Caleb Warnock

Utah Seed Exchange meeting and garden tour

2012-03-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I have helped found the Utah Seed Exchange, which has no dues or fees, and is dedicated to teaching people how save open-pollinated, heirloom seeds to swap with each other.

The Utah Seed Exchange is dedicated to the education and support of members in growing heirloom varieties and saving pure seeds. We offer education classes and heirloom seeds at no cost. Our blog is http://www.utahseed.blogspot.com

We had more than 200 people show up at our first meeting last month, which was very exciting. We will try to give free heirloom seed to everyone who comes again this meeting (unless you got seed at our first meeting). I am also opening my winter garden for public tours on this day from 2-4 p.m. (email me for my address. I live in Alpine.). At 2:30 p.m. I will do a live hot bed building demonstration. Anyone and everyone is invited to our next meeting. Here is info for the Utah Seed Exchange meeting in Provo:

WHAT: March meeting of the Utah Seed Exchange (open to the public)
WHERE: LDS cultural hall at 2445 N Timpview Dr, Provo.
WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday March 17
WHO: Anyone interesting in learning to save garden vegetable seed, and improve their gardening.
QUESTIONS: calebwarnock@yahoo.com

No RSVP necessary.

All adults and children participating in the class are welcome, there will not be babysitting available at this class.

We will need quite a few chairs set up, so please come about 15 minutes early to help.

(The picture is cold frame winter lettuce in my backyard in January : )

"Dig for Victory" (original WWII Victory Garden film)

2012-02-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a great, original World War II Victory Garden film reel. If this was necessary in World War II, how much harder would it be today if the fate of our nation depended on backyard gardens?

Winter garden update

2012-01-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Since it is now January I thought I'd drop in and give a quick winter gardening update. The winter garden is thriving. Here is a photo of one of my cold frames full of winter lettuce. Over the past three weeks we've hired a great photographer and we have been madly doing photo shoots for not one but two forthcoming books: my winter gardening book (out in April 2013) and "Bread, Naturally: A Modern Guide to the Health Benefits of an Ancient Tradition."

Today was the third or fourth photo shoot for the natural yeast bread book. This photo I've posted is from the winter gardening photo shoot. And I gave what publishers call "proof approval" to a text-only first edit of the yeast book today. We hope to have the photo shoots wrapped up next week. Then I need to get back to the serious business of writing the winter gardening book :) Did I mention my full-time job? :)

We've been eating a lot out of the garden lately, which is really fun in the winter. We went to the grocery store tonight and bought some yogurt and a few cheapo too-ripe bananas for the kids. Don't need to buy tomatoes -we have those in abundance (yes, in January. And yes, I just used a quart and a half of them to make the BEST tomato-lime-chickpea soup). No need to buy lettuce, or potatoes, or onions, or squash, or any greens -- we have all that. Certainly don't need to buy eggs - we got five more of those from the chickens just today alone. Fresh carrots? Got those. Turnips? Check. Rutabaga? Check. I don't have fresh peas right now, only because I didn't plan very well. But the peas are up. The last ones sprouted in the cold frame on Christmas Day. We even have pole beans (in the green house).

What else to report. The aphids got a little too happy in the greenhouse, so this week I made my own natural aphid killer, which worked excellently. I put a whole onion and a whole garlic bulb into the blender with a couple tablespoons of cayenne pepper with a quart of water. I pureed this and then let it sit overnight in a mason jar. The next day I strained it and put half in a spray bottle and diluted one to one and sprayed down all the greenhouse plants. The next day I sprayed them all down again with the second half. Presto! The next day, all those little green obnoxious aphids were dead. Worked like a charm, and it was completely organic. Take that, Monsanto.

By the way, its been in the 80s every day in the greenhouse, and that's with the vents open all day.

In the backyard, the baby lettuce in the hot bed is thriving. The Swiss chard is happy as a clam in the cold frame. All ten of my experimental winter lettuces are doing well with absolutely no protection. I am testing these ten varieties of winter lettuce as a volunteer researcher for the federal government. There is a clear winner, which I won't announce for now, since the seed is not available for purchase anywhere. I'm proud to say that I will be the first person in the world to offer this seed for sale, because I'm the only garden researcher working with the federal seedbank to test winter lettuces! I'm enjoying it a lot.

So, back to work. :) A huge thank you to everyone who had supported "The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers." The third printing will hit shelves late this month, and the book will soon be available in bookstores everywhere again. I know that most stores are sold out and that Amazon.com has been sold out for a couple weeks and I'm sorry for those of you who have been unable to get copies. More are coming soon! My hope is that everyone who has the book is putting it to work, not just putting it on a shelf. :) -Caleb

Do we really eat self-sufficiently?

2011-10-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

I continue to be asked this question: Do you really eat self-sufficiently?

It’s a fair question -- after all, I wrote the book on it. “The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers” is not a research-based book. This is how we live. We eat out off our two acres every day of the year, no matter the season. It’s not hard, it’s not time consuming, it certainly saves us huge amounts of money (I’ll be happy to compare my monthly or yearly grocery store bill to anyone’s -- I’ll win, I promise).

Someone asked me to tour their garden recently and give them some advice. While they were showing me their spread, this person said to me “It must be nice to stay home all day gardening and researching for your next book.”

Um, so wrong.

I have a full-time job (journalist for the Provo Daily Herald) and several part-time jobs (teaching writing both in person and online classes, book tour and book writing, directing writing conferences, selling pure, nonhybrid seed raised on our own property, teaching gardening and homemade yeast and self-sufficiency classes). I’m one of the few lucky people who not only gets to do exactly what I love every day (garden, write, teach) but I am also over-employed in an under-employed economy. (Don’t mistake that for well-paid. If you knew what writers get paid, you’d weep. There is a reason we are self-sufficient.)

So no, I don’t have luxuriant free time to lounge around gardening and cooking and researching books. This is just our life. I was paid one of the highest compliments of my life this week when a friend looked at me and said “You are the epitome of ‘If you need something done, ask a busy person.’ “ Made my day.

I say all of this because everyone can do something to feed themselves, no matter your schedule or where you live -- a huge farm, a couple of acres, a condo, a rented apartment. I have lived in all of these, and I have grown my own food on all of these properties to some degree. If you want to do it, you can.

So, to answer the question “Do you really eat self-sufficiently” I’m going to try to blog more often about what we are eating, to show you. And I’ll try to take some pictures, if I can remember. (It’s hard for a hungry person to remember to stop and take a photo :) Here is some of what we ate this week:

Pasta sauce:

This is what I made today. In this dish from our garden: onion, carrot, beet, tomatoes, basil, Japanese purple mustard, Swiss chard. I diced the onions, removed the stems from the mustards and chard, grated the carrot and beet and put the tomatoes whole, with all the rest, into the blender with salt for a few minutes and then put the puree on the stove on the lowest possible heat for about an hour and half. We are actually eating this tomorrow, for Sunday dinner over whole wheat pasta, so the sauce is in the fridge as we "speak".

Pizza:
In this dish from our property: dough made from homemade, natural yeast, sauce made from our tomatoes and basil (pureed and simmered for an hour with salt; I should have put in one of our onions, but I forgot). Also worth mentioning -- artisan cheese made locally at Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, which I love!

Cream Stew:
In this stew from our garden: purple podded pole beans (dried, grown from our own seed), Contender beans (dried), white, yellow, orange and red carrots, turnip, corn.

Garden Salad:
In this salad from our garden: a gourmet lettuce blend of Rouge Grenbloise (a red lettuce), Green Jewel Romaine (grown from our own seed), Oak Leaf (light green and frilly), Marveille de Quatre Saison (bronze and green lettuce); also, orange and yellow carrots.

Toast & Eggs:
In this dish from our property: fresh eggs, toast from homemade bread made with homemade natural yeast. (Raw honey from my parents’ farm -- that deserves a mention).

Garden Soup:
In this soup from our garden: potatoes (grown from our own seed potatoes), rutabaga, swiss chard, onion, basil, carrots, tomatoes (pureed fresh). Also in this soup: lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, hamburger. No recipe. All garden soups are the same -- fill the pot about ⅔ with water, bring to boil, put in veggies, cook, season to taste. I added the chard at the last minute.

Toast (several times this week -- it’s been toast weather):
Using homemade bread baked with homemade, natural yeast, spread with an assortment of our homemade jams and jellies.

Sandwiches:
Using homemade bread baked with homemade, natural yeast, and lettuces from the garden.

Omelets:
The kids have been demanding these, especially Xander. Made with our fresh, free-range eggs, of course.

Apples:

We have apples coming out our ears. I've given dozens away this week, and the kids gobble them up off the trees, and Charmayne makes wonderful apple crisp, and tomorrow for a treat we are having gjetost cheese over apple slices broiled for 2 minutes -- a new favorite tree that a friend introduced me to today. The broiled cheese tastes EXACTLY like caramel on the apples. So good!

Finally, we don't eat baby chicks! But I thought this photo was so great, I decided to put it up. We are really enjoying our unexpected and rare October chicks -- two broods!
Next time: Do we go to the grocery store? And for what? Thanks for reading! See you soon. -Caleb.

Good News! My book goes into third printing!

2011-10-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Good news: My publisher has announced that my book, "Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers" will go into a third printing!

More good news: There are copies available now at Amazon.

As I mentioned in an early post, the book has been sold out at the publisher (meaning the retail stores have all the copies) for about six weeks. Many retail stores have also been sold out, although there have been copies here and there. The publisher sold 5,000 copies (wholesale to retailers) in the first five weeks, a huge success.

Three weeks after the book came out, the publisher ordered a second printing. But because the book is printed in full-color on every page, which is hugely expensive, the books are being printed in China. That second printing is now done and on a ship. Hoping to get some books into stores as soon as possible, the publisher air-freighted, at considerable expense, 500 copies. Those are now stuck in customs, but we hope they will be in Utah this week. The rest of the second printing, another 2,500 copies, will be here at Thanksgiving.

And yesterday, the publisher ordered a third printing of 4,000 copies, which will bring the total so far to 12,000. Those books will not be here until January/February I assume. (I didn’t ask).

So, here are some stats:

- After being released less than three months, the book has gone into its third printing.
- The book is a national bestseller (#5)
- The book is a regional bestseller (#1)

You can get copies now, at the Amazon link above, and by ordering online at Deseret Book, and within days they will be in Costcos and Seagulls. I think some Walmarts still have some copies.

More potentially good news: Melissa Richardson and I turned in the manuscript for our new book, a cookbook of natural yeast recipes. Hurrah!! More on that another day.

Thank you to everyone who has believed in my book, purchased it, and put it to work. It’s time to be self-sufficient.

The photo was taken in our backyard yesterday. I finally had to put the squash into storage because we had our first hard freeze. It feels like I can rest at last after a long, delicious garden season. We also had a second batch of baby chicks born on Saturday. We now have a total of eight babies, and all are doing well, despite the cold. They have good mothers.

:) -Caleb

NYTimes: "Amazon rewrites rules of book publishing"

2011-10-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

Some fascinating info in this story, including how Penguin sued a first-time author who published an ebook after signing a contract, and how Amazon is also signing first-time authors to their new publishing house.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/technology/amazon-rewrites-the-rules-of-book-publishing.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

My book is officially a NATIONAL BESTSELLER!

2011-10-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hello all.

So, there is some news. I am a national bestselling author.

I’ve been sitting on this for more than a week because I keep waiting for someone to jump out from behind something and say “Just kidding!” But it’s real. My publisher informed me last week that my book, “Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers” hit number five IN THE NATION last week in the home and garden category, according to Nielsen BookScan, which is the national organization which keeps track of these things. National retailers report their weekly book sales to BookScan, which tabulates them and releases the a list of the top seller, according to category, each week. And I’m on the list.

So, I’m a national bestselling author.

I’m still trying to take that in. I’m so pleased, and scared, and excited, and excited and scared.

The book, by the way, is more or less sold out. The publisher sold the last copy to retailers almost three weeks ago. Retailers have been unable to order any more copies for three weeks. The first print run was 5,000 copies, and they were all sold in five weeks. A couple of weeks in, when it became clear that the book was selling swiftly, my publisher, Cedar Fort, decided to order a second print run. Problem is, because this book is printed in full color on every page -- the most expensive way to produce a book -- it is only makes sense to print the books in China. And to get them here from China, they come on a cargo ship. So the second printing will not be here until mid-November. Clearly, this is not ideal. But there is not much to be done about it. My publisher informs me that it would cost $5 per book -- per book -- to air freight them from China. They are working to find an American printer who can come close to matching the China price. If they can, they may order some to have available sooner than mid-November, but so far it is unclear whether any U.S. company can match the price.

The upshot is that the book has become hard to find. Amazon was out for a while, but they have some now. There are some in Walmart stores here and there, and a few copies in a few Costcos. My understanding is that Deseret Book is sold out. I had no copies at all, but I found a store that had a few and bought them, so I have three copies.

My goal in writing this book was to be useful. The response to my book makes me feel like people must feel the book is useful, which makes me happy. When I sign copies, I often bid the buyer farewell by saying “Now go home and put this book to work for you.” That is my wish for everyone who gets a copy -- use it. Being more self-sufficient strengthens families. It’s time to be strong.

In other news, Dr. Guppy Tulkinghorn called the other day and said he'd like to do an interview of me for my own blog. So that will be coming soon. Should be interesting!

-Caleb

Listeria Deaths are "silly" to farmer

2011-09-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest outbreak of industrial food contamination in the U.S.

The Associated Press reported very late on Tuesday that four people have died from an outbreak of Listeria in cantaloupes from Colorado.

"The warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came after numerous cases of a strain of Listeria were reported in six states, including at least 11 from Colorado, 10 from New Mexico, two from Texas, and one each from Indiana, Nebraska and Oklahoma," said the AP.

"The agency said it was the first Listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupe in the United States. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration said it had not recalled the melons while it worked to locate the source."

Um, what?

Why bother recalling them. After all, only four people have died. Right?

"This is really silly. You can get Listeria any place" is what the AP reports one of the cantaloupe farmers as saying. How comforting. To this person, a lack of food safety that killed four people is "silly."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention begs to differ. Here is their recommendation:

"Health authorities asked people throwing out Rocky Ford cantaloupes to put them in a sealed plastic bag before putting them in the trash."

That's right -- what the farmer thinks is "silly" is so dangerous that the CDC says it not even safe to just throw them out -- you have to put them in a bag to contain the listeria from spreading.

Another example of how industrial food production cares far more about money than people. Just for the record, according to the CDC, Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems.

How My Life Has Changed

2011-09-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

I hardly know what to say here, life has changed so fast. How? Here's the top ten list:

10. I found out today that my book has hit the Deseret Book nonfiction bestsellers list at #8! I've never been on a bestsellers list before. Happy!

9. More than 200 people have toured my garden, and more people are coming. Feels good to be able to show "Forgotten Skills" in practice.

8. I have learned to carry copies of my book with me everywhere I go. Surprising the places where people want a copy. Thanks!

7. Steven Capp Perry was kind enough to do a half-hour interview with me for FM100 radio, which also ran on KSL radio and several other places, including the internet, (click here to listen to the interview) and that is when I started getting...

6. Fan mail from around the world. Really surprising to get emails from Australia, England, Canada, and all over the U.S. Humbled by the response to the book and media around the book.

5. And I was on television. That was such a crazy experience that one of these days I'll have to do a whole blog about that. For now, just know this -- live TV! No retakes!

4. Book signings! Lots and lots of them! You can see the whole schedule at CalebWarnock.com. So great to get to meet fans of the book, and people who buy two, three, ten copies. The record is one woman who bought 30 copies -- yes, you read that right!

3. Sold out signings! My first two Costco books signings sold out completely! The manager of the St. George Costco told me (unsolicited) that I was the first author to sell out a signing there in ten years!

2. I don't know if I should announce this or not, but I'm having a hard time keeping it to myself -- my editor has asked for rewrites on my novel! For those of you not in the publishing industry, this is huge, great news -- it means the second book of my three-book contract might be a fiction novel!! My novel is called "The Given Son" and I hope it will find a home with Cedar Fort. We'll know in a few weeks...

And finally...

1. I've gone into my second printing! My publisher announced the second printing in the third week of my release -- that is how fast the book has been selling! The first printing was 5,000 copies, and the second printing will be 3,000 copies. So excited!

Thank you everyone who has responded to my book. My goal in writing "Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency of the Mormon Pioneers" was to be useful. There is no other book like this in the world -- I've searched high and low. Every photo in the book was taken on our property. This is the way we live everyday. My book teaches the four methods for saving seed from your own garden so that you don't have to buy garden seed, the health and nutrition benefits of baking with pioneer yeast, which is far better for us than commercial rapid-rise yeast in grocery stores, how to store vegetables without a root cellar, how to extend the garden season so you can eat fresh from your property 12 months a year, considerations for backyard eggs, forgotten recipes.

It's time to be self-sufficient. Thanks for giving my book this chance. :) -Caleb

Book Tour!

2011-08-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

You know it's been a busy week when a friend leaves a message on your phone congratulating you on the launch day for your book -- and I had forgotten all about it! I was busy working in the garden all day yesterday and I never even got on the computer and never realized that it was the official release day of my book!

So now the book is available everywhere, including Walmart, Costco, and bookstores in the West and Amazon. And I've added several stops on my book tour, with more to be announced soon. I had a great time at the LDS Booksellers Convention this past week, first speaking to buyers from all over the world at my publisher's convention dinner, and then again at the Meet-and-Mingle two days later. TERRIFYING to have to talk to so many buyers and answer questions and see how competitive the world of bookselling is. I tried to charm them all. My publisher tells me that we were a success, with lots of orders for my book!

So, run and don't walk and get a copy of my book! If you want a signed copy, leave a comment with your email address. $17 plus $3 shipping. :)

Now, you may be asking, what the heck does the photo have to do with all this? Nothing. It is a photo of our yard, and I liked it. So!

http://calebwarnock.com/book-tour

My chickens are interviewed. For real.

2011-08-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

So, my chickens are famous.

The strangest things have been happening to me since I wrote my book. I've had more than 100 people come and tour my garden -- and that was even before the book came out (obviously. It doesn't come out until next week.) We've done some filming in the garden. And lots of people have taken a lot of pictures. And now my chickens have been interviewed. On camera. Secretly. (I'm not sure why the interview was kept a secret from me. It's now like I would have protested. Perhaps the intrepid agri-journalist Janiel Miller wanted to get the chickens unvarnished opinions of me.)

Janiel and her Gnome Crew came and taped interviews with my wife and I in the garden, and part one of the interview is now on their blog. Just seeing the chickens interviewed it worth it. And me talk about exploding eggs and Egyptian walking onions. Enjoy!

http://threegnomes.blogspot.com/2011/07/author-interview-with-real-author-caleb.html

My book is here!!

2011-07-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

My publisher just called me to say that my book, “Forgotten Skills of Self-Suffciency Used by the Mormon Pioneers” is at his office -- hurrah! If you would like a signed copy, I’d love to get you one! The book will also be available everywhere on Aug. 8, but if you order from me, you can get you copy signed. The book is full color on every page, and the price is $17. Shipping is $3 if you want me to ship it to you. You can pay via paypal by sending the money to calebwarnock@yahoo.com. Or you can mail me a check. Email me at the address above for my address.

Or you can pick up a book and pay in person TONIGHT (Wednesday July 27) between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Historic American Fork City Hall, 31 North Church Street (50 East) in American Fork.

I’m so excited to finally be able to sign copies of the book! Below is information about the book. Thanks! -Caleb

Kirt Forakis Caleb Warnock (author)
Marketing Director, Cedar Fort Publishers calebwarnock@yahoo.com
kforakis@cedarfort.com calebwarnock.com
2373 West 700 South 801-756-3412
Springville, UT 84663
P – 801-477-9033
F – 800-388-3727
www.cedarfort.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers”

Caleb Warnock’s New Book to be Released: “Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers”

7/25/11– Provo, Utah -- Journalist Caleb Warnock announces the Aug. 8 2011 release of his book, “Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers,” on pre-sale now at Amazon.com.

Many people dream of becoming self-reliant during these times of fluctuating prices and uncertain job security. Using truly simple techniques, you can cultivate the pioneer's independence to provide safety against lost wages, harsh weather, economic recession, and commercial contamination and shortages. Strengthen your family's self-reliance as you discover anew the joy of homegrown food, thrift, and self-sufficient living.

Using truly simple techniques, homestead families harvested sweet, crisp carrots out of the snow-blanketed garden soil in December. They raised robust summer vegetables without expensive seed catalogs or nurseries. They created spectacular flower gardens at no cost. They ate fresh out of the garden twelve months a year, a skill that has now all but vanished. Their self-sufficiency provided security against lost wages, harsh weather, economic depression and recession, and commercial contamination and shortages.

Today, that kind of family security and self-reliance has never been more appealing. Many of the pioneer techniques are now lost to the general population. I was lucky enough to grow up in the kitchens and gardens of the last generation to provide family meals without relying on the grocery store. They managed their family budgets by putting to work centuries of received wisdom about food and self-sufficient living. My book teaches the reader just how simple and fulfilling the path to increased self-reliance can be, along with the pleasure of eating fresh garden produce with robust, homegrown flavor twelve months of the year.
This is not a book about bottling peaches or digging a root cellar. This book begins to overcome the myth that self-reliant living is practical only for up-before-dawn farmers or green-thumb gardeners with huge yards and no social life. The reality is that self-sufficiency need not be elaborate, time-consuming, or back-breaking. Any modern family can be strengthened by discovering these forgotten skills:

Growing Hardy and Perennial Vegetables: From Egyptian walking onions to self-seeding lettuce and spinach which thrives in below-freezing temperatures, our ancestors knew how to benefit their families with vigorous strains of garden goods. The early homesteaders ate fresh corn on the cob long after snow covered the ground and homegrown tomatoes at Thanksgiving -- with flavor beyond anything offered in today’s grocery stores.

Home-Grown Garden Seed: How did the pioneers garden without relying on seed catalogs and nurseries? Open-pollinated seed in the garden is the vegetable equivalent of wheat in food storage. My book explains the pioneer seed bank, the pros and cons of open-pollinated and hybrid garden seed, and a new effort now underway to revive it.

Eat Fresh in Winter: Following in the footsteps of the settlers, savvy modern gardeners can store their carrots, onions, parsnips, turnips, and beets over winter by leaving them exactly where they grew in the garden, or by using their garage!

Fresh Eggs: Taking a Second Look: Eggs were among the most valued homegrown pioneer foods. My book discusses how the backyard chicken coop disappeared, and why many cities, petitioned by residents, are allowing them once again. What every family should know when considering whether a few backyard hens might be right for them.

Baking with Pioneer Yeast: Learn about the health and nutrition benefits of baking with pioneer yeast instead of commercial quick-rise yeasts. Learn how bread was made for thousands of years before yeast was every sold in a grocery store.

Forgotten Recipes : Delicious hunger-gap omelets, roast vegetables, winter pioneer treats, family-pleasing meals entirely from the garden and storeroom, heritage recipes, and more.

Caleb Warnock is a full-time journalist and have been working for a central Utah daily newspaper for the past ten years. He has won more than 20 awards for journalism and creative writing, including the Utah Arts Council Original Writing Contest, the David O. McKay Essay Contest, and voted top reporter in Utah. His freelance publications range from articles on wolf-watching in Yellowstone to backyard poultry-keeping to perennial gardening. He has published several true stories about his ancestors in the Friend magazine. Caleb is a full-time journalist for Provo's Daily Herald.

"Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers" is available at bookstores everywhere, in addition to Walmart and Costco stores, and Amazon.com. Caleb Warnock can be reached at cwarnock@heraldextra.com.

"Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers" by Caleb Warnock
Cedar Fort Publishers
$16.99, available Aug. 8 2011

No words were harmed?!

2011-07-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

So, the WritingSnippetts podcast has posted a third installment of me taking on the first page of a couple more manuscripts. Am I mean? Honest? Egotistical? Imperial? As I say in the podcast, all of my comments are aimed at one goal -- getting writers published.

I found it ironic that at the end of the podcast, the voice-over says "No words were harmed in the making of this podcast." You be the judge! Personally, I was hoping that at least a couple of sentences that were harming the manuscript were killed off. :)

You can listen to the podcast here:

http://writingsnippets.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/ws-30-caleb-warnock-3-first-page-critique-part/

Buckets of Love from Caleb

2011-07-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Okay friends, here is your chance to see how I take on the first page of a manuscript.

In this second Writing Snippetts podcast featuring an interview with me, each of the Writing Snippets crew brought their first page of one of their novels. They asked for my opinion, and, well, they got it!

By the way, how is your narrative voice? You can listen here: http://writingsnippets.com/

Borders Bookstores are dead.

2011-07-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Who knew the ebook revolution would kill off a major chain so quickly?

Borders has been struggling for a while, as I reported in here. When they tried to get someone to buy the company, there were no bids. So, they are out of business -- and their 11,000 employees are out of work.

"The move adds Borders to the list of retailers that have failed to adapt to changing consumers’ shopping habits and survive the economic downturn, including Circuit City Stores Inc., Blockbuster and Linens ‘N Things," said the Associated Press today.

“We were all working hard toward a different outcome, but the headwinds we have been facing for quite some time, including the rapidly changing book industry, e-reader revolution, and turbulent economy, have brought us to where we are now,” said the president of Borders, Mike Edwards, in a statement.

"All Things eBooks" & Narrative Voice Boot Camp

2011-07-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

“All Things eBooks: How to Write, Format, Market & Sell in 2012”

Narrative Voice Boot Camp for Writers

sponsored by the American Fork Arts Council
Historic American Fork City Hall, 31 North Church Street (50 East), American Fork

“All Things eBooks” Saturday, October 15, 2011; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
9-9:30 Rebecca Shelley: “How I Found eBook Success”
9:30-9:50 Eric James Stone: “Unforgettable: The Story of My First eBook”
9:50-10:10 Karlene Wells Browning of LibrisPro: “Going From Manuscript to eBook”
10:10-10:30 Caleb Warnock: “eBook Publishing Trends for 2012”

BREAKOUT SESSIONS:
Eric & Kaylene & Roseanne -- “Designing eBook Covers for Sales Success”
Caleb - “How and Why to Get an Endorsement for Your eBook”
Roseanne & Kaylene -- “Using Facebook, Twitter & Goodreads to Promote Your eBook”
Kaylene & Rebecca -- “How & Why to get Your eBook Reviewed”
Rebecca & Kaylene -- “Choosing Titles to Promote Strong Sales”
Roseanne & Eric & Kaylene -- “Formatting eBooks: A Beginner’s Guide”
Kaylene & Roseanne-- “Free or Charge? Pricing to Build Sales”
Caleb -- “Designing Success with a Marketing Plan”
[draft schedule: subject to change]

Narrative Voice Boot Camp for Writers with Caleb Warnock

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, October 13, 2011, Historic American Fork City Hall

$99 (before Oct. 7, $139 thereafter)

Creating great narrative voice is the key to selling books in 2012. Agents, editors, publishers and readers are searching for authors with a narrative voice that grabs readers and leaves them unable to put your book down. In this one-of-a-kind class, you will:

-- learn the 12 elements of narrative voice,

-- study the best examples from national bestselling authors

-- practice creating narrative voice in your own work

-- learn the difference between the narrator and the author

-- learn the storytelling elements that are only possible using narrative voice

-- Fee includes a workbook of 50+ pages to take home.

Seating is limited - register today!
Price Options:
$59 -- “All Things eBooks” (before Oct. 7, $89 thereafter).
$99 -- “Narrative Voice Boot Camp” (before Oct. 7, $139 thereafter)
BEST PRICE: $129 -- both events (before Oct. 7, $189 thereafter)
Register online at AmericanForkArts.org or call 801-763-3081.

REBECCA SHELLEY is Utah’s bestselling eBook fiction author. Her work includes three middle grade fantasy books, four chapter books for boys, two spy thrillers, and she has just released her first young adult novel.

ERIC JAMES STONE is a 2011 Nebula Award-winning author. He has sold more than three dozen short stories to national publishers, and his work has been translated into Hebrew and Russian. His first novel, Unforgettable, was released as an ebook. His latest book, a collection of his nationally published short stories, will be released nationally in the fall of 2011.

KARLENE WELLS BROWNING is the owner of LibrisPro and an expert at eBook formating and manuscript preparation. After a long career in the book industry, she now specializes in helping authors navigate the transition from manuscript to eBook.

CALEB WARNOCK is the author of “Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used By the Mormon Pioneers” and the director of the American Fork Arts Council Press. His blogging on eBook trends has a national following. Caleb has published poetry, short stories, and magazine articles, most prestigiously in “The Writer” magazine and most interestingly in “Backyard Poultry.” Caleb has won 20 awards for his fiction and nonfiction writing.

ROSEANNE WILKINS is an LDS eBook novelist who has learned the ebook ropes from the ground up when it comes to formatting, creating covers, self-promotion and sales. She is ready to share the pros and cons of all things “ebook.”

Puppet Mouth: “The blog lives on like Wesley in Princess Bride”

2011-07-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

Puppet Mouth is one my favorite blogs ever. In fact, I love it so much I’m tempted to create an award to give it. “CALEB LOVES THIS” shall be the name of the award, and I hereby award this to Puppet Mouth!!!

The goal of puppet mouth is both simple and profound -- let the liars of the world, who refuse to tell the truth, speak with their faces. Below is an exclusive interview with Puppet Mouth creator Matt Evans.

Q: Did you coin the phrase "puppet mouth"?
A: No and no (and yes). Let me explain. Google "puppet mouth" and you'll see that the primary meaning refers to a derogatory way of characterizing an older man or woman's lower face that, yes, with age, takes on the aspect of a ventriloquist's puppet's mouth. Which is valid as a characterization, I suppose. But what I'm going for, in my use of the phrase, is a facial expression (as opposed to a 'facial feature') that seems to embody a range of emotions running from abashment to frustration to exasperation to exhaustion. Also, it seems to include some ineffable something else in addition to the range of emotions just listed, something like a battle between various levels of self-consciousness or awareness. I hope that makes sense. Another way of looking --

I'm going to interrupt myself to finish the "no (and yes)" part of my two-and-one-parenthetical-part answer to your question. No, I did not in fact coin the phrase "puppet mouth" as I use it; my wife did. Brooklyn did. She doesn't remember having coined the phrase, however (which, of course, doesn't matter; I don't recall the circumstances of my conception or emergence at birth but I'm still here), but I'm a stickler for credit. The "(and yes)" part refers to my part in remembering Brooklyn's coined term and applying pictures and descriptions to various attempts to lexically fix the term, each attempt a blog post.

I could go on to redefine what I just wrote. For some reason I'm never happy with my responses. I'd be a lot happier, though, if you'd just stop me or maybe just --

Q: Stop.
A: ...

Q: Tell us the concept behind the blog.
A: When I visited the "Bodies" exhibit at some lower-tier casino in Vegas back in 2008, I saw for the first time that the human body is simply a marionette puppet that controls its own strings. Expanding the metaphor: the body's muscles and tendons are the strings and the brain is the hand. The body doesn't just move on its own; the brain (a vat, essentially, of electrified fats) sends impulses to the muscles and tendons, and these move the body. This fact may be totally obvious to everyone but me; regardless, though, it's at that exhibit where I made the connection. And that view of myself and others has never quite left me. I keep looking at people, peering into their eyes and saying, "Who are you really? Because you aren't who you or I think you appear to be." That's essentially the ethos of Puppet Mouth. The "puppet mouth" facial expression as I've conceived of it seems like yet one more aspect of the "auto-controlled" marionette thing. Feel free to cut any of this.

Q: No.
A: ...

Q: Puppet mouth is all about public shame and hypocrisy. Does shame matter in 2011? Does hypocrisy matter?
A: If the internet has taught us anything at all, it's that public (and private) figures today can expect to have their secret misdeeds (metaphorically) shouted from the housetops. E.g., Wikileaks. The stepping down of various public figures from office for reasons that have everything to do with shame or exposed hypocrisy. Picking at total random, the Scott Adams thing where he was exposed as having created his own cyberspace "puppet" defenders for murky reasons that I suspect have to do with the shame or discomfort he felt at having been exposed as a sexist cretin. How's that for subject interpretation of an empirical phenomenon?

Q: How do you pick the photos you feature?
A: Random happenstance, and reader email.

Q: The puppet mouth concept seems like an idea whose time has come. What is the future of the blog?
A: Thank you. The blog lives on in the same way that Wesley in Princess Bride lived on in captivity to the Dread Pirate Roberts: "Good night, Wesley! I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Like all or any of us, "www.puppetmouth.blogspot.com" escapes death by the skin of its teeth until that one day when it won't. Escape, that is. Then it will go black.

Caleb is interviewed on the Writing Snippets blog

2011-07-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Let the book tour begin!

The great group of writers who put out the Writing Snippets podcast recently invited me to drop by for an interview. They had wanted to record one podcast but the conversation got very interesting and we ended up recording not one, not two, but three podcasts.

As you all know, I'm shy and retiring and just hate to field questions! (Not!) So big surprise that our conversation turned into three podcasts :)

In this first podcast, we talk about my new book, Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers, and about the success of my students, why my masters degree was not as useful to me as I'd hoped, and the difference between nice and good when it comes to critique groups. So hope on over and visit http://writingsnippets.com/ for the full interview! -Caleb

Indie Author is First to Sell 1 Million eBooks!

2011-06-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

For the first time in history, an independent author has sold 1 million eBooks, Amazon announced on Monday. And here’s the kicker -- those million books sold IN FIVE MONTHS.

“John Locke has become the eighth author to sell over 1 million Kindle books, becoming the newest member of the “Kindle Million Club,” and the first independently published author to receive this distinction,” said Amazon officials in a press release. “As of yesterday, John Locke has sold 1,010,370 Kindle books.”

Locke is in the company of literary giants -- the other members of the “Kindle Million Club are Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Suzanne Collins and Michael Connelly.

“Kindle Direct Publishing has provided an opportunity for independent authors to compete on a level playing field with the giants of the book selling industry,” said John Locke, without a touch of understatement.

So who is John Locke?

He lives in Louisville, Kentucky and he has written nine novels with titles including:
-- New York Times bestselling eBook, "Saving Rachel."
-- "Vegas Moon”
-- "Wish List”
-- "A Girl Like You”
-- "Follow the Stone”
-- and "Don't Poke the Bear!"

Clearly the man is savvy because guess what his latest book is? Not fiction! His newest title: "How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months" -- a how-to marketing guide for self-published authors. And yes, I’m going to buy it. -Caleb

Newest "billion-dollar author"

2011-06-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, I wrote here about the bestselling-ebook author of all time, Amanda Hocking, who sold $2 million worth of ebooks in one year. A couple of weeks later, she signed a deal with an agent and a traditional publisher, which I also blogged about.

This weekend, Amanda will be featured in a great article now being previewed in the New York Times. For the first time, we get some real details about here life, and pictures of her -- and we get to hear about her big plans to become, in short order, the world's next billion-dollar author. The New York Times believes she can do it, and so do I. Here is a quip from them:

"Her character-driven books, which feature trolls, hobgoblins and fairy-tale elements and keep the pages turning, have generated an excitement not felt in the industry since Stephenie Meyer or perhaps even J. K. Rowling."

Not bad for an author who, before she self-published her own ebooks, could not get an agent, let alone a publisher. I really find tremendous glee in Amanda's story, because it teaches all of us that AGENTS CAN BE WRONG when they reject us -- after all, all the big authors have been rejected, including J.K. Rowling. (The NYTimes once reported that some of the agents and editors who turned down Rowling before she was famous were fired once she hit the big time. Can you imagine being the editor who TURNED DOWN HARRY POTTER?)

Anywho -- Go Amanda Hocking! She is an inspiration to all of us. You can read the full NYTimes article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/magazine/amanda-hocking-storyseller.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

How To Get An Agent!!!!!!!!

2011-05-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

(Hello readers, this is Caleb. Dr. Tulkinghorn has taken a moment away from his book tour to set us right on how to catch the attention of agents. Take it away, Dr. Tulkinghorn!)

Dear Struggling Writers,

You will probably never be published, you dim beets. Why do you keep reading this blog?

Still here? Oy!

Here are my three key advices:

-- In the olden days (late 1990s), sending a manuscript on perfumed paper was enough. But now everyone takes manuscripts via email. What to do? Get creative! “Dear Agent, before reading my hastily scribbled query, please inhale deeply and imagine this email is scented with a perfume endorsed by a major celebrity of your choice."

-- Agents don’t care about your wilting-souffle plot ideas and monotone-on-paper voicing. What they really want to know is, have you tested your manuscript? “Dear Agent, you’d be a Cornish hen -- a fool I say! -- to turn down my YA manuscript!!! It’s written in a second grade voice with 100-plus syllable sentences and a protagonist who is 11! I testify that it will rival J.K. Rowling because I read it to my granddaughter one night and then hugged her tightly until she gasped that it was good!”

-- Finally, readers, no one will tell you this but me, your one true mentor. Getting an agent has NOTHING to do with talent. It’s who you know, stu-pit!. You MUST write at least one nationally published author each week, begging (if she is a woman) or demanding (if he is manly) that they send your manuscript to their agent. This is the way business is done!

Now, readers, I’ve had a trying day. I’ve been vexed by autograph seekers at my hotel, and one of my personal assistants quit, claiming I’m “high maintenance." My daily foot massages are medically necessary, dammit! Who needs employees? Pish!

Annnnyway, practice what I preach, and I’ll be around again with more key advices for you just as soon as my schedule allows. And if you know of anyone with a servile nature and muscular fingers, text me their resume with photo.

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn

Dr. Tulkinghorn’s new book, “The Joy of Suffering Morons Gladly” will be available as a ground-breaking audio-only book this week. This is because everyone knows that print books have already flat-lined, and soon audio books will be the only thing anyone ever buys -- get your damned iPods spit-shined and ready. Besides, Dr. Tulkinghorn did the audio version himself, recording it on a $13 Indonesian digital voice recorder during long nights in first class. The result is a bon vivante mix of shocking, cozy, grumpy, and a couple other dwarves. Download it NOW from Aubible.com*!!!! Guppy, as he is known to close, close friends, will be doing author appearances this week in New York City, Park City, and Emerald City. M. Guppy Tulkinghorn is married to his wife, Wopsie “Miggs” Tulkinghorn. They live in Middle America, where they value their privacy and their collection of antique, yet quite serviceable, guns.

*Aubible is a quasi-French-religious upstart determined to overthrow the dominance of Audible.com in the online marketplace. Tulkinghorn was an early investor.

A Store Inside Your eBook

2011-05-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

Publishers are launching another innovation in digital books -- they want you to go shopping inside your ebook.

Here is what the new eWorld looks like -- you buy an ebook, and then you are offered the opportunity to click and purchase related items. And unlike other versions of this, now these "buy now" links are embedded right in critical parts of the book, rather than stuck at the end of the book.

This is really brand-new stuff. Last month, a company called Cathedral Rock Publishing launched the first "Book IS the Store" application, which in this case was a multimedia ebook that contained its own music soundtrack: Cathedral of the Senses. It works just like a movie, where song excerpts are played during appropriate moments of a scene, according to the company. But with Cathedral of the Senses, if you, the reader, likes the song excerpt, you can click out directly from the eBook and purchase the entire song. After the purchase, the eBook reopens to the exact place the reader left off.

This will be just the tip of the digital iceberg. I can see the day quickly coming when the opportunity to shop inside your ebook will be common place -- and then there will be a backlash, and some publishers and writers will begin to advertise their ebooks as "shopping free" for all those who want the "old" ebook style back again.

Cathedral Rock Publishing specializes in "monetizing" ebooks for publishers and authors, "with an emphasis on re-purposing existing catalogs (of music, for example) at a fraction of the price of creating new ones." You can see for yourself here -- http://CathedralRockPublishing.com.

Eric wins the Nebula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Eric James Stone won the Nebula Award for his novella this weekend!

Eric's novella, titled "That Leviathan Whom Thou Hast Made" has been a favorite of mine since it was written -- an enormously creative story unlike anything else out there, which is saying a lot.

I'm nearly speechless with joy. Eric was one of my very first writing students 11 years ago. He was unpublished at the time and has since been published around the world. He was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula this year, a rare honor to be nominated for both simultaneously.

I'm so pleased!

In addition to being my student long ago, Eric has been a member of my writers group for years now. We are all hugely proud of him. This is a big day!

You can read Eric's story here.

Digitally Signed Books: The New Fad

2011-05-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times announced today that there is a new big thing in the world of ebooks: the e-signing. For ages authors have sat around bookstores doing signings for fans. I myself collect signed books. But now clever authors are taking this old marketing tool to a whole new place -- the internet.

Robert Kiyosaki is writes the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" series, which we've all heard of. And he's not new to avant garde marketing. After famous financial guru Suze Orman gave away digital copies of one of her books in 2009 on the Oprah show, Kiyosaki did sort of the same thing, giving away a copy of one of his books, albeit in pieces, as he was writing it. When the book was done, he stopped giving it away and it immediately became a New York Times bestseller. (So did Suze Orman's.)

But now, inspired by fans who were asking him to sign their Kindles, Kiyosaki has invented a new phenomena -- a one-day-only digitally signed book. I've included a copy of the digital book plate in this post. Here is what he told the LA Times:

"You always need some kind of incentive to make things exciting and to get people to pay attention to you," he said. "Our job is to attract as many eyeballs as possible. And in the world of competition you have to do something different, and autographed e-books is something new."

Indeed.

The special digital signature will be given away only to those who buy a copy of his book, called "Unfair Advantage," on May 26. Book price: $10.

He is not alone in digital innovation. The LA Times reports in their article that two weeks ago, "children's author Sandra Boynton signed copies of her e-book "The Going to Bed Book" at a Barnes & Noble location in New York, using a stylus and special copies of the book offered for the Nook Color e-reader, according to CNet."

And this:

"A new company in St. Petersburg, Fla., called Autography is working to build an application that would allow authors to send autographed pages to a consumer's e-reader, complete with personalized messages."

So the publishing world continues to evolve at digital speed. I'll let the Kiyosaki have the last word, per the LA Times:

"We won't know for another 10 years if this will be collectible or not," Kiyosaki said of the signed e-book. "I treasure my autographed books, and I have my old copies of books that I hold onto with the signed page and I cherish them. I don't know if a digital page with my signature will mean the same for someone as my signature in their book, on paper. But there's one way to find out."

A New Genre Is Born: Instant eBooks

2011-05-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

2011, as I predicted in January (natch), has indeed become the year the publishing industry was turned inside out. This week, Random House coined a new term, and a new genre, with the announcement that it is publishing the world's first instant book.

“It was conceived last Monday and we bought it on Friday. It’s an experiment and it’s very exciting," said Random House senior editor, Drummond Moir.

The book, if you haven't guessed it already, is about the death of Osama bin Laden. Why create an instant ebook? It's topical, so it might make money.

More importantly, the birth of this new genre could be big news for traditional publishers and serious writers. After all, until now the toast of the ebook world has really been indie writers suddenly making careers after being spurned by traditional publishers. But topical "instant books" seem a lot less likely to be taken on by indie writers, both because they are nonfiction and because they require the ability to write on a killer deadline with supreme accuracy. (We used to call that journalism). Traditional publishers have the resources, and access to expert writers, to pull of instant books. So let the competition begin.

The book, which comes out next Monday, will be a collection of essays by experts in the field. Price: $1.99. Included are essays from Karen Hughes, Bing West, Richard Haas, Andrew Exum, and Jon Meacham, ex-Newsweek editor and best-selling author who is now executive editor at Random House in October. Random House has no plans to publish in a physical edition.

Author Craft Project with Marie Osmond!

2011-05-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

(Hello readers, this is Caleb. I’ve turned today’s blog entry over to Dr. Tulkinghorn with a preview of his newest book. Catch him next week as he makes a guest appearance on Martha Stewart Living! Take it away, Dr. Tulkinghorn!)

Dear Struggling Writers,

You will never be published because you are not rich and famous. I don’t mean to break your heart, but the truth is like a jailhouse shank.

You have talent (in buckets) and ambition (or at least you like to blog). So why hasn’t one of your hastily typed out manuscripts been scooped up? Because you don’t have access to Oprah and Good Morning America! Duh!

(Alternative: Get your manuscript on a shelf at Osama’s mansion. The media will then spend days getting experts to analyse every blurry word. So, Nathan Bransford will be calling you.)

So you’ll never be published. As a balm for your deep pain, I suggest crafting with celebrities.

This week’s craft project: Making Cups with Marie Osmond In Several Easy Steps.

Get a copy of one of Marie’s books. No need to purchase. If you don’t have one that you’re looking to get rid of, call a neighbor, or ask on Facebook. Or look in the trash can of your local library.
Fold an origami cup.
Add decorative milk jug ring, or any other debris from your kitchen counter.
Now you have several options. You could mail a cup to Marie. She’ll probably want to add them to her QVC products list (see, being rejected by publishers because you are not famous can make you rich in the end). Or you could fill your paper cup with water and display garden flowers in it for a few minutes until the cup melts. And then you could mail it to Marie.

So, that’s Crafting With Celebrities for this week. Please post photos of your paper cups for all my readers to see.

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn

Dr. Tulkinghorn’s new book, “Crafting With Unspeakably Awful Celebrity Memoirs -- Don’t Let The Paper Go To Waste,” will be available on QVC this week. So if you are one of those sad, homely women with a lot of cats and no friends and huge credit card debt who frequent that channel, then stay tuned! If you are serious about becoming a writer, Dr. Tulkinghorn has three pieces of free advice to help you become a celebrity, so you can get published, dear pumpkin-bumpkins: 1) Put one of your children in a large balloon and call CNN. 2) Hang out with Mel Gibson or Charlie Sheen. 3) Throw copies of your manuscript at the Rolls Royce of Kate and Prince Whatsisbucket at their huge televised wedding. M. Guppy Tulkinghorn is married to his wife, Wopsie “Miggs” Tulkinghorn. They live in Middle America.

The Famous $12 per month Writing Class Starts This Week!

2011-05-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hello writers,
Thank you to everyone for a fantastic writing conference this past weekend. As promised, my famous $12 a month email writing class begins this week. To register, email me at: CalebWarnock@yahoo.com.

Writing for Pleasure, Publishing for Money:
The Master Class with Caleb Warnock

-- One lesson will be delivered to you each week via email.
-- Price is $12 per month. Fee may be paid via paypal or check or echeck.
-- Anyone who pays for two or more months at a time will get a free query review by Caleb. (Or first page review, your choice.)
-- This class includes only lessons. For manuscript help or personal feedback, please take advantage of the regular Wednesday evening class, or my online Writing In Depth classes.
-- Lessons include: PlotShop, QueryShop, synopsis writing, narrative voice, elements of story design, three dimensions of character, slight writing, tone deafness, what every writer should know about copyright, & more

Q: What do the lessons teach?
A: The lessons are the same lessons used in my online classroom. The class starts with PlotShop (you may choose fiction or nonfiction plotshop) and then moves to QueryShop and then into the details of manuscript design. Our goal is to work thoughtfully, and as fast as possible, toward submitting your work to agents and publishers.

Q: How long will the class last?
A: All of my classes are open-ended. There are at least several months of lessons available, at the very least. The goal is not how long the class lasts, but opening up aspects of professional writing that allow students to say "I see now how little I saw before" when it comes to the tools serious writers use.

Q: How do I know if this class is a good fit for me?
A: I get asked variations of this question a lot, about all my classes. My answer is always the same: Be brave and invest in your talent. Can great writing be taught? Yes. Do you know if your plot is demographic? Is your query letter ready, and how do you know? Are you writing for the 2011 market?

If writing is your passion, a $12 per month class might just be the best, and most affordable, investment you ever made in your talent. Get motivated, get educated, get writing. :)

How To Get Noticed At Writing Conferences

2011-04-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

(This is Caleb. I've turned this post over to everyone's favorite guest blogger, Dr. Tulkinghorn. Since this weekend is my big writers conference, I thought his advice apropos. Without further ado, Dr. Tulkinghorn)

Dear Struggling Writers,

I have very little time to impart of my vast trove of wisdom, but some of you are in such dire need, I have carved out a moment. This week, our topic is how to approach the art and science of attending a writing conference. Here are my key advices:

Step One: The most important thing you can do at a writers conference is to read your manuscript to everyone. Like this. Say your favorite author or agent is doing Q&A. You simply raise your hand enthusiastically -- flapping like a real jackassertive. When called upon, you stand up boldly in the audience and say: “I have cashed in my 401K to be here today, and to attend 41 other conferences, and if I don’t come away with a publishing contract today, my career is ruined. Your feedback will make all the difference. I will now pitch my Great American Novel to you, you lucky petard.”
And then begin reading your manuscript from page one, and don’t stop until the big-name author or agent has asked you to stop at least three times. Don’t take no for an answer. If they are insistent that you sit down, say “I won’t take no for an answer. I know my manuscript will make you and me rich. You must publish this book.”
This is by far the most useful thing you can do at a conference.

Step Two: Repeat step one at every opportunity.
For example, let’s say you are at a breakout session where an author is speaking. Raise your hand and follow step one when called upon. Everyone knows that KNOWING SOMEONE is the key to getting published -- not learning how to control a story or have a narrative voice that anyone would find appealing. Tsk, tsk, and heavens no. The real secret to seeing your name in print is who you know. Writing conferences were invented for this reason. And everyone knows, the more expensive the conference is, the more likely you are to find an agent or publisher at the event. You do know that, right?

Step Three: Don’t eat.
No one will tell you this, because it is one of the greatest-kept secrets of writing. But I am here for your advancement, you knob-heads. So I will let you in on the secret. The time to really pitch your manuscript is during lunch. Only fools eat lunch at writing conferences. Real writers attack every agent, editor, and author they can find, standing in front of them, blocking their way, and reading from their manuscript. I suggest preying on, er, befriending the agent who has his or her mouth full. Just launch into your book. Don’t even give them a chance to speak. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
With these simple tips, you are sure to be offered the standard rich-and-famous-author contract. Now you know. I’ll be back later with more sagacity, you lucky bumpkins.

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn

Dr. Tulkinghorn, as he prefers to be called, has made his reputation on helping ill-witted onions such as yourselves, dear readers. Dr. Tulkinghorn has self-published 47 novels and 18 nonfictions, including his New York Times bestselling book, "How to Writers Conference Your Way to Unspeakable Wealth and Celebrity as a Mediocre & Not Truly Invested Writer.” (Soon to be available in paperback everywhere.) Dr. Tulkinghorn has three pieces of free advice for you, rapt readers: 1) Talk about writing more than you write. 2) Copy the trendy plot ideas -- everyone knows success is derivative. 3) Don't sign up for the local conference where people have worked tirelessly to give you access to the best writers at the least cost. You're unlikely to learn a damn thing you haven't heard and ignored 41 times before. M. Guppy Tulkinghorn is married to his wife, Wopsie “Miggs” Tulkinghorn. They live in Middle America.

Perhaps the Best Writing Advice Ever.

2011-04-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
— Mark Twain (1835-1910)

New $12 per month writing class begins in May

2011-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello writers,

This is a note let you know that there is a new online writing class option available that costs just
$12 a month. The class begins the first week of May. Details are below. If you would like to register, email me at:

CalebWarnock@yahoo.com.

Writing for Pleasure, Publishing for Money:

The Master Class with Caleb Warnock

Many of you have asked me how you can access PlotShop or my lessons on narrative voice, how to write a query or synopsis, copyright for writers, and other lessons. Several of you have said that getting to the weekly writing class is difficult either physically or financially. In answer to your questions, I’m offering a new, super-affordable class for writers looking to get serious about their goals and talents. Here are the details:

-- One lesson will be delivered to you each week via email.

-- Class begins the first week of May.

-- Price is $12 per month if you sign up by April 30. Fee may be paid via paypal or check or echeck.

-- Anyone who pays for two or more months at a time will get a free query review by Caleb. (Or first page review, your choice.)

-- This class includes only lessons. For manuscript help or personal feedback, please take advantage of the regular Wednesday evening class, or my online Writing In Depth classes.

-- To register, reply to this email.

Lessons include:

- PlotShop

- QueryShop

- Synopsis writing

- Narrative voice

- Elements of story design

- Three dimensions of character

- Slight writing

- Tone deafness

- What every writer should know about copyright

- Introducing
characters

- Dialogue patterns

- & more

I've had many people ask questions, and I'd like to clarify:

Q: Is the class $12 for the first month and $20 thereafter?
A: No, for those who sign up on or before April 30, the class will be $12 per month every month.

Q: What do the lessons teach?
A: The lessons are the same lessons used in my online classroom. The class starts with PlotShop (you may choose fiction or nonfiction plotshop) and then moves to QueryShop and then into the details of manuscript design. Our goal is to work thoughtfully, and as fast as possible, toward submitting your work to agents and publishers.

Q: How long will the class last?
A: All of my classes are open-ended. There are at least several months of lessons available, at the very least. The goal is not how long the class lasts, but opening up aspects of professional writing that allow students to say "I see now how little I saw before" when it comes to the tools serious writers use.

Q: How do I know if this class is a good fit for me?
A: I get asked variations of this question a lot, about all my classes. My answer is always the same: Be brave and invest in your talent. Can great writing be taught? Yes. Do you know if your plot is demographic? Is your query letter ready, and how do you know? Are you writing for the 2011 market?

If writing is your passion, a $12 per month class might just be the best, and most affordable, investment you ever made in your talent. Get motivated, get educated, get writing. :)

Ebook Author Turns Down $500K to earn $30K? YES!

2011-04-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

The ebook revolution has taken a new turn.

Barry Eisler is a California-based professional who has become a full-time and self-published writer. He has made a splash recently after releasing to the internet a great discussion between himself and another writer about why Barry turned down a $500,000 deal with a traditional publisher, which he calls a “legacy publisher.” The discussion is fascinating and informative.

But here’s the thing that got my attention: Eisler is on track to make a staggering $30,000 of a epublished short story released in February called Lost Coast. That is an enormous sum for short story. For any story.

“In February I self-published a short story, The Lost Coast, featuring one of my series characters, a very nasty piece of work named Larison,” Eisler said in the aforementioned online discussion. “I priced it at $2.99, which is a premium price for a short story, just to see how my writing would do in the new environment and even with the handicap of a relatively high price. It’s been selling steadily and is currently at #1,088 on the Kindle list (and #13 and #17 on Amazon’s short stories bestseller lists, which is good because the top twenty come up in the first page view). It definitely got a boost from the online discussion that followed my announcement, but even before all that it was on track to earn me about $30,000 in a year through Amazon, B&N, andSmashwords—not bad at all for a short story.”

I also wanted to pull one more quote from his website, because I felt it was important information for all writers. Here is what Eisler has to say about agents in the ebook age.

“Agents should ask themselves how they'll feel for a certain title if five years from now, or ten, 90% of units of that title are being downloaded and only 10% sold in paper form. Publishers' and online booksellers' digital revenues will represent nearly pure profit -- have you done enough to secure your author's portion of that profit stream? Because sooner than you think, that digital stream is going to represent most if not all of what you and your author are earning.”

You should definitely visit this guy’s blog. http://barryeisler.blogspot.com

Dr. Tulkinghorn: Character Names MUST!!! be Taken from the Bible

2011-04-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

(Readers, welcome back our guest blogger, Dr. Tulkinghorn, as he prefers to be called. He is here again with his stupendous and career-changing advice for each of us. -Caleb)

Dear Struggling Writers,

I’m here to favor you with more tips to change your feeble literary attempts into monuments of expression. Today I offer you guidance on how to name your characters.

Here are my key tips:

If you are writing science fiction, the names of your characters must contain an X, or Z, or Y. Q is sometimes acceptable.

The names should require guessing when it comes to pronunciation. You should zealously correct anyone -- a member of your writers critique group, for example -- who guesses the pronunciation incorrectly. Be firm! The only thing that matters is that people use the pronunciation you made up!

If you are NOT writing sci-fi (which makes you a wannabe. Real writers predict the future without emphasis on emotion, as everyone knows. Plus you need somewhere to display your useless knowledge of math and astronomy.) Anyway, as I was saying, if you are not writing sci-fi, you must, MUST use character names that come only from the BIBLE, OR THE NAMES OF OLD ENGLISH KINGS. This is critical. Any other kind of name makes your readers suspicious of your motives. As they should be.

This advice applies equally when naming children. Actual flesh and blood children, I mean. Acceptable names are as follows: John, Peter, Paul, Simon, Henry, Richard, Thomas, Matthew, Luke, and Mark. THESE ARE THE STANDARDS. Stick close to this list. The names have been used ad nauseum in hundreds of thousands of books, but this is their appeal. Do whatever ever the group does, Debbies.

It's true, the names are so milquetoast that the reader will have trouble remembering who is who, or why anyone cares, but that is not part of this discussion. This discussion is an admonishment to DO ONLY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE. Otherwise people will know you are putting on aires.

Women's names should include Mary, Sally, and Jennifer. Emphasis on Jennifer. This name should be used in almost every book. And every school classroom in America should have at least four Jennifers, as far as naming actual children goes. But that is advice for another day. Elizabeth, Margaret, and Julie are also acceptable female character names. Deborah is also passable. Sarah is getting a bit religious, which will surely offend most of the country. Unless your audience is in the Bible Belt. Then Sarah rises to the top of the list.
Finally, remember this rule of thumb. If you have an hour to write, spend most of it fussing over your character's names. Use universal search and replace to try out different names. Getting the perfect name IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT than actual plotting or demonstrations of literary prowess on the page.

Well, that's surely enough bearing down for one day. I'll be back.
M. Guppy Tulkinghorn

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn

Dr. Tulkinghorn has a Ph.D in BS from a fantastically prestigious and expensive school that need not even be named, because if you don't know it by inference, you are an ill-witted onion. Dr. Tulkinghorn has self-published 47 novels and 18 nonfictions, including his New York Times bestselling book, "Hey Moron! Writing cannot be taught! Real Writers Take NO ADVICE from Anyone! And They Write VERY SLOWLY Because this is Their Process! Ye Gads! Writing is Inborn! Never Listen to Advice from Those Who Have Been Before You, But Do Ask Them to Read Your Manuscript so You can Ignore Whatever Comments They Have for You!!" (Soon to be available in paperback everywhere.) Dr. Tulkinghorn has three pieces of free advice for writers everywhere: 1) Read at least 80 blogs a day. 2) Only the trendy conference that never actually helped anyone will do. 3) Real writers NEVER waste time learning how to use commas. They show their true genius by ignoring all pressure to write like someone with a competent education. M. Guppy Tulkinghorn is married to his wife, Wopsie “Miggs” Tulkinghorn. They live in Middle America.

Poetry on Canvas Winners

2011-04-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

You CAN Blog About Anything!!! (Guest Blogger)

2011-04-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

(Readers, please welcome our first-ever guest blogger on this site. Mr. Tulkinghorn will be making semi-regular appearances here with his expert writing advice. Enjoy. -Caleb)

Dear Struggling Writers,

Blogging is the key to a successful writing career.

Any agent who hasn’t been dropped by all his clients because they have moved to self-publishing e-books will tell you this is true. I am the author of 47 novels and 18 nonfictions and my advice for you is BLOG A LOT. Here are my key tips:

Blogs must be focused on specific topics only. Because of this, every writer should have three or four blogs, all with different titles and themes.
YOU MUST post every new blog entry on Facebook. Only an ill-witted cabbage would miss this opportunity to alert their Facebook friends, most of whom they barely know and haven't seen in years, about every idea that pops into your mind to blog about.
I suggest you blog frequently about how you have a WIP (work in progress, in case you are new to this whole world of writing, you dear little pet. Don't worry, you'll soon get all the important lingo to make you feel you are part of the group). No matter how collapsed your WIP is, you should blog about it. Until you give up on it and move to another project. Then you begin blogging about the new project until it gets hard and you give up. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
Your blog will die and no one will read you unless you give things away. Anything will do.
Have cute labels and themes for different days of the week.
USE EXCLAMATION MARKS in all your blog titles!!!!!!!!!!!!! Duh!
Be funny.
And charming.
If you don't have a blog, you will never find an agent.
Make sure you prominently follow the blog of Nathan Bransford, even if you don't know that he is not an agent anymore, because being an agent sucks. He quit to go work in computers, but that doesn't matter. Follow his blog carefully. Let everyone know of your affection for him. He is likely to quit his job and go back to being an agent just so that he can agent your unfinished WIP which he found out about on your all-important BLOG.

Dear writers, these are enough tips for today. Memorize them, and I shall return tomorrow to give you further instruction.

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn, author

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn

M. Guppy Tulkinghorn has self-published 47 novels and 18 nonfiction books, including his New York Times bestselling book, “Now is the Time to Write about Vampires and Men with a lot of Abs But Not Enough Money to Buy Shirts to Cover Them Because They Can’t Work Because They are Deeply Involved in a Love Triangle with a So-So Looking Chick whilst Dealing with the Burden of having Supernatural Powers.” Mr. Tulkinghorn discovered the key to selling books is to give them away for free after first self-publishing them, and then trying and failing to sell the books at grocery stores book-signings. Mr. Tulkinghorn has three pieces of free advice for writers everywhere: 1) Remember that WRITING CANNOT BE TAUGHT. 2) GO TO ALL THE CONFERENCES YOU CAN, NO MATTER THE COST. 3)BLOG MORE THAN YOU WORK ON YOUR MANUSCRIPTS. And here is a fourth piece of advice: Great Writers Use Lots of Italics, random Capitalizations, and Psychically-placed commas. M. Guppy Tulkinghorn is married to his wife, Wopsie “Miggs” Tulkinghorn. They live in Middle America.

Surprise! Which States Buy the Most Ebooks?

2011-03-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

Mark Coker, a blogger at Smashwords, has just released some truly stunning and fascinating information about which states are consuming the most e-books.

His data is a riveting look at which states are not buying e-books, and which states are snatching them up.

And Mr. Coker's could have stopped there and called it a day, but he went on, taking the same data and compiling a state-by-state ranking according to per capita sales -- and this is where his data becomes stunning.

Wanna guess which state by far buys more e-books per capita than any other -- three books per person across the whole state! And you'll be floored to find out which state buys the fewest e-books in America. I'm proud to say my state came in third in per-capita e-book sales.

The answers are in the two data charts below, and you can see how your own state stacks up. -Caleb

You can read Mr. Coker's great commentary on his research here:

http://tinyurl.com/4guxsew

US States, Ranked by Aggregate Ebook Purchases

Source: Smashwords data

Rank	State	Percentage of US Ebook Sales
1	TX	8.57%
2	CA	7.99%
3	NY	5.99%
4	FL	5.93%
5	PA	4.13%
6	IL	3.90%
7	VA	3.62%
8	NC	3.36%
9	OH	3.16%
10	MI	3.12%
11	GA	2.88%
12	WA	2.81%
13	NJ	2.77%
14	IN	2.46%
15	MO	2.40%
16	AZ	2.26%
17	CO	2.09%
18	MN	2.07%
19	MA	2.04%
20	WI	1.91%
21	MD	1.91%
22	SC	1.78%
23	TN	1.63%
24	LA	1.52%
25	AL	1.45%
26	UT	1.44%
27	OK	1.38%
28	OR	1.35%
29	IA	1.33%
30	KY	1.31%
31	CT	1.13%
32	KS	1.09%
33	AR	0.98%
34	NV	0.83%
35	MS	0.72%
36	AK	0.66%
37	NE	0.66%
38	ID	0.65%
39	NM	0.65%
40	NH	0.61%
41	ND	0.48%
42	WV	0.45%
43	MT	0.42%
44	RI	0.37%
45	HI	0.32%
46	ME	0.32%
46	SD	0.29%
48	DE	0.29%
49	WY	0.26%
50	VT	0.20%
51	DC	0.09%

Per Capita Ebook Consumption
Source: Smashwords data

Rank	State	Ebook Per Capita Sales Ratio	Percentage of US Ebook Sales	State Pop	US Pop	% US Pop
1	AK	2.92	0.66%	698,473	307,006,550	0.23%
2	ND	2.29	0.48%	646,844	307,006,550	0.21%
3	UT	1.58	1.44%	2,784,572	307,006,550	0.91%
4	WY	1.44	0.26%	544,270	307,006,550	0.18%
5	VA	1.41	3.62%	7,882,590	307,006,550	2.57%
6	NH	1.41	0.61%	1,324,575	307,006,550	0.43%
7	IA	1.36	1.33%	3,007,856	307,006,550	0.98%
8	MT	1.32	0.42%	974,989	307,006,550	0.32%
9	ID	1.30	0.65%	1,545,801	307,006,550	0.50%
10	WA	1.29	2.81%	6,664,195	307,006,550	2.17%
11	CO	1.28	2.09%	5,024,748	307,006,550	1.64%
12	MO	1.23	2.40%	5,987,580	307,006,550	1.95%
13	MN	1.20	2.07%	5,266,214	307,006,550	1.72%
14	SC	1.20	1.78%	4,561,242	307,006,550	1.49%
15	KS	1.18	1.09%	2,818,747	307,006,550	0.92%
16	IN	1.18	2.46%	6,423,113	307,006,550	2.09%
17	OK	1.15	1.38%	3,687,050	307,006,550	1.20%
18	NE	1.12	0.66%	1,796,619	307,006,550	0.59%
19	SD	1.10	0.29%	812,383	307,006,550	0.26%
20	NC	1.10	3.36%	9,380,884	307,006,550	3.06%
21	OR	1.08	1.35%	3,825,657	307,006,550	1.25%
22	RI	1.07	0.37%	1,053,209	307,006,550	0.34%
23	TX	1.06	8.57%	24,782,302	307,006,550	8.07%
24	AZ	1.05	2.26%	6,595,778	307,006,550	2.15%
25	AR	1.04	0.98%	2,889,450	307,006,550	0.94%
26	WI	1.04	1.91%	5,654,774	307,006,550	1.84%
27	LA	1.04	1.52%	4,492,076	307,006,550	1.46%
28	MD	1.03	1.91%	5,699,478	307,006,550	1.86%
29	PA	1.01	4.13%	12,604,767	307,006,550	4.11%
30	VT	1.00	0.20%	621,760	307,006,550	0.20%
31	DE	0.99	0.29%	885,122	307,006,550	0.29%
32	CT	0.99	1.13%	3,518,288	307,006,550	1.15%
33	NM	0.99	0.65%	2,009,671	307,006,550	0.65%
34	FL	0.98	5.93%	18,537,969	307,006,550	6.04%
35	NJ	0.98	2.77%	8,707,739	307,006,550	2.84%
36	NV	0.96	0.83%	2,643,085	307,006,550	0.86%
37	MI	0.96	3.12%	9,969,727	307,006,550	3.25%
38	MA	0.95	2.04%	6,593,587	307,006,550	2.15%
39	AL	0.94	1.45%	4,708,708	307,006,550	1.53%
40	NY	0.94	5.99%	19,541,453	307,006,550	6.37%
41	KY	0.93	1.31%	4,314,113	307,006,550	1.41%
42	IL	0.93	3.90%	12,910,409	307,006,550	4.21%
43	GA	0.90	2.88%	9,829,211	307,006,550	3.20%
44	OH	0.84	3.16%	11,542,645	307,006,550	3.76%
45	TN	0.80	1.63%	6,296,254	307,006,550	2.05%
46	HI	0.77	0.32%	1,295,178	307,006,550	0.42%
46	WV	0.76	0.45%	1,819,777	307,006,550	0.59%
48	ME	0.75	0.32%	1,318,301	307,006,550	0.43%
49	MS	0.75	0.72%	2,951,996	307,006,550	0.96%
50	CA	0.66	7.99%	36,961,664	307,006,550	12.04%
51	DC	0.46	0.09%	599,657	307,006,550	0.20%

World's Bestselling E-book Author Signs $2M deal with MacMillian

2011-03-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

Big news in the world of publishing today!

Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old self-published author who became the world's bestselling e-book author, has signed a deal with St. Martin's Press, according to several sources, including the New York Times.

The Times reports that St. Martin’s Press, which is part of Macmillan, will publish 4 books in Amanda's “Watersong” series. The books will be YA paranormal.

"A heated auction for the rights to publish her books began early last week, and several major publishers, including Random House, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins, dropped out as the price climbed into the seven figures.," according to the Times. "The bidding eventually rose beyond $2 million for world English rights.

I first talked about Amanda Hocking, who lives in Minnesota, on this blog a couple of weeks ago. I now have to change what I said about her. Here is what I originally said:

"She is the face of a brave new world, an overnight celebrity, suddenly and fabulously rich, and the literal embodiment of the decline and fall of the publishing world as we knew it, oh, six months ago."

So, what does today's news mean for us, the everyday struggling writers who are trying to discern whether we should be chasing agents or simply publishing e-books?

Here is what Amanda herself has to say about her decision (she posted this on her blog on Tuesday):

"There's some buzz on the internet about me, and I'm not at a point where I can say much about it. But here's what I can say - I'm writer. I want to be a writer. I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling emails, formatting covers, finding editors, etc. Right now, being me is a full time corporation."

So what it comes down to, in my opinion, is help. It sounds like she wants help. A year ago she was a normal, unheard-of writer (sound familiar?). Now she is, as she says, a corporation. So she's turned to traditional publishing because of what they can offer -- publicity help, marketing, sales, etc.

This is my interpretation of what this all means: She got a $2 million deal BECAUSE of e-books. Remember that she had been repeatedly turned down by agents and publishers before. She took her writing straight to the masses, and the masses spoke, and the traditional publishers listened.

She went on to say she did not want to be the "poster child" for the ebook movement and that she will continue to self-publish, including a new book in April or May.

Here's a recap of her story. In January she sold more than 450,000 ebooks.

Yes, sit down for a moment and take that in. Nearly half a millon books IN ONE MONTH.

How did a 26-year-old in Minnesota single-handedly set major publishing houses shivering in their book-covers -- without even trying?

She published her first book, My Blood Approves, to the Kindle Store in April 2010, not even a year ago, according to her blog. A week later, she made the sequel available too. Here is what happened next:

In April 2010, she sold 45 ebooks in two weeks by word of mouth.
In May 2010, she sold 624 ebooks and made $362.
In June 2010, she sold 4,258 ebooks and made $3,180.
In July 2010, she sold 3,532 books and made $6,527.

Then suddenly she found herself at the epicenter of seismic shift in the book universe (to mix metaphors).

In August, a publishing house in Hungary asked to buy foreign rights. She approached five agents and got one. Here’s the real shocker, which in a nutshell summarizes how the old world has yet to catch up to the new world of bookselling: Of the five agents, only three even asked for a manuscript -- even though she had people asking to buy her foreign rights. Of the three agents that did ask for a manuscript, two never contacted her again (as of her account in August 2010). She signed with Steven Axelrod at The Axelrod Agency, Inc.

You can find Amanda Hocking and her books at AmandaHocking.blogspot.com.

And thanks to author Linda Bethers for tipping me off to this news!

UPDATED: Spring Conference for Writers

2011-03-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

American Fork Arts Council -- Spring Conference for Writers
Historic American Fork City Hall, 31 North Church Street (50 East), American Fork
Saturday, April 30, 2011; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

8-9 a.m. Registration
9-9:10 Welcome (Plenary)
9:10-9:25 Keynote speaker: Dene Low, “Finding Your Narrative Voice”
9:25-9:40 Cedar Fort Editor, "Tips for Writing an Author Marketing Proposal”
9:40-9:50 Margot Hovley “What I Wish I Had Known as a New Writer”
9:50-10 Caleb Warnock “How To Make Money as a Writer”
10-10:10 Sara Larson “What To Look For in an Agent”
10:10-10:20 Loraine Scott “Using Real Life to Create Great Fiction”
10:20-10:30

10:30- 10:45 15-minute break

10:35-11:10 BREAKOUT ONE
Veteran’s Hall: EMPTY
Arts Council Hall: Dene Low, Sara Larson “Signing With an Agent”
WritingInDepth.com Room: American Fork Arts Council Press Book Pitches
QuattroGrafix Room: Margot Hovley, Loraine Scott “Novel Writing 101”
Cedar Fort Room: Cedar Fort Editor “What Cedar Fort is Looking For in 2011”

11:30-noon BOOK SIGNING - Veteran’s Hall, all authors
Noon-1 LUNCH, Veteran‘s Hall & "Mix and Mingle with Authors, book sales & signings continue”

1-1:40 BREAKOUT TWO
Veteran’s Hall: Cedar Fort Editor “What to Expect During the Publishing Process”
Arts Council Hall: Sara Larson, Caleb Warnock, Margot Hovley “Measuring Blog Success”
WritingInDepth.com Room: Larry Cox, CPA; Loraine Scott “Tax Deductions Every Writer Should Know About”
Cedar Fort Room: Dene Low “Character & Narrative Voice”

1:40-1:50 Ten-minute break

1:50-2:30 BREAKOUT THREE
Veteran’s Hall: Cedar Fort Editor “National Publishing With Bonneville Books”
Arts Council Hall: Margot Hovley, Sara Larson, Dene Low “Writing the Young Adult Novel”
WritingInDepth.com Room: Caleb Warnock “Writing the Book Only You Can Write”
Cedar Fort Room: Loraine Scott “Tips for Writing Series”

2:30-2:40 Ten-minute break

2:40-3:20 BREAKOUT FOUR
Veteran’s Hall: Jenifer Lee: “The Art & Science of Writing Poetry”
Arts Council Hall: Margot Hovley, Loraine Scott, Dene Low “Having Fun With Plot”
WritingInDepth.com Room: Caleb Warnock “Queries Live!”
Cedar Fort Room: Sara Larson “I Wooed 300 Blog Followers, And So Can You”

3:20-3:30 Ten-minute break

3:30-4:10 BREAKOUT FIVE
Veteran’s Hall: Sara Larson, Margot Hovley, Dene Low “Taking Feedback”
Arts Council Hall: Rena Peterson, Kimberly Coates “Is Self Publishing Right for You?”
WritingInDepth.com Room: Caleb Warnock “Outlining Your Nonfiction Book”
Cedar Fort Room: Loraine Scott “Marketing Your Book”

4:10-4:20 CONTEST WINNERS, BOOK GIVEAWAYS, CRITIQUE GROUPS, FAREWELL
(draft schedule)

E-book Sales See Huge Jump; Hardback/Paperback Drop

2011-03-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Traditional publishing continues to falter while e-book sales soar, according to a just-released report from the Association of American Publishers. Here's the trends that every writer should keep an eye on, by the numbers:

E-book sales took a huge jump, up 116% compared to January 2010 (from $32 million to $70 million).
Sales of downloadable audio books rose 9% in the same time period.
Total books sales dropped to $805.7 million compared to January 2010’s $821.5M sales (-1.9%).
Adult Hardcover category fell 11%
Adult Paperback sales dropped 20%
Adult Mass Market declined 31%
Children’s/Young Adult, hardcover sales dropped 2%
Children's/Young Adult paperbacks plunged 18%
Sales of religious books grew by 5.6%

The World's Most Expensive e-Book !?!

2011-03-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Once upon a few months ago, the whole point of having e-Books was affordability -- the darn things were supposed to be cheaper. Remember that?

No so much anymore, apparently. Some ebooks -- such as Donald Rumsfield's new tome, "Known and Unknown -- actually cost MORE as ebooks than as traditional print books. Huh? Why? The e-Book price, in case you are wondering, is $20, which is twenty cents more than the paper-printed version.

And then there is the $238 e-Book. Wow -- better be a good read. You can read all about it here:

http://www.mediabistro.com/ebooknewser/a-238-ebook_b7433

Ebook Trends: Good and Bad News

2011-03-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

Avon announces ebook-only imprint
Avon Romance, which is an imprint of Harper Collins, has announced its first ebook-only imprint, named Avon Impulse. (An imprint is simply a division of a publishing company, if you are new to the term). Here are the important details:

Impulse is accepting non-agented submissions
Impulse hopes to begin by publishing a new ebook every week

Impulse promises distinctive covers and strong marketing for their new authors. And why the sudden urge for an ebook-only imprint?

“Two reasons,” said Avon execs in a statement. “First, traditional channels for mass market genre fiction are shrinking. Fewer grocery stores, drug stores, mall stores and superstores are carrying a broad selection of romance titles. While there is a strong consumer market for Avon titles, the channels that we have always depended on to grow new voices and publish broadly are under pressure. Second, the growth of eReaders and e-books have created a new opportunity that allows us to begin increasing the number and diversity of our romance list for the first time in 10 years.”

POWELL'S BOOKS lays off 31 employees
This news is a surprise because the industry believed the Powell’s might be faring better the Barnes & Noble and Borders because it has a strong online sales presence and fewer brick and mortar stores. A leaded internal memo also says that Powell’s employees will so face a second wave of layoffs.

RANDOM HOUSE ebooks outsell physical books
NPR recently reported that Random House was actually selling more ebooks than physical books in the first week of release for some titles, especially thrillers.

TWO PUBLISHERS see huge ebook sales spike
Penguin Books announced that its ebook profits were 182% and are now 6% of total Penguin revenues.

Bloomsbury Publishing has announced that its ebook sales grew 18-fold in 2010 over 2009, and that total ebook sales for the year were about 10 percent of traditional publishing sales.

$131,000: Bloomsbury ebook sales in 2009:
$2.3 million: Bloomsbury ebook sales in 2010:

She is the World’s Bestselling eBook Author

2011-02-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

Amanda Hocking of Minnesota is the face of a brave new world, an overnight celebrity, suddenly and fabulously rich, and the literal embodiment of the decline and fall of the publishing world as we knew it, oh, six months ago.

The great news is that she is just like you and me. On her blogsite, she tells a familiar tale -- she always loved to write. But when she started to write in earnest, she was repeatedly turned away by editors and agents. So she published herself on Amazon.

Today, not only has her world turned upside down, she’s also up-ended the entire publishing industry. In less than six months. No small feat for a writer the mainstream industry shunned.

Today, February 27th, Britain’s The Observer newspaper named Amanda Hocking “the world's bestselling ebook author, selling more than 450,000 titles last month alone.”

Yes, sit down for a moment and take that in. Nearly half a millon books IN ONE MONTH.

How did a 26-year-old in Minnesota single-handedly set major publishing houses shivering in their book-covers -- without even trying?

In April 2010, she sold 45 ebooks in two weeks by word of mouth.
In May 2010, she sold 624 ebooks and made $362.
In June 2010, she sold 4,258 ebooks and made $3,180.
In July 2010, she sold 3,532 books and made $6,527.

Then suddenly she found herself at the epicenter of seismic shift in the book universe (to mix metaphors).

“I'd just sold over 10,000 books at the time,” she writes on her blog.

That same month, one of her books hit #25 on the Kindle sales list, and she made $1,200 IN ONE DAY from ebook sales.

“I just made more in a day than I used to make in a month,” she wrote on her blog.

In August, she sold just under 5,000 ebooks and made $10,000.

And in January, she sold nearly half a million books. If her $2 per book profit margin held true, she’s a wealthy woman. She has 4,000 Facebook followers and is now a USA Today bestselling author. And two weeks ago she announced that her Trylle Trilogy has been optioned for film by Terri Tatchell, the Oscar-nominated screenplay writer of District 9.

But these are not the reasons why I love Amanda Hocking. Clearly her writing is a hit with the public. Obviously her unprecedented success as a solo publishing phenom frightens traditional publishing houses. But I love her because she’s been honest and open with us, her public.

She made her sales record public, and her profits. She truly is an ebook pioneer, and outlining the details of her trajectory only serves to help educate the rest of us about what is possible. For this reason alone, she deserves a lifetime of success in the storytelling profession. I’m betting she’ll have it. -Caleb

You can find Amanda Hocking and her books at AmandaHocking.blogspot.com.

E-book Bestsellers List

2011-02-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

TThe New York Times has finally aligned with reality and made a major shift in the way it reports books sales. The Times is now the one and only place to keep up with the digital age of books. That’s right, people, I’m talking about the debut of the New York Times ebook bestseller list.

Actually, there are two lists. The new, improved bestsellers list is a combo of ebook sales and print sales. 

And now there is also a list for ebook sales only. Both of these lists are weekly, and both cover fiction and nonfiction separately. 

Welcome to the digital age, everyone. Now we are just waiting to see who will be the first indie writer to hit the NYTimes list.

Of particular fun is comparing the print/ebook combo list against the ebook-only list. Notice a trend? The ebook-only list is strong in backlist books, as I predicted here in my blog on Publishing Trends 2011. As of exactly now, the days of a book being “out of print” are gone forever. Interesting new world, and good for the pocketbook of writers.

The website is: http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-02-20/e-book-fiction/list.html

If you want more love for writers, visit me at CalebWarnock.blogspot.com. -Caleb

Writing Conference DATE CHANGE

2011-02-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

We have been swamped with requests for us to change the date of our conference, because the Utah State Poetry Society conference is the same weekend. We appreciate everyone's concern, and we are happy to announce that we have moved our conference to Saturday, April 30.

Sponsored by the American Fork Arts Council
Saturday, April 30, 2011, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Historic City Hall, 31 N. Church Street (50 East), American Fork

National and LDS Market Authors: Dene Low, Margot Hovley, Sara Larson, Loraine Scott,
Caleb Warnock, Cindy Bechtold, & more

To register, call Lori at the Arts Council office at 801-763-3081.

Winter Gardening Class This Week

2011-02-15T23:30:00.001-08:00

CLASS ON THURSDAY Feb. 17 2011 will be held at the American Fork Fitness Center, 454 North Center Street in American Fork. We will meet in Room #3. Sorry for the inconvenience, but the arts council building was accidentally double-scheduled for both last Thursday and this Thursday. Questions? calebwarnock@yahoo.com

Announcing the Spring 2011 Conference for Writers

2011-02-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

Sponsored by the American Fork Arts Council
Saturday, April 23, 2011, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Historic City Hall, 31 N. Church Street (50 East), American Fork

National and LDS Market Authors: Dene Low, Margot Hovley, Sara Larson, Loraine Scott, Caleb Warnock, Cindy Bechtold, & more

Featuring classes on
- “What Every Writer Should Know: Ebooks”
- "Approaching Agents"
- “Outlining a Nonfiction Book”
- “Writing & Publishing Poetry”
- "Writing a Fiction Series"
- “Blog Success & Pitfalls”
- “Young Adult Fiction 2011”
- “Online Books Sales & Marketing”
- “Queries Live!”
- “Narrative Voice: The Key to Publishing”
- “Rewriting: Good Becomes Great”
- “Having Fun with Plot”
& many more!

Register today $39 (after April 13, $49)
To register, call the Arts Council Office 801-763-3081
Major credit cards accepted ($1 fee).
Lunch catered by Flour Girls & Dough Boys, about $9, payable Saturday morning

SPECIAL EVENTS on Friday, April 22 2011
✫Work-In-Progress Workshop with Caleb Warnock. A day-long “Book Boot Camp” focusing on helping writers with plot, query, and narrative voice in their work-in-progress manuscript. ($78, limit 20 students) 9 a.m. - 5 pm

✫Poetry on Canvas 2011 Gala Concert & Readings
7 p.m., FREE to the public (suggested $10 donation to be split among performers)

BEST VALUE: Friday & Saturday Combo $100 before April 13 (limit 20)

Starting Exactly Now, the "Out of Print" Book is Extinct

2011-02-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Last week, the NYTimes finally aligned itself with reality and made a major shift in the way it reports books sales. The new, improved bestsellers list is a combo of ebook sales and print sales, and now there is also a list for ebook sales only. Both of these lists are weekly, and both cover fiction and nonfiction separately.

Welcome to a new world, everyone.

Of particular fun is comparing the print/ebook combo list against the ebook-only list. Notice a trend? The ebook-only list is strong in backlisted books, as I predicted here. As of exactly now, the days of a book being “out of print” are gone forever. Interesting new world, and good for the pocketbook of writers.

This week's ebooks bestsellers list is found here: http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-02-20/e-book-fiction/list.html

- Caleb

Borders Bookstore woes

2011-02-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a news story about the financial troubles of Borders bookstore.

"Critics said the company botched its move into the digital age and instead saw sales drop and earnings plummet.

"The company reported a net loss of $74.4 million for the quarter ended Oct. 30 and has had financial losses every quarter for the last three years. Borders' chief bricks-and-mortar rival, Barnes & Noble, also has been struggling financially."

What does this mean for writers? It means 2011 is going to be a year of change. For most of us, the rise of the ebook is going to be good news. But not for Borders and B&N.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2014166181_borders09.html

Publishing Trends For Savvy Writers (Feb. 2011):

2011-02-04T00:52:00.001-08:00

The publishing world is morphing faster than the Egyptian political landscape. In 2011, writers must be clever at marketing as well as wordsmithing. Here are five cutting-edge publishing trends happening right now.

1. Social Smart Monitoring:
Social networking is so 2010. Blog give-aways and Twitter updates are no longer enough. Thoughtful writers have begun to use social network monitoring to not only judge, but tweak, the impact of their networking.

2. The 6% Conundrum:
Traditional publishers, even the big names, will give a first-time author a cut of only 6-8 percent of the profit from a book (typically). But Amazon will give 66 percent. Both will ask the author to deliver a marketing campaign. Do traditional houses have enough marketing muscle to make them worthwhile in 2011? Is it better to invest years in learning to market yourself, or years trying to catch the eye of a publisher? Answer: In 2011, smart writers are learning to do both.

3. Concrete Digital:
Until now, writers dipping a toe into the watery world of online self-promotion have been able to dabble and experiment. In 2011, writers looking to woo agents and publishers (& readers) will increasingly need to spell out a marketing campaign strategy in concrete terms. More agents are demanding evidence that you can bring a built-in audience to your work. And indie writers are getting serious about how to define success, and build on small wins. Indie writers making money in 2011 will be adept at both writing and hawking their words.

4. Micro Narrative Voice:
Long gone are the days when a great plot sold a book. Now even great writing counts for little. In the new frontier of ebooks, you get a single sentence to win readers. The indie writers who are winning readers and agents have realized that this one sentence -- the click-through summary on the ebook lists -- must demonstrate you have both a great story, and a great storytelling voice.

5. The Crush of Friendly:
For the past several years, amateur writers have been told that blogs are like charm school -- show the world your graces and the world will pay attention. And maybe there was a time when being charming was enough. But now the crush of bloggers trying to win readers by being friendly and entertaining has reached a tipping point. 2011 brings a new focus on being useful. If you have something helpful to say, say it. Otherwise, readers will want you out of the way.

I’ll take you through an in-depth look at each of these trends, and how you can get in front of them, in the days ahead. -Caleb

100% Fresh January Garden Salad

2011-01-17T03:19:00.000-08:00

This is the salad I had for Sunday dinner yesterday, January 16. There is at least three inches of snow on the ground. Over the past three weeks we have had three nights at our house that reached minus-15 degrees -- you read that right. And I'm having garden-fresh salad. Great to be me!

But how much did that salad cost you, you may be asking. After all, the price of the greenhouse, the electricity, the artificial heat, the artificial lighting... That's an expensive salad.

So wrong.

First, you should know this salad was picked within the hour, photographed, and eaten. There is no greenhouse. No cold frame, no artificial heating of any kind, no artificial lighting, no special glass growing frame, no electricity, not a single thing that costs money or requires work. Not a single thing.

I have not been out digging, nor planting, nor doing anything special to get this salad. Just five minutes of work last September, and a little planning. That's all.

And now, on January 16th, with temperatures hovering at freezing, I have fresh winter salad. Even better, I have enough for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next and on and on. I could even make a fresh winter salad for a crowd.

In fact, I'm going to do just that. And you are invited dine with me!

We will be taste-testing this fresh garden salad, and many other winter garden delights, in my "Winter Gardening" class, sponsored by the American Fork Arts Council. I'll also be giving away free, pure, open-pollinated vegetable seed from my garden, and showing you truly easy ways to feast fresh and straight from you garden in the dead of winter in Utah. The class costs twenty bucks if you register before Feb. 4. To register, call the American Fork Arts Council office at 801-763-3081.

Zero cost. Zero special nonsense. Just forgotten skills of self-sufficiency of the pioneers (yes, that was a shameless plug for the book, available in stores August 2011.)

For more information about the class, visit CalebWarnock.blogspot.com. Happy eating!

Pioneer Winter Gardening Class

2011-01-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

Sponsored by the American Fork Arts Council

Class: Forgotten Skills of Pioneer Winter Gardening
No electricity or greenhouse required, even at minus-ten degrees! Learn dozens of winter vegetable types including carrots, lettuce, spinach & more, how to grow them, where to find seeds. Includes tasting, free seed, optional instructor’s garden tour.
$20 before Feb 4, $30 thereafter. To register: 801-763-3081
7-9 p.m. Thurs Feb.10, 17
Historic American Fork City Hall, 39 North Church Street

Caleb Warnock

Utah Seed Exchange meeting and garden tour

"Dig for Victory" (original WWII Victory Garden film)

Winter garden update

Do we really eat self-sufficiently?

Good News! My book goes into third printing!

NYTimes: "Amazon rewrites rules of book publishing"

My book is officially a NATIONAL BESTSELLER!

Listeria Deaths are "silly" to farmer

How My Life Has Changed

Book Tour!

My chickens are interviewed. For real.

My book is here!!

No words were harmed?!

Buckets of Love from Caleb

Borders Bookstores are dead.

"All Things eBooks" & Narrative Voice Boot Camp

Puppet Mouth: “The blog lives on like Wesley in Princess Bride”

Caleb is interviewed on the Writing Snippets blog

Indie Author is First to Sell 1 Million eBooks!

For the first time in history, an independent author has sold 1 million eBooks, Amazon announced on Monday. And here’s the kicker -- those million books sold IN FIVE MONTHS.

Newest "billion-dollar author"

How To Get An Agent!!!!!!!!

A Store Inside Your eBook

Eric wins the Nebula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Digitally Signed Books: The New Fad

A New Genre Is Born: Instant eBooks

Author Craft Project with Marie Osmond!

The Famous $12 per month Writing Class Starts This Week!

How To Get Noticed At Writing Conferences

Perhaps the Best Writing Advice Ever.

New $12 per month writing class begins in May

This is a note let you know that there is a new online writing class option available that costs just $12 a month. The class begins the first week of May. Details are below. If you would like to register, email me at:

This is a note let you know that there is a new online writing class option available that costs just $12 a month. The class begins the first week of May. Details are below. If you would like to register, email me at:

CalebWarnock@yahoo.com.

Writing for Pleasure, Publishing for Money:

The Master Class with Caleb Warnock

-- One lesson will be delivered to you each week via email.

-- Class begins the first week of May.

-- Price is $12 per month if you sign up by April 30. Fee may be paid via paypal or check or echeck.

-- Anyone who pays for two or more months at a time will get a free query review by Caleb. (Or first page review, your choice.)

-- This class includes only lessons. For manuscript help or personal feedback, please take advantage of the regular Wednesday evening class, or my online Writing In Depth classes.

-- To register, reply to this email.

Lessons include:

- PlotShop

- QueryShop

- Synopsis writing

- Narrative voice

- Elements of story design

- Three dimensions of character

- Slight writing

- Tone deafness

- What every writer should know about copyright

- Introducing characters

- Dialogue patterns

- & more

Ebook Author Turns Down $500K to earn $30K? YES!

Dr. Tulkinghorn: Character Names MUST!!! be Taken from the Bible

Poetry on Canvas Winners

You CAN Blog About Anything!!! (Guest Blogger)

Surprise! Which States Buy the Most Ebooks?

World's Bestselling E-book Author Signs $2M deal with MacMillian

Big news in the world of publishing today!

UPDATED: Spring Conference for Writers

E-book Sales See Huge Jump; Hardback/Paperback Drop

The World's Most Expensive e-Book !?!

Ebook Trends: Good and Bad News

She is the World’s Bestselling eBook Author

E-book Bestsellers List

TThe New York Times has finally aligned with reality and made a major shift in the way it reports books sales. The Times is now the one and only place to keep up with the digital age of books. That’s right, people, I’m talking about the debut of the New York Times ebook bestseller list.

If you want more love for writers, visit me at CalebWarnock.blogspot.com. -Caleb

Writing Conference DATE CHANGE

Winter Gardening Class This Week

Announcing the Spring 2011 Conference for Writers

Starting Exactly Now, the "Out of Print" Book is Extinct

Borders Bookstore woes

Publishing Trends For Savvy Writers (Feb. 2011):

100% Fresh January Garden Salad

Pioneer Winter Gardening Class

This is a note let you know that there is a new online writing class option available that costs just
$12 a month. The class begins the first week of May. Details are below. If you would like to register, email me at:

This is a note let you know that there is a new online writing class option available that costs just
$12 a month. The class begins the first week of May. Details are below. If you would like to register, email me at:

- Introducing
characters