Cyn

This is supposed to be a picture of Air Force Sgt John Gebhardt in Iraq.  He's holding a little girl whose family was executed.  In fact, she was shot too and survived.  The nursing staff at the hospital say he is the only one she's able to be calm with and that he's held her during the night, for several nights, while they both slept. 

I hope this is a true story.  I haven't run Snopes on it yet as some of you might (and I encourage you to do so).  Still there is something special in seeing a military, tough man hold and comfort a child.  I hope my sons turn into the sort of men who can offer similar comfort to children wherever they are.

Be thankful for the people in your life, the people who've been there and the people who will be brought to you in the future.

Here is a list of things to keep in mind when you’re promoting your stories.

1. When you get scheduled for an event, put it immediately on your calendar.  Include day of the week, date, time and location.  If you forgot you create a lose-lose situation for all involved: yourself, the party hosting you, your fans, and your potential fans.  Be prepared for the right kind of event.  Book signings are different from a teaching opportunity and require a different mindset.  Some of the items below apply to all events, some only apply to teaching/lecturing events.

2. Be neat and clean.  This seems like a no-brainer, but it happens.  Authors have been know to show up at events without the best of personal hygiene.  Be showered, clean, neat.  You don’t want to show up at an event looking raggedy.  You don’t have to wear Armani, but you should look put-together.  You need to look like a successful author.  Holey clothes, even in fashion just won’t cut it.  Think business casual.

3. Have comfortable shoes if you are going to be on your feet a lot.  This is especially critical for the ladies as we tend to have higher heeled footwear.

4. If you are traveling, have your itinerary with phone numbers.  If you are driving, have Map Quest printouts or a good map.

5. Phones.  Have a cell phone available.  You can purchase cell phones with prepaid minutes on them.  These are extremely helpful if you need to contact anyone in regards to your presentation.  On the other hand, when you are at the signing or making a public appearance, turn the damn thing off!  The last thing you want is to be considered rude because you were talking on the phone when you should have been connecting with your potential readers.

6. Have a decent watch so you can keep track of time.  Think respect.  Fill the time required, don’t go over, and don’t cheat your audience either.  Be on time.  If you have those items from #4, you can responsibly inform your host of difficulties you encounter so that all may work on adjusting time slots if need be.  You can’t do that without a watch.

7. Copies of your work.  Since we are an electronic medium bring CDs.  Also, since we sell electronic books it is helpful to show your audience ways to read your work.  I make it a point to bring my e-Book reader with me and I point out its advantages (I can read in bed without disturbing my partner, I carry several books at a time when I travel all for the weight of one paperback, my reader feels like a book).

8. A pre-printed form for gathering mailing and email addresses.  Use these for newsletters and announcements.

9. Pocket calculator so you can tally sales!

10. Pens for autographing.  Some authors take postcards of their covers, or printouts (go to Kinko’s or a nice copy place and get the laser color copies made, they turn out gorgeous) and then a color pen that contrasts nicely with the cover.  I have a nice metallic gold permanent calligraphy pen that makes the autograph really stand out.

11. A TINY autobiography (of yourself).  You don’t really know how much a host knows about you.  Have a list of your books and their current publisher handy.  What are your credentials?  Share them with your audience.  Have more than one copy on hand in case you need to give it to someone else, like a store manager who will read it over the p.a.

12. Black and white photos of yourself…just in case you attract the attention of the local media.  Have a black and white of your book cover too, just in case they want to include it in an article.  Remember, you are promoting your work, not you.  If you have to choose between a photo of you and your cover, choose your cover.  People won’t remember your face in the newspaper, but they might remember your cover.

13. Business cards.  You can be so creative with them it’s not funny.  Ask Nikita Gordyn for help.  She does nice designs that will get you noticed…and they stand out from the Vista Print cards (and you can upload them to Vista Print for a very reasonable cost.)  Include your web site, book titles, and email address…the things you consider pertinent.  Some people I know have different business cards for different purposes.

14. Name tag.  Don’t just put your name on your name tag.  Let your company or product be listed too.  It can read something like XXX author of YYY at Aspen Mountain Press.  Name tags can be those sticky ones like the ones you wear at non-profit functions, or you can have a permanent one made.  My nametag for the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association adheres to my clothing with magnets.  I love it.

15. If you are giving a presentation or lecture of some sort, have two copies.  Keep one in a notebook you carry, have the other with the equipment you plan to use.  If you are using one of those big charts, write the information you want the audience to remember in a dark, vivid color and write notes to yourself in pencil on the same page.  The audience won’t see it and you’ll look like a genius.

16. Questions and answers.  Write your own ahead of time, just in case the audience is too quiet to ask.  You can preface your question with something like, “Once I was asked…” or some such thing.  Having questions and answers is also helpful for the host of an interview.  It gives you an opportunity to guide the interview somewhat, let’s the host know what you think is important, and let’s the host get to know you a little ahead of time.  You should have these with you for both your presentation and just in case you get asked to do an interview.  And, please, please PROOF READ anything you might give to the media.  Spelling and grammar mistakes when you claim to be an author are just not to be tolerated.  They make you and the companies you represent look really bad.

17. A list of your presentation needs.  Most hosting entities can get you an overhead projector, a computer with PowerPoint, a podium, whatever.  You just have to let them know what you want and need.

18. Review clips.  These summary snippets with your rating (if it was decent) give more credence to your work and store managers love them.

19. Book covers.  Again, go to a place like Kinko’s and have them laser printed (they are about $0.79-$1.29 a copy) and then put them in the acrylic holders you can get at Office Max or Office Depot.  This is really helpful again because of our electronic media.  Seeing a cover sometimes makes a sale.

20. Index cards.  You pass these out to the audience to get their questions.  In the matter of questions, by the way, you don’t have to answer any that are controversial.  Don’t feel like you have to answer all of them.  You can politely say, “That’s all we have time for this afternoon.”  You can also see which questions are similar and address those if appropriate.

21. Something to drink…not alcoholic!  Water, tea, pop.  This can help you get over your nerves, help you get your thoughts together, give you a tiny break while you’re thinking about that last question you received.

22. Evaluation form.  It is always a good idea to let the audience know at the beginning of your presentation what your goal is in talking to them.  That way they know if you met that goal or not by the end of your talk.  In a recent lecture, I received a negative comment because the participate thought I was going to teach a writing course.  That individual didn’t understand the purpose of the class, which was a talk on a genre of writing. I know to clarify my lecture purpose better in the future.

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, “Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.” Later, a bumper sticker company, BumperTalk, modified the quote to read, “Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”

You want a dragon. That’s right, you want a dragon. But such a powerful beast can destroy you if you are not careful. They often breathe fire, slice through people with their long talons, swoop out of seemingly nowhere to raze the poor village they attack, carrying off hapless, helpless victims.

So why on earth would anyone want a dragon? Your brows furrow. “What does a dragon have to do with my dream of being published?”

Because the dragon you intend to catch is none other than an editor or agent, the very person who determines the fate of your manuscript and guards the pile of gold called publication.

As an experienced dragon hunter...wait, you’re not experienced? Well, then you need tools and weaponry to help you find the dragon you seek. You will go far in your quest if the proper weapons are in your arsenal and are combined with the knowledge of how to use them.

One of the first items you need if you are going to capture and hold onto your editor-dragon is a map. One cannot capture a dragon without knowing where to search. Publishing companies provide you charts called “submission guidelines.” Seek these guidelines out and make sure you understand them. Sometimes, a trusted companion can be called upon to explain unusual markings and phrases in the map. Failure to heed to the directives of the publishers’ guidelines immediately disqualifies you from attempting to capture your dragon.

If the guidelines state you should send the first three chapters send no more, nor no less. If you send to a specific editor make sure you know what genre s/he acquires. You cannot count on an editor to pass your manuscript on to another editor. Adhere to the word count. Countless manuscripts are passed over because they are too long or too short.

Many manuscripts are immediately tossed into the rubbish pile because the author chose to ignore the guidelines. Your ability to follow a publisher’s or an agent’s rules influence their decision.

Your compass to finding an editor-dragon is the dreaded synopsis. Never fear, most editors don’t look at the synopsis to judge your writing. They use the synopsis as their own map of you. Did you follow the instructions they requested? Did you tell, in synopsis form, the complete story? Keeping secrets from the editor or agent plays no part in a synopsis. These dragons need to know the entirety of your story, not your personal evaluation of the manuscript, nor your life history and how it played into the story coming into existence. They focus on one thing—your story. Make it as palatable, nay, rather make it as tempting as the richest dessert offered by the best chef of the land.

Hone the sword of your pen, your most important weapon in finding a dragon. Your best whetstone for keeping the blade sharp will be your critique group, writing partner, writing association or a contest that provides feedback.

Be prepared to wear your armor, another helpful tool in defending you on your quest. When you ask for someone to truthfully evaluate your writing some of the comments will sting; others feel like you just lost a limb in a major skirmish. Pay attention, though, because if you have an open mind you will find ways to make your writing sparkle. Being in contact with these people will also help you read your map. They can help you avoid pitfalls as well as help you interpret publisher’s requests.

Put your best manuscript forward. Send a clean copy of your story (and please, make sure you have your own personal copy, preferably on a medium such as a computer). Keep the copy you send free of fingerprints and chocolate smudge marks (and all other smudges). Use white paper or if submitting electronically the file extension requested (usually RTF – rich text format which prevents the attachment of a virus to your document). Put the document in the font and print size the potential buyer requests.

Make sure there are no spelling errors. Use the spellcheck on your computer but do not rely on it solely. It makes errors. Learn how to properly punctuate, including the correct use of quotation marks. Hint—the punctuation for dialogue goes inside the quotation marks.

Cut the backstory, that explanatory material that you feel sets the story up. It is boring and is best served in small bites (with ketchup) throughout the novel. Be ruthless, your editor will cut what you won’t. You certainly don’t want to be the midnight morsel a dragon snacks on.

Be unique, in terms of both your story and your style (voice). This applies to your characters and the events you plot out for them. Make things plausible. If your heroine is afraid of flying and is now on an airplane thirty-five thousand feet in the air, you better have an excellent reason for having her there. There are truly no unique plot ideas, just ways of executing them. Execute your story like a master dragon catcher.

If you have followed the map you may be quite near the dragon’s lair. You will be long months ahead of those who submit without using the provided guidelines, who ignore the counsel of colleagues.

In fact, the dragon has been tempted to offer you the most sought after relic of the kingdom—a request for a full (your story in its entirety) or even a contract.
You have dutifully studied and have affixed your mark to the document, having sent off the editor’s request with all due and prudent haste. You have captured the attention of the dragon; perhaps have made him or her yours. But for how long? This is where the proper care and feeding of the editor comes into play.

Of course, here we do not speak of food in the literal sense. Your editor has plenty of authors already. You still loom as the tasty morsel. It is up to you not to be consumed by the power of the dragon.

You will feel the flames of your dragon’s breath should you again ignore the basic items provided you long ago in the submission guidelines. Do not pester before the appropriate time. Dragons are irritable and overworked. If the publisher states they respond in six months, do not ask for the status of your complete in three. If the editor states she would like this revision done, or that plot point expanded, do not argue. If he says delete this segment, do so. A reputation of being difficult to work with is something you should avoid.

Does this mean lay down and be trampled underfoot? No. It does mean listen carefully. Editors are not in the business to be your friend (although that may happen), but rather are in the business to make their company money.

Thus, they would not intentionally ask you to do something to weaken your story. If you feel strongly about edits, be respectful. Choose which items, which battles are truly critical for you to risk your neck over. Do not argue over minor details.

You will feel the effects of your dragon’s talons. Those claws will rip through your manuscript until you feel fortunate to see a single page spared of a comment or correction. This is especially true in regards to the overall story. Your editor will want more tension on this page, more character development on that. Your editor, in most cases, will not be correcting your grammar and typing mistakes (but of course, there aren’t any because you submitted that wonderfully perfect manuscript long ago). He or she will tell you that this scene must go as it doesn’t advance the plot or ask why the hero did this particular thing without motivation. If you are wise, you will not have removed your armor and will receive the force of the strikes with little injury to your person.

You will be tempted while waiting for the blows from your editor to change the story. I will deepen the conflict here; expand the description over there, you think. This will guarantee a swipe of the dragon’s talons and perhaps a blast of fiery air. Dragons work off the page and rely on page number when going through your document. Changing the submission disrupts their orderly world. In taking care of your dragon, a writer must engender the quality of patience in copious amounts.

Perhaps the hardest item of all to understand from your dragon is the request to raze the entire manuscript or large portions thereof. If so much is wrong, you lament, why did you take it? The answer to that question is as different as the sword Excalibur is to a Cat o’Nine Tails. The editor or agent saw something in your writing. Perhaps your voice, perhaps your unique twist on the old story of ‘boy meets girl.’ The company just purchased another similar story but wants you. Only your dragon knows.

Beware though. Unless told otherwise, simply moving a block of text to another location in the tale is not what your editor requested. Insisting on keeping large pieces of your prose will once more mark you as an amateur, a person so in love with their own words that you simply will not adjust to make your story better. This is very bad and will encourage your dragon to seek other warriors better suited to handling the requests made of them. Many times, a person so in love with their own work will not be offered a second contract with the same house.

Maintaining a professional attitude will go far in the care of your dragon. Respecting the time, space, and responsibilities of your editor will garner accolades and other positive responses to the sort of person you are—the sort of person another dragon could work with should this one move on.

Small things matter to your dragon. The care and feeding of your editorial dragon is vital to the growth of your career as a novelist. Take heed of the simple tools and weaponry available in seeking, acquiring and keeping your editor-dragon. Remember, you do taste good with ketchup.