Writers in the Storm

John Peragine

It is a golden light shining in the distance, that day we can finally say to family and friends that our book is a bestseller. We have made it, right? That's it, the academy award for our hard labor. But what does it mean?

Readers and those in the publishing industry can have different views of what bestseller status means.

For the Reader

For a reader, if a book is deemed a bestseller or appears on a list, it means the book is selling well. Therefore, the book must be good, correct?

Not necessarily. Have you ever seen the list of top movies for the Academy Awards? Have you always enjoyed them? Me neither. There are specific standards and processes that determine which a film gets nominated.

Bestseller books are often the same. Remember, they are called bestsellers—not "best books." And like movies, everyone has their own taste in books. Bestselling books reach that level because they have the best "selling" strategy. There is also a standard and process that goes into labeling a book a "bestseller."

With millions of books on the market, readers can't always decide what to read. They may have a particular genre or authors they love, but even then, they may have thousands of choices.

Bestseller status cuts through the noise a bit, and psychologically we conclude it is worth a try. It can't be that bad. I'll let you be the judge.

For the Author

As authors, we often review that acceptance speech for our book award, or imagine how cool we will look on TV when we are interviewed—or perhaps how many zeros will be on our royalty check.

We get that bestseller sticker on our book, we open our royalty statement, and there are a bunch of zeroes all right. What happened? Once we got the designation, it was supposed to be easy street.

I often tell the authors I work with that if they want to make money on a book, they must commit two things: a great book and a great marketing plan.

A Great Book

What makes a great book? It's well written, well edited, and looks great. That means you took the time to write it, no matter how long that takes, and didn't rush. Taking the time to write a great book gives it an evergreen quality that goes well beyond momentary bestseller status.

If your book was picked up by a publisher, then it will likely go through a developmental edit, a copy edit, and proofreading. If you are self-publishing, then you have found a way to fund a solid edit.

Finally, your cover looks great, as does the layout. Your book's appearance matters so much when people are considering whether to buy. The cover draws you in, and the fonts are perfect. The book looks professionally done and, unless the reader looks at the copyright page, they won't be able to determine whether your book was self-published or created by one of the big five publishers.

If you are self-publishing, there is going to be a cost. However, without the qualities I have mentioned above, your book will struggle to make sales and, therefore, struggle to become a bestseller.

You can do it.

It can take time, and it can mean that you have to ask others for help—but remember, a book is a business. Without some capital, it can be difficult. Many authors are discovering that, even if they are picked up by a publisher, their advances are quickly eaten up with marketing costs.

Great Marketing

Do you need to hire a marketing team or a publicist? It can help, but it's not always necessary. If you have a great book, people will notice—you just need an excellent plan to get it in front of your audience.

You need to be your own promoter. You need to get your book out there and be shameless about it. The competition is high, so you need to work harder than your competitors.

If you don't have a lot of funds initially to market, then educate yourself. WITS is a great place to start. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You can become part of the writing community. We are all in this together, and partnering with other authors can be a great marketing plan.

Book marketing is never: "You write it, and they will come." You must bring your book to the people. Use social media, blogs, and podcasts. The more people who hear about your book, the more people who will buy it, and the closer you will come to bestseller status.

For the Publishing Industry

Those who understand how bestsellers work have a different view. We understand better how books make bestseller lists, and the truth is not always pretty, nor is it always clear.

The big lists like NYT and Publishers Weekly pull their lists from Nielsen BookScan. But is that all they base their lists on? How many books do you need to sell to be on those lists? Where do you need to sell books from to be counted?

These answers can become complicated quickly. If you sell 3,000 books at a big event, why wouldn't they be counted towards bestseller status? The answer lies in where the event bought the books. If they purchased through a local bookstore, then yes, there is a good chance they would count, but if they were shipped directly from the distributor, then no.

Then there is the whole question of the legitimacy of Amazon Bestsellers. There are strong opinions about Amazon, but mine is that it doesn't matter. It is a gamified system in which people can see their book on the top of a list at a particular time. Boom! They are a bestseller. Did they sell 1,000 books, 10,000 books, or perhaps two?

It doesn't matter because it is not about the authors or the publishing industry's perspective of Amazon Bestsellers. It has everything to do with the readers' perception. If they believe that an Amazon Bestseller status matters, then it matters. If it gets more people to buy more books, then it matters.

The caveat, of course, is that a book must have excellent writing and great editing, plus it needs to look great. That is what sells more books than any title of "bestseller.

Word of mouth. Positive, authentic reviews. Professional reviews. People talking about how great your book is provides you the most significant advantage of becoming a bestseller in large publications and guarantees fewer zeros on your royalty statement, unless you are counting those on the left of the decimal.

Bestseller Significance

Does being a bestseller matter? The answer truly lies in you. If it matters to you, then it matters. It can be difficult, expensive, and frustrating, but never impossible. If you have the writing, the editing, and the look, you have a better chance of achieving "bestseller."

If you ask other writers who have achieved NYT Bestseller status whether it helped their sales or increased their future success on new books, you get mixed reviews. Often it comes down to expectations.

If they thought a NYT Bestseller status would win them the Pulitzer, triple their sales, or double their next advance, they could be disappointed. If it was merely a dream, and they were happy to see their name listed, then it could be their greatest accomplishment.

Be brilliant, keep the dream, and write on!

Have you been a bestseller? Do you long to be a bestseller? What does bestseller status mean to you?

About John

John Peragine has published 14 books and ghostwritten more than 100 others. He is a contributor for HuffPost, Reuters, and The Today Show. He covered the John Edwards trial exclusively for Bloomberg News and The New York Times. He has written for Wine Enthusiast, Grapevine Magazine, Realtor.com, WineMakermagazine, and Writer's Digest.

John began writing professionally in 2007, after working 13 years in social work and as the piccolo player for the Western Piedmont Symphony for over 25 years. Peragine is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. His newest book, Max and the Spice Pirates, will be released in Summer 2020.  

Julie Glover

Podcasts have grown a lot since their inception in 2004. According to Edison Research, as of 2019, fifty-one percent of Americans over age 12 have ever listened to a podcast, with 32% having listened in the prior month and 22% in the prior week. I suspect a number of WITS readers are among those listeners!

With that in mind, let's talk about podcasts specifically for writers.

The Basics of Podcasts

Podcasts are digital audio files you can listen to through any internet-connected device with audio, but most often it's your phone. In fact, the word itself derives from iPod + broadcast, though there are now many podcast subscribers beyond Apple.

If you don't know where to go to find podcasts, here are just a few apps you can use to discover and play shows:

• Apple podcasts / iTunes
• Stitcher
• Google Play
• Spotify
• Castbox
• PocketCasts
• Podbean

https://youtu.be/hQSt-eFBhB4

Choosing the Right Podcast

The right podcast(s) for you depends on your goals and desires. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

What information do you need or want? Are you looking for inspiration or camaraderie with other authors? Do you want writing craft advice? Are you focused on marketing know-how? Some podcasts cover a wide array of topics, while other niche down to give you their slice of the information pie.

How much time do you have? Podcast episodes vary in length, from a few minutes to over an hour. Choose podcasts that fit into your schedule. Also, most podcast apps include an option to speed up the audio and/or trim silence within the episode, which can save time.

How often do you want to listen? Podcasts also vary in how often they release. You might want episodes 2-3 times a week or only once a week or less. Some podcasts even have seasons, like TV shows, and take breaks in between.

What format do you prefer? Podcasts are simply downloadable audio shows and can include solo coaching, interviews, round-table discussions, or stories. What appeals to one listener won't appeal to another.

Whose "voice" do you like? We writers often talk about an author's voice, that style that distinguishes between reading a Stephen King horror novel and a Jill Shalvis contemporary romance. Likewise, podcast hosts have unique styles, and you should opt for the voices that engage you.

Some Podcasts to Try

This is by no means a cumulative or even sufficient list of podcasts for writers. I guarantee I've left out some amazing offerings, but we'll ask readers to add their recommendations in the comments section.

Here are some podcasts, though, to try out!

Hopefully, somewhere in there you can find something worth your listening time.

One final tip: You can listen to podcasts through Bluetooth speakers or from your desktop, but if you're using headphones, be sure to invest in a good set. They need to be comfortable enough in or around your ears that they won't distract you or prevent you from wanting to listen.

Okay, it's your turn...

What podcasts for writers do you recommend?

About Julie

Julie Glover writes mysteries and young adult fiction. Her YA contemporary novel, SHARING HUNTER, finaled in the 2015 RWA® Golden Heart® and is now on sale! When not writing, she collects boots, practices rampant sarcasm, and advocates for good grammar and the addition of the interrobang as a much-needed punctuation mark.

Julie is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. You can visit her website here and also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

About Cruising Writers

Cruising Writers brings writers together with bestselling authors, an agent, and a world-renowned writing craft instructor writing retreats around the world. Cruise this November with Angela Ackerman, fabulous writing coach and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus, NYT bestselling author Darynda Jones, and agent Jennifer Udden of New Leaf Literary.

Source: Edison Research. “The Podcast Consumer 2019.”

Photo credit: Image by Csaba Nagy from Pixabay

Eldred “Bob” Bird

I liken the writing process to using different boxes of crayons. Remember when you were a kid and got the big sixty-four color pack with the sharpener in the bottom? You could draw whole worlds in amazing detail with the color palette provided by that box. That's novel writing, with its infinite possibilities and wide open spaces.

As writers, words are our crayons and the page is our canvas. We may have 300 or more canvases to fill when writing a novel, so there is ample opportunity to use every color in the box. We can draw characters, worlds, and scenes with three-dimensional depth, adding splashes of color and deep shadows wherever we like. We are free and unfettered as we sketch our multi-picture masterpieces.

Cutting It Short

I’ve been asked why I continue to write short stories after completing three novels. Many assume that, once you master the intricacies of novel length storytelling, writing in a shorter form is a step backward. Nothing could be further from the truth. In some ways, short stories are more difficult to write than novels.

Remember the little twelve-pack of crayons (perfect for road trips and Christmas stockings)? Imagine trying to draw the same picture with the 12 that you did with the 64-pack. The bad news is—you can’t. You simply don’t have the room. You’re in short story territory now. As much as you push, pull, tug, and stuff, you’ll never fit everything on the more limited canvas of a short story.

You’re going to have to cut something, but what?

Writing short makes you focus on the details that really matter when it comes to getting the message across clearly and concisely. As in novel writing, you still need a beginning, middle, and end, but they’re going to be much closer together.

The good news is that while your palette is limited, you don’t have to use the basic colors provided in that little twelve pack. You get to choose which crayons you pull from the big box, or in our case, which words. Time to grab for those the bright colors.

Squeezing It All In

The shorter you write, the more important word choice becomes. A powerful word in just the right situation can do the same heavy lifting as a whole sentence, or sometimes even a paragraph.

If you’re drawing a Caribbean beach, you wouldn’t use just any old blue crayon for the water, right? No, you’d look for a perfect crystal clear blue—a shade that with one look tells you that you’re standing on a beach in the tropics, not the stormy Pacific Northwest.

The same holds true when we chose words for a short story, so get out your thesaurus and look for those power words that paint a picture all on their own.

Some quick tips:

1. Focus on those verbs. These are action words that can do the powerlifting.
2. Keep it simple. Mark Twain said, “Don’t use a five dollar word when a fifty cent word will do."
3. Readers are drawn toward words with strong consonants.
4. Alliteration—using words with the same beginning sound—is another powerful technique.

Something a Little Flashier

If you really want to challenge yourself as a writer, try flash fiction. That's the two crayons they give your kid at a restaurant. Here’s my best advice—grab the darkest crayon you’ve got and play with the shadows. You don’t have a lot of room for details, so give us one pop of color and then use contrast to your advantage.

Flash fiction is more akin to poetry when it comes to creating powerful images and deep emotions while using few words. Playing on the five senses generally yields the quickest results in this case. Sights, sounds, tastes, and smells can trigger strong memories and familiar images. Playing off those memories will have the reader filling in the colors for you. Imply the beginning, maybe give a quick peek at the middle, and then slap us hard with a visceral ending.

Some Parting Words

Whatever the size of your canvas, it’s easy to fall into the over-explaining/over-describing trap when we have so many colors at our disposal. Too many colors (or the wrong ones) can confuse the reader or push them away. Striking a proper balance is key, no matter the length of your story. Check out this post for more on the subject.

A Little Challenge

Okay people, now it’s your turn. Let’s try a little flash fiction. Grab those crayons and draw a quick, powerful picture in the comments using 25 words or less. I’ll start:

New lovers kiss. I turn away, but see your passion reflected in the glass. I swallow the shattered memory. This place is ours no longer.

About Eldred

Eldred Bird writes contemporary fiction, short stories, and personal essays. He has spent a great deal of time exploring the deserts, forests, and deep canyons inside his home state of Arizona. His James McCarthy adventures, Killing Karma, Catching Karma, and the soon to be released Cold Karma, reflect this love of the Grand Canyon State even as his character solves mysteries amidst danger. Eldred explores the boundaries of short fiction in his stories, The Waking Room, Treble in Paradise: A Tale of Sax and Violins, and The Smell of Fear.

When he’s not writing, Eldred spends time cycling, hiking and juggling (yes, juggling…bowling balls and 21-inch knives). His passion for photography allows him to record his travels. He can be found on Twitter or Facebook, or at his website.