T.J. BROWN BLOG

Again, I’ve known Lois Winston for years via the Internet and have always been awed by her multifaceted career. She is an author, (with two names!) and a crafter and a literary agent. Wow! How does she do it?

Name: Lois Winston

Website: http://www.loiswinston.com

Most recent release: Mosaic Mayhem

 Award-winning author Lois Winston writes romance, romantic suspense, mystery, chick lit, women’s fiction, and non-fiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois at www.loiswinston.com, visit Emma at www.emmacarlyle.com, and visit Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog. Follow everyone on Twitter and Pinterest!

 Tell me about the Ashley Grayson Literary agency:

The Ashley Grayson Literary Agency was established in 1976 and handles both literary and commercial fiction, children’s fiction, and some non-fiction. Genres we specialize in include mystery, romance, science fiction, urban fantasy, young adult, and middle grade. Our client list includes bestselling authors John Barnes, Bruce Coville, Christopher Pike, and Carrie Vaughn, among others.

How did you go from author to Literary Agent?

After my first book sold in 2005, I was invited to join the agency. I had helped several friends polish their manuscripts, which led to them being offered publishing contracts. Ashley recognized my editing skills and thought both agency clients and potential clients would benefit from my input. I started out reading the slush pile, then began working with authors, and eventually took on some clients of my own.

 That sounds like a ton of work! How do you juggle writing and agenting?

 It helps not to sleep much! I actually juggle three careers. Along with writing and agenting, I’ve never stopped designing. It’s all about prioritizing and making every minute of every day count.

I have heard the term hybrid author bandied about a lot. What does it mean to you?

 A hybrid author is one who runs on both gasoline and electric. <G> Seriously, though, there’s a simple definition. A hybrid author is someone who is both traditionally published and is also indie (self)-publishing. Some hybrid authors are only self-publishing their backlists. Others have begun to publish new works on their own.

In your opinion, what is the best way for authors to take advantage of the changing  publishing landscape?

Be open to all the possibilities that are available to authors right now. I will add a caveat, though. Not everyone should self-publish or self-publish just yet. You first have to have written a publishable book. Too many people are self-publishing books that are definitely not ready for prime time. Learn your craft first. Fiction writing is a skill that needs to be mastered. You may have a long career in journalism or technical writing, but fiction is an entirely different animal and requires different skills. Also, just because Great-aunt Agnes thinks you’re the next Nora Roberts, unless she’s a retired fiction editor, her opinion is worthless.

I’ve seen more than one post go by not only pooh-poohing New Year’s resolutions, but actually slamming people who make them, calling them stupid or delusional. Let me tell you a little story. In 2006, I made a resolution to get serious about my writing and create a business plan. I kept that resolution. In that business plan, I wrote was how much yearly income I wanted to be generating by 2012. My husband almost fell over laughing and just patted my head. Guess what? Yep, EXCEEDED it.

What’s wrong with reevaluating your life and making goals? We should do it at least once a year, if not more. It is what successful people who want abundance and fulfillment in their life, do. (And by success I do not mean just monetary success!) Yes, making goals and achieving them are two different things, but you have to start somewhere and there is no better place than writing down your goals. So if you have physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, or monetary goals, resolve away! You’ll get nothing but support from me!

My New Year’s Resolutions

• Run 4 5k races and 1 10k race
• Write three books
• Start my own business
• Submit one completed book and one proposal for sale
• Explore meditation
• Improve my public speaking
• Volunteer for a cause I believe in
• Cultivate a mindful, daily attitude of gratitude

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S!

This is the first in a series of interviews with authors turned entrepreneurs. Today’s guest author/entrepreneur is media maven and all around savvy chica, Rachel Thompson, owner and creative brain behind Bad Redhead Media, a company that offers social media, branding, and book marketing for authors. Her articles appear regularly in the San Francisco Book Review (BadRedhead Says…), 12Most.com, bitrebels.com, BookPromotion.com, and Self Publishing Monthly. Her latest book, Broken Pieces, is available currently in eBook format on Amazon and B&N and was released in print in November by Booktrope.

Me: When did you start Bad Redhead Media?

Rachel: I started it unofficially in 2010 (helping author friends, doing my own marketing — and officially hung out my shingle in 2011.

Me: What made you uniquely qualified to start a media company?

Rachel: A few things: I got my BA in Communications Studies and Journalism, fifteen years in pharmaceutical industry (as a sales rep, sales trainer, and ad account exec), and really the fact that while I can’t do geometry to save my life, I GET how social media works. I learned many tips and tricks to manage and grow as a self-published author and working with traditionally published and indie authors.

Me: What does the term hybrid author mean to you? Do you consider yourself a hybrid author?

Rachel: In my mind and from what is happening more and more are authors like myself who create their own ebooks and do well enough to attract attention from publishers. Booktrope has a submissions process like any publisher, but they include the author in every aspect of creation and royalties are higher than a traditional publisher. I think that’s a new wave also — authors keeping eBook rights but signing with a publisher for print.

Me: Do you think the changing publishing industry affords new opportunities for authors?  If so, how can authors be open to such opportunities?

Rachel: Yes, absolutely. I’m evidence of that. There are few things authors need to do if they want to be in both arenas (self-published and traditional or hybrid):

1) Establish an interactive author platform (an optimized website, a blog with fresh weekly (or more) content, social media that is interactive — avoid one-way broadcasting of ‘buy my book!’ at all costs, exploring and familiarizing themselves with how book bloggers and reviewers work — most new authors have NO idea and these folks are crucial to your success — and overall, just realizing that writing a book is only one half of the work.

2) If you go completely self-published, don’t skimp on hiring professionals to edit, proof, format, and design. Millions of new books are available, so the onus is on us to make them the absolute best they can be!

3) Have realistic expectations. So many authors blast their book to little avail. My advice is always, ‘Make a friend, make a sale,’ meaning that relationship-building is far more important to lay the groundwork or foundation. I have my company because, even though I would be considered mid-list at this point (given my sales and rankings on three books), I don’t make enough to stop working completely and just write. One book RARELY becomes a New York Times #1 bestseller (not to say that can’t happen, of course, because it can), but not super often for an indie author without a large publisher behind them.

4) For traditionally pub’d authors (I have several who are clients), the work is the SAME. They either hire me or do all their own social media and book marketing. Having an agent and a publisher isn’t a magic bullet that takes away marketing. Readers are innately curious about authors and social media and blogging allows us to connect in ways that were unheard of even 5 years ago.

Thanks Rachel!

You can contact Rachel in her many forms here:

E-mail: RachelintheOC(at)gmail.com
Author Site: rachelintheoc.com
BadRedhead Media Site: badredheadmedia.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelThompson
Facebook Broken Pieces Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/BrokenPiecesByRachelThompson
Twitter: @RachelintheOC
Twitter (Business): @BadRedheadMedia
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rachel-thompson/24/784/b95
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4619475.Rachel_Thompson
Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/j9oaH
BadRedhead Media Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/koN8r

Oh, yes, I totally dropped off the blogosphere, but November was a killer. I have two words for you… Nano Wrimo. Okay, that’s actually one word, but I wanted to emphasize the craziness that word brings.

NANOWRIMO

But now that that’s over, my head is buzzing with blogging/book/writing related ideas. So currently, I am puzzling out, sussing, thinking and pondering some very interesting things.  I hope to share something soon, but at the moment will keep quiet and continue to allow my ideas to grow in the brain. Like fungus or mold, only hopefully not as toxic. And yes, I am perfectly aware that I’m rambling. I blame the pie.

But this month I’m going to post some very interesting interviews I’ve done with authors who have utilized the brave new world of publishing to branch out into other venues. I find this topic totally fascinating and I hope you do too. I interviewed author/agent Lois Winston, Author/book packager Lauren Oliver, author/writing mentor/business owner, Shirley Jump and author/publicist/media consultant, Rachel Thomson.

Exciting stuff!

I’ll be publishing these interviews throughout December, so check in often! Then In January, I will be making some very interesting announcements!!!

I just made a donation to Nanowrimo. In case you didn’t know, Nanowrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month and participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. THIRTY DAYS!

Born of Illusion was a NaNo novel. That’s right, the 85,000 word book that sold in a preempt to a major publisher started out as a very rough 50,000 words that I wrote in 30 days.

I have participated in NaNoWriMo three times now and have won all three times. I’m working on my fourth term, but winning is no guarantee. It’s hard, especially now that I have other deadlines!

The Offices of Letters and Light, the folks that bring you NaNoWriMo, is a nonprofit that believes that everyone has a story to tell. They do some awesome things around the world in the interest of literacy and writing and I am passionate about donating. Here’s why:

• Because I love writing and writers and literacy and books and did I say writing? The  people from the Office of Letters and Light love all those things too and work to support them.
• I believe in the power of words.
• The Young Writers Program: This is a program for teens and educators to help get young people interested in writing and books. For educators, they have free classroom kits, etc.  Awesomesauce! From their website: On top of that, NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program promotes writing fluency, creative education, and the sheer joy of novel-writing in K-12 classrooms around the world. We provide free classroom kits, writing workbooks, Common Core-aligned curricula, and virtual class management tools to more than 2,000 educators from Dubai to Massachusetts.
• Camp Nanowrimo: A gentler version of Nanowrimo set in April and July.
• Because I am really, really cool. Are you? Donate here!

Enough said. I’ll post when I get a chance:) Also, enter this giveaway at Uncommonya!

I know I have been a fearfully bad blogger of late. It’s my goal to put up a blog at least twice a week, but  I have been so incredibly BUSY!

For a little rundown on what I’ve been doing:

It’s official! I will be teaching novel writing for Portland Community College’s Community Ed program. Yeah, look at me being all teacher like. Again.

Doing the family thing. This is my daughter and my new granddaughter making banana bread. Nom! The next picture is of my mother teaching Rina how to play Bejewled!

Enjoying the golden Indian summer we’ve had here in the Pacific Northwest

My Born of Deception ARCs are in!

Also:

• Writing a companion novella for the Born of Illusion series
• Writing a companion novella for the Summerset Series
• Prepping for the Nano Coaching I will be doing…
• Putting the garden to bed
• Baking
• Running… I’m signed up for a 5k in December. So far I have yet to run 5k… So yeah, I am working on that.

Northwest Author Festival at Klindt’s Booksellers & Stationers

Saturday, October 19, 2013

2PM – 5PM

On Saturday, October 19^th when the clock strikes 2PM, Klindt’s Booksellers and Stationers will transform into the Northwest Author Festival. Visited by nine fantastic regional authors, in addition to other local businesses, Klindt’s Booksellers will be a buzz with activity.

Each author will be stationed throughout the store, where you are able to visit with them, have your books personally signed, discuss their writing process, and answer any questions. The Pines Winery will also be selling local wine by the glass, fresh coffee will be served from Grinder’s and treats will be available from Anzac Tea Parlour.

Multiple genres will be represented with something to peak everyone’s interest – from middle reader and young adult to the great outdoors and sustainable living. The author line-up includes:

1. Dennis Dauble. “The Barbless Hook” and “Fishes of the Columbia Basin” {Outdoors/Fishing}
2. D.J. Griffin. “The Rose of Silence” {Children’s}
3. Gregory Nokes. “Breaking Chains. Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory” {History}
4. Joe O’Neill. “Wrath of Caid” {Middle Reader}
5. Katherine Arbon. “Guarding Camp, Finding Home” {Children’s History/Civil War}
6. Kristy Athens. “Get Your Pitchfork On!” {Sustainability/Gardening}
7. Deborah Langlois. “Witch’s Stew” {Cooking}
8. Susan Stoner. “Dry Rot” {Historical Mystery}
9. Teri Brown. “Born of Illusion” and “Summerset Abbey” {Young Adult and Literature/Fiction}

Join us at Klindt’s Booksellers for the Northwest Author Festival on October 19^th from 2PM-5PM. The event is free and open to the public. It’s never too early to start thinking about your holiday shopping list!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I’m talking about!