Katey Schultz's Blog

Nearly 100 of you have taken the survey so far, and I'm taking your requests and needs into consideration as I redesign my offerings and website. There was one question I couldn't include in the survey, however, and it's about referrals. All the research I've done on expanding business models says that referrals and word of mouth are still worth their weight in gold. If you're reading this, it means you know other writers or creative types who might benefit from the tone and caliber of the services I offer.

Can you think of 3-5 people who might want to take an online class with me or work with me 1-on-1 in some way? Would you be willing to share their names and email addresses with me? Here's my promise: I will email each individual personally with a very short message, saying that you gave me permission to contact them. Then, I'll ask permission to add them to my email list so that they can be made aware of upcoming courses and writing opportunities. If they say yes, I'd add them. If they say no or don't reply, I'd never contact them again.

If that resonates with you, please email me now [katey-dot-schultz-at-gmail-dot-com] with your sincere referrals. It will make a tremendous difference as I move forward with this next big step in The Writing Life. Thank you.
              

The Writing Life blog is taking a short break as I prepare the latest revision of my novel for submission to agent(s) on May 1st. Additionally, readers who've been following my "think big" conversations (about vision, fascination, looking back, and ideas) know that this May, my website, blog, and business will re-launch with a new design and model. The URL will be the same--www.kateyschultz.com--but hopefully your experience will be streamlined and enriched.



Meantime, please fill out the survey (below) and make sure you're on my blog newsletter list (subscribe in the left sidebar by entering your email) so you don't miss a thing. There will be about 1 newsletter a month, never spam, and your email address will be protected.



Thank you for reading and caring about my work!
              

Diving deep in my work with the creative consultant and her web designer these last few weeks, we've done a lot of hard thinking about the writers I work with and aspire to work with. What are their key problems? What is the premise of those problems? What can I promise that will be genuinely enticing and effective, helping them solve that problem?

That's a big of business-speak, I know, but here's the writerly version. If you're reading this blog--whether you identify as a "writer" or something else--I want your opinion. Can you take 7 minutes and answer these questions for me? It will help me grow and improve my business! [And here's the direct link to the private survey, if the box below doesn't load on your device.]

Create your own user feedback survey
              

This week, I shared a photo from the South Toe Valley's very own photo blog, Celo Photo Blogspot. This is a blog written and maintained by two creative pals in the area--Jeff Goodman and Robin Dreyer. I love the blog, not only because it shows me my own valley and mountain range through someone else's eyes, but also because it highlights delightful explorations such as...



GIANT EAR TRUMPETS!

Since the post got 68 (and counting) shares on Facebook, I couldn't resist also featuring this very fine project on my own blog. The full post, with photo documentation from start to finish, can be found here, courtesy Robin and Jeff. For now, suffice it to say that I live in a place where people build giant ear thingies to better enable them to hear Spring. I mean - does it get any better than this? I don't think so. Brad and I are going to visit the structures, which are in a field just down the road from us, next week. YES!




              

Last night, I enjoyed my second Writers Coffeehouse, hosted at the lovely Malaprop’s Bookstore. The authors guiding the evening’s discussion were Jake Bible, Jamie Mason, and Nathan Balingrud.

Who’s who: If you love NaNoWriMo, you’ll likely have a strong appreciation for what Jake Bible does, writing and publishing one novel every month. Jake shared a lot of insights about podcasts, productivity, and mobilizing your fans. Jamie Mason, a thriller writer, referenced an exciting $35,000 study recently conducted by the International Thriller Writers, which specifically explored the question, “What makes people buy a book?” (That’s not verbatim, but you can read more about the organization here.) Last but note least, Nathan Balingrud also co-led the event, and his name might sound familiar to readers of The Writing Life blog because I’ve talked about Wonderbook so often. Nathan’s quoted several times in that book, and he’s also mastered the art of mellow, authentic, meaningful social media handling. As one person put it tonight, “Nathan’s Facebook feed is like a literary salon.” Want to learn about how to handle yourself through social media? Find these three authors on Facebook and study what they're doing. You'll be miles ahead of most folks, and well-prepped to set a good example yourself.

But what I really want to call your attention to is the fact that even if you don’t live in Asheville, there might be a Writers Coffeehouse near you. If not, why not start one? Here’s a note about Jonathan Maberry, who started Writers Coffeehouse. They’re “branded,” in a way (I think?), so definitely read up on this trend first, but once you’ve done your homework, if you’re fired up to start Writers Coffeehouse in a city near you, it’s a win-win.



              

Suzi Banks BaumI'm not sure I've heard the phrase "indy authors" frequently,  but I like the sound of it. For me, it calls to mind an author who goes far above and beyond any support that her publisher may (or may not) be offering by way of marketing, publicity, events coordination, and distribution. If you want a more formal definition, I found this explanation to be pretty good. Most readers of The Writing Life know that I hired the fabulous Jessica Glenn of Mindbuck Media for publicity, and the equally astounding Debbie Jayne for book tour (and more). I also promised not to a) go into debt for the book and b) make every penny back within three years.



I made it back within two years--and how much did it all cost? I revealed those numbers here, and three years later I'm honored to report that I am still invited to come speak and read from my book, for an honorarium, across the country. Suffice it to say, all of that made me feel pretty indie and this fall, I'll be launching an e-course on literary stewardship and marketing. For now, I wanted to share these lovely tips from cross-media artist Suzi Banks Baum, who learned her fair share about indie authorship as editor of printed anthology, Out of the Mouths of Babes. Suzi has an insert that comes along with each copy of the book--I think it'd actually make a great bookmark. The insert thanks readers for their interest and suggests ways they might support indie authors moving forward. A few tips from the insert:

Show up and bring friends: Attend book events for authors. Bring friends. The support means a lot. Readings and book events are almost always free. They benefit the author, the bookstore, library, or house that's hosting, and can actually be a fun way to spend an hour or so.Recommend the book to your library: Libraries are wonderful places to spread the word about a new author. Often, libraries are looking for books to go with themed events. Suggest a theme, a community discussion, or other local or holiday tie-in that might inspire libraries to put the book on display for a while.Offer endorsements or reviews: Write an honest, brief, positive review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other online retailers. This is how a book grows legs. A positive review or endorsement is more valuable to the author than a single sale because it makes the book visible. Even a sentence or two is a giant help. Tip: Don't refer to the author by her first name in the review (it can sound like you're posting as her Mom or Dad!).If you're drawn to Suzi's approach--informative, natural, not pushy, wise, extraordinarily helpful--she's not only like that on paper and in person, but also as a teacher. She has an online class that starts at the end of April and if the 7th revision of my novel is done by then, I'm signing up. Here's her course info. 
              

{source}Recently, I blogged about quick tips for readers and writers looking to support their local indy booksellers. Expanding on that theme, today I'd like to share a few ideas about self-publishing. I was motivated to tidy my thoughts on this topic following the amazing Writer's Coffeehouse at Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville, NC last month. [Live locally? Check out their events this month.] So, let's get down to it: Why would someone want to self publish? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it for you?



"Good" and "bad" are relative terms and not useful out of context. I get this question a lot and I always ask writers these key questions in an effort to help them decide if self-publishing is for them:



Do you want to earn a living as an author, teacher of writing, writing coach, or public speaker in your field? If you answered YES, 99.99% of the the time, self-publishing IS NOT for you.Do you want to publish something you feel proud of, that friends and family can easily access, that you'll break even on or maybe even earn a few bucks from? If you answered YES, then self-publishing IS for you.

That's it. That's really the quick and dirty litmus test that will help most people decide if they should self-publish or not. There are exceptions, of course. For instance, self-published authors who hit it big (like the bestselling mystery writer Aaron Stander), but even he will tell you that you have to WORK to get your book into stores, onto websites, professionally designed, proofed, copyedited, and more (oh, not to mention, written).



And there are even smaller scale exceptions: For example, if you'd like to self-publish your book and make a small profit, have a respectable manuscript you can call your own and sell to others, AND are willing to put in at least 100 hours of work above and beyond writing, layout, design, printing, and basic math...you can definitely have a book in regional bookstores that is respected, sold, enjoyed, read, gifted, read again, and even leads to some public events.



What if you want to self-publish, money is no object, you don't need a career as a writer/teacher/public speaker, and you're willing to work? Well, GO FOR IT! You can cut out the middle man, write and publish what you want, not worry about the bottom line, hire a publicist to help lend your work authenticity and professionalism, perhaps get into more stores and fund more events, and sell as little or as much as possible, depending on demand. There are actually people in this kind of situation, and if you're one of them: First, hire an editor or mentor for professional critique. Be prepared to do this several times. If you don't like revision and aren't attached to your identity as a writer, hire a ghost writer or team writer and work together. But no matter how you spend your dough, don't click "print" via that self-publishing printer until you have had several paid professionals vouch for, critique, and prepare your work for printing. 



The elephant in the room here goes way back to that first bullet point: Why CAN'T you self-publish even if you want a career as a writer? You may even have examples of famous, rich, successful, respected writers who have done this. (There are a handful of them, and guess what? I can't remember their names, nor have I read or purchased their books. That might tell you something.)



With so many writers publishing today, and with self-publishing akin to Polaroirds in the 1940's, booksellers and readers have to filter what they decide to sell and purchase. One logical filter to apply is to only sell or purchase books that are traditionally published. These books have been vetted. They have passed rounds of editing, they've gone through scores of revisions and proofings. They've often had the benefit of a team of layout and designers attending to their pages and covers. Or, in the case of some university or small indy presses: one editor, one intern proofreader, and a volunteer cover designer (I wish I was kidding about that, but I'm not).



Is self-publishing for you? Consider your goals. Consider your budget. Consider your intended audience. Conveniently, I've also organized a day-long conference around this exact topic, covering self-published authors who DID make it big, bigtime authors who STILL WORK HARD to pay the bills, and everyone in between. Details here. Stay tuned for more posts in this theme!
              

This May, I'll be co-leading a day-long workshop for artists, gallerists, curators, and arts writers as a part of the annual Society of North American Goldsmiths conference, SNAGneXt. The conference takes place in Asheville for 2016, conveniently close, and Metalsmith magazine editor Suzanne Ramljack and I are already prepping for "The Power of Story"--which we hope will be a dynamic, provocative experience for all in attendance. As I research this topic, I may share insights and discoveries along the way, such as today's featured video, "The Future of Storytelling." Definitely worth your 5 minutes:







              

This May, I'll be co-leading a day-long workshop for artists, gallerists, curators, and arts writers as a part of the annual Society of North American Goldsmiths conference, SNAGneXt. The conference takes place in Asheville for 2016, conveniently close, and Metalsmith magazine editor Suzanne Ramljack and I are already prepping for "The Power of Story"--which we hope will be a dynamic, provocative experience for all in attendance. As I research this topic, I may share insights and discoveries along the way, such as today's featured video, "The Future of Storytelling." Definitely worth your 5 minutes:





              

Today I'd like to link back to a mini-essay I wrote a few years ago, reflecting on the experience of packing 17 boxes of books and storing them in my parents' attic. That "first separation," as I now refer to it, was prompted by the beginning of my three years on the road. The "first reunion" began as I wrote this mini-essay, sharing my experience of moving select books from those 17 boxes into my full-time home--a 1970 Airstream trailer. That essay, published via The Quivering Pen's "My Library" series, includes details on making the hard decisions: 



"More than any other challenge that trailer-living provides, organizing my library pains me the most. In lieu of an extra bed, I had a few bookshelves installed. Like everything in an Airstream, the space doubles as something else—in this case, where I practice meditation.  But what matters here are the books. The far left shelf holds..." [read the full essay here]



It's fun to look back at the essay seven years later, because until this week--March 2016--those books haven't been together in the same place, unpacked, and shelved. Over the past few weeks, I've taken the boxes down one by one, spending an afternoon here and there sorting and stacking. Brad and I purchased our first home (as some of you know from this) in January and will move into it this fall, upon his graduation. Meantime, I have a place to unpack, and oh is it delightful.



Hemingway and Ursula Hegi will sit near each other. My friend Britt Kaufmann's poetry will be near Keroac's, which is a lovely thought. Old friends I'd forgotten--books interpreting Thoreau's Walden, philosophy texts that kept me up many-a-night at Whitman College, and even my old notebooks from my MFA at Pacific University will find a home on the shelves in a wide-length, well-lit built-in closet in my studio in our new home.



And in the spirit of celebrating great book arrangements, here's a handy array of lovely designs. At least I never had to figure out what to do with this many texts!