Why you should move your subscription now: The new blog includes plenty of articles about marketing for writers. Plus, I’ve added articles on websites and blogs, organizing, grammar and style, inspirational pieces, and reviews on books of interest to writers. I post once a week. In addition, I’ve added many static pages to my site with print resources lists and links to online resources for writers. Check out this recent post describing what’s available on my site.

There’s more. I periodically offer the opportunity for subscribers to submit guest posts. See these articles by Tracy Crump, Dianne E. Butts, and Cassandra Wessel. I also offer book giveaways from time to time.

Still not convinced? To sample the variety of content on Blog4Writers, follow these directions.

• Go to any page on my site .
• Click on the Categories drop-down menu. You’ll see a list of categories with the number of articles in that category. Choose your category, and that will bring up all the articles in that category.
• Next, try the Search feature that’s in the sidebar on each page just below the Subscribe box.
• Check out the Archives drop-down and the Tags feature if you still want to know more.

Ready to move? I tried to figure out how to move it for you, but it’s just not allowed. For those who want to move now, here’s the easiest way. Click the following link, and follow directions. Subscribe to Blog4writers by Email. If you need any help, e-mail me at akinemily@gmail.com.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have my work published, and I like to share what I’ve learned with others. In addition to marketing topics, I will post book reviews on writing books and articles on computer-Internet subjects. I pray that you will find it a valuable resource.

Deciding on the new name was HARD. I started out with “Akin to Write,” but after testing my idea on other writers, I realized that many people mispronounce my last name. Akin actually sounds like achin’—with a long A. But, often, people will use the short A, as in the word “akin” (having a similar quality or character; analogous). I even tried calling it “Achin’ to Write,” but that just didn’t look right on the navigation bar.

So…Blog4writers it is! I wanted to transfer subscribers from this blog to the new one, but, alas, I couldn’t do that. So, I’m going to make it as easy for you as I possibly can.

To subscribe to the new blog, click the following link, and follow directions. Subscribe to Blog4writers by Email

I invite you to browse Blog4writers after you’ve subscribed. The latest post is a review of Donna Clark Goodrich’s new book, A Step in the Write Direction. See post here.

The new blog does not have a name yet. I’d like your help with that. I’m running a “new name” contest now through Wednesday, February 17, 2010. There’s a prize involved, so link over to the new blog and check out the contest rules, www.emilyakin.com/blog. Also, become a subscriber while you’re there. It’s easy. Just type your e-mail address into the “Subscribe” box and follow directions.

I won’t be posting regularly on this blog in the future, so move on over with me, and enter the contest!

Once I made that decision, the procrastination set in and settled on me like a stack of Grandma’s quilts on a cold winter night. I just could not make myself get started. I needed to download WordPress (free), upload to my host, find a theme (also free), and install it. I had plenty of tutorials and how-to information to support me. But, I just kept putting it off.

Finally, we had a week of bad weather, including three snow days when we didn’t get out of the house at all. I suddenly had plenty of time. I looked at my plans for the year again. I realized that procrastinating on the Web site was holding me up on the whole deal. Once I forced myself to begin, I found that the ideas flowed easily. My marketing plan for 2010 is off to a great start.

What do you think of my new site, www.emilyakin.com? I chose the new Mystique design because it has several page layout options and other custom features. I’m not finished tweaking it, so I will let you know when I consider it finished.

I have incorporated the past material from this blog into the blog on the new site. I combined the marketing posts with the content from my WiredtoWrite blog, because most of my e-mail subscribers are subscribed to both blogs.

Soon, I will stop posting on this blog and on Wired to Write. I will post only on the new site’s blog.  I’ll let you know in plenty of time so that you can subscribe to the new one. If I can figure out how to transfer the feed without your having to do anything, I will.

I invite you visit www.emilyakin.com and browse around. I welcome any suggestions to make it more helpful and easier to navigate. I’m working on the home page introduction this week. Without further procrastination, I should be able to move on to the next steps in my 2010 plan.

I missed the live event, but I listened to the whole recorded session this morning. Sally answered basic questions like, “Why should you get a new guide each year?” She gave hints on how to get started in the Christian market as well as tips on how to lay the marketing groundwork for your nonfiction book. She spent a few minutes on the children’s market. After a brief discussion on agents, Sally dove into questions about self-publishing. She briefly touched on social marketing for fiction and nonfiction writers.

After 25 years of producing the market guide, Sally knows a thing or two about what you need to do to get published. Primarily, she said, good writing will sell. Work to improve your craft, know your audience, and strive to become “the best writer you can be.”

I learned so much, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. It was like being in a conference workshop with Sally Stuart. The teleseminar took place yesterday (January 20, 2010). If you missed it, you can still listen to the whole thing by going to www.asksallystuart.com. Then, fill in your first name and e-mail address and click “Here’s my question, Sally.” You will receive an e-mail with a link to a Web location where you can download the entire teleseminar.

I encourage you to do the download now. It’s free! It takes about an hour to listen to the whole thing. Once you’ve got it on your computer, you can listen to it any time.

Some say that Sally’s guide is not necessary now that so many publishers offer their guidelines on the Web. However, it’s often hard to find the guidelines or even a publisher’s site unless you have the details offered in Sally’s guide listings. Sometimes the publication title will show up in a search, but you have to hunt around for guidelines. Also, Sally gives information that you’ll never find in guidelines. For example, in the magazine listings, you’ll find details like what percentage of their articles are written by freelance writers and what percentage is written by in-house writers. If the percentage of freelance is, say, 10%, then you might not want to waste your time submitting to that publication. Conversely, if the percentage is 90%, then your chances of success would be much greater.

I’ve also heard writers say that the Stuart guide is outdated because it needs to be online. Recent editions have included a CD with the entire guide in Word format. It’s not as efficient as a database, but you can do searches on the CD. The CD also includes 70 pages of resources that are not included in the printed guide at all. Stuart has changed publishers this year, and she states that the new publisher intends to have an online version in the future.

And—writers new to publishing want to buy or borrow an older version to introduce themselves to the Christian market. Especially for the beginner, the market guide is a critical tool. It costs less than $30, about the same price as a year’s subscription to many magazines, so save yourself a lot of time by using the newest guide. At a conference session, Sally was asked if an older version was suitable for beginners. She stated that, if there were not so many changes each year, she would not bother to put out a new guide each year. So, don’t waste your time trying to update and use old information when Sally has already done it. Stuart posts regular updates to the printed guide in Christian Communicator and on her blog at http://www.stuartmarket.blogspot.com/.

See sample of the guide, including table of contents, introduction and how-to info at Google Books.

Don’t spin your wheels in 2010 trying to succeed in the Christian market without Sally Stuart’s guide. Order your copy direct from Sally on her Web site. You may find the book in your local bookstore, and you can also order from Amazon or ChristianBook.com.

See also:

See Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress’ review of the 2009 edition on my book review blog. Lettie teaches beginner classes in how to write for publication in the Christian market.

5 Minutes for Books

Teleseminar featuring Sally Stuart at http://www.asksallystuart.com/.

Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail (by T. L. Higley on Christian Author Network blog). This one offers some specifics about Facebook.  Higley has other posts by the same title here and here.

Marketing Principles: Agent Rachelle Gardner features writer and marketing consultant Jim Rubart in a three-part series. Scroll to the bottom of the link to read the first article and work your way back to the top.

Lots of good information in all these posts. I’ll be back soon.

There’s been a lot of discussion about self-publishing on the Internet lately because of recent announcements by royalty publishers that they are going into the self-publishing business. That must mean that self-publishing is the wave of the future. Or, it could mean that the royalty publishers are just looking for another way to enhance the bottom line.

If you are considering self-publishing, ask yourself these questions:

• Is your work really ready for publication? Even if you answer “yes,” you should submit your work for a professional critique. Most of us cannot really be objective about our own work. You may need to hire a “book doctor” to get your book into “saleable” shape.
• Are you ready and willing to sell your own books? The answer to this one must be “yes,” because nobody will sell them for you. Having a listing on Amazon or other sites is not going to yield enough sales to recoup your investment.
• Do you have a speaking ministry or other platform to help you sell your books? If not, perhaps you’re better off building a platform before you invest in your book.

If you know you’re ready to self-publish, choose a reputable company that is recommended by other writers. Do not look for bargain basement deals. Look instead for value and dependability. See the resource material I’ve listed below as you expand your research on self-publishing. If you don’t read anything else in the list below, read Jim Watkins’ article.

Recent Online Buzz about Self-Publishing:

Chip MacGregor’s Blog (Agent)

Rachelle Gardner (Agent) has two posts, “A Rant and a Q4U” and “My Final Comments on Self-publishing.”

Jim Watkins Article

Writer Beware Blogs!

Web Sites for Self-Publishing Companies

Some of these companies offer print on demand services, too.

ACW Press

Intermedia Publishing

Thomas Nelson

Winepress (POD division Pleasant Word)

Note: I have not had personal dealings with any of these companies, so please do not take their listing on this blog as a personal recommendation.

Writers see themselves as artists, resisting the idea of putting a dollar value on their writing. Perhaps you write because you are passionate about a particular subject or about writing itself. Once you begin the quest for publication, though, you have entered the realm of business. For any business to be successful, somebody must sell something to someone. In my experience, writers abhor the whole idea of “selling themselves.” You, the writer aspiring to publication, must sell your work to publishers who, in turn, sell their publications to the end user (reader).

Does the idea of selling your work conjure up images of door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesmen or network marketing gurus? You’re not alone. Intrusive and manipulative sales techniques have given sales a bad name for most people. I think that’s why some prefer to call it “marketing” rather than “selling.” The term “marketing” suggests that you put your work out for people to see in hopes that someone will see it, like it, and buy it—like at a flea market.

Flea market vendors don’t sell much unless they offer quality products that shoppers want. They must know the market, the customer demographics. They must also interact with the shoppers to convince them to buy the product (selling). As a writer, you submit your work to publishers, making sure that you have followed the guidelines. Your customer, the publisher, states the demographics and preferences of his customers (readers), along with the technical requirements of the documents they are willing to consider. Still, you may need to “sell” the editor on your work. Extra-mile features will entice the editor to buy your work instead of someone else’s with identical specifications. For example, including sidebars and pull-quotes will make your article more attractive. For book proposals, mention an established speaking ministry or other platform for selling your books.

If you believe in the quality and value of your product, selling it is an honorable pursuit. You won’t sell to every customer, but you won’t get your work published unless you try.

Instead of having friends as on Facebook, Twitter users have followers. I’ve used Twitter for several months now, following people mainly in the Christian publishing industry. Some of the same people are friends on Facebook. As of today, I am following 49 people, and 56 people are following me. Some say that you should follow everyone who follows you, but I don’t follow people unless it appears that their content will be of interest to me.

What I Like About Twitter

• Posts (tweet) are short and often provide links that I can access if I want to know more. It doesn’t take me long to scan the list and read the things I’m interested in.
• I can post announcements about new blog posts to help build my readership.
• I can follow people I want to know more about and ignore the ones that are following me in order to sell me something.
• The new Lists feature allows me to separate my preferred follows from the ones I’m just following as a courtesy.

What I Don’t Like About Twitter

• Some people resort to text message language in order to get a longer message in the 140 character limit. Besides having trouble interpreting some of it, I see this as cheating!
• Some people must just tweet all day long. There’s a limit to how much I want to hear from any one person, no matter how much they know about writing and publishing. If you have that much to say, use a blog.
• I’m following publishing professionals for information about writing and publishing, not about where they’re going, what they’re having for dinner (breakfast, lunch, snack), or what the weather is like where they live.

Twitter Marketing Effectiveness

Although there are things I don’t like about Twitter (and other social media, for that matter), I have to admit that they can be effective. I do see an increase in the traffic on my blogs for a day or so after I tweet about a post.

Recently, a family in Vermont needed funding for medical treatment for their special needs baby. The mother let friends know about the problem via Twitter. Someone set up a page on her Web site where people could make donations through Paypal. The message went out on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. See the details in this article, “How Social Media Saved Jaeli.”

Other Articles About Twitter

Seven Twitter People Every Author Should Follow

Nine Ways to Promote Your Book Using Social Media

See my previous posts on Facebook here and on social media in general here.

Read my post on Twitter, Facebook, and Tweetdeck.