7 Books in 21 Years: Lee's Tips on Getting Published

This week's tips are on Getting Published – things I wish I'd known back when I was starting out, and that I'm happy to pass along to you now.

1) Know your goals and what success is to you.

Is it financial? 

Is it awards?

Is it impact on a single reader?

Is it the most readers?

Is it seeing your book on a bookstore or library shelf?

Is it even about you, or is it more about the stories and/or ideas you want to share?

Being clear on your goals can help you determine the path you want to take with getting published. 

I author-published (a.k.a. self-published) my first YA novel, and while I liked having control (like selecting and hiring the team of professionals who helped me make it awesome) I ultimately wanted that book (Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill) to reach more readers, to empower more young people.

That influenced my decision to not publish myself again, but instead to be published by traditional publishing houses that have full sales team distribution. Accordingly, I've been published by a bunch of independent publishers: Lerner/Zest Books (No Way, They Were Gay? and The Gender Binary is a Big Lie), Levine Querido (Red and Green and Blue and White), Chicago Review Press/Interlude/Duet (A Different Kind of Brave), Reycraft (Love of the Half-Eaten Peach), and now Cardinal Rule Press (Like That Eleanor).

If you want to explore the many different paths to getting published, check out this free resource from IBPA, the Publishing MAP (Models and Author Pathways).

2) Don't "submit" your work. "Offer" it.

Author and poet Lesléa Newman gets the credit for this shift in mental models. I also don't want to "submit" and give up my power. I would much rather "offer" the work to a publisher to see if they want to partner with me on getting that book published and out in the world and into the hands of readers.

For me having a book out on "offer" has been a very healthy switch in how I think about getting my work out into the world.

3) The Big Five are not the only path. There are Indie Presses. And Self-Publishing (or Author-Publishing).

At this point, the general public does not care who published a book. If it is beautifully done and the quality is there and it is professional published, it doesn't matter to them who published it. They are not studying the copyright page.

This is an amazing opportunity.

Librarians and bookstores do care still who published something, so if you're going the smaller indie publisher or author-publisher path, there's a lot more vetting you'll need to do so your book is considered.

4) Publishing yourself is not a short-cut.

Impatience is not a good reason to author-publish (self-publish.) 

Being a publisher is a completely different role from being a writer, and even being a published author. A publisher has so much else to consider and deal with, and while there's a lot of control, you have to control it all...

Be sure it's what you really want to do. And if you do it, do it in the most professional way.

5) Publishing is subjective. Incredibly subjective.

...Meaning it's not a 'failure' if a project hasn't found its publishing home yet.

Case in point: recently, a book project of mine went on offer to an editor at an imprint of a publishing house. They asked for revisions. I revised, and they loved the new proposal/sample chapters. "We're going to acquisitions!" 

Then the musical chairs of publishing stopped the music—as often happens in this industry—and there was a different person who was the new editor of that imprint. 

Same book project. Same imprint. But now my book didn't fit their vision of what they wanted to publish. So that book didn't go to acquisitions after all. 

And now my agent and I need to figure out what would be the right publishing home for that project, and put it out on offer again.

It is all subjective. Don't beat yourself up if the answer is 'no.' Sometimes, it takes a lot of 'no's to get to the right 'yes.'

6) Email etiquette and compassion.

Email sucks.

A few years ago, when agents started saying that they would only respond to pitches when they were interested, there was quite an uproar. It felt unfair, that we were being told to careful craft our pitches and tailor them specifically for a specific agent, and then we might not even hear back! 

Many of us wondered, How was that professional? 

I view that with a LOT more compassion now. In my day job (as Chief Content Officer for the Independent Book Publishers Association) I get between 150-200 emails a day. That is so much to respond to! I do my best, but sometimes it's a few weeks before I respond, rather than a few days. And there are emails that get by me! 

I'm doing my best, but email is an incredibly inefficient means of communication (I also dislike how tone doesn't come through) and it's a lot -- especially when juggling all the other parts of my job.

So I've come to view agents (who get many, many more emails than I) with more compassion about the email situation. They have to prioritize their current clients, the things that are most pressing, and they're squeezing in reviewing offers for representation...

We could all use a bit more compassion when it comes to emails. And if you want some email etiquette tips from a publisher I admire, Brooke Warner rounds some up here.

7) Publishing has two speeds: Glacial and Panic.

You only control what you control, so try to focus on that. 

And while your work is out on offer, or you're waiting for notes back from your editor, or otherwise publishing is making you wait, work on something else. Don't just sit around waiting. 

Put your energies into what you control.

**

I hope these tips have been helpful!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

How Many Copies of Your Book Have To Sell For It To Be Considered A Success?

The easy answer is "enough to earn out your advance" if you're traditionally published, and maybe "enough to earn back your investment" if you're financing publication yourself through either hybrid or author-publishing.

The more complex answer, according to author and publisher Brooke Warner of She Writes Press, in this article Reframing Publishing Success in Publishers Weekly's BookLife, is an honest look at numbers.

While many authors state that selling 10,000 copies is their goal, Brooke cautions that “it’s an unrealistic benchmark for 95% of authors, and it’s especially unrealistic for debut authors.” She goes on to explain:

“In 2015, Lynn Neary reported a story on NPR called “When It Comes to Book Sales, What Counts as Success Might Surprise You” that noted that one of the books shortlisted for that year’s Man Booker Prize had sold fewer than 3,600 copies and another fewer than 3,000.”

Her advice includes this gem:

“Debut authors would do well to think of their first books as an investment in themselves and their futures. It’s common book publishing wisdom that the needle doesn’t truly begin to move on book sales until authors publish their third book. As such, this industry requires patience, and selling 1,000 or 2,000 copies of a freshman effort is something worth celebrating.”

And Brooke adds a reminder to:

“Celebrate the small victories, such as moments of connection with readers, a glowing review from a stranger, and the potential that these kinds of victories have to propel the next book.”

It's an article well-worth reading.

Illustrate and Write On,\Lee

"The Santa Thief" Wins The 2017 SCBWI Spark Award! An exclusive interview with the book's author, Alane Adams, and illustrator, Lauren Gallegos

The picture book that won the 2017 SCBWI Spark Award, The Santa Thief

Award-winning author Alane Adams

Award-winning illustrator Lauren Gallegos

Here's the interview...

Lee: Please tell us about The Santa Thief!

Alane: The Santa Thief is the third book in my “Thief” series inspired by stories my 96-year-old father told me about growing up in rural Pennsylvania. After hearing some of his tales, I decided to write this series so that kids today could catch a glimpse of what life was like in the 1920s. In The Santa Thief, young Georgie is hoping to receive a new pair of ice skates for Christmas, but times are tough, even for Santa, Papa explains. Georgie is so disappointed, he doesn’t see the point of celebrating Christmas any longer, until Mama gently reminds him it’s about family and being together. Georgie decides to take matters in his own hands and “steals” Santa’s identity to give his parents a Christmas to remember. The Santa Thief helps kids understand that Christmas is about more than just the gifts they receive, and hopefully helps them appreciate the spirit of the season in a more meaningful way, especially how hard their parents work!

Lee: In traditional publishing, illustrators sometimes don't even speak to the author. Were you able to collaborate?

Alane: Working with Lauren has been a dream. I originally found her through the SCBWI illustrator gallery and immediately connected to her work. Plus, she was (at the time) living local to me and I liked being able to meet face-to-face to discuss ideas and concepts. Once we got through the first book, the next books flowed quite easily. Lauren is so skilled at interpreting the words and transforming my simple little stories into beautiful moving picture books. I always describe the relationship between author and illustrator as a kind of dance. I write the manuscript, then she brings it to life in pictures, then I mend the words to better match the pictures, going back and forth until the final product is perfect.

Lee: How is this book non-traditionally published, and can you share the decision process behind taking this path?

Alane: When I drafted the first book in the series, The Coal Thief, I didn’t know as much about the industry as I do today, and I wanted to expedite the process so that my father who was almost 94 at the time, would be alive to see the finished book. If I had known he would keep on ticking, I might have pushed harder for a traditional route! I chose to work with SparkPress because they have full Ingram distribution and are very skilled at getting books through the publishing stages.

Interior art from "The Santa Thief"

Lee: What was (or is) the biggest challenge of publishing in this non-traditional way?

Alane: Independent publishing can be challenging for children’s authors because so much of what young kids read is on printed books, not electronic, so reaching schools, libraries, and bookstores is always more of a challenge. It is still very hard for independently published authors to be on the shelf at Barnes and Noble or other big retail stores, so they have to be creative at marketing their books. I was fortunate to have The Coal Thief showcased on StorylineOnline.net and read by actor Christian Slater which has garnered over 1 million views, generally by teachers in classrooms. Its very rewarding to think that millions of kids have been exposed to my father’s childhood stories!

Lauren: The greatest challenge of publishing non-traditionally as an Illustrator would being your own art director. Alane has always given me a lot of freedom to take the illustrations where I want, as long as it fits her story and the time period. But with that freedom comes a lot of self-critique and questioning if something is good or not. It can be hard to be in your own head that much. And there are times when it's easy to just let something slide instead of pushing yourself to go back and make it better - something an Art Director would surely do. Thankfully I also have art buddies that I can bounce ideas off of or just get a second pair of eyes when I am unsure of myself.

More interior art from "The Santa Thief"

Lee: What was (or is) the greatest benefit?

Alane: The greatest benefit is having control over the process and being able to publish on your own schedule.

Lauren: For our situation, I feel like being able to collaborate on this series has been a big benefit for both of us. In reality, without a traditional publisher to mediate, it is necessary for us to communicate. Going the non-traditional route has also allowed me to explore my own ideas and techniques with the artwork, which I have been able to do for each of the books in the series. That has allowed me a great opportunity to grow as an artist.

Lee: Anything else you'd like to share about the adventure so far?

Alane: I really look forward to bringing out the next book in the series, The Circus Thief coming this Fall. The Circus Thief tells the story of Georgie’s adventures at the circus where he ends up rescuing a circus horse named Roxie. I think the book showcases some of Lauren’s best work with colors and details. For the future, I’d love to come up with a new series about life during the Great Depression, and maybe try traditional publishing this time around!

Congratulations to both Alane and Lauren!

You can learn more about The Santa Thief and author Alane Adams here, and illustrator Lauren Gallegos here.

And if you'd like to find out more about SCBWI's Spark Award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route, here's the link to all the information.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Michelle Morgan wins the 2017 SCBWI Spark Award (Older Readers) for "Flying Through Clouds"

The Award-Winning Book:

The Author:

The Interview:

Lee: Please tell us about Flying Through Clouds.

Michelle: Flying Through Clouds is about a teenage boy's dream of becoming an aviator amid the pressures and hardships of growing up in Australia during the Depression. Themes such as adolescence, survival, loss, family, friendship, truth and gambling resonate with readers. With a compelling mix of drama, adventure and humour, Flying Through Clouds appeals to teens and the young at heart.

Lee: How is this book non-traditionally published, and can you share the decision process behind taking this path?

Michelle: I am the author and publisher of Flying Through Clouds, and managed the entire publishing process myself. After attending a weekend workshop on self-publishing at the NSW Writers’ Centre in 2016, I was so impressed by the speakers and their clear practical advice that I came away determined to publish Flying through Clouds. The day after the workshop I developed a publishing plan and bought ISBNs.

Because my first novel, Racing the Moon, was traditionally published I wanted Flying Through Clouds to be of comparable quality. I engaged a structural editor, copyeditor, and proofreader at different stages of the publishing process and commissioned a cover designer to design the cover and layout of the book. I obtained quotes for printing and negotiated with a distributor to distribute Flying Through Clouds in Australia. I did all the publicity and marketing myself, which involved a book tour, blog tour, social media engagement, seeking reviews, writing articles, doing interviews, sending numerous emails, running writing workshops and participating in other literary events. I published the eBook of Flying Through Clouds simultaneously on Amazon Kindle and three months later made it available in other eBook formats. I also published Flying Through Clouds in paperback on Amazon to facilitate distribution to international readers.

Lee: What was (or is) the biggest challenge of publishing in this non-traditional way?

Michelle: The biggest challenges were the time-consuming tasks of editing and marketing /publicity. Editing a manuscript is challenging whatever route you take to publishing. So I guess my biggest challenge of publishing independently was the enormous task of marketing and publicity. Prior to proofreading and the final printing of Flying Through Clouds, I had one hundred plain cover review copies printed to send to potential reviewers, distributors, and selected bookshops. I also sent copies to other authors who write in a similar genre and whose work and opinions I value. I was fortunate in obtaining two endorsements that I included on the cover and front page of Flying Through Clouds. To launch Flying Through Clouds, I arranged a book tour with events in bookshops, libraries, an art gallery, and a museum. I also prepared the content for a blog tour, which involved articles and interviews posted on a series of kids’ lit and author blogs. More articles, media interviews, and literary events followed, and I also entered Flying Through Clouds in award contests such as the SCBWI Spark Award.

Lee: What’s the greatest benefit?

Michelle: The greatest benefit of independent publishing has been the immense satisfaction and level of control over the publishing process. It was very satisfying to have direct contact with all editors and be able to choose the cover design myself from the four concepts presented by the cover and layout artist. I have learnt a lot about publishing and marketing, much more than I did with my first book, which was traditionally published. To date, I have earned enough from sales of Flying Through Clouds to cover publishing costs. It is gratifying to find so many people and organisations willing to help you publish your book – Writers’ Centres, professional organisations such as SCBWI, self-publishing websites such as the Creative Penn, Createspace, Amazon, Smashwords as well as bloggers and other authors. I’m really glad I had the courage to publish my book as well as write it.

Lee: Anything else you'd like to share about the adventure so far?

Michelle: I’d recommend independent publishing of print books for authors who have the time to devote themselves full-time to the publishing process and who can afford the up-front costs of professional editing, cover art, layout and printing to produce a quality book.

Lee: Thank you, Michelle, and again—Congratulations!

Michelle: Thank you so much for the opportunity.

You can learn more about Michelle and Flying Through Clouds at her website here.

SCBWI Book Blast Is Open To The Public!

#SCBWIBookBlast is live for the next six weeks!

The link: http://www.scbwi.org/bookblast/

The scoop: Explore new books from independent & traditionally published writers & illustrators with #SCBWIBookBlast

What's extra cool: Visitor incentives! For this week of October 10, post pictures of your favorite Book Blast picture book page on Twitter for a chance to win a $100 gift card, and SCBWI will match that with a donation to We Need Diverse Books!

Have SCBWI friends with books out in 2016? Drop by their book pages and sign their guestbook with a note of encouragement. And hey, you can buy copies, too...

Explore, and help us all spread the word about #SCBWIBookBlast!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

W. Nikola-Lisa's THE MEN WHO MADE THE YANKEES -- The Spark Award Interviews & a Chance To Win This Award-Winning Book!

W. Nikola-Lisa, who goes by Nikola, wrote and independently published THE MEN WHO MADE THE YANKEES -- and it's one of three books that won SCBWI's 2014 Spark Awards!

Here's our interview, and see below for a chance to win a copy...


Lee: Congratulations on winning the 2014 SCBWI SPARK Award!

Nikola: Yes, thank you. It is quite an honor and I'm very appreciative of it.

Lee: Please tell us about The Men Who Made the Yankees. I read that it was inspired by research on a fiction novel you were working on?

Nikola: The Men Who Made the Yankees has been a labor of love for many years. I spent most of my childhood summers at my grandmother's beach house on Staten Island and occasionally my uncle would grab a couple of tickets to Yankee Stadium and off we'd go, just the two of us. So, I grew up a Yankees' fan from the get-go. 

I had been struggling with a story about the Yankees years ago when I landed upon an idea for a piece of historical fiction set in 1918 when Babe Ruth pitched for the Red Sox. I published that piece in 2011, under the title Dear Frank: Babe Ruth, the Red Sox, and the Great War, and as I worked on it I became curious as to why it took two years for the American League to place a team in the New York market. That question or curiosity was the genesis of The Men Who Made the Yankees. 

Lee: The SPARK Award is to recognize excellence in children’s books published through a non-traditional publishing route. You’ve had a number of books traditionally published - Tell us about the choice and journey to publish this through your own independent publishing company, Gyroscope Books.

Nikola: A bit of luck, chance, and daring. Before the Crash of 2008 I had published 21 trade children's books over a 25 year period. And then the crash happened and everything stood still. You know how it is for mid-career authors; they're not always first in line: they often have to stand in line behind new talent, marquee authors, and celebrities. 

Well, I've never been too good at standing in line, so I looked around and at the same time the market was falling, the digital publishing world was rising; So, I jumped on board. The Men Who Made the Yankees is my fifth independently published book, and the second one to win a national award. 

Lee: Did doing this book outside of traditional publishing change the process of creating this nonfiction book?

Nikola: I don't really think so, other than I had to attend to more parts of the production process. After I finished my second independently published book I kind of got hooked: I realized I really like being in charge of the entire process. As an author of mostly illustrated books, I'm often kicked out of the production process early on with the editor, book designer, and illustrator completing most of the process. As an independent author/publisher, I keep a steady hand on the production process from start to finish--and I've found I really like that. 

Lee: Did the book have a designer and/or editor and/or other experts involved, or was it just you doing everything?

Nikola: I work with a terrific graphic artist who is trained in medieval bookmaking and calligraphy. He has quite an eye for design, and we go back and forth quite a bit hammering out our ideas. I make a physical book first. That's a must because I'm still in love with the physicality of books. I love holding them, looking at them, smelling them. A book is like a bouquet of flowers to me. In my home office, I surround myself with quite a few of them, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves surround me. In terms of editing, I do everything. Oops, that's a no-no, right? Well, I have a Ph.D. in education and spent 25 years editing over 400 graduate theses. So, I guess you could say I have the requisite skill set to write, edit, and proof-read a manuscript. The latter are actually my strong suit. 

Lee: What do you see as the biggest challenge of publishing independently?

Nikola: Ideas are my thing, so I have to pick and choose what I'm going to publish with some thought. In other words, I could easily produce 3-4 books a year, because I get so excited about making them. My biggest challenge is slowing down and choosing a good, solid, meaningful project. Actually, being an independent publisher has really made me look at manuscripts in a very different way; I don't toss them into the world quite as quickly and thoughtlessly. 

Lee: That's fascinating. What’s been the best thing about publishing this way?

Nikola: It enables me to live in a unique parallel universe. It may seem weird, but publishing independently allows me to live outside of the traditional publishing world and in my own fantasy world, which has always been a gratifying place to be. I'm not in it for the money, don't have to be at this point in my life; I'm in it because I love making books. I consider myself a "book artisan" the way other people consider themselves potters, musicians, painters, or what have you. I live in Chicago and hand sell many of my books at street fairs and odd book events, and usually I show up on my bicycle with my bike trailer laden with a few suitcases filled with books. I could have easily been a magician; it just happens I make books.

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and has that helped you on your professional journey?

Nikola: I've been a member of the SCBWI since the early 1980s. In my early days I thought I would illustrate as well. I even entered the Don Freeman Award and was a runner-up for an early manuscript that I illustrated. The SCBWI has been a good, long-term friend of mine, and I'm glad to see that they are beginning to open the doors a bit--still more to go, I'm afraid--to independently published authors. 

Oh, and my claim to fame with the SCBWI. I have a few, but here's my favorite. Once I was at a local SCBWI chapter meeting that was organizing a children's literature event and they needed a driver for Tomie dePaola, who was the keynote speaker. No hand went up, except for mine, which went up like a bolt of lightning, and I spent one of the best weekends of my life driving Tomie around. 

Lee: Oh, Tomie's a gem! Anything else you’d like to share about the adventure so far?

Nikola: I once had an astrological chart reading. It was mesmerizing. I mean the guy (he was a computer programmer at a local university) nailed it on every level. When it came to writing, he said that I had all of the writer's destiny marks except one--contact with publishers! I mean, talk about the kiss of death. In many ways, however, it's been true. I've never kept a long-term relationship with an editor or with a publishing house. Then I published my first book independently. Bingo! The light went on. Hey, if I become my own editor/publisher, then I don't have to worry about that writer's destiny mark anymore. And that's what it feels like right now. 

Finally, for those of you who'd like know more about my independently published books, please visit my website at gyroscopebooks.com 

Thanks so much, Nikola!

Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of THE MEN WHO MADE THE YANKEES. We'll randomly choose our winner in one week.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

SCBWI's Newest Award Is For Independently Published Writers and Illustrators

The SPARK Award is a new annual award that will recognize "excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route."

One winner and one honor book will be chosen by a panel of industry professionals and will focus on quality of writing and concept, quality of illustrations (if applicable), professional presentation, and editing and design.

As the publishing industry evolves into the future, Lin and Steve believe that

"...it is time that SCBWI recognize that there are new models for publishing. The Spark Award is one way we can reward those authors and illustrators who are pursuing independent and self-publishing in a legitimate and high quality way." 

The prize is pretty sweet...

"The winner will receive a Spark seal to display on their book, a commemorative plaque, have their book featured in the SCBWI online bookstore and marketed on SCBWI social networking sites, and receive the opportunity to sell their book at the SCBWI Summer or Winter Conference in Los Angeles or New York."

For more details on the new SPARK Award, go here.

And make sure to check out all the amazing awards and grants SCBWI offers its members!

Illustrate and Write On (and apply for some of these amazing awards and grants!), 
Lee