"I focus on what I can control...instead of worrying about what I can't."
Kelly James-Enger
Last week, Kelly James-Enger kicked off “Recognize Your Accomplishments Day” with some great insights on writing as a career. And she should know what she is talking about: she's
the author, ghostwriter, and coauthor of fifteen published books,
including Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success; Goodbye
Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer’s Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and
Coauthoring Books; and The Honesty Index, a novel about two
30-something best friends living in the Chicago suburbs. (Visit her website for more info!)
Today, James-Enger has even more tips for how to engage in self-promotion and keep your confidence level at the "full" mark!
An area where
many writers and authors seem to need help is in PR/marketing. Why is this so
important? What do authors in particular need to understand about the role of
book marketing and PR?
James-Enger: Well,
I could write a whole book on that topic :), but in short, authors need to
understand that they are primarily responsible for selling their book(s), even
if they work with a traditional publisher. If you go POD or write ebooks, then
you're solely responsible.
The bottom line is that no one will buy your book unless they know about it and want/need it, so you as the author have to make sure that your potential book buyers are getting that information.
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| Kelly James-Enger |
The bottom line is that no one will buy your book unless they know about it and want/need it, so you as the author have to make sure that your potential book buyers are getting that information.
What marketing
tools do you recommend for writers? For authors?
James-Enger: For freelancers, query letters, LOIs, cold calls, social media (using it to keep up with editors/clients, and letting people know you're looking for work). For authors, I think social media is key, as is a strong book proposal if you're writing nonfiction.
James-Enger: For freelancers, query letters, LOIs, cold calls, social media (using it to keep up with editors/clients, and letting people know you're looking for work). For authors, I think social media is key, as is a strong book proposal if you're writing nonfiction.
Are you a fan of
social media? How can writers use it to benefit themselves and built a
reputation or platform?
James-Enger: I think social media is important but can also become a huge time suck. I'm not a master of it by any means, but I think that the writers who use it well use it to create and maintain a "brand" for themselves, and connect with clients/editors/readers/other writers as a result.
James-Enger: I think social media is important but can also become a huge time suck. I'm not a master of it by any means, but I think that the writers who use it well use it to create and maintain a "brand" for themselves, and connect with clients/editors/readers/other writers as a result.
When you first
started doing media events (interviews, book signings, talks, etc.) to promote
a book, did you find it harder than you expected? Looking back to your early
days of being interviewed, is there anything you wish you had done differently?
James-Enger: I didn't find it harder than expected, but it was definitely more time-consuming than I expected. That's one reason I do a lot of online marketing/promotion, through social media, blog tours, etc. It's a lot easier to do that kind of thing from home at my Mac than traveling all over—and more effect, too.
James-Enger: I didn't find it harder than expected, but it was definitely more time-consuming than I expected. That's one reason I do a lot of online marketing/promotion, through social media, blog tours, etc. It's a lot easier to do that kind of thing from home at my Mac than traveling all over—and more effect, too.
You have
collaborated on books as well as written them on your own. Was the writing
process significantly different when there is two of you working together
versus doing it alone? Do you prefer one to the other?
James-Enger: It depends on the client. I've ghosted books where I pretty much wrote the book from scratch, based on conversations with the client/author and I've worked on books where we both wrote. I actually prefer the latter, although clients tend to prefer the former. :) I actually really enjoy collaborating with smart people on books, and creating something together. But it's definitely easier to write a book on my own, where my opinion (and okay, my editor's) is the only one that counts. :)
James-Enger: It depends on the client. I've ghosted books where I pretty much wrote the book from scratch, based on conversations with the client/author and I've worked on books where we both wrote. I actually prefer the latter, although clients tend to prefer the former. :) I actually really enjoy collaborating with smart people on books, and creating something together. But it's definitely easier to write a book on my own, where my opinion (and okay, my editor's) is the only one that counts. :)
Besides your books
on writing, you also wrote a novel, The Honesty Index. What inspired that?
James-Enger: I
published two novels, Did You Get the Vibe?, and White Bikini Panties, with
Kensington in 2002 and 2003. They went out of print but are now available as
ebooks, and I wanted to get back to writing fiction. (My fiction-writing career
got a little sidelined once my children arrived.) The Honesty Index is about
two best friends who have grown apart because their lives are so different, but
they are able to reconnect. I still love writing fiction and want to keep it
part of my writing repertoire—it gives me a satisfaction that writing
nonfiction doesn't, and I love mining my life for ideas.
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| The Honesty Index |
Did you find the
writing process different for fiction than for non-fiction?
James-Enger: Definitely. With nonfiction, I have some kind of outline even though I may rework it as I go along. When I write a novel, I start with a character or two who has problems…and then start writing. I truly don't know what will happen until I write it. For a nonfiction writer, that's exciting (and a little anxiety-producing).
James-Enger: Definitely. With nonfiction, I have some kind of outline even though I may rework it as I go along. When I write a novel, I start with a character or two who has problems…and then start writing. I truly don't know what will happen until I write it. For a nonfiction writer, that's exciting (and a little anxiety-producing).
Since your author
reputation was in writing books about the biz, what did you do to establish
your rep as a fiction writer?
James-Enger: There wasn't a lot I could do, actually. My two novels were "chick lit" and were published during a chick lit deluge, so I got a little swallowed up by all of the other similar novelists out there. Today, being older and smarter, I'm focusing on building my reputation as a writer of "contemporary women's fiction," and connecting with other writers and readers. That is still a work in progress, though!
James-Enger: There wasn't a lot I could do, actually. My two novels were "chick lit" and were published during a chick lit deluge, so I got a little swallowed up by all of the other similar novelists out there. Today, being older and smarter, I'm focusing on building my reputation as a writer of "contemporary women's fiction," and connecting with other writers and readers. That is still a work in progress, though!
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| Writer for Hire |
James-Enger: Writer for Hire is a guide for writers who want to make money as freelancers, and covers everything from marketing techniques to time management to business management and life balance. Goodbye Byline is for writers/authors who want to add ghostwriting to their repertoires, and explains how to get started, find clients, negotiate pay, and collaborate on books.
There’s no denying that the industry has its ups and downs. What do you do to keep your spirits and energy level up when projects don’t go as planned? What advice do you have for those just starting out when they get more rejections than acceptances?
James-Enger: After 15 years, I know if I lose a client or don't get an assignment from a particular market, something else will come in. I focus on what I can control (marketing myself more aggressively, contacting former/current clients and asking for referrals, looking for other ways to make money—like publishing ebooks) instead of worrying about what I can't.
My best advice for new writers is not to give up on a market that has rejected you; try again with another query. And recognize that rejections are part of the process for every writer, not just new ones!
Great advice from someone who knows what she is talking about! Thanks to James-Enger for her insights and tips—and encouragement boost!
1 comment:
Great interview. I've been to a couple of Kelly's presentations. Not only did I learn a lot from the information she presented, I was and continue to be, motivated by her enthusiasm.
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