It's impossible these days to read any posts having to do with publishing without the obligatory "the book is dead" comments. And yet with another click you'll find articles about how reading is up 20% from a decade ago among middle schoolers and teenagers, how more time is spent now reading for pleasure than in the past, and how the number of titles available is growing faster than ever. Clearly the book is alive and well.

So really, what we should be discussing is how we now define "book." What people are bemoaning is that fewer hardcopy, paper books are being published, and this is affecting the health of brick and mortar bookstores and libraries. And that's a legitimate concern, but it's very different from the demise of books and reading altogether.

For years, publishing and bookselling functioned on a business model that involved small profit margins, reliance on high-volume sales of some books to cover losses taken on others, and full credit for returns. This model is no longer viable, especially when eBooks have a much higher profit and the internet makes it possible for authors to reach readers directly and bypass the middlemen. What's needed is a new model, one that includes both hardcopy and electronic books. And, I believe, a new definition for "book" that encompasses the written word in all its formats.

I'm confident that print books aren't going anywhere. Some people just prefer to hold a book in their hands and turn the pages (and that includes a lot of teenagers I know). But there's a place for eBooks as well. Not only do some books benefit from multimedia available via apps and other platforms (think of what your high school science textbooks could have looked like with a little audio and video), but the price of eBooks means you can buy three novels for your Kindle for the cost of one hardcover. Customers deserve to have that choice.

Another point that's absolutely worth discussing is that the form of storytelling consisting of written words alone should be preserved. Novels — black words on a white page, with the reader filling in the gaps with his or her imagination — are just as important as apps that move and speak and sing when you touch the screen. Both are valuable experiences, both are ways the author (and in some cases the illustrator) can communicate with the reader. But if you're reading The Catcher in the Rye on a Nook, Salinger's words will be exactly the same as when you read them on paper.

Yes, the process by which we buy and read books is changing. And traditional publishers, bookstores and libraries need to adapt, just as the music industry, video rental and phone companies have had to adapt. But for readers and writers, we now have more options when we think "book". If you like to read only paper books and you despise Amazon, shop at your local bookstore. If you don't want your kids getting hooked on apps, don't give them an iPad. If you need a new book immediately (for research, because it's 2:00 AM and you can't sleep, or because you forgot to pack that vacation novel), download it in seconds to your Nook. And if you're an author, you can now reach readers in several formats, all over the world, and at numerous price points.

The book isn't dead, it's evolving. And whatever form it takes, it's still, at its core, a book.

When Brittany Geragotelis was writing her YA novel Life's a Witch, she posted it chapter by chapter on Wattpad, an online community for sharing writing and getting feedback from readers. Gradually, she gained 13 million fans. But despite that and an active blog, YouTube presence, and proving her chops as editor of American Cheerleader magazine, Geragotelis still couldn't attract a publisher. So she self-published through Amazon, and parlayed her online popularity into an article in Publishers Weekly. Fast-forward six weeks, and Geragotelis now has an agent, is fielding offers from foreign publishers and film companies, and has a big publisher looking at her work, which includes six unpublished novels. All this sparked a follow-up article in Publishers Weekly, which could only help raise her profile even more.

What's the moral of this story? If you want it bad enough, you can make it happen. Of course, it starts with the book, but 13 million fans is a pretty good indication that the story's working. And then you refuse to take "no" for an answer. While being published by a big house is still a worthy dream of many authors (including Geragotelis), the publishers no longer hold all the power. If you want to open that door for yourself, you can do it.

You know it's essential these days that authors market their books, and social media is often the most cost-effective way of doing that. Now, Pay with a Tweet lets you utilize the value of your readers' social networks to spread the word about your new books. You create a button for your website or blog  that leads to a free download (say, the first chapter of your new book) that readers get after they Tweet about you or mention you on their Facebook page. So instead of hoping your giveaways create a buzz, now it's guaranteed!

Those of you who are Fightin' Bookworms (members of our CBI Clubhouse online community) know that in the two years since we've launched the site, we've amassed a huge amount of information on writing and publishing children's books. So much information, in fact, that it was getting unwieldy.

So Jon's spent the last two months (days, evenings, weekends, even in his sleep) completely redesigning and improving the site. And as of this week….

The *NEW* CBI Clubhouse is now live at http://cbiclubhouse.com !   

The CBI 1-2-3 System is up and running, bringing you exactly the information you need, exactly when you need it.  No more hunting around through a massive library of information — it's all right there for you.

And, wow, wait until you meet our new Expert Guides!  A Newbery Honoree…multi-million selling authors…a magazine writer with more than 1600 credits….the most famous names in self publishing and book marketing…and on and on.  When we say All-Star, we're not kidding!

And this is just the beginning.  Private critique groups are coming soon. So are advanced and professional levels.  And webinars.  And…   well, we can't give away all our surprises now can we? 

OK, then – go check it out:  http://cbiclubhouse.com

And please let us know what you think. Your feedback helps us make the Clubhouse even better!

Seth Godin, easily the smartest man in publishing today, has once again nailed it with his post Reading Isn't Dead, But It's Changing on his Domino Project blog. His point (and he's talking primarily of young adult books, but this really applies to all ages) is that the job of authors is to write what people want to read, and then they'll read it. It seems obvious, but I can't count how many times I've heard writers bemoan that they'll never get published because kids just aren't reading the kind of books they're writing, the books they should be reading. Kids, they say, have shorter attention spans (not true — just count the number of pages in any Harry Potter book), they prefer plot over lengthy descriptions (who doesn't?), and they reach for books that open their minds to new ideas instead of the lessons adults know are good for them.

Godin pointed out in another post (I'm paraphrasing here) that it's not the job of readers to seek out your books; it's the job of writers and publishers to find their audience and give them the books they want. And what children want is often far better than what many adults initially offer. Yes, writing is hard, but kids deserve books that speak to who they are today.

If you open a restaurant that only serves blue food, and go bankrupt in a month because no one wants your blue meatloaf, whose fault is that? The unenlightened local community? The economy? The restaurant reviewer who gave you one star? No, IT'S THE BLUE FOOD!

And so it goes with books.

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.

So you've sold your children's book to a big publisher, gotten your advance (now you're a real author!) and calculated how many royalty periods it will take to earn the down payment on your dream house. Then you get your statement and see deductions in the earnings column. Confused? You're not alone. First-time picture book author Rhonda Hayter attempts to decipher her royalty statements in Understanding Royalties: From A Kid Lit Author Who Doesn't Get It Herself. Read it to get a slightly better understanding of all those lines on your statement, and why you should always write for love, not money.

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.

Occasionally professional writers will come up against the situation of clients who are late in paying or don’t pay at all. With many businesses, including publishing houses and independent book stores, struggling in the last years, writers are just as likely as other small business persons to find that their payments are delayed or not coming at all.

Of course we all hope this doesn’t happen to us, but if it does, there are ways to handle it.

What you can do:

• Give ’em the benefit of a doubt. Send a polite letter requesting payment. Assume that the publisher or client simply forgot to send the payment.

• Give a reminder. If you haven’t heard back in two weeks, send another letter, with a copy of the first letter. Make a copy of the contract or purchase order (never send the original) and enclose it. Reference it in your letter.

• Give ’em a ring. If you don’t receive payment in two weeks following the second letter, call. Again, keep it friendly and polite. Keep a record of your calls and what was said on both parts. Ask if there is any reason why you haven’t received payment. Acknowledge the reason, but remind the editor or publisher that payment is owed. Refer to the language of the contract. Don’t adopt a threatening tone. No one reacts well to that.

• Immediately after the phone conversation, send another letter, this one by certified mail, requesting return receipt. Certified mail requires and receives more attention than regular mail. It provides legal proof that you mailed the letter and that the other person received it. Remind the client of the conversation, repeating the points made in it, and the person’s promise to send payment.

• If you are uncomfortable calling, try sending an email. Many editors prefer that method of communication. Be careful here. Email can seem cold and impersonal. Keep your message brief but conciliatory.

• From this point on, if you still haven’t received any payment, use a series of certified letters, phone calls, and/or emails. This tells the editor or publisher that you are not giving up.

• If you are still unsuccessful, send a final letter, by certified mail again, stating that you have no choice but to take action. What this action is depends upon you and what results you desire. Obviously, you want to be paid for your work. If the publisher has gone bankrupt (a not unusual occurrence in these days), you may be out the money. If this is the case, you are free to send your manuscript elsewhere.

• You can turn the matter over to a collection agency or attorney who will charge a percentage to use every device to collect the money. Be aware that unless a large amount of money is concerned, you may not get any takers. The more paperwork you have—a contract, copies of a purchase order, etc.—the better chance you have of collection.

• You can take the publisher to small claims court if the amount owed is below that allowed in small claims court. This varies from state to state.

Obviously, a writer does not want to resort to these last two measures. They take time and will probably cost money. You may decide to cut your losses. Chalk up the experience to the price of doing business and learn from it.

What can you do to prevent finding yourself in this situation:

• Do your homework. Before signing any contract or accepting any writing assignment, check out the publisher. Go to their web site. Check out the quality and ease of use of it. If it is sloppy or amateurish, take a second thought about signing with this publishing house

• Network. Attend writers’ conferences and seminars. Ask around about the publisher with which you are thinking of signing. Writers are usually a generous bunch and will share whatever information they can with you. Don’t expect them, however, to divulge specific details of contracts. Keep your questions general.

• If anything seems “off” about the contract or assignment, run, don’t walk. No promise of future money is worth the aggravation and annoyance of trying to collect payment.

Remember, you are a business person. If you face late or non-payment from a writing job, treat it as you would any business dealing. Don’t take it personally. Conduct yourself professionally.

Jane McBride Choate is the author of 32 books and a Contributing Editor to Children's Book Insider. Her latest book is Larrabee's Luck from Avalon Romance. Read an interview with Jane at Avalon Authors.