F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
Plus, discover
essential resources for finding and learning from literary agents.
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Shelf Savvy: How Book Categorization Helps
Maximize Sales
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If you're an author
-- aspiring or published, traditional or indie -- you have a lot to think
about: the quality of your work, your relationships with the people helping
you publish, your book's typography and cover design, competitive pricing and
your marketing presence. Another thing to consider is book categorization.
If your book is properly categorized in brick-and-mortar bookstores as well
as online retailers, then it will stand the best chance of meeting the most
potential readers. How and why do books get categorized? Who determines the
categories and which books belong in them? How can you take best advantage of
the system? Read on.
Book Categorization 101
The most basic book categorization was probably decided upon by some
tunic-clad Athenian shopkeeper who organized his volumes by the authors'
names. Before long, however, alpha-by-author showed its limitations, and
specialty categories were born: fact vs. fiction, secular vs. nonsecular,
books about chariots vs. books of philosophy.
It stands to reason. For authors, however, the inclination is to resist
categorization. We don't want to be "pigeonholed" or
"marginalized."
But here's the thing: Narrowing a category gives us the opportunity to deepen
it.
During the 10 years I was a bookseller, we were reminded constantly that,
despite potential author resentment, categorization works. For instance, when
African-American studies became an academic discipline at many universities,
many bookstores created black literature sections to highlight the depth of
their inventories and make it easier for customers to browse literature by
black authors.
But some authors and customers felt that was segregation. So one of our store
managers yielded and dismantled her black lit section, incorporating all
those books into the main fiction shelves. Because the company (Borders)
tracked sales by title, we could see that black lit sales plummeted; those
authors simply got lost in the bigger pond.
Categorization is imperfect and idiosyncratic. My local Barnes and Noble no
longer shelves African-American, LGBT or horror fiction in separate sections.
My local Books-A-Million has African-American lit as well as YA, but not
Western or horror. Neither of my local independent bookstores break out books
by race or sexual orientation, but they do display books by local (Florida)
authors separately. One store groups some fiction into a classics section;
another does not. Some bookstores have sections of short-story collections,
but others shelve collections with longer works in whichever fiction category
they reside. Read More...
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Funny You Should Ask is a humorous and handy
column by literary agent Barbara Poelle. In this edition, she offers tips for
remaining supportive of your more successful writer friends when they achieve
your goals.
Read More...
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Master the art of writing enthralling tales for young
readers in the go-to resource for writers crafting stories for children
ages two to eight.
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$17.99
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Discover thousands of publishing opportunities for
writers, including listings for book publishers, consumer and trade magazines,
contests and awards, and literary agents.
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$29.99
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Scientists, engineers, medical professionals, and others
debunk the myths, correct the misconceptions and offer advice on getting
the details right.
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$18.99
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Literary agent alerts (with this spotlight
featuring Ann Tanenbaum of Tanenbaum International Literary Agency) are
golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who
is likely building his or her client list. Read More...
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Each year we scour the web for our annual
101 Best Websites for Writers, a comprehensive collection of online resources
for writers. This selection represents our 2018 picks for the top sources of
literary agent advice, manuscript and query help, publishing tips and more. Read More...
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Jess Zafarris
Follow @jesszafarris
Jess Zafarris is an energetic multimedia journalist with more than 7
years of experience writing and editing, and the content director of Writer's
Digest.
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
Learn how to avoid
frustration from Jane Friedman
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Register now for January's Live Webinar!
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If you want to get
your book traditionally published in 2019-be it fiction, nonfiction, a
children's book, or memoir-increase your chances by knowing how to evaluate
the commercial potential of your work and learning the best way to approach
editors, agents, and publishers.
Book publishing is undergoing a dramatic transformation as e-book sales
increase and physical bookstores decrease in number. These changes affect the
traditional book deals that get made-meaning that authors have to adjust
their strategies to adapt to a risk-averse and uncertain industry.
This intensive and information-filled 120-minute live webinar helps you think
like an industry insider who makes decisions every day on what work merits
print publication. You'll get practical advice and tools to help you develop
strong pitch letters and proposal materials for both fiction and
nonfiction-plus back-door methods for networking with agents and editors.
Avoid frustration-don't embark on the submission process in 2019 without
being fully educated about how the industry works, from an impartial point of
view. You will better focus your time and energy, increase your chances of
success, and learn to decipher the language of industry professionals.
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The tried-and-true pitch formula that gets
the attention of an editor or an agent
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3 of the biggest time-wasters writers
should avoid when pursuing traditional publication
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The best free and paid resources for
identifying agents and publishers that are receptive to your work
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How to identify flaws in your approach,
submission materials, or concept
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Writers with finished novel manuscripts
who are starting to consider submitting to agents and editors
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Nonfiction writers with a book concept who
need to know the next steps to take
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Anyone who needs a primer on how the book industry
works
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Writers who are currently submitting their
work and not getting the responses they expected or hoped for
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Next Thursday, January 3, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. EST
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Instructor: Jane
Friedman
Jane Friedman is the former publisher of
Writer’s Digest who has spent more than 15 years in the book publishing
industry, and has overseen the publication of hundreds of books during her
career. She is a regular speaker at writing conferences and industry events,
including Digital Book World, BookExpo America, and Frankfurt Book Fair.
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
Plus, find four
reasons to write books based on classic literature.
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The year 2018 marked the 200th anniversary
of Mary Shelley's science-fiction classic Frankenstein
was first published. Her tale of creating new life became a sensation,
capturing the imaginations of storytellers and filmmakers across the world
and inspiring dozens of new stories and adaptations. Some are straight
retellings of the original plot, while others take the concept of
Frankenstein's monster in a completely different direction -- think Herman
Munster in the 1960s television series The
Munsters, or Lurch the butler in The Addams Family.
The literary canon has endured the passage of time and inspired writers for
generations -- even to the present day, with contemporary novelists like
Helen Fielding, Dean Koontz, Curtis Sittenfeld and others regularly drawing
from the classics. When modern writers update these enduring stories and tell
them in a refreshing way, they're paying homage to the beloved original while
capitalizing on its complexity and potential. As such, there are numerous
reasons to consider pulling out your old high school reading list and
plundering those books for
your own story's stimuli. Here are four of the most prominent benefits.
1. Strong Scaffolding
Many of these stories have successfully endured for a reason: They have
vibrant characters, strong conflict and interesting story arcs. By
updating these tales and telling them in a new way, writers can capitalize on
the literary strength of the original tale.
Take, for instance, Jane Austen's magnum opus: Pride and Prejudice. With her sharp wit and
independent spirit, Elizabeth Bennet was a groundbreaking character when the
novel debuted in 1813. Bennet's charisma, as well as the drama surrounding
her family, her romance with Mr. Darcy, and the formal English society of the
period, has thus served as the model for multiple makeovers.
[Imitating
the Masters: How to Develop Character and Tone Through Imitation]
Curtis Sittenfeld's Eligible, published in April 2016, is aligned to
the original plot of Pride and Prejudice but takes place in modern
times. Liz is a successful 30-something magazine writer who returns to her
hometown of Cincinnati to help care for her elderly father, only to find her
family coming apart at the seams. But after a handsome doctor -- fresh from
an appearance on a reality TV show -- and his neurosurgeon pal turn up at a
friend's barbecue, Liz's world is turned upside down. Through the rest of the
book, the love story plays out, drawing on Austen's themes from start to
finish. Even so, the novel is so infused with Sittenfeld's own voice and
present-day updates that it stands on its own as an engaging, humorous
commentary on modern society and culture, even appealing to fans who've never
picked up an Austen novel.
Bridget Jones's Diary
by Helen Fielding stands as yet another re-interpretation of Pride and Prejudice --
this version set in 90s London, with protagonist Bridget serving as an
Elizabeth Bennet manifestation, and her family, like the Bennets, serving as
one of the main sources of Bridget's mortification. The humor is ridiculous,
the situations exaggerated, and Fielding's interpretation infuses Austen's
classic with modernized novelty to hilarious end. By taking the rough
structure of Pride and
Prejudice and giving it a 21st-century makeover (or late 20th, in
Fielding's case), these authors used the Regency novel and its seminal main
character to create something authentically their own -- and of their times.
2. Timeless Ideas
"There are no new stories." How often have you heard that old
adage? Whether or not you believe it's true, there's little argument to be
made: Trying to think up a completely original plot is a near-impossible
task. There's a reason literary agents ask for comparative titles in queries
-- because every
manuscript has a comp, in one aspect or another.
Sitting in front of a blank document and trying to engineer
a story from thin air can also be intimidating. By putting your own twist
on one that already exists, there's a template for the plot in place from the
get-go, reducing the pressure of conjuring something from scratch and
allowing you instead to focus on infusing your own voice and calculated
nuance. Consider it teamwork: Ron Chernow wrote the meticulously researched
biography Alexander Hamilton,
but it was playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda who used the historical text as
inspiration for a smash-hit musical about diversity, perseverance and
standing up for what you believe in. You would never accuse Miranda of
plagiarizing or ripping off Chernow, but the connective tissue between the
two works is undeniable.
Read More...
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With the 1966 classic short film adaptation,
the 2000 live-action film starring Jim Carrey, and the most recent
feature-length computer animated film that no one asked for, suffice to say
that everyone has loved How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
(a.k.a. Theodor Geisel) since its publication in 1957. Whether December
is your favorite month or you're a Grinch about it, looking back at the holiday
classic can give you some new ideas about your own story. Here are four
inspiring story ideas that writers can take from Dr. Seuss' book. Read More...
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Author and New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein recently
set out on a book tour of his own devising. In this three-part series, he
outlines his experience, lessons learned along the way, and what
up-and-coming authors might expect from their own tours. Read More...
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Those who are in-the-know on poetry news
most likely have heard about the latest high-profile case of plagiarism in
poetry. The poem "Gun Metal," which was nominated for the 2018
Pushcart Prize, and many other poems written by Ailey O'Toole have been found
to plagiarize at least 11 other poets. Here's how to avoid this problem when
you're interested in borrowing influence from another writer. Read More...
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We're often asked how to publish a book.
After all, we do help writers get published as our day jobs. And we can tell
you it's as simple or complicated as a writer wishes to make it. In this
post, Robert Lee Brewer shares 5 questions to consider in getting your book
published.
Read More...
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In this episode of the Writer's Digest
Podcast, Gabriela Pereira talks with author Elizabeth Sims, and shares an
inside look at how various writing technology has evolved over time, from
classic to contemporary. They discuss how to balance these tools with those
of the digital age to advance your writing career. Read More...
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Jess Zafarris
Follow @jesszafarris
Jess Zafarris is an energetic multimedia journalist with more
than 7 years of experience writing and editing, and the online content
director of Writer’s Digest.
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F+W, 10151
Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA
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