DROPPING THE 'F' BOMB: GUEST POST BY MICHAEL R. FLETCHER, AUTHOR OF '88'

THE FOLLOWING GUEST POST is by Michael R. Fletcher, author or 88, a book which, IMHO, deserves its five star rating (and which I'll be featuring in an upcoming interview). Below, Mike responds to a recent conversation some of us had on the I Read On Spec Facebook site, where the use of profanity was the topic. For those of you who might object to it, take this as a warning: the following post includes strong language:

THIS POST WAS BORN of a conversation on On Spec's Facebook page. Someone asked how the editors felt about the 'F' word and those editors responded in detail here. That conversation got me thinking about the use of profanity in fantastic literature. To be clear, I'm not talking about language intended to hurt or marginalize or disrespect. I'm not talking about racial or sexual epithets. I am strictly looking at those words commonly referred to as curse words. I'm talking (mostly) about George Carlin's Seven Dirty Words.

Where to start?

There are no bad words, just words. The bad is in the eye of the beholder. Some people choose to be offended by certain words. They might not understand they're making a choice in being offended, but they are. We all have the option of growing beyond childhood/religious/societal programming and choosing not to be upset by any given word. For some folks it's easy. Others will never achieve this simple freedom. Judging from the behavior I see in rush-hour traffic, I'd say most people are victims to their emotions. He cut me off and made me angry. This is an illusion. Think it over. Next time someone cuts you off in traffic, shrug it away. Maybe you'll arrive at your destination seconds later. So what?

I am, in my roundabout way, making a point. We are writers. Words are our tools. If you want to build a house, there is little to be gained by arbitrarily limiting the types of tools you are willing to use. You don't have to use every single tool each time you build a house, but should you need to reach into the tool box and pull out a fuck, go for it.

Many folks suggest limiting the use of swear words because overuse reduces their shock value. This is correct. Yes, overusing any word will reduce its effectiveness, but I don't think we use naughty words strictly for shock value. Seriously, if you're shocked by the word fuck, you need to grow up. That said, Susan made a good point (we bounced this post back and forth a bit, refining ideas) when she mentioned the possibility of being shocked by a character's use of profanity when you don't see it coming. That's good character writing.

I think their value (to the writer) is in the emotional resonance. Used at the right time and in the right place, profanity can be powerful. It can give a simple sentence a punch in the gut. For example:

Bob was angry.

Bob was fucking angry.

Same meaning in both sentences, but the second—still a very short sentence—carries more weight.

Obviously that's not the only use. Profanity can help differentiate character dialogue: Dave never swears, Gertrude swears all the time. It can also be part of the flavour of your world. If your profanity is religious in nature—rather than sexual or excretory—this tells us something about your world. Cursing in fantastic literature begins with world building. If you're writing a modern fantasy (that takes place in something close to today's society) you can use whatever colourful language makes sense. Overuse will lessen its impact but that's a decision you (and your editor) will have to make. 

In historical/medieval fantasy you have a more difficult choice to make. Do you write historically accurate language and risk alienating/confusing/educating readers? Or should you use modern language and risk sounding like you haven't done your research? Is there a comfortable middle-ground? That, I suspect depends on your reader. Not being a huge fan of historical literature, I am less likely to notice anachronisms than someone well-versed in the genre.

Secondary world fantasy—that taking place in a wholly fabricated world—offers its own challenges. Using modern words can throw the reader out of the story, but entirely made up words are often annoying. And by often, I mean almost always. I'm pretty sure the only way to get away with inventing words is to time-travel to the sixties and get published back then. (If you can do that, please stop by my house in a little town called Jerseyville in the early eighties—and tell me not to wait until I'm almost forty write a book. As long as you're at it, tell me not to order the chicken during a power outage in Costa Rica.)

And now, here at the end, I can't help but think of all the amazing fantasy books I've read, virtually all of it secondary world fantasy, with nary a single naughty word. Are things changing? Are we getting lazy in our writing? I fucking hope not.

Bio: Michael R. Fletcher lives in Toronto with his stunningly gorgeous wife and their daughter, the Centre of the Universe—who apparently thinks she can live entirely off fig newtons. His 2 ½ year old daughter was recently quoted as saying, I'm too fucking cute! It's possible he swears a little too often. Fuelled by hugs, red wine, and death metal, he somehow managed to rein in his ADD long enough to write 88, a science fiction novel. He recently finished writing Beyond Redemption, a truly messed up dark fantasy novel about manifest delusion, and is trying to work up the nerve to send it to his publisher. He probably needs another hug.

(Thanks, Mike. And might I add, Mike's use of the 'F' word in 88 is powerfully done and not overly used. If you want a great SF novel to read, I recommend it highly. You can buy it here.)

Next Post: The ABC's of How NOT to Write Speculative Fiction - 'A' is for Action: This is my first helpful post featuring writing tips—what not to do—based on my twenty+ years experience as an editor with On Spec Magazine. If you're a 'pro', please feel free to contribute and comment, if you're experienced but are still receiving the occasional rejection slip, these pointers may show you why, if you're relatively new to writing, these are the pitfalls to avoid. 

Stay tuned!

THE URBAN GREEN MAN ANTHOLOGY - INTERVIEW WITH EDITORS, ADRIA LAYCRAFT AND JANICE BLAINE

AS ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS to the Urban Green Man anthology, I'm excited about the book's launch this coming August through Edge Books. (I'm also thrilled that my story Evergreen is the lead and appears right after Charles de Lint's introduction.) I thought I'd pin down editors Adria Laycraft and Janice Blaine to talk about the anthology, how it came about, and what their experience was with it.

Ladies, your inspiration for the anthology was the Green Man in all of his (or her) manifestations. Question #1. In a nutshell, what is a Green Man? What drew you to this subject in the first place?

Adria: As a gardener, I’ve always been fascinated with the Green Man faces that are a popular garden decoration. As a writer, I had to know what the story behind the face was. The research taught me about the archetype of renewal and protection of all green growing things, and that many societies had their own version of this mythology. It seemed an obvious idea for a themed anthology, rich with symbolism and ripe for visual art as well. When I mentioned my idea to Janice when we worked in the EDGE office, her excitement led me to invite her to team up on the project and present it to Brian Hades—with very happy results.

Janice:  In college, I was introduced to the writings of Joseph Campbell and Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. The universal myths and archetypes that they wrote about—the idea that we are connected by the stories we tell—fascinated me. I love stories that have a purpose, stories that explore the world and our role in it, myths as metaphors. The Green Man is one of those stories that shows up in many different forms all over the world. He is an Earth spirit who represents the connection between humanity and nature. He represents the cycles of life, renewal, and rebirth. He is often carved on old churches, surrounded by greenery with leaves protruding from his mouth. I've been painting and studying him for years, so I was thrilled with the opportunity to work on an anthology that celebrated him.

2). Before you received submissions, what overall ‘vision’ did you have for the anthology? Was there a particular message or theme you wanted to get across to the reader? Does your original vision reflect what the book has become? 

Adria: My original vision was simply to explore the mythology in all its facets, especially because many people I talked to hadn’t even heard of the Green Man. When we decided to narrow submissions to Urban Fantasy, the project took on a life of its own as we saw this myth brought into the modern day. Janice and I realized we wanted this be our way of being environmentalists of a sort, to talk about how the Green Man would feel if he ‘woke up’ to the world today. Our vision was met again and again in the stories and poems we received.

Janice: Because the Green Man is such a huge theme, we needed to narrow it down from the beginning. There seemed to be many Green Man books out there, but most of the ones we found explored the history of the archetype. We thought it would be interesting to bring the myth into a contemporary setting, to see how the Green Man might react to what humanity has done to his wild, natural world. For me, this anthology is an environmental statement. Some of the stories are hopeful visions of the future. Some are cautionary tales. All are explorations of green magic that can still be found in concrete jungles. 

3). Did the two of you two choose to work on this anthology together, or were you assigned to work on it? What do you feel you both brought to the process?

Adria: The original idea was mine, and as I said, Janice became an obvious partner because of her enthusiasm for the project, her knowledge of the mythology, and her strengths that were so different and complementary to mine. Janice turned this fantastic collection into a veritable work of art, enhancing our theme and making it something to collect and treasure. I can’t thank her enough for that. My job was to be a fast reader and to bring my writing, editing, and critiquing experience to the table. 

Janice: The idea was originally Adria's. She mentioned it to me one day while we were working at the EDGE office, and my excitement prompted her to ask me to partner with her. At first I was a bit hesitant, because I'm not a writer by trade. However, I am a storyteller, an illustrator, and an environmentalist. I've spent years studying and painting tree mythology and the Green Man legend. This anthology gave me the opportunity to explore these passions in a way I never expected. Adria and I come from very different backgrounds. Our skill sets compliment each other brilliantly. 

4). Of course, the stories you liked best were the ones you chose for the book. But what drew you to particular stories the most? Was it theme, characterization, plot? 

Adria: We had to reject some stories that we were very much in love with because they didn’t fit the theme. Once we were clear on our theme, we knew that we needed to stay true to it. At first we worried we might not get enough stories that fit—we shouldn’t have worried. The excitement over the project blew us away and provided enough amazing stories for several anthologies! I won't be surprised to see many of the stories we couldn’t keep appear in other publications.

Janice: The response we got to our call for submissions was incredible, not only in volume, but also in quality. We could easily have put together two full length anthologies with the number of excellent stories we received. This was clearly a theme that many people were very passionate about. In the end, we had to reject many excellent stories simply because they didn't quite fit the theme we wanted to reflect.

5). Were there any stories that surprised you? Why? 

Adria: Many of our stories go beyond the speculative fiction I expected to receive. Some of them expanded my mind and left me asking all the right questions, which is what good stories do. The book actually ends on a question, and it fits what the entire project was trying to do, overall. 

Janice: This was my first experience in this type of role, so I honestly didn't know what to expect. A part of me was concerned that there might not be enough interest in the project . (The humble side of me worries about that with every project I take on.) In this case, I had nothing to worry about. The submissions we received exceeded my expectations. I was most surprised by the volume and scope of the stories. We had people submitting from all over the world. 

6). What was the best thing about editing this anthology? The worst? What advice would you give to anyone who might consider writing for, or editing one?

Adria: There have been many wonderful moments. Reading through the stories the first time was a thrill and a privilege, and I enjoyed the process despite receiving three times as many submissions as expected. The worst thing by far was sending out rejection letters. I don’t like getting them, and now I know I don’t like sending them either. It got harder with every round. As to advice, I would say to be sure you’re up for the sheer magnitude of work involved. That, and don’t be surprised in how invested you become. When you write, your stories become your babies. This is no different.

Janice: I am an incredibly slow, meticulous reader, so the biggest challenge for me in this project was working through the volume of submissions. The majority of the slush pile was filtered by Adria. I loved watching our theme take shape as we added more and more stories to the "Interested" pile. I loved exploring creative ways we could arrange the final selections so that the stories would flow and complement each other. And, of course, I loved building all the visual elements. Creating the cover, illustrations, and layout was my role once the stories were chosen, while Adria had the job of editing and polishing the collection.

7). What’s next for you both? Another anthology, perhaps? 

Adria: I would be honoured to work with Janice again, but at this point we’re not sure what that might look like. I know we certainly work well together, but I also know the project has to be right before I would commit to it. I have my own novels and short stories I’m working on, including a middle grade science fiction series that I’d like to see in schools someday.

Janice: I would welcome the opportunity to work with Adria on another project. What that project might be, I can't say at this point.

Adria’s Bio: Adria Laycraft is a grateful member of IFWA and a proud survivor of the Odyssey Writers Workshop. She works as a freelance writer and editor of The Write Initiative. Look for her stories in Tesseracts 16, Neo-opsis, On-Spec, James Gunn's Ad Astra, DKA Magazine, Hypersonic Tales, The Alien Next Door, and In Places Between. Author of Be a Freelance Writer Now, Adria lives in Calgary with her husband and son. Learn more about Adria at www.adrialaycraft.com or at www.thewriteinitiative.com. 

Janice’s Bio: Janice Blaine is a professional commercial artist working out of Calgary. Throughout her career, she has worked on a wide variety of projects, ranging from pre-production animation to design and illustration of children’s books. Her illustrations have appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and books. Her cover illustration for Neo-Opsis's Issue #20 was nominated for an Aurora Award. She currently works as the Production Manager at EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. She also does freelance illustration and design work. Her personal work is fuelled by a passion for storytelling and a love of nature. Her paintings explore the universal language of myth and folklore. Her portfolio may be viewed a www.paintersblock.com. 

(Thanks Adria and Janice! For those who are interested, you can pre-order the book from Edge Books here: 

Next Post: Dropping the 'F' Bomb, Guest Post by Michael R. Fletcher

Stay tuned.

PUBLICISTS, PART THREE: WHAT 'EXACTLY' CAN A PUBLICIST DO FOR ME, AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? Guest Post by Rachel Sentes

THE FOLLOWING IS PART THREE of Rachel Sentes's guest posts on publicity and promotion regarding what a publicist can do for all of us writers out there. The post that follows is the most extensive yet. Rachel has very kindly shared specific information about what she does for her clients, as well as provide us with privileged information: what she charges and what her fees are. Take it away, Rachel!

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PUBLICISTS that offer a variety of services, but ultimately they all want the same result: booking interviews for their client.  We are the ‘behind the scenes’ people that fill the spaces in newspapers, magazines, online blogs, television shows and news stories, book review sites and radio shows. No one in the public eye is there by accident. From start to finish, it can take hours to secure a five minute interview. I can’t speak for everyone, so I’ll speak for myself and my team about what we do on a daily basis. We:

·            Read through all the top national and international newspapers and sections (lifestyle, entertainment, books, business, sports, etc.) to find tie-ins pertaining to our client’s work 

·            Go through twitter feeds/Facebook sites and look for additional news and websites that can be opportunities for bookings. We connect with media people, writers and publishers online who may know of opportunities.

·            Read reporter/producer requests from HARO (Help a Reporter Out), Pitch Rate, Pitching Notes, Media Bistro.com, Publishers Lunch, Deadline Hollywood, Quill & Quire, Broadcaster magazine, and other resources for direct pitches

·           Research media contacts for specific industries and compile and add to media lists. We enter data into mail-out systems for press releases

·            Go through e-mails, prioritize to-do lists for immediate and ongoing media bookings

·            Answer e-mails from new prospects and set up phone meetings

·            Delegate research and pitching tasks to subcontractors

·            Write content and design media kits for clients

·            Troubleshoot on author websites and in social media, post new book signings and events online

·            Research and write articles/news releases/psa’s/one-on-one pitches/speaker’s kits/media kits/media invitations and review requests

·            Pitch all written material to media contacts via email. We call or tweet other media contacts

·            Contact publishers for pitches for new books and updates on the status of proposals

·            Draft book proposals, query letters, and outlines with sample chapters for our clients

·            Accompany clients to interviews at news studios

·            Provide media coaching for those who are inexperienced before the camera

·            Write television show proposals which we pitch to development companies

·            Write and edit news releases which are sent to our clients for approval, make the suggested changes, then upload on distribution sites for release

·            Follow up on good leads for news releases. Phone and email to secure bookings.

·            Ghostwrite blogs and upload them online

·            Provide book signing and promotional advice to clients, send ‘What to Wear on Television’ tip sheets

·            Set up blog tours for new books and promote them online

·            Troubleshoot booking issues, reschedule on behalf of the media or the client and find new dates

·            Find and research placement for an op-ed that clients write (This is a great way to add to a campaign.)

·            Make judgment calls about having clients on the air. If the media is nervous about an untried guest, it’s my job to either get the client ready, or have them trained so they might be rebooked on the show. This is a part of the ‘behind the scenes’ work that a lot of people don't know about. I’ve had to turn down key spots for clients because they simply weren’t ready to be on a big show. This ensures that the client's and our business reputation stays intact.

·            Answer and troubleshoot Amazon marketing issues, follow-up on outstanding reviews

·            Read and assess manuscripts/books/client proposals for possible publicity angles

And there you have it. Publicity isn’t just about making calls and booking media. It’s a whole lot more. When someone asks me about their ‘Return on Investment’ and what I’ve been doing all day, I show them this list. Keep in mind that the two minute clip you see of a puppy at the end of a television show might have taken two weeks to set up.

In the business of writing you need to budget for everything. Even if you plan on doing your own publicity, you still have to budget your time in order to implement those plans.  

Before hiring a publicist, be sure you know exactly what you want. If all you need is someone to help you refine your pitch so you can approach the media—say that. If you want your publicist to do all the work—tell them that as well. Every publicist should have a package that will fit your needs, but you need to determine what those are, first.

A publicity business with a broader set of goals has a bigger reach, so while gal-friday publicity specializes in books, we also work with businesses like alpaca farms, sleep consultants, actors, and sports people. If you choose a publicity firm that only caters to one aspect of your industry, you could limit your opportunities.

Fees: Every firm and freelancer has their own fee schedule. Some charge for consultations and some don’t. Consultations can range from free to $150.00 for a half hour or hour session. Research/Google the team names on the company website to see how active they are online. Do you see news releases? Articles? Check and see what comes up. People who give free consultations can be just as good as those who charge. Also, check to see if they charge a reading fee for going through your manuscript. I offer a free assessment because I want to be 100% sure it’s something that’s a good fit for me and my team, but not everyone works this way. Be sure to ask if they have a fee.

When it comes to rates for publicity, some publicists will have levels for monthly retainers or publicity packages, but all will require a deposit of some kind. Per placement publicity firms collect a fee only if they get a placement. This may sound like a great way to go, but if they are doing that, you can be sure that there is absolutely NO strategy involved in their campaign. There is no consistency to who or where they pitch, and they will limit their time on your campaign if they don’t get any bites. It’s a start and stop method, which isn’t what publicity is about.

Most publicists recommend a minimum time commitment. I recommend three months as a minimum investment. I can usually get publicity and a feel for what the industry is looking for in that amount of time. Many of my clients are long-standing, because they keep writing and producing new books and products. Many clients commit to six to twelve months. Look for contracts that you can negotiate if you aren’t sure what you have available for a budget. Be sure you can afford it.

I generally don’t post my fee structure online because I want prospects to talk to me directly, but I would like to educate people on the variety, so my hourly rate starts at $95.00/hour. Wow! I know that sounds like a lot, but it isn’t, really. That money is divided to cover my freelance sub-contractors who work on all of our projects, and it covers overhead expenses, database maintenance and distribution lists. When all is said and done I’m actually only giving myself a salary of $22.00/hour.

You will find that most PR companies charge between $65.00- $150.00/hour. Big time PR agencies will charge higher for large companies (Fortune 500 publicity companies charge between $3,000- 10,000/month)

At the time of this writing I offer several retainer packages. Each one is customized to meet the goals the client requests. Package A is five hours for $495.00: this can include writing and researching news releases, distribution, follow ups for media bookings, targeted media lists with pitches, tweet and phone campaigns, real tie publicity, tie- ins for headlines, and author platform development with publicity on local and national levels. Our retainer packages go up from there in five hour increments, up to 35 hours a month ( large businesses use that level) but I am open to negotiate for smaller projects like news release distribution and/or publishing consultations  (by the hour).

If you are seriously thinking about hiring a publicist there are a couple of things you should be wary of:

Don’t ask for the moon. Be realistic. We’ll ask you for a wish list but that doesn’t mean we can get everything you want. If you published with Createspace or on your own, chances are you won’t be on the cover of Time anytime soon. If a publicist promises you that, be wary. As for me, I have booking contacts with large U.S shows. (I can pitch to Ellen, but that doesn’t mean she’ll choose your story).

In this industry you need to have the flexibility to be available for interviews. Publicity isn’t easy to get.  Are you able to drop everything to talk to a major outlet? Not everyone can. If you say you’re available, you need to mean it. Reputations are on the line. Rescheduling and canceling interviews cost time and money is better spent elsewhere. Don’t hire a publicist if you aren’t available!

Research is key to finding the right publicist for your project. You’ve invested time and effort in your book. Make sure you’re getting the best marketing/advertising/publicity strategy in place. And finally, remember, when you hire a publicist you can spend more time doing what you do best—writing that next book. Leave her to worry about bookings. 

(Thanks, Rachel, for a very informative and interesting post! And if those of you out there are interested in getting a tailor-made quote from Rachel regarding her services and learning what she can specifically do for you, contact her at gal-friday publicity.) 

Rachel's Bio: Rachel Sentes is a professional writer and full-time publicist/CEO of gal-friday publicity, based in Vancouver, B.C. Her clients include actors, sports figures, publishers, authors, top tier businesses and dog rescue associations. She specializes in building publicity platforms and garnering media bookings for authors,helping them negotiate their way through the ever-changing maze of the publishing world. Rachel has booked clients on CNN, CTV National, BNN, The Seattle Times, Global, Shaw, City TV, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, NewsTalk 1010, TSN, Bloomberg Radio and The Vancouver Sun, to name a few. 

Next Post: Guest Interview with Adria Laycraft and Janice Blaine, co-editors or The Urban Green Man anthology.

Stay tuned!

NEW BEGINNINGS - THE TATTOOED ROSE and THE ABC'S of How NOT TO WRITE SPECULATIVE FICTION

The Fool Card from Artist's Vision Tarot

SOME PEOPLE GET THEIR DAILY HOROSCOPES mailed to them. I get daily tarot cards. This morning, I received The Fool which is appropriate, considering I'm about to begin work on The Tattooed Rose. I always find starting a new book daunting. I have so much I want to say, I've scribbled down plot, but there are still many details I need to work out. Here's a short version of what my daily tarot reading said:

"The Fool card affirms that my alter ego today is a Quantum Leaper with a hero's heart. I am liberated by free will and trust, which lead me to explore simple speculations for their own sake. I can move beyond the fear factor. I don't know where I'm going, and I don't care where I've been. I only know that, as the hero of my own story, it's for me to find out. Like Alice, I'm on the verge of stepping into the rabbit hole, unless I stop short and play it safe. I'll know soon enough where following my own feet has landed me on this curious venture. So despite familiar warnings, irresistible promise draws my eyes wide open and away from domestic comfort zones. I'll never know until I try."

The Fool is always about beginnings.

Here's another 'beginning' that may interest some of you. I was thinking of re-vamping my non-fiction book on how not to write - The ABC's of How NOT to Write Speculative Fiction. The book will cover an A to Z span of all the writing errors I've encountered as an On Spec editor over the last twenty years. When I looked at the book yesterday, I realized there was so much more I wanted to say compared to what I wrote seven years ago. If I were to revise it in one go, it would take me several months to finish it. Sooooo...I've decided to post the ABC's as I rewrite them here, on Suzenyms. If you want some writing tips, or you want to make sure you're not committing the errors I'll be posting about, or if you're already error-savvy and have things you want to contribute for everyone's benefit, please feel free. Once I'm done, I may put all the new posts in a book and sell it on Amazon. So far, the book has had two small printings through On Spec, so why not publish it as an e-book?

And while we're on the subject of tarot cards, my story Evergreen (soon to be published in the Urban Green Man Anthology, Edge Publishing) opens with a tarot reading. Check out the link if you want to know more about the anthology or you'd like to pre-order. The collection is set to launch this August in Calgary at When Words Collide. I'll be featuring co-editors Adria Laycraft and Janice Blaine in a guest interview in the next week or so.

Next Post: Publicists, Part Three: What 'Exactly' Can a Publicist Do For Me, and How Much Will It Cost? by Rachel Sentes.

Stay tuned.

PUBLICISTS, PART TWO: CAN A WRITER WORK WITH TWO PUBLICISTS AT THE SAME TIME? Guest Post by Rachel Sentes

THIS GUEST POST IS PART TWO of Rachel Sentes's posts on publicity and what publicists can do for an author. Can a writer work with two publicists at the same time? I can see how this might be an issue if a publisher dedicates one or more of their staff to help the writer publicize their book, or if the writer is working with a publisher and an outside agent, or if the writer is utilizing two different publicists to share the promotional workload. This is what Rachel has to say about it:

Can you work with two publicists at a time? For the most part, yes. But each publicist must be very clear in defining their role and the client's role in the booking process. I’ve worked alongside all kinds of publicists, and working in tandem can be very beneficial. We aren’t in competition, we collaborate to get our client results. And I must admit, working with another can spur you on to see how fast you can garner media for your client. Both publicists will share their lists so that all bases are covered. If you plan to do this, get your publicists together as soon as possible so they can establish ground rules as to who is doing what. 

The best way to choose a publicist is to do your research to see what kinds of books they represent, then to contact them to see if they will answer whatever questions you might have. Ask for referrals and spend some time determining if they are a good fit. 

What’s in it for me? This will be one of the first questions a member of the media will ask you or your publicist(s) when determining if they want to give you air time for an interview. Never forget: their job is to garner ratings for their station and increase readership for their newspaper - not to help you. They'll want to know if what you're offering will inspire, entertain, or help their audience. They aren’t interested in how long it took you to write your book, or why you wrote it. Instead, they'll want to know how your book connects to current trends, headlines, or newsworthy topics. No one (except for breaking news items) is interviewed on television by accident. Interviewees are there as a result of someone behind the scenes making countless phone calls and e-mail pitches to convince producers and editors that their client is the best fit for what they need. That’s what good publicists do.

The media is important because they provide a direct line to an audience who will purchase your book and value the message you are offering. A publicist will take apart your book to see what trends (however soft they may seem) can be turned into opportunities to garner interviews and reviews. She will look for strengths in themes and plot, but more importantly, she'll look for that common denominator with which the public can identify. Having a publicist is beneficial because she won't have the same personal connection with your book as you do. She can distance herself from the material. This is similar to self-editing. Anyone can edit their book, but the really well-written ones benefit from a professional editor who isn't close to the material. 

While publicists might identify with the ideas and experiences and qualities of a book, (and it’s important for them to like your book and your writing), overall, they are only thinking about why the content matters to others. And this may end up becoming a very different angle or focus than what the author thinks it is. It’s this objectivity that makes hiring publicists so valuable. For example, I recently started working on a book of fiction that features a young twenty-two year old protagonist in the oil and gas industry who talks about that lifestyle and its pitfalls, plus what solutions might address those issues.The most obvious angle was one that appealed to young men (and others) in the oil and gas industry. This was a good angle. But the actual hook that interested the media was the appeal the book would have for parents with offspring in the industry who aren't aware of its darker side when looking for a decent job. This was a market that didn’t occur to the author, but it was the one that garnered interest. The book is currently being targeted to parents. Fear and desire are the two top emotions that garner interviews.

To wrap this post, if you're doing your own publicity, or hiring others to help you, always think of what’s in it for the media and their target audience. If you do, you’ll get better results.

Rachel's Bio: Rachel Sentes is a professional writer and full-time publicist/CEO of gal-friday publicity, based in Vancouver, B.C. Her clients include actors, sports figures, publishers, authors, top tier businesses and dog rescue associations. She specializes in building publicity platforms and garnering media bookings for authors,helping them negotiate their way through the ever-changing maze of the publishing world. Rachel has booked clients on CNN, CTV National, BNN, The Seattle Times, Global, Shaw, City TV, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, NewsTalk 1010, TSN, Bloomberg Radio and The Vancouver Sun, to name a few. 

(Thanks again, Rachel!)

Next Post: Publicists, Part Three:What 'Exactly' Can a Publicist Do For Me, and How Much Will It Cost?

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THE 'F' WORD

THOSE OF YOU WHO REGULARLY CHECK IN to our I Read On Spec Facebook page might have noted the recent question posed to us as to whether we accept work with ‘swears’ in it. The writer wanted to know if he’d have a better chance of being published if he removed them from his story. I put the question to my fellow-editors. Here’s what they had to say: 

Ann Marston: My feelings on the F-word, and just about all obscenities, vulgarities, and other assorted ‘swears’, is that I have no objection to a few sprinkled here and there for effect, or to delineate a character's speech patterns. However, bad language is much like dialect. You need only a little here and there to instill into the reader's head that this character uses a lot of foul language. A suggestion is usually more effective than the proverbial load of bricks. It's been my experience that if the writer uses the F-word too often, it quickly loses its shock value and begins to sound trite, silly, and downright annoying. As both a reader and an editor, I really don't feel obligated to read anything trite, silly, and/or annoying.

  

Robin Carson: In real-estate, it is said that the three main rules are 'location, location, location.' For a writer, the rules are similar: 'motivation, motivation, motivation.' Remembering that words can either be motivating or motivated, those words can be whatever a given character would either say, or react to. In other words, there must be appropriateness in the use of the words—any words, taboo or not. Words for the sake of words have no place in tight, effective writing.

In addition, as my dear old Dad used to say, "Leave them wanting more." Some writers seem to think that if you shock someone once with words or violence, doing it twice makes it twice as good. There is no subtlety in that; no elegance in the crafting. Besides, with repetition, lack of variety soon makes readers yawn. Repetition is just one small effect in what should be a full complement of effects.

Bottom line? If taboo words motivate a situation, or are motivated by the nature of a character, then you don't need permission to use them: at On Spec, we seldom ask, “But what about the children?” If, though, these words are intended as some kind of replacement for good writing, expect rejection.

Barb Galler-Smith: Verisimilitude in writing is deeply important, but just because a character REALLY would place a ‘fuck’ in between every word they utter, and a few ‘mother’s’ to go along with it, is bad in writing. I hear writers claim that’s the way the character would really talk. Possibly, but in the written word it’s nonsense. Excessive expletives, vulgarities, or profanities are no more useful in writing speech than a hundred ‘uhms’.  One or two to make it clear a character swears is fine, but too many are intrusive.  After that, it gets in the way of the real story. 

Diane Walton: Choice of language spoken by a character all depends on that character, and all the influences (education, socio-economic status, peer group) that brought them to where they are at the moment the story takes place. If a character is the kind of person who resorts to strong language in a stressful situation, or even if the character is a street-wise braggart who says ‘fuck’ every fourth word to impress his peers, I’m okay with that as long as the characterization is honest, and it isn’t simply being done for cheap shock value.

Even then, there’s a difference between the speaker using language to shock or impress his audience within the story, and the author using language to shock the reader because they are too lazy to come up with more interesting words. (I am reminded of Cyrano de Bergerac lecturing the louts on all the creative ways they could be insulting his nose.) You don’t want to have the choice of language dominate the narrative or alienate the reader from the story. A good writer could simply drop a bomb or two and then imply that the character’s speech is peppered with similar words, and we’ll get the message.

Bottom line is know your audience. On Spec is not a YA magazine. We expect adult content, but that speaks more to the sophistication of the telling than it does to the number of four letter words or sex scenes the author can squeeze in.

One thing that turns me off would be a first person narrator who fills the page with profanities. Even Holden Caulfield knew the value of a carefully placed ‘goddam’.

(So, there you have it. There isn’t much I can add. I think Ann, Robin, Barb, and Diane have said it very well. Thanks, guys.)

Next Post: Publicists, Part Two: Can You Work With Two Publicists at a Time? by Rachel Sentes.