Tag: book publishing

What’s your writing goal for the rest of the year?

by Maria

One of the best blogging classes for writers: this is my favorite blogging class to learn the nitty gritty of writing!

It’s back-to-school time! Meaning that it’s time to check in on those 2018 goals and light a fire under your buns to get them checked off.

One of my goals last year was to take a copywriting class, because even though I’ve been writing copy for books for nearly a decade, I’d never been formally trained.

And there’s something about “formal training” that’s more fun and effective than just cobbling tips together from online articles, right?

best blogging classes

So last year, I took Kelly Holmes’s Sticky Blogging class and learned a crazy amount. I will admit that I was a little doubtful that I would learn that much—Smug, Annoying Maria thought she was already pretty good at copywriting.

But NOPE. Smug, Annoying Maria is also Perpetually Wrong Maria.

I was really surprised by how much I learned in Kelly’s class, and how it made me rethink so much of the writing I was doing. I loved that her process helps you get off the hamster wheel of chasing page views so you can build true fans for your work. But I also I realized that basically everything I learned in her class also applied to writing more effective and persuasive book proposals, book descriptions, cover copy, etc.

It’s essentially a masterclass in making readers feel things. And isn’t that what we’re all here for?

It’s easily one of the best blogging classes I’ve taken, and the checklists and worksheets are also primo for making sure you don’t forget what you just learned. I still look at Kelly’s Brainstorming checklist nearly every time I sit down to write anything, and I have once or ten times shoved it in Jarrett’s face when he’s writing. (That’s luv.)

Unfortunately, Kelly is only opening up her class to new students one time this year, so if it sounds interesting to you, this is your chance!

You can sign up for the free intro workshop, How To Get More Traffic with Fewer Posts, here, and there are several time slots to choose from.

And if you end up registering for the class, I’d love to hear what you think of it!

 

Click here to register!

 

5 quick reads for the week

  1. Ever read a full page and forgotten it all? (Gulp.) Here’s how to retain more.
  2. They’re really stepping up the door prizes for raffles in the small Welsh town of Cardigan.
  3. 10 Instagram tips for writers (plus one more from me: follow this account!)
  4. Nonfiction is all about niche.
  5. Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy and I had THE most fun conversation about cookbooks and fiction on her podcast, What Should I Read Next. (And what a unique horror it is to hear your own voice played back to you. 🙉)

What we’re eating this week

You know those complicated weeks when you have oddly timed and unavoidable events at dinnertime, and you can’t for the life of you figure out what you could possibly cook? We’re having one of those weeks our life is one of those weeks, which is why I was SO excited to finally get a finished copy of my author Tiffany’s book, Eat at Home Tonight.

best blogging classes

It’s organized by obstacles that stand in the way of dinner, and it’s literally the book I’ve needed all my life. See?

best blogging classes

Here’s how it works in real life:

Monday: We’re volunteering at 7, so we’re cooking Eggs Run Through the Garden from the “I Only Have 15 Minutes Tonight” chapter. And you won’t believe this, but it really did only take 15 minutes, and it really did taste better than if you had left me alone with a cartoon of eggs and my own brain. Praise hands up!

Tuesday: We are maybe-ish fishing with a friend after work but definitely-ish low on groceries, so we’re making Black Bean Burgers from the “My Fridge is Empty Tonight” chapter. (Does anyone else feel outnumbered by the cans of black beans in their pantry? I can’t stop buying them, and it makes no sense.)  

Wednesday: Out! I think? Or maybe we’re in? I’d like to opt out of Wednesday from now on, please.

Thursday: Some nights I actually have time to cook a big batch of something, but then I want it to magically not be the same boring thing the next day. Hence, the “I Want to Cook For Tonight and Tomorrow” chapter. So Greek Soup tonight becomes…

Friday: Greek Nachos that I barely did any work for, because: Friday! 🙌🏻

Cheers!

Get one free tip for reading more + living better each week!

How to get a book deal with your blog

by Maria

How to go from blog to book–the 3 things publishers and literary agents look for in bloggers!

“Can you give me a number I should aim for?”

I could hear the hopefulness in her voice, the resolution to get started. I shifted in my desk chair and moved the phone to my other ear. I hate this question.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I loved this blogger and her writing. I’d admired her work for a long time, and it had been so much fun to finally talk to her and hear the behind-the-scenes of her blog.

But there was just one tiny problem.

Her author platform wasn’t big enough yet for a book deal.

from blog to book deal

She was doing all the right things—writing consistently, sharing her work, getting to know her readers and other influencers in her space. But I knew publishers would want her stats to be higher for a book deal, and I knew she would need to have a bigger readership to make a book successful.

I squirmed and gently suggested that she wait a little longer to pursue a book deal.

I knew she had a book in her, and I could just see how beautiful and inspiring it would be. But I also know I’m not doing anyone a service if we put a book out too early in an author’s career, before they have thousands of loyal fans who are clamoring to buy it. It’s worth doing a book at the right time in your career.

But how do you know if your blog can get you a book deal? How can you gauge whether you have enough readers to support a book? What are the blog traffic and social media numbers to aim for?

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The One Limiting Belief That Holds Authors Back From Success (And a 3-Step Process to Work Your Way Past It!)

by Maria

how to market your book

But first, the stories worth reading this week:

  • TED-Ed Lessons for Writers to Kick Off 2016 (Maryann Yinn on GalleyCat): “Would you like to take in some writing wisdom? We’ve compiled a list of five TED-Ed videos on how to create captivating fiction, the definition of ‘orwellian,’ pronouns, misused modifiers, and the origins of the English language.”
  • Ten Things I Learned As A First-Time Published Author (Kristin Meekhof on HuffPo Books): “There were missteps on my part. I was green and it showed. Even a well-established person in the book industry told me so. She went to far as to say, ‘I knew you were on the learning curve, but I didn’t know you were at the bottom of it.'”
  • Details Help Writers Overcome Fear (Benjamin Vogt on JaneFriedman.com): “Writers are scaredy-cats. We go in fear of lots of stuff, like sharing our true thoughts or wondering how others will think of us.”
  • 7 Book Marketing Trends Authors Can’t Afford to Ignore (Kimberly Grabas on The Book Designer): “In today’s world of rapidly evolving digital media, an author’s book marketing strategy requires clear career objectives and goals, an understanding of what’s working right now (and what’s on track to pay dividends in the future), and some smart planning to tie it all together.”
  • At the Codex Hackathon, a Two-Day Marathon of Tech for Books (Jon Christian, The Boston Globe): “’There are a lot of really talented developers who love books, and who would love to participate if they knew the problems that needed to be solved.’”

 

The One Limiting Belief That Holds Authors Back From Success (And a 3-Step Process to Work Your Way Past It!)

When I was in college, I used to make fun of marketing majors. I didn’t think marketing was really a thing—it sounded more like a vague corporate job where you were paid good money to sit in meetings and say jargon-y things about customers and profits.

(This is especially hilarious, because I was an English major, of all things. Which is the epitome of a vague major, and one where you would most certainly not be paid good money. I guess I was just bitter.)

When I graduated and actually got a job in publishing (!!), I was still a little snot about marketing. Secretly (and I probably shouldn’t admit this because it is just so snotty)…but secretly, I thought the marketing assistants were just there because they hadn’t been able to get the editorial assistant jobs. (I know. I was new to publishing and too proud about working in editorial. Also, just dumb.)

Over the years, as I started acquiring books, building my own list, and working at different publishers with different systems, I got curious about why some books weren’t selling and others were. I really, really wanted to crack the code. I still do.

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6 easy steps to the best nonfiction book idea

by Maria

A literary agent on the 6 easy steps to finding the best nonfiction book idea–the easiest process for landing on the best nonfiction book idea for you!

Is it spring yet?!

I’ve had enough of this cold, and the rain, and the grayness, and I’m ready for deep sunshine and sitting on the porch.

best nonfiction book idea

Aaah. Heaven.

Until the weather breaks, I wanted to chat about book ideas, which is one of the things I see authors most struggle with. It’s not easy to find the best nonfiction book idea for you, and as an agent, it’s the pits watching an author flounder for inspiration.

Maybe you have a zillion ideas and don’t know which is the best? Maybe you have one idea but don’t know if it would sell? Maybe you have no ideas just yet?

It should seem easy enough to find the best nonfiction book idea. Just find an idea you love, then write about that, right?

Except that a book isn’t for you. A book is for readers.

Ideally, the readership you’ve already built through your platform. And why spend nearly 2 years going through the publishing process if your book won’t make readers’ lives easier and more enjoyable?

A publisher also isn’t likely to invest in your book if they don’t think readers will find value in it. They’ll want you to pinpoint a clear problem you’re solving in the reader’s life and have a unique, interesting way to solve it.

So, how do you find that perfect intersection between what you love to write about and what readers will love? How do you find the best nonfiction book idea for you?

Here’s the exact process I use with my authors to help them find the best nonfiction book idea for them. Usually we walk through this research together, but today, you and I can go through it together digitally. ☺

best nonfiction book idea

 

6 easy steps to the best nonfiction book idea

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