Just got word from my producer that she’s hired a screenwriter to adapt my novel into a screenplay — the next big step to seeing the story on film.  Yippee!

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for the good book.  Other than suggestions from friends, I found the next best resource to be Goodreads, an online network of book lovers who set up their virtual bookshelves with books they’ve read, are reading, or plan to read.  Once a reader has rated ten books, the site recommends books he or she might like.

This site is better than Amazon for recommending books because Amazon bases it’s recommendations on what you recently browsed or bought, so if you bought a book for a friend or a child, that can skew the recommendations.

Check it out and see what you think.

So you want to sell your old couch, refrigerator, or computer.  You want to put an ad in your local paper, but you don’t want to post your phone number.  Or maybe you’re posting your resume online and don’t want your number made public.  Enter babble.ly.  They will provide you a disposable link for your phone number which can be cancelled at any time. Great idea.

I am the Chairperson for this year’s “Meet the Agents/Publishers Event,” sponsored by the San Francisco Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association, to be held on Saturday, March 26th at Sinbad’s Restaurant in San Francisco.  I’ve attended several of these types of events over the years where authors are given a specified amount of time (usually 3 minutes) to pitch their projects to agents.  This can be extremely intimidating.  They key to a successful pitching session is preparation.

The first step is to know your genre.  Where would a bookstore put your book?  In the mystery section; the romance section; the memoir section?

Next, you should develop a pitch.  Think about what the back cover of your book will say.  Hit the high points, not every detail of the story.  Then from that, develop a one-line pitch, something that will hook a reader.  For instance, for my novel STAYING AFLOAT my one-line pitch is, “STAYING AFLOAT is the story of a devoted stay at home wife and mother who morphs into a sex-starved adulteress.”  I’ve memorized that line so whenever someone asks what my book is about, I can recite it automatically.  I might add it never ceases to raise eyebrows.

If time allows, ask questions. You paid to pitch, so take advantage of the opportunity to get as much information as possible.  Bring a notepad to take notes.  In all the excitement, it’s easy to forget who said what.

Lastly, follow through.  If an agent asks you to send something, send it.  Remember, agents are there to find they next best-selling author.  It could be you!

Dan Poynter is a leading authority on book publishing.  In addition to his over seventy-six books, he produces a free monthly newsletter on writing, publishing and promotion.  I am proud to have my writing tip on Page 10 of the December issue.

Check out this interesting survey done by Verso Advertising on book-buying and reading habits.

According to Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, there’s never been a better time to publish a book.  Watch his interview from Sydney Australia on the Lit Chick Show.

Okay, just because I’ve written a book that people seem to like and that has been optioned for the big screen, doesn’t make me an expert on this topic.  However, there are some things I’ve learned.  First of all, writing is a solitary craft.  And it’s tempting to isolate yourself in order to “tap into your muse.”  But writers who choose this route often don’t succeed.  It’s important to surround yourself with professionals for support — published authors, book publicists, and other people who are part of publishing world.  You can do this by joining local groups (I belong to the California Writers Club and the Women’s National Book Association) and/or joining online groups.  The main thing is to get and stay connected with others in your profession.  Spend some time each day surfing the net to find what’s happening in the writing world.

Another pitfall is not researching your market in advance.  After your book is released is too late.  You should identify your target audience upfront and develop a plan for how to let them know about your book, preferable before it’s released.  Remember, exposure =  interest = sales.

Lastly, most authors don’t succeed because they are not willing to market.  I have news!  If you want to be successful, you must be willing to market.  Every day, I do at least one thing to promote my book — every single day, weekends included.

So don’t undermine your opportunity to succeed.  Encompass all aspects of being a author and your chances for success will be greatly enhanced.

Here’s another good list of book reviewers posted by Midwest Review.  Once you get a request, you want to think hard about what to send along with your book.  Press kits used to be the norm, but they’re no longer necessary.  My advice is to slip in a press release, bio, and maybe one good review. Fold them and place them inside the front cover.  You want to stand out from the crowd.

If anyone out there has a good list of book reviewers, please post it here.

Thanks.

There’s nothing like a good review to help sell your book.  Author Karina Fabian has compiled a comprehensive list of book review sites that was updated as of May of this year.  Always check out the submission guidelines before sending your book. Remember, when you request a review, you have to accept the bad ones with the good ones.