Erica Verrillo's Blog (35)

If you have published a science fiction or fantasy novel, you'll need to promote it on social media. I know the thought of engaging in yet more social media makes you cringe, but like it or not social media is here to stay. And you may, in fact, be pleasantly surprised at how effective it can be.



Here are some social media platforms that…

Goodreads is one of the most powerful social networks for authors looking to connect with readers. At 30 million members, it is the world’s largest site for book recommendations, with readers adding 30,000 reviews to the site every day. What’s more, those reviews get syndicated and appear on Google books,…

Publishing a book is a big accomplishment, so why not throw a party? After all, you hold a party to celebrate your birth, and, frankly, writing your book took more effort. (Your mother probably has a different perspective on your birth. Just FYI.)

Basically, a book launch party is a book signing/reading with the added benefit of being…

Originally posted in Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity.

February is a short month, but it does not lack for writing contests. There is a little bit of everything this month: travel writing, poetry, short fiction, journalism, and - one of my…

Originally posted on Publishing...and Other Forms of Insanity.

Subscription services are often overlooked by self-published authors. The reason for the oversight is simple: authors tend to focus on sales rather than borrows. There aren't many…

Benjamin Disraeli is reputed to have said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics."

(Although it is attributed to Disraeli, I have to say the phrase smacks heavily of Mark Twain.)

Statistics can indeed be made to lie (it was one of the first things I learned in my stats class), but nevertheless, as a people, Americans love…

Hugh Howey's success story does not fit into any of the myths instilled in us from early childhood. 

Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest recently conducted an enlightening survey of 5,000 authors - "What Authors Want: A Survey of Authors to Understand Their Priorities in the Self-Publishing Era."

The survey was prompted by the enormous…

It is becoming increasingly rare to find publishing houses that will accept manuscripts directly from writers.

But for some genres, notably science fiction, you don't need an agent to get published. TOR is a major player in the sci-fi scene, with a large distribution network. (If you are a science fiction writer, don't be shy. Go ahead and submit your story.) If you…

Every so often an established agent will announce that she or he is seeking new clients. Generally, this happens when the agent switches to another agency (which is why you need to read Publishers Weekly, where these job moves are posted).

Whenever an established agent seeks out new…

I always like to know who is making millions of dollars writing books. It gives me a grim sense of satisfaction to know that I will never make that kind of money, because 1) I can't churn out a romance every three months, 2) I can't churn out a procedural every three…

Last November, Random House announced the inauguration of three new digital imprints: Hydra for science fiction, fantasy and horror; Flirt for "new adults"; and Alibi for mystery and suspense. Random House, of course, has many imprints, but what was unusual about these…

If you are a nonfiction writer, there are seemingly endless resources for publishing articles. I say "seemingly" because numbers are deceptive. Getting a nonfiction article published in a reputable magazine can be just as daunting as publishing a short story in The Atlantic. Unless you are a recognized expert in your field, the competition will be fierce.

But…

Normally, I don’t like to give people advice about writing. I prefer to offer advice on how to get your writing published, how to deal with the publishing world, how to be a success. I leave the writing instruction manual to other less qualified people – by which I mean famous writers.…

Technically, Hyperion bit the dust before it was conceived, but the recent sale of the Disney-owned imprint marks another step in the trend toward reducing the publishing world to a few powerful giants. In this case, Hyperion, whose list includes bestsellers such as Michael J. Fox’s autobiography, “Always Looking Up” and Mitch Albom’s, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,”…

The world of epublishing is in nearly constant flux.

With big publishers jumping into the fray, it has become increasingly difficult for new authors to make the choice between self-publishing their book as an ebook or signing on with a publisher and letting them handle all the things, including electronic rights.

There are numerous reasons for an…

It is received wisdom that in order to get a book published you should start by placing short stories in literary magazines. Like most received wisdom, this is hogwash. It is easier to get a book published than it is to get a short story placed in any kind of reputable literary magazine. (That being said, there are literary magazines of ill repute, and your stories may wind…