An Interview With My Sis (or A Writer and a Massage Therapist Walk Into a Bar...)

Tip of the Day: Interested in the lives of massage therapists? Check out my sister's blog. I know there's a story in here somewhere....

My sister, Andrea Lipomi, an LMT based in Las Vegas and the author of CONFIDENT RELAXATION MASSAGE: ADVICE FOR THE BUDDING MASSAGE THERAPIST, asked me if I would be willing to interview her for her own blog.

Of course I said yes -- and that I would ask questions related to publishing so I could cross-post it here. What a win-win situation! I hope you find this interview interesting and informative in the areas of writing non-fiction, self-publishing ebooks, and creating related course work to your non-fiction topic.

DL: As a writer myself, I was excited to learn that you were writing a book in 2010, and then even more excited to read it and help with your line edits! But as a writer of fiction instead of non-fiction, I'm not as familiar with the process of writing "how to" books. Can you talk about the market research you did before committing to your CONFIDENT RELAXATION MASSAGE: ADVICE FOR THE BUDDING MASSAGE THERAPIST project, and how you figured out how to structure the contents?

AL: First, let me thank you again for all of your help with the editing! You and Darren (our scientist brother) are amazing, and I know that CONFIDENT RELAXATION MASSAGE: ADVICE FOR THE BUDDING MASSAGE THERAPIST wouldn’t have turned out nearly as well as it did if I hadn’t been able to pick your brains.

Back in 2007 I dabbled with the idea of writing a massage therapy tell-all – think WAITING, but with less food and more creepiness. The more I got into it, the more I realized that the bulk of I had to share with the reader was the “uncommon common sense” stuff that I learned the hard way – through making mistakes, trial and error, and utter embarrassment! We’re talking everything from upgrading services from Swedish to deep tissue, to dealing with the smell of onions in the massage room, to handling requests for happy endings (figuratively, of course).

I wanted to write a book about spa-style relaxation massage that would appeal to massage hobbyists and students, in addition to licensed professionals. I’d read a lot of great massage books over the years that were written with a specific audience in mind: people who had never performed a massage in their lives, independent practitioners in need of marketing advice, massage professionals looking to add new modalities to their toolboxes, etc., but I couldn’t find any books out there that focused on performing high-quality relaxation massage in a manner that would appeal to both newbies and seasoned massage therapists. I found my niche!

The structure evolved as I compiled my content. What did I advise my friends to do when they interviewed or auditioned for a massage position? What would I have wanted a friend to tell me when I felt alone and discouraged during my tenure in massage school? What have I shared to bolster a friend’s confidence when they were struggling to assert themselves or struggling to find balance?

There’s a clear distinction between chapters in CRM. This way, someone who’s already comfortable with performing a full-body massage can easily skip over the step-by-step instructions that make up that one particular chapter, for example. I don’t like taking a “one size fits all” approach to many things in life, including my writing.


DL: You also offer online continuing education courses for LMTs. Are they required to purchase and read CRM? How are the course assignments related to the contents of the book?
AL: I have written a continuing education course for massage therapists called AMERICAN SPASPITALITY, and I have another course in the works. It’s completely different from CRM, so to answer your question, MTs do not need to read CRM to take my course.
What these projects DO have in common is that both can be found on smashwords.com. AS is free to download, and if people want CE credit for answering the quiz found at the end of it, they can pay me $48 through my website, ConfidentMassage.com. CRM is $3.99, can be found on smashwords.com, BN.com, and amazon.com. There’s not a quiz or CE option with CRM.

DL: In the arena of fiction for children (the audience I write for), authors often try to find ways to provide lesson materials on their websites that relate to their books; the hope is that they will encourage teachers to use the book in schools. Did you find that sales of your book went up after you provided the additional content, i.e. the "lessons" for your course?
AL: Since my CE course and CRM ebook are totally separate, there isn’t a correlation between the sales of either one. CRM ebook sales spike when I receive a favorable mention on a social media platform, like when Allissa of massage blog Writing A Blue Streak read CRM and gave me a shout out. Her facebook audience, for example, is made up of different people than mine (as we travel in different circles – both regionally and professionally), so it was very cool to be “introduced” to all of these new people through the magic of social networking.

DL: What book are you working on next, and will it relate to a new LMT course?
AL: I am working on a fun new ebookcourse that I hope to roll out within the next month. I’ll keep you posted!

DL: Will you ever try to traditionally publish a book on massage? Or on any other topic?
AL: Traditionally? Probably not. I like the relative immediate gratification and control that come from independently epubbing. My time is best spent working on my next project, whatever that happens to be at the moment.

DL: What is your typical week like? When do you fit in your writing?
AL: I work three 10-hour shifts every week at a resort spa here in Las Vegas. On those days, I sleep, eat, shower, try to stay out of trouble at work, and that’s usually it. I get the bulk of my writing done on my four days “off”, and can usually be found at Starbucks or The Beat (a fabulous indie coffeehouse in downtown Las Vegas) where the distractions are limited to loud cell phone gabbers (as opposed to laundry piles, dirty dishes, and husbands).

DL: What ways have you found to promote your book and course that have worked well?
AL: Marketing is an adventure for me right now. I’ve been tinkering with Google Adwords to promote AMERICAN SPASPITALITY, and the results have been wildly varied and interesting. When my new course comes out I’ll blast my facebook page(s), twitter, local networking groups, etc.

CRM shows up as an “also bought” on Amazon for a lot of people who buy massage books, since there really aren’t that many out there. Amazon is totally where it’s at for me income-wise on the ebook side. I love Smashwords for their free ebook capabilities, multiple formats, and indie-friendly vibe. Deena, I know you love your Nook; unfortunately Barnes & Noble is my least lucrative ebook outlet right now.

DL: What platform do you use and/or prefer to read ebooks?
AL: I usually read ebooks on my smartphone. If I purchase an ebook, it’s usually from Amazon and I read it on the Kindle app on my DROID. If I download a free epub formatted book from the public library’s digital catalog (which I encourage EVERYONE to do), I use the OverDrive app on my DROID. I also love to use OverDrive to download free MP3 audiobooks from the public library and listen to them when I walk or work out. It’s motivating because you have to finish listening to the audiobook before it returns itself in three weeks!


DL: Your husband is also an LMT; did he offer any insight from the male perspective for CRM?
AL: Here and there. We talk about the challenges faced by male MTs all the time. I keep (half) joking that we should record our rants and host our own massage reality show. It would be fantastic.
I have a blog post idea percolating in the recesses of my mind regarding the hardships faced by male MTs: discrimination by clients and employers, false accusations of a sexual nature, assumptions that male MTs always deliver deeper pressure than female MTs, the list goes on and on. I’ll probably bust out on the laptop after I finish working on my new CE course, because I do get worked up emotionally when I consider the BS that some of these hard-working MTs have to deal with, just because they were born with a Y chromosome.

DL: And for our fiction readers, what is your favorite novel that features a massage therapist? Is there one? If not, what story line would you like the LMT to have?
AL: I’m not aware of one, but I’m really out of touch with what’s going on in the world of fiction. The last several books I’ve read have been about massage therapy, primarily ethics and business-related non-fiction, with a dose of old-timey anatomy and dissection non-fiction for good measure.
I would want the massage therapist character in a novel to be realistic. Authors, please do not follow the model set forth by Jennifer Love Hewitt in ‘The Client List’, or Phoebe in ‘Friends’. We may be weirdos, but most of us are ethical, intelligent, hardworking individuals who would love to read a smartly-written book about one of our own.

DL: Any final thoughts?
AL: Deena, thanks so much for interviewing me! If anyone on either one of our blogs would like to ask me pretty much anything about massage therapy, life in Las Vegas, or having an awesome sister, please contact me and we’ll chat. My website is www.ConfidentMassage.com, my email address is helpinghands (at) ConfidentMassage.com, or you can add me on facebook or twitter. OK, time to drink my lemonade iced tea and work on the next project…

Thank you so much, Andrea! This was very interesting and informative. I have a thank you gift in the mail for your time (think library book donation.... :)). Readers, feel free to leave any questions for Andrea here or on her blog! I really need to get going on a massage therapist novel since it seems to be untapped territory....

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Can writers be as cool as musicians?

Tip of the Day: music playlists can be a great way to inspire you for the book you are working on. I never like to listen while actually writing, because I'm not that talented to do both at the same time. However, I enjoy listening to the playlist before working on a project to get me in the mood.

Last weekend I was in Cleveland and visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm not a huge music person, in the sense that I don't constantly follow new bands or current trends. I'm just your basic music appreciator who loves to sing in the car as loud as possible--usually the wrong lyrics--just for the fun of it. But even though I'm not a die-hard rock and roll fan, I still love being surrounded by anything creative and find it incredibly inspiring.

Not only were the clothes and memorabilia fabulous to look at, but I particularly enjoyed watching videos of those that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Anyone that can have a career for decades and start an entire genre of music is completely fascinating to me.

From what I gathered here are the two main traits of what a musician or any one in an artistic field needs to have for continued success:

1.) You have to have a good grasp on who you are as an artist and always stay true to yourself.

2.) But at the same time you have to have the ability to keep reinventing yourself to stay relevant to your fans and the general public as a whole.

It sounds like an oxymoron. How on earth can you stay exactly who you are, but at the same time reinvent yourself?

And I'm sure if we could figure it out, we'd all be famous.

But I do think it's possible and I think we as artists need to strive for that if we want to keep being able to produce books that people want to read.

--Emily, Miss Querylicious

How to Sell 20,000 eBooks

Tip of the Day: Enter to win a copy of Shari Brady's new book Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye on my blog!!!

You can buy ebooks on marketing your ebook. There are a lot of them out there. Or you can read this post and I'll tell you the top three things I've done to get to 20,000 ebook sales.

http://l00065619.wordpress.com/2010/02/

When I posted on my Facebook page that I broke 20k in sales, I received many emails, PMs, posts, etc asking me how I did it.

I know some people think I should keep my marketing strategies a secret. I call BS. Seriously? I'm happy to tell you what I've done.

Unfortunately, there isn't a magic bean. I wish there was, because then we'd all be sipping sweet tea on a beach. However, I can tell you some steps I've taken to increase visibility of my ebooks:

- Set the first book in a series free -

This is the same tactic they use at Costco. Have you ever tried walking through that place without eating enough sample food to fill you up for a week? If it's yummy, you might even buy it. It's the same with ebooks. Yes, Anathema has been downloaded, hold your breath, close to 2,000,000 times (thanks mostly to Wattpad and Amazon).

Don't tell me my sales suck. I'd guess there are tons of people hoarding ebooks on their ereaders, assuming someday they'll read them. I know, because I'm one of the hoarders. I'm really proud of my sell-through rate. The fact that anyone buys my sequels is encouraging!

- Get mentioned on the right websites - 

There are some incredible websites that advertise ebooks. Some charge money for ads. Some will list free ebooks. All four of these are the right place to be. Yes, I'm sure there are more great ones out there. If you know, please share them below in the comments.

Pixel of Ink (my favorite!)
Kindle Nation Daily
eReader News Today
Kindle Fire Department

- Befriend book bloggers -

There's nothing better than someone who loves your books and will tell the world about them. This is where bloggers come in. These readers are happy to devour your book and then tell the world how much they love it.

I'm not going to list my favorite book bloggers because the blogger you query should be targeted for your book. They don't all like fantasy, they don't all like contemporary. Find the right reader for your book and ask them if they're interested in reading it.

But do me a favor, treat them kindly. You aren't entitled to a review, or even a good review. Let them have their opinions. They don't owe writers anything. However, a friendly relationship can go a long way.

Just yesterday a blogger sent me interview questions. She actually apologized for them, assuming many of them would be repeats from the hundreds of other interviews I've done. My response: I'm happy to answer any questions, no matter how many times I've been asked. Just because other people know the answers, it doesn't mean her readers do.

http://bit.ly/LNbMrD

These are the top three tips I have for you. There's always discussions on getting into the right categories, promoting on Twitter (which I suck at, so don't ask me about it), promoting on Facebook (I generally use it as a way to connect with readers who already know about my books), etc.

You could try the spaghetti method (you know, throw it against the wall and see what sticks), or you could do the obvious: write, edit, write, edit, write, edit.

Take these words of wisdom from Hugh Howey (WOOL) in his Huffington Post article on snagging a film deal with Ridley Scott:

"My inbox lately has become sprinkled with missives from other independent writers asking me for any advice I might have. So I tell them what you have taught me: Please the reader. Write your best works for them; make those works affordable; interact with your fans; and take their feedback to heart. Without a single dime spent in advertising, a short story I wrote and didn't even work to promote climbed to the top of the Amazon charts. It drew the attention of Hollywood. It landed me an agent and half a dozen foreign book deals. All because of word of mouth. Because I happened to please you, and you told someone else, and they spread the word further."
  
Megg, Miss Enchanted ePubber

Stocking Up On Experiences

Tip of the Day: Happy INDIE-pendence Day! Today's the last day of the INDIE-pendence celebration over at the Indelibles blog. Click through the list of participating blogs and learn about great Indie authors and have a chance of winning some cool prizes.

This week my son had a boy scout field trip to a rock quarry. I could have just dropped him off with the other scouts and picked him up two hours later. After all, it was freaking hot out (104 degrees according to my car) and I had my other three kids with me too. But I thought hmm, I've never been in a quarry. What if I can use this in a book someday? You never know. I can have a scene where my main character has to sneak into a quarry to meet a mysterious guy. Or hide a body. Whatever. :-) So I decided we should all stay and take the tour with them. And it was so cool! We took a bus down into the quarry, saw the massive trucks hauling limestone, saw the machines shooting the stone up from underground (they're mining underground now), fed the huge catfish in their lake, and picked up pretty crystal rocks. It was basically awesome and I'm so happy we decided to stay.

What about you guys? Do you ever make yourself do something thinking you might someday use it in a book?

Below are some pics from the day.

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

Teen Me v. Adult Me (or Am I Becoming My Father?)

Tip of the Day: Don't stay up too late watching the Olympics Trials! (Or, conversely, stay up late watching the Olympics Trials to prepare for staying up late to watch the Olympics!)

For our male readers out there, I had to do an "Am I Becoming My Father?" post to accompany the similar post about my mother from two weeks ago.

In some ways, as an adult I am more like my father than my mother. For example, the following used to embarass me when my father did them, but now I also:

1. Can't keep my mouth shut when I find something ridiculous/hypocritical/dumb, even if I'm in front of a crowd (fortunately this trait got me off a murder trial jury).

2. Talk (too much?) to restaurant servers and other service providers (still not as much as Dad because I know from experience that they are too busy to chat forever, but I do get yappin').

3. Have food sensitivities to ridiculous things like iceburg lettuce (I need my lettuce green, thank you very much).

Are you more like your mother or father now as an adult? And which parent used to embarass you more?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Technology: your best friend and your worst enemy

Tip of the Day: for all of you social networking fans, there's a newer site called Riffle that Publisher's Weekly has called "the Pinterest of book discovery." Tara Lazar did a good summary post about it here.

This weekend my power was out for almost a full four days, thanks to the storms that passed through the area. Luckily, I already had an extended weekend trip planned, so I missed most of it and it didn't effect me much. But the one day I was home, it was a good reminder of how dependent I am on electricity.

So much so that's it's slightly frightening.Without my iPhone I might have gone crazy with no access to the Internet or email.

Every time we experience a blackout I can't help but think of the book Life As We Know It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, partially because while reading the post apocalyptic book we ironically suffered a blackout in my town and the last half was read using a flashlight in the pitch dark. Every time this happens my mind starts to wonder what life would be like if we were faced with these conditions or at the very least we had no power for an extended period of time.

If I had no power, I have no clue how I could continue writing my novels.

I don't think I could write long hand. I've heard many people speak of the wonders of writing this way, but it isn't for me. I despise writing anything of length with a pen or pencil. Mostly because after two sentences my hand feels like it will fall off. Though typing with the same hand does not effect me that way.

So I suppose if I was without power, I'd have to find an old typewriter. Or I guess maybe just resort to composing stories in my head and be content with sharing those instead of writing them down.

What about you? If you were without power for an extended time, do you think you'd still need to write in some capacity?

--Emily, Miss Querylicious

Summer Goals (Not an Oxymoron)

Tip of the Day: My Chautauqua writer friend Juliet Bond blogs with Swagger Writers. Check out her post on Scholastic's gender oriented non-fiction at http://swaggerwriters.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-be-really-daring.html.

Hi all! As a writer, guess what I hate to do the most?

Read rejection letters? Okay, that's it. But I mean besides the obvious.

It's outlining. I hate outlining. Yet somehow, I've committed to myself to create FOUR outlines this summer. That sounds crazy even if I liked outlining. Why have I committed to such insanity?

Here's the thing: I have to start a new project. I've had lots of ideas brewing while I finished my last novel, but none I've explored fully. I have 3 promising ideas, and I'd like to write one of them. But I have a misgiving about each idea. The horror idea seems too edgy in a sex and partying way. The science fiction seems too middle grade but I can't see how to make it into a middle grade completely. The weird western also seems too middle grade, too save the world from a bad guy, but that might be the nature of westerns. Western definitely equals research.

So I'm starting out by outlining a novel I would like to rewrite. I think only the beginning third needs a rewrite and the rest just needs to be revised. But I feel like an outline would reassure me that the plot is on track, and also give me practice in writing a good outline. I plan to use Rhonda Helms's outlining method, as she describes to people who take her plotting workshop. Then it's time to write the three outlines for the books that don't exist yet.

If I get tired of outlining (and I will, I will), I'll have the rewrite to distract me, so I can take a break between outlines. And hopefully, by the end of the summer, I'll be able to do one last revision on the novel I just finished revising and send out queries.

And hopefully hopefully, I'll know which new novel to take on. I actually have a fourth idea for a contemporary that may be too quiet, but how many outlines can one person write? And will this work for choosing the next project to spend a year on? I guess I'll keep you updated!

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages