Twitter coverage of Willamette Writers Conference, August 2011
Twitter Models (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
Our next coverage will feature JaneFriedman's "Three Models for Using Twitter to Grow Your Career" at 1:30pPT / 4:30pET / 8pGMT. #wwcon11 #
We're starting coverage in a couple of minutes of JaneFriedman's "3 Models for Using Twitter To Grow Your Writing Career." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "I have roughly 115,000 followers on #Twitter & I started the WritersDigest Twitter account." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "If you start out by using #Twitter in the worst possible way, you'll just get exhausted with it." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "I think #Twitter is discounted too easily by some people...but it is still just Twitter." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "The secret that can't be taught about #Twitter: If you use it as a means to an end, it won't work." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Key points: Twitter is public. Do not use the Twitter web site. Use a client or application. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Two clients are TweetDeck and (more advanced) HootSuite. (I'm using the latter, #HootSuite.) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Q: Difference btw #Facebook and #Twitter? Jane: FB is supposed to be private. T is public & face-out. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Your use of #Twitter will not be the same as another person's. Tends to make it a complex topic. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Twitter Model 1: You create you profile. And start to listen. Follow some tweeps. Etc. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Twitter Model 2: Provide & give encouragement, chat, search out friends. (#amwriting) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Two extremely effective chatter-#Twitter types are jeannevb & johannaharness (#amwriting) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman #Twitter Model 3 -- you're performing a service, sharing links, leads, perspectives. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman As you begin, your intention can be the information-service model (3), you'll just need followers. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman makes a point of responding personally to contacts via Twitter, so her mode is not just broadcast. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Other models include "Feeders" (ME!), news feeds (PublishersLunch) & celebs (ShitMyDadSays) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Personal note: Just want to ratify Jane's kind comments about our collegial friendship via #Twitter. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Choosing a handle: Try to use your name + your real photo. More professional and recognizable. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman About bios on #Twitter. Write your bio carefully. Be informative. Watch personal info. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman On #Twitter, people you follow and people whom you follow are publicly visible. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Your handle starts with @ -- and that symbol triggers the system to know a handle. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "DMs" are Direct Messages. You can only send to a person who follows you. DMs are private. #wwcon11 #
janefriedman We're talking hashtags now. Here is the one for Willamette: #wwcon11 - #portland for area interests #
JaneFriedman Hashtagging skills -- good way to go is #wwcon11 and Jane's handle right now. #
JaneFriedman Here is a shot of Jane teaching our class on Twitter today at WilWrite #wwcon11 http://ow.ly/i/fp2c #
JaneFriedman has a great "Best Tweets for Writers" list of fine feeders, including the estimable elizabethscraig #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman How do you know who to follow? Twitter recommends is good. Jane's list. Your colleagues, friends. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Question: What makes good content? "People trust my judgment as a curator of good material." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman People use Twitter to provide various types of material as a service to followers. #wwcon11 #amwriting myen #
JaneFriedman "If you tweet consistently good stuff, you'll get followers. Greater visibility." #wwcon11 #writing #books #
JaneFriedman If you're #tweeting events you usually get new followers. Recommendations, too. #wwcon11 #amediting #readers #
JaneFriedman "Make sure you only follow people relevant to you." And don't take unfollowing personally. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "There's no magic number on how many people to follow." It's something that varies by your needs. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman You use shortened links (URLs) on Twitter. Link to an actual post, not just to someone's site. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman On Twitter, you refer to people by their Twitter handles (with the @ symbol), so they'll see it. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Less is more. Jane's philosophy is not to overdo her tweets (esp. with personal bits). #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Should you repeat your tweets? Some people do, Jane does not. Fit this to your needs & dayparts. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman TwitPic is a useful app that will house, process, and display images via Twitter. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman HootSuite is the app Jane uses (and I use) to schedule and manage the tweeting day. (Also metrics.) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Jane shows us HootSuite's great analytics that track your effectiveness on #Twitter. #wwcon11 #amwriting #
JaneFriedman Some interesting related things: Storify and BlackBird Pie for WordPress. Paper.li #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Jane quotes another great tweeter, thewritermama, from this interview: http://ow.ly/5WTrm #wwcon11 #editing #
JaneFriedman We're now in Q&A in this Willamette Writers Conference session on Twitter for writers. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman And we're now concluding this session. Our next coverage is with WellFedWriter in about 30 minutes. #wwcon11 #
Writing Empire (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
WellFedWriter Peter Bowerman is now starting his session at WilWrite on making a living of one book. #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "A book is the ultimate professional credential." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "I don't set goals. I don't have five-year plans. I don't have 10-year plans." #wwcon11 #
#WellFedWriter mentions StephenShapiro's fine "Goal-Free Living" http://ow.ly/5WUgI ("Use a compass not a map.") #wwcon11 #
#WellFedWriter The conversation in this session, Peter says, is mindset-setting, the framework. #wwcon11 #
#WellFedWriter reminds us of his assertion: the best book-marketing strategy of them all is to write a good book. #wwcon11 #
#WellFedWriter Peter says he's not much of a #socmed man. "You're better off creating the best possible product." #wwcon11 #
#WellFedWriter In his case, the answer was a "useful, topical, detailed, practical, engaging, well-produced book." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "Like it or not, your book IS being judged by its cover." Publishing salespeople travel with covers #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter Peter says he's not much of a #socmed man. "You're better off creating the best possible product." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter In his case, the answer was a "useful, topical, detailed, practical, engaging, well-produced book." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter reminds us of his assertion: the best book-marketing strategy of them all is to write a good book. #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter mentions stephenshapiro's fine "Goal-Free Living" http://ow.ly/5WUtL ("Use a compass not a map.") #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: "I use a service called iContact" ( http://ow.ly/5WUwA), which can manage your newsletter sends. #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "Content before cash. Focus on creating superior content, not what you can make from it." #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: "Don't do a blog because you think you should do a blog and everybody's doing it. Have a reason." #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: At the end of every blog post, Peter asks questions to stimulate participation in his audience. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: "I post about two times a month." You're "talking to yourself" with lots of posts. #wwcon11 #writegoal #
wellfedwriter: If Peter had to decide between the #blot and #ezine, he'd choose the blog. #wwcon11 #amwriting #
wellfedwriter: #ebook strategy -- you must have an ebook version of a hardcopy book. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: Peter has used PDFs for his ebook editions, rather than chasing different ereader formats. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter uses his own books as an incentive to have readers come to his site to buy rather than elsewhere. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter "If you're writing fiction, maybe you offer a reader's discussion guide." Be creative w/ incentives #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: "What can you create for a real buyer, something you can package for a potential #reader?" #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter Peter loves the "new scuff-free matte-laminate" finish on the cover of his paperback. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter: Peter says that 80+ percent of his orders are for electronic editions. #wwcon11 #amediting #amwriting #
wellfedwriter: Since electronic sales are strong, Peter bundles digital packages that sell well for him. #wwcon11 #books #
wellfedwriter: "I started my coaching business when I found I was spending hours a day answering questions." #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter For coaching, Peter is paid in advance via PayPal. Coaching is done by phone. #wwcon11 #amwriting #
wellfedwriter The Title Tailor (http://www.titletailor.com/) formalizes Peter's help for folks w/ their own books #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter In 2009 Peter started using TalkShoe.com (http://ow.ly/5WVfa) to do sessions of up to 12 for $249. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter "Deliver excellent customer service." Peter ships out small orders "It's a connection w/ my buyer." #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter Fix problems fast. Apologize if something goes wrong. People respond to good customer service. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter "Answer all your e-mail." People will say, "I can't believe I got a response." #wwcon11 #amwriting #editing #
Fantastic Fiction (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
Beginning at 8:30aPT / 11:30aET, live coverage of indigoediting (Susan DeFreitas) in "Fantastic Fiction" #wwcon11 from WilWrite - Join us. #
IndigoEditing (Susan DeFreitas) "I have a lot of passion for the whole universe that is fantasy in fiction." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Defining "fantasy": magic with rules. "Science fiction": things that may be possible in future. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing: "Magical realism": a limited number of fantastic elements within a context of realism. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "surrealism": magic without rules. "Speculative fiction": close to possible. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "Fabulism" and "Slipstream" -- no solid definitional categories in place. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "I'll be doing my best in this class to be not comprehensive but 'comprehendable.'" #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "When Kafka's Samsa underwent his transformation, it wasn't considered 'slipstream.'" #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "But in the last 100 years, literature became a heavily barricaded castle." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "Serious literature, with very few exceptions, sought to exclude fantastic fiction." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "In the '50s, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, Isabel Allende, & others" presented a compelling bid. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing More recently, fantastic fiction (FF) is storming the literary "castle" with rising success. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing #Writers including Morrison, Rushdie, Gaiman, Chabon have opened a trapdoor in the "labyrinth." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "As in every labyrinth, this one includes choices...and monsters." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing First choice to be made in the "Labyrinth of the Fantastic": This world vs. another world. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Susan (DeFreitas, lecturing) selects "another world" as our labyrinth choice. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "With work that takes place in another world, you have so much work to do" to create that world. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing You're trying to avoid the "expository lump" of "another world" description and establishment. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Another difficulty when FF "invents its reality through words" is a pile-up of jargon. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "Jargon has the tendency to enamor your work to a small group and alienate...everybody else." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing There may be an elegant format for jargon. (Say, a new-Elvish phrase to interp Old Elvish). #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing With a glossary, "you're showing you're taking care of your audience," but still need Plan A. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing In #ebook formats fantasy work with jargon can include audio/visual as well as glossary entries. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "As a reader, I've never turned to a glossary, but some readers are drowning without it." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Next, we look at the "inaccessibility" species of monster in the labyrinth of fantasy fiction. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing To handle the inaccessibe factor in fantasy is, cleave to "basic human emotional experience." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Back to our original split in the labyrinth: We choose THIS world for fantasy. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing The plying of fantasy in our world may be "uncanny." Unexplainable in our world is "marvelous." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Tzvetan Todorov's concept of the "marvelous": How can it get you into trouble? #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Three common mistakes: gimmicky; too-much-too-weird; and failure to connect. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Again, the answer to such pitfalls in "marvelous" fiction is basic human emotional truth. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "The stranger the condition, object, or occurrence, the more precisely it must be rendered." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "An inexcplicable (element) is more effective if it leads to more than one" possible explanations #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Extraordinary reality "involves a leap of faith...you have to believe it, if that's your story." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "If (your element of extraordinary reality) is a visual thing, you must be able to visualize it" #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "People think they need to describe a world before the action. It's just throat-clearing." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "For those writing in realist mode, there are ways to bring the fantastic in." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "Liminal" ways - at the edges of things. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Liminal fantastic, per Susan, is "situations or states in which...perceptions might be altered." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Such liminal fantasy can arise via drugs, madness, dreams, death, old/young age, travel, etc. #wwcon11 #
Denis Johnson http://ow.ly/5Xabj Susan points out, is particularly adroit in what she terms "liminal" fantasy. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Another example Susan provides is Kelly Link's "Some Zombie Continency Plans" http://ow.ly/5Xagn #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing now leads the group in "marvelous" exercises. You should see the levitation going on in here... #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Having generated emotionally potent memories, the group now is creating physical metaphors. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Next step: Use the emotionally potent moment & metaphor as a discovery in a sentence like this: #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing "The day (my grandmother died, Susan's example), I discovered a sliver of glass in my chest." #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Bottom line: "Literalize" your metaphor to connect your fantastic factor to human emotion. #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing Special congrats to Susan DeFreitas on a keenly delineated survey of fantasy. #PorterEndorsed #wwcon11 #
IndigoEditing (Susan DeFreitas) We're concluding our coverage of this excellent course. Next: RobertDugoni #wwcon11 #
Playing God (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
"Playing God: Creating Memorable Characters" w/ RobertDugoni, Sunday 10:30aPT PDX, WilWrite confab http://ow.ly/5KwRm #wwcon11 #pubwrite #
"Playing God: Creating Memorable Characters" w/ RobertDugoni, Sunday 10:30aPT PDX, WilWrite confab http://ow.ly/5KwRm #wwcon11 #amediting #
10:30aPT / 1:30pET RobertDugoni in "Playing God: Creating Memorable Characters" at Willamette Writers Conference WilWrite Follow #wwcon11 #
Join us in about 30 minutes for robertdugoni in "Playing God: Creating Memorable Characters" at wilwrite (final day). Follow #wwcon11 #
Now starting our coverage of RobertDugoni's session on "Playing God: Creating Memorable Characters" at WilWrite #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni is talking about the mesmerizing attraction of extraordinarily real characters. #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "Lonesome Dove" http://ow.ly/5XbKS is a book he closed saying "I really loved that character." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni After the success of "The Jury Master," Bob was asked for more about David Sloane - the character. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "You have to get people to fall in love with your characters." To do this, "make them human." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Whatever quest (characters) are on, you also find ways to make them human." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "The best way to make them 3-dimensional is by giving them experiences we all have to go through." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "The best compliment you can get on your #book is when you get those #emails: 'What happens next?'" #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "The reason the reader cares what happens next is the writer's skill in characterization." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Characters can start at the second level and go to the third...a wife who says, 'screw it.'" #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Bob is describing four levels of character evolution from Cynthia Whitcomb's book. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "I don't know how (David) Sloane is going to change yet" in the current work-in-progress Bob is doing #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Flat protagonists: "A lot of time we project ourselves as the protagonists." And then we pull punches. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Similarly, villains are going to be "of" you. "That's your best material." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Your friends will see themselves in your books. 'That's me, isn't it?' 'Do you want it to be you?'" #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "You observe the circumstances of the human condition. Then you mold your characters around them." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Don't stop the story to give us a description of a character. Give us the description in the action." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "I have to have checklists. 'Did I use all five senses in this scene?' " #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "A great way to introduce a character" is from offstage, "through another character's eyes." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "How do you make your character real and 'larger than life'?" #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Don't limit the ways you play out personality features ("= bigger than life") of your characters. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Give your character an inner conflict." Again, don't limit the range of internal conflict. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Another element: "Self-regard. Give your character a moment to contemplate" the action. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "You want your reader to cry? Don't let your character cry. Bring them up to the point." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni (with Hallie Ephron, who's in our class): Dual-potential traits: Obsession = a weakness OR a strength. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "You can make a character memorable with a 'third element' or a 'marking.'" (Potter's birthmark.) #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Show don't tell": Physical characteristics can be communicated by action, rather than simple telling. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Avoid "excessive detail that is unnecessary" particularly outside action. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Conveying how a character uses his eyes" is more effective than describing their shape and color. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni When using similes, analogies, "make sure you don't overdo it." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni What a character is wearing "serves as a marker, definitional material. Don't throw this away." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Physical behavior: "We don't all walk the same way, we don't all sit the same way." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Instead of "he was small and quick," how about "he was a little ferret of a kid." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni The voice & verbal mannerisms of a character (maybe regional), are more markers of characterization. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni Bob has enumerated these character markers: physical nature, dress, movement, dialogue, world view. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "Writing is rewriting. Rewriting and rewriting" -- when you find these characterization elements. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "I'm the kind of person, I think, who works well when I have a lot of things on my plate." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "You need to find time to write, and you need a family commitment." #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "If I'm on a roll, I just tell my wife and kids, 'I'm just going to power through.'" #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "I write better in the morning. On my writing days, Wed-Thur-Friday," 7a to maybe 3p or 4p. #wwcon11 #
robertdugoni "I can't write every day. Don't stress about that...but find time to write." #wwcon11 #
Now concluding our "Playing God" session with robertdugoni at WilWrite. Next coverage is at 1:15pPT/4:15pET with JaneFriedman #wwcon11 #
Hallie Ephron (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
From Willamette (WilWrite), our next session covered is Hallie Ephron on internal & spoken dialogue at 10:30aPT/1:30pET/5:30pGMT. #wwcon11 #
Hi from Portland & Willamette Writers Conference (WilWrite #wwcon11) -- we're now starting coverage of Hallie Ephron's "Say What?" session. #
"Say What?" WilWrite | Ephron is making several key presentations this weekend at #wwcon11 http://ow.ly/5VD2g #writing #
"Say What?" WilWrite | In this session at #wwcon11, Ephron focuses on internal & spoken dialogue. http://ow.ly/5VCUj #
"Say What?" | Internal dialogue "is like a whole other story...I want you to look at what's between the quotes." #wwcon11 #
"Say What?" | "Just use 'said' and 'asked.' They're invisible to the reader" in dialogue writing. #wwcon11 #
"Say What?" | The placement of a descriptor -- "she said, careful eyes on me" -- drives its effect in the sentence. #wwcon11 #
"Say What?" | We get "edgy, cynical, world-weary" from the character's internal description of dialogue. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "The m-dash can indicate a change of mind or something else happened before something was finished." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | The ellipsis in dialogue "indicates a pause (not that stuff is missing)." #wwcon11 #writing #amwriting #
Say What? | In a viewpoint character, we have the advantage of letting readers "hear" her or his thoughts. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "'Her green eyes flashed' is a cliche, and I'm surprised to see it in a Dennis Lehane novel." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | (The passage Hallie is working with here is from Dennis Lehane's "Moonlight Mile." http://ow.ly/5WP94) #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "You jump off the cliff" and your #writing group/#readers "tell you if you've made a big enough splat." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | A pause here -- Hallie has the class working on a bit of dialogue on a worksheet. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | Hallie now is taking one of the group's writing samples and evaluating how effective it is. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "Get creative and give your character clothes and props to show behavior." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "No adverbs with the word 'said.' Put that on a bumper sticker and put it on your car." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "In fiction, you want to unpack the big idea," & this is one reason the shorthand of adverbs won't work. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "When you find yourself using an -ing verb, see if you can switch it to the active form of the verb." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | We're hearing more examples of writers' work exercise ... #wwcon11 #
Say What? | One participant asks about the question mark Hallie has used with "said" rather than "asked." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | The emphasis here is on showing with action and reaction how lines are given and answered. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "What I've seen a lot in manuscripts I've critiqued here is disembodied dialogue." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | Hallie says you can use italics to indicate a characters' thoughts but don't overdo it & be consistent. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | Internal dialogue, generally, is limited to the viewpoint character, of course. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | "Every word of dialogue you pick is a choice...choose words that would be in the character's mouth." #wwcon11 #
Say What? | When using non-English words or jargon, translate only as needed. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | Cara Black http://ow.ly/5WQ7X uses French in her work without translating or confusing readers. #wwcon11 #
Say What? | Hallie concludes the class with a look at an unreliable narrator (from Mark Heddon). #wwcon11 #
Say What? | Hallie concludes the class with a look at an unreliable narrator (from Mark Haddon). #wwcon11 #
Say What? | In "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (http://ow.ly/5WQru): orthogonal dialogue. #wwcon11 #
There's still time to register for WilWrite's Sunday sessions, including more from Hallie Ephron. http://ow.ly/5WQL6 #wwcon11 #
Playing God | robertdugoni (with Hallie Ephron, who's in our class): Dual-potential traits: Obsession = a weakness OR a strength. #wwcon11 #
Audience Devel (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
JaneFriedman "If you have some sort of baseline skill..you have more power as an author w/ readers in your hand." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Your traditional #publisher...(is) betting on someone strolling down an aisle to find your book." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Yes, it takes time, it takes energy, you have to be patient, it's not going to happen overnight." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "You have to be comfortable using the computer -- get over that hump...it's a creative exercise." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "What action do you want people to take? What step should your most devoted fan be engaged in?" #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Your "hub" is likely your web site, all your online activities being the spokes. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Your hub needs a bio, info re: books, press kit, #socmed presence, #email newsletter, blurbs re: you #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Your site needs "content cheese cubes." These are bits of your content, people sample your work. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman (If you want to do online readings as "cheese cubes," your contract must give you audio rights.) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Using MailChimp http://ow.ly/5Xfrd you can manage a newsletter. Never abuse the list for any reason. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman If you already have traffic coming to a site, a newsletter is a good way to capture that traffic. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman #Socmed "is not just Facebook & Twitter." See the Conversation Prism http://ow.ly/5Xfxd for ideas. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Principles that apply online include being "of service to a community before you market to it." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Be genuine & authentic" online, not a "smarmy marketer." Impressions build. Show up. Be kind. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman On Facebook, you now can transition from a personal page to a fan page. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman If you have a fan page on #Facebook, "you do actually need to do something on it." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "If you are a #blogger, make sure you send a link to Facebook when you post. People want to know." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "There is a huge #writing + #publishing community on Twitter, but you don't have to be there." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "It's easier to start with relationships you already have" when you're ready to find an audience. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Cultivate first: "Gatekeepers to your community of readers & people who are your fans/evangelists." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman's book, "The Future of #Publishing: Enigma Variations," http://ow.ly/5XfY1 gave her "reach" insight. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman's use of GoogleAnalytics gives her info incl how much traffic her writerunboxed.com/ posts give her #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Integration: Use widgets, plug-ins, badges "to make visitors aware of where else you're active." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Don't be worried about overkill or duplication." Make sure each element links to others. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman GoodReads ( http://ow.ly/5Xgbj ) sometimes is overlooked by authors. An active, reading community. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Overwhelmed? Start with the hub (site/blog). Add outposts (Twitter, etc.). Add community, media. #wwcon11 #
Second Draft (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
3pPT / 6pET RobertDugoni and Chris Humphreys in "Second Draft: Are You a Barfer or a Pantser?" at WilWrite Conference Follow #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "I refer to writing the novel as climbing a mountain several times. 1st draft = 1st climb. #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni Agrees with Chris, "the goal is to get to the end in the first draft." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "The second climb up the mountain (2nd draft), you're making a route for your editor to follow you." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "Many times your characters will tell you, 'I wouldn't say that' or 'I wouldn't take that path.'" #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys is new to some of us, an actor, playwright, fight choreographer and author of 7 historical novels. #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys: In writing about Vlad (Dracula), "I'm starting at A, aiming at Z. I know A but I may not know Z." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys: "Don't show your first draft to anyone. Make your writing group a second-draft group." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni: "A double screen (on the desk when writing) is the best thing to happen to me." [I agree, huge help.] #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys: "The perseverance is part of the game...It's very rare for me to walk away from my desk." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "You finish the first draft. Put it away. Celebrate. Go do something." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni When returning to that first draft, "I unplug the keyboard" to avoid kneejerk, premature editing. #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "I 'oscillate' back and forth as I go over the material, and keep moving through the book." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "I do a similar thing...it allows you see things visually, you see how the story is unfolding. #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "I go in with an idea. I know it's a book about rescuing. Sloane & his son live parallel lives." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "'Bodily Harm' I thought was a book about revenge" but found out there was more to it than that. #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "What you're going to be doing is going back to creation." He refers to Michelangelo's "Prisoners." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "The second draft is still a chance to really get in" and work at depth, not just polish. #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "I suggest you understand your weaknesses.: Have you entertained? Have you told the story?" #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "Did you establish the tone? ...Did you start in the right place? 'I can begin on Page 22.'" #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "The prime objective, as Bob has been saying, is to make the reader tunr the page." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "By the time you turn in the last draft, you want to cause people sleepless nights" with your book. #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "I ask myself, do I have a good setting?...Have I used all five of my senses?...What's the weather?" #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "It's not just a technical exercise," and not just macro, "but a chance to do something different." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "I'm going to use all these things from the evaluation process. ...I'm a writer, not a meteorologist." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "Most of us are inclined to tell a story. And that's not our job. Our job is to show a story." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys "I pay attention to the tempo of a scene. Bob corrected me and told me that's called pacing." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys: "I call research a springboard for the imagination. It's vital, the sense of place you draw." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys Readers need to know history, but you incorporate it on a need-to-know basis." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "You can have an info-dump on the setting, just as you can on character." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "How about a terrarium with three tarantulas...she looks and there's only two. Right?" #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "I go through an entire manuscript and I look for the word 'was' -- an indicator of a passive voice." #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni "Don't edit out your voice. Don't get so pedantic that it becomes a journal. Just evaluate." #wwcon11 #
Chris Humphreys: 'There's only one thing I always take out, and that's 'it seemed.'" #wwcon11 #
RobertDugoni: "And look for -ing endings." #wwcon11 #
Beyond Thunderdome (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
Waving to both of you from "Beyond Thunderdome." RT krisvockler: waving at ya "antsaint: #wwcon11" #
The "Beyond Thunderdome" session at #wwcon11 features Oregon's Randall Jahnson, F.J. Pratt, & Chris Matheson on working Hollywood by remote. #
Matheson: "I was born & raised in LA, I didn't even like it as a kid...thought I wanted to live in Seattle." #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "In terms of living up here (in Portland, rather than in LA), challenges are not insurmountable." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "You can live across the street from Warner Brothers" and effectively be as far away as in Oregon. #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "It could be that in some cases you have to be in LA." (TV work is an example.) #wwcon11 #
Pratt: "The reason sitcoms aren't produced in other parts of the country is the infrastructure is in LA." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "Is the TV industry changing like the film industry has?" #wwcon11 #
In terms of economics, Canadian production, etc. comes into play. Pratt: "The costs in LA." Matheson #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "We have two series being shot in Portland now. (laughs:) Portland doubling as Boston." #wwcon11 #
Matheson "It's probably fair to say that to write for TV, you have to go to LA," but it's not crucial in film. #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "When we were considering bailing out (of LA), first thing I did was get ahold of Chris" Matheson. #wwcon11 #
Pratt: "I hate LA. Other than south Pasadena? ...I don't need to wear shorts 365 days out of a year." #wwcon11 #
Pratt "When these guys (Jahnson, Matheson) moved out of LA, I was envious." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "The studios don't have any money" these days "and digital is leveling the playing field." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "It's a different kind of challenge...to distinguish yourself in the flood of mediocrity." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "We all have families and kids, and that was a huge factor" in deciding to live in Oregon, not LA. #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "By the way, some people go to Los Angeles and love it. Amazingly rich, dense culture." #wwcon11 #
Question: Are there agents or managers in Portland to rep you to Hollywood? #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "My understanding is that there are some agents here, but the gatekeepers are in LA and New York." #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "Portland has a range of locations, & it's not jaded like LA...(as in) 'get that film crew out'" #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "LA just has so much cynicism...it became like white noise to me, I couldn't think." #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "You do your best writing...then go out of your way to show it to people you think might be tough." #wwcon11 #
Matheson congratulates an audience member who's holding off on using an LA contact until her work is ready. #wwcon11 #
Matheson "A thing like this" (the Willamette conference) can be a way to do the 'six degrees.'" #wwcon11 #
The sense of the panel is that online script-distribution sites may not deliver all they promise. #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "We're seeing agencies clearing out dead wood, and you're seeing agents come out as 'managers.'" #wwcon11 #
Matheson "The claim of the 'manager' is they're personally involved in your career." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "And there's an assumption that if you get work, (the manager) is coming aboard as a producer." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "If we're in a paradigm that's indy-based, that to me is fairly old." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson: "I think I have a manager" as well as an agent. Randall met his manager through work in gaming. #wwcon11 #
Matheson: Answering a question from floor, "I wrote 5 scripts before I had any success at all." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "This manager thing may be a new way business is done. They don't have the baggage of major agencies." #wwcon11 #
Matheson A finished film is a much more valuable thing than a great script. And easier to make these days." #wwcon11 #
Audience question: Best place for agents listings? Matheson: Online search. #wwcon11 #
Matheson: "The big agencies are all filled up, but there are always agencies. And managers." #wwcon11 #
Matheson stresses "Don't do it (approach an agent) until your work is validated...wait for the right moment." #wwcon11 #
Matheson "There is work shot in Portland. Try to get in as a PA. Watch, learn, get close to producers." #wwcon11 #
Pratt "You may be handing the guy his lunch," but the idea of working locally on a shoot is great. #wwcon11 #
Question from floor: Should Portland writers go to LA to pitch their work? #wwcon11 #
Pratt: "It's a different skill set, writing and pitching. Pitches are all about economy. Get to the point." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "The important thing is to have a product before you pitch. A book or a screenplay." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "You never know when you might have a few seconds to pitch. The classic elevator thing." #wwcon11 #
Jahnson "Pitching is a great way to learn your own work. Have a really concise concept of what it's about." #wwcon11 #
And this ends our coverage of the session on working Hollywood from outside. More coming ... #wwcon11 #
Funding for Writers (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
JaneFriedman In sitting on NEA grants panels and other work, Jane has reviewed funding resources. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "We have a strange relationship with money. If you don't ask, you'll never get anything." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "As in publishing -- if you don't ask, you won't be published -- we must ask for funding." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Myths & Mental Blocks in seeking funding. Myths 1 & 2 You have to know someone or be famous. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "You may feel you're asking for 'permission' if you write a grant request." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "You should consider yourself on the same plane as scientists" who regularly have grants. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Grants writing does force you to make a budget," which isn't fun for a lot of us. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "You probably shouldn't be asking for money or writing a grant until you're producing work." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: A resource list (Jane provides) will help you. Mira's List is good: http://ow.ly/5Ww5Z #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Grants can be categorized into those for 'emerging' and those for 'distinguished' artists." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Grant-writing is time-consuming. Each application has to be customized each time. #wwcon11 #amwriting #
JaneFriedman: "Ask 'How will this money help me reach my goal?'" We need to be very clear on what we want. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Don't write a grant just to get money. It should give you a roadmap to the future." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Start at a local arts council. Possibly first requests might include conference trips. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "If you have any kind of audience you can survey in preliminary interviews," these are useful. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Don't try to do it by yourself. Especially when comes to editing," you need other eyes. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Basic grant-proposal elements include letters of inquiry, cover letters, executive summaries. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "The first line" is especially tricky. "What exactly is your project?" Important to get right. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: The project description needs mindful formatting. Paragraphs, subheads. Follow the guidelines. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "If you ask for $5,000 for audio equipment & recording time...you need to be very specific." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: A grant has three elements about you. Bio and/or resume: choose bio if your resume isn't huge. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman The bio is written in third person. If sending a resume, it's in list format. Fine to run long. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "The artist's statement is basically your philosophy of your work." Make this personable. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: If it's hard to describe what you're doing, ask yourself why IS your work hard to talk about? #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: In the budgeting stage, "ask yourself what needs to happen from Day One; outline the process." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: In outlining all your expenses, "It's impossible to provide too much detail." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Income elements of your budgeting include earned, donated and in-kind donation. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: In budgeting expenses and income, you include the funding the grant would provide. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "When I was reviewing grants for the NEA, it drove me insane when they were vague on expenses." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Funders don't like to be the only ones supporting you. They want to see money from others." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "It's important to show a foundation that you're not relying solely on it for your project." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Ninety percent of grants aren't for individuals." You need a "fiscal sponsor." (Means 501.c3) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: The fiscal sponsor can become an umbrella, then, to open more funding sources to you. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Especially with residencies and fellowships, your writing sample needs to be top-notch." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: In asking for recommendation letters, ask, "Do you feel you can write a strong letter?" #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "It's smart to send a resume" and other things to help guide recommendation-letter writers. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Grant proposals are for (a) projects (b) professional development (c) fellowships/residencies #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Even if they don't ask this, explain why your project's unique & how you'll ensure success." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Look for urgency -- why is this grant needed at this time, this point in your career? #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: As in book-proposal writing, communicate why you're the best person for this project & grant. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Too much grants-writing falls into cliches, people calling their own work "interesting," etc. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Say: what you'll do with the money, where else you're looking for money, how it affects you. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Never actually write, "This project will happen w/ or w/out' the money." But that's the tone. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Nagging feelings? Can you think of ways they could be beneficial to the project?" #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Don't put in so much hype that you become silly." #wwcon11 [Words to live by, folks, grants or not.] #
JaneFriedman: Keep track of everything and get the work done a week early (for when the printer breaks down) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: In some cases, grants-making organizations will have a period to discuss grants not approved. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Network and connect. This gets you into elevator-pitch mode. The 20-30-second summation." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Be concise. Pay attention to the order of things. Follow instructions. (Most people won't.) #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Don't do it your own way because you're being artistic. Follow directions." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Be direct about what you want. Have the track record, the plan, and the work to back it up." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Crowd funding. We're going to be talking about Kickstarter in this part: http://ow.ly/5Wxla #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: First, you write a treament. Describe what you want people to buy into. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: First, you write a treatment. Describe what you want people to buy into. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: You also need to create a pitch-video. We're watching one now in our session. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: While your video need not look Hollywood, it needs to look polished. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: If you can't make a video, get help. "You've got to have this, you just have to have it." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Now list everybody interested in you. Figure out the 1 or 2 who will amplify your message. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Your big list gets an "I need your help" email. Your "evangelists" get a special email. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: You must be specific. What do you actually want people who will help you to do? #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Your pitch on the Kickstarter site offers rewards (as in pledge drives) at each donation level. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Statistics show most people will give between the $20 and $50 range." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "A lot of your success on this kind of thing is based on how many people you know." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "You need to spend an hour or two each day on this to reach your goal. It's draining." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "If you're not on Facebook or Twitter or other social media, this is almost impossible to do." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: galleycat does a weekly pick of a Kickstarter project of interest, worth watching. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "You are taxed on Kickstarter-type funds, as you are on grants." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Q&A: In such small amounts of money & large amounts of time, is this worth it? #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: You have to decide whether this is worth it to you and makes sense in your case. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: "Pursue what's really meaningful for you and would be fun. Expect good things to happen." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman: Mentions a #blogger, Bud Cadell, http://ow.ly/5Wy1O who did an interesting approach. #wwcon11 #
This concludes our coverage of the Funding for Writers session at WilWrite with JaneFriedman, super session. More from #wwcon11 tomorrow. #
Contracts (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
Tools to analyze your #author contracts: Friday 1:30pPT w/ Kohel Haver (artcop) at WilWrite Aug 5-7 PDX #wwcon11 http://ow.ly/5LWXw #
Friday live coverage at #wwcon11 includes Agents Panel, eMedia Panel, Haver on publishing contracts, and more. http://ow.ly/5VZ5a #
Friday live coverage at #wwcon11 includes Agents Panel, eMedia Panel, Haver on publishing contracts, and more. http://ow.ly/5VVkv #
Good afternoon from Portland. We're starting artcop's session on #publishing contracts now. Please join us at hashtag #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Kohel Haver AKA Artcop is an attorney in copyright, licensing & trademark w/ creatives. http://ow.ly/5Vh8r #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "When you tweet it's yours; write a blog, it's yours. 'They' want to steal from you. Copyright." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: The old advice about "mail a copy of your book to yourself and it's copyrighted" is bull. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Copyright registration is so easy now, you'll kick yourself if you don't do it." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Copyright gives you control of somebody reading your work. Dressed as a duck. On #YouTube." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Copyright.gov is the copyright office website. A button is there for electronic registration." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: Here's the electronic division of the government copyright office: http://ow.ly/5WqTc #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: This is a $35 copyright process. It involves uploading your book. You can update a WIP, too. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: For this $35 step (of copyrighting your book), you have the legal presumption of ownership. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | As an aside, Artcop tells us that photography was copyrighted to protect Brady's Civil War images. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: US copyright law is to be rewritten in 2019. Digital distribution issues will be dealt with then. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: Additionally, a copyright gives you "presumption of damages." (Hard to quantify in digital copies) #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "The 'presumption of damages' is useful to you, no need to prove how many copies were made." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: The copyright will even provide a basis for injunction against wrongful use of your work. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: A copyright notice was essential until 1989. Since then, it hasn't been necessary. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Regardless of what others tell you, you are pivotal in promoting your own book." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "If you learn how to use these social media tools, you can create a market for your book." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | My note (Porter) - I recommend JaneFriedman's sessions here at #wwcon11 for that #socmed savvy Artcop is talking. #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "LegalZoom is a great idea but it can't work as well as somebody who knows what they're doing." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "No one has ever been offended by copyright: transfer to a publisher on a contract is easy." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Another reason to copyright: Anything online does not go away." It's out there in perpetuity. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: Question from the audience: How do you prevent alteration to your work during publishing? #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "You don't give up your rights without signing something. It's your stuff. That's your right." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: But be aware, "copyright protects your expression, not the idea." Hence "West Side Story" = R&J. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: *Looks at JulieAFast, who's here talking tablet publishing. "Its own category." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Fair use" includes use of ideas, the quoting of excerpts in a legitimate critical review, etc. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Creative Commons says you may use this if you don't change it, or take off my attribution." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: Shows us "Goodnight Moon" &"Goodnight Bush," the latter marked "Parody." Good example. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop Mentions the interesting sub-industry culture of homage in comic book writing, a form of fair use #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "If you change a work significantly, you may want to re-register" its copyright. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "If you're dealing with Penguin, you want to be sure they don't substitute other water fowl." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Know who the parties are in a #publishing contract." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop Don't let anybody say, "Don't even read this, just sign it." Assume no such thing as "boilerplate." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: If they say nothing has changed in their contract for 30 years, that's a clue: room to negotiate. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "We're talking about electronics now...the rules have changed." Not all publishers have caught up" #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "If your formatting is important to you, you want to send it in a form that preserves it." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "When you go through your subsidiary rights...put time limits on those." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "The days when we had to give over all of (a project) to a #publisher are over." New pub models. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Who's going to manage the social-media promotion? Who's going to manage the blog?" #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | In response to my Q about Rowling's #Pottermore initiative, Artcop talks power-of-brand, fascinating. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "Revisions, modification rights, are part of your protection in copyright law." #wwcon11 WilWrite #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "You say to a #publisher, 'Which parts of my (market) do you want?'" Author reserves the rest. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop Part of the genius of #Twitter is that 140-characters is too short to get into copyright trouble. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop Media capabilities today give you the chance to ask how much publicity/publishing support you need. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop "If it gets to the point of remainders," you want first right of refusal at the lowest price. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "You should be building a data base of your fans" -- an eventual market to sell your work. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "You want to be taking control of the #socmed tools that now are part of the conversation." #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "All rights not specifically identified are reserved for the author." (I'm memorizing that.) #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | Artcop: "When you register electronically, Copyright.gov confirms date and time" it's effective. #wwcon11 #
#Publishing Contracts | This has been our coverage of a terrific session on contracts & rights with Artcop, Kohel Haver WilWrite #wwcon11 #
Great job by artcop at #wwcon11 on contracts. RT: #PDXBridgeFest on bridge loading world's largest box of doughnuts http://t.co/o2oNekR #
EMedia Panel (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
WilWrite | Panelist Ron Gompertz is a self-published author. One of his books: "No Roads Lead to Rome. #wwcon11... #
Friday live coverage at #wwcon11 includes Agents Panel, eMedia Panel, Haver on publishing contracts, and more. http://ow.ly/5VZ5a #
Friday live coverage at #wwcon11 includes Agents Panel, eMedia Panel, Haver on publishing contracts, and more. http://ow.ly/5VVkv #
We are concluding the Agents Panel at #wwcon11: Our next coverage is of the eMedia panel in about 30 minutes. Live chat: http://ow.ly/5WdEx #
#wwcon11 In addition to tweeting, you might enjoy our live-chat sessions. Next one, 10:30aPT/1:30pET from eMedia panel. http://ow.ly/5Wgd9 #
We are about to begin the eMedia Panel at #wwcon11. Please join in. I'm assisted here by krisvockler and glad to have the help! #
WilWrite | JaneFriedman, a top expert on #publishing & #writing, blogs at: http://ow.ly/5Vaij #wwcon11 http://ow.ly/5WgEn #
JaneFriedman "Since we're at a writing conference, we know you're interested in what 'eMedia' means to e-publishing." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman First, we'll have our panelists talk about their own experiences with eMedia, what has it changed? #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "You should use these (media) tools because you have a good reason, not because you think you should." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "Unless you're writing your eMedia content because you have a book, you may be talking to yourself." #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast When she started in eMedia "people would write me and ask, 'What's a right click?'" #wwcon11 #
WilWrite | JulieAFast is an author, speaker, & consultant both in mental health & media issues. http://ow.ly/5VaP3 #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "My big thing now is tablet publishing." No more hardback/paperbacks. #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "I say get on the wavelength (eMedia). You can do your traditional work now, but open your mind to this." #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "I came to this conference for years... Today, I'm selling 100 of these (ebooks)" to each trad book. #wwcon11 #
wilwrite | Panelist Ron Gompertz is a self-published author of "No Roads Lead to Rome" & others. http://ow.ly/5VcB1 #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz: "They said write from a woman's point of view...I didn't feel passion for that." So he went indy. #wwcon11 #
wilwrite | Suzy_Vitello is a specialist in collaboration with #authors, #editing, & development. http://ow.ly/5VgUE #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "In the last three years, I've been moving into #socmed management quite rapidly. #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "At any given time, I have to remember don't post about furniture instead of the Empress of Austria." #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "It can be disheartening to see what looks like marketing on some literary websites." #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "If you don't draw some boundaries around the time you spend on this, it's at the expense of #writing. #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "You should come to #socmed with the same passion you enter your writing..JaneFriedman has great tips." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "What's being forgotten in the rush to #socmed?" How can this go wrong for #authors? #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "The most powerful marketing strategy of all is to write a really good book." (Hear, hear.) #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "If you sell 40 books in an hour, your book can go to #1" for a few minutes. "Is that a bestseller?" #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "It's about connection..I want people to understand my writer's persona." #wwcon11 #amwriting #pubwrite #
JulieAFast "I don't use Twitter or Facebook. For me, in business, newsletters are what work." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman That's a great way to take this -- what works for some people may not for others. #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "I started a newsletter for my 'Well Fed Writer' crowd...6,500 subscribers...a long-term strategy." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "45 days after I released my newsletter to my list, I was in the black." (He credits ebooks & loyalty.) #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "I decided to write an adult book about the Empress of Austria...and have her blog." princess_sisi #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "I'm glad 'fun' just came up. I often tell people if you don't enjoy your tools, don't use them." #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "When my blog goes out, it's on the #Kindle...if SEO (details) are part of your business, hire somebody." #wwcon11 #
RT krisvockler: My big takeaway from emedia panel, u don't have to do all #socmed, use what makes sense and jives w/ u #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "#Twitter has a lot of strange nomenclature. (As in #WW, etc.) You can get those wrong. People forget." #wwcon11 #
janefriedman "Not to belabor the obvious, #Twitter is public" (The point from Jane & Ron is Think Before You Tweet.) #wwcon11 #
Q&A: Audience member asks how do you tweet with typical #socmed shortcuts and in the patois? #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Generally, social media are less formal, more conversational." #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "Everything I do has 'bipolar' in it -- tha'ts part of my SEO (search engine optimimization." #wwcon11 #
Q&A: All the "clutter" that self-publishing can create, how do you handle it? #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "I've been approached about 4 times by big publishers" but he's committed to DIY. #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "If you want to be traditionally published, go for it. But I the power has shifted to the writer." #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "Do what makes you happy." #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "I'd say do your creative work early in the day and your eMedia work later int he day." #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "I blog twice a month. Probably less than I should. But 3, 4, 5 times a week? Ludicrous." #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "I blog to sell books and for my clients. For some, every day makes no sense. For me, it's necessary." #wwcon11 #
As krisvockler pointed out a while back, this panel's real message is that eMedia engagement varies by situation. #wwcon11 #
Q&A: An audience member wants to know from Suzy_Vitello which comes first, the blog or the book? #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "I say if it comes from the point of inspiration and passion, do it. This is platform." #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello Recommends Forest for the Trees from Betsy Lerner. Here is the link: http://ow.ly/5WjzS #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "If an article comes out that's close to what you do, put the title, summary, author on your blog." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "Notice that each person on this panel has a strategy." And also a "call to action," as panelists add. #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "#Kindle is really easy. And I use Smashwords for everything else." #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "I'm into app publishing. You still pay your 30%, this to me is the future. iOS is Apple. Or Android." #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "There's an alternative to Smashwords, too, called BookBaby." http://ow.ly/5WjXz #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "There are geeks out there who would love to do" your web work "for $25 an hour." #wwcon11 #
Suzy_Vitello "You develop your relationships with your community by going to other sites. Comment." Buiding links. #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman "How much time do you spend on eMedia every day?" #wwcon11 #
JulieAFast "I could do 10 hours (eMedia) a day." Gompertz: 15 min,. to an hour. WellFedWriter Three hours? #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "Prioritize. Marketing starts with the other product (your project). ...Focus on quality of product." #wwcon11 #
Q&A: How do you price books in self-publishing? #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz and JulieAFast point out the pricing of #ebooks can be all over the map, depending on book/market. #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter "There's also a potential difference in pricing if you have a hardback as well as an #ebook." #wwcon11 #
Q&A: What do you do if you have illustrations you need? #Kindle isn't as good for graphics. #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz The #Kindle app may have color capabilities the #Kindle itself doesn't have. #wwcon11 #
wellfedwriter "There's also a site called Vook.com that can help with formatting of more interactive things." #wwcon11 #
Ron Gompertz "The two things I recommend you invest in as a self-publisher are editing and a cover." #wwcon11 #
An audience member, Chris, introduces himself as working with BookBaby. Here for folks to speak to at #wwcon11 #
Q&A: If you want to publish POD (print on demand), any suggestions? #wwcon11 #
WellFedWriter recommends DirectToPOD.com as an advocate in ethical self-printing/#publishing http://ow.ly/5Wluw #wwcon11 #
JaneFriedman Wraps up our eMedia panel: "It benefits you to experiment. But think 1, 5, 10 years out. Goal in mind." #wwcon11 #
Agent Panel (all tweets by @Porter_Anderson)
WilWrite | Panel moderator/agent Betsy Amster seeks nonfiction writers with "something new to say" http://ow.ly/5UM3T #wwcon11 #
Going to Friday's All About #Agents panel at #wwcon11? See MikeShatzkin's fine piece on the agent-#publishing issue: http://ow.ly/5VVsz #
WilWrite | Good morning from the All About Agents panel at #wwcon11 http://ow.ly/5UMrZ #
WilWrite | Kirby Kim is an agent with William Morris Endeavor, repping fiction & nonfiction. http://ow.ly/5UL8k #wwcon11 #
WilWrite | andreasomberg, with Harvey Klinger, seeks "books that fill a hole in the marketplace." http://ow.ly/5ULMK #wwcon11 #
WilWrite | amachinist is with Janklow & Nesbit,& reps strongly voiced commercial fiction http://ow.ly/5ULsI #wwcon11 #
WilWrite | David Patterson, FoundryMedia, reps narrative non-fiction, bios, some fiction. http://ow.ly/5ULD1 #wwcon11 #
WilWrite | Moderator & Portland agent Betsy Amster looks for nonfiction w/ "something new to say" http://ow.ly/5UMmm #wwcon11 #
andreasomberg "If you decide to go the self-publishing route, your big problem is how do you do promotion?" #wwcon11 #
andreasomberg: When you hear of self-publishing successes, "a lot of those people already have name recognition." #wwcon11 #
David Patterson: "I think it's still genuinely worth...making an effort to go the traditional route." #wwcon11 #
moderator Betsy Amster: What resources can #writers follow to learn what they need most about #publishing? #wwcon11 #
amachinist "In genre fiction, online communities provide a good way to be sure you're getting the right elements." #wwcon11 #
David Patterson "I think Publishers Marketplace (PublishersLunch) is the best for nuts-and-bolts information." #wwcon11 #
Moderator recommends AgentQuery.com - "but make sure you do your due diligence when researching." #wwcon11 #
amachinist talks about having a deserving client with an endearing novel that required two years of work to sell. #wwcon11 #
Kirby Kim (William Morris) talks about a three-year process of developing a YA piece to sell an author's material. #wwcon11 #
andreasomberg "A lot about this business is persistence...and there's a lot of rejection for agents, too." #wwcon11 #
amachinist "I promised the author I'd walk to the ends of the Earth to sell this book." You want that commitment. #wwcon11 #
Kirby Kim (William Morris) "I like that feeling of discovery more than anything...an originality of expression." #wwcon11 #
andreasomberg "In practical nonfiction, elements other than the writing (quality) come into play, of course." #wwcon11 #
amachinist "I stay too long at parties, afraid I'll miss something...that's the element I chase in books." #wwcon11 #
David Patterson (FoundryMedia) "I prefer 'profile' to 'platform.' ...I really like to see this, a writer's profile." #wwcon11 #
David Patterson for amachinist FOMO is "fear of missing out" (her fave feeling in a novel). #wwcon11 #
moderator Betsy Amster wants to know what puts off agents? #wwcon11 #
amachinist Really don't call us every day. #wwcon11 #
David Patterson Don't write us an email "that will really teach us a lesson" if you want to work with us. #wwcon11 #
Q&A: From the floor: Should I self-publish because there isn't enough room for the quirky and not easily defined? #wwcon11 #
David Patterson (FoundryMedia) Look for things published that share qualities with your book. Be honest about it. #wwcon11 #
Q&A: If you go to an agent who sells work similar to yours, when does it become repetitive? #wwcon11 #
Q&A: Has it become acceptable to submit to more agents than once? Betsy Amster: Yes. We even like competition a bit. #wwcon11 #
Q&A: How do auctions work? #wwcon11 #
amachinist Just did an auction on a plane yesterday. All editors an agent has invited to bid, bid for it. #wwcon11 #
Q&A: How do you feel about books that are approved by famous authors? #wwcon11 #
Q&A: What are good questions for writers to ask agents? #wwcon11 #
Robert Guinsler "When I read an MS, I have editors in mind. You may want to ask if an agent has editors for it." #wwcon11 #
Betsy Amster: "You want a free flow of information with an agent. And copies of rejection emails from editors." #wwcon11 #
Betsy Amster: You hear of people who leave agents and say, "I don't know what my agents actually did." #wwcon11 #
Q&A How many authors does an agent rep? amachinst: What you want is how many active authors an agent can handle. #wwcon11 #
Robert Guinsler (Sterling Lord): Your agent questions don't have to sound like an inquisition, but you want to know. #wwcon11 #
amachinist "I actually like it to sound a little prosecutorial. You want a relationship" that's based on trust. #wwcon11 #
Kirby Kim "If you have an agent and are scared to talk to him (or her), what kind of relationship do you have?" #wwcon11 #
Q&A: How did you come to be literary agents? #wwcon11 #
Kirby Kim: "I was in law school and of 15 job descriptions, literary agent was one. I loved the idea of a book." #wwcon11 #
amachinist "Ironically for me, my dad was friends with this agent, Mort Janklow...conned him into an internship." #wwcon11 #
David Patterson "Unlike editors, constrained by the moods of their #publishing houses...we go where we want w/ a book." #wwcon11 #
Betsy Amster: "#Publishing is so subjective, taste-driven...to see that played out in an industry is a special thing. #wwcon11 #
Tweets by @Porter_Anderson. Compiled by Jason LaPier, Open Book Fiction.