summary of your book.

I would suggest a three paragraph approach:

Paragraph 1: This is your elevator pitch - you need just a few lines to sell your book. It is essential that these are concise and to the point. You just need to give the publisher/agent a feel for your narrative; this will give them an indication as to whether your title is something that will fit into their current list.

Paragraph 2: This is a more details about the book. Remembering to be concise and to the point you need to include the following:

1. The book’s genre,
2. The word count,
3. An indication of the market with one or two representative titles,
4. An Indication of if the book is written and if not when it will be finished,

Paragraph 3: This is about you as a writer. Include a brief biography, containing any relevant information such as previous published titles.

The key to remember is that this is just a taste of your book. You are going to expand on some of the points you make in your synopsis. At this stage it is all about the agent/publisher making sure that your book fits their list. If the agent/publisher has no experience of selling the genre in which your book falls then any potential partnership is doomed to failure.

Related Articles

How to write a ficition synopsis

Interview with the Creative Penn

The Creative Penn aka Joanna Penn helps writers who are looking to self publish thier own books...

Tells us a bit about yourself and The Creative Penn...

I have been a business consultant for 12 years working in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. During that time, I met a lot of miserable people who were trapped in their jobs and desperate to do something else, but many didn’t know what steps to take next. I was one of those people as well! So I decided to make a change and in the process wrote my first book, “How to enjoy your job”. When I had finished the book, I looked into the publishing process and discovered how long it would take to get through agents and publishers to the finished product. Most books seem to take 18 months to make it through the process (and that’s after you have been accepted!) I like to get things done quickly and efficiently, and couldn’t wait that long so I investigated self-publishing. My book was on Amazon within a month of finishing it, and I used freelancers for the editing and cover etc so the quality was also good. I discovered ebooks, print-on-demand, internet marketing and so much more!

I learnt so much in the last year that I decided to share it with other authors and started The Creative Penn last December. I also wrote 2 more books about the writing and publishing process, as well as internet sales and promotion.

We met via Twitter and social media is clearly close to your heart. How do you think a writer can get the most out of the internet?

Firstly, authors must realise that even traditional publishers expect an author to have a “platform” of some sort. That could be your speaking audience, or it could be blog subscribers, web site statistics or even Twitter followers. So the internet is not an option for authors anymore, it has to be done regardless of being traditionally or self-published.

In terms of making the most of it, immerse yourself in the options available and then choose a couple of ideas and run with them. Don’t try to spread yourself too thin as you won’t be able to build relationships or an effective platform. For example, I am a member of tons of author social networks, but I am mostly only active on Twitter and Facebook. I am also an active blogger and love reading other people’s blogs.

I think you also need a central site to point people towards if they want to know more about you. For me it is the blog, for others it might be their author fan page on Facebook, a Squidoo page or a static webpage.

You have personal experience of the self publishing route. Do you think that self publishing is becoming a real option for many writers?

There are a couple of reasons I think self-publishing is brilliant and an option for everyone.

1. Speed and control. You can get yourself into print, or publish your own ebook to a global market in a very short time. You can keep the quality by using freelance editors, cover designers etc so that is not a valid criticism anymore.
2. Niche markets. Mainstream publishers are increasingly focused on famous authors or guaranteed best-sellers. They will not pick up niche books. But there may be a market for your book, and self-publishing it can make you some money.
3. Release the creativity! I felt so constrained for years with my own creativity because I felt I couldn’t win a Booker prize winning novel. I was also disheartened by the possibility of rejection and spending years in pursuit of publishers. By self-publishing, I got my books out there, I am making some money and helping people! Brilliant! Don’t let the fear of failure stop you publishing!

Also remember that you don’t have to pay a lot of money anymore for self-publishing. You can self-publish a print-on-demand book for free through Lulu.com and also as an ebook on a site like Smashwords.

If people still hanker after traditional publishing, it can also be a way for publishers to notice you. I’m sure everyone has heard of the classic careers book “What colour is your parachute?”. That was self-published for 2 years before being up and has been republished every year for 40 years. A more recent example is Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” which was self-published first prior to being picked up.

At BubbleCow we come into contact with writers on a regular basis who simply don't 'get' twitter. What would you say to these people?

I think they will get it in the next 6 months when Twitter becomes the no.1 social network! I was also sceptical but after joining I realised what a powerful platform it is if used in the right way. I only tweet about books and publishing and probably 8/10 tweets are useful links to other people’s sites. I put in a couple of my own blog posts per day and that has brought me plenty of new blog subscribers as well as daily traffic for my site. But the best thing is that I have made relationships with some very cool people in the book/publishing industry and as a direct result will be interviewing many of them for my podcast and my new program, author 2.0.

OK last one...Tell us a bit about what you offer for writers and how they can get in touch.

The Creative Penn is a blog with tons of free information on writing, publishing, sales and promotion...for your book. I also have a free “How to be an author” workbook and for more established authors, a free award-winning marketing plan. I am also currently working on this new author 2.0 program which is aimed at helping people actually do everything that is recommended these days for authors. There are lessons on how to podcast, blog, make videos, self-publish, publish ebooks, use Amazon and the Kindle and much more. Each eclass will have a how-to video, an audio interview with an expert and a text module. There is a video here for more information. It will be launching in May 2009.

People can email me at: joanna@TheCreativePenn.com . You can also follow me on Twitter for lots of writing and publishing links, or become a friend on Facebook.

Things I discovered at the London Book Fair

Having spent a full day at the monster that is the London Book Fair, here are the three things that struck me as most interesting:

1. Despite huge online interest and discussion about ebooks, eReaders and digital media there was very little going on regarding these kind of topics. Don’t get me wrong the Sony eReader, Stanza and other applications had a presence but it was nowhere near as prominent as I thought it would be.

2. Being a Twitter fan felt a bit like being part of a secret society. I expected social media to play a big part in the fair but it was largely lacking. You only have to look at the Twitter feeds to see the #LBF tag flying around. However, on the ground there was little physical linkage between the virtual world and the reality of publishing.

3. It is now harder than ever for writers to get published. The one thing visitors can’t miss when visiting the fair is the number of stands and the weight of quality books. Almost every company had a selection of exciting books. The sheer quality of the books already on offer makes it that extra bit harder for new writers to break into the market. So old advice stands - if you are looking to get published make sure your work is the best it can possibly be before any agent or publisher ever sees your masterpiece.

Articles that might help:

How to write a synopsis

The secret to getting published is don't be rubbish

The three secrets of a good book pitch

How to write a fiction synopsis

Many writers find writing a book proposal a daunting and painful process. However, the proposal is one of the most important documents a writer will ever produce and can be the difference between your book ending up in bookshops and sitting unread on your hard drive.

There is no one formula for a good proposal but an understanding of the process a book goes through before finally being commissioned, will help you understand just how important the proposal is to the publisher and agent.

Whether you are submitting to an agent or publisher the first person to read your book will probably not be the one that finally agrees to the commission. In most publishers editors will look at incoming submissions, pick the ones they think are worthy of pursuing and then present them to the rest of their team. It is only when all involved (marketing, sales and more senior editors) agree that your book will sell that it will get commissioned. The situation is similar for an agent who will ultimately have to present the book to a publisher.

The way your book is presented by the editor/agent is critical. The problem you face is that the editor/agent will use your proposal as the foundation for their pitch. This means that your proposal needs to contain key information if it is to have any chance of success.

So, bearing this in mind, what do you need in a proposal?

The proposal should consist of the following elements:

• A bit about the book
  
• A bit about you
  
• Your market
  
• An extract
  
• A bit about your book
  

This is the opening section for your proposal and needs to be written as if it were to be used for marketing the book. In essence this is a summary of what the book is about, who will read it and why.

Paragraph 1: The Elevator pitch

The first paragraph of this section should be the elevator pitch. This is a concise and targeted summary of the book in just a couple of sentences. Try to capture the essence of the book.

e.g.
You can't choose who you fall in love with and that's especially true with football teams.
(The Bromley Boys, Dave Roberts)

Belle de Jour is the nom de plume of a high-class call girl working in London. This is her story.
(Belle de Jour, The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl)

Grosvenor HouseDeep in the City something had been woken, something so old and so ordinary that people had been walking past it for centuries without giving it a second look...
(Stone Heart, Charlie Fletcher)

Paragraph 2: Story outline
This paragraph adds more detail to the story. Include a very brief outline of the plot (seven/eight sentences at most). Also add a brief suggestion of your target audience and why they might wish to buy your book.

Paragraph 3: Details
The next paragraph should provide some nitty-gritty details. Try to give as much depth as possible. 

You need to include the following:

• Page count: Publishers are aware that this is only an estimate but it shows you have a clear vision for your book.
  
• Word count: Again publishers will be aware this may change but it lets them know a little bit more about your book.
  
• Completion date: A publisher needs to have some kind of timeline in mind for your book. If unwritten then they will need to know when to expect the manuscript. If written then tell them so.
  
• Images & illustrations: If you need images to be included or illustrations drawn then it is important you include as much detail as possible. This will all add to the cost of the book’s production and will play a part in the decision making process.
  
• Anything unusual: This is the time to include anything out of the ordinary you envisage for your book. If you want any unusual printing style or fold out pictures etc include details in this paragraph.
  

A bit about you

Paragraph 4: Biography
Whether you like it or not the final decision to publish a book may be as much to do with the writer as the book’s content. Publishers and agents are looking for a marketable package. They need a story beyond the book’s narrative that they can sell to their marketing department and ultimately external media. The best way to write this section is to imagine the publisher cutting and pasting it onto the back of the book.

Your biography can usually be done in one paragraph. I suggest that you try and give yourself a ‘story’. Are you a struggling housewife that writes in her spare time, a University professor who really wants to write chick-lit or a policeman putting his day-to-day experiences into a gritty crime novel? Also include any relevant writing experience. If you are a member of the Society of Authors then say so. If you have books already published then give details (including ISBN). Also don’t be frightened of adding a bit about what you do in your spare time. If you are sky-diving vicar then it all adds to your ‘story’.

Some tips that might help-

• Don’t be too clever: The publisher/agent is looking for information about you, so stick to information. Don’t clog up the section with your thoughts, big ideas and plans - just the facts.
  
• Don’t be strange: Try to keep your weird habits (we all have them) out of the text. If you collect used envelopes and the book isn’t about used envelopes resist the temptation to share.
  
• Share relevant experience: If you have experience relevant tot the book then put it into the biography. Don’t include experience that is not relevant. If you worked in McDonalds when you were seventeen - great but a book synopsis is not the place to share (unless your book is about a burger restaurant - you get the idea).
  
• Include all previous writing experience: ANY books and articles you have published should be included. It all helps...
  

Your Market
This section is about allowing the publisher to match your book with a sales strategy. If you have written a fiction book for children and the publisher sells adult non-fiction then there is no match. Your story is not right for them and they are not right for your story. In addition you are giving the editor/agent a kick start on their research into the potential sales figures for your book.

Paragraph 5: Readership
This paragraph is about your readership. You need to be as precise as possible, saying everyone who has read Harry Potter is your target audience is not helping anyone. You have a much clearer picture of your readership than any publisher at this stage. Painting a clear picture of your potential reader will help greatly. You need to explain why your book will appeal. There is no harm in talking about some lesser secondary markets but stay focussed.

Paragraph 6: Competition
This paragraph looks at the competition for your book. You need to pin point carefully the kind of books your potential readers are already buying and reading. This is not a negative, it will give the publisher a clear idea of where they will be marketing and selling your book. It also shows that you are committed and well informed. It helps if you are familiar with the competition titles and reading as many of them as possible is a good start. If your book fills a particular niche in the market or is strong were a best seller is weak, then include this kind of information. Try to include at least the title for the competition, though an ISBN helps for more obscure books.

Extract
This is going to be an extract of your work. You need to check the publisher/agent submission guidelines. As a rule of thumb it tends to be the first fifty pages (double spaced).

The final thing to say is that you get one chance with a pitch and trying to second guess exactly what a publisher is looking for will not work. Your best chance of success is to present a well researched, clear and serious proposal for your book.

Related articles:

How to write a query letter

How to edit your own work

A synopsis is not a summary of your book!

Navigating the self publishing maze

Self Publishing is rapidly becoming a viable option for many writers. However, this route to print is far from simple and with the potential for writers to make very expensive mistakes this blog post aims to try and offer some kind of guidance through the maze of options.

Despite the plethora of companies and websites offering self publishing services, these can be split into two main groups. The first is what I call one-click publishing. This option is website based and offers the writer a very simple route to print. The best example of one-click publishing is Lulu. The second option is what I call assisted publishing. This is were a specialist company offers writers advice and a range of print services.

One click publishing
In essence this kind of approach is designed to be a simple as possible. I am generalising, but a writer will upload their manuscript, design their own cover and make their book available for purchase on the hosting website. Then, when an order is placed the book is printed via Print on Demand (POD) service and sent to the reader. The writer gets the profit from the sale once the costs have been removed.

Advantages

• Simple
  
• Good for books that will sell a very small volume (10’s rather than 100’s)
  
• No initial outlay
  

Disadvantages

• No pre-production (i.e. the editing and quality of text is left to the writer’s discretion)
  
• Print quality of final book can be poor
  
• The price per book can be high
  

Assisted publishing
This approach is designed to give the writer assistance in producing the best possible book. A good company (and they are not all good!) will at first contact offer the writer advice on the best way forward. The better companies will even go some way to dissuading writers from spending too much money on a product that may not ultimately sell enough to recoup their investment. Generalising once again, the process is started by the writer submitting the manuscript. This then undergoes some kind of pre-production. This can range from a simple type set to a complex copy edit and proofread. The cover will be designed and the book sent to the printer (most of the time this is short run print (200 - 3000) which is cheaper per book than POD). Many companies will also work with a writer to produce a business plan and offer pragmatic book marketing advice. This is just the tip of the ice berg and writers can often purchase a range of ‘additional services’. The model for writers recovering money differs, but one common model is for the writer to get a percentage of the final book cost once the company has remove printing costs and their handling fee.

Advantages

• A writer has a realistic chance of actually making some money
  
• Good pre-production and printing will produce a quality product
  
• Marketing and distribution can come as part of the package
  
• It can all be done to a budget
  

Disadvantage

• There are some unscrupulous companies out there
  
• It can be expensive
  
• It’s not quick
  

The four secrets to getting published

Secret 1 - The book will be excellent: Publishers and agents are inundated with projects and they are looking for something that is almost ready for print. The better you can make a manuscript the more chance you have of getting it published. You should seriously consider paying for a professional edit, since a good detailed edit will lift your book to the next level.

Secret 2 - The synopsis will be excellent: You get just one chance at selling your book. A good well written and well researched synopsis will lift your book above the competition. Check out this free resource for a detailed outline of what your synopsis should include.

Secret 3 - Persistence: This is probably the most powerful secret - never give up. A good idea will almost always remain a good idea. The trick is for a writer to match the idea with the right publisher and then keep their fingers crossed the timing is right. Don’t give up just because an agent or publishers says no. Books are rejected for many, many reasons and only a couple of these have anything to do with the quality of the writing.

Secret 4 - Focus: It is essential you get your book in front of the right publisher or agent. Research the market thoroughly before sending off any proposals. In an ideal world you will be able to get hold of a direct email or a name for postal submissions. The key is to do everything possible in your power to avoid the slush pile.

Interview with editor of The Self Publishing Magazine

Self publishing is rapidly becoming a viable option for many writers. However, in an industry that is still smeared by the reputation of a number of unscrupulous companies, good advice is sometimes difficult to find. One source of reputable self publishing advice is the industry magazine The Self Publishing Magazine.

BubbleCow spoke with Jane Rowland, Editor of the The Self Publishing Magazine.

Tell us a bit about your magazine and what it can offer to writers…

The Self Publishing Magazine was launched specifically to help anyone who has, is or is thinking about self-publishing. Originally the magazine was called as Readers’ Review and focused on reviewing self-published books. In 2007, however, we relaunched as The Self Publishing Magazine and became a feature led magazine concentrating on all aspects of self-publishing. It is full of articles and case studies aimed at helping anyone to self-publish successfully, and we still have an extensive reviews section.

The magazine covers any topic that is of relevance to self-publishers – from marketing and promotion, cover design, the technical aspects of getting a book published, and so on. The most popular articles tend to be those that look at marketing and promotion, which are usually seen as the really hard part of the self-publishing process.

We currently publish three issues a year (in April, August and October), and we are always interested to hear about self-publishing authors and how they have fared – in particular with ‘how to ‘ articles or case studies.

Changes in technology and the development of the Internet has made self-publishing a viable option for many writers. Would you agree?

The increasing number of people self-publishing, along with the gradual change of attitude from the books trade towards the concept, have both helped self-publishing thrive. There are now many internet-based self-publishing service providers which, if used correctly, can be a fairly cost effective way for people to publish their work. But the internet is also useful for researching self-publishing, and it can help in marketing books, especially for writers who don’t have large marketing budgets. Online bookshops can sell all books in print, making them easily available to potential readers. Social networking sites can help authors create a buzz about a book – regardless of their method of publication.

So yes, advances in technology over the last few years – from the internet to digital printing – have allowed us to all move from being merely consumers of books (or music, or film!) to being producers. In fact, it’s currently a very liberating and exciting time to be involved in publishing.

What advice would you give writers looking to self-publish their work?

People chose to self-publish for a variety of reasons – be it the fulfillment of a hobby or as a launch-pad to a writing career. What many writers do not always appreciate is that there are different ways to self-publish, and what may suit one person will not always suit another. For example, if you want to sell to more than just family and friends, or a close target audience, then you will have to do so via the books trade. You will thus need to sell via the wholesalers (who can take up to 55% of your cover price). So you have to work out what you can afford to sell the book for and then work out how to produce it so that you make the best return on each copy sold. Many people are convinced that PoD is the best way to self-publish – but it is possible (for people serious about selling mostly through the books trade) that PoD can actually be less cost effective than printing copies in bulk all in one go, for example.

I would also say that if you choose to use a self-publishing provider, you need to look carefully at what you get for your money and compare more than one service and get more than one quote. Packages (where you get a certain ‘deal’ for a certain price) can look tempting, but do the packages you are looking at cover all the things you need? Will you get clobbered for any extras on top? It can be hard to compare packages from different suppliers because they all include or exclude different things. It’s also worth remembering that you might prefer to get a quote that is tailor made for your book and your project – rather than simply looking at packages.

Finally, I have found that people often can get impulsive about getting their work into print – and sometimes the manuscript itself could do with a little more time spent on it before it gets turned into a book.

Are the days of the vanity press dead or is it still a case of writer beware?

I think there are plenty of people out there who are looking to make a quick buck out of others – be that in plumbing or publishing! As with everything, you have to go into a project with your eyes open and weigh up the risks. Getting recommendations from writing friends is a good measure of a company, but a bit of research upfront can save heartache later. There are companies that offer full service self-publishing (where you deliver your manuscript and work with them towards getting your book), and companies offering things like critical assessment, editing or cover design. In fact the popularity of self-publishing has resulted in an entire industry of support services, all vying for a self-publisher’s business. Most of these services will do exactly what they say they will, but at a wide range of costs – and of course, some will be less reputable. Recommendations and research are the watchwords!

How do companies like Lulu differ from specialist self publishing companies?

It can actually be hard to generalize about what a self-publishing firm will do for you because there are many different firms that now offer self-publishing – from large US-based firms (with UK offices) to small self publishing companies working in niche markets – and all offer slightly different things! In addition, people self-publish very different manuscripts and all for different reasons. For these reasons I don’t like to give general overviews of the different services that you can get from different service providers because I think that it needs to come down to what is right for your book.

The Lulu style services can be a cost-effective way to get into print, but you do most of the work yourself and need to be fairly computer-savvy. Having said that, some of the other larger self-publishing service providers can also get you to do quite a lot of the uploading of your book and cover – and can be fairly ‘template-based’ as well. This is why I feel the only way to work out what will be best for your book is to do your research and choose a service that best matches that you want.

What you should expect to get from a self-publishing services provider (as opposed to an internet firm where you just upload your own files) would be a company that will work with you to get the book you want, will be available to talk to you, face to face or via the phone (and not just via email). You want a firm that has strong links with the books trade, which offers real marketing, and which will be honest about your book and its chances of selling. It is also important to see the quality of the work they produce (a badly produced book is inexcusable in this day and age), and to get recommendations from people who have used the service already. You will pay more for such a service than you will for online self-publishing, so once again, it comes down to what you want for your book.

Finally, it does not follow that the cheapest option is the best – but it is not a given that the most expensive option is the best either (vanity presses were known for charging eye-watering amounts for doing very little work, for example!).

How can writers get hold of your rather excellent magazine?

We have a website (www.selfpublishingmagazine.co.uk) where you can download a free sample copy of the magazine, see a list of back issues, read some free articles and find information about subscriptions.

Writing Tips - Day 1

Today is the first day of BubbleCow’s #wordswrittentoday Twitter challenge. To get involved simply tweet the number words you have written today with the hash tag #wordswrittentoday.

To help you along we will be blogging writing tips each day. So here goes…

Just write
The temptation is to self edit your work as you write but at the first draft stage you should just be writing. Focus on getting words on the page, freeing up your mind to work creatively. Let the ideas flow and flood out onto the screen (or paper). Once the words are down you can go back and edit at a later date.

You will find the process of writing this way is addictive as the word count rises it will spur you on to write more.

Writing Tips - Day 1

Today is the first day of BubbleCow’s #wordswrittentoday Twitter challenge. To get involved simply tweet the number words you have written today with the hash tag #wordswrittentoday.

To help you along we will be blogging writing tips each day. So here goes…

Just write
The temptation is to self edit your work as you write but at the first draft stage you should just be writing. Focus on getting words on the page, freeing up your mind to work creatively. Let the ideas flow and flood out onto the screen (or paper). Once the words are down you can go back and edit at a later date.
You will find the process of writing this way is addictive as the word count rises it will spur you on to write more.

Tips to get you writing

In preparation for BubbleCow’s #wordswrittentoday Twitter challenge here are a few basic tips to get you writing.

Set targets
Set yourself a target for the number of words that you want to write in a week and then break this down into daily amounts. The key is to make sure you are realistic in your expectations - you don’t have to write 1000s of words each day.

Remove all distractions
Set aside a time to write when you know you will not be distracted. Turn off the Internet, ignore your phone and close down Twitter…then write. You can download some software that will give you a word processor with no distractions. Try Writeroom for the Mac or Darkroom for the PC.

Just write
It’s all in the title - just write. At this point it’s all about words on the page. You can go back for crafting and editing at a later stage, early on just get the words written.

How to edit your own work

Word, then line, then sentence
An important part of editing is being able to de-construct your writing. You must begin by seeing each word independently. Work in paragraphs, looking at each successive word, scanning for spelling and grammar problems. Then lift your focus to the sentence, reading each sentence as a whole, watching for inconsistencies and errors. Then read the paragraph as a whole, once again looking for errors.

Simple Grammar
The key with grammar is to keep it simple. Master the correct use of the apostrophe, comma and speech. This trio will allow you to produce a workable manuscript with few grammatical errors. Don’t be tempted to use more complex grammar (no matter what Word suggests!) unless you are confident with its correct usage.

Does it feel right?
When reading your work you are looking for the bits that don’t feel right. If a section is a bit off or you have to go back and re-read a sentence then you have a problem. Also look for jarring, if a word or phrase doesn’t fit then follow your gut and change the section.

Plot
Keep a track of the key aspects of the plot. If you say your main character was born in London, make sure you don’t later talk about his early life in Liverpool. If you tell the reader a side character has a wife called Sue, make sure it doesn’t later become Mary. Readers (and agents and publishers) WILL notice the smallest plot errors.

Third party reader
Ask a trusted friend to read your work and make (constructive) comments on the page as they read. You can then go through the document and find the bits that didn’t read right. If a reader is picking up a section of plot that doesn’t make sense, your response should not be to explain verbally but to re-write the section so it is clearer.

Seven twitter tips for writers

1. Make sure your profile has a link back to your blog or website.
2. Use an 80/20 balance - 80% of posts offering help/advice and 20% about you and your stuff.
3. Always tweet a link to your latest blog post.
4. Tweet the link to your blog posts twice - once at 9 (ish) GMT the other about 3 GMT. This way you will hit the morning rush in multiple time zones.
5. Always re-tweet good tweets.
6. If someone @replies/RT you then tweet back if only to say thanks.
7. Get involved in conversations.

The secret to getting published is don’t be rubbish

NOT getting published is really easy. In fact, many writers are very good at NOT getting published. The reason? They are often a little bit rubbish!

My experience is that good writing, presented correctly will ultimately find a home. A well written, well edited story, with a good cover letter and synopsis, offered to the correct people will most of the time end up in print.

So why are you NOT getting published?

Is your story too weak?

Does the manuscript need to be tighter?

Could you edit it just one more time?

Is the spelling incorrect?

Is the grammar a bit off?

Does your cover letter stink?

Is your synopsis just not good enough?

Are you sending it to the wrong people?

Have you just given up?

The secrets to a successful synopsis

The synopsis is the document that will sell your book, the cover letter is the opening gambit but the synopsis is the big sell. You need to remember that this is a sales document not (only) an extract of your work. You need to give the publisher/agent an insight into your vision.

Paragraph 1: This is your elevator pitch - you need a few lines to sell your book. This needs to be concise and to the point.

Paragraph 2: This is a more detailed outline of the book. It should consist of a guide to the book's structure and the basic narrative thread of the story. Also include a word count.

Paragraph 3: Here you need to define the genre of your book, detail your potential market, suggest similar titles and give any ideas for future titles.

Paragraph 4: This is about you. Detail any previous writing experience. If you have other books written then include them. Also include an outline showing who you are and why you write.

Rest: This is an extract of your work - normally the first fifty pages. Do avoid the temptation to pick the 'best' bit of your book.

BubbleCow can offer more personalised advice at the BubbleCow website.

A synopsis is not a summary of your book

You would be amazed at the amount of times I come across a synopsis that is simply a summary of a book’s narrative (well twice so far this week but I am not really counting).

A writer must remember that a synopsis is a sales document. Its job is to convince the publisher/agent that the book in question is a commercially viable project. An outline of the book’s story IS important but please keep it brief. Instead focus on explaining where your book will fit in the market, who is likely to buy your book and what you can offer as a package.

IF the publisher/agent thinks your book is interesting, they will read the enclosed extract and then (hopefully) ask for the full manuscript.

The three secrets of a successful book pitch.

At BubbleCow we spend a lot of time helping very talented writers fine tune their submission packages so agents and publishers are more likely to offer them a deal. There is no doubt that in the current financial climate book deals are becoming more elusive. If you add to this the simple fact that many submissions simply slip onto the slush pile and are never given a fair review, then you can see just how tough it can be for a writers.

It is essential that your submission package is faultless. So here are the secrets to a good book pitch.

Don’t be rubbish - Your work needs to be of a professional standard BEFORE any agent or publisher ever reads it. This is especially true for smaller publishers who will be looking for a finished product. This is the reason that companies like BubbleCow exist. We provide the expertise that allows unpublished writers access to professional editors. But it is not just your writing that can’t be rubbish. You also need to ensure you are pitching to the correct company (one that already sells your genre of writing), you are addressing the letter to the correct person (name spelled correctly) and that you have no grammar mistakes. I could go on…

Your submission is a sales document - The cover letter and synopsis are not just summaries of your book, they are sales documents. These documents are all the agent/publisher has to assess your book. They are not going to read your extract unless they feel it is commercially viable. So, and this is important, you must SELL your book in the cover letter/synopsis. Pin point your market, highlight similar titles and make it as easy as possible for the publisher/agent to say yes. A big mistake many writers make is they simply include a summary of the story - this is a big no no.

Realistic expectations - All writers want to be the next JK Rowling. You know the dream - big advance, worldwide sales and a nice new house. However, this approach is fatal in trying to get published. Big advances are very rare, if fact a £3000(ish) advance is more realistic though still big. It is essential a writer is realistic about their book. You need to assume you are talking about a couple of thousands books sold, not millions. You also need to think carefully about which publisher is correct for you. The big boys offer the best deals on paper but smaller, more dynamic independent publishers may make you more money and give your book a better chance.

Advice for writers who want to self publish

Self Publishing is increasingly becoming a viable option for writers looking to get their work read. Gone are the days of the only option being poor vanity press publications; instead writers now have a wealth of services at their finger tips. A bit of time and effort can be rewarded with professionally designed and printed books.

However, Lulu and similar services are not the answer to writers looking to take publishing seriously and this is why:

Word documents don’t make good print documents: Word is a word processor. It is very good at producing on screen documents that can be printed at home and work. It is, however, very bad a producing professional standard print documents. Basically Word’s layout and formatting is barely compatible with the printing software and the quality of the product produced by Word is at best variable (we have all seen those terrible examples of Print on Demand books!). Any printer worth their salt will first convert a client’s word doc into a print ready format before it gets anywhere near the presses.

Design: A stigma is still attached to self published books and poor design does little to help dispel this prejudice. Lulu encourages poor design with its quick fix solutions. Design is a professional service and should be carried out by professionals. This is the ONLY way to get a professional looking end product.

Marketing: All the design and print technology in the world will not sell your book. If a writer is to make back the money they have spent self publishing then they need a viable marketing approach. Though Lulu never really offers this, it does imply that simple inclusion on their site will be enough to sell your book - wrong.

Self publishing is not free and easy: If you intend to print your own book then you need to become your own mini-publisher. You need a marketing strategy, a business plan, a pot of money and a sack full of determination. It is NOT free and it is NOT easy.

Should I self publish?

In recent years self publishing has become a very real option for many writers. Advances in both digital and traditional printing technology have made small print runs a commercially viable option. In addition, desk top publishing means that many pre-production tasks can be completed by ‘non-professionals.’ This leaves the question: Should I self publish?

The current economic climate has seen big publishers react in two ways. The first is that they are focusing more on the writers they already have at their company. It is easier for the publishers to predict sales for these books and therefore the investment risk is reduced. However, publishers are still looking for new talent but the criteria required to win a publishing contract is tighter today than ever before. Publishers need writers that are professional, marketable and above all predictable. New writers must fit very tight market criteria and have almost guaranteed sales (hence the rise of the celebrity biography). This means that many, many good writers are finding it difficult to match their work with the big publishing houses.

One group of publishers who may benefit from this trend are the smaller independents. These companies are suddenly finding that many of the ‘bigger’ name writers are coming to them in search of a deal. This is giving the indies a chance to strengthen their lists and hopefully build sales. Yet this is not good news for new writers. Companies given the choice of a risky new writer or a slightly safer established talent are naturally going to take the safer option.

So does this mean self publishing is the right route for new writers?

Well, no and yes.

A self publishing writer must ask all the same question of their book as every publisher, big or small:

Can I sell enough books to make enough money to cover my costs?

Many factors go into answering this questions, here are just a few:

• Can I find suitable companies to complete the pre-production (editing, design etc) at a reasonable cost and quality?
• Can I market the book to enough people and who is going to part with their hard earned cash for the book?
• Where will I sell the book?
• Do I need third-party distribution?
• Should I offer a digital/audio version?

And so on…

The long and short is that self publishing is a business venture. If a writer is going to sell their own books then they need a viable business plan, as well as cash up front. The good news is that many writers have self published and gone on to make a profit. For some the self publishing route is the perfect match. However, for each success story there are many failures.

So my advice is do not rule out self publishing but think carefully before you take the plunge.