AUTHORS SHARE SECRETS OF SUCCESS AT BARNES & NOBLE EVENT HOSTED BY EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE
By Miriam Raftery April 11, 2011 (La Mesa) – Break some rules and pick a pen name similar to your favorite best-selling author. Those were among the creative tips offered by Joshua Graham, local author of the best-selling legal thriller Beyond Justice. Graham joined with local authors T.J. Johnson and Linda Loegel Saturday in a free forum for aspiring writers offered at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Grossmont Center, La Mesa. The forum, organized by East County Magazine book reviewer Dennis Moore, drew a standing-room-only crowd. It also attracted literary luminaries including other authors, publishers, and journalists. Panelists offered insights into how the publishing industry has changed dramatically as well as new strategies available for authors to get published and market works. Among the topics address were the merits of self-publishing versus using a traditional publisher, whether one should invest in editing services, do you need an agent, and how authors can promote their books even on a shoestring budget. Graham revealed that he intentionally chose a pseudonym similar to John Grisham, a famous author of legal thriller fiction, “so my books will be next to his on the shelves,” he revealed. The strategy worked. Beyond Justice became the #1 best-selling novel on Barnes & Noble e-books. Books by Graham have also emerged as best-sellers overall in Barnes & Noble’s thriller category. Some publishers’ websites state that they will not accept queries for unagented materials. “That’s a myth,” Graham said. “I’ve always ignored that and sent it in anyway.” Some publishers responded by asking to see a full manuscript. The best-selling author added that authors who represent themselves can get lists of publishers and contacts through Publishers Marketplace. Gone, too, are the days of printing out reams of paper, boxing up your manuscript and incurring hefty postage bills. “I only do electronic submissions now,” said Graham. “In one day, I sent out about 45 queries.” He added, “Getting in print is easier, but getting your work recognized is harder.” Graham noted that authors can now publish their own works through www.pubit.barnesandnoble.com and Kdp.amazon.com and have those major bookseller sites sell them, or use tools such as Lightning Source, Create Space, and Smahswords. This has also dramatically shortened up the timeframe to get published and opened new outlets such as publishing for I-Pads. While a conventional publisher may still take two years or so from purchase to publishing date, self-publishing can get a book into print within 48 hours. T.J. Johnson is a self-publisher author who does her own marketing for her book, Chapter and Verse: Crosswords and other Puzzles, Genesis- Book One. She utilizes a writing critique group and advises that it’s easy to miss your own mistakes. “Even if you have to pay someone, it’s worth it to get editing done.” She advises writers to “take a look at a lot of different publishers and do a comparison.” The authors indicated that use of social networking sites helps boost sales. “Most of my promotions have come through Facebook,” said Graham. “I also use Twitter and a blog,” he said. In addition, he utilizes tools such as Kindle and Nook through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. “When I did, suddenly my sales started growing,” he recalled. Linda Loegel, author of Bumps Along the Way and If You Don’t Like Worms, Keep Your Mouth Shut is president of the Alpine Writers Guild. Her books describe a humorous cross-country trip with her husband and recollections from her childhood. She used a traditional publisher for one book and self-published the other through Lulu.com, which takes a percentage of sales but charges authors zero up front. “I now get 90% of royalties on one book and only 10% on the other,” says Loegel, who is an advocate of self-publishing for that reason. She also advises authors to “never trust Spellcheck.” ECM book reviewer Dennis Moore, host of Saturday’s event, offered this advice for writers. “Rejection is like a job interview. You’ll get rejected so many times, but then you get accepted and you’re set.” Jane Mitchell, Emmy Award-winner, host of Channel 4 TV’s “One on One with Jane Mitchell” and author of One on One, My Journey With Hall of Famers, Fan Favorites and Rising Stars was among the celebrity authors who stopped by the event. Mitchell graciously fielded a question or two from audience members. She opted to self-publish her book in hard-cover and insisted on large print so her mother could read her work. Despite her fame on local TV, Mitchell had over 80 rejections and recommended a book titled The shortest distance between you and a published book. Other local literary leaders who turned out to show support for the event included Pete Zindler, author of Seeds of Greatness and Spirit Warrior; Betty Pegas, author of Chasing a Dream in the Galapagos: A Personal Evolution, Krista Pettiford, author of Surrendered Balance, and Judith Rubenstein, CEO and publisher of Granite Hills Press and author of Essentials of Reading and Writing English. In addition, D.J. Dunnivant from San Diego Voice and ViewPoint Newspaper, Dee Sanford from African American Business Women with Vision, and Miriam Raftery, editor of East County Magazine and author of 100 Books That Shaped World History and other books, were also present at the event. Max Thurman, 93-year-old author of The Obesity Solution and Cancer Rip-off, was scheduled to participate on the panel but was unable to appear due to a health issue. ECM wishes to thank the helpful staff at Barnes & Noble in Grossmont Center for their sponsorship of this highly informative and entertaining event. For more information on these and other authors, visit our San Diego Bookshelf section at http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/taxonomy/term/999. For more information on Barnes & Noble, visit www.barnesandnoble.com. East County Magazine welcomes opportunities to partner with other organizations interested in having local authors speak and sign copies of their books. ECM also seeks sponsors to support our San Diego Bookshelf section, which reviews works primarily by local authors as well as a selection of
WANT TO GET PUBLISHED? GET TIPS FROM LOCAL AUTHORS APRIL 9 AT BARNES & NOBLE, LA MESA
Authors will offer writing tips and sign copies of books at Grossmont Center store By Dennis Moore April 2, 2011 (La Mesa)—Are you an aspiring author? Barnes & Noble bookstore in Grossmont Center will host ”How to get published” on April 9 at 1 p.m. Moderated by ECM book reviewer Dennis Moore, The event will feature best-selling novelist Joshua Graham as well as local authors Max Sturman and TJ Johnson. The authors will field questions and offer helpful tips about the business, as well as sign copies of their books. All are local authors; you can find reviews of many of their books and others in East County Magazine’s "San Diego Bookshelf" section. Max Sturman, author of Obesity – The Solution, devotes his time to writing books about healthcare and nutrition. He was recently recognized for his writings at a reception at the San Diego Public Library’s “45th Annual Local Authors Exhibit.” He has also received accolades from First Lady Michelle Obama’s office and her “Let’s Move” campaign for combating obesity. At 93, he’s a living example of the benefits of healthy living and eating. Joshua Graham is the author of “Beyond Justice,” and also co-host of the internet radio show for writers, “Dialogue: Between the Lines.” His books, Beyond Justice, The Accidental Exorcist, the Accidental Hero, The Accidental Healer, and Death and Taxes have reached the top of multiple bestseller list on Barnes & Noble topping titles by John Grisham, Linda Fairstein, Scott Turrow and James Lee Burke, Ted Dekker and Steven James. Soaring to the top of the Barnes & Noble lists, Beyond Justice recently hit #1 in the Legal Thriller and Christian Thriller categories, topping by John Grisham, Joel C. Rosenberg, and Michael Connelly. It has also remained on the Amazon.com top 100 bestselling Kindle bestseller list months after its release. TJ Johnson, the author of Chapter & Verse: Crosswords and Other Puzzles – Genesis Book One & Two, is a Bible teacher at Bayview Baptist Church in San Diego, and was also recently recognized at the San Diego Public Library’s “45th Annual Local Authors Exhibit.” Sturman and TJ Johnson are members of the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild, a 30-year-old organization of authors, writers and literary enthusiasts. Joshua Graham is a former member. Barnes and Noble is located at 5500 Grossmont Ctr., Dr., Suite 331, La Mesa, CA 91942. The company is the world’s largest bookseller and the nation’s highest-rated bookselling brand. The authors’ event is the brainchild of Barnes & Noble Community Relations Manager, Shannon Fennell Fistola. Fistola approached this writer about her innovative idea for this event after being made aware I had written a number of book reviews for local authors in East County Magazine. Barnes & Noble, the nation’s highest-rated brand in the bookselling businesses, seeks to fill the gap left by closure of Borders Books in El Cajon when that company filed for bankruptcy reorganization. The company is a leading content, commerce and technology company that provides customers convenient access to books, magazines newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform. If the event is a success, it may become an onoing event, which would be a benefit to the writing community in San Diego and East County. Dennis Moore is a member of the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild. He has been a freelance contributor to the San Diego Union-Tribune Newspaper, LifeAfter50 Magazine in Pasadena, California, and the Baja Times Newspaper in Rosarito Beach, Mexico. Mr. Moore can be contacted at demoore21@sprint.blackberry.net. Printer-friendly version