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If you’ve ever wondered:

• why we record our shows in a coffee shop,
• how we pick our books, or
• why we don’t accept sponsorship,

Well, wonder no more!

All is revealed this week as we chat with Christina Lemmey as guests of Wonder Years Radio on the Mom Talk Radio Network. You can listen to the interview here.

If you’re a Wonder Years Radio listener who’s popping in for the first time, welcome! We hope you find some new favourite children’s books — and that you’ll tell us about some of your old ones.

That is the image I portrayed last weekend as I yukked it up for the west coast writing scene. I was fortunate enough to be a guest at the Southern California Writers Conference in San Diego over President's Day weekend and I cannot think of a better spot to have been.

The moment I stepped into the Crowne Plaza lobby I knew I had hit the right spot. I made a friend while I waited in line to register. After settling into my room, I wandered down to the conference registration and immediately ran into an acquaintance from a few years back in Wisconsin. Small world. But anyway…

Friday night I had dinner with Jeff Sherratt, Mike Sirota (the editorial wonder guy), and the absolutely delightful author of the Wine Lover's Mystery series and the Horse Lover's Mystery series, Michele Scott. It was awesome! (You can see photos by clicking here.)

There were so many highlights for the weekend. Let's start with the coordinators, Michael and Wes. What a great pair of guys. Fun, smart, entertaining, and so kind. They welcomed me, they made me laugh, and they introduced me to a whole new set of writers.

I rose early on Saturday morning to hear Jeff Sherratt (The Brimstone Murders) give the morning keynote. He was charming and clever, but I've not heard him be anything else. Immediately after that we headed down the hall where Jeff and I gave a witty little talk about the Author/Publisher Journey. The crowd was wonderful. Receptive, inquisitive, and attentive, we could not have asked for better.

There were numerous other highlights throughout the day, especially when Alexandra Sokoloff (The Price) stopped me in the hall to talk to me and say nice things about me. No matter how long I am a publisher, I still get giddy when the book celebs know me. Later I got to sit and chat with Michele Scott (Tacked to Death) one of the contributors to The Cozy Chicks Blog and Susan Arnout Smith (The Timer Game).

The weekend wound down for me on Sunday afternoon where I finalized my duties by sitting on an editor agent panel to a pretty packed house.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend where I made several new friends, some great contacts, and might even pick up an author or two. That is what these conferences are all about. Networking and making things happen. San Diego has a great group of writers and I certainly hope I get to go back again in the future.

If you are an aspiring author, I put this one at the top of the serious consideration list for conferences. And the area is beautiful too.

I also have it on good authority that Jeff was a top seller at the conference.

One of the things I don't think authors get is the concept of segregation in publishing. Let's go back to basics.

Segregation:[as defined by Merriam-Webster]

1: the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated

2 a: the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means b: the separation for special treatment or observation of individuals or items from a larger group

Now, let's skip ahead to understanding the production of one's books [with regard to segregation]. As a writer/author you probably hear a number of classifications for how books are published/produced.

Vanity: when you pay someone else to publish your work
Self: when you pay to publish your own work
eBook: when your book is only published electronically
POD: when your book is printed one book at a time as ordered
Traditional: when your book is published by a house in NY

I have placed these in the order in which I generally hear most people rate them, with vanity being the least valuable and traditional being the most. Okay, my question to you is who cares? Next question. Why?

Vanity. I will admit that I do not encourage authors who are seriously seeking a career in this industry to go out and pay someone to publish their work. Generally, you pay a lot of money and get very little in return. I understand there are exceptions, but still. If being an author is what you want to make a living at, then you must carefully consider how you present yourself, as well as the value of your peers' perception of you and your work.

Self-publishing is not looked down upon as harshly, but darn close. Most other people in the industry do not feel that someone who cannot get published by a traditional publisher as being worthy of publication. I would strongly disagree with this. It is a matter of pride in one's work. Should you decide to self publish, say you only want to see a small group of people have access to your work, then I think this is quite acceptable, provided you take the same care a traditional publishing house would when developing and producing the work. Presentation is key!

eBook publishing is no longer a "fad" or a "thing of the future." It is here, it is viable, and it is widely accepted and universally embraced by some of the most prestigious publishing entities in the world, including nearly all traditional publishing houses. It is not a venue intended to replace traditionally printed books; it is an additional opportunity for readers to consider. There are no shots or vaccinations required for those who embrace eBooks, simply an understanding and appreciation for technology. Even readers are growing increasingly savvy and accepting of electronic books.

POD [Print on Demand]. This, my friend, is considered a dirty word--but only by those who know nothing about it. This is also one of the most misunderstood terms in the industry. Those who do not take the time to understand the opportunities available in the industry put entirely too much focus on this particular venue. POD is simply a type of technology used to print books. When utilizing POD, a publisher or author can submit a book digitally, where it is stored for future use. When an order is placed for a number of copies ranging from one up, the file is then digitally printed, bound, and generally drop-shipped to the purchaser, be it a bookstore or individual. Over the years, this type of printing has been twisted to cover vanity press. Many vanity publishers utilize POD technology to print their books, so they have become known as POD publishers. This is misleading and in many cases wrong as there are vanity presses that do not use POD technology. In the same regard, there are other houses, traditional, if you will, that use POD technology to print, but in no way are vanity presses. POD is simply what is says, PRINT on DEMAND. There are many aspects of POD that people don't understand. They tend to focus on the negative and not so much the positive aspects. The biggest bonus for those using POD technology is the ability to save money on storage fees. The down side is that they pay more per unit than if they were to print in a larger run. However, while the clients of off-set/traditional printers deal with the extreme fluctuation of paper pricing from job to job, POD pricing has remained nearly constant for at least 5 years [this is from my personal experience]. It's all in the terms.

Traditional publishing is considered by some to be the only way to go for an author. This is where you enter into a contract with a large publishing house, generally one based in NY--though this is rapidly changing. For some it has proven to be very lucrative, but many others have been lured into the spotlight, only to find that they could not flourish or even maintain any form of success. There are more one book wonders in the publishing world than one hit wonders in the music scene of the 80s. With hundreds of thousands of books published each year, the competition for the limited number of slots in the traditional market is becoming increasingly more difficult. Established authors are supplying publishers with multiple books per year, writing anthologies, and building readerships that continue to crave their backlist. This decreases the odds for a new author to get into a slot considerably. Impossible? Absolutely not, but definitely a challenge that could have them graying way before their time.

How does this all go back to segregation? With a better understanding of the industry and how it functions, authors can utilize whatever form of publishing is best for them and still find some level of success. Our industry has been overrun with genres, sub-genres, etc. The industry professionals have taken the focus off of the craft and the author's ability to tell a story, and put it all on the "production." Do your kids care what company made "Tickle Me Elmo?" Of course not, only that it giggles.

Publishing is publishing. It matters very little to the readers who publishes your books or how, as long as (1) the book is produced well, (2) the story is engaging and entertaining, and (3) the story is well written. I can guarantee you that if you put your offset book next to a well-produced POD book; they would not be able to tell the difference, unless you told them.

STOP TELLING THEM! The point is, once your book has been beautifully written, exquisitely crafted, and effectively promoted, you don't need to tell the reader anything else. Get the book into their hands and let them focus on the story. That is what they are paying for. Authors need to understand that by putting classifications on their own work they are segregating themselves from the rest of the pack. It does your career no good, in fact it is harmful, not only to you, but to the industry overall.

Stop giving readers a reason to question your value, let them read your work and decide from there. This holds true for booksellers as well. There are many misconceptions in the retail world; POD is among the greatest, sad but true. It doesn't have to be that way. If your publishing house, or you if you self-publish, are serious about succeeding in the industry you have to play the game. It's all about terms. Know what is acceptable in the marketplace and abide by those terms. Pricing, discounts, and above all returnability. These are the three things that booksellers will look for first. How much will their customers have to pay, how much of a discount will the retailer get, and can they be returned if they don't sell. These are all basic, but the easiest way to segregate yourself in this venue is to put your own needs before those of the purchaser. You want to make more money yourself, so you make your 150 page paperback $20.00 with a mere 20% discount, and it cannot be returned. It also will not be sold, at least not in many stores. You have to consider that a similar book from another house may be $9.99 with a 45% discount and can be returned. You do the math. This may be out of your control if you are working with a publisher, but this is part of the research you should do before going into a partnership with anyone else. Know what you are getting into. This is your career, do what is best for you.

That is truly the bottom line. Don't say or do anything negative to set yourself apart from your competition, and there is plenty of that in the publishing industry. Focus on what is positive and important to the advancement and success of your career. Understand what segregation is and how it can harm your potential for success.

This is your career and if you are serious about it, you deserve the very best.

The Heat of the Moment
Benefits San Diego Fire Survivors

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This seems to be what I am doing a lot these days. I am tiptoeing around the industry, trying not to upset authors, trying not to irritate other publishers, and struggling not to piss off bookstore owners. It has been my goal for the last five years to "fit in."

Well, I'm here to tell you that fitting in isn't all it's cracked up to be. Fitting in is for kids in high school. I can sense the hairs on the back of many necks standing up already. You're sitting there thinking, what is she going to say now? Well, I'm about to slap the Internet with my honest thoughts. Not so much my feelings, as I think that is what got me in trouble to begin with. I've been thinking. Actually I have been learning. GASP! That's right; I don't know everything.

I've been strengthening my business knowledge, and it is shocking how much I am learning. I spend a great amount of time mumbling, "Sheesh, I should have known that." Anybody out there know the difference between assets and liabilities? I do now.

During the last month, I've spent a large amount of time reorganizing our warehouse. Care to take a guess at how many liabilities I have lining the walls of our warehouse? Oy! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I am simply giving you a glimpse into the mind of a publisher. The most shocking thing I learned recently is that while I have been worrying so much about upsetting my authors that I forgot the rule of business, succeed!

In this case, success would mean simply, to take the liabilities in my warehouse and turn them into assets, or revenue. In order to do this, I also have to learn how to motivate my other list of liabilities, my authors. Another Gasp! Authors, liabilities? You bet! How so, you ask?

Each author has the potential to be an asset. However, in order to be an asset, those author's books have to be making the company money, as opposed to costing the company money. The costs involved in publishing a book are not small, and if that money is spent, and not re-earned, the columns become lopsided. Bottom line, if you are an author and you think you are doing your publisher a favor by letting them publish your book, think again. This is not meant to irritate you; it will hopefully enlighten you.

Teamwork is the key ingredient to a successful venture when a publisher and an author are involved in a partnership. Books do NOT sell themselves. Not even for authors like Grisham, Roberts, or Steele. Those authors and their marketing, sales, editorial, and publicity staffs have spent countless hours and dollars building up the biggest assets of all for an author--reputation and credibility. It has taken years, even decades for most successful authors to find the level of visibility that gives the illusion of books selling themselves. But I assure you that each of these authors, and any other successful author will tell you that every day they continue to work not only hard, but smart to keep their assets in place.

Success does not happen overnight and it does not happen easily. It is the result of a tremendous amount of physical and mental activity expended with the express purpose of achieving a goal. Success is hard earned, but from what I can see, it is well worth the effort.

It isn't just the authors who play a role in the success of a publisher. There is the role of professional organizations, bookstores, libraries, distributors, and even readers. These are entirely different blog posts, which will follow, I assure you.

Is this a rant? Maybe a small one, but more than anything it is a wakeup call for authors. If you hope to remain a part of your publishing house's author list, I encourage you to learn the difference between an asset and a liability. How long do you think a publishing house will keep an author who continues to be a liability? Make a decision as to which you want to be.

The Heat of the Moment
Benefits 2007 San Diego Fire Survivors

Laurel, MD–December 1, 2007 — FIRE! You see it on the news, on the Internet, in the papers, but if it doesn't strike close to home it's easy to ignore. When a small fire in Karen Syed's Maryland apartment complex brought neighbors out, Karen got proactive. With one e-mail sent to 21 authors, The Heat of the Moment was developed. Each of the authors, the youngest being sixteen years old, involved in this remarkable collection of short stories has made a pledge. Contributors, authors, editors, and artist, have all committed their royalties to benefit the survivors of the San Diego fires of 2007.

After speaking with Marty Leavitt, President of the The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County (FSCSDC), Echelon Press pledged to send all proceeds from the sale of The Heat of the Moment to the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County. "It is important to us that these people who have lost everything know they don't have to do this alone. We may be strangers, but we care," states Ms. Syed. The goal of "The Heat of the Moment" is to put money directly into the community of San Diego, and those who lost so much. With no direct link to San Diego, Ms. Syed had to make a difficult decision as to who would benefit from the publication of The Heat of the Moment. With thousands of homes destroyed in the 2007 San Diego fires, and dozens of injuries, the loss is impossible to measure. This fact alone spurred Karen Syed, president of Echelon Press, LLC, to take a step to do something. "This organization (FSCSDC) represents everything that we would like to accomplish with this project," states Syed.

The Heat of the Moment is a compilation of twenty short stories with one common theme—fire. From fantasies to tributes remembering historical catastrophes, chilling and moving, the stories will tap human emotions with their overwhelming credit to survival.

The Fire Safe Council of San Diego County (FSCSDC) was formed in 1997 and is comprised of a 15-member Board of Directors (voting members). The Board consists of federal, state, and local agencies and stakeholders as determined by the (FSCSDC). The (FSCSDC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is incorporated under the California Franchise Tax Board. The (FSCSDC) is a member of the California Fire Safe Council, a non-profit corporation, and is authorized to use the name "Fire Safe Council" and the FSC logo. All (FSCSDC) Council members have common goals of fire safety education and pre-fire management, attend meetings, and participate in SDCFSC programs and activities.

Echelon Press, LLC, is an independent publishing house based in Laurel, MD. With ninety authors in their three divisions, Echelon Press has spent nearly seven years cultivating a stable of authors ranging from beginners to national award winners. Echelon authors are located across America as well as in New Zealand, Australia, Israel, and Canada.

A listing of all parties contributing to The Heat of the Moment is available upon request. The list includes story titles and author locations.

For review copies, requests for interviews, and author events, please contact Karen L. Syed at [email protected].