Let's Rewind

I spoke at at conference last weekend and was asked a lot of questions afterward about magazine writing. I know that there are a lot of newbies to this blog, so I wanted to pull up an old post from December in which I interviewed a variety of my editors to glean their dos and don'ts. So sorry if you've already read these, but I think they're invaluable and wanted to repost 'em.

Here's that old post:

Editors Sound Off
I've gotten so many questions in about queries - how to write them, common mistakes, proper etiquette - that I decided to go right to the source, namely, some of my favorite editors. I promised them anonymity, but let's just say that these guys are the cream of the crop: every one of them works at a top tier magazine that you see front and center at a newsstand. They took the time to jot down their dos and don'ts. Take note. You won't often have the luxury of peering inside an editor's brain.

-Do Flesh Out Your Query. "My 2 cents is that freelancers worry so much about their queries, and they should worry about their ideas, which are generally lame. 95% of the ideas I get are generic, evergreen, lack sourcing and are too narrow. Make that 99%. So to be honest it doesn't matter how great the letter is -- the idea needs to be better developed." Says another editor: "If you have a genius idea, I don't care if you write it on a dirty cocktail napkin or leave it on my voicemail or send a three sentence e-mail...I just want it. In other words, if the idea ain't great, it doesn't matter how perfect the pitch is...."

-Do Read The Freakin' Magazine First! "My biggest pet peeve, whether I'm being queried by a writer or a publicist, is when it's obvious she doesn't read the magazine. For example, I get a million pitches about women starting their own businesses -- great, but a topic we simply don't cover and never have -- which the person would know if she read the magazine once or twice. Perhaps I'm the only one, but when I get a pitch like this I'll automatically disregard every bit of correspondence from the writer forever thereafter. It's my little way of protesting against people who waste my time." This editor isn't the only one to say this. Another echoes this same peeve: "When a writer who's pitching me isn't familiar with the magazine (i.e., pitches a story we'd never run, pitches a story we ran in the last issue, doesn't pitch to a specific department, pitches to a department we don't even have, etc.). If you're going to pitch, sit down with at least three past issues of the magazine and get to know it before you e-mail me." And finally, yet another one wants you to be even more thorough: "Go to the NY public library and read a year's worth of back issues before you pitch."

-"Do think about where in the magazine the story will go. Is it a department? An FOB short? If you can't find a home for it, I probably won't be able to either."

-"Do consider how you'll package it. Straight narrative? Bulleted list? Infographic? This is particularly important if you're pitching an FOB item. If it's a service story, give me a short list of possible sources. This will help me judge the likely quality of your research." Another editor agrees: "Do have specific examples/people lined up and have already talked to some key sources."

-"Do check in with editors periodically -- you never know when an editor might need your help!"

-"Do target a specific section or column and pitch the editor who handles it. Doing both of these things speeds up the process because you've already figured out for the editor where your story fits and why, and you're not waiting for your pitch to get passed along to the appropriate person."

-"Do send a few links to your nat'l clips at the bottom of your query. And if you don't have nat'l clips, don't pitch a feature. Despite how great a writer you are, it's just not likely you'll get the assignment before showing us you can handle it by writing shorts. So just pitch shorts. And you might want to write the short you're pitching--not just give me a graf--and wow me so much that I accept it on the spot. This will show me you've done your homework, know what we run, and can write the type of stuff we publish."

-"Do a Google search or a Nexis search and find out if your idea (or things like it) has been covered anywhere else, and let the editor know when and where. Just because something was covered doesn't necessarily mean we wouldn't do it to (each publication will put their own spin on it, of course), but if it's a trend item and it was a huge story in the NYTimes or God forbid, a competitors mag, that's bad. It just shows that you took an extra step."

-Don't Lob an Airball into a Random Editor. "A major pet peeve is when I get a note saying, 'If you're not the right person for this pitch, please pass it along to whomever is." 99 times out of 100 I pass it along all right -- into the trash. It's the pitcher's job to track down the right person, not mine. It's easy to call a magazine and ask, 'Who edits the travel pieces?'"

-Don't Be a Nag. "I hate it when a writer calls over and over to ask if i've gotten the pitch. Calling to check once or even twice is fine, but after that, it should be clear that the editor isn't interested. (And I apologize on behalf of all of us -- in a perfect world editors would have time to respond to every pitch, not just those she's interested in.)"

-Don't Take Things Personally. "The editor is working for the reader, not for you. The goal is for everyone to be happy but in this order: 1. Reader, 2. Editor-in-chief, 3. You." "Don't treat the assistant badly. Be nice to the little people." Before you know it, they'll be the ones assigning. (Note to readers: truer words have never been spoken. I can't tell you how many assistant editors I've befriended. We moved up in the ranks together, and they now feed me work.) So there you go. A few thoughts from the mouths of people whom really matter.

Does that help? Does that open up more questions?

Diving Back In

How do you get going again when you've have been away from a project too long?

The first - and only - way that I can dive back in after taking time away is to reread the entire WIP. Undoubtedly, I'd forgotten details or plot points (!!!), and if I don't reread, the next sections come across as very disjointed.

But just as importantly, rereading also really helps amp up my motivation. Just knowing that I've already started spinning this fictional world gets my juices flowing to keep going.

And when all else fails - as in, I've taken time off and really, really can't seem to find the motivation to dive back in, I schedule time in which I have to write. I force myself to sit in front of the computer for an hour and see what happens. It might be 300 words, it might be 1300. But by mandating that time, I'm at least getting started. And from there, within a week or so, I'm usually psyched to keep writing.

So readers, what works for you when you've taken too much time away?

Going National

If I'm pitching a big national women's magazine with a trend story, should I mention that I covered the general topic this year already. I did a local feature on an example of this trend for a local city magazine. So I have contacts and a general passion for the topic. Should I include this local story in my clips with the pitch or will this turn off national NYC editors...who I assume want something fresh and new? My pitch for the national magazine is broader but it touches on the same general trend I featured in the local story.

Ooh, this is a toughie, and I'm guessing that there are folks out there who have done this, so I'm hoping they'll weigh in, since I've never been in this position.

My instinct is to say that it's fine to mention the previous story IF it's not dated (i.e. older than six months) and IF you can make it "fresh" for the nationals. In fact, if you're going to take it from a local story to a national story, you'll have to put a different spin on it because editors at Vogue aren't going to care what's happening in Ohio unless it's part of a nationwide-trend. So you'll have to answer the question as to a) why is this still relevant six months later and b) what makes this trend applicable to country-wide readers, not just those in Ohio. If you can do this, then I'll argue that you're previous experience is your trump card. I've mentioned before that in your query, you need to convince the editor that you are the sole person who should write this story, and thus, in this pitch letter, I'd list the contacts and experts you'd use and mention that you already have established relationships with them. This gives you a leg up.

That said, I'm open to being swayed as to why you shouldn't mention the previous clip. Thoughts?

Sorry Mailman! It's Not Personal.

Oops! So I was speaking at a conference this weekend, and they happened to have early copies of my book for sale!! I almost died of excitement. Anyhoo, the Barnes and Noble sales rep asks me to sign some, and I did...but he directed me to the title page, rather than the blank opening page. Turns out that I had no idea that aficionados like the signature to go there. (Why is it that everyone who has ever given me a book in the past has signed the opening page???) Anyway, the point of me telling you this is because for the ten of you who will be getting your copies in the mail today, you'll see that my signature is on the wrong page. Sorry!! I hope this doesn't lessen the value too much when you go to resell it on Ebay. :)

Question of the day: Do you think you get better results submitting queries by email or snail mail? My inclination is to save time and money by emailing, but I've heard of successful writers who swear by snail mail.

(ETA on 4/24: Btw, I took this question to mean querying magazines. Querying agents is different, and while I only queried via email, people do certainly still resort to snail when on the agent hunt.)

I know no one, repeat NO ONE, who still snail mails queries. Seriously, I've never even heard of it anymore! The only time I ever hear of writers using the actual mail is to drop requested clips in the mail to an editor.

Snail mailing queries is like microfiche: it worked at the time but now, there's just no need for it. And seriously, I could be wrong about this, but I feel like it will make you look a lot more amateurish. Especially if you read a magazine's guidelines and then send in to the generic address they request. This is just a filter with which to weed out newbie writers.

The best way to get your query read (and responded to) is to research the masthead, target the appropriate editor, and email them your pitch. There's certainly no guarantee that he or she will read it even then, but I suspect it's a lot likelier than if your query lands in their untouched - and mile-high- mail pile.

Writers out there...does anyone still query via snail mail? Or do you all stick to the electronic highway?

When Your Work Sucks

Thanks to EVERYONE who asked for a book! I ran out pretty quickly, so huge apologies to those who didn't get one. The good news is that the book will be in stores soon enough! :)

Question of the day: I had an oh-shit moment with book one today, 200-pages into the rough draft and I just thought, "this sucks. this totally sucks." i still believe in the idea of the novel, but it...is starting to suck. I take it that's not a good sign. Has this ever happened to you before? Do you go back in, keep trucking, and take a deep breath and edit, or do you chuck the entire thing? Are people's first books just usually doomed? I know I'm getting rhetorical. Apologies.

It happens to me all the time. LOL. As I mentioned earlier in the week, it even happens once the book is published!

What I like to do when I'm feeling like the writing is really stinking up the joint is stop and go back and edit. By doing this, I can usually pinpoint the plot lines that aren't working and the passages that really blow. I also find that I usually can restore my confidence by rereading because I realize that the majority of what I've written really isn't that abysmal. You tend to forget that as you go along. Hell, I forget about entire passages I've written, and upon rereading, I'm like, "Wow, that's pretty damn good. I had no idea that I was capable of that!"

I think you know that a book is really doomed when you lose any and all will to keep working on it. When you're just so stymied that you can't muster the creative energy to go on. Barring that, I do think that most works are capable of being revised to the point of where they're so much improved. I know this because my first novel wasn't so fantastic, and yet, I've been able to pull small pieces out of it and create my current WIP, which both my agent and my editor really dig.

Are first novels always doomed? Not at all. But do they have a lower chance of getting published? Probably. Only because writing is a learning process, and on your first crack - just as with anything - you're probably not going to hit a home run. You might, but you also might have to go to batting practice before you do so. And for a lot of people, that first novel is like batting practice. But again, plenty of people can and do sell book #1.

So readers, how do you know when your book is sucking the big one? And what do you do about it?

Free Books! Who Wants a Free Book?

Okay, I have ten free books to give away - here are the deets.

I'm going to give away signed copies of TDLF to the first ten people who email me either from here or from MySpace. The stipulations? You must have a blog, and all that I ask is that you blog about the book the week of May 8th, the official release date, despite Amazon listing it for May 1st.

Send me your blog address and your mailing address, and if you're one of the first 10, I'll pop a book in the mail!

Email me at allison@allisonwinn.com to get yours!

To MFA or Not? That is The Question.

I'm a young writer, just starting out. I'm working on my first novel and I've just been accepted to a pretty good MFA program, but I'm still considering whether or not to go. I know there are a lot of writers, such as yourself who have made amazing, truly enviable careers for themselves out of smarts and talent, and I keep waffling on whether the MFA is necessary or even that beneficial to the career. Do you have any thoughts?

Ooh, what a good question that opens up a lot of debate, so readers, please do chime in on the comments section.

The truth is that I don't think there's a black and white answer to this, and I also think this might depend on your literary goals. Most writers I know have not gone through an MFA program, but most of the writers I know are more focused on magazines, so getting their MFA wouldn't necessarily help them. That said, I also do know plenty of novelists, and in my close circle, again, many don't have their MFAs.

That said, there's no doubt in my mind that if I were a more literary writer - my stuff is commercial fiction - that an MFA program could and would help me fine-tune my skills. I also believe that a degree would help you land an agent, but only if you graduate from some of the more prestigious programs, such as Iowa, in which agents scout for new talent.

So...the answer is that I really don't know. Again, I think it all depends on your anticipated course and where you are right now, in terms of writing and success.

Readers - what say you? Yay or nay to the MFA?

Seeking Out Studies

I am researching a nutrition piece, and encountering some problems with finding/citing studies. I want to ask how do you go about finding studies/researches for health stories. My article has to do with best foods to take before and after exercise. Now, how do I find what studies have been conducted on pre and post exercise nutrition. And any general advice on how to approach research for a health piece would be appreciated, too.

My go-to sites for medical research are PubMed.com and Newswise.com. I particularly like PubMed because not only does it contain nearly all of the latest medical research and published studies, it also has a really handy tool on the right-hand side of the page in which you can click on similar studies to the one you're currently reading.

I don't know that there are any magic ways to find studies other than to play around with key words, in your case, obviously food, exercise, recovery, muscle strength, caloric expenditure, etc. I plug in variations on these keywords and see what comes back to me.

Of course, google is another fantastic way (obviously!) to get some direction on what you might be looking for, and if you find a study referenced in, say, an article on CNN, then you can head to PubMed to find the exact study. Yahoo Health is also a very user-friendly way to find new studies, but their archives don't extend back that far. Oh, also, Medlineplus.gov is another good source to check out too.

Writers, what health resources do you prefer? And how do you go about tracking down specific studies? Is there an easier way?

The Waiting is The Hardest Part

I know you recently sold a novel, so I hope you'll have some insights for me. My agent is sending out my novel to a portion of his list today and the balance, next week. I wondered if you could tell me how long it took to hear back from publishers when your book went out. Did some get back to you in days? Weeks? What's the shortest, longest, average response?

Happy to. But keep in mind that how quickly you hear back really isn't an indication of whether or not you'll get an offer. I know plenty of folks who have sold after two months or three - or longer. It all depends on how busy the editors are, if someone else shows interest in the ms, and your agent's relationship with the editors. (I.e, trusted confidantes might get quicker reads.)

That said, here's my story:

I finished my tweaks for my agent in early December 2005. Obviously, we didn't want to send it out then, but my agent (smartly) called everyone to say that it would land on their desks first thing in January, and several editors requested a sneak peek. Which was a really good move for me. Because when folks got back into the office on Jan 3rd, we already had feedback - namely, that it was getting second reads at most of the places that had gotten sneak peeks. So from there, the remaining editors madly rushed to read, and we held an auction the following Friday - ten days later - in which we received four offers.

So for me, it was very quick. BUT, a lot of that was a result of the early reads over the holidays and the fact that we got initial interest right away. I'd wager that most sales don't happen this quickly, and you only hear about the ones that do happen overnight or so because they're so unusual.

The waiting period sucks. It just does. Try to distract yourself by working on your next project. And remember, you only need ONE editor to fall in love with your work. That person might read the first night or the might read three months later - it really doesn't matter. It just matters that eventually, he reads it.

So readers, how long did it take you to sell your ms? What's the fastest sale you've heard of, and what's the longest?

And This Is When the Neurosis Begins

I know that I have a backlog of questions to get to, and fear not, I'm getting to 'em, but I also promised that I'd talk a bit about the time leading up to my publication date (three weeks!!), so please indulge this post.

It's a funny thing: now that I have the book in my hands, I've become completely neurotic about other people reading it. I was flipping through it this weekend - I can't bring myself to read it from cover to cover because I've literally already read it like, 15 times - and was thinking, this sucks!! I can't believe that this is going out into the world!! Who agreed to publish this??

Cue: me heading to the gym and running five miles to deal with myself.

I'm not the type of person who has a lot of self-doubt. You're probably not going to get the figurative, "does this make me look fat," question from me. But let me tell you, publishing a novel is terrifying. Thrilling, yes. But terrifying all the same, and at this very moment, it's hard not to be plagued with all sorts anxiety.

I mean, not only do you put yourself out there for critics, who actually don't bother me so much, but you put yourself out there for all of your friends and acquaintances and friends of acquaintances to see...and inevitably, some of them are going to think you suck. That's just a fact. Fiction is so subjective that what floats my boat won't float someone else's, and while I completely and totally understand this, it still makes my stomach churn just a tad. Because at the end of the day, even if your book isn't someone's cup of tea, you really don't want them to think that you suck. But the truth of the matter is, is that someone will think I suck, and the truth of that matter is that I just have to deal with it.

But that doesn't mean that I won't be logging a lot more miles on the treadmill in the next few months. :)

So I'm curious - other pubbed writers - have you experienced similar moments or am I just a complete headcase?

It's Here, It's Here, It's Finally Here!

Wow, I really can't believe it, but I'm holding a hot little copy of TDLF in my hands. It's almost surreal, because this has been such a looooooong process. After all, I started writing this book almost exactly two years ago to date and sold it 16 months ago...and now to see it in its entirety is just...weird! :) I wish that I could be more eloquent but it's such a strange mix of emotions. Have any other writers felt this way? Part of me has already moved on to book #2, part of me is peeing in my pants with excitement, and part of me is so overwhelmed with emotion when I see the dedication to my late friend that it's hard not to cry. I'm literally almost shaking.

Anyhoo, I also wanted to take a second to horn-toot. If you're at a magazine stand in the next few weeks, whip out your wallet and pick up the following:

Cosmopolitan: TDLF is picked as one of their top 5 spring book club picks and called "too good to pass up." (pg. 318)

Redbook: As mentioned before, TDLF is their May book club selection, so there's a (truncated) excerpt on pg. 98, and I believe that the first chapter will be posted online at some point.

Marie Claire: TDLF gets a fab review and is called, "Smart and well-written." (pg. 127)

I couldn't ask for much more than that! (Other than that you order this baby asap!)

Happy weekend everyone!

When a Clip Isn't a Clip

When sending clips, would you go for the clip that is the most impressive or best reflects the style of the publication you're querying? I know that blog entries are not really clips (or are they? technically, it is a "writing sample") but I've occasionally used them if I think the editor will appreciate my style, and I make sure to mention the magazines and other publications I've written for. Would a print editor scoff at this?

I'd send both: the most impressive and the one that is most reflective of the publication's style. In fact, when sending clips, I always include at least three, so this shouldn't be a problem. The most prestigious says, "Hey, I can write for the big guns," while the most tailored says, "Hey, I can cover this topic for you sans problem."

One thing I wouldn't do, however, is send in blog entries. Like letters-to-the-editor, they might *technically* be examples of your writing, but a) no one has hired you to write them, b) no one has given you any guidelines to follow, thus editors don't know if you can take feedback, meet deadlines or pull together a structurally sound article, and c) everyone and their mother has a blog these days, so I don't think that it's particularly impressive if you have on yourself.

That said, of course, if you think it's something that the editor is dying to read, then you can send it in, but I'd always, always include other clips because again, you can be a genius blogger and still not know how to craft a good article. So I guess your blog would indicate that you can write in a certain voice (I'd assume that's why you'd send in an entry), while the other clips would demonstrate that you're a pro.

But all things being equal, I'd skip blog entries entirely. (But don't beat yourself up for doing this! You live and learn, and many other far more egregious slip-ups have been made!)

So, what say you readers? Disagree or agree with me about blog entries?

The Contract Isn't In the Mail

I had an essay accepted by a consumer magazine from a NYC company and I revised it, signed the contract and sent it back. I just got word that the magazine is folding and my editor says her last day is today and someone will get back to me to let me know if I am going to be paid. We had agreed my piece would run later this year and they are only publishing one or so more issues-not with my essay. I had not yet received the signed contract back (with their signatures) back so I am thinking I am just out of luck with this one, what do you think?

Wow, so many contract questions this week! Which, caveat, is totally not my area of expertise.

I am thinking, like you, that since the contract wasn't signed on their end, that you might be SOL too. Which really blows. That said, do you have anything in email about the terms of your agreement. I believe that this might be able to be used as a contract in lieu of an actual one, and if you wanted to fight for your (deserved) money, you could.

That said, ASJA has a wonderful contracts resource, and you don't have to be a member to use it. You should float an email to someone on their committee and see what feedback you get, because again, I'm not an expert.

Readers - does this writer have a chance at seeing a paycheck?

Travel Writing and Reprints

Today, I sold a feature travel article to a regional magazine. I'm thrilled, but of course, now I want to do more. The magazine is buying first rights for their region, so I can sell this story to other magazines in other regions. My question is regarding how to approach those other magazines. Do I send them the query letter and say that I am selling the first print rights for their region (let's say 'Austin' or 'Rhode Island', for example). Are editors put off by writers trying to sell an as yet unwritten story to multiple markets (this seems like a delicate issue)? Would it be better to wait until the article is published and sell it as a reprint (which I would guess earns less money)? If I somehow sell the article to another regional market, do I have to tell the first market about it? I just want to get the appropriate mileage out of this article without committing any faux pas or causing bad blood with editors, especially the one who is already buying my article.

Ooh, this is tough, and I'm really not sure what the answer is because I don't do any travel writing, and I also am too lazy to resell my reprints. (Which is dumb, I know, but these days, I just don't have the energy.)

I really don't have any insider tips, so I wanted to throw this out to readers because I'm certain that someone out there will give you good advice.

Geez, I'm sorry that I don't have more insight! But this is what I love about this blog...I learn things here too!

So readers, what say you?

Does Timing Matter?

Do you think the timing of pitches matters? I often find myself drafting pitches Friday afternoon (a quieter time when e-mail and phone have died down, etc.). But then I wonder if it’s a bad idea to e-mail a pitch on a Friday afternoon because the editor likely won’t get it until Monday morning when it will be buried underneath all the spam and other stuff that comes in her in-box over the weekend. Also, I overheard a former editor talking the other day and she said she hated it when freelance writers pitched her during certain time of the month (I’m pretty sure she wasn’t talking menstrual cycle, but rather the week that she was under deadline). So are there certain days and/or weeks that are better to pitch than others? Or am I totally over-thinking this?

LOL: the certain time of month! I'm guessing that she meant "closing" - when they put an issue to bed and things get really harried - but honestly, I don't keep track of which magazines close when, so not pitching during "that time of month" might be tough. But you could certainly ask your editor - if you have a relationship with her that is - when the mag closes, and then pitch accordingly.

When I was in my pitching hey-day, I liked to send off emails late at night before I went to bed. My thinking was that universally, people tend to open their email account first thing in the morning before their days got crazy, and by sending it later in the evening, mine would be closer to the top. Now. I have no idea if this tactic worked or if it was just some crazy scheme that I invented, but I did seem to land a decent amount of pitches or, at the very least, got responses.

I actually don't like to pitch on Fridays or over the weekend for the exact reason you mention: I worry that my email will get lost in the fray. But I do have some friends who say that pitching on Fridays works really well for them because it tends to be a quieter day for editors, so they have time to read the emails, and they also might want to clear out their inboxes before the weekend.

So...gee...I'm not being particularly helpful, am I? I think the bottom line is that every writer will tell you something different, so it's difficult to pinpoint the best time to pitch. What really matters, of course, is that your pitch is a good one, not when you send it.

But that said, I'd love to hear from readers: when do you pitch and why? What works for you? If there are any editors out there, when do you prefer to receive pitches?

In-Person Interviews

I have my first “big” interview coming up with a well known author who I’ll be profiling for an article. Most of my articles up to this point have only required me to track down a few sources for a quote or two over the phone. I haven’t conducted a lot of “in person” interviews. What’s the proper protocol? Do I take hard copy notes? Type on my laptop while we chat? Or can I simply lay a dictaphone on the table and just have a conversation without taking notes (then transcribe the tape recording later in my own time)?

Funny, in the day and age of email and phones, we writers rarely have to leave our offices to conduct nearly all of our work. Amazing, isn't it? I mean, if I'd decided to become a journalist twenty years ago, I'd have to trek to the library to do my research on microfiche!! Which means that in-person interviews are often a thing of rarity. I don't do them much either.

When I do do them, I tend to record the convo and take light notes. I dunno, this seems to help me jog my memory when going back and writing the article, as well as helps me filter through a long recorded conversation, as in, okay, she said this, and then she said that. Which helps when I'm looking for a specific nugget.

But I'm tossing this question back out to readers because I'm certain that there are some folks who do a lot more in-person interviews than I do. So folks, how do you conduct them? Tips for this reader?

The Secrets to Success

Hey guys,

I'm guest-blogging at Writer Unboxed today...it's one of my favorite posts all about the key ingredients, in my opinion, to becoming a published author.

Check it out!

The Numbers Game for Queries

I'm starting to get more clips (it seems like a snowball effect) and I am landing a couple of magazine assignments each month, which inspires me to pitch more, etc. At some point of course I'd love to quit my 9-5 and be able to pay for my own health insurance. My question is, how did you transition to freelancing full-time and do you set a weekly goal for pitching magazine pieces - i.e. this week I'll pitch five stories - or any other tips you have on how to keep the snowball rolling, and growing.

I was in a very fortunate position in that I didn't really have a "full-time job" when I started freelancing. Rather, I'd co-launched an internet company that was eventually sold (sadly, after the internet bubble popped), and I retained a lot of our clients as freelance clients. So...I never really faced the "can I leave my current job" situation because I poached from my current well of work and kept working for them.

But, more to your point, I think a weekly goal is a must. In fact, one of my writer's groups frequently has Pitch Challenges, in which teams try to pitch as many places/editors as they can, and then score points for each story landed. If five a week works for you, and is bringing in steady work, then by all means, keep it up.

I think the hardest thing, in terms of volume, is coming up with new ideas. So don't forget that each idea doesn't have to be "new." It might be a spin on an idea that you're already pitching...or a spin on a story that you've already written. Whenever I'm interviewing an expert for a piece, I try to weed out some tangents or nuggets that might be used elsewhere - I often end up using only a small percentage of the actual interview for the first story, and why let all of that good info go to waste? Of course, it also helps to scour the web (and newspapers, etc) to stay on top of all the breaking research and trends. I've found that often times, even when I'm totally creatively-zapped, digging around some breaking news might help me muster up a gem of an idea.

So readers, how many pitches do you aim to shoot off each week? Is there a method to your madness?

Any Booksellers Out There?

I'm in the final stages of my pre-publication publicity push, and I've learned so much as I've gone through it, so I thought that in addition to answering questions on the blog, I'd also chat about what I'm doing publicity-wise, if you guys are interested in such things.

One of the critical things I've discovered is how invaluable booksellers are...the actual folks who toil at your local store or behind the counter at your nearby Barnes and Noble. Your marketing team can do a hell of a lot for you, but at the end of the day, the folks in the stores are the ones who have influence over buyers and can keep your book in front of readers for a longer period of time than you publisher might have anticipated in their co-op space purchases.

To that end, this week, I'm starting to head out to local stores to introduce myself, talk about the book, and hand out my few remaining galleys. We get the actual book in a few weeks, so once I've burned through the last of my galleys, I'll hand out books. It's an interesting process, and something that, until I was published, I'd never even though about. But check out this article from yesterday's NY Times: pounding the pavement really can help.

Obviously, I can only get to so many local stores, so if you're a bookseller or if you're pals with a bookseller who might be interested in reading a galley, shoot me a note. I only have a few left, but I'll drop one in the mail.

Writers: have you found that this one-on-one, personalized marketing has really helped? I'm curious to hear about how other people have done this in the past. And booksellers: do you truly take note when an author shows up and awkwardly mumbles an introduction? I'm a really outgoing person, but I feel a little self-conscious doing this!

Taking the Lead

I'm back! Vacation was wonderful, and yeah, I know that being in the sun is horrible for you (I do wear gobs of SPF, don't worry), but wow, isn't everyone just a little bit more attractive with a flush of color? It's true, I swear.

Question of the day: A novel question for you...if your publisher is making you a "lead title" what does that mean? I'm guessing it's good, but I'm not sure what it means in terms of what they actually do.

If your novel has been deemed the lead title, it's a very, very, very good thing. So if this is the case, huge congrats!

What this means it that your book will essentially be the star of your publisher's show: the one the sales reps push, the one the marketing team markets, the one onto which gobs of attention will be showered. For example, Jon Clinch's Finn was recently his imprints lead title, and damn if you didn't see that book everywhere. (And deservedly so...Jon is a kick-ass guy, and while I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, the reviews were incredible.)

If you're the lead title, ask your agent directly what this means for you and how it will impact your PR, marketing and sales. But needless to say, it's a real vote of confidence from your publisher.

Anyone out there a lead title? Or have more specifics as to what this author can expect?