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A note from Jane

I bet you’ve heard the marketing advice to tease your upcoming projects, to build anticipation in advance of release.

Or maybe you’ve heard about the importance of community building. So you try to “build a community” to land a book deal or sell more books [or insert business goal here].

I’ve said some of these things myself. And sometimes I’ll turn around and contradict that advice, as I’m about to do right now.

I read a refreshing article by a colleague of mine, Christopher Schwarz, co-founder of Lost Art Press, a woodworking publisher. He details four small business mistakes he sees again and again:

1. Say on your website “We are about building community.” (He continues: Real communities are organic, and you don’t need a community to gain loyalty.)
2. Tell your customers, “Without your support, we will go out of business.” (This applies to for-profits only and indicates you might not be adept at running a business.)
3. Use superlatives to describe your offering and emphasize that it will change everything. (Better to be transparent and provide the details of what you do; leave the superlatives to your happy customers/clients/readers.)
4. Tease an upcoming offering and be horribly vague about it. (This rarely works, except on the very devoted or the very bored.)

I encourage you to read his post before disagreeing—he is persuasive. And I think he is correct.

Jane

​Bob Eckstein​

ISSUE SPONSOR

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Jane’s Electric Speed List

Here are some of the latest things I’ve discovered. (I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)

An impressive search engine for product reviews

I find it challenging to research products online because so many reviews can’t be trusted. Sometimes I add the word “Reddit” to my search so I can get more honest reviews and recommendations.

The team at Looria wants to help, and they’ve been using AI to collect and summarize the best product review information available. Some if it is, in fact, informed by Reddit. But it includes other sources as well. Search at no cost. It’s kind of like Wirecutter—if Wirecutter worked like a search engine and included multiple sources.

I love this bionic reading font

While I don’t believe I have ADHD, dyslexia, or other issues that would impede my reading comprehension (aside from living in the digital age?), I was astonished at how much I enjoyed reading with this Bionic Reading app. It’s currently free.

Use ChatGPT to brainstorm book titles

The meeting I disliked most when I worked for a publisher was the “title/design” meeting, where editorial, design, sales, and marketing staff convened to finalize upcoming titles and determine cover design direction. The meeting was scheduled for two hours, but usually another was required—if not several. Afterward, it was always time for a drink.

I might have enjoyed those meetings more if we’d had ChatGPT as a brainstorming friend. Here’s a post where nonfiction author Josh Bernoff uses ChatGPT to brainstorm book titles and assesses the results.

A list of open-ended work questions (especially when you feel stuck)

I can’t recall how I found this list of questions, but I refer to it often. If you’re struggling with your work or business in any way (and even if you’re not), it’s worth looking at. One of my favorite questions: In which single area of life do you have the best taste?

NEXT ONLINE CLASS

April 19: Pitch Your Book in 2 Sentences with Ann Garvin

Even the most skilled authors find distilling their book down to a compelling pitch difficult to do, not because they don’t know what their book is about, but because they do. In fact, they know it so well they don’t want to leave anything out. This results in more of a summary than juicy marketing copy designed to hook and interest an agent or a publisher. In this class with bestselling author Ann Garvin, you’ll learn how to get to very heart of your project, and make certain that the story you’re working on is compelling and clear. Even the most complicated or quiet of tales can be pitched in such a way that people will sit up and take notice.

Your turn: ergonomic seat cushions

In the last issue, I asked you to recommend ergonomic seat cushions. Here’s what you said.

• I’m happy with my Klaudena. I’ve been using it a month, and it is certainly more comfortable and posture-supporting than the pads or cut-up yoga foam mats I was using. I won’t say it was a drastic improvement, not at first, but it is worth the little it cost. —David Sofi
• I swear by an inflatable nylon seat cushion, purchased for camping but now an office essential. It’s not only comfortable, but also minimizes eye strain for long sessions at my iMac. I can adjust the firmness so I’m seated at the optimal angle (45 degrees) for looking down at the center of the screen (per my ophthalmologist). It’s the L.L.Bean Pathfinder Self-Inflating MultiSport Seat. —Cynthia Penney
• My everyday chair is a wooden rocking chair, and I use the Ontel Miracle Bamboo Cushion. It has a notch cut into the back so that there is no weight whatsoever on your tailbone. I sit comfortably for hours writing on my laptop. The shape is unintuitive though, and when I have seen this type of cushion at friend’s houses, I almost always have to tell them that they’re using it backwards, that the notch should point to the rear of the chair. —Casey Malone
• Tried several others before discovering this one on Amazon of course, TravelMate Extra-Large Memory Foam Seat Cushion. As a writer it saves my butt every day 😀 —Buck Lawrimore
• I do use ergonomic seat cushions, but the biggest issue for me is that the seat sinks in eventually, even if it’s memory foam, after about 30 minutes. SpineLief’s Spinefoam coccyx cushion is firm for the first ten minutes, then sinks. Works great to get me out of the chair to stretch, though. I find the back cushion and footrest more useful and ergonomic, but that’s also because my main office chair is padded in the first place. —Patricia P.
• I recommend the Gokhale Wedge for Relaxed, Upright Sitting. I have tried various seat cushions over the years, but I think finally I have one that will help me break my slumping habit! Her one-minute video on how to use it correctly is important, too. Esther Gokhale is IMO the absolute go-to person for healing back pain. —Anne Alexander
• I have gone through every seat cushion out there and I highly recommend Cushion Lab. They are pricier, but worth every dime. Colorful and washable covers. I also use the lumbar support cushion. —Tracy Ewens

Next question: Do you have a favorite water/hydration bottle for your workouts or the office? Hit reply to this message, or head on over to Discord to post your recommendation.

Free resources featuring Jane

• April 23: Writing & Publishing Cookbooks with Sally Ekus
• May 28: The StoryWheel with Jule Kucera

Upcoming online classes

• ​Pitch Your Book in 2 Sentences with Ann Garvin, April 19
• ​Finding & Working with Beta Readers with Jessica Conoley, April 27
• ​The Power of Dialogue in Fiction with Tiffany Yates Martin, May 3
• ​Your Novel’s 4 Key Scenes with Susan DeFreitas, May 11
• ​Publishing Trends in 2023 with Jane Friedman, May 16
• ​Today’s Key Book Publishing Paths with Jane Friedman, May 18

Meet Jane at an event

• ​BLK INK Writer’s Workshop (online), May 18–20
• ​Muse & Marketplace Publishing Summit (online), May 20–21
• ​Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, Ind.), July 19–22
• ​Into the Springs Writers Workshop (Ohio), Aug. 4–6
• ​Writing in the Ozarks (Eureka Springs, Ark.), Oct. 12–14

“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan

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