Blog Posts

March 2022 - Getting the Word Out - and Getting Your Book onto Bookstore Shelves

3/31/2022

Publishing industry veterans know there’s a big difference between making a book available in the marketplace and making readers aware that it’s available. Many first-time authors believe that if their title appears on Amazon or on a bookstore shelf, people will come across it by default, and word will quickly spread. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth—and in fact, this usually happens in reverse!

While readers can discover books by accident when browsing through Amazon, for such a circumstance to occur in the physical world, Barnes & Noble or a local bookseller must first choose to carry and sell that book. For that to happen, a bookseller must first know about the book themselves, and then be convinced that it will sell.

How are booksellers convinced of this? Often, an already existing demand for the book will do the job. Booksellers comb through industry data, which reflects the activity surrounding a title—social media buzz, reviews in printed publications, or a combination of the two. They also take into account requests from people who come to their stores. The more people are asking for and talking about a book, the more likely it is to win a coveted spot on a bookstore's shelf.

Often, a perfect storm of these influences is required for a new title by a first-time author to make its way to the shelf. But it might also happen because an author has walked into a bookstore, introduced himself to the manager, and shared his very worthy book, his passion, and his platform directly.

Ultimately, there are no secret formulas or magic potions that win the hearts and minds of booksellers or book lovers—but we do know that in all cases, you should start with a professionally edited, designed, and packaged book. We also know that alongside our efforts, a committed, passionate, energetic author who builds an online following can find an audience—though it may take months, or even years. When it comes to publishing a bestseller, only celebrities can boast overnight success stories. The rest of us have to keep our shoulders to the wheel, and never give up.

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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February 2022 - Publishing During a Pandemic

2/28/2022

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the publishing industry and Brandylane have seen significant changes. Some of them have been welcome: according to the American Booksellers Association, book sales increased in the US in 2020, and again (by 5 percent) in 2021, as book lovers spent money on books and other entertainment products—dollars they likely would have otherwise spent on travel and dinners out. Indie bookstores, once on the verge of disappearing, are making a comeback as well: over the past decade, US indie bookstores have grown from 1,651 stores to more than 2,500, an increase of more than 50 percent. More manuscripts are coming over the transom than ever—perhaps because the isolation has inspired writers to get to work on that novel they've put aside for years. In the wake of a public health crisis, it’s been encouraging to see a positive outflow of creative energy and good writing.

But once a book is written and published, it must be marketed. Marketing is demanding and time-consuming even in the best of times, and over the past two years, most of our authors have struggled to find creative ways to get their books in front of new readers. It’s been difficult—and for some of our older authors, almost impossible—to appear in public. COVID-19 has made attending book fairs, signings, and in-person author riskier, while virtual appearances require a fairly high level of technical knowledge and skill that many authors don’t possess. In the face of these challenges, authors have taken to asking, “How do people find books in this environment—and especially, how can they find my book?” (Watch next month for some answers.)

With gatherings restricted, we’ve also missed the pleasure of meeting our authors in person. Though our family of authors live as far away as Japan, Australia, Israel, and in almost every state—most of them too distant to allow visits to our Richmond office—before the pandemic, we always had someone stopping by to chat about books they'd written or read. While we've been happy to continue to meet virtually, Zoom and Google Meet just don’t offer the opportunity for personal connection that a face-to-face meeting brings.

As others have said, the last two-plus years have been a roller coaster, and like many of you, we’re tired. All of us at Brandylane are praying for an end to COVID and the collective fatigue that’s come with it, and looking forward to a return to a semblance of normalcy this spring. And now, we're also praying for the people of Ukraine. May they live free.

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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January 2022 - Learning Patience from the Past

1/31/2022

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I first began thinking about starting a publishing company while I was working as a freelance writer, reading Writers’ Market to search for potential publishers for my essays and articles. In doing so, I was surprised to find so many small presses publishing only one or two books a year. How could a publisher produce only one or two books each year? I thought. Surely it would be easy to publish many more titles.

When I founded Brandylane and Pleasant Living magazine in 1985, I quickly learned how time-consuming the publishing process could be—especially production. At the time, after the author wrote their story on a typewriter or by hand, editors and publishers had to type the text into a typographical machine, which printed the text on strips of photographic paper that were then rubber-cemented to flats section by section, line by line, or even word by word! The printer then photographed the flats to produce film, which was then burned into metal plates for the press. A minor grammatical or typographical error meant printing perhaps just two words on the typographical machine, pasting the correction over the error, and producing new film. In my early years as a publisher, I worked many long hours hunched over a light table, meticulously pasting text and photos and measuring every inch. It soon became clear to me why small presses published so few books each year.

That was before desktop publishing found a strong footing. Today, the steps from submission review to the release of a new title remain the same, but modern technology allows us to edit, design, and produce books much faster than we could forty years ago—though still not quite as quickly as many authors would prefer. After spending months or years writing a manuscript, authors naturally feel an urgency to get their book to market, and often want to push their editor or publisher to move faster. Unfortunately, in this business, speed can introduce errors. I often ask anxious, eager authors, “Would you prefer to publish a great book, or a fast one?” Usually they relent and realize the benefits of patience.

Book production has changed dramatically since Brandylane’s early days. I’m grateful for the advancements that have made my work life easier—but I’ve also learned the benefits of a slow, methodical, and careful pace.

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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December 2021 - Advice for New Fiction Authors from one of Brandylane's Senior Editors

12/31/2021

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Q: In your view, what are the essential elements of a successful novel?

A: It’s actually quite difficult to outline “essential” elements of a successful novel, since the overall scope of novels can be so broad, there is almost always an outlier that doesn’t follow the “rules.” In general, however, most successful contemporary novels possess three elements that are so basically fundamental, they may seem obvious and even reductive: a coherent, logical plot; characters who function well within that plot, and a strong hook or theme. Fortunately, this final element can often emerge on its own from a strong plot and characters.

Q: What are a few of the biggest mistakes writers make when writing their first work of fiction?

Writing without reading. An avid writer should be an avid reader. As you write your own book, take care not to limit your focus too much to your own effort, and continue expanding your literary horizons by reading other authors’ work.

Believing that after they’ve finished their first draft, they can move on to querying publishers without revising their manuscript, or without getting second opinions. Even experienced writers can spend months revising a manuscript by themselves before showing it to any readers, and months revising again after receiving feedback. If you’re a writer tackling your first work of fiction, you will likely make a few big mistakes that will need ironing out before your work can be considered saleable. In fact, in many cases, writers never sell their first novels. Some authors even write multiple novels before finally producing a book that catches the attention of a publisher! These unpublished novels aren’t failures or a waste of time, but rather a tax paid to attain a certain level of craft. Essentially, they’re practice. Allow yourself space to practice, like a violinist before a concert, and try not to get too married to the idea of selling the first novel you’ve ever written. Your concert might be waiting in the form of a second, third, or even fourth novel, and if you spend too much time querying your first effort, you might never get around to writing the work that will eventually make you famous.

Including logical inconsistencies. In addition to writing a story, a writer has the difficult task of laying out that story’s entire world for the reader. For the story to have the best effect, that world must be coherent. To ensure their worlds are coherent, authors must be aware what characters know which information when, and ensure that those characters react to new information in accordance with their characterization. Keeping track of the implications certain details and story beats have on the world you’ve created can be a big job, especially for first-time authors.

Including irrelevant details, characters, or scenes that don’t serve a function in the story. Every element an author includes in a story should have some purpose; but even for experienced writers, it can be hard to recognize when a line, scene, detail, or character isn’t contributing anything meaningful to the work. Often, first-time authors write scenes because they want to see them—but sometimes, these scenes do not end up being the most effective vehicles to communicate the author’s message. This is why one of the most common phrases you might hear from an editor is to “kill your darlings.”

Overusing certain words, literary devices, constructions, or clichés, to the distraction of the reader. First-time writers often lean on comfortable clichés and comparisons, or familiar words and turns of phrase. Maybe you’re a chronic purveyor of ellipses. Maybe your characters constantly “murmur” when they speak. Or maybe you’re a little too over the moon about the phrase “over the moon.” An author can have a signature style and technique, but every choice should be intentional, and authors sometimes unconsciously default to certain phrases. When readers pick up on these phrases, it can make the author’s writing feel stale.

Q: How do you recommend first-time authors avoid these mistakes?

Read what other authors have written—both their fiction, and what they have to say about their writing process. Reading others’ books will help you absorb new ways to envision the world and new ways to approach the act of writing, both of which will enrich your own work.

Before you send out a manuscript, set it aside for a month or so, and then pull it out and revise it on your own. Even better, get a beta reader—or several! The more readers you have before you query publishers, the more you’ll be able to learn about how a variety of people might receive your story—provided you ask a variety of people to read your book. Ask each reader to give you their first impressions of the book, share their favorite parts, and tell you something that confused them about the work. Tell them to be honest, and try not to take offense at anything they might say—chances are if one of your readers feels a certain way about something in your book, so will many others. Use this opportunity to change your work based on their feedback, before you send your book out into the world, and make sure you let your readers know how much you appreciate their advice.

Construct a timeline of events for your novel. Some authors find they don’t need to do this, but many do, especially if their novels are particularly long, complex, or well populated with many characters. As you write, make a separate outline, including each scene as a separate bullet point; or create a physical timeline by listing or on a series of notecards. Include each scene, and break it down as much as you need to, including information such as the date and time, new information each character has learned, the characters’ current emotions, and when new characters or important items appear in the work. This may sound more like recordkeeping than writing, but it will help you find inconsistencies in your story more easily.

Ask why. As you write, or as you reread your finished book, constantly ask yourself why. Why is this character—this detail—this line—this scene—included at this point? What purpose is it serving in a scene, or even in the novel itself? Sometimes, an author might find multiple characters who serve small but separate functions in a novel can be combined into one. Sometimes, entire scenes that don’t contribute to the story in any meaningful way can be excised to refine a story and make it more powerful. More than anything, asking why will get you thinking like a professional author.

Root out repetition. As you write, or as you reread your finished book, pay attention to words and turns of phrase that appear again and again. (Microsoft Word’s Find function can be a big help here, quickly showing you that yes, you did use the phrase “cast her eyes down” seventeen times in your sixty-thousand-word novel.) Of course, an editor can also help you pick out overused phrases, words, and syntax in your drafts, but learning to identify these elements of your writing on your own can help you avoid them before they appear on the page.

an interview with Erin Harpst, Senior Editor

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November 2021 - Focusing on Your Intentions

11/30/2021

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After four decades of working with authors, I still believe writers must keep two key elements in mind when composing nonfiction: purpose and audience. As you write, it’s important to ask: for what purpose am I writing this chapter, and to whom am I writing?

As passionately devoted as you may be to the end goal of your book or chapter, it can be easy to drift off the path and/or forget your audience. To combat this, an editor can determine whether your work is fulfilling its originally intended purpose.

An experienced, sensitive developmental editor can help you define and sharpen your manuscript's essential points. Developmental editing is typically the first step in the editing process, so a developmental editor is often the first line of defense against a blurry big picture, misdirected voice, lack of focus, disorganization - and waste. Ultimately, every sentence, paragraph, and chapter should focus on the intention driving the piece you are writing, and its anticipated audience. All else must be cleared away, so that what remains is only the clear and pointed fulfillment of your intended purpose. To repeat E.B. White’s endless refrain, “Omit needless words!”

Cutting carefully written passages from your manuscript can be agonizing, so you must be brave and patient. In the end, if you follow your editor’s guidance, your purpose will have been fulfilled, and your audience will know it.

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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October 2021 - Mission-Driven

10/31/2021

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At Brandylane, we invite authors to submit manuscripts of almost all genres and featuring almost all subject matter. But we're especially interested in submissions that teach, promote, and encourage understanding, tolerance, peace, and social justice, as part of our publishing house's personal efforts to combat hate and injustice.

When we review and consider a manuscript for publication—and during the editing process—we're especially sensitive to how an author treats issues of gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, and other aspects of culture in their work. Manuscripts that are clearly offensive and can't be salvaged by a developmental edit are rejected outright. For those submissions that can be rescued by one of our skilled editors, we make recommendations for further development, clarification, cuts, or changes to word choice that can bring the manuscript in line with our mission. Historical fiction and memoirs can sometimes present an interesting dilemma, because these works speak to a time when language and social mores were different than they are today. We understand culture evolves and language is dynamic, so we do our best to consider the nuances and anachronisms that may be featured in manuscripts concerning the past.

Ultimately, not every book we publish must meet our mission head-on—but all of our books must meet our high standards, and avoid giving a voice to narrowmindedness and inequity.

We love to hear from readers and authors, so don't hesitate to write us and submit your own work!

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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September 2021 - The Editing Dilemma

9/30/2021

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Authors face two important questions when they complete a draft of a manuscript: who shall I engage to edit my work, and how can I evaluate an editor to assure I’m making a wise choice?

Frequently, submitting authors tell us their manuscript has been professionally edited. In many cases, however, we discover that the editor is not a qualified professional but a good friend of the author who offered to help, and that the work is poorly executed. (Telling your potential publisher you edited your own work is also a bright red flag!)

I discourage authors from engaging a friend who may be easy on you to edit your work. Becoming a book editor requires much more than loving books, reading voraciously, or majoring in English! Much like a lawyer practices law or a doctor practices medicine, professional editors practice editing, and I can assure you, one never perfects the art.

Finding an editor you can work with cooperatively can be challenging, as can finding one with the right credentials who offers their skills for a reasonable cost. Be cautious, and don't settle. Look for an editor who has demonstrated a high level of skill in editing previously published work—as recognized by respected reviewers or publishers—and who is well versed in the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), the industry bible for book editors.

Price is of course a big concern; depending on the condition and complexity of the manuscript, great editing can be expensive, but standard industry rates usually apply. I recommend avoiding editors who bill by the hour rather than by the word. Although engaging the services of a slower, meticulous editor can be a plus, the cost for a word rate is more predictable. At Brandylane, we follow industry standards and rates, and we always work hard to make the syntax sing while preserving what makes a book truly memorable: the author’s voice.

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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Forward>>

March 2022 - Getting the Word Out - and Getting Your Book onto Bookstore Shelves

February 2022 - Publishing During a Pandemic

January 2022 - Learning Patience from the Past

December 2021 - Advice for New Fiction Authors from one of Brandylane's Senior Editors

November 2021 - Focusing on Your Intentions

October 2021 - Mission-Driven

September 2021 - The Editing Dilemma

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