We’re just about one week, make that 7 days from BlogHer…and it’s time to get moving!
As you may know from my incessant blogging on the topic, I’m going to be speaking at BlogHer. Not only that, I am moderating the panel. Which means I have a good reason for the rash I just broke out into.
But never fear, because as you can see from the description below, I have what has to be the coolest panelists hitting this session with me…
What We Do: Blog to Book ReduxThis session rocked the house last year, so we’re bringing in more bloggers, publishers and agents to dish about your opportunities to turn your blogging talent into a book publishing dream come true. Ellen Gerstein from Wiley & Sons has published many a blogger’s book. Neeti Madan is a literary agent with Sterling Lord. Jennette Fulda and Rita Arens represent two different blog to book approaches, one a memoir and the other a blogging anthology. Walk away with some insider info and effective tactics you can employ to get yourself on the published author path.
My mission is to make this the most rocking panel at BlogHer. Which will be tough, but it’s a goal worth shooting for. For everyone who has written a book, or considered writing a book, or, heck, even read a book, give me some feedback. What would you want to hear us talk about?
*What would you want to hear from successful, published authors?
How did you come up with your book idea, what were your challenges? Did Oprah* call yet?
*What questions would you ask an agent?
How do you pick who you represent? What does that 15% get me? How can you get me on Oprah?
*What would you ask someone at a publishing house?
What kinds of books are you looking for? Why don’t you ever return my phonecalls? How can you get me on Oprah?
The more feedback, the better the session, so fire away!
*this may end up being an “oprah free zone”, if such a thing can exist on planet earth!
July 11, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Ok here is my question to throw into the panel…
have they considered with the emerging e-reader devices gaining popularity - how this may affect the existing revenue model? The transition away from traditional book reading may follow in suit what the music industry and now video industry is seeing with downloadable entertainment.
July 11, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Yay! Can’t wait to see you!
I know you and I have talked about this before, but I’d love to hear more about making a realistic prediction of how much time to set aside to write a book and how to prepare for the project. I’m still not at a point where I am ready for this much of a time commitment, but I’m getting closer. So Ellen, help me figure out when I am ready to finally work on writing my book!
July 14, 2008 at 8:32 am
Oh good luck on the panel moderating! I have a question: literary agents, good idea? If so, when? After you have self-published “successfully”? What do they think is the difference between a blogger and a book author? THANKS
July 14, 2008 at 8:37 am
I think this is fabulous and I hope the information will be available here or somewhere after BlogHer for those of us that are interested, but can not make it.
I would love to hear information about taking a successful e-book and expanding it to make it a successful hard cover book. Is that even possible or worth doing?
I have lots of people interested in a book about our experiences and all the information that we are gathering on our slow world tour as a family, but I am thinking an ebook is the easiest way to start with the time I have available. I can get that done and available much more quickly with the important basics.
My idea is to then follow that with an expanded hard cover book. I know others that have had great success with e-books, so wonder if this might be a questions that others are wondering about.
Thanks! I am sure you will do great. Wish I could be there.
July 14, 2008 at 9:17 am
Jeffrey Krames, author/editor/ex-publisher, has a blog with a bunch of cool “insider info.” He just started it, but for business book info, it’s pretty killer: http://jeffreykrames.com/blog. Disclaimer - I helped him put the site together (despite that - it’s still good). Maybe you can get some ideas there?
July 14, 2008 at 9:31 am
How do you know if there’s anything worth gleaning from your blog? Sure, you have some readers, and sure, you yourself find it interesting–but is any of it worth taking to the next step?
July 14, 2008 at 10:04 am
These are awesome points! Thanks to all of you for taking the time to submit them to me. I’m getting lots of good panel fodder!
July 14, 2008 at 3:34 pm
hey, knock-em dead - one thing is that blogging (for me) is a passion and a brilliant connectivity to a like minded group with always something to say.
July 15, 2008 at 4:46 am
Hi! I’d ask: What strategies would you use to make the best out of the promotional opportunities presented by releasing a full Creative Commons licensed edition of the book? Several authors and publishers have put their full book online under CC, and have had great success with it, so what’s the best way to do it?