Arrow Publicatons: Straight from the Romantic Times BookLOVERS Convention

Arrow Chooses nook Winner...

Pictured to the left: Liz Scheier presenting Marty Mathews with her prize the Barnes and Noble nook ereader.

Arrow Publications’ workshop about multi-platform publishing and devices was a great success! Thank you to our knowledgeable and fantastic panelists: Tom King, Managing Editor (Arrow Publications); Christina Brashear, Publisher (Samhain Publishing); Liz Scheier, Editorial Director of Digital Content (Barnes & Noble); and Lucy Monroe (award-winning romance author). They discussed the ever changing publishing industry and what’s next regarding ebooks and the new portable devices.

Pat White, Arrow Publications’ CEO and publisher, moderated the workshop and the audience was filled with aspiring and published writers, publicists, and other industry professionals who were eager to know more about mobile publishing and portable devices.

Tom King opened the session by explaining the processes for submitting titles to Arrow’s App Program and making them available on the iTunes App Store. King also discussed navigating Apple’s sometimes inexplicable review processes. The fact that the icons on the App Store had to be innocuous enough for a four-year old to view it (no hints of nudity for women and not even a bare chest for men) brought some levity to the discussion.

While these formats are new, some of the rules of traditional marketing still hold. Christina Brashear explained that ebook publishers can no longer put all their eggs in one basket, so to speak, by selling their titles exclusively on their website. It is important to offer your ebooks through various outlets and in various formats. Lucy Monroe added that not only does she read in multi-formats, but also she will often buy the same book in more than one format.

Several publishers in the audience wondered how Samhain maximized sales of its ebooks. Brashear noted that apart from the name recognition of the author, the covers were important to pull in a potential buyer, followed by a good blurb and an enticing excerpt.

Liz Scheier then touched on some of the behind-the-scenes details regarding the development of digital releases. Liz notes that although a traditional printed book isn’t being distributed, the same amount of preparation goes into the design, marketing and launch of an ebook title.

Overall the consensus of the panel was that multi-platform publishing provides an additional revenue stream for authors and publishers. While print books may never go away, readers have embraced these new formats in addition to the traditional ones. In some cases, ebooks, Apple apps and titles for readers such as the nook and Kindle provide for niche titles. Monroe said that she found a market for her inspirational titles through ebook publishing. Pleased with the response from her readers, she pulled one of her first titles from a New York publisher and placed it as an ebook with Samhain Publishing. The author commented that she’s been very pleased with sales from her ebook releases.

After an informative discussion and lively Q & A session, it was now time to choose the winners of the door prizes. Audience members dropped their business cards into Arrow’s contest bowl to be eligible to win a MyRomanceStory.com bag of goodies (graphic novels, bookmarks, letter openers and more) plus the grand prize, a Barnes and Noble nook reader.

Cue Price Is Right music! Tom King, Arrow’s Managing Editor, chose Becke Martin’s card and she won the bag of goodies. Becke’s short story “Deus Ex Machina” made her as one of 10 finalists in NPR’s Three Minute Fictioncontest – announced in March 2010.

Next, Pat White, CEO of Arrow Publications, asked Liz Scheier of Barnes & Noble to draw the winning card for the nook. And…the winner was Marty Mathews, Author Liaison and Review Coordinator, Samhain Publishing. Marty screamed when she heard her name called.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all the audience members who attended our workshop!

Arrow would also like to thank our wonderful and informative panelists for sharing their expertise on the future of publishing, and special thanks to Barnes & Noble for supplying the nook as a giveaway!

See you next year in L.A., everyone!

Arrow's Workshop: Everyone smile! (Left to Right: Tom King, Lucy Monroe, Pat White, Christina Brashear and Liz Scheier)

Arrow's Workshop: Lucy and Pat strike a pose!

Arrow's Workshop: Becke's Bag! (Becke Martin shows off her MyRomanceStory Goodie Bag)

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SHOULD YOU GET AN AGENT OR PITCH YOUR BOOK YOURSELF?
by Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.
Excerpt from the book, Sell Your Book, Script or Column: How to Write a Winning Query and Make a Winning Pitch

Scotts' book, Sell Your Book, Script or Column: How to Write a Winning Query and Make a Winning Pitch is available on the iTunes App Store for $5.99 under Arrow's the Reference, Business & Education Collection. Type in keywords “Arrow Publications" or "Business & Education".

A question that frequently comes up for writers is whether to get an agent or pitch a book directly to editors and publishers. If you have a commercial nonfiction or fiction book, it’s ideal to get an agent – and an agent will want to represent you. In this ideal scenario, a good agent will have the connections and can place your book faster with a bigger and better publisher. Plus the agent can negotiate a bigger advance and better terms.

So how do you get to that agent? If you already have a high-profile, are involved in a big news event, are a popular speaker or a frequent guest for media, you can usually quickly connect up with an agent and even choose among eager agents.

Common Problems in Finding a Good Agent Then there's everyone else - which is most writers with a book. Without that big name or big story connection, it is often difficult to find a good agent who is well connected in the industry and regularly making deals. You want to avoid an agent who charges fees other than out-of-pocket costs for copying and extra shipping, such as for foreign postage and messages.

One problem in finding representation is that good agents are often busy with other clients, are selective in taking on new clients, and may take weeks or months to respond. Then, too, some agents will only consider new clients by referral. So expect to encounter some of these common barriers to finding an agent, even if your book is one that an agent will be eager to represent. Even after you get an agent, some common problems for many writers are these:

• the agent isn't doing enough;
• the agent has submitted the book to some editors, who have turned it down, and the agent isn't sure where to go next;
• an agent may be initially hot on a book, but after a few turn-downs, loses interest;
• an agent usually cultivates a select circle of editors - perhaps two or three dozen.

But if those editors aren't interested, the agent has limited contacts or lacks an interest in pursuing your project outside the circle.

In such cases, getting or staying with an agent may not be the best approach. You may do better on your own.

Another consideration is whether your book is suited to a particular agent - or to agents, generally. While most agents handle general commercial nonfiction, many emphasize certain specialties or only handle certain types of books, such as fiction, children's book, self-help, health, and business books. Also, agents commonly submit most books to their circle of editors. So target your book to agents who handle your type of book.

Next Issue: Deciding If Your Book Is Better Suited to an Agent, Direct Pitching, or Both

May 26, 2010

APP OF THE WEEK

Candy Caine Earns her Red and White Writing Stripes

Candid Conversations about Confessions

Caine’s book, Christmas with a Stranger is available on the iTunes App Store for $2.99 under Arrow's Love & Romance Collection. Type in keywords “Arrow Publications” or “Romance.”

Rated as one of Lady Leo's Top Three Sellers for April 2010

Arrow: We’d love to hear about you. So tell us – we’re listening.
CC: First, let me tell you how honored and delighted I am to be interviewed for your newsletter. I guess the best way to tell you about myself is to talk about my writing. They say, every writer puts a little of themselves in their stories, however with me, it’s a little different. I find I’m jealous of my characters and want to have as much fun as some of them do.

Arrow: Okay – sounds adventurous! So, what do you think about mobile publishing and making Christmas with a Stranger available on the iTunes App Store?
CC: I am as thrilled as I can be that Christmas with a Stranger is available on the App Store! Making it available on iTunes broadens my audience. Also, having the stories available anywhere in the world is one of the most fantastic things about the new technologies afforded to the writers to connect with their fans.

Arrow: It’s very important to give the fans what they want. So, what motivated you to start writing these hot love stories?
CC: Simply put, I write stories I hope people will enjoy. To please my readers is my top priority. 

Arrow: Okay, let's be more specific: you write erotica and confessions. What made you choose these romance subgenres?
CC: I was in a small grocery store in Tempe, Arizona, buying groceries and I happened to see the confession magazines in the checkout line. I picked up one of the magazines and began to thumb through it and then I bought it. That's how I started writing confessions. At this moment, I decided to stretch my writing wings and wrote novels as Candace Gold.

When I first began to write, the ebook market was evolving and it became the venue for short erotic stories. Looking for a way to showcase my short stories, I naturally gravitated there. I’ve found some good ebook publishers and I’ve found some disappointing ones. For instance, I began my erotic writing career with Ocean’s Mist Press, but they folded. Someone suggested that I submit my work to Lady Leo Publishing, one of the most wonderful publishers I’ve worked with. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done!

Arrow: How often do you write?
CC: I try to write a little every day, but unfortunately, life gets in the way. But, it's the same life that fills my head with the ideas that eventually turn into stories.

Arrow: Have you considered expanding into other genres?
CC: There are times that I’ve been asked by editors or publishers to write a particular story. But no matter what I write, romantic confessions or erotica, it's the story or plotline that is most important to me. It has to be a good story—especially when it comes to my erotica. I never present sex for sex’s sake. 

Arrow: What do you do to promote your books, your brand and yourself?
CC: You can always check out what Candy’s been up to at www.candycaine.com. I especially love to hear from my fans because their feedback is very important to me. I belong to a writing group called Dunes and Dreams. So, mainly I use my website and promote through the writing group.

Arrow: What’s in store to be released in 2010?
CC: As for what the future holds for Candy Caine? She will have a story in the anthology, Sistahs Need Love 2, coming in October from Lady Leo Publishing entitled “Never Say Never.”

Arrow: Candy, it’s really been a pleasure! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us!

CC: Thank you! The pleasure has been all mine. I can’t wait until next time! And BTW, I am both Candy Caine and Candace Gold.

Arrow's April Romance Poll: What's your subgenre?

In April, we asked our readers to tell us their favorite romance subgenre from a list of five choices: contemporary, inspirational, historical, paranormal and suspense. The race was tight, but in the end historical fiction came out at the top of the list with just over 39 percent of readers voting it as their favorite. Not too far behind were paranormal romances at 28 percent. While we keep hearing that contemporary romances are dead, nearly 20 percent of our readers still put them on their must-have reading list. Rounding out our poll results are suspense at nearly nine percent and inspirational at just over four percent.

You still have time to cast your vote in our latest Romance Poll: When is Your Favorite Time to Read?

Tell us what you think at www.MyRomanceStory.com.

Tell us your story! Are you a Blushing Bride?

NEXT ISSUE OF STRAIGHT FROM ARROW

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