We talk about your novel needing a "hook" to sell. We talk about developing characters with whom readers can identify. We talk about combining words and images to create a unique format for your nonfiction project.

Why? So readers will talk about your book.

Word-of-mouth is the most powerful sales tool you have.  In today's cyber world where readers are virtually linked and can share their thoughts with the click of a mouse, it's more important than ever. So make sure your book gives them something to talk about.

In What Makes Word-of-Mouth Work?, Rob Eagar, founder of WildFire Marketing, lists qualities a book must have to generate a buzz. Does your book have at least a few of these attributes? If not, rethink your premise, especially if you're self-publishing. Even the most thoughtful book won't sell if readers have no reason to share it with their friends.

In another alternative to publishing traditionally or, more recently, with companies like Amazon, the teen writing site Figment has just announced the publication of its first book. Created as an online community where people in their teens and twenties can post writing and get feedback, Figment has expanded into a marketing vehicle for YA publishers to showcase new fiction to a teen audience. Now Figment has released a paperback edition of Blake Nelson’s Dream School, a sequel to his 1994 YA novel Girl, after serializing the book on the online site.The book is distributed to stores through Publishers Group West.

Though Figment doesn't plan on becoming a full-time publisher, this does show the power of building an audience online, then publishing. It also demonstrates how authors are finding more ways to bypass the big publishers and get their work out on their own terms.

Normally, I just link to useful articles. But this post is from February 2010, and I didn't want the link to disappear before you could read it. Thanks to Donna Gambale and Frankie Diane Mallis, critique partners who blog at www.FirstNovelsClub.com, for distilling uber-agent Janet Reid's talk at the Greater Lehigh Valley Writer's Group. Anything Janet says or writes is worth paying attention to. Just check out her blog if you don't believe me.

Here you go: How to Trim Your Query to 250 Words (or Fewer)

Your ability to write a query that does your novel justice can make or break your chances of landing an agent. Reid recommends spending two months perfecting this 250-word marvel.

Your query encompasses three sections:
1. 100 words answering the question “What is the book about?”
2. A brief summary of your writing credits, if you have them.
3. Miscellaneous information on how you found the agent or why you chose him/her.

THINGS TO CUT FROM EACH SECTION

Section One:
1. Back story.
2. World building.
3. Character roll call.
4. Telling.
5. A synopsis.

Section Two:
1. Academia – classes, teachers, degrees, dissertations.
2. Conferences you’ve attended.
3. Self-published novels, or traditionally published novels with poor sales.
4. Personal information.

Section Three:
1. Begging, flattery.
2. Arrogance or self-deprecation.
3. Offer of an exclusive.
4. Your marketing plan.
5. Quotes from rejection letters, paid editors, critique groups, your mom.

TWO THINGS TO KEEP

Section One:
1. Title, genre, word count.
2. The essentials of your novel. (Every time you think you know, ask yourself “So what? And then?” until you’re left with your main character, conflict, and consequences.)

Section Two:
1. Published short stories or novels.
2. Published magazine or newspaper articles.

Section Three:
1. Why you chose this agent.
2. A connection you have from a conference/workshop.

Start from the bare bones and build from there. Infuse each section with your book’s personality. Consider every word. Don’t forget your contact information. And close with “Thank you for your time and consideration.” Now get trimming!

The first official Picture Book Month ended on November 30, but the effort lives on to make this a yearly event. Dianne de Las Casas, the brains behind Picture Book Month, funded this first effort from her own pocket. Her goal is to go international next year, and she needs your help. To donate any amount (even $10 is a big help), click here and read all about Dianne and the Picture Book Month campaign.

We're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but that's a bunch of baloney. The cover is our first impression, and it goes a long way toward determining if we're going to open the book and read the first page. Consumers know this, booksellers know this, and presumably publishers know this as well.

Which is why it's so baffling when a book has a terrible cover. I'm thinking in particular of middle grade and young adult novels, where the cover is the only illustration the reader sees. Why are so many of them misleading (looking dark and moody when the book isn't), inaccurate (ever seen a book where the protagonist depicted on the cover looks nothing like the author's description?), or just plain ugly? And to the teens and tweens who grew up in our visually-oriented culture, a bad cover says "This book isn't worth reading."

In her Publishers Weekly blog, bookseller Elizabeth Bluemle offers some cover tips for publishers, and self-publishers should also take note. One great idea: show a pdf of the proposed cover to a few booksellers and get their yes or no before the book is published. It's really a no-brainer: publishers get feedback from the people who see consumers' reactions first-hand, and sellers get books that help sell themselves. If you're self-publishing, you should be building relationships with local bookstore owners anyway, and asking for their quick opinion shows that you respect their expertise. This will only help when the time comes for them to carry your book in their stores.

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

These days, instead of digging through the slush pile, many editors are turning to the blogosphere for their next big book. And the newest group to catch the eye of the children's book industry is known as Mom Bloggers. A recent article in Publishers Weekly highlighted how Simon & Schuster hosted 29 of the most popular mom bloggers at a luncheon complete with authors and goodie bags. Why all the fuss? Because moms blog about the books they're reading with their kids, and other moms listen.

But publishers don't rely on mom bloggers to simply spread the word about new books. They also look to them to help create future titles. Editors like Kate Jackson of HarperCollins peruse blogs on a regular basis, looking for writing talent and book ideas. These bloggers are also willing to spread the word on self-published books (sometimes their own), that then catch an editor's eye.

There are two lessons here for both aspiring and published authors: One, don't ignore these mom bloggers when sending out review copies or planning your next blog tour. And two, blogging about children's books, and doing it well, clearly gets you on the publishing radar. This might end up being easier (and more fun) than sending out multiple unsolicited submissions and hoping to get noticed.
 

Seth Godin, bestselling author of 13 books about the post-industrial revolution, marketing, quitting, leadership and changing the way we share information (if you've never heard of Seth, start here), has partnered with Amazon on The Domino Project, a new way of inexpensively producing intellectual property and spreading it quickly. The Domino Project's newest offering is The One Page Book, a poster by Jess Bachman called "Death and Taxes", which explains with words and pictures how the U.S. government's budget works, using actual numbers for 2012. On one page the viewer gets a clear lesson of where our money goes.

How could you use this one page book idea for children? What about explaining nonfiction concepts in a visually-pleasing way, in a format that teachers can hang on the classroom wall? What possibilities does this open up for your work?

How does an author stand out from the crowd while he's shopping his YA horror manuscript to agents? Write a song about the book's protagonist, perform it with a famous hard rock band, get the show posted on YouTube, then make a music video. Ken Derby, author of The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of Fifth Grade (Holiday House), is an American fifth grade teacher living and working in Budapest. He performed Natasha (named after the title character of his manuscript) with the popular band Superbutt at a Hungarian music festival in July. (See the unofficial video at natashathevampire.com/song/. An official video to be released soon.) The site also contains a book trailer, the manuscript's first two chapters, a video of Ken being interviewed by MTV about his song and manuscript, and his insights into vampires and pop culture.

With publishers putting more emphasis on authors' social media platforms and how they'll be able to publicize their books, thinking out of the box like this can only help in getting agents' attention. And every time an author gets innovative, the bar is raised.

So what's your big idea?

It's our latest project!  Here's the news release:

BUZZREADS.COM TO LAUNCH.  NEW SITE WILL SERVE AS THE CENTRAL HUB FOR FREE eBOOKS, APPS, STORIES & MORE FROM TOP NEW WRITERS

In publishing, the new magic price is "free".  Inspired by the success of such authors as Seth Godin and Cory Doctorow, many writers have learned that giving away free stories, chapters – even full eBooks – is a superb way to gain exposure and win over new readers.   And readers love getting free content and the chance to discover exciting new writers.

But there's one big problem….  There's no easy way for authors and readers to find one another.

Until now.

Introducing BuzzReads.com,  the one-stop source for writing that's fresh, new and free!

BuzzReads (http://buzzreads.com) is a clearinghouse — a meeting hub — for authors with something free to offer and readers with open minds to come together.  Fiction, nonfiction, adult and children’s lit, mystery, romance, sci-fi, thrillers and just about every other type of writing is supported.

Here's how it works:

An author with something free to offer readers (an ebook, app, sample chapter or standalone story or poem) fills out BuzzReads' online form.   If accepted, their offer is listed on the site and in the weekly BuzzReads Report e-mail update.  Readers who want the freebie go directly to the author’s site and download the story, poem, sample chapters or ebook.

In the spirit of "free", there's no cost for authors or readers.  It’s entirely free to list and it’s free to read the blog and receive the e-mail Report.

The site launches officially in September and is now accepting submissions from authors at http://www.buzzreads.com/?page_id=45   Readers can sign up for the free BuzzReads Report emails at http://www.buzzreads.com/?page_id=57

For more information, e-mail Jon at jon@buzzreads.com    

Visit BuzzReads Now:  http://BuzzReads.com

Submit your freebies now and, please, spread the word about this free service — tell all your writing and reading buddies to check it out!

Last June Apple rolled out its Version 1.3 of iBooks, which contains a read-aloud feature especially useful for children's ebooks. The text is read out loud by a human narrator (no computer voice), and there's an optional feature that highlights each word of text as it's read. In an email to publishers last week, Apple explains how to create such an ebook. Read about it here.