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What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?

I'd be interested to learn what authors/publishers on this network think their biggest challenges are with their book. I wonder if there's any common, pervasive challenge we all face.

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HI Frank,

What great ideas you gave to Theresa on Book Events instead of Book Signing. Sept 29th I had a book signing at B&N in Braintree, MA and they had me autograph ten books to leave. I was thrilled. That was my dream to get my book on the shelves at B&N. I know it doesn't mean they will fly out the door. Sandy, the manager, encouraged me by saying that the readers love the shelf with autographed books.

I wanted to update you on my speaking engagement. The director from the Gosnold Rehabilitation Center in Falmouth call me today. They scheduled November 1st for me to go to their center to speak to 39 women who are alcoholics. This is where my daughter had been admitted twice before she passed away from Cirrhosis on November 22, 2006. My husband died 1986 from the same terrible family disease.

It's going to be a very emotional moment for me just arriving at this location because I went to visit her so often.
I have written a speech (5 pages) and hope by then most of it will be memorized so I won't be looking down at a piece of paper constantly. I want to talk from my heart. This is my first time so it's normal to be uptight.

My question is: Is it considered professional to come into a speaking engagement and have a paper to look down at? I realize it would be great not to have one. This is a more laid back Recovery Center. After a few times, I hope to be able to speak without notes. I know we all have to start somewhere. The women may not even sense that I'm feeling this.

I'm honored to be have been called and asked. I speak for two hours at my own Beginning Writer Workshops but that's not emotional. I hope to go far with speaking to alcoholics, not only rehabs but AA Meetings. I can reach out to the Al-Anon groups also.

Thanks, I appreciate your input. Any one else been in this situation.
Being selected to speak at the Gosnold Rehab center is an honor. I can understand how emotional it will be for you. Many of your listeners will be there to hear you speak from your heart because this terrible disease has affected your life so poignantly.

As a general rule, the more professional the speaker, the fewer times he/she must look at notes. In this case, however, I think your audience will forgive you peeking at your notes because of the emotion this talk must have for you.
Hi Bill,
I have a problem that has my head spinning. I'm writing about my husband, Richard, and my daughter, Lori, who were alcoholics. I've explained this to you.

I was up to 400 pages and a few authors had told me that I could get sued using real family names, etc. My first book A Healing Heart was a memoir and I've had no negative feedback.

My other daughter, Debbie, has no problem with me using her name and Lori's children Joe (19 years old) and Meagan (18 years old)are upset and want me not only to use their real names but also their mother's. To them, and me, its a book of love to show the honesty of life living with and losing two in our family from alcoholism.

The problem lies with my ex-sister-in-law. We have a fantastic relationship even with me remarrying. They love my husband. Richard's family is "very" well known owning a huge construction company. She was uncomfortable with me mentioning their names. Their daughter and Lori were cousins and drank together for years up to when Lori died. Her cousin still does. She is nasty when doing so. She is the one I get worried about.

I know there has to be fact in memoirs, which this one will have. If something is in a book containing all truth, is there a problem? I'm not writing anything against their character, except the cousin's involvement with drinking. Should I delete them out of the story and use another made up family in relationship to this and keep mine and my daughters including the truth to the name of the town and my past job. I was a dispatcher for the town police dept.

I have changed this book so much on where we lived, our names and everyone's occupation that it's almost fiction except the events. Now "my" family is upset that I'm not telling the truth with our names. The story isn't written deeply from the heart because I'm exhausted making things up. I wanted so badly to be able to have pictures of Lori and her father in the book.

I can't understand how some memoirs are written with nasty remarks and pulling a person's character down to the core, and yet they are published.

If you don't know the legal rights, do you know of anyone who can help me or a web page for these answers. Everything that I pull up is connected to Amazon with books or lawyer's pages selling theirs.

I'm sorry for this being so long.
Personal experience here.

I had a chapter (or 3) on a name I called my mother. I realized she didn't know it so I called and told her that I was writing and that what I was writing might hurt her. She said I couldn't hurt her. However, I sent her the first chapter. To make a long story short, when I called her she hung up on me and didn't talk to me for over a year. Our relationship is borderline still. I "know" that if I published the book with that chapter that way, she would have sued me. So I have changed the chapters to represent a lady in my life. People who have read the book have no idea it is my mother unless I tell them.

Perhaps you would want them to read it first and get their 'written' permission to write their real names in the book. Those who don't give their permission, change the names and make a disclaimer that some are real names and some are not for privacy reasons. I wouldn't see where using the relationship without the name would hurt. This I am not legally sure of tho.

I don't think I would change the location or things like that... It is your life we are talking about. Just keep their names out of is, I guess is the issue. Perhaps you are not speaking your truth and the book isn't really yours because of all the "fiction" going into it. OR... you could write it as a fiction book, based on true-life. I have thought about that for some areas of my life.

I also have put 3 disclaimers in my book that it is from my perception and mine only and that others who are involved in the situations may not perceive them the same way. I have tried to avoid using 'names' or 'relationships'. Everyone but my mother want me to use their names and I haven't, except for my hubby and then I use his nickname.

Good luck in your decision. I know what you are going through and it is difficult. If I can help in any way, let me know!

Blessings from my spirit to your spirit!
I'm not an attorney and I don't want to dispense legal advice. Your issue requires a trained attorney. Let me recommend several: Ivan Hoffman, ivan@ivanhoffman.com; Larry Jordan, ljordan@jaffelaw.com; Lloyd Jassin, jassin@copylaw.com. All three attorneys advertise in the Publishers' Marketing Association newsletter. One of them will be able to help with your question.
My biggest challenge is getting into bookstores, particularly the chains like Barnes & Noble. But I think that stars on the distribution side of things. Although the book is carried by Baker & Taylor, I use the word "carried" loosely. B & T only orders the book one unit at a time when a bookstore places an order. yet, bookstores, like Barnes & Noble, tell customers the book is not available. We tried setting up a direct relationship with Barnes & Noble through the publisher, but received a letter that said "One of our challenges as a book retailer is to pick the best assortments of titles... Our experience with other titles similar to yours" (i.e. fiction??) " tells us that the customer is more likely to...purchase...online...." In other words, the shleves are reserved for the majors...Who are they kidding?
Hi, Rita. Is your book listed on BN.com and Amazon? Bookstores aren't the only place to sell books. While Barnes & Noble's response may seem a "canned" answer to you, there may be a kernel of good advice in it. List your book on the web sites for those customers searching for a book on your topic.

As far as Barnes & Noble book buying is concerned, who have you contacted at B&N? The best person to contact with information on your book is Marcella Smith, msmithx@bn.com. She is the king- or queen-maker when it comes to selecting books from independent, small publishers for Barnes & Noble. She can be a powerful advocate for your book if she likes your pitch letter.

Good luck and good selling.
Hi Bill, thanks for the good advice. The book is listed on amazon and is available through them. B & N has it as unavailable, and I'm not sure why. The pubco received the thank you, but no letter from Evelyn Velazquez at B & N. I will be sure to follow up with the queen-maker herself per your advice. All the best, Rita
Hi Susie,
Thank you for the advise. I've decided to go back to my original story. I'm going to write it the way it was and then worry about the rest later. I'm going to use real names, place and events. I'm going to meet with my sister-in-law and niece. If they are upset in any way over this, I'll change them to another family instead of my husbands family. Other than that, the book should be ok. It's a shame that I had changed so much of the book and had erased the pages.
Oh Well, at least I can get going on this book.Thanks for your imput.
Hello, Alberta,

I believe if you stay positive about it, it will happen. I hear the groaners in here now. *grin* But it has worked for me in all aspects of my book, including marketing.

Anyway, write it the way you want it. Then cover your butt. Put disclaimers in it, contact those in the book and get written affidavits from them that you can use their name, and do what you can to hide the identity of those who don't wish to be known. This is not legal advice. It is how I would, and have, handled a similar situation. If it comes to push and shove, make that part of the book generic. Below is an excerpt from my book. I will also add below that my disclaimer.

"I would like to share an example of Martyr Sympathy with you using my own life and perceptions.

There has been a woman in most of my life whose name is Mary. In the past I dubbed her Martyr Mary. She does not see herself as a martyr. However others in her life, both friends and family, do see her this way. So I know I am not being unrealistic: harsh maybe, but not unrealistic."

"Anyway, Mary's husband started going to AA and started practicing the 12 Steps. Mary had nothing to complain about. Life was even more tense! It shouldn't have been with a sober man in the house. Mary was not Happy. She couldn't say poor me anymore. When she did cry poor me everyone started to look at her. 'Mary,' they would say, 'what is the problem? Your husband has stopped drinking. Your life is better now. What is the problem?' She would answer, 'You just don't understand at all!'

Within a matter of months her husband traded alcohol for gambling. So now Mary could play martyr again! Eventually he traded the gambling back in for alcohol. So now the real martyr came out. In the process of all of this his brothers eventually saw the Martyr Mary and disengaged their emotional ties to Mary. To this day she has no idea why. She told me once it is because her husband was their brother and they sided with him. Another poor me! Funny they should have sided with him after all of those years. Her Martyr Sympathy became evident to those around her. She lost, not only the sympathy she so desperately needed but, friendships, support, and love from those who cared for her!"

Disclaimer
Important Notice
This entire book is in my perception and my perception only. Events and situations may not be depicted as others have seen them. No intent to harm, embarrass, slander, or any other form of malice is intended. The situations related in this book are in my perception and are given as examples to help others.

On Copyright Page
The author of this book specifies the content of this book is of her own perceptions only. The perception of events in this book may not have happened the same way in the eyes and minds of those people mentioned.

I hope this helps you.
Hi Frank,
Thank you so much for the leads on legal advice.
Alberta
Hi Bill,

Thanks for the great advice and the tips. I am going to contact Mr. Coates and Ms. Milligan.

Thanks,
Theresa Grant

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