Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

If you don’t know what a QR code is, scroll down to the end of this post to take a peek. QR (which stands for “quick response”) codes are ubiquitous–on food packaging, on clothing tags, in ads, etc. The codes might provide recipes that use the food item you’ve just purchased or ways to tie the scarf you’re considering buying or a video about the car pictured in an ad.

I’ll suggest some ways authors can use QR codes in a minute, but first I’ll explain how they work. (If you already know, just move on down to the numbered items.) The codes are two-dimensional, which means they can carry much more information than the one-dimensional bar code. QRs are designed to be used with smartphones by scanning the code with the phone’s camera. The phone’s software interprets the information and takes the user to a spot  on the Internet.

Android phones have built in QR code readers, but other smartphone users can download an app for their phones to read the codes. CBA Retailers + Resource Magazine in its November 2011 issue, indicated that 40% of all mobile phones in the U.S. are smartphones, and by 2015 more smartphones will be owned than other mobile phones. The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that the majority of  Americans research online items they’re considering purchasing. InsightExpress’s study reveals that 82% of shoppers already use their phones in some way before purchasing.

For all these reasons, it makes sense for authors to think about how they might use QR codes. Here are a few suggestions to get your creativity going:

1. On your business card. When you hand someone your business card, you could be handing them quick and efficient access to your website. You don’t need to put your web address on your card, which the user would have to type in (correctly, which is a challenge for some of us). Or you could send someone to your blog, if you want to show off your writing.

2. On your proposals. Picture a publishing committee meeting. There’s the conference room, the conference table, the decisionmakers–and lots of laptops. As the editor presents your project, everyone’s fingers are flying on keyboards. Your website is checked out; your presence on Twitter; what’s going on for you on Facebook; a quick trip to Amazon to check out your previous books and where they stand in the rankings.

Now picture this: You put a QR code on your proposal that takes the reader to your website; or you have a (short!) video of you speaking that shows off how adept you are in front of an audience or a video during you give your pitch for the project being considered. That way the committee gets to meet not only your project but also you.

3. To reach your readers. Ask your publisher to put a QR code in your book that leads the reader to a brief video of you introducing the book (and yourself). Or a QR code to an online readers’ discussion guide.

4. To sell other books. Add a QR code to a bookmark that contains all of your titles or all of the books in a series. Since reviews often help a reader to decide to buy a book, why not establish a page of reviews (or segments of reviews, to keep it short) on your website and create a code to take readers there.

The possibilities are almost limitless. And creating codes is easy. Just google “QR code,” and you’ll be taken to a variety of sites from which you can create the codes.

What ways can you think of  to use a QR code?

And, now, just for fun, here’s a QR code that takes you to a photo of our agency staff, including our newest addition, Rachelle Gardner.

P.S. For those of you used to the rhythms of our blog posts, you’ll expect to read more from me tomorrow and Friday. But we’re trying a new rhythm of three blogs from one writer followed by two blogs from another contributor.  So tomorrow and Friday you’ll meet up with Wendy Lawton here. We’re experimenting with this new arrangement for several weeks, and we’d love to hear what you think of the change as it rolls out. Plus we’ve added Rachelle Gardner to the writing schedule as well, starting on Feb. 13; so she’s a new voice on our blog that we know you’re gonna love.

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Considering that January is about to exit our lives, I figure today is my last chance to let you know the word that Dictionary.com selected as depicting 2011: tergiversate.

Just in case that announcement didn’t seem especially enlightening to you, tergiversate (pronounced “ter-JIV-er-sate” means “to change repeatedly one’s attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; to equivocate.”

Now do you get why the word was so appropriate for 2011? The stock market couldn’t make up its mind how it felt about the world’s events; so the market looked like a kid on a trampoline–way up, way down, way up…And then we had Occupy Wall Street (and several other “Occupies”). Not only couldn’t the public decide how it felt about Occupy, but also the movement couldn’t decide why it existed or even what to occupy. In my hometown, Occupy moved from the plaza where the city government buildings were located to banks to the mall to the local junior college. And then there’s publishing…

eReaders continued to wreak havoc on the industry as it had been known for hundreds of years, and social media added so many ways to connect with each other that just keeping up with options was exhausting.

Yup, we saw  plenty of tergiversation.  But here’s the thing: tergiversate encompasses a sense of flip-flopping combined with intentionality. Changes are afoot not by happenstance but by necessity. And the word originates from Latin for “to turn one’s back.”

What does that mean for us in publishing? The importance of embracing change, not just enduring it.

The sea change we’re experiencing isn’t going to abate in 2012. We need to be adaptive, to turn our back on what formerly was. That means, what was new in 2011 can seem outdated by the end of 2012.

One of the goals I’ve set for our agency is to find–or develop–three new revenue streams for our clients. As publishing pays smaller advances and remains convinced that 25% is an adequate royalty rate for e-publishing, authors are feeling the pinch. I believe our agency’s job is to tergiversate our view of publishing and the ways writers can make a living. The ideas we decide on in 2012 might remain relevant for only a year or so, but this isn’t a moment to worry about how long an idea with float but if it will float now.

What tergiversating events occurred in 2011 that I didn’t mention? What do you need to tergiversate in 2012?

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Pretty much everyone just wants to be liked, right? Why, we’ve all taken to heart one sentence from Sally Fields’ earnest Academy-Award acceptance speech: “You like me, you really like me.”

But authors seem especially prone to need to know that they’re not only liked but also respected by the publishing industry. Which points to one of the reasons authors forgo the option of self-publishing. They want to be able to say, “My publisher likes me, really likes me.”

But I was reminded of how compelling that need is when I read a recent Wall Street Journal article about Darcie Chan, who crafted a hit, self-published novel. The Mill River Recluse is her debut novel and has sold more than 400,000 copies–in seven months. According to the WSJ article, she’s receiving offers from foreign imprints, movie studios and audio-book publishers–without having  sold a single physical copy of her book. And that’s the big rub for Chan.

Ms. Chan craves for one event to occur in her writing career that so far has eluded her: She wants a traditional publisher to produce a book–a physical book–Chan has written. Despite six film studios inquiring about movie rights and two foreign publishers bidding on the book, Chan “is holding off on such deals, for fear they might sabotage a potential contract with a domestic publisher,” according to WSJ.

“I have people writing me begging me for a hard copy,” she says, “book clubs and libraries calling me, and I don’t have a hard copy to provide for them.”

Chan is working on her second novel and hopes a traditional publisher will phone one day to say, “We like you, we really like you.”

As I read about Chan, I experienced a raft of responses. Here’s a short list:

• Obviously, this intense longing for a publisher to produce a physical book isn’t just about having a hard copy. It’s much more about Chan’s desire to have the traditional publishing experience. She wants a professional editor to work with her on her book and for her book to be available in bookstores and libraries. Yes, she could create a physical book, but it wouldn’t be the same, would it?
• Chan recognizes that a traditional publisher brings to bear certain elements the author can’t provide: Distribution to retail venues, placement in libraries, a marketing plan, an editorial eye, and a team of publishing professionals all focused on how to make her book a success.
• The desire for “legitimacy” can blind a person to the shortcomings of going the traditional route. I’m sure several traditionally-published authors reading this blog post are groaning over how much they wish they could say their book had sold 400,000 copies.
• Other self-published authors are gloating over how much money they’re making and how many fans they have. They feel plenty affirmed by their readers.
• But, really, Darcie Chan is like all of us, including me–she has a set idea of how to know if she’s really liked–and she hasn’t experienced that yet.

What’s your response to Chan’s saga?

Now, here’s the hard part, thinking about how this applies to you.

• What is the most affirming event that could occur for you, as a writer? To win a certain award (aka Sally Fields)? To sell a certain number of copies of your book? To get a multi-book contract? To hit a best-seller list (would any list do, or would it have to a specific list)?
• What might you sacrifice to achieve your goal? Might you, like Chan, put film options and audio versions on hold so as not to hurt your chances of making your goal? (Be honest!)
• How do you handle the disappointments this heartbreaking industry has handed you?
• How do you keep belief in your abilities going strong?

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

The last few days I’ve been exploring trends in our culture that can inform what we write about or how we reach readers. One idea that’s been around for awhile but seems to be experiencing a renaissance is taking your hobby to new heights by attending a crafting retreat. It’s adults meet camp!

The idea is that you not only get away to enjoy fresh air and a new locale, but you also make something while surrounded by other enthusiasts.Makerie is such a camp.Located in Colorado’s Flatiron Mountains, the retreat consists of workshops in letterpress, food styling, photography and embroidery. Toss in breaks for yoga, hikes and quiet time for this adult getaway.

Teahouse Studio presents workshops on painting, graphic design and writing at an artists’ studio in Berkeley.

Ace Camps, in Vancouver, B.C., offers creative retreats centered around art, photography, food and journaling.

What does this upsurge of interest in doing crafts or pursuing artistic expression with others mean?

I’d say these retreats are a blend of the trend I wrote about the other day–individuals creatively expressing themselves through the food items they make–and the specialized book clubs–the need to be with others who share your interests and want to talk about them and pursue them in a group setting.

What does this mean for writers? That people are very interested in creativity, crafts and being with others who also are passionate about the same activity.

A novel could be set at a crafting retreat; or you could connect your nonfiction book to the reader’s desire not to be isolated in his or her interest. Maybe you could even develop a retreat of your own…just a thought.

How do you respond to the trends we’ve explored this week? Did the discussion help you to direct your thinking about what you’ll write in 2012? Or about how you’ll find readers who would appreciate your work?

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

In many ways, our society feeds a sense of being part of the milieu rather than being uniquely you or me. As a result, individuals are looking for others with whom they can connect and share their passions. One of the ways that need is being expressed is through book clubs. While many of us belong to generic book clubs that each year pick a variety of fiction/nonfiction, genre-crossing blends of books, others are founding specialized book clubs. One type of club is the cookbook club. The idea is to pick a cookbook, spend a month testing recipes and then coming together for a potluck.

Other books clubs exclusively read historical novels from a specific era, such as the Civil War. Still others read from the never-ending stream of WWII nonfiction books.

And some read books that involve an outing. The book club I belong to picks one book each year that results in our traveling to a site. For example, one year we read The Maltese Falcon and took a San Francisco walking tour of all the places named in the book. Another year we read a Jack London biography and then ventured to the Jack London State Park, where we had the chance to interview Jack London’s grandson–in the house he had built in the middle of the park and that was filled with London memorabilia. We went to Ashland, Oregon, to watch “To Kill a Mockingbird” performed as a play the month we read that book.

People are looking for ways to “add value” to their book clubs by connecting in a variety of ways over books.

What does that mean for writers? Think about how your book could fit into a specialized type of book club. Look online for such clubs. If you can’t find any but think lots and lots of people would respond to that type of club, start forming them via your website and social media.

What possibilities do you see for book clubs that are highly specialized? (Maybe you have ideas for a club you’d like to be in–even if it isn’t related to what you write about.)

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

I like to take the first few days of each year to get my grounding, to stabilize my feet under me, and to consider what the new year might hold. We’re all moving in a jet stream, propelled from behind by so many changes in society and in publishing that it’s hard to keep up with what’s new. But I think it’s instructive to consider what people are thinking about, how they’re reacting to life, and what that means to those of us who, ultimately, are either responders to society’s direction or movers of that direction. Either way, if we don’t know where our culture is going, we can neither write about it meaningfully nor influence its direction.

One thing I’ve noted is an uptick in the domestic arts. I’m not just talking people who like to cook, sew, knit, or build a bookshelf. I’m talking about people who are taking their activities to a new level. Sunset Magazine’s January 2012 issue had a section devoted to domestic artists. There I met:

Austin Durant, who is into fermenting–sauerkraut, pickles, even ketchup. He founded Fermenters Club in San Diego.

Emily Collins Kell, who makes cider because she had a backyard crammed with productive apple trees.

Emily Ho, who creates soda drinks because she found traditional sodas too sweet for her tastebuds’ liking. She carbonates drinks based on ingredients like elderflowers, oranges, rosemary, and cherries. She forages in farmers markets and on walks in her LA neighborhood to collect ingredients.

Jeff Pratuch, who cans tuna. A leisuretime tuna fisherman, he wanted albacore all year long and realized canning his catch was the way to stay stocked on the stuff. He says his homemade tuna bears little resemblance to the fare we eat from cans.

Cousins Brett Wittman and Jason Marwedel, who became sausage makers when they entered a sausage contest. Their family has been curing sausages for more than a century, but the guys knew they were onto something when, after three years of perfecting their skills, they beat not only their uncles but also their grandmother in the sausage contest.

Henry Chang, who roasts his own coffee. He started out trying to duplicate the espresso he tasted in Italy and eventually found the perfect roaster for him online–he had to learn to type in Chinese to communicate with the makers and eventually flew to Taiwan to pick up that precious baby.

What do all of these people, who from their photos look as though they’re in their 30s or 40s, have in common?

• They were inventive.
• They became obsessed with their hobbies.
• They saw a need (too many apples, sodas too sweet, couldn’t find a good espresso, etc.) and decided to meet it for themselves (and for friends). None of these individuals earns a living from what  he or she creates. Most don’t sell their wares. Their day jobs are: ob-gyn, banker, construction manager, wine merchant manager, publicist, food writer, software project manager.
• They created something uniquely their own.

What does this tell us about our culture as we enter 2012? Individuals like to personalize their experiences. In a world where we all shop in the same stores and wear the same brands, it’s refreshing to make something no one else makes just as you do.

They’ve developed a sense of exploration.

They enjoy self-expression.

They want to take what is at hand and create something new from it.

What does that translate to for writers? Readers want to “discover” you on their own. Rather than buying your book because everyone is reading it or because an ad told them to, they want to find your book–probably online. And they want to connect with you, not just with your writing.

And best of all would be if you could offer them a way to express what you’re writing about in their own way. If your novel’s character studies flowers’ genetics and develops new varieties, explain in an appendix how the reader could play around (in an obsessive kind of way) with doing the same. If your nonfiction book is about the importance of emotions, develop a website where readers can engage with each other on the topic.

A crafty lifestyle is an “in” lifestyle nowadays. How can you tap into that–and be true to yourself and your message?

Do you have any other insights as to why people are choosing to express themselves in such unique ways? Or how to apply that to your writing?

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Everyone at Books & Such is bubbling over with excitement. We have the joy of beginning 2012 with a major boost to our agent roster. Rachelle Gardner joins our agency, bringing with her a significant client base as well as her reputation among publishers as an able agent.

Our press release, which was sent out today, in part reads,

Gardner has been involved in publishing since 1995, joining WordServe Literary Group in 2007. Before becoming an agent, she was senior editor at NavPress, where she developed and launched the NavPress fiction line that included three Christy Award finalists and an ECPA Award finalist in its first year. She acquired and edited numerous nonfiction books as well.

Prior to that, Gardner worked at General Publishing Group in Santa Monica, California, where she was director of rights and marketing, managing departments of special sales, subsidiary rights, international rights, international sales and domestic marketing. Among other things, she built and managed a team of international sales agents and represented the company in Frankfurt, London, Tokyo, Chicago and New York.

Gardner is recognized as one of the important online publishing voices. Her blog, RachelleGardner.com, has been named a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Sites every year that her site has been in existence. Last year she logged more than half a million visits to the blog. Both writers and industry professionals follow her. She has become known for her encouragement and grace in an all-too-often merciless industry….

Founder and president Janet Kobobel Grant said, “I’ve long thought that Rachelle’s style of agenting is the same sort of collegial approach that I’ve espoused since the beginning days of Books & Such. When she mentioned her interest in joining our agency, I knew immediately that this was going to be a proverbial match made in heaven. To say I’m pleased is an understatement of the first order.”

With that background, I’d now like to introduce our blog readers to Rachelle by posting her entry for today from her blog. Feel free to welcome Rachelle to Books & Such in the comments section below.

Here’s Rachelle’s blog post:

Good morning and happy new year! I hope everyone had a good holiday season and I trust you’re ready for good things in 2012. (Either that, or preparing for the end of the world on December 21^st.)

This new year brings a change for me. I’m continuing as a literary agent, and continuing my blog, but I’m switching agencies. Effective today, I’m an agent with Books & Such Literary Agency. Books & Such was founded by Janet Kobobel Grant, who continues as president of the company and represents a full roster of clients. Literary agent Wendy Lawton is vice president, and there are two other agents, Rachel Kent and Mary Keeley, so as I join the company, there are now five agents.

People may wonder why I decided to switch agencies. As you can imagine, the change involved intense thought and prayer, and wasn’t easy. My four years with WordServe Literary have been terrific. Greg Johnson is an amazing and successful agent, and has mentored me well. He’s taught me so much and I’m incredibly grateful. We’ve always had a great working relationship (and we still do). So the choice to move has been bittersweet.

Much of my decision grew out of my long-time friendship with Janet Grant and Wendy Lawton. I’ve been blessed to have these two women as treasured friends during my years working in CBA publishing, and we all knew I’d be a perfect fit for their agency. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work alongside these friends and colleagues long-term.

Another reason for the change is the fact that I work solo in my home office, but it’s challenging for me—I’m by nature a social and collaborative person. I sensed God leading me to acknowledge that I work best when I have plenty of conversation with colleagues on a regular basis. I began praying about how I could find a situation that would fill my need for daily interaction, helping me serve and honor my authors while also keeping a flexible schedule for my family. Being with Books & Such will connect me with four other agents plus an assistant, and even though we won’t all be in the same office, we’ll regularly be brainstorming, planning and giving feedback on each other’s projects. I’m confident the synergy created by working in a collaborative atmosphere with these five dynamic women will suit my disposition and help me to even more effectively serve my clients and advance their careers.

Some of you may be curious about what happens to my clients in this situation. Whenever there’s a change in an agency, the original Author-Agent Agreement determines what the client’s options are. They may be obligated to stay with the agency for a certain specified term, or they may be free to leave the agency and, if they want, follow their agent. In my case, each of my clients has full ability to choose what they’d like to do.

Transitions are always challenging, but I’m excited for this new year.

What’s NEW for you this year?

Location: Santa Rosa, Calif., home of Books & Such’s main office

Even though yesterday was the official celebration of Christ’s birth, Christmas memories still flow for most of us, as we spend time with family and friends in this final week of the year. It’s a natural time to recall the special people in our lives who have loved us well. This week each Books & Such staff person will post about someone who comes to mind for her during this season.

For me, I think about my godparents, Henry and Leona Held. But especially my godmother. She was one of my mother’s older sisters (in a family with six daughters and three sons). As was probably common among large families, the older girls ended up pretty much raising the younger chicks. My mother, one of the last children born into the family, considered Leona to be her surrogate mom.

So my brother was named Leon in Leona’s honor, and I was her godchild. I adored Aunt Leona, whom I always called Aunt Onie because, as a toddler, I couldn’t make it through the thick hedge of a name like Leona. But “Onie” slipped easily out of my little pink lips.

Aunt Onie had aquamarine eyes, and they often were lit up by her gleeful outlook on life. She had a great sense of humor, loved to tell stories on herself, and even tried to figure out my hula hoop (during the era of that fad)–something no other adult in my life would attempt. I adored her.

And she must have adored me, for I remember one day, as we jumped into the car to head off for an adventure, she told me she prayed for me everyday.  At that point I was a gangling teenager, and I couldn’t  imagine that Aunt Onie would know what to pray for me, but I was pleased by the attention.

I received plenty of attention from Uncle Henry and  Aunt Leona. Every Christmas Eve, after the church service, they joined our family for the Great Present Unwrapping Event. And Aunt Onie usually eased down onto the floor with me to assist with playing with my new toys. As a result, Christmas always holds a glimmer of Aunt Leona for me.

We all have fatal flaws, but Aunt Onie’s was a physical one. As a child, she had rheumatic fever, from which she almost died. Even though she survived, her heart was permanently and badly damaged. Undaunted by such a fact–or perhaps because of it–she lived every day wholeheartedly. She dared to give birth to one child, a son, whom she lavished with attention, knowing she should never throw caution to the wind and have more children.

When I was sixteen, Aunt Onie died after an experimental surgery to fix her heart failed. I was devastated.

At eighteen, I found Jesus. All kinds of lights went on for me about who I was, where I fit into the scheme of things, and even what one of Aunt Onie’s prayers had been: That I would see the light and come to Jesus. Thank you, Aunt Onie, for all you gave to me in the few years I had the privilege of being loved by you and for the sweet Christmas memories.

I love the thought that her kind heart led her to take her role as godmother seriously and that she is in many ways my spiritual mother, just as she was my mom’s surrogate mother.

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

In our continuing blog posts about Books & Such staff’s Christmas memories, this week we’ll each recall an ornament that holds special memories for us.

For me, this idea immediately took me back to my childhood, during which our tree ornaments were leftovers from my parents’ early married years right after WWII. Their first year of marriage, so many American resources had been devoted to supply our war effort that Christmas ornaments were produced from unusual materials.

The two ornaments I remember most vividly from my childhood were a ball of interlaced, wide aluminum strips and blue, very thinly striped plastic balls. Neither ornament (we had several of each variety) was particularly pretty, but during the war effort many more significant sacrifices were made than what type of Christmas ornament was available.

Throughout my childhood, these less-than-gorgeous ornaments adorned our Christmas tree, and I remember feeling a certain sense of  pride that my parents had been willing to sacrifice so much more than stylish Christmas trees for those of us who came after them.

A remembered ornament isn’t necessarily the prettiest one on the tree, but the most meaningful one.

I looked online to see if I could find pictures of these ornaments, but they seem to have disappeared from the face of the Earth. But, trust me, you wouldn’t want to volunteer to pluck one of them from a store to place on your tree.

Do you recall an ornament from your family’s Christmas tree that wasn’t especially pretty but recalls good memories for you?

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Christmas nostalgia goes beyond the toys we at Books & Such wrote about last week. Our memories often involve a place as well. This week, we’ll continue our personal posts by writing about some place that holds special Christmas remembrances for us.

For me, one place reigns supreme when it comes to holiday memories, and that’s the church our family attended when I was growing up. As you can see from the picture, it’s pure Americana–a white church with a steeple. But our congregation was made up of German immigrants and their descendants. Every other Sunday the service was conducted in German.

On Christmas Eve, it seemed the holiest and most glorious place to me. A towering (at least from my diminutive perspective) Christmas tree fairly glowed with lights and ornaments. Each window held a candle. The evening program consisted of us children delivering our memorized pieces and lifting our warbly voices in song. I recall one song we sang that contained the strange phrase, “Round yarn virgin.” Huh?

And I even recall one of my memorized pieces: “To say a lot I will not try, my Christmas greeting is just hi.” That brought a lot of oohs and ahs from the crowd. Of course, the congregation might also have been quite taken with my frilly dress and multiple stiff petticoats that made my dress so bouffant I couldn’t figure out a place to put my arms. When I chose to place them by my side, the dress pouffed out in front and back, making me look as if I were riding in a pale green canoe.

The church was a warm and cozy place to spend Christmas Eve, and I always felt close to God there as we celebrated Jesus’ birth, even if some of the finer points of the reason for the celebration, such as the words to the songs, were a little lost on me.

What place do you hold close to your heart when you think of Christmases past?