An Offer From A Publishing Company

Today I received a voice message from a very nice-sounding lady. She said,

"Hello, Ariele. This is Melissa calling from Book Whirl Publishing. I would like to talk to you about your book, The Clock Winked. You can call me at 877-207-1679, extension 323."

Naturally, I was very curious, and, having grown up in the generation of the unlikely-sounding email forward, I was very suspicious. Let me give you a run down:

• They help publish.
• They help market.
• They create cover art.
• They do interior book design.
• They do ebook and hardcopy distribution.

Etc.
It all sounds great, right?

Their best package is $699.

Now perhaps I'm mistaken, but $699 is a lot of money. Of course, that's not to say it's not worth it. Let's see what you can get for $699:

• Paperback Design
• Ebook Design and Distribution
• A Variety of Trim Sizes
• Full bleed, full colour
• 25 images
• 25 pages
• Electronic and Paper Galleys (proofs)
• 3 free paperback copies (minus shipping and handling)

Now, for anyone interested in self-publishing, let me tally up what all of that costs if you do it on your own:

• Paperback design - you can get a Word Template for free. MS Word 2013 costs approximately $100.
• Ebook Design - you can download Calibre for free, and use a WebPage format in MS Word.
• Ebook distribution - costs a few cents per copy through Amazon or any other distribution service. One book costs me about $1.00 (35%), but only if I sell a book.
• If I go through CreateSpace (or other online printers), I can have a variety of trim sizes.
• A 25 page book through CreateSpace would cost me about $1.00 to produce (plus shipping).
• I can have as many images as I want in CreateSpace, although colour printing costs a few cents more per page.
• Proofs for a 25 page book would cost $1, maybe $2.
• 3 copies would cost the same as the proofs

Even if I bought MS Word twice - one program to use for the ebook, and one to use for the interior design - I would still be spending less than $250. To buy fifty copies of my book would cost an additional $200 - still less than $699. For $699 they don't offer copy editing, they don't offer cover design, and they don't offer marketing services - the three things which authors find most difficult.

To get these services, you need to purchase one of their other packages: The Challenger, at $1,299, or, to get copy editing - but only up to 40,000 words, The Visionary for $4,899.

I could hire a professional copy editor to do more than my full novel, and then order some books and maybe a college student to help me set up a website for that kind of money.

I understand the allure of publishing, and I understand fear of the unknown, and I understand the pain of having to learn to do it yourself. But don't let these guys lure you in. I think a company like this could be really useful to do-it-yourself self publishers like me, but only if they alter their model to actually be what we're looking for: reasonably priced, focused on the hard stuff (like cover design and marketing), and flexible enough to meet the demands of the changing publishing industry. But for now, I strongly feel that you or I can do better, either with a big publishing house or on your own. Don't fear the unknown, and don't be afraid to learn.

The Art of Telling Stories: Brendan Cahoon

The Art of Telling Stories is a series of posts designed to take a deeper look at what it means to tell a story. Writers tell stories constantly, but many other people in many other vocations tell their stories as well, in other, often more subtle, ways. Today's guest is Brendan Cahoon, a Production Assistant at the television station WMUR in Manchester, NH. He is also an Emmy-nominated editor for the news-magazine style show New Hampshire Chronicle.

Thanks for taking the time to interview, Brendan! Tell me a little bit about who you are and what you do.

Allow me to go back a bit and briefly explain my background. I've been involved in the technical side of entertainment for 30 years, I was just 15 when I worked my first professional job at an outdoor summer theater. I got a 2 year degree in Broadcasting, but ended up working for a laser show company right out of school. In 1989, I headed south and worked at Epcot at Walt Disney World, working on the nighttime effects show, IllumiNations. I was there for 8 years, then moved up the street to work at Sea World as their only laser technician. By 2003, I had finally grown tired of Florida and headed back home to NH where I was eventually hired at WMUR, the ABC affiliate television station in Manchester. 

Editing system similar to the one Brendan uses.

My official job title is Production Assistant, but I am considered a "utility tech." This means I can do numerous jobs around the station including audio, camera, set design and construction, lighting, etc. One of the things I've found I seem to have a talent for is editing for the news-magazine style show New Hampshire Chronicle. I have been doing this for about 6 years now and am somewhat proud to say I was nominated for a regional Emmy for my work a few years ago.

Would you consider yourself to be a storyteller? Why or why not?

In his book How to Tell a Story, Mark Twain writes "I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I only claim to know how a story ought to be told." As an editor I sometimes think of myself as a storyteller by proxy. The process by which a story segment, or package as we call it, is finished, is a little different than what other stations do. A producer researches an idea, then takes a videographer and goes out and shoots the story. Once that's finished, The producer goes over the footage and writes a script, then hands off the footage and the script to the editor. 

Here's where I come in. 

As an editor on Chronicle, I often will get a script that's nothing more than dialog. Simply the interviews and the voice-overs that comprise the package. My job is now to take that audio, combine it with the visuals in a way that makes sense and makes it interesting, add music and turn it into something that looks effortless. 

To me, this is my version of being a storyteller. When I edit a package I take ownership. Even though someone else wrote it, and someone else shot it, I take on the responsibility for bringing that story to life, for creating the feelings it makes and the emotions it brings forth. Often times this means moving parts around or even deleting some things that don't work. The executive producer on the show gives her editors a lot of leeway in that regard since the segment producers often aren't available during editing.

How would you define storytelling?

Director Andrew Stanton (Toy Story, Wall-E) said, "Make me care. Emotionally, intellectually, aesthetically, just make me care." He goes on to say that a good story will make the audience think... though not too much. Give them 2+2, but not 4. Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor for the New Yorker, receives 1000 submissions a month, but as he says, the ones that make it into the magazine are the ones that make you think.

A few years ago I got to do some judging for the regional Emmys. I watched about half a dozen entries from the west coast and was, frankly, unimpressed with how some of the packages were done. But, the one I ended up rating the highest was a simple piece about school nurses. That was the one that I connected with the most emotionally. It kept my attention. It made me care.

How do you think the many pieces involved in television - such as types of camera, camera angles, lighting, audio, etc. -  play a role in the way a story is told?

Obviously all those things have a part in the process of making TV, but one of my core beliefs is that all the technology that's available, those are only tools. They are only "things" which we use to tell a story. I had a professor in college who said that if you're watching a film or TV and at any time the viewer thinks  "that was an interesting way they used that shot", then you have failed. You have allowed the viewer to step out of the story and notice something that wasn't important. I once worked on a student film where part of the plot took place in a sewer. Rather than shoot in a sewer... we built one. One of the things I remember about that set was the amount of detail the art department put in to it. The color of the walls, the amount of extra trash strewn around, and even a forced perspective set piece to make the set look longer than it really was. All of this was done so that the viewer wouldn't see it and think "set". It kept the viewer in the story.

Now that said, each tool can be used in ways to elicit a response as well. Using blue lighting will make a scene feel cold. Low camera angles are used to make someone look imposing. Music is the ultimate method of perpetuating emotion. Just about every movie trailer is meant to play to your emotions. Listen to the score from Star Wars and you can practically see every scene in your head. But again, these tools should only be used to advance a story and not be obvious.

Talk a little bit about the role of storytelling in editing. What is an editor's most important role in telling the story?

The word that comes to mind here is pacing. Each story has a different pace to it. If the package is about race cars, the shots are quick, and the story moves along fairly fast. If the piece is about an artist, then your pace will be slower, you linger on the shots longer to the viewer gets more information. For the type of editing I do, recognizing the differences is key. A story can feel "off" if the pacing isn't right.

Another big aspect as well is something I've already mentioned, music. As the editor, I'm responsible for choosing the music used in a package. This is a pretty big deal since the music has to match the pacing as well as the emotions that the producer wants. I have a pretty eclectic musical background, so I can usually choose music that suits a piece pretty well. I will also use several different pieces of music during a package to keep it sounding interesting and less repetitive, this moves a story and the pacing along as well.

What is your favorite project that you've worked on? Why?

As I mentioned previously, I was nominated a few years ago for a regional Emmy. The piece I was nominated for was about autistic kids learning surf and to be honest it was a rush job. I got handed the script on a Friday and the package aired on Monday. Besides the script, the only direction I got from the producer was "inspirational". I chose the music and started editing on Saturday and finished the piece Sunday night. It shows that even under a harsh deadline you still have to apply all the tricks of the trade to make a good story. While I admire the work I did, it's not one of my favorite pieces.

About 5 years ago I gave a story suggestion to Chronicle about a summer program at the University of New Hampshire that brings masters of violin repair and construction to the campus for a series of workshops. As it happened this piece was shot just before the show went on a summer break, so I found myself with 3 weeks to edit the story. I changed things around, spent one week alone just looking for music - a three-part violin concerto, added graphics, color corrected every shot, and tweaked every shot to within frames of where I thought it should be. The result ended up being a piece that may not have been exactly true to the original script, but... it was how I thought the story ought to be told. Because of the effort and energy that went into that package, it's still one of my favorites.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

The phenomenal storyteller Geoffrey Lewis wrote:

 "Not long ago, I was down in Marrakesh in North Africa. Every night I used to go out in the marketplace there. They had snake charmers and acrobats and magicians and dancers... all kinds of people entertaining. But the people who gathered the largest crowds were the storytellers. Some of them would come out of the desert in a loincloth, just talk for two hours, then disappear. I would sit and listen to them for hours. I was enthralled by what they were doing. Pretty soon, I began to pick up pictures of what they were saying, although I couldn't understand the words. And that's what we do... we tell stories."

Geoffrey is the narrator for a spoken word/musical group called Celestial Navigations and through listening to his work, I think I would like to be able to stand on a stage and tell stories someday. Right now though, I'm satisfied staying behind the scenes. As Neil Gaiman once said in a commencement speech "Do what only you can do... make good art!"

Thank you, Brendan, for taking the time to provide such an intriguing and fascinating look into the world of storytelling! 

You can check out Brendan's Emmy-nominated piece, Surfing Through Autism on Youtube. Also, look at a cartoon of Neil Gaiman's commencement speech quote on making good art, and you can find Celestial Navigations here. Finally, if you're interested in storytelling, watch Andrew Stanton's TED Talk!

The Art of Telling Stories: Ryan Holmes

The Art of Telling Stories is a series of posts designed to take a deeper look at what it means to tell a story. Writers tell stories constantly, but many other people in many other vocations tell their stories as well, but in other, often more subtle, ways. Today's guest is Ryan Holmes, the bass player for the Connecticut-based band Echo and Drake. You can check out their music and upcoming events at their website, on Facebook, or click here to download some free songs!

Tell us a little bit about you and what it is you do.

I'm Ryan, a lifelong student of music and songwriting, but more specifically, the electric bass guitar. I write and perform music like its my job (ha!) and primarily with my band 'Echo & Drake'.

How would you define a storyteller?

This is such a broad concept, but to me a storyteller is someone who works within their chosen art form to get their message across. Their message could involve simply conveying some facts, or persuading a room full of thousands of people. That could mean using their spoken language, music, paintings, writings, or a delicious combination of any possibility. Its hard to define because a storyteller can mean so many things!

Do you consider yourself a storyteller? Why or why not?

I consider myself a storyteller before the music. I've always been told I have a knack for telling a great story and tying all the ropes together before I ultimately drop the punchline. I've taken pride in it! Some have said "Cut to the chase!", but I've always maintained that I'm simply building an environment for the listener to revel in for a while.

As a musician, what are the different elements you might use to tell a story? How do those elements work together?

As a musician, I feel like my whole existence is a story. Being in music, like any other walk of life, your message will begin to become a wash if you're perceived as someone who doesn't truly live inside that world you've created. You have to prove yourself to any prospective listener before they even consider your music and your lyrics. As humans we can become unsure about our actions before we even commit to them. An audience member at a comedy club may stifle his own laughter at a particularly outlandish joke for fear that the gentleman down the row will give him a dirty look. A group of concert goers may decide not to dance to the opening act (even though they may want to) because they're not endorsed by the whole crowd yet. A person will jump to read the newest novel by a known NY Times Bestseller, but a newly published upcoming author might go under-noticed for a while as they build this trust with their "audience". Sitting among friends at a restaurant you may subconsciously begin tuning out a particular person who has a track record of droning on about things you have no interest in. To me, its because that person has built no credibility with you as a storyteller. As a musician you don't need to be a master of your chosen instrument or a master of your spoken language, you simply have to prove that the notes you play and the words you've chosen have meaning. You have to deliver them with conviction.      

How do you approach the thought process of writing a song? What is it about that process that really appeals to you?

Songwriting has become one of my greatest passions. After really delving into it I've discovered that its something that makes me truly happy. With that said, there are about a million ways to approach songwriting - and my best piece of insight would be to not approach it at all. By that I mean the best ideas aren't forced; they tend to come to you. Sometimes it can be a melody that seems to appear in your thoughts, or a great phrase you think up at random in a passing conversation. Usually the idea starts with something small, and then you're able to sit down with this idea behind a piano, or holding a guitar and begin developing. "Maybe the bass line could start on the 5th of the chord played on the guitar... Nope, that doesn't sound great, maybe that line would sound great an octave higher." In other words, I think really great ideas appear from some sort of higher musical power within you and only then can you take that idea to the workshop and start your adjustments, your layering, your additions, etc. They tell any new songwriter to "write everyday." Some go as far as to say "You should write an entire song every day." I don't think it has to mean that per se, but I think working at it as consistently as possible is the best course of action. As I said, its nearly impossible to force a good idea, but if you force yourself to sit down and be continually thinking musically (making sure to notate and/or record ideas you may have for future reference) those ideas could resurface and be great supplements to your spur-of-the-moment breakthroughs.

Imagine you're playing/writing a song without words. How do you make that song tell a story? How do you make it resonate with your audience?

"Dynamics! Dynamics!" But seriously, music stems from the human vocal chords. So, like it or not, to really move the listener, that has to be considered at all times. While performing instrumental works, often times it helps to consider how those lines would be sung, how the voice would portray them. This could come in any form of variation in dynamics, accents, lack of accents, note attacks, note endings, anything. I think one of the reasons so many are up in arms about the current state of popular music is due to its lack of originality. People go to see live a live show to be wowed by a performance that wouldn't otherwise have been heard on a recording. This has to be realized before you're able to open yourself up to the possibility of an actual moving performance.

What is your favourite part of being a musician? Why? 

The best part of being a musician is developing that trust I mentioned with listeners. Of course, there's a lot of personal validation in being able to perform at a high level - but none of it really would matter if there were no others to share it with. Being able to carefully articulate your message, deliver it with intent, and see it resonating with another person is the absolute best feeling.

If you had to pick a favourite instrument (besides the bass!) to listen to, what would it be and why? 

At the risk of sounding unoriginal - the piano. "All music comes from the Piano" - this idea isn't off base. The instrument is so equipped to aid the musician in telling their story, so to speak. It can sound so dark and dreary on one hand and so light and relaxed on the other (quite literally!). Its such an inherently dynamic instrument (as all instruments are, of course!) But in general, I find it pleasing to listen to just about any instrument that is performed well and with meaning. If you can pull great sounds out of a crinkled up piece of paper and a broken rubber band - then let's hear it!

How do you approach the concept of telling a story as a team (as in, you have to work with the other members of your band to all tell the same story at the same time, but in different ways)? 

Musically, the entire process is close teamwork. You need to be a great listener in order to effectively fit your piece into the puzzle. You have to consider your relationship with other voices, your relationship with space, and how it all relates to one another. In terms of lyric, I find it more difficult to piece together a story as a group. Particularly with songwriting, being that it can be difficult sometimes to convey your own deepest inner thoughts - it can be increasingly harder to tap into another individual's. 

Is there anything else you would like to share? 

"I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit." Just sayin'.

Don't forget to check Ryan out on Facebook and on his Echo and Drake website. In addition, stay tuned for some music by Ryan under a different name (TBD)!