This blog honored by Writer's Digest

I submitted my blog to Writer's Digest - their editor Maria Schneider
has been searching for the top 20 writing blogs to add to her "Blog
Roll." When I first sent in my entry, my writing blog was pretty new
but I kept adding to it over these last four months.

This month, my blog was chosen by Writer's Digest. Their editor, Maria Schneider,
has been searching for the top 20 writing blogs to add to her "Blog
Roll." When I first sent in my entry, my writing blog was pretty new
but I kept adding to it over these last four months.

And I finally made it in under the wire as #18. Here's what it proves: As with all
other aspects of our writing: wondering if we'll ever be found, it
proves we must never give up. Keep at it, and keep a web site or blog
that provides visibility for your writing, no matter what stage you're
at with your work.

Here's a link to the WD blog:
http://www.writersdigest.com/writersperspective/

And, not that I'm a compulsive blog-checker, but I've had about 200 new "hits" on
my blog, just since Maria announced. So for all writers who ask "Why blog?" -- you now have your answer.

Cheers,
Helen Gallagher
releaseyourwriting.com

How long did it take you?

When I tell people I got the idea for Release Your Writing in March, 2007, and it was published in September, six months later, they fall on the floor. Are they laughing or crying?

Well, my Mr. Wonderful just sent me this YouTube link to a Natalie Goldberg video commentary. She states:

People say "You're so lucky. It only took you 7 months."

"It took me 7 months and 30 years," she replies.

Natalie does a nice job of using YouTube to post a personal, subtle promo for her new book Old Friend From Far Away.
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e17SIiSRIwY


How long will it take you to release your writing?

Helen Gallagher

Two weeks to craft your goals

Yes, 2008 will be here in two weeks! I already bought champagne to celebrate, but how will you ring in the new year?

Ideally, with a folder full of fresh queries, assignments, and bank deposit slips.

It's time to take stock of your writing, and plan your goals, chart your course, make your year happen the way you desire. Get specific about your goals and hold yourself accountable. Grab a goal buddy if you need someone to make you stay true to yourself. Consider where you want to be a year from now and list a few steps you can follow to get there.

Do something every day and every week toward your goals. And, next year, we'll all be toasting your success.

If you need more motivation, visit Maria Schneider's Writer's Perspective blog over at Writer's Digest. She awarded Writer's Digest subscriptions to ten readers and shares their prize-winning goal lists. You'll be impressed.
http://www.writersdigest.com/writersperspective/default.aspx
Cheers,
Helen

Pajama Marketing

Sure, people laugh when I speak of "pajama marketing," but you know what I mean - putting in a few hours at your computer, marketing your work. Here's a great example of a way to market your work to independent bookstores around the country.

Sure, marketing your book requires a lot of work. But the writing did too. And even if you didn't write your book with this in mind, it's time to focus on expanding your readership by getting your book in more stores.

Did you know you can buy a mailing list of U.S. independent book stores from a reliable source (NewPages.com). The cost for over 1,400 book store names and addresses is $75, but they also list the addresses on their site, where you can snag them for free. You could copy and paste the addresses for the shops in your area into a word processing document, do a mail-merge to print labels or letters, and let your work fly! New Pages also has lists of public and academic libraries at the above link.

What would you send to stores? That's up to you: The book synopsis, colorful postcard, media sheet, telling them how to order from your publisher, and stating the handsome 35 or 40 percent discount you'll offer. Include customer comments from your Amazon page and other testimonials from readers. No need to include sales figures - they have easy access to that information.


Helen Gallagher
Release Your Writing

ISBN now available in singles

If you're publishing a book, you need an International Standard Book Number (ISBN.)
As I mention in Release Your Writing, they are available through R.R. Bowker Company, and must be issued in the name of the publisher. So, if you publish through a print-on-demand firm, the ISBN is in the firm's name. If you want to own the number, you would have to purchase a minimum of ten ISBN's at a cost about $245 plus $30 registration fee plus $25 per barcode or a total investment of $525

Now, I've learned RJ Communications has become an authorized agent for R.R. Bowker and is selling single ISBN's at about $125. In fact, his site shows a December special for $99.

If you are issuing only one book and really want the ISBN in your name, look into it and review the application at this site, rjcom.com

If you are more likely to stay with print-on-demand, or are publishing multiple book formats, such as: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, audio book, etc., you might be happy to purchase the ten-pack.

Several people have asked about upcoming workshops and events. The full list is posted at my site, www.releaseyourwriting.com, and at booktour.com

For your easy reference, here is info on the first two workshops of 2008:

JAN. 28, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

MT. PROSPECT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Description: Aspiring writers will learn the ins and outs of publishing in the 21st century during this workshop led by author Helen Gallagher. Gallagher, author of Release Your Writing: Publishing Your Way, will discuss the pros and cons of working with an agent, options for publishing written works yourself, how to cope with new technologies, ways to effectively market a book, and more.
Location: Meeting Room A (room 154)
Contact: Linda Burns
Contact Number: 847-253-5675

Cable TV interview for the library program: http://www.mppl.org/about/librarylife_76.html
(Click on Clip One only.)

FEB. 6, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

AUTHOR TO SPEAK ON HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK
Wilmette, IL (December 5, 2007) -- The February meeting of the Midwest Writers Association is open to the public to hear Helen Gallagher’s presentation, “Your book is being published: Now what?” Gallagher, a freelance writer, technology expert and author of Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way, will discuss ways to market a book through bookstores and other retail outlets, book clubs, online resources, and other strategies. February 6, 7:00 p.m., at the Wilmette Public Library Auditorium, 1242 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette, IL. Admission is $5.00. If planning to attend, please inform Jim O’Connor, 847-615-5462, jimo@oconnorpr.com.

E. L. Doctorow

In one brief phrase, E.L. Doctorow says all we need to know to finish writing a book:

"... there is no way out except through that last sentence."


source: Creationists, E.L. Doctorow, Random House

Tech Toys for Writers

Over at the Writer's Digest Writer's Perspective blog, there is interest in holiday gift ideas for writers. Here's a list of more tech gifts for writers adapted from a recent presentation I gave in Spokane.

http://www.cclarity.com/techtoys.html

I'm about to post an entry today about Amazon's Kindle E-Book reader today, so check back here later today for that too.

Helen Gallagher

Author, Author, where is your web site?

If you are working on a book, don't wait until its finished to build your web site. Once your book launches, you'll find yourself busy with hundreds of other things, and a publicity campaign is much easier if the web site is already in place.

As I've helped people with this task, I've noticed they gain clarity about the book, and about how to focus or pitch the book by having a web site. It forces you to make a nice, concise statement about the book, to capture attention. And that will later become the theme for your entire book campaign.

So don't wait - choose a domain name for yourself or the book's title, as I did with Release Your Writing (www.releaseyourwriting.com) and begin letting your site reveal the focus of your book. You'll also have a place there to list upcoming events and let people know how to purchase, but you might enjoy it as a visual representation of what you know is soon to come: your book.

Helen Gallagher

Book store loyalty works both ways

During a book signing event Monday, the store owner was pleased to hear me speak about book store loyalty.
We can't just ask a store to carry our books. We also have to support the store. They are a presence in our communities, they foster literacy, provide jobs, pay taxes, and we need to be there for them.

So, attend events at local book shops, buy from independent stores more than you do online retailers, bring them fresh ideas for book signing events and partnerships with other local organizations.

My sister has a small book shop on the Oregon coast. She recently had a customer in the shop from Minnesota, attending a 2-day workshop on book collecting. He spotted one of her beautiful art books, Splendid Pages, price $65.

As she relates the story, "He had his back to me then I noticed him with pen in hand but decided not to get upset about that, though it is becoming a pet peeve when people reference buying books elsewhere to save money. So he hands me $2 and says nicely that he knows it's hard to be an independent bookseller and the $2 is a 'discovery fee' and that he had a shop in St. Paul that he uses. I said I would accept and am glad he understands the challenges to booksellers, etc. I also said that's why I ship books all over the country at no charge. He paused and said "...oh you ship for free?....well then I'll take it".

Say "No" and walk away

Every writer wants to gain exposure and selling articles is a great way to validate our work. But don't sell out, and don't agree to post your work on web sites without retaining your rights.

Here's a brief excerpt of the actual contract underlying one of the many 'content sites' that urge writers to submit article for distribution on the web. This example is a company that pays you money! Yes, folks, that's right! They will pay you for your article, but .... they pay $1.50 for every one thousand page views, or clicks on your article. Not even enough to buy a magazine!

What's worse, the firm's contract states:

"Content Producer hereby irrevocably (i) grants to Company a worldwide, perpetual, fully-paid up, royalty-free, transferable right and license, with right to sublicense, to reproduce, publicly display, distribute, and perform, transmit, edit, modify, create derivatives works of, publish, sell, exploit, use, and dispose of such Work for any purpose and in all forms and all media whether now known or to become known in the future, the right to retain all revenue and income derived therefrom, and any and all other related rights of whatever kind or nature --- "

I think I've made my point. Contact me if you have any questions.

Guess the profession...

From this description, try to guess the person's profession:

"... [His] ideas come from everywhere. He keeps a file bulging with magazine and newspaper clippings, takes research trips abroad, and never travels without a pencil and notebook."


Did you guess "Writer?"

I sure did. My first thought was someone immersed in the lovely art of research, or perhaps a travel writer.

Well, just to show you that inspiration comes from everywhere, and we should always be on the alert for new ideas, it turns out the quote, in Saveur Magazine, refers to Chicago restaurateur Rich Melman, head of the Lettuce Entertain You enterprise.

NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month

Tomorrow, November 1st, is the kick-off for NaNoWriMo, where dedicated, adventurous writers sign up and pledge to kick-start their writing, or finish a project, by committing to writing every day in November, to complete 50,000 words by the end of the month. It can be a fresh start on a new novel, or a way to test your stamina and ability to commit to time at the keyboard. (And, it needn't be a novel - you can write anything).

Either way, you'll have something to show for it at the end of the month. There's no cost, no commitment, except to yourself, and no shame if you come up short with only 48,329 words on November 30th.

It's easier than you think to get started. Give it a try here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Organizing your notes for writing

Wonderful travel writer Frank Bures has an interesting interview with George Saunders, author of "The Braindead Megaphone" in World Hum, 10.05.07 that includes this passage:

"What’s it like when you come back from a trip and sort through your material?

It goes like this: Type up every scrap of notes, transcribe every tape. Start sifting through all of that 100-odd single-spaced pages of mess, to try and find some critical incidents you know you’re going to use. This is the hard part—since nothing is polished yet, nothing seems like it will make good writing, ever. When you’ve finally revised these incidents or vignettes, and put them in some kind of order, suddenly there actually is a story there."

Feel better now? All writers go through the moments of mental clutter when nothing seems right, and then somehow our marvelous brain knows how to sort the threads and ideas into something we can work with. Don't get discouraged if you sit down to write and don't know where it's going. You're moving forward. That's what counts - that's where the action is.

Supporting other writers

I join many writing organizations, to show support for the groups that support us in our efforts. Writing is a pretty solitary business, but when you pay attention, you find hundreds of organizations and associations that offer benefits and opportunities for dialog among writers.

Today, I joined the Freelancer's Union - to add strength to their numbers. Much to my surprise, when I completed my profile, I turned up on their home page! Sure shows they know how to offer support. I'll keep you posted of their efforts, and invite you to join as well, at freelancersunion.org.

Title research

At a recent workshop, I asked the participants to give me the title of their book. Some, even though they were working hard on their book, had not yet come up with a title. My advice, for brainstorming titles, is to look at books similar to yours, and search for titles similar to what you have in mind.

Among the many ways to do title research, consider worldcat.org, the world's largest library catalog. Of course you'll also punch your topic or title into Amazon and Google to see if you're in good company.

Since no one can copyright a title, there's nothing stopping you from using a book title that's already in print, but consider the need to differentiate yourself, so you're not just leading people toward another person's book.

When you do a search on Amazon or Google, your goal is not to find half a million similar terms, but to see how unique your name is. My first book Computer Ease, was a tough search because there are so many terms and titles beginning with the word "computer." I got lucky, though, with Release Your Writing, because it's the first book to show up when someone types the name in at Amazon, even if they type it without quote marks. And, at least for the time being, it comes out on top at Google too, even though there are 95,700,000 references to "release" and "writing." But the three words together make my site rise to the top.

So in considering your book's title, do your research.

Floundering? Full of Doubt? ...

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by 

the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

--- Mark Twain

Writer's DreamKit

What a great name for a product !!
Many of us have seen ads for years for Dramatica Pro, software to help novelists and screenwriters to plod along on plot.

But, if that's more than you want, and yet a spiral notebook or a laptop isn't enough to get your story written, they also have a smaller product called Writer's DreamKit. At a cost of $59 for a Windows or Mac version, it might be just the thing to help you with step-by-step techniques for writing fiction. DramaticaPro includes many more features, but retails at $269.

I haven't tried either product, since I write non-fiction, but I've seen ads for Dramatica in Writer's Digest for years.

Here is an unattributed endorsement of Writer's DreamKit:

"What I came to discover that night is that Writer's DreamKit did not write the story for me, what it did do was make me work at telling a story I had no idea how to tell."

Sounds promising...

Blogger becomes Bloggie

Today, fellow writer Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell features an interview with me on her blog.

Stop by for a look at www.kcwrite4u.blogspot.com. Kerri is a prolific writer with over 2,000 articles published, as well as essays and books.

Helen

Silence

Honoring Marcel Marceau, PBS ran an interview with him this week.

Now there is silence. The mime passed away. The only time he spoke in his role as a mime was in a silent Mel Brooks film "Silent Movie" in 1976. How wonderfully ironic.

In the PBS interview, Marcaeu spoke of his desire to convey a message without speech, saying,

"...because we all are silent in certain moments: writers before writing, singers before singing, athletes before sports. Concentration is the most important medium."

Yet, sometimes a writer is reluctant to commit to the act of writing for fear they won't have anything to say. But our silence is also needed. We need it to get away from busyness, noise, technology, and chatter. We need, instead, to get quiet enough to hear what we want to say. Treat yourself to a quiet writing hour. You might be surprised by the results.

BookTour.com

If you're an author, you may already know about booktour.com. There you can create an information page and post the dates of your upcoming speaking events, whether they're in your local library, corner cafe, or on blogs hosting authors. I keep my events updated there, because it is so much easier than keeping a web page fresh. It's as easy as sending an email.

Visitors to booktour.com can search for events by city or zip code, and can receive a weekly email listing all authors coming to their town.

The site is not gimmicky - it's free to authors as well as viewers. I think it has potential to help us stay plugged in and to support local authors, and local booksellers.

I just learned the site was started by Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine and author of "The Long Tail." That book is a 21st century primer on marketing in the chaos of the technology-driven world today. I guess he's proving it. His book ranks near #500 on the online bestseller lists.

Punctuation matters

Gosh, this was a shock to read in today's Chicago Tribune.

The president of Southern Illinois University (SIU), Glenn Poshard, is accused of numerous counts of plagiarism in both his SIU doctoral dissertation and his SIU master's thesis.

To make matters worse, Poshard is is quoted as having publicly stated that he was, and I quote:

"too busy with other things to type quotation marks."

One of the first things writers learn is to get attribution absolutely correct. At a writer's workshop this weekend, I reminded the audience of this, when a panel was discussing research. Today, especially with the wealth of resources online, it is critical not just to double-check facts and sources, but to make absolutely certain you are quoting original material from an original or highly reputable source. New social web sites, such as Wikipedia, that allow contributions from the public are fraught with errors and deliberate mis-statements about politics, religion and more. So today and always "Check your research," and you may quote me on that.

Helen

From blog to web site

Now that Release Your Writing is launched, this little bloggie is getting tired of handling the full load. If you look at www.releaseyourwriting.com, you'll now see a full web site, with a link to this blog, an event list, and loads of other material about the book.

Thanks for supporting this effort, and ... keep writing!

Helen Gallagher

Book Launch: "Release Your Writing"

Yes, Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way is out. Six months from concept to publication. That's the benefit of self-publishing. While I was formulating ideas for a sequel to Computer Ease, as a book tentatively titled Computer Ease for Writers, I collected material, and wrote an outline, but knew something was lacking.

In March of this year, I gave a presentation to Off-Campus Writers Workshop, (OCWW.bizland.com) and I titled my talk "Release Your Writing." As soon as I entered the room, connected my laptop to the projector, and saw that title on the screen, I knew I had the book's focus. A few weeks later, at the American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA) conference in New York, there was a palpable excitement over self-publishing: with packed sessions on the topic, self-pub firms present, and self-published authors on panels.

So, I went up to my hotel room during lunch and bought the domain name www.releaseyourwriting.com. Now I'm pleased the book is available for all. This is it: One book that explains options in publishing, technical aspects of coping with technology, dozens of shortcuts to write better and faster with your computer, and an entire section on book marketing, targeted specifically to those of us who do not have agents, marketers, and publicists steering out books toward an audience.

Keeping a book alive is very much an author's responsibility these days. Release Your Writing shows you how to do it, and how to have fun along the way. Enjoy your journey!

You can purchase Release Your Writing here

Inspiring quotes

In this age of text messages and cell phone chatter, who will be quoted 100 years from now for their wise and thoughtful statements?

I doubt there is a sound bite today that can match this quote from Samuel Johnson, an 18th century essayist"

"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure."

Another of my favorites, attributed to Henry Ford is:

"Think you can or think you can't. Either way, you're right."

So, don't let the pace of today's multimedia lifestyle keep you from quiet time with pen and paper, or with your computer. Capture your thoughts. There are always new markets for our writing. Let's not waste any opportunities.

NOLA story: It's Oprah's way or not at all....

I am a big supporter of New Orleans, before and after the Katrina carnage. Here's a chance for me to promote a journalist's book about the experiences, and for you to have some fun. Imagine if you, as a fresh author of a new book, were asked to speak about the topic on Oprah!! But - you couldn't mention your book! You'd be frustrated too.

Read the New Orleans Time-Pic story by Chris Rose here. Chris is the author of 1 Dead in Attic.
http://www.cclarity.com/ryw/NOLA/NOLA-oprah-not.html

I put the link on my site since news stories move off the top pages online very fast.

Helen

Writing: The last week of August

It's Monday morning, and the last week of August. For many, it starts the end of summer: hot nights, porch swing, luxury of time to read. Oh, and write ! If you're a writer, make the most of this week, and get back into the habit of daily writing. Take a bit inspiration from Isaac Asimov:

“If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.”

Don't give up on ebooks ...

Here's a brief comment from a New York Times article from August 9, 2007:

"WHEN Paul Biba, a lawyer in Bernardsville, N.J., finds himself stuck waiting, he likes to pull out his Nokia E61i cellphone and read one of the 20 or so books he usually stores on it.

The virtual bookshelf in his pocket currently has science fiction like “Falling Free” by Lois McMaster Bujold, all of the novels of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens, “Eminent Victorians” by Lytton Strachey and the September issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

“Once you get use to having books with you, you get use to reading in places where it never occurred to you. If I’m waiting in line at the supermarket counter, why not read one of my science fiction magazines?” he said. “Believe it or not, I’ll sit down in my chair at home, pull out my phone and read a book.”"

So, whether you read ebooks on your laptop screen, desktop, Palm, Life Drive, iPod or iPhone, they are a convenient, trouble-free way to read wherever you are.


The full story is posted on their site (free registration required).

Book Launch Events

For your convenience, you can now receive a weekly email of author events, including my own, in your area. Sign up free at booktour.com:

 http://booktour.com/signup?referrer=2371

Events for "Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way"

Oct. 14, 2007 Uptown Writer's Space, Chicago, IL
Fee-based workshop, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Contact Uptown Writer's Space at: 773-275-1000 or email susan@uptownwritersspace.com

Oct. 20, 2007 National Assn. of Science Writers, Spokane, WA
"Taming the Digital Office" panel
nasw.org

Jan. 28, 2008 Mt. Prospect Public Library
Free workshop & Q+A, 7 p.m.
mppl.org

May 3, 2008 Chicago Dramatist's Guild
details to follow


Click here for photos from the book launch party 9/29/07 at Mario's Mondo Cafe.

Prior author events:


Sept. 15, 2007 Prose In the Park, Taylorville, IL
Two workshops: New writers - a.m., Advanced writers - p.m.
More info: Prose In the Park

Sept. 19, 2007 Women's Exchange author night
Generational issues in technology
reservations: Womens-Exchange.org

Oct. 1-6, 2007 Speaker at global Momference teleconference
Don't know what a Momference is? Learn more here:www.momference.com

Writer's Digest blog

I've had the pleasure of writing a few articles for Writer's Digest, and am pleased to see some of their best people are moving into blogs. Maria Schneider handles technical and publishing concepts at hers: http://www.writersdigest.com/writersperspective/default.aspx

Make it a regular stop on your "paper route."

Cheers,
Helen

Advance praise for Release Your Writing

In workshops and appearances this Fall, I'll speak as much about marketing and promoting your work as I do about writing or technology. Endorsements are one of the best ways to show credibility and give readers a reason to look further into your book. I've received two stunning endorsements and am excerpting them here for your reference and inspiration:

• "...I took her blogging class, which is the only reason I have a blog today. The obscure was made clear, and fun. I would trust Helen’s expertise in any of the new technologies, and I would recommend her to anyone who needs to know how to take advantage of the digital world’s tools.”

Cynthia Clampitt, author of
Waltzing Australia

• “Helen Gallagher's new book Release Your Writing has just stripped you of your last excuse for not writing that book that's inside you and waiting to be released. She has an answer for every question you've ever had about birthing a book into the world and covers every step you need to take it from beginning to end."
  
  
  Jan Phillips, author of
  The Art of Original Thinking,
  Marry Your Muse
  
  
  

Could Jane Austen get published today?

One of the tenets of Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way is the need for writers to self-advocate.
No one believes in your work more than you do, and its unlikely the glint of your perfect prose will be shine in an agent's or editor's eye.

We hear that mainstream publishing is harder to achieve than ever. It rejection is a frustration for you, take heart in this recent news story:

I frustrated writer, David Lassman disguised Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and sent it off to 18 publishers. One well-read editor spotted the fraud, but the other 17 publishers all rejected or ignored it. Lassman submitted the manuscript under a female pseudonym, and changed only the title and character names. Odds are he's now a big fan of self-publishing.

One month to release date

When Your Muse is Calling

I've never needed a push to get started with writing. My muse is always speaking to me, putting a pen into my hand, or flying across my keyboard.

Yesterday, before sending Release Your Writing off to the publisher, I received a wonderful endorsement for my book from Jan Phillips, author of the outstanding book: Marry Your Muse.

So imagine my surprise when I went to dinner with a friend last night and she presented me with this adorable gift -- a real muse!

The quote on her skirt is from James Michener:

"I love writing. I love the swirl & swing of words as they tangle with human emotions."

Inspiring, isn't it? Strike while the pen is hot !

Helen

Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way

ANNOUNCEMENT:
Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way will be available in Autumn 2007.
Author: Helen Gallagher

Self-publishing continues to grow as a productive alternative to traditional publishing where:
book proposal + agent + publisher = about a two year time frame.

With self-publishing and more specifically Print-on-Demand (POD) you have another option: You handle the writing and publication process, with editorial input and design under your control. You use a POD firm to assist with print production, formatting, printing, distribution, obtaining ISBN, online sales, credit card processing, and fulfillment. Yes, you pay for that service, but if your choice without it is to remain unpublished, it's worth it.

Sound good? You bet. Send an email to books@releaseyourwriting.com to learn more about the book and POD. You can also add comments, questions and suggestions here about what you want to see covered in the book.

Helen Gallagher
author Computer Ease
and Release Your Writing

Chicago Writer Assn. Interview

Authors interested in self-publishing will enjoy these comments regarding the ASJA conference in New York. These notes are excerpted from a chicagowrites.org interview, conducted by Walt McElligott, editor.

We're lucky to have many good writing organizations in Chicago, and Diana was a brave adventurer when she launched Chicago Writer's Assn. I believe we all have an obligation to support the groups who support writers, especially in our own community.

I attend out-of-town conferences too, especially ASJA (American Association of Journalists & Authors), in New York. The April conference has about 50 panels, for ASJA members, Friday through Sunday, and open to non-members just on Saturday and Sunday. I think the attendance runs about 700 people. Topics range from freelance journalism to finding an agent, specializing in particular niches,and so much more.

This year I was surprised to see three things at the conference:

1. Technology played a bigger role: They usually have one speaker discuss the web each year, but this year there were sessions on Blogs, Making six-figures online, Online travel writing, and Writing for tech markets. That's four new topics spawned by the blurred lines between writing and technology, and an interesting trend. Some of these sessions were standing room only.

2. Many speakers discussed the move from print to, not just online journalism, but multimedia. Even a New York Times columnist spoke of the recent changes in her work. She used to write a 1,000 word column. Now her editors want 600 words, plus make her read the column aloud for a podcast, and create a multimedia story, combining voice, text, and photos. All for the same pay. Almost every editor said they want shorter work that leads the reader somewhere else - another link, another story.

3. The third change was the reason I went to the conference this year: A growing movement toward self-publishing. ASJA has partnered with iUniverse, one of the top print-on-demand firms,to offer members a better publishing package. And during two half-day sessions on self-publishing. I saw the audience doing the math -- as our own Nolan Lewis has mentioned on the CWA forum -- there is something wrong with the traditional publishing model, when the author keeps less than one percent of the revenue from their book.

Self-publishing and print-on-demand offer writers both the ability to get their book published, and to make more money per book. In fact, I've gotten Nolan's permission to quote him in my upcoming book on self-publishing.


Full interview available here

Printer's Row Book Fair

Thanks to all the visitors and book buyers who stopped by at the Printer's Row Book Fair. It was my 2nd year there, and I enjoyed meeting so many of you Saturday, and appreciate all the book sales. It's important to support independent authors, as you'll soon find out if you plan to write a book. The validation that comes from people stopping by to inquire, leaf through your book, and then take a copy home is the reason we write.

Release Your Writing will be going to the printer in about two weeks. Visit Computer Clarity in the meantime to sign up for a free email newsletter, or check out The Write Brain at my other site, GallagherInk.com.

We have five workshops and events planned for September and October. Stay in touch to find out more.

Helen Gallagher
author: Release Your Writing
and Computer Ease

About "Release Your Writing"

Whether you’re a writer just starting out or at the finish line, you can get your work published.

We know the long road to publishing success: attract an agent who has time and connections to place your book with a publisher, and follow the long rewarding journey to publication. But there is another way: publish it yourself.

This book goes beyond traditional publishing to strategies for success with self-publishing, putting you in control of the process.

But what about the writing, handling computer chores, and formatting a book for publication?

And how does a writer handle marketing and promotion? We’ll take you there too. Release Your Writing walks you through the whole project, not just publishing options.

Why self-publish?

Perhaps …

• You want your work to be seen. No one can read what’s in your desk drawer.
• You want to help people with what you’ve learned, and share your expertise.
• You have a collection of essays or stories you’d like to sell.
• You want a book for professional reasons, as an adjunct to your business or to share expertise with the public.
• You’ve studied the markets and you know you aren’t likely to attract a major publisher…

Then self-publishing might be perfect for you.

A friend's success

My friend, Bob Sideman just got an important paper accepted at the Illinois History Conference.
He will be attending the conference and presenting his paper in Springfield in October 2007. He will be publishing his book shortly thereafter.