Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Poets Meeting on Tuesday
Poets writing group will be meeting Tuesday, August 23, from 4:30pm - 6:30pm in the Whitridge Room.
Library members only.
Library members only.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Writing Groups This Week
Memoir Group
Monday, August 15, 2:30pm - 4:30pm, Whitridge Room
This the last meeting of the full group. In September, interested memoir writing members will be split into 2 groups. If you are not sure which group you've been assigned, please contact me.
Fiction Group 1
Tuesday, August 16, 5pm - 6:45pm, Whitridge Room
Please note that NYSL writing groups are open to Library members only.
Monday, August 15, 2:30pm - 4:30pm, Whitridge Room
This the last meeting of the full group. In September, interested memoir writing members will be split into 2 groups. If you are not sure which group you've been assigned, please contact me.
Fiction Group 1
Tuesday, August 16, 5pm - 6:45pm, Whitridge Room
Please note that NYSL writing groups are open to Library members only.
Friday, August 12, 2011
How Do You Generate Buzz for the Debut & Mid-List Titles?
Many of you will remember Elisabeth Weed, founder of Weed Literary, from The Writing Life talk we held this past January on Finding a Literary Agent*. In addition to her daily work, Elisabeth also manages to find time to write a very informative blog about the publishing business.
In her most recent post, she talks to Lucinda Blumenfeld, an agent who also works as an outside publicist and marketing professional, about the challenges of raising awareness for debut and mid-list titles.
Lucinda’s message is that word of mouth (she calls it “WOM”) is crucial, and appears to be the catalyst for the most popular books. We’ve talked about it before, in a number of The Writing Life programs, how authors must do more for themselves and must start much earlier in the process. Lucinda worked with NYSL member writer Gretchen Rubin on publicity for her wildly successful The Happiness Project. In our April 2010 talk Social Networking for Writers, just after publication of her book (and its debut on the NYT Bestseller List), Gretchen regaled (and slightly terrified) our member writers with the story of what it takes to build that word of mouth. It’s hard work. It takes time, effort, and dedication. But, according to Lucinda, it can also be gratifying for authors when their “fangelists” start tweeting and blogging the book.
She’s upfront about the fact that authors need to be realistic. You’re probably not going to get the front page of the New York Times Book Review or a tv spot, so look for non-traditional routes like writing an op-ed or a trend piece. Find outlets where you can have a larger impact, a place where you can get a larger conversation started which will be the hook that gets readers back to your book.
So get to it. Now’s the time! (Lucinda suggests getting started 6-8 months before publication.) Read the full interview with Lucinda in The Weekly Weeder.
*for recaps of The Writing Life talk Finding A Literary Agent, click here, here, and here.
In her most recent post, she talks to Lucinda Blumenfeld, an agent who also works as an outside publicist and marketing professional, about the challenges of raising awareness for debut and mid-list titles.
Lucinda’s message is that word of mouth (she calls it “WOM”) is crucial, and appears to be the catalyst for the most popular books. We’ve talked about it before, in a number of The Writing Life programs, how authors must do more for themselves and must start much earlier in the process. Lucinda worked with NYSL member writer Gretchen Rubin on publicity for her wildly successful The Happiness Project. In our April 2010 talk Social Networking for Writers, just after publication of her book (and its debut on the NYT Bestseller List), Gretchen regaled (and slightly terrified) our member writers with the story of what it takes to build that word of mouth. It’s hard work. It takes time, effort, and dedication. But, according to Lucinda, it can also be gratifying for authors when their “fangelists” start tweeting and blogging the book.
She’s upfront about the fact that authors need to be realistic. You’re probably not going to get the front page of the New York Times Book Review or a tv spot, so look for non-traditional routes like writing an op-ed or a trend piece. Find outlets where you can have a larger impact, a place where you can get a larger conversation started which will be the hook that gets readers back to your book.
So get to it. Now’s the time! (Lucinda suggests getting started 6-8 months before publication.) Read the full interview with Lucinda in The Weekly Weeder.
*for recaps of The Writing Life talk Finding A Literary Agent, click here, here, and here.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Stacy Schiff, PEN Literary Award Winner
Congratulations to member Stacy Schiff , for winning the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography for her blockbuster latest Cleopatra: A Life!
...and congratulations to NYSL friend Brigid Hughes for winning the PEN/Nora Magid Award, given to a magazine editor whose high literary standards and taste have contributed significantly to the excellence of the publication he or she edits. Our very first literary magazine salon featured Brigid and A Public Space , so we're thrilled for her.
For more 2011 PEN Literary Award winners, click here.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Are You On the Galley Cat List?
Galley Cat, the publishing blog site, has created a list of authors willing to travel to book clubs (or visit via video or phone chat).
Book clubs can be a great way to create some buzz and build an audience, and writers often find themselves booked for return engagements if a club has enjoyed a visit. Publishers do have lists of book clubs but here's another way for the clubs to find you. Galley Cat has created an Authors Who Visit Book Clubs directory in Google Docs.
Check it out here.
Book clubs can be a great way to create some buzz and build an audience, and writers often find themselves booked for return engagements if a club has enjoyed a visit. Publishers do have lists of book clubs but here's another way for the clubs to find you. Galley Cat has created an Authors Who Visit Book Clubs directory in Google Docs.
Check it out here.
Monday, August 8, 2011
WOOPS! Correction Non-fiction Writers Group TOMORROW
WOOPS! I made a big mistake. The Library's Non-fiction Writers Group will actually meet TOMORROW. (I previously inaccurately wrote they were meeting today; the August meeting of the group is not being held on their regularly scheduled day.) Sorry for any confusion.
Tuesday, August 9, 3pm - 4:45pm
Whitridge Room
*open to NYSL members only
Tuesday, August 9, 3pm - 4:45pm
Whitridge Room
*open to NYSL members only
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)