My Blog Has Moved

Hey! My blog has moved to here:

http://jessicalourey.com/blog

Sometime within the next week, I'll have a sign-up on the new site where you can be automatically updated every time I make a blog post. Edge-of-your-seat stuff, amirite?

Happy New Year! :)

The Kickstarter Campaign Reached Its Goal--Thank You!

I'm taking a detour from my promised genre posts to share breaking news: Sunday night, thanks to the generosity of readers, writers, family, friends, and strangers all over the world, my Kickstarter campaign reached its $12,056 goal four days early! When I found out, I cried.

I never cry.

For some perspective, I have thrown up more times in the last ten years than I have cried. (Apparently, I don't like liquid to come out of my head.) My point is that I am a bit of a stoic, but I was so humbled by this experience, so pushed to a new level of vulnerability and evolution, so caught by the hands of many that I turned into a squishy mess.

Thank you all for your kindness! Now begins the next level of this crazy-thrilling ride: fine-tuning the marketing campaign for The Catalain Book of Secrets so I can spend wisely and account for every penny that has been pledged, and beginning to organize the Kickstarter pledge rewards (see photo for a sample). The Kickstarter campaign is live through the witching hour of Halloween, and there are still gifts to pledge for (books, candy, book club kits including a Skype from me, and at the $25 level or higher, the most amazing surprise gift EVER--it's got magic). You can find out the details here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

Or, you can simply accept my sincere thanks for joining me on this journey, and my wish that only good things come to you today and every day. Big love to you!

Fiction Genres, Part I: Transcending the Genre

If you walk into a bookstore, you'll see genre fiction separate from literary fiction. Genre fiction (also called commercial and mainstream fiction) is comprised of these subcategories: mystery/thriller, romance, westerns, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and young adult. It is generally viewed as books for the masses, while literary fiction is considered more highbrow.

Can we stop with that?

I'm gonna call this elevation of literary fiction "genreism," an elitist holdover dictating that a certain class of books (one that can be largely inaccessible because of subject matter, or because its pacing makes it difficult to read them between shifts, or for a host of other reasons) is better than another. I'm not knocking literary fiction. There's some truly awesome lit fiction books out there (I just read Adiche's Americanah and highly recommend it). What I am doing is taking the idea that any single genre is better than another, hitting it over the head with a shovel, and burying it.

Because here's the deal: literary fiction IS just another genre.

It is a genre that relies more on character than plot, that includes themes and symbolism and speaks to the human condition, but that is mostly defined more by what it isn't than what it is. Literary fiction is not horror, though what is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein without a monster? Literary fiction is not romance, but what is Jane Eyre without passionate love? Literary fiction is not science fiction, but how else would you describe Orwell's 1984? Literary fiction is not mystery, but The Big Sleep without murder and blackmail really would be sleep-inducing.


Some might argue that these examples "transcended their genre," as if the authors set out to write a horror/romance/sci fi/mystery novel and accidentally wrote a really good book instead. I would argue that every novelist tries to write the best book they can, and that genres--including the genre of "literary fiction"--are useful for organizing conversations, catering to moods (sometimes you just wanna read a romance), selling books, and nothing else.

Because I'm teaching a class on genres in Boston in February, and because I write across genres (mystery, fantasy, young adult, and lit fiction) and am trying to figure out what exactly that means, and because this is important (genreism stifles reading and writing), I'm going to break it all down.

My next post will provide a definition and examples of literary fiction, romance, westerns,

horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and young adult, and the post after that will break the mystery/thriller category (near and dear to my heart) into its sub-categories. If you would like subcategories for the other genres, you can find a great list here.

The lists will not be definitive, and feedback (as well as reading recommendations in each category) is welcome!

(And I have to sing this from the rooftops--my Kickstarter campaign to publish my magical realism novel The Catalain Book of Secrets has met its funding goal! Thank you thank you thank you! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets)

The Definitive How-to Bouchercon Guide (Works for all Writing Conferences)

Bouchercon is THE world mystery convention, held every fall and attended by thousands. Yesterday, I TBTB'd about the first Bouchercon I attended in 2006. I was overwhelmed by all the famous writers
I could reach out and touch (sorry, Harlan Coben*, but I think we both knew what was going to happen when you "dropped your napkin"), by what I felt like were many missed opportunities (my first book was out and I had no idea what to do with that information), and by a general sense of being Wood-Eye on the edge of the dance floor.

Fast forward eight years.

This November 13-16, I'll be attending my fourth Bouchercon. I look forward to connecting with what now has become my tribe, a group of readers and writers so generous, so funny, and so smart that I am literally willing to pay to hang out with them. But remembering my first Bouchercon, and how intimidated I felt, got me to thinking that maybe there needs to be a definitive guide to attending B'con for all the newbies out there. (By "got me to thinking," I mean that writer and freelance editor Jim Thomsen sent me the following questions and asked me to blog my answers.) The guide below applies equally well to every writing conference I've ever attended, across genres.

1. Are all authors similarly open to being approached by any new person at Bouchercon? Or are some there primarily to meet up with their established friends, and can be approached only at certain times or in certain situations? My opinion is that if a writer wanted to meet up with
   
   their friends, they'd skip the conference and meet up with their friends. Any writer who is in a public space at a writing conference is approachable. That said, the general DBaD (don't be a dick) rule that applies in life also applies in B'con--don't interrupt conversations or meals, respect people's space, watch for body language to know when the conversation is over, make meaningful conversation. Looking for a natural way to introduce yourself? Buy one of their books and ask to have it signed (not necessary but always appreciated). 
2. As awesome as the programming is, how much of the real lasting connection is forged at night? I've made lifelong friends by being on a panel with them (I'm looking at you, Catriona McPherson, Johnny Shaw, and Marcus Sakey) but never by watching a panel. All the other connections I've made by volunteering for the con, attending smaller and more interactive things (as opposed to panels--check the program for these opportunities), and definitely, definitely, definitely at the bar at night. A weird truism is that the more writers in a hotel, the smaller the bar, so save seats and you'll be the most popular guy in the room. 
3. What would be some examples of ways to NOT approach an author you admire? See Harlan Coben example in intro paragraph above.
4. What should I realistically budget for drinks each evening, assuming I'm there to forge
   
   connections and need to grease those wheels with what's behind the bar? Your personality will forge the connections, trust me. If you are open to it, you will find your people at B'con, and they won't expect you to buy them drinks. Unless your people are cheap, like me, and then they will smuggle a bottle of wine into the bar and share it with you. 
5. Is there a rock-star hierarchy among crime writers, or is everybody equally real and approachable? Interestingly, and I swear this is true, the more famous the writer, the more
   
   approachable and kind they are. You will not meet a more generous person than Lee Child, for example, unless it's William Kent Krueger. In fact, I'd like to see them both battle for the city of Nice, Lee-zilla against Kent-ra style. If we could get Charlaine Harris-dan in there for sex appeal, that is a show I would watch. But yeah. Famous crime writers are ridiculously nice people. 
6. The books question from your FB page: How many books should you be prepared to take home? What's the smart way to prepare luggage for the literary haul? I'd look at the list of authors attending, calculate which of their books you'd like signed, and add in ten more to account for the free ones you'll get in your swag bag and a couple left on the exchange table. The hotel will be able to ship them all back home for you, media-rate, which should be much cheaper than packing an extra suitcase on a flight.
7. If I want to go all day and most of the night and pretend I'm not middle-aged and in Olympic athlete condition, what's the smart way to ensure I can go the distance each day? Naps, and a deal with the devil for which you'll pay later. 
8. I'm bringing business cards. Are there any other "smart" giveaway items you'd recommend as icebreakers? I like a handshake, to be looked in the eye, and a couple minutes of intelligent, real conversation. I throw away business cards, but a real connection stays with me. 
9. What, in your opinion, defines a successful Bouchercon experience? One word: refueling. If I
   
   leave feeling inspired to read and to write, which I always do, it's a successful conference (to be fair, it takes me a week to recover enough to tap into the inspiration; I'm an introvert, so hanging with this many people is wonderfully exhausting). Look, writers and passionate readers are one click off of regular people, in the best possible way. If you're lucky, you might run across one a week. To be immersed with thousands of them for a long weekend? It's like coming home.

*I have never met Mr. Coben, and I don't condone unauthorized touching of mystery writers. That said, Linda Joffe Hull, you can grab my ass any time. It's in the contract.
**I'm 80% of the way there. Sooooooo close! You can help put me over the top. Great prizes are available at all pledge levels (chocolate, books, secret tchotchkes, members-only access), so please check out my Kickstarter campaign, which has one week to go, all or nothing: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

TBTB (Throwback Thursday Blog)--My First Bouchercon

This blog post was originally written on September 26, 2006, the year my first book came out and in the midst of attending my first Bouchercon. I am pleased to say I am older but no more mature than when I originally wrote it. Enjoy!

And the Beat Goes on...
9/26/2006

It's true. No one is rude at Bouchercon. The one Rudinator from Love Is Murder has been surprisingly sober every time I see him, so who's left? Oh wait, there was that one guy, the smirking-laugh-at-you-corrector-of-everything-you-say, but I needed a new villain to kill off in the next mystery, and he was a great prototype. So thank you, Mr. New Rudinator.

Otherwise, all good. Sandra Ruttan, despite her offer, would be hard pressed to pull off rude with any believability (although I bet she does pissed off pretty well if you give her a reason), Tim Maleeny is not only an interesting storyteller but a charming person, Bill Cameron is a little bit meaner than Santa Claus and not quite as nice as Mister Rogers, and I'm pretty sure Julia Buckley is nice, too, but she was too busy being clever and funny for me to be sure. By the way, check out her blog. It's fabulous.

Today, I got Kent Krueger and Laura Lippmann to sign their new mysteries for me, so yay! I also accidentally sat next to a crazy man who writes short stories but wouldn't tell me what they were about because they're private and only his publisher can see them (and I couldn't help noticing his age spots were the same color as his eyes). Ah, the tales from Bouchercon. Tomorrow, my goal is to meet reviewers, but the deal is that somehow you can't tell them apart from the rest of us regular folk. I hear they float when you drop them in water, though.


What I've learned so far at Bouchercon:

1. How to take a shoe imprint out of snow (hot sulfur, interestingly enough).
2. Paint chips are used in identifying criminals, but there needs to be at least eight layers of paint in the chip for it to be admissible. (Got both those tips from Jerry Geurts, Director of the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. You know, the real CSI guy for Wisconson.)
3. I never want to read a medieval mystery. It's just me, and I think it has more to do with the disappointment at finding out there are not automatically wenches and swords in them as much as anything.
4. Midnight Ink has a great line-up of authors, and a fantastic team all around (everyone I meet loves the covers!).
5. I automatically take people with British accents more seriously because they're smarter.
6. According to mystery writer Barb D'Amato, death is not funny, but people are funny. I would like to add to that that sex is funny, but dead people having sex isn't.
7. All mystery writers are nice, except for the three assholes, and everyone knows who they are. I stole that from Tim Maleeny, who heard it in a presentation yesterday. It's true and brings this post full circle.

More to come tomorrow!
_______

This is real-time Jessie. Please consider helping me to publish my next book, a magical realism novel called THE CATALAIN BOOK OF SECRETS. I love this book! You can find out more here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

What Does a Writer's Day Look Like?

You maybe know that I took an unpaid, one-year leave of absence from my college teaching job to write full-time. You maybe even know that I am a ridiculously disciplined, motivated person who wrote 2-3 books a year while teaching full-time and raising two kids. Given this, I thought it'd be a breeze to transition from two jobs (teaching and writing) to one (writing). I'd write more books better! They'd roll off my fingertips, perfectly-formatted and deep, literary spackle filling holes we didn't even know were in the canon. Ta-da!

So who would have guessed that the opposite is true? Turns out that overscheduling myself worked like a personal trainer. While teaching, and particularly when my kids were younger, I knew I'd only have two hours a day to write (if I was lucky). I cherished those two hours, writing like a monkey, allowing no distractions. It's completely different now that I have the whole day to write.

I feel like a jelly roll that took its pants off. Bloop.

And this is high stakes because I need to make enough money from writing this year that I don't have to go back to my teaching job. My fear of returning to work for micro-managing speckinaries (the opposite of visionaries) actually wakes me from a dead sleep at least once a week, heart pounding. I calm myself by saying it's only October, I have ten more months to do this. I can do this.

But I can't do this, not if I don't get myself on a schedule. The first step will be to bookend my work day, which I've started this week by working out in the mornings (I've gained 15 pounds in the last year. Most people know that "muscle weighs more than fat"; an equally true but less popular saying is "fat weighs more than air"). I'll end my work day at 4:30, which is when X gets off the bus.

Once the bookends are in place, I need to make peace with the fact that outlining and revising novels both necessarily move at a glacial pace. Once my book is outlined, I have myself on a 2000-word a day diet, but getting the structure of a book ready to go and then sifting through the first draft in search of gold both take an incredible amount of brain time with most of the breakthroughs coming when I'm not even writing. Right now, I'm in the revision stage of my historical fiction, and trying to rush that is like running through jello. My workaround? I'm going to write a second book simultaneously, this one a comical thriller that is very nebulous right now and which will also piss me off for the next two weeks because the more I grab at the threads of the story to pull it into a solid outline, the more slippery they will get.

To recap, the cure for this writing ennui is to get on a tight schedule and to work on two projects at once, at least until one or the other is out of the outlining or revising stage. I also figured it wouldn't hurt to look at what some masters of the craft did/do. Here it is:

1. Ernest Hemingway wrote in the morning, standing up. He also hunted elephants using only his piercing glare and put out forest fires with his urine stream. Pretty sure.
2. Barbara Kingsolver wrote around her children's schedule. Now that her kids are old enough, she can write whenever she wants, and she loves it. She claims the hard part for her is turning off the computer. Curse words. I am doing this all wrong. She also writes a bunch of stuff she throws away. She intentionally wastes words!!! Sigh. I love her writing.
3. Haruki Murakami believes in repetition, basically writing for the same amount of time around the same time every day, broken up by physical exercise, to train his mind to go deep. I like it.
4. Benjamin Franklin started each day with an "air bath" (sat naked in a cold room and read or wrote for an hour) and then went on to tightly schedule each hour of his day in a manner that closely resembles the schedule I'm going to try below (I am Benjamin Franklin, minus the gout, air bath, and international appeal!).

So, putting it all together, here's my new daily Monday-Friday schedule, starting today:

• 5:50-6:40: Get X ready to go
• 6:40-7:15: Walk dog
• 7:15-10:00: Meditate, exercise, touch base with Z, social media/marketing (website updates, cover designer emails, publisher emails, fan email, Kickstarter updates, prep for panels and workshops, make travel plans for panels and workshops, blog, etc.)
• 10:00-1:00: Revise WSBO (25 pages a day; complete and to agent by Bouchercon; concrete goals like "25 pages a day" are crucial so I don't waste time)
• 1:00-3:00: Social media/marketing 
• 3:00-4:30: Outline comical thriller (one week to outline, then 2000 words a day)
• 4:30-8:30: Play, eat, work, and talk with kids
• 8:30-10:30: Refuel (ie, read)

If you have any other time-management suggestions, I'll take 'em below. And in the meanwhile, my Kickstarter campaign is at 76% with ten days to go. If it's not completely funded, it doesn't get funded at all. Take pity on a transitional writer, and check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

Kindle Scout

Amazon launched Kindle Scout last Tuesday, using a crowdsourcing model to get people excited about a product. (HarperCollins is already doing something similar with Authonomy). With Scout, writers upload their 50,000+ word, never-been-published (including self-published) mystery, sci fi/fantasy, or romance manuscript to the Kindle Scout site, plus a book cover for it.

If you submit, there is no changing your mind. Amazon owns exclusive rights for 45 days, and then digital rights for five years if they offer you a contract. Those books worthy of contracts are discovered through some algorithm between reader votes--readers see your bio, cover, and an excerpt and can vote on whether or not they'd like it published; if a book they vote for is chosen, they receive a free e-copy of it--and the opinions of the Kindle Scout team.

The contract terms are non-negotiable. You also receive no editing or help with your cover; whatever you submit is what Amazon publishes, if your book is chosen (although you have 30 courtesy days after it's chosen to edit on your own if you like).

I am FASCINATED by this model. And repelled by it. Fascinated because it's smart. Kindle Scout is getting readers to wade through their slush pile while simultaneously creating an invested pre-audience for the books they publish. The contract isn't great--an auto-renewing 5-year contract with a $1500 advance which gives you a 50% royalty rate on the ebooks--but it also isn't terrible, particularly for unagented work. You retain print and dramatic rights, and Scout's out-of-print clause is clear:

"If you do not earn at least $25,000 during any 5-year term, you'll have six months after the end of that 5-year period in which you can choose to stop publishing with us and request your rights back." 

Plus, having the Amazon Algorithm marketing on your behalf is a magical thing. I have to believe they're going to pull GoodReads into this somehow to give it even more legs, and they'd be fools to not tie this all in with NaNoWriMo, which begins in two short weeks.

I think I am repelled at the idea of Scout being seen as a publisher (it looks like Amazon is trying to institutionalize the EL James/Amanda Hocking model of success) because they are really just marketing your book (you have to design your own cover, provide your own editing, and possibly provide your own formatting, in addition to publicizing your own Scout campaign). That gives some faint Chitty Chitty Bang Bang child-stealer-feel to this. (How's that for bringing a knife to a pillow fight?) But if I look at Scout not as a publisher but as a marketing tool for self-published books? In that case, it is promising.

Specifically, if I had a professionally-edited but unpublished mystery manuscript sitting on my computer that I was going to self-publish anyway, I'd have a professional design me a cover and submit the package to Kindle Scout. I really would, particularly if it was part of a series and could be used as a loss leader to pick up the pace on the rest of their series. Their contract is not heinous, and I love an adventure. Plus, I have a feeling that the early books marketed through this model are going to do crazy well.

Your thoughts?

The Real Me--Strap in

I am changing the name of this blog because you know what? I'm no longer comfortable tiptoeing around the real me for fear of offending someone--potential readers, current readers, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, neighbors, maybe you.

Interestingly, it is my INCREDIBLY uncomfortable Kickstarter campaign (the vulnerability of asking for help slays me) that has made me realize how much I censor myself in my daily life. I'm not talking about being unkind or insensitive to others--I don't condone either. I'm talking about overthinking everything I say or write for fear of accidentally offending someone, of shaving off my edges so no one is ruffled, of being bland and funny and helpful. It's time to finally let my whole lovely-ugly self out there, to take up some more space in this world, to follow my passion and be myself--respectfully, happily, messily.

Cuz you know what?

1. I'm a little bit raunchy. I like to swear. Fuck. See? I liked typing that. Fuckity fuck.

2. I'm regularly inappropriate. For example, the other day, my son asked if he could buy Axe body spray. I said, "No, because it'll shrink your testicles." He's 12. He was horrified, but he didn't question me. I call that good parenting (that stuff smells like the inner thighs of musk oxen if they were crammed on a sun-cooked bus packed with Mediterranean playboys), but it might make others squeamish. So I didn't post it on Facebook, but I've been dying to share it with someone . That someone is you, if you decide to stick around here in my house.

3. I'm a liberal. And a feminist. I shy away from posting anything political because I'm a Minnesotan, I don't want to silence people or give the impression I know everything, I don't want people to be mean to me or shun me, and I think that social media is not the forum for nuanced political conversations. But I'm about as liberal as they come, and I'm gonna let it leak through--I support civil rights including gay marriage, I like clean air and healthy food, I believe in investing in people rather than corporations, and I think every mentally healthy person wants to be a productive member of society and take care of themselves and their family, and so I believe everyone should get *at least* as many opportunities as I have to live where they want to live, take out a loan, be considered for a job on their merits rather than gender or race or sexuality, have access to quality education. All that good stuff. I also enjoy informed disagreement (my friends and family do not all share my opinions) and am fine with the "I don't knows." Unsupervised ignorance, though? Makes me rage.

4. I think I'm a good writer and sometimes, a great one. My first few published books are spotty, but I keep reading, and working, and listening, and I'm getting better with each novel I write. I am really, really proud of that, and I'm going to stop apologizing for May Day's rickety plotting, or the fact that I love to write funny, semi-romantic mysteries (among other stuff).

5. I have self-published one book and will be self-publishing another. I need your help with the second one, and I would love if you would visit my Kickstarter page, donate if you can, send good thoughts my way if you can't, and share in either case. And those of you who have contributed? I am humbled by your generosity, embarrassed by how much it's affected me (that's not the right reaction, I know, but it's the truth), and driven to a level of personal evolution that I couldn't have gotten to without you. Crazy. Absolutely crazy. I had no idea what I was signing up for with this Kickstarter campaign. I knew it was the only way to get this book I love to the audience it deserves, but it's become so, so much more.

6. And re: the self-publishing, I'm tired of being ashamed of that. If you ask, I'll *always* tell you to try the traditional route with your book before self-publishing. It's the most surefire way to build your credibility and your audience. But if traditional publishers reject you, and you believe in that book, you should get it professionally edited, get some professional reviews, and get it out there. It's not only okay, it'd be a crime if you didn't. Indie artists across mediums are producing amazing stuff. (But definitely, try the traditional route first. If you're not sure how, email me at jesslourey@yahoo.com, and I'll send you my two-page handout with info and links.) So, no more apologies from me for self-pubbing, no more shame.

7. My sense of humor is not always kosher. I sometimes think weird things are funny. Weird, horrible things like the photo of two action figure GI Joes perched on the corpse of a roadkill squirrel.

8. I am not religious but I am spiritual. I'm pretty far from having this one figured out, but what it means for this blog is that I will treat other people as I would like to be treated (see #3 above), and I might sometimes post about meditating or gratitude or positive visualization and looking for (and seeing) magic on a regular basis--my daughter's gorgeous smile, the light shining through lemon-colored fall leaves, my son choosing being kind over being right, dreaming about someone from high school one night and seeing them for the first time in ten years the next day, that sort of thing.

9.  I LOVE the sharing of ideas, discussions, learning things I didn't know. For example, in the next two weeks, I'm excited to research writing from multiple POVs, Kindle's new Scout crowdsharing model, the different fiction genres, to prologue or not to prologue, and more, and share it all here. But I'd be even more excited if you read it and added what you know in the comments section so it's not just a one-way street. That goes for everything I post, including the more personal stuff. I much, much prefer a discussion to a lecture.

10. Some days, I'm crabby, uninspired, and scared. Scared that I'll have to go back to teaching full-time under a soul-sucking administration, worried that people will see right through me and turn away, afraid that whatever spark it is that keeps me wanting to tell stories and write books will disappear, and I'll feel lost. This means that I won't always be funny or interesting. (My funny is like a dial-up superpower rather than a wifi one.)

So yeah. I'm going to let it all hang out on this blog from here on out. That's what's gonna happen in Jessie's House. I'm a good cook and conversationalist and will make sure everyone knows they are welcome, but I'm going to be myself, and I'd love if you'd do the same. If you'd rather not join me in all of the above, that's okay, too. The beauty of me being myself is it releases you to do the same, without guilt.

p.s. One more thing--I like to be called Jessie. I published my mysteries under "Jess Lourey" because that sounded snappy and catchy, and I regret it. All my future books will be published under "Jessica Lourey." This is a stupid career decision because I may confuse my audience, but it's what I meant to do all along, and so I'm going to make it right now. But when you and I are hanging out? I prefer Jessie.

Promo Items for Your Book

When my first book, May Day, hit bookshelves in 2006, I received a $1300 grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to promote it (Google "[YOUR STATE] Arts Board Grants" to see if you have similar options in your area). I went crazy with the promo items--postcards, t-shirts, cloth bags, bookmarks. When June Bug came out in 2007, and all the promo was on my own dime, I bought only postcards and these tiny flashlights with a screwdriver kit in them. With Knee High by the Fourth of July, I downsized to business cards and magnets with a calendar on them (Murder by MONTH mysteries--get it?).


I have author friends who, when a new book comes out, buy seed packets with their book covers on them, chapstick with their name and website url on them, mirrors, hand sanitizers, chip clips...and so much more. My second self-published book will hit shelves in January, and my tenth traditionally-published book in February, and you know what I think after eight years of publishing?

Promo items are a waste of time and money, with one exception.

Let me back up.

I get it. Man, do I get it. You wrote this book, and you want people to read it and remember it. That's why you buy the matchbooks with your book cover on them, the bookmarks, the water bottles, the little champagne-bottle-shaped bubbles (I love those--keep buying those). And you put them on the "free" table at conferences, and you hand them out at signings, and you give them away at your talks.

But they don't encourage anyone to read your book; they encourage people to blow bubbles, or light fires, or seal their corn chips air-tight. The only item that will encourage people to read your writing is your writing. That's why, now, rather then buying and handing out 20 promo items to 20 people, I find one change agent and put my book in his/her hands. The cost is the same, but that person, particularly if they are a prolific reviewer on GoodReads or Amazon or have a blog where they post reviews, will convince many more people to read my book than a carabiner with my Twitter handle on it.

The one exception? I love promo ideas as "thank yous," particularly if they are unique. If someone is going to take time out of their day to read your book, they deserve gratitude. I wish I could send the dang things to EVERYONE who reads my books, whether they borrow them from a friend, buy them at a bookstore, or check them out at the library. I love those people! I can't afford to thank all of them with tiny gifts, though, so I limit them to the press kits I send to reviewers and booksellers (note: some reviewers can't accept gifts; check their policy first) as well as conference hosts and panel moderators.

So, if you're looking for a promo item to sell your book, make it your book. If you are looking for a lagniappe, check out these fun items:

1. Earbuds with pouch (bonus: what if they pull them out on the plane, strike up a conversation with the person next to them, and that person immediately downloads your book? Could happen)
2. Grass! (de-bonus: as it dies, they'll think of you and your book and possibly begin to associate the two. But grass!)
3. Magnetic Butt Desk. You heard me.
4. Mood pen. It changes colors in your hand, which *might* get people to read the pen, so put something fun there. I actually used this promo item for one of my books, billing it as the "monthly" mood pen. It's amazing I'm allowed access to a computer still.
5. A fire extinguisher with your name and book cover on it. I'm only including this here because I'm too lazy to write a "WTF?!? Promo Items" post.
6. Cloth grocery bags.
7. XXX. This one is a surprise. I found it when researching lagniappes for The Catalain Book of Secrets, and it's awesome and unique and perfect, and will be going out to all my Kickstarter supporters, if the campaign reaches it goal. After I send those out, I'll let you know what this one is. I am excited for it!

If you want to share your thoughts on promo items for books, please do so below. Also, please take a moment to check out my Kickstarter campaign if you haven't already: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets. The project is 2/3 of the way there, and every dollar counts!

Four Marketing Options for Self-pubbed Writers

Hullooo! The deeper I dig into this "self-publishing the right way" odyssey, the more I realize that no one knows how to break it big with a book. Robert Bidinotto has one of the more practical list of
self-pubbed marketing tips I've come across, but I have yet to find comparative info on four of the biggest dogs in self-pub marketing: Publishers Weekly, NetGalley, Kirkus Reviews, and IndieReads.

So, I'm compiling what I know, which could fit in a thimble and leave room for a thumb. I have used only part of two of the four services below, so this isn't an endorsement, just my research-based opinion. If you have any experience of your own, please share in the comment section. :)

BOOK LIFE (PUBLISHERS WEEKLY)

Once your self-pubbed book is comprehensively edited, you have your ISBN, and you have your cover, you can submit it to Book Life, Publishers Weekly self-pub reviewing arm, to have it considered for a free review. It looks like they only select the best of the best to review (approximately 20% of their submissions), which is their prerogative. This Book Life free review option is definitely worth your time.

For another $149, they'll run a small ad for you in PW Select. Ilsa J. Bick offers a comprehensive review of this service, but in a nutshell, PW Select is not worth it. The Book Life site, however, does offer other promising places to find free reviews.

 NETGALLEY

NetGalley serves as the go-between for authors and reviewers. Once your manuscript is edited and you have your cover and ISBN, and preferably, at least three months before your launch date, you pay $399-$599 (depending on whether you want to be listed in their newsletter) to have a protected, digital copy of your work on their site, available for reviewers to download. Depending on how many reviews you get out of this, that money quickly becomes worth it. This is why NetGalley is an industry standard. It's a reliable way to build word of mouth. For even more money, NetGalley offers various marketing programs to get attention for your book. If I can find the budget, I intend to try out the $599 service. I'll let you know how it goes.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

For $425, Kirkus guarantees to read and review your book in 7-9 weeks. I just received their review of The Catalain Book of Secrets. In typical Kirkus fashion, they had to drop two snark words in there, but the rest of the review was lush, generous, with a brilliant summary of the book. I consider this a good investment because Kirkus is a respected outfit, and their name on your book will open doors. A note, though--they have about a third of the reach as Publishers Weekly.

For another $299, Kirkus will let you make a ProConnect page, basically a devoted page on their website where "industry professionals" (agents, film executives, etc.) can discover you. That's nice. You actively open your wallet and might passively get discovered. While a cursory Internet search brings up nothing to specifically say this isn't a good investment, I'd skip this one.

A third option is Kirkus' Marketing Campaign. There are some vague author success blurbs on the side, but no specific list of what a Kirkus marketing campaign would do for you or how much it would cost. That seems like crappy marketing to me, and so I'd follow my personal rule of "never trust a dentist with bad teeth" here (I don't actually have that rule but probably should).

INDIEREADER

When my YA self-pubbed book came out in 2012, IndieReader gave it a wonderful review for free (I think???). Their reviews now cost $225. My experience with them was positive, so I'd recommend them on those grounds. I am, though, curious about their new IndieReader Selects program, which, for $499, gets you a review and into some sort of self-pubbed Book of the Month club with bookstores. This seems like a promising model, but there's not much info about it on their site (it's still in the beta stage). Anyone know anything? I have a couple emails to bookstores and will report if I hear anything from their end.

And that's it! :) All I know for today. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend.

Link to LIVE Kickstarter campaign. If you have time, please check it out, share, give it a little tickle: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

The Cost of Publishing a Book: Part 2

Yesterday, I posted about the pre-pub costs of self-pubbing: editing, cover and interior design, reviews, and online platform. Today, I'll share my experience with the post-pub costs: marketing and promotion. I get the "I wrote my book and published it! Come find it, world," attitude, I really do, but as Matthew Clemens said, "Self-publishing is print on demand, the key word being 'demand.' No one will read your book if they don't know it exists."

So, here's how to let the world know about your brilliant baby:

1. Get reviews. The publishing industry uses NetGalley for a lot of their reviews. If my Kickstarter campaign is fully funded, I will have the great fortune to test them out for myself. The single-title, six-month listing plus email blast and single newsletter placement runs $998 and seems to give you the most bang for your buck. Here's a great article on how to (and how not to) request reviews from other sources, as well as links to reviewers of self-pubbed books.
2. Get your book into the hands of indie bookstore owners. This one is time-consuming but so worth it. You are an indie author, they are an indie store, you two go together like peanut butter and chocolate IF your book is wonderful and IF you respect the challenges of keeping a bookstore afloat in this climate. Specifically, you have to choose a printer/distributor that allows standard discounts plus returns. I'm going with IngramSpark. The set-up fee for my book will be $50. My plan is to order 200 copies of my book and send it to the nearest Indiebound stores, along with a handwritten note and an offer to stop by and sign stock. To get the books printed and shipped to me will be $900. The cost of mailing them to bookstores (envelope, shipping, printing, lagniappe) will be around $1400.
3. Get your book into the hands of reviewers. NetGalley will send out protected e-copies, which is convenient and less expensive, but you still need to send out galley copies to many reviewers, including newspapers that will consider self-pubbed books. I'm going to send out 50 galley copies, and with shipping, etc., that will run me around $590. 
4. Hire a publicist. S/he, if good, will think of avenues for marketing your book that never occurred to you. This can cost in the ballpark of $5000-$20,000. Preditors & Editors lists reviewers and book promotion services and also warns you if they are not legit.
5.  Set up a blog tour. A publicist can do this for you, but there's no reason you can't do it for free, yourself, as long as you follow any posted guidelines when requesting a guest post slot. It might be helpful to set up your own blog, if you haven't already, so you can return the favor and host someone else in the future.
6. Get your book to book clubs. This is a great article on how to do this, but here's something to
   
   think about early: write discussion questions for your novel so they can be part of the book when people buy it, just like the publishers do. Here's an example (the author also reached out to local book clubs she found on MeetUp). LibraryThing also seems like a great book-clubby way to get your book out there. To make 100 copies of my book available for review, and then to ship them, would run me $1250.
7. Donate your book to libraries. I LOVE libraries, but also, realistically, librarians, along with booksellers, are your boots on the ground. If they like your book, they will tell other people who will like your book. Donating 100 copies of my book to Midwest libraries would run me $1250.
8. Set up signings at local bookstores (if your book is available through bookstore-friendly channels, like IngramSpark) two months in advance of your book release and attend conferences in your genre.  Remember that the buzz works better if it's happening all at once, so schedule accordingly.

So, not including gas money, conferences fees and associated conference costs, or hiring a publicist, and definitely not including my time (which will run me around 200 hours), ultra-basic marketing and promotion (getting my book to reviewers, bookstores, book clubs, and librarians) will run me around $6500. If I was lucky enough to be able to hire a publicist, that number easily tops $10,000, and if I figure in gas money, conferences, etc., $20,000. These are all expenses a publisher would absorb for you, and which you have to pick up yourself if you're going it alone.

My Kickstarter campaign is asking for $12,056 to self-pub The Catalain Book of Secrets, which everyone except that one mean lady thinks is a low number. It is, but that's because I'm going to do most of the legwork myself, which keeps the costs "reasonable," depending on your perspective. :) I'd love to hear below if any of you have other experiences or ideas in the area of marketing and promotion.

(Sigh. I've totally depressed myself with this post. I'm going to go pet my dog, brew some hot chocolate, and write a book to remind myself why I do this in the first place. Keep on writing!)


Please check out my Kickstarter campaign, share the link, and give if you can (every dollar counts!): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

The Cost of Publishing a Book: Part 1

Hey you! I've been promising it for over a week, and here it is, my explanation of the process and cost of professionally self-publishing a novel. Because there is so much info, I'm dividing it into two posts. Today's will focus on the pre-publication costs (editing, layout, printing), and the next installment will focus on the post-publication costs (distribution, marketing, and promotion).


First, the facts: according to UNESCO, around 2,000,000 books are published every year. In 2012, the most recent year I can find numbers for, Bowker states that nearly 400,000 of those are self-published. To be heard in that noise, you have to do it right, and that means stellar writing and professional editing, design, and promotion.

That doesn't come cheap, hence my Kickstarter campaign. I'll paste my budget for the book I hope the campaign will fund below. It doesn't include all the costs of professionally self-publishing because I'd already absorbed some of them on my own, but it gives a good snapshot:
I'll break down the process.

1. I wrote and revised The Catalain Book of Secrets. I estimate this took me 1500-2000 hours over the course of twelve years.
2. I sent the book in for two rounds of editing. Jessica Morrell is the freelance editor I use for all my projects, and I recommend her highly. Professional editors charge by the word, page, or hour (I prefer by the page), and the cost to have an 80,000-word book professionally edited is in the ballpark of $1500-$4000.
3. Then I sent the manuscript to my agent, who took me through four more rounds of editing. She's awesome, but she couldn't sell the book. I decided to self-publish. This book has magic, and I need to get it out there.
4. I knew I needed ISBNs for the book--one for paperback, one for hardcover--as well as bar codes for the paperback (the hardcover won't be for sale; it's only offered as a reward to the Kickstarter donors). You can buy one ISBN for $99 or ten for $300. Because I'm also self-pubbing a novella, a bought ten. The bar code is $25 per.
5. Next, I immediately started looking for reviews. It can take 3-6 months for professional reviews to come in, and I knew I wanted them on the book cover. Getting reviews when you're self-pubbing is difficult, and I went the controversial route of paying $425 for a review from Kirkus Reviews. Other credible (as credible as it can be when you are paying for it) review sites for indie authors are Publishers Weekly (this one is actually free, though you need your book cover complete to submit), Indiereader ($225), and Midwest Book Review ($50). Once your book is formatted (cover and interior), there are many free options for reviews. NetGalley will make your book available to reviewers for $399.
6. If you don't have a website yet, you need one. I'm overhauling mine, using Bizango. If you've got design skills, you can make one yourself for cheap, paying around $150 a year for hosting. A professional website will cost you from $2000-$5000. If you don't have an online presence yet, now is the time to build it through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the rest.
7. I found a cover designer and interior designer named Scarlett Ruger. Next to professional editing, this is THE most important (and costly) step in the pre-pub process. Your book has to look professional on the outside and in. For $1000, Scarlett creates the cover, and designs the 
   
   interior for hardcopy, mobi (Kindle), and epub (all other ebooks). Her price is on the low end, but I've seen her work and love it. I've also used Crowdspring for the $600 Toadhouse Trilogy cover and hired an interior designer to design the book's interior for around $500. 
8. After you have your cover and your interior layout done, you need to hire a copyeditor to proof the almost-final copy of the book. This will run you from $400-$800. Don't skimp here. Nothing turns off readers (myself included) like typos and inconsistencies.
9. Next, it's time to choose your printer and distributor. Createspace, Amazon's POD arm, is professional and quick, and they don't charge a set-up fee, so this step is essentially free. However, and this is a big however, you are hurting indie bookstores and your chance of getting your book into a bookstore if you go this route. I am choosing IngramSpark because they allow a returns as well as a competitive discount. They charge a $50 set-up fee. I may also use Createspace for Amazon-only hard copies of my book and will certainly have my ebook available for sale in Kindle format, but I very much want to support and be supported by independent bookstores, and Ingram accommodates that.

All right. :) That's all the pre-pub steps and costs. I have spent/will need to spend around $9000 to get to this point, and that's because I shopped around. If you have design skills, you can bring it even lower. My next post will be on marketing and promotion, which is where the really expensivestuff comes in, but please, I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Can you recommend other cover designers, other printers, other editors? What are your thoughts on paid reviews? Did I skim over anything you'd like me to go deeper into? What did I miss (please, tell me now while I can still do something about it!).

You can find my Kickstarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets.

The Art of Receiving

My Kickstarter campaign to professionally format, publish, and distribute The Catalain Book of Secrets went live Wednesday, October 1. I felt a mud puddle of emotions that first day: fear (what if no one cares?), gratitude (people care!), shame (I shouldn't ask people for help), exhilaration (I love this book!), self-doubt (what if no one else likes this book?), and an upswelling of love (people, you never cease to amaze me with your kindness and generosity).

The second day, yesterday, gratitude and love took center stage as the project reached 35% of its $12,056 goal in the first 24 hours. According to Kickstarter, 80% of projects that reach 20% of their goal end up being fully funded, so whee!

Then...

...my gratitude took a little off-roading into shame when a woman I am Facebook friends with but don't know criticized the campaign on my Facebook page. When I removed her mean-spirited post, shemessaged me this: "Very creative way to get money you might never see otherwise, but you and I both know that $12K is many, many thousands more than what's needed for publishing any book...10 books later, all backed by publishers, and you still need $12K to fund this next one? Honey, the self-publishing world has made it ULTRA easy for people to publish. Unless you want to fly to Hawaii, stay in a hotel fora month, and publish from there, you do not need $12 grand..."

Deep breath.

If you know publishing, you know that most of us midlist authors put the majority of our royalties right back into our books (conferences, traveling to signings, building a website, promoting, etc.), and you know that $12K is a very low number to design, print, distribute, and promote a book, so that part of her message didn't bother me (much). What got to me was her putting words to my secret shame that I was crossing the line, stepping out of the box, asking for too much, putting on airs. "Get back in there!" she was telling me. "People are laughing at you!"

Ouch.

I stewed in that for a good 24 hours, and you know what? Today, I'm grateful to her (though I wouldn't mind if she got gum in her hair). Her "putting me in my place" made me realize that I better get my big girl pants on, starting yesterday. Specifically, I have to believe in myself because the more I follow my dreams, the more people who don't follow theirs will see me as a target. And besides, not everyone is going to like everything I write or do. I have to develop my own internal compass, and I have to trust it. Forty-four years old isn't too late for that, right?

So, that is what this Kickstarter campaign has morphed into for me. It's absolutely about getting the book I love to its audience and it's about building buzz for it, but it's also about me finally claiming my writing without apology written on my face, mouth, or heart. I am proud of this book. It's everything I wanted it to be. It has magic, and I want to share that with as many people as I can.

p.s. As a side bonus, this campaign is also teaching me the art of receiving. Turns out I'm not great at it. I want to pay people back right away, before I even get the money, with interest. I am working on that. My goal is sincere thanks followed by trust that they know how important their support is to me. (But seriously, if I win the lottery...) Thank you to all who have visited my campaign, who have donated, and/or who have shared the campaign with others!

Link to Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1675834533/the-catalain-book-of-secrets

p.s. My next post will be about the true cost of self-publishing. :)

The Juiciest Rejections

Last May, I took a one-year, unpaid leave of absence from my teaching job to write full-time. This was a big leap for me. I've worked one job since I was fourteen, at least two jobs at a time since I was 18. I based a lot of my identity on being a college professor, and honestly, if I hadn't been working for such a soul-sucking administration, I might not have had the courage to leave that place even though I knew I was supposed to be writing. This unpaid leave required refinancing my house, cutting spending drastically, and moving at a slower pace. Going into it, I was scared. I'm the single mom of two kids, and I've grown accustomed to food.

Plus, what if I failed?

And it's funny, because I just did. Big-time. You see, a lot of this leave of absence was predicated on the hope that The Catalain Book of Secrets would be picked up. It wasn't that I was confident so much as that was how the dream was supposed to go: you take the leap, the net appears. Only a fool would jump otherwise.

But no net appeared, at least not one that looked like I expected it to. The book was turned down (see below for the most awesome of the rejections). As a result, I'm going to self-publish. Even more exciting (if that word means "terrifying in a naked, vulnerable sort of way"), I'm going live with a Kickstarter campaign that would allow me to professionally publish and market the book. Look for the campaign to launch tomorrow, October 1, and the book to hit shelves January 1, 2015.

And who knows how that will turn out?

(I do. It turns out well. Really, really well. Because four months into this experiment on following my passion, I'm finding out that it's not about selling the book, or reaching some pinnacle of writing, though I am aiming directly for both of those. It's about cultivating the sort of peace that you can only find when following your dreams. It's about not having to choose between writing and helping my kids with homework. It's about waking up every morning thinking, "I am never going to regret how I spend this day. Never.")

Thanks for listening.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Thank you so much for sending THE CATALAIN BOOK OF SECRETS by Jessica Lourey my way…I spent a long time thinking about this one. What struck me was how well Lourey handles the hallmarks of magical realism, from when we first see Ursula mixing a potion to when Jasmine admits to taking anti-depressants, to keep the family, the memories, and the magic at bay. I was surprised to see this was a first venture into magical realism, as I felt these instances beautifully heightened the tangle of these women’s feelings--I understood how their relationship and attitudes towards magic reflects their greatest hopes and fears. Unfortunately…”   

--Simon & Schuster editor, 5/19/14

“…I just want to reiterate that I think Jess is a wonderful writer, and I love the voice of this book and the family of strong, lovely, vibrant women she has created in the Catalains. Everyone here was in total agreement on that, and we came very close to making an offer. But (and I hate that there is a but)…”

--Random House editor, 7/14/14

“Thanks so much for sending me Jessie’s revised work.  I think she did a terrific job and the changes she’s made have absolutely improved her book. However, despite her great work, I just wasn’t able to get full support for this.  (Almost every person who read this really loved it—but it wasn’t quite unanimous.) I am sorry that we weren’t able to come together on this.  I really enjoyed Jessie’s work.  I’m quite sure you’ll sell this elsewhere—I’d love to hear where it goes.”

--Penguin editor, 8/8/2014

Kickstarting My Writing Career

You heard, right? The Catalain Book of Secrets, the novel of my dreams, the book that took me 12 years to finish, the best thing I've ever written, was ultimately rejected by the nearly 20 publishers my agent sent it to. The rejections were loving, supportive, but rejections nonetheless.

Sigh.

In light of this, I went public with my decision to self-publish. I LOVE this book. Better than that, it healed me, and I want to share that with others. Then came the plot twist. When I posted my self-pub declaration to Facebook last week, Matthew Clemens, a dear friend and brilliant writer and book doctor, quietly messaged me and suggested I bring the self-pub campaign to Kickstarter.

You know, Kickstarter. The crowdfunding site that has raised millions for creative projects. Or, as we in Minnesota call it, "beggar's row." That's right, I hate asking people for money. Hate, hate, hate it. I was raised to be independent, and worse, to see asking for help as a weakness.

So, I quietly and not-so-quietly asked people I respected for their opinions. And you know what, 95% of them told me to go for it. The other 5% were supportive of me but worried what sort of image I would project to the world--needy or worse, greedy. I took all that loving feedback to heart and decided to create my campaign. I know I can do a basic self-pubbing job without crowdfunding, but I simply don't have the financial means to professionally design, market, or distribute the book without outside help. Also, it was pointed out to me that Kickstarter is a great way to build early buzz around my book.

It took me an hour to set up the Kickstarter page, and two days to make the video supporting my project. I'll go live with it on October 1, and my goal is to raise $12,056 by Halloween. In my next post, I'll go into more detail on my budget and rewards, but for now, you know what I learned while making the video?

My aversion to Kickstarter wasn't really about asking other people for money, though that's not my favorite thing to do. It was really about two things: 1) sharing the incredibly personal story of how The Catalain Book of Secrets came to be, and 2) confronting the fear of what it means to take this sort of ownership--the type where I ask hardworking everypeople to give up something that they value on my behalf--of my writing. It's one thing to write a book, and I've got no problem with shopping it to publishers. It's their job after all to support (or not) writers. And once the book is published, that cover on the outside serves as validation and protection against the slings and arrows most art receives.

But to ask people to invest in my tender, shivering manuscript? That means that I have to believe in myself 100% because I can't ask you to do for me what I'm not willing to do for myself.

Terrifying.

Exposing a deeply personal story on top of that? Waking nightmare.

And so, my job between now and the time my Kickstarter campaign goes live in seven days is to work through the jungle of fear and find the courage to put myself out there like I've never done before.

Wish me luck. Please.

(Side note: I am not made for television. The outtakes of my Kickstarter video are below. Argh.)

Wait--It Was ME?!?

The conversation with the Penguin editor was marvelous. She didn't have a lot of specifics to offer as far as revising The Catalain Book of Secrets, but she offered encouragement, and she was fascinating. We talked for over half an hour about our similar pasts--advanced English degrees, teaching, geeking out about books. Plus, she laughed at my jokes. Best of all? She's excited to check CBS out again when I'm done revising.

Since then, my friend Linda has jumped in to give me specific editing suggestions for CBS. She has an amazing story sensor, she's funny, and she's telling me everything the NYC acquisitions editors are telling me, only she's giving me specific ways to achieve it. (She's also telling me to slow down. If you know me, you understand.)

I've taken all her advice (every good person deserves a Linda), and you know what? CBS has always had great promise, but the NYC editors are right: it's just not there yet. It can be better.




And that's the part of writing that we don't talk about a lot, the part where the rejection maybe isn't about everyone else being a dumbass. Maybe the rejection is about our book not yet reaching it's potential. It's a fine line because you have to believe in your writing. Otherwise, what's the point?  But you have to figure out how to sift the valid criticism from the that's-not-to-my-taste-because-I'm-an-idiot criticism, and you can't just pack up your soccer ball and go home when you're hearing things you don't want to hear.

How to do that?

My answer is to surround myself with good people and astute readers, to exercise my bullshit detector (particularly when I'm the one shoveling it onto myself), and to refine that ability to feel it in my gut when my story has found its compass. I also noticed that when my book isn't quite right, I'm in a hurry to get it out there, and in a hurry to blame others and to self-publish when it's not received like I expect. When I am on track, I enjoy the revision process, and there is no rush.

If it comes down to self-publishing, it does, but I don't think that's going to happen in this case. I love this story, and I'm excited to take it to its potential. Bonus? The revision process has finally brought me to a clear logline for CBS, which is about the poison and power of secrets:

When Katrine Catalain returns from a 14-year banishment, she must confront her deepest secret and convince her sister and mother to do the same to save her family from the curse of the black-souled man.