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Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: How to Help An Author Out

by Erika Dreifus on
5

I’m one lucky gal. When my friends and family started hearing that my book of short stories, Quiet Americans, was going to be published, they didn’t only ask me about ebook availability.

They also asked how they could support me.

I had a few ideas–and I was and remain overwhelmed by the generosity others have shown me. But I can’t help wishing that I had known/been able to point them to John Kremer’s list of “30 Ways to Help a Book Author You Love” from the start. (NB: The original link seems to be broken; here’s an updated link, with “51 Ways, which I’ve added in 2020—prompted by the FB “Memories” feature.)

Kremer is a book-marketing guru, and I discovered his list this week (thanks to another marketing maven, Dana Lynn Smith). The best thing about it is that it’s still useful to me: Even if my friends and family were kind enough to offer their assistance pre-publication, most of Kremer’s suggestions can still be used now that the book is out.

For instance:

1) Buy your friend’s book. Encourage other friends to buy the book. Go to your local library or bookstore and encourage them to buy the book. Buy books as gifts.

Or:

16) Suggest catalogs, associations, and other special sales opportunities. If you receive mail order catalogs that feature books like your friend’s book, tell her about the catalog. The same with associations, groups. corporations, etc. that might be interested in buying bulk copies of your friend’s book.

Or:

25) Recommend your friend’s book to your reading group. If you belong to a reading group, suggest your friend’s book as part of your reading program. Or at least tell your reading group about the book.

You get the idea. It’s a terrific list, and I am grateful to have it.

Why don’t you peruse it, too? And then, if you think of any other tips that could be helpful, please share them here!

Ian McEwan’s Jerusalem Prize Acceptance Speech

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Yesterday, British author Ian McEwan accepted the Jerusalem Prize. Here’s the text of his acceptance speech.

I admire McEwan’s work and I’m glad (and grateful) that he refused calls to boycott the prize. Still…although no one could call the criticisms in his speech one-sided (although some will, of course, try), I wish they’d been at least a bit less tilted against Israel.

Meantime, the Jerusalem International Book Fair continues. (I’m not there, but Quiet Americans is!) I’m not seeing a whole lot of JIBF coverage online. Are you?

Notes from Around the Web: Literary Links for Shabbat

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Some goodies for you:

  • The Jewish Week‘s Spring Arts Preview lets us know about new books from Melissa Fay Greene, David Bezmozgis, and many others.
  • Just what is a “Jewish book,” anyway?
  • How did it take me this long to learn that Jeffrey Goldberg is on Twitter?
  • Natasha Solomons, author of Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, describes an especially meaningful book-group visit.
  • Excellent, insightful review of David Grossman’s To the End of the Land (trans. Jessica Cohen) by the Boston Bibliophile.
  • As the winter blog tour for my new story collection, Quiet Americans, nears its end, time’s running out to enter our Goodreads & Facebook giveaways! Hurry up and enter, and maybe you’ll be one of the lucky winners to receive a copy!
  • And speaking of Quiet Americans, todah rabah to Elissa Strauss for including it in her latest new-books column on The Forward’s Sisterhood blog.

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: The “E” Word

    by Erika Dreifus on
    8

    Here’s one question you never used to hear authors asked at their readings and signings:

    “There’s an ebook version, right?”

    The times, they have a-changed! Despite the fact that I’m pretty up-to-date on publishing and bookselling trends and by no means a stranger to the news that ebooks are becoming increasingly popular, I’ve been surprised by how often I’m asked if/when my new story collection, Quiet Americans, will be available as an ebook. The question came up again (and again) on my recent trip to D.C. for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference and reading/signing at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. But for someone as tech-challenged as I am (I still haven’t dared to buy an ebook reader of my own), the conversion process is a bit…intimidating.

    So I was grateful to see Joel Friedlander (“The Book Designer”)’s February 10 post:

    Every author I’ve talked to recently has questions about ebooks and how to go about getting their book ready to go on sale in the Kindle store, the iBookstore and all the other venues where people are buying ebooks to fill up their new Kindles, iPads, Nooks, Kobos and other ebook readers.

    Since most of these books start off life as print books, getting your book ready for life as an ebook is a matter of converting the print files to ebook formats like Mobi and ePub.

    So the answer to this question of how to move to ebooks involves finding someone to make these file conversions. People who create ebooks need to have skill at understanding how books are constructed, and how best to interpret them in the ebook environment.

    Joel’s post goes on to provide some excellent guidance and a new resource: a directory of companies offering ebook conversion services.

    Since I’ve worked with Joel before (he is indeed The Book Designer behind Quiet Americans), I trust his recommendations, and I’m waiting to hear back from someone he referred me to. Remember that I am working with a new micropress; my publisher can manage getting a book listed on Amazon for the Kindle, but I’d like to explore some other options and see what we can do to get Quiet Americans available as an ebook for multiple platforms.

    I’ll conclude with another blast from the past: In the “old days”–and it still happens–publishers planned hardcover releases with paperback releases to follow many months later. And with the paperback release came another round of publicity and promotional opportunities. But it’s a new day. Quiet Americans was released last month–as a paperback. And, if all goes well, it will indeed be available as an ebook–for your summer reading. In case anyone asks.

    Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2
  • There’s not much time left to take advantage of this (deadline is tomorrow, February 15): The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Educational Foundation is delighted to offer professional nonfiction writers the opportunity to apply for scholarships that will enable them to attend ASJA2011,” a conference in New York City scheduled for the end of April/beginning of May. Scholarships will be awarded to writers in three categories: blogging, nonfiction article, and nonfiction book. No application fees indicated.
  • “The Charles Johnson Student Fiction Award from Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an annual award competition intended to encourage increased artistic and intellectual growth among students, as well as reward excellence and diversity in creative writing. Each year, $1000 and a signed copy of a Charles Johnson book will be awarded to the winner.” Winning entry will also be published in Crab Orchard Review. “The award competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled full- or part-time in a U.S. college or university.” Submissions must be postmarked during February. There is no entry fee.
  • Another student contest: The New York Times has just announced its latest Modern Love College Essay Contest. “If you have a personal story that illustrates the current state of love and relationships, e-mail it to us….The winning author will receive $1,000 and his or her essay will be published in a special ‘Modern Love’ column on May 1, 2011, and on nytimes.com.” No entry fee. Deadline: March 31, 2011.
  • Interested in applying for a residency at the Anderson Center (Minn.)? The deadline for May-July residencies has passed, but if you’re interested in a spot for August-October, you have until March 1 to complete your application. Keep in mind that August residencies (sponsored by the Jerome Foundation) are limited to applicants who are emerging writers/artists from Minnesota and New York City. Check all the details at the website. No application fee indicated.
  • Last week I mailed signed copies of Quiet Americans to the winners of three separate giveaways. Meantime, at this very moment there are three more ways that you might receive your very own signed copy, too (at least, if you live in the U.S. or Canada). You can enter this Goodreads giveaway through Friday. You can “like” our Facebook page and thereby become eligible for two copies to be awarded next weekend, too. And you can check out The Quivering Pen, where Quiet Americans was named last Friday’s “Friday Freebie.” (But if all of this is just too much work and/or waiting, please feel free to go ahead and buy a copy!)
  • “Lake Superior State University [Mich.] seeks a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in the Department of English to start August, 2011. Primary responsibilities include teaching sections of composition I and/or II each semester, with occasional teaching of a Creative Writing course consisting of fiction, creative non-fiction, and/or playwriting.”
  • Whitman College (Wash.) invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor of English/Creative Writing (fiction).
  • New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies is looking for part-time adjunct faculty “in Fiction Writing and Creative Nonfiction, Screenwriting and Writing for Television, Journalism and New Media, Business and Professional Writing, Basic Writing Skills, and Speech.”
  • Columbia College Chicago’s Department of English has extended the deadline for applications for the position of the Elma Stuckey Liberal Arts and Sciences Emerging Poet-in-Residence. This two-year position starts August 2011. “Poets from underrepresented communities and/or those who bring diverse cultural, ethnic, and national perspectives to their writing and teaching are particularly encouraged to apply. Successful candidate will teach, give a public reading, advise a student-curated reading series, and possibly supervise a small number of graduate theses.” Extended application deadline is March 1, 2011. (via CRWROPPS)
  • Tennessee Tech University seeks a Writer, the University of California (Office of the President) is looking for a Writer/Executive Communications Specialist, and the National Geographic Society (D.C.) invites applications for an Associate Editor position.