After my last post about author book tours, I received some follow-up questions. My answers, briefly, are below:
1. How did you go about developing a list of prospective speaking locations?
A. I maintain a large [3500+] contacts list on Gmail of everyone who has emailed me about my books or came to hear me speak. I sent them 3 e-blasts [timed 6 months, 3 months and 2 weeks before pub date] announcing my new title and asking if they were interested in my speaking to their organization. Also I searched online for leaders of major Jewish women’s groups; their emails are usually on the group’s website. I have both Google and Talkwalker alerts so I know if a synagogue book group is reading one of my books; I add their contact info to my list for future use.
2. Did you contact the organization yourself or did a publicist do this for you?
A. I did this myself, all by email. I prefer to have everything in writing, so even if I do have phone discussions, I always confirm the conversation by email. My publicist arranged media interviews and articles.
3. If you did it yourself, how did you go about pitching your book talk?
A. Along with the e-blast [picture of cover and short description], I wrote, “I would love to speak to your organization about the research behind Enchantress- Talmud, ancient Jewish magic, and women's place in these - during the upcoming year.” Short and to the point, but these were mostly emailed to people who already knew about me and my work.
4. Did organizations always pay for your transportation or were there times you footed the bill yourself? Did your book sales cover your expenses?
A. They always paid my travel expenses, other than local venues I drove to. Book sales were added income.
5. Do you charge an additional speaker's fee?
A. I charge a lot for a scholar-in-residence weekend. For one-time events, I ask if the group has a dedicated fund for speaker fees. If they do, I ask what they usually pay and accept that. Sometimes when they invite me and ask what my fee is, which means that they’re willing to pay one. Then I suggest a small amount, typically a few hundred dollars. My primary goal as an author is to sell books, not to be a paid speaker.
Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood
I found this Miss Fisher Mystery novel even better than the TV version, which left out the subplot of young Zionist men trying to raise money to run guns to 1920's Palestine to establish a Jewish homeland [not PC these days in Australia, I guess]. The author definitely did her Jewish history homework; she also taught me a lot with the various Kabbalah/alchemy texts Phryne studied in order to find the murderer. I thought author Kerry_Greenwood did a great job with all the Jewish secondary characters, capturing their speech patterns sprinkled with just enough Yiddish words to identify their ethnicity but never straying into caricatures or anti-semitic stereotypes. The plot hung together well, and I loved how clever Phryne identified the spy among the Zionists at the very end [no spoiler alert here - you'll need to read it]. Unlike other Miss Fisher Mysteries "Raisins and Almonds” had a bibliography and glossary of Yiddish words in the back. Of course there's a new lover for Phryne, a nice Jewish boy too. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1746187.Raisins_and_Almonds
This Is Not a Love Story by Judy Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another excellent read from the author of Hush. Again written mostly from a child's POV & again dealing with a taboo subject for the ultra-Orthodox, this time autism. Actually this is a love story; ultimately the love of a mother for her "damaged/cursed" son and her determination to cure him, not institutionalize him.
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In you need reminding, November is Jewish Book Month. I just returned from a successful, and fun, mini-book tour where I spent just over a week in Massachusetts and the SF Bay Area. Other than doing Limmud NY 2016 next Presidents’ Weekend, I’m not scheduled for any other book talks. What a change from last year, when I did 127 events in 17 states between mid-October and Mother’s Day to promote my historical fantasy novel ENCHANTRESS.
Based on my extensive experience, here’s some advice for authors who want to go on book tour:
1. Know your audience and concentrate on venues where you’ll find them. For me that means Jewish women’s groups like Hadassah chapters and synagogue sisterhoods rather than libraries and bookstores.
2. Arrange your own schedule, keeping in mind the distance between venues, to maximize the number of events in the least amount of days. For long trips, rent a car [let the hosts share this expense] so nobody has to shlep you around.
3. Offer to stay in people’s homes rather than hotels. You’ll benefit by meeting many wonderful people, not being constrained by a hotel’s check-in & check-out schedule, access at odd hours to your host’s refrigerator & pantry, and not having to pay for WiFi or parking. The nonprofit you’re speaking at will benefit by not having to pay for your lodging, which may make the difference as to whether they’ll have you speak there or not.
4. Provide copies of your books yourself for sale/signing. You will be in control of which books to order from your publisher [you do get a significant discount, don’t you?] and where they should be shipped, so if there are any problems you can deal with them yourself. If your venue wants to handle this, and they have experience doing it, by all means let them. But most Jewish women’s groups are happy to let the author handle book sales, especially since they won’t be responsible for returning unsold copies.
5. Consider hiring a freelance publicist to get you media coverage and interviews, especially if you have several events in the same geographical area.
6. Have fun.
Years ago I learned that November is National Novel Writing Month, which challenges would-be authors to write a novel, at least the first draft, in 30 days. While I liked the idea, it never worked for me for several reasons. 1] My stories were so long, over 150,000 words, that I would have to average over 5000 words [40 pages] a day – a nearly impossible task. 2] I was researching as I wrote, which left even less time to write each day. 3] To get my novel out in early autumn, prime time for Jewish books, my publisher needed a finished manuscript in December. So I had to do my writing and editing in spring and summer; November was for compiling front and back matter.
This year I heard about a new November challenge, National Nonfiction Writing Month I admit I already wrote several drafts of my short book in October, but I’ve decided to take the challenge to complete it in November. Which is one of the reasons I haven’t blogged since the end of October. This time the timing works for me. I’m flying back east for a short, one-week, book trip – which means I’ll have two long flights with nothing much else to do but work on my monograph.
Those of you in the Boston area, here’s where I’ll be speaking:
Nov 12 - 11 am. Dutchess Co Hadassah luncheon. Christos Restaurant,155 Wilbur Blvd, Poughkeepsie NY 12603.
Nov 13 - 10:30 am [for students] and 1 pm [for parents]. The Rashi School, 8000 Great Meadow Rd. Dedham MA 02026
Nov 13/14 - Scholar-in-Residence. Agudat Achim, 268 Washington St, Leominster MA 01453
Nov 14 - 5:15 pm. Torathon. Congregation Beth Israel 15 Jamesbury Dr, Worcester MA 01609
Nov 15 - 7 pm. Temple Emanu-El, 393 Atlantic Ave, Marblehead MA 01945
Nov 16 – 7:30 pm. Shirat HaYam. 55 Atlantic Ave, Swampscott, MA 01907
Good news! I haven’t blogged in almost two weeks because I’ve been busy on my latest book. As you may recall, I’ve been intermittently working on two projects [both involving Talmud], one another historical novel and the other nonfiction. For several reasons, notably that the nonfiction work is a short monograph based on talks I’ve already given and research I’ve already done, which means I can get it published more quickly, I’ve set the novel aside to concentrate on the monograph. Monograph sounds too scholarly, something Sherlock Holmes would write. Since my book is approximately 10,000 words long, plus some illustrations, maybe I will just call it a booklet.
No, you haven’t missed anything. I have not told you its title, or even its subject matter. What I can tell you is that the manuscript is complete enough that I have sent it off to a few friends/associates to edit, as well as to my book shepherd so we can get production started.
Yes, I’m planning to crank up good old Banot Press and go the self-publishing route again. Eleven years ago, using the same book shepherd, I started my own small press and published Rashi’s Daughters: Book I – Joheved. Back then e-books were barely on the horizon, so I didn’t even bother with the format. Now, with my latest novels selling 50% as e-versions, my new booklet should be ideal for a short, snappy, inexpensive, screen read.
Not to worry – when I decide to announce the title, which should make the subject obvious, you will be among the first to know.
In the Land of Armadillos: Stories by Helen Maryles Shankman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Actually I give this 4 1/2 stars. Populated with monsters and heroes [human and perhaps not], but mostly with ordinary people caught up in horrific events they neither understood nor controlled - this series of intersecting stories drew me in completely, making read them again to find all the connections I missed the first time ["Armadillos" reminded me of "Cloud Atlas" in that way]. Weaving a tapestry of history and fantasy, Helen Shankman has brought us face to face with both the daily humiliations and terrors, and the occasional close calls and acts of goodness, the Jewish population experienced in this Polish village. The writing is literally fantastic, with flashbacks and flash-forwards mixed in so well I marvel at Shankman's literary skills. For those, like me, weary of Holocaust fiction focused on the death camps, this book is something different, focused primarily on the survivors who, coincidently or magically, were painted by a Jewish artist as cafe patrons in a child's room mural in the first story.
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I am about to recommend AFTERMATH, a compelling 2012 Polish movie I recently watched on Netflix knowing little more than it was a Los Angeles Times Critic's Pick [“One of the Best Films of the Year! "Gripping, excellent. A bombshell disguised as a thriller] and had received an 83% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. But my husband and I are always interested in discovering overlooked foreign film gems [that's how we found the fabulous French MICMACS, one of our all-time favorites].
By the way, AFTERMATH is streaming now on Netflix and seems to be available on Amazon, Hulu, iTunes, and probably other online sources. So no need to travel to some distant small theater that specializes in foreign films.
The Netflix description didn't say much: “Two decades after migrating to America, Chicagoan Franek returns to his native Poland only to find things deeply amiss in his family and town. With his brother, Jozek, who stayed behind, Franek sets out to discover the community's collective secret. Genre: mystery, suspense, foreign thriller.” I assumed it would be a modern take on the classic “Bad Day at Black Rock” town-with-a-secret genre, which it was. But it was much more, especially for Jewish viewers.
I don't want to give away the plot with spoilers, because like with all great thrillers, not knowing what’s coming and experiencing all the twists and turns as the characters do is what keeps us at the edge of our seats. The denouement, which is both awful and awe-full, is most powerful if you don't expect it, so I strongly advise you not to check it out on Wikipedia. Indeed, the less you know about the movie, the more impact it will have. Still, knowing that some of you might want to know more and maybe read a few reviews, here’s a link to the film’s website.
Get What's Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security by Laurence J. Kotlikoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Written in simple English, with lots of examples [real & imaginary], this book explains and offers advice on how to maximize Social Security benefits in almost every possible family scenario. Yes, the authors repeat themselves, and they know it, but they want to make sure readers understand and remember their best strategy. For in many cases, those who make the wrong decision will leave lots of $$$ on the table. My only complaint is that they didn't completely address an increasingly common scenario - those who continue working after age 70 - and how income taxes on Social Security income complicates retirement plans.
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Sukkot is a busy time for me since we use the 9 days as an opportunity to host friends who haven't been to our home recently, possibly not since last Sukkot. Also this is my chance to reciprocate those who have hosted us throughout the year. We have a large lattice-covered patio, two walls provided by our house, that rather easily converts to a sukkah when we hang up some fruit-decorated fabric for a third wall and throw some palm fronds from our garden on top. Living in West Los Angeles, a little more than a mile from the beach, we are blessed with pretty much perfect weather for al fresco dining.
I say all this, not only to brag, but to partially excuse myself for not blogging for over two weeks. I don’t want to get into details about my attack of diverticulitis, or as a friend delicately called the “travails of my entrails,” only that I was nearly hospitalized. I’ve been pretty whipped even after finishing the nasty antibiotic regimen, still have occasional abdominal pain, and remain on a restricted diet [thankfully I'm allowed dark chocolate].
Now to answer the important question: Yes, I am writing. In fact I am working on two books, one nonfiction and one novel. But after hearing a TED Talk about how discussing a project in advance actually lessens the chances of finishing it, I've decided to keep mum about them until they're close to complete. This certainly worked for me in getting the first volume of "Rashi's Daughters" written. What I can say is that they both involve Talmud [no surprise] and that I don't have a publishing contract for either.
The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wonderful storytelling. Bradley not only brings the traveling circus world to vivid life, but all the characters as well. The gay sex scenes, while not graphic, capture the lust, love, and shame beautifully. I would have given this novel 5 stars but I disliked all the fighting; maybe the 1940-50's circus life was that rough & tumble, and maybe brothers did fight each other a lot in Italian families, but it was too much for me. While I love a happy ending and was both glad and relieved that "Catch Trap" had one, it did seem a little too pat the way everything came together for the heroes. But that's like complaining the bride is too beautiful.
All in all, an excellent read that I stayed up way too late to finish. Thanks, Emily Parkhurst, for recommending this to me.
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One of my secret vices is a passion for Chinese martial arts movies, dating back to finding Jackie Chan’s 1978 Drunken Master. I watched these on cable TV until I finally saw the 2000 masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in a theatre. Then came Hero, House of Flying Daggers, The Grandmaster, and of course, Karate Kid [among others]. Netflix and Rotten Tomatoes are a boon for me to catch up on the oldies but goodies.
This week I finally got a chance to see the “93% fresh” Journey to the West. Not only was it excellent, with all the awesome scenery and epic battles against nasty villains one would expect from this genre, but the main theme was redemption and teshuvah. Here’s what the film’s website says: “In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Xuan Zang risks his all to conquer a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons, Sun Wukong the Monkey King. Adhering to his firm belief in giving of one’s self for the greater cause, our hero, a Buddhist monk, embraces the demons as his disciples. However, in order to atone for their own sins and save the common people, the four of them must embark on a journey to the West that’s full of challenges.”
There was also quite a bit of comedy, as well as a happy love story [a Chinese friend described their happy love stories as when the hero and/or heroine die in each others’ arms after learning that they love each other. Unhappy love stories are where they die thinking their love is unrequited.]
Here’s a review that says it well: “As sweet, silly, action-packed and ridiculous as director Steven Chow's best work, Journey to the West serves up dazzling action sequences while playing its disparate elements against each other with thrilling abandon.” For an unusual, yet inspirational, film for the Days of Awe, I recommend this one. See more at their website
