Archive for June, 2009

Posted on June 17, 2009 - By Sharon Lindenburger
Wise book - This is Water, by David Foster Wallace

The book, This is Water by David Foster Wallace is such a small book, you can literally read it in 10 minutes. Yet it contains priceless wisdom and is a literary gem. Wallace was well-known as a novelist, university professor, and philosopher.

Throughout his life, he was plagued by clinical depression, and in 2008 committed suicide. It appears that doctors were unable to come up with the right types of medications to keep Wallace out of depression, and he suffered for many years. Yet his literary output was prodigious, frequently witty, and always penetrating in its insights.

This is Water is the text of a graduation address he gave to college students, the only commencement address he ever did. It was published after his death.

I particularly appreciate Wallace’s insight into the fact that all of us have what he called a “default position”–the universal human impulse to place ourselves at the center of the universe. He calls for us to step out of our default positions of self-absorption and into the shoes of others, to see the world through others’ eyes, and to consider what dreams might be possible when seen from a wider perspective.

The wisdom in this tiny book has a tragic edge to it when one considers that the author had such great thoughts within him, and yet fell victim to his own inner darkness through no fault of his own. This book shows that often the deepest insights come from suffering. Though Wallace could not save himself, this small book shines as a beacon of light to all who seek to go beyond the “default position” to a larger more enlightened life.

A beautiful book–one that I will always treasure.

Posted on June 2, 2009 - By Sharon Lindenburger
“Poynters” from Dan Poynter

I recently attended a day-long workshop with publishing guru Dan Poynter. Dan has been in this business for a long time. He knows the book industry well and is a stalwart source of guidance, particularly to authors who choose to self-publish. He now has two versions of The Self-Publishing Manual–Volume 1 and Volume 2. Both volumes are invaluable sources of information for authors.

As well, Dan’s site, www.parapublishing.com is a resource every author should have in his/her internet address book.

During the workshop, there were several “Poynters” that I felt were really important. The first is Dan’s insistence that a non-fiction author have a well-honed understanding of exactly who his/her audience is. This kind of targeted understanding enables the author to segment the audience and also, in terms of money, find the right sources of special sales, i.e., groups, businesses, and organizations that might be natural markets for buying multiple copies of your book—-and what author doesn’t love to make a bulk sale!?

Another “Poynter” I particularly like is Dan’s concept of simultaneous publishing. This is an ideal strategy for an author who wants to begin with self-publishing but then to create the possibility of getting the interest of a trade publisher. Poynter recommends an initial print-run of 500 books–well-written, well-edited, and well-designed. You would send the first few copies out to agents or publishers.

“When you send a manuscript to an agent, he/she will treat you like a writer among other writers. When you send him/her a well-written book that you’ve run the first 500 copies, he/she will treat you like an author. It’s a different level of perception and can work in your favor,” Poynter said.

You would then use the rest of your 500 print run to send the book out for reviews, to seek distribution, special sales, and other markets that could help establish you as a credible expert in your field, thus creating the demand for your book which you would then market in a variety of ways–literally selling greater numbers of the book before your second print run is even off the press. This is an infinitely better strategy than having thousands of books sitting in your garage.

I am in the process of creating a Resources page on my site. I will include the link to Dan’s site from there. His advice is well worth heeding, especially if you choose to self-publish and you want your book to do well.

I felt particularly gratified when Dan emphasized the importance of getting professional editing help with books, as ALL books need to match and even exceed the standard of the name-brand publishers. That’s what I do as a book coach (Dan calls individuals like me “book shepherds”)! I help you create a professional, well-written, well-presented book–a book that will grow your expertise and bring more money and opportunities into your life. 

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