Riley Adams's Blog, page 100

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Small Presses and the Fight for Publicity:  http://ow.ly/44Ho303NgGp  @ilanaslightly @lithub

Becoming a Writer Means Becoming a Cliché : http://ow.ly/e876303NgdF by Odie Lindsey @lithub

How to work alone:  http://ow.ly/xDP3303Ng9T @pubcoach

“One More for the River”: On Writing Challenges:  http://ow.ly/jajc303NfYq  @Literotaur        

Increase tension in your novel: http://ow.ly/ohSO3045dMa @KelsieEngen

How to Legally Use Quotations in Your Book:  http://ow.ly/qMmN303Igye @HelenSedwick  @JFbookman

Tropes and Clichés in Epic Fantasy: Is It Time To Move On?  http://ow.ly/WgMf303Ng7v @TOMunro

Who Gets to Decide What Counts as English?  http://ow.ly/Jwkw303NgjQ @GabbyBellot  @lithub

Publishing Contracts: Red Flags:  http://ow.ly/OhC1303N8Gp by Angela Mackintosh

5 Ways to Keep Writing When Life Intervenes: http://ow.ly/HrfZ303N8K4 @jessicastrawser

8 Writing Tips from Authors who Won the Nobel:  http://ow.ly/1Y7s303N8sa @nownovel

Want to Write for Magazines? Do This First:  http://ow.ly/Fwpx303N8iy @Kristen_E_Pope

How To Make Your Characters Come Alive:  http://ow.ly/nnyP303N8q4 @standoutbooks

6 Most Common Personality Traits of Successful Writers:  http://ow.ly/waUR303N8Bi  @BlossomTips

How to Build Memorable Monsters:  http://ow.ly/n0fr303N8v6 @Jffelkins

Free Books and What to Do With Them:  http://ow.ly/fCxL303N8o6 @jaelmchenry

Dialogue and Subtext: The Spoken and the Unspoken:  http://ow.ly/AmMV303N8Su by Joni Fisher @WomenWriters

Writing a Novel Limited to the 483 Words Spoken by Ophelia:  http://ow.ly/OUDQ303IgaE @ScottEsposito  @paul_griffiths_  @lithub

Why 1 Author Loves Soap Operas (And How They Made Her a Better Writer): http://ow.ly/kvGz303IfNb @deborahcaryn  @lithub

How to Beat Procrastination:  http://ow.ly/WcoB303IdTz @Caroline_Webb_  @HarvardBiz

3 Reasons To Love Noir:  http://ow.ly/puBv303ItBN @RobinStorey1

Bowker: 727.000 US Self-Published ISBNs Registered in 2015:  http://ow.ly/oXaw3043Lvn @BeatBarblan @Porter_Anderson

9 Tips for Entering A Writing Contest:  http://ow.ly/sj2S3043gvl @joannaslan

Why Handwriting Is Still Essential in the Keyboard Age:  http://ow.ly/ftXe303Ied9 @PerriKlass  @nytimeswell

Embracing Technology and Arabic Culture, Lamsa App Gets Kids Reading:  http://ow.ly/jhoL303YHL3 @Porter_Anderson @badrward

Twitter Cards for Authors:  http://ow.ly/SRAF303It58 @zackheim

Sex and Dating: Now the Thinking Woman’s Subject:  http://ow.ly/QK5F303IfYx by Casey Schwartz @nytimesbooks

Instagram for Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/Wpmu303ItiM by Daley James Francis

52 Creative Writing Worksheets:  http://ow.ly/X8Oo303IdNM @EvaDeverell

Syncing Scrivener Files Between Computers Using Dropbox:  http://ow.ly/QpvG303Ie7v @Figures  @FantasyFaction

Do Goodreads Giveaways Work?  http://ow.ly/1Dk7303ItvL @JMNeyGrimm

Think your #writing isn’t good enough? Dealing with your fears:  http://ow.ly/kg15303IgDG @DeborahJay2

What Do Your Reading Habits Reveal About Your Personality? http://ow.ly/hbOL303YhiH @lithub

A Former Literary Agent on Plotting:  http://ow.ly/NnHQ303FO72 @p2p_editor

6 Bad Arguments Against Social Justice in Spec Fiction: http://ow.ly/tTAt303FO3g @mythcreants  by Oren Ashkenazi

How to Build Your Readership:  http://ow.ly/hcce303FO9s @Lindasclare

Writing sprint? How about a writing walk?  http://ow.ly/1mMS303FNZa @GoIntoTheStory

Crime fiction: police detectives who get too close to a case:  http://ow.ly/gURc303U1Z3 @mkinberg

Craft Books for Pantsers:  http://ow.ly/asWV303FNTm @PBRWriter

Trad Pub’s 2016 Struggles Outlined in The Hot Sheet (30 day free trial): from @Porter_Anderson & @JaneFriedman: http://ow.ly/cePd3040XBK

Southeast Asia’s Rising Publishing World: Interview with @ken_quek  http://ow.ly/GpmA303YHs4 @Porter_Anderson

Tips for Beginnings and Endings:  http://ow.ly/4atb303FOo3  @JenniferAlLee

Conferences: Advancing Your Writing Career:  http://ow.ly/v1Bi303FOkG @RobinCaroll

Lessons from Bad Books:  http://ow.ly/T7Gj303FOh5 by Tara Dugan @The_Millions

4 Ways to Create Believable Urban Fantasy:  http://ow.ly/jrFo303FNXE @finesarah  @WritersDigest

Using humor in environmental writing:  http://ow.ly/qLyF303FObZ by Melissa Hart @TheWriterMag

5 Things for Writers to Look for in a Day Job:  http://ow.ly/yBwI303FO0Z  @zenaldehyde  @WritersDigest

Writing About Online Bullying:  http://ow.ly/s3gU303FNUU @GalitBreen  @WomenWriters

How old was Hamlet?  http://ow.ly/IzCf303OQVo @profrhodrilewis  @TheTLS

The mysteries of the least-known Bronte sister:  http://ow.ly/w6um303OQKh @laura_june  @thehairpin

ARCs for Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/YiVm303ECV2 @DebbieYoungBN

The pantsing vs plotting debate:  http://ow.ly/sZJN303EDcr  @AkileshAyyar  @The_Millions

7 Easy Ways to Connect with Readers:  http://ow.ly/8o7O303ED0y by David Villalva

Spoiler Alerts: Any Story Worth Telling Doesn’t Need Them:  http://ow.ly/LQiW303YgK6 @jrc2666 @lithub

5 Tips for Writing Narrative Nonfiction:  http://ow.ly/iZYp303ECSl @ceciliaedits

5 Ways to Restore Tension:  http://ow.ly/MSqn303ECT6 by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Arctic settings in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/jiCd303U1To @mkinberg

The UK Publishers Association Issues a Brexit ‘Manifesto’ of Priorities:  http://ow.ly/RVmD303YHjh @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing Opportunity: The 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest:  http://ow.ly/jJk0303YFhJ @TheIWSG

How to Write a Horror Story: 6 Tips:  http://ow.ly/v49a303ED9f @nownovel

The Unprocrastination Challenge for September: http://ow.ly/wAbu303YrYf @zen_habits

Writing a Military Romance: http://ow.ly/7Ej9303ED84  @HeatherlyBelle

Using Backstory in Chapter 1 Without Adding Backstory:  http://ow.ly/1qwN303ED6u @ZoeMMcCarthy

Why Your Story Needs Real Stakes:  http://ow.ly/rtfl303ECZp @Je55ieMullin5  @YAtopia_blog

The Complete Guide to Repurposing Online Content:  http://ow.ly/VzeL303ED59  @HelloMorganTimm

Blog or Plotting tips, tricks, and templates:  http://ow.ly/WavZ303DG3V @kseniaanske

Testing the Waters: What to Do When You Don’t Like Anything:  http://ow.ly/28yx303DGwf @MelissaFOlson  @tordotcom

Toxic friendships in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/Deqp303U1OE @mkinberg

How to Stay Organized During a Revision: http://ow.ly/tGiW303VOlf @Janice_Hardy @AngelaAckerman

Why Can’t Irish Writers Escape the Sea? http://ow.ly/dk4C303DGkS @Creative_Career

9 Ways to Market a Book After the New Release Buzz Dies Down:  http://ow.ly/O1be303DG6P @DianaUrban

Are Your Adjectives Powerful?  http://ow.ly/8kBY303DGbA @ProWritingAid

Use a Spreadsheet to Outline Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/VlJT303DG0M @TJMoss11  @WritersDigest

Making a Living Writing: http://ow.ly/zJsl303DGrd @hopeclark

The Medium is the Message: How We Read and How It Affects Us:  http://ow.ly/LhcG303DGia @_johnbradley

The Monstrous Words Lurking in Your Language:  http://ow.ly/7iLN303DGsH by Chi Luu @JSTOR_Daily

How to Write Coincidence the Right Way:  http://ow.ly/OPMA303DGnP @AliceMattison1  @lithub

Is Your Story Not Making Any Sense? http://ow.ly/6DIr303DG8K @patverducci

The Contagion of Diagnosis: http://ow.ly/z1dV303DGxj @KristinDombek  @nplusonemag

5 Reasons Writers Should Move to Columbus, OH:  http://ow.ly/OD1Y303AJPc  @AnnieMcGreevy  @lithub

How to Write Great Loglines:  http://ow.ly/J8ik303AKci @briannehogan

Why Writers Should Be Curious About People:  http://ow.ly/umOg303AK8e @annkroeker

6 Tips For Cleaning Up Your Dirty Words (Grammatically, Of Course): http://ow.ly/JXWi303AKff @espressoeditor

The Bloody History of the True Crime Genre:  http://ow.ly/toYx303AJDp by Pamela Burger @JSTOR_Daily

4 Ways to Make Space in Your Brain to Create:  http://ow.ly/qkU5303AJZJ @molliewest  @fosslien  @livequiet

Writing Duel Scenes:  http://ow.ly/ajSl303AKy1 @RayneHall

Who Am I: Writer or Bookseller? http://ow.ly/I5yB303AJc4 @BenjaminRybeck

How To Perfect Your Writing Style:  http://ow.ly/pGud303AKEe @misfitalexa

The Bedrock of Character Development:  http://ow.ly/Q2Wz303AKvl @barbaraoneal

How to Set Clear Writing Goals:  http://ow.ly/nQLi303AKro @SukhiJutla

There’s No Secret to Writing About People Who Don’t Look Like You: Empathy as Craft:  http://ow.ly/gBbo303AIN5  @brandonrambles

5 Twitter Tips for Publishers and Writers:  http://ow.ly/ybuP303Rt89 @Porter_Anderson @IngramSpark

The Gothic Secrets Every Steampunk Writer Should Know:  http://ow.ly/Yf4s303zm4r @standoutbooks

A Predictive Text Generator for Internet Fanfiction:  http://ow.ly/QEbB303zmkv @velocciraptor

6 Tips for Making It Small in Hollywood. Or Anywhere. http://ow.ly/YDjI303PTkQ @birbigs @nytimes

24 Most Controversial Books of All Time:  http://ow.ly/Uoei303zmgh by Nicholas Politan @ElectricLit

Speaker Beats That Can Ruin a Manuscript:  http://ow.ly/Dj3f303zmnu @AndreaMerrell

Starting a Writing Business:  http://ow.ly/KRKR303zm9t @Rachel_Aaron

7 Ways To Stop Your Brain From Crashing When You Need It Most: http://ow.ly/weX1303zmty @colleen_m_story

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Top Tips for Entering A Writing Contest

By Joanna Campbell Slan, @joannaslan

Over the years I’ve entered and judged a variety of contests. Since we’ve recently opened our call for entries to the 2016 FREDDIE AWARD for WRITING EXCELLENCE (FAWE) competition sponsored by the  Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, I thought I’d share a little of what I’ve learned.

First impressions matter. Fortunately, the FAWE is electronic files only. But back in the day when I judged the St. Martin’s Minotaur contest, a woman sent me a stack of papers tied together with an old, dirty shoelace. Sure, I overlooked the grunge when I read her work, but I’ll admit it was hard to separate the visual introduction from the words on the page. Think a minute about the impressions you’re leaving as you work your way through the contest process.


Follow the rules. When you’re staring at a stack of entries, the fastest and fairest way to winnow them down is by checking to see if folks followed the rules. Personally, I like to print out the rules and check them off as I submit.


Transparency for communication helps. Do you have multiple addresses? Write under a pen name? Use a variety of email addresses? Are you planning a long vacation in Africa where you’ll be unavailable for months? Don’t make it difficult for the administrators to contact you.


Readability is essential. Of course, this won’t matter if your file is electronic, but I’ll never forget the contest manuscript that arrived in bright green ink. Ever. And there’s a lesson there. If you hand-write an entry form, is it legible? Did you use that favorite purple pen of yours? Don’t.

Pandering is slimy. I’m as insecure and susceptible to compliments as the next author, but to go on and on in the correspondence about how wonderful I am…well…I’m also not stupid. If the judges are not anonymous, curb your enthusiasm. Be respectful but not cray-cray fan person.


Be gracious. Whether you win or lose, respect the fact that people took time and effort from their careers to create, run, and administer a contest. Remember, most of these are put on by volunteers. Life happens. If the experience didn’t meet your expectations, be a good trooper. Sure, you can share your disappointment, but then move on. After all, you are still creating an impression. In this highly subjective business, that matters a lot.


Accept criticism with appreciation. Writers with more experience are giving you the benefit of their years of experience in their critique. Writing is subjective, but if three judges say the same element needs work, then work on that element. If critiques mention different elements, it’s writer’s choice as to what you do with the judges’ opinions.


Be respectful on social media. Don’t rail against the stupid judges who didn’t recognize that you are the Next Great American Writer. You may be, but is it possible that your skill doesn’t quite yet match your expectations at this time? Don’t get a reputation for being difficult to work with before you’ve started your career.


Use a writing contest as an opportunity for feedback from writers who are reading a blind submission. If their critique matches that from those who love you, Congratulations! If it doesn’t, continue honing your craft. Writing a story, no matter its length, is a skill comprised of many parts. You may have mastered some parts more than others.

The FAWE competition is accepting entries until October 15, 2016. Entries consist of the first 20 pages of an unpublished, unagented, and uncontracted mystery or thriller manuscript. For full rules or to enter, go to the contest website: http://mwaflorida.org/contest/

 

Top Tips for Entering a Writing Contest from @joannaslan
Click To Tweet

 

 

Joanna Campbell Slan is the national bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 books. Most recently, she has partnered with her friend Linda Gordon Hengerer and a dozen other authors to create the Happy Homicides series of mystery anthologies. Happy Homicides 4: Fall Into Crime is the most recent offering. Check out Joanna’s work at http://www.JoannaSlan.com or email her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com

 

The post Top Tips for Entering A Writing Contest appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

I’ll be back blogging on Friday–taking a day off tomorrow for Labor Day. :)

Finding the Right Critique Partner: 6-Step Checklist:  http://ow.ly/vjIh303uOZ2 @KMWeiland

Roxane Gay With Advice For Aspiring Writers:  http://ow.ly/M4qW303uPik @rgay  @bustle  @gayonabudget

The Most Neglected Resource for Reviews: YouTube:  http://ow.ly/s3nU303uOn0  @AndyPeloquin

6 Ways to Vet Freelance Editors:  http://ow.ly/gqyC303uOBK by Maya Rock @JaneFriedman        

Editorial Assessments: Finding Music in the Noise:  http://ow.ly/6gJ6303uOUh @RFaithEditorial

Breathe! The Copyeditor Has Your Back http://ow.ly/8QDa303uOGK @Dario_Ciriello

Draft2Digital Test Drive for Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/K98e303PK40 @stapilus

Finishing That Endless Manuscript:  http://ow.ly/KYQM303uOWI @Philip_Overby

ARCs for Indie Authors:  http://ow.ly/6H7n303PKcU @DebbieYoungBN @IndieAuthorALLI

Why Plot Flaws Happen:  It’s About Problem Solving:  http://ow.ly/yUjf303uPra @AJHumpage

All You Need to Grow Your Email List http://ow.ly/clP9303uOvH @EmilyWenstrom

Intl. Industry Notes: Frankfurt’s Guest of Honor, PEN America’s Focus on Muslim-Americans: http://ow.ly/cvYV303O4Qa @Porter_Anderson

Dos and Don’ts of Writing About the Disabled:  http://ow.ly/dKl8303wecB @nicolaz @lithub

Fixing the First Page:  http://ow.ly/VTQu303x9HT  @Ava_Jae

How To Find Your Author Voice:  http://ow.ly/TUhI303xafU @Roz_Morris  @thecreativepenn

All about episodic writing:  http://ow.ly/mlBe303xa5C  @inkylinks

How to Incorporate Flashbacks into a Story:  http://ow.ly/UcIo303xa1m @nownovel

Bring characters to life even if you don’t like them:  http://ow.ly/jqsS303x9YZ  @patriciaauthor

How To Create Memorable Characters: 8 Little-Known Sleights of Hand: http://ow.ly/nXtG303xabZ @Yeomanis

How to Make Connections and Boost Your Writing Career:  http://ow.ly/JSCr303x9MB @RachelleReaCobb

4 Truths and 4 Myths That Every New Novelist Should Know:  http://ow.ly/TtFI303xaka @FlorenceOsmund

Plan a DIY Writing Retreat:  http://ow.ly/m8WK303x9TF @Kristen_E_Pope

9 Lessons Learned About Writing From Weight Training:  http://ow.ly/89JE303x9VI @SukhiJutla

Managing Deadline Stress:  http://ow.ly/5T2X303x9Kh @kcraftwriter

Layering a Subplot into Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/hykE303xanf @CSLakin

Creativity: How to Keep a Zibaldone, the 14th Century’s Answer to Tumblr:  http://ow.ly/Nw09303PT4V @cjgiaimo  @atlasobscura

The Case for Podcasting (As a Writer):  http://ow.ly/3Naq303zm6v @monicamclark

5 Steps to Surviving Your Copy Edit:  http://ow.ly/rEVS303zmr5 @jessicastrawser

10 Dos and Don’ts of Query Letters:  http://ow.ly/kBA7303zmbL @MissConstance21

A Definition of Author Platform:  http://ow.ly/S1fo303zm2t @JaneFriedman

How To Be A Good Beta Reader: http://ow.ly/ovVj303uP5c @fiedawn  @BookBaby

Are Publishers Failing Poland’s Digital Readership? http://ow.ly/SvBF303O4yX @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

How to get a book trailer made for $30:  http://ow.ly/gRAz303uOqF @Creativindie

Going Wide – Gaining Traction on non-Amazon Vendors:  http://ow.ly/wMP4303uOz0 @AngelaQuarles

German Publishers’ Petition Protests Media Constraints in Turkey http://ow.ly/Nrlx303O4q0 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Top Tip  for Setting Descriptions: http://ow.ly/er5p303zp8v @jamesscottbell

Adding Subtext with Dialogue Cues:  http://ow.ly/pS02303zp5E @MargieLawson

Help with story transitions: http://ow.ly/F6IU303zp1k @AlyciaMorales

Podcast Interview With Trade-and-Self-Pub Author Elizabeth Craig:  http://ow.ly/WoFx303OIvY (Thanks @InkyBites !)

Going Wide: Leaving Amazon Select: http://ow.ly/YlEq303zory @mollygreene

Making social media work for you:  http://ow.ly/vaUH303OChQ @Roz_Morris

How Great Amazon Book Descriptions Help Authors Sell More Books: http://ow.ly/98Tg303zon4 @Bookgal

Facebook Ads: The Complete, Always-Updated Guide:  http://ow.ly/pZZz303zofM @kevanlee @buffer

Why Did the Jessup Correctional Institute Cancel a Writer’s Book Club?  http://ow.ly/P3v8303Ngyp @MikitaBrottman

Compiling an ARC Team, Obtaining Reviews, and Publishing More Often: http://ow.ly/lwMa303zo7M @AnnaHackett @GoblinWriter

The Dangerous Myth of Authenticity:  http://ow.ly/o97c303r8Ed by C. B. George @lithub

Being Seymour Glass: Why 1 Author Borrowed a Name from Salinger: http://ow.ly/WwIW303r8jw @parisreview @rjhernandeznyc

Using Poetry and Fiction to Encourage Experiments in Nonfic:  http://ow.ly/n2g4303r8cS  @ChelseaHodson @CatapultStory

So. Africa’s Bridge Books: ‘Link Publishers With Readers’:  http://ow.ly/j8O4303r7VR @DennisAbrams2

Why Do Writers Love Birding So Much?  http://ow.ly/MWlS303r7Pg @KatherineTowler @lithub

10 Writing Mistakes That Give Readers Heartburn: http://ow.ly/jnOE303zoYe @ZoeMMcCarthy

Choosing Your Path: Writers’ Groups, Self-Publishing and More:  http://ow.ly/cpeS303qB0z by Sue Bradford Edwards

How to Spot (& Avoid) “Pay to Play” Publishing Contracts:  http://ow.ly/Panf303qAPT @RMFWriters  @SusanSpann

Your Book in 5 Words or Fewer: Your Title:  http://ow.ly/8QwT303qAXP @KayKeppler

Why authors should read their work in public:  http://ow.ly/aUiZ303qB3y @IndieAuthorALLI

Using Amazon Categories, Themes, and Keywords to Sell More Books:  http://ow.ly/TsVq303qB63 @Bookgal  @IndieAuthorALLI

How to Choose, Develop, & Research a Setting:  http://ow.ly/dKz9303qBcx @tessaemilyhall

Revision: Kill Your Darlings, and Some Trees:  http://ow.ly/y7xp303qAWd @ecmyers

5 Valuable Insights for Self-Publishing Authors:  http://ow.ly/Bj9e303qATe @CSLakin

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Writers Make When Seeking Book Reviews:  http://ow.ly/BEWQ303qAUZ @CSLakin

9 Simple Steps to Start a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in Fewer than 15 Minutes:  http://ow.ly/gAZ7303qARG @lornafaith

Worldbuilding Tips from the UK Editor of The Martian:  http://ow.ly/J3Wg303qALu  @mjcr  @ReedsyHQ

Memoir writing worksheets: http://ow.ly/uwwS303qAGI @EvaDeverell

Italian Teenagers Receive a ‘Culture Bonus’ to Read and Engage in the Arts:  http://ow.ly/4z6q303EPZT @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives

9 Lessons Learned About Writing From Walking 100km In A Weekend:  http://ow.ly/pn13303oikM @thecreativepenn

Ad Stacking, Writing Habits, Boxsets And Motivation Through The Tough Times:  http://ow.ly/vYZi303oip3 @thecreativepenn

Story Structure Case Study of  “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”: http://ow.ly/QHq1303oiea @kylieday0

7 Point Story Structure Case Study of The Hunger Games:  http://ow.ly/3fWh303oihC @kylieday0

Editing’s Eternal Verities:  http://ow.ly/uNVP303oixE by Dave King

The Evolution of Relationships:  http://ow.ly/iXoM303ojk0 @Kid_Lit

Description: The Good the Bad and the Just Please STOP:  http://ow.ly/ebXV303ojG7 @KristenLambTX

Story Beginnings: Do You Have Context?  http://ow.ly/kZGm303oiDt @JamiGold

10 eye-opening tips to add impact to your storytelling: http://ow.ly/41P2303ojfE @Roz_Morris

Finishing That Endless Manuscript: http://ow.ly/l5l2303ojK6 @Philip_Overby

What to Put Into Your Story So a Great Pitch Comes Out:  http://ow.ly/hIvs303ojdn @ZoeMMcCarthy

8 More Ways to Make Money Off Your Novel: Personal Essay Prompts:  http://ow.ly/ZqIl303oi9k @StoriesColors

International Industry Notes: World’s Largest Publishers:  http://ow.ly/5MmM303FKFf @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Organizing a Second Draft with Notecards:  http://ow.ly/LL4x303l5vT @AllieLarkin

How to Plot If You Hate Plotting:  http://ow.ly/ciga303l4C2  @brianawrites

How Tiny Goals Changed 1 Writer’s Life: http://ow.ly/C4NN303l5Az  @shauntagrimes

Traditional Publishing Takes Less Time? The Myth:  http://ow.ly/lFx3303l5Su @DeanWesleySmith

Tips for better query letters:  http://ow.ly/myG8303FLys @Michelle4Laughs @TheIWSG

UK’s Publishers Assoc. Reports on China Journals (‘China funding 20 new Eng-lang. journals a year’) http://ow.ly/ekVh303DFQ8 @Porter_Anderson

7 Ways Besides Sales to Make Money Off your Novel:  http://ow.ly/weEQ303l4Po  @NicolaJaneWrite

6 Key Scenes to Write a Terrifying Villain:  http://ow.ly/RcOq303l5Zg @Jffelkins

Requirements needed for a writer to make a living writing only short fiction: http://ow.ly/NFcZ303l5NX @DeanWesleySmith

How to Get Your Characters to Connect:  http://ow.ly/7Unz303l4He @Ava_Jae

Storytelling: An Exercise In Empathy:  http://ow.ly/y2eq303l4Mn @LizLazzara

Using popups for newsletter signups:  http://ow.ly/8K5o303l5Kw @JaneFriedman

14 Vital Questions That Will Improve Your Blog Post:  http://ow.ly/zCBV303l610 @standoutbooks

How to Plan Writing Time into Your Week: With Downloadable Spreadsheet:  http://ow.ly/QZoL303l5E5 @aliventures

Starting a New Authors’ Group:  http://ow.ly/LXXs303jxIu  @MairiNorris

Canada’s Shelfie Partners with Germany’s De Gruyter in Ebook Bundling:  http://ow.ly/oFAM303DFLk @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

A writer reviews the Passion Planner:  http://ow.ly/qSEv303jxU1 @Strachanlinda

Ingénue Tropes in Classic Crime Fiction: http://ow.ly/ji1h303jxn2 @mkinberg

How to Use Facebook to Reach Niche Readers:  http://ow.ly/o5uI303jxgK @BarbMorgenroth

How Novelists Can Work Plot Twists into Their Stories:  http://ow.ly/zNBe303jy3n @CSLakin

Tips for books that are too long or too short:  http://ow.ly/bruB303jxci @RuthHarrisBooks

3 Strategies for Combining Sentences:  http://ow.ly/X1sT303jxFA @writing_tips

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Characters Impact Stories

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Wednesday I drove to Flat Rock, North Carolina, to speak with a book club.  It was a great event and the group asked some very interesting questions.

One of the questions I received was: “How do you alter your writing for books authored by Craig versus those authored by Adams?”

I have three different series and the Memphis Barbeque Mysteries is a four book series for Penguin that I wrote as Riley Adams.  At first, I was tempted to say that there was no difference between the series, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t true at all. There’s a lot of difference between the Memphis series and the Myrtle and Southern Quilting series.

I realized it came down to one key factor.  My answer was: “The main character in the Memphis series is an extrovert.”

That’s a fact that’s startling in itself.  I favor quieter characters.  Write what you know, maybe?  I consider Myrtle, if not strictly an introvert, definitely an ambivert with some antisocial leanings. I consider Beatrice from the quilting mysteries as a major introvert who craves time alone (which is elusive in the series, a fact that can make her cranky).

But the Memphis series was very different.  1) I was asked to write this series by Penguin.  2) My editor asked me to model Lulu after some of the popular Food Network stars at the time.  None of those folks seemed introverted to me.

Having Lulu be an extrovert, looking back, influenced the series in many ways.  She fed on the time she spent with other people: it energized her. She was more apt to discuss the case with a variety of different people and get different ideas about the murderer’s identity. She sought out events; she attended parties and hung out in her restaurant with her customers and enjoyed evenings in the city.  Lulu was actively involved in planning and executing events as she’d cater various parties. She seems more impulsive to me.

In my other series, my characters are sometimes craving solitude.  They either seek out the opinion of one person (in the case of Myrtle) or they are hounded by friends when they are trying to find time to be alone (in the case of Beatrice).  They both come across as reserved and observant.  When Myrtle attends parties, she frequently can’t wait to leave. Beatrice is frequently irritated by the antics of her extroverted friend, Meadow and the fact she’s pulled into social events by Meadow.

In addition, the Myrtle and quilting mysteries seem much, much quieter overall to me. The Memphis books are vivid with the color and sound and smells of the city and the quirky people.  The other series…aren’t.

This basic difference between the protagonists in my different series changed nearly everything in the books, even the way that the characters interact with the settings.

I know there are many other ways a protagonist can impact a story or a series: especially through the ways in which they view the world (sometimes you see what you expect to find).

How does your protagonist impact your story?

Ways characters can influence elements in our series:
Click To Tweet

The post Characters Impact Stories appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Checklist for a New Release

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Releases are always a lot more work than I think they are.  That’s because of all the little things I have to do to prepare.  It’s a lot.  It would be more if I did a lot of promo work (blog tours, ads, etc.)  for the release, but I usually just like to start working on the next book.

I thought I’d share a checklist of the types of tasks I do when a book is ready to release. Some of the things I can do while my editor has the book and I’m waiting to make corrections.  Some of the things must be done when the book is ready to publish.

Checklist

Set up my newsletter to announce the new release when it’s time.  I use MailChimp.

Write a personal author’s note for the back-matter section of the book and for that section on the Amazon product page that we access through Author Central  (From the Author).

Update and review the rest of my book’s back-matter to make sure it’s accurate and complete (list of books by series where to find me online, how and where to sign up for my newsletter, a pitch to ask readers to review my book wherever they purchased it).

Begin loading book information/metadata into the different retail and distributor sites: Amazon, CreateSpace (print), IngramSpark (print), ACX (audiobook), Draft2Digital (distributor), Smashwords (distributor).

Use the same metadata descriptions consistently for my keywords, BISAC, series name, book description, author bio, etc.

Assign an ISBN for each format and note it on the list I keep to track my ISBNs ( Book designer Joel Friedlander has a handy logbook as a free download).

Upload the editorial reviews for the series to those sections on the sites (on Amazon, through Author Central).

Update my website to announce the release and to say what I’m working on now.

Ensure Goodreads has linked the new title to my series and my name.

Acquire affiliate links from Amazon and Apple to use on my website and for other promo.

Check that Amazon has added my book to the series list and that it’s linked to my Author Central page.

Update LinkedIn

Consider running a giveaway on Goodreads.

Set one of the previous books in the same series as free.

Announce the release on Facebook (once).

Send copies to people who have helped me produce the book in some way.

What have I forgotten?  Does this look a lot like your own list?

A checklist for tasks surrounding a new release:
Click To Tweet

The post Checklist for a New Release appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

The ethics of ghost-writing:  http://ow.ly/cq1c303iNu4 @Roz_Morris

Madeleine L’Engle on the 3 Most Important Things for Writers:  http://ow.ly/cu4W303iNxk @WriterJoMalby

Podcasting and Indie Authors: Is Podcasting Right for You? http://ow.ly/JjsO303iNEt @CaballoFrances

Creating Realistic Cultures in Worldbuilding:  http://ow.ly/BzLM303iNSy by Chris Winkle @mythcreants   

Canada’s Shelfie Partners with Germany’s De Gruyter in Ebook Bundling:  http://ow.ly/oFAM303DFLk @Porter_Anderson  @pubperspectives

From Jane Austen to George RR Martin, the novella is making a comeback:  http://ow.ly/fQQO303iOhE @Holly_bops  @Independent

Tips for writing what you know:  http://ow.ly/TOzc303iO4E by Suzanne Lieurance

Reader Audiences and Analytics: What Do They Really Reveal? http://ow.ly/Sd30303iNOg @CaballoFrances

Trust Your Creative Process:  http://ow.ly/3oMC303iNLY @AuthorAthenaM

What Makes a Good Ghost Story? http://ow.ly/ymZS303iOdv @FinishedPages

Clothes in Books and Ways to go Wrong:  http://ow.ly/yOgY303iOrd @rosalyster  @The_Millions

6 Tips to Grow Your Readership & Manage Your Content:  http://ow.ly/xNmc303iNWv by Deborah Lyn Stanley

How To Give Your Readers A Book Hangover in 3 Easy Steps:  http://ow.ly/FqoM303jy0E @sacha_black

Finding the Balance Between Hooking Readers and Setting up the Story:  http://ow.ly/ame0303jxMK @Janice_Hardy

When Is Your Writing Done?  http://ow.ly/LKeK303jxa1 @Lindasclare

Starting a New Author’s’ Group:  http://ow.ly/LXXs303jxIu  @MairiNorris

Writing Your Story Clothesline:  http://ow.ly/26nO303jx86 @Lindasclare

How To Write And Market Romance:  http://ow.ly/7J53303iN2f @JAHuss  @thecreativepenn

The 10 most Influential Poets in History:  http://ow.ly/hHUc303Dg6E @My_poetic_side

Why It’s Crucial to “Write Ugly”:  http://ow.ly/URvY303e80q @LisaCron

WritingPrompts on @reddit :  http://ow.ly/ZMUz303D2DI

Crime fiction featuring historical figures as sleuths: http://ow.ly/51zn303sq4i @mkinberg

How to Create a Morning Routine for Writers:  http://ow.ly/s2qg303e7oH @SukhiJutla

Have You Seen These Social Media Tweaks? http://ow.ly/7YYy303iNHA @CaballoFrances

10 Incorrect Assumptions About Writers:  http://ow.ly/ksPh303e7nf @NatePhilbrick

Tips for writing during busy times:  http://ow.ly/n5hE303BZHw

6 Questions to Make Sure Your Story Has Stakes:  http://ow.ly/uaj5303e85g @HeatherJacksonW

Character Archetypes: S for Sidekick:  http://ow.ly/YPUR303e7fP  @HunterEmkay

Where to Begin Your Book: How to Choose the Best Opening:  http://ow.ly/qsBN303e7Eb @writeabook

5 Books With Unlikely Heroes:  http://ow.ly/DjOx303e7OT @tordotcom  by Brian Hastings

Making the Switch from Traditional to Indie Author:  http://ow.ly/e5My303e7kc @leighrduncan

12 Grammar and Writing Tips from Archer:  http://ow.ly/ZXyt303e7Nu @WritersCramp1

5 Reasons Your Protagonist Deserves To Die: http://ow.ly/prxG303e7Jl @Chris_Kokoski

Query Letters:  The Pitch:  http://ow.ly/Ich2303e83T @AnnieNeugebauer

In Defense of Trash Lit:  http://ow.ly/Vl8W303AJvI by Lisa Levy @lithub

The Writing Tricks We’d Be Naked Without:  http://ow.ly/yB6G303dzqv  @jesslourey  @sbakerwriter

How did children’s lit evolve from prim morality tales to Captain Underpants? http://ow.ly/JjAE303dyTU @xwaldie  @Slate

The danger of being an observant character in a crime fiction novel:  http://ow.ly/2Yh1303A4ZN @mkinberg

Can the Academic Write? http://ow.ly/RLxQ303cDUP @Jo_Livingstone

Workplace novels exploring the dystopic and surreal:  http://ow.ly/d60u303cDTb @lithub @TobiasCarroll

How To Write A Product Review:  http://ow.ly/Vjmj303b5iN @woodwardkaren

The Hot Sheet: industry newsletter for authors (30 day free trial): from @Porter_Anderson & @JaneFriedman: http://ow.ly/FvZs303zn3j

How The Maltese Falcon Illuminates Cozies:  http://ow.ly/2l0I303b58e @JeffCohenwriter

Augmented Reality Reveals the Magic Hidden in Book Retail Spaces:  http://ow.ly/i37Q303dyWc @theindiepubmag

Pitches To Drive an Editor Batty:  http://ow.ly/5L0A303dzgQ @behlerpublish

How to Write a Classic: 7 Key Elements:  http://ow.ly/F9Tu303dyXb @nownovel

Creating tension with theme: http://ow.ly/y6BZ303dyZ2 @mythicscribes  by Brian DeLeonard

On sidekicks:  http://ow.ly/rGyh303dyXD @p2p_editor

First Impressions Matter: Utilizing Point of View:  http://ow.ly/pCHU303dzv0 @LisaEBetz

Pros and Cons of Getting Inside a Villain’s Mind:  http://ow.ly/iyqv303cDHL @Alexlakeauthor  @lithub

Distribution, explained by an editor:  http://ow.ly/usiQ303b50z @TerriBischoff

Aaron Sorkin On How To Write A Gripping Monologue:  http://ow.ly/Rfgi303b4W5 @woodwardkaren

Kenyan Publishers Call for Zero VAT on Books:  http://ow.ly/NQDc303uPUP @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives @David_Waweru

Examples of good vs bad storytelling:  http://ow.ly/rMpy303cDst @rxena77

5 Crime Fiction Blunders To Avoid:  http://ow.ly/A4V0303cDDR @LucyVHayAuthor

How do you write legal fiction when no one finds the body? http://ow.ly/p2cv303cDn2 @stephenwoodfin

5 Tips for Editing Dialogue:  http://ow.ly/Rhn1303cDrw @robertleebrewer

6 Things Alfred Hitchcock Can Teach You About Writing:  http://ow.ly/hm13303cDly @Writers_Write

Treatment vs. Healing and the Portrayal of Mental Illness in Fiction: http://ow.ly/RfOW303cDM1 @JennaTKahn  @asfmag

Why You Need to Create Visuals Now:  http://ow.ly/Cfnz303cDqw @BadRedheadMedia

Emotional Wound Entry: Being So Beautiful It’s All People See:  http://ow.ly/fv8m303cDo6 @AngelaAckerman

Internal Dialogue: The Greatest Tool for Gaining Reader Confidence:  http://ow.ly/Dvaz303a0Po @ESimsAuthor  @JaneFriedman

‘Credit the Artist Who Created That Artwork’: Illustrations Matter in a Book’s Success: http://ow.ly/Llae303uPEq @pressfuturist @jabberworks

Charismatic Characters in Crime Fiction  http://ow.ly/Ay4A303spYF @mkinberg

International Notes: Beijing Book Fair, Japan’s Mobile Games, Scotland’s Indie Publishers:  http://ow.ly/zzmM303uQ2X @Porter_Anderson

Antagonists, Villains, and Antiheroes:  http://ow.ly/MCiA303a0lz @PollyIyer

5 Ways to Make a Sentence More Concise:  http://ow.ly/CDsh303a09Q @writing_tips

Keep Readers by Using Variable Rewards:  http://ow.ly/IBwZ303a0sY @artofstoriesAB

8 Ways to Use Your Superpower to Market Your Self-Published Book:  http://ow.ly/oQgr303a0KK  @chandraclarke

Breaking Grammar Rules in Poetry Writing:  http://ow.ly/i0ZO303a0ck @WritingForward

7 Ways To Make Your Own Luck:  http://ow.ly/4FJ1303a04O @paulawhyman  @WritersDigest

How to Write for Multiple Demographics at Once:  http://ow.ly/jmYc303a0qn  @TimothyCarter

Crime and Facebook for Writers:  http://ow.ly/86Jv303a0eP @LeslieBudewitz

7 excuses writers use to avoid exercise:  http://ow.ly/EyvE303a0ix @colleen_m_story

Pop Culture References and Dating a Book:  http://ow.ly/CLyN303a0nR @dianapfrancis

After Losing A Family Member: Can Writing A Novel Be Cathartic?  http://ow.ly/wz00303a0CN @PBRWriter  @colleen_m_story

5 Emerging Women Authors Intimately Explore Place: http://ow.ly/quzp303a0wc @KristenRadtke  @ElectricLit

How to Write a Detective Story: 7 Keys:  http://ow.ly/gdsk3038AfN @nownovel

Tips for Creating Voice in Your Writing:  http://ow.ly/DBx63038A9U @bethklewis

Print Books: Why They’re A Secret Self-Publishing Weapon:  http://ow.ly/e3ee3038A0m @JennyBravoBooks

How to Write a Romantic Novel for All Genre Lovers: http://ow.ly/wjTE3038AiC @nownovel

The Limitlessness of International Literature: http://ow.ly/HEQt3038AAF @lizastjames  @GuernicaMag  @adamzlevy

Poetry: The lines and lyrics that stick in our minds:   http://ow.ly/qrjy3038AmO @FluentMundo  @lithub

Free Instruction for Authors:  http://ow.ly/cJeK3036fL4 @JFbookman

5 Important Skills for the Indie Writer:  http://ow.ly/tNSt303snrI @TheIWSG by J.L. Campbell

5 Tips for Going on an Offline Book Tour:  http://ow.ly/EFJI3036g3G @Book_Arch

Harry Potter Ebooks Released in South Korea:  http://ow.ly/oHma303snJ6 @Porter_Anderson @trajectory @pubperspectives

12 Ambient Noise Generators for Creative Work:  http://ow.ly/dWuQ3038A7r @KaylaRMinguez

The horror of female adolescence and how to write about it:  http://ow.ly/dXYs3038Auj @BerryFLW  @GuardianBooks

Pre-writing techniques to help you tackle the blank page:  http://ow.ly/7GDL3038Acg @RobTobin

How To Make Multiple Antagonists Shine In Your Story:  http://ow.ly/HwB73038A1S @standoutbooks

5 Essential Writing Habits Learned While Ghost-Writing Bestsellers:  http://ow.ly/sfY3303iNld @Roz_Morris @WriterJoMalby

Options for putting our books in print and costs of doing so: http://ow.ly/fn9k303snfx

7 Things To Know to Master Your Genre’s Book Cover:  http://ow.ly/20Ai3036fqG @sacha_black

Canada’s @wattpad  Rolls Out In-Story Advertising Revenue for Writers:  http://ow.ly/y6d9303r84k @Porter_Anderson

Links I shared last week: http://ow.ly/23KN303r1hE .Every link I’ve ever shared (30K+,free and searchable): writerskb.com @Hiveword

What to say about someone’s art when you have nothing nice to say: http://ow.ly/vMDd303qCdz @austinkleon

Is Your Character Considering Suicide? Info for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Rhvd3034dYH @FionaQuinnBooks

Are You Botching Your Dialogue? http://ow.ly/Y9i83036fhW @KristenLambTX

How to be a Fearless Writer:  http://ow.ly/xjYZ3036gGz @SukhiJutla

4 Truths and 4 Myths That Every New Novelist Should Know:  http://ow.ly/Ylfb3036fNy @FlorenceOsmund

The Literature of Pregnancy and New Motherhood:  http://ow.ly/M2c93036h1Q by Lily Gurton-Wachter @latimesbooks

Stress & Burnout: How to Get Your Creative Mojo Back:  http://ow.ly/T6e63036fmB @KristenLambTX

How To Set Up A Book Tour:  http://ow.ly/N10p3036fRl @Book_Arch  @WhereWritersWin

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Writing in Busy Times

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Usually I think of summer as a lazier time when I can leisurely get peripheral writing-related chores completed. I’d put all kinds of things on my calendar to do this summer: Facebook ad experiments, slideshows for LinkedIn, website stuff.  There was no time to do any of the extras I wanted to try.  I did write a book, though, and promoted one that came out in May.  There was a lot of writing on the go.

So what do we do during frantically busy times to stay on track with our writing goals?  I’ve got a few tips: 

Revisit your goals.  Are you trying to knock out a NaNoWriMo-esque word count?  It may be better to dial back your goal to something so manageable that you don’t have to worry at all.  To stay motivated, it may be better to have a string of daily successes than to rack up a huge word count.

Be flexible with setbacks and with when and where you write.  One of the most helpful things that I did was to learn how to write in public places and to be able to pick up my story in odd pockets of the day when I had dead time…waiting for my car to have its oil changed, waiting in a doctor’s office, waiting in a carpool line. Be sure to upload your story and outline to the cloud so that you can access it on the go (this can be as simple as emailing it to yourself).

Make the most of a quick writing session. I write a lot faster when I know what I’m writing that day.  If you’re not a fan of outlines, at least sketch out a sentence or two at the end of the previous writing session to indicate what you plan on writing the next time.

Even if you have no time to write, use lists. You can still make progress on that manuscript, even on the worst days. I’ve found it’s  helpful to have headers of lists to fill out: “5 ways to describe my protagonist,” “7 ways to describe the main setting,” “5 potential subplots involving secondary characters,”  “5 possible endings for this book,” “7 ways my protagonist can grow,” “5 things my protagonist fears more than anything,”  “my protagonist’s biggest goals,” etc.

Tips specifically for busy parents: 

For me, this was more about squeezing writing in to a packed schedule without feeling as if I were being a distant parent.  My tips are geared to that goal:

Share what you’re doing.  I found it helped to loop my kids into what I was doing, especially when they were younger.  When they see us on a laptop, to them we could be doing anything.  We could be on social media or playing a game.  I’d tell them a little about my story and what I was working on that day to help them feel part of the process.

Don’t stare at the laptop when they’re talking.  I’m so guilty of this one, but I find that 90% of the time now I’m cognizant enough to give family members (kids and my husband) all of my attention when they’re trying to talk to me.

On the other hand, I think it’s vital to tell them you need 15/30/45 minutes of uninterrupted time for your writing so that they can understand/respect it.  Maybe later, when they’re adults with their own dreams, they’ll remember that we respected our art and invested time in it. For toddlers, I put a timer out and told them when it dinged they could come in (and, yes, this was for just 5-7 minutes).  For the especially little guys, I’d recommend keeping them in a safe place like a crib and giving them board books so they can read while we write.

I always did something fun with my children as a reward for their cooperation: we played cards together or drew a picture or read a story, etc.

And don’t forget: 

Take care of yourself.  Exercise more, sleep more.  There’s no way you can run on empty for very long. And, if you’re really burned out?  Just put the manuscript away.  But I’d recommend putting the exact date on your calendar that you plan on picking it back up again.

How do you handle writing during the busiest times?

Tips for writing during busy times:
Click To Tweet

The post Writing in Busy Times appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Print is Still Important

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve found that, bottom-line, readers are still interested in purchasing and reading books in print.  My print income remains a stable monthly source of revenue.  If there is any lag in putting a new release into print format, I do immediately hear from print-loving readers.  Now I start putting a new release through the uploading process for print (which does take a bit longer to go live) before uploading the digital format to retail sites.  I’d recommend that everyone offer their books in this format.

A little more information about print options and costs:

Options for the self-publishing writer: CreateSpace (Amazon) and IngramSpark

CreateSpace: “We make it simple to distribute your books, music, and video through Internet retail outlets, your own website, and other bookstores, retailers, libraries, and academic institutions. Get started today! CreateSpace is a DBA of On-Demand Publishing LLC, part of the Amazon group of companies.”

IngramSpark: “IngramSpark is a new Publish On DemandSM platform. It’s an easy-to-use, online publishing tool that provides publishers with simple, cost-effective access to Ingram’s global distribution network for print titles and e-book content.”

What I’m doing: I’ve got my print formats in both CreateSpace and Ingram.  I have CreateSpace for US distribution, not expanded distribution (these will all basically be Amazon.com sales of printed books) and Ingram (for US and worldwide bookstores and worldwide book orders…it’s cheaper for non-US readers through Ingram than CS because of  cheaper shipping costs).  If a reader asks a bookstore to order my book for them, it will be less expensive for the store and the reader to get it through IngramSpark.

Worldwide distribution: As Giacomo Giammateo wrote for ALLi (you should read this entire article):

“Ingram has an edge on shipping internationally. It is fast, easy, and far less expensive. The reason is simple. Ingram has printing facilities in the UK, AU, and partner agreements in Germany and other countries. I can ship a book to a customer in Australia almost as inexpensively as I can other parts of the US using Ingram. Ingram does charge a $1.50 surcharge per order for shipping though, and CS doesn’t.”

About those ISBNs:

I recently received an email from a writer who had picked up on part of an issue, but didn’t get the full picture.  She believed she shouldn’t make her books available through Amazon’s CreateSpace because they would be listed as the publisher on record and she’d specifically purchased ISBNs from Bowker so that she could be the publisher on record.

However, there’s an option on CreateSpace to list your own ISBNs or to use their free ones. Using their free ones would mean that CreateSpace was listed as the publisher. This also holds true for other formats (for Smashwords, for example, if you use their free ISBNs).

At IngramSpark, there’s no choice–you must list your own ISBNs. Be prepared to visit Bowker‘s site if you choose to go in this direction.  Although…personally speaking…I’ve purchased my own ISBNs from the very start and feel it’s important that my sales are both counted via ISBN and that I have complete ownership in every way of my work.

About costs:

Design costs: You will need to have a PDF of the front and back cover and spine.  You could go back to your original cover designer and provide them with your back cover copy, etc.  You could also (if you have the rights to your design), take the cover image you have to a place like Fiverr to get a full cover.  Author J.P. Medved wrote about his experience there for Lindsay Buroker’s blog.  You end up with something that looks like this (this is from my book designer, Karri Klawiter who does all my covers in all formats):

Formatting:  You will need to upload a PDF of your book that matches the print size you’ve chosen on CreateSpace and/or IngramSpark.  There are formatters who can do this for you, including mine,  Rik Hall.  You could also use a free online conversion service (Reedsy, for instance).  If you use Draft2Digital to distribute your books, you can upload your Word doc to their site and they will allow you to download a PDF).

ISBN:  I buy these in bulk so the cost is minimized. As I mentioned above, you can use the free ISBNs with CreateSpace if cost is prohibitive. If you use IngramSpark, you’ll need to add the cost of an ISBN.

Production costs: With CreateSpace, there is no production cost involved.  IngramSpark has a $49 fee for each new title.

Print-on-demand is inventory-free.  Readers or bookstores order books and they are printed as they’re ordered.  There are no stacks of books in our garages or closets.  In fact, it’s so inventory-free that I would urge everyone to make sure we do actually have a few, fresh copies of our books in case an event pops up so that we don’t have to pay for rush delivery for a signing.

Are your books in print?  What service do you use?  Thought on print or anything that I left out?

Options for putting our books in print and costs of doing so:
Click To Tweet

 

The post Print is Still Important appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

A weekly roundup of the best writing links from around the web.

Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 30,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.

Revising for Pacing:  http://ow.ly/T8C53034ebt @p2p_editor

Communication in our story world:  http://ow.ly/H3Po3034dSI by A.D. Shrum

10 Tricks for Getting Your Book Reviewed by a Book Blogger:  http://ow.ly/bipZ3034e1i  @sugarbeatbc  @annerallen

3 Cases of Complicated Parenthetical Punctuation:  http://ow.ly/Cy4Z3034dBX @writing_tips

12 Stages of Physical Intimacy: Info for Writers http://ow.ly/P7ih3034e82 @FionaQuinnBooks               

Is Your Character Considering Suicide? Info for Writers:  http://ow.ly/Rhvd3034dYH @FionaQuinnBooks

A Look at Plot Twists and Smoking Guns:  http://ow.ly/MBh83036fvv @CSLakin

Common Structural Problems in Manuscripts:  http://ow.ly/PJQU3036g7d @Book_Arch

3 Ways to Build a Better Plot:  http://ow.ly/QaZA3036gKg @Janice_Hardy

Dealing in uncertainty, the essay may be the perfect form for our time:  http://ow.ly/90HR3036gST @colindickey  @latimesbooks

Sister act: female friendship in fiction from Woolf to Ferrante and Zadie Smith:  http://ow.ly/HFPj3031Kcj @AlexClark3  @GuardianBooks

The Geek Writer: Using Technology to Self-Publish Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/8idE3031KAb @ProWritingAid

9 Essential Social Media Platforms:  http://ow.ly/ggTv3034dEs @Writers_Write

The Character/Plot Connection:  http://ow.ly/NYky3034ee9 by Art Holcomb @storyfix

How to Run a Contest on Your Blog:  http://ow.ly/eEzu3034dKu @DebraEckerling

Content Marketing Examples for Authors: Fiction & Nonfiction:  http://ow.ly/MRI33034ekp @iconiContent  @WritetoDone

How to Succeed as a Female Writer in TV & Film:  http://ow.ly/NeW03031LpV @RosanneWelch  @WritersDigest

Ted Hughes and Simon Armitage: How to get teenagers reading poetry: http://ow.ly/pC0h3031L3U @GuardianBooks

8 Tips on Writing Dual-Time Mysteries:  http://ow.ly/raTp303o0Au @MKTodAuthor

5 things 1st-time authors should have in place on launch day:  http://ow.ly/ZKgn303nZyT @stephfaris @MasonCanyon

The Benefits of Talking Through Your Scenes:  http://ow.ly/Qdyr3031Lyf @Janice_Hardy

20 Comics to Read at the Beach This Summer:  http://ow.ly/2wfY3031KXp @abrahamjoseph  @vulture

10 Writers Who Did Quit Their Day Jobs:  http://ow.ly/ZCuV3031KvQ @TheBookMaven  @lithub

8 Ways to Make Your Story Boring: http://ow.ly/guvW3031KV8 @ProWritingAid

In Praise of Minor Literature:  http://ow.ly/oY8V3031LgW by Matthew St. Ville Hunte @parisreview

5 Guerilla Tactics for Promoting Your Debut Novel: http://ow.ly/bZ0g3031Lv7 @manzanitafire

Of Thee I Read: The United States in Literature:  http://ow.ly/sdkQ3031KrV @jennymedina  @nytimesbooks

Warning Signs that You Landed a Bad Agent:  http://ow.ly/TBH13031KD6 @katrinschumann  @GrubWriters

What do readers want in a good, old-fashioned whodunnit?  http://ow.ly/ido93031KRK @CalebPirtle

4 Classic Writing Techniques That Belong in the Past: http://ow.ly/bis23031KJR @DBlakeAuthor  @mythcreants

Criticism in YA Can Come From Within: http://ow.ly/MzVZ302ZAuX @KimSabatini

Heists as elements of crime fiction: http://ow.ly/7fKs303jxwY @mkinberg

Sharjah Pub. aiming to form ‘a bridge between Arab cultures and with the rest of the world’:  http://ow.ly/SWsQ303jyyZ @Porter_Anderson

3 Painless Ways to Exercise Your Writing Skills:  http://ow.ly/rZTz302ZAZe @sarahvmusgrove

Affect Versus Effect: Quick and Dirty Tips:  http://ow.ly/Se0C302ZAs1 @GrammarGirl

10 Steps to a Successful Book Launch:  http://ow.ly/QfoX302ZB46 @msheatherwebb

How To Get into the ‘Flow State’ and Be a Productive Writer:  http://ow.ly/CbdF302ZAzg @SukhiJutla

Social media: what to put ‘out there’:  http://ow.ly/Mx8E302ZAQ1 @jodimeadows

How to create an effective website:  http://ow.ly/z1YK302ZL9t @DanBlank

Adding wonder into your manuscript:  http://ow.ly/aP9K302ZAK4 @DonMaass

7 Forms of Emphasis in Writing:  http://ow.ly/3M0p302ZAql @writing_tips

5 Ways to Make People Hate a Hero:  http://ow.ly/XvaQ302ZAwG @mythcreants  by Chris Winkle

How Spotify Can Make You a Better Writer:  http://ow.ly/5y72302ZAi3  @MahinWriter

Adding Subtext with Dialogue Cues:  http://ow.ly/gkTc302ZB5a @MargieLawson

Authors on Short Stories, Novellas, and Write for Hire: http://ow.ly/8N3G302ZANB

After Years of Contention, Israel’s National Library Gains Kafka Collection:  http://ow.ly/7fCm303jytk @DennisAbrams2 @pubperspectives

Creating Believable Characters:  http://ow.ly/BpKE303jxrz @jerdipego @annerallen

Revive a scene with verbs:  http://ow.ly/WF3r302Zsfg @NovelEditor

You’ve Published Your First Story in a Pro Magazine…Now What? http://ow.ly/R4AO302Zse0 @chris_shultz81

Decoding Brazil’s Beleaguered Publishing Market:  http://ow.ly/WH5L303jyjQ @Porter_Anderson @sextante @pubperspectives

5 Steps to a Killer Book Talk:  http://ow.ly/IFxE302Zsoi @katrap40

Theme As the Engine Of Plot:  http://ow.ly/CbzB302ZsiJ @AnthonyEhlers

How to Write a Romantic Novel for All Genre Lovers: http://ow.ly/vh0E302ZsKS @nownovel

Narrative Distance and Deep POV: http://ow.ly/JcCt302ZshJ @NovelEditor

Heroes, Heroines, and Anti-ones:  Too http://ow.ly/wRa0302Zsqm @Margo_L_Dill

Why You Should Stop Selling Your Book (and Do Something Better): http://ow.ly/XVGQ302Zstd @AP_Fuchs

10 Steps to an Unputdownable Book:  http://ow.ly/GDxh302ZsHj @nownovel

12 Questions to Ask Your Character about the Setting She Is In:  http://ow.ly/f1Kf302Zsni @CSLakin

Blog to Book: What You Should Consider:  http://ow.ly/sBWY302ZsIZ @ZoeMMcCarthy

Exercise on Character and Story Development:  http://ow.ly/kWsE303iNgO @Roz_Morris

“When Are You Going To Write for Adults?” http://ow.ly/CKy2302Zsks @joypreble

Rejection isn’t Failure:  http://ow.ly/K7WK302XkOk @tamsinsilver

10 eye-opening tips to add impact to your storytelling: http://ow.ly/yXgQ303iNcr @Roz_Morris

Learning The Ropes As A Hybrid Author: http://ow.ly/ozUL302XjX2 @katieorourke78  @WomenWriters

The Fading ‘Romance of Publishing’: http://ow.ly/xQUj303eYgQ @pressfuturist @leenanorms @pubperspectives

What Makes Zombie Stories So Popular:  http://ow.ly/aD3r302Xkoq @DBlakeAuthor

How to Use a Photo Shoot for Character Development: http://ow.ly/SjyS302XfhF @hodgeswriter

Burn after Reading: On Writerly Self-Immolation:  http://ow.ly/Yr2S302Xfpu @nickripatrazone  @The_Millions

Story Structure Case Study of  “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”:  http://ow.ly/fX4A302XkqW @kylieday0

The Difference Between Character Habits And Quirks:  http://ow.ly/c8rO302Xf2M @paulawynne

How to Tap into Your Passion Every Time You Write:  http://ow.ly/kNdr302XkTb @CSLakin

128 Words Writers Can Use Instead of ‘Very’ :  http://ow.ly/M1fw302Xf88 @WhereWritersWin

Dialogue and Subtext: The Spoken and the Unspoken:  http://ow.ly/MX7O302XjMM @WomenWriters  by Joni M. Fisher

10 medical SF/F novels:  http://ow.ly/ysgm302Xk8L @tordotcom  by Stubby the Rocket

How to Find and Reach Influencers to Promote Your Book:  http://ow.ly/DhvX302UWUH @AngelaAckerman

President Obama’s Summer Reading List:  http://ow.ly/QdXV303gsb8 @SCBegley @TIME

Poland’s Sonia Draga on the short shelf life of Polish books and 3 other points of concern:  http://ow.ly/hDJM303eY4J @Porter_Anderson

Creating Sizzling Conflict Between Hero and Heroine:  http://ow.ly/foZx302UWMc  @lansi26

How to Create a Website That Works in 10 Easy Steps:  http://ow.ly/Or8E302UUxt @Bookgal  @BookWorksNYC

Does Fiction Actually Make Us More Empathetic? http://ow.ly/DFbf302UTUk by Miguel Conde @lithub

#Wordmongering and How it Made One Writing Career Possible:  http://ow.ly/zwSv303f3eu @MonicaMarieV for @allieburkebooks

10 steps to writing a book: 100 writing tips:  http://ow.ly/fqpp302UUMS @nownovel

Nuns who leave convents behind as an element in crime fiction: http://ow.ly/p9x5303eXAU @mkinberg

1 Writer’s Reasons for Self-Publishing http://ow.ly/3pvJ302UURt @lucindafwhitney

Writing For Digital Publication: The 3 Things You Need To Know: http://ow.ly/e51n302UUIG @standoutbooks

6 Easy Steps to Planning Out Your Novel:  http://ow.ly/QmQB302UXxr @LMacNaughton

Poetry in contemporary art:  http://ow.ly/f6Pf302UTOV  @newinquiry  @dwpenny

Use Pinterest to Boost Your Website’s SEO:  http://ow.ly/DuFA302UUsB @CaballoFrances  @BookWorksNYC

Delay the Gratification of Launching Your Book:  http://ow.ly/7HkI302UUuO from Fix My Story

115 words for ‘walks’ and 90 words for ‘looks’:  http://ow.ly/UQFg302UX8R @GoIntoTheStory

The Process of Editing: 4 Versions of a Paragraph:  http://ow.ly/wydp303eWVj @Book_Arch @TheIWSG

10 Low-Cost Ways To Market Your Book:  http://ow.ly/j2uo302RAO9 @jckunzjr

Indie Success M. Louisa Locke With Tips for Writers: http://ow.ly/Qmm5303dGBV @mlouisalocke @IndieAuthorALLI

Getting a Big Name to Write Your Book’s Foreword:  http://ow.ly/2JS4302RARd @jckunzjr

Let Go of Perfectionism:  http://ow.ly/M3zR303b4PD @woodwardkaren

International Publishing Notes: Canada, Turkey, UK, USA:  http://ow.ly/1dhV303aWyv @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

3 Things a Writer Stopped Doing That Got Him Writing Again:  http://ow.ly/EJbb302RB24 @J_ToddScott @writersdigest

4 Places to Find Your Best Story Conflict: http://ow.ly/3GLP302RAM5 @KMWeiland

Book Cover Redesign as Marketing Tool:  http://ow.ly/igut302RAK6 @AlexandervonNes

5 Top Benefits Of Being An Older Writer: http://ow.ly/bAPN302RBll  @RobinStorey1

4 Truths and 4 Myths That Every New Novelist Should Know: http://ow.ly/xnY9302RAYK @FlorenceOsmund

The best writing links of last week are on Twitterific:
Click To Tweet

The post Twitterific Writing Links appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.

8 Tips on Writing Dual-Time Mysteries

by M.K. Tod, @MKTodAuthor

What do The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig, The Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian, The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro, and The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier have in common? Answer: they are all dual-time mysteries. I love reading stories like these. But writing one proved to be a significant challenge and demanded a different approach from my previous historical novels.

So what did I learn? Below are eight tips for crafting this type of story.

Are you telling two stories or one? You need to be clear on whether you are telling two stories or one. In other words, the links between each timeline, the character arcs, and essence of the mystery need to integrate seamlessly into one satisfying read. Each timeline must enhance the other. If you conclude that you are telling two stories, you really should write two books.
Both timelines have to engage the readers – finding the balance is critical. I once read only the present day portion of a novel because the historical portion was confusing and added almost nothing to the story. In another instance, my review suggested that the present day story was very thin and could have been eliminated.
Whether separated by fifty years or five hundred, your novel will have two protagonists, one for each time period. Readers must care deeply about both of them. Furthermore, the present day character should be more than merely a narrator for a story set in the past.
Each protagonist must have a distinct voice. Your readers should never be confused about who is in charge of the story at any given point. The thinking, inner dialogue, and perspective of each protagonist should set them apart.
Beyond the distinct voices of your protagonists, readers must be clear about which era they’re in at any point in the novel. This requires careful attention to setting, dialogue, behaviours, events of the time period, possessions, attitudes, and other elements that alert a reader to the era.
Plotting a dual-time mystery is even more complicated than a regular mystery. Clues will emerge from each time period. I developed a table to track every clue regardless of time period and its relevance to the overall mystery. And if you want your readers to puzzle out the mystery as they read, be careful that the earlier storyline doesn’t reveal too much of the mystery too soon.
Avoid jumping back and forth too frequently. Readers need to engage sufficiently in each story before you change the characters and time period. This piece of advice is particularly important in the early chapters when you are establishing characters and setting, creating hooks, and revealing the central questions the story will answer.
The rules of excellent historical fiction still apply. In a 2013 reader survey I conducted, readers said that the top three reasons they read historical fiction are: to bring the past to life, because it’s a great story, and to understand and learn without reading non-fiction. To augment that data, in 2015 readers chose immersed in time and place, superb writing, characters both heroic and human, authentic and educational, and the dramatic arc of history as the top 5 factors in favourite historical fiction. (You can find more survey insights on www.awriterofhistory.com.)

Mysteries are a favourite for fans of historical fiction; 40% of participants in a 2015 survey chose mysteries as one of their top three types of stories to read. Write your dual-time mystery well and it will appeal to mystery lovers as well as lovers of historical fiction.

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction and blogs about all aspects of the genre at A Writer of History . Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET will be published by Lake Union on August 16, 2016. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon , Nook ,  Kobo ,  Google Play  and iTunes . She can be contacted on Facebook , Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com .

8 Tips on Writing Dual-Time Mysteries from @MKTodAuthor
Click To Tweet

The post 8 Tips on Writing Dual-Time Mysteries appeared first on Elizabeth Spann Craig.