Look at the fantasy books on your shelves now (or, if you're a writer, look at your work in progress), and make a rough estimate of the number of non-white major characters. How many of the women characters could pass the Bechdel test? Are any of the characters gay? I suspect that too many of us default to the fantasy shorthand developed by Tolkien, Lewis, and Moorcock as a shortcut to world-building. But the considered use of race, gender, and sexuality can help us create fantasy worlds with greater depth and resonance for the reader.

How do fantasy worlds end up so white, male, and straight? Certainly, science fiction has its own tropes, and a bad space opera is just as derivative as a bad dungeon crawl. But one thing science fiction seems to be better at than fantasy is gender inclusion and, to a lesser extent, racial diversity. This may be because a lot of us base our fantasy worlds, consciously or not, on actual historical locations and cultures. To what extent should this limit us?

After reading Saladin Ahmed’s article "Is 'Game of Thrones' Too White?," I took a look at my current project and realized that while the parts I have set in the modern day are fairly racially diverse, the parts I have set in Fantasyland (which I had imagined as roughly commensurate with Northern Ireland) were not. At all. Had I subconsciously defaulted to Classic Fantasy Pseudo-Europe?

I was already including a diverse range of women characters in the book, which is something I am more likely to notice is missing from a lot of fantasy because I’m a woman. But now I’m taking another look at my assumptions about race and sexual identity. Just because I’ve decided to base the geography, or the style of dress, or certain phrases of borrowed language on an existing culture doesn’t mean that I’m locked into every aspect of that existing culture for my fantasy setting. Why shouldn’t there be a diversity of races in Northern Ireland Derivative? The more I play with the idea of race (who's to say what the patterns of trade and immigration look like in a fantasy world? oh, wait, that would be me!), the more I think that I’ve been unconsciously limiting myself.

I don’t have to play in Tolkien’s sandbox, or Martin’s. Identifying and questioning my own assumptions about the kind of characters who populate my fantasy world is the best way to create a world that’s truly my own. After all, the real world has changed a lot since Tolkien and Lewis. It's time that our imagined worlds changed, as well.

A blog is more than just a place to pimp your latest book. It's a place to interact with people who like to read, in a way that doesn't require them to invest money or a lot of time. Your blog is a way for potential readers to decide whether they want to find out more about you. So, what does your blog say about you?

Does your blog tell readers

• I'm interesting. I do interesting things, I have interesting ideas, and I know interesting guest bloggers.
• I'm relevant. I have things to share that don't replicate what other bloggers in my circle are doing.
• I'm authentic. The voice I use in my blog is a good indication of the way I write.
• I'm considerate. My posts are entertaining, aren't all the same length, and don't contain basic editorial errors.

Or is it really telling readers

• I'm long-winded. My blog entries consistently run several screens long, and it sometimes takes me quite a while to make my point.
• I'm repetitive. I post about the same topic over and over, and I have guest bloggers who reiterate my themes.

• I don't write well. Although my stories are in fact well crafted, restrained, and moving, my blog posts are full of basic grammatical and spelling errors.
• I'm an opportunist. I'm only writing this blog as a way to market my book.
  

"Don't judge a book by its cover" isn't good advice anymore. Readers do judge a book by its cover, in a publishing environment suddenly crowded with books vying for their attention. And readers will judge you by the quality of your blog, too. "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" is the advice we need to remember.

You've been writing this novel for two years. You changed the POV from third to first person based on your beta readers' feedback. You went back through every chapter, smoothing and polishing. You promoted it on every social media site, twice a week. So why isn't your book selling?

1. Does it suck? Did you hire an actual editor, and take your editor's recommendations seriously? Even if you decide to fix something in a different way than the editor suggested, don't ignore an editor who says parts of your book don't work.

2. Does the cover look like you put it together yourself? You have maybe three seconds to catch a potential reader's attention as that reader scrolls past your book's thumbnail on Amazon. Does your cover look clean and professionally designed? If your cover looks like amateur hour, readers are going to guess that what's inside will be, too.

3. Do you have any reviews? How do you keep the attention of the potential readers who's paused to look at the thumbnail of your book? You need a credible number of reviews (my own opinion is that ten is a minimum to establish credibility), even if they're aren't all perfect fives. Get your book in front of as many people as possible and ask for reviews.

4. Is your book description boring? One paragraph: ten sentences or less. Set up the hero, the villain, and the conflict, and end with a teaser. Do not retell the plot. Read descriptions of best-selling work in your genre, and imitate what they do.

5. Are the first three paragraphs of your book any good? Go ahead, front-load the exposition, tell your writers' group that your story builds slowly, tell yourself that readers don't "get" you. But those excuses won't make a reader want to buy your book. Whether it's in an ebook preview or a bookstore flip-through, most readers will glance through the first few paragraphs to judge whether they want to buy a book. Those had better be the best three paragraphs in your book.

6. Do you have another book? The best way to sell a book is to have more than one. A satisfied reader will come back to find your other books, turning one sale into more.

In the end, the best way to sell books is to write more. Practice your craft, read other books in your genre, talk to other successful writers, read blogs like terribleminds and Fantasy Author's Handbook. Write more. Writewritewritewritewrite. And get better.

This year's NorWesCon featured a lot of panels that included representatives from regional small presses. With the rise of e-publishing, the role of the small press has also changed. Here are the points I took from these discussions.

"Not all small publishers are created equal."
     --- Shahid Mohammed, Arc Manor Publishers

The cost of entry for small press publishing has dropped, with the advent of e-publishing and print-on-demand physical publishing. Mohammed points out that anyone can now decide to become a small press publisher, and authors need to educate themselves on the differences.

• Read previous publications: How is the quality of the cover art? Does the publisher's website look professional? Has the book been well edited?

• Check the contract: Mohammed says to avoid any publisher that wants money from the author up front, or that expects the author to purchase a certain number of books. (*See note below.)
  
• Compare artistic styles: Does the publisher's vision for your book match your own? For example, will it be designed and marketed for  young adults? as sword-and-sorcery fantasy? as supernatural romance? Will the cover art communicate the branding you want? Are readers of the publisher's other books the audience for yours?
• Decide whether you want physical books: Several small presses now no longer automatically contract with printers for physical books, as the cost of producing them has risen and profit margins fallen. Todd McCoy of Hydra House said that his press doesn't produce physical books, and Fairwood Press indicated that they were considering going to ebook-only publishing, as well.
  
• Ask about bookstore presence: Most of the small presses at this event do not place books in bookstores. Some small presses will list new titles on Ingram, which can at least make bookstores aware of your book. Ask whether the publisher provides an ISBN for your book, which makes it easier for bookstores to order. I'll talk in another post about how to get your own books into bookstores.
• Ask about marketing: Patrick Sweeny of Fairwood Press said that in his opinion, print ads didn't offer sufficient return on the investment, and his press no longer places ads in trade publications. Matt Winkelmann of Three Ravens Books told me that his press offers marketing support by shipping copies of books and limited swag items (bookmarks, for example) to authors who have set up and paid their own way to promotional events. Some small presses offer authors access to the publication's website for blogging. A few arrange book tours and signings. Generally, the burden of marketing falls on the author (as it does for midlist Big Pub authors, as well). 
• Find out what happens if you book does unexpectedly well: Ironically, a book that sells unusually well can be a problem for a small press, with its limited ability to fulfill orders for physical books. If this happens, many small presses will try to sell mass market paperback rights to a larger publisher. You need to make sure that your contract reverts these rights to you, and that you understand how the publisher will handle a title that sells unexpectedly well.

Small presses can offer an author many advantages, not least of which is greater experience in the professional preparation and presentation of a book. But there are as many kinds of small presses are there are big publishers, and not all are right for every author, or every book. If you decide to publish through a small press, do some research before you sign a contract.


*NOTE: NorWesCon is a science fiction and fantasy genre convention, and the small presses represented there specialize in genre publishing. Small presses in other genres, particularly nonfiction, academic publishing, and poetry, have different practices, and your expectations from them should be different. For more information about poetry publishers and university presses, I recommend you ask Amanda Rachelle Warren.

I had a great time at NorWesCon 2013, and took copious notes of all of the panels I attended. Over the next few weeks, I'll let you know what I found out.

Big publisher, small press, or self-publishing---which is the right choice for you? Here are some of the pros and cons of each choice:

BIG PUBLISHING
    PROS

• Distribution. Big Pub can get your books into bookstores, grocery stores, airports, and other physical venues. Panelist Karen Kincy suggests going to Big Pub first for the wider visibility, and choosing other methods of publishing once you've established your brand.
• Editing and cover art. Big Pub already has these resources in house, so the professional level of the editing and art is likely to be high.
• Multi-book deals. Everything I heard this weekend suggests that Big Pub (especially genre publishing) is looking for book series; sales of first books, reportedly, aren't usually great, but sales volumes build with each additional book in a series.
• Payment up front.  Most authors don't earn out their advances, but you get that money up front instead of waiting for it to trickle in (or not) over a much longer time.
• Credibility. Depending on your book's performance, of course, it's easier to sell and market a second book if you've already successfully published a book with Big Pub.
  

    CONS

• You'll need an agent.  There are established authors who say you don't need an agent, but very few Big Pubs accept direct submissions. I'll write more about agents in an upcoming post.
• You'll need a contract lawyer. You absolutely must spend some money to consult with a contract lawyer before signing any contract, especially one from Big Pub. A non-compete clause could prevent you from writing similar work again; you might get locked into the same royalty rate for ebooks and print versions; you could be asked to include foreign publication rights or the rights to future movies or games.
  
• No marketing. Unless you're a big name author (which you and I are not), Big Pub won't do marketing for your book.
• Short shelf life. A book by a midlist author might get three months of featured bookstore shelf space before it's pushed aside by the next release. After that, sales will have to be driven primarily by your marketing efforts, and by the success of your subsequent books.

SMALL PRESS
    PROS

• Shorter response time. Small presses will generally answer your query letters within weeks, rather than the year a submission to a Big Pub slush pile will take.
• Personal relationship. Most small presses treat authors as collaborators, so you have more input into things like cover art.
• No author investment. A small press foots the bill for editing and cover art, so you don't have to locate and pay an editor and artist yourself. Note: Avoid small presses that ask for money from authors. I'll write more about this in an upcoming post.
  
• Validation. For some authors and readers, the publisher's role as gatekeeper adds confidence in the book's quality. Panelist Frances Pauli recommends going through a small press for your first book, for the assurance that your work is ready for publication, and then using self-publishing for subsequent books.
  

    CONS

• No marketing. Most small presses don't have the budget to market their titles, although some small presses will assist you in your own marketing efforts.
• No money up front. Small presses don't give advances.
• No presence in bookstores. Small presses won't get your book into bookstores or other physical venues. I'll discuss how to get your books into bookstores in an upcoming post.
  

SELF-PUBLISHING
    PROS

• Immediate gratification. You don't have to spend weeks or months looking for an agent or a small press, or waiting while your manuscript sits in a slush pile.
• You don't split the profits. With self-publishing, you can keep all of the net profit. Big Pub may offer only single-digit royalties, and small presses offer royalties of between 25-50%. (Be advised, though, that after deliverability fees, price matching discounts, and foreign sales exclusions, the 70% royalty bracket for self-publishing can wind up in the 35-60% range.)
• Build your backlist more quickly. The more books you have available for purchase, the better your revenue tail with each new book.

    CONS

• Up-front costs of editing and cover art. To produce a professional quality book, you must invest in professional editing and cover art. Unlike Big Pub and small presses, with self-publishing you have to pay for these costs yourself, before you see any income from the book.
• Steep learning curve. Panelist Ken McConnell noted that unless you have html experience, formatting your own ebook can be challenging. He suggests hiring someone familiar with the process to help you at first.
  
• You have to build your own brand. Big Pub and small presses can establish credibility for your book before a reader knows your work. With self-publication, you have to start building credibility from scratch with your first book.
• Low sales volumes. There are always exceptions. But on average, a new, midlist author (without a tie-in to an established IP) might expect to sell 5,000 copies of a book published with Big Pub. A midlist author might expect to sell around 500 copies with a small press (maybe 1,000 - 2,000 for a book with wider genre appeal). Most self-published authors don't sell 500 copies of a single book. (This number varies by genre and by the quality of the book's presentation and marketing. These are averages, and there are exceptions on both sides of these numbers.)

Obviously, no single publishing choice is right for every author or for every book. Think about what you want to gain from publishing, and choose the medium that can help you achieve that goal. Most importantly, no matter what you're doing to publish and market your book, keep writing your next book.