Riley Adams's Blog, page 156
April 23, 2013
Updates on ACX Audiobooks and a New RSS Reader
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Just thought I'd write an update today on a couple of
different topics that I’ve mentioned recently.
One topic is ACX,
the audiobook distributor. I’d mentioned
in
this post that I 'd made my self-published books available for auditioning to narrators
and outlined the process I'd gone through to get to that point.
I’ve found narrators for all three of
those books. Once you listen to the
auditions on the ACX site, you make an offer to one narrator (there’s actually a ‘make
an offer’ link right underneath the audition) and send a note to the others, to
let them know.
A pop-up window will ask you to specify your terms for the contract. Most of the contract is
set by ACX, but they’ll point out the areas you’ll need to give input (like the
payment arrangements…by the hour or royalty share…and your deadlines for
completion of both the first fifteen minutes and the project itself.) Then you hit send and the contract goes off to the
narrator.
ACX asks that if we do any contract-type
negotiation or make specific arrangements or notes for the narrator, that we do
it through the ACX message system. That
way there’s a record of our conversation in case there are any questions or
problems later. In their words:
If the narrator is interested, he or she will accept the offer
through the ACX site. Once the first fifteen
minutes are completed, the narrator uploads the audio to the site (and,
once again, we get a notification email.
I rather like these notification emails, though, since audiobooks aren’t
the only thing I’m working on.) If we
accept their first fifteen minutes, we click the ‘accept’ link under the
audio. We can also send a message to the
narrator with specifics regarding their narration.
This way, if we’re not all on the same page, we can make sure we ask for
changes before the narrators invest time in the rest of the book.
This is where I am in the process…I’ve
approved two of the three books’ first fifteen minutes now. Each book has a slightly different
feel/narration to it since I’m getting all of the books done at once for the sake of
time. But each sounds good. Slightly campier sound to Dyeing Shame so far, but it’s a much campier
book than the other two. The narrator
nailed that aspect of it.
On to the
other topic I’ve mentioned lately (or fretted over in the comments): the
fact that Google is pulling the cord on Google
Reader in July. I was pretty exasperated when the news broke. It does bring up (as many others have
said) the issue of whether we can trust Google, or really any of these online cloud services. We
believe they’ll continue a service, we invest time in it…and they discontinue
it.
Since I subscribe to
2346 blogs to curate writing links for Twitter, I’m considered a
power-user. I was a little concerned
about the process of migrating to another reader service and the possibility of
losing folders or blog subscriptions and having to face a time-sucking
challenge of restoring data or organization.
I exported to several different readers,
but quickly found that my favorite was Feedly. It was organized much the same way as Google
Reader (or, at least, we could configure it to be very much like Reader). Here’s the big thing—it hasn’t crashed yet. With the number of blogs that I work with on
the site, Google Reader would frequently crash—either freeze up, slow down
tremendously, or need to refresh, and I’d lose my place as I was working through the list of posts. This hasn’t happened with Feedly
yet. (Yes, I’m knocking on wood as I
type this.) It hasn’t crashed, despite a tremendous amount of influx by new users via the exodus from Google Reader
(at one point, over
500,000 users migrated to Feedly in a 48 hour period.)
All of my folders transferred over and I
didn’t lose any subscriptions en route to Feedly.
I can read blog posts by title, if I want
to (that’s usually how I like reading them). You can also choose other views…a
tile-type view, full post view, etc. Go
to “prefs” on the left-hand side of the screen, under your name, to make
adjustments to your settings. You might
want to change the Feedly default settings if you’re used to Google Reader.
One irritating thing is that Feedly isn’t
supported in Internet Explorer/Windows.
That’s the only irritant so far, however. You can use it on Firefox and Chrome or
Safari…I’m using it in Firefox. Firefox
and I sometimes don’t get along, but it’s worth putting up with some conflicts
to get Feedly.
Have you checked out ACX yet (US-only
right now, but I believe they have plans to be worldwide)? Found a new RSS reader?Do you read blogs with an RSS reader?
Just thought I'd write an update today on a couple of
different topics that I’ve mentioned recently.
One topic is ACX,
the audiobook distributor. I’d mentioned
in
this post that I 'd made my self-published books available for auditioning to narrators
and outlined the process I'd gone through to get to that point.
I’ve found narrators for all three of
those books. Once you listen to the
auditions on the ACX site, you make an offer to one narrator (there’s actually a ‘make
an offer’ link right underneath the audition) and send a note to the others, to
let them know.
A pop-up window will ask you to specify your terms for the contract. Most of the contract is
set by ACX, but they’ll point out the areas you’ll need to give input (like the
payment arrangements…by the hour or royalty share…and your deadlines for
completion of both the first fifteen minutes and the project itself.) Then you hit send and the contract goes off to the
narrator.
ACX asks that if we do any contract-type
negotiation or make specific arrangements or notes for the narrator, that we do
it through the ACX message system. That
way there’s a record of our conversation in case there are any questions or
problems later. In their words:
IMPORTANT:To be sure that you end up with a binding contract,
please work out all details of your Offer via ACX, using our internal
messaging system (simply by clicking “Send Message” on the Producer’s
profile). If you negotiate and agree to details via some other
channel—phone, video chat, whatever—those details aren’t going to be
reflected in our system, and you might not end up with the contract you
want, or any contract at all. And that’s not the safest way to work.
If the narrator is interested, he or she will accept the offer
through the ACX site. Once the first fifteen
minutes are completed, the narrator uploads the audio to the site (and,
once again, we get a notification email.
I rather like these notification emails, though, since audiobooks aren’t
the only thing I’m working on.) If we
accept their first fifteen minutes, we click the ‘accept’ link under the
audio. We can also send a message to the
narrator with specifics regarding their narration.
This way, if we’re not all on the same page, we can make sure we ask for
changes before the narrators invest time in the rest of the book.
This is where I am in the process…I’ve
approved two of the three books’ first fifteen minutes now. Each book has a slightly different
feel/narration to it since I’m getting all of the books done at once for the sake of
time. But each sounds good. Slightly campier sound to Dyeing Shame so far, but it’s a much campier
book than the other two. The narrator
nailed that aspect of it.
On to the
other topic I’ve mentioned lately (or fretted over in the comments): the
fact that Google is pulling the cord on Google
Reader in July. I was pretty exasperated when the news broke. It does bring up (as many others have
said) the issue of whether we can trust Google, or really any of these online cloud services. We
believe they’ll continue a service, we invest time in it…and they discontinue
it.
Since I subscribe to
2346 blogs to curate writing links for Twitter, I’m considered a
power-user. I was a little concerned
about the process of migrating to another reader service and the possibility of
losing folders or blog subscriptions and having to face a time-sucking
challenge of restoring data or organization.
I exported to several different readers,
but quickly found that my favorite was Feedly. It was organized much the same way as Google
Reader (or, at least, we could configure it to be very much like Reader). Here’s the big thing—it hasn’t crashed yet. With the number of blogs that I work with on
the site, Google Reader would frequently crash—either freeze up, slow down
tremendously, or need to refresh, and I’d lose my place as I was working through the list of posts. This hasn’t happened with Feedly
yet. (Yes, I’m knocking on wood as I
type this.) It hasn’t crashed, despite a tremendous amount of influx by new users via the exodus from Google Reader
(at one point, over
500,000 users migrated to Feedly in a 48 hour period.)
All of my folders transferred over and I
didn’t lose any subscriptions en route to Feedly.
I can read blog posts by title, if I want
to (that’s usually how I like reading them). You can also choose other views…a
tile-type view, full post view, etc. Go
to “prefs” on the left-hand side of the screen, under your name, to make
adjustments to your settings. You might
want to change the Feedly default settings if you’re used to Google Reader.
One irritating thing is that Feedly isn’t
supported in Internet Explorer/Windows.
That’s the only irritant so far, however. You can use it on Firefox and Chrome or
Safari…I’m using it in Firefox. Firefox
and I sometimes don’t get along, but it’s worth putting up with some conflicts
to get Feedly.
Have you checked out ACX yet (US-only
right now, but I believe they have plans to be worldwide)? Found a new RSS reader?Do you read blogs with an RSS reader?
April 21, 2013
10 Book Club Tips: Guest Post By Dina Santorelli
by Dina Santorelli, @DinaSantorelli
To promote Baby Grand, my debut novel, I’ve done all
kinds of appearances. Bookstores. Libraries. Assisted living communities.
(Street corners.)
But probably my absolute favorite thing to do is attend book
club meetings. Sitting in a casual circle, talking about the book that I wrote
and everyone read, eating, drinking and, most importantly, seeing up close how
readers have responded to my book, how they’ve taken ownership of the
characters and defend them, fight for them, question them, hate them, love
them. It’s pretty cool. But in addition to being a great way to spend an
evening, book clubs offer tremendous marketing opportunities. Here are 10 ways
authors can make the most of their book club appearances.
1. Put together discussion questions. Whether
the book club has a facilitator or asks you to serve as facilitator for
the evening, bring handouts for all the members that include discussion
questions and distribute them before the meeting gets started. This will
eliminate any worries of “what will we talk about?” and also gives members
a heads-up on what kinds of things you have in mind to discuss, which
gives them a chance to think about their comments (some people get stage
fright).
2. Distribute contact info. I like to maintain
relationships with book club members long after the meeting, so I give out
my contact information (email, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). I
usually include this on the handout I’ve distributed, but you can also use
business cards or bookmarks, if you prefer.
3. Post/pass around a mailing list sign-up sheet. As an
author, you may (should) already have a mailing list—an opt-in list of
folks who have agreed to let you send them your news. Book clubs are a
great place to grow your mailing list, because they offer readers who not
only are familiar with your books, but like them enough to have you appear
at their discussions. You can put your mailing list sheet—mine is usually
attached to a clipboard, looks more official that way—in an accessible
place, perhaps near the room entrance, and ask people to sign up if
they’re interested in receiving more info about you. However, I find the
better way to go is to pass the clipboard around the room while we’re all
sitting in a circle—many times readers are interested in signing up, but
once the discussion gets going they often forget about the list, so
getting the mailing list out of the way or while the discussion is getting
started is more advantageous.
4. Bring a camera. Local newspapers are always looking
for news, and sending a photo of a local book club appearance is not only
exciting for the book club members, but it can help spread the word about
your book. I usually gather the members around for a group shot sometime
after our discussion and before dessert, so that we don’t have cookie
crumbs on our lips or lapels.
5. Bring copies of your book—and at least one Sharpie. While
dessert is under way, I usually pull out a Sharpie and begin an autograph
session. Many of the book club members will already have purchased my book
in order to participate in the discussion, but I find that sometimes
members want copies for friends, family members or colleagues. Or, if
they’ve bought the eBook, they might want an autographed hard copy as
well. Work closely with your book club contact to gauge how many books you
should bring. I usually bring 15 to 20 copies. Also, one Sharpie should
do, but it couldn’t hurt to have a back-up in case that one runs out of
ink.
6. Sell your book at a group discount. I offer Baby Grand at a book club discount for groups
of 10 or more. I find that, in addition to helping to sell books at the
actual book club events, a discount helps to entice book clubs to take on
your book as a reading selection in the first place — because book club members
are buying books all the time, they appreciate the opportunity to save a
few bucks where possible.
7. Suggest a theme for the meeting based on your book. Lots of
book clubs like to have theme-based discussions and often ask members to
bring food or desserts that cater to that particular theme. For example,
in keeping with the “mob” storyline of Baby Grand, one club
had a theme of “Everything Italian,” and the book club organizer asked
members to bring wine, food and beverages that fit the bill. So there was
pizza, mozzarella and tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar, Italian
chocolates and pastries, cannoli, espresso. It was so fun. And delicious.
And it got everyone in the mood for the book discussion. Reach out to the
organizer of the book club you’re planning to attend to see if they’re up
for some fiction-inspired fare.
8. Give ’em the inside scoop. Make your author appearance
special for the folks who are there, and let them in on some proprietary
info about your book. Give them the lowdown on how your book came to be,
some behind-the-scenes information or a preview of the book’s sequel.
Reveal what celebrity your villain was based on (mine was inspired by
Robert De Niro) or why you chose the book’s setting. Think of the stuff
you would like to know if you were meeting an author, and then go ahead
and spill your guts.
9. Publicize the events on social media. I often
post photos I’ve taken, an insightful comment a reader made, or a themed
food served at the meeting on my Facebook page, or my blog. I also
spotlight a book club of the month in my monthly newsletter.
10. Have fun. This is probably the most important
tip. Be yourself. Let your hair down. Have a cannolo. Guffaw, if you dare.
For many of us, this is the reason we became writers: To have the
opportunity to share stories with readers. What’s more, after a night of
laughter and silliness and debating which one of us will be running away
with one of the main characters, I’m often approached to appear at another
book club (many readers are in more than one). If readers are having a
good time, then they’re apt to tell their reader-friends that they did.
And the best part? You get to do it all over again.
Dina’s bio:
Voted one of the
Best Long Island Authors for 2013 (Long Island
Press), Dina Santorelli has been a freelance writer for over 15 years
and has written for Newsday, First for Women and
CNNMoney.com, among
other publications.
Her debut novel, Baby Grand,
is a Top Rated Mystery & Thriller on Amazon Kindle. Among her nonfiction
work, Dina served as the “with” writer for the well-received Good Girls Don't Get Fat and most recently
contributed to Bully, the companion book
to the acclaimed documentary. Dina is also the Executive Editor of Salute and Family
magazines for which she has interviewed many celebrities, including James
Gandolfini, Tim McGraw, Angela Bassett, Mario Lopez, Gary Sinise and Kevin
Bacon. Dina blogs about the writing life at http://makingbabygrand.com.
and will teach a publishing course this summer for Hofstra University’s
Continuing Education department. For more information about Dina, visit her
website at http://dinasantorelli.com.
Social media:
Blog: http://makingbabygrand.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DinaSantorelli
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dinasantorelliwriter
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dinasantorelli
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/dinasantorelli
BABY GRAND summary:
In Albany, New York,
the governor’s infant daughter disappears without a trace from her crib at the
Executive Mansion. Hours later, newly divorced and down-and-out writer Jamie
Carter is abducted from the streets of Manhattan. Jamie is whisked upstate, where
she is forced by her captor, Don Bailino, a handsome, charismatic ex-war
hero/successful businessman, to care for the kidnapped child in a plot to delay
the execution of mobster Gino Cataldi – the sixth man to be put to death in six
years by hardliner Governor Phillip Grand. What prevails is a modern-day
thriller about family ties, loyalty, murder, betrayal, and love that’s told in
deftly interweaving narratives that follow the police investigation of the
missing Baby Grand, the bad guys who took her, and the woman who found the
strength to protect her.
April 20, 2013
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 19,000 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
worked with author and writing coach James Scott Bell to offer 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.
Keeping the
murderer's identity a secret until the end of the book: http://bit.ly/YQoH3v @PriceMcNaughton
The one subplot you
really need: http://bit.ly/12vJWrf
@crackingyarns
The London Book Fair
is disseminated for writers by @Porter_Anderson for @thebookseller: http://bit.ly/XSJofK and http://bit.ly/XSJmEx
A free directory of
cover designers, formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq
Pros and Cons of
Being a Plotter: http://bit.ly/12TzwR1
Finding Your Writing
Rhythm: http://bit.ly/122P1Y1 @erikwecks
How To Write Every
Day: Turn on a Dime: http://bit.ly/12TA49w
@cockeyedcaravan
A Dreadful Fear of
Clichés: http://bit.ly/122Pjhu
@thisishorror
Different approaches
to plotting: http://bit.ly/122PxVL @fcmalby
Is writing faster,
better? http://bit.ly/12TAJaY @roniloren
Everything Will Take
Longer Than You Think It Will: http://bit.ly/12TARY5
@blurbisaverb
What Are the Best
Day Jobs for Writers? http://bit.ly/122PQ32
@galleycat
7 tips for tapping
into childlike creativity: http://bit.ly/12TBDnL
@JWhite
7 Amazon Tools To
Help Market Your Book Like A Professional: http://bit.ly/12TCrt0
Cover Images: http://bit.ly/12TCVzb @authopublisher
Screenwriting
Traits: Consistency: http://bit.ly/12TEaOO
@gointothestory
Heighten Your
Novel's Emotional Connection: http://bit.ly/122RW2F
@lindasclare
The creative edit: http://bit.ly/12TEEEN @BenArtsEngine
@emilywenstrom
Formatting for
CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/122Srdl
@indiadrummond
Recording our ideas:
http://bit.ly/15fFv73
Do Authors Need a
Website and Blog? http://bit.ly/11gU1GY
@jamigold
The Western Hero in
Speculative Fiction: http://bit.ly/15fGt2X
@kgelfland2ndcuz
The Two Pillars of
Novel Structure: http://bit.ly/11gVhtV
@brianklems
Why Facebook is
@HughHowey 's favorite promo tool: http://bit.ly/15fGOmp
@galleycat
Project Management:
How to Start: http://bit.ly/11gWd18
Setting, Landscape,
Atmosphere--How Are They Different? http://bit.ly/15fH3O8
Is Baby Boomer Lit
the Next Hot Genre? http://bit.ly/15fH9Wb
@pubperspectives @claudenougat
The truth about
tropes: http://bit.ly/15fHjNk
@fantasyfaction
A closer look at the
@paidcontent and #lbf13 cons : http://bit.ly/Z0F25N
@Porter_Anderson @katiefehren @AndrewRichard @tferriss
Getting It Up,
Keeping It Up: The Conundrum for Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/15fHtnK
@bob_mayer
Does Your
Protagonist Have Amnesia? http://bit.ly/11gXIwi
@lisacron
Einstein Was the
Luckiest Science Fiction Writer Ever: http://bit.ly/11gY4mE
@tordotcom
Do Not Compare
Yourself Unto Others: http://bit.ly/15fHMPu
@Julie_gray
Publisher's Weekly
picks "worst book cover ever": http://bit.ly/15fHSqn
@publisherswkly
How To Beat Writer's
Block Forever: http://bit.ly/11hCBdi
@jonathangunson
Blunt force trauma
in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/15g1FG9
@mkinberg
The Slow Path to
Writing Success: http://bit.ly/11hDdj2
@jeffgoins
Screenwriting
Traits: Flexibility: http://bit.ly/11hDmmG
@gointothestory
The Agony and
Ecstasy of Book Reviews: http://bit.ly/15g27UZ
@MariaZannini
A Map to Get Out of
Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/15g2wGZ
@NYBookEditors
Putting Together A
Launch Plan: http://bit.ly/11hEzdH
@inkybites
Slow Down Your
Hectic Writing Life With a 'Pause' Button: http://bit.ly/15g2T4j
Rounding out main
characters: http://bit.ly/15gdg8e
@glencstrathy
On Keeping a
Notebook in the Digital Age: http://bit.ly/15gduMr
The Art of Writing
Misogynists: http://bit.ly/11i03XX
How To Write Every
Day: Work on Multiple Projects: http://bit.ly/15ge0di
@cockeyedcaravan
The Little Reasons A
Story Works: http://bit.ly/11i0H7W
@mooderino
On Writing Special
Effects: A Little Goes a Long Way: http://bit.ly/11i10zp
@thecreativepenn
7 Secrets To Writing
A Story Your Readers Won't Be Able To Put Down: http://bit.ly/11i1aXx
@woodwardkaren
Make Your Character
Walk Naked Through Times Square: http://bit.ly/11i1uWd
@NYBookEditors
Can Social Media
Tools Make us a Social Tool? http://bit.ly/15gelNp
@kristenlambtx
The End is the Whole
Book: http://bit.ly/11i1TYV
Making the Science
Work: Freedom through Limitation: http://bit.ly/15gesIx
@fictorians
8 Writers Over 80: http://bit.ly/17fQDgz
Fast-drafting
editing: http://bit.ly/17fQKbR
Commas and Feelings:
http://bit.ly/17fRg9S
It's Time for (Many)
Experienced Writers to Stop Blogging: http://bit.ly/137VYtj
@llbarkat
Refresher on
capitalization: http://bit.ly/17fRvSh
@livewritethrive
Great Character:
Matty Walker ("Body Heat"): http://bit.ly/17fRFsT
@gointothestory
5 time-management
tips for writers who work at home: http://bit.ly/137WtUe
@bookbaby
5 common obstacles
for finishing and publishing your book: http://bit.ly/17fS8uX
POV: Choosing Whose
Head To Be In: http://bit.ly/137WLdO
@SharlaWrites
Looking for a
critique group? http://bit.ly/17fSp1c
@Janice_hardy
Misplaced and
Dangling Modifiers: http://bit.ly/17fSCBw
@JordanMcCollum
10 frequently
misused words: http://bit.ly/137YL5N
@writerscramp1
Hugh Howey's 3 Rules
For Writing: http://bit.ly/17fUsCj
@woodwardkaren
Publishing Reversion
Clauses: http://bit.ly/17fUv0M
@deanwesleysmith
7 Types of Narrative
Conflict: http://bit.ly/137Z2pk
@writing_tips
Screenwriting
Traits: Persistence: http://bit.ly/17fUFFs
@gointothestory
DeviantArt's New
Service Turns Users Into Massive Outsourced Creative Team: http://bit.ly/137ZkNd @Wired_Design
@passivevoiceblg
Your character's
profanity says a lot about them: http://bit.ly/17fVf6e
@VioletteMalan
"Indie
First?" What Is Best In Publishing? http://bit.ly/1380bxa
@chuckwendig {lang}
Too old to write a
bestseller? http://bit.ly/17fVWMP @yeomanis
Repeating events in
each Throughline: http://bit.ly/119xj11
@glencstrathy
Screenwriting--Writing
A Groundbreaking Game: http://bit.ly/YOrD0u
@fastcocreate
Arguing for a
Disempowered Protagonist and Sadistic Fate: http://bit.ly/YOrSIS
@scriptmag
5 Ways to Self-Edit
Your Writing: http://bit.ly/119zphe
@JulieBMack
Hacks for Hacks: Top
5 Affectations Every Writer Should Adopt: http://bit.ly/119zDoH
@BillFerris
Essential and
Non-essential Elements: http://bit.ly/119zMZn
Kindle's Book
Publishing Requirements: http://bit.ly/YOvY3M
@authropublisher
Top 10 plotting
problems: http://bit.ly/YOwcIg @aliciarasley
Meet the Reader: 10
Points to Ponder When You Write: http://bit.ly/119A7eC
@scriptmag
On Writing And The
Fear Of Judgment: http://bit.ly/11ahib5
@thecreativepenn
Tips for writing
query letters: http://bit.ly/YPJioE
@noveleditor
The Perils of Pure
Pantsing: http://bit.ly/11ahszc
@jamesscottbell
Why plot milestones
might not be equally spaced – and why that's good: http://bit.ly/YPKzfg @dirtywhitecandy
It's ALL writing: http://bit.ly/YPL1KE @YAHighway
Taking care of
yourself as a writer: http://bit.ly/YPSYzi
@jcharbonneau
Hybrid Authors: The
Best of Both Worlds: http://bit.ly/11ap4lg
@amazingstories0
Revising When Your
Head and Your Heart Agree: http://bit.ly/YPYcLF
@MartinaABoone
How to get laughs
without writing jokes: http://bit.ly/YPYCSc
@kenlevine
Finding Your Middle
Grade Voice: http://bit.ly/11aqdcA
@Janice_hardy
Great Scene:
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off": http://bit.ly/11aqpss
@gointothestory
A Different Type of
YA Hero: http://bit.ly/11arRuF
@Suzanne_writer
Top 10 Girl-Power
Moments in Science Fiction and Fantasy: http://bit.ly/YQ2OkK
@sciencefiction
Reclaiming Airships
for Epic Fantasy: http://bit.ly/11asyo1
Creating Memorable
Characters: http://bit.ly/YQ3M0q
@hayleymckenzie1
To Blog Or Not To
Blog: http://bit.ly/11asODe @woodwardkaren
Resurrecting the
Literary Dead: http://bit.ly/11asSTE
@amazingstories0
10 Screenwriting
Lessons You Can Learn From Fight Club: http://bit.ly/11at4Cv
@Scriptshadow
What authors want
and how publishers sometimes don't deliver: http://bit.ly/1002AlU
@jonnygeller
Chuck Wendig On
Story Structure: http://bit.ly/1002Jpj
@woodwardkaren
Dealing with
character trauma: http://bit.ly/1002I4H
@ajackwriting
What is a story? http://bit.ly/XGoDBu @scriptmag
Want to Use Song
Lyrics in Your Novel? 5 Steps to Getting Rights to Lyrics: http://bit.ly/1002Zoj @annerallen
Types of story
planning for writers: http://bit.ly/10038Z3
@mythicscribes
10 Proofreading Tips
For Self-Publishers: http://to.pbs.org/XGpa6H
@completelynovel
10 Tips for the
Debut Author: http://bit.ly/10h9p9V
@KelseyBrowning
The Battle of
Science and Magic: Nostalgia and the New: http://bit.ly/10h9U3K
@VickyThinks
How to Get Over Your
Public-Speaking Nerves: http://bit.ly/10ha0bG
@menwithpens
6 key factors in
dystopian fiction: http://bit.ly/17oMKWC
@zujava
6 tips for
writers--from telling a story to promoting it: http://bit.ly/10hbjYg
Screenwriting Advice
From The Past: The Final Close-Up: http://bit.ly/10hbK4O
@gointothestory
How can you turn an
audience from observers into participants? http://bit.ly/17oNKdh
@scriptmag
Sci-Fi Romance: 10
Star-Crossed Lovers: http://aol.it/17oOI9s
@moviefone
A screenwriter's
approach to writing: http://bit.ly/10hdGtU
Characters: Static
or Dynamic? : http://bit.ly/ZCvmJf @ava_jae
First Drafts:
Spaghetti Problems: http://bit.ly/Z6GNNR
@fictionnotes
A New Question to
Ask Your Characters: http://bit.ly/ZCvF77
@jeanniecampbell
Juggling
Genres...Brilliance or Pure Folly? http://bit.ly/Z6HhDD
The Writer's Author
Rank Cheat Sheet: http://bit.ly/ZCvNDE
@copyblogger
5 Tips for Tighter,
Cleaner Writing: http://bit.ly/ZCwQ6v
@kristenlambtx
Be Your Own Book
Doctor: http://bit.ly/Z6JkHP @Janice_hardy
3 Reasons Action is
Important, 3 Reasons It's Not: http://bit.ly/ZCxrFk
@victoriamixon
3 tips for better
guest posts: http://bit.ly/Z6Jnnb
5 Industry Trends
Requiring Every Writer's Attention: http://bit.ly/ZCxwsx
@janefriedman
When Writing Is A
Full Body Workout: http://bit.ly/ZCxAsn
@OrlyKonigLopez
Why we should always
carry a notebook: http://bit.ly/Z6JDm3
@melissadonovan
3 Twitter tips for
writers: http://bit.ly/ZCxKjj @junglereds
@dorieclark
What's In A Genre? http://bit.ly/Z6K9jV @fictorians @sarahahoyt
Using 'me' and
'myself': http://bit.ly/ZCy6X8 @jodycalkins
Tax tips for
writers: http://bit.ly/Z6KnHG
@rachellegardner
DeviantArt's New
Service Turns Users Into Massive Outsourced Creative Team: http://bit.ly/137ZkNd @Wired_Design
@passivevoiceblg
A Map to Get Out of
Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/15g2wGZ
@NYBookEditors
The Year of the
Author? http://bit.ly/12Tz4SG
@passivevoiceblg
Why Write Book
Reviews? 5 Five Payoffs for Authors: http://bit.ly/ZLkVmp
@janvbear
An agent on whether
you still need an agent: http://bit.ly/Z6LDur
@SaraMegibow @lisagailgreen
Konrath on KDP
Select: http://bit.ly/176LOb5 @JAKonrath
Worldbuilding: Hard
and Soft Imports: http://bit.ly/Z72xJq
Screenwriting Skill
#1: Talent: http://bit.ly/176LUiO
@gointothestory
What 1 Writer
Learned About Critiquing From Her Editors: http://bit.ly/Z72GwC
@lkblackburne
When the Hero is His
Own Worst Enemy: http://bit.ly/176M5L1
@kristenlambTX
Keeping your reader
on a need-to-know basis: http://bit.ly/Z90ftl
How to Connect with
Readers Using Wattpad: http://bit.ly/11rHbmT
@goblinwriter
Methods of
cataloging your ideas: http://bit.ly/11rHu0U
@creativesomething
5 Unexpected Lessons
From Inside the Iowa Writers' Workshop: http://bit.ly/Z90Bjz
@jessicastrawser
When the Hero is His
Own Worst Enemy: http://bit.ly/176M5L1
@kristenlambtx
Do You Write from
Experience or Imagination? http://bit.ly/Z90Zyy
@write_practice
New Publisher
Authors Trust: Themselves: http://nyti.ms/11rIySv&
@nytimes
Then and than: http://bit.ly/11mwCUT
What Type of Writer
are You? http://bit.ly/14CJtHr
Finding scene goals:
http://bit.ly/11mwWTK @JordanMcCollum
The (Submission)
Grinder Is A Free Database Of Fiction Markets: http://bit.ly/14CJFpW
@woodwardkaren
Pros and Cons of
Being a Pantser: http://bit.ly/11mx9WR
@LynnetteLabelle
How Verbs Become
Adjectives: http://bit.ly/Z92RZj
@writing_tips
When good writers
write bad books: http://bit.ly/11qEbca
@kristinerusch
How 'Same Old, Same
Old' Can Make You a Successful Writer: http://bit.ly/Z93lP8
@menwithpens
Wrap-up of the
Digital Minds Con: start-ups, industry metaphors, copyright...& few
publisher reps: http://bit.ly/YPPCfH
@Porter_Anderson
Twitterificlinks are fed into the Writer’s
Knowledge Base search engine (developed by
writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 19,000 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
worked with author and writing coach James Scott Bell to offer 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.
Keeping the
murderer's identity a secret until the end of the book: http://bit.ly/YQoH3v @PriceMcNaughton
The one subplot you
really need: http://bit.ly/12vJWrf
@crackingyarns
The London Book Fair
is disseminated for writers by @Porter_Anderson for @thebookseller: http://bit.ly/XSJofK and http://bit.ly/XSJmEx
A free directory of
cover designers, formatters, freelance editors, and more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq
Pros and Cons of
Being a Plotter: http://bit.ly/12TzwR1
Finding Your Writing
Rhythm: http://bit.ly/122P1Y1 @erikwecks
How To Write Every
Day: Turn on a Dime: http://bit.ly/12TA49w
@cockeyedcaravan
A Dreadful Fear of
Clichés: http://bit.ly/122Pjhu
@thisishorror
Different approaches
to plotting: http://bit.ly/122PxVL @fcmalby
Is writing faster,
better? http://bit.ly/12TAJaY @roniloren
Everything Will Take
Longer Than You Think It Will: http://bit.ly/12TARY5
@blurbisaverb
What Are the Best
Day Jobs for Writers? http://bit.ly/122PQ32
@galleycat
7 tips for tapping
into childlike creativity: http://bit.ly/12TBDnL
@JWhite
7 Amazon Tools To
Help Market Your Book Like A Professional: http://bit.ly/12TCrt0
Cover Images: http://bit.ly/12TCVzb @authopublisher
Screenwriting
Traits: Consistency: http://bit.ly/12TEaOO
@gointothestory
Heighten Your
Novel's Emotional Connection: http://bit.ly/122RW2F
@lindasclare
The creative edit: http://bit.ly/12TEEEN @BenArtsEngine
@emilywenstrom
Formatting for
CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/122Srdl
@indiadrummond
Recording our ideas:
http://bit.ly/15fFv73
Do Authors Need a
Website and Blog? http://bit.ly/11gU1GY
@jamigold
The Western Hero in
Speculative Fiction: http://bit.ly/15fGt2X
@kgelfland2ndcuz
The Two Pillars of
Novel Structure: http://bit.ly/11gVhtV
@brianklems
Why Facebook is
@HughHowey 's favorite promo tool: http://bit.ly/15fGOmp
@galleycat
Project Management:
How to Start: http://bit.ly/11gWd18
Setting, Landscape,
Atmosphere--How Are They Different? http://bit.ly/15fH3O8
Is Baby Boomer Lit
the Next Hot Genre? http://bit.ly/15fH9Wb
@pubperspectives @claudenougat
The truth about
tropes: http://bit.ly/15fHjNk
@fantasyfaction
A closer look at the
@paidcontent and #lbf13 cons : http://bit.ly/Z0F25N
@Porter_Anderson @katiefehren @AndrewRichard @tferriss
Getting It Up,
Keeping It Up: The Conundrum for Indie Authors: http://bit.ly/15fHtnK
@bob_mayer
Does Your
Protagonist Have Amnesia? http://bit.ly/11gXIwi
@lisacron
Einstein Was the
Luckiest Science Fiction Writer Ever: http://bit.ly/11gY4mE
@tordotcom
Do Not Compare
Yourself Unto Others: http://bit.ly/15fHMPu
@Julie_gray
Publisher's Weekly
picks "worst book cover ever": http://bit.ly/15fHSqn
@publisherswkly
How To Beat Writer's
Block Forever: http://bit.ly/11hCBdi
@jonathangunson
Blunt force trauma
in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/15g1FG9
@mkinberg
The Slow Path to
Writing Success: http://bit.ly/11hDdj2
@jeffgoins
Screenwriting
Traits: Flexibility: http://bit.ly/11hDmmG
@gointothestory
The Agony and
Ecstasy of Book Reviews: http://bit.ly/15g27UZ
@MariaZannini
A Map to Get Out of
Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/15g2wGZ
@NYBookEditors
Putting Together A
Launch Plan: http://bit.ly/11hEzdH
@inkybites
Slow Down Your
Hectic Writing Life With a 'Pause' Button: http://bit.ly/15g2T4j
Rounding out main
characters: http://bit.ly/15gdg8e
@glencstrathy
On Keeping a
Notebook in the Digital Age: http://bit.ly/15gduMr
The Art of Writing
Misogynists: http://bit.ly/11i03XX
How To Write Every
Day: Work on Multiple Projects: http://bit.ly/15ge0di
@cockeyedcaravan
The Little Reasons A
Story Works: http://bit.ly/11i0H7W
@mooderino
On Writing Special
Effects: A Little Goes a Long Way: http://bit.ly/11i10zp
@thecreativepenn
7 Secrets To Writing
A Story Your Readers Won't Be Able To Put Down: http://bit.ly/11i1aXx
@woodwardkaren
Make Your Character
Walk Naked Through Times Square: http://bit.ly/11i1uWd
@NYBookEditors
Can Social Media
Tools Make us a Social Tool? http://bit.ly/15gelNp
@kristenlambtx
The End is the Whole
Book: http://bit.ly/11i1TYV
Making the Science
Work: Freedom through Limitation: http://bit.ly/15gesIx
@fictorians
8 Writers Over 80: http://bit.ly/17fQDgz
Fast-drafting
editing: http://bit.ly/17fQKbR
Commas and Feelings:
http://bit.ly/17fRg9S
It's Time for (Many)
Experienced Writers to Stop Blogging: http://bit.ly/137VYtj
@llbarkat
Refresher on
capitalization: http://bit.ly/17fRvSh
@livewritethrive
Great Character:
Matty Walker ("Body Heat"): http://bit.ly/17fRFsT
@gointothestory
5 time-management
tips for writers who work at home: http://bit.ly/137WtUe
@bookbaby
5 common obstacles
for finishing and publishing your book: http://bit.ly/17fS8uX
POV: Choosing Whose
Head To Be In: http://bit.ly/137WLdO
@SharlaWrites
Looking for a
critique group? http://bit.ly/17fSp1c
@Janice_hardy
Misplaced and
Dangling Modifiers: http://bit.ly/17fSCBw
@JordanMcCollum
10 frequently
misused words: http://bit.ly/137YL5N
@writerscramp1
Hugh Howey's 3 Rules
For Writing: http://bit.ly/17fUsCj
@woodwardkaren
Publishing Reversion
Clauses: http://bit.ly/17fUv0M
@deanwesleysmith
7 Types of Narrative
Conflict: http://bit.ly/137Z2pk
@writing_tips
Screenwriting
Traits: Persistence: http://bit.ly/17fUFFs
@gointothestory
DeviantArt's New
Service Turns Users Into Massive Outsourced Creative Team: http://bit.ly/137ZkNd @Wired_Design
@passivevoiceblg
Your character's
profanity says a lot about them: http://bit.ly/17fVf6e
@VioletteMalan
"Indie
First?" What Is Best In Publishing? http://bit.ly/1380bxa
@chuckwendig {lang}
Too old to write a
bestseller? http://bit.ly/17fVWMP @yeomanis
Repeating events in
each Throughline: http://bit.ly/119xj11
@glencstrathy
Screenwriting--Writing
A Groundbreaking Game: http://bit.ly/YOrD0u
@fastcocreate
Arguing for a
Disempowered Protagonist and Sadistic Fate: http://bit.ly/YOrSIS
@scriptmag
5 Ways to Self-Edit
Your Writing: http://bit.ly/119zphe
@JulieBMack
Hacks for Hacks: Top
5 Affectations Every Writer Should Adopt: http://bit.ly/119zDoH
@BillFerris
Essential and
Non-essential Elements: http://bit.ly/119zMZn
Kindle's Book
Publishing Requirements: http://bit.ly/YOvY3M
@authropublisher
Top 10 plotting
problems: http://bit.ly/YOwcIg @aliciarasley
Meet the Reader: 10
Points to Ponder When You Write: http://bit.ly/119A7eC
@scriptmag
On Writing And The
Fear Of Judgment: http://bit.ly/11ahib5
@thecreativepenn
Tips for writing
query letters: http://bit.ly/YPJioE
@noveleditor
The Perils of Pure
Pantsing: http://bit.ly/11ahszc
@jamesscottbell
Why plot milestones
might not be equally spaced – and why that's good: http://bit.ly/YPKzfg @dirtywhitecandy
It's ALL writing: http://bit.ly/YPL1KE @YAHighway
Taking care of
yourself as a writer: http://bit.ly/YPSYzi
@jcharbonneau
Hybrid Authors: The
Best of Both Worlds: http://bit.ly/11ap4lg
@amazingstories0
Revising When Your
Head and Your Heart Agree: http://bit.ly/YPYcLF
@MartinaABoone
How to get laughs
without writing jokes: http://bit.ly/YPYCSc
@kenlevine
Finding Your Middle
Grade Voice: http://bit.ly/11aqdcA
@Janice_hardy
Great Scene:
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off": http://bit.ly/11aqpss
@gointothestory
A Different Type of
YA Hero: http://bit.ly/11arRuF
@Suzanne_writer
Top 10 Girl-Power
Moments in Science Fiction and Fantasy: http://bit.ly/YQ2OkK
@sciencefiction
Reclaiming Airships
for Epic Fantasy: http://bit.ly/11asyo1
Creating Memorable
Characters: http://bit.ly/YQ3M0q
@hayleymckenzie1
To Blog Or Not To
Blog: http://bit.ly/11asODe @woodwardkaren
Resurrecting the
Literary Dead: http://bit.ly/11asSTE
@amazingstories0
10 Screenwriting
Lessons You Can Learn From Fight Club: http://bit.ly/11at4Cv
@Scriptshadow
What authors want
and how publishers sometimes don't deliver: http://bit.ly/1002AlU
@jonnygeller
Chuck Wendig On
Story Structure: http://bit.ly/1002Jpj
@woodwardkaren
Dealing with
character trauma: http://bit.ly/1002I4H
@ajackwriting
What is a story? http://bit.ly/XGoDBu @scriptmag
Want to Use Song
Lyrics in Your Novel? 5 Steps to Getting Rights to Lyrics: http://bit.ly/1002Zoj @annerallen
Types of story
planning for writers: http://bit.ly/10038Z3
@mythicscribes
10 Proofreading Tips
For Self-Publishers: http://to.pbs.org/XGpa6H
@completelynovel
10 Tips for the
Debut Author: http://bit.ly/10h9p9V
@KelseyBrowning
The Battle of
Science and Magic: Nostalgia and the New: http://bit.ly/10h9U3K
@VickyThinks
How to Get Over Your
Public-Speaking Nerves: http://bit.ly/10ha0bG
@menwithpens
6 key factors in
dystopian fiction: http://bit.ly/17oMKWC
@zujava
6 tips for
writers--from telling a story to promoting it: http://bit.ly/10hbjYg
Screenwriting Advice
From The Past: The Final Close-Up: http://bit.ly/10hbK4O
@gointothestory
How can you turn an
audience from observers into participants? http://bit.ly/17oNKdh
@scriptmag
Sci-Fi Romance: 10
Star-Crossed Lovers: http://aol.it/17oOI9s
@moviefone
A screenwriter's
approach to writing: http://bit.ly/10hdGtU
Characters: Static
or Dynamic? : http://bit.ly/ZCvmJf @ava_jae
First Drafts:
Spaghetti Problems: http://bit.ly/Z6GNNR
@fictionnotes
A New Question to
Ask Your Characters: http://bit.ly/ZCvF77
@jeanniecampbell
Juggling
Genres...Brilliance or Pure Folly? http://bit.ly/Z6HhDD
The Writer's Author
Rank Cheat Sheet: http://bit.ly/ZCvNDE
@copyblogger
5 Tips for Tighter,
Cleaner Writing: http://bit.ly/ZCwQ6v
@kristenlambtx
Be Your Own Book
Doctor: http://bit.ly/Z6JkHP @Janice_hardy
3 Reasons Action is
Important, 3 Reasons It's Not: http://bit.ly/ZCxrFk
@victoriamixon
3 tips for better
guest posts: http://bit.ly/Z6Jnnb
5 Industry Trends
Requiring Every Writer's Attention: http://bit.ly/ZCxwsx
@janefriedman
When Writing Is A
Full Body Workout: http://bit.ly/ZCxAsn
@OrlyKonigLopez
Why we should always
carry a notebook: http://bit.ly/Z6JDm3
@melissadonovan
3 Twitter tips for
writers: http://bit.ly/ZCxKjj @junglereds
@dorieclark
What's In A Genre? http://bit.ly/Z6K9jV @fictorians @sarahahoyt
Using 'me' and
'myself': http://bit.ly/ZCy6X8 @jodycalkins
Tax tips for
writers: http://bit.ly/Z6KnHG
@rachellegardner
DeviantArt's New
Service Turns Users Into Massive Outsourced Creative Team: http://bit.ly/137ZkNd @Wired_Design
@passivevoiceblg
A Map to Get Out of
Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/15g2wGZ
@NYBookEditors
The Year of the
Author? http://bit.ly/12Tz4SG
@passivevoiceblg
Why Write Book
Reviews? 5 Five Payoffs for Authors: http://bit.ly/ZLkVmp
@janvbear
An agent on whether
you still need an agent: http://bit.ly/Z6LDur
@SaraMegibow @lisagailgreen
Konrath on KDP
Select: http://bit.ly/176LOb5 @JAKonrath
Worldbuilding: Hard
and Soft Imports: http://bit.ly/Z72xJq
Screenwriting Skill
#1: Talent: http://bit.ly/176LUiO
@gointothestory
What 1 Writer
Learned About Critiquing From Her Editors: http://bit.ly/Z72GwC
@lkblackburne
When the Hero is His
Own Worst Enemy: http://bit.ly/176M5L1
@kristenlambTX
Keeping your reader
on a need-to-know basis: http://bit.ly/Z90ftl
How to Connect with
Readers Using Wattpad: http://bit.ly/11rHbmT
@goblinwriter
Methods of
cataloging your ideas: http://bit.ly/11rHu0U
@creativesomething
5 Unexpected Lessons
From Inside the Iowa Writers' Workshop: http://bit.ly/Z90Bjz
@jessicastrawser
When the Hero is His
Own Worst Enemy: http://bit.ly/176M5L1
@kristenlambtx
Do You Write from
Experience or Imagination? http://bit.ly/Z90Zyy
@write_practice
New Publisher
Authors Trust: Themselves: http://nyti.ms/11rIySv&
@nytimes
Then and than: http://bit.ly/11mwCUT
What Type of Writer
are You? http://bit.ly/14CJtHr
Finding scene goals:
http://bit.ly/11mwWTK @JordanMcCollum
The (Submission)
Grinder Is A Free Database Of Fiction Markets: http://bit.ly/14CJFpW
@woodwardkaren
Pros and Cons of
Being a Pantser: http://bit.ly/11mx9WR
@LynnetteLabelle
How Verbs Become
Adjectives: http://bit.ly/Z92RZj
@writing_tips
When good writers
write bad books: http://bit.ly/11qEbca
@kristinerusch
How 'Same Old, Same
Old' Can Make You a Successful Writer: http://bit.ly/Z93lP8
@menwithpens
Wrap-up of the
Digital Minds Con: start-ups, industry metaphors, copyright...& few
publisher reps: http://bit.ly/YPPCfH
@Porter_Anderson
April 18, 2013
Working on Multiple Projects
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Image: MorgueFile: haphthat
I don’t go to a lot of
conferences or give a lot of talks. When
I do give a talk though, and it’s time
for an audience q&a, I know which question I’ll be getting.
“Do you work on all
three series at once?”
It used to be that I’d
get the famous “where do you get your ideas from” question most often, but this
new one has definitely surpassed the other.
And I don’t really
know why people are interested in this.
Maybe they’re looking for tips for juggling their own stuff.
Here’s the answer—not
unless I have to.
The reason—I get very
confused.
The series are very
different. My protagonists are very
different. But…when you’re writing humorous cozy mysteries set in Southern
towns, there’s enough similarity there to get your mind boggled.
The toughest is when
you’re working on more than one first draft at a time. I avoid doing this at all costs! If I've got to, then I try to work one day on Project A and the next day on Project B. I would rather have a “if it’s Tuesday, it
must be a quilting mystery” scenario than a “if it’s 2 p.m., it must be
quilting, if it’s 3 p.m., it must be barbeque mysteries” scenario.
It’s even easy to get
confused when you’re drafting one book and doing edits on another. I just got an email on Thursday that the
proofreader had found an error on the page proofs and my editor asked me to
correct it. Now I know that working on page proofs means that
the text is already set…any corrections need to have the same number of
characters as the original to prevent text reflow. But I’d already forgotten that we were in the
pass page stage of the process since I’m busily drafting another book. I sent in a broad correction (I deleted most
of a paragraph) and emailed it to my editor. She emailed me back a very patient
reminder.
This week, though, I
came across a post that actually recommended working on multiple projects
simultaneously. I read the post with
interest since this is a blog that I regular follow and tweet and have found
some great information on: Cockeyed
Caravan. The blog’s author is Matt
Bird, a screenwriter. Matt says:
Writing a few pages of
another project is helpful in multiple ways:
It
buoys you up out of that sinking sensation and allows you to start fresh
on new challenges.
It
reminds you that not everything is riding on your main project, so it can
be what it needs to be, instead of being all things to all people.
It
allows you to move that big problem to the back of your mind, but it keeps
working the muscles that you need to solve it, which makes it more likely
that you’ll have that “Eureka!” moment, when a solution for the supposedly
forgotten problem suddenly flashes into your head. If you take days
off to just think about the main problem, it’s more likely that you’ll
forget it entirely.
He’s specifically
talking about writer’s block in the post.
Writer’s block isn’t something that I have a problem with. But I can see his point—working on more than
one project means that when you reach a stumbling block with one book, you can
make headway on the other and feel like you’re not missing your goal. It could be a good way for some writers to
stay motivated and keep a creative spark.
For me, though…there’s
always that temptation to cheat on my current project with a new project. It’s known as Shiny New Idea Syndrome. Plus, for me, there’s that aforementioned
confusion factor.
Sometimes, though, I
do have to work on multiple projects at once.
Whether you’re working on more than one book by choice or because of
publisher-set deadlines, here are a few tips:
Keep a style sheet or series bible for
your series/each project. A style sheet
listing character names, short descriptions, setting names, character traits and quirks, and relationships
between characters can help you keep organized and jump back and forth between
projects much easier.
It can be easier to
edit one book while drafting another…the processes seem to use different parts
of our brain. If you’ve got to work on
two books at once, see if you can avoid drafting
two different projects at once.
If you’re writing
series, it’s helpful to keep the old Word documents of already-published
previous books in the series. That way
you’ve got an easy way to quickly search a book for details you might have
forgotten (or have forgotten when working on the other project.)
Noting where you left
off with each story is a helpful way to quickly jump back in the next day. If you’re writing Project A and it’s time to
move to Project B, do a one-line recap to refresh your memory when you return
to the book the next day: Myrtle finished
questioning Sybil and now plans to talk with Lucas about the argument he had.
One more tip--if you're working on multiple projects, you might want to take care to carefully put everything on your calendar and make lists for all your non-writing-related activities. I've dropped the ball in a spectacular way several times when I was working on two books at once. Your mind is just so thoroughly engaged in the two worlds that it's hard to remember the dentist and doctor appointments, the carpool you're supposed to drive, etc.
And take care of yourself if you're working that hard. Remember to eat and sleep and exercise. Those things are also easy to forget when we're busy.
Have you ever worked
on multiple projects before? Did you
enjoy it? How did you make it work and
keep it all straight?
Image: MorgueFile: haphthat
I don’t go to a lot of
conferences or give a lot of talks. When
I do give a talk though, and it’s time
for an audience q&a, I know which question I’ll be getting.
“Do you work on all
three series at once?”
It used to be that I’d
get the famous “where do you get your ideas from” question most often, but this
new one has definitely surpassed the other.
And I don’t really
know why people are interested in this.
Maybe they’re looking for tips for juggling their own stuff.
Here’s the answer—not
unless I have to.
The reason—I get very
confused.
The series are very
different. My protagonists are very
different. But…when you’re writing humorous cozy mysteries set in Southern
towns, there’s enough similarity there to get your mind boggled.
The toughest is when
you’re working on more than one first draft at a time. I avoid doing this at all costs! If I've got to, then I try to work one day on Project A and the next day on Project B. I would rather have a “if it’s Tuesday, it
must be a quilting mystery” scenario than a “if it’s 2 p.m., it must be
quilting, if it’s 3 p.m., it must be barbeque mysteries” scenario.
It’s even easy to get
confused when you’re drafting one book and doing edits on another. I just got an email on Thursday that the
proofreader had found an error on the page proofs and my editor asked me to
correct it. Now I know that working on page proofs means that
the text is already set…any corrections need to have the same number of
characters as the original to prevent text reflow. But I’d already forgotten that we were in the
pass page stage of the process since I’m busily drafting another book. I sent in a broad correction (I deleted most
of a paragraph) and emailed it to my editor. She emailed me back a very patient
reminder.
This week, though, I
came across a post that actually recommended working on multiple projects
simultaneously. I read the post with
interest since this is a blog that I regular follow and tweet and have found
some great information on: Cockeyed
Caravan. The blog’s author is Matt
Bird, a screenwriter. Matt says:
Writing a few pages of
another project is helpful in multiple ways:
It
buoys you up out of that sinking sensation and allows you to start fresh
on new challenges.
It
reminds you that not everything is riding on your main project, so it can
be what it needs to be, instead of being all things to all people.
It
allows you to move that big problem to the back of your mind, but it keeps
working the muscles that you need to solve it, which makes it more likely
that you’ll have that “Eureka!” moment, when a solution for the supposedly
forgotten problem suddenly flashes into your head. If you take days
off to just think about the main problem, it’s more likely that you’ll
forget it entirely.
He’s specifically
talking about writer’s block in the post.
Writer’s block isn’t something that I have a problem with. But I can see his point—working on more than
one project means that when you reach a stumbling block with one book, you can
make headway on the other and feel like you’re not missing your goal. It could be a good way for some writers to
stay motivated and keep a creative spark.
For me, though…there’s
always that temptation to cheat on my current project with a new project. It’s known as Shiny New Idea Syndrome. Plus, for me, there’s that aforementioned
confusion factor.
Sometimes, though, I
do have to work on multiple projects at once.
Whether you’re working on more than one book by choice or because of
publisher-set deadlines, here are a few tips:
Keep a style sheet or series bible for
your series/each project. A style sheet
listing character names, short descriptions, setting names, character traits and quirks, and relationships
between characters can help you keep organized and jump back and forth between
projects much easier.
It can be easier to
edit one book while drafting another…the processes seem to use different parts
of our brain. If you’ve got to work on
two books at once, see if you can avoid drafting
two different projects at once.
If you’re writing
series, it’s helpful to keep the old Word documents of already-published
previous books in the series. That way
you’ve got an easy way to quickly search a book for details you might have
forgotten (or have forgotten when working on the other project.)
Noting where you left
off with each story is a helpful way to quickly jump back in the next day. If you’re writing Project A and it’s time to
move to Project B, do a one-line recap to refresh your memory when you return
to the book the next day: Myrtle finished
questioning Sybil and now plans to talk with Lucas about the argument he had.
One more tip--if you're working on multiple projects, you might want to take care to carefully put everything on your calendar and make lists for all your non-writing-related activities. I've dropped the ball in a spectacular way several times when I was working on two books at once. Your mind is just so thoroughly engaged in the two worlds that it's hard to remember the dentist and doctor appointments, the carpool you're supposed to drive, etc.
And take care of yourself if you're working that hard. Remember to eat and sleep and exercise. Those things are also easy to forget when we're busy.
Have you ever worked
on multiple projects before? Did you
enjoy it? How did you make it work and
keep it all straight?
April 16, 2013
Why Some Traditionally Published Writers Aren’t Self-Publishing
by
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Image by Purpleslog, Flickr
Sometimes when I’m scanning my blog reader or reading
through some of the messages from writer loops I’m on, I’m stunned by the lack of recognition
or acknowledgment of the rapidly changing industry on traditionally published
author blogs. This applies to some agent
blogs, too, although certainly not all of them (among agents, Rachelle Gardner
is probably the very best at addressing the topic.)
These authors will write about the writing craft, querying,
the waiting period before their books release, promo…nothing about switching to
digital or any of the upheaval they must surely be experiencing aware of in
their dealings with traditional publishers.
I’ve
certainly seen changes in publishing and I haven’t been in the business nearly
as long as some other writers. For one
thing, it used to be fairly standard with paperback mysteries that contract
extensions were in 3-book increments.
Now you’ll frequently get a contract extension one book at a time.
In my online interactions, I’ve been surprised at the lack
of conversation regarding switching to digital and POD.
From time to time, a traditionally-published writer will get in touch
with me when they’re exploring going to self-pub…but only to ask if I know
cover designers or editors, never to ask my opinion on making the switch. This is interesting to me, considering I’ve
got a fairly high profile as a hybrid writer.
Occasionally, I’ll rock the boat a little. I’ve urged writers I know to experiment—to try
putting something up as a self-published book or short story. This is met by a variety of reactions…many
times negative ones.
I’m just surprised there aren’t many other hybrid writers
like me. There are more every day, but
not nearly the number that I’d expect.
Here’s
what I think is going on:
The main excuse I’ve heard for not exploring self-publishing
is time. Some writers have got contracts
for several years into the future and don’t see themselves starting another
series for self-publishing. One writer told me that she just didn’t have the
time to write anything other than the series she was already working on (and
was contracted out for years for.)
I’ve also observed a sense among some authors that if they’re
publicly vocal about self-publishing that it will somehow hurt their
traditionally published career…that it will hint at their unhappiness with
traditional publishing or imply criticism of it when they don’t actually feel
that way.
Some writers aren’t connected enough with the writing community
to know how best to approach self-publishing or see it as a huge time-suck of a
challenge.
There also seems to be a preconception that self-publishing
is for projects that aren’t commercially viable. If they have something to
publish, they’re hoping to shop it to traditional publishers—they think it’s too
commercially attractive to self-publish it.
For some, there still seems to be a stigma attached to
self-publishing. Some writers appear to believe
that self-publishing would make it appear that they were dropped by their
publisher or that their series were discontinued.
Some are so used to having the production process taken care
of (titling, copywriting, editing, design, formatting, and interior design)
that the thought of taking on these aspects of the business are completely
overwhelming.
Others seem to be running into non-compete clauses. More on those contract clauses in this post
by Kristine Rusch: “Competition.”
And here’s just a general observation: the group that seems
to be most enthusiastically making the leap to self-publishing (and with the
most commercial success) appears to be the romance writers. Frequently, these are really savvy writers. Many
of the romance writers that I’m acquainted with are older writers (middle aged
and up) who have been in the business for decades and have huge backlists. They’ve very nimbly adapted to the changing
industry and are finding significant commercial success…sometimes for the first
time in their careers.
This topic might engender some discussion…the reason I’m
bringing it up at all (since I’m not exactly the type who wants to be a lightning
rod of any kind) is out of concern for these writers, moving forward. And the fact that I'm somewhat frustrated and mystified. If these writers are
simply satisfied with their current situation…I’m wondering how long that’s going
to continue being true as advances decrease and bookstores close. As publishers
tighten their belts and take on fewer manuscripts. As publishers merge or close
their doors. I’m wondering why they aren’t
testing the waters and exploring a bit. I think many of the above reasons for not exploring self-publishing
are hooey. I worry these writers are burying their heads in the sand and some of them are great writers--I would miss their stories.
If you’re really cautious about self-publishing and you’re
traditionally published, there are ways you can minimize your risk. Write under
a pen name. Write a short story or
collection of shorts as an experiment. Spend
time each day developing a new project for self-publishing. Or spend time
figuring out if you can get the rights back to some of your backlist. Start
reading up on industry changes, if you haven’t already. Read blogs by writers
and industry insiders like Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Mike Shatzkin, and
Kris Rusch.
Consider your career...this is a business. Tune in.
That is all. :)
April 15, 2013
Keeping the Murderer Secret until the End
By Price McNaughton, @
PriceMcNaughton
When I first began writing
murder mysteries, my biggest fear was that I would reveal the murderer too
soon. I hate books that make the perpetrator evident from the moment he/she
steps onto the page. I didn’t want to be guilty of the same!
Every time I slipped
in a clue, I felt that I had just shone a spotlight on the guilty party. Some
authors try to protect their antagonist by refusing to leave any clues that
lead to him/her, but I was never comfortable with this strategy. There are
better methods of protection.
I’m the first to admit that I
have never formally studied writing murder mysteries, though I have read
hundreds of them and written a few. Instead, I followed my own rules, which I
have listed below.
Good example: It was obvious
now that Mr. Smith had been jealous of his wife’s first husband. He feared that
his wife still loved him and that the man would return and put an end to his
happy marriage. Mr. Smith felt that he was left with only one choice. Murder.
And so that was what he did.
Bad example: “Yes, I killed
him.” Mr. Smith said.
“But why?” Mrs. Smith asked.
She did not receive a reply. It remains a mystery to this day. The End.
Quick tip: Know your murderer inside and out.
You must leave clues. How many of you have read
a book that gives absolutely no clues as to who committed the crime?
Believe or not, I have a read a few and they are very frustrating. The
clues do not have to be obvious or even fully explained. In fact, fully
explaining the motivation of every character gets old very quickly. Leave
some mystery in your mystery!
Good Example: Mrs. Smith’s
face contorted briefly in an expression of deep sadness as her fingers trailed
over the lovely lace edging the material of the gown. Mr. Smith pressed his
lips together in dismay as he turned away.
“I hate seeing her so upset.”
He said as he left the room.
Anger flickered briefly in
Mrs. Smith’s eyes as she jerked her hand away from the soft fabric.
Now all you have to do is drop a line here or there in the
book that could explain her feelings, such as “Mrs.
Smith was left at the altar once several years ago, but you would never know
it; she’s so happily married now.” This could
explain why she acted as she did earlier in the book and ends up fully
explaining the mystery. Mrs. Smith still loved her ex and Mr. Smith killed him
because he feared he would lose Mrs. Smith. Mr. Smith didn’t know that Mrs.
Smith was also angry with her ex for some reason, but the reader does. The
anger might make some readers suspect Mrs. Smith of the murder.
Bad Example: Mrs. Smith’s
face contorted briefly in an expression of deep sadness followed by anger as
her fingers trailed over the lovely lace edging the fabric of the gown because
she was left at the altar some years earlier.
Quick tip: Try to never use because when explaining a
character.
Example Sentence: Mrs. Smith
said she spent the day reading. Her half-opened book lay on the table.
Added clue/red herring: Mrs.
Smith quietly informed the officer that she had spent the day reading. The
detective paused in his questioning as his gaze fell onto the open book on the
table.
“Were you as surprised as I
was when Sarah died?” the detective asked.
“What?” Mrs. Smith replied,
distracted.
“In the book?”
“Oh, yes, quite.” Mrs. Smith
smiled sadly. “I’m afraid my mind was elsewhere.”
“I understand.” The detective
replied as he returned the book to the table. “I would be, too.”
With the extra information above, the observant reader now
has some doubt in their mind as to whether Mrs. Smith was actually reading the
book as she said.
Quick tip: Red herrings are much easier to add in after the
book is written as long as you don’t write yourself into a corner with your
characters, such as explaining everything they do and why.
Example: Tears welling in his
eyes, Mr. Smith reached for his wife’s hand as she stared into the casket. “I’m
sorry you have to go through this,” he said as he held her hand tightly. The
dark bags under his blue eyes revealed the fact that he had spent the night sitting
up with his inconsolable wife.
“I know.” Mrs. Smith replied,
squeezing his hand in response. She felt his arm slip around her shoulders as
he supported her small frame.
He is sorry she has to
go through the situation he created. He’s just more concerned with losing her
than with her facing loss. He’s selfish.
Quick tip: You can’t ever go wrong with making your
characters human and therefore both good and bad.
Example: Is Mrs. Smith happy in her marriage? Does a part of
her still dwell on her past love? Would she be unhappy enough to kill over it?
The detective wondered as he studied the couple before him.
Quick tip:
It’s okay for a protagonist to be unsure.
The perfect murder mystery is
very obvious when the reader reflects on the information they were given. What
didn’t stand out before becomes central to the plot line. I love a book that
redirects the thought process and when analyzed, the information shifts into
focus much like a puzzle picture when the last piece is added. I think most
readers agree with me. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but these are
the methods I use when writing. I do believe, if you follow these rules it
helps in keeping the murderer secret until the great reveal at the end.
What rules do you follow when
writing your murder mystery? Do you already have a story in your head
concerning Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Visit my blog to learn more about writing your
own fan fiction regarding the Smiths’ and be eligible to win an ebook copy of
both of my books.
Price
McNaughton was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. A childhood
steeped in the stories and legends of her ancestors as well as the southern way
of life led her to carry on the tradition and become a storyteller herself.
After years of traveling and working at a variety of jobs, she has finally
returned to her roots and devoted herself to writing. She is the author of A
Vision of Murder and Murder is Ugly as well as The Ruby Necklace (a
mini-mystery).
Murderis Ugly : When Jinx Delaney agrees to spend a horse-filled, relaxing summer with
her old friend and sorority sister, Brynn Brookefield, in her exclusive
community, she never suspects that murder will be the second house guest. Set
in a beautiful neighborhood in the Deep South among carefully restored,
historic homes and nosy neighbors, Jinx finds that looks can be deceiving and
murder truly is ugly.
Book review blog: http://www.talebearers.com/
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16301315-a-vision-of-murder
Twitter:https://twitter.com/PriceMcNaughton
Gacebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PriceMcnaughton?ref=hl
When I first began writing
murder mysteries, my biggest fear was that I would reveal the murderer too
soon. I hate books that make the perpetrator evident from the moment he/she
steps onto the page. I didn’t want to be guilty of the same!
Every time I slipped
in a clue, I felt that I had just shone a spotlight on the guilty party. Some
authors try to protect their antagonist by refusing to leave any clues that
lead to him/her, but I was never comfortable with this strategy. There are
better methods of protection.
I’m the first to admit that I
have never formally studied writing murder mysteries, though I have read
hundreds of them and written a few. Instead, I followed my own rules, which I
have listed below.
You must decidedly know who your murderer is and why
they did it. This seems obvious, but I’ve read many books that do
not explain the why factor. It seems as if the author has no idea who
their antagonist is or what motivates them. I’ve actually read a couple of
books that disintegrate to the point that the ending is… drumroll… why
he/she did this remains a mystery.
The murderer admits to killing everyone, but gives no examples as
to how he/she committed these crimes or why he/she did it. This leaves the reader feeling confused. One of the main
reasons that a person reads a murder mystery is to find out what would
motivate someone to commit the crime. The author can always explain what
has occurred, but at the very least the detective must have a theory as to
why someone would commit such a crime OR the killer must explain why.
Good example: It was obvious
now that Mr. Smith had been jealous of his wife’s first husband. He feared that
his wife still loved him and that the man would return and put an end to his
happy marriage. Mr. Smith felt that he was left with only one choice. Murder.
And so that was what he did.
Bad example: “Yes, I killed
him.” Mr. Smith said.
“But why?” Mrs. Smith asked.
She did not receive a reply. It remains a mystery to this day. The End.
Quick tip: Know your murderer inside and out.
You must leave clues. How many of you have read
a book that gives absolutely no clues as to who committed the crime?
Believe or not, I have a read a few and they are very frustrating. The
clues do not have to be obvious or even fully explained. In fact, fully
explaining the motivation of every character gets old very quickly. Leave
some mystery in your mystery!
Good Example: Mrs. Smith’s
face contorted briefly in an expression of deep sadness as her fingers trailed
over the lovely lace edging the material of the gown. Mr. Smith pressed his
lips together in dismay as he turned away.
“I hate seeing her so upset.”
He said as he left the room.
Anger flickered briefly in
Mrs. Smith’s eyes as she jerked her hand away from the soft fabric.
Now all you have to do is drop a line here or there in the
book that could explain her feelings, such as “Mrs.
Smith was left at the altar once several years ago, but you would never know
it; she’s so happily married now.” This could
explain why she acted as she did earlier in the book and ends up fully
explaining the mystery. Mrs. Smith still loved her ex and Mr. Smith killed him
because he feared he would lose Mrs. Smith. Mr. Smith didn’t know that Mrs.
Smith was also angry with her ex for some reason, but the reader does. The
anger might make some readers suspect Mrs. Smith of the murder.
Bad Example: Mrs. Smith’s
face contorted briefly in an expression of deep sadness followed by anger as
her fingers trailed over the lovely lace edging the fabric of the gown because
she was left at the altar some years earlier.
Quick tip: Try to never use because when explaining a
character.
Reread your book and add in clues as you see fit. If you
know your character and their motivation, it’s easy to pick out places to
drop extra clues while rereading your book.
Example Sentence: Mrs. Smith
said she spent the day reading. Her half-opened book lay on the table.
Added clue/red herring: Mrs.
Smith quietly informed the officer that she had spent the day reading. The
detective paused in his questioning as his gaze fell onto the open book on the
table.
“Were you as surprised as I
was when Sarah died?” the detective asked.
“What?” Mrs. Smith replied,
distracted.
“In the book?”
“Oh, yes, quite.” Mrs. Smith
smiled sadly. “I’m afraid my mind was elsewhere.”
“I understand.” The detective
replied as he returned the book to the table. “I would be, too.”
With the extra information above, the observant reader now
has some doubt in their mind as to whether Mrs. Smith was actually reading the
book as she said.
Quick tip: Red herrings are much easier to add in after the
book is written as long as you don’t write yourself into a corner with your
characters, such as explaining everything they do and why.
Let your characters LIVE. Life is a mystery. Let
your characters retain some mystery. No one can ever be fully explained,
should your characters be any different? The answer is no. I try to write
my mysteries where anyone could have
committed a crime, but most are unlikely to have done so. Many people have
experiences or motivations in life that could lead them to crime, but do
not because of the person’s psychological makeup/ upbringing/ etc. People
are more complex than heroes and villains. Characters should be as well.
Example: Tears welling in his
eyes, Mr. Smith reached for his wife’s hand as she stared into the casket. “I’m
sorry you have to go through this,” he said as he held her hand tightly. The
dark bags under his blue eyes revealed the fact that he had spent the night sitting
up with his inconsolable wife.
“I know.” Mrs. Smith replied,
squeezing his hand in response. She felt his arm slip around her shoulders as
he supported her small frame.
He is sorry she has to
go through the situation he created. He’s just more concerned with losing her
than with her facing loss. He’s selfish.
Quick tip: You can’t ever go wrong with making your
characters human and therefore both good and bad.
Let your protagonist think. Create questions in the
readers’ mind that you would consider if you were in the same situation.
Example: Is Mrs. Smith happy in her marriage? Does a part of
her still dwell on her past love? Would she be unhappy enough to kill over it?
The detective wondered as he studied the couple before him.
Quick tip:
It’s okay for a protagonist to be unsure.
The perfect murder mystery is
very obvious when the reader reflects on the information they were given. What
didn’t stand out before becomes central to the plot line. I love a book that
redirects the thought process and when analyzed, the information shifts into
focus much like a puzzle picture when the last piece is added. I think most
readers agree with me. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but these are
the methods I use when writing. I do believe, if you follow these rules it
helps in keeping the murderer secret until the great reveal at the end.
What rules do you follow when
writing your murder mystery? Do you already have a story in your head
concerning Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Visit my blog to learn more about writing your
own fan fiction regarding the Smiths’ and be eligible to win an ebook copy of
both of my books.
Price
McNaughton was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. A childhood
steeped in the stories and legends of her ancestors as well as the southern way
of life led her to carry on the tradition and become a storyteller herself.
After years of traveling and working at a variety of jobs, she has finally
returned to her roots and devoted herself to writing. She is the author of A
Vision of Murder and Murder is Ugly as well as The Ruby Necklace (a
mini-mystery).
Murderis Ugly : When Jinx Delaney agrees to spend a horse-filled, relaxing summer with
her old friend and sorority sister, Brynn Brookefield, in her exclusive
community, she never suspects that murder will be the second house guest. Set
in a beautiful neighborhood in the Deep South among carefully restored,
historic homes and nosy neighbors, Jinx finds that looks can be deceiving and
murder truly is ugly.
Book review blog: http://www.talebearers.com/
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16301315-a-vision-of-murder
Twitter:https://twitter.com/PriceMcNaughton
Gacebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PriceMcnaughton?ref=hl
April 14, 2013
Recording Our Ideas
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I was on my way to a meeting last week and was perfectly on
time. The meeting was a bit off the
beaten path, out of the city, and down a road I wasn’t familiar with.
The landscape changed from businesses to a combination of
very nice homes and dilapidated homes to stables to silos.
But when I passed the house pictured above, I knew I had to
turn around and go back. I had to take a picture. It was going to make me a little late (and I’m
practically OCD about being late, as I’ve mentioned here before). But I had
to take the picture. The discarded door propped up against a column, the ruined
and overgrown landscaping, the boarded-up windows….it gave the house the
perfect, haunted feel.
I’m very fond of Southern Gothic, even going so far as to daringly insert as
much of the element as I could get away with in
a cozy that’s coming out this December for Penguin. So having an inspiration file that includes
real examples of Southern Gothic homes (the kind of places that William
Faulkner would have set stories around.)
The pictures I took went into a special file that I keep for
story inspiration. Pictures are a big
part of it. Description is not my strong
suit, but looking at pictures of settings and potential characters makes the
process a lot easier. Once I was so stunned at a restaurant by running into one of my characters (someone I'd made up...who looked--in my mind--exactly like the stranger in front of me), that I ended up sneaking four or five photos of them with my phone. I'm hoping they just didn't notice what I was doing. Otherwise they likely thought I was completely insane.
Idea files are, in my way of thinking, completely
necessary. And not only for the work we’re
currently writing, but whatever else we might be interested in writing down the
road.
Some writers are using Pinterest
for inspiration: pinning images of people who look like characters they’re
developing or settings they’re using in their story. Writer Karen Woodward has a nice post on
other ways of using Pinterest to help us write our books in “Using
Pinterest To Help Build Your Fictional Worlds.”
But there’s no need to use Pinterest if you don’t want
to. The important thing is just to respect
our ideas enough to record them. There
have been many, many times when I
thought I’d remember my great idea…and then completely forgot them.
Evernote is a free,
handy way to record and search our ideas.
There is a desktop version as well as an app (and you can sync them to
each other, if you like.) You can use it
to store pictures and text, or email files directly to the app. Organizing the ideas is easy if you tag your
entries or assign them to notebooks.
Then you can search for the tags when you’re ready to write.
Voice recorders. I
use Smart
Voice Recorder—a free app for my phone. It’s just another way to capture thoughts for
later. The reason why sometimes I like
using a voice recorder for ideas is because occasionally I’ll get an idea so
nebulous that I can’t even really describe or pin it down at that point. So I’ll explain what I was doing and who was
around and voice as much about the idea or feeling as I can.
Word docs work well, too and are a good repository for random bits of ideas. We should back these up the same way we do our stories.
I probably go the old-fashioned route and use pen and paper most often. The most important thing I’ve
learned about this cheap and portable way of recording ideas is that I need to
collect all my scraps of paper at the end of the day and either catalog them
on a computer or at least put them in a central location so I can locate them
when I need them.
How you do record your ideas and find them again later?
I was on my way to a meeting last week and was perfectly on
time. The meeting was a bit off the
beaten path, out of the city, and down a road I wasn’t familiar with.
The landscape changed from businesses to a combination of
very nice homes and dilapidated homes to stables to silos.
But when I passed the house pictured above, I knew I had to
turn around and go back. I had to take a picture. It was going to make me a little late (and I’m
practically OCD about being late, as I’ve mentioned here before). But I had
to take the picture. The discarded door propped up against a column, the ruined
and overgrown landscaping, the boarded-up windows….it gave the house the
perfect, haunted feel.
I’m very fond of Southern Gothic, even going so far as to daringly insert as
much of the element as I could get away with in
a cozy that’s coming out this December for Penguin. So having an inspiration file that includes
real examples of Southern Gothic homes (the kind of places that William
Faulkner would have set stories around.)
The pictures I took went into a special file that I keep for
story inspiration. Pictures are a big
part of it. Description is not my strong
suit, but looking at pictures of settings and potential characters makes the
process a lot easier. Once I was so stunned at a restaurant by running into one of my characters (someone I'd made up...who looked--in my mind--exactly like the stranger in front of me), that I ended up sneaking four or five photos of them with my phone. I'm hoping they just didn't notice what I was doing. Otherwise they likely thought I was completely insane.
Idea files are, in my way of thinking, completely
necessary. And not only for the work we’re
currently writing, but whatever else we might be interested in writing down the
road.
Some writers are using Pinterest
for inspiration: pinning images of people who look like characters they’re
developing or settings they’re using in their story. Writer Karen Woodward has a nice post on
other ways of using Pinterest to help us write our books in “Using
Pinterest To Help Build Your Fictional Worlds.”
But there’s no need to use Pinterest if you don’t want
to. The important thing is just to respect
our ideas enough to record them. There
have been many, many times when I
thought I’d remember my great idea…and then completely forgot them.
Evernote is a free,
handy way to record and search our ideas.
There is a desktop version as well as an app (and you can sync them to
each other, if you like.) You can use it
to store pictures and text, or email files directly to the app. Organizing the ideas is easy if you tag your
entries or assign them to notebooks.
Then you can search for the tags when you’re ready to write.
Voice recorders. I
use Smart
Voice Recorder—a free app for my phone. It’s just another way to capture thoughts for
later. The reason why sometimes I like
using a voice recorder for ideas is because occasionally I’ll get an idea so
nebulous that I can’t even really describe or pin it down at that point. So I’ll explain what I was doing and who was
around and voice as much about the idea or feeling as I can.
Word docs work well, too and are a good repository for random bits of ideas. We should back these up the same way we do our stories.
I probably go the old-fashioned route and use pen and paper most often. The most important thing I’ve
learned about this cheap and portable way of recording ideas is that I need to
collect all my scraps of paper at the end of the day and either catalog them
on a computer or at least put them in a central location so I can locate them
when I need them.
How you do record your ideas and find them again later?
April 13, 2013
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 19,000 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
worked with author and writing coach James Scott Bell to offer 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.
The Search Engine for Writers: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search
An argument that publishers care more
deeply about writers, books, and readers than Amazon: http://bit.ly/16xuXhh @futurebook
Field Report From the E-Book Revolution:
The New Equilibrium: http://bit.ly/11otWH2
@jamesscottbell
The Bad PR Hangover (and How to Avoid
It): http://bit.ly/16xv6Bg @SharonBially
Motivation-Reaction Units: Cracking the
Code of Good Writing: http://bit.ly/11oub52
@kmweiland
The #1 Reason for #QueryFails: http://bit.ly/16xyMD4 @annerallen
Writers are ready
for a digital/transmedia future--who will guide them? http://bit.ly/10Qijrp @Porter_Anderson @JaneFriedman @AndyHunter777
Backlist Then and Now: http://bit.ly/11oCsG8 @JAKonrath
Payment in Advance: http://bit.ly/11oDhhX @bob_brooke
Edit A Novel In Four Months: http://bit.ly/16xzdxd @woodwardkaren
Writer, Storyteller, Author? http://bit.ly/11oDBgN @fictionnotes
What Worries Publishers Most? http://bit.ly/107HX7S @bmorrissey
How to Begin a Short Story: http://bit.ly/YRrWSK @amazingstories0
@Sales_Source
Tips for an inexpensive book launch
party: http://bit.ly/11NM5Nc @aishahmacgill
Why 1 writer exercises and then writes: http://bit.ly/16xBgSa @TheAtlantic
Creative Intersections: Pacing and
Plotting: http://bit.ly/11oIHcP @davidbcoe
How to Create a Workshop From Your Ebook:
http://bit.ly/16xBBEh @MenwithPens
The Basics of Scene Description: http://bit.ly/11oJpqG @SHalvatzis
The Battle of Science and Magic:
Particles and Pixie Dust: http://bit.ly/16xBRmS
@fantasyfaction
Creative Writing Exercise: What's Your
Superpower? http://bit.ly/11oJQRR
@melissadonovan
Areas to cut back in a manuscript: http://bit.ly/16xC2hX @lydia_sharp
5 Ways To Add Sparkle To Your Writing: http://bit.ly/11oKiPU
The Elements of a Good Mystery: http://bit.ly/16xCf4E @fictorians
Clarity In Writing & The Curse of
Reader Assumption: http://bit.ly/17eWqWn
@yeomanis
Maturing a Character Across a Series: http://bit.ly/ZapjeU @LaurelGarver
How Romance Writers Create the Perfect
Leading Man: http://bit.ly/17eWQMu
@MtnMoxieGirl
How 1 Writer Published and Launched an
Ebook for Under $150: http://bit.ly/17eWWDU
@danasitar
The Travel Writing Advice You Don't Want
to Hear: http://bit.ly/17eX1Hz @alexisgrant
The Funny Thing About Thrillers: http://bit.ly/ZapNSd @Brad_Parks
What Should You Do About a Bad Review on
Amazon? http://bit.ly/Zaq4EQ @BookMarketer
When you Really, Really Care: http://bit.ly/17eXw4l
Books That Inspire: http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/03/11/pay-it-forward-books-that-inspire/
How to Find Time to Write: http://bit.ly/17eYi1l @write_practice
Down the rabbit hole of research: http://bit.ly/17f07LF @JustBethann
10 Reasons Writers Should Claim Their
Google Authorship Markup: http://bit.ly/ZatyHl
@demianfarnworth
Why Do Writers Trash Their Efforts? http://bit.ly/ZatHud
Pitch Tip: Remember Your Stakes: http://bit.ly/17f0nKA @ava_jae
Reasons to Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/17f0x4K @behlerpublish
Voice as a tool: http://bit.ly/ZatZRP @jonclinch @btmargins
Tips & Tricks for Writing on the Go: http://bit.ly/Zau8EU @MarcyKate
Real, Consistent and Authentic: A
Discussion of Voice: http://bit.ly/17f13jl
@btmargins
11 tips to solve bloggers block by
solving reader problems: http://bit.ly/11wC4p1
@problogger
iPhone apps for writers: http://bit.ly/Z6nJeT @mediabistro
Hero's journey--pros and cons: http://bit.ly/Z6p854 @VeronicaSicoe
Promoting Your Book on Twitter: An
Intermediate's Guide: http://bit.ly/11wGgoH
@chrisrobley
Deciding to Self-publish After Rejection:
http://bit.ly/11wGBHW @CriticalMargins
Getting the most out of a beta read: http://bit.ly/11wGWui @tsbazelli
Why do writers plagiarize? http://bit.ly/Z6pB7t @wordforteens
Use Twitter like Margaret Atwood: Social
Media Advice for Writers: http://bit.ly/11wHr7K
@chrisrobley
Tracking the Hybrid Author: http://bit.ly/11wI40W @passivevoiceblg
@DigiBookWorld
9 Itty Bitty Literary Crafts: http://bit.ly/11wIOmV @bananasuit
Investing in yourself: http://bit.ly/11wXUbR
The Fine Art of Bookselling: http://bit.ly/Z6wzt1 @fcmalby
How to support writers and help build a
writing community: http://bit.ly/11wYkiD
@carlywatters
Screenwriting Traits — Passion: http://bit.ly/Z6xPMT @gointothestory
Breaking in: The Pie Chart: http://bit.ly/Z6xZUA @julie_gray
Common legal mistakes mystery novelists
make: http://bit.ly/11x2qaq
Delivering on your opening's promise: http://bit.ly/Z6yq0X @swlittlefield
@martinaaboone
Writerly Uses for Excel: http://bit.ly/Z6ywWm @JennyHansenCA
How to Read a Book Contract – How Long
Does It Last? http://bit.ly/Z6yDS3
@passivevoiceblg
3 Tips for Researching Your Next Project:
http://bit.ly/11x4a3s @YAHighway
Write a Deeper Character: http://bit.ly/Z6yY7e @lindasclare
Problems with Your Story's Climax: http://bit.ly/11x4sas @americanediting
When To State The Obvious In A Story: http://bit.ly/Z6z6na @mooderino
Fantasy Settings: Finding the Right
"Ethos" for your Setting: http://bit.ly/ZjDZPK
@LBGale
2 Simple Ways to Give Your Stories
Sparkle: http://bit.ly/10lbwpp @yeomanis
Pitches Are Fantasy, Pages Are Reality: http://bit.ly/ZjEM3g @CockeyedCaravan
Character Introductions: http://bit.ly/10lcORe @julie_gray
Explaining the Joke: http://bit.ly/ZjFDRq @Kid_Lit
Writing tough characters who are
physically unimposing: http://bit.ly/10ldwxW
@ajackwriting
Writing a memoir: Intersecting memory and
story: http://bit.ly/ZjG8ec
Embracing your inner editor: http://bit.ly/10lgfrj @lilylefevre
The Winchester Mystery Story (that lead
somewhere): http://bit.ly/ZjIXMn
@JordanMcCollum
3 Answers to Questions About
Capitalization: http://bit.ly/10lhkPR
@writing_tips
Writing And The Monomyth: http://bit.ly/ZjJkXh @woodwardkaren
Will Authors Get Compensated for Used
E-Book Sales? http://to.pbs.org/10lhZAX
@mediatwit
The importance of building an email list:
http://bit.ly/XlQcQp @pushingsocial
Reasons to self-pub--control: http://bit.ly/10tzdfj @behlerpublish
All about anime: http://bit.ly/XlQpTH @fictorians
Be a copycat: http://bit.ly/10tzQFT @KeithCronin
Your cover is killing your book: http://bit.ly/XlQVRz @acwainwright
The Key to Successful Storytelling: http://bit.ly/10tAQtv @jodyhedlund
When you receive a rough crit: http://bit.ly/10tCVFI @bluemaven
What Writers Need To Know About Tumblr: http://bit.ly/XlS8bI @galleycat
John Cleese on Storytelling: http://bit.ly/10tDIGL @JudyLeeDunn
Further and Farther: http://bit.ly/XlSkI6 @write_practice
Screenwriting Traits—Courage: http://bit.ly/10MlnEO @gointothestory
An Overview of SF/Horror Literature: http://bit.ly/Ybcx50 @amazingstories0
What Makes "Doctor Who" The
Best Title In The History Of Television? http://bit.ly/YbcHt3
@goodinaroom
How (and why) to remove posting dates on
WordPress blogs: http://bit.ly/10MJ1AU
@authormedia
What To Do When Your Book Has Been
Pirated On Amazon: http://bit.ly/XzMuVI
@jeanoram
Canned responses from agents: http://bit.ly/10MJl2C
How WOOL Got A Unique Publishing Deal: http://bit.ly/12CyjkD @passivevoiceblg
Conquer your fear of attending your first
blogging or writing event: http://bit.ly/12CypZu
@michellerafter
What can keep you writing? http://bit.ly/10PqHEK @rxena77
The Harlequin Survey: http://bit.ly/12CyLiX @jakonrath
Choosing the Right Ghostwriter: http://bit.ly/10PqTns @ivinviljoen
Things to keep in mind while editing: http://bit.ly/12Cz8Kc @PegEditors
The Opening Image: http://bit.ly/10Pr2Y8 @Julie_Gray
7 Deadly Sins of Self-Editing: http://bit.ly/12Czq3F @writersdigest
5 Indie Author Tips For A Successful Live
Ebook Launch: http://bit.ly/10PreXs
@ornaross
Dread Writing Sexy Scenes? 5 Tips for
Success: http://bit.ly/ZLkxEv @jamigold
Smart Book Marketing Includes Going
Offline: http://bit.ly/14UrWcw @jfbookman
Why Serious Books Need Humor and Levity
to Work: http://bit.ly/ZLkCIz @Sarah_Skilton
Insights regarding establishing shots: http://bit.ly/ZLkIjl @livewritethrive
The Art of Asking and the Economics of
Writing: http://bit.ly/14UskrE
@kgelfland2ndcuz
Why Write Book Reviews? 5 Five Payoffs
for Authors: http://bit.ly/ZLkVmp @janvbear
Write it Badly Today So You Can Write It
Better Tomorrow: http://bit.ly/14Uszmv
@cockeyedcaravan
10 Ways to Avoid Gender Bias: http://bit.ly/ZLkZ5R @writing_tips
How to Read a Book With a Flashlight: http://bit.ly/14UsE9P @BooksAreMyBFs
How To Use a Kindle as a Bookmark: http://bit.ly/ZLl6y8 @galleycat
An interview with 2 talented
screenwriters: http://bit.ly/ZLla11
@gointothestory
You Can't Talk About Your Own Culture in
Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/14UsVJU
@silviamg
The Writing Prep Zone: http://bit.ly/14Ut1B3
Writers' Guides of the Past: http://bit.ly/ZLlqgp @SophieMasson1
Be A More Productive Writer: Use A Voice
Recorder: http://bit.ly/14UtaEE
@woodwardkaren
The Story Milestones… and Beat Sheet: http://bit.ly/14BLgLZ @storyfix
5 areas you need to learn to write better
copy: http://bit.ly/10ryNVf @ntaylor1981
8 pics and videos that describe what DRM
is about: http://bit.ly/11ot4Cp @namenick
The Basics of Scene Description: http://bit.ly/11oJpqG @SHalvatzis
Creative Writing Exercise: What's Your
Superpower? http://bit.ly/11oJQRR
@melissadonovan
What Should You Do About a Bad Review on
Amazon? http://bit.ly/Zaq4EQ @BookMarketer
Why do writers plagiarize? http://bit.ly/Z6pB7t @wordforteens
Tracking the Hybrid Author: http://bit.ly/11wI40W @passivevoiceblg
@DigiBookWorld
How to Read a Book Contract – How Long
Does It Last? http://bit.ly/Z6yDS3
@passivevoiceblg
Explaining the Joke: http://bit.ly/ZjFDRq @Kid_Lit
Writer, Storyteller, Author? http://bit.ly/11oDBgN @fictionnotes
When a Self-Published Author Has a No. 1
Best-Selling Book: http://onforb.es/122NPUu
@forbes
Character Clinic: Preventing Whiny
Characters: http://bit.ly/12TxLTU
@jeanniecampbell
Publishers are reshaping themselves: http://bit.ly/122O4yW @MikeShatzkin
Characteristics of a bad crit partner: http://bit.ly/122OepS @kristenlambtx
A writer's courage: http://bit.ly/12TyJ2v @LawrenceBlock
Picture Books: Trust the Writing Process:
http://bit.ly/122OyoC @fictionnotes
The Year of the Author? http://bit.ly/12Tz4SG @passivevoiceblg
3 Ways to Make Your POVs Equally
Interesting: http://bit.ly/122OK7t
@kmweiland
How To Write
While Cleaning Your House: http://bit.ly/Yaib7h
@storyadaymay
How to Fix
Unrealistic Dialogue: http://bit.ly/YbbhyN
@p2p_editor
A wrap-up of the
Writer's Digest conference--agents address the changing industry and
self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/10MMiAk
@Porter_Anderson
Different ways
of handling suspense in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/10JuZ3x
@mkinberg
The importance
of building a brand: http://bit.ly/ZnBRk3
@BeateBoeker
Twitterific
links are fed into the Writer’s
Knowledge Base search engine (developed by
writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 19,000 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
worked with author and writing coach James Scott Bell to offer 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.
The Search Engine for Writers: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search
An argument that publishers care more
deeply about writers, books, and readers than Amazon: http://bit.ly/16xuXhh @futurebook
Field Report From the E-Book Revolution:
The New Equilibrium: http://bit.ly/11otWH2
@jamesscottbell
The Bad PR Hangover (and How to Avoid
It): http://bit.ly/16xv6Bg @SharonBially
Motivation-Reaction Units: Cracking the
Code of Good Writing: http://bit.ly/11oub52
@kmweiland
The #1 Reason for #QueryFails: http://bit.ly/16xyMD4 @annerallen
Writers are ready
for a digital/transmedia future--who will guide them? http://bit.ly/10Qijrp @Porter_Anderson @JaneFriedman @AndyHunter777
Backlist Then and Now: http://bit.ly/11oCsG8 @JAKonrath
Payment in Advance: http://bit.ly/11oDhhX @bob_brooke
Edit A Novel In Four Months: http://bit.ly/16xzdxd @woodwardkaren
Writer, Storyteller, Author? http://bit.ly/11oDBgN @fictionnotes
What Worries Publishers Most? http://bit.ly/107HX7S @bmorrissey
How to Begin a Short Story: http://bit.ly/YRrWSK @amazingstories0
@Sales_Source
Tips for an inexpensive book launch
party: http://bit.ly/11NM5Nc @aishahmacgill
Why 1 writer exercises and then writes: http://bit.ly/16xBgSa @TheAtlantic
Creative Intersections: Pacing and
Plotting: http://bit.ly/11oIHcP @davidbcoe
How to Create a Workshop From Your Ebook:
http://bit.ly/16xBBEh @MenwithPens
The Basics of Scene Description: http://bit.ly/11oJpqG @SHalvatzis
The Battle of Science and Magic:
Particles and Pixie Dust: http://bit.ly/16xBRmS
@fantasyfaction
Creative Writing Exercise: What's Your
Superpower? http://bit.ly/11oJQRR
@melissadonovan
Areas to cut back in a manuscript: http://bit.ly/16xC2hX @lydia_sharp
5 Ways To Add Sparkle To Your Writing: http://bit.ly/11oKiPU
The Elements of a Good Mystery: http://bit.ly/16xCf4E @fictorians
Clarity In Writing & The Curse of
Reader Assumption: http://bit.ly/17eWqWn
@yeomanis
Maturing a Character Across a Series: http://bit.ly/ZapjeU @LaurelGarver
How Romance Writers Create the Perfect
Leading Man: http://bit.ly/17eWQMu
@MtnMoxieGirl
How 1 Writer Published and Launched an
Ebook for Under $150: http://bit.ly/17eWWDU
@danasitar
The Travel Writing Advice You Don't Want
to Hear: http://bit.ly/17eX1Hz @alexisgrant
The Funny Thing About Thrillers: http://bit.ly/ZapNSd @Brad_Parks
What Should You Do About a Bad Review on
Amazon? http://bit.ly/Zaq4EQ @BookMarketer
When you Really, Really Care: http://bit.ly/17eXw4l
Books That Inspire: http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/03/11/pay-it-forward-books-that-inspire/
How to Find Time to Write: http://bit.ly/17eYi1l @write_practice
Down the rabbit hole of research: http://bit.ly/17f07LF @JustBethann
10 Reasons Writers Should Claim Their
Google Authorship Markup: http://bit.ly/ZatyHl
@demianfarnworth
Why Do Writers Trash Their Efforts? http://bit.ly/ZatHud
Pitch Tip: Remember Your Stakes: http://bit.ly/17f0nKA @ava_jae
Reasons to Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/17f0x4K @behlerpublish
Voice as a tool: http://bit.ly/ZatZRP @jonclinch @btmargins
Tips & Tricks for Writing on the Go: http://bit.ly/Zau8EU @MarcyKate
Real, Consistent and Authentic: A
Discussion of Voice: http://bit.ly/17f13jl
@btmargins
11 tips to solve bloggers block by
solving reader problems: http://bit.ly/11wC4p1
@problogger
iPhone apps for writers: http://bit.ly/Z6nJeT @mediabistro
Hero's journey--pros and cons: http://bit.ly/Z6p854 @VeronicaSicoe
Promoting Your Book on Twitter: An
Intermediate's Guide: http://bit.ly/11wGgoH
@chrisrobley
Deciding to Self-publish After Rejection:
http://bit.ly/11wGBHW @CriticalMargins
Getting the most out of a beta read: http://bit.ly/11wGWui @tsbazelli
Why do writers plagiarize? http://bit.ly/Z6pB7t @wordforteens
Use Twitter like Margaret Atwood: Social
Media Advice for Writers: http://bit.ly/11wHr7K
@chrisrobley
Tracking the Hybrid Author: http://bit.ly/11wI40W @passivevoiceblg
@DigiBookWorld
9 Itty Bitty Literary Crafts: http://bit.ly/11wIOmV @bananasuit
Investing in yourself: http://bit.ly/11wXUbR
The Fine Art of Bookselling: http://bit.ly/Z6wzt1 @fcmalby
How to support writers and help build a
writing community: http://bit.ly/11wYkiD
@carlywatters
Screenwriting Traits — Passion: http://bit.ly/Z6xPMT @gointothestory
Breaking in: The Pie Chart: http://bit.ly/Z6xZUA @julie_gray
Common legal mistakes mystery novelists
make: http://bit.ly/11x2qaq
Delivering on your opening's promise: http://bit.ly/Z6yq0X @swlittlefield
@martinaaboone
Writerly Uses for Excel: http://bit.ly/Z6ywWm @JennyHansenCA
How to Read a Book Contract – How Long
Does It Last? http://bit.ly/Z6yDS3
@passivevoiceblg
3 Tips for Researching Your Next Project:
http://bit.ly/11x4a3s @YAHighway
Write a Deeper Character: http://bit.ly/Z6yY7e @lindasclare
Problems with Your Story's Climax: http://bit.ly/11x4sas @americanediting
When To State The Obvious In A Story: http://bit.ly/Z6z6na @mooderino
Fantasy Settings: Finding the Right
"Ethos" for your Setting: http://bit.ly/ZjDZPK
@LBGale
2 Simple Ways to Give Your Stories
Sparkle: http://bit.ly/10lbwpp @yeomanis
Pitches Are Fantasy, Pages Are Reality: http://bit.ly/ZjEM3g @CockeyedCaravan
Character Introductions: http://bit.ly/10lcORe @julie_gray
Explaining the Joke: http://bit.ly/ZjFDRq @Kid_Lit
Writing tough characters who are
physically unimposing: http://bit.ly/10ldwxW
@ajackwriting
Writing a memoir: Intersecting memory and
story: http://bit.ly/ZjG8ec
Embracing your inner editor: http://bit.ly/10lgfrj @lilylefevre
The Winchester Mystery Story (that lead
somewhere): http://bit.ly/ZjIXMn
@JordanMcCollum
3 Answers to Questions About
Capitalization: http://bit.ly/10lhkPR
@writing_tips
Writing And The Monomyth: http://bit.ly/ZjJkXh @woodwardkaren
Will Authors Get Compensated for Used
E-Book Sales? http://to.pbs.org/10lhZAX
@mediatwit
The importance of building an email list:
http://bit.ly/XlQcQp @pushingsocial
Reasons to self-pub--control: http://bit.ly/10tzdfj @behlerpublish
All about anime: http://bit.ly/XlQpTH @fictorians
Be a copycat: http://bit.ly/10tzQFT @KeithCronin
Your cover is killing your book: http://bit.ly/XlQVRz @acwainwright
The Key to Successful Storytelling: http://bit.ly/10tAQtv @jodyhedlund
When you receive a rough crit: http://bit.ly/10tCVFI @bluemaven
What Writers Need To Know About Tumblr: http://bit.ly/XlS8bI @galleycat
John Cleese on Storytelling: http://bit.ly/10tDIGL @JudyLeeDunn
Further and Farther: http://bit.ly/XlSkI6 @write_practice
Screenwriting Traits—Courage: http://bit.ly/10MlnEO @gointothestory
An Overview of SF/Horror Literature: http://bit.ly/Ybcx50 @amazingstories0
What Makes "Doctor Who" The
Best Title In The History Of Television? http://bit.ly/YbcHt3
@goodinaroom
How (and why) to remove posting dates on
WordPress blogs: http://bit.ly/10MJ1AU
@authormedia
What To Do When Your Book Has Been
Pirated On Amazon: http://bit.ly/XzMuVI
@jeanoram
Canned responses from agents: http://bit.ly/10MJl2C
How WOOL Got A Unique Publishing Deal: http://bit.ly/12CyjkD @passivevoiceblg
Conquer your fear of attending your first
blogging or writing event: http://bit.ly/12CypZu
@michellerafter
What can keep you writing? http://bit.ly/10PqHEK @rxena77
The Harlequin Survey: http://bit.ly/12CyLiX @jakonrath
Choosing the Right Ghostwriter: http://bit.ly/10PqTns @ivinviljoen
Things to keep in mind while editing: http://bit.ly/12Cz8Kc @PegEditors
The Opening Image: http://bit.ly/10Pr2Y8 @Julie_Gray
7 Deadly Sins of Self-Editing: http://bit.ly/12Czq3F @writersdigest
5 Indie Author Tips For A Successful Live
Ebook Launch: http://bit.ly/10PreXs
@ornaross
Dread Writing Sexy Scenes? 5 Tips for
Success: http://bit.ly/ZLkxEv @jamigold
Smart Book Marketing Includes Going
Offline: http://bit.ly/14UrWcw @jfbookman
Why Serious Books Need Humor and Levity
to Work: http://bit.ly/ZLkCIz @Sarah_Skilton
Insights regarding establishing shots: http://bit.ly/ZLkIjl @livewritethrive
The Art of Asking and the Economics of
Writing: http://bit.ly/14UskrE
@kgelfland2ndcuz
Why Write Book Reviews? 5 Five Payoffs
for Authors: http://bit.ly/ZLkVmp @janvbear
Write it Badly Today So You Can Write It
Better Tomorrow: http://bit.ly/14Uszmv
@cockeyedcaravan
10 Ways to Avoid Gender Bias: http://bit.ly/ZLkZ5R @writing_tips
How to Read a Book With a Flashlight: http://bit.ly/14UsE9P @BooksAreMyBFs
How To Use a Kindle as a Bookmark: http://bit.ly/ZLl6y8 @galleycat
An interview with 2 talented
screenwriters: http://bit.ly/ZLla11
@gointothestory
You Can't Talk About Your Own Culture in
Science Fiction: http://bit.ly/14UsVJU
@silviamg
The Writing Prep Zone: http://bit.ly/14Ut1B3
Writers' Guides of the Past: http://bit.ly/ZLlqgp @SophieMasson1
Be A More Productive Writer: Use A Voice
Recorder: http://bit.ly/14UtaEE
@woodwardkaren
The Story Milestones… and Beat Sheet: http://bit.ly/14BLgLZ @storyfix
5 areas you need to learn to write better
copy: http://bit.ly/10ryNVf @ntaylor1981
8 pics and videos that describe what DRM
is about: http://bit.ly/11ot4Cp @namenick
The Basics of Scene Description: http://bit.ly/11oJpqG @SHalvatzis
Creative Writing Exercise: What's Your
Superpower? http://bit.ly/11oJQRR
@melissadonovan
What Should You Do About a Bad Review on
Amazon? http://bit.ly/Zaq4EQ @BookMarketer
Why do writers plagiarize? http://bit.ly/Z6pB7t @wordforteens
Tracking the Hybrid Author: http://bit.ly/11wI40W @passivevoiceblg
@DigiBookWorld
How to Read a Book Contract – How Long
Does It Last? http://bit.ly/Z6yDS3
@passivevoiceblg
Explaining the Joke: http://bit.ly/ZjFDRq @Kid_Lit
Writer, Storyteller, Author? http://bit.ly/11oDBgN @fictionnotes
When a Self-Published Author Has a No. 1
Best-Selling Book: http://onforb.es/122NPUu
@forbes
Character Clinic: Preventing Whiny
Characters: http://bit.ly/12TxLTU
@jeanniecampbell
Publishers are reshaping themselves: http://bit.ly/122O4yW @MikeShatzkin
Characteristics of a bad crit partner: http://bit.ly/122OepS @kristenlambtx
A writer's courage: http://bit.ly/12TyJ2v @LawrenceBlock
Picture Books: Trust the Writing Process:
http://bit.ly/122OyoC @fictionnotes
The Year of the Author? http://bit.ly/12Tz4SG @passivevoiceblg
3 Ways to Make Your POVs Equally
Interesting: http://bit.ly/122OK7t
@kmweiland
How To Write
While Cleaning Your House: http://bit.ly/Yaib7h
@storyadaymay
How to Fix
Unrealistic Dialogue: http://bit.ly/YbbhyN
@p2p_editor
A wrap-up of the
Writer's Digest conference--agents address the changing industry and
self-pubbing: http://bit.ly/10MMiAk
@Porter_Anderson
Different ways
of handling suspense in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/10JuZ3x
@mkinberg
The importance
of building a brand: http://bit.ly/ZnBRk3
@BeateBoeker
April 12, 2013
Building a Brand--Guest Post by Beate Boeker
by Beate Boeker, @
BeateBoeker
Purchase here
I'm very grateful to
Elizabeth for inviting me as her guest today. She said that her readers are
interested in writing tips and suggested that I write about “writers as a
brand.”
I'm happy to do this because this happens to be my field of expertise:
Besides being a multi-published author by Avalon Books and now being an
indie-author, I'm also working as a Global Marketing Manager for an
international brand, so building a brand is something I deal with every day.
But what exactly do they mean when they say you should “build a brand”?
Superficially looking, a
brand is a name for a certain range of products. When you look deeper, you'll
realize that a brand is more than that. It's an imprint on your mind. An
established brand has certain values linked to it, and these values will pop up
in the mind of the consumer when they see it.
Think Coca Cola. You
will not think of your sofa and a rug over your knees when you see it. Coca
Cola is the brand to go out and have fun, and they have carefully groomed that
image over centuries. Now imagine that a new marketing manager would come to
them and would say “Hey, guys, we can tap into new target groups by positioning
this brand for the home as well.” As a consequence, they start an advertising
campaign focusing on the home, when you're on your own, just that lovely Coke
and you.
A risky strategy, to say
the least, because the consumer will be irritated. The values that Coca Cola
was standing for - like fun, being on the go, being with friends – are now
suddenly being diluted.
Now this is the same for
authors. For example, I'm positioning myself as an author who writes books with
touches of humor and mischief. It doesn't matter if they're romances or
mysteries - as long as they make me chuckle, count me in. I've published over
ten books and short stories, and the readers who know my name will know that
they can rely on a happy end, on a chuckle, and that they can give these novels
to their teenage daughters without a qualm. That's what my name is standing
for.
Now imagine that I
suddenly get this crazy urge to write a noir, dystopian novel that ends with
the world falling apart or a really hot erotic romance. Should I write this
under the name of Beate Boeker? Most definitely not! I would shock my readers
and would confuse them. I'm not saying I can't write this; I just have to
choose a different brand – in this case a pseudonym – to make sure that my
readers get a clear message. Of course, you can make cross-references and can
tell your established readers about your different names, in case they are open
to reading widely across all genres and like your style, no matter the content,
but you have to keep your marketing well apart.
Everything I post on
Facebook or anywhere else has to fit to the tone of my novel. Of course, I'm
not always feeling breezy and happy and in an Italian-sort-of-mood, but when
I'm building my brand, I have to make sure I'm consistent (and if I need to
rave, I do it offline with my friends!).
Also, a brand has to be
easily recognizable. Ideally, this means that your covers speak the same
language. They don't all have to look alike, but they have to convey the same
feelings. I admit that I haven't realized this perfectly for all my novels so
far, however, for my cozy mystery series, I have decided to take one theme –
the typical Italian shutters – and to use them in different color
constellations. This makes it easy to recognize the theme.
Below is an excerpt of
the first novel in my cozy mystery Delayed Death. It's one of my favorite
scenes, where the heroine, Carlina, gets to know the investigating officer
Garini a little bit better, and I think it's a typical example of my voice or
brand – a bit of romance all wrapped around the mystery and a bit of humor, set
in Italy. I'm looking forward to discussing what you think about this topic.
"Where did you find your
grandfather?"
Carlina throat tightened. The
preliminaries were over. Now came the hard part. "Grandpa sat at the
kitchen table." Her voice cracked.
"Go on."
She felt as if he was pushing her bit by
bit forward, until she would drop off a cliff. "My cousin . . . Emma threw
a fit."
His eyebrows twitched. "Why?"
"Emma was the bride! His death
destroyed her wedding."
Commissario Garini looked as if he had no
clue what she was talking about.
Do you have no
imagination at all? "Can
you picture the bride coming up to church and saying that her grandfather just
died?" Carlina closed her eyes. It was easier to speak without looking at
the man made of steel next to her. "Everybody bursting into tears, the
wedding canceled, no dancing, no party, the flowers wilting, the ceremony
postponed, the honeymoon annulled . . ." She shook her head so hard, she
felt the edge of the shelf beneath her hair.
"I like the wilting flowers,"
he said. "Nice touch."
Beate Boeker is a traditionally published author since 2008 and now offers many full-length novels and short stories online. Several were shortlisted for the Golden Quill Contest, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the 'Best Indie Books of 2012' contest.
She is a marketing manager by day with a degree in International Business Administration, and her daily experience in marketing continuously provides her with a wide range of fodder for her novels, be it hilarious or cynical.
While 'Boeker' means 'books' in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with a happy end?
Find Beate on:
Facebook – Beate Boeker Author
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beate-Boeker/153573758044433?ref=ts&fref=ts
Twitter - @BeateBoeker
Homepage - www.happybooks.de
Purchase here
I'm very grateful to
Elizabeth for inviting me as her guest today. She said that her readers are
interested in writing tips and suggested that I write about “writers as a
brand.”
I'm happy to do this because this happens to be my field of expertise:
Besides being a multi-published author by Avalon Books and now being an
indie-author, I'm also working as a Global Marketing Manager for an
international brand, so building a brand is something I deal with every day.
But what exactly do they mean when they say you should “build a brand”?
Superficially looking, a
brand is a name for a certain range of products. When you look deeper, you'll
realize that a brand is more than that. It's an imprint on your mind. An
established brand has certain values linked to it, and these values will pop up
in the mind of the consumer when they see it.
Think Coca Cola. You
will not think of your sofa and a rug over your knees when you see it. Coca
Cola is the brand to go out and have fun, and they have carefully groomed that
image over centuries. Now imagine that a new marketing manager would come to
them and would say “Hey, guys, we can tap into new target groups by positioning
this brand for the home as well.” As a consequence, they start an advertising
campaign focusing on the home, when you're on your own, just that lovely Coke
and you.
A risky strategy, to say
the least, because the consumer will be irritated. The values that Coca Cola
was standing for - like fun, being on the go, being with friends – are now
suddenly being diluted.
Now this is the same for
authors. For example, I'm positioning myself as an author who writes books with
touches of humor and mischief. It doesn't matter if they're romances or
mysteries - as long as they make me chuckle, count me in. I've published over
ten books and short stories, and the readers who know my name will know that
they can rely on a happy end, on a chuckle, and that they can give these novels
to their teenage daughters without a qualm. That's what my name is standing
for.
Now imagine that I
suddenly get this crazy urge to write a noir, dystopian novel that ends with
the world falling apart or a really hot erotic romance. Should I write this
under the name of Beate Boeker? Most definitely not! I would shock my readers
and would confuse them. I'm not saying I can't write this; I just have to
choose a different brand – in this case a pseudonym – to make sure that my
readers get a clear message. Of course, you can make cross-references and can
tell your established readers about your different names, in case they are open
to reading widely across all genres and like your style, no matter the content,
but you have to keep your marketing well apart.
Everything I post on
Facebook or anywhere else has to fit to the tone of my novel. Of course, I'm
not always feeling breezy and happy and in an Italian-sort-of-mood, but when
I'm building my brand, I have to make sure I'm consistent (and if I need to
rave, I do it offline with my friends!).
Also, a brand has to be
easily recognizable. Ideally, this means that your covers speak the same
language. They don't all have to look alike, but they have to convey the same
feelings. I admit that I haven't realized this perfectly for all my novels so
far, however, for my cozy mystery series, I have decided to take one theme –
the typical Italian shutters – and to use them in different color
constellations. This makes it easy to recognize the theme.
Below is an excerpt of
the first novel in my cozy mystery Delayed Death. It's one of my favorite
scenes, where the heroine, Carlina, gets to know the investigating officer
Garini a little bit better, and I think it's a typical example of my voice or
brand – a bit of romance all wrapped around the mystery and a bit of humor, set
in Italy. I'm looking forward to discussing what you think about this topic.
"Where did you find your
grandfather?"
Carlina throat tightened. The
preliminaries were over. Now came the hard part. "Grandpa sat at the
kitchen table." Her voice cracked.
"Go on."
She felt as if he was pushing her bit by
bit forward, until she would drop off a cliff. "My cousin . . . Emma threw
a fit."
His eyebrows twitched. "Why?"
"Emma was the bride! His death
destroyed her wedding."
Commissario Garini looked as if he had no
clue what she was talking about.
Do you have no
imagination at all? "Can
you picture the bride coming up to church and saying that her grandfather just
died?" Carlina closed her eyes. It was easier to speak without looking at
the man made of steel next to her. "Everybody bursting into tears, the
wedding canceled, no dancing, no party, the flowers wilting, the ceremony
postponed, the honeymoon annulled . . ." She shook her head so hard, she
felt the edge of the shelf beneath her hair.
"I like the wilting flowers,"
he said. "Nice touch."
Beate Boeker is a traditionally published author since 2008 and now offers many full-length novels and short stories online. Several were shortlisted for the Golden Quill Contest, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the 'Best Indie Books of 2012' contest.
She is a marketing manager by day with a degree in International Business Administration, and her daily experience in marketing continuously provides her with a wide range of fodder for her novels, be it hilarious or cynical.
While 'Boeker' means 'books' in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with a happy end?
Find Beate on:
Facebook – Beate Boeker Author
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beate-Boeker/153573758044433?ref=ts&fref=ts
Twitter - @BeateBoeker
Homepage - www.happybooks.de
April 11, 2013
Audio Books for Self-Published Authors--ACX
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
As I mentioned in Wednesday's post, I recently decided to spend time exploring audio options for my self-published books. The only audio rights I hold, actually, are for self-published books. Neil Gaiman wrote an interesting post on this problem: "Audiobooks--A Cautionary Tale." As he put it:
Let's say that you do have rights to some titles--whether they're self-published or traditionally-published. How do you start the ball rolling for getting your books into audio?
Right now, the buzz is all about ACX. This is because ACX is becoming a huge player and is really the self-pub option for audio. You need a cover (presumably you have one, since you already have either an ebook or a printed book), your text, the rights to your property, and a plan on how you want to pay the narrator. ACX distributes your audiobook to Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. The top retailers for audio, obviously.
You can decide if you want an exclusive arrangement with ACX or not. I did. More on exclusive vs. non-exclusive:
If you want a royalty-share arrangement with a narrator, you must have an exclusive arrangement with ACX.
Royalty share is one option. It's a 50/50 split plan for the seven year ACX contract. So ACX takes half the earnings, then you and the narrator would both take 25%. Or, you can opt to pay narrators upfront, keeping all the royalties as your own (after, obviously, ACX takes its cut.) More on your options here: (via ACX's site).
The reason royalty share may be appealing is because of the cost of narration, otherwise. I believe that $1200 would be a fair estimate for many projects (at $200 a production hour for a six-hour audio project). However, if you post that you're looking for a royalty-share agreement, you may be limiting the field of narrators--they're having to take a big leap of faith that their substantial investment of time will be worth it in the end. If, obviously, you've already got a successful ebook or two on Amazon, that's going to help your project look more appealing.
The narrators are all screened by ACX for quality. The narrators have their own studios and produce the recording--recording, editing, producing (in most cases), and even uploading the finished file to the platform.
Listing your book is easy. Here's how (I'm using Pretty is as Pretty Dies here as an example since my self-pubbed titles are already uploaded...but I don't hold the audio rights, so it's for illustration only.) :)
You tell it which books are yours. They automatically pulled most of mine up (the magic of "the internets" I guess), but they missed one of my titles. I filled an ISBN in the slot and it came right up.
You decide how you want to handle the process. Do you want to record your own books? Or hire a narrator? I did not want to record my own books. And if you do...be aware of the time investment. I hear it's huge.
Here's your contract.
Basic stuff here. Your book description (I lifted mine off of Amazon), copyright info...the information you have already at your fingertips.
Now here's where you need to put your thinking cap on. Not so much for the general book type info, but for the narrator's voice...that's huge. I ran into this part and my brain exploded. The gender and age isn't so hard (mine was a natural for elderly and female), but the style...just prepare yourself. Here's a sampling of the style options, since I couldn't get a screenshot of the drop-down menu:
announcer, articulate, brooding, deadpan, engaging, enthusiastic, female narrating a male part, feminine, flirtatious, frightened, girlish, hip, host-interviewer, husky, hysterical, informed, ingenue, inspirational, intimidating, male narrating a female part, masculine, mature, nasal, perky, raspy, refined, snarky, sheeping, soothing, storyteller, sultry, upper-class...well, you get the idea. I'm not putting them all in here, but spend some time thinking about this before you get to this point in the process.
Here you need to know a couple of things. For the additional comments...it's really a pitch. We're trying to pitch the project, tell a little about our platform and how we plan to get the word out about the audio version (important...especially with royalty share), and perhaps give some extra insight into what we're looking for in a narration.
Audition script...you're putting in a bit from the book for the narrators to read. ACX advises an action scene. I ignored their advice and put in the first couple of pages of chapter one. The form will cut you off after a certain number of words.
After this, you hold tight and wait. You receive notification via email from ACX that you have auditions to listen to. I've learned that the appropriate etiquette is to keep the narrators apprised as to your process....especially if it's taking a while. They're waiting for our response, after all. I think it's akin to our submitting a manuscript to critique partners and then waiting for feedback...they'd like to know where we are in the process.
If your ebook has a lot of reviews/strong sales, then ask ACX (I emailed) if they'll attach a stipend for the narrators for reading your book. Apparently, ACX considers it in their best interest, financially, for them to get successful ebooks into audio as soon as possible...and aren't above creating an incentive for that to happen. I had two of mine get stipends attached. The other is newish and they passed. Here's what you need to know about stipends. And I have no idea why the site asked for producers to log in....I logged in as a "rights holder" and emailed and they responded right back.
How do we make our book more appealing for narrators? For that, I researched narrator sites. This is what I came up with:
"My 10 Reasons For Accepting Royalty Share on ACX" by Robin Jester Anter. A tip from Robin: " I want to see that the author takes their career seriously by establishing a brand and actively marketing themselves."
"7 Reasons Why Your Book is not Getting Auditions on ACX" by Jeffrey Kafer. Tips from Jeffrey include: making sure you have a good cover (basically, that you have a salable product), having a shorter book (or at least not a saga), and making sure you appear easy to work with.
A few things that struck me as very different from the regular-ebook-self-pub process:
1. We don't produce or upload to the platform. The narrators are (usually) the producers. They edit the audio and upload it for review to ACX.
2. We don't set the price for our audiobooks. That's set by the retailer. Here's what ACX has to say about that:
3. Really, after we pick the narrator, our part is mostly over. And a note about picking the narrator out of a collection of auditions: this means we have to make some rejections. The only reason I bring this up is because I know this is tough on the writer's artistic soul. :) Unfortunately, the nature of this project is that someone has to be chosen and others won't. This may be uncomfortable for you. It's uncomfortable for me because I'm a writer--I'm not an agent, I'm not an editor, I'm not a publisher. I'm not used to being in the position of rejecting others. But this is just part of the process. I'm trying to put my discomfort aside and handle this task as professionally as I can.
How long will the process of narrating and producing take? I'm expecting it to take several months. The narrators may need to take on some projects that pay at the front-end and I completely understand that. They're taking a leap of faith that they'll end up profiting on my projects with the royalty-share arrangement.
I'm new to this, so I'm hoping I'm relating all of this information clearly. Let me know if you have any additions, questions, corrections, or thoughts here.
As I mentioned in Wednesday's post, I recently decided to spend time exploring audio options for my self-published books. The only audio rights I hold, actually, are for self-published books. Neil Gaiman wrote an interesting post on this problem: "Audiobooks--A Cautionary Tale." As he put it:
I think what I want to say mostly is, if you are an author, Get
Involved in Your Audiobooks Early. Get your agent involved and
interested. Talk about them at contract stage. Find out if you're
selling the rights, and if you are selling them then find out what
control you have or whether you are going to be consulted or not about
who the narrator is and how the audiobook is done.
Let's say that you do have rights to some titles--whether they're self-published or traditionally-published. How do you start the ball rolling for getting your books into audio?
Right now, the buzz is all about ACX. This is because ACX is becoming a huge player and is really the self-pub option for audio. You need a cover (presumably you have one, since you already have either an ebook or a printed book), your text, the rights to your property, and a plan on how you want to pay the narrator. ACX distributes your audiobook to Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. The top retailers for audio, obviously.
You can decide if you want an exclusive arrangement with ACX or not. I did. More on exclusive vs. non-exclusive:
Royalties start higher if you choose distribution exclusively through
ACX, which today gets your audiobook listed on Audible.com, Amazon.com,
and iTunes—the three main retailers of audiobooks in the world. If you
choose non-exclusive distribution, you can sell your audiobook wherever
else you’d like, and you will be paid the base escalator royalty rate,
which starts at 25 percent and grows to 90 percent as you sell more
units. At least fifty dollars in royalties must be accrued before
Audible cuts a check.
If you want a royalty-share arrangement with a narrator, you must have an exclusive arrangement with ACX.
Royalty share is one option. It's a 50/50 split plan for the seven year ACX contract. So ACX takes half the earnings, then you and the narrator would both take 25%. Or, you can opt to pay narrators upfront, keeping all the royalties as your own (after, obviously, ACX takes its cut.) More on your options here: (via ACX's site).
The reason royalty share may be appealing is because of the cost of narration, otherwise. I believe that $1200 would be a fair estimate for many projects (at $200 a production hour for a six-hour audio project). However, if you post that you're looking for a royalty-share agreement, you may be limiting the field of narrators--they're having to take a big leap of faith that their substantial investment of time will be worth it in the end. If, obviously, you've already got a successful ebook or two on Amazon, that's going to help your project look more appealing.
The narrators are all screened by ACX for quality. The narrators have their own studios and produce the recording--recording, editing, producing (in most cases), and even uploading the finished file to the platform.
Listing your book is easy. Here's how (I'm using Pretty is as Pretty Dies here as an example since my self-pubbed titles are already uploaded...but I don't hold the audio rights, so it's for illustration only.) :)
You tell it which books are yours. They automatically pulled most of mine up (the magic of "the internets" I guess), but they missed one of my titles. I filled an ISBN in the slot and it came right up.
You decide how you want to handle the process. Do you want to record your own books? Or hire a narrator? I did not want to record my own books. And if you do...be aware of the time investment. I hear it's huge.
Here's your contract.
Basic stuff here. Your book description (I lifted mine off of Amazon), copyright info...the information you have already at your fingertips.
Now here's where you need to put your thinking cap on. Not so much for the general book type info, but for the narrator's voice...that's huge. I ran into this part and my brain exploded. The gender and age isn't so hard (mine was a natural for elderly and female), but the style...just prepare yourself. Here's a sampling of the style options, since I couldn't get a screenshot of the drop-down menu:
announcer, articulate, brooding, deadpan, engaging, enthusiastic, female narrating a male part, feminine, flirtatious, frightened, girlish, hip, host-interviewer, husky, hysterical, informed, ingenue, inspirational, intimidating, male narrating a female part, masculine, mature, nasal, perky, raspy, refined, snarky, sheeping, soothing, storyteller, sultry, upper-class...well, you get the idea. I'm not putting them all in here, but spend some time thinking about this before you get to this point in the process.
Here you need to know a couple of things. For the additional comments...it's really a pitch. We're trying to pitch the project, tell a little about our platform and how we plan to get the word out about the audio version (important...especially with royalty share), and perhaps give some extra insight into what we're looking for in a narration.
Audition script...you're putting in a bit from the book for the narrators to read. ACX advises an action scene. I ignored their advice and put in the first couple of pages of chapter one. The form will cut you off after a certain number of words.
After this, you hold tight and wait. You receive notification via email from ACX that you have auditions to listen to. I've learned that the appropriate etiquette is to keep the narrators apprised as to your process....especially if it's taking a while. They're waiting for our response, after all. I think it's akin to our submitting a manuscript to critique partners and then waiting for feedback...they'd like to know where we are in the process.
If your ebook has a lot of reviews/strong sales, then ask ACX (I emailed) if they'll attach a stipend for the narrators for reading your book. Apparently, ACX considers it in their best interest, financially, for them to get successful ebooks into audio as soon as possible...and aren't above creating an incentive for that to happen. I had two of mine get stipends attached. The other is newish and they passed. Here's what you need to know about stipends. And I have no idea why the site asked for producers to log in....I logged in as a "rights holder" and emailed and they responded right back.
How do we make our book more appealing for narrators? For that, I researched narrator sites. This is what I came up with:
"My 10 Reasons For Accepting Royalty Share on ACX" by Robin Jester Anter. A tip from Robin: " I want to see that the author takes their career seriously by establishing a brand and actively marketing themselves."
"7 Reasons Why Your Book is not Getting Auditions on ACX" by Jeffrey Kafer. Tips from Jeffrey include: making sure you have a good cover (basically, that you have a salable product), having a shorter book (or at least not a saga), and making sure you appear easy to work with.
A few things that struck me as very different from the regular-ebook-self-pub process:
1. We don't produce or upload to the platform. The narrators are (usually) the producers. They edit the audio and upload it for review to ACX.
2. We don't set the price for our audiobooks. That's set by the retailer. Here's what ACX has to say about that:
Each retailer of your audiobook independently prices your product and
determines such price in their sole discretion. While not always the
case, the regular price on Audible.com for the product is generally
priced based on its length, as follows:
Under 3 hours: under $10
3 – 5 hours: $10 - $20
5–10 hours: $15 - $25
10–20 hours: $20 - $30
Over 20 hours: $25 - $35
To be clear, although the above represents general guidelines as
retailer of audiobooks sold on Audible.com, Audible retains the sole
discretion to set the price of the audiobooks it sells.
3. Really, after we pick the narrator, our part is mostly over. And a note about picking the narrator out of a collection of auditions: this means we have to make some rejections. The only reason I bring this up is because I know this is tough on the writer's artistic soul. :) Unfortunately, the nature of this project is that someone has to be chosen and others won't. This may be uncomfortable for you. It's uncomfortable for me because I'm a writer--I'm not an agent, I'm not an editor, I'm not a publisher. I'm not used to being in the position of rejecting others. But this is just part of the process. I'm trying to put my discomfort aside and handle this task as professionally as I can.
How long will the process of narrating and producing take? I'm expecting it to take several months. The narrators may need to take on some projects that pay at the front-end and I completely understand that. They're taking a leap of faith that they'll end up profiting on my projects with the royalty-share arrangement.
I'm new to this, so I'm hoping I'm relating all of this information clearly. Let me know if you have any additions, questions, corrections, or thoughts here.
