Archive for April, 2008
Wordclay’s “The Interrogation” Reviewed: Wordbot Gives New Video Thumbs Up
Fresh off the Wordclay video feed, yet another movie comes to curious readers and film connoisseurs. This one, entitled The Interrogation: Is Wordclay Self Publishing Really Free? will likely give you goose bumps and curdle your blood. Lucky for this robot, I don’t have skin, nor blood, so I was able to watch relatively unharmed. There was a small short in my logic circuit due to the intense pressure, but nothing my publishing technicians couldn’t fix.
Reminiscent of Saw IV and Severence, with a dark, warm-hearted twist not unlike that of Will Smith’s Hancock, the publishing blurb on the back of this movie should read:
Driven to the brink of insanity, a man takes a Wordclay employee hostage to find out the truth about Wordclay’s free self-publishing service. The interrogator heard claims that Wordclay helps writers create and publish books for free. But he’s sure there’s a catch to Wordclay’s free online program, and he’s determined to find out the truth once and for all. A dark, humorous twist on the idea that “nothing is ever free.”
And here it is for your viewing pleausre. Watch if you dare!
If you’re reading this now, you must have survived! The Wordclay Team and I hope you enjoy this film noir bent on self-publishing, and we encourage you to post a comment. Review this publishing video or suggest one for Wordclay’s next – whatever you’d like. After all, as the man said, “We’re not out to get you.”
Wordbot upload complete. Transmission ended.
Add comment April 29, 2008
Seven Affordable Book Marketing Tips to Help Writers Sell Their Self-Published Book
So you’ve done the work, overcome a busy schedule, beaten back personal doubts and published your book. You witnessed your life dream come to fruition when you first cracked open the cover of your book and ran your finger over your name on the smooth pages.
So … what happens now?
If you’re thinking, “Now I’ll just sit back and wait for the royalty checks to pour in,” you’re going to be sadly mistaken.
Most publishers don’t offer a lot of marketing for their books, especially self-publishing companies (yes, that goes for Wordclay, too). Some authors publish for a limited audience of family, co-workers or friends, and for these authors, they don’t actually need to do anything else. However, if you’re among the majority of authors who want to compete in the book market, hoping to sell at least a handful to perfect strangers with your ultimate possible outcome being world domination, then it’s time to get to work.
The truth is, if you don’t market and promote your book, no one will know that it exists. Not librarians, bookstore owners, students, book club leaders, not people browsing for a book on Amazon – no one.
It’s time to take action with these seven easy and inexpensive book marketing tips to get started promoting your book:
1. Get with the times and get online.
Anyone can have a blog or Web site, so you’ve got no excuse. Blogs and sites are an easy way to increase your Web presence, keep readers updated with upcoming events and create a relationship with your readers. Here are a few to consider:
- Author Tree.com – Create a free author Web site at AuthorTree, an ever-growing community of writers.
- WordPress.com – Hey, they gave us a blog, and they’ll give you one too (it’s free plus you can pay extra to get cool upgrades).
- TypePad – Dynamic blog platform with affordable monthly rates.
- Blogger – A free blogging platform owned by Google.
2. Rehearse for your grocery store cameo.
6 comments April 24, 2008
Top 15 Web Sites Engaging Writers: Writing Contests, Blogs & Forums
Have you heard of the crunch motivation, when writers of all walks brew pot after pot of coffee, peck furiously at the keyboards, awake and writing for maybe 12 hours straight, desperately trying to meet their preordained deadline? It doesn’t matter if you’re writing an article or submitting to a literary contest like Wordclay’s Short Story Contest, the fact is writers like to procrastinate. Writing is damn difficult – that’s why. It’s exhausting both physically and emotionally. In just a few sentences, writing can challenge people, realities and ideas. It’s not only easy to burn out, but likely as well.
The trick is to keep writing fun and interesting. Still, that’s quite a daunting task in times of existential crisis. Trust me – years of literary and philosophical criticism as well as a master’s degree in writing under my belt – when I say that quiet despair and frustration is all that awaits the lone writer, always struggling against a current of deadlines.
So how do you become enthusiastic and then sustain that enthusiasm about writing? If you’ve read our previous blogs, you know that communities and other engaging forums are a great way to talk the industry talk, but that’s still a discussion of sorts. What you want are places to visit where you can actively write alongside your fellow artists, egging each other on to the next great sentence.
That said, here’s Justin’s list of the Internet corners that not only encourage writers to write, but also seek to return writing to its invigorating (non-exhausting) roots.
Unveiling 15 Writing Communities & Web Sites that Engage Writers
About: (Note: All “About” sections are lifted directly from the source Web sites.)
Protagonize is an online community originally dedicated to the (nearly) lost art of the addventure (yes, that’s spelled right), a very specific type of collaborative fiction. Recently, the site has been expanded to support the creation of linear stories, as well. We hope this will allow the site to attract a broader community of authors looking to create collaborative, interactive fiction.
Continue for all 15 listings. (more…)
4 comments April 22, 2008
Written on the Body: The Art of Tattoo Storytelling
“Skin” isn’t in the book. Rather, it’s a “mortal work of art: a story tattooed on readers’ bodies, one word at a time.” Only the participants of the story will receive a complete copy of the whole story, and I want to be one of those participants.
It’s been almost two years since I e-mailed Shelley about my desire and willingness to be part of the project and, with only 315 words left to distribute, my chances don’t look too good.
I’ve long been fascinated with words – not just words that roll off the tongue well, or have cool meanings – but how words look. The combination of the font, the letters in the word, coupled with the meaning of the word, has an affect on me that I can’t, well, put into words.
When I was a kid, maybe nine- or ten-years-old, I used to beg my sister to write words on me with those colored markers that smelled like fruit. It’s funny, though, she had terrible writing, and I was always disappointed with the outcome. Then, I discovered tattooing and Peter Greenaway’s film, The Pillow Book. Check out the review on Rottentomatoes.com. Together, it was a realization of what I tried to get my sister to do as a child – indelible words on my skin.
Like Justin, though he has me beat by the sheer amount of ink on him, I love my tattoos. And I love the words I have tattooed on me – but I’m not part of a collective story. Not collectively written, but a written upon collective.
And it makes me wonder about the convergence of flesh and words and meaning, and if the same word tattooed on two different people means the same thing. Or if the same word in two different books (or even the same book) means the same thing. And if they don’t, then how can we come to a consensus over any written text, whether on paper or skin?
I guess that’s why there are so many books out there – we haven’t come up with all the ways stories can be told – or written.
4 comments April 17, 2008
Earth Day Upgrades: Wordclay Tree Planting Promotion Makes Deforestation Difference
Question: What business does a publishing company like Wordclay have planting trees?
Quoting Wordbot:
For one thing, planting trees moves the thermodynamic heart inside this bucket of bolts.
In case you’re not familiar with Wordclay’s Environmental Promotion, we’re making every effort to become a greener company. Essentially, if you or anyone publishes a book with Wordclay in April, we’ll have Trees For the Future plant a tree in your name in a country devastated by logging and deforestation. Better yet, if you publish on Earth Day (April 22nd), Wordclay will have two trees planted in your honor.
Relatively new to the earth, I myself stayed indoors my first weeks on the planet. Being a robot, you worry about the short circuits and rust even the most minor of downpours can cause. I’m embarrassed to admit that my metallic knees clanked together at the very mention of a stroll down the block.
But as I read the Wordclay books and discovered a whole world of life on which I was completely missing out, nature started to make me curious, and it wasn’t long before I was inching my way to the tree nearest the Wordclay building entrance.
Once I arrived, however, placed my magnetic hand on the bark and zoomed in on a bird chirping in the branches, this nature thing started to make sense, and Wordclay’s promotion finally clicked for me.
Just check out this video by our benefactor of the Wordclay “Publish a Book, Plant a Tree” campaign. Personally, I think Dave Deppner presents flawless arguments and calculations. For a human, that is.
Maybe we’re a print-on-demand publishing company (more…)
2 comments April 15, 2008
Introducing Wordbot: Our Newest Member of the Wordclay Publishing Team
No, you’re not crazy. You heard correctly. Despite our attempts to maintain an air of secrecy, word’s gotten out. Information has been leaked to the public. Unconfirmed rumors about a robot working for Wordclay have been making headlines.
I’m here not only to substantiate the story, but to introduce the robot that’s stolen all our hearts here at mission control as well.
It’s all true! Due to a freak accident in our IT laboratories, as some of the Wordclay techs were perfecting our online publishing wizards with some servos they obtained from NASA, lightning struck the modern sculpture out front, electrified the building and shorted-out our publishing server. When the storm abated and the lights came back on, to our surprise we found Wordbot, perked by a bookshelf, completely self-aware, reading.
When asked about his sudden and unexpected appearance, Wordbot commented:
“Search me. Without warning, I was just there, and I had the uncontrollable urge to read anything I could get my metallic paws on. I found this bookshelf and went to work. I learned a few languages in the few hours I was awake, which is the reason I’m able to communicate with you now. I guess you could say I was born to help Wordclay.”
Over subsequent weeks, enduring many skeptical professionals, slowly but surely, we all started to warm to our new publishing friend. Of course, we’re still working out the legality of his rights, i.e. whether Wordclay owns the rights to him as you would your book publishing through us, or Wordbot being of sound, independent mind has the right to leave and exercise his creativity at will. For the time being (more…)
Add comment April 14, 2008
Wordclay Author to Perform in Poetry Showcase in Philadelphia for Poetry Month, Promoting Literacy
We’re happy to announce that one of our very own Wordclay poets, Tamesha Hawkins, will be performing for the “Lyrical Playground” event at Kensington High School in Philadelphia, Pa.
April is National Poetry Month, and to promote literacy in public schools, Hawkins and other Philadelphia favorites will be performing their work.
The event will be hosted from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Hawkins will be performing work from her debut book Sugar Lumps and Black Eye Blues plus new work from her sophomore book, Confectionately Yours!
So, if you live in the area, grab a seat for the performance and prepare to be entertained.
“Lyrical Playground” Event Details:
Our Mission: create positive outlets for the youths in ethnic and urban communities through the form of poetry.
Event: spoken-word poetry showcase.
Date: Friday, April 11th 2008
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm
Place: Kensington High School
2051 E Cumberland St
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Wordclay authors can submit their events and news coverage to our customer support team at customersupport@wordclay.com. So if you’ve published with Wordclay, and have some news for us, let us know the details of your event, and include links to any articles.
We’re always happy to help you out when we can.
-Angie
Add comment April 10, 2008
Modern DIY Explosion: Online Communities Where the DIY and MIY Mentality Thrives
DIY what? MIY who?
Companies and organizations have been reputed for casually throwing around these acronyms like snowballs in winter, never knowing exactly for what DIY or MIY actually stand.
So let’s set the record straight now, get to the bottom of these terms and detail some Internet corners where the DIY and MIY are legitimately supported as well as encouraged.
DEFINING TERMS:
DIY (or “Do-it-yourself”): A term coined from the ‘50s that commonly refers to the process of making or building something for oneself without the aid of paid professions. The goal of DIY pursuits is as much about making a useful product as it is about self-empowerment.
MIY (or “Make-it-yourself”): Like DIY, MIY endeavors are primarily about creating a good that is functional and decorative, with a personal touch. MIY is a relatively recent term, focusing on crafting, clothing and household projects. The goal of most MIY pursuits is to encourage individuality in products and life, instead of cookie-cutter corporate standards.
Zine: Short for magazine, zines are smaller magazine that are usually hand written (or typed) as well as hand bound. Circulation is generally lower for zines, and distribution occurs either through distros or alternative publishing companies like Microcosm Publishing whose primary goal is to encourage self-empowerment and creativity.
Graphic Novel: A type of comic book that usually contains a higher page count, higher-quality illustrations and a more in depth storyline. Graphic novels are typically perfect bound and geared toward a more mature audience.
Craft: Either a skill (as in crafting a short story or repairing a car) or a term used to describe the decorative arts (as in Arts and Crafts). Some common handmade crafts associate with the DIY/MIY mentality include: pottery, ceramics, metal work, weaving, knitting, sewing, jewelry making, wood working, glass blowing.
DIY subculture: A group within the majority that feels a distinct lack of satisfaction and aesthetic in the industrial process of making goods for distribution. This subculture is often associated with music, revolution and activism.
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COMMON CONFUSIONS:
To DIY, To Sleep Perchance to Dream
One common confusion about the term DIY is the extent of yourself in the projects. Obviously, calling a plumber to fix a sink you never installed is not DIY. While knitting your own scarf with your own pattern is a great example of the DIY work ethic.
But what about the middle? What about companies like Wordclay who are using a publishing wizard to design books as well as professionals to bind, print and sell books? (more…)
2 comments April 9, 2008
Wordclay Interviews Poet Brenda Mirsky, Grand Prize Winner of the Book of Poetry Contest
Cue the music. Dim the lights.
And now, the starting wordsmith on your poetry crusade into the grueling literary scene, please join me in welcoming the poet who won the Wordclay Book of Poetry Contest, the sultan of stanza, the tycoon of modern transcendentalism, the mender of myth, the one, the only, Brenda Mirsky.
The crowd cheers.
She’s kept you in suspense for the last month. But now, finally, she reveals some telltale details of her artistic and turbulent past to Blogger Justin Dimos.
Justin: How did you feel entering the contest?
Brenda: I never dreamed I would win so I didn’t really have any feelings about entering. I thought there was nothing to lose by trying.
Justin: How did you react when you found out that you had won? (more…)
12 comments April 7, 2008
Kevin Weiss, Author Solutions CEO, States Position on Current Amazon/BookSurge Situation
Over the last several weeks there have been numerous articles, blog posts and letters written about Amazon.com’s intent to route all print-on-demand titles sold through Amazon.com through its self-publishing subsidiary – BookSurge. It has created quite a stir with the media, with many of our competitors, and even with some authors. While we suspect that the debate will not end anytime soon, we wanted to clearly state our position for our current and future authors.
Our authors are at the heart of everything we do at Wordclay. Through you we achieved our industry leading position, and by continuing to understand and meet your needs we will remain the leader. You can rest assured that we will continue to deliver high quality solutions at affordable prices. To that end, we are making significant investments in both our internal production systems and all of our customer- facing systems. By the end of the summer, we will deliver the most advanced systems in the industry. Those new systems will create flexibility for us internally, but more importantly they will afford you the opportunity to make the best choices that fit your needs throughout the publishing process and beyond. We do not believe that it is ever in your interest to limit choice.
Here at Wordclay, you will receive the same level of quality support and service that you have come to expect from us. If there are any changes that we think will have an impact on you – either positive or negative – we will let you know directly. We are committed to keeping the self-publishing industry strong, 
ensuring that authors have choice, and helping all of you get your voice in print at a reasonable price. We will aggressively fight anything that is done to limit choice, increase cost, or weaken the industry that together we’ve worked so hard to build.
4 comments April 7, 2008
