So this is a thread that we sometimes do on one of my writer's boards, and in light of this week's holiday, I thought it would be fun to carry over here. There are always a lot of things to gripe about in the world of freelancing and writing, but there are also some wonderful things that comes with living this life. So this thread, on our board, always serves as a reminder of the wonderful - and simple - things in life. The rules: we all love our families, we all love it when we land an assignment, so we steer clear of things like that...see my list below for the things I'm currently loving. And happy Thanksgiving!
1) Chuck on NBC. Oh man, do I love this show! (Followed very closely by 30 Rock.)
2) Napster to Go. (This one is always on my list, but I could spend hour after hour exploring new music. Right now, I'm listening to The Rescues, Frightened Rabbit and David Cook - yes, I'm man (or woman) enough to admit it.)
3) Edy's Slow-Churned Ice Cream. (The Peanut Butter Chocolate Cup is my current fave, but I'll pretty much inhale any of the options. I have no fewer than three in my freezer at all times.)
4) J. Crew crewcuts for my kids. As soon as I get a sale email in my inbox, I'm off to the site like a Pavlovian rat. I just got the CUTEST bathing suit for my daughter for our upcoming vacation that I've ever seen.
5) Our upcoming vacation. Just the thought of a beach and a hotel somewhere waiting for me is enough.
So, what about you?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Get Known Before the Book Deal
So today, I am super-duper excited because I have a guest here whom I think will be very, very helpful for many of you out there. We've discussed platform on the blog before - namely, how critical developing a platform is BEFORE you try to land your book deal, and while I've tried to offer examples and ways that you can build this platform, I'm certainly not the world's top authority. But I might just have the world's top authority here today to answer a few questions! Yay!
Christina Katz is an author pal of mine (one of those incredibly supportive, collaborative types whom I adore!), and her new book is called, Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform. I thought that she sounded like the *perfect* expert for Ask Allison readers, so below, here are some questions that I posed and that she took the time to answer.
1) How crucial is platform these days? If you don't have a platform, are you much less likely to land a book deal?
I’d say a platform is more crucial than ever before. A platform is a promise, which says you will not only create something to sell (a book), but also promote it to the specific readers who will want to purchase it. Not very long ago, publishers were overproducing books without sufficient publicity for the majority of them, so landing a book deal hinged more on a strong book concept at the “right” time by the “right” writer. To a certain extent, acquiring editors were pressured to acquire enough books to be a player in the over-production game and “A list” authors got the lion’s share of the publicity dollars. Today, things are different. Yes, editors are still acquiring books. But we are all more aware that precious resources —trees, gas, money, etc. — are used to produce them. The books currently making the cut are going to get acquired by houses operating with smaller staffs and reduced budgets, thanks to the economy. Publishers are going to necessarily produce fewer books, which means more competition for author status among writers. What it all boils down to is that a writer can have a great book idea at the perfect time and be the absolute best person to write that book…and still not land the deal if he or she does not have the platform that is going to fulfill the promise to sell the book. A platform-strong writer is a writer with influence. Agents and editors have known this for years and have been looking for platform-strong writers and getting them book deals. If you want to land the book deal, today, then you need to be a platform-strong writer.
2) Are there any types of writers who don’t need a platform?
Yes. There are dozens of reasons to write but only writers who want to establish themselves as professional writers, who aspire to publish a book or a self-published book need to concern themselves with platform development. If you are writing for other reasons, such as to heal, to connect with friends and family, or just for pleasure, then probably you don’t need a platform. There’s no reason why those writers should feel pressured to have a platform. Doing so might hinder rather than help.
3) Basic (and general, but important) question: can you give three specific tips to help writers launch their platform?
A. Clarify the expertise you have to offer. If you don’t know what your expertise is, then mulling it over could take some time. And that’s okay. Consult experts you respect. Do some self-refection. Get out and connect with others like you through associations or conferences. Write some articles on things you know how to do. This is how Cindy Hudson discovered how much she knew about mother-daughter book clubs [more on: http://getknownbeforethebookdeal.com/]. Today, she has a book deal with Seal Press. Don’t be afraid to take time for platform development before you start spending a lot of time online…especially if you already are online but are not getting any closer to accomplishing your professional writing goals. When it comes to clarifying your expertise, taking a step back and looking within is a very good strategy.
B. Carve out a distinct niche among others who are offering similar expertise. How are you different? Inquiring minds want to know. You’ll have to communicate who you are and what you do quickly. Attention spans are getting shorter, so writing down what you do concisely is critical. Platform isn’t the credentials or your resume; it’s what you currently do. It’s current, constantly evolving, and updated on an ongoing basis. Allison, your blog is a perfect example. (AWS: Thank you!) As a part of your platform, your blog is a place where you authentically share what you are learning and have learned about publishing to assist other writers. Your service garners loyalty and that loyalty is priceless, both to those you serve and to you. Any niche should always be a win-win proposition like this.
C. Identify and respond to your audience. If you are vague about your audience, the whole writing process takes longer and typically requires more rewriting. This applies to books, blogs and everything else. But when you identify your specific audience and begin speaking to them directly, the conversation can spark all kinds of wonderful ideas, connections and opportunities. In less than one year, look what Jenny Kales has been able to accomplish in her blog, Nut-free Mom [http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/]. Small concrete steps build over time and create career momentum.
4) What about blogging? Everyone seems to do it these days, but is it essential? What can you do to make your blog stand out?
Blogging can be tricky and not just for folks who are unfamiliar with the conventions. For example, blogging can be a challenge for veterans who need to keep things fresh and keep themselves engaged while moving forward into new territory. On one hand, blogging is great and there are many good reasons to blog: to build and maintain your identity online, to be a part of an extended community of bloggers, to explore what it’s like to write and have your writing responded to online, to share about your writing process, to give and receive support, and to become better known. On the other hand, blogging can be a huge time suck from other types of writing you might have to neglect in order to blog. So if you are wondering, “How can I keep up a blog and take care of my four kids and my aging parents and my three pets and meet my deadlines…and…and…?" Then maybe don’t blog right now. Maybe reading blogs for twenty minutes a day and simply learning about blogging until you have a plan, makes sense. For folks who consider blogging a part of their professional writer’s platform, a blog can work wonders. I’ve noticed by studying blog-to-book-deal successes that the phenomenon really has more to do with the person (or people) behind the blog, the quality of writing being posted in the blog, and the degree of professionalism of the writer, than it does with the technology alone or even the amount of time the writer devotes to blogging. So, if you want to make your blog stand out, consider the role it can play as a handy, instant publishing tool to serve your audience. And don’t be afraid to take a creative approach and stand out in the crowd, even as you become a member of a huge online movement.
5) Times are tight, and people don't necessarily want to shell out money right now. Do you have any tips that are also cost-friendly? (Besides buying your book!)
Well, certainly buying my book is the best economic choice for the value that I can think of (wink). But, seriously, platform development doesn’t have to break the bank. Yes, if you don’t take a long-term, incremental approach to platform development, and then suddenly, you have to have a platform and you needed it yesterday…then sure, there are going to be expenses involved. But that’s because in your haste, you are squeezing the most important player out of the game—and that’s you, the writer. So my advice is don’t shell out money at the get-go, educate yourself first and take small steps, so you won’t feel the need to slap together a platform quickly to impress others. I suggest a more long-term approach and working slowly and steadily in order to spend less and save more in the long run. This means, while you are working on your novel, you should be at least planning your platform. And if you want to write nonfiction, I suggest platform development first and book proposal development second. Platform development will help you write a stronger and more impressive proposal. The numbers of people you influence will help close the deal.
6) Let's say you do land that book deal. How involved should an author be (very!) in the promotion process? Do you recommend hiring an outside PR person or should the author be prepared to do a lot of the work him/herself? And if so, what sort of work?
Don’t try to go it alone. Having a team is helpful and important. So not only should the author be involved in the promotion process, the author should be involved way before the promotion process. There are many key people inside a publishing company to introduce yourself to and stay in touch with on an ongoing basis including, but not limited to, your acquisitions editor, your book editor, your publisher’s event planner, your book’s publicity person (if you are lucky enough to get one), sales folks (ask for an introduction) and anyone else within the company your editor thinks you should meet. If you are easily overwhelmed by meeting lots of new people, ask your editor who you should talk to early in the process and then schedule introductions over time. If you can afford a PR person, that’s great. They can assist you with publicizing the book before and after its release, which can be a huge help during an extremely busy time (at least you should be busy—very busy, right Allison?). Be prepared to do research and talk to lots of authors about who they recommend before you approach a several to discuss your needs. On the other hand, there are ample books available that cover how to handle your book’s release in detail (some with more suggestions than are humanly possible). Some favorites I flagged in Get Known include Plug Your Book! By Steve Weber, Self-promotion for the Creative Person by Lee Silber, Publicize Your Book! by Jacqueline Deval, and two by Penny Sansevieri: From Book to Bestseller and Red Hot Internet Publicity. If you can’t afford to hire someone, put together a brainstorming group with your fellow first-time authors and share resources. This can exponentially increase your success.
Christina Katz is an author pal of mine (one of those incredibly supportive, collaborative types whom I adore!), and her new book is called, Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform. I thought that she sounded like the *perfect* expert for Ask Allison readers, so below, here are some questions that I posed and that she took the time to answer.
1) How crucial is platform these days? If you don't have a platform, are you much less likely to land a book deal?
I’d say a platform is more crucial than ever before. A platform is a promise, which says you will not only create something to sell (a book), but also promote it to the specific readers who will want to purchase it. Not very long ago, publishers were overproducing books without sufficient publicity for the majority of them, so landing a book deal hinged more on a strong book concept at the “right” time by the “right” writer. To a certain extent, acquiring editors were pressured to acquire enough books to be a player in the over-production game and “A list” authors got the lion’s share of the publicity dollars. Today, things are different. Yes, editors are still acquiring books. But we are all more aware that precious resources —trees, gas, money, etc. — are used to produce them. The books currently making the cut are going to get acquired by houses operating with smaller staffs and reduced budgets, thanks to the economy. Publishers are going to necessarily produce fewer books, which means more competition for author status among writers. What it all boils down to is that a writer can have a great book idea at the perfect time and be the absolute best person to write that book…and still not land the deal if he or she does not have the platform that is going to fulfill the promise to sell the book. A platform-strong writer is a writer with influence. Agents and editors have known this for years and have been looking for platform-strong writers and getting them book deals. If you want to land the book deal, today, then you need to be a platform-strong writer.
2) Are there any types of writers who don’t need a platform?
Yes. There are dozens of reasons to write but only writers who want to establish themselves as professional writers, who aspire to publish a book or a self-published book need to concern themselves with platform development. If you are writing for other reasons, such as to heal, to connect with friends and family, or just for pleasure, then probably you don’t need a platform. There’s no reason why those writers should feel pressured to have a platform. Doing so might hinder rather than help.
3) Basic (and general, but important) question: can you give three specific tips to help writers launch their platform?
A. Clarify the expertise you have to offer. If you don’t know what your expertise is, then mulling it over could take some time. And that’s okay. Consult experts you respect. Do some self-refection. Get out and connect with others like you through associations or conferences. Write some articles on things you know how to do. This is how Cindy Hudson discovered how much she knew about mother-daughter book clubs [more on: http://getknownbeforethebookdeal.com/]. Today, she has a book deal with Seal Press. Don’t be afraid to take time for platform development before you start spending a lot of time online…especially if you already are online but are not getting any closer to accomplishing your professional writing goals. When it comes to clarifying your expertise, taking a step back and looking within is a very good strategy.
B. Carve out a distinct niche among others who are offering similar expertise. How are you different? Inquiring minds want to know. You’ll have to communicate who you are and what you do quickly. Attention spans are getting shorter, so writing down what you do concisely is critical. Platform isn’t the credentials or your resume; it’s what you currently do. It’s current, constantly evolving, and updated on an ongoing basis. Allison, your blog is a perfect example. (AWS: Thank you!) As a part of your platform, your blog is a place where you authentically share what you are learning and have learned about publishing to assist other writers. Your service garners loyalty and that loyalty is priceless, both to those you serve and to you. Any niche should always be a win-win proposition like this.
C. Identify and respond to your audience. If you are vague about your audience, the whole writing process takes longer and typically requires more rewriting. This applies to books, blogs and everything else. But when you identify your specific audience and begin speaking to them directly, the conversation can spark all kinds of wonderful ideas, connections and opportunities. In less than one year, look what Jenny Kales has been able to accomplish in her blog, Nut-free Mom [http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/]. Small concrete steps build over time and create career momentum.
4) What about blogging? Everyone seems to do it these days, but is it essential? What can you do to make your blog stand out?
Blogging can be tricky and not just for folks who are unfamiliar with the conventions. For example, blogging can be a challenge for veterans who need to keep things fresh and keep themselves engaged while moving forward into new territory. On one hand, blogging is great and there are many good reasons to blog: to build and maintain your identity online, to be a part of an extended community of bloggers, to explore what it’s like to write and have your writing responded to online, to share about your writing process, to give and receive support, and to become better known. On the other hand, blogging can be a huge time suck from other types of writing you might have to neglect in order to blog. So if you are wondering, “How can I keep up a blog and take care of my four kids and my aging parents and my three pets and meet my deadlines…and…and…?" Then maybe don’t blog right now. Maybe reading blogs for twenty minutes a day and simply learning about blogging until you have a plan, makes sense. For folks who consider blogging a part of their professional writer’s platform, a blog can work wonders. I’ve noticed by studying blog-to-book-deal successes that the phenomenon really has more to do with the person (or people) behind the blog, the quality of writing being posted in the blog, and the degree of professionalism of the writer, than it does with the technology alone or even the amount of time the writer devotes to blogging. So, if you want to make your blog stand out, consider the role it can play as a handy, instant publishing tool to serve your audience. And don’t be afraid to take a creative approach and stand out in the crowd, even as you become a member of a huge online movement.
5) Times are tight, and people don't necessarily want to shell out money right now. Do you have any tips that are also cost-friendly? (Besides buying your book!)
Well, certainly buying my book is the best economic choice for the value that I can think of (wink). But, seriously, platform development doesn’t have to break the bank. Yes, if you don’t take a long-term, incremental approach to platform development, and then suddenly, you have to have a platform and you needed it yesterday…then sure, there are going to be expenses involved. But that’s because in your haste, you are squeezing the most important player out of the game—and that’s you, the writer. So my advice is don’t shell out money at the get-go, educate yourself first and take small steps, so you won’t feel the need to slap together a platform quickly to impress others. I suggest a more long-term approach and working slowly and steadily in order to spend less and save more in the long run. This means, while you are working on your novel, you should be at least planning your platform. And if you want to write nonfiction, I suggest platform development first and book proposal development second. Platform development will help you write a stronger and more impressive proposal. The numbers of people you influence will help close the deal.
6) Let's say you do land that book deal. How involved should an author be (very!) in the promotion process? Do you recommend hiring an outside PR person or should the author be prepared to do a lot of the work him/herself? And if so, what sort of work?
Don’t try to go it alone. Having a team is helpful and important. So not only should the author be involved in the promotion process, the author should be involved way before the promotion process. There are many key people inside a publishing company to introduce yourself to and stay in touch with on an ongoing basis including, but not limited to, your acquisitions editor, your book editor, your publisher’s event planner, your book’s publicity person (if you are lucky enough to get one), sales folks (ask for an introduction) and anyone else within the company your editor thinks you should meet. If you are easily overwhelmed by meeting lots of new people, ask your editor who you should talk to early in the process and then schedule introductions over time. If you can afford a PR person, that’s great. They can assist you with publicizing the book before and after its release, which can be a huge help during an extremely busy time (at least you should be busy—very busy, right Allison?). Be prepared to do research and talk to lots of authors about who they recommend before you approach a several to discuss your needs. On the other hand, there are ample books available that cover how to handle your book’s release in detail (some with more suggestions than are humanly possible). Some favorites I flagged in Get Known include Plug Your Book! By Steve Weber, Self-promotion for the Creative Person by Lee Silber, Publicize Your Book! by Jacqueline Deval, and two by Penny Sansevieri: From Book to Bestseller and Red Hot Internet Publicity. If you can’t afford to hire someone, put together a brainstorming group with your fellow first-time authors and share resources. This can exponentially increase your success.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
My Final GCC: Kelly Parra and Invisible Touch
For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you certainly have seen these GCC posts pop up a couple times a month. The GCC is the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit, and what that means is it's a fabulous group of supportive authors who help spread the word about each other's books. Well, I've been privileged enough to be part of this group for about two years now, and truly, you guys know how much I value collaborative, encouraging writer friends, and thus, I truly value and valued my fellow members of the GCC. But, given how hectic my life has gotten, I have to bow out of the tour for now, and thus, today's post will be the last GCC post. I hope you guys continue to follow these authors on their various blogs because whether or not you love their genres or their books, they are top-notch people who share the same belief in camaraderie that I do, and it's been an honor to tour them all for the past few years!
So, with that, I'm thrilled to tour Kelly Parra, who is the author of Graffiti Girl, and her new book, Invisible Touch! Here's the scoop:
Do you believe in fate?
Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.
Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?
And here, she stops by to answer my usual questions.
1) What's the backstory behind your book?
K: I've always believed in intuitive vibes and repetitive signs and thought wouldn't it be cool to have a girl who really saw visions and have to piece the signs together to help others? I wrote up a proposal and I was so glad MTV Books thought Kara's story was worthy of publication.
2) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?
K: My first novel was about a girl who loved graffiti art in GRAFFITI GIRL. Everyone asked if I was that girl. There were aspects of me, but I was never a real graffiti artist and many people still don't believe me. In INVISIBLE TOUCH, Kara sees psychic images and I surely don't! But she lives in a town based on my hometown and she also lost her father abruptly as I did. I don't write about my life, but I can't help adding a few characteristics of myself in my books.
3) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?
K: Most of my life had been about art and graphic design. But about six years ago, I became an avid reader of fiction. Two years later, I read a bio about a local author who made a living at writing books, and that day I sat down to begin my first book. I started out writing Romantic Suspense, which I did sell. Unfortunately the line closed before that book could be published. A few months after my first sale, I sold GRAFFITI GIRL to MTV Pocket Books--and now I'm excited to be going in a new direction in my writing career.
4) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What's your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?
K: It's the same for me. The Internet is my procrastination addiction. I usually check email and favorite sites in the morning, then I close up the Net and try and write for a couple of hours before it's time to pick up the kids. Then I edit in the evening or write some more.
5) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?
K: The actors I like are too old, but here is the make-believe scenario: Kara would be possibly be Vanessa Hudgens. Anthony would be a younger Milo Ventimiglia.
So, with that, I'm thrilled to tour Kelly Parra, who is the author of Graffiti Girl, and her new book, Invisible Touch! Here's the scoop:
Do you believe in fate?
Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.
Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?
And here, she stops by to answer my usual questions.
1) What's the backstory behind your book?
K: I've always believed in intuitive vibes and repetitive signs and thought wouldn't it be cool to have a girl who really saw visions and have to piece the signs together to help others? I wrote up a proposal and I was so glad MTV Books thought Kara's story was worthy of publication.
2) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?
K: My first novel was about a girl who loved graffiti art in GRAFFITI GIRL. Everyone asked if I was that girl. There were aspects of me, but I was never a real graffiti artist and many people still don't believe me. In INVISIBLE TOUCH, Kara sees psychic images and I surely don't! But she lives in a town based on my hometown and she also lost her father abruptly as I did. I don't write about my life, but I can't help adding a few characteristics of myself in my books.
3) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?
K: Most of my life had been about art and graphic design. But about six years ago, I became an avid reader of fiction. Two years later, I read a bio about a local author who made a living at writing books, and that day I sat down to begin my first book. I started out writing Romantic Suspense, which I did sell. Unfortunately the line closed before that book could be published. A few months after my first sale, I sold GRAFFITI GIRL to MTV Pocket Books--and now I'm excited to be going in a new direction in my writing career.
4) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What's your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?
K: It's the same for me. The Internet is my procrastination addiction. I usually check email and favorite sites in the morning, then I close up the Net and try and write for a couple of hours before it's time to pick up the kids. Then I edit in the evening or write some more.
5) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?
K: The actors I like are too old, but here is the make-believe scenario: Kara would be possibly be Vanessa Hudgens. Anthony would be a younger Milo Ventimiglia.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thinking Long Term, Part 2
Okay, so we already discussed the fact that this career is about taking small steps that add up to bigger ones, but how can you maximize making those steps as big as possible?
Well, this was something that I'd never really considered, to be honest. I'm pretty savvy at marketing (minored in it in college! - hee), but though I've definitely considered how I market myself as a magazine writer (always meet my deadlines, supportive of whatever an editor asks, etc), I hadn't really considered how to market myself as a novelist.
So...rewind to a few weeks ago. Once Time of My Life hit the New York Times list, my agent started asking me about my next book. Actually, she had been asking me about it for a while, but as I've said here before, I really need to be struck by inspiration, and while I was toying with some ideas, nothing had given me that electric jolt that I need. I considered a sort-of mystery/thriller idea, an idea focused on female friendships, and a few others along the way. But I realized that I really liked the magical, mystical element of ToML, so started to hone in on that. As luck would have it, this played into what my agent was hoping for.
So back to when the book hit the list. My agent and I had a chat again about my long-term strategy, and she mentioned that "branding" me as the women's fiction writer who deals with wish fulfillment could be really really smart. We talked about other writers whose models have worked really well for them: Emily Giffin who writes about modern women's romantic/relationship perils, Elin Hilderbrand who writes stories about Nantucket, Jennifer Weiner who also covers modern women's real life entanglements. I'd never really thought about this before - about the package that you can create with your work. But think about: their covers are similar (for example, Emily Giffin's covers are all pastels), their themes are similar, sometimes their title are similar. (Not to each other, I should clarify, but to each author's other books.) Another great example of this is my pal, Jen Lancaster. You think of her, and you immediately think of her similar covers, her tone, her subject matter, etc. And readers gravitate toward this because they have a general idea of what to expect. When you pick up an Emily Giffin book, you're picking it up because you loved her other ones and want something similar.
And I don't mean this in a bad way. At all. In fact, I think it's genius. Part of being a successful writer is writing for your audience. Does that sell you out? Not in my mind. Writing is a business. Your books are a commodity. You are a commodity. And if you want to succeed, you have to make yourself as valuable to your audience as possible.
So. Though I'd never considered this before, I thought this strategy made a lot, a lot of sense. Yes, I thought, I happen to do "wish fulfillment" very well, and I enjoy writing about it, so it's not like I feel like I'm under duress to please my readers. And it's also not like I have to write the same thing over and over again. Tom Clancy has written a million thrillers and Stephen King has written a million horror books and John Grisham has written a million legal page-turners, and that doesn't make them boring. There are dozens of ways of exploring the same themes, and once I realized that, I really freed up my brain to conceive the concept behind The Happiest Days of My Life.
Before my agent mentioned this strategy, I was sort of all over the map with ideas. But doesn't this make so much more sense? I know that readers responded to this sort of idea from me, why confuse them with something so entirely different? Look, some of you might be shaking your heads thinking that this really fences in a writer as to what he or she can write. And to that I'll say, maybe. Sort of. But think of so many of the best-selling writers whom you can name: many of them adhere to this strategy. And when you DO have a big enough audience, certainly, you can stretch your wings, just as Grisham did or even Jennifer Weiner did when she branched into short stories. Writing for the love of writing is a wonderful thing. But that alone probably won't pay the bills. You have to be strategic and consider the overall package. And the plus side of this is that I'm very, very excited about writing this next book - there's no compromise in it at all. I'm happy writing it, and hopefully, readers who enjoyed ToML will be happy to read it.
Anyone else out there ever considered this branding idea? Or is it as new to you as it was to me?
Well, this was something that I'd never really considered, to be honest. I'm pretty savvy at marketing (minored in it in college! - hee), but though I've definitely considered how I market myself as a magazine writer (always meet my deadlines, supportive of whatever an editor asks, etc), I hadn't really considered how to market myself as a novelist.
So...rewind to a few weeks ago. Once Time of My Life hit the New York Times list, my agent started asking me about my next book. Actually, she had been asking me about it for a while, but as I've said here before, I really need to be struck by inspiration, and while I was toying with some ideas, nothing had given me that electric jolt that I need. I considered a sort-of mystery/thriller idea, an idea focused on female friendships, and a few others along the way. But I realized that I really liked the magical, mystical element of ToML, so started to hone in on that. As luck would have it, this played into what my agent was hoping for.
So back to when the book hit the list. My agent and I had a chat again about my long-term strategy, and she mentioned that "branding" me as the women's fiction writer who deals with wish fulfillment could be really really smart. We talked about other writers whose models have worked really well for them: Emily Giffin who writes about modern women's romantic/relationship perils, Elin Hilderbrand who writes stories about Nantucket, Jennifer Weiner who also covers modern women's real life entanglements. I'd never really thought about this before - about the package that you can create with your work. But think about: their covers are similar (for example, Emily Giffin's covers are all pastels), their themes are similar, sometimes their title are similar. (Not to each other, I should clarify, but to each author's other books.) Another great example of this is my pal, Jen Lancaster. You think of her, and you immediately think of her similar covers, her tone, her subject matter, etc. And readers gravitate toward this because they have a general idea of what to expect. When you pick up an Emily Giffin book, you're picking it up because you loved her other ones and want something similar.
And I don't mean this in a bad way. At all. In fact, I think it's genius. Part of being a successful writer is writing for your audience. Does that sell you out? Not in my mind. Writing is a business. Your books are a commodity. You are a commodity. And if you want to succeed, you have to make yourself as valuable to your audience as possible.
So. Though I'd never considered this before, I thought this strategy made a lot, a lot of sense. Yes, I thought, I happen to do "wish fulfillment" very well, and I enjoy writing about it, so it's not like I feel like I'm under duress to please my readers. And it's also not like I have to write the same thing over and over again. Tom Clancy has written a million thrillers and Stephen King has written a million horror books and John Grisham has written a million legal page-turners, and that doesn't make them boring. There are dozens of ways of exploring the same themes, and once I realized that, I really freed up my brain to conceive the concept behind The Happiest Days of My Life.
Before my agent mentioned this strategy, I was sort of all over the map with ideas. But doesn't this make so much more sense? I know that readers responded to this sort of idea from me, why confuse them with something so entirely different? Look, some of you might be shaking your heads thinking that this really fences in a writer as to what he or she can write. And to that I'll say, maybe. Sort of. But think of so many of the best-selling writers whom you can name: many of them adhere to this strategy. And when you DO have a big enough audience, certainly, you can stretch your wings, just as Grisham did or even Jennifer Weiner did when she branched into short stories. Writing for the love of writing is a wonderful thing. But that alone probably won't pay the bills. You have to be strategic and consider the overall package. And the plus side of this is that I'm very, very excited about writing this next book - there's no compromise in it at all. I'm happy writing it, and hopefully, readers who enjoyed ToML will be happy to read it.
Anyone else out there ever considered this branding idea? Or is it as new to you as it was to me?
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thinking Long Term
Thanks so much to everyone for your well-wishes and congrats! I sincerely appreciate it so much.
Okay, so I promised a little behind-the-scenes detail from the book sale and some other stuff, so here goes. Warning: I'm extremely zonked right now, so I might split this post in half - part today, part tomorrow. But I'll get you all the info, I promise!
So, what was most gratifying about the sale of The Happiest Days of My Life was that it validated everything that I have placed my faith in over the past few years. Let me rewind and explain because I think this might give some of you a bit of inspiration too.
When I sold The Department, we sold it for what Pub Mktplace would "a very nice" deal. In non-PM terms, this means that the pub house has some faith in you, that you'll likely get some co-op/promo budget, and that expectations are that you'll sell a decent amount of books. So...what happened with the Department is that it sold...a decent amount of books. Not great. Not terrible. Adequate. Cancer books, I realized even though plenty of people told me this and I didn't believe them because I'm apt not to believe negative things, are very, very hard sells. It doesn't matter that it gets great reviews or is mentioned in a variety of huge magazines. People don't want to read about cancer (often - not always) or other harrowing situations that they've faced in their real lives (like, I would never pick up a book that deals with a sick child because it's just something that, though I've never been it through personally, I could not stomach at all), and...well, lesson learned. No cancer. Nothing that will turn potential readers away.
I also learned to think BIG CONCEPT, which is something we've been chatting about here on the blog. A good book isn't enough these days to set it apart from the other good books that are out there. Not for midlist authors who have to fight for attention. So I started thinking BIG CONCEPT, came up with Time of My Life, drafted the first 100 pages, and voila, my agent was ready to sell them. (Actually - tangent, I forgot. Before this BIG CONCEPT thing dawned on me, I wrote 150 pages of a different book. We shopped it around and got middling offers. Offers, yes, 4 of them if I recall, but they were lower than my original advance, and truth told, I knew I could write a better book. BUT. This is when my agent said something very wise, very pivotal, and something that I had to believe, just because I believed in her. She said that the third book was when we should expect my advance to explode. That these first two books were stepping stones to prove myself and to build my audience, and that the money we got now wasn't the money we were really chasing. It was a long-term strategy that wasn't necessarily easy to accept because who knew if it would pay off, but we didn't have much of a choice. Ultimately, we walked away from these 4 tepid offers because not only did I want to write a better book, but I also knew that these lower advances would mean a smaller print run and less promotion/co-op...which meant that this third-book advance strategy that we were aiming for would backfire. Advances are all built off of how well your previous book sold, and if my second one sold poorly, I was screwed.)
Anyway, back to those 100 pages. So, my agent shopped them around to very, very positive responses. BUT. As with that other ms, the advances, while higher - generally around what I earned for The Department - were, well, disappointing. Not because by any objective terms they were disappointing, but because you hope to build and build and build, and in this case, I'd flat-lined. Why? Because The Department's sales were only okay. My sales track record spoke for itself, and even though everyone who read these 100 pages of Time of My Life agreed that it was a bigger, more universal, break-out book, no one wanted to literally bet on it. My agent said - and I agree, to this day - that had ToML been my debut, I would have been paid huge money for it. But it wasn't, and I was swimming against the current of my previous sales, and that was that.
Ultimately, we did all that we could with our situation: we went with the best editor, the best imprint, the team I'd been dying to work with, and yes, they also offered the most money. But I was prepared to go with them for less because I knew that I was at a critical juncture: crappy sales and crappy promotional game-plan and crappy art, etc, meant that my future as a novelist would be in jeopardy. Because I couldn't stomach banging out novel after novel for dwindling advances and lackluster sales. It's hard to explain until you've been through it, but it's like your heart gets crushed when your book doesn't perform to your expectations (forget the industry's), and I just knew that I wouldn't want to go through it over and over again.
So, through all of this, my agent kept reminding me about book #3. That that would be our big one. I didn't focus on this while I worked on ToML, but certainly, I aspired to it. I trusted my agent's instincts, and while I'm sure that I would have worked just as hard on every aspect of ToML regardless of the prospect of an even bigger book the next time around, it was nice to know that I could swim upstream and possibly overcome the sales record of The Department. My agent thought I could, my editor thought I could, and most importantly, I thought I could.
The news this week of the sale of The Happiest Days of My Life was, of course, incredibly exciting and gratifying. But not because of the $$$ behind it. (Though that's great too.) Really, it's because I've worked very, very hard to get to where I am. I tried to be as smart as I possibly could be in an industry that isn't always forgiving or easy to understand. When things didn't go as well as I hoped, and certainly, I could have settled for different options, I didn't. I didn't settle. And it was tough. I'll be honest. It required a lot of optimism and false confidence when I didn't feel too chipper about the news that was coming in. But it worked. My agent was right. I do feel incredibly lucky to have achieved what I've achieved, but I also feel like I've earned it, you know? Not everyone will love what I write, and that's okay. But no one can say that I haven't earned it. And to me, that's what matters.
And I hope that in sharing this (there is plenty more to share, but that's tomorrow, as I'm about to collapse on my keyboard), you guys might see just what I'm talking about in terms of thinking long-term in your careers. Forget the instant gratification of landing that fat advance and think of your career in a larger scale.
Tomorrow: branding and strategy behind book #3.
Okay, so I promised a little behind-the-scenes detail from the book sale and some other stuff, so here goes. Warning: I'm extremely zonked right now, so I might split this post in half - part today, part tomorrow. But I'll get you all the info, I promise!
So, what was most gratifying about the sale of The Happiest Days of My Life was that it validated everything that I have placed my faith in over the past few years. Let me rewind and explain because I think this might give some of you a bit of inspiration too.
When I sold The Department, we sold it for what Pub Mktplace would "a very nice" deal. In non-PM terms, this means that the pub house has some faith in you, that you'll likely get some co-op/promo budget, and that expectations are that you'll sell a decent amount of books. So...what happened with the Department is that it sold...a decent amount of books. Not great. Not terrible. Adequate. Cancer books, I realized even though plenty of people told me this and I didn't believe them because I'm apt not to believe negative things, are very, very hard sells. It doesn't matter that it gets great reviews or is mentioned in a variety of huge magazines. People don't want to read about cancer (often - not always) or other harrowing situations that they've faced in their real lives (like, I would never pick up a book that deals with a sick child because it's just something that, though I've never been it through personally, I could not stomach at all), and...well, lesson learned. No cancer. Nothing that will turn potential readers away.
I also learned to think BIG CONCEPT, which is something we've been chatting about here on the blog. A good book isn't enough these days to set it apart from the other good books that are out there. Not for midlist authors who have to fight for attention. So I started thinking BIG CONCEPT, came up with Time of My Life, drafted the first 100 pages, and voila, my agent was ready to sell them. (Actually - tangent, I forgot. Before this BIG CONCEPT thing dawned on me, I wrote 150 pages of a different book. We shopped it around and got middling offers. Offers, yes, 4 of them if I recall, but they were lower than my original advance, and truth told, I knew I could write a better book. BUT. This is when my agent said something very wise, very pivotal, and something that I had to believe, just because I believed in her. She said that the third book was when we should expect my advance to explode. That these first two books were stepping stones to prove myself and to build my audience, and that the money we got now wasn't the money we were really chasing. It was a long-term strategy that wasn't necessarily easy to accept because who knew if it would pay off, but we didn't have much of a choice. Ultimately, we walked away from these 4 tepid offers because not only did I want to write a better book, but I also knew that these lower advances would mean a smaller print run and less promotion/co-op...which meant that this third-book advance strategy that we were aiming for would backfire. Advances are all built off of how well your previous book sold, and if my second one sold poorly, I was screwed.)
Anyway, back to those 100 pages. So, my agent shopped them around to very, very positive responses. BUT. As with that other ms, the advances, while higher - generally around what I earned for The Department - were, well, disappointing. Not because by any objective terms they were disappointing, but because you hope to build and build and build, and in this case, I'd flat-lined. Why? Because The Department's sales were only okay. My sales track record spoke for itself, and even though everyone who read these 100 pages of Time of My Life agreed that it was a bigger, more universal, break-out book, no one wanted to literally bet on it. My agent said - and I agree, to this day - that had ToML been my debut, I would have been paid huge money for it. But it wasn't, and I was swimming against the current of my previous sales, and that was that.
Ultimately, we did all that we could with our situation: we went with the best editor, the best imprint, the team I'd been dying to work with, and yes, they also offered the most money. But I was prepared to go with them for less because I knew that I was at a critical juncture: crappy sales and crappy promotional game-plan and crappy art, etc, meant that my future as a novelist would be in jeopardy. Because I couldn't stomach banging out novel after novel for dwindling advances and lackluster sales. It's hard to explain until you've been through it, but it's like your heart gets crushed when your book doesn't perform to your expectations (forget the industry's), and I just knew that I wouldn't want to go through it over and over again.
So, through all of this, my agent kept reminding me about book #3. That that would be our big one. I didn't focus on this while I worked on ToML, but certainly, I aspired to it. I trusted my agent's instincts, and while I'm sure that I would have worked just as hard on every aspect of ToML regardless of the prospect of an even bigger book the next time around, it was nice to know that I could swim upstream and possibly overcome the sales record of The Department. My agent thought I could, my editor thought I could, and most importantly, I thought I could.
The news this week of the sale of The Happiest Days of My Life was, of course, incredibly exciting and gratifying. But not because of the $$$ behind it. (Though that's great too.) Really, it's because I've worked very, very hard to get to where I am. I tried to be as smart as I possibly could be in an industry that isn't always forgiving or easy to understand. When things didn't go as well as I hoped, and certainly, I could have settled for different options, I didn't. I didn't settle. And it was tough. I'll be honest. It required a lot of optimism and false confidence when I didn't feel too chipper about the news that was coming in. But it worked. My agent was right. I do feel incredibly lucky to have achieved what I've achieved, but I also feel like I've earned it, you know? Not everyone will love what I write, and that's okay. But no one can say that I haven't earned it. And to me, that's what matters.
And I hope that in sharing this (there is plenty more to share, but that's tomorrow, as I'm about to collapse on my keyboard), you guys might see just what I'm talking about in terms of thinking long-term in your careers. Forget the instant gratification of landing that fat advance and think of your career in a larger scale.
Tomorrow: branding and strategy behind book #3.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Yeah Baby, Book Three!
So at long last, I have some great news! This is from today's Publishers Marketplace. I'll be back Monday to discuss how this deal happened, how they are "branding me" as a writer, and why it represented part of the long-term strategy that my agent and I foresaw for my career. Happy weekend! (And no, I haven't written it yet...)
Pub Lunch:
NYT bestselling author of Time of My Life Allison Winn Scotch's THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, in which a perfectly content thirty-something woman is given the unwelcome ability to see into the future of everyone's life but her own, and discovers that her marriage to her high school boyfriend might be rockier than she anticipated, that her dreams might be smaller than she realized, and that her happiness is in no way guaranteed unless she finds a way to steer fate back into her own hands, to Sarah Knight at Shaye Areheart Books, in a significant deal, by Elisabeth Weed at Weed Literary (world).
Pub Lunch:
NYT bestselling author of Time of My Life Allison Winn Scotch's THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, in which a perfectly content thirty-something woman is given the unwelcome ability to see into the future of everyone's life but her own, and discovers that her marriage to her high school boyfriend might be rockier than she anticipated, that her dreams might be smaller than she realized, and that her happiness is in no way guaranteed unless she finds a way to steer fate back into her own hands, to Sarah Knight at Shaye Areheart Books, in a significant deal, by Elisabeth Weed at Weed Literary (world).
Thursday, November 13, 2008
And in Hindsight...
Hey guys, today, I'm over at Writer Unboxed talking about the things I've learned since publishing book #2.
Check it out!
Check it out!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Who's On Your Team?
So, I was hoping to have some great news to report today, but while I wait for the green light to make that announcement, I wanted to chat a bit about building "your team" as a writer. Alas, I truly hate that term, "your team," "my team," because it sounds like the phrasing of a snooty Hollywood actor, but I'm using it regardless because it is simply the best way to sum up the people who support me (or you) when it comes to my book's success.
I've said here before that a successful book - or career - is not due to the author alone. In fact, there are so, so many people who guide a book to the top, or your career to the top, and I think it's absolutely critical to open up a discussion about these people...in many ways, I really believe that your success as a writer is largely due to whom you choose to surround yourself with.
This starts at the very beginning. Even if you don't have an agent. Even before that. This starts with the writers you choose to associate with. Are they supportive of you? Do they cheerlead you if you land an assignment and they don't? Will you do the same for them? If you're in a critique group, do you really feel like you're getting valuable advice? Does the criticism help you become a stronger writer? All of these questions are worth considering. I've made it a point to befriend writers whose success I am absolutely so overwhelmingly happy for and who are unequivocally supportive of me in return. This has, undoubtedly, helped buoy me when times haven't been as great as they are now.
When it comes to landing an agent, please, please, please don't a) settle for someone who doesn't have your best interest/highest career aspirations in mind or b) give up because the search isn't easy. I'll elaborate more on the agent-author relationship (at least MY agent-author relationship) when I have my news to announce, but this is another place where I think authors can really screw themselves. We're so desperate to have "an agent," that we forget that ultimately, it's not a privilege to have representation. What I mean by that is that the agent-author relationship should be a two-way street. It should be as much a privilege for them to rep you as it is for you to have them. I cannot impart to you how helpful my agent has been for me, and thus, obviously, my career. She had a long-term objective for me from the get-go. She asked me to trust her, and I did, and I just cannot tell you (though I will in a few days, hopefully!) what a difference this has made for me.
And finally, if you land a book deal, various people will be assigned to work with (not for) you. Again, this is a reciprocal relationship. Let's be honest. Not every author is thrilled with their publisher. Not every author lands at their top choice of imprints. Ideally, your agent does his or her very best and places you where you're well-matched. But regardless, it's your responsibility to help things run smoothly. Be involved. Be interactive. Don't be afraid to go to them and say, "Hey, what else can I do here?" Even if there's nothing else to be done, folks on "your team," all of whom I promise you are totally overworked, will appreciate it and go that extra step for you. Be professional. Be kind. Be thankful. They will do the same in return, and your book will benefit from it.
It's funny: we think of writing as such a solitary entity, but when I think about it, it is anything but. Sure, I work by myself, but I'm hardly alone. I'm surrounded by so, so many good people that even if I hadn't been "successful," in the purest definition of success, I hardly think I could have failed.
I've said here before that a successful book - or career - is not due to the author alone. In fact, there are so, so many people who guide a book to the top, or your career to the top, and I think it's absolutely critical to open up a discussion about these people...in many ways, I really believe that your success as a writer is largely due to whom you choose to surround yourself with.
This starts at the very beginning. Even if you don't have an agent. Even before that. This starts with the writers you choose to associate with. Are they supportive of you? Do they cheerlead you if you land an assignment and they don't? Will you do the same for them? If you're in a critique group, do you really feel like you're getting valuable advice? Does the criticism help you become a stronger writer? All of these questions are worth considering. I've made it a point to befriend writers whose success I am absolutely so overwhelmingly happy for and who are unequivocally supportive of me in return. This has, undoubtedly, helped buoy me when times haven't been as great as they are now.
When it comes to landing an agent, please, please, please don't a) settle for someone who doesn't have your best interest/highest career aspirations in mind or b) give up because the search isn't easy. I'll elaborate more on the agent-author relationship (at least MY agent-author relationship) when I have my news to announce, but this is another place where I think authors can really screw themselves. We're so desperate to have "an agent," that we forget that ultimately, it's not a privilege to have representation. What I mean by that is that the agent-author relationship should be a two-way street. It should be as much a privilege for them to rep you as it is for you to have them. I cannot impart to you how helpful my agent has been for me, and thus, obviously, my career. She had a long-term objective for me from the get-go. She asked me to trust her, and I did, and I just cannot tell you (though I will in a few days, hopefully!) what a difference this has made for me.
And finally, if you land a book deal, various people will be assigned to work with (not for) you. Again, this is a reciprocal relationship. Let's be honest. Not every author is thrilled with their publisher. Not every author lands at their top choice of imprints. Ideally, your agent does his or her very best and places you where you're well-matched. But regardless, it's your responsibility to help things run smoothly. Be involved. Be interactive. Don't be afraid to go to them and say, "Hey, what else can I do here?" Even if there's nothing else to be done, folks on "your team," all of whom I promise you are totally overworked, will appreciate it and go that extra step for you. Be professional. Be kind. Be thankful. They will do the same in return, and your book will benefit from it.
It's funny: we think of writing as such a solitary entity, but when I think about it, it is anything but. Sure, I work by myself, but I'm hardly alone. I'm surrounded by so, so many good people that even if I hadn't been "successful," in the purest definition of success, I hardly think I could have failed.
Monday, November 10, 2008
And My Skin is Getting Thicker
One of the toughest things about writing a book and putting it out into the world is being totally defenseless to the reviews that come your way. I know, I know, should I really complain? I've been blessed with this great review coverage and so much good fortune with Time of My Life, but I'm telling ya, sometimes, it's TOUGH to put a book out there. You read these reviews (all authors read them, let's be honest), and even though you know that they're not direct reviews of YOU, personally, sometimes, it can be tough to make that distinction.
I got a very lovely review in a prominent newspaper this weekend. Let me be clear that it was lovely, and I am very appreciative of it. But the reviewer pointed out a very small mistake in the book (she is only the second person to notice it - at least notice it directly to me...and when the first person alerted me to it, I immediately asked my editor to amend it in the reprints), and as a result of this mistake, this reviewer called me "careless."
Weeeeellllll, that did not sit so well with me. NOT because her criticism wasn't valid: look, it was a teeny, tiny mistake but it was a mistake never the less, and I'll own up to that (even though, to be honest, I didn't even realize I had the incorrect information until this first person pointed it out to me, and it was so small that the copious copy editors and various other editors never noticed it either). But careless? Me? Really? Anyone who knows me knows that I am the opposite of careless (at least when it comes to my work): I am so freakin' anal that I'm sure I drive the folks I work with nuts.
But. Here's the thing. I can't defend myself. I can't write this reviewer a letter and say, "Hey, I'm sorry about that. It wasn't carelessness, it was something I truly wasn't aware of. Oh, and by the way, if you're going to critique me for a mistake, can you get the details of the book right in your review too? Shouldn't we be held to the same standard?" Nope, no can do. So I will be called careless in a huge review, and you know what? As a writer who put herself out in the public domain, I have to be okay with that. As my husband said to me when I was stewing over the comment yesterday morning, "Make your skin thicker."
And he's right. There's no other option. I've said this countless times on this blog, but I thought this example made it worth repeating. This is never, ever an easy job - even after you've landed the book deal and seen your name in figurative lights and gotten emails from people who will read any last thing you write, even if it's a poem on a piece of toilet paper. You put yourself out there, and you have to, HAVE TO, know that in doing so, you are eventually going to be called things that you wish you weren't. Such is life as a published writer. I have no beef with this reviewer. In fact, I'm appreciative of the lovely review she gave ToML, right up until her "careless" comment. (Though, of course, I wish she hadn't said it!) Really, this was just a reminder that this job is not for those with a weak stomach...the criticism never ends. Never. And that's okay. You just have to know this from the get-go...and thus, that's why I'm passing it on to you. Let my spilled blood at least count for something. :)
Anyone else out there gotten a review that really stung? Or a rejection? How do you steel yourself against them?
I got a very lovely review in a prominent newspaper this weekend. Let me be clear that it was lovely, and I am very appreciative of it. But the reviewer pointed out a very small mistake in the book (she is only the second person to notice it - at least notice it directly to me...and when the first person alerted me to it, I immediately asked my editor to amend it in the reprints), and as a result of this mistake, this reviewer called me "careless."
Weeeeellllll, that did not sit so well with me. NOT because her criticism wasn't valid: look, it was a teeny, tiny mistake but it was a mistake never the less, and I'll own up to that (even though, to be honest, I didn't even realize I had the incorrect information until this first person pointed it out to me, and it was so small that the copious copy editors and various other editors never noticed it either). But careless? Me? Really? Anyone who knows me knows that I am the opposite of careless (at least when it comes to my work): I am so freakin' anal that I'm sure I drive the folks I work with nuts.
But. Here's the thing. I can't defend myself. I can't write this reviewer a letter and say, "Hey, I'm sorry about that. It wasn't carelessness, it was something I truly wasn't aware of. Oh, and by the way, if you're going to critique me for a mistake, can you get the details of the book right in your review too? Shouldn't we be held to the same standard?" Nope, no can do. So I will be called careless in a huge review, and you know what? As a writer who put herself out in the public domain, I have to be okay with that. As my husband said to me when I was stewing over the comment yesterday morning, "Make your skin thicker."
And he's right. There's no other option. I've said this countless times on this blog, but I thought this example made it worth repeating. This is never, ever an easy job - even after you've landed the book deal and seen your name in figurative lights and gotten emails from people who will read any last thing you write, even if it's a poem on a piece of toilet paper. You put yourself out there, and you have to, HAVE TO, know that in doing so, you are eventually going to be called things that you wish you weren't. Such is life as a published writer. I have no beef with this reviewer. In fact, I'm appreciative of the lovely review she gave ToML, right up until her "careless" comment. (Though, of course, I wish she hadn't said it!) Really, this was just a reminder that this job is not for those with a weak stomach...the criticism never ends. Never. And that's okay. You just have to know this from the get-go...and thus, that's why I'm passing it on to you. Let my spilled blood at least count for something. :)
Anyone else out there gotten a review that really stung? Or a rejection? How do you steel yourself against them?
Thursday, November 06, 2008
The Big Idea, Part 2
So, as I alluded to in a post earlier this week, I'm close to cracking book #3. Which is both exhilarating and terrifying. The thought of tackling 300+ pages is always a daunting one for me, and there is nothing I loathe more than opening up that very first Word document and staring at the vast blankness in front of me.
BUT. I do think I have my BIG IDEA, which is why I appreciate the below Meg Cabot video. For me, everything about my writing and about my books stems from this BIG IDEA. So I sit and wait around for this big idea to hit me (well, not really: I'm aggressively trying to tune into everything around me - conversations, songs, trends, etc - to tap into this big idea), and once I do, I'm off to the races.
Along the way of putting out various feelers for this BIG IDEA, I've discovered - as has Meg Cabot, evidently - that not all ideas are created equal. What editors and publishing houses often look for (at least in commercial fiction) is what they deem a high-concept idea. This is one that can be summed up in one sentence and is really marketable. In ToML's case, for example, it's something like, "Discontented housewife wakes up one morning seven years in her past and has a chance to answer her 'what ifs.'" BAM. High concept. Adaptable for a movie. Everyone gets it.
And these high concept ideas are often (though again, not always, but still, often) what create BIG books. I've had plenty of great smaller ideas come to me over these past few months, but the simple truth is that I know these are quieter books; they are not has concept-driven as ToML, and while, certainly, you shouldn't write for trends or anything like that, you CAN try to make your book as marketable as possible. Is this selling out? Maybe a little. But listen to Meg Cabot - a huge, best selling author -say that she has plenty of books that no one has bought because the idea just wasn't appealing enough, and you'll realize that this is all part of the game. The BIG IDEA has to be there and people have to fall in love with it. The rest of it is, of course, critical too: the writing, relatable characters, etc. I'm not discounting that for a second, but that universal, sellable idea needs to be in place.
So...I'm just sort of rambling here and hope I've made some sort of point! :) I guess my point is that I've had plenty of ideas come to me, but I think I've finally found one that will please all parties - my editor, the marketing team, my agent,readers, and, of course, me, since I'm the one who has to construct this world entirely from scratch.
I hope this doesn't come off like me saying, "Look for that commercially appealing concept and discard everything else," because that sounds sort of shallow. But the truth is, something that Meg Cabot's video makes clear, is that you have to keep the commercial viability in mind when you're coming up with your book idea, because if you don't, you're sunk before you've even begun.
Agree? Disagree?
BUT. I do think I have my BIG IDEA, which is why I appreciate the below Meg Cabot video. For me, everything about my writing and about my books stems from this BIG IDEA. So I sit and wait around for this big idea to hit me (well, not really: I'm aggressively trying to tune into everything around me - conversations, songs, trends, etc - to tap into this big idea), and once I do, I'm off to the races.
Along the way of putting out various feelers for this BIG IDEA, I've discovered - as has Meg Cabot, evidently - that not all ideas are created equal. What editors and publishing houses often look for (at least in commercial fiction) is what they deem a high-concept idea. This is one that can be summed up in one sentence and is really marketable. In ToML's case, for example, it's something like, "Discontented housewife wakes up one morning seven years in her past and has a chance to answer her 'what ifs.'" BAM. High concept. Adaptable for a movie. Everyone gets it.
And these high concept ideas are often (though again, not always, but still, often) what create BIG books. I've had plenty of great smaller ideas come to me over these past few months, but the simple truth is that I know these are quieter books; they are not has concept-driven as ToML, and while, certainly, you shouldn't write for trends or anything like that, you CAN try to make your book as marketable as possible. Is this selling out? Maybe a little. But listen to Meg Cabot - a huge, best selling author -say that she has plenty of books that no one has bought because the idea just wasn't appealing enough, and you'll realize that this is all part of the game. The BIG IDEA has to be there and people have to fall in love with it. The rest of it is, of course, critical too: the writing, relatable characters, etc. I'm not discounting that for a second, but that universal, sellable idea needs to be in place.
So...I'm just sort of rambling here and hope I've made some sort of point! :) I guess my point is that I've had plenty of ideas come to me, but I think I've finally found one that will please all parties - my editor, the marketing team, my agent,readers, and, of course, me, since I'm the one who has to construct this world entirely from scratch.
I hope this doesn't come off like me saying, "Look for that commercially appealing concept and discard everything else," because that sounds sort of shallow. But the truth is, something that Meg Cabot's video makes clear, is that you have to keep the commercial viability in mind when you're coming up with your book idea, because if you don't, you're sunk before you've even begun.
Agree? Disagree?
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Big Idea
I just came across this Meg Cabot video on Trashionista, and I love it because she talks (a little bit) about her writing process, which sounds very similar to mine. Basically, she's all about the BIG IDEA. I'll talk more about that later this week, but in the meantime, enjoy. She also chats about how she has SO many ideas that have never gone anywhere, so don't be discouraged if your rejection pile is huge too.
She's so cute. (And no, I don't even know her personally, but I love that she admits to looking herself up!)
She's so cute. (And no, I don't even know her personally, but I love that she admits to looking herself up!)
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
A Sigh of Relief
Taking a break from ToML stuff and industry-stuff today because I am so freakin' happy that it's election day! Not because we'll finally know who is going to helm our country for the next four years (though there's that too), but because, to be honest, I am suffering from election-fatigue, and I'm sincerely looking forward to life post:11/04/08. Anyone else?
In other good news (and other causes for sighs of relief), I think I am nearly ready to start my next book. More on that later in the week because, let's be honest, nobody is doing anything other than tuning into CNN/FoxNews/MSNBC today (depending on your loyalties), and while some of us (present company included) might rather lose themselves in a good work of fiction, we're instead very much focused on the realities of today. So let's sit back and watch them, and I'll be back with more in a bit.
And I won't even bother to tell y'all to go vote because I know that you're a bunch of smarties who would never let that opportunity (and gift of freedom) pass you by.
In other good news (and other causes for sighs of relief), I think I am nearly ready to start my next book. More on that later in the week because, let's be honest, nobody is doing anything other than tuning into CNN/FoxNews/MSNBC today (depending on your loyalties), and while some of us (present company included) might rather lose themselves in a good work of fiction, we're instead very much focused on the realities of today. So let's sit back and watch them, and I'll be back with more in a bit.
And I won't even bother to tell y'all to go vote because I know that you're a bunch of smarties who would never let that opportunity (and gift of freedom) pass you by.
Monday, November 03, 2008
A Few More Links While I Try to Get My Act Together
So I have every intention of posting some industry-related posts, but I am fighting a losing battle with my in-box and replying to emails right now. So while I attempt to swim upstream, here are a few more Q/As I did as of late. Actually, though, now that I think of it, some of them have industry-related answers, so maybe I'm not a total disappointment!
Oh, also, I know that there are some new readers here who are anxious for how-to-break-in tips. Before I get into that, please do search the archives, and I think you'll find lots of good info. Not that I'm averse to discussing this again, but just to point you in the right direction...
Anyway, a few good links:
Side Dish - http://ellenmeister.blogspot.com/
Editor Unleashed - http://editorunleashed.com/
Riley's Ramblings - http://jessriley.blogspot.com/
Daisy Whitney's New Media Minute: http://daisywhitney.com/newmediaminute/ (This isn't a Q/A, but Daisy is always discussing interesting media issues, and she also happens to mention the book this week. Check out here site for more and sign up for her mailing list or follow her on Twitter!)
Oh, also, I know that there are some new readers here who are anxious for how-to-break-in tips. Before I get into that, please do search the archives, and I think you'll find lots of good info. Not that I'm averse to discussing this again, but just to point you in the right direction...
Anyway, a few good links:
Side Dish - http://ellenmeister.blogspot.com/
Editor Unleashed - http://editorunleashed.com/
Riley's Ramblings - http://jessriley.blogspot.com/
Daisy Whitney's New Media Minute: http://daisywhitney.com/newmediaminute/ (This isn't a Q/A, but Daisy is always discussing interesting media issues, and she also happens to mention the book this week. Check out here site for more and sign up for her mailing list or follow her on Twitter!)
Friday, October 31, 2008
The List!
In addition to the below awesomeness (not me, the list), I was just informed that the book has gone into its fourth printing. Holy smokes! I didn't even know it had gone into its third. Thanks again to everyone who has picked up a copy and kept booksellers both busy and excited about the title! Next week, this blog will be less about me and more about answering your questions. I promise.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Making of a Best Seller
So, hmmm, okay, in case you didn't hear: I am officially and forever will be a NY Times Best Selling Author!!! Yay! What does this mean? Well, it means that for the future on out, all of my books will say that I'm a NY Times Best Selling author. For the present, it means that I'm working it into as many conversations as possible. :)
Actually, what it means is something fairly intangible. I've learned some interesting stuff this past week about best seller lists, and I thought that you guys might find it interesting too. When whispers of the fact that I might have a chance of making one (or more) first found their way to me, the first thing I asked was, "Well, how are these lists quantified?" And the answers I got back -from just about everyone - editors, writers, my agent - is that no one really seems to know.
Huh.
You'd think that it would be simple math: add up the top sellers and put them on the list. But evidently, this isn't exactly how it's done. And each list has its own method of going about it. From what I've learned, the news outlets not only look at numbers, but they also survey bookstores to see what is hot and what is selling like wildfire, and some lists, like the NY Times, ignore big box stores (which served to my advantage, as I'm not yet in Costco, but now hope to be), while others (like, I think, USA Today, but I'm not certain) do not. USA Today lists the top 150 books period. They don't differentiate between fiction and non, children's and adult, paperback and hardcover. It is strictly: these are the top 150 sellers (based on some secret calculation) in the country, which, of course means that it's tougher for a novel to land on the list, as non-fiction sells far, far more copies than fiction.
So, as the days and hours approached, I was nervous. I was more than nervous, I was full-on freaking out, albeit mostly internally and taking a good deal of it out on the elliptical! :) But the fact is that you CAN sell more copies than another book and not end up on the list. I knew this. I knew that there is no transparency with the decision-making process, and while I also knew that my sales should have been strong enough to land me somewhere, really, no one knew for sure. You also have to keep in mind that these lists are like a grading curve: if you sell well in a week where there are no big releases or other books fall short of expectations, you have a much greater chance of making it. If my book had come out in May? I probably wouldn't be in my designated slot.
So back to the original question: what does all of this mean? To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I know that book stores get the list today and tomorrow and will probably offer more support/sales. I know that, as mentioned, I get a shiny new title that excites the marketing folks. I know that I get a tiny thrill when I see my name on the actual pdf I have of the list. I know that this will likely give me more leverage when I sell my next book. But right now? In this moment? Well, maybe it will convince people to fork over $15 when they otherwise wouldn't have. Maybe it will convince a few more newspapers or magazines to run reviews.
But to be honest, life goes on. I got the news and had a wonderful, like, 20 minute bubble of pure elation/oh-my-f-ing-god-I-can't-believe-I-did-it moment, and then my kids needed dinner, and my son needed cough medicine, and we had our daily bedtime routine, and then I got dinner ready, and then I fell into bed and watched my DVRed episode of Samantha Who and the intro to Lipstick Jungle. (Sue me, it's a guilty pleasure.)
We'll see what happens from here. You know I'll keep you posted!
And thanks AGAIN to EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU who helped get me here. Truly. I'm sure that some authors don't recognize that it takes a village to make a best-seller, but I do. I feel grateful and humbled that I have found such wonderful neighbors in all of you.
Actually, what it means is something fairly intangible. I've learned some interesting stuff this past week about best seller lists, and I thought that you guys might find it interesting too. When whispers of the fact that I might have a chance of making one (or more) first found their way to me, the first thing I asked was, "Well, how are these lists quantified?" And the answers I got back -from just about everyone - editors, writers, my agent - is that no one really seems to know.
Huh.
You'd think that it would be simple math: add up the top sellers and put them on the list. But evidently, this isn't exactly how it's done. And each list has its own method of going about it. From what I've learned, the news outlets not only look at numbers, but they also survey bookstores to see what is hot and what is selling like wildfire, and some lists, like the NY Times, ignore big box stores (which served to my advantage, as I'm not yet in Costco, but now hope to be), while others (like, I think, USA Today, but I'm not certain) do not. USA Today lists the top 150 books period. They don't differentiate between fiction and non, children's and adult, paperback and hardcover. It is strictly: these are the top 150 sellers (based on some secret calculation) in the country, which, of course means that it's tougher for a novel to land on the list, as non-fiction sells far, far more copies than fiction.
So, as the days and hours approached, I was nervous. I was more than nervous, I was full-on freaking out, albeit mostly internally and taking a good deal of it out on the elliptical! :) But the fact is that you CAN sell more copies than another book and not end up on the list. I knew this. I knew that there is no transparency with the decision-making process, and while I also knew that my sales should have been strong enough to land me somewhere, really, no one knew for sure. You also have to keep in mind that these lists are like a grading curve: if you sell well in a week where there are no big releases or other books fall short of expectations, you have a much greater chance of making it. If my book had come out in May? I probably wouldn't be in my designated slot.
So back to the original question: what does all of this mean? To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I know that book stores get the list today and tomorrow and will probably offer more support/sales. I know that, as mentioned, I get a shiny new title that excites the marketing folks. I know that I get a tiny thrill when I see my name on the actual pdf I have of the list. I know that this will likely give me more leverage when I sell my next book. But right now? In this moment? Well, maybe it will convince people to fork over $15 when they otherwise wouldn't have. Maybe it will convince a few more newspapers or magazines to run reviews.
But to be honest, life goes on. I got the news and had a wonderful, like, 20 minute bubble of pure elation/oh-my-f-ing-god-I-can't-believe-I-did-it moment, and then my kids needed dinner, and my son needed cough medicine, and we had our daily bedtime routine, and then I got dinner ready, and then I fell into bed and watched my DVRed episode of Samantha Who and the intro to Lipstick Jungle. (Sue me, it's a guilty pleasure.)
We'll see what happens from here. You know I'll keep you posted!
And thanks AGAIN to EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU who helped get me here. Truly. I'm sure that some authors don't recognize that it takes a village to make a best-seller, but I do. I feel grateful and humbled that I have found such wonderful neighbors in all of you.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
NY Times Best Seller List!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just found out!!!
AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I hit the list (albeit extended list) this week!!! I haven't seen the list, so I can't remember who I'm ahead of - the lovely folks at Random House called me, and I was working out to distract myself from knowing that the list was coming out, and thus when they called, and I was breathless and sweating and then crying and basically near hysterics - but I do remember that it was names that I never in a million years imagined I'd be in the same vicinity of.
More tomorrow. A lot more tomorrow. About how you get on the list. About what it means. About all of that.
Now? Coincidentally, I'd scheduled a massage for tonight. But life is good now. There will be no unblocking of chis for me.
And. Most importantly. THANK YOU to you guys. I've said it here before and often, but no matter how good a book is, is does NOT do well without the support of readers, friends of the author, the publisher and the author's team. I really, really, really am so grateful to all of you who helped get me there. THANK YOU!!!!!!
AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I hit the list (albeit extended list) this week!!! I haven't seen the list, so I can't remember who I'm ahead of - the lovely folks at Random House called me, and I was working out to distract myself from knowing that the list was coming out, and thus when they called, and I was breathless and sweating and then crying and basically near hysterics - but I do remember that it was names that I never in a million years imagined I'd be in the same vicinity of.
More tomorrow. A lot more tomorrow. About how you get on the list. About what it means. About all of that.
Now? Coincidentally, I'd scheduled a massage for tonight. But life is good now. There will be no unblocking of chis for me.
And. Most importantly. THANK YOU to you guys. I've said it here before and often, but no matter how good a book is, is does NOT do well without the support of readers, friends of the author, the publisher and the author's team. I really, really, really am so grateful to all of you who helped get me there. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
If and When Blogger Ever Unlocks This Blog...
Ugh. Apologies! For some reason, Blogger has locked this blog to review it for potential spamming, and I've been unable to post since Friday! SO ANNOYING. So I'm writing this in the hopes that I can get it online sometime soon.
I don't want to write anything too important in case by the time this goes up, it's outdated, but in the meantime, I'm actually on my GCC tour this week! So to keep you occupied until I get up to speed with blog posts, here are some links to various Q/As I've done.
Again, apologies on the inactive blog. Blame Blogger.
Brant Flakes - http://marilynbrant.blogspot.com/
Wendy Nelson Tokunaga - http://blog.wendytokunaga.com/
FOOTNOTES - http://joannerendell.blogspot.com/
Kelly Parra: http://publishersmarketplace.com/members/writerwords/
I don't want to write anything too important in case by the time this goes up, it's outdated, but in the meantime, I'm actually on my GCC tour this week! So to keep you occupied until I get up to speed with blog posts, here are some links to various Q/As I've done.
Again, apologies on the inactive blog. Blame Blogger.
Brant Flakes - http://marilynbrant.blogspot.com/
Wendy Nelson Tokunaga - http://blog.wendytokunaga.com/
FOOTNOTES - http://joannerendell.blogspot.com/
Kelly Parra: http://publishersmarketplace.com/members/writerwords/
Friday, October 24, 2008
Meet Me In New Hampshire
So the car and the kiddies are packed, and we're heading up to New Hampshire for my reading/signing on Saturday. If you're in the area, please stop by!
In the meantime, if you haven't bought the book, will you pretty, pretty, pretty please pick it up this weekend? And email your friends and ask them to too? :) And then have them email their friends? LOL. Okay, maybe not. But I ask because, I can't believe this, it actually looks like I have a shot at making the bestseller list THIS WEEK, so THIS WEEK'S sales really, really, really matter. So please, please, please - buy it today! If your local store doesn't have it, please ask them to order it! I was told that this is the best way to help boost store support. (The things you learn...I'd normally rush home and buy it from Amazon, but apparently not.)
Okay, enough of my begging (one more time: please???): my GCC tour begins next week, but two lovely bloggers were kind enough to tour me early, which should keep you occupied until I'm back in town and at the computer.
Roberta Isleib's Blog - http://robertaisleib.com/blog/
Granny Panty Chronicles - http://grannypantychronicles.blogspot.com/
Happy weekend, everyone! (And hit the bookstore asap!)
In the meantime, if you haven't bought the book, will you pretty, pretty, pretty please pick it up this weekend? And email your friends and ask them to too? :) And then have them email their friends? LOL. Okay, maybe not. But I ask because, I can't believe this, it actually looks like I have a shot at making the bestseller list THIS WEEK, so THIS WEEK'S sales really, really, really matter. So please, please, please - buy it today! If your local store doesn't have it, please ask them to order it! I was told that this is the best way to help boost store support. (The things you learn...I'd normally rush home and buy it from Amazon, but apparently not.)
Okay, enough of my begging (one more time: please???): my GCC tour begins next week, but two lovely bloggers were kind enough to tour me early, which should keep you occupied until I'm back in town and at the computer.
Roberta Isleib's Blog - http://robertaisleib.com/blog/
Granny Panty Chronicles - http://grannypantychronicles.blogspot.com/
Happy weekend, everyone! (And hit the bookstore asap!)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Secrets to Success (And Oh Yeah, A 2nd Print Run, Baby!)
Hey - New Englanders: mark your calendars: I will be reading and signing this weekend, Saturday, October 25th, at the Barnes and Noble in Manchester, NH on South Willow St. at 4pm. I hope to see some of you there!
Also, more good news! Time of My Life went into its second printing yesterday! Yay! If you haven't bought it, I hope that you'll consider buying it now!
I was asked this week, on one of my writer's boards, to share the secrets of my success. The question made me both laugh and cringe, and it feels really narcissistic to even indulge myself into thinking that I'm someone who should have secrets to her success, much less share them, but once I started thinking about it, I thought, eh, maybe I do have some tips that might be helpful or inspirational to blog readers, and so, here are a few ways that I think I helped boost my career. Take them for what you will, knowing that there are many, many writers out there who are more successful than I am, and that I in no way am placing myself into their vaulted category.
So anyway, here are some tips:
1) I'm not afraid of failure. For me, it's not that failure isn't an option. Of course it's an option, but it's not a reason not to do something. I push myself my very, very hardest, and I truly and fully believe that I will succeed at virtually everything I do, but I also know that if I don't, it's not the end of the world. Failure really isn't that scary to me, but I think for some writers that fear of failure can be paralyzing. But you know what? So what if your ms doesn't sell? Mine didn't. Eat cookies, move on. (As I've been known to say.) Use it as a lesson for improvement.
2) I'm open, very open, to constructive criticism. This sort of goes along with #1. I think a lot of writers tie their egos to their work, but what really happens is their egos bog them down like boulders. I got criticism earlier in my career (hell, I still get it, let's be honest), and rather than raise a wall of defensiveness, I took an honest look at what these people were saying about my writing and I tried my very best to implement the advice, when sound. I often say here that improvement in your writing is a limitless ceiling, but many times, the only way to improve is to take a hard look at your weaknesses. Even if your mother tells you that your ms is perfect, it's most likely not, so stop thinking that it is.
3) I dream big. I don't know if this makes me particularly unique. I'm guessing that most writers hope to write big books and have their novels turned into movies and all of that good stuff. But regardless, I dream big, but I don't just dream: as I alluded to in #1, I fully, fully believe that I am capable of making this stuff happen. I honestly give this credit to my parents: I have been over-confident since I was a kid; it's just full-blown innate assuredness (is that even a word?) that if I want to get something done, I have the skills and capacity to do so. So I use everything in my control to make it happen. If it doesn't, it's not going to be for my lack of trying. (Think of that Chumba Wumba song: "I get knocked down, then I get up again, you're never gonna knock me out." Well, I love that song. It is my motto to a tee.)
4) I surround myself with very, very, very good people. I keep getting congratulatory emails and phone calls, but really, I think a lot of the kudos goes to the team (ugh, yes, I said that I have a team, forgive me) that has worked to make this book a success. I have been with my agent since the beginning (well, after my first agent gave up on me - see #1 about failure), and she wasn't the most established and she wasn't the biggest and she wasn't the a-numero-uno. But I believed in her, and she believed in me, and together, we've ascended the ranks. I trusted that she was smart and capable and talented and my ally, and she has proven to be all of these things, and without her, I would not be here. Ditto the team at Random House: people congratulate me on The Today Show, and I say, "Congratulate my publicist because she did it, not me!" And it's true: from the person who designed the incredible cover to my publicist to my incredible editor who suggested some tweaks in my first draft that made this book so, so, so much better...it was a collaborative effort. And an intentional one as well. My agent and I knew that we wanted to work with these folks before we shopped the book around, so we found a way to make it happen, even if it meant, for example, that I pulled out from an auction and took less money.
5) I had some good luck. Let's be honest here. There are plenty of incredibly talented writers out there who haven't yet been discovered. My timing has worked out. If my best friend hadn't called me on the day I was gestating a time-travel idea and hadn't started talking about her what-ifs and if I hadn't then gone for a run on that incredible summer day, who knows? I worked very, very hard, but I also got lucky. I'm smart enough to know that too.
Anyone else want to chime in on their own secrets to success? I'd love to hear them!
Also, more good news! Time of My Life went into its second printing yesterday! Yay! If you haven't bought it, I hope that you'll consider buying it now!
I was asked this week, on one of my writer's boards, to share the secrets of my success. The question made me both laugh and cringe, and it feels really narcissistic to even indulge myself into thinking that I'm someone who should have secrets to her success, much less share them, but once I started thinking about it, I thought, eh, maybe I do have some tips that might be helpful or inspirational to blog readers, and so, here are a few ways that I think I helped boost my career. Take them for what you will, knowing that there are many, many writers out there who are more successful than I am, and that I in no way am placing myself into their vaulted category.
So anyway, here are some tips:
1) I'm not afraid of failure. For me, it's not that failure isn't an option. Of course it's an option, but it's not a reason not to do something. I push myself my very, very hardest, and I truly and fully believe that I will succeed at virtually everything I do, but I also know that if I don't, it's not the end of the world. Failure really isn't that scary to me, but I think for some writers that fear of failure can be paralyzing. But you know what? So what if your ms doesn't sell? Mine didn't. Eat cookies, move on. (As I've been known to say.) Use it as a lesson for improvement.
2) I'm open, very open, to constructive criticism. This sort of goes along with #1. I think a lot of writers tie their egos to their work, but what really happens is their egos bog them down like boulders. I got criticism earlier in my career (hell, I still get it, let's be honest), and rather than raise a wall of defensiveness, I took an honest look at what these people were saying about my writing and I tried my very best to implement the advice, when sound. I often say here that improvement in your writing is a limitless ceiling, but many times, the only way to improve is to take a hard look at your weaknesses. Even if your mother tells you that your ms is perfect, it's most likely not, so stop thinking that it is.
3) I dream big. I don't know if this makes me particularly unique. I'm guessing that most writers hope to write big books and have their novels turned into movies and all of that good stuff. But regardless, I dream big, but I don't just dream: as I alluded to in #1, I fully, fully believe that I am capable of making this stuff happen. I honestly give this credit to my parents: I have been over-confident since I was a kid; it's just full-blown innate assuredness (is that even a word?) that if I want to get something done, I have the skills and capacity to do so. So I use everything in my control to make it happen. If it doesn't, it's not going to be for my lack of trying. (Think of that Chumba Wumba song: "I get knocked down, then I get up again, you're never gonna knock me out." Well, I love that song. It is my motto to a tee.)
4) I surround myself with very, very, very good people. I keep getting congratulatory emails and phone calls, but really, I think a lot of the kudos goes to the team (ugh, yes, I said that I have a team, forgive me) that has worked to make this book a success. I have been with my agent since the beginning (well, after my first agent gave up on me - see #1 about failure), and she wasn't the most established and she wasn't the biggest and she wasn't the a-numero-uno. But I believed in her, and she believed in me, and together, we've ascended the ranks. I trusted that she was smart and capable and talented and my ally, and she has proven to be all of these things, and without her, I would not be here. Ditto the team at Random House: people congratulate me on The Today Show, and I say, "Congratulate my publicist because she did it, not me!" And it's true: from the person who designed the incredible cover to my publicist to my incredible editor who suggested some tweaks in my first draft that made this book so, so, so much better...it was a collaborative effort. And an intentional one as well. My agent and I knew that we wanted to work with these folks before we shopped the book around, so we found a way to make it happen, even if it meant, for example, that I pulled out from an auction and took less money.
5) I had some good luck. Let's be honest here. There are plenty of incredibly talented writers out there who haven't yet been discovered. My timing has worked out. If my best friend hadn't called me on the day I was gestating a time-travel idea and hadn't started talking about her what-ifs and if I hadn't then gone for a run on that incredible summer day, who knows? I worked very, very hard, but I also got lucky. I'm smart enough to know that too.
Anyone else want to chime in on their own secrets to success? I'd love to hear them!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
GCC Presents: Nadine Dajani and
Whew! So I'm taking a break from the whirlwind of ToML stuff to promote someone else's book, something you know that I'm always happy to do! We're returning to our regular programming with a GCC tour stop. Today, we have Nadine Dajini and her new book, Cutting Loose, which Publishers Weekly deemed "engrossing," and the Romantic Times calls, "hard to put down." Nice! Pick up a copy on Amazon today!Here's the scoop, and then Nadine answers my usual questions (aspiritng novelists - be sure to read her answer to #3):
Ranya is a modern-day princess—brought up behind the gilded walls of Saudi Arabian high society and winner of the dream husband sweepstakes . . . until said husband turns out to be more interested in Paolo, the interior-decorator-cum-underwear-model, than in his virginal new wife.
Smart, independent, but painfully shy, Zahra has managed to escape her impoverished Palestinian roots to carve out a life of comfort. But she can’t reveal her secrets to the man she adores or shake off the fear that she doesn’t deserve any of it. Neither can she stop herself from thinking that if she holds on to anything—or anyone—too dearly, they will be taken away in the blink of a kohl-lined eye.
Rio has risen above the slums of her native Honduras—not to mention the jeers of her none too supportive family—to become editor in chief of Suéltate magazine, the hottest Latina-targeted glossy in town, and this in spite of Georges Mallouk, her clueless boss, and in spite of Rio’s affair with Georges’ delicious but despicable younger brother, Joe.
In this city of fast cars, sleek clubs, and unapologetic superficiality, Ranya, Zahra, and Rio wrestle with the ties that bind them to their difficult pasts, each wondering if she will ever manage to cut loose…
1) What’s the backstory behind your book?
I always look at a new book as an opportunity to address an issue that’s bugging me – looking at it from different angles, finding characters that embody the clashing views and struggles, and then put them in a room together against some dazzling backdrop.
In Cutting Loose, there are many issues – every single character in this book has a different ethnic makeup – there’s the Lebanese Muslim social butterfly, the shy Palestinian Christian accountant whose family is struggling to survive under military occupation, the Honduran-American whose piece of the American dream was much more hard-earned than most, and then there’s a multi-generational dynasty of Lebanese Christians with roots in the US going back to Frontier times, and who’ve built a business empire. Every one of these characters represents a demographic that flies in the face of the conventional narrative we’re always being fed about who really occupies this world we live in, and what it is that really matters to them. Their struggles unfold against a few cities – Montreal, London, and Miami, but most of the action takes place in sizzling Miami, where I love to spend time when I can.
I always look at a new book as an opportunity to address an issue that’s bugging me – looking at it from different angles, finding characters that embody the clashing views and struggles, and then put them in a room together against some dazzling backdrop.
In Cutting Loose, there are many issues – every single character in this book has a different ethnic makeup – there’s the Lebanese Muslim social butterfly, the shy Palestinian Christian accountant whose family is struggling to survive under military occupation, the Honduran-American whose piece of the American dream was much more hard-earned than most, and then there’s a multi-generational dynasty of Lebanese Christians with roots in the US going back to Frontier times, and who’ve built a business empire. Every one of these characters represents a demographic that flies in the face of the conventional narrative we’re always being fed about who really occupies this world we live in, and what it is that really matters to them. Their struggles unfold against a few cities – Montreal, London, and Miami, but most of the action takes place in sizzling Miami, where I love to spend time when I can.
2) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?
There are a few elements of Ranya’s experiences as an expat in Saudi Arabia that were lifted from my memories, but I was too young back then to really be out and about and have something memorable to comment on – I lifted some of my cousin’s experiences, who is older and so had more interesting things happen to her… like sharing a classroom with actual princesses from the Saudi royal family. There are so many of the (last stat I came across was 11,000 in a relatively unpopulated country!) so it’s certainly possible (probable even), if you go to the top schools. Like Zahra, I’m originally Palestinian, though born in Lebanon, and I did want to explore that a little bit. But the most autobiographical element is right up front in the first chapter – I was sitting in a posh London restaurant (Harvey Nichols rooftop terrace, to be precise), thinking about how to begin this book. Just as Ranya notices, Middle Eastern wealth is really on display over there, as may Gulf Arabs spend their holidays in Europe and take advantage of the excursion to as (as do tourists all over the globe…). I guess the lady sitting at the table next to me was a little miffed by all the headscarf-clad heads in this posh place, and the loud, jovial chatter, so she turned around to her companion and said” “C’est payant, le terrorisme” which I’m sure you guessed, means “terrorism pays”.
Let me tell you, for an author who was looking for a good way to start a novel dealing with racism, it couldn’t have been more inspirational.
Let me tell you, for an author who was looking for a good way to start a novel dealing with racism, it couldn’t have been more inspirational.
3) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?
The old fashioned way – polishing and polishing and polishing my first effort until it was obviously ridiculous not to send it out. I researched agents, pitched at an RWA conference, identified my top two “perfect fit” agents, queried them both. They both requested a partial (that’s the first chapter and a 5 page summary). They both came back with both positive and negative feedback and gave me a shot at spiffing up my first few chapters and resubmitting. I did, and with their feedback, the chapters really were much better – and they both made an offer! It was an incredible moment in my life. In fact, I was keenly aware that no other “first” would top this one – it was the first time I’d gotten validation from someone willing to pay actual money for these sentences I’d strung together, mostly for fun. I decided on the agent I felt had the best experience, and the one who could offer constructive criticism (and not just gush over my writing, or want to be my friend). A couple of months later, I had a deal!
4) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What’s your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?
I also have a serious procrastination problem, and there are no better motivators than meeting deadlines and getting that check in! I tried to weed television out of my life, but with all these Planet Earth reruns and the constant election coverage, I can’t resist anymore! It’s a constant struggle with no shortcuts… sorry.
5) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?
I love this question! The whole time I was writing, I had a clear picture of Aishwayra Rai (even made a reference in the novel…) of Bride and Prejudice as Ranya, the doe-eyed, mocha-skinned beauty being taken for a ride by the ageing blond-bombshell cad, Jude Law. As for her studly but darker-humored savior Georges, my dream casting would be my current Hollywood crush – Javier Bardem. But the boys are supposed to be brothers and I have a hard time picturing Jude and Javier as remotely related!
For the driven and snarky Latina editor of Sueltate magazine where Ranya lands her first ever job, I can see Rosario Dawson (who shares the character’s first name!) with a no-nonsense pixie cut. Marisa Tomei would be great too.
As for Zahra, the slightly overweight, shy Palestinian accountant, I think Jennifer Aniston would be fabulous if she agreed to put on 30 pounds and be made up to look frumpy, Ã la Nicole Kidman in The Hours or Renee in her infamous take on Bridget Jones.
And for my favorite character of all, the unlikely young Latin hunk poised to rock Rio’s cynical world, I would love to see Jay Hernandez who totally rocked my world in Crazy/Beautiful opposite a nutty Kirstin Dunst.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Today Show, Baby!
So I didn't want to jinx myself by mentioning this on the blog earlier, but Time of My Life was just named one of the top 10 reads for fall on The Today Show!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The company that I keep on that list is UNBELIEVABLE. Truly. Dennis Lehane. Anita Shreve. Wally Lamb!?!? Are you kidding me? I cannot describe how much my mind is blown.
Here's the link if you want to see their top 10 picks:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27237637/
Or watch the video: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27250840#27250840
Also, because this blog is not - nor has it ever been - all about me, I just want to say that all of you aspiring writers out there, keep plugging away. Four or five years ago, writing fiction was an aspiration for me, something I thought I was capable of but daunted all the same. But because I don't believe in limiting myself, I gave it a crack, and while (as well documented on this blog), my first manuscript never sold, I kept at it. Because that's what you have to do. So keep at it. That's really your only choice.
In addition, I am so sorry that for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to answer any of your Ask Allison questions! I know that first and foremost, you guys come to this blog not to read about my book release (ha!) but to get advice on the industry, but the truth is that things have exploded in ways that I couldn't anticipate, and I am just so, so, so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and answer your questions. But I do hope to get back to that soon!
Anyway, enjoy your weekend! I know that I will!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The company that I keep on that list is UNBELIEVABLE. Truly. Dennis Lehane. Anita Shreve. Wally Lamb!?!? Are you kidding me? I cannot describe how much my mind is blown.
Here's the link if you want to see their top 10 picks:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27237637/
Or watch the video: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27250840#27250840
Also, because this blog is not - nor has it ever been - all about me, I just want to say that all of you aspiring writers out there, keep plugging away. Four or five years ago, writing fiction was an aspiration for me, something I thought I was capable of but daunted all the same. But because I don't believe in limiting myself, I gave it a crack, and while (as well documented on this blog), my first manuscript never sold, I kept at it. Because that's what you have to do. So keep at it. That's really your only choice.
In addition, I am so sorry that for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to answer any of your Ask Allison questions! I know that first and foremost, you guys come to this blog not to read about my book release (ha!) but to get advice on the industry, but the truth is that things have exploded in ways that I couldn't anticipate, and I am just so, so, so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and answer your questions. But I do hope to get back to that soon!
Anyway, enjoy your weekend! I know that I will!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Oh What a Night!
Last night was so great! We SOLD OUT Borders, drank mojitos, and all in all had a blast. I'm posting some pics when I get a second.
But I just had the most SURREAL experience at the grocery store. I wandered in to pick up a few things after dropping my son off at school, and saw the new People magazine. I flipped through to see which books were reviewed, and TIME OF MY LIFE is in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so freaked out (in a good way!) that I could barely sign my credit card receipt! And now, I'm wondering if it's too early to start drinking! :) As we've discussed here before, People is the ultimate (though I hope to have some other very, very big news to announce on Saturday), and I am going totally bananas. Ba. Na. Nas.
Anyway, pictures are coming asap. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated and got a copy!
Oh, several people have posted here or sent me emails as to how to get a signed copy. The best thing to do is to send me an email, and I'll send you my address: you can mail me a copy, and for Ask Allison readers, I'll throw in free return postage and send it back to you. :)
Okay, off to make that drink!!
But I just had the most SURREAL experience at the grocery store. I wandered in to pick up a few things after dropping my son off at school, and saw the new People magazine. I flipped through to see which books were reviewed, and TIME OF MY LIFE is in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so freaked out (in a good way!) that I could barely sign my credit card receipt! And now, I'm wondering if it's too early to start drinking! :) As we've discussed here before, People is the ultimate (though I hope to have some other very, very big news to announce on Saturday), and I am going totally bananas. Ba. Na. Nas.
Anyway, pictures are coming asap. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated and got a copy!
Oh, several people have posted here or sent me emails as to how to get a signed copy. The best thing to do is to send me an email, and I'll send you my address: you can mail me a copy, and for Ask Allison readers, I'll throw in free return postage and send it back to you. :)
Okay, off to make that drink!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Whoa-oh!
(Yes, I just quoted Genesis on my blog. Am I old or what?)
But all of you New Yorkers or folks in the New York vicinity, I'm reading/signing/discussing ToML TONIGHT at the Borders at Time Warner Center at 7pm. Check out the spiffy window display (taken from my Blackberry, so the quality ain't great)!
I hope to see some of you there, and please feel free to pass this along to any/all friends in the area!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
What, Really, Is the Goal Here?
So a writer friend, Tricia Lawrence, was kind enough to post a lovely review of ToML last week, and it got me thinking. Specifically, the last line of her review got me thinking. She said, "And to my very good writing friend, Allison, cheers. You outdid your first success, I think," and I was so touched by this sentiment. And this is why I started thinking. What I was thinking about, specifically, was what the goal of putting out a novel has to be. This past week has been so stressful - are people buying the book?, are people enjoying the book?, will Random House be pleased with the results?, can I come up with a new concept to top this one? - the questions were (and are) unending. But then I read Tricia's post, and I thought, hmmmmmmmmm.
I've long said on this blog that my goal is never to be more prolific or better than any of my writing peers. My goal has been - and will always be, I hope - to simply be the best that I can be. And this is why Tricia's post resonated so soundly. The goal of ToML, for me, was to evolve into a better writer than my last effort. To not rest on the fact that I was now a published fiction author. To, in fact, use the fact that I was now a published fiction author to become a better author period. So when I was writing, I pushed myself to not take the easy way out in the plot, to read and reread my work until I was satisfied with every last sentence (though I still see some and cringe), to listen to the constructive criticism offered by my team and really take it to heart and allow my work to improve because of it. Not that I didn't do this with my first effort; I did. Only now I had a bar and knew I could raise it higher.
And, because I think I met all of these goals, I have to be satisfied no matter what happens with this book. And once I considered this, I felt a little bit more at ease about all of those other questions that are clanging so loudly around my brain. The truth is that you can't control if people buy your book (to a certain extent), you can't control if everyone loves your book (they won't), you can't control your publisher's expectations. What you can control is being your very best, and since I'm satisfied that I did, indeed, put my best effort forward, I can take this satisfaction and hopefully, let the other stuff take a back seat. I think this is true whether or not you're a published author, whether or not you're on your first or your fifth novel. I think this has to be our ultimate aspiration as writers because, if not, you'll get too caught up in the question marks to really come up with any solid answers.
So readers, how do you stay on top of your games?
I've long said on this blog that my goal is never to be more prolific or better than any of my writing peers. My goal has been - and will always be, I hope - to simply be the best that I can be. And this is why Tricia's post resonated so soundly. The goal of ToML, for me, was to evolve into a better writer than my last effort. To not rest on the fact that I was now a published fiction author. To, in fact, use the fact that I was now a published fiction author to become a better author period. So when I was writing, I pushed myself to not take the easy way out in the plot, to read and reread my work until I was satisfied with every last sentence (though I still see some and cringe), to listen to the constructive criticism offered by my team and really take it to heart and allow my work to improve because of it. Not that I didn't do this with my first effort; I did. Only now I had a bar and knew I could raise it higher.
And, because I think I met all of these goals, I have to be satisfied no matter what happens with this book. And once I considered this, I felt a little bit more at ease about all of those other questions that are clanging so loudly around my brain. The truth is that you can't control if people buy your book (to a certain extent), you can't control if everyone loves your book (they won't), you can't control your publisher's expectations. What you can control is being your very best, and since I'm satisfied that I did, indeed, put my best effort forward, I can take this satisfaction and hopefully, let the other stuff take a back seat. I think this is true whether or not you're a published author, whether or not you're on your first or your fifth novel. I think this has to be our ultimate aspiration as writers because, if not, you'll get too caught up in the question marks to really come up with any solid answers.
So readers, how do you stay on top of your games?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I'm in Recovery
So after going full-throttle all week and capping it off with my son's birthday party Sunday morning, my body gave up...as soon as I walked in the door from the party, my temp shot up to 102, and all viral hell broke out inside of me.
So, I promise a real post on Tues, but for now, it's all I can do to moan under my covers and enjoy the occasional reprieve that Aleve brings. Sigh.
But to hold you over (not that you're chomping at the bit for a blog post or anything), here's a TV interview that I shot that ran over the weekend.
http://www.ny1.com/content/features/87109/author-of--time-of-my-life--says-past-is-hard-to-fix/Default.aspx
Enjoy Columbus Day!
So, I promise a real post on Tues, but for now, it's all I can do to moan under my covers and enjoy the occasional reprieve that Aleve brings. Sigh.
But to hold you over (not that you're chomping at the bit for a blog post or anything), here's a TV interview that I shot that ran over the weekend.
http://www.ny1.com/content/features/87109/author-of--time-of-my-life--says-past-is-hard-to-fix/Default.aspx
Enjoy Columbus Day!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Want My Book for Free?
Well, today is your lucky day! (Actually, you still have to win to really be lucky, but at least I'm pointing you in the right direction!) There are a slew of contests going on all over the web to win Time of My Life, and if you don't want to pay for it (though I really, really, really hope that you will), try your hand at winning one of them:
1) Betty Confidential's Lit Lounge
2) GoodReads' Giveaway Program
3) Kristen Kirk's Family That Reads Together Blog
4) Sandra Joseph's Blog
Good luck!
1) Betty Confidential's Lit Lounge
2) GoodReads' Giveaway Program
3) Kristen Kirk's Family That Reads Together Blog
4) Sandra Joseph's Blog
Good luck!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Yet More Me
Thanks so much to EVERYONE who sent well-wishes on release day, either here, via email, on Facebook or wherever! I am so, so, so appreciative!
I'm running around like a total nut, signing copies at various stores around the city, but in the meantime, here are some Q/As to keep you entertained!
I'm over on Writer Unboxed answering some questions about craft and what was different with novel #2, and then, I'm over on one of my favorite author's blog, Eileen Cook, who wrote the hilarious Unpredictable and whose blog seriously makes me giggle every day, answering some more questions about ToML.
Enjoy! (And don't forget to pick up THE BOOK!)
I'm running around like a total nut, signing copies at various stores around the city, but in the meantime, here are some Q/As to keep you entertained!
I'm over on Writer Unboxed answering some questions about craft and what was different with novel #2, and then, I'm over on one of my favorite author's blog, Eileen Cook, who wrote the hilarious Unpredictable and whose blog seriously makes me giggle every day, answering some more questions about ToML.
Enjoy! (And don't forget to pick up THE BOOK!)
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Today's the Day!!!!
So in case you didn't know, I have A BOOK COMING OUT TODAY! Yes, really. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it lately. :)
It's called Time of My Life, and it's a story about regret, what ifs, longing, motherhood, parenting, lost love, found love, friendship and redemption. And I truly hope that you will RUSH OUT AND BUY IT ASAP! In all seriousness, the first two weeks a books sales are critical to its success and to publisher support, and I would be so, so, so indebted if you could pick up a copy (and tell all of your friends!) within the next few days.
You can buy it here:
Amazon and Barnes and Noble and pretty much any bookstore near you.
Still not convinced? Here are a few objective reviews (because, let's be honest, I'm not objective):
"After this hilarious read, you may just return to your own crazy-busy routine a little happier." - Redbook
"Perfect to read with friends. A book we love." -Cosmopolitan
"Book pick of the month. Insightful and honest, Winn Scotch keeps it light but delves into the dark doubts of the road not taken." - Family Circle
"A must-read. A fantastic, often funny novel." -Hallmark Magazine
"Scotch’s second book shows a writer coming into her own, a storyteller who doesn’t take the easy way out, and a woman with a fine understanding of human nature." - Booklist
"An engaging, fast-moving, high-concept drama. Scotch keeps one dexterous step ahead of page-flipping readers eager to guess the outcome." - Publishers Weekly
"If you've ever wanted your own do-over, this read will keep you guessing 'til the end." - Library Journal
"Time of My Life is a fabulous, madcap read, but don't be fooled: Allison Winn Scotch's narrator is wrestling with some tough issues: how do I find my place in the world? Can I become a wife and mother without losing myself? Would I have been happier if I had chosen another path? Scotch's book is hilarious and true. I loved it." -Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Sleep Toward Heaven, How To Be Lost and Forgive Me
"I loved this book! Time of My Life is funny and delightful and honest in the way only the best novels can be. Scotch's protagonist, Jillian Westfield, asks the highly-relatable question: "Did I pick the wrong life?" And, as she finds her answer, she also finds her best self. I could not put down this novel, reading it all in one delicious sitting. I envy the reader picking up this book for the first time." - Laura Dave, bestselling author of London is the Best City in America and The Divorce Party
"Time of My Life is for anyone who has asked the question "what if?", which is to say that this book is for everyone. This story of one woman's big regrets and choices will keep you reading all night, and guessing till the very end. An honest and engaging tale about how hindsight may not be twenty-twenty, and how our decisions are rarely black and white. I loved it." -Julie Buxbaum, author of The Opposite of Love
It's called Time of My Life, and it's a story about regret, what ifs, longing, motherhood, parenting, lost love, found love, friendship and redemption. And I truly hope that you will RUSH OUT AND BUY IT ASAP! In all seriousness, the first two weeks a books sales are critical to its success and to publisher support, and I would be so, so, so indebted if you could pick up a copy (and tell all of your friends!) within the next few days.
You can buy it here:
Amazon and Barnes and Noble and pretty much any bookstore near you.
Still not convinced? Here are a few objective reviews (because, let's be honest, I'm not objective):
"After this hilarious read, you may just return to your own crazy-busy routine a little happier." - Redbook
"Perfect to read with friends. A book we love." -Cosmopolitan
"Book pick of the month. Insightful and honest, Winn Scotch keeps it light but delves into the dark doubts of the road not taken." - Family Circle
"A must-read. A fantastic, often funny novel." -Hallmark Magazine
"Scotch’s second book shows a writer coming into her own, a storyteller who doesn’t take the easy way out, and a woman with a fine understanding of human nature." - Booklist
"An engaging, fast-moving, high-concept drama. Scotch keeps one dexterous step ahead of page-flipping readers eager to guess the outcome." - Publishers Weekly
"If you've ever wanted your own do-over, this read will keep you guessing 'til the end." - Library Journal
"Time of My Life is a fabulous, madcap read, but don't be fooled: Allison Winn Scotch's narrator is wrestling with some tough issues: how do I find my place in the world? Can I become a wife and mother without losing myself? Would I have been happier if I had chosen another path? Scotch's book is hilarious and true. I loved it." -Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Sleep Toward Heaven, How To Be Lost and Forgive Me
"I loved this book! Time of My Life is funny and delightful and honest in the way only the best novels can be. Scotch's protagonist, Jillian Westfield, asks the highly-relatable question: "Did I pick the wrong life?" And, as she finds her answer, she also finds her best self. I could not put down this novel, reading it all in one delicious sitting. I envy the reader picking up this book for the first time." - Laura Dave, bestselling author of London is the Best City in America and The Divorce Party
"Time of My Life is for anyone who has asked the question "what if?", which is to say that this book is for everyone. This story of one woman's big regrets and choices will keep you reading all night, and guessing till the very end. An honest and engaging tale about how hindsight may not be twenty-twenty, and how our decisions are rarely black and white. I loved it." -Julie Buxbaum, author of The Opposite of Love
Thanks everyone! Now shut down your computer and rush to your nearest bookstore! (Unless, of course, you're buying online, in which case, stay right where you are.)
Monday, October 06, 2008
Hey, So Did You Know...
...That I have a book coming out tomorrow? :) Yep, just in case you hadn't heard.
Whew! And so begins the next few weeks of craziness.
The good news is that I did a lot of Q/As in advance, so here's some reading (and a BOOK GIVEAWAY!) for you guys:
http://www.fracturedfriendships.com/ : This was a really neat Q/A because it focused on the friendships in the book, which I really enjoyed talking about.)
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a02164.html: I did a Q/A over at the great women's site, Betty Confidential, and they're GIVING AWAY A BOOK! Check it out!
http://www.seizeadaisy.blogspot.com/: The wonderful Larramie discusses the book, as well as has me chime in on some thoughts. If you don't check out her blog, you should: you won't find a more upbeat, positive person to warm your day!
Oh, and you know, in case you want to order the book, head to Amazon and nab it! (More on that tomorrow!)
Whew! And so begins the next few weeks of craziness.
The good news is that I did a lot of Q/As in advance, so here's some reading (and a BOOK GIVEAWAY!) for you guys:
http://www.fracturedfriendships.com/ : This was a really neat Q/A because it focused on the friendships in the book, which I really enjoyed talking about.)
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a02164.html: I did a Q/A over at the great women's site, Betty Confidential, and they're GIVING AWAY A BOOK! Check it out!
http://www.seizeadaisy.blogspot.com/: The wonderful Larramie discusses the book, as well as has me chime in on some thoughts. If you don't check out her blog, you should: you won't find a more upbeat, positive person to warm your day!
Oh, and you know, in case you want to order the book, head to Amazon and nab it! (More on that tomorrow!)
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