tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post1371738912411432827..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Snout to tail promotionJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22955368657070127372016-01-04T09:04:10.211-05:002016-01-04T09:04:10.211-05:00Instead of a story contest one week, could you hav...Instead of a story contest one week, could you have authors post their bios? It would give us a chance to practice writing effective bios and see a large group of successful and unsuccessful bios. Pretty please with chum on top?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11042798648454483021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-62712461600825483932015-12-29T14:09:11.284-05:002015-12-29T14:09:11.284-05:00This blog post gave me new hope. Perfectly timed a...This blog post gave me new hope. Perfectly timed as I've put my website on my to do list for this holiday break. How smart of me to realize that I needed to dust it off, even though I'm still procrastinating. So, that list of things I was going to do has blown out of the grimy window that needed cleaning and landed atop the car that needed to be washed. Instead I'll revamp the website and rewrite my author's profile. I am so blessed to live a writer's life - I can honestly tell the hubster that I'm working today and won't have to lift a finger around the house. Yay for me! :)Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995629732548331190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10689992463562033242015-12-29T13:39:23.425-05:002015-12-29T13:39:23.425-05:00Stephen, congratulations on all fronts! Awesome bi...Stephen, congratulations on all fronts! Awesome bio. May your readers descend upon the "Buy Now" button like ravenous, needy corpses ;) <br /><br />I frickin love hearing about and celebrating the successes of fellow Janet/QS readers =)<br /><br />"You want an author bio that's charming (like Stephen's) because it could be the difference between someone buying a book they're not sure they'll like when the author sound like a nice, funny guy." <br /><br />Janet's point is so wicked true--usually if I really love a short story or book, chances are whatever flair the author offers in their bio will also resonate with me; if I'm on the fence about buying a book the bio can be the thing that gets me to commit or go elsewhere. <br /><br />That's not to say that I expect every author bio to entertain me over informing me tho--I've definitely seen bios where the author tries so hard to be clever that the only thing I learn about the author is that they make me cringe with proximal embarrassment. But when it's authentic, a detail outside of the common bio formula or a fun turn of phrase makes me better remember the author and feel a greater sense of investment in their work.Elenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07834627471326416945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-87049576196183734202015-12-29T10:26:19.270-05:002015-12-29T10:26:19.270-05:00Ashes said: "Now I know. Writing a bio, getti...Ashes said: "Now I know. Writing a bio, getting an author photo taken, cleaning up my website. These are all things my poor little woodland creature brain thought a marketing department would help with."<br /><br />Well they will give you support, but for those things it'll probably be in the form of telling you to write a bio, get a photo taken, and clean up your site.<br /><br />Seriously, that's not what you want the marketing department spending their time on. They will be dealing with bookstore chains or libraries, the things you can't do. Besides, how is someone who doesn't know you supposed to write your bio for you? You're the one who's living your life. If you're not sure what's interesting about you, ask some good friends for ideas. You might be surprised at what they come up with.Jenzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11652680551107638557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-50358973939573851402015-12-29T08:27:19.635-05:002015-12-29T08:27:19.635-05:00Hi Janet,
I share a name with a published author....Hi Janet,<br /><br />I share a name with a published author. Thus “Almitra.” I know that I will have to correspond with industry professionals by my given name. Should I also make it clear publicly that Almitra is my pen name?<br /><br />Thanks to the white guy who used a Chinese pen name to publish a poem, I am a little worried that any obfuscation of my very white ethnicity is going to cause problems. The name I have chosen could lead people to assume that I’m not white. Should I be concerned?<br /><br />Thank you!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01488697356459881105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-86727833244346578872015-12-28T23:30:05.566-05:002015-12-28T23:30:05.566-05:00Congratulations, Stephen.
I'm still mulling o...Congratulations, Stephen.<br /><br />I'm still mulling over Janet's advice about the newsletter. I don't sign up for them, even from my favorite authors, and I'd always thought anything connected with email was on the decline. I read blogs. I come here to learn, so....newsletter.Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18165072684559960801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6093004624000114602015-12-28T22:02:12.233-05:002015-12-28T22:02:12.233-05:00Congratulations, Stephen! Sounds like it was fun ...Congratulations, Stephen! Sounds like it was fun to write and will be fun to read :) <br /><br />And thank goodness for Kitty for expressing my own confusion. Thank you to everyone who explained, too. I still can't imagine doing this before getting an agent/ published, though. It would feel way too presumptuous! <br /><br />Hope this isn't too far off topic: I am curious how someone with a pen name would handle these things. I am planning on using one even though I know now that it will prob. give something between a slight and extreme disadvantage as far as marketing. Assuming your name is NOT Stephen King, at what point would you mention a pen name in the querying/ publishing process? <br /><br />Jennifer: glad your dog's lumps appeared benign!<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16452613533552903695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-27431383537170325392015-12-28T21:40:10.128-05:002015-12-28T21:40:10.128-05:00Sorry, but once again I am here way too late and t...Sorry, but once again I am here way too late and there are way too many comments to read through, so I'm just going to say — wow, congrats Stephen!LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59908623519597177782015-12-28T20:54:14.952-05:002015-12-28T20:54:14.952-05:00Congratulations Stephen!
And thank you QOTKU for ...Congratulations Stephen!<br /><br />And thank you QOTKU for another very informative post. Megan Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00752842865397799428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10540090229576581972015-12-28T18:39:30.991-05:002015-12-28T18:39:30.991-05:00Something bothered me about this post and it took ...Something bothered me about this post and it took me half the day to figure it out. <br /><br />Now I know. Writing a bio, getting an author photo taken, cleaning up my website. These are all things my poor little woodland creature brain thought a marketing department would help with.<br /><br />Having (not a ton I realized, but at least some, I thought) support from a marketing department was on my list of Traditional Publishing Pros. Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12797621675670255704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-68685192703797174532015-12-28T18:04:26.511-05:002015-12-28T18:04:26.511-05:00The good news with email lists and newsletters is ...The good news with email lists and newsletters is that you can really make it as simple or complex as you have the time for/interest in.<br /><br />On the really simple end, you can at least email your list when your next book is out. That's it, that's all -- but even that is huge, and collecting those emails in the first place is key.<br /><br />I also think fewer words, more frequently is the way to go if you want to do newsletters or updates. At least for myself, I'd much rather read 1 amusing anecdote every two weeks from my favourite author than receive a long quarterly newsletter. The longer a piece is, the more likely I am to get distracted before I reach the end and then never go back.<br /><br />Now back to writing...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00331026594971237758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-77645265453903469202015-12-28T17:56:18.508-05:002015-12-28T17:56:18.508-05:00Stephen,
First off, thank you for your service, b...Stephen,<br /><br />First off, thank you for your service, both in and out of the sandbox. Clerical error indeed. <br /><br />Second congratulations! It sounds like a great book. I haven't read any zombie books since the Morning Star Strain series by Zach Recht. This one sounds great. I love a little humor with my zombies.<br /><br />Now, why couldn't I have heard about this yesterday when I was cursing under my breath and buying colored pencils for my Outlander coloring book? I don't think I've ever walked away with one item. Ever. Somehow books fraternize and sneak into my shopping cart. I also wound up with five new books. I left GANGRENE AND GLORY behind, ignoring its forlorn whimpers. I imagine it will sneak in the basket when I return for your book.<br /><br />I have books filemot with age I haven't read yet, but I can't resist this. Good job. <br /><br />Regarding the laundry list of things I need to do . . . I'm putting my ear muffs on. My bio is boring as horse pee and I don't want to think about pictures. Well, I have thought about them, but not like I should. I've always liked those pictures of the authors in a sweater, sitting there with a pipe in one hand. I'm thinking a nice Canadian sweater with buffalo skulls on it and a peace pipe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-35548677217655948802015-12-28T16:49:42.134-05:002015-12-28T16:49:42.134-05:00I always want to put an 'e' at the end of ...I always want to put an 'e' at the end of Caron.CynthiaMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175917641033760408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21464405036188558372015-12-28T16:30:50.088-05:002015-12-28T16:30:50.088-05:00I've established a routine of sorts while I...I've established a routine of sorts while I'm home: writing and cleaning in the morning, movie marathons in the afternoon. I've noticed all my favorite movies come from books or stories. I'm watching Father Goose at the moment - Cary Grant and Leslie Carone with Trevor Howard. I've seen it so many times and it never fails to make me laugh.CynthiaMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175917641033760408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-13808269119804027732015-12-28T16:06:03.150-05:002015-12-28T16:06:03.150-05:00Oh, one more thing!! About the Google search. My b...Oh, one more thing!! About the Google search. My brother (who is a hotshot online marketing VP at a MAJOR company) has informed me that if you search your name on your own computer, you should definitely come up first because Google has cached your name and the sites you visit often. You do visit your own website often to update it, right?<br /><br />Anyway, the real test is to have a stranger Google you on his or her own computer. Then you'll know whether or not a stranger can find you easily. One plus to having an unusual last name like Cattapan is that it's pretty easy for other people to find me. Not a lot of other Cattapans out there. :)A.J. Cattapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14568787801458618845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76180821356065376372015-12-28T15:58:45.582-05:002015-12-28T15:58:45.582-05:00I'll admit I was a bad author and didn't s...I'll admit I was a bad author and didn't start my newsletter subscription early enough. I was worried I'd have nothing to say until AFTER I had a book come out. Now I realize that I could have just done a quarterly newsletter and talked a bit about my writing process, highlighted a couple key blog posts, and updated people on my publication journey.<br /><br />So for all of you not-yet-published authors out there, please heed the advice of the QOTKU. Don't get your panties all in a wad about it. Just start small. Do a quarterly newsletter and get your friends and family members to sign up. Then slowly build it. Offer freebies to people who sign up.<br /><br />Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to work on the next freebie I'll be offering with my newsletter. :)A.J. Cattapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14568787801458618845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-3158255559196780342015-12-28T15:14:53.401-05:002015-12-28T15:14:53.401-05:00Congratulations Stephen. What a lovely bio. Your b...Congratulations Stephen. What a lovely bio. Your book sounds like a great read and to have QOTKU plug it, wow!<br /><br />Before internet I would send over 200 original Christmas cards. I haven't yet graduated to Mailchimp but I do subscribe to newsletters and unsubscribe to those I've "inadvertently" undersigned.<br /><br />Colin, I'd subscribe to your newsletter.<br /><br />Brian has the best advice. angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51733345121311176772015-12-28T14:06:56.916-05:002015-12-28T14:06:56.916-05:00Fantastic, Stephen. So happy for you. Brilliant bi...Fantastic, Stephen. So happy for you. Brilliant bio.<br /><br />And this:<br /><br />"You're pretty needy for a corpse," Toomey said.<br /><br />You must have had an advance copy of Barbara Baig's Spellbinding Sentences because you elevated that sentence from so-so to spectacular. Great stuff. <br /><br />This reminder is perfectly timed with the new year. I didn't realize mailchimp was free. There must be different versions, which is no surprise. I really like the idea of pushing forward, that's a great lesson. Thanks for that ... and for so much else I learn here.John Frainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01702305890462479118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-79797327383986471002015-12-28T13:57:09.702-05:002015-12-28T13:57:09.702-05:00Congratulations to Stephen, from another former Ni...Congratulations to Stephen, from another former Night of the Living Dead Pennsylvanian. Your bio is brilliant. I am still working on mine, although I do have one good line, the rest is still a little dry. Now I am inspired, both to rewrite my bio and to read your book.<br /><br />And Jennifer, there is nothing wrong with putting whipping cream in coffee. <br /><br />Happy almost New Year everyone. Time for my resolution to revive my newsletter (I use Mailchimp,mwhich is pretty user friendly) and quit spending so much time on the internet.<br />Oops.<br />Thanks again for all the great advice and great comments.Panda in Chiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160375490647791433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-8005711257048404732015-12-28T13:20:51.648-05:002015-12-28T13:20:51.648-05:00And I forgot to congratulate Stephen, of course. S...And I forgot to congratulate Stephen, of course. So congrats, Stephen! And your bio does look amazing ^^<br /><br />Also, some agents request a bio, specifically, in their submission guidelines. <br /><br />BJ: thanks for the well wishes! The vet just thinks they're fatty lipomas, nothing he worried about even to needle aspirate. And in the office, Elka was a fine upstanding example of her breed, behavior wise (we needn't get into her conformation, which is not her fault). Very in tune to me, ignored the other dogs, etc. Couldn't have asked for better!Jennifer R. Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363886899308588391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46328821039003409902015-12-28T13:09:17.815-05:002015-12-28T13:09:17.815-05:00I'm Heading back to the bio which is a masterp...I'm Heading back to the bio which is a masterpiece of writing. Awarded a bronze star from an administrative error? Pennslvania the bithplace of place of the modern zombie? (I'll never look at the corn field in front of my house quite the same way ever again.) This little bio packs in so much, hinting at masterful writing inside. For me this is the only kind of marketing that works. Not Twitter, not Facebook, not a blog. Brilliant writing, plus someone like Janet, or anyone else who knows her stuff and appreciates good writing, making a recommendation. That is genius in marketing. I'm going to by this book.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02694333358894726440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-22195655753119508542015-12-28T12:50:43.746-05:002015-12-28T12:50:43.746-05:00No one freak out about this, okay?
There are lot...No one freak out about this, okay? <br /><br />There are lots of reasons you might want a bio before you land an agent or need a website. A few I've run into:<br /><br />* for a CP match making thing<br />* for a contest (can't remember which one now)<br />* for an essay submission (I submitted to the Not that Bad project, a collection of essays on sexual assault, edited by Roxane Gay and Ashley Ford. I almost didn't enter because so many "real" authors submitted but then I reminded myself I'm a real author too, dammit, and I should let my work speak for itself instead of fretting over my lack of name recognition).Lucie Witthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08521285162656949602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55184323759439658632015-12-28T12:21:18.363-05:002015-12-28T12:21:18.363-05:00Congratulations, Stephen!
Bios don't bother ...Congratulations, Stephen! <br /><br />Bios don't bother me - I have to do one for every show.<br /><br />Great post, Janet. Thanks!<br /><br />Hubby's home health nurse passed him on to physical therapy so he's on the upswing. At least now he's able to sleep. I'm learning to catch cat naps in between med rounds. Thankfully I don't need much sleep. <br /><br />One of my goals while I'm off is to organize my writing (published and in progress).It's ridiculous how much I have stashed around here. <br />CynthiaMchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175917641033760408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26797008036159651592015-12-28T11:45:52.066-05:002015-12-28T11:45:52.066-05:00I'd like to thank all you commenters who made ...I'd like to thank all you commenters who made me feel I wasn't alone in panicking when I read this post. Mailing list? Website? For me? The sweat from my anxiety is just drying.<br /><br />I've just been reading here the last few months and I very much appreciate both the information in the posts and in the comments. I'm both intimidated by how much I have to learn and fascinated by all the twists and turns of this profession.Barb Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11233747506520116932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-931497862978751362015-12-28T11:38:32.323-05:002015-12-28T11:38:32.323-05:00Cool beans, Stephen! Janet's right (of course)...Cool beans, Stephen! Janet's right (of course), that's an awesome bio.<br /><br />This is one of those topics that's on the back-burner until I actually have a book worthy of an agent, and an agent to sell it. I can't bring myself to think about it until then--even if I should. Besides, those bios <i>are</i> hard to write. It took me ages to come up with my Twitter bio, let alone something that will feature on Amazon and the back of my book!<br /><br />One take away for me, though: don't wait until the last minute to do it. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.com