Chip MacGregor .com

And Suddenly I'm a Genius

I had no idea the buzz my "MacGregor's Equation" would create. Suddenly I have become a genius in the minds of some. (Please don't bother correcting them.) I've been fielding all sorts of emails and questions about it. For those not in the know, in my last post, I offered a mathematical formula for determining when an author should consider moving from part-time to full-time. It looks like this:
24m(n) + 4b(r) = RJ

The short version is that you need to have four books earning you royalties and 24 months of book contracts paying you a livable wage. (Feel free to scroll down to my previous post for more detail.) Just for clarity's sake, there's one thing I want to be sure you understand: The starting place is to figure out what you think a real job is. Or, to put it another way, how much money do you think you need to make in a year in order to justify this writing gig? You have to make that decision for yourself -- nobody can make it for you. Start with that personal decision, then move forward.

On to questions. Sally wrote and asked me if I'd be willing to share some of my favorite first lines from books. Happy to!

"As clowns yearn to play Hamlet, so I have wanted to write a treatise on God." -J.I. Packer, Knowing God. A brilliant opening line. Strikes a balance between digging into something deep, while at the same time recognizing the author's own limitations. Love this one.

"I daydream all sorts of unwieldy Arkansas fantasies. My fantasies are mostly about watching him sleep and finding a church with both incense and pariahs, about carving out a life in Arkansas amid all the chicken plants and political scandals, about converting that side room he never really uses into a place where I could have a desk and a bookshelf and yellow curtains on the windows." From Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God, it gives you a taste of her talent. The unexpected word choice, the various images, and the fun that is inherent in all her writing that makes me such a fan.

Thomas Pynchon starts his amazing novel, Gravity's Rainbow, with the words, "A screaming comes across the sky." It's about living in England during the blitz. But it's his second paragraph, describing what it was like to sit in a bomb shelter during that time, that really grabs me: "Inside the carriage, which is built on several levels, he sits in veleveteen darkness, with nothing to smoke, feeling metal nearer and farther rub and connect, steam escaping in puffs, a vibration in the carriage's frame, a poising, an uneasiness, all the others pressed in around, feeble ones, second sheep, all out of luck and time; drunks, old veterans, still in shock from ordinance twenty years obsolete, husbands in city clothes, derelicts, exhausted women with more children than it seems could belong to anyone, stacked about with the rest of things to be carried out to salvation." It's the imagery, the fine description, the recognition of others that grabs me. There is foreshadowing, a sense of awkwardness, and things not yet understood in that sentence. Pynchon is a genius.

And one more: "One of the Falcon's crew must have wedged himself against a bunk in the fo'c'sle and written furiously beneath the heaving light of a storm lantern. This was the end, and everyone on the boat would have known it. How do men act on a sinking ship? Do they hold each other? Do they pass around the whiskey? Do they cry? This man wrote; he put down on a scrap of paper the last moments of twenty men in this world. Then he corked the bottle and threw it overboard. There's not a chance in hell, he must have thought. And then he went below again. He breathed in deep. He tried to calm himself. He readied himself for the first shock of the sea." This is from Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm. A strong piece of writing -- it has longing and sorrow and the obvious sense of foreboding. There is a univesality to the experience he describes, since he is asking questions all of us who grew up by water wonder about. He had the good sense to start with the end, since we already had heard this was going to be "a book about a fishing vessel that sank in a storm." The fact that Junger can add mystery to it is remarkable.

Well...there are a few examples. Feel free to send in your own favorite first lines.

Along a similar vein, Deanna wrote to ask for who some of my favorite writers are. It's a long list, but it would certainly include Mark Twain (his writing still feels contemporary), Tom Pynchon, Ross Thomas, William Shakespeare (really!), Saul Bellow, Sebastian Junger, Brennan Manning. I still think Nostromo is the best novel I ever read. Sorry...I'm a bit of a classicist when it comes to favorites, I guess.

And Ashley wrote to ask, "As an agent, do you suggest a writer follow principles and formulas, or write purely from the heart? I find that when I follow formulas for 'good' fiction writing, I wind up with a dead end."

I have two answers for you to consider... First, keep in mind "the myth of spontaneity." The myth claims that true genius happens spontaneously -- a musician simply sits down at a keyboard and creates something beautiful. It doesn't happen that way. A pianist has practiced her scales and arpeggios repeatedly, and understands how music works, how notes flow together, how to create beauty. Any spontaneous craftsmanship she displays is built on the discipline of practicing the basics over and over again. In fact, it is her ability to master the basics that allows her to spontaneously create great music. So it is with the writer. Sitting down and creating great words requires understanding the basics of writing -- how to craft a strong sentence, what makes a good paragraph, what is the difference between the right word and the almost-right word, how to build a story arc. So in this sense, great writing comes from following the basic principles of writing.

However, I find many novelists relying on formulas and creating dull, predictive fiction. So there is a second principle to hold in balance: that little great fiction has grown out of formula. I don't believe Dickens or Twain or Austen ever created an outline before they began writing. In fact, I could argue that we have a tendency to over-edit writers these days, in order to create a "sameness" to many novels. While I love writers' conferences, I fear one of the weaknesses they foster is the notion that there is ONE way to craft a novel, and it always begins with a master outline. That may work well, but I still go back to history and find that most truly great fiction sprung not from some overall masterplanning document.

So it's both. I love the training that goes on at conferences, but I don't want to see author creativity stifled by the belief there is a right way and a wrong way to do fiction. My friend Randy Ingermanson has created the "Snowflake" method for writing a novel, which is a very good system to help novelists create an overall plan for their books. I'm a big fan of his thinking...but I don't want writers coming away with the belief that ALL fiction is to be crafted that way. It's not. Does that make sense?

If you've got a question about publishing, send it my way.

chip

The Best Conference Ever

I'm just back from the ACFW conference in Dallas, and while I'm not exactly prone to raves, allow me to rave about this one... Fantastic conference. Incredibly strong. Probably the best conference I've ever been to in terms of content. I saw more publishable manuscripts than I've ever seen at a writing conference. The team of people who put this together are to be commended for creating such a strong gathering of writers. They had the wisdom to start working with a professional event planner, and long ago decided to make this something more than the usual "show up and meet one another" type of venue. The keynote speaker was James Scott Bell, a fine novelist whose greatest legacy may be his nonfiction "Plot and Structure" book with Writers Digest, and he wowed them. (I'm not a fan of most general sessions at writer conferences...too much rah-rah for my taste. I don't need faux inspiration to do my job.) The attendees found Jim funny, insightful, and moving. The workshops offered were quite broad, and they had far more meetings taught by working professionals than most conferences. The food was good (another pet peeve), the rooms at the hotel were top notch (no crummy dorms), and the gala on the last night has been turned into a true "event," with celebrity authors winning awards and people from the industry taking part. A great weekend. If you're a novelist, consider marking next September's conference on your calendar. It's going to be in Minneapolis, and they're working with the Mall of America to stage the book signing. Already sounds like a great time.

I'm way behind in answering questions, so I'll try to do some catching up this week. Someone at the conference handed me a note that read, "For Your Blog: Do I need to go to ABA to make a living at writing?"

This question presumes ABA writing jobs automatically pay better than CBA writing jobs, and that's not necessarily the case. Religious fiction is THE growing category in publishing these days, so there continues to be a market for Christian novels. I think you should ask yourself what you do best, and focus your writing on your answer. But...let's face it. It's tough to make a living at writing. Even some fine writers struggle to make a living at it. Writing can quickly become a job, and the joy can go out of it. There's a huge difference between a full-time writing professional and a part-time writer. The stakes are much larger. Study the ramifications of your decision and make sure you really want to make that leap.

Several people at the conference asked if they should consider moving into full-time work as editors. To that I can only ask, "What do you want to do? Write or edit?" Most writers have little desire to become full-time editors, and I don't know a lot of editors who secretly pine away to be full-time writers (though there may be a few). The question seems like it's coming from a frustrated author -- someone saying, "If I can't make it as a writer, is there a chance I can still work in the industry by becoming an editor?" And, unfortunately, I can't answer that for you. But know that many very creative writers struggle with the discipline and consistency it takes to become a full-time editor. (A hint: If you just love books, consider applying for a job at Barnes & Noble. It's low stress, you get to read everything for free, and you have the opportunity to talk books all day.)

On a similar topic, someone asked me, "Is it possible to make a living writing what you love?"

That, of course, depends on what you love. If you happen to love things that have a large market, the answer is "possibly." If you love obscurities, the answer is "only if you are a great writer." And that's the point to keep in mind when talking about making a living writing: If you really want to get published regularly, become a great writer. It's the best way to impress publishers. (And yes, my answer begs the question, "And how do I become a great writer?" But you probably know the answer to that one already -- you work at it. And there's no guarantee you'll be good enough. That fact is, it takes a certain amount of innate talent to write for a living. But I never knew anybody who regretted working to improve their craft. As we Scots like to say, "Time spent sharpening the tool is never wasted.")

I've had three people write to ask me, "How can I know it's time to move toward making my living at writing?" Since I was just talking about this subject at the conference, I thought this would be an appropriate time to share my views about an author moving from part-time to full-time writing.

There's a basic forumula you can use to determine if you're ready to move toward full-time writing. It looks like this math theorum, and it's called the MacGregor Equation: 24m(n) + 4b(r) = RJ

Let me decipher this for you... What you're really looking for is a salary -- the ability to turn writing into a REAL JOB. So you first have to decide what that salary would be. Let's say a "real job" in your mind is making $3000 a month, or $36,000 in a year. That's the end of our equation -- the RJ or "Real Job."

To get there, you need to have 24 months of writing already contracted (that's the "24m" part of my equation). And over that time, it has to be paying you a normal salary (that's the "n" portion). Going back to your numbers, if $3000 per month constitutes a Real Job, then you need to enough contracts in hand to pay you $3000 per month for the next 24 months (or a total of $72,000). In addition, you need to have four books (the "4b") earning you a royalty ("r") to supplement the money you're being paid on your advances. Not just four books in print, but four books that have earned out and are making you money.

If you've got that (24 months of real job wages coming in, and 4 books earning you royalties), you're probably ready to begin exploring full-time writing. The problem is that most writers sign a book deal, are paid an advance, and quit their jobs. ("See? I'm a full time writer!") But as soon as the advance is gone, they realize that they have no money, don't know where the next paycheck is coming from, and may not have finished their contracted book yet. What to do in that situation? For some, the answer is to sign up for another book. But that's a trap -- soon you'll find yourself owing money on books you haven't written yet. Eventually you can get to a place where you can never write all the books contracted, and you're facing a financial disaster. When that happens, there's no easy way out. Write the books and make no money, or pay the money back. A serious dilemma.

You can protect yourself from that by following my formula. If you don't have 24 months of real job wages coming in, plus 4 royalty-earning books, don't quit your day job. Keep working the plan until you're ready financially to make this sort of commitment.

First Things First

FIRST, some big news on my last post... I said some nice things about the "Become a Bestselling Author" CD set, and Nick (the boss man at www.bestsellingauthor.com) wrote me to say thanks and to offer any readers of my blog a special deal. Here's what he said: "Chip, if any readers of your blog are interested in purchasing a set from us, all they have to do is mention your blog and we'll give them an extra $30 off the purchase price." So, if you're interested, you can reach them at www.bestsellingauthor.com. Such a deal!

Speaking of firsts, Christina wrote to ask, "What does an agent want to see in a novel's first chapter or first page?"

The first thing I look for? I want to see if I'm drawn into the writing by the first line. Your first line is like the door to your house -- it needs to be inviting, to urge me to enter, to encourage me to see what's inside. I figure the novelist who has spent months crafting an entire book must have spent some time working on the lead, so I always read the first page of a submission. It ought to reveal the writer's basic abilities with words. In fact, you'll find most experienced agents and editors making a decision about a project's worth after reading the first few pages.

In his wonderful book, THE FIRST FIVE PAGES, agent Noah Lukeman admits that most of us will base our decisions to represent a project after reading the first few pages of a work. He explains that it's not like an art critic entering a museum and passing judgement on a delicate work of Monet in five minutes -- it's more like walking into a grade school cafeteria to observe the student art show and making a quick determination of which students have potential art talent. We make quick decisions based on the big idea, the word choices, the flow of the text, the use of dialogue and imagery, the clarity of voice.

Occasionally I'll have people tell me that's not fair -- that in fact a great book may have a weak opening. That may be true...but probably not. In my experience, a weak opening almost always means a weak book. That reveals the importance of having a strong lead. As my writing instructor told me in college, "You spend the majority of time developing a great lead. Then you make sure the second sentence is as strong as the first, and work to make your opening paragraph great. And then...you just have to ensure that every proceeding paragraph is as good." Sounds easy, doesn't it?

As I've said before, every book should have great writing expressing a great idea, and be supported by a great platform. But on that first page, I'm not looking for platform yet. I may not even be looking at the quality of the idea. On the first page I am looking for great writing. Does the author know his or her voice? Do they have something to say? Is it interesting? Does it sound natural? Is it larded up with adjectives and adverbs? Does the author speak directly? Do I get a strong image? Is the presentation strong? Above all, do I want to continue reading past the first page? Those are the questions rattling around in my head at the start of a submission review.

And keeping on the topic of firsts, Danica wrote and asked, "When I heard you were teaching a couple of writing classes at a college, the FIRST question that popped into my head was, "Why? What are you hoping to accomplish? Why did you refer to this as an opportunity, when you could be working numerous other places?"

I love publishing. I got my first job in publishing thirty years ago, when I was in college at Portland State, and I was excited about the chance to spend more than a day or two with young writers. You see, while I enjoy writing conferences, they have a built-in limitation -- I come in and talk for a couple hours, maybe spend 15 minutes with an individual, but I never get a chance to work with someone long-term except the authors I represent. Here was a chance to come and spend a school year with writers -- talking about books and words, exploring new ideas, giving them steps that can assist them in their growth. It seemed like a great ministry opportunity to actually help somebody (instead of just TALKING about helping people, or sending a check to help people). So this is my way of giving back. I'm the writer's version of Chico Esquaela: "Publishing been beddy beddy good to me." (Those under 40 will need that joke explained to them. It's a vague reference to a Saturday Night Live character in the 70's. Sorry.)

Maybe I could have gone somewhere else, but somewhere else didn't ask. I didn't want to work for another publishing house, since I like what I do as a literary agent. And Taylor University in Fort Wayne has a fabulous writing program -- it's not another academic literature degree, and it's not one of those "creative writing" programs that are long on philosophy and short on publication. The goal of the program here is to give students the tools to write for living, and help them transition into the world of publishing. It's exactly the way I think. And I could continue my literary agency. So here I am, living in Fort Wayne with Patti, teaching writing and trying to find places that actually serve good ethnic food (hard to find in the midwest, I've discovered). But I appreciate the question. And, if this helps, my daughter goes to college at Taylor.

Beanie (that's right -- "Beanie") wrote to ask, "What's the first thing I should know if I'm approaching you at a writers' conference?"

The first thing to know is that I'm not very exciting. I'm much bigger and louder in print than I am in real life. I'm usually extremely busy at a conference because my schedule books up quickly, so don't expect I can drop everything and spend an hour talking about your idea. I appreciate people who are prepared. I enjoy meeting writers. I love talking books and words. I'm big on politeness. I don't mind being asked my opinion, but I rarely argue with people if they disagree about their writing or their idea. And I love great writing, but I see little of it.

Enough firsts for one day.

A Steaming Heap o' Questions

Holy cow...I'm suddenly swamped with questions. Here goes:

First, an AGENT question from Janet: "If an agent has asked you to send in a manuscript, is it wrong to continue sending out queries to other agents?"

Not in my book. The way I look at it, if I'm taking a couple months to review a manuscript from you, then you've got every right to use that time and try to see if some other agent might be a better fit. But not everyone agrees with me. Some agents do not want to be spending time exploring a project, only to find another agent is also considering it. So be careful. Research the agents you're interested in working with, so that you link up with someone who's a fit, not just someone who happens to be an agent. Oh -- and one caveat to what I just said: If you and I start talking about your manuscript, and I give you substantive input into your work, that means I've made an investment in you and your career. I'm only going to do that with someone who really interests me, so be cautious of dismissing that. An agent who takes an interest in your work is telling you that he or she wants to continue the conversation.

Second, Glenna wrote to ask another AGENT question: "How long does it usually take for an agent to respond after receiving a requested manuscript?"

Everybody is different. I try to respond to people within a month, but this summer it seemed to take me two months before I could read and react to submissions. If you'll check out the web site of literary agents, most will offer some sort of timeline in the two-to-four month range. I've heard stories of authors having proposals in to agents for eight or nine months, but my response to that would be: "Maybe you aren't picking up the hint." Look, if you've had something in with an agent for six months, and they haven't so much as responded to your idea, it's clearly not ringing their bell. Move on.

Third, Doug wrote to whine at me about agents not responding to his "potentially bestselling" proposal. His AGENT question: "I had this in with one agent for nearly a year, and she never got back to me. I sent this to YOU several months ago, and you haven't even answered! Why don't agents do their job?"

Um...Doug, where exactly is it written that I owe you a response? My "job" is to run my literary agency. I mean, I work in the industry. I've got a thriving business going. And that somehow requires me to reply to everyone who writes me? Sorry, that's not how the world works. Lots of people write to me. And, well, not to be impolite, but I've never heard of you. I don't think we've ever met. Our only connection so far is that you sent me a proposal I'd also never heard of, just because you read about me in a magazine, and you did so apparently without checking my submission guidelines (though they are clearly posted on my web site). So the mere fact I'm a literary agent doesn't automatically mean I owe you a response. Think of it this way: If you write to the Mets and tell them you're a relief pitcher, do they owe you a tryout? If you write to Citibank and tell them you've got an investment idea, do they owe you a loan? Business doesn't work that way. I don't owe you a response simply because you can spell my name and buy a stamp. So take a lesson from all the hardworking writers out there -- do some research, get to know some agents, get face to face with them at a conference, and base your writing business on relationship, not some misguided sense of entitlement.

(And yes, I'm very proud of myself for not calling Doug a fenderhead.)

Fourth, Danica wrote and said, "I hear you're teaching a couple classes for Taylor University. For those of us who can't get to Fort Wayen, what would be some resources you'd recommend for writers?"

One of the best things you can do for yourself as a writer is to attend a good writing conference. They have conferences all over the country, usually featuring experienced writers and publishing professionals. It's a great way to meet people, ask questions, and connect with others who are also trying to make it as writers. (There's a GREAT conference happening in Dallas this week -- the annual convention of the American Christian Fiction Writers. I'll be there!) Another good thing to consider is a critique group -- a chance to sit down with a small group of fellow writers and compare notes, critique each others' work, and talk books. Many local bookstores will help authors in the area come together for critique groups. A third resource to consider is joining one of the online writing groups -- my favorite happens to be the Yahoo group "The Writers View," but there are numerous others. Most of these groups discuss writing and publishing, and many have a panel of experts to bring some wisdom to the discussion.

If you're already involved in some of those things, let me suggest a writing course at your local college. It can be a lot of fun to take a literature course or participate in a creative writing class, and the instructors can often give new insight into your work that can help move your craft to the next level. Another idea is to take a look at the world of writing by subscribing to Writer's Digest Magazine or The Writer, and carefully checking out what's new in the "writing" section of Borders or Barnes & Noble. There are more new resources being created every few months, so if it's been a year since you looked at books about the craft, by all means check out the latest.

Two more thoughts for you... If you're a nonfiction author, the folks at www.bestsellingauthor.com have re-released their CD set, "Become a Bestselling Author: Lessons from an Anonymous Publishing Giant." This is like a master's level course in publishing -- a freelance writer interviews the president of a major publishing house, who gets into the mechanics of publishing, the psychology of editors, and the methods for creating a great proposal. They cover things like "landing a literary agent" and "generating free publicity" and "conducting great book interviews." It's a wonderful resource, but it's not cheap. I think the cost was about $300, but now that they've re-packaged it and are re-releasing it, they're selling for something like $195. Still spendy, but WELL worth the investment. (And no, I don't work for them.) Check it out.

If you're a novelist, by all means go to my friend Randy Ingermanson's site www.advancedfictionwriting.com. Randy gives away some great information (make sure to look at his free e-zine and his famous "snowflake" method), and also sells his Fiction 101 and Fiction 201 classes on CD. All of his stuff is well done, and he's one of the few people out there who has something realistic to say about fiction marketing.

Hope this helps. More questions soon!

chip

How to Market Your Book and Lose Lots of Money

Ben wrote to ask, "What should you do if your publisher doesn't have adequate resources for marketing and promotion?

Um...okay, here's a suggestion to all authors and wannabe authors: Before inking that deal, ask some questions and find out what sort of marketing effort your publisher is going to make on your behalf. More than half the books released every year in CBA have zero marketing efforts planned for them. So ask some basic questions: What are some of the things you're planning to do in order to sell books? How have you promoted similar titles in the past? Will there be ads? Will you be sending out review copies? Will radio talk show hosts be contacted? Will you use postcards or bookmarks or shelf-talkers? Do you plan signings or a broadcast fax or in-store promotions? Will you to doing extensive web promotion? Do you expect me to walk around Central Park with a sandwich board?

I won't bore you with sob stories, but it's hard to find an author who is satisfied with the marketing their publisher did for them. I suppose they're out there, but they are rare. Many authors feel they were promised the moon, then handed something considerably less. At the same time, it's hard to find a publicist in CBA who really knows how to work a book. They are out there, but they're rare -- a professional who has the contacts and know-h0w to actually help an author get the word out. It's why some authors will swear by one publicist or another -- they had a good experience, and they want to duplicate it on their next book.

So if you're working with a publisher who apparently doesn't have the resources to support your book, you've got a choice to make: Do I let this book die because the publisher doesn't want to get behind it, or do I decide to promote it myself? (Hint: if you're self-scoring, the answer you want is the latter.) It could mean spending your own money. It will mean doing some looking around to find somebody who has the know-how, the time, and the reasonable budget expectations to help you. I realize this isn't what you were hoping to hear, but this sort of question faces authors every day. I've been talking to a friend just recently who has a book releasing with a major house, but they've had some staffing changes and seem to have forgotten all the conversations they had with the author about marketing her book. She's faced with two crummy choices: leave it in the apparently incompetent hands of the marketing dimwits, or invest her own time and money to try and make something happen. She's choosing the latter, since she's already put a year of her life into researching and writing the book, and she'd prefer to not see it die a quick death.

Still, that's a hard choice. There are a million ideas an author can use to try and market his or her own book, and it means doing a lot of research to figure out what the right choices are -- who the audience is, how to best reach them, what methods will be effective in getting the word out to the most people possible. You can spend a fortune in no time on ideas that won't generate many sales. In her case, she's going to contract with a freelancer to (a) get review copies into the hands of those most likely to help her, (b) connect with radio hosts in order to get her booked onto every talk show in America, (c) query magazines about the author creating short articles and sidebars that will support the book, and (d) give her some guidance on web ads. Fortunately, she ran out of money before she could implement (e), which consisted of the words "have the marketing director whacked." However, the author will be working on her own to set up dozens of blog tours, she's doing a mailing and email blast of her own to loyal readers and those interested in her topic, and she's jammed her schedule with speaking venues to help her promote the book. It ain't perfect, and it's a lot of work...just like everything else in publishing has to do.

Dana wrote to ask, "In what areas do publishers allocate most of their marketing dollars?"

Currently the answer would be "in areas that don't concern your book." Look, the dirty little secret of CBA marketing is that there's really only ONE marketing plan. It's true -- they just keep changing the cover page and passing the document around between publishers and authors. If you're hoping to see your marketing plan, your publisher is probably waiting for the people at Harvest House to get done with it and send it to them.

Here's the plan: "We're going to send a half-dozen copies to those Christian magazines you don't read. Then we're going to send the other half-dozen to the Christian TV shows you don't watch -- the ones where the people all have big hair and cry a lot. Next, we're going to set you up to do talk shows during the early morning drive time slot in every city of less than 30,000 people between Twin Falls and Grand Forks. We may send out copies of entire chapters to magazines, so they've got something to fill up their recycling bins. And we'll create a cool press kit that has an actual color image of your book cover, as well as generic author questions any moron can parrot so that he doesn't have to actually read your book. Oh -- and we'll talk to you about the internet, though we're not sure it really exists, since we don't use it for much of anything besides forwarding those cutesy inspirational stories our aunties sends us. Then we'll claim it cost us tens of thousands of dollars."

For those of you in the business, feel free to correct anything I missed. And the best news of all? This is what they're going to do whether you've written a devotional, a tell-all, a parenting book, a commentary on Habakkuk, or a joke book for teens. Try not to get too excited.

Jennifer wrote to me to tell me I've been too hard on marketing types in the past, and to ask, "What sort of marketing would you suggest to an author? And what sort of marketing would you most like to see?"

First, I'd suggest an author decide to take control of marketing for their own book. Put aside that old fashioned notion that the publisher is going to market your book for you, and start learning what you can do to help get the word out. Second, I'd suggest some field research -- who is the audience for your book? What's the best way to reach them? (If the answers are "everybody" and "beats me," you're screwed.) Third, I'd start checking out the creative ideas people are using on the web. Internet book sales equaled the sales at brick-and-mortar stores last year for the first time in publishing history at most of the major publishing houses. It's the place to buy books. That means it's probably time you took a fresh look at your web site, your online videos, your blog, and anything else that sounds vaguely connected to Al Gore's invention.

As for what I'd like to see? I can think of dozens, but here's two... Many publishers have forgotten about radio. But it's on all the time in our culture. People don't like noise, so they have their radios on at work, in the car, in the kitchen. And it's FREE to listen. It's also cheap to advertise. I'd like to see more publishers figure out how to effectively promote their books via radio. A second area is one that authors could work harder at: articles. There are newspapers, magazines, and e-zines all over the world, and they're all looking for content. A magazine is a monster that must be fed. Yet I don't see authors taking their work and reshaping it a dozen times, for a dozen different e-zines, in order to get the word out about their book. It's probably the most under-utilized marketing method out there. If you've written a book on "how to be a great mom," you could take your info and craft a couple dozen articles. Each venue gets a unique story to tell, you get great press...and if you're lucky, you'll often get PAID for the effort. Why won't most authors do this? Because it means actual work, and let's face it...most writers are basically lazy. But there you go -- two responses out of twenty I could have tossed out, Jennifer.

Of course, I'd also like to see publishers give away more copies, since I think it seeds the market. I've never understood why this has gone out of vogue. Publishers claim it's too expensive -- but that 176 page trade paperback that sells for $10.99 in the stores only cost the publisher $1 to produce. so giving away 200 copies would only cost them $200. Yet they'll fight over this, arguing that "it will cannibalize sales!" Rot. Publishers see cannibals everywhere. They've been watching too much Tarzan.

Read up on the topic of marketing. Buy some good books and educate yourself. Attend a marketing seminar. Look for unique ways to sell yourself and your books, rather than duplicating what everybody else is doing. You'll find yourself an expert in no time.

So...Here We Are

So here I am, trying to get used to living in the midwest. I'm a west-coaster -- used to mountains, big distances between cities, and lots of ethnic restaurants. I'm also used to living close to the ocean, a relatively liberal body politic, and a coffee shop on every corner. And I find myself in Indiana.

I'm lost all the time. There are no mountains to gauge my travels, so I always assume I"m heading north. I've not yet caught on to midwest geography, so I'm apparently less than a four hours' drive to anywhere -- Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cincinnati. Not that I'd necessarily want to go to Cincinnatti...it's just interesting that I could. There's not much ethinic food here -- since I don't consider Irish pubs, American-Chinese takeout, or places that serve pizza as "ethnic." (Why is it that people who own Irish pubs think Americans can't stand Irish food? They're always larding up the menu with things like "Dublin Tacos" and "Limerick Chicken Wings." Trust me -- if I want tacos, I'll go to a place with the word "Los" in the name.) I'm far from the ocean, the politics are what you'd call "midwest," and they're just discovering the importance of coffee as being a  key aspect of God's overall plan for our lives.

So you know, I'm not making fun. Just pointing out that the US is a huge country, and life really is different in Indiana than it is in Oregon or Washington or California. I haven't figured this place out yet. If you have "life in the midwest survival tips" for me, send them along. For now, it's on to the writing wisdom...

Danielle wrote to ask, "In 100 words or less, what is the best writing advice you ever recieved?"

That's easy... On page 71 of Strunk & White's Elements of Style (3rd Edition), they give this advice: "Write with nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs." In the words of E.B. White, nouns and verbs "give to good writing its toughness and color." Similarly, in his insightful work, On Writing, novelist Stephen King goes into great detail on this advice, pointing out that any reader can understand the combination of a noun and a verb: "Mary sighs." "Computers crash." "Book illuminate." In my experience, authors (particularly novelists, but ALL authors) tend to use adjectives and adverbs to dress things up when they can't find the right word. But that's nothing more than lipstick on a pig. The right word is what good writing is all about. If you want punch and strength in your writing, write with nouns and verbs.

Melissa wrote to ask, "How do you define success as a writer?"

Years ago I used to teach a workshop on "how to create a master plan for your life." At that workshop, I used to tell my audience that "success is the feeling you get when you reach your goals." That may sound shallow to you -- the notion that success is nothing more than a feeling. But I still stand by that definition. If you set a goal of getting one book contract this school year, and you actually sign a deal, that wonderful feeling you have is the feeling of success.

That, of course, is why some people never feel successful, even if they've sold a boatload of books. If an author feels he or she deserves a $500,000 contract, but is only offered a $50,000 advance, there's a feeling of failure. That might seem crazy to you, if you're sitting there waiting for somebody, anybody, to offer you a thousand bucks for your unpublished novel. But that's my point: success, more than anything else, is a feeling -- an internal judge on our external work. If you teach a writing workshop and everybody pats you on the back and tells you you're the second coming of Sherwood Anderson, you feel successful...until you read the participant evaluations, and find that people thought you wandered a lot, some didn't appreciate your sense of humor, and at least one thought your haircut was ugly. Suddenly you feel like a failure (and it's amazing how one bad comment can take away your feeling of success). Some days I feel like a successful father, since Patti and I have raised three pretty well-adjusted kids. (Um...okay, that's basically due to Patti. She did all the hard work. I basically tried to stay out of the way and pay for things.) Other days I feel like a complete failure as a father -- I missed Molly's lacrosse games and forgot to attend enough of Kaitlin's ballet rehearsals. Success, more than anything else, is the feeling I get when I reach my goals.

Is that shallow? Of course it is. That's why I think a writer should think about more than temporary goals. Who wants to live their life solely on the feeling of the moment? I don't. I want my kids to know I love them, whether I'm feeling like a successful father or not. I want to have peace with God, whether I currently feel like a nice Christian boy or not (and, let's face it, too often it's "not"). Success is awfully fleeting -- as soon as your successful book starts to wane, you have to go do another one to regain the feeling of "being a successful author." So that's why I remind myself there's something more important than success in my life -- there is the concept of significance.

Again, going back to the workshop I used to teach 20 years ago, I would encourage participants to not only have goals that would make them feel successful, but to have some sort of activity that would make them significant. And I defined significance as "making a difference in the lives of people over time." As a writer, I encourage you to make a commitment to significance. Do something that will better the lives of other people. Teach someone to read. Help them learn English. In my view, true happiness and peace in life are not found in the temporary good feelings that come with success, but in living with the knowledge that we made a difference in the lives of others. In the Christian faith, nobody ever achieved sainthood by exalting themselves -- greatness was found in giving themselves up to others. I still think the most overlooked message in modern American churches is that joy is found in giving, not in getting.

Look, some of our best writers have not enjoyed much success. Poe considered himself a failure. Hawthorne never felt successful. Their "success" (in terms of book sales) came after their deaths. And some writers who acheived big success died unhappy because they couldn't retain the feeling -- take a look at the lives of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Maybe they focused so much on their own success they could never see themselves being significant in the lives of others.

Just a thought. Appreciated the question.

chip

Proposals and Conferences

Camille wrote to say, "I enjoyed your answers to the question about the worst proposals you've ever seen. But I wonder, at the risk of being gypped out of a wonderfully sarcastic answer, what are some examples of the BEST proposals and submissions you've seen?"

The best proposal I've ever had cross my desk cold was from Mary DeMuth, who at the time was an unpublished author living somewhere in a godforsaken place like Texas. She had spent countless hours researching her stuff, had refined her writing, and sent in a proposal that was so good I don't think I had to do much of anything except show it to publishers and wait for the offers. (However, I DID try to help her out by taking all the credit for it.) Not only did we sell that book, but Mary has gone on to create a half-dozen others. I'll check with her and see if she'd be willing to post a sample proposal somewhere.

Sometimes I've been totally surprised by proposals. I recently saw a proposal from collaborative writer Donna Wallace that was so good I called her about it before I'd even gotten to the last page. Susan Page Davis can whip up a strong proposal in no time -- the words just seem to flow out of her. And, of course, sometimes the best thing a novelist can do is to complete a strong draft of their work, so that an editor who picks it up can't stop reading and simply has to buy the book. I can think of three novelists I represent (Chris Coppernoll, Jenny Jones, and Kimberly Stuart) who all created such strong images I knew their work would sell right away (and they all did).

Alive Communications, an industry-leading literary agency where I used to work, has a couple of great sample proposals posted on their site. This is a huge benefit to beginning authors, and I'm always surprised it doesn't get talked about more often among people at writer conferences and email loops. They keep the Lisa Beamer LET'S ROLL proposal up (it was a collaborative effort, created by writer Ken Abraham and myself). That's a book that hit #1 on the NYT bestseller list, and the proposal is really strong -- one of the best I ever represented. Alive also has a great fiction proposal on their site -- Neta Jackson's THE YADDA YADDA PRAYER GROUP, a bestselling novel I represented for them. And I believe they now have a strong nonfiction proposal for a book my buddy Beth Jusino represented. You may think it's odd that I'd steer you to another agency's web site, but I love the team at Alive and have always appreciated the benefit they offer writers by sharing proposals for free.

On my own agency web site (www.MacGregorLiterary.com), I've got a couple of very nice sample proposals. One is from Sandra Glahn, who puts together these extraordinarily well done proposals and sends them to me complete, so that I have to do very little in terms of getting them ready for disseminating to publishers. The other sample proposal on my site is from Andy Andrews, who works with his genius manager, Robert Smith, to craft interesting, thorough proposals that offer a publisher no reason to decline publication. Either one should get your mind moving in some creative directions when it comes to crafting a nice proposal.

Gloria wrote me to note, "I had an editor request a proposal at a writers' conference. He had looked it over and told me he liked it. I sent the proposal, but got back a form rejection just a week later. Now I've been told by several friends not to get my hopes up when an editor requests a copy of my proposal. So my question is simply, how much stock can we put into requests for proposals from editors at conferences? Would writers be better served just meeting with agents?"

Let me begin by stating that the author of this question requested I tell everyone her name is "Gloria," even though it isn't. I have no idea why...but I find it interesting that people are now requesting fake names of me. If YOU need a good fake name, send me your request and I'll do my best, for a very reasonable fee. Anyway, as I've noted before, it's nice for an editor at a conference to request a proposal from you (better they request it than they reject it on the spot). But a request at a conference doesn't mean all that much. I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble, but too many editors will simply say "send this to me" because they're such weenies they can't make themselves say, "This isn't good enough." So don't put a huge amount of stock in an editor's request. Be happy they agreed to take a second look. Put together a great proposal and send it directly to the editor. But don't be picking out that new Lexus based on such a request.

Think of the book publishing process as being a series of steps: You've got to learn to write; come up with a salable idea; establish a platform; create a great proposal; select an agent who is a good fit for you; research publishers; convince an editor to take a close look at your proposal; etc. There's a lot of work to do in between the first stage (where you say, "Hey, Mickey! Let's write a book!") and the last stage (where you get arrested for partying in Vegas with Lindsey Lohan and wind up spending your royalties on repairs to your Masseratti and doctor bills for your rehab session in the Betty Ford Clinic). So, somewhere in between Mickey and Betty, you're going to want to establish healthy relationships with people in the industry. Conferences are a great way to do that.

A proposal shown to an editor at a conference is a way to make contact. Maybe they like your idea. Maybe they like your writing. Maybe they're not crazy about your idea or your writing, but you hit it off personally and they like YOU. You're setting the bar too high if you think you're going to show a proposal to an editor at a 15-minute appointment and expect him or her to make you an offer. Still, the whole relationship dance in publishing is part of the process, so don't give up on the concept of meeting editors, showing them your work, making a good impression, and perhaps starting a professional relationship.

At the same time, I highly encourage authors to meet as many agents as they can at writing conferences. Far too many authors sign up with the first agent who expresses interest in their work, rather than researching to find out if the agent is a fit, believes in their work, and has the track record to sell their work. So, yes, I'd encourage you to focus on agents. We've seen huge growth in the number of people calling themselves Christian Literary Agents, and, in my humble opinion, some of them are awful. They just don't know what they're doing, and they cannot offer an author the sort of advice or professional relationships that are needed to succeed in the long term. Meeting people, getting to know them, checking references and asking questions are the right steps in determining the best agent for you.

But let me state this plainly: I'm not trying to get you to sign with me. I'm happy with the authors I'm representing, don't want to build a huge list of authors (it's not really my style), and besides, I'm not a fit for everybody. Some authors will be happy with me, others will be much happier signing on with someone else. But signing on with a bad agent can kill your career. So check people out carefully.

If you've got a question about writing or publishing, send it my way and I'll offer my miscellaneous meanderings.

chip

Talking with Agents

It's a beautiful day in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as I look out my new office window. What am I doing in Fort Wayne? I just agreed to teach a couple classes in the Professional Writing Program at Taylor University Fort Wayne. My good friend Dennis "Doc" Hensley runs it, and he's created the best college writing program I've ever seen. He invited me to come participate, and I was happy to help. We'll see how I do sitting in a classroom with a bunch of college students -- I've never exactly been Mr. Touchy-Feely, but I'm loving the opportunity to talk writing and publishing with some young people who want to learn the business. On to today's question...

Martha wrote to say, "I have heard the best way to connect with agents (and sometimes publishers) is to attend writer conferences. I had also heard you can make an appointment to have an agent or editor look at your material. If so, how does an author find when and where conferences are held, and how does one go about making those appointments?"

It's true. In fact, one of the BEST ways to connect with agents these days is at a writing conference. In a few weeks, I'm going to be at the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference in Dallas, Texas. There will be several hundred writers attending, so it's a great time to connect with other people who write fiction. There will be a dozen or so editors representing the publishing houses who compete in the Christian fiction market. And there are close to a dozen agents who will be in attendance. All of them make themselves available for a limited number of 15-minute appointments with authors. That allows an author to come into a room, sit across from me, and pitch his or her book idea. We may talk about the author's experience, or I may evaluate the author's proposal, or we may talk about the overall salability of the author's idea. In some cases, I'll read the first couple of pages of the author's opening chapter and offer my initial impressions. While there isn't time for this to be a full-blown evaluation of an author's work, it at least gives you some sense of how an agent will respond to your idea.

Many conferences also offer in-depth analysis of your proposal, done by a working professional in the field. This is usually an extra charge -- but to pay $30 and have a full-time freelance editor or writer examine your work is, frankly, a steal.

To check out writers' conferences, just google "writer conference" or "Christian writers' conference." Some of the biggest and best are the ACFW conference, Mount Hermon (California), Glorietta (New Mexico), Ridgecrest (North Carolina), and Write to Publish (Chicago). There are good Christian conferences in Florida, Colorado, Oregon, and Philadelphia every year, and there are good secular conferences all across the country. In addition, Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writers Guild puts on some very good conferences, as does Reg Forder's organization, though neither of these have literary agents attending. There are also many local conferences, as well as dozens of good writing conferences offered through colleges and local writer organizations.

Every conference will list the agents and editors who plan to attend, and will offer free sign-ups to conferees. Be aware that you have to go into a 15-minute meeting with realistic expectations. "I'd like to make a good first impression" or "I'd like to get an agent's opinion on my writing" are realistic. "I expect to convince a person I've never met before to take me on as a client in a fifteen-minute interview" is probably not realistic. But I encourage you to attend. It's one of the few places an author will find where he or she can not only meet agents, but hang out with them at meals and in hallways.

On a similar note, Dayle wrote and said, "An editor requested I send him my manuscript at a conference. They later sent me an evaluation memo with a few editorial notes, with a request that I rewrite it and send it back. Is this worth mentioning in an agent query?"

Absolutely, Dayle. The fact is, many editors get fatigued saying "no" at writers' conferences, so after a while they find themselves telling authors, "Go ahead and send that to me," thinking that it'll be easier to reject via an email after the conference than to sit face-to-face and tell the author, in essence, "I don't think this idea is any good." I understand that -- I've been fatigued at conferences in the past, and occasionally asked somebody to send me an idea that wasn't particularly stellar. But I've stopped doing that, since it just creates more work for me later, when the hard copy of the bad idea comes into my office and demands a response. It would have been easier just to say "no thanks" in the first place. So an author who tells me "the editors at a recent conference all liked it" doesn't gain much prestige in my mind.

However, an editor who asks for your proposal, then takes the time to review it, make notes, and send you a request for a revised version is showing serious interest in your work. THAT means a lot to me as an agent. So yes -- make sure that information gets conveyed to your prospective agent.

Hope this is helpful. If you're going to be at the ACFW conference in Dallas, make sure to say hello.

-Chip

Finally!

Sorry to have dropped off the map for two weeks. We were in the midst of a move, and...well, let's just say that moving is a pain. I've had several people encourage me to blog more often -- as in "do shorter pieces more frequently," instead of "do a couple of big pieces each week." It's an interesting idea. Not sure I can maintain it, but I might give it a shot.

Still, here's how the blog usually works: You send in questions, and I answer them. So send me anything you want to know about books and publishing, and I'll do my best to offer some perspective.

Vera wrote to ask, "Are book signings important? I have a book releasing next month, and I'm not sure how much effort to invest in signings."

Booksignings can be incredibly fun, or they can be incredibly frustrating. A couple thoughts to share with you regarding signings...

First, remember that YOU are responsible for marketing your book. So don't leave everything at a signing up to somebody else and expect that all you have to do is show up and be the star. Maybe a #1 New York Times bestselling author can do that --- you probably can't. So don't leave the marketing up to the store manager, the shipping clerks, or your overworked publicist. Instead, take the intiative. Call people and invite them to the signing. Turn it into a party. Let everybody know about it. Contact the local newspapers, radio shows, and TV stations. Send promotional announcements. Ask friends in the area to show up. Get it announced in your church, as well as in other churches who know you or have had you as a speaker. Make sure it gets placed in more than one place in the newspaper -- for example, in the "calendar" section as well as the "entertainment" section, the "church" section, and the "book" section. by all means, talk with the bookstore management about using their marketing to promote the event. If you leave all this up to someone else, it won't get done.

Second, if you really want to get more people to show up, offer to give away some books. I once got a radio station to do a remote broadcast from a bookstore just by offering to let them give away a few copies of my book.

Third, learn to work a crowd. Take the time to talk with people -- there's no rush. Ask them questions and listen to their answers. Tell them about your book, and express appreciation for their coming to the signing. Smile a lot. Don't push your book too hard or you'll come across as a used-car salesman. If you've got a line of people in front of you, the signing will feel like a success...but if you're sitting there by yourself, everybody knows it's a dog. So if it's a small group, you've got an opportunity to really chat with some faithful readers. Experienced book signers know they can keep a line of people there by speeding up or slowing down the process.

Fourth, lower your expectations. Don't assume that because your name is on the bookstore calendar it will automatically garner a crowd. If this is your first signing, and you're expecitng something that looks like a Budweiser commercial with crowds and dancing girls, you're going to be disappointed. (A question to ponder: Why is it that beer commercials always have a crowd of bright young people laughing and cheering and having fun, when in real life most of these places are dark dives with lonely people who barely talk to one another? Just wondering.) Yeah, when Jerry Jenkins does a signing, he gets a crowd of 5000. When you sell sixty million books, you can expect the same. But for now, lower your expectations. Call friends and family and ask them to come, do your best at getting the word out, and by all means appreciate the fact that SOMEBODY showed up to see you sign books.

Fifth,  make an effort to personalize the experience. Don't just give them your signature -- write "Enjoy!" or "Blessings" or something above your name. If you have time, ask each person what his or her name is, and write it on the title page. (Be sure to ask the spelling -- even if it seems simple. I once met a guy named Bob who spelled it "Bobb.") You can also use a simple phrase that ties to the book, and write that above your signature. My wife just received a book from author Mindy Stearns Clark entitled "The House that Cleans Itself." Above her signature, Mindy wrote, "Keep it clean!" A nice touch. 

Finally, pick up a copy of Annette Smith's "Stories to Feed Your Soul" and read her story about her first book signing. They had enough food for an army, plus a pile of specially printed napkins with her name and book title on them. When the attendees left, Annette found that she got to freeze a lot of good food, and later found all sorts of useful thiings to do with her leftover napkins (like, um, when she ran out of toilet paper). You never know what signings can lead to...

Chip