The Pros and Cons of A Pen Name

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

With surprising frequency, as an editor, I get submissions where the author wants to use a pen name. One of my first questions to the author is why? Then I listen to the answer.

Often they don’t have much of a reason for using a pen name. I find many of these authors wrongly believe it is easier to use a pen name. From my years in publishing, it is better to build your online presence using your own name rather than a pen name. The online world is full of false names and sometimes fake profiles. People have more confidence and trust if they can see from multiple sources the person is real and using a real name. 

There are pros and cons to this critical decision. In this article I want to lay out some of those issues.

Pro

If you use your actual name, you can use a real photo and other information which helps the reader know your expertise and background. 

I’ve met some writers who have been through a protracted and horrible divorce. They used a pen name to hide their identity from this spouse.

Con

If you use a pen name then you have to build everything online using that pen name. Your website, your blog, your various social media accounts and other places would be built with this pen name. 

You often have to use a fake photo since you don't want to use your actual photo. 

This entry is shorter than some of my articles because I’ve been away from my computer at a conference with limited time to write. Hopefully I make up for this lack with the links below to some of my other recent articles published in other places (outside my blog).

Have you used a pen name? Let me know in the comments and add to my information about using a pen name.

My Articles in Other Places

In these entries, I encourage you to write articles for other places. Here's some of my recent articles:

Beginning Writers Do Get Published Some writers believe (wrongly) that only professional writers get published. In this article I debunk this myth.

Should I Self-Publish? I speak with many writers going in this direction and explain the reasons not to go in this direction from my years in this business. 

Brainstorm An Excellent “Working” Book Title Many writers assume the publisher will select the title. In this article, I encourage writers to put a lot of energy into pitching an excellent title in their submission and why. 

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Celebrate The Joy of Anticipation

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As you read this article, I’m attending to one of the largest Christian writers conferences in the country--the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. Last year there were 600 people at this event which translates into a wide variety of types of writers and publishing professionals. It’s been my privilege to attend this event numerous times through the years. I’m teaching a continuing class and a single workshop plus meeting one-on-one with many people throughout the event. 

In this article, I want to capture some of the preparation steps and the joy I’ve been feeling about this event. I wrote these words to give you a hint at the diverse activities and how they can be life-changing for you and your writing.  I encourage every writer to make plans to get to at least one or two of these events each year. At each one, you will make new connections and expand your worldview and resources for your writing life. Admittedly it takes effort and planning on your part to attend these events but the opportunities are priceless from them. 

For over ten years, I’ve been working with hundreds of authors through Morgan James Publishing. Many of those authors I have never met face to face. A number of them (less than a dozen) are coming to this event. It will give me an opportunity to get to know them better and strengthen a bond which is already in place. I’m excited to have such meetings. Several of them have already published their books with us and I’m bringing my copies so they can sign them for me. I’m a genuine fan of their work and I have joyful anticipation about these forthcoming meetings.

While to some the Christian publishing world seems large, it is actually a small community. I have not seen a number of people on the faculty for many years. For other faculty, I’m familiar with their name but have never spoken with them. The opportunity to talk with these seasoned professionals face to face is precious. There are things which aren’t easily put in an email or a phone call that will be said. As you go to these events, I encourage you to do what I’m doing. Be curious and be prepared to ask questions. I’m praying for the opportunity to have those conversations--early, late or during the day. These things happens at these events.

Also a conference is an opportunity meet new people and form new friendships. One of the faculty is a children’s author coming from Australia. I’ve already connected with her on LinkedIN. I noticed her book had no Amazon reviews. I purchased her book, read it and reviewed it. Since she is traveling internationally, she is limited on the number of books she can bring. I’ll be bringing my book to get her autograph. Also I’m anticipating a possible opportunity to work together. I have other Australian authors. Morgan James prints and distributes in Australia--or maybe my reason for meeting this author is to encourage her. 

During the conference, I’m teaching four parts of a continuing session on the actions every author can take to make a difference in their publishing experience. I’m taking some of my former teaching and reworking it around these themes and developing new material. This information comes from my working writer and editor perspective. I’m praying and expecting it to be life-changing for the conferees.

Each faculty member and attender have a full life and we are stepping away from that life for a few days of different activities. It’s not easy but we do it because of the immense value each of us find from these events. 

There are many of these writer’s conferences around the country. My encouragement is for you to get it on your schedule and then plan your interactions (to a degree). Select your classes and then let the Lord guide your steps. How do you anticipate going to a conference? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Much of the publishing process is outside of the writer’s control. 10 Publishing Myths helps writers have a realistic perspective and take action. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

The Cost of Publishing

     

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

It is a common question I get from writers, “Does your publishing program have a financial cost?” The answer is not simple and the reality is every type of publishing costs--even self-publishing. Thousands of new books are published every day through the Amazon Kindle program. The costs can be minimal but then you have to reach your audience and sell the book. I often say that making books is easy but selling books is a completely different story.

As an author, you will have to weigh the cost for your path. I’ve met authors who have paid over $10,000 to self-publish. By the time, they hired an editor, a cover designer, a layout designer the pages, it cost to get their book into the market. As this friend who spent $10,000 told me, when he looked back, he wished he had gone with Morgan James Publishing because then his book would be in bookstores and not just on Amazon but over 1,800 online bookstores. If you go the traditional route, you will need to create a book proposal and possibly find a literary agent (unless you meet a publisher at a writer’s conference). 

Even if you traditional publish, you will need to spend time marketing and reaching your audience. Whether your publisher gives you this information or not, understand the majority of the marketing (80%) will be up to you.

As you make your choice about the publishing path, I encourage you to get advice and help from others but be aware that advice could cost you. Recently an author emailed me who had three independent publishing contract offers and wanted my help in a phone call. I responded and was willing to help--but not for free. 

Admittedly I have a lot of free online information through my blog, free ebooks, my newsletters and other places. Yet when you are looking for my specific help for your contracts or publishing advice, I encourage you to expect to pay something for that help. From my decades in this business, the cost is minimal for the savings and value you will receive.

I compare such a request to having a friend who is a physician and you’ve gotten ill and need a prescription, you would not expect this friend to help without charging. Why would you expect it for a publishing question? Yet this author wrote me assuming I would call her, freely giving my counsel without charge. It is not a realistic expectation. Even if you publish with an independent publisher like Morgan James Publishing, it will cost you.

The road isn’t easy but success and selling books is possible on any of these paths. The exploration process costs nothing other than your time. What process do you use to count the cost of publishing? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Much of the publishing process is outside of the writer’s control. 10 Publishing Myths helps writers have a realistic perspective and take action. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

Tap the Power of Hope

    

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In the world of publishing, it’s easy to get discouraged. Let’s think about the volume of books which are published every day: over 4,500 titles. Recently, a colleague emailed me the link for this article: The 10 Awful Truths about Book Publishing. I encourage you to follow the link and study it, it’s pretty easy to feel small, discouraged and overwhelmed. Yes, I’ve felt all of those emotions in my daily work. In this article, I want to emphasize how you keep going in spite of these truths. What is your method to tap into the power of hope?

Look at the elements at the bottom of this article.

Strategies For Responding to “The 10 Awful Truths”:

1. The game is now pass-along sales and pre-orders.

2. Events/immersion experiences replace traditional publicity in moving the needle.

3. Leverage the authors’ and publishers’ communities.

4. In a crowded market, brands stand out. 

5. Master new digital channels for sales, marketing, and community building.

6. Build books around a compelling, simple message.

7. Front-load the main ideas in books and keep books short.

If you read these articles about The Writing Life, you know I see the glass as half full rather than half empty. When you have something discouraging happen, then you have to say the word “next” and look for the next opportunity.

We live in a world full of opportunities which are everywhere. Recently I recorded a podcast about Faith in Publishing. If you follow the link you can hear the 18 minute interview.

Another way to tap into the power of hope with your writing is to make sure you know why you are writing. Yes, some of your writing is to make money--but here’s an important truth: not all of it. For example, I’ve written over 1,000 book reviews on Amazon and over 800 reviews on Goodreads. I write these reviews to support other writers. Other times I write devotions and not for the pay which is often minimal. I write these words to encourage others. I encourage you to mix some of this type of writing into your writing life along with the writing which helps you pay your bills.

As Christian writers we have a super power in prayer and God’s promise to lead us with our writing and to open new doors. The right opportunity for your writing is out there. But this opportunity doesn’t just fall from the sky or into your email box or on your phone. Every writer has to be actively looking for the opportunity and open to it. As you have magazine ideas, you need to write query letters and pitches. I encourage you to attend writer’s conferences to meet editors and agents. At these events you can speak with them face to face about ideas and possibilities. Also as you have book ideas, I encourage you to write a book proposal or a business plan--even if you self-publish. Then pitch this book proposal. 

As you pitch your ideas, no matter what happens whether it is accepted or rejected, keep going. I keep going because the journey is all about finding the right opportunity and fit. What practical actions do you take to tap into the power of hope? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Why Your Word Count Matters

      

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Good writing and storytelling is foundational in every submission.  I’ve been in publishing for many years and in a few minutes, I can read part of your writing and see if the writing and storytelling is there.

Throughout my writing life, I’ve been encouraging writers to gain this writing and storytelling skill not in the book area but in the magazine area of the market. It is easier and faster to work with the shorter form and you will likely reach more people than with a book.

If you have passed the hurdle of good writing, what other factors are important in your book submission? The one I want to emphasize today is your word count.

Recently got a novel submission from a New York agent who has not worked in the editorial area. I liked the writing and storytelling from these authors. It was unusual for this agent to submit something to me. I knew that it was likely she could not sell it anywhere else and that I was a last resort submission. Because I’ve worked in the editorial area of publishing for years, I could instantly spot the challenge of this submission: the word count. This novel was 213,000 words. 

To be fair to this agent, she didn’t come from an editorial background. She probably has never focused on the importance of the word count and how that detail translates into the production costs of the book.

I knew instantly the word count would be a concern to my colleagues. I reached out to one of them for clarification. This colleague confirmed my suspicion about the projected size of this book. A 213,000 word novel will be 700 pages in a 6 x 9 format and have a retail price of $49.95 (Yes, $50). The sales for this book in this length are going to be dismal and it explains why another publisher had not decided to publish this book. 

I explained the details of my discovery to this agent and I recommended the authors find a couple of places in the story to halt the action and end the book. I suggested the single story be split into three 70,000 word books. Then the retail price could be normal and the page count would be much more attractive to the readership--which sells books. 

There are some additional reasons for making such a shift. In recent years, the price of paper has increased and this increase drives the increases in the retail price for books. Also in terms of a trend, people are reading smaller and shorter books. These factors play into your pitch to a literary agent or an editor and your word count may be one of the deciding factors.

During a recent marathon pitch session with multiple authors, I spoke with several authors who had novels with a 200,000 word count. I encouraged them to divide their story into a smaller novel. To a person, they instantly responded the story had no division point and was one piece. It is a common experience that I’ve had with authors. They either are open to guidance, follow it and increase their possibility of success. Or they are doomed to search for some publisher or agent to take it and when that does not happen, they self-publish (with likely dismal sales). As an author, you either listen to experienced advice or reject it. 

Whether you are aware of it or not, the word count is used to calculate the finished book size and this detail figures prominently into the decision. I wrote a different author last week with a 107,000 word book to see if he can divide his book into two (or hire an editor to help him). Our upper limit for fiction used to be 100,000 words but now it is closer to 80,000 because of the increased retail price. This author was open to my suggestion and even pointed out a natural place in the story for the division. I liked this author’s “coachable” attitude and passed this positive information along to my colleagues who are still in the throws of deciding whether to offer a contract or not to this author. 

As editors and agents get increased submissions, even the smallest details like word count can be a reason to reject the author. It takes time to coach or explain to them the reasons for a smaller book. Rather than spend that time with the author (and maybe not succeed), it is easier to pass on it and press on to the next submission. 

As you write your books, are you aware of the importance of the word count? Let me know in the comments below.

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Writers, Use Your Marketing Assets

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In recent weeks, several unpublished authors have written saying they were pursuing traditional publishing because they were writers and didn’t want to spend their time in marketing and promotion. In my role as an acquisitions editor at New York publisher, Morgan James Publishing, I recognized these authors will have some hard realities ahead of them--especially if they want to sell books and be successful. Whether you publish with a well-known traditional house or independent publisher or self-publish, in this process of selling books and reaching readers, you will have to spend a portion of your time on marketing and promotion. 

During my decades in the book business, I’ve seen many missed opportunities. One of my co-authors was interviewed on The Today Show. Her book was never mentioned and yes, I was shouting at my television while watching it. This author had no media training where they teach you how to create a sound bite with the name of your book and weave that into the conversation (no matter what is being discussed). Our book is long out of print. It is not what you want to have happen to your book but another reality of publishing.

After you understand the importance of marketing and promotion then including it in your regular efforts. You will discover it takes continual work combined with wise actions. Some of your actions will sell books and others will fail. It's all part of the process of connecting with your readers and it is different for every book.

I’ve encouraged my Morgan James authors to promote their book on radio. There are thousands of radio shows and opportunities to be interviewed and promote your book. Sometimes they tell me they tried it but didn’t feel like they sold any books from it.

There are several key actions in this process. First, understand your reader has to hear about your book at least seven or eight times before they purchase it. I’ve seen others say ten to twelve times. A part of what you are doing on the radio is giving your book this exposure which eventually leads to sales. 

When you are on the radio, you need to speak in sound bites and make sure you are sending people to multiple places to purchase your book. Don’t simply send them to Amazon (a word bookstores don’t want to see and hate (yes, hate). You want to give multiple options including their local bookstore or direct from you.

Here’s the actions that my authors who didn’t get much out of radio have skipped--but are critical. After your radio interview, get the digital recording. This recording becomes a  marketing asset but only if you use it. I upload my recording to my own hosting place where it is in my direct control and does not disappear. Then I continue to promote these live recordings on social media. Readers listen to them and buy books from it. 

I want to conclude this article with a personal example. Radio host Bob Crittenden at Faith Radio in Alabama interviewed me about Book Proposals That Sell. I promoted the radio station website through my social media connections. Then I uploaded the recording to my own website where I toll continue to promote this asset. Follow the link to catch this 20-minute interview.  

 

Do you have marketing assets for your book and are you using them to promote your book? Let me know in the comments below. 

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When you record a radio or podcast interview, how do you use this marketing asset? This prolific writer and editor gives you some action ideas. Get the details in this article. (ClickToTweet)

Much of the publishing process is outside of the writer’s control. 10 Publishing Myths helps writers have a realistic perspective and take action. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

Help Me Reach This Milestone

   

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

There is an ancient Bible verse that says you have not because you ask not (James 4:3). A more modern translation would be “don’t ask, don’t get.” It’s one of the favorite expressions of David Hancock, the founder of Morgan James Publishing. 

Recently I noticed that I have 44 book reviews for 10 Publishing Myths. A new friend from a writers conference purchased my book and then added a new review. I specifically asked this writer if he would add a review and he followed through and did it. His five star review was my first new review in over a year. Why? Because I haven't been asking people to post reviews.

I’m writing this article to ask for your help to reach the milestone of 50 reviews for 10 Publishing Myths. If you have read my 10 Publishing Myths book, will you post a review? If you have bought the book on Amazon, then that would be a “verified purchase” review (which are nice but not essential in my view). I’ve written Amazon reviews on books that I have purchased other places and books that I’ve checked out of my local library. My local library has three copies of the book. If you live near me, you can check it out or if not, you can order it through interlibrary loan. 

If you haven’t read it, why not? I make it inexpensive for you to get this important book. In fact, several years ago (before the pandemic), I spent several days taking a $5,000 book bootcamp where I set up this site to sell this book for only $10 including the shipping postage. It comes with over $200 of bonus gifts. If you haven’t gotten this book, I encourage you to check out this resource and opportunity.

I wrote 10 Publishing Myths for several reasons. First, I meet many authors who have unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their book such as “my book is going to be a bestseller” or “my book will make a lot of money.” While they say these statements, they have no action plans for those statements to come true. 

There is a second critical reason I wrote this book. From my decades in publishing, I have seen many of my own book plans and dreams crash and not happen. It’s because much of the publishing process is outside of what the author can control. In each chapter of 10 Publishing Myths, I include a practical MBA or Myth Busting Action which every author can take achieve--even if you self-publish. 

You don’t have to get the book directly from me. It is broadly available in any bookstore whether online or brick and mortar. 

Even if you don’t get my book, I encourage you to look at this page I created to promote my book. It includes sample social media posts, links to a book review template and other tools for you to help me spread the word about my need for some more book reviews. Or you can use the ClickToTweet at the bottom of this article to spread the news. 

I hope this article will also give you some ideas about action steps you can take to tell others about your book. If you find a good idea here, please take it and use it for your book. 

One final time, I’m encouraging you to get 10 Publishing Myths, read it, then write a couple of sentences of review. Here’s hoping you will take action. Will you help me reach this milestone with my book? What insights did you learn for your own books? Let me know in the comments below. 

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This prolific writer and editor is asking for your help to reach a milestone for his book, 10 Publishing Myths. Also you will gain insights for your own books. Get the details in this article. (ClickToTweet)

Much of the publishing process is outside of the writer’s control. 10 Publishing Myths helps writers have a realistic perspective and take action. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.