Is it any wonder, I reject you first?
Fame, fame, fame, fame.
Is it any wonder, you are too cool to fool?
Fame.

—David Bowie, “Fame”

In the writing world, several published superstars exhibited matchless stamina with stunning results. Here are a few FAMOUS REJECTIONS:

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck was returned fourteen times, but it went on to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Mary Higgins Clark was rejected forty times before selling her first story. One editor wrote: “Your story is light, slight and trite.” More than 30 million copies of her books are now in print.

Roots author Alex Haley had received 200 rejections.

Robert Persig’s classic, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, couldn’t get started at 121 houses.

John Grisham’s first novel, A Time To Kill, was declined by fifteen publishers and thirty agents. His novels have more than 60 million copies in print.

Louis L’Amour received 200 rejections before he sold his first novel. During the last forty years, Bantam has shipped nearly 200 million of his 112 books, making him their biggest selling author.

At Jack London’s estate in Sonoma County you will see some of the 600 rejection slips that London received before selling his first story.

Eight years after his novel Steps, won the National Book Award, Jerzy Kosinki permitted a writer to change his name and the title and send a manuscript of the novel to thirteen agents and fourteen publishers to test the plight of new writers. They all rejected it, including Random House, which had published it.

MORAL TO THE STORY— in the words of Winston Churchill—Nevah, nevah, nevah, nevah give up!

—Lowry McFerrin, Proforma Mactec Solutions

We’ve all heard the phrase, collected it, perhaps bought some. In many marketing circles, it is almost as important as writing a book. What is it?

Swag was originally associated with pirates’ or thieves’ booty or loot. Goods gotten unlawfully. Leave it to the 21st Century to transform that into booty gotten lawfully—in fact, given away. For authors, offering swag to audiences is an effective marketing method to keep themselves and their product (like a book) foremost in the audience’s mind long after a book launch, reading or signing is over. Other terms to describe swag are giveaways, take-aways or promotional items—familiar marketing terms.  Typical swag for authors can be t-shirts, hats, buttons, matchboxes and, as today’s graphic illustrates, postcards and bookmarks. Proforma Mactec Solutions produced them for Christi Phillips’s paperback version of The Devlin Diary.

Pens, mugs, notebooks, notepads, book lights and t-shirts are also ways to help advertise a book. If someone wears a t-shirt printed with your book cover and name, you’ve got a walking billboard. And, more often than not, awareness ultimately equates to more sales. Oh yes, backpacks make good swag too, as they can carry a book, a pen, a mug, a button and many of the thousands of items that can be branded with your book title.  One thing to remember when considering swag as part of your marketing plan—that it is associated with you, your story, or your book, so make it the best it can be.

Be sure to contact us with your swag requirements.

—Lowry McFerrin, Proforma Mactec Solutions

Greeting Authors,

By request – a new Publishing in the 21st Century workshop has been scheduled for a Sunday instead of a Saturday to accommodate extremely busy schedules!

You’ve plotted, planned, revised, edited, re-written and agonized over three books to finish the ONE… Now the question is – do you search for an agent and hope they match you with a publisher or, maybe you’ve considered self-publishing – do it or research it? If so, this is the perfect time to make a commitment to yourself and sign up for Publishing in the 21st Century and learn the ins and outs of getting your work into print. You would not be alone in that pursuit! Many notable writers self-published:

Edgar Rice Burroughs: Tarzan
Benjamin Franklin: Poor Richard’s Almanack
Beatrix Potter: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Henry David Thoreau: Walden
Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
James Joyce: Ulysses
Richard N. Bolles: What Color is Your Parachute

. . .and scores of others, some of whom got noticed and eventually picked up by major publishing houses because of their self-published books.

The advent of the Internet (not to mention the other mind-boggling computer advances as represented by the Kindle and Ipad) has revolutionized the options for publishing, PR, and marketing. Self-publishing is no longer a dirty word; it’s simply another way, a viable and as valuable way, to get your work out into the world…but how do you do that?

At Publishing in the 21st Century, we’ll discuss manuscript file preparation, book layout & design, cover design, printing methods (including print-on-demand), binding choices, ISBN, marketing and distribution, fulfillment services and the associated costs. We’ll also review and discuss the role of new marketing opportunities such as social media, websites and other online marketing tools for self-publishing writers.

Lowry McFerrin learned to love the smell of printers’ ink as a teenager while working for his family-owned, San Francisco-based lithography company. He has served as VP of Distributor Sales for a barcode label manufacturer and today is President/CEO of ProForma Mactec Solutions, a printing and marketing services provider. In addition to supplying these services to publishers such as Lonely Planet Press, Travelers’ Tales, Hunter House Books, Birdcage Books, and Left Coast Writers, Lowry has helped numerous authors self-publish and market their books.

Any successful publishing journey begins with a small investment in the basics.

$95 (includes lunch)

Space is limited. To reserve a place please respond by return email to easeintoprint@pacbell.net:

Comments from past workshop participants:

I…wanted to personally let you know how much I enjoyed the class and your honesty about the whole process. I can see I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it’s better than watching re-runs all night!

Dorothy C., Writer

What fun to be your student! I really learned a lot and your guidance will be invaluable as I (cautiously) make the leap from the wee chair to the brave new frontier of cyber-self-pub, or whatever of the dizzying combinations I end up choosing. It did just what I wanted it to: it gave me a good overview of the options and a sense of the pitfalls for various kinds of “do-it-yourselfing”.

Joanna B., Teacher/writer

Very, very useful and inspiring! All my questions were answered.

TC, Author

Helped my understanding of  the publishing process and the nitty gritty of all the parts.

Lone S., Writer/photographer

Tremendous. I knew very little about the process and the session filled a lot of blanks. Lowry was dynamic and enjoying.

Bari B., novelist

1. They’ll create a book cover that will give it a professional look and avoid the pitfalls that many self-publishers make when doing it themselves – the “homegrown” look

2.  That same artist will provide production-ready files that will process through a printers process without incident, thereby saving time and budget.

3.  The knowledgeable graphic artist will know how to work with design software to shorten the time for text layout and eliminate glaring aesthetic errors like “orphans” and “widows” without compromising the look on the page while creating files that will process harmoniously at the factory.

I have the honor and good fortune to have several graphic artists on our team who have created professional looking book covers and clean text layout and design. If you have a manuscript that you’re thinking to self-publish, consider signing up for the September 12, 2010 workshop and move your  manuscript forward.

Til next time…

—Lowry McFerrin, Proforma Mactec Solutions

Hot Flashes2 cover art by noted graphic designer Jim Shubin, Shubin Design

Political satirist, musician, songwriter, dramatist, essayist, and novelist, James J. Patterson’s new collection of essays meanders delightfully, ominously, frightfully, hilariously through his life and times, touching down at specific moments in the nation’s history as well as his own, as seen from the back alleys, barrooms and his hidden sanctum in what he calls The Capital of the Empire, Washington, DC. More than just a garment, Bermuda Shorts, according to Patterson, is a state of mind.

To accommodate the superb writing is a book & cover design that makes it stand out from the rest…

— Lowry McFerrin, Proforma Mactec Solutions

You’ve plotted, planned, revised, edited, re-written and agonized over three books to finish the ONE… Now the question is – do you search for an agent and hope they match you with a publisher or, maybe you’ve considered self-publishing – do it or research it? If so, this is the perfect time to make a commitment to yourself and sign up for Publishing in the 21^st Century and learn the ins and outs of getting your work into print. You would not be alone in that pursuit! Did you know that many notable writers self-published:

Edgar Rice Burroughs: Tarzan
Benjamin Franklin: Poor Richard’s Almanack
Beatrix Potter: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Henry David Thoreau: Walden
Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
James Joyce: Ulysses
Richard N. Bolles: What Color is Your Parachute

 . . .and scores of others, some of whom got noticed and eventually picked up by major publishing houses because of their self-published books.

The advent of the Internet (not to mention the other mind-boggling computer advances as represented by the Kindle and Ipad) has revolutionized the options for publishing, PR, and marketing. Self-publishing is no longer a dirty word; it’s simply another way, a viable and as valuable way, to get your work out into the world…but how do you do that?

At Publishing in the 21^st Century, we’ll discuss manuscript file preparation, book layout & design, cover design, printing methods (including print-on-demand), binding choices, ISBN, marketing and distribution, fulfillment services and the associated costs. We’ll also review and discuss the role of new marketing opportunities such as social media, websites and other online marketing tools for self-publishing writers.

Lowry McFerrin learned to love the smell of printers’ ink as a teenager while working for his family-owned, San Francisco-based lithography company. He has served as VP of Distributor Sales for a barcode label manufacturer and today is President/CEO of ProForma Mactec Solutions, a printing and marketing services provider. In addition to supplying these services to publishers such as Lonely Planet Press, Travelers’ Tales, Hunter House Books, Birdcage Books, and Left Coast Writers, Lowry has helped numerous authors self-publish and market their books.

Any successful publishing journey begins with a small investment in the basics.

$95 (includes lunch) 

Space is limited. To reserve a place please respond by return email to easeintoprint@pacbell.net

Comments from past workshop participants:

I…wanted to personally let you know how much I enjoyed the class and your honesty about the whole process. I can see I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it’s better than watching re-runs all night!

Dorothy C., Writer

What fun to be your student! I really learned a lot and your guidance will be invaluable as I (cautiously) make the leap from the wee chair to the brave new frontier of cyber-self-pub, or whatever of the dizzying combinations I end up choosing. It did just what I wanted it to: it gave me a good overview of the options and a sense of the pitfalls for various kinds of “do-it-yourselfing”.

Joanna B., Teacher/writer

Very, very useful and inspiring! All my questions were answered.

TC, Author

Helped my understanding of  the publishing process and the nitty gritty of all the parts.

Lone S., Writer/photographer

Tremendous. I knew very little about the process and the session filled a lot of blanks. Lowry was dynamic and enjoying.

Bari B., novelist

I was able to really broaden my base of knowledge about self-publishing.

Tamara W., writer

Your explanation of the timeline from beginning to end of process was very helpful.

Gema W., writer

My wife convinced me to “come out” as a celtic fiddler by taking my violin with me to Ireland, telling people play the fiddle, then be prepared to participate if an invitation was offered. I agreed, not realizing that the Irish LOVE live music. She’d write an article about that later appeared in the San Francisco Examiner called “Fiddlin’ Around In Ireland”.

We arrived in Dublin and walked the streets, I with my fiddle strapped to my back and my wife with pen and pad. I played once in St. Stephen’s Green early in the morning right after Easter. There was no one there…I was so nervous that I could hardly move, my hands shaking like a wind-blown leaf. When finished with one of my “good” tunes, the only expression I heard was the unappreciative squack of a crow. Perfect.

After that, I was invited to play in parlors and pubs and I did play. Of the 16 days and nights that we travelled and I played in Ireland, one night was particularly momentous…it was at the Shenakee in Skibereen, in southwestern Ireland. We heard that this was a good place to hear traditional Irish music. We got there early, no one was there but the bartender. He suggested we come back about 9 pm. We decided to have dinner at the Battered Fish and watch and see how many people came to listen to Natural Gas, an Irish band that just returned from a successful European tour. We didn’t see too many people enter and thought we might have been given a bumb lead. WE crossed the street at 9 pm, pushed through the two sets of storm doors and were greeted by a packed house of300 people ranging from 6 to 60 years old. We bellied up to the bar and positioned ourselves to watch. Natural Gas was fun…and good. Their fiddler was wonderful, with a technique that was inspirationally precise. I told him so at the break, noting I played the fiddle too, with a caveat that I thought I played Irish Fiddle until I came to Ireland…I had a lot to learn.

The lead singer heard me mention that I played the fiddle and suggested that I play with them during their next set. Panic set in. These guys were GOOD and 300 people? I replied maybe after a couple of guiness I could be persuaded…we’d see. The second set came and they played the first set with no mention of me playing. Whew. However, after their break, an announcement surprised me…Ladies and Gentlemen, the Shenakee spared no expense to bring a fiddle player all the way from the States to play for you this evening…let’s have a warm Shanakee welcome for……LOWRY. gulp.  I had to go, but I didn’t have my fiddle, so I thought I was “safe”. I slowly went up to the stage and over to the fiddler telling him of the situation. He immediately replied – “Here, play mine!”  I asked him what he was going to do. His answer, with a big grin, “I’m going to take a lesson!” and left me on stage with the band, me and a most unfamiliar fiddle. I did play. I did have the crowd stamping their feet and clapping their hands. I played one tune….”Ohhhh, Lowry, surely you know a couple of more tunes!” the lead singer asked. Of course I did, and played a couple of more tunes. Not celtic, but bluegrass – didn’t know how popular bluegrass was in Ireland. To my surprise, the audience stamped their feet, clapped their hands and called out for more tunes. I passed, looking frantically for the “real” fiddler. The band was gracious, the audience appreciative and I returned to the bar with pats on the back and plenty of guiness to drink.

The Band played another two sets as closing time approached. The lead singer acknowledged and introduced each member of the band to huge a fanfare. It was an unexpected moment when the lead singer then said – “and let’s give a big round of applause for…. Lowry the Bold!” What a shocker! What a magical moment to experience what my wife and I both thought was a tradition that reached back in time to King Arthur…how people were named for their acts, deeds or nature.

After the Ireland trip, I don’t get nervous with an audience…just very appreciative!

I play the fiddle for fun, not professionally…been playing violin since I was in 5th grade so I’ve reached a level of proficiency that makes it fun to play and, apparently, fun to listen to.

One of our neighbors has a glorious fig tree, whose fruit is large and luscious. We love figs and I promised that I’d fiddle for figs whenever there was a crop. They love fiddle music as well and I’m delighted to accommodate them when our schedules permit. I had played for them several weeks ago (pre-fig season)  for the joy of it and they and their guests were very appreciative.

A short time ago, one of them came to our door during the work week and left a couple of perfectly ripe figs from the tree, with a note “fiddle for figs – we hope you enjoy these although the had just fallen from the tree”, Those figs were divine.

We hadn’t seen them since for awhile. One recent late afternoon, I chose to pick up the fiddle and play for awhile. It is a great stress reliever for me and it had been several weeks since I played – and of course I accompany myself with a glass or two of wine. After an hour had passed, with tunes played a couple of glasses drunk, I was inspired to go to our neighbors house and play a couple of tunes for them on their porch. If they were home, great, a favor returned. If not, I was prepared to leave a note and a promise to stop by again soon and play for them. I played for 15 minutes on their porch without a response. With both their cars in front, I decided to knock on the door. We all were surprised to find each other! They were watching a movie and thought the music I played was part of the soundtrack even though it didn’t quite fit the story. I shared with them that I was returning the favor – leaving a few tunes on the porch for the figs they left on ours. They were dumbfounded as just that afternoon, they had picked a bunch of figs for me and here I was fiddling for figs. After hugs and smiles around, we toasted serendipity, went back to the porch and I fiddled for figs…again.