Interview with Jane Friedman

by Jerry Waxler

Jane Friedman is the web editor for the national-award winning Virginia Quarterly Review (VQR), where she oversees online content strategy and marketing. Before joining VQR, Jane was a full-time assistant professor of e-media at the University of Cincinnati and the former publisher of Writer's Digest.

Jane's Keynote speach at lunch on Saturday will be on "The Future of Authorship." Jane will also be teaching two Saturday sessions on Platform, and two preconference workshop on publishing--Traditional Publishing on Friday morning, and Independent E-Publishing on Friday afternoon.

GLVWG member Jerry Waxler got in touch with Jane to ask her some questions about her sessions, workshops, and her view on the industry in general, including using social media to promote your writing.

Jerry: Seeking soothing reassurance

Not only are publishing strategies changing all the time, but they seem to be increasingly urgent, making many of us feel that if we don’t catch the latest wave we’ll fall behind. This might be why I enjoy reading things you write. You seem to be able to convey information without an out-of-breath sense of urgency. How do you feel about keeping up with all the changes? Are you constantly frantic or have you found a way to stay balanced in the midst of radical change?

 

Jane: Thank you! I do try to adopt a reasonable tone and illustrate how publishing strategies are becoming increasingly nuanced and individual.

 

It is very easy to get caught up in the “revolution”—whether we’re talking about the technology revolution, the publishing revolution, or the author revolution. While it’s very real, it’s also confusing and counterproductive for most authors to follow. You’ll find conflicting attitudes and opinions that leave you wondering how to proceed.

 

What I recommend is this: Find the 1 or 2 advanced, professional sources with perspective on this change whom you trust—the people who have the same values or goals as you, or have a voice that has always resonated. Keep yourself updated on the change through them. It’s good to have a filter so that you limit your exposure to the daily ups and downs of the industry. Check in with these trusted sources to stay current. While you don’t want to stick your head in the sand about the industry, or become ignorant of business concerns, at some point you have to put career productivity first.

 

On my own blog, journalist Porter Anderson writes a weekly round-up called Writing on the Ether, which recaps the most important news, opinions, and developments in the book publishing and media industry. If you have no place to start, you might start there for a weekly education. I also do a monthly round-up of Best Business Advice for Writers, which links to about 10 articles from various sources. I keep it very practical, but it’s also trend driven (e.g., how to use GoodReads effectively).

 

Jerry: Are social skills learnable?

 

In the modern publishing world, authors must come out of hiding in order to find readers. However, not every writer starts out loving to reach to the public. Here’s my two part question: a) Is it true that to succeed, writers must make the effort to reach readers, and b) if we are by nature, introverted, how do you recommend we overcome our inward turning tendencies and extend toward our future readers?

 

Jane: It depends on your definition of success, but I believe you do need some level of reader engagement to see your career grow. One example of an author who has done this successfully, and on her own terms, is CJ Lyons. Another is Bob Tarte.

 

When reader interaction did physically involve “getting out there,” e.g., going to events, it probably was limiting to be an introvert. And if that’s what reader interaction were actually about—today—I myself would be the most terrible marketer on the planet.

 

So, speaking as an introvert myself, we should be over the moon at how lucky we are to live in an age when we can effectively reach readers by:
 

·        staying at home

·        using whatever tools suit our communication style best
        (e-mail, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)

·        crafting and controlling messages to our own satisfaction

·        limiting interaction when needed

But these tendencies of introverts …

·        bad at small talk (but not necessarily shy)

·        preference for small group conversation

·        avoidance of huge social gatherings—or being drained
        by them

… these tendencies don’t significantly impact our ability to be effective at reader interaction, not when we can control where, how, and when we communicate.

 

Furthermore, when you consider that a true introvert dislikes talking about himself, you have the makings of an author who is wonderful at reader engagement! These days, there’s far too much bad marketing and self-promotion (that amounts to talking, in a very uninteresting way, about oneself), and not enough good marketing and self-promotion, which is about serving readers. Knowing your readers and engaging with them is more about listening, understanding, curiosity, and good communication skills—not “extroversion” or “introversion.”

 

Jerry: Famous? Careful what you wish

 

You are one of the most famous people I’ve ever talked to. (At least you’re famous to me.) This is a strange thing about being a writer. We are all striving to be known by potential readers. But few if any of us knows what that would feel like. Could you tell us if it’s weird being “known” – what should we do to prepare for the “problem” of becoming known, ourselves?

 

Jane: The biggest problem of being known is probably the demand on one’s time. Usually, you have to protect yourself from a steady and growing stream of requests—whether from friends, fans, or strangers—who make both reasonable and unmanageable demands of you. A lot of people whom you’ve never met want to pick your brain, get your feedback, or meet for coffee. Or they just have this one simple question they want answered, not realizing that dozens of other people also have one simple question, too.

 

But I put myself in this position, and I wouldn’t be who I am now, or where I am now, if people didn’t value and seek my advice. So I try to help as much as time allows, and I try to create clear paths for people to find the answers themselves. (See my writing advice archive.) And sometimes I do meet strangers for coffee because I think wonderful and unexpected things can happen when you say “yes.”

 

Jerry: Your Two Publishing Workshops

 

Thank you for offering two pre-conference workshops, one for traditional and one for e-publishing. I suspect that many of our attendees could benefit from both. What do you think? Why might an author aspiring to ePublishing want to take the traditional publishing workshop? Why might an author aspiring to traditional publication want to take the ePublishing one?

 

Jane: I agree. Every author should be educated about both traditional publishing and e-publishing. That’s because your choice is no longer either/or. It’s both/and. Some of the most successful authors, like CJ Lyons who I mentioned above, have a hybrid approach. They partner with traditional publishers for some books, but self-publish (e-publish) others. More than ever it’s imperative that authors learn the basic framework of the industry so they’re making informed decisions over the course of their career. You have to learn to call the shots.

 

Jerry: How can social media help readers find good writers?

 

In the “old days,” to build platform, we were told to spend years developing a thick file of publication credits. To do so, we needed to impress magazine editors with our writing skills. Nowadays, platform building requires a following on Facebook and twitter. So help me understand how this change in entry requirements affects readers. How can readers find great writers, and how can writers use the quality of their writing to help build platform?

 

Jane: Readers are finding great writers in many ways, including (but not limited to):

·        Amazon bestseller lists (print and e-book)
·        Other Amazon features (e.g., readers who bought X also
         bought Y)
·        Goodreads and other reading community sites
·        Social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc)
·        Physical bookstores
·        Book clubs (offline and online)
·        Traditional media coverage (public radio, magazines,
         newspapers)
·        Old-fashioned word of mouth

Everyone knows that the best way to sell your second book is by thrilling readers with your first. It’s almost become a cliché (at least in the online publishing community) that you should focus on building platform by writing your next fabulous story that gets people talking.

However, and I’ll use CJ Lyons as an example again, there’s nothing wrong with nurturing that word of mouth and giving readers more tools to help spread the word. In the Q&A I did with her at my website, she shares some of her most essential strategies for engaging readers. I also think it’s interesting that while she puts story quality front and center, she also took time to train herself in online marketing and promotion. (She reveals her sources in the Q&A).

Jerry: The New Social Pleasures of Writers Sticking Together

Recently, writing seems to have caught on in a big way. So many of us seem to be flocking together in groups, in the region and online. Since I began to apply myself in earnest to this activity, writing has turned into a groundswell of collective enthusiasm. As a writing popularize, you are in the epicenter of this wave. How is it affecting you? What sort of changes have you seen in the ethos of the writing community since you first became involved with it? Where do you think it’s heading?

Jane: The biggest change by far is the growing voice and footprint of the self-publishing and e-publishing community, and the associated explosion of services for the independent author. While some of these services are much needed and welcome, it’s difficult for a new writer, without a history of experience, to distinguish between a service that’s worth her time or money, and one that is not. When in doubt, look carefully at the background and qualifications of the people who provide the service, and avoid those that don’t clearly identify who you’re working with.

Also, there’s been a greater polarization of attitudes—or more strident attitudes—associated with the revolution mentioned at the very beginning of this interview. This creates the confusion for any writer walking into the current environment. Should you self-publish or traditionally publish? Do you need an agent or not? Should you blog or not? Do you really need a platform? Should you focus more on writing or more on platform? Does an e-book really have to be polished, or can it be just good enough to pass muster with a 99-cent price tag? Do the traditional publishers really offer value? Do bookstores really matter?

I could probably continue for several paragraphs about the many questions that divide writers, as well as people inside the publishing industry. My advice is to take the long view and seek those who avoid going to extremes in their pronouncements. Discussing the gray areas within an issue—parsing through all the intricacies—shows more wisdom given the times we live in.

Interview With Publisher and Editor Lawrence Knorr

by Jerry Waxler

At the Write Stuff conference, we are pleased to host Lawrence Knorr, founder, and editor of Sunbury Press in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, a newcomer in the rapidly changing landscape of publishing. GLVWG’s Jerry Waxler asked Knorr to help us understand more about his company, and his observations of his relationships with authors.

Jerry: Welcome to the Write Stuff blog, Lawrence. We’re looking forward to meeting you in person. To help our members get to know you, please tell us why and how you started Sunbury Press.

Lawrence: I started the business in 2004 because I wanted to self-publish some family history books. At that time - not that long ago - print on demand and eBooks were in their infancy (I wasn't aware of them). Rather than pay a vanity press to handle my book, I decided to start my own publishing business. I have a business education and have started successful businesses in the past (I graduated summa cum laude with honors in business/economics as an undergrad and with honors as a graduate student (MBA) - and have taught business courses at the college level). So, I dove in and began learning a lot of tough lessons! Sales were meager, but I made a profit every year. A couple years later, I brought in a partner, Chris Fenwick, who had a fiction book entitled "the 100th Human." While I handled the business operation and investments, Chris developed and promoted her book with great success. For a time, this book hit #1 in Amazon's metaphysical fiction category. We were very pleased. Then came my divorce. Sunbury's operation was essentially suspended for two years while this was settled.

Early in 2010, my (new) wife Tammi and I decided to restart Sunbury Press with a new business model. We both have had long careers in information technology --- she "retired" after 20 years and I am still going strong at 29 years. Both of us have been computer programmers and consultants. We both see publishing as digital content management - evolving from a paper-based manufacturing business model to digital content creation and distribution. Each eBook is a computer program - each eReader is really a computer. In a sense, our backgrounds in information technology have prepared us well for this business at this time.

Jerry/GLVWG: I understand that Sunbury Press is built on a different model than traditional publishers. It’s hard enough for authors to completely understand the publishing industry in the first place. Now with the entire business model changing so rapidly, we need to keep up with new variations that are beginning to appear. Could you help us form a clearer picture of how you are the same as or different from other publishers?

Lawrence: Sure. Let me list a few key points.

1) We avoid dealing with struggling or failing enterprises - so we do not deal with Barnes & Noble retail or Books-A-Million. We feel both of these entities are not long for the world - at least in their current format. Instead, we embrace independents - we love to deal with other small businesses and have met a variety of bookstore owners across the country.

2) We sell "wanted" books - we do not embrace the old "push" model of print / promote / pray. We love to work with motivated authors who believe in their work and like to talk about it with others. Authors who are able to play the role of agent and publicist do well with Sunbury.

We embrace social media. It is absolutely essential to build these networks of connections and provide content to them on a regular basis. While they may not lead to a lot of direct sales, they build brand recognition and give you a "pulse."

We put no value in paid reviews or the formal review process. Many reviewers request galley copies up to 6 months ahead of release. Honestly, this is just too slow for us! Additionally, we have found paid reviews to be totally worthless.

We believe in "Free." Nothing sells better than a free book that is high quality! We have found "Free" campaigns to be very effective. Print advertising is dead. Paid advertising is too risky - it makes no sense to pay a pile of money and hope to sell enough books to cover your cost. By simply giving away the books, the consumer has no reason not to try. Customer reviews are king. This is a key objective of our free campaigns.

3) We believe the publisher role is still absolutely necessary - while some authors (myself as an example) are able to handle the business and creative sides well, most cannot or have no interest in doing so. The vast majority of authors want to research and write - and not worry about eBook formatting or foreign rights contracts or finding the lowest cost POD printer.

We believe the publisher needs to become the retailer and distributor - most books are now sold vie eCommerce - whether print or eBook.

We do not embrace the old production schedule --- that could last up to 18 months. Instead, our average new title, from time of contract signing, is on the market within 90 days. We believe in the "long tail" approach to product life cycle --- produce a quality product / introduce it to the market / promote over the long haul. The old model put all of the promotion just before release and relied on a burst of sales in the beginning.

4) We do not charge our authors for anything --- and only select about 10% of the work that is presented to us.

5) We love what we do and have fun doing it.

Jerry/GLVWG: That helps a lot. Thank you. Let me ask a couple of follow up questions about your business model. For example, traditional publishers had to print thousands of copies, warehouse them and distribute them. With new printing methods, the economics have changed drastically. Ebooks cost zero to manufacture. But Print on Demand is a different story. Even though you don’t need to load palettes of a book into a warehouse, it still costs money to print and mail. Do you expect publishers and authors will make any money at all from POD books, or is all the money in eBooks?

Lawrence Knorr: First, let's be clear about the cost of eBooks. There is a fixed cost associated with the editing, design and formatting activities plus the cost of promotion. While there is no cost to duplicate and only small fees to distribute, the lower prices associated with eBooks means (usually) a lower profit margin per unit sold - meaning a longer path to break-even. With POD books, we are able to charge more for them (than eBooks) and can cover the printing and shipping costs. We actually make more per unit sold of trade paperbacks - especially when we are the retailer.

Jerry/GLVWG: One reason that authors need publishers is because of the company’s reputation for editing excellent books. However, in recent years, traditional publishers have been cutting editing budgets, so authors can’t always rely on this service. What is Sunbury’s position on the place of editing in the publishing process? How much time and expertise do you devote to each work in order to bring it up to a polished, professional, public-worthy level?

Lawrence Knorr: We take the quality of our products very seriously. Selecting high quality manuscripts and then editing them properly achieves this - and enhances our brand name. So, to answer your question, editing is absolutely essential. Our editors are employees of our company - so while the big firms are laying them off, we are hiring. A typical 250 page novel can take 20 to 40 hours of their time to edit. Thus, we make a substantial investment out of the gate in our author's works.

Jerry/GLVWG: As the self-publishing wave explodes, the barrier to publishing has diminished. Authors now can publish books themselves. That’s fabulous news for aspiring authors who want to see their work in print, but not such great news for readers who don’t know which books are excellent, versus books that are distributed prematurely. How do you intend to convince readers that the books you publish are worth reading?

Lawrence Knorr: First and foremost, we are building our brand name and reputation. This separates us from the vanity presses and unknown self-publishers in the marketplace. You can usually tell by the cover design - the blurbs - the reviews - the first few pages - a book which has had the proper amount of attention prior to being released to the market.

Jerry/GLVWG: Many publishing companies try to establish a niche market, like children, health, religion, or self-help, or whatever. This could help build a catalog along specific topic lines. Do you see Sunbury leaning toward any niche?

Lawrence Knorr: We are trying to be a general publisher and avoid being pigeon-holed into a category or two. We have had success in a number of diverse categories. It makes the work much more interesting!

Jerry/GLVWG: What books have you published that are especially representative or successful elements of your line?

Lawrence Knorr: "The Cursed Man" by Keith Rommel is a great example of our horror/psycho-thriller line. Tom Malafarina's works also do well for us in this category. The two "Beagle Tales" books by Bob Ford are indicative of our homespun non-fiction targeted at more rural communities/readers. "The Hidden Legacy of World War II" by Dr. Carol Schultz Vento is an excellent history representative of our histories / memoirs. "Keystone Tombstones" is a good example of our Pennsylvania histories. "Fireproof Moth" is an example of our international reach.

Jerry/GLVWG: What can you share about your submission guidelines? (book proposal, query letter, first chapter, etc)

Lawrence Knorr: Please see our website for all of these details. There is a proposal form available at: http://sunburypress.com/call.html

Jerry/GLVWG: Do the new economics translate into any additional financial incentive for your authors?

Lawrence Knorr: Some costs are reduced, but others are increased. For instance, there is a lot of effort to setting up a good eBook work process that considers multiple formats as outputs. There is also a need to invest in tools for formatting eBooks - and for people skilled with these tools. The legacy publishing industry based its revenue and profit model -- and author compensation -- on a foundation of hard cover sales first - then paperback. Hardcovers were very profitable for publishers and allowing them to compensate authors well. My fear is there is a smaller pie with eBooks - but hopefully fewer players going for the pie. For instance, rather than having author-agent-publisher-wholesaler-retailer, we can reduce the chain to author-publisher-retailer. We are trying to also become an online retailer, shortening the chain even further. Highly skilled authors - near perfect writers with technical knowledge and business skills - could possibly go completely solo --- or deal with retailers themselves, skipping the publisher.

Jerry/GLVWG: What more would you like to say to a prospective conference attendee about the types of things you are looking for and the relationships you would like to establish?

Lawrence Knorr: "It has never been easier to publish a book - and it has never been harder to sell one."

The publishing industry is changing dynamically. What took centuries to evolve is unraveling in months -- even weeks. Sunbury Press is at the leading edge of this adventure into 21st Century publishing.

Many authors come to us who have tried publishing on their own - tried the vanity press route - tried handling it all themselves. They've realized how tough it is to sell books to more than friends and family. When you're ready, give us a try... 

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Interviewer, Jerry Waxler, M.S., blogs and conducts interviews with memoir authors at http://www.memorywritersnetwork.com/blog