The
public relations firm that I work for, Media Connect www.Media-Connect.com, (formerly Planned
Television Arts) used to promote Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, so I
understand that men and women are wired differently and treated differently by
society. But I don’t understand why so
many more book readers are women and girls.
USA
Today cited a National Summer Learning Association and Sylvan Learning survey
of 1190 youths, ages 8-18, that showed 64% of girls agreed that reading is a
favorite summertime activity. Only 34%
of boys agreed.
Why?
It’s
one thing if males read different subject matter than females. It’s okay if they read at different speeds
and it's okay if they differ on a preferred format (digital vs. print). But why should there be such a disparity,
early on, between attitudes towards reading?
It
seems, more than geography, finances, race, or other demographic markers,
merely one’s sex determines their dedication to reading books.
Reading
is knowledge. It’s power. It’s inspiring. It’s the building block for any civilized
nation. So why are boys and men
statistical savages while women are the advanced, educated and socially
grounded gender?
I’m
not a sociologist, psychologist, or an educator so I have no clue why there’s a
disparity between men and women when it comes to books. But it’s clear such a disparity exists and is
growing.
Why
do only women have book club gatherings while men gather to watch sports, play
cards, or hit the jiggle joints? Why do
women communicate so much better than most men?
Why do men express themselves physically while women do not as much?
X
vs. Y. There are many physical,
psychological, and cultural differences at play when it comes to men and
women. I guess instead of trying to
understand it, accept it and as a book marketer or author, look to exploit it.
If you want to sell books, appeal to the female mindset. About three-fourths of all book sales come from women (my guess). Pink means green. Women can singlehandedly make publishing a profitable venture, so make sure you market to meet their needs.
Interview With Author Sarah Bates
What
type of books do you write? I tell
stories about people who face unexpected events in life. In Out of Our Minds,
Wild Stories by Wild Women, one of my stories is told from the point of view of
Ernest Hemingway’s young niece who visits him the summer before he commits
suicide. In Twenty-One Steps of Courage, Army recruit Rod Strong hides
Obsessive Compulsion Disorder to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a
Sentinel Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington National Cemetery. His
ability to manage the disorder helps him gain the courage to face leg
amputation when he must re-learn to walk the distinctive pacing of the Guards
at the Tomb.
What
is your newest book about? My newest
novel continues my interest in people who beat the odds. In The Lost Diaries of
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, readers will learn about the girl who became the mother
of women’s rights and whose early beliefs that women were equal to men set her
apart from her peers. This novel sets the stage for Cady-Stanton’s later life
that resulted in the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
What
inspired you to write it? Ten years ago I purchased an Elizabeth Cady Stanton
document that is now framed on my wall. Each time I passed it, I felt drawn to
the sentiment in the document: “Men are what their mother’s make them.” I knew
who Stanton was, but still curious, I researched her to find several excellent
biographies. In her own autobiography she had much to say about life after she
married Henry Stanton, but the details of her girlhood were sketchy, yet telling
in the way she approached topics that would later define her. After having a
long conversation with the principle biographer of her life, I asked if I used
her memoir as the outline for the novel, filling in the “spaces” with
historical fiction, would I insult her memory. Assured I would not, I began the
research process in earnest. The first draft is now finished and I am
editing.
What
is the writing process like for you? Writing
is work. It just is. But I love the process–all of it, the research; the
fleshing out of characters; the incredible feeling of being in the story,
pushing the plot forward scene by scene. The relief following the end of the
first draft, and the excitement of anticipating the editing to come are part of
the writing process for me.
What
did you do before you became an author? I worked in marketing, advertising and
public relations before starting a freelance writing career. As a freelancer I
wrote a stack of craft and do-it-yourself books and worked as a feature and
business writer for a local newspaper. In December of 2012, I left the English
Department Writing Center of Palomar College where I tutored writing for ten
years.
How
does it feel to be a published author? The first time I saw one of my short
stories in print it felt as if I elevated off the floor! For some reason
creating a story of my own design that an editor chose for his readers thrilled
me more than any of my non-fiction accolades. When people I barely know or
don’t know at all review my book and praise it, I am constantly surprised. What
a wonderful feeling to be a published author.
Any
advice for struggling writers? Sure, lots. If you want to write but don’t know
how take a class. Read, read, read. Read “how to be a writer” books. In each
one there is at least one gem of information that is useful. If you want to
write fiction, read fiction. If your choice is non-fiction–read that. And don’t
try to write a book “just like someone else’s” because even if you succeed, by
the time you’re finished with it, trends will have changed. Put your butt in
the chair and write every day. Join a writer’s critique group. Find one whose
members are truthful yet tactful. And, don’t give up. And, don’t publish crap.
If you can’t spell or fail at grammar, use an editor. Use an editor anyway.
When your name is on the cover, or as a byline, it’s as if you are walking
around naked for all to see your flaws. Eliminate as many flaws as you can.
Finally? Don’t expect to get rich. You could be a Stephen King or a James
Patterson, but…
Where
do you see book publishing heading? Book
publishing is evolving faster than authors can keep up. The business model has
simply changed. Even established authors are self-publishing. Still, I lament
the number of e-books self-published without editing for they give all
self-publishers a bad rep. However, the e-readers are slick and easy to use. I
have one. A Kindle. I love it. Both of my books are available in paperback and
digital versions and I am currently producing an audiobook of Twenty-One Steps
of Courage. I subscribe to Publishers Weekly to keep abreast of publishing
stats and am encouraged to see the numbers grow for audio books. While I am
optimistic about my chances to get an agent to represent my new novel, and plan
to query as many as I can, I will also attend a conference in February to pitch
the book. If all that fails I will self-publish again. All authors today have
to be ready to participate in marketing their own books because agents and
publishers expect it. I’m pretty good at it and am looking forward to releasing
a novel in a genre that has a fan base of more than a handful of Soldiers!
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter.
You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He
feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
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