A Quick Guide To Self-Publishing Fiction Works

Posted on November 16, 2010 by

If you’re tired of getting one rejection letter after the other from publishing houses, then maybe it’s time that you try to have your works of fiction self-published for much better chances of getting noticed.

However, take note that it is your responsibility and no one else’s to do your homework on what it takes to have your own fiction published. Besides the vanity presses, there is now print-on-demand (POD) that has emerged as a viable competitor in the self-publishing business.

Marketing is another aspect of publishing your own fiction – you need to know how to do this if you aspire for success. If you know how to market your works, then you could sell in the thousands as opposed to hundreds. Keep your marketing strategies spotlessly clean and professional – no errors whatsoever.

Nobody wants to promote a book that is riddled with typographical errors or misspelled words, because they simply do not look professional, and the errors also make your work seem written for the sake of writing.

The Internet contains online discussion groups for various genres of fiction. Don’t be a wallflower, instead ask all the questions you need to ask and share all the info to help your fellow new writers out. You’ll find out what people are reading and what they like and may discover ways that you can polish your work to appeal to more readers.

Add more credibility to your online profile by adding a signature file on every correspondence you send. A signature file is a pre-written file that is automatically attached to the conclusion of an email message.

The signature file can contain information about your work of fiction and where the reader can purchase it. This alone is a powerful advertising tool that can spread the word around really fast.

You can save money on publishing and printing costs by using POD, or print on demand, as you only send the books out and print them when orders come in.

If you want a certain number of books printed out, you can pay a fee to a vanity publisher to get it done. The ball would then be in your court, as you would be free to market your book without any stipulations usually required by the big publishing firms.

Once you’ve made a name for yourself self-publishing your books, then maybe you’re ready to go one step higher and enlist the help of those big publishing houses. It may be enough to rattle their cage and make them want to take a chance on you.

Looking for simple cabin beds for the guest bedrooms or a stately Aspen log bedroom suite for the master? Our quality furniture comes in many shapes, sizes and styles to match any cabin dcor.

Posted in Writing | Tagged , | Comments Off

Getting People To Buy And Read Your Works Of Fiction

Posted on November 14, 2010 by

In the olden days of fiction publishing and marketing, the author sent her precious package of verbiage to an overworked and underpaid editor of a publishing company and waited for an acceptance (more often a rejection) letter in the mail.

You would basically have a small chance of success, and if it just so happened your work was chosen, you would then be notified and sent a pittance – a so-called “advance” for your book, which the publisher would try to market as a potential great work of fiction.

From that time on, you would leave it to the publisher to do all the marketing while you wait for the money to roll right in from sales commissions. And if you’d get lucky and the book would be a success, you would get invited to do a promotional tour.

It’s a totally different ballgame these days. No longer do the publishers do the dirty work – it’s the authors who do most of the sales pitches and marketing stuff. As an author, your job these days is to ask newsmen and your fellow authors to give testimonials, make sales pitches online and offline and basically create a hype for your book.

A catchy-looking book cover usually means that you’re putting something extra into your work and could gain additional sales this way. But this doesn’t necessarily mean adding bells and whistles and making a fancy cover – in fact, simple covers are better in attracting sales than more ornate ones.

You may choose to publish and hype your book through print on demand (POD) or distribute it to book stores, but in any case, you should avoid typographical errors at all costs. Make sure your books is edited carefully and the spelling checked multiple times before you have your book published or marketed.

But at the end of the day, the best fiction marketer for your book is staring at you in the mirror. Take some time to send out copies of your book to major reviewers like The New York Times and Publishers Weekly. You could become a huge buzzword in the book and publishing world if the New York Times or other major reviewers give you a good book review.

When you start writing your work of fiction, it could be a challenge, with nothing but a blank word processor screen or notebook in front of you. But the time you invest in promoting it will ultimately determine the outcome of the amount of sales you’ll realize.

There are many other ways you can induce hype for your book – you can hype it online or through traditional forms of media (radio, TV), or through smaller bookstores where you can set up your own book signing.

Above all, remember that you know your fiction book better than anyone else, so you are the perfect one to market it. Hard work and perseverance are the keys to successfully marketing your fiction book, and once you do, it wouldn’t matter as to what method you used.

Any occasion is a special occasion. Celebrate the moments in your life with fashionable bridal invitations and stylish invitations that will make a lasting impression.

Posted in Writing | Tagged , | Comments Off

You Can Write A Novel

Posted on November 12, 2010 by

If you’ve always wanted to write a novel and then, when you decide to start find you are stuck, don’t worry. Even prolific authors find it hard to get started with a new writing project. There are a few things you need to organize properly before embarking on your next Pulitzer Prize winning project. Working out who, what, where, when, why and how your novel will develop is a process that you need to go through in order to get started.

The success or failure of your novel will be greatly influenced by your mental attitude. If you see the project as fulfilling your dream of writing a book,your likelihood of success is far greater than if you see the project as a way to get rich quick.

Most authors will have a story about the hundreds of rejection letters they received before eventually being published. In fact, only 162,000 books are published in the US each year. That does not mean that yours cannot be one of them, but it does meant hat you should be realistic and expect some difficulty getting your manuscript published – even the bestselling authors of all time had to face rejection at some stage.

Once you have the right attitude, you are ready to look at what you are going to write about.

Obviously, you already have an idea or thoughts on what you want to write about. If you are a first time novelist, it is important for you to consider writing on something which you are passionate and have knowledge of. By doing so you will reduce the chances of you becoming bored and you can rest assured that if you become bored with the topic, it will increase the difficulty of writing your book.

Your subject for your book will also influence the style of writing you choose. If you are, for example, a school teacher and you want to write a high school drama, you should go to your local library and find as many books in this genre as you possibly can. Read them, taking note of they style of writing – casual, conversational, technical, dramatic etc. Some subjects suit a particular style of writing, and you would be well advised to stick to that style.

As you are well aware there are many other aspects to writing, which can make writing a book difficult, they are beyond the scope of this article at this time. However, by having the right mental attitude, writing about something you know or very passionate about, taking the time to develop your own style, you should be able to start writing a novel which could become the next “best seller” – especially with some solid guidance.

Glass fabricators, find the largest selection of used glass equipment available anywhere online. New equipment such as glass transport are added daily.

Posted in Writing | Tagged | Comments Off

Screenwriting Books – 5 Suggested Resources

Posted on November 11, 2010 by

There are thousands of different screenwriting books in the world. Here is a glimpse at 5 screenwriting books that my USC students have read and found useful: * The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider Secrets from Hollywood’s Top Writers. Written by Karl Iglesias, this book offers interviews with professional screenwriters who give insight to the entire process of screenwriting, from writing to selling, and beyond.

* How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method. Written by Viki King, this book focuses on turning the writing process into a quick and painless effort, by writing from your heart and then rewriting from your head. * Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. Blake Snyder wrote this instructional book on how to construct a screenplay. Snyder takes an entertaining, accessible approach that is also easy and enjoyable to follow for many writers.

* Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434: The Industry’s Premier Teacher Reveals the Secrets of the Successful Screenplay. Lew Hunter has written this book to provide people with a look at basic rules of screenplays today and throughout history. This would help people understand them before they start changing or breaking them.

* Pitching Hollywood: How to Sell Your TV and Movie Ideas. This book is Written by two producers and pitchmen. Jonathan Koch and Robert Kosberg teamed up with Tanya Meurer Norman to create this book about how to pitch ideas successfully.

Of course there are many more screenwriting books that are out there. You might as well find some useful which aren’t listed here. Being able to understand the process from someone else’s perspective never hurts, and by reading screenwriting books you might discover advice that supports your own, natural instincts for creation. These books can be your best mentor and guide.

Pen Densham is an award winning producer, director and author ofscreenwriting books. You can visit http://www.Ridingthealligator.com for free screenwriting tips and resources that can help you learn how to successfully write and sell screenplays.

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , | Comments Off

A Gator Guide For Three Ways To Sell

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

Now that you’ve written your movie, it’s time to talk about sales. You can’t be a successful screenwriter, after all, unless you get into the process of selling scripts and getting them on track to being made into features. Here are three ways that you can go about selling scripts.

* Work with an agent or manager to approach buyers on your behalf. If you are fortunate enough to find or have someone that can champion you and your scripts, take advantage of it. A manager or agent is trained and experienced in selling scripts because he or she understands the ecosystem of the industry; they know who to go to, what their market preferences are, and how to present your material in terms that sound successful. You need to do your own research and coordinate with the knowledge and contacts of your agent or manager when it comes to selling scripts effectively. They will be able to help you get through the process, educate you on selling and development, and ensure that you get a fair deal for your creative products.

* Use a lawyer. If you don’t yet have an agent or manager, the industry has a protocol where it will frequently accept script submissions from any legitimate lawyer. Your personal lawyer can therefore be helpful in the process of selling scripts. Lawyers give the studios, producers, and stars with production companies a sense of comfort about your professionalism. Their approach is always taken more seriously than a straightforward, unsolicited inquiry. In the event one does make a sale, it is best to use legal advice from people who have already gained experience in the industry’s conventions and contracts. You don’t need a lawyer to sell scripts, but it never hurts to have a little extra help on your team.

* Approach a buyer personally. If you don’t have a lawyer, manger or agent, this requires you to be more diligent and creative in how you approach potential buyers on your own like studios, producers, directors and actors with their own production companies. These group of buyers are constantly barraged with unsolicited spam-like approaches which irritate more than help sell. Your mission is to research your potential buyer deeply to understand and communicate in your approach that you value and know their previous work and to simply spell out how your material can extend their creative and financial opportunities. If you do submit directly to a buyer, you will be asked to sign a very in-depth and intimidating release form before your materials will be accepted.

These are three ways you can sell your scripts when you’re ready to share them with the world. There is no one right way to go. Everyone has different ideas about script sales and how to best navigate the process, and you need to find what works for you.

Pen Densham is an award winning producer, director and author ofscreenwriting books. Visit RidingtheAlligator.com for free tips on selling scripts, screenwriting and more.

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Sell A Screenplay – A Gator Guide On Three Things That You Should Know About Development

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

If you’ve been lucky enough to sell a screenplay, it’s a great achievement. Take time for celebration. Once you’ve gone through the process of selling and have been successful, you will enter the development phase, where you will be trying to interpret the goals that the buyer has in mind for your script. Here are three tips you must know during this process:

-Don’t fear change. Understand that buyers are going to want you to restructure your vision so that it matches theirs. You might be pained by the thought of changing your screenplay to meet the demands of the buyer, but that is part of the business. You must accept that changes may happen and learn to coordinate your creativity with their goals.

-You do not have to make every suggested change slavishly. Although you’ve sold your script to a buyer and they will have many suggestions, it would be a mistake to do everything that they ask of you if you feel it works against the best interests of the material. They have hired you because of your vision. Try and negotiate the changes to your screenplay in a manner that pleases both you and them. -Even if you do everything you possibly can to meet the goals and requirements of your buyer, there are many reasons – not critical of your effort – that can cause a screenplay not to become a movie: the studio has changed its marketing focus, the star that was interested has moved on to another project that filled his or her same artistic needs, some other company bought a movie that was similar in nature to the market ahead of yours…

If you want to sell a screenplay that impassions you, you have to keep taking critiques and rejections. It’s normal in this business. If there are consistent points raised by a number of different sources it is best to address them in your own rewrites.

Frequently you will also often find positive ideas in the reasons for being rejected that will actually inspire you to go back to your material. This is because they are meaningful and will enhance the possibility of selling it the next time. Criticism is not always a bad thing.

Pen Densham, an award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director that help you navigate your best chances tosell a screenplay successfully with his screenwriting book “Riding the Alligator”. For more screenwriting tips, visithttp://www.RidingtheAlligator.com

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Creative Screenwriting – Fresh Ideas Make For Success

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

When John Watson and I first came to Hollywood, we decided to meet with the marketing analysis people at Universal. We asked them one question: what do audiences want in their feature films? The answer that came back was stories that were “new”, “interesting” and “different”. Although the studios themselves were always puzzled on how to sell something they’d never seen before, they also knew the power of originality. If you take Steven Spielberg, for example, there really was no movie like Jaws before Jaws, or E.T. Close Encounters was also highly original. And to this day, Spielberg still brings audiences to theaters because they know they will experience things they’ve never seen before.

This means that there is a strong market for well-crafted, original ideas. But it also may be part of the responsibility of the writer to support their scripts with tools that help the buyers see how to market their creations. The most effective way we have seen that is to describe brand new ideas in terms of older successes – i.e. Alien is really “Jaws in space” – or Jurassic Park is “Jaws on land”. By making it seem familiar, the studio can then understand how to sell your product.

My pitch for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was ‘Robin Hood meets the pacing and grit of Raiders of the Lost Ark’. Until I framed it that way, the studios could only picture men running around in tights (which, ironically, ours paved the way for Mel Brooks to do – again). In creative screenwriting where you decide to be original, almost all things that are considered original and follow film structure will still be building on the legacy of earlier movies and extending off them. Sometimes, great ideas can be even discovered by literally trying to mix two successes together into a creative discovery.

Some things that at first sound like crazy ideas can actually result in very fertile concepts – off the top of my head I just combined the ‘The Exorcist meets The Great Escape’, and I get: a small group of priests volunteer to go into hell to rescue some innocent souls. Hey, that’s not too bad! This kind of creativity is called “bi-association” and can be effective in creating familiar-but-new stories and a method to getting to truly creative screenwriting. The greatest joy as a writer is putting your own mark on your own voice. Actors, directors, and even those jaded studio execs can be moved by the power of originality and creative screenwriting.

It is always challenging for creative people to enter into the unknown. Sometimes it’s hard to get ideas to come. Other times it’s hard to validate your ideas. But you are not alone. Almost anyone who writes has doubt. By becoming a writer you have elected to become an artist. It is a risk that you will not always be recognized for your qualities. With that risk also comes the reward when what you’ve written creates a film that can live for generations. It is not a career for the faint of heart, but it is an amazing opportunity to learn about yourself – and sometimes get paid for doing it.

If you found this article helpful you might like to visithttp://www.RidingtheAlligator.com where you’ll find useful information aboutcreative screenwriting and effective film script writing strategies.

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Screenwriting Course – What Works For You?

Posted on November 9, 2010 by

Which course to take? It’s a tough question because it’s hard to evaluate something before you’ve experienced it. My own son recently decided he wanted to take two different screenwriting courses to gain some new perspectives. He found one was more rigid, and the other was more sympatico.

It’s important that you gain knowledge from a screenwriting course, and this will happen even if you find it is not truly compatible with all the approaches that are being given in that course. In learning, even sometimes learning what you don’t like, can help you gain strength and knowledge. And sometimes a little discipline, or being forced to confront some of your choices by others can actually be a constructive process. Although I advocate writing from the heart, I also advocate writing that eventually makes sense to others who read it, as film is a medium of communication – while creativity is inspiration. There is a logic once writing has been achieved, that can make the process analyze-able, and this is where a screenwriting course can help.

Before you choose any course, look at the subject areas and try to communicate with the person or people who will be giving that course, to get an understanding to see if it meshes with your own goals. Like emotional intelligences, different courses will sometimes be rule-driven, while others will be intuitive. Try and find the courses that will most support your strengths and help you evolve strategies for re-thinking your areas of weakness.

A screenwriting course is a great way to meet other screenwriters struggling with problems similar to your own. Moreover it helps in creating a community of knowledge to share from that might harvest many useful new techniques and relationships. Also, before you choose your course, do a web search to see if there are any online resources reviewing or evaluating the course by those who have previously taken it. Alternatively, if you are already at a college, ask others who have experienced the course to give you their guidance on how appropriate it might be for your goals.

It is quite possible that some people will teach a course that does not work for your creative style and it is also possible that you might grow by taking a course that is different from your creative style. These are personal choices, but it’s best to go into these situations with your eyes open and with an optimistic view. And my son? In the end, he stayed with both of his screenwriting courses and found he could learn more by discussing with the sympatico teacher what the rigid teacher taught.

“Riding the Alligator” is the first book that explores both screenplay writing techniques, while simultaneously imparting industry-tested strategies for carving a successful, long term career.For more information on screenwriting course, visithttp://www.RidingtheAlligator.com

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Maneuvering The Fiction Book Publishing Process

Posted on November 8, 2010 by

If you want your works of fiction to be published, it takes careful planning and strategizing, among others. Getting a publisher to approve your fiction takes know-how, determination – and a little bit of luck.

Knowing how to submit your fiction manuscript is a key factor in whether your work will ever see the light of day at a bookstore. Still, it is easier to get fiction manuscripts approved compared to non-fiction, because of the fact that works of fiction need to be completed once submitted.

However, the sad truth is that most major publishing companies won’t give you the time of day unless you have an agent submitting it for you. They just don’t have the people to evaluate every manuscript than appears on their desks daily.

While it may cost money to enlist an agent’s help to get your works published, at least they can assure you of a better deal with their experience in submitting manuscripts and working with the publishing houses.

You can find agents through several mediums, including the Internet, or through a Writer’s Market – either way, they can both help you find the best person to guide you with your genre of fiction.

Introduce yourself to the agent in the form of a cover letter which is to be included when you mail them your fiction manuscript. Together with these, also include a two-page synopsis of your fiction work – no more than two pages, and keep it as simple as possible and free of any typographical or spelling errors that could turn off any person in the publishing business.

Your best friend is your ability to research – if you need help submitting your work, there are many guide books you can read up on, both in traditional and e-book format. Guides also exist that can help you write an effective synopsis.

If you’re submitting a manuscript to a publishing house, be sure to send a query letter first. Fiction submission guidelines can be found on the publisher’s website or can be requested via snail mail. Make sure you follow each and every guideline or they’ll routinely ignore your work no matter how good it is.

There are so many new writers wanting to get in the business these days, but if you believe you’ve got a great story, don’t be shy to submit it. You will have a better chance of getting your work published if you show enthusiasm and a positive attitude.

We offer the best quality sports eyewear. You will find a large selection of name brand sports sunglasses and prescription goggles including Oakley Eye Glasses. Don’t forget to recommend us using SocialAdr – a unique social bookmarking tools community where your favorite sites are shared and submitted automatically.

Posted in Writing | Tagged | Comments Off

Screenwriting Tips – Gator Guide For Surviving Creative Anxiety

Posted on November 7, 2010 by

I believe that the same, wonderful part of our brains that brings us our creativity is the identical engine that also helps give us anxiety; both experiences give us a sensory input of a variety of possibilities. When these thoughts are creative they can be quite magical and help piece together our ideas – but at the same time the human animal has evolved over millions of years to be a survivor, and at a certain point anxiety became a positive safety mechanism for pre-thinking possibilities of outcomes that might be dangerous to us. Literally, complacent animals died, whereas those that learned to think about negative possibilities avoided disaster and survived. We have inherited this mechanism (which seems more potent the more creative you are). In a way, this kind of probing of dark thoughts are really trying to help you avoid difficult outcomes. But when our creative engine turns to dark, negative thoughts like “wow, you’ll never be able to write anything good”, or “you’re wasting your time” or “this idea will be rejected left right and center” – those versions are not usually helpful.

* Optimistically, stress is normal. In fact it was designed to be a good thing. Everybody has it, you are not alone. Some of your best feelings and instincts can actually protect you.

* I find when I am pitching, my fight-or-flight adrenaline actually speeds up my thinking, and I’ve gotten used to being sharper and more successful as a result. Writer’s block is not your personal failing. The term wouldn’t exist if it didn’t frequently happen to all writers. It is normal, and sometimes solutions are quite simple. Walk away and let your mind fill in the blanks. Or (I’ve seen this advocated successfully) set out to write a “piece of crap” and let the words come out of your body, uncritically. Trying to be perfect is impossible, which is why you block. Truthfully, writing comes in layers. and getting any piece of work out of yourself allows you to go on to edit and successfully tune it.

* Sometimes discussing the feelings that make you anxious with people you trust can make those feelings much more manageable as you transfer the anxieties out of that brewing storm in your head into words, crystalizing the real issues that are troubling you and helping you find your way to solutions for them. Don’t be embarrassed to share the blues with others. That’s what friends are for, and they’ll frequently value that you trust them with your feelings.

* The great thing about anxiety is that it is almost exactly the same thing as excitement; only a tiny switch in our heads makes it one or the other. When you regard anticipated events that are making you anxious as an adventure – a choice to experience new, unique, and perhaps the slightly uncomfortable – that choice changes anxiety into excitement. We are designed to enjoy being challenged. We get satisfaction from overcoming our fears. We are not designed to shut off our feelings – it is impossible, even though people try it with many systems such as drugs, alcohol, avoidance, and mind-games. The truth is we can only channel our instincts and we should do so with courage. And if you concentrate on the value of your goal, I find it is much easier to change anxiety into excitement. The best screenwriting tips that I ever had were from Sylvester Stallone, who said when he got blocked he just told himself to write anything, and found that he pretty soon got back to flowing with his scripts – and my partner, John Watson, who says it is not as complicated as it usually seems, that you should just go forward. Your brain is designed to help you sort it out.

Get more screenwriting tips and creative screenwriting ideas at http://RidingtheAlligator.com. Pen Densham reveals his emotional philosophies and professional secrets, plus insights from his company, Trilogy Entertainment Group

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , | Comments Off