Congrats to CherylC, who wins the first round of my "Book and a Latte" drawings. Yay, Cheryl!

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to stop by, read posts and leave comments, because it's really the commenters who turn a blog from one person's rambling rants into a coherent conversation, and I appreciate all who have contributed over the past few weeks.

And don't despair! There are still chances to win, so keep coming, bring friends and express those opinions - I know everybody's got those! 

Also, I invite you all to ask me questions -- about books, the publishing business, whatever -- especially you aspiring writers out there. It's a tricky business and if you aren't lucky enough to have a writers group close by that you can join, it can really be a baffling business.

Congrats again to Cheryl!

What are your pet peeves when it comes to covers? Anything you'd like to see more of? Less of? 

These little trade "secrets" are not necessarily good or bad (or even necessarily secrets) but are simply the reality of how things are, and every new author should be familiar with them:

(For those of you who are not authors, I invite you to tell us why you might or might not try a new author. What might make you pick up and buy someone you've never heard of or never read before - is it the cover? The blurb? The fact that it was prominently placed on one of the front tables at the bookstore?)  

1. With the release of any new book, the first week's sales are the most important in determining the success of that book. Pubishers will be scrutinizing these numbers because they know this is where the sales "spike" will occur (the most books sold), as opposed to what's called the "tail," which is when the book continues to sell but in much lower quanities, kind of a dribble effect. If your spike is not tall, there is no reason to hope there will be a later surge in sales unless some sort of weird miracle occurs, like Oprah finds the book and recommends it on her show.  

2. While Amazon rankings are representative of a book's overall popularity, those numbers are actually based on the sales of a relatively low number of copies. The sale of a single book can significantly lower your ranking number (the lower your number, the higher your ranking), as much as 100,000 points or more. Books sell in far greater quantities at retail outlets like Walmart. In fact, those outlets seem to sell far more books than the bookstores do. However, that may be swiftly changing as the outlets significantly cut back the types and amounts of books they carry.

3. Knowing your print run (how many copies of your book your publisher actually prints) is important in determining how much money you should devote to promoting. After all, you can't sell what doesn't exist. Print runs are based on the number of books ordered by the distributor, who have little to go on other than the cover (which is why authors spend a lot of time praying the art department gets it right), a brief description of the plot (maybe), the rep's presentation (and sometimes the rep just doesn't focus on your particular book) and your prior sales, if you have a track record.

4. A brand new author's book often has a better chance of generating a high number of orders than an author who has had low print runs in the past. The distributors don't necessarily care about the reasons for a low print run; they simply aren't likely to order in large quanities (say, 50-60,000 or more), if the author's past sales reflect significantly lower numbers (20,000 or less), even if that new book has all the potential of becoming a breakout surprise bestseller. In that case, a publisher will often suggest that the author take a new pseudonym.  

5. A decent "sell-through" (how many books actually makes it into the hands of readers as opposed to being returned by the bookstores) used to be around 40% of your first print run. This was considered successful for a new author. Not so anymore. Pubishers want to see sell throughs of 60% or higher.

6. Getting all this information about print runs and sell throughs can sometimes be like pulling teeth. For some reason, some publishers seem to feel this information is on a "need to know" basis, and the authors don't really need to know (really, you do). This philosophy is further reinforced by the intricate maze of information that is your royalty statement, which typically arrives twice a year and reflects sales not from the previous six months, but the six before that. When you sit down with your first statement, I recommend having handy a calculator, magnifying glass, compass, bread crumbs and a GPS system, because within minutes you will be hopelessly lost. 

Well, those are the secrets I can think of today, and if I linger here any longer trying to think of more I won't make my quota of revisions for the day. If anyone else has insights they'd like to share, by all means do!

Ever wonder if critique groups are a good idea? Or have you been in a critique group, only to run screaming for the door? Join me and members of my critique group this Tuesday from 7-8pm as we discuss our tips, tricks and no-no's when it comes to successful critiquing. Most of us have been critiquing together for over a decade now, sharing both triumphs and disappointments and always encouraging each other to keep writing. I always say that if not for my critique group I might have given up long before I sold my first book.

Our members are yours truly, Nancy J. Cohen, Karen Kendall, Sharon Hartley, Zelda Benjamin and Cynthia Thomason - who just learned she won a Holt Medallion for her Harlequin Superromance, RETURN OF THE WILD SON!!! Congratulations, Cindy!!

Cindy and Zelda can't make the chat, but you'll find me with Nancy, Karen and Sharon at This Book of Mine, hosted by author Jianne Carlo.

Chat: The Secrets of a Critique Group

When: Tuesday, 7pm

Where: This Book Of Mine

Continuing on from "So you've sold a book..." (see below), there are a number of details you'll want to take care of before your book actually hits the shelves, and this pertains to both new authors and established ones.

1. Website and blog: Many aspiring writers already have a website, or at least a blog site, or if you're smart, both. It's never too soon to create a presence on the web.

Your "home on the web" should be both professional and artistic in appearance, and should capture the tone of your writing. It should be easy to read and to navigate, and offer several options for readers to buy your books. While you should always come across as a professional, personal touches in the right places (i.e., your bio page and/or a "fun stuff" page) are a plus. Articles and writing tips are always a welcome addition. Readers also enjoy "extras" like character bios, character blogs, and any other material not included in your books but that provide readers with insight into the stories (this is something I really need to do for my upcoming series). Ongoing drawings for giveaways are a great way to create traffic on your site.  

2. Networking: You should definitely have Facebook and Myspace pages, and then there's Shelfari, Plaxo, Twitter and a host of other networking sites. Yes, these can all be time-suckers that can take you away from your writing. Pick the ones you're most comfortable with and set aside time each day to post updates, read and comment on some of your friend's updates and then SIGN OUT! It's about self-discipline and using internet networking as a tool, not an addiction. These sites are great for announcing releases, book signings, chats, contests, etc.

3. Online Readers Sites: Contact sites like Romance Junkies, Eye on Romance, Fresh Fiction, The Romance Club and Manic Readers to name a few of my favorites, to arrange for reviews, interviews, author listings, posting articles you've written, participating in contests, etc. These are great places to connect with readers, get your name out and create a buzz. 

4. Promos: Have bookmarks and other promo items made and start handing them out. If your publisher provides cover flats, hand those out too. You'll also want promos on hand for booksignings once your book is released. A great promo you can make yourself is a "teaser"
booklet with your cover art, blurb, review quotes if you have any yet and the opening pages of your story.

5. Contact book clubs and independent book stores with information about your upcoming release, and include ARCs (advanced reading copies), bookmarks and other promos they can pass on to their readers.

6. Local media: a lot of local papers and magazines like stories about town residents. Can't you just picture the headlines? Soccer Mom by Day, Romance Author by Night. So send out a press release about your latest sales and see if they bite. You might also try local radio stations, who might be interested in having you on as a guest.

That's a short list so far and by no means exhaustive, but each is an essential part of promoting yourself as an author. Most of these are not particularly expensive, and some are even free (chats, interviews, reviews, articles, author listings). Establish a budget and stick to it. Even your website shouldn't put you into hock - get several quotes until you find one that suits your needs.

Cross promoting is a great way to alleviate costs and attract a wider circle of readers. Join with other authors who write in the same subgenre as you and/or have books coming out at about the same time, and create a group blog, share the cost of an ad, run a contest together, chat together, etc. You can ask your editor to suggest other authors who might be interested. That's how Silk & Shadows was formed. 

Important: always let your publisher know everything you're doing to promote yourself. They want to see that you're helping to increase your sales, so don't be shy about sending them periodic updates.

For next time: REVIEWS. 

My favorite days are the ones where I end up in places I never dreamed of being when I woke up that morning. I was up at 6am yesterday. Yes, on a Saturday. My daughter had to take the SAT, so we were up and out early to get her to the test center by 7:45. Yuck. Being already fully awake, I came home, took a bike ride, a dip in the pool, ran some errands with my husband - pretty much a normal Saturday. In the afternoon, said daughter and her boyfriend, both of whom are artistic, planned to attend an anime convention in Miami so -- and this is where we scored points for being majorly awesome parents -- we drove them.

I rarely go to Miami. I always say I hate going and that I "just don't do Miami." And let me say, the horrendous weather we crawled through at times only reiterated that mantra in my mind as I chewed my fingernails and prayed we'd emerge alive from the unraveled ball of twine that is Miami's highway network. There were times we could barely distinguish between the road and the sky, never mind the other cars groping their way along. You just hope no one goes sliding. We arrived at the convention site to find the entrance roads flooded bumper deep, but by then the rain had stopped we were able to drop the kids off at the door.

And then it was blue skies over Miami...hmm, what's a pair of childless parents to do?? Suddenly, that maze of a city where so many of the people don't speak the same language I do didn't seem so intimidating, and my latent urban tendencies kicked into gear. Scenarios popped into my suddenly revitalized mind, laden with words like "outside cafe" and "white wine on ice" and "coconut," as in Coconut Grove.

There were more highways, of course, but with the sun to guide us we had no problem finding our way south of downtown. Coconut Grove is sort of Miami's answer to Greenwich Village, only in miniscule form. It's all brick sidewalks, little shops, cafes and clubs, very trendy but very laid back. Except....

Yesterday happened to be the annual Miami-Bahamas Goombay Festival in the Grove. (history: begun in 1976 by descendants of the Bahamian immigrants who first settled Coconut Grove. The festival is one of the largest Black heritage festivals in the U.S.) Beneath a burning hot sun, we found ourselves absorbed into island culture, complete with dancing, music, parades (I especially loved the junkanoo costume that incorporated a picture of Pres. Obama near the crest; you can just make it out in the picture) and amazing things to eat. The spicy aromas floating through the air could drive you insane, but in a really good way. We sampled some skewered chicken, considered one of those pina coladas served in a hollowed out pineapple but didn't, and generally just enjoyed the heck out of being in the middle of something that doesn't happen out in the western burbs where we live.

When the sun got to be too much, we hopped a couple of streets over to the Greenstreet Cafe, where we sat outside beneath wide awnings and umbrellas, on a red velvet Victorian-style sofa. As we watched the cars go by and the wind stirring the jungle-like growth of trees in the park across the street, we enjoyed stuffed grape leaves and chips with homemade guacamole. I sipped cold white zin and my husband had an imported beer. Kind of like yoga for the soul.

After walking around the Grove a little, we drove north and stopped at a park overlooking Biscayne Bay, with mangroves growing along the coastline. Places like that remind me of how beautiful Florida can be, with an environment that's complicated, delicate and so worth saving. I must make a point of driving east more often; I see way too little of the coast living where I do.

By the end of the day, I remembered how much I actually do love Miami, and how alive cities can make me feel. Yes, you do have to be more careful in a city and always be aware of your surroundings, but I love the diversity and mix of cultures, the energy, excitement and flow of ideas, the quirkiness and the fascinating places you can stumble upon. So I think I'll stop saying "I don't do Miami," and try to do Miami a little more often.

Other fabulous major cities where I've been: New York - still the most fabulous. London. Paris. Edenburgh. Vancouver. 

What are some others?

Author Toni Andrews is video blogging today at Silk and Shadows.

Grab a cup of coffee and join Toni on her back porch overlooking beautiful Crystal Lake in Connecticut as she talks about her latest release, CRY MERCY, superpowers and other cool stuff! Then check out the links to follow her month-long virtual book tour, find out where to buy the books, and how to send her a SASE for an autographed bookplate to put in your own copy of CRY MERCY.

See you at Silk and Shadows, where Dark Times Call For Dark Heroes...and sometimes Dark Heroines!