Update: Contest winners have been chosen and have been contacted via email. They are:
3 First Prize Winners: A copy of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software
Robyn
Barbara McDowell Whitt
bluepea1976
6 Second Prize Winners: Copies of the e-books The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing, The Marshall Plan® for Success as a Novelist and How to Bring Your Memoir to Life
Jessica Nevins
Vic Warren
Tracey Pintell Quade
Alena
Edie Melson
Susan M. Toy
Today’s returning guests are Evan Marshall & Martha Jewett.
Evan Marshall is an internationally recognized expert on fiction writing and author of the Hidden Manhattan and Jane Stuart and Winky mystery series. A former book editor, for 30 years he has been a leading literary agent specializing in fiction. The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software, which he co-authored with Martha Jewett, is an adaptation of his bestselling The Marshall Plan® series. Read his articles at themarshallplan.net.
Martha Jewett is a memoir advocate, editorial expert with an outstanding track record in book publishing, and co-creator of The Marshall Plan® series, a structured approach to writing fiction and nonfiction which helps writers get great results fast. She is co-author with Evan Marshall of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software. Martha worked as a business book editor at major New York publishers including John Wiley & Sons, McGraw-Hill, and Harper. She collaborated with authors to reach the widest possible audience—as developmental editor, acquisitions editor, editorial consultant, ghost writer, and independent literary agent. She was awarded The McGraw-Hill Corporate Award for Editorial Excellence. She blogs about memoir writing at writeyourmemoir.com.
Evan and Martha are celebrating the release of the new version of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software by holding a contest for readers of Writer Unboxed.
• 3 first prizes: a copy of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software ($149 value).
• 6 second prizes: copies of the e-books The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing, The Marshall Plan® for Success as a Novelist and How to Bring Your Memoir to Life: 52 Fiction-Writing Techniques from The Marshall Plan® (total $15.99 value).
To enter, send an e-mail to evan@evanmarshallagency.com with “Writer Unboxed” in the subject line. In the body of the e-mail, put the e-mail address to which you want your prize sent if you win. Winners will be selected at random and notified by e-mail by the end of September 2013.
[pullquote]To enter, send an e-mail to Evan@evanmarshallagency.com with “Writer Unboxed” in the subject line. In the body of the e-mail, put the e-mail address to which you want your prize sent if you win. Winners will be selected at random and notified by e-mail by the end of September 2013.[/pullquote]In the meanwhile, please enjoy their essay on why this is such an exciting time in publishing.
Publishing’s Most Exciting Upheaval . . . and You
We all know publishing is undergoing massive changes due to the explosion of e-books and self-publishing. E-books are outselling print books, and self-publishing (aka indie publishing), no longer a shameful stepchild, has traditional publishers running scared.
A major benefit of this upheaval is that indie publishing is now a fertile breeding ground for some of the most creative fiction writing we’ve seen in decades. The reason for this is that indie authors are not forced to run the gauntlet of rejection that exists at every traditional publishing house—a gauntlet powered by (and excuse our mix of metaphors) a giant “category sieve.”
For a fiction publisher, category is everything. What is this novel? A romance? A mystery? A thriller? Even mainstream is a category. And it’s important to know a novel’s category from the beginning. The author needs to know it to get the manuscript in front of an agent. The agent needs to know it to get the manuscript in front of an editor. The editor needs to know it to help her company package and sell the novel. Booksellers need to know it to slot the book onto the right shelf or web page.
But indie publishing is a completely different animal. The middlemen are cut out. Authors don’t need to explain what their novels are if they don’t care to.
And this difference is making it possible for new kinds of fiction—fiction that doesn’t necessarily fit neatly into a slot—to get into the hands of readers, who have long been the victims of traditional publishers’ relentless categorizing and hungered for something new and different.
Don’t get us wrong—in the “old days,” thanks to a few visionary editors, or else by mistake, some new and different sorts of novels made it through the traditional-publishing labyrinth and achieved huge success, in effect coining their own categories. Many credit Agatha Christie with creating the cozy mystery. Georgette Heyer is cited as the inventor of the Regency romance. Richard Adams, best known for Watership Down, is known as the creator of the anthropomorphic animal fantasy. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels began a whole movement of romantic mysteries with spunky/sexy/funny heroines. Christine Feehan unleashed a new genre of dark paranormal romances when she published Dark Prince, the first of her Carpathian novels. We’re sure you can think of others.
But the days of these category-creating works appearing traditional publishers’ lists may be over, because it’s no longer necessary for traditional publishers to take the kinds of risks that bring about these happy results. Why should they, when indie publishing has become their talent pool, their “beta testing” department? All these companies have to do is closely monitor the rich selection of novels currently being indie-published and cherry-pick the ones that have already achieved huge success.
Think of such genre-defining authors as E. L. James, whose Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has engendered a slew of explicitly erotic BDSM romances. The books began their lives as popular Twilight fan fiction. The Writer’s Coffee Shop, an Australian publisher, heard the buzz, snapped them up and published them in rewritten, standalone form. These editions were in turn signed by Random House.
Amanda Hocking had sold over a million copies of her self-published fast-moving young-adult paranormal romances and urban fantasies when St. Martin’s Press grabbed her.
Bella Andre began her career as a traditionally published author. When, after six years, her publisher dropped her, she began to self-publish, and this is when her sales went through the literary roof. This time it was Harlequin Mira that swooped down to pluck the cherry, but Andre wasn’t willing to let go of everything she’d accomplished on her own, and granted the publisher print rights only, the first deal of its kind. The success of her red-hot romances featuring the kinds of alpha heroes we saw early in romance fiction is prompting publishers to implore agents: “Bring me a Bella Andre!”
John Locke is the first self-published author to sell more than a million digital books on Amazon.com. Of course, traditional publishers came knocking on his door, but Locke, like Andre, wasn’t willing to hop into anyone’s arms—at least not completely. He made a deal with Simon & Schuster to handle sales and distribution of the physical editions of his funny, sexy crime novels featuring Donovan Creed, a not always politically correct former CIA assassin with a weakness for call girls. Like Harlequin Mira, Simon & Schuster was willing to take what it could get of this talented author.
So what can authors learn from all of this?
Be realistic about the kinds of novels you’re writing and proceed accordingly with your publishing plans. In other words, if your books fit neatly into one of those category slots, you may do nicely with a traditional publisher. If, on the other hand, your novels blaze new trails—blend genres in a fresh way, venture into new story territory or are just different in some important way—you should strongly consider self-publishing. As mentioned above, it’s the way to eliminate all those middlemen who are likely to try to block your way, and get your books into the hands of the people you really want to judge them: readers.
If you decide you’re the second kind of author, the self-publishing kind, throw off the creative shackles publishing “experts” have placed on you and give us all the creativity you’ve got. Write the books you’re really excited about writing, regardless of whether we’ve seen anything like them before, because that’s what readers of indie novels want and expect. It’s how those new fiction categories are born.
Accept that self-promotion is more important than ever. What you don’t get when you self-publish is a traditional publisher’s well-oiled publicity and promotion machine. So you have to make your own. Master the world of websites and social media and never stop working at growing your platform. Hire professionals if you’re able. A self-published novel without promo behind it is like that tree that falls in the forest. If no is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Stick with it. Accept that the examples of self-publishing mega-success discussed above are rarities, the exceptions rather than the rule. As in any endeavor, self-publishing success comes with persistent hard work over an extended period.
Don’t get lazy creatively. The best-loved authors never stop trying to top themselves, to do something new that will delight their readers. Be aware of what other authors are doing so as not to duplicate, but more importantly, to keep topping yourself.
Be prolific. Traditional publishers have large lists and are not usually able to get an author’s books out with the frequency we see in indie publishing. Take advantage of this fact. If you can get high-quality novels out every few months, do it. Every month, all the better. Even faster if you’re able. You know those readers who devour a novel a day? They’re your market.
Be prepared for a traditional publisher to knock on your door. It may come sooner, it may come later, it may never come, but know what you would do if it does. Of course, a lot depends on what kind of offer a publisher might make, but know in advance how you’ll feel about the prospect of jumping aboard the traditional publishing machine. After setting your own pace and calling all the shots, you may be frustrated by the loss of control.
There has never been a more exciting time in publishing, because never has literary creativity of every kind been so richly rewarded.
Make it your time.
Have thoughts to share? The floor is yours. And don’t forget to enter Evan and Martha’s generous giveaway! Write on.
Funny you should mention it. Recently I’ve been trying to place what category my current novel (and series) falls into. I suppose one of the nice things about not being a full time author is that I’m under no pressure to produce something that fits a publishers guidelines. Naturally, I want to see my work in print, but perhaps some of us need to catch this upheaval and see where it takes us. You’ve given me much to think about. Thanks for the post.
Wow, the energy in this post is really infectious! I’m happy to hear professionals out there being so insightful about categorizing of novels. I like your “throw off the creative shackles publishing “experts” have placed on you” … “fiction that doesn’t necessarily fit neatly into a slot.” Your “genre blending” might be an appealing buzz word. It speaks to reaching deeper within the categories instead of labels like “crossing the genres” or “straddling the genres,” which tend to imply an odd mix. I write what is labeled “quiet horror” but the novels are far more than horror without gore-meisters, zombies, or blood-splatter. I find the indie pub scene is open to creative risks and readers are liking the new roads ahead. Thank you for this shot in the arm.
Golly gee. What a super post. Just dripping with POWER. POWER TO THE WRITERS! I’ve actually been afraid of all this newness in our industry. But aren’t we afraid about the things we know nothing about?
I don’t fear it now. I’m going to embrace all this.
The novel writing software sounds like something I want. Great contest. Good luck to everyone! *waving*
Oooo…it IS an exciting upheaval—an exciting time in the world of publishing!
Although I write in a fictional genre, life has thrown me a series of events that make for an excellent memoir. Yeah, I know we all think our lives are interesting enough to have best-sellers become of them, but it’s not my life that’s interesting, but those around me. I love to tell those stories. I’ll be checking out Martha’s website and of course, emailing Evan.
The post was quite informative…bookmarked!
Wonderful blog post! I’ve already e-mailed Evan, hoping to be one of the winners, and I’m off to Martha’s website. I write memoir, so I’m particularly excited to read it. Thanks for an insightful post and the generous give-aways!
Can we once and for all get it straight that EL James did NOT invent the BDSM erotic romance genre? It’s been around–and selling well, and hitting the NY Times bestelling lists–long before she came onto the scene, with authors like Maya Banks and Lora Leigh.
You’re so right about indie publishing being the new “beta testing” for trad publishers. The industry is morphing at such a rapid pace its an exciting time for us authors. I had a memoir about writing a novel with a famous author picked up by a traditional publisher and they also bought the digital rights to my novel. So I have two books coming out in February, the book about writing a thriller and the thriller itself. Never would have happened a few years ago.
Thanks for the refreshing view on writing what we want to write and then “going for it” in whatever way gets our work out there for readers to enjoy. I am so sick of hearing “women’s fiction” is hard to sell and “this isn’t for me” that I could scream. What’s being read the most these days statistic-wise isn’t what I write and it almost makes me want to quit writing but I won’t and I can’t. Your post gives me hope.
Patti
You nailed the “beta testing”. I went to a publisher in the Flat Iron building and pitched a celebrity chef drawn into adventure and was told, though the editor was intrigued, those were conflicting categories. Fast forward – I have a self published best seller and Al Roker (Yes the news weatherman) has the Celebrity Chef mystery books.
Everybody wins I guess.
I’m just so excited to see Evan Marshall’s name across the big screen. Yes, that’s right, I said the big screen. WRITER UNBOXED is the big screen, persons and gentle people.
Evan’s book is on my dining room table next to some breakout book with fiction that’s on fire in the 21 century.
Fanboy!!!!
Ooo- this looks like a learning day. Dammit- where are my cliffnotes?
You’re cracking me up again!
Bahahahaha
Brian, it’s CLIFF’S NOTES or CLIFFS NOTES, not Cliffnotes. Just saying.
It’s okay Tina. I have that affect (effect) on fellow writers. Those pet peeves can be irritating.
I don’t use Cliff’s Notes, CliffsNotes, Cliffscomplete, nor SparkNotes anymore. I use Cliffnotes (knock off) or the new and improved HillegassNotes. They’re a few dollars cheaper.
Bahahahaha, sometimes I forget to use The Elements of Style while commenting.
Great points. Especially the ones about sticking with it and being realistic. The news stories about the person who just stuck their novel up online and had 10,000 readers three weeks later seem to crop up ever so often. While this is really awesome for that author. It’s also really unusual, and if you measure yourself against these standards, you’re setting yourself up to feel bad.
It is an exciting time, but honestly, I think I’m going to try to make it in traditional publishing first. Publishers of course *need* to consider how the indie scene is changing things–and change treatment of their authors accordingly (royalty rates on ebooks, I’m looking at you)–but there are some advantages of going traditional that still appeal. Like:
-I have no clue about formatting books for epublishing, and limited time/inclination to learn, or the funds to pay someone to do it for me.
-Same case with print.
-I don’t have the funds to hire a cover artist, either, and if I attempted to design my own cover, it would look amateur at best and incite feelings of “Dear God, what is that thing? at worst.
-Distribution. I would still like to be in print, with those physical things that I could sign for people.
-I also would like to join the SFWA, but, as of this post, would not be eligible if I were indie-published only.
That’s not to say that indie publishing is out for me entirely. It does mean that, especially while I have a day job, I’d prefer to spend my available time working on the writing itself, rather than trying to teach myself other aspects of publishing (or taking on a part-time job so I could afford other people to do it for me).
Whoops, forgot to close off my HTML tag. Sorry!
Evan and Marthal, I love your phrases, “gauntlet of rejection” and “giant category sieve.” Your commentary on the merits of the various means of fiction publishing reminded me of John Updike whose untimely death in 2009 has deprived us of more of his literary greatness. The Academy of Achievement website – http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/upd0bio-1 has a nice summary of Updike’s lifetime focus on fiction writing based in part on his life experiences.
Sorry to rain on the parade here, but … Are you kidding?
“Be prolific. Traditional publishers have large lists and are not usually able to get an author’s books out with the frequency we see in indie publishing. Take advantage of this fact. If you can get high-quality novels out every few months, do it. Every month, all the better. Even faster if you’re able. You know those readers who devour a novel a day? They’re your market.”
Pop out a high quality novel every month? Every few months?
Since when are books the equivalent of a McDonald’s hamburger?
Laura: I have researched successful Amazon authors with multiple Titles and this is what I have found. Selling a 100 page ebook takes the same effort as a 400 page ebook and a quarter of the time. That is why there are so many series on Amazon. Of course to write a 400 page novel every month would be impossible, yet writing a 400 page novel and distributing the novel in four bites that are price pointed to sell will move that work a lot faster that the full priced novel would ever sell. Indies have proved this agin and again.
And guess what – Publishers are now adapting this model.
For example Macmillan publishing have called for proposals across their imprints. St Martins Press being one. http://tuesdayserial.com/?p=3160
This is the way of the future and they no this.
disclosure: I have my next releases prewritten for this model over the next year and a half.
I apologize for my browsers inline autocorrect. The little tool that is supposed to remedy post misspellings will be removed soon.
A good business model may be to give away the first 100 pages, then charge progressively more for each 100-page installment. This shifts risk from the buyer to the seller, as a way of promoting his product, but allows the seller to make more in the end–if the book continues to hold the reader’s interest. You still have to have a good product for this model to work.
Thanks for this post. I feel validated.
Thank you for writing this article.
My carry away: know your book’s genre; keep learning the craft; keep building your author platform; with with confidence.
And I will try to live by it…
Why do online comments live by different rules than books?
If you’re a writer, read what you just wrote. Don’t ignore grammar, punctuation, sentences that make sense, or the correct spelling of words in anything you write. Hopefully, other people are reading your comments, too.