Riley Adams's Blog, page 151

Cause-Related Marketing

by Kay Kendall, @Kaylee_Kendall

Everyone knows the publishing world is in
upheaval and it’s a dog-eat-dog world as far as promoting books is concerned.
At first the various ways to connect through social media seemed to be
heaven-sent, yet now, after only a year or two, folks on authors’ chat groups
across the Web lament that book sales are flagging. They say that the kinds of
promotions that used to work are not as effective anymore.

What’s an author to do?

 My
own debut mystery DESOLATION ROW was published by Stairway Press of Seattle
just this spring, and of course I have been going full-tilt with online
marketing. Lately I’m turning the bulk of my attention back to mystery number
two, but when I write for days on end and let the promotion slide, my sales
figures fall. So, like a yoyo, I pop right back to do more online marketing.

You know the drill. Facebook, Twitter,
Goodreads, blogging and/or guest blogging. And now, as if all us authors didn’t
have our hands full already, Everyone
says that an author has to add Google+

What is a poor besieged author to do?

In an earlier incarnation in life I was a
vice president of public affairs with American Express. This was in the late
eighties when the company was pioneering the concept called cause-related
marketing. Now I have begun my own version of that, and I suggest that you at
least consider it. It isn’t something you will have to do daily. The concept is
no longer brand new in the world of marketing, but it is not yet old hat in the
book world.

Simply put, you as an author know what
charitable causes have resonance with you. Find one that also relates to
something in your book. Then promote the fact that you will donate a part of
your royalties to that worthy cause. Both sides of the equation win. Even if
this does not sell more of your books today, you show your true colors as a
caring person about something that is not frivolous, something that is near and
dear to your heart. The homeless, arts in your community, a hospital funding
drive. The list is truly endless.

For example, DESOLATION ROW is set
against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. In 1968 a young bride from Texas uses
her CIA-honed skills to catch the real killer when her husband lands in a
Canadian jail for murdering the draft-resisting son of a United States senator.
Read the whole book and you will find that the overall thrust is pro-soldier
and anti-war.

Because of that ethos, and because I have
supported the organization for more than 30 years, I am choosing to donate a
portion of my royalties to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.  When I talk about that, I not only share with
readers where my heart lies but also profile a worthy organization that does
essential work.  Remember: the connection
between your writing and your cause is key.

I urge you to look at your writing and
your own causes. See what will work to make both sides of that equation gain
prominence and profile. A position that is win-win for all concerned is always
best. And as we used to say back in the day—slightly amended to what I am doing
now…WRITE ON!

=============



Kay Kendall is an international award-winning public relations executive
who lives in Texas with her husband, five house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. A
fan of historical mysteries, she set her debut mystery during the Vietnam War,
a key conflict of last century not already overrun with novels. Kay says her
mysteries feature women caught in their own battles during that unusual war
era. "In Desolation
Row I explore what life was like for a
typical young woman--not a headline maker, not a Hanoi Jane or Angela Davis,
but a moderate who nonetheless got swept up by history's tides during the
turbulent sixties. All that turmoil lends itself to drama, intrigue, and
murder." Kendall's now working on her second Austin Starr mystery, Rainy Day Women.

Editorial Letters and Other Edit Requests:

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig



Not every editor sends editorial letters
along with requests for edits, but my editor for the quilting mysteries
does—and I love them.  

 The reason she’s
one of my favorites to work with in this business is because of the way she
approaches criticism.  She opens her
letters full of praise for the story, and then brings up issues to be
addressed.  It’s a pleasure to work with
her.  I just received one from my editor
last week, and I’ll share some of the points she brought up in mine.

Things she mentioned that she liked in
the story (in case you’re editing your own mystery): plot twists, character
growth for minor characters (I tried hard in this particular story to show
different sides of characters…especially the more unlikeable ones), and the
setting.  Y’all know I really don’t enjoy
setting (at all!) but this time I tried
to make the setting more fun to write so that I’d do a better job with it…I
released my inner Nancy Drew and wrote in secret passageways, trap doors, and a
spooky attic.  I also brought in some
Southern Gothic elements…just because I’m a fan.  The Gothic elements also made the setting
more fun to write in.



Wondering what types of issues come up in
editorial letters?  I’m happy to share my
mistakes in case any of you have got the same sorts of issues.  Mine seem to come up in the same categories:

Making
sure bits of story set-up are present at story wrap-up:

This book is an old-fashioned country
house mystery—remote location, ice storm, murderer in the house.  You know. 
So my set-up involved trees that had broken during the ice storm and
blocked the driveway, making escape down the mountainous driveway
impossible.  Somehow, I’d forgotten to
mention those trees at the end of the story and during the rescue, there was no
mention of them.  I quickly wrote in the
trees and the necessity of a chainsaw.

Make sure
that other mentions in the story are explained in the wrap-up:

Was there really a ghost?

How did a gun get into a character’s
room?

Why wasn’t the house heated?

Character
consistency:

I’ve got a character who was a wealthy
and ruthless businesswoman.  Why would
her house be in such poor repair/so shabby? 
Well, she was a miser and didn’t want to pay for the upkeep.  In my head,
I knew this…forgot to share it with the reader.

And the
bits that were mentioned in Track Changes on the actual manuscript:

More
detail wanted (what did the van look like, sound like? What type of gun
was the gun?)

Transitions
needed: Needed a bit of text to show a car going into a driveway instead
of suddenly ending up at the house.  Needed to add transition to a very abrupt change after a section break.

Correcting
what characters knew:  How did the
characters know which bedroom was theirs?

Who is
speaking?  A bit of dialogue
confusion.

Continuity:
Peanut butter sandwiches miraculously turned into pasta

Tension:  Drawing out tension in one scene—I was asked
to add a few sentences between the appearance of a pale-faced, frightened
character and her explanation of what she’d seen to make her that way.

Echoes:
A couple of accidentally repeated words that meant I needed to rewrite one or
two of the words.

Convoluted
logic: A character made an assumption while creating a plan…a leap of
logic that didn’t really make sense.  It
was simply a leap I needed the character to make.  I wrote in other options and explained why
the character ended up making the plan she did.

A sentence
that was a little too rough for the genre: I toned it down for my cozy
readers, at the editor’s request.  I must
have been in a grim mood that day! Read a bit more like noir than cozy.

So those were my edits for the book
coming out in December.  Not too bad…able
to work methodically through them and make the changes in a day.

What kinds of things do you focus on
during your edits? Do you usually need to make similar changes to mine?

Twitterific

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig



by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

 

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Author Photos

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig





Author photos aren’t just for the backs
of books.  They’re also used to brand our
series and connect different bits of our platform.  They can also connect a pseudonym to our real
name. My photo is one of the few things connecting my Riley Adams books to my
Elizabeth Craig books on both my Goodreads pages and Author Central on
Amazon.  They’re useful for guest posting
on blog tours.

And it’s much better to use our photo
than our book cover for branding.  Our
covers and series change…our faces stay the same.  Sort of. 
:)

I was amazed how many sites I had to
update yesterday with the new photo.  I
updated for two Facebooks, two Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon Author Central (twice
for the two profiles), my website, Google Plus, LinkedIn, my avatar for
Wordpress, and my blog.  And I have the
sneaking suspicion that I’m forgetting something.

I try to update my photo every year,
although last year got away from me.  I
have a particular favorite author and read her once-yearly books when they
release. When she finally updated her author photo after ten years, I
gasped.  What had happened to her?  Then I realized…oh.  It had been ten books since that picture had
changed.  If we can, it’s probably better
to update our photos more frequently than that.

I’ve gone to professional studios twice
before for headshots and I just haven’t been as happy with the results. The
fault lies squarely on my shoulders.  I
completely understand that professionals are better for a variety of different
reasons…but I tend to stiffen up and produce extremely unnatural-looking
expressions.  The last time I went to a
studio, the photographer told me in frustration that she’d rather work with the
screaming toddler down the hall than me—that I needed to learn to relax.

This is why I’m now using my daughter to
take my headshots. :) My publishers haven't seemed to notice a difference in the quality of the photo.  Newly-recovered
from her tonsillectomy, and bored because she’s not doing normal activities
yet, my daughter took photos of me yesterday to update my images on my sites. I will smile for my daughter.  She’s even signed legal releases for Penguin
so that her picture of me can go in the backs of my books.  The point is that I look more relaxed. I definitely looked stressed in some of my studio pictures.

If you do go to a studio, you need to
make sure that they will release the rights to the photo to you.  Most of them do…there are only a couple of
commercial chains that I’ve heard aren’t good about it.  They’ll usually recommend wearing a solid
color (I frequently ignore this advice), and not to wear very light colors if
you’re fair.

The studio drove me a little batty
because they wanted me to strike a variety of poses—and I knew my publisher
didn’t want that.  The publishers I’ve
worked with have asked for headshots—not full-length photos—and they don’t want
you looking off to the side or cradling your head in your hand or doing
anything that looks particularly artsy. 
You only have to pay for the poses you want, but I felt as though I were
wasting my time with everything but headshots at the studio.

If you do
go to a studio, though, be sure to take more than one outfit with you.  They let you change during the shoot.  In fact, they’re delighted to let you change
because it means you may buy several different portraits (since you’re in
several different outfits, it appears that you’ve had more than one shoot.)

Midnight Ink, as I recall, had a whole
page of author photo instructions.  From
what I remember of Penguin’s instructions, it was mainly just that they needed
a headshot and the specific resolution they needed to have a clear black and
white picture on the inside back cover of the mass market paperbacks. But
you’ll want to make sure that you know your publisher’s requirements before you
get your photo taken.

Have you updated your photo lately?  Any tips that I’ve forgotten?

7 Secrets to Loving Book Promotion (Even If You're an Introvert)

by  Toni Tesori,
@Duolit









Do you consider
yourself an introvert?




If so, you’re
definitely not alone. Over
eighty percent of writers (myself included!) belong to that group. In the
world at large, however, we’re outnumbered three-to-one by our extroverted
brethren. 




When it comes to
writing, this works out perfectly. Crafting your story is, after all, a
solitary task. Lots of time alone to think, plan, get creative – all things we
introverts excel at!




But what the task
that comes after you type that final sentence? What happens when the time comes
(shudder) to promote your work?






I can see your recoil through the screen!

I completely
understand your hesitation. The vast majority of marketing advice seems to be
written for the more extroverted among us, those who don't mind sharing their
work and expounding on its virtues.




I don’t know about
you, but that concept makes me feel a little bit queasy. I’ll never feel
comfortable with the “here’s my awesome book, check it out!” mindset.




I’m willing to bet
that you feel the same way.







And that’s a big problem.

Because, when you
start out with a negative perception of book promotion, you’ll have a hard time
forcing yourself to work at it. And if you don’t promote your work at all, the
odds of your having the writing career of your dreams are (sadly) slim to none.




Luckily for us
introverts, there is a way we can promote our work with confidence AND actually
have a little bit of (*gasp*) fun at the same time!




Sounds pretty good,
huh? 




Icky Feeling, Begone!

Using the
self-promotion secrets I outline below, you’ll build a book marketing habit you
can stick with, all while working with (instead of against) your introverted
nature.




Ready to get
started?




Secret #1: Change Your Marketing Definition

Before we can get
into real promotional tactics, we must first be on the same page about what
book marketing really is. If you’re anything like me, the word “marketing”
brings to mind either (1) sleazy used car salesman or (2) manipulative Mad
Men-esque advertising execs. Neither one a positive image, right?




Just for a moment,
erase those sketchy tactics and flashy hype out from your mind. Let’s redefine
what self-promotion really means. 




When you promote
your book, all you’re doing is sharing your work with folks who will
(hopefully!) love it. That’s it! No coercion, hype or pressure required. 




Thinking of it that
way takes much of the “scary” out of book marketing, doesn’t it?




Secret #2: See Your Readers as People

Trying to figure out
how to reach a nameless, faceless blob of 18-34 year-old women (or whoever
makes up your target market) can be, at the very least, a bit
overwhelming. 




How do you what
appeals to them? How do you even find them? The task feels so insurmountable
that  turning to those “me me me!” self-promotion tactics seems your only
option.




Luckily, your
results can be just as effective when, instead of trying to figure out a huge
segment of readers, you narrow your focus to individual members of your target
market. A great way to do this is by creating
profiles of individual readers, almost like characters in your book.




Then, when you try
to figure out how to reach your readers, you can have a mental conversation
with a single reader, which is way easier than trying to figure out thousands
at once!




Secret #3: Slow Down

While I know you’re
eager to see your sales start climbing as soon as possible, don’t let that
panic make you rush into uncomfortable book marketing territory. 




Instead, slow
down. 




Build up your
comfort level with marketing one day at a time.




Focus on a single
task (such as building a mailing list or creating an author blog) for a bit
and, only when you feel comfortable, move onto the next.




Book promotion isn’t
a race. There are (and will be) many winners. By slowing down, you build your
fanbase naturally and prevent burnout. Which is important because…




Secret #4: Be Consistent

When it comes to
building your readership, consistency is far more important than
intensity. 




Far too often,
authors feel the need to take on the gamut of book promotion possibilities at
once; that if they can’t build a website, Facebook fan page, GoodReads page,
mailing list and Twitter following all at the same time, they are doomed to
certain failure.




As a result, they
feel obligated to spend hours every single day working on book marketing
(because how else would you ever be able to fit all of that stuff in?)




It’s no wonder so
many of us end up suffering from book promotion burnout!




I hereby give you
permission to stop that madness. Just slowing down and focusing your efforts
will get you to the same end result, so will being consistent.




I’d much rather you
find a promotion schedule you can stick with for the long term (even if it’s
only 15 or 30 minutes at a time, a few days a week) than throw yourself into
something unsustainable.




If you’re wondering
how you can get anything done in such short bursts, check out my Bowflex Method (silly name, but a popular
post)!




Secret #5: Find Your Motivation

Love her or hate
her, fitness celebrity Jillian
Michaels certainly is popular here in America, and she has this piece of
advice that I absolutely love: “Find your Why. Because when you have a
significant Why, you can tolerate any How.”




I know she’s not the
first person to come up with this concept, but I think it’s a really important
point for authors as well. 




Ask yourself: Why
are you publishing your work? Why are you building your fanbase? What ideal
outcome do you want to achieve?




With the right
motivation, book promotion becomes just another step in the writing process,
moving you toward the success you desire.




Secret #6: Step Back and Observe

Book promotion feels
very action-oriented, but for us introverts, it’s important to have time to
chill out. To reflect. To recharge.




Even when you need
to step back from marketing, you can still make that time away useful. 




Use the time to
reflect on the promotional tactics you’ve been working on and make some
observations: what’s working? What isn’t? How much
progress have you made?




As an added bonus,
seeing how far you’ve come is another great motivator!




The Final Secret: Don't Take it Too Seriously

While everything
I’ve said above is solid advice, this might just be the best of all: don’t take
this whole book marketing thing too
seriously.




I won’t argue that
promotion is extremely important (I love me some book marketing, y’all), but
it’s also important to see it for what it really is: fun!




Book marketing is a
celebration of the finished product you spent months, years, decades of your
life creating. You’re connecting with people who will fall in love with the
story you created, the characters you dreamed up, the worlds you’ve described.
What could be more fun than that?




Talk Back

Do you consider
yourself an introvert? Does the idea of book promotion give you the
heebie-jeebies? Did any of the advice above make you excited to build your
fanbase? Let’s chat in the comments!




Toni Tesori is one half of Duolit, two gals who help passionate fiction authors sell
more books by building their crazy-dedicated fanbase. If you're ready to stop
dreading and start loving the process of book promotion, check out their FREE Weekend Book Marketing
Makeover, a guided workbook that jumpstarts
your fanbase-building efforts in just two days!

Chalk One Up for Outlining

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m one of those writers who is an everyday kind of writer.  Creating habits isn’t easy for me—once I’ve
formed one, I have to repeat it every single day to keep it.  And writing is like using a muscle…I’ve found
my writing gets flabby if it’s not regularly exercised. I make the time. It’s
way too hard for me to pick up a train of thought, the voice, that story rhythm
if I don’t write daily. It’s tough to get back into the story.

 I’ve squeezed writing into completely
impossible days.  I write at 5 a.m.  I write in carpool lines. I write in doctor's
office waiting rooms. I come up with dialogue while doing yard work. I’ve written while eating lunch.  I’ve sacrificed sleep to write. I’ve written
while traveling. I always make my deadlines. Whatever I need to do to hit those 3.5 pages a day, I'll do it. If life goes to hell, I'm flexible--I'll write when it's not my favorite time of the day.

But sometimes, you can’t write. I’ve been fortunate not to have
many of those days. If I can’t write, I’ve likely been stricken with some
ghastly virus. Even then, I’ve frequently been able to mull over my story,
think up dialogue, or add to character description.

The last week, though, I really haven’t been able to write.  My daughter had her tonsils out and
unfortunately the recovery didn’t go well. She’s fine now, but there was a
point where we thought we’d have to check her into the hospital.  We Craigs do illness in a spectacular fashion.
:)  With an ailing child and
mentally drained… I found it impossible to write. I could write blog posts or
emails with the nervous energy I felt while I hung out in the room with my
daughter. But creative writing wasn’t possible.

A couple of days ago, I finally opened my
manuscript on Word again. Usually, this would be a tough assignment with my
head out of the story for so long. 
Instead, I looked at my outline, found the point where I’d left off, and
picked right back up with the book again. 
No problem.

No problem at all.  It was as if I’d
only left off writing a few hours before.

I had a complete plan.  The outline said,
“Here’s what you write today.” No questions asked or needed.

It annoys me that outlining is working so
well for me.  I despise outlining and I
hate following outlines.  But I can’t
argue with the success I’ve had so far with it. 


So…if you have an erratic life where it’s
very, very tough to fit your writing in on a regular basis, I really have to
reluctantly recommend outlining. It seems to work well in those circumstances.

Other things you can do with your story
if you have no time to write (and you seriously don’t want to outline):

List title ideas.

Come up with character profiles or
background.

Brainstorm character arc and growth for
the course of the book

List names of characters, names of
settings.

Lists of things that puts you more in
touch with your character’s personality: 5 things your character is afraid of,
5 things your character wants, 5 types of neighbors your character would hate
to move in next door.

Since writing description is drudgery for
me, I’ll sometimes sketch out description (for characters and setting) and
layer them in later.

Brainstorm for subplots.

Brainstorm for endings.

So there are non-outlining-related
methods of moving forward with your story on no-good, really bad days.  But…and I wince as I write this…when it
comes to reacquainting yourself with a cold story…

outlining appears to work better.

Twitterific

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific
links are fed into the Writer’s
Knowledge Base search engine (developed by
writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 20,000 free articles
on writing related topics. It's the search engine for writers.

Sign up for
our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.

Mike Fleming
and writing coach James Scott Bell are offering an online, interactive, writing
program to help make your next novel great. It's called "Knockout
Novel" and you can learn more about it at Knockout Novel.com.


Flash Fiction –Make It Up and Make It Snappy: http://bit.ly/17esqwJ
@Beth_Barany @amowriting




The alphabet in crime fiction--knives as a murder weapon:
http://bit.ly/180bOYP @mkinberg




"Most of the readers love bad books." http://bit.ly/12HBeIt
@pubperspectives @Porter_Anderson @DeMarcoAV




"Anybody Press" (self pub) is the new member of
the Big Six (for ebooks, at least): http://bit.ly/15gFGtL @MikeShatzkin




The best form of marketing--promoting others' books: http://bit.ly/ZXSMgW
@storyrally




How To Structure a Story Around a Large Problem: 14 Steps
x 56 Movies = 784 Examples: http://bit.ly/1aoENFe @cockeyedcaravan




A rush to publish creates trouble. But editors can be
pricey. Could betas help? http://bit.ly/15gl84r @hughhowey @miralsattar @Porter_Anderson




How Labels and Comparisons Weaken Creativity: http://bit.ly/12HJdp5
@denisedesigns




Scene Breaks In Ebooks: Giving Readers A Clue: http://bit.ly/19gAnyK
@JWManus




Writer quirks and advice from @HughHowey: http://bit.ly/14hs3vw
@JanetBoyer




After readers have figured out the whodunit in crime fic,
is there still incentive to keep reading? http://bit.ly/1466v4u @mkinberg




Winners of Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award--$110,000 to
5 Authors: http://bit.ly/10B5Kno @Porter_Anderson @RysaWalker @JLincolnFenn




Giving advice to aspiring writers: http://bit.ly/1aAOUqA
@ColbyMarshall




Harper Collins scores ebook profits by decreasing author
royalties: http://bit.ly/1405M6t @Porter_Anderson @DeFiore @jasonboog




25 ways to be more
creative: http://bit.ly/ZHnLh0

Do You Have a Surface
Conflict and a Suppressed Conflict? http://bit.ly/11TKtyP
@cockeyedcaravan

How to wake a dormant muse:
http://bit.ly/170EDEW @dirtywhitecandy

Is Black and White Fantasy
Dead? http://bit.ly/170ELo1 @mythicscribes

17 Steps to a
Reader-Grabbing Title: http://bit.ly/170EK3l
@kmweiland

10 Tips For Proofreading
Your Manuscript: http://bit.ly/192L6wB
@woodwardkaren

On plot holes: http://bit.ly/170HxcO @bethrevis

2 Tricks for Breaking
Writer's Block in One Day: http://bit.ly/192N8Ne
@victoriamixon

Gain Traction with Social
Media instead of Spinning Your Wheels: http://bit.ly/170IHFj
@ediemelson

5 Gaping Plot Holes
Hollywood Knows You Won't Notice: http://bit.ly/170IQIT
@cracked

Kill your darlings: http://bit.ly/170JGFF @melissadonovan

Mothering Your Writing: http://bit.ly/192OJm0 @lisagailgreen

On "casting"
while you write. Or not. http://bit.ly/170KlH8
@LAGilman

A writer wants readers to
hear a story when they read her book: http://bit.ly/192QpvO
@EDFsChronicles

Putting the Brand Before
the Book Produces Profits: http://bit.ly/170LMFn
@pubperspectives

Should you use a pen name? http://bit.ly/170LUom @JanetKGrant

The Top 7 Lies Prospective
Freelance Clients Tell: http://bit.ly/170LX3p
@ticewrites

Mystery vs. Suspense: The 8
Keys: http://bit.ly/192QPlZ

The Joy of Editing: http://bit.ly/170Mdzm

The Importance of Strategic
Goals: http://bit.ly/192QYpE @lyndaryoung

5 things 1 writer learned
about writing from her mom: http://bit.ly/192SZ50
@sherlockedsarah

Creating Nail-Biting
Suspense: http://bit.ly/170OA5o
@StacyGreen26

Hands-On Tips For Spotting
Flaws In Your Writing: http://bit.ly/192T6xA
@amiekaufman

Tips for better narrative: http://bit.ly/170OLOb @behlerpublish

Planning Your Own Writing
Retreat: http://bit.ly/170PAqi
@christicraig

20 Insights Into a
Successful Agent/Client Relationship: http://bit.ly/170PEq0
@breeogden

Visualize Your Writing: http://bit.ly/192UPCV @write_practice

Tips for succeeding as a
self-pubbed writer (interview with @DavidGaughran): http://bit.ly/192UYX6 @markmcguinness

When Good Series Go Bad: http://bit.ly/170Q9QL @CreepyQueryGirl

Self Editing: The Last
Check List Before You Submit: http://bit.ly/192W9pw
@TereMichaels

How Writers Can Explore
Erotica: http://bit.ly/13BUhSy @galleycat

We don't have to take every
suggestion our beta readers make: http://bit.ly/18wZsIL

The Serious Superficiality
of The Great Gatsby: http://nyr.kr/13BV5XF
@joshuarothman @NewYorker

Stand while you work to
improve your health and productivity: http://bit.ly/12GODSs
@unclutterer

Why Smashwords surveys
self-pubbed books and behavior: http://bit.ly/13CJ83O
@markcoker

All about character arcs: http://bit.ly/12GOTkr @JordanMcCollum

Too many deadlines? Here's
how to avoid panic mode: http://bit.ly/13CJiIy
@michellerafter

Body and Identity in SF/F -
a rich source of inspiration: http://bit.ly/13CJLKJ
@juliettewade

Help Your Friends Help Your
Book Go Viral: http://bit.ly/12GPTot
@shewritesdotcom

Scene interruptions: http://bit.ly/1aRkBcg @kid_lit

How to Approach a Literary
Agent: http://bit.ly/16D7WNC @bubblecow

Getting the Most out of
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/16DcmUW
@AuthorKSBrooks

Rags to Riches plots: http://bit.ly/10Korjb @write_practice

Creating Multi-Dimensional
Characters--Everybody Lies: http://bit.ly/15lcjsD
@kristenlambtx

How frequently should
writers blog? http://bit.ly/13CKT0U
@problogger

Literary Agent
Misconceptions: http://bit.ly/12GQvum
@carlywatters

A Librarian's Response to
"What's a Library?" http://bit.ly/13CL4t9
@ScrewyDecimal

Game Writing--The Decline
of Survival-Horror and Why it Needs Saving: http://bit.ly/13CLrDY
@ausgamers

How To Secure Your
WordPress Site Against Hackers: http://bit.ly/1ac8DN4
@lifehackorg

As Kids' On-Screen Reading
Overtakes Print, Outcome is Worrisome: http://bit.ly/1acaql9
@pubperspectives

Breaking Down the Writing
Process: http://bit.ly/16o9bNc

How Gardening Relates to
Writing: http://bit.ly/1acaXnl
@MBTPonderers

Screenwriting-- Writing
Character Descriptions and 'Last Action Hero": http://bit.ly/16obTSY @scriptmag @RWWFilm

10 Biggest Book Adaptation
Flops: http://bit.ly/18JXiWn
@Publisherswkly

4 designers discuss their
work on recent book covers: http://nyti.ms/11nHi3Q&
@NYTimes

Authors Can Be Trapped by
TMI: http://bit.ly/18JXNQe @passivevoiceblg

The Ten Commandments of
Query Letters: http://bit.ly/11nHtfo
@evilwriters

How to get your message
across without spamming: http://bit.ly/18JYc4Y
@annechaconas @novelpublicity

The Cores of Literary
Fiction and Speculative Fiction: http://bit.ly/11nHS1r
@kgelfland2ndcuz

Writing Summer
Blockbusters: http://bit.ly/18JYB7I
@scriptmag

25 Ideas to Freshen Up That
Query: http://bit.ly/11nIAfk
@mayaprasadwrite

6 Secrets to Creating and
Sustaining Suspense: http://bit.ly/13OsCfG
@writersdigest

5 writerly things you can
still do when life interrupts your writing: http://bit.ly/17bDY3A

How to Increase your Email
Optin Rates: http://bit.ly/13OtxN3
@bloggingtipscom

The Unique Geography of
Speculative Fiction: http://bit.ly/17bEkHv
@sfsignal

Tips for modeling your
writing after other writers' works: http://bit.ly/13OtJvW
@woodwardkaren

Cover Art: A Designer's
Perspective: http://bit.ly/17bEC17
@tordotcom @catjuju

Book fetish--bookish things
for those who love books: http://bit.ly/13OuC7N
@homebtwnpages

How poetry became an
essential part of US weddings...and why it's so hard to choose a poem: http://bit.ly/12Nsxh5 @poetrynews

Chick Lit Is Dead, Long
Live Farm Lit: http://bit.ly/13OHv1s
@theatlantic @EmilyMatchar

The cocktail chart from
film and lit: http://bit.ly/13OI3V5
@PopChartLab http://bit.ly/13OI3of

5 Ways to Bond with Your
Blog's Audience: http://bit.ly/12NsSjT
@copyblogger

10 Great Commencement
Speeches by Writers: http://bit.ly/12sdnh8
@bookriot @JoshACorman

5 Ways To Stay Motivated in
Your Writing Career: http://bit.ly/13FDhJS
@bookbaby

Writing is a Humiliation
Banquet: http://bit.ly/12sfKjU @SaraMTaber

No, E-book Sales Are Not
Declining: http://bit.ly/12UBnWs
@nathanbransford

Where to find cover
artists: http://bit.ly/ZH23d6 @woodwardkaren

Publishers Should Empower
Authors to Sell Their Own E-books: http://bit.ly/11TnSme
@nathanbransford

How to Weave Backstory Into
Your Novel Seamlessly: http://bit.ly/12NU3Lx
@writersdigest

How to start a blog: http://bit.ly/11IygOA @MichelleRafter

How to Fire Your Agent: http://bit.ly/17QAmDE @jennybent

5 memoir-writing resources:
http://bit.ly/11Iysxr @sherrey_meyer

Going transmedia: http://bit.ly/17QAHGr @TheWriterMag

An analysis of a successful
query: http://bit.ly/11IyFRm @SaraMegibow
@writersdigest

A 3-Step Process to Book
Marketing: http://bit.ly/17QB43R
@badredheadmedia

9 Social Media Tips for
Freelancers: http://bit.ly/11IyTIc
@socialtimes

Writing is tough--but we
chose to do it: http://bit.ly/11Iz1qU
@KeithCronin

What 1 self-pubbed author
may be doing wrong: http://bit.ly/17QBC9H
@SoozOnSports

How much content should you
have ready when you launch a blog? http://bit.ly/11IziKB
@problogger

A 70 year old book is
gaining popularity again in the creativity and innovation fields: http://bit.ly/17QBRS9 @CreativityPost

Simplify. Focus. Combine
characters. Hop over detours. http://bit.ly/11IzCcg

Fact and Fiction. The Crime
Writers' Responsibility? http://bit.ly/11IzNV2
@CazRamsay

The Perils of Prequels: http://bit.ly/17QCDie @Gollancz

Short form
writing--revealing the power of two: http://bit.ly/11IA4Y8
@TheWriterMag @RoyPeterClark

Paper submissions are not
dead yet: http://bit.ly/11IASwa @catewoods

The Many Paths to
Publishing—Which One's Right for You? http://bit.ly/17QE6Fg
@shewritesdotcom

How to prevent predictable
plots: http://bit.ly/11IBq51 @brianklems
@writersdigest

What writers can learn from
a close reading of The Great Gatsby: http://bit.ly/18NWHms
@RoyPeterClark

How Books Get Sold to
Traditional Publishers: http://bit.ly/11IDl9K
@ninaamir

Booksellers finding success
through a leaner ordering method that helps eliminate returns: http://bit.ly/16veQkE @kristinerusch

Daily Deals propel older
ebooks to popularity: http://nyti.ms/ZXbs0c
@NYTimes

How to Help Your Cover
Designer Come Up With a Killer Design: http://bit.ly/11G7Iwu
@NikkiJefford @cjlistro

Pitching a self-pubbed book
to a publisher: http://bit.ly/ZXfiGJ and http://bit.ly/ZXfhCC @yeomanis

SF/F--from humble origins
to lofty heights: http://bit.ly/11GaDWb
@fantasyfaction @Leo_Cristea

The Basics of Author
Branding: http://bit.ly/11GaJgq @BillFerris

How To Write By The Seat of
Your Pants: http://bit.ly/ZXfINp

The world doesn't reward
perfectionists. How to stop being an overthinker: http://bit.ly/11GaXnD @lifehackorg

Physical Attribute
Thesaurus Entry: Chest: http://bit.ly/11GaZMy
@angelaackerman

Scene and chapter endings: http://bit.ly/ZXg2vv @Ross_B_Lampert

Internal Dialogue and
Pacing: How Much is Too Much? http://bit.ly/11Gb7eV
@Janice_Hardy

Why aren't there more plays
with sequels and prequels? http://bit.ly/15d9gAr
@HillaryDePiano

Why speculative fic is
popular with young readers: http://bit.ly/ZXZGmg
@LeighAnnKopans

A review of clauses: http://bit.ly/15d9sPW @writing_tips

Craft books are good to a
point...then writers need to write: http://bit.ly/ZXZZxl
@hopeclark

The Easiest Way to Get
Started Podcasting: http://bit.ly/15d9QOA
@MichaelHyatt

The Key To Being A
Productive Writer: Prioritize: http://bit.ly/ZY0esp
@woodwardkaren

Thoughts on Parenting a
Writer: http://bit.ly/15dagnX @mollybackes

10 Ways to Torture Yourself
as a Writer: http://bit.ly/ZY0M1i
@marybethwhalen

Embrace the Messy Writing
Process: http://bit.ly/15daHib
@fictionnotes

Should You Self-Publish? 15
Questions: http://bit.ly/ZY10Wi @ornaross
@janefriedman

2 Power Questions Every
Writer Should Ask: http://bit.ly/15daT0L
@jamesscottbell

5 Ways to Build Solid
Relationships in Your Story: http://bit.ly/ZY1Xho
@KasieWest

33 Blogging Tips to
Maximize Social Media Reach: http://bit.ly/15dc2Wa
@HeidiCohen

How NOT to Self-Publish: 12
Things for New Indies to Avoid: http://bit.ly/15dc54u
@annerallen

How to Give Yourself
Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/15dcYKf
@Amanda_Hocking

Using Amazon's Top
Reviewers as a way to draw attention to your book: http://bit.ly/ZY3u7a @rxena77

How Stories Teach Us About
Ourselves: http://bit.ly/15ddvff
@mythicscribes

Prozac and creativity: http://bit.ly/ZY4lVo @ahmpreston @guardianbooks

Songwriting tips from Burt
Bacharach: http://bit.ly/15dec8g @USASong

5 reasons to stop writing: http://bit.ly/ZY4W9C @KMWeiland

What makes a novelist?
Writing. http://bit.ly/ZY5igs @PatBertram

Breaking down author swag: http://bit.ly/15dgvYR @JeanOram

Writing the Dreaded YA Love
Scene: http://bit.ly/11IHZ6K
@Laura_the_Wise

Maturation and reviewing: http://bit.ly/1aoDAxx @Squirrelpunkd

Narrative, Fiction, and
Life: http://bit.ly/11IIcXy @davidbcoe

Infographic: 5 Key Book
Publishing Paths: http://bit.ly/1aoDRAG
@janefriedman

3 Tricks to Increasing
Tension in One Day: http://bit.ly/11IIwFD
@victoriamixon

Advice for Aspiring Writers

  by Colby Marshall, @ColbyMarshall



All authors face this
problem at some point in their careers, whether they’re published, striving to
publish, or have simply let their friends know they’re writing a book.   

You know the statement, because if you’re a
writer, you’ve heard it over and over again. 
“Oh, I’ve always wanted to write a book!”

Sometimes, depending on who
it is, you probably smile and ask about their writing, silently thinking about
how most people who say this have very little intention of actually ever
writing a book.  Most people who say this
don’t know how much hard work is in it, either.  

 But, because we’re writers and try to support other writers, it’s always
a good idea to give advice if ever asked. 
After all, someone at some point has given us some, be it someone in a
writer’s group online, a mentor in person, a blog post, or an article.

However, occasionally the
“I want to write,” the statement moves from, “I’ve always wanted to write a
book,” to, “Can you tell me how to get published?”  Oh, boy. 


Sure, we all know there’s
no way to convey everything we’ve learned about the industry in a quick,
succinct paragraph.  So, how do you
address this question when it inevitably arrives at your doorstep?  Here are my three best pieces of advice for
writers aspiring to become published:

Write
the book first.





You can't publish something that isn't written. If you want to
write with publication in mind, that's one thing, but no matter what your
intentions, you have to write it before you can head for that goal.




Don't
let to mechanics of the publishing industry murk up your waters before
they're even flowing.





When finding the right book to set out to write, try not to
think to hard about what your readers might want in the book. The truth is,
there are so many books out there and so many people who say they have a book
in them. Books exist about nearly every topic you could imagine, and everyone
thinks their story will interest people. However, when a book comes out at the
end of the day, NO ONE—not even professional Big 6 publishers like Random House
or Penguin—can predict which books will take off and which won't. No one saw
Harry Potter coming, and they spend plenty of big dollars buying books that
flop hard. This is the reason why, when
you are figuring out what book to write, you shouldn’t write it because
"the readers want it." Write what you
want to write, are passionate about writing, and will feel good having finished
at the end so that in case it never sells or only garners a handful of readers,
you're happy with your work. The same goes for if it ends up with millions of
followers and is the next breakout book on the New
York Times Bestseller List: you'll be happy with what you've done. Most
people who say they want to write a book but never do don't because they aren't
passionate about it. The only way to do it is to be so.




Do
your homework.





I don’t sugar coat the fact that they’ve asked me a question
that would take years to answer. 
Instead, I let them know that before they’re ready to publish after
they’ve written a book, they’ll need to learn a lot about the industry,
including about the options regarding publication. This is one thing they can
start now while working on their books,
because heaven knows they’ll need the time to peruse all of the blogs, books,
and forums dedicated to helping authors learn to navigate the world of
publishing. And yes, that goes for those who plan to self-publish, too, since
there’s still a lot to know about how to promote (well), finding someone to
help you edit or beta read your book that isn’t your mother or husband, and
important things like cover design, meta keywords, book formatting, etc. For
those wanting to go the traditional route, there are query letters, agents, and
small presses, oh, my! If ever they ask why is there no shortcut you can give
me, my answer is always the same: a book is a big deal, and anything worth
doing is worth doing right.




What advice do you
give to aspiring writers?






Writer by day, ballroom dancer and choreographer by night, Colby
has a tendency to turn every hobby she has into a job, thus ensuring that she
is a perpetual workaholic.  In addition to her 9,502 jobs, she is a proud
member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.  She is
actively involved in local theatres as a choreographer as well as sometimes
indulges her prima donna side by taking the stage as an actress.  She
lives in Georgia with her family, two mutts, and an array of cats that, if she
were a bit older, would qualify her immediately for crazy cat lady
status.  Her debut thriller, Chain of
Command is now available, as well as the second book in her McKenzie
McClendon series, The Trade. 





THE TRADE is currently available on:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/k4kxunv

Directly from the publisher with free worldwide shipping: www.stairwaypress.com/bookstore

Coming Soon on Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Sony, Kobo, and other
major e-readers.

Subplots

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig



Today I'm over at Jordan McCollum's blog, talking a little about subplots: what makes for a great

subplot, tips for including them in your story, and a few resources to learn more about writing subplots.  Hope you'll pop over.

How to Promote Books and Win Fans

by Jason Kong, @storyrally

 



Most fiction writers hate marketing their books.



You have to tread the line between awareness and overhyping. Because you have a vested interest in selling your work, others sometimes assume you're just out to make a buck.



Book promotion doesn't always have to be so unpleasant.



If you have published books and an online platform, then you also have a following. You have readers paying attention because they value your storytelling.



Instead of plugging your books all the time, why not recommend those of your fellow authors? It's a promotion opportunity you can feel good about.




The genuine endorsement


You know what this is like.






Remember the last time you read a novel that really grabbed you. You had to tell a friend, right? It's about finding that person who would enjoy the book as much as you did.



You weren't driven by a commission or reciprocation. The intention was to spread the joy, to make someone else's life a little better.



A book recommendation without expectation is a special kind of promotion. It had nothing to do with who wrote the book, and everything to do with whether the recipient would benefit.



So how does that translate into a professional setting?




Good feelings all around


Other authors are not your competitors. Maybe that was true once upon a time, but not anymore.



You're no longer fighting writers for a spot on the shelf. Digital media and self-publishing means the available space for books is now stretched to infinity.



Touting that you're the only author worth following is self-serving, but hardly true. Fiction isn't a commodity. Everyone has room to like more than one story or more than one author.



Writing, especially good writing, takes a lot of time. If you have a communication channel with your audience, then how are you rewarding their attention between projects?



When you come across a good story in your genre, use social media to share a good word. Make recommendations because you're confident enough in your ability and generous enough in your motivation.



With that mindset, you won't have less fans. You'll have more.



Jason Kong (@storyrally) helps fiction writers build better online platforms. Sign up for his free newsletter here.