Sunny Frazier's Posts - CrimeSpace2024-03-19T03:11:53ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazierhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/60991796?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2l1t4qbid90c4&xn_auth=no6 Give-aways over at Kings River Lifetag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-12-27:537324:BlogPost:4001112014-12-27T20:30:19.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>What to do with all those Amazon/B&N gift cards you received from Santa? Here's a few suggestions:</p>
<p><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/12/27/coming-attractions-new-years-edition/">http://kingsriverlife.com/12/27/coming-attractions-new-years-edition/</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>For more books you can win, go to the Mystery Rat Maze and click on the various books being reviewed. Instructions for entering the contest at the end of the article. Contests run to next Saturday, Jan. 3.…</p>
<p></p>
<p>What to do with all those Amazon/B&N gift cards you received from Santa? Here's a few suggestions:</p>
<p><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/12/27/coming-attractions-new-years-edition/">http://kingsriverlife.com/12/27/coming-attractions-new-years-edition/</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>For more books you can win, go to the Mystery Rat Maze and click on the various books being reviewed. Instructions for entering the contest at the end of the article. Contests run to next Saturday, Jan. 3.</p>
<p><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/category/kings-river-reviewers/mysteryrats-maze/">http://kingsriverlife.com/category/kings-river-reviewers/mysteryrats-maze/</a></p>10 Mystery Giveaway over at Kings River Lifetag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-11-30:537324:BlogPost:3995712014-11-30T22:28:38.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/11/29/coming-attractions-yuletide-edition/"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font color="#000000">What better gift than books for the holidays? This week in my Coming Attractions column I have a hefty list of titles. Better yet, you have a chance of winning 10 books just by making a comment or emailing ezine editor Lorie Ham. Contest ends Dec. 6.…</font></font></font></span></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/11/29/coming-attractions-yuletide-edition/"><span><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font color="#000000">What better gift than books for the holidays? This week in my Coming Attractions column I have a hefty list of titles. Better yet, you have a chance of winning 10 books just by making a comment or emailing ezine editor Lorie Ham. Contest ends Dec. 6.</font></font></font></span></a></p>
<p><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/11/29/coming-attractions-yuletide-edition/">http://kingsriverlife.com/11/29/coming-attractions-yuletide-edition/</a></font></font></font></p>COMING ATTRACTIONS and 5 book give-awaytag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-07-27:537324:BlogPost:3942922014-07-27T22:46:07.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>Check out the latest books from William Kent Krueger, Kelli Stanley, L.J. Sellers and a new series by Ray Daniel. Also, here's a link to sample 11 chapters from the latest Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child novel. <a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/coming-attractions-end-of-summer-edition/">http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/coming-attractions-end-of-summer-edition/</a> </p>
<p>And 5 cozy mysteries from Penguin can be yours by emailing…</p>
<p>Check out the latest books from William Kent Krueger, Kelli Stanley, L.J. Sellers and a new series by Ray Daniel. Also, here's a link to sample 11 chapters from the latest Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child novel. <a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/coming-attractions-end-of-summer-edition/">http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/coming-attractions-end-of-summer-edition/</a> </p>
<p>And 5 cozy mysteries from Penguin can be yours by emailing <a href="mailto:krlcontests@gmail.com">krlcontests@gmail.com</a> with a subject line “July batch” or comment on the article at <a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/a-batch-of-july-mysteries-from-penguin/">http://kingsriverlife.com/07/26/a-batch-of-july-mysteries-from-penguin/</a> </p>Author Interview and Book Give-Awaytag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-06-22:537324:BlogPost:3922472014-06-22T02:39:27.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>Maybe you can't afford a trip to Kenya on your summer vacation, but you can win a copy of Annamaria Alfieri's “Strange Gods” for a summer read. Catch my review and an author interview at <a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/06/21/strange-gods-by-annamaria-alfieri/">http://kingsriverlife.com/06/21/strange-gods-by-annamaria-alfieri/</a></p>
<p>Maybe you can't afford a trip to Kenya on your summer vacation, but you can win a copy of Annamaria Alfieri's “Strange Gods” for a summer read. Catch my review and an author interview at <a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/06/21/strange-gods-by-annamaria-alfieri/">http://kingsriverlife.com/06/21/strange-gods-by-annamaria-alfieri/</a></p>COMING ATTRACTIONStag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-05-31:537324:BlogPost:3897352014-05-31T16:17:32.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p align="left"><font color="#37404E"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"><font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif">What constitutes a beach read? Any book that whisks you away on a cyber (or cerebral) vaca! Here's the 7 authors with new titles and a chance to win three books: Nancy Parra, Annamaria Alfieri, David Freed, Jan Christensen, Aneta Adamcova-Cruz, Laura Benedict and Nancy Lynn Jarvis.…</font></font></font></font></font></p>
<p align="left"><font color="#37404E"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"><font><font face="Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif">What constitutes a beach read? Any book that whisks you away on a cyber (or cerebral) vaca! Here's the 7 authors with new titles and a chance to win three books: Nancy Parra, Annamaria Alfieri, David Freed, Jan Christensen, Aneta Adamcova-Cruz, Laura Benedict and Nancy Lynn Jarvis.</font></font><a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/coming-attractions-beach-edition/" target="_blank"><span><font face="Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif"><font color="#3B5998">http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/coming-attractions-beach-edition/</font></font></span></a></font></font></font> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/70764125?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/70764125?profile=original" width="225" class="align-full"/></a></p>THE POLITICS OF PUBLISHINGtag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-09-06:537324:BlogPost:3567782013-09-06T04:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p>Ever since Amazon legitimized self-publishing, small publishing houses and Big Publishing have been reeling from the impact. Big Publishing's answer was to first discredit authors who took control of their careers, then sought to keep prices high on e-books so agents and publishers could continue to reap profits.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Small publishing continued as if nothing really changed. Indie houses have been ignored by book chains and small press authors…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p>Ever since Amazon legitimized self-publishing, small publishing houses and Big Publishing have been reeling from the impact. Big Publishing's answer was to first discredit authors who took control of their careers, then sought to keep prices high on e-books so agents and publishers could continue to reap profits.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Small publishing continued as if nothing really changed. Indie houses have been ignored by book chains and small press authors are often barred from panels and signings at conferences and conventions. But, many small publishers embraced both trade paperback and e-book editions of their titles, finding room for both formats.</p>
<p></p>
<p>As acquisitions editor of a mid-sized publishing house, I'm experiencing a different dilemma. Authors now expect/demand that I somehow get their book out within three months of submission. Impatient, many pull their books before I even get a chance to read sample pages. There is a feeling that authors now have the upper hand in the book world and publishing has to dance to their tune and time frame.</p>
<p></p>
<p>In the past, an author HOPED that their query letter would be answered within three months. Tales of the bottomless slush pile and form rejection letters made the process harrowing. True, Big Publishing fed into this idea, dangling visions of advances and best seller lists only to dash hopes and careers against a wall guarded by agents and editors.</p>
<p></p>
<p>It was a cruel system. Beginning novelists were made to doubt their talent and often gave up too soon. What smaller publishers offered was hope and a shot. While Big Publishing grew too large to see authors as individuals, smaller houses with less staff invested not just time and money producing books but took an interest in the personal lives of their stable of authors.</p>
<p></p>
<p>But, small means just that. With Print On Demand technology, publishers don't need a large staff or huge office to churn out books. Overhead is kept low so books can be produced and sold cost effectively. In a tough economy, books become a luxury. Nobody in a smaller house is getting rich anytime soon. Just as penning a book is a labor of love, so is seeing that books get into print and into the author's hands.</p>
<p></p>
<p>With the power shift, authors know they are in control of their careers for the first time. I applaud this change. But, that doesn't mean my in box isn't still swamped with queries. I can't push my publisher to hand out contracts any faster. We can't expand our output of titles to accommodate everyone waiting in the wings. It's still takes about a year to go from query to publication.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The wall that ambitious authors hit now is one they never saw coming: promotion. With an onslaught of books on the market all vying for the few dollars people spend to read, success comes to the author who conquers marketing. Too many authors feel the hard part is behind them when they put their soul into satisfying their muse. They've invested their time writing, but not a cent of their money. Profit is suppose to flow to the writer. It's somebody else's job to actually sell the book.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Brass tacks: It costs about $200 to produce a book in paperback. That covers artwork, lay-out, editing, ARCs, printing and distribution. Much of the work is done via email so we work from our homes all across the country. It takes the sale of approximately 300 books before publishers begin to see a profit. Industry stats show that 82% of the books published don't sell more than 100 copies.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The odds are against publishers more than authors. The house operates in the red until the book starts to sell. There's no money in the budget to do individual promotion for each author. It's on the author, whether they indie published or self-published.</p>
<p></p>
<p>So, the new politics of publishing justifiably puts success squarely in the hands of authors. Marketing is on their shoulders too. Only those who show drive and initiative, not just talent, will see any profit from their efforts. Readers don't come cheap or easy and thousands of novelists are scrambling for the same dollars. The adage “He wins who wants it most” has never been more true than today.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>IN DEFENSE OF CRAZY CAT LADIEStag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-08-15:537324:BlogPost:3493172013-08-15T07:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Right now I have the matron of the house standing guard by the computer making sure I write positive things about the tribe. Gemini, who entered my life on my birthday, allows me to tap at the computer keys for just so long, then reminds me to take a break by crawling into my lap for a few strokes of her own.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The other four are off doing their own thing: Kitler is asleep on a cardboard box, a favorite spot of all cats (along with the step stool,…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Right now I have the matron of the house standing guard by the computer making sure I write positive things about the tribe. Gemini, who entered my life on my birthday, allows me to tap at the computer keys for just so long, then reminds me to take a break by crawling into my lap for a few strokes of her own.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The other four are off doing their own thing: Kitler is asleep on a cardboard box, a favorite spot of all cats (along with the step stool, the recycle bin and my favorite robe). The newest addition, who I call The Little Prince, has discovered the fake ficus and confuses it with real greenery. He doesn't know it, but he's going to the vets in two weeks to become a eunuch.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Cats are great companions for older, single women. We are quiet, move slowly (especially in the morning), have soft voices and time to cuddle. They are purfect for writers because they love it when we stay in one place for hours and they can doze nearby. When we move, they reluctantly relocate. When we explain our plot frustrations, they listen intently. When we need them, they knead us.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I live in a small, rural town where cats are still considered farm animals. People aren't inclined to spay or neuter so the neighborhood is over-run with strays. I have fixed as many as I can catch with the help of my sister (also a crazy cat lady). Strays are welcome to eat kibble and sleep on blankets I keep on the porch for cold nights. This does not endear me to the neighbors, who feel if ignored, the cats will go away. I don't believe starvation is an option.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Although there is no love for cats here, the local shelter puts cats on a train and sends them to San Francisco to a no-kill shelter. I've been told that pet stores no longer “sell” cats in the Bay Area, people are encouraged to give a home to shelter kitties. I hope that's true.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The running joke at mystery conference is “Never kill a cat.” Don't laugh. I wrote a nasty letter to Joe Konrath for doing exactly that in his first book. I had to put down THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO because a cat was tortured and dismembered. If that's a spoiler, I don't care.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Before I close, I want to explain Kitler's name. There is a website called “Kitler Cats,” one of the funniest sites ever. These are cats with a distinctive mustache.</p>YOU CAN'T PROMOTE WHAT DOESN'T EXISTtag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-07-21:537324:BlogPost:3558702013-07-21T01:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>The world of publishing is very much like playing craps in Vegas. No matter how hard a writer evaluates a publishing house or tries to predict its future success before signing on the dotted line, the industry itself is as consistent as a roll of the dice.</p>
<p></p>
<p>There are calculations you can make based on factors such as the length of time the house has been in business, the size of its stable of authors, the number of titles and presence on the Internet. But, getting information…</p>
<p>The world of publishing is very much like playing craps in Vegas. No matter how hard a writer evaluates a publishing house or tries to predict its future success before signing on the dotted line, the industry itself is as consistent as a roll of the dice.</p>
<p></p>
<p>There are calculations you can make based on factors such as the length of time the house has been in business, the size of its stable of authors, the number of titles and presence on the Internet. But, getting information on sales stats or evaluating their marketing is near impossible. You simply aren't privy to what is going on behind the scene.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I know a friend whose publisher closed shop and burned all the book stock. Another has had two publishers die on her. Sometimes a publisher goes in a new direction—say, deciding to switch from Christian publishing to erotica. Heaven forbid!</p>
<p></p>
<p>As the saying goes, nothing is guaranteed in life except death and taxes. While it's understandable that an author wants to hold on tight to their life's work until the “sure thing” comes along, the results is never getting a book out on the marketplace. Publishing houses have their ups and downs, their quirks and foibles. Remember, there are real people behind each house and they gotta be a little crazy to want to deal with the egos and eccentricities of writers.</p>
<p></p>
<p>How exactly do you pick a publishing house to get your novel out there? I could give you a generic answer, like find a good fit. But, if you haven't published, what is a “good fit?” This isn't a pair of shoes you're trying on.</p>
<p></p>
<p>One of the things you can do is contact the authors and ask “How is your experience with your publishing house?” Authors are usually very honest with their peers. But, don't stop at the first bad review because that could be a single experience or an author who is never satisfied. When you encounter people at conferences, ask how they feel about the house they're publishing with.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Many people rely on online sites like Predators and Editors or Absolute Write. The problem with these sites is that once a publisher or agent is blacklisted, they offer no recourse for getting off their hit list. Nobody is watching the watchers.</p>
<p></p>
<p>So, what is the savvy author to do? You're not going to like my advice, but here it is: jump in with both feet and hope for the best. Take a chance and get a book out to the marketplace. The only reason to hold on to your treasured words is if this is the only book you will ever publish. If that's the case, you don't have much of a career ahead of you or a publishing house willing to put money behind a one-trick pony.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Like I said at the start, it's always going to be a crapshoot.</p>WHAT'S YOUR GENRE?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-06-15:537324:BlogPost:3493162013-06-15T07:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Although I do astrology, I no longer ask people “What's your sign?” As an acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, I now ask authors, “What's your genre?”</p>
<p></p>
<p>The worst thing a writer can do is give me a blank stare. “Genre” is an essential part of the lingo in publishing lexicon. It's how we classify a book and decide if it fits our line.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Labeling books has practical reasons. Bookstores (when they existed) found it useful to put books…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Although I do astrology, I no longer ask people “What's your sign?” As an acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, I now ask authors, “What's your genre?”</p>
<p></p>
<p>The worst thing a writer can do is give me a blank stare. “Genre” is an essential part of the lingo in publishing lexicon. It's how we classify a book and decide if it fits our line.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Labeling books has practical reasons. Bookstores (when they existed) found it useful to put books of the same sort together on one shelf. That's why there's the romance section, sci fi, fantasy, horror, Westerns and mystery. Sometimes the classifications were wrong because of all the crossovers. But, anything's better than dumping the titles under General Fiction, which is the kiss of death.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The genre I write in is mystery. My Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries are defined by several sub-genres: police procedural/amateur sleuth/paranormal. Crossovers in all genres are widely accepted. It's a great way for authors to expand their fan base.</p>
<p></p>
<p>For years, literary writers looked down on genre writers. The word conjured up cheap reads for the mildly illiterate. Also known as “popular fiction,” these are books average people want to read. Call it commercial fiction—books that sell and make money.</p>
<p></p>
<p>On the reverse, genre writers have tagged literary works “A whole lot of words about nothing.” Pretty words, insightful, meaningful, intellectual. But, we ask, where's the plot?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Don't get me wrong: genre writers can get a little literary. I love to let readers coast along with the plot I've woven before slipping in a sentence or paragraph to make the astute reader sit up and pay attention. I know my craft. Elizabeth George and P.D. James can certainly be called literary. Even Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, noir hacks in their time, are now respectable. With time comes veneration.</p>
<p></p>
<p>When I received mystery manuscripts from two profs on both sides of the USA, I noted the terrific prose but wondered: Where are the bodies? Personally, I like a corpse to show up on the second page to get the ball rolling. Long intros and endless description went out with the Bronte sisters. Tough to reject these teachers, but that's what I did.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Both instructors not only listened but brought my novels to the classroom to teach genre fiction. In New Jersey and California, students are learning from my books. I was invited to speak at Mt. San Antonio, the largest junior college in the states. Reality meets the Ivory Tower. I left with several student submissions and rewrites from the teacher.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I recommend authors define their intent before writing. Whether you write Steam Punk or Zombies, hold your head high and claim your genre.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Sunny Frazier</p>
<p><font color="#000080"><u><a href="http://www.sunnyfrazier.com/">http://www.sunnyfrazier.com</a></u></font></p>YOU'VE CHANGED—HAS YOUR WEBSITE?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-05-15:537324:BlogPost:3492132013-05-15T07:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>Websites are now as important for establishing identity as a birth certificate or a driver's license. Yet, I've noticed that once an author puts one up, the site is often forgotten and neglected.</p>
<p>I research authors when they send me query letters in my capacity as acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press. I like to know who I'm dealing with and, short of doing a background check, websites are all I have to give me an inkling of their accomplishments up to this stage in their…</p>
<p>Websites are now as important for establishing identity as a birth certificate or a driver's license. Yet, I've noticed that once an author puts one up, the site is often forgotten and neglected.</p>
<p>I research authors when they send me query letters in my capacity as acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press. I like to know who I'm dealing with and, short of doing a background check, websites are all I have to give me an inkling of their accomplishments up to this stage in their careers.</p>
<p>When all of us tentatively dipped our toes in the Internet waters, websites had to be done by techy people who knew the bells and whistles. Their expertise came with a price tag. The evolution of do-it-yourself sites taught us all what a domain name was and put self-made websites within reach. They became the way we reached out to the world.</p>
<p>What prompted me to blog about this is the realization that my own website construction didn't in any way reflect who I am today. I had evolved but my website was stagnant.</p>
<p>Of course, the bio info hadn't changed. The past is what it is, I can't recreate it. The second page was updated to show the covers of both my Christy Bristol mysteries. But, where was any indication of my current status of scouting for authors and creating careers? There was nothing showing this progression.</p>
<p>What I saw were pages that no longer had any use. My links page didn't attract any attention; in fact, other authors were doing it better with a line-up on the perimeters of their sites. I was more interested in their links and using them for my benefit. I scrapped Links and substituted a page showing off covers of books I'd midwifed into print. I included a video of publisher Billie Johnson and I giving our mission statement for Oak Tree Press. I titled the page “Mission: Acquisitions.” Catchy, right?</p>
<p>“On the Road” wasn't relevant now because kidney failure curtails future public appearances. The nifty idea I had called “The Murder Circle” to promote authors had given away to another nifty idea: “Posse Posts.” The Posse is a marketing group I lead by sending them to websites that expand their knowledge of promotion. Why not make the links available to everyone?</p>
<p>I encourage everyone to examine what your website says about you to the world and try to keep it current with your growth. After all, the idea is to reflect not just who you are but where you're going in your career. </p>LOOKING TO THE PASTtag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-04-15:537324:BlogPost:3493152013-04-15T07:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p align="left" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happens when something you love becomes WORK?</span></p>
<p></p>
<p>Yes, that's my current dilemma. I love to read (who doesn't?) and mystery has been my favorite genre until I became acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press. The manuscripts came fast and furious, box loads via snail mail, cyber submissions filled my e-mail. All of a sudden I was forced to speed read the first 30 pages, make decisions like a Roman…</p>
<p lang="en-US" align="left" xml:lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: medium;">What happens when something you love becomes WORK?</span></p>
<p></p>
<p>Yes, that's my current dilemma. I love to read (who doesn't?) and mystery has been my favorite genre until I became acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press. The manuscripts came fast and furious, box loads via snail mail, cyber submissions filled my e-mail. All of a sudden I was forced to speed read the first 30 pages, make decisions like a Roman emperor: thumbs up or thumbs down? Then I had to break the news, good or bad to struggling authors. Even good news came with caveats like “What is your platform?” and “You do understand it could be a year before the book is published, right?”</p>
<p></p>
<p>All of a sudden the wonderful mysteries waiting for me on my own bookshelf looked unappetizing. Another dead body, another clue. Even my pleasure reading was turning into WORK.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm not sure how it happened, but one day my mind informed me that I needed to learn everything about Alexander the Great. Not that I'd given him much thought before, but it seemed crucial now that I understand what he was all about in the grand scheme of history. I found books, fiction and non-fiction, saw the terrible movie with Colin Ferrell and a terrific one with Richard Burton. I got ancient maps out and pieced it altogether in my head until I understood Alex's link between crude warfare and military genius.</p>
<p></p>
<p>From there I had to know everything about the Roman empire, so I tackled Colleen McCullough's series. At a thousand pages each in very small type, the seven books are daunting. But they led me on a quest to Margaret George's The Memoirs of Cleopatra and a new-found curiosity about her sister Arsinoe. Talk about sibling rivalry!</p>
<p></p>
<p>At this point, I became a library junkie. I went on a spree trying to learn the whole Plantagenet family tree and the War of the Roses, which sounds much prettier than the reality. The upstart Tudor's were easier to keep track of, despite Henry's six wives. Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel made Thomas Cromwell come to life and convinced me he got a bad rap in the history books.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Mad Juana of Spain, Lucrezia Borgia, the Medici's, all this history I urgently needed to cram into my brain. Why this sudden thirst for knowledge? And, where were all these great stories and characters when I was sitting bored in history class? I felt gypped and realized as my list of titles grew longer that I would never catch up, not in my lifetime.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Maybe, as I get older (I just turned 61 three weeks ago), history seems more relevant as my own life dwindles down. What is my place in the grand scheme of things? What impact did I make on the world? I just want to know how the times I live in are connected to the past. Unimportant facts suddenly seem of the utmost importance. I'm greedy for knowledge.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The other day, the local librarian asked if all these books were for research. Would my next mystery be set in medieval times? No, I told her as she swiped my card. Just my summer reading. Otherwise, it would be WORK.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Excuse me now. I have to apply sunscreen because I have a hot pool date with Attila the Hun. </p>CATEGORICALLY SPEAKINGtag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-21:537324:BlogPost:3558692013-01-21T02:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">So, I got these two kittens a few months back. Ragamuffin is a torty; Rusty is orange and fluffy. They were rescued from a stray cat's litter.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm trying hard not to be an over-protective mother. When Rusty, the clueless male, climbed up to the top of the tree, I had the crazy idea to send his much more sensible sister to fetch him down. She obeyed and went to the rescue like a St. Bernard.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Which left me to wonder: when did I…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">So, I got these two kittens a few months back. Ragamuffin is a torty; Rusty is orange and fluffy. They were rescued from a stray cat's litter.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm trying hard not to be an over-protective mother. When Rusty, the clueless male, climbed up to the top of the tree, I had the crazy idea to send his much more sensible sister to fetch him down. She obeyed and went to the rescue like a St. Bernard.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Which left me to wonder: when did I acquire cat-logic? Was it after the fifth feline over the years or the fifteenth? It's not any sort of maternal instinct on my part; these little furballs are the ones born with instincts. I'm just trying to keep up.</p>
<p></p>
<p>However, when you're around cats for an extensive amount of time (as many writers and crazy cat lovers are), they tend to brainwash us. Why else would I find myself typing between Gemini's legs as she languidly paces the desktop? Or turn on the desk lamp when I don't need it just to keep her warm? Lord knows SHE'S not paying the electric bill.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm glad I live alone with these felines. I'm not prepared for unbrainwashed visitors to question my behavior when Rusty and Ragamuffin climb me like a jungle gym. I pluck off this living lint without even thinking about my actions. I'm sure it would appear strange to outsiders.</p>
<p></p>
<p>This morning, I watched the two race around the house, stopping only to judo/wrestle each other. I quietly sipped my tea and listened to objects crash in other rooms. This is our normal routine. I am one with the catastrophes going on around me.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I've already accepted the quirks of these kittens and I suppose they are accepting mine. Or, perhaps I'm being trained. The three older cats and have already helped me establish nighttime habits as sleeping is their priority. Gemini won't come to bed until after I have tea and before lights out. Kitler knows it's time to settle down to sleep when she hears the white noise machine. Petey Pie jumps off the foot of the bed in disgust when I suffer from insomnia. He finds my restlessness irritating.</p>
<p></p>
<p>(Here comes the segue to the serious side of this blog. You knew it was coming, right?)</p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm talking about a learning curve here. The craft of writing, like raising kittens, takes time to understand. Focusing and comprehending what people say in classrooms and critique groups can take years. There will be missteps and crashes as we blunder our way through the process. Writers must wrestle with their thoughts and emotions, then reproduce them in a tangible form on paper. We are not born with the instinct to write, but we do have an instinct to communicate.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Just as I study my cats for clues to their behavior, writers need to study the industry and pay attention to how publishers operate. It does no good to yowl and complain. Publishing isn't going to adapt to you or your needs anytime soon. Like the aloof feline, it's their way or go away.</p>
<p></p>
<p>When it comes to marketing, be like a kitten with a ball of yarn. Get playful, have fun with it. Strew it all through the Internet. Let people follow the string back to your novels.</p>
<p></p>
<p>And, like all cats—every now and then you gotta take a nap.</p>WHY ARE YOU SITTING ON A GREAT IDEA?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-12-21:537324:BlogPost:3557662012-12-21T02:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>Writers are, by nature, creative people. We sit around daydreaming of plots, characters, heroes and villains. But, what happens if you think up a terrific marketing idea yet don't follow through?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Too much work? Okay, it might take some effort. Afraid it won't work? Can't know unless you try. Think people will reject it? Maybe. Or, maybe you'll break new ground.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Scenario: The blog over at my publishing house was lacking. Nobody seemed to be following. I posted a…</p>
<p>Writers are, by nature, creative people. We sit around daydreaming of plots, characters, heroes and villains. But, what happens if you think up a terrific marketing idea yet don't follow through?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Too much work? Okay, it might take some effort. Afraid it won't work? Can't know unless you try. Think people will reject it? Maybe. Or, maybe you'll break new ground.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Scenario: The blog over at my publishing house was lacking. Nobody seemed to be following. I posted a URL to my post on Novel Spaces and was told the idea was not to navigate readers away from our blog. The hope is that they would stay and buy books. (We do have good ones. I know because I acquisitioned them!)</p>
<p></p>
<p>I came up with the idea to do a round-up every Friday of all the places our authors showed up in a week. I supplied the URLs. Suddenly, a negative became a positive. Not only did our authors get to see what their peers were doing, but the publisher and I could tell who was slacking in the promotion department.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Taking the extra step is the one most people miss. Instead of letting the Round-Up sit there, waiting for attention, I promoted it to all my contacts. I pointed out that information on review sites, interviewers and blogs looking for bloggers was all there for the taking. For readers, free book offers, contests, fun articles.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Even the most enterprising marketer would stop there. I made it a point to contact every site owner and personally thank them for hosting one of our authors. Guess what? They want to support Oak Tree even more.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I can hear some of you saying, “Too much work!” But, the column writes itself. Oak Tree authors send me where and when their posts will come up, where their signings will be. I put it in the column. I've already got columns started into 2013. I keep a list of authors and their book titles as well as a list of e-mail addresses of sites that supported us. I guarantee they will host more of our folks in the future. Organizing information makes ever round-up easier.</p>
<p></p>
<p>This is how a publishing house grows. This is how authors work together to market. This is the way we make the most of time and effort. This is how ideas become reality.</p>
<p></p>
<p>And, you better believe, this column is going to be mentioned in next Friday's Round-Up. Be sure and check at otpblog.blogspot.com </p>REMEMBER THE PUEBLO?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-11-11:537324:BlogPost:3557672012-11-11T02:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Remember the Maine, the Alamo, Pearl Harbor. But, for years the Pueblo Incident, as it was dubbed, has been buried under the carpet and consciousness of the American public.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I am a member of Post 3 of the American Legion, Hanford, CA. In our post is a diminutive man with a gray flowing beard and the Legion Motorcycle Riders nickname “Critter.” At every meeting there is a chair that is draped with a black cover reminding us of the POW's who remain…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">Remember the Maine, the Alamo, Pearl Harbor. But, for years the Pueblo Incident, as it was dubbed, has been buried under the carpet and consciousness of the American public.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I am a member of Post 3 of the American Legion, Hanford, CA. In our post is a diminutive man with a gray flowing beard and the Legion Motorcycle Riders nickname “Critter.” At every meeting there is a chair that is draped with a black cover reminding us of the POW's who remain unaccounted for. Critter is one who came back.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The USS Pueblo was hijacked by the North Koreans in 1968, the first U.S. Navy ship seized by a foreign military in over 150 years. One man died in the takeover, 82 crewmen were held captive, tortured and beaten for 335 days with no intervention from President Johnson or the Department of Defense.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Was the Pueblo a spy ship? Possibly. Captain Bucher claimed the ship was taken in International waters. Despite leading his men in spirited resistance during their captivity, Bucher was recommended for court martial upon his return.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The crew was held in two camps nicknamed The Barn and The Farm. They lived on turnips and two bathroom breaks a day. Remember the scene in Deer Hunters where the men are forced to play Russian Roulette? That's what they did to Bucher. When the Koreans filmed the crew for propaganda releases, they slyly flipped the camera the bird and used slang the Koreans wouldn't understand. Once this tactic was published in Time Magazine, conditions for the men got worse.</p>
<p></p>
<p>This was no “Hogan's Heroes” or “Stalag 13.” This was the real deal. It happened when Americans were protesting the war in Vietnam and the military was looked down upon by the people they were protecting.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Finally, on December 23, 1968, the men were walked across the DMZ to South Korea and freedom. For their sacrifice they received little recognition. But, Critter remembers. His presence reminds us, at every meeting, that there are those who are lost to us and those who lost much of themselves in an incident people are willing to forget.</p>MAtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-11-10:537324:BlogPost:3601822012-11-10T18:56:05.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>Oak Tree Press is actively looking for mysteries featuring law enforcement or other public safety workers as protagonists. We like to do a book launch at the annual PSWA conference in Vegas in July.</p>
<p>We are looking for finished manuscripts, polished, ready to go. We are also requiring authors to be strong marketers and have a platform in place. We have no problem with previously published works or self-published. Contact Sunny Frazier at…</p>
<p>Oak Tree Press is actively looking for mysteries featuring law enforcement or other public safety workers as protagonists. We like to do a book launch at the annual PSWA conference in Vegas in July.</p>
<p>We are looking for finished manuscripts, polished, ready to go. We are also requiring authors to be strong marketers and have a platform in place. We have no problem with previously published works or self-published. Contact Sunny Frazier at <a href="http://www.sunnyfrazier.com">http://www.sunnyfrazier.com</a></p>
<p>Also looking for anything for our Wild Oaks Western line.</p>Mission: Acquisitionstag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-10-31:537324:BlogPost:3596062012-10-31T17:31:18.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<div>14 new bookcovers have been added to display 22 titles I've helped bring into print. I think the artwork is phenomenal.</div>
<div><a href="http://www.sunnyfrazier.com/mission.html">http://www.sunnyfrazier.com/mission.html</a></div>
<div>14 new bookcovers have been added to display 22 titles I've helped bring into print. I think the artwork is phenomenal.</div>
<div><a href="http://www.sunnyfrazier.com/mission.html">http://www.sunnyfrazier.com/mission.html</a></div>NO EASY CONSCIENCEtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-10-21:537324:BlogPost:3559682012-10-21T01:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>I'm having a problem with “No Easy Day,” the novel written by a member of SEAL Team 6. No, I haven't read it and I don't intend to. I already know how the story ends.</p>
<p></p>
<p>What eats into me is that the book was written in the first place. As a Navy veteran, I am dismayed that a member of that elite squad would break the code the SEAL Team holds dear. Operations are covert. Like Fight Club, the first rule is you don't talk about Fight Club.</p>
<p></p>
<p>As an American, I am…</p>
<p>I'm having a problem with “No Easy Day,” the novel written by a member of SEAL Team 6. No, I haven't read it and I don't intend to. I already know how the story ends.</p>
<p></p>
<p>What eats into me is that the book was written in the first place. As a Navy veteran, I am dismayed that a member of that elite squad would break the code the SEAL Team holds dear. Operations are covert. Like Fight Club, the first rule is you don't talk about Fight Club.</p>
<p></p>
<p>As an American, I am appalled that this one person would ignite the flames of our enemies by gloating in print of a well-deserved revenge. Add that to the current incendiary video causing anti-American riots and you have the makings of another 9/11.</p>
<p></p>
<p>As a writer, I am incensed that Dutton would eagerly publish the book, more insulted because I know the Big Six house is owned by Great Britain. Money is the bottom line at the expense of national security—have they stooped that low? Apparently. If that book had been offered to Oak Tree, I would, as acquisitions editor, have turned it down. I'm sure my publisher would back me up. Yes, it would have sky-rocketed our small press to the top of the heap, but it would have been a dung heap.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I can only imagine the utter contempt the entire SEAL Team has for this traitor, “Mark Owen.” I'll bet not one even considered capitalizing on their collective heroics. The spotlight is something SEALS avoid. They exist in darkness.</p>
<p></p>
<p>How do I know this? I dated a member of SEAL Team 2 while stationed in Puerto Rico. I remember the morning Rod called me at work and said, “I'm being dropped by helicopter into shark-infested waters and swimming to Vieques Island. Are we still on for dinner?” This is a typical day of training for these larger-than-life heroes.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Of course, the author didn't use his real name or give the manuscript to officials to edit sensitive information. Freedom of Speech, right? One of the freedoms preserved by actions of men like his comrades, the ones he betrayed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>It may have been “No Easy Day” to risk one's life to kill a madman, but it was no hard decision for one man to sell out the country for thirty pieces of silver. </p>FRIDAY ROUND-UPtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-10-12:537324:BlogPost:3570752012-10-12T21:03:24.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Alternative marketing--and goats? See how John Brantingham ties the two together on this week's Round-Up. Meet "David," a virtual book reviewer (cyborgs really are taking over) and find out who the "Wild Woman" is in our publishing house. Sunny Frazier defends Fresno and talks about the Politics of Publishing, while Marja McGraw wants to know "How's Your Credibility." All that and more at the Friday…</font></font></font></p>
<p><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Alternative marketing--and goats? See how John Brantingham ties the two together on this week's Round-Up. Meet "David," a virtual book reviewer (cyborgs really are taking over) and find out who the "Wild Woman" is in our publishing house. Sunny Frazier defends Fresno and talks about the Politics of Publishing, while Marja McGraw wants to know "How's Your Credibility." All that and more at the Friday Round-Up.</font></font></font></p>
<p>Oak Tree Press—Help Us Grow!</p>
<p><a href="http://otpblog.blogspot.com/">http://otpblog.blogspot.com/</a></p>BLOG TALK RADIO CONTACT, TIPS AND MORE ON THE FRIDAY ROUND-UPtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-10-06:537324:BlogPost:3567792012-10-06T04:52:58.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p><span>Want radio access to talk about your novel? Information on such a site is on this week's Friday Round-Up. You'll also find links to valuable articles such as tips for goal-setting and success, basics for creating a website and making memorable settings. Read about the career path of Medieval priests and a sexy excerpt of a novel. Plus, should the book written by a member of SEAL Team 6 ever been published? Just one person's opinion.…</span><br></br></p>
<p><span>Want radio access to talk about your novel? Information on such a site is on this week's Friday Round-Up. You'll also find links to valuable articles such as tips for goal-setting and success, basics for creating a website and making memorable settings. Read about the career path of Medieval priests and a sexy excerpt of a novel. Plus, should the book written by a member of SEAL Team 6 ever been published? Just one person's opinion.</span><br/><a href="http://www.otpblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow">www.otpblog.blogspot.com</a></p>FRIDAY ROUND-UPtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-09-30:537324:BlogPost:3564052012-09-30T00:34:51.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>A golden nugget in this week's Round-Up is info of a paying market for Western short stories. There's an ode to Pennsylvania and an announcement for October's blurb fest: paranormal authors. Find more buried treasures for readers and savvy authors in the Round-Up.</p>
<p>Oak Tree Press—Help Us Grow!</p>
<p><a href="http://otpblog.blogspot.com/">http://otpblog.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>A golden nugget in this week's Round-Up is info of a paying market for Western short stories. There's an ode to Pennsylvania and an announcement for October's blurb fest: paranormal authors. Find more buried treasures for readers and savvy authors in the Round-Up.</p>
<p>Oak Tree Press—Help Us Grow!</p>
<p><a href="http://otpblog.blogspot.com/">http://otpblog.blogspot.com/</a></p>FRIDAY ROUND-UPtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-09-21:537324:BlogPost:3560822012-09-21T18:25:51.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p><a href="http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/"><font color="#000080"><span><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font color="#000000">What an abundance of riches in this week's Round-Up! Marja McGraw shares photos from her grandfather, a sailor on the Yangze River in 1904. Look for Teddy Roosevelt in one shot! See where a Blurb Fest is going on this weekend and get your book blurbs in ASAP! Also, find out who were the top selling Oak Tree…</font></font></font></span></span></font></a></p>
<p><a href="http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/"><font color="#000080"><span><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font color="#000000">What an abundance of riches in this week's Round-Up! Marja McGraw shares photos from her grandfather, a sailor on the Yangze River in 1904. Look for Teddy Roosevelt in one shot! See where a Blurb Fest is going on this weekend and get your book blurbs in ASAP! Also, find out who were the top selling Oak Tree Press authors for August. Enjoy!</font></font></font></span></span></font></a></p>
<p>Oak Tree Press—Help Us Grow!</p>
<p><a href="http://otpblog.blogspot.com/">http://otpblog.blogspot.com/</a></p>IN A WORD. . . .tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-09-15:537324:BlogPost:3493142012-09-15T07:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>True story.</p>
<p>I was trying to help a friend who was writing her first novel, a Western. I looked over what she had written and it was excruciatingly boring. I said, “Westerns have some of the most colorful language of all the genres. Why aren't you using more interesting words in your writing?”</p>
<p>Her reply stunned me: “I don't know that many words.”</p>
<p>Why in the world does this person want to be a writer? Writers work with nothing but words! It's our medium, our clay, our…</p>
<p>True story.</p>
<p>I was trying to help a friend who was writing her first novel, a Western. I looked over what she had written and it was excruciatingly boring. I said, “Westerns have some of the most colorful language of all the genres. Why aren't you using more interesting words in your writing?”</p>
<p>Her reply stunned me: “I don't know that many words.”</p>
<p>Why in the world does this person want to be a writer? Writers work with nothing but words! It's our medium, our clay, our bricks to build a better story. We are paid to know words.</p>
<p>Next I wondered: why doesn't this person buy a thesaurus? Don't they come in the computer program? I don't use one, but from what I hear they contain lots of useful words for people who lack imagination or suffer memory loss. She can continue to write boring prose and then find substitutes for her limited vocabulary.</p>
<p>What happened to those “Word of a Day” calendars? Don't they make them anymore? How about taking a look at the dictionary once in awhile? Lots of words are found between those covers. Being a reader should have improved her vocabulary through osmosis. How can you absorb a plot but not notice the words? Wasn't she paying attention?</p>
<p>I'll admit, I have a love affair with words. I like how they look on a page. I like to fit them together so they not only say what I intended but in a way that delights my eyes and mental ear. I like to use words we all know but don't take off the shelf and dust off very often. I'm a little too fond of alliteration, but that's my weakness.</p>
<p>I don't like words that are just show-offs. I get bored with novels filled with an intricate onslaught of language. It makes my brain hurt. Reading should enlighten not hurt. When an author gets esoteric, it's like an old, fat man behind the wheel of a Corvette: we all know the car is making up for shortcomings, but the driver still thinks everyone is impressed. We're not.</p>
<p>When I can't find the word I want, I have no problem making one up that suits me. My favorite invention is “He tumbleweeded into town.” If you've ever seen a tumbleweed make its way down an empty street with a haphazard wind pushing it along, you know the image I'm going for.</p>
<p>I like the phrase I just wrote: “haphazard wind.” I nearly said “wind haphazardly pushing” but you would have expected that, right? With just a slight twist, the same words sound more interesting. I also like that I used the words “esoteric” and “osmosis.” I had fun writing them even though I had to look them up in the dictionary to make sure they were in context. Weren't they fun to read? Don't they look terrific on paper? Maybe it's because they start with vowels. Vowels make me happy.</p>
<p>I realize, as I'm writing my 3<sup>rd</sup> book, that I actually get a buzz when the words start flowing in interesting ways. My mind is a playground with letters coming together to create images and emotions. My hands move over the computer keyboard and words appear on the page like magic. It IS magic.</p>
<p>This magic has powers stronger than Harry Potter or whoever wields the bigger wand (I don't read the Potter books. Sorry). I can take a reader anywhere of my choosing as long as I can retain their interest. I can relay my deepest thoughts, my strongest beliefs, my prejudices (I don't care for rich people) to strangers holding my book in their hands. I can excite their senses and awaken their imaginations with the right metaphors and similes. I can pull them in on sly jokes embedded in my prose (I like the word embedded). I can elude readers by slipping real details of my life into stories and make it a challenge for them to separate fact from fiction.</p>
<p>I just got an e-mail from a struggling author who wrote, “I'm working on my word count.” My message to her? “It's not about the word count, it's about using words that count.”</p>
<p>I think I've said my piece. Did you get the word? </p>THE FORESEEABLE FUTUREtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-08-15:537324:BlogPost:3492122012-08-15T06:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since I’ve taken on the rewarding task of acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, people often ask me, “What do you think is the future of publishing?”</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">I suppose I could look into my crystal ball if I had one handy, or I could get my alter ego Christy Bristol to draw up an…</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since I’ve taken on the rewarding task of acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, people often ask me, “What do you think is the future of publishing?”</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">I suppose I could look into my crystal ball if I had one handy, or I could get my alter ego Christy Bristol to draw up an astrology chart (what sign would books come under? Probably Libra). But, the fact of the matter is that this industry is in so much flux that there’s no telling where any of us will be in a decade.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Okay, let’s start from the beginning, but not with the Gutenberg Press. Publishing was once the realm of small outfits manned by people with a love and respect for books. Money was not a primary motive. They had wealthy backers and the publishing houses were passed down from one generation to the next.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">In the 1920′s, referred to as the Golden Age of Publishing, people were getting better education via public schools and books were not just for the wealthy anymore. But, then came the Great Depression and books were again a luxury item. How to get more people to buy more books? Henry Ford’s idea of mass production took hold. An industry of love for the written word was now an industry of love for the almighty buck.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Publishing houses became corporations. The democracy of publishing now was more like a monopoly. Because publishers answered to corporate boards and stockholders, they began pushing out smaller presses.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Two more influences came on the scene. From Britain we inherited the idea of the literary agent. This miffed publishers because agents demanded higher royalties in order to make their own salary. Aggressiveness became part of the battle for publishing contracts. Then there</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">were chain bookstores, not just accepting what booksellers had to sell but actually dictating what they should publish. Because big bookstores controlled sales, Big Publishing danced to their tune. The game was fixed against small publishers and independent bookstores. They never stood a chance.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">My personal history started in the late 1990′s. I was finishing my first book, excited about the possibility of publishing. The crash came when I went to a conference and heard that of the Big Six publishing houses, five had been sold overseas. Not to China or Japan, but to Germany, England and France. The only American-owned house was Simon & Schuster.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">The new owners took mystery imprints and combined them to make one line, keeping the big names and discarding the rest. I watched as many mid-list authors writing terrific series were suddenly left without contracts. I don’t know how other genres weathered the storm, but mystery took a hit. Some authors tried their hand at creating their own publishing houses, even bookstores like Poison Pen stepped up to the plate. Perseverance Press salvaged many careers. PublishAmerica, I Universe and others came on the scene, for better or for worse. Print on Demand technology was developed. Amazon debuted. Kindles and I Pad’s changed how we read.</font></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">What do I see in the future? Authors in control of their own futures. Small bookstores making a comeback as large outfits go under. Smaller houses, which now publish 78% of books on the market, getting the respect they deserve. Writers looking for publishers who still love the written word. And readers learning to discover good books on their own, not through the manipulation of the the marketplace. That’s a future I’m willing to invest in.</font></font></font></p>BUILDING A BETTER MOUSETRAPtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-07-15:537324:BlogPost:3493122012-07-15T06:59:15.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">It seems every time I click on a discussion online from authors, all I see is moaning and groaning that all this media socializing we're encouraged to do doesn't produce sales. Authors point out that we</p>
<p>seem to be “preaching to the choir.” Where are the readers we need to target?</p>
<p></p>
<p>My question to the whiners is “What's your solution?” Doesn't anyone realize what a huge leap we've taken in the marketing department? When many of us started,…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">It seems every time I click on a discussion online from authors, all I see is moaning and groaning that all this media socializing we're encouraged to do doesn't produce sales. Authors point out that we</p>
<p>seem to be “preaching to the choir.” Where are the readers we need to target?</p>
<p></p>
<p>My question to the whiners is “What's your solution?” Doesn't anyone realize what a huge leap we've taken in the marketing department? When many of us started, there were limited opportunities to aim for a national readership unless you had a PR person to work with (at a high cost). Newspapers existed, but were not necessarily inclined to interview local authors. Self-published authors were looked down on. Should be go back to the good old days where we only had postcards, bookmarks, bookstores to do book signings? Geez Louise. Social media has somewhat leveled the playing field and even big-name authors have locked on this form of promoting.</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Let me say right off the bat that I LOVE marketing. To me, the challenge is to lure readers to my books. I'm willing to try different bait. Okay, not on board with my fishing analogy? How about this? Don't just think outside the box, look at the way the box is constructed, take it apart and put it back together in a way people haven't seen it before. Make it your box.</font></font></p>
<p></p>
<p>In my opinion, promotion and acquiring a fan base is only limited by an individual author's lack of drive and/or imagination. We are, for the first time in author history, allowed full control of our career path. Nothing can hold us back except ourselves.</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Here's one whine I read in an online group I subscribe to: “I blog constantly but nobody orders my books.” I countered with “How many times have you ordered a book from reading a blog? Probably never, or you'd have a house full of books and an empty wallet. So, why expect people to do what you don't do yourself?”</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">What DOES sell books? Aside from a well-written manuscript and creative storyline, personality (and mine is fairly obnoxious) sells books. Standing out from the crowd sells books. Getting attention sells books. An interesting way with words when you speak or blog sells books. Provoking conversation sells books. Whiners and wallflowers don't sell books.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Isn't this what the buzz word “Branding” is all about? Oh, don't give me the tired complaint that we shouldn't have to “sell out” to sell. Why shouldn't we be as interesting as the characters we write about? Or, at least seem so with our public image?</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">As writers, we spend a lot of time finding our writing “voice.” Why aren't we spending the same amount of time finding our marketing voice? Dig deep and figure out what makes you different. Bring that quality to the foreground. This isn't just with what you say, but how you say it. Lawrence Block once said voice was like “two people telling the same joke.” It's all in the delivery, folks. The same goes with marketing.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">My voice is coming atcha loud and clear in everything I've written in this piece. If this is the first time you've read my writing, you might notice I don't mince words. I don't play it safe. I have no problem calling people out. Many of you are familiar with my blogs on Buried Under Books and my chafing personality. I suspect you chortle. I hope you learn. I give kudos to Lelia who stands back and supports what I choose to say. She's a keeper.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Final words of wisdom: When you find your brand, when your marketing voice comes through,</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" align="center" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">HONE IT AND OWN IT.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>BUILDING A BETTER MOUSETRAPtag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-07-15:537324:BlogPost:3492102012-07-15T06:59:15.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">It seems every time I click on a discussion online from authors, all I see is moaning and groaning that all this media socializing we're encouraged to do doesn't produce sales. Authors point out that we</p>
<p>seem to be “preaching to the choir.” Where are the readers we need to target?</p>
<p></p>
<p>My question to the whiners is “What's your solution?” Doesn't anyone realize what a huge leap we've taken in the marketing department? When many of us started,…</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US">It seems every time I click on a discussion online from authors, all I see is moaning and groaning that all this media socializing we're encouraged to do doesn't produce sales. Authors point out that we</p>
<p>seem to be “preaching to the choir.” Where are the readers we need to target?</p>
<p></p>
<p>My question to the whiners is “What's your solution?” Doesn't anyone realize what a huge leap we've taken in the marketing department? When many of us started, there were limited opportunities to aim for a national readership unless you had a PR person to work with (at a high cost). Newspapers existed, but were not necessarily inclined to interview local authors. Self-published authors were looked down on. Should be go back to the good old days where we only had postcards, bookmarks, bookstores to do book signings? Geez Louise. Social media has somewhat leveled the playing field and even big-name authors have locked on this form of promoting.</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Let me say right off the bat that I LOVE marketing. To me, the challenge is to lure readers to my books. I'm willing to try different bait. Okay, not on board with my fishing analogy? How about this? Don't just think outside the box, look at the way the box is constructed, take it apart and put it back together in a way people haven't seen it before. Make it your box.</font></font></p>
<p></p>
<p>In my opinion, promotion and acquiring a fan base is only limited by an individual author's lack of drive and/or imagination. We are, for the first time in author history, allowed full control of our career path. Nothing can hold us back except ourselves.</p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Here's one whine I read in an online group I subscribe to: “I blog constantly but nobody orders my books.” I countered with “How many times have you ordered a book from reading a blog? Probably never, or you'd have a house full of books and an empty wallet. So, why expect people to do what you don't do yourself?”</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">What DOES sell books? Aside from a well-written manuscript and creative storyline, personality (and mine is fairly obnoxious) sells books. Standing out from the crowd sells books. Getting attention sells books. An interesting way with words when you speak or blog sells books. Provoking conversation sells books. Whiners and wallflowers don't sell books.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Isn't this what the buzz word “Branding” is all about? Oh, don't give me the tired complaint that we shouldn't have to “sell out” to sell. Why shouldn't we be as interesting as the characters we write about? Or, at least seem so with our public image?</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">As writers, we spend a lot of time finding our writing “voice.” Why aren't we spending the same amount of time finding our marketing voice? Dig deep and figure out what makes you different. Bring that quality to the foreground. This isn't just with what you say, but how you say it. Lawrence Block once said voice was like “two people telling the same joke.” It's all in the delivery, folks. The same goes with marketing.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">My voice is coming atcha loud and clear in everything I've written in this piece. If this is the first time you've read my writing, you might notice I don't mince words. I don't play it safe. I have no problem calling people out. Many of you are familiar with my blogs on Buried Under Books and my chafing personality. I suspect you chortle. I hope you learn. I give kudos to Lelia who stands back and supports what I choose to say. She's a keeper.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Final words of wisdom: When you find your brand, when your marketing voice comes through,</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" align="center" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">HONE IT AND OWN IT.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>
<p lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"></p>RIDING WITH THE POSSEtag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-11-16:537324:BlogPost:3147432011-11-16T19:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p align="left">Second to writing fiction, my passion is marketing. I know some people dread this part of the process of being an author. I was one of those who had to be dragged into cyber marketing, fighting every inch of the way. I didn't have time for reading blogs on the Internet or interacting with those who did. I couldn't afford to buy all the books they tried to ram down my throat and wouldn't have time to read them if I wanted to. No, I wanted people to buy MY books.…</p>
<p align="left">Second to writing fiction, my passion is marketing. I know some people dread this part of the process of being an author. I was one of those who had to be dragged into cyber marketing, fighting every inch of the way. I didn't have time for reading blogs on the Internet or interacting with those who did. I couldn't afford to buy all the books they tried to ram down my throat and wouldn't have time to read them if I wanted to. No, I wanted people to buy MY books.</p>
<p align="left">I had an attitude adjustment in 2009. My New Year's resolution was to sit my butt down in front of the computer and make a concentrated effort to understand what the “Information Highway” was all about. More importantly, how could I use the new technology to my advantage?</p>
<p align="left">I quickly learned the Internet was overwhelming. However, I used my former skills as a narcotics secretary to quickly browse sites and separate chaff from grains of knowledge. I used the blog lists of others to scalp sites for my own purposes.</p>
<p align="left">When I became acquisitions editor for Oak Tree Press, I realized many of the authors I was interested in had no marketing skills. A small press has to make money and authors are required to pitch in and help with promotion. While I didn't want to play “teacher,” I also didn't want them to spend time navigating a maze that I'd already traversed.</p>
<p align="left">The idea was a no-brainer: have the newbies play Follow-the-Leader. When I marketed, they marketed. I “nudged” them to sites and encouraged them to make comments. Oh, and I followed up to see who took my advice. I e-mailed individual kudos to those who participated, nagged at those who didn't. Since marketing is my niche and because of my Sheriff's Department background, I named us “The Posse.”</p>
<p align="left">The system caught on in a way I never expected. The first time I went public with this subversive ploy was at Killer Nashville. Suddenly, “Posse” was a buzz word. People were fascinated. It soon became clear that something was driving traffic to sites that were languishing in cyberspace. We're 46 strong and we boost numbers at any site we visit. You are going to see the Posse in action when this blog goes live.</p>
<p align="left">We now have badges proudly announcing us as “Posse.” This will make it easier to spot the other riders when we go to conferences. I want to meet the folks who have become friends and are, in turn, teaching me a few new tricks. I'm able to offer my publisher not only the best of the manuscripts I receive, but trained marketeers.</p>
<p align="left">My questions is: why doesn't everyone have a Posse???</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p> </p>ACQUISITIONS EDITOR JOBtag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-10-16:537324:BlogPost:3147422011-10-16T18:00:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p align="center" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">WANTED</font></font></p>
<p align="center" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Acquisitions Editor</font></font></p>
<p align="center" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Independent Press</font></font></p>
<p align="center" lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Salary: Below Minimum Wage…</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="center" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">WANTED</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="center" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Acquisitions Editor</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="center" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Independent Press</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="center" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Salary: Below Minimum Wage</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="center" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Qualifications: Can you read?</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="center" lang="en-US"> </p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Even if I'd seen an ad like that beforehand, I think I would have still applied for the job.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">There was no Help Wanted sign at Oak Tree Press. Instead, there was an overworked publisher, a stack of queries and limited staff.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">I'm a person with a bad habit of looking at the status quo and asking myself, “How can this be done better?” I'm not sure if that speaks to my leadership skills or just the fact that I can't leave well enough alone.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">In the Navy, I was told “Never volunteer.” I ignored that sage advice just like I ignored many of the edicts I was taught. Accessing the situation, I told Billie Johnson “How about letting me handle acquisitions?”</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Boxes of slush poured in via UPS. To prevent my spare room from becoming a warehouse, I decided to go green. Only electronic queries would be acceptable.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">I instituted a timely response to queries. I know authors are taught “The query letter is the most important letter you will write.” There are even workshops on the topic. I don't read the query (sorry aspiring writers!). Instead, I look for two things: genre and word count. If neither apply to our guidelines, I send a rejection letter. I don't believe in generic rejections, just like I don't believe in generic authors. I will tell writers where they missed the mark.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">I then google the author. I'm looking for a “Q” rating, the number of times the writer's name appears on the Internet. I'm searching for a website or any attempt to build a platform. Is the author serious about a career? Have they been interacting with cyber/social/professional websites and blogs? Or, do they feel their job is simply to write?</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">Too many writers tell me they are going to market once their book is contracted. I believe marketing starts the minute you decide you want to write a novel. Name recognition is key. When regularly commenting, contributing and following blogs, peers and professionals notice. This is how to attain future reviews, interviews and blurbs. I would rather publish novel with a strong marketeer than a bestseller from an author who has no intention of promoting.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">The days of the publicity machine are over. A small press expects an author to be savvy in marketing with skills in place. This is where Oak Tree may be different from other houses. As we grew from 12 titles a year to the current 36, contracted authors started functioning as a “family.” We don't market as individuals, but as a group. Loyalty to the house and to each other are key.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">In researching for this piece, I discovered that most jobs as acquisition editor expect a masters degree in English; I have a BA in journalism. An acquisition editor at McGraw-Hill is expected to bring 20 books into publication; I've brought in 15 in my first year. On the low end of the pay scale, acqui-editors make $30,000; I get paid after bills, authors and cover artists are paid.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">On the other hand, the perks are phenomenal. I was flown to Puerto Vallarta to speak to a writers' group; traveled to Victoria, BC, to scout for our first Canadian property; spoke at the largest junior college in the US; and my mystery novels are used to teach genre writing in community colleges in NJ and California. Plus, I head up The Posse, possibly the most “novel” force in marketing on the Internet.</font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font size="3">All because I saw a need, lent a hand and had a heart. </font></font></p>
<p xml:lang="en-US" align="left" lang="en-US"> </p>CONFESSIONS OF AN ACQUISITIONS EDITORtag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-09-16:537324:BlogPost:3147672011-09-16T17:59:50.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>Small publishing houses work for me because I can't seem to resist the urge to put my two cents in on how the publishing house works. I'm sure Simon & Schuster or Random House could care less about what I think on the way they run things, but I've had two publishers now who value my opinions. Let me tell you, it's a heady feeling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When my current publisher was backed up by the onslaught of query letters, I volunteered to lend a hand. Not that I know anything about…</p>
<p>Small publishing houses work for me because I can't seem to resist the urge to put my two cents in on how the publishing house works. I'm sure Simon & Schuster or Random House could care less about what I think on the way they run things, but I've had two publishers now who value my opinions. Let me tell you, it's a heady feeling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When my current publisher was backed up by the onslaught of query letters, I volunteered to lend a hand. Not that I know anything about acquisitions (is there a training manual somewhere?) but I know what I like to read. I've also studied the market and have an idea of what sells.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I loved all the letters I received. Some were funny, some were written by a quivering hand, all were hopeful. But, here's where I went off the beaten path of query letter/synopsis/outline.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When I open e-mails, the first thing I look for is genre and word count. We are a strong genre house, our word count doesn't exceed 85,000. This is the only way to make books cost effective, for both the buyer and the publisher. While main stream publishers push the idea that BIGGER is BETTER is a BLOCKBUSTER is a BESTSELLER, we have more realistic expectations. Sometimes the best novels come in small (55,000 words) packages.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I know all the writing books stress that the query letter is “The most important letter you'll ever write.” Really? How about the letter to the IRS explaining that strange tax deduction? To Santa for a new computer? To Match.com to complain about bad hook-ups?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't even read the query letter. Blasphemy!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first thing I do is Google the writer's name. I'm expecting to see at least a website. I'm hoping for many more hits. How active is the potential author on the Internet? Does this person blog? Have they joined any professional/social sites other than Face Book? What has this person been doing to foster their career goals?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Because it's not just about the writing anymore. I lecture on marketing at conferences. My mantra: marketing starts the minute you decide you're a writer. Waiting until the novel is finished puts you behind the pack. Name recognition is key. Why would anyone in the writing field want to withhold words, to refuse the reading public a sample of their “voice?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I doubt if the big houses bother to investigate. I wonder if they even look at their slush pile before sending rejection notices. Although the expectation is that a big house will supply an endless marketing budget for the book of an unknown author, that's not going to happen unless your name is Paris Hilton or Prince Charles. Marketing has become the responsibility of the author.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although my publisher originally believed I wasn't fair to authors, I convinced her that checking the writer's “street creds” goes a long way to selecting authors working hard at their career goals. In my opinion, they are the ones who deserve a shot at publication.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But, that's just me. And I'm the acquisitions editor. </p>OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-07-12:537324:BlogPost:2944662011-07-12T01:30:00.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Sound familiar? Dr. Seuss wrote the poem as an inspiration and promise to children.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font color="#000000"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman, serif">Writers go to many places, often inside our heads but sometimes to book signings, conferences, libraries and Starbucks. Usually we pay our own…</font></font></span></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Sound familiar? Dr. Seuss wrote the poem as an inspiration and promise to children.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font color="#000000"><span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman, serif">Writers go to many places, often inside our heads but sometimes to book signings, conferences, libraries and Starbucks. Usually we pay our own way just for the opportunity to put our books in front of readers.</font></font></span></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Imagine my shock and disbelief when I was contacted by the Puerto Vallarta Writers Conference and invited to be a speaker. They apologized that they wouldn't be able to pay for anything but airfare. Were they kidding? I had my passport out and dusted off in record time.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">If someone had told me five years ago that I would be a featured speaker at any conference, I would have laughed myself silly. I had one published novel, a few short story trophies under my belt and I was paying my proverbial dues to the writing gods. When did my life take a leap forward?</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">There was no leap. There were tiny steps, cautious ones at first. As I got my footing, I began exploring. The Internet came into its own and I eagerly embraced cyber-socializing, blogging and marketing. I sprinted ahead when curiosity made me volunteer to do acquisitions for my publisher. Now I was experiencing a runner's high, enjoying the rarefied air of helping other writers get published.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">On the plane to Puerto Vallarta I kept reminding myself that I'm a woman living in a rural town with small (but growing!) readership for my astrology-based mysteries who doesn't get out of her bathrobe most days and is one feline short of Crazy Cat Lady. Yet, someone recognized all the hard work I'd invested in my career and felt I had something to offer those taking their own tentative steps in the business.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">After a wet winter in California, PV (as the ex-pats call it) was all sunshine, music, exotic smells and terrifying traffic. The cobblestone streets were made for burros, not SUVs. I was a guest at a charming hotel and awoke every morning to the deep cathedral bell in the town square. The Mango Library turned out to be a beautiful venue, the audience friendly and casual, a state of being in this part of the world. I spoke about publishing for two hours straight after a tamale lunch, fighting jet lag and the urge to take a siesta. I got to spend the rest of the time enjoying my fellow speakers and taking pitch sessions with writers.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Something in me had changed by the time my plane landed in the U.S. I felt, for the first time, like I was worth every penny people were willing to pay me. I have information to give to other writers, secrets and strategies that will help their careers. I've paid my dues and are reaping the rewards for hard work in a field I have always loved.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Dr. Seuss said it best:</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Out there things can happen<br/>and frequently do<br/>to people as brainy<br/>and footsy as you.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">And when things start to happen,<br/>don't worry. Don't stew.<br/>Just go right along.<br/>You'll start happening too.</font></font></font></blockquote>
<blockquote lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"><br/><br/></blockquote>OH, TO BE YOUNG AGAIN. OR NOT.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-06-12:537324:BlogPost:2944482011-06-12T01:33:19.000ZSunny Frazierhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/SunnyFrazier
<p>I was recently invited to Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA, to speak to aspiring writers about the world of publishing. Mt. SAC, as it is commonly called, is the largest community college in the United States. I wasn't there just to lecture at the weekend writers' conference, but also to represent Oak Tree Press in my role as acquisitions editor and scout for talent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To be 60 and sitting in a classroom with people barely in their 20's listening to teachers half my age…</p>
<p>I was recently invited to Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA, to speak to aspiring writers about the world of publishing. Mt. SAC, as it is commonly called, is the largest community college in the United States. I wasn't there just to lecture at the weekend writers' conference, but also to represent Oak Tree Press in my role as acquisitions editor and scout for talent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To be 60 and sitting in a classroom with people barely in their 20's listening to teachers half my age was really refreshing. I looked at eager faces, the excitement of putting their thoughts into words still apparent in their eyes. I'm not jaded but I know the light will dim in most of them by the time life intrudes and hands them responsibilities, marriage, mortgage and little mouths to feed. Some are already being told by concerned parents that writing is only a dream, to study something practical like business.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What was I going to tell them—that their parents are wrong to dash their dreams so early? Should I encourage them to follow their art and their heart at all costs? The times of living in a garret and pounding out a bestseller on a Royal typewriter are over. What's a garret? What's a typewriter? Did the dream ever really exist, or is it all part of the myth?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What I wound up telling them was the truth, gently but adamantly. First, I gave them the hard stats:</p>
<p>132 million manuscripts are submitted yearly. 1% will be published.</p>
<p>3,000 manuscripts are published daily</p>
<p>Of those published, only 2 % sold more than 5,000 copies.</p>
<p>16% sold fewer than 1,000 copies.</p>
<p>82% sold less than 100 copies.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>IF a manuscript manages to get through the slush pile, 90% will be rejected after the first page is read.</p>
<p>98% will be rejected after the first chapter is read.</p>
<p>30-50 will get through to serious consideration.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's not what these young adults wanted to hear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I wasn't there to discourage them because I firmly believe publishing has never been so much in an author's favor as the times we live in. This generation is not at the mercy of Big Publishing, the agent third-circle-of-hell, enough rejection slips to wallpaper their dorm rooms. Electronic publishing and the devices they love have made them power players in the world of words. Their peers are coming out with novels written for a generation which grew up on Harry Potter and Buffy. Hollywood hasn't missed the trend, taking self-published bestsellers and turning them into movie gold.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's no more “paying one's dues” to achieve success. It now comes down to creativity, not just in writing but in marketing and media savvy. Success is for the student who fearlessly confronts this brave new world of publishing and dictates the terms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Did I find the talent I was looking for? Oh, yeah. There were two manuscripts I was ready to snatch up had they been finished. I also found Wonder Boys Jeffrey and Daniel, Augie and AJ, Marta and Michaelsun and met John Brantingham, a teacher they love and I one I would love to someday publish. I hope I left behind a little hope and a lot of encouragement. </p>
<p> </p>