Belletrinsic

28 Dec

“Mormon Mafia”?

Posted by: Michelle / Category: blogs, publishing, randomness

I found this post by Editorial Anonymous about a “Mormon Mafia” in publishing rather hilarious, for reasons I’ll explain in a moment. First, click here to read the post.

Now that you’ve stopped puzzling over why I found it so funny, I’ll share this secret tidbit of information about myself: I am a BYU graduate from Utah who writes young adult fiction! I only need to find me a husband and pop out a few kids before my multi-million dollar contract will arrive in the mail.

All joking aside, the letter writer has stumbled upon an interesting phenomenon at the moment, and I was curious when the talk would really start. Well, here it is, and now I think it’s time to explain:

Mormons have been given an ultrasupersecret mission to take over the world by writing young adult fiction with a scifi/fantasy bent. You may want to lock up your children.

Aw, shoot. I shouldn’t have said that. But honestly, anyone who thinks it’s some big conspiracy or divine mandate is reading too many paranormal romances and should lay off them for a few months.

What I see as the common thread with all of the popular and successful Mormon writers has to do more with cultural influence. Let me explain.

Members of the Mormon or LDS church (full name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), have always been proponents of the arts, including music and dance from the church’s inception in 1830. The first, and probably most prominent, artistic endeavor was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, formed in 1847.

Literary endeavors came later, near the turn of the twentieth century, with the admonition to write faith-promoting stories. For many years, those were the kind of books LDS authors wrote. I still remember all of the LDS books that were written when I was younger. I’d honestly say it was about this time (the late 70s to early 80s), that LDS fiction really began to develop and grow, as well as LDS authors turning to mainstream fiction with Orson Scott Card at the forefront.

In addition to Stephenie Meyer and Ally Condie, other popular LDS young adult fantasy authors include James Dashner, Shannon Hale, Aprilynne Pike, Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson, Jessica Day George, Mette Ivie Harrison, and Julie Berry.

An interesting article from The Boston Globe (click here to read) posits that the influx of Mormon writers in young adult fiction is due to the more wholesome nature of children’s and young adult stories. Members of the church are, on the whole, very conservative when it comes to sex, drugs, and violence. In adult literature, the progressing trend is to include one or all of those elements in great doses. It gets harder and harder to find well-written books with wonderful stories that don’t include graphic sex or violence. I readily admit that as one reason I prefer young adult books.

As for the fantasy aspect, author Shannon Hale says it best in the Boston Globe article: Mormonism and its tenets can seem pretty fantastic by others, so we’ve never really had issues with thinking imaginatively or outside commonly accepted ideas. Plus the fact that fantasy generally has clear concepts of good versus evil, right and wrong directly corresponds with church teachings on the same.

BYU, or Brigham Young University, is a church-sponsored university where members from around the world attend. It has an incredible atmosphere of diversity and learning. It has excellent programs in the arts, especially English, theater and film, music, and dance. I participated at one time or another in each of these (with the exception of theater). Each program is well supported and encouraged at BYU.

Finally, I see the influx of Mormon writers as a growing trend for Mormon artists in all areas. If you don’t believe me, I’ll offer a smattering of actors/singers/musicians/directors who are taking to the world stage (and I’m not even talking about the Osmonds).

Music:

David Archuleta

Brandon Flowers (The Killers)

SheDaisy

Brendon Urie (Panic! At the Disco)

Film:

Amy Adams (raised LDS)

Katherine Heigl (raised LDS)

Aaron Eckhart (BYU grad)

Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, raised LDS)

John Heder (Napoleon Dynamite)

Jared Hess (wrote/directed Napoleon Dynamite)

Paul Walker (raised LDS)

Dance:

Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars)

In conclusion, there isn’t anything in the water or in the church doctrines that says we should write children’s or young adult literature. It’s a combination of cultural and other influences. Plus, there is a strong and supportive community of LDS writers, especially in Utah. I’ve met most of the writers I’ve listed above (no, I haven’t met Stephenie Meyer, but if I do, I’ll tell her hi) at various literary and cultural events. They are a down-to-earth group that encourages other would-be writers and accepts them into the fold whether they be famous or not. I’ve learned a lot about writing from them, especially what it means to give back and support others.

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02 Dec

You are your own publicity team

Posted by: Michelle / Category: blogs, books, marketing, publicity, publishing

Yes, publishers are pushing more of the publicity efforts on authors. There are several reasons for this:

1) Shrinking publicity and advertising budgets (plus they generally focus on the “sure wins,” so midlist and new authors have a harder time getting any of the advertising pie).

2) In the past, publishers had several steps removing them from their readers.

Publisher -> Sales reps -> Buyers for bookstores -> Booksellers/Librarians -> Reader (and somewhere floating in there are professional book reviewers)

That’s still the basic format for publishing, but it is swiftly changing. People are buying their books from Amazon, often based on recommendations from friends or ratings ordinary people post on the site. That cuts out the three middle steps. Amazon stocks just about everything in print, so there’s no need for sales reps to decide which books to push on bookstore buyers, no need for bookstore buyers to select which books the store purchases, and no need for booksellers to hand sell or reviewers to review because readers are choosing their purchases based on recommendations from friends and strangers online.

3) Which leads to the paradigm shift in the way readers communicate with publishers/authors/bookstores. Most people reading this post will recognize the vitality of the social media sphere. Now, anyone can feel a personal connection with a celebrity. You can follow their tweets, follow them on facebook, and read their blogs. But not only that, you can respond to the tweets, updates, and posts. So in this shift, authors are coming closer to their reading audience. Before (in that little diagram I had above), authors would have been a few steps further away from readers because they would be separated by the publisher, their pr person, and their agent.

To succeed as a new writer in this modern world, authors must tweet, blog, and put themselves out there for readers to feel a personal connection with them. It’s all about relating to people. Publishers are finally starting to recognize this, and they’re almost starting to force their authors to participate. Some publishers are starting to add clauses to contracts stating that authors are responsible for promoting their books via social media. As for the publisher for which I work, we are teaching our authors how to use social media, so we want (and almost expect in new authors we sign) that they work hard in promoting themselves and their book.

4) Getting a great review in The New York Times does not guarantee a large increase in sales—not anymore. Press attention does not have the persuasive buying influence it once did. Media attention is nice, of course, and should be sought, but it isn’t a golden ticket. What does help is getting great buzz in online communities, great reviews on Amazon and similar sites, and high sales rankings on Amazon. The reason for this is because it creates buzz and word of mouth.

The biggest example of this in recent years is Twilight. I realize everyone and their poodle has been talking about Twilight lately, but that is precisely it—people are talking about it. When the first book came out, it was relatively unknown. When the second book appeared on the market, I started hearing a more about it. I was attending the same university that Meyer graduated from, so we heard word of the books a little earlier than many. By the time the third book pubbed, teenage girls and middle-aged moms were shouting its praises. Now, I’m not sure if there’s anyone on the planet who hasn’t heard of these books. (This may be a slight exaggeration, but still.) What got this momentum going was word of mouth. Girls telling friends, their moms, their hairdressers, their teachers about these books. Now it’s an international phenomenon.

Now, this changing marketplace isn’t all gloom and doom, but it does require a shift in our thinking as authors. I work in publishing and am surrounded by it every day, practically all day long. (I do sort of eat, sleep, and drink books.) So I’ve already accepted what is required to succeed as a social marketer for you own books. I’m not perfect at it, but I’m working hard to build up my own brand before I even get a publishing contract. I’m getting actively involved in reading and writing communities online and trying to listen to what readers want.

It’s more important than ever to understand your audience and know what about your book appeals to them—and what will induce them into buying. You have to offer value, whether in content, excellent writing, escapism, etc. They need to want the book enough to pay for it. So our goal as authors (and I say all of us because the sooner we establish ourselves as authors and start building an audience, it will be easier once we do have publishing contracts) is to know our audience and connect with them. Sell yourself, your book, and your words. That’s one thing we can all do, and since we are writers and interested in doing it online in written form, we can do it well.

These strategies obviously apply to the part of the world in which you live. As some friends pointed out, in Australia there really isn’t Amazon, so some of this doesn’t apply. So you have to adapt the principles of social media to your own situation.

Of course, authors should always seek to connect with readers in real time, face to face. Readings, signings, television interviews, etc., are important, but the revolution I’m talking about stretches to all corners of the earth and not just the people you can speak with at your book launch. Think of it as a multiplicity of efforts; I can and will spend time speaking with the 200 people who come to a signing, but then I will also spend time posting about it where I can connect with an audience of several thousand to million (depending on how large your Twitter, blog, and Facebook audiences are).

We have to change the way we think—all of us. Publisher, author, bookseller, and reader. If we do that successfully, the publishing industry won’t just survive, it will grow.

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22 Oct

Reaching out to bloggers: How to get book reviews

Posted by: Michelle / Category: blogs, etiquette, guest post, marketing

by Sarah Burningham

So, you want to get your book reviewed on some blogs. Here’s a step-by-step guide with tips for reaching out to bloggers and making good connections.

As an author, you should:

Read blogs. Lots of them. Every day.
Make a list of the blogs you particularly like and the ones you think actually fit with your book. Note that these might be two different categories. Be brutally honest with yourself. Just because you like baking pies doesn’t mean that a baking blog is going to review your memoir of horse racing.
Comment on the blogs you find. Know them inside and out. (I use my google reader to help filter everything in to one place so it’s easy for me to read my favorite blogs daily.)
Then, and only then, can you approach them for a review. Email the blogger, address him/her by name, and say why your book is a fit for the blog, in one short paragraph or less. Short and sweet! Include a link to your site and more info on your book.
No matter what, do not send a form letter. And don’t mass email or bcc. Would you want to be blind copied as part of a mass mailing? Neither does a blogger.
Be nice. This goes a long way with anyone, including bloggers. Treat them like you would any journalist or reporter who is considering your book.
Ask for the blogger’s feedback. And then, listen to that feedback. Even if you think you are the next James Joyce, not everyone will feel the same way, and that’s ok. You have to have thick skin to be an author.
If a blogger doesn’t respond, wait for a week to ten days before emailing again. Don’t just re-send the same pitch. Write a new email and mention that you sent something back on (enter date here). Be sincere!
But…waiting and sending a follow-up email does not open the door for going back again and again. NO STALKING! In the same way that form letters make you annoying, stalking is another hint that you can’t be taken seriously. If a blogger is interested, he or she will get back to you after you’ve made 2 thoughtful attempts at contact. If you haven’t heard back, the blogger is probably just not that into you.
When a blogger does get back to you, get a review copy of your book in the mail, stat. Don’t make anyone wait. Hit the post office that day and let the blogger know the book is on its way.
In the meantime, keep the conversation alive by participating. Keep reading the blog. Keep commenting. You shouldn’t be reading the blog just to get a review. Consider this a real relationship. The blogger will notice and appreciate it.
When the review goes up, thank the blogger. Send the link out to your readers by posting it on your website, on Twitter, on Facebook. Share the love and get some traffic for that blog!
And finally, now that you have a good relationship with the blogger, keep it that way. Never – I repeat, Never – add a blogger (or anyone else, frankly) to your mailing list. Not even your mother.

Sarah Burningham founded Little Bird, a boutique public relations and marketing firm that blurs the lines of old and new media to develop creative platforms for authors and brands. Most recently, she was the Associate Director of Marketing for HarperStudio where she managed the marketing and publicity campaigns for a number of successful titles. In addition to her publishing experience, Sarah has written two of her own books, How to Raise Your Parents and Boyology.

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18 Oct

Love has everything to do with it

Posted by: Michelle / Category: belles lettres, blogs, inspiration

I just read something that upset me enough that I need to rant. I did so in the comments section of the blog on which it was posted, but I thought it important enough to share here as well. The blog post, entitled, What’s Love Got to Do with It? is ripe with the apathetic ignorance so pervasive in the world. I’ll let you read that—and the first comment—that really set me off.

Here is the response I posted. I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this topic. Though the topic has not direct link with writing, it has everything to do with how I write about love.

I have to completely and vehemently disagree. In a world where promises mean little, there is one commitment that should still mean something: that between a husband and wife, a bond that unites them more than “signatures on the dotted lines.” In unison with that, the ability to bring life into this world is a precious gift that most have taken for granted for a few moments of illicit pleasure. The woman who considers herself a “breed mare” has lost the essence of her femininity and, more importantly, the identity essential to who she is.

It is tragic that many hold the opinion that marriage means nothing. If you view it like that, it will mean absolutely nothing. The degeneration of the world is integrally tied to the dissolution of family bonds. Fix the family and you can fix the world.

Call me naive, call me whatever you want, but I fear for children who grow up in a world where marriage means little more than a convenience. People need to take it more seriously if they ever expect to find real love.

I feel sorry for any who are jaded enough to ignore these basic truths. Life loses meaning without them.

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01 Oct

Freedom of Opinion

Posted by: Michelle / Category: blogs, books, reading

Since I was sleepless this morning, I took the time to read an excellent blog post from a librarian dealing with a challenge to a book in his library. His response was thoughtful, caring, well-reasoned, and thought-provoking. I’ll give you a moment to read that: http://jaslarue.blogspot.com/2008/07/uncle-bobbys-wedding.html

As a devout Christian and Mormon, I understand the library patron’s argument, though I disagree with her actions. Libraries are repositories of information, there to provide books of all types for any who would read them. Individuals may disagree with the content of a book, but they are free to ignore those books in favor of those that espouse the same or similar beliefs.

What struck me, though, were the many comments to that letter that equated religion—and especially Christianity—with bigotry, prejudice, hatred, narrow-mindedness, and ignorance.

In addition to Freedom of Speech, the Founding Fathers offered the Freedom of Religion. And, I would add, the implied Freedom of Opinion. I would argue that many of those who espouse tolerance and open-mindedness have in fact fallen prey to their own prejudices. They attack those different from themselves who hold a opposing viewpoint.

Free and open discourse is essential toward understanding differing ideas. Everyone should be treated with respect. No one should fear personal attack because they may believe the opposite of another.

I cannot say who is right or who is wrong in regard to their overall religious, social, and political views. I can only say I know what I believe and would appreciate it if others would allow me the same right to my opinion as I grant them.

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23 Aug