Exceptional How to Write to Sell Gold In Them Thar Words by RaymondJohn      Contest Winner

Category:  Essay Non-Fiction   Posted:  March 23, 2009      Views: 894

RAYMONDJOHN  IN PRINT   ABOUT RAYMONDJOHN  Raymond John is a hopeless FanStory addict who has at times spent as many as twelve hours in a single day reading, reviewing and writing for the site. His three purposes are based on three "Es" which are Explain, Enlighten and Entertain. His greatest fear is to take himself too seriously. He may not always smile, but he always has a twinkle in his eye. Knock his socks off with a fantastic write and he'll be your best cheerleader and give you a banner award, to boot. He has written two novels and numerous short works. His first book, The Cellini Masterpiece, has sold nearly 3,000 copies and received an Honorable Mention in the 2006 IPPY awards. It is now available in a Kindle edition from Amazon.com. An audio version (ISBN 9780615268125) is now available read by the renown actor, James Cada. MP3 edition, downloadable for IPOD, is 14.95. Order at www.raymondjohnbooks.com. His second mystery, Mix and Match Murder, which was originally scheduled for release in September of 2008 is now in print and available from Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and North Star Press. A scholar born in the golden age of radio, Raymond always appreciates hearing a well-told story, especially one with action and believable dialogue in a historical setting. I have written and received many reviews. I have a thick skin, so if constructive criticism is forthcoming, bring it on. He has won several contests. The contest submission Mousie, Kittie and Booger was the first place winner in the contest Tales of the Weird.. Gold In Them Thar Words was the first place winner in the contest Tales of the Weird.. Lot 386 was the first place winner in the contest Tales of the Weird.. He is a top ranked author and is currently holding the #22 position. Portfolio | Become A Fan The title may be somewhat misleading. There is gold, if you work at it. But it tends to be flakes rather than nuggets. Unless you are not only very good, but very lucky, that is. If you have never tried to sell a story or novel, there are several things you should keep in mind. First, and probably the biggest, is to know who will buy it. It is much easier to write to a market than it is to try to find a market for something you have written. Writer's Market is an excellent reference for who is buying what. It will give you the names of publishers and the specifics of what they are looking for. Best of all, it will tell you where to send your manuscript. Another thing to remember is, write something you can boil down into a catch phrase. Sooner or later you will want to pitch your product. My line for my novel The Cellini Masterpiece was "Indiana Jones meets the DaVinci Code." What the quip lacks in literary quality is made up in descriptiveness. Someone who knows nothing about the book can tell it combines action and a historical mystery. Know who your readers are before you write. I knew my audience was the Maltese readers who would buy the book because it is set in Malta. Fortunately for me, they were easy to find. I visited each of the Maltese-America clubs in the United States and Canada. Some time later, Miller Publishing, the biggest book distributor in Malta, picked up my book and arranged book signings for me. The general mystery-thriller fans were a bit harder to locate. I contacted as many on-line book reviewers as I could find, and was fortunate to get Midwest Book Review to read it. I was doubly lucky that I got a rave review. You will be your best book seller. Book sales through your publisher, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com will bring in some money, but it's up to you to hawk your books in as many markets as you can come up with. My first book-signing was in a neighborhood coffee shop. More than twenty people showed up, and some bought multiple copies. I took a shot at Book Expo 2005 in New York. I got some exposure, but it definitely wasn't worth the expense. The most interesting venue was the South Carolina Book Expo. People stopped by my booth, and I sold every copy I had with me. The trip to Malta was every writer's dream. I got a Sunday front page story in the Malta Times, an invitation to a reception of Louis Demerniers, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin at the British Consulate, and five book signings in two weeks. The important thing for you to remember is to let your publisher know you are market-wise. If you have a rough idea of the actual number of books you might sell, all the better. Don't forget to include local art fairs. I have attended one in our neighborhood every Christmas since it came out in late 2004, and I've always sold books. Last of all, try to remember that your first book probably won't sell many copies. I was lucky and sold nearly three thousand, but that is not typical for a first book. You may even have to resort to self-publishing. If you are trying to find an agent, don't be too discouraged if you don't even hear from them. They are simply being inundated with queries. The most important advice of all: Keep the faith. Don't be discouraged, as easy as it may be. Success goes to the persistent. Make a pest out of yourself. Sooner or later someone is going to listen to you just to make you go away. When they do, be sure to make the most of your chance. Contest Winner Recognized Share your own writing! - Information on our membership for writers. Author Notes Best of luck to all of you. You deserve it. Cheers. Ray. Pays one point and 2 member cents.

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