News Archives - Page 11 of 12

15 October, 2014

Even Kerouac secretly did this

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:16:52-07:00October 15, 2014|News, Resources, Writing|Comments Off on Even Kerouac secretly did this

I was reading this article my friend and colleague Jack Rochester mentioned on The Fictional Café recently, and it got me thinking.

Specifically, it got me thinking about the myth that your first draft is the “purest” expression of your work, and that editing it will somehow compromise your artistic vision.

Of all the authors out there, Jack Kerouac probably contributed to this myth the most, since he publicly railed against self-editing, and the story of how he drafted On The Road on a single, giant scroll in only three weeks is legendary.

However, if you read the article above, you’ll see that Kerouac both meticulously outlined his book and had already written portions of it before that inspired three-week period.

Not to diminish Kerouac’s accomplishment in any way—it’s still impressive—but the truth is that “Writing is rewriting,” as the saying goes.

So true: I wrote eighteen drafts of my first screenplay—and it’s […]

18 December, 2013

3 free press release sites

By Support@wheatmark.com|2023-06-09T11:22:57-07:00December 18, 2013|Marketing, News, Resources|Comments Off on 3 free press release sites

While you will have greater results if you send a targeted news release to a specific journalist, there are times when sending press releases out to the masses is not a bad idea. The chances of getting results are much slimmer, but if your release is timely and powerful, it might get picked up by media that you would never have contacted.

In many instances, it might be smart to do both types of news releases. Make sure that each release is different enough in content and focus so that your ideal targeted journalist will not feel like they are getting a mass letter. After all, if you go to the trouble of finding a journalist, connecting with them and writing the release to fit their coverage, then you want to build an ongoing relationship.

If you are ready to send your release out to the public, here are free press release […]

8 November, 2013

Amazon Source opens profit sharing for Independent Bookstores

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:24:07-07:00November 8, 2013|News, Publishing|Comments Off on Amazon Source opens profit sharing for Independent Bookstores

Brick-and-mortar bookstores have long been waging a rather futile battle against their enemy of destruction, Amazon.

Who knew that terms of peace were on the horizon?

In a press release dated Wednesday, November 6, 2013, Amazon announced the war might be over. In its latest bid for more of the book market, Amazon will offer brick-and-mortar bookstores a chance to team up.

Amazon’s newest program called Amazon Source, allows independent bookstores to reap some of the Amazon book-buying profits when their customers purchase Kindle products and ebooks. Bookstores can now sell Kindle products in their stores and make profits in two ways. The first option includes a discount on purchasing Kindle devices from the manufacturer and a 10% commission on every book that the Kindle buyer purchases through Amazon for the next two years. This is easily the most viable option for bookstores to take. The other option is designed […]

18 June, 2013

Sam Henrie: Why I Started Wheatmark

By Sam Henrie|2023-06-09T11:29:01-07:00June 18, 2013|News, Publishing|Comments Off on Sam Henrie: Why I Started Wheatmark

In the late 1990s I left my position as Director of Logistics at the mid-sized tech company I had worked at for nine years. I left with two great gifts: enough money to take some time off and the entrepreneurial bug. During my nine-year tenure I watched the tech firm grow from a local business with a handful of employees and under $1 million in annual revenues to a global enterprise with nearly a thousand employees and over $100 million in annual revenues. The experience had me hooked: I knew I would to start my own company. Doing what, I did not yet know.

At the time I was investigating the book publishing business; I wanted to understand why some of my relatives (I come from a family of writers) were having trouble getting their books published—books that were exceptional, and ones I was convinced had good chances in the market […]

1 March, 2013

Stephane Hessel, 95-year-old international publishing phenomenon

By Grael Norton|2018-03-29T11:09:33-07:00March 1, 2013|News|Comments Off on Stephane Hessel, 95-year-old international publishing phenomenon

On Tuesday, February 26, 2013, Stephane Hessel died. He was 95 years old. He was not well known outside of France until three years ago when, at the age of 92, he wrote and published a small, 4,000-word pamphlet. The original print run was 8,000 copies. It was 29 pages and bound with two staples.

It took France and Europe by storm. The same defiant spirit that had caused Hessel to be a hero in the French Resistance sixty years ago burned anew with the same vigor and energy. His words were few but they were strong and ignited a crackling flame of resistance.

He urged young people to unite against the injustice of a nation out of control. He called for a peaceful rebellion against what he called the dictatorial forces of international capitalism.

His plea was that the privileged classes must help the less fortunate, not grind them beneath their feet. […]

14 January, 2013

The easy button for building your author platform

By Support@wheatmark.com|2023-06-09T11:33:31-07:00January 14, 2013|Authors Academy, Marketing, News, Social Media|Comments Off on The easy button for building your author platform

Over the years, we’ve probably heard one statement more frequently than any other from our author clients: “I don’t want to market my book, I just want to spend my time writing.”

But as an author—and as an entrepreneur—you have a message for your audience. It’s your duty to let them hear it—and you accomplish this task through marketing.

Naturally, you may just want to write—to focus on crafting your message. You may even wish someone else would take your message to your audience. But the truth is, if you really care about your audience, you’ll want to deliver your message yourself because you are the best possible messenger. Don’t be like the mailman who landed in jail for throwing away all the mail in a dumpster instead of delivering it!

Now, suppose there was a way for you to just “sit and type all day” but still be able to connect with […]

5 December, 2012

It’s the End of the Publishing World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)

By Sam Henrie|2023-06-09T11:34:51-07:00December 5, 2012|News, Publishing|Comments Off on It’s the End of the Publishing World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)

I’m sure most of you are aware of the popular theory that the ancient Mayan calendar predicts the world will end on December 21 of this year—yes, that all life on earth may be extinct shortly.

I’ll make a bold prediction: the Mayans got it wrong . . . or people are misinterpreting their calendar!

I will tell you what is going the way of the dodo, however: big traditional publishing houses. (Could the Mayan calendar be predicting their demise?)

In October, Penguin and Random House announced that they will merge, bringing the number of large global publishing houses from six to five. Give it a couple more years and that number will likely drop even lower as a result of further mergers and acquisitions.

What does this have to do with authors? Nothing if you’ve self-published your book or plan to do so. But if you’re holding out for a call from that […]

3 December, 2012

Zig Ziglar and “See you at the top”

By Support@wheatmark.com|2023-06-09T11:35:20-07:00December 3, 2012|News|Comments Off on Zig Ziglar and “See you at the top”

Zig Ziglar made the final ascent to the “top” when he passed away on November 28. He has left behind a legacy to millions of people who were touched by his messages during his lifetime and to millions more who will continue to follow his books, talks, and life for many years down the road.

Ziglar’s first book, See You at the Top, was rejected by thirty publishers before it was published by Pelican in 1975, when he was 49 years old. The book went on to sell 250,000 copies. His thirtieth book was published this year, at age 86.

Thousands upon thousands have changed their lives through the messages of Zig Ziglar. Whether it was through his books, live events, or media stories around the globe, he touched, encouraged, and sparked an almost irresistible motivation to succeed.

There’s no way to know just how many times his words were quoted but he […]

9 May, 2012

Book Marketing Strategy vs. Tactics

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:36:53-07:00May 9, 2012|Authors Academy, Marketing, News, Resources|Comments Off on Book Marketing Strategy vs. Tactics

It’s one of the most common misconceptions in marketing: that a marketing tactic is the same as a marketing strategy. Not understanding the difference between the two leads to a whole lot of pain and frustration for many authors as well as entrepreneurs, speakers, and other professionals who use the written word to grow their businesses.

Have you ever heard someone say “I’m going to use Twitter to market my book,” or “I’m going to use the Internet to market my business?”

This sort of statement rarely leads to success.

This is because most of the time, the speaker is already talking about marketing tactics but has skipped not just one but two critical steps: setting a specific, measurable goal and developing a strategy for reaching that goal.

(If you’ve ever said this sort of thing yourself, don’t worry, practically everyone has at one time or another. I’ve made this same mistake myself; multiple […]

8 May, 2012

How to Create a Strategic Marketing Plan for Your Book

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:36:58-07:00May 8, 2012|Authors Academy, Marketing, News|Comments Off on How to Create a Strategic Marketing Plan for Your Book

It’s one of the most common misconceptions in marketing: that a marketing tactic is the same as a marketing strategy.

Not understanding the difference between the two leads to a whole lot of pain and frustration for many authors as well as entrepreneurs, speakers, and other professionals who use the written word to grow their businesses.

The blueprint for your book’s marketing strategy is your book’s marketing plan.

This is the single most important piece of marketing collateral for your book you will create – besides the actual book itself!

Join us on Friday, May 11 as marketing plan expert Echo Surina walks us through “How to Create a Strategic Marketing Plan for Your Book.”

During this LIVE online presentation, you’ll learn the secrets to:

Creating your big picture
Applying SWOT analysis to your project
Identifying your target audience
Crafting your key messages
Selecting your outreach methods
Evaluating your […]

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