Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Read an Excerpt from Quiet Americans!

So, as I continue preparing the new website for its debut, I've been trying to figure out the best way to present there an excerpt from my forthcoming story collection, Quiet Americans. To that end, this week, I've been experimenting with some free services provided by BookBuzzr.com.

It was easy enough to paste code into a blog post to share the above "widget" with you, and as the book begins to appear on more distribution channels, I can embed relevant purchase info. (Right now, pre-orders are available only via BN.com.)

What's most exciting, though, is that this techno-gizmo gives you a glimpse into the actual book. Including the entire opening story.

At least, it provides the entire opening story for now. I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps the excerpt should be more limited. Like maybe...to the story's opening page?

What do you think? Would (much) less be more? Or in this case, would it be far too little?

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

From White Pine Press: "The Marie Alexander Poetry Series has an open submission period during the month of July. An award of $500 and publication will be given for a chosen collection of prose poems by an American poet. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages, which can include some lineated pieces, along with a cover letter with complete contact information and an SASE for notification only. Postmark must be between July 1 and 31. Entries should also include a simultaneous electronic submission of the manuscript (MS Word or PDF format)." There is no entry fee.
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Interesting opportunity for Edinburgh-based writers: "We are looking for new, emerging writers to read their work as part of Story Shop at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this August. Story Shop is a free, un-ticketed event produced by the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust and takes place in the Book Festival’s Bookshop. It is a showcase for new writing and new writers from Edinburgh. Each day features one author, giving them a ten minute slot to read either two 4-5 minute ‘flash fiction’ pieces or one 8-10 minute piece of fiction. The idea is to give a free taste of new writing to a new audience." NB: "Applications from newly published writers are particularly welcome (published meaning some form of peer reviewed publication – anthology, literary magazine, newspaper, novel or short story collection) and we are looking for fiction targeted at an adult audience." There is no application fee. Deadline is midday (presumably Edinburgh time) on Fri., July 16. Pays: "Each author featured will receive a small appearance fee and a one-day author pass to the Book Festival’s green room, the ‘yurt.’ Their event and author biography will feature on the City of Literature Trust website and Story Shop is promoted via the Book Festival programme, in the Bookshop tent and via the Book Festival entrance tent screens. Our press staff will also send out a press release to all relevant media with information about the writers who will be reading."
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In case you haven't seen it, our July Practicing Writer newsletter is now available as a reprint at freelancewriting.com. It went out to subscribers at the end of June, but it's not too late to take advantange of the many no-fee competitions and submission alerts for paying publications that are listed there. (Of course, if you subscribe on your own, you'll get each free newsletter delivered directly to you via e-mail.)
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Similarly, if you haven't yet downloaded your free copies of our guides to paying markets for essayists and for book reviewers, you can still do so. (But you have only until August 1.)
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Franklin and Marshall College (Pa.) is looking for a Campaign Writer, Harvard University (Mass.) seeks a Stewardship Writer, and Radford University (Va.) is looking for a Web Content Editor.

Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: On Attending (and Arranging) Readings

Living in New York City, one could easily attend a literary reading (make that multiple readings) every day. The city presents a true embarrassment of riches in that respect.

If you have the time and energy, that is.

Alas, time and energy are precious commodities for this practicing writer. Between a full-time office job, family life and friends, a revitalized commitment to visiting the gym at least a few days each week, and, lest we forget, a bit of writing (and reading, and blogging) here and there, boarding a subway or bus to attend a reading too often falls off my to-do list. Especially when it's really hot outside. Or really cold.

This week, however, I persevered. After an especially intense workday and facing the oppressive heat and humidity that is also oh-so-characteristic of this lovely city (this time of year, anyway), I rallied. I was determined to attend what Ron Hogan had billed as "An Evening of All-American Fiction" midtown at the Center for Fiction, featuring the following authors and new books:

• Pearl Abraham, American Taliban
• David Goodwillie, American Subversive
• Jane Mendelsohn, American Music
• Hilary Thayer Hamann, Anthropology of an American Girl

American fiction. Get it?

Well, how could anyone with a forthcoming story collection titled Quiet Americans resist?

I sure couldn't. And I'm very glad I went, not only because it is always good for me to get out and go to these events, see authors and hear new work read. But the event also got me thinking about readings in another respect.

Right now, I shouldn't simply be attending readings. I should be arranging them, too.

I've already explained that Last Light Books, the publisher of Quiet Americans, is a small, new press. There is no money for me to go "touring" around the country, although a virtual book tour is definitely on the agenda.

So here I am, trying to figure out how to arrange readings in the New York area, Boston, and D.C. (I expect to be in D.C. in early February for the 2011 AWP conference, and I'm planning to get to Boston a few months later.)

And here are some of the questions I have:

• Which reading series/venues do you go to? For my current purposes, the NYC-Washington corridor is most relevant, but why don't we hear recommendations for other locations, so everyone can benefit from the comments? If there are links available for your favorite venues/series, please share those, too!
• For those of you who have arranged your own readings (or for any publicists who have arranged readings for others), what's the magic formula? How far in advance do you try to arrange a reading? What are the basic how-tos to arrange a reading? It strikes me as something a bit like inviting yourself to someone else's house. Not exactly comfortable or intuitive. How does this whole thing work?
• What else should I be thinking about (readings-wise) at this time, a little more than six months before Quiet Americans: Stories meets the world?

As always, thank you in advance for your comments and advice!

The Wednesday Web Browser

Some translation-related material to share with you this week. First: The literary journal Image recently asked contributing translators to address their craft; the resulting quotations are here. And from Hayden's Ferry Review: two poems by Yiddish writer Avrom Sutzkever, translated and introduced by Miri Koral.
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Looking for some writing exercises? This post on the Rutgers-Newark MFA blog will point you to several.
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To use the word "tweet" or not to use it? That is a question.
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I really wish someone had shown me something like I.J. Schecter's article, "How to Break Into Corporate Writing," before I launched a freelance writing practice. Said practice might have lasted longer had I sought to include corporate writing within it.
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I'm on Goodreads! Are you? Please "friend" me! And if you have any tips on how to make the most of the site (as a reader or as an author), please share!

Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Permissions Phase Ends; New Focus Begins

Two weeks ago, I gave you an update on my permissions quest. I am delighted to report that that particular phase of the journey seems to have ended at last: The Big Publishing House charged half again (150%) of the original fee I was quoted to use an epigraph in the print edition of Quiet Americans so that I can include said seven-word excerpt in the e-version, too. Just in case you were wondering! The agreement has been signed, sealed, and mailed back. And I'm glad to check that particular task off the to-do list!

So we move on. As the summer progresses, I expect to be focusing much more time on the redesign/consolidation of my Web presence (something else I've mentioned before in these pre-publication posts). Many of you offered helpful comments when I first brought this up. Now, I'm going to ask for your advice once again.

I've noticed that some author websites feature Q&A material that might best be described as a "self-interview." Interestingly, "self-interviews" have shown up lately as topics on various book marketing sites/feeds I follow, too (for example, this one).

The self-interviews labeled as such tend to have at least a bit of humor attached. That is to say, they are very self-consciously self-interviews, and they tend to revel a bit in the inherent oddity/awkwardness of the form. On the other hand, an author can also create a Q&A that is completely serious and doesn't necessarily present itself as something s/he wrote on his own (and maybe it was, in fact, guided by a publicist or other PR professional). At this point, I'm still considering both approaches.

Here's what I'm hoping you'll tell me: What kinds of topics/questions do you think should appear in an author's self-interview? Are there any such interviews you've found especially interesting? What made them so engaging? What are you hoping to learn about authors—and, more importantly, their books—when you read these features?

What's your take on the more humorous approach (for an example, see a self-interview on Stephen King's website--look for the entry dated September 4, 2008) compared with something that may be more, well, somewhat more nuts-and-bolts-and-business-like (again, just for an example, see Mark H. Zanger's "Behind the Scenes" feature for The American Ethnic Cookbook for Students).

And if you're an author who has written one of these interviews yourself, what suggestions would you offer? Whether they're your own or others', please point me toward author website Q&As that you think I should be sure to see as I formulate something along similar lines to help introduce Quiet Americans and its author--moi!

Thanks very much in advance for your comments, you wonderful people!

Friday Find: Free Books!

Just a reminder that in the spirit of Short Story Month, Fiction Writers Review is coordinating a multi-blogger "Collection Giveaway Project." If you're a blogger and want to participate (by running a short story collection giveaway yourself), there's still plenty of time to do so, and you can read the details here.

There's also still plenty of time to win one of the books others (including me) are offering as their giveaway prizes, including (so far) collections by Robin Black, Skip Horack, Joshua Furst, Susan Perabo, and Margot Singer.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and see you back here on Monday.

Friday Find: Author Radio Interview Tips

I've only been interviewed on the radio once--so far--so I was interested to see these author radio interview tips on The Book Publicity Blog.

Have a great weekend, all. (And if you haven't yet signed up to win one of the short story collections I'm offering to buy and send you, please do so! If you want to host a giveaway of your own as part of a Short Story Month celebration, even better!) See you back here on Monday.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Recommended reading: Allegra Goodman's excellent short story in this week's New Yorker and the accompanying Book Bench Q&A. (I'm wondering if other readers will find the story as sad as I do. I know that part of my emotional reaction is some kind of nostalgia wave for Cambridge, Mass., where the story is set, but still....)
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Scott McLemee interviews Weber Studies editor Michael Wutz on how the journal is "doing more with less."
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What are your favorite "sexy" literary selections? Gina Barreca wants to know.
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21 Things for Authors to Tweet About On Twitter (speaking of, you can find me at @erikadreifus).
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I hated rankings back when I was in high school and our GPAs seemed to determine our futures, and rankings of any kind still make me squeamish. But you should probably take a look at this "tiered" list of literary journals. Just be sure to pay attention to all of the qualifying comments/caveats.
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Don't forget! You have until 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern) on Sunday, May 2, to sign up for our poetry book giveaway.

Book Promotion Offers To "Tear Down The Walls" of the Publishing Industry

A few days ago, I turned in my latest review assignment for The Writer: a piece on Stephen Markley's Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold, and Published This Very Book (Sourcebooks, 2010). You'll have to wait a bit for the review to appear in the magazine, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share with you an interesting promotion I discovered on the Sourcebooks site when I was double-checking some information:

So you work on your manuscript for months, carefully craft a proposal and pitch letter, and send out your heart and soul to agents and publishers. And what do you get in return? A form letter saying “Thank you for your submission, but it does not meet our needs at this time.” Really?

We at Sourcebooks and Julie A. Hill and Associates know how you feel. Well, now we know, thanks to Stephen Markley and his hilarious, innovative, and amazing new memoir Publish This Book. You see, sick of getting rejections that say nothing, Stephen decided to cut to the chase and write a memoir about how hard it is to get a book published. And then try to get that book published—a book about its own creation.

Crazy, right? Well, he convinced us, getting agent representation from Julie Hill of Julie A. Hill and Associates and finally publication by Sourcebooks. And after reading his whole manuscript, we see how hard it is for you out there. So in honor of Stephen’s achievement, and all aspiring writers, we’ve decided to tear down the walls that keep writers from honest and helpful feedback about their work from the publishing industry. That means: no more form letters, but an actual critique of your submission from an agent or publishing company

How Does It Work?

1. Purchase a copy of Publish This Book.
2. Between March 9, 2010 and May 9, 2010 submit your proposal along with a proof of purchase (receipt, order confirmation, etc.) via the form below or by email.
3. Wait 2-6 months (While you’re waiting, why not read your new copy of Publish This Book? It’s amazing.)
4. Receive a 2-4 paragraph critique of your submission.

I know--you still have to buy the book, which contradicts the no-fee opportunity policy I normally follow here and in the newsletter. And in an ideal world, you'd get to read my review before deciding to buy the book. But it's something to look into. And it's a clever promotional idea that might inspire some others.

The Wednesday Web Browser

John Warner's recent interview with author and professor Philip Graham is one of the best interviews I've read in awhile. The kind of piece that makes you wish you'd had the chance to study writing with the interviewee yourself.
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Need a bit of humor to get you through the week? Check out this Rumpus piece on lit journal publishing, featuring a particularly amusing set of "submission guidelines" from Jane Roper.
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Tayari Jones reminds us that it's almost high season for retreats and colonies. She recommends Nova Ren Suma's collection of writers' quotations on colony experiences, too.
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On the Poetry Foundation's Harriet blog, Sina Queyras reflects--and shares others' views--"on the matter of career."
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On the Hugo House blog, Karen Finneyfrock describes the path to publication for her latest book of poetry.
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Last, but definitely not least, Lisa Romeo offers some terrific suggestions on ways to support the authors in your writing community.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Allison Amend provides "Instructions for a Do-It-Yourself Book Tour."
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Robert Lee Brewer describes "How to Handle Line and Stanza Breaks in Poems."
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Adam Kirsch and Ilya Kaminsky engage in a dialogue on poetry translations.
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The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas-Austin has purchased the papers of David Foster Wallace.

The Wednesday Web Browser

I knew I was truly starting to recover from my flu bug this weekend when I was able to read a full article in the New York Times Sunday magazine: "James Patterson Inc.", a COVER story on the author and his writing/publishing empire.
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Something that unfortunately got past me in the days before the Tamiflu worked its magic was a new "Indy Press Friday" initiative on Twitter. The point is to promote titles by small/indy presses via tweets with an #ipf hashtag. See Galleycat for more. (This week, I'll be prepared! How about you?)
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On the Poet Hound blog: useful tips on requesting a review of your book. (Many thanks to Diane Lockward for highlighting this in her recent roundup post titled "Some Cool Stuff," in which yours truly is also mentioned!)

The Wednesday Web Browser

I love this article on running a DIY Writers' Retreat.
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The Chronicle of Higher Education tells us that "Translators Struggle to Prove Their Academic Bona Fides." APOLOGIES: THE ARTICLE APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO SUBSCRIBERS.
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I finally caved in and opened a Twitter account last week so I could "attend" a Twitter book club. Please feel welcome to "follow" me (there) and suggest your favorite writerly Twitter feeds in comments (here).
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Finally: I didn't know poet Rachel Wetzsteon other than by name, but I was deeply saddened to read about her recent death. And I think that Jennifer Michael Hecht's recent post on the Best American Poetry blog, "On Suicide," is a must-read. I don't want to risk stereotyping/generalizing, but let's face it: "writer" and "depression" are two words that too often appear in combination. Hecht's message needs to get out there, "even" if it reaches a single person who needs it.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Dorothy Stephens shares her experience in self-publishing. (Check out the addendum on marketing tips linked at the bottom of the page.)
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Michael Idov describes the challenge of translating his own novel.
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Much as we might want to deny this truth, every author needs professional headshots (at least, that's what Jane Friedman says).
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Last week, while waiting for an out-of-office meeting to begin, I snuck in a read of the latest One Story offering, "The Restoration of the Villa Where Tibor Kálmán Once Lived," by Tamas Dobozy. It's a gripping, painful, extraordinary work of historical/war fiction. Check out the interview with the author here.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Starting soon: Low-Residency MFA for Asian Writing in English. Location: City University of Hong Kong. Details here.
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Meant to bring this one to you last week, but, as they say, better late than never: Ellis Weiner's "Shouts and Murmurs" piece takes wickedly funny aim at modern book publicity/marketing.
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Back to serious stuff: Liesl Schillinger offers an energetic and thoughtful discussion of "American" fiction.
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If you're currently teaching as an adjunct instructor--or contemplating such work--you should take some time to read some of the current offerings on the subject featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education: here, here, here, and here. There's more, and you'll find it via the above, but this should be enough to get you situated.
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Yesterday's poetic offering on The Writer's Almanac was "The First Artichoke," by Diane Lockward. Diane formerly taught English at my high school (in fact, she was once my sister's teacher), so it's always pretty exciting when I see her work featured in such a prominent venue. I found this a particularly lovely and poignant piece. (By the way, Diane maintains an excellent poetry blog, too.)
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And last, but definitely not least: Practicing writer (and professor) Stephanie Vanderslice is conducting research on the expectations MFA students have when they choose an MFA program. If you are interested in providing your input, please complete this brief survey. Surveys completed by Tuesday, October 27, will be entered into a drawing for one of two $25 Barnes and Noble giftcards. Stephanie welcomes questions.

The Wednesday Web Browser

I loved reading this account of how Erica Eisdorfer's novel, The Wet Nurse's Tale, reached publication. (Hint: The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
competition had something to do with it! Thanks to Susan Bauer for alerting me to this great success story.)
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New blog alert: On The MFA Chronicles, you can follow a group of writers through the first year of their graduate programs.
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And last week on Nathan Bransford's blog, Lauren Baratz-Logsted guest-posted on the topic of "the fine art of getting blurbs."

Friday Find: Promotional E-mail Tips

If you're going to be promoting a book, you'd could probably benefit from reading these tips on sending promotional e-mails. (via Writer Beware)

It's Friday, people! Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Find: Darren Rowse's "13 Lessons (& Tips) Learned Launching an eBook"

As an e-book author, I was particularly interested to discover this set of "13 Lessons (&Tips) Learned Launching an eBook." Thanks (once again!) to Jane Friedman for the find.

Jewish Book World

Over the weekend, I completed my first review for Jewish Book World. I can't yet share the review with you, but I'll tell you this much: I reviewed a (very good) forthcoming novel, and the review is scheduled for publication in the fall issue.

If you're not familiar with Jewish Book World, and you're interested in books on Jewish themes and subjects, you really owe it to yourself to get to know this quarterly magazine. It's a publication of the always-impressive Jewish Book Council, and you can find learn much more about it (and read sample reviews) here (click "Jewish Book World").

And if you subscribe, you'll get to read my review in due course! (Note to potential reviewers: The magazine welcomes new reviewers, but unfortunately does not pay cash for reviews. I'm considering my [relatively short] review dual community service, for the Jewish and literary communities.)

Saturday Special: Win A Book!

The giveaway is now closed! Thanks to everyone for participating. I'm particularly happy to welcome the blog's new readers! And I'm delighted to announce that KIMBERLY ZOOK has won a copy of Christina Katz's Writer Mama. Kimberly, please e-mail me with your mailing address, and I'll forward the info to Christina.

Saturday posts don't happen too often around here, but I've made an exception to help celebrate the two-year anniversary of the publication of Christina Katz's Writer Mama book. This post is for all my writing friends, whether they are "writer mamas" or not!

Please welcome our guest blogger, Christina Katz!

The Writer Mama Two-Year Anniversary Blog Tour Giveaway!

Post #28: Your Book’s Features

During the book writing process, you’ve made an effort to make your book as unique as possible, right? Well, now that your book is complete, you have your first opportunity to write down the features that makes your book desirable to your book’s targeted audience.

Features are the simple facts that describe your book like size, length, font choice, cover design, etc. Sure, features sound straightforward, but one of the advantages of working with a traditional publisher is that care and consideration are devoted to every aspect of your book’s production. If your publisher has gone to some lengths to make sure your book has unique features to suit your audience, you’ll want to highlight those features as you prepare to market your book.

For example, Writer Mama has some unique features. First of all, the book was intentionally designed in a small, chunky size so it would be easy to stash in a diaper bag or give as a shower gift to a new mom. Over the past couple of years, dozens of moms have commented to me that they appreciate the stash-able, sturdy size. Will your book have a unique size or shape? Or is size not a marketable feature?

How was your book written to particularly suit your readership? For example, the short chapters with lots of condensed information were purposeful to make Writer Mama easy for a mom to read while sitting in a waiting room or car-pooling. I just re-connected with a friend from sixth grade who keeps her copy of Writer Mama stashed in her car so she can read it while ferrying her four kids around town. Mission accomplished! Now describe your book. What’s special about the way it is written or organized? Have you taken the reader into account? Or is format not a feature you’ll highlight?

You’ve probably noticed that book covers vary greatly from the most simple, two-color text only cover all the way to the fully designed, four-color cover extravaganza. Another unique feature of Writer Mama is the colorful, stylish book design. So many how-to writing books are a turnoff because they are gray, businesslike, and boring. In contrast, Writer Mama is sassy, fun, with a starburst of color on the cover. The book designer, Claudean Wheeler, really outdid herself when designing the cheerful cover and bright inside designs. Does your book’s cover design reflect something about the book’s intended reader?

You’ll want to remind readers that care and consideration has gone into the design and production of your book. So be sure to pay attention during the production process so you can communicate the distinct features when you are ready to start promoting your book.

Today's Book Drawing: To enter to win a signed, numbered copy of Writer Mama, answer the following question in this blog's comments:
What unique features will your book have that will take the reader's needs into account? Or what book from your bookshelf do you love for the way it suits your unique needs as a reader?
Thanks for participating! Only US residents, or folks with a US mailing address can participate in the drawing. Please only enter once per day.

Where will the drawing be tomorrow? Visit http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/ to continue reading the rest of the Writer Mama story throughout March 2009!

Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids by Christina Katz (Writer's Digest Books 2007)
Kids change your life, but they don't necessarily have to end your career. Stay-at-home moms will love this handy guide to rearing a successful writing career while raising their children. The busy mom's guide to writing life, this book gives stay-at-moms the encouragement and advice they need including everything from getting started and finding ideas to actually finding time to do the work - something not easy to do with the pitter-patter of little feet. With advice on how to network and form a a business, this nurturing guide covers everything a writer mama needs to succeed at her second job. Christina Katz is also the author of the newly released Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer's Digest Books 2008).