Grand prize: $300 in Cash
Compete and Win in Three Categories
Inspirational ¤ Short Story ¤ Poetry
Inspirational
A story with an explicitly religious, spiritual or inspirational slant or focus. A story about the power of religion, power of prayer, or how the power of Christ touched you will be considered inspirational.
Short Story
Genre:
Romance
Mystery
Science-fiction
Horror or Fantasy
Poetry
Rhyming
Non-rhyming
PRIZES
Grand Prize: $300 in cash.
First Place: The First-Place Winner in each of the three (3) categories receives $100 cash.
Second Place: The Second-Place Winner in each category receives $75 cash.
Entry Deadline: May 1, 2009.
CONTEST RULES
The Categories
You may enter one (1) submission per category:
Inspirational: 1,500 words maximum.
Short Story: 2,500 words maximum.
Poetry: Rhyming and Non-rhyming Poem: 65 lines maximum.
Entry Fee: None
Preparing Your Entry:
1. Your entry must be accompanied by an Official Entry Form. If you are entering more than one manuscript, you may mail all entries in the same envelope; however, each manuscript must have its category indicated in the upper left-hand corner.
2. All entries must be original, unpublished, and not accepted by any other publisher at the time of submission. Oneswan Productions will post the winning entries here at http://www.janetteowens.comand in our blog. We also reserve the right to publish all winning poems.
3. Your entry must be typed on one side of 8-1/2 x 11 white paper (computer printout acceptable). Electronic submissions will not be accepted. Poems may be either double- or single-spaced; all other manuscripts must be double-spaced. Your name, address, phone number, and competition category must appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first page — otherwise your entry is disqualified.
4. Be sure of your word count! Entries exceeding the word or page limits will be disqualified. Type the exact word count (counting every single word, except the title) on the first page of the entry.
5. Entry or entries must be stapled (preferred) or paper-clipped.
6. Entry Deadline May 1, 2009.
7. All entries must be postmarked by May 1, 2009.
Judging and Notification:
1. A panel of judges will read every entry. Judges' decisions are final.
2. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries.
3. Entries must be postmarked by May 1, 2009. We cannot return submitted manuscripts; however, to receive notification of the receipt of your manuscript, please send a self-addressed stamped postcard along with your entry.
4. Top Award Winners will be notified by mail before October 20, 2009. All winners in each category will be listed here at www.janetteowens.com. Prizes will be mailed by November 1.
5. If you have not been contacted by this date, you may assume that your entry is not a finalist and may be marketed elsewhere.
6. Oneswan Productions reserves the right to make changes to or edit all materials submitted.
Send your manuscript(s) and official entry form to:
Oneswan Productions
PO Box 27
Southaven, MS 38671
www.janetteowens.com
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
How to Start Your Own Publishing Company (Part II)
When Honorable Dorothy Colom couldn't find romance books that spoke to her soul, she and husband-attorney, Wilbur Colom and step-daughter, Niani Colom, started Genesis Press Inc. in 1993. Two years later they began publishing African-American romances in trade paperback under Indigo Romance imprint. One of the first authors under their Indigo imprint was then emerging author, Donna Hill, who went on to publish multiple best-sellers under Genesis-Press, Inc., St. Martin's Press, BET and Kensington/Dafina.
For fiften years, Genesis Press has published culturally rich and diverse stories about African-American romance. Genesis Press carved out a niche for black romance novels when major publishing houses did not dare to venture down this avenue. Realizing an untapped market of black romance fiction, Genesis Press pressed forward and created one of the first imprints dedicated to black romance, soon following with Indigo After Dark, a series of erotica anthologies, and Love Spectrum, which portrays interracial relationships.
In the second installment of our three-part series, "How to Start Your Own Publishing Company", Niani Colom, associate publisher, shares the early struggles of Genesis Press, Inc. and reveals what's on the horizon for the avant-garde publishers. Read the full interview below.
Oneswan Productions: Tell us about Genesis Press.
Niani Colom: Genesis Press was established in 1993. At the time there were no African-American romances being released on a consistent basis. My stepmother, who was a romance reader, and my dad, who is the consummate businessman, got together. I was working at an literary agency, and we all sorta pooled our resources and created Genesis Press. We started acquiring titles and published our first book in 1995. It took two years before we published our first book, we were trying to find authors.
I produced some ridiculously hideous looking covers (laughs). Like I was on the streets of New York pulling people and saying, "Hey! You look good. Do you want to be on the cover of a romance book. We can't pay you, but you'll be on a cover of a book. You'll be immortalized." I had no concept.
OP: From the beginning, did you approach your concept as essentially African-American?
NC: In the early stages, what we did was we found black writers that were already writing romances. And you know, there were some black writers out there who were writing white romances. Once we put the word out that we were looking for African-American lead characters in romances, people just started coming out the wood work. They started saying "I got this book. I got this book! This book was published and I got the rights back from it-- can you do this book." That's pretty much how we started with Rochelle Alers, Gwynne Forster, and Donna Hill. Early, early, they were the first writers we had.
OP: With virtually any start-up company there is issue with capital. How did you secure funding to start and grow Genesis-Press, Inc.?
NC: I worked out of my New York apartment, a studio that cost $1,600 a month(laughs). We just kept costs as low as possible. I mean, we were really costs stressed. Now granted, you know my father owns many businesses and he plans out as far as looking at what would it cost to capitalize this business. And so we had budgets and things we had to consider. We really kept our costs really low, literally getting models on the street, telling people that we would put their name on the back of the book if they take the cover or do the design. It was a lot of bartering.
Then as we grew, it was like we can pay for this and we can pay for that. The authors got really pitiful (laughs), but it was always with the idea that if you started with us we were gonna be a family and this was gonna grow. And that's what everyone believed. We concretely went into Genesis thinking it was going to succeed.
OP: Building on that last point, I assume that you built a loyal following with your readership.
NC: Yeah. We have readers that have been with us for 10 years now. They've just been there. Even up to now it's hard to get your book [in the bookstore]—distribution has always been an issue.
OP: I understand that you all just secured your book distribution with Kensington.
NC: Yes. We've been through little bitty distributors, we've been through distributors that have gone under, we've been through distributors that have distributed music and books, and we've been through multi-tasking distributors (laughs). The road to Kensington has not been paved all the way; we've had to forge our way. One of the big challenges we've always had was access to our books. How do you get your books in the bookstore? With Kensington, this makes it a lot easier for bookstores to stock our books.
OP: Indigo Romance was the first imprint for Genesis Press. Tell us a little bit about your other imprints.
NC: What happened to Indigo was just as we were taking on this black romance we started realizing there were a lot of white women that was also reading our romance. Actually, in the early days it was probably more white women than black women. As the word got out, we started moving out and we sorta had more black women migrating. But as we started looking at the demographics of who's reading our books, we said now we found one hole and we need to start addressing other holes that are not being addressed. Romance comes in all shapes and colors. That's when we started looking at interracial, and that's what people started asking for. Interracial meant he could be black, he could white, she could be white, she could black, Asian or Hispanic, this or that. We looked at different types of romance that targeted these different niches [an Asian imprint and Hispanic imprint]. But that didn't work. We ended up rolling out all of these imprints and rolling them all back under Indigo Love Spectrum.
OP: Looking at the trend in literature, do you feel that the climate on Madison Avenue is changing toward writers of color? I realize there are multiple genres and a niche for everything, but if I read another urban fiction/ghetto-fabulous book I will scream.
NC: Here's the thing. When we started out, you gotta remember what we were combating. The Iceberg Slims, the Donald Goines. That was real popular. And coming back from the seventies that was becoming popular. We find that it's just coming back again, it's a twenty year cycle. They [urban fiction] became popular in the 70s and made a comeback in the 90s and now in the 2000's. It's a cycle. What we've been trying to do is stay to our core, you know, speak to our core group because we know there may be people out there who are not just going to read romance, they'll want to read other things. Some people out there are going to read all this urban [fiction] and want a little soft romance, a little warm and fuzzy.
What we've tried to do is diversify a little bit. That's one of the reasons we've looked at another line called Indigo Vibe. It's a little bit hipper and a little bit younger. We usually kept true to the executive type or artistic type in our character. Now she can be a little bit racier. We like more of the traditional upper middle-income characters. Now we're looking at a wider variety of characters. At first we thought that [executive type] would be an aspiration for people. It wasn't that we thought everyone was in that particular group, but we thought it was an aspiration. And so, if you were there you imagined it would be like this, and if you were not there you always imagined that's where you would be.
We did try Indigo After Dark, which was the erotica. We didn't do the Zane erotica which is more literary. We tried to make it poetry but realized that people wanted more hard-core. At some level we've always been combating some different type of styles. We've tried to evolve with the need, and we know with the traditional romances there's always going to be a core group who are going to like them. They're going to be loyal and they're going to buy their five to six books a month, and they're going to read them on a weekend or on the train. But that is not going to necessarily sustain you.
OP: Genesis-Press, Inc. is ever evolving. What new projects are you working on?
NC: We've started looking at Black Coral which is our fiction line that allows us to not lose our traditional romance reader but be a little bit more open to a different type of story, be it a love story or other.
We publish 30 titles a year, but ideally we would like to get to the point where we are publishing three books per month. When we started out we only published six a year, then 12 a year, then 18 a year, then 24. Now we're at 30. But it's all been a process.
We're looking at writers who are going to bring their own love spectrum. We're looking at a new landscape, romances that transcend continents. We're looking for unique stories, nothing depressing; we want something impassioned, more literary fiction and romance fiction.
OP: What advice can you give to up-and-coming writers?
NC: Publishers are looking for writers that know their stuff. Think beyond what's happening today. Know your type of voice and know your craft.
OP: What are your submission requirements?
NC: Our submission requirements can be reviewed online at Genesis Press.
OP: What is the ONE message that you'd like to leave with our readers?
NC: We encourage readers to get in contact with us. Please give us feedback. Tell us what you're looking for and feel free to send us a message at customerservice@genesis-press.com.
The email listed is for feedback only. Please do not send queries to this email address.
For fiften years, Genesis Press has published culturally rich and diverse stories about African-American romance. Genesis Press carved out a niche for black romance novels when major publishing houses did not dare to venture down this avenue. Realizing an untapped market of black romance fiction, Genesis Press pressed forward and created one of the first imprints dedicated to black romance, soon following with Indigo After Dark, a series of erotica anthologies, and Love Spectrum, which portrays interracial relationships.
In the second installment of our three-part series, "How to Start Your Own Publishing Company", Niani Colom, associate publisher, shares the early struggles of Genesis Press, Inc. and reveals what's on the horizon for the avant-garde publishers. Read the full interview below.
Oneswan Productions: Tell us about Genesis Press.
Niani Colom: Genesis Press was established in 1993. At the time there were no African-American romances being released on a consistent basis. My stepmother, who was a romance reader, and my dad, who is the consummate businessman, got together. I was working at an literary agency, and we all sorta pooled our resources and created Genesis Press. We started acquiring titles and published our first book in 1995. It took two years before we published our first book, we were trying to find authors.
I produced some ridiculously hideous looking covers (laughs). Like I was on the streets of New York pulling people and saying, "Hey! You look good. Do you want to be on the cover of a romance book. We can't pay you, but you'll be on a cover of a book. You'll be immortalized." I had no concept.
OP: From the beginning, did you approach your concept as essentially African-American?
NC: In the early stages, what we did was we found black writers that were already writing romances. And you know, there were some black writers out there who were writing white romances. Once we put the word out that we were looking for African-American lead characters in romances, people just started coming out the wood work. They started saying "I got this book. I got this book! This book was published and I got the rights back from it-- can you do this book." That's pretty much how we started with Rochelle Alers, Gwynne Forster, and Donna Hill. Early, early, they were the first writers we had.
OP: With virtually any start-up company there is issue with capital. How did you secure funding to start and grow Genesis-Press, Inc.?
NC: I worked out of my New York apartment, a studio that cost $1,600 a month(laughs). We just kept costs as low as possible. I mean, we were really costs stressed. Now granted, you know my father owns many businesses and he plans out as far as looking at what would it cost to capitalize this business. And so we had budgets and things we had to consider. We really kept our costs really low, literally getting models on the street, telling people that we would put their name on the back of the book if they take the cover or do the design. It was a lot of bartering.
Then as we grew, it was like we can pay for this and we can pay for that. The authors got really pitiful (laughs), but it was always with the idea that if you started with us we were gonna be a family and this was gonna grow. And that's what everyone believed. We concretely went into Genesis thinking it was going to succeed.
OP: Building on that last point, I assume that you built a loyal following with your readership.
NC: Yeah. We have readers that have been with us for 10 years now. They've just been there. Even up to now it's hard to get your book [in the bookstore]—distribution has always been an issue.
OP: I understand that you all just secured your book distribution with Kensington.
NC: Yes. We've been through little bitty distributors, we've been through distributors that have gone under, we've been through distributors that have distributed music and books, and we've been through multi-tasking distributors (laughs). The road to Kensington has not been paved all the way; we've had to forge our way. One of the big challenges we've always had was access to our books. How do you get your books in the bookstore? With Kensington, this makes it a lot easier for bookstores to stock our books.
OP: Indigo Romance was the first imprint for Genesis Press. Tell us a little bit about your other imprints.
NC: What happened to Indigo was just as we were taking on this black romance we started realizing there were a lot of white women that was also reading our romance. Actually, in the early days it was probably more white women than black women. As the word got out, we started moving out and we sorta had more black women migrating. But as we started looking at the demographics of who's reading our books, we said now we found one hole and we need to start addressing other holes that are not being addressed. Romance comes in all shapes and colors. That's when we started looking at interracial, and that's what people started asking for. Interracial meant he could be black, he could white, she could be white, she could black, Asian or Hispanic, this or that. We looked at different types of romance that targeted these different niches [an Asian imprint and Hispanic imprint]. But that didn't work. We ended up rolling out all of these imprints and rolling them all back under Indigo Love Spectrum.
OP: Looking at the trend in literature, do you feel that the climate on Madison Avenue is changing toward writers of color? I realize there are multiple genres and a niche for everything, but if I read another urban fiction/ghetto-fabulous book I will scream.
NC: Here's the thing. When we started out, you gotta remember what we were combating. The Iceberg Slims, the Donald Goines. That was real popular. And coming back from the seventies that was becoming popular. We find that it's just coming back again, it's a twenty year cycle. They [urban fiction] became popular in the 70s and made a comeback in the 90s and now in the 2000's. It's a cycle. What we've been trying to do is stay to our core, you know, speak to our core group because we know there may be people out there who are not just going to read romance, they'll want to read other things. Some people out there are going to read all this urban [fiction] and want a little soft romance, a little warm and fuzzy.
What we've tried to do is diversify a little bit. That's one of the reasons we've looked at another line called Indigo Vibe. It's a little bit hipper and a little bit younger. We usually kept true to the executive type or artistic type in our character. Now she can be a little bit racier. We like more of the traditional upper middle-income characters. Now we're looking at a wider variety of characters. At first we thought that [executive type] would be an aspiration for people. It wasn't that we thought everyone was in that particular group, but we thought it was an aspiration. And so, if you were there you imagined it would be like this, and if you were not there you always imagined that's where you would be.
We did try Indigo After Dark, which was the erotica. We didn't do the Zane erotica which is more literary. We tried to make it poetry but realized that people wanted more hard-core. At some level we've always been combating some different type of styles. We've tried to evolve with the need, and we know with the traditional romances there's always going to be a core group who are going to like them. They're going to be loyal and they're going to buy their five to six books a month, and they're going to read them on a weekend or on the train. But that is not going to necessarily sustain you.
OP: Genesis-Press, Inc. is ever evolving. What new projects are you working on?
NC: We've started looking at Black Coral which is our fiction line that allows us to not lose our traditional romance reader but be a little bit more open to a different type of story, be it a love story or other.
We publish 30 titles a year, but ideally we would like to get to the point where we are publishing three books per month. When we started out we only published six a year, then 12 a year, then 18 a year, then 24. Now we're at 30. But it's all been a process.
We're looking at writers who are going to bring their own love spectrum. We're looking at a new landscape, romances that transcend continents. We're looking for unique stories, nothing depressing; we want something impassioned, more literary fiction and romance fiction.
OP: What advice can you give to up-and-coming writers?
NC: Publishers are looking for writers that know their stuff. Think beyond what's happening today. Know your type of voice and know your craft.
OP: What are your submission requirements?
NC: Our submission requirements can be reviewed online at Genesis Press.
OP: What is the ONE message that you'd like to leave with our readers?
NC: We encourage readers to get in contact with us. Please give us feedback. Tell us what you're looking for and feel free to send us a message at customerservice@genesis-press.com.
The email listed is for feedback only. Please do not send queries to this email address.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
How To Start Your Own Publishing Company (Part 1)
This month Word Life News is kicking off a three-part series on "How To Start Your Own Publishing Company". During the series we will focus on the fundamentals of starting a publishing company. Through interviews, articles, and personal anecdotes, we'll explore the basics of getting started in the business. From selecting a fictitious business name to acquiring a business loan to publishing new authors, we'll explore what it takes to start your own publishing company.
In our first installment, Rose Jackson-Beavers, chief executive officer of Prioritybooks Publications, shares how she got started in the publishing business in this article. Described as a "new kind of self-publishing company", a small upstart company in Arizona is taking on a burgeoning industry of look-a-likes by setting new standards for product quality and client care. Read how Cedar Hill Publishing began their journey into publishing.
If you're thinking about starting a book publishing business, consider these useful publications:
The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book, 14th Edition by Dan Poynter
How To Start and Run A Small Book Publishing Company: A Small Business Guide To Self-Publishing and Independent Publishing by Peter Hupalo
Publishing For Profit: Successful Bottom-Line Management for Book Publishers by Jan Nathan
Make Money Self-Publishing: Learn How from Fourteen Successful Small Publishers by Suzanne P. Thomas
Next month, find out how attorneys Dorothy and Wilbur Colom built their publishing empire, Genesis Press Inc, and what we can expect from Genesis Press Inc. in the future.
In our first installment, Rose Jackson-Beavers, chief executive officer of Prioritybooks Publications, shares how she got started in the publishing business in this article. Described as a "new kind of self-publishing company", a small upstart company in Arizona is taking on a burgeoning industry of look-a-likes by setting new standards for product quality and client care. Read how Cedar Hill Publishing began their journey into publishing.
If you're thinking about starting a book publishing business, consider these useful publications:
The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book, 14th Edition by Dan Poynter
How To Start and Run A Small Book Publishing Company: A Small Business Guide To Self-Publishing and Independent Publishing by Peter Hupalo
Publishing For Profit: Successful Bottom-Line Management for Book Publishers by Jan Nathan
Make Money Self-Publishing: Learn How from Fourteen Successful Small Publishers by Suzanne P. Thomas
Next month, find out how attorneys Dorothy and Wilbur Colom built their publishing empire, Genesis Press Inc, and what we can expect from Genesis Press Inc. in the future.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Understanding Publicity & Generating Publicity Coverage
So, you've written a book. Now what?
Setting your book apart from the thousands of other titles published each year and getting your book into the hands of readers is a number one priority. Especially if you're a self-published author. "Understanding publicity is just part of the publishing game. Generating publicity coverage is the other part," says book publicist, James Thomas. "That's why promotion is paramount to the success of your book."
Authors who invest in a publicist are usually ahead of the game and, in general, if a book is adequately promoted, it's good publicity for the writer. But even if you don't have a publicist, you can still generate buzz for your title. There's lots of information available online to assist authors. The Upper Access, Inc., a book publisher and consulting firm, offers an insightful step-by-step guide to book publishing: What to Do and When to Do It: A Guide to Effective Book Promotion.
There are various ways to promote your book, but the expense can range from cheap to expensive. The Writer Gazette offers the following tips on publicity:
- Choosing a Book Publicist? Seven Tips to Keep in Mind
- Radio Interviews - How to Get Them
- Bestselling Authors Know Promotion
Here's a list of our favorite book promoters:
- BlackPR
- John Kremer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Books
Whether you invest in a publicist or go it alone, the goal is to drive up sales by generating publicity for your book.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Networking Tips for Writers
Advice from Industry Experts
Most writers, especially well-known scribes, will tell you that they didn't get to be where they are without the help of others. Sometimes writing can be a lonely existence. But it doesn't have to be. In order to be successful, you must reach out to others with like minded interests. It's commonly known as networking.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Networking. You've heard it before and each time you hear the word, you conjure up the image of young urban professionals at a First Friday event handing out business cards to anyone within arm's reach--regardless if the person can benefit from the other's service. For some just the mere mention of the word "networking" can send even the most gregarious writer heading for cover. But writing doesn't have to be an insular existence. Networking simply means to interact or engage in informal communication with others for mutual assistance or support.
That's where book clubs, writing classes, sororities, fraternities, writing groups, online organizations, associations, writing conferences, and personal contacts can help. These groups, events, and individuals are a gateway to networking. You'll find those with similar interests, various degrees of experience, loads of resources, and often times funding opportunities, or as we like to say in the community, folks with the "da hook up".
Whether it's at a First Friday event or writer's conference, either way, you have got to get out and make contacts with others. We've asked a list of industry experts to weigh in on the issue. Here’s what some have to say:
“Early promoting of your book can give you an edge in this competitive market. Get the word out through establishing a web page that teases readers with content from your book. Hopefully this advance notice will create awareness about you -- and by the time your book is released people will say, "I've heard of this book before. I've been waiting on it for a long time." For a new author, hearing those kinds of comments is a major plus. Via your website, you could also conduct a few promotional giveaways of your book to inspire enthusiasm. The main objective is to let people know you exist and you have a hot book on the way.”
“Take advantage of what you’ve written. Have you mentioned a popular restaurant or other local venue in your book? If so, contact the owners and brainstorm cross platform marketing strategies that would benefit both of you. Don’t rely solely on bookstores for readings and events. Make a list of your alliances (sororities, churches, clubs, etc.) and determine how you can use these alliances to sell more books.”
"Authors, your marketing and advertising plans should be bearing fruit, but by all means don't overlook networking. This is one of the most inexpensive tools at your disposal. Since most new authors are on limited budgets, this is where your brainstorming comes into play. I've found that I can really gain exposure when I partner with other entrepreneurs. Recently, I began sharing tables at vendor fairs with a lady who's a floral designer. It's been an arrangement made in heaven, for she's introduced me to a whole new audience!Attend various functions; civic, social and religious. Always carry business cards and brochures. I personally prefer brochures because they contain more information than do business cards. On brochures you can list your speaking and workshops skills, list all your contact information, have your company logo, a short author's bio, picture, a catalog page for your books and excerpts, and any other pertinent information. I've received more feedback on brochures than business cards, although I do have a limited supply of cards printed periodically."
"Today there are so many functions throughout the country that are focused on networking, such as mixers." Often these [events] become mundane, almost boring. You see the same people every month with the same business cards, looking for the same thing you are-- career or business advancement. It's sorta like the blind leading the blind.
I would suggest to you that every opportunity to be exposed to people is a networking opportunity. You never know where or when you're going to meet the person or persons that might help you to further your goals; to get to the next level.
For example, I took myself to lunch today in downtown Atlanta. With my cell phone and material from a book project that I was working on as my date. A couple sitting at a table next to me were discussing a manuscript that the woman had just completed and needed to know how to get it published. I excused myself and said, "I'm sorry but I overhead your conversation. I am a writer. I went on to explain self-publishing versus royalty publishing and the pros and cons of both. I recommended that she go to Oneswan Productions' web site, which is a wonderful resource for someone in her shoes. A gentleman in the restaurant at another table introduced himself and gave us his card. He was a book salesman for a publishing house and a regular participant at the National Booksellers Convention.
I'm saying all this say: "MAKE YOUR OWN NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be nosey. It just might pay off . . . big time!"
Phyllis Beech
Film Developer, Producer, Writer
"Networking as a new author is one of the most valuable tools you will need to break into the business. A large part of your marketing budget should be allocated to networking. This will be your opportunity to “rub elbows” with people in the business to gain useful information that could possibly turn your book into the nation’s next best seller.
Most writers, especially well-known scribes, will tell you that they didn't get to be where they are without the help of others. Sometimes writing can be a lonely existence. But it doesn't have to be. In order to be successful, you must reach out to others with like minded interests. It's commonly known as networking.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Networking. You've heard it before and each time you hear the word, you conjure up the image of young urban professionals at a First Friday event handing out business cards to anyone within arm's reach--regardless if the person can benefit from the other's service. For some just the mere mention of the word "networking" can send even the most gregarious writer heading for cover. But writing doesn't have to be an insular existence. Networking simply means to interact or engage in informal communication with others for mutual assistance or support.
That's where book clubs, writing classes, sororities, fraternities, writing groups, online organizations, associations, writing conferences, and personal contacts can help. These groups, events, and individuals are a gateway to networking. You'll find those with similar interests, various degrees of experience, loads of resources, and often times funding opportunities, or as we like to say in the community, folks with the "da hook up".
Whether it's at a First Friday event or writer's conference, either way, you have got to get out and make contacts with others. We've asked a list of industry experts to weigh in on the issue. Here’s what some have to say:
"Enter the life: Surround yourself with writers. Meet kindred spirits in writing classes, online chats, at message boards, bookstores and critique groups. Attend book signings, writing conferences and workshops. You are not alone, the community of writers awaits you."
Jessica Page Morrell
Writing Expert
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/newspol/readerswriters/archive/0,,532364,00.html
Writing Expert
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/newspol/readerswriters/archive/0,,532364,00.html
“Early promoting of your book can give you an edge in this competitive market. Get the word out through establishing a web page that teases readers with content from your book. Hopefully this advance notice will create awareness about you -- and by the time your book is released people will say, "I've heard of this book before. I've been waiting on it for a long time." For a new author, hearing those kinds of comments is a major plus. Via your website, you could also conduct a few promotional giveaways of your book to inspire enthusiasm. The main objective is to let people know you exist and you have a hot book on the way.”
“Take advantage of what you’ve written. Have you mentioned a popular restaurant or other local venue in your book? If so, contact the owners and brainstorm cross platform marketing strategies that would benefit both of you. Don’t rely solely on bookstores for readings and events. Make a list of your alliances (sororities, churches, clubs, etc.) and determine how you can use these alliances to sell more books.”
"Authors, your marketing and advertising plans should be bearing fruit, but by all means don't overlook networking. This is one of the most inexpensive tools at your disposal. Since most new authors are on limited budgets, this is where your brainstorming comes into play. I've found that I can really gain exposure when I partner with other entrepreneurs. Recently, I began sharing tables at vendor fairs with a lady who's a floral designer. It's been an arrangement made in heaven, for she's introduced me to a whole new audience!Attend various functions; civic, social and religious. Always carry business cards and brochures. I personally prefer brochures because they contain more information than do business cards. On brochures you can list your speaking and workshops skills, list all your contact information, have your company logo, a short author's bio, picture, a catalog page for your books and excerpts, and any other pertinent information. I've received more feedback on brochures than business cards, although I do have a limited supply of cards printed periodically."
"Today there are so many functions throughout the country that are focused on networking, such as mixers." Often these [events] become mundane, almost boring. You see the same people every month with the same business cards, looking for the same thing you are-- career or business advancement. It's sorta like the blind leading the blind.
I would suggest to you that every opportunity to be exposed to people is a networking opportunity. You never know where or when you're going to meet the person or persons that might help you to further your goals; to get to the next level.
For example, I took myself to lunch today in downtown Atlanta. With my cell phone and material from a book project that I was working on as my date. A couple sitting at a table next to me were discussing a manuscript that the woman had just completed and needed to know how to get it published. I excused myself and said, "I'm sorry but I overhead your conversation. I am a writer. I went on to explain self-publishing versus royalty publishing and the pros and cons of both. I recommended that she go to Oneswan Productions' web site, which is a wonderful resource for someone in her shoes. A gentleman in the restaurant at another table introduced himself and gave us his card. He was a book salesman for a publishing house and a regular participant at the National Booksellers Convention.
I'm saying all this say: "MAKE YOUR OWN NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be nosey. It just might pay off . . . big time!"
Phyllis Beech
Film Developer, Producer, Writer
Lifetime original movie "The Courage to Love"
"Networking as a new author is one of the most valuable tools you will need to break into the business. A large part of your marketing budget should be allocated to networking. This will be your opportunity to “rub elbows” with people in the business to gain useful information that could possibly turn your book into the nation’s next best seller.
Join Online Groups.
There are several online groups for African-American writers, readers and literature, like:
• de Griot Space: http://www.degriotspace.com/.
• RAW SiSTAZ: http://www.rawsistaz.com/.
Do Your Homework
Several websites offer information for writers on self-publishing, writing, etc, including:
• The Romer Review: www.theromerreview.com.
• Blacks and Books: www.blacksandbooks.com/index.html.
Educate yourself!
In order to perfect your craft, you must continually educate yourself. Some of the courses we recommend:
• The Hurston-Wright Foundation’s Writer’s Week
• The Writer’s Help Desk offers a free 7-day course for writers.
Take it on the road!
Attending literary events and meeting published authors and other industry experts in person is an invaluable tool.
Read, Read, Read!
Keep your subscriptions current to industry magazines and electronic newsletters to stay abreast of the latest news in the publishing industry. Some of our favorites include:
· The African American Literary Book Club Electronic Newsletter: http://www.aalbc.com/
· African Voices: http://www.africanvoices.com/
· Mosaic Books: http://www.mosaicbooks.com/
· Quarterly Black Book Review: http://www.qbr.com/
· Black Issues Book Review: http://www.bibookreview.com/
· African American Review: http://aar.slu.edu/
· Black PR Wire: http://www.blackprwire.com/
Join professional organizations
Professional organizations offer you several resources to hone your craft. Some of the organizations I found that were specifically for Black writers:
· The Black Writer’s Guild: http://www.blackwritersguild.org/
· The Organization of Black Screenwriters: http://www.obswriter.com/
· Black Americans in Publishing: http://www.baip.org/
Tiffany L. Colvin
former Executive Editor, S.I.S. Magazine
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