Riley Adams's Blog, page 164
November 25, 2012
Writing During the Holidays—Tips
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I probably should have run this post before Thanksgiving. But getting ready for Thanksgiving made me busy and I was juggling different activities—and writing.
Which is what reminded me about doing a post on writing during the holidays!
Obviously, visiting with friends and family is the most important part of the holidays. But writing is also important to most of us. And we all know how easy it is to fall out of any habit over the holidays—whether it’s healthy eating, exercising, or writing.
Here are my tips for keeping up with your writing habit during the busiest time of year:
Write early or late. This works well whether you’re at home, hosting, or traveling.
Don’t try to catch up. There’s nothing more frustrating than feeling like we need to catch up on our word count. But if you have a chance to do a little extra for the next day (in case the following day is busier), then do it.
If there’s a free moment where you’re alone and quiet, pick up your story.
If you’re traveling, keep your story on a USB or save it to a cloud like Google Docs.
Write less each day, but still write daily, or nearly every day, to keep your habit going.
Let everyone in on your goal. This won’t work well with all families, but if yours is the supportive kind, let them know you’re trying to continue writing over the holidays.
Be forgiving of yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your draft.
Leave the house to write. Can you go out to grab a coffee and write for fifteen or twenty minutes?
If you just feel completely sapped and unable to be creative, try doing something with your book. Brainstorm, plan what you might want to write the next day, make random notes on setting, character description, etc.
It’s easy to feel guilty when making time to write during the holidays. You might feel guilty even if no one is around to see you putting time into your story: maybe everyone else is waking up and making breakfast and you’re upstairs trying to write a couple of paragraphs. Or everyone else is still winding down downstairs at night before turning in and you’re finishing a page.
I don’t think we have anything to feel guilty about as long as we’re fully present with our family and friends when we’re with them. If we take thirty minutes to be alone to work on something that’s important to us, that’s nothing to feel guilty about. And I don’t think we have to have an official deadline to justify our daily writing or to place importance in it.
How do you stay on track and maintain a writing habit during holidays or other busy times?
Image: MorgueFile: DTL
I probably should have run this post before Thanksgiving. But getting ready for Thanksgiving made me busy and I was juggling different activities—and writing. Which is what reminded me about doing a post on writing during the holidays!
Obviously, visiting with friends and family is the most important part of the holidays. But writing is also important to most of us. And we all know how easy it is to fall out of any habit over the holidays—whether it’s healthy eating, exercising, or writing.
Here are my tips for keeping up with your writing habit during the busiest time of year:
Write early or late. This works well whether you’re at home, hosting, or traveling.
Don’t try to catch up. There’s nothing more frustrating than feeling like we need to catch up on our word count. But if you have a chance to do a little extra for the next day (in case the following day is busier), then do it.
If there’s a free moment where you’re alone and quiet, pick up your story.
If you’re traveling, keep your story on a USB or save it to a cloud like Google Docs.
Write less each day, but still write daily, or nearly every day, to keep your habit going.
Let everyone in on your goal. This won’t work well with all families, but if yours is the supportive kind, let them know you’re trying to continue writing over the holidays.
Be forgiving of yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your draft.
Leave the house to write. Can you go out to grab a coffee and write for fifteen or twenty minutes?
If you just feel completely sapped and unable to be creative, try doing something with your book. Brainstorm, plan what you might want to write the next day, make random notes on setting, character description, etc.
It’s easy to feel guilty when making time to write during the holidays. You might feel guilty even if no one is around to see you putting time into your story: maybe everyone else is waking up and making breakfast and you’re upstairs trying to write a couple of paragraphs. Or everyone else is still winding down downstairs at night before turning in and you’re finishing a page.
I don’t think we have anything to feel guilty about as long as we’re fully present with our family and friends when we’re with them. If we take thirty minutes to be alone to work on something that’s important to us, that’s nothing to feel guilty about. And I don’t think we have to have an official deadline to justify our daily writing or to place importance in it.
How do you stay on track and maintain a writing habit during holidays or other busy times?
Image: MorgueFile: DTL
November 24, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared
the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge
Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike
Fleming) which has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and
interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your
read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS. The
free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And
check out Hiveword to help you organize
your story.
REact and PROact – developing your character: http://bit.ly/W13AK3
@behlerpublish
Ghostwriting: A Checklist of Questions to Ask Potential Clients:
http://bit.ly/SSJLzc
@BrianKlems
Believable Plots: http://bit.ly/SSJQD9
@fictionnotes
Popularity, Visibility & KDP Select: http://bit.ly/SSJYCC
@DavidGaughran
Structure--Genre Matters: http://bit.ly/SSK2SZ
@kristenlambtx
A writer's reflections on ghostwriting and ending up with 2
agents and a self-pub book: http://bit.ly/WjJgPF @Porter_Anderson
@ByRozMorris
10 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Following: http://bit.ly/TFbJND
@smexaminer
How to Become an Agent: http://bit.ly/TFbX7h
The importance of an ISBN: http://bit.ly/WjH7DB
@Porter_Anderson @ljndawson
Tips for synopsis writing: http://bit.ly/ZvULaV
@LynnetteLabelle
Including pauses in our story: http://bit.ly/ZvUWTT
@SouthrnWritrMag
The 8 Best (Actual) Literary Bars: http://bit.ly/TFczK6
@EddMcCracken
A Self-Publisher's Guide to Kobo: http://bit.ly/ZvWCwC
@mollygreene
What's Your Inner Mythology? http://bit.ly/TFcO80
@EnchantedInkpot
Being unreachable can make you more productive: http://bit.ly/TFcTZq
@lifehacker
How To Download Fan Fiction as eBooks: http://bit.ly/ZvXFfT
@mediabistro
Tips for pitching your book: http://bit.ly/TFdbiP
@msheatherwebb
What
are men reading? http://bit.ly/Wp6WlG
@JustBethanne @Porter_Anderson
10 Twitter Hashtags To Get You Writing (And Keep You Writing): http://bit.ly/ZvYdm7
@krissybrady
Is Blogging Important for Novelists Considering Self-Publishing?
http://bit.ly/TFdjip
@jodyhedlund
Use Fear to Develop Character and Conflict: http://bit.ly/ZvYKEF
Beat Procrastination and Distractions By Scheduling Time for
Them: http://bit.ly/TFdxG8
@lifehacker
A novel approach to going DRM-free: http://oreil.ly/ZvZ85Z
@jwikert
Caught between too much pointless detail and not enough? Choose
your "logic of caring." http://bit.ly/TFdDh0
@juliettewade
How to Mind Map Your Story: http://bit.ly/ZvZx8B
6 Ways Your Protagonist Should Be Like Jack Reacher: http://bit.ly/SK6II8
@fuelyourwriting
Structure–Getting Primal and Staying Simple: http://bit.ly/VM0RiL
@kristenlambTX
Fill The Shelves – A New Initiative To Help Underfunded School
Libraries: http://bit.ly/TRDqHw
@DavidGaughran
Malapropisms: the Pineapple of Linguistic Errors: http://slate.me/WBjV9s @salon
Licensing for Authors: http://bit.ly/VIpqxb
@beth_barany
In Praise of the Implausible: http://bit.ly/UFJxkp
3 Reasons Why SEO Matters: Improve Search Engine Rankings: http://bit.ly/TL37Y3
@robertleebrewer
Writing For Children--Pros and Cons: http://bit.ly/UFJUvb
@BryanThomasS
Publishing Advice: Gauging the Gurus: http://bit.ly/QuqBnx
@Porter_Anderson @MickRooney7777
Is Becoming a Best-Selling Author a Matter of Luck? http://bit.ly/UFJXr3
@goblinwriter
Bypassing theme for objective correlatives: http://bit.ly/TL3sK8
@litreactor
An agent on the need to love a story idea: http://bit.ly/UFK5H4
@literaticat
Where does author end and book begin? http://natpo.st/UFKd9o
@npbooks @coreyredekop
Facebook tips and tricks: http://bit.ly/UFKkll
@JennyHansenCA
How to get inside the mind of a serial killer: http://bit.ly/TL3Qsb @i09
How to Ease Into a Standing Desk Routine: http://bit.ly/TL6wWB
@lifehacker
Do You Have Writer's Block Or Is It Procrastination? http://bit.ly/UFMC43
10 of Literature's Greatest Comeback Books: http://bit.ly/UFMDF5
@flavorpill
Attributes of literary fiction: http://bit.ly/UFN1TV @EdanL
6 Non-Writing Things That Might Improve Your Writing: http://bit.ly/TL73YK
@davidbcoe
8 Simple Tips to Better Writing: http://bit.ly/TL792x
@writersdigest
The 3 Most Popular Editorial Services and Do You Need Them? http://bit.ly/UFNhT1
@TheLitCoach
Author event dos and don'ts (for readers): http://bit.ly/TL7kuB
@NewDorkReview
The Ultimate Story Checklist: http://bit.ly/RP2wpD
@CockeyedCaravan
Building Your Writer Platform — How Much is Enough? http://bit.ly/RPwFVM
@ChuckSambuchino
Filter To Enhance Story: http://bit.ly/ROPsk3
How to create your own marketing team: http://bit.ly/UGuh6N
@rachellegardner
5 myths about science fiction writers: http://bit.ly/TLLUgT
@RobertJSawyer
Why Writers Must Beware Quackery: http://bit.ly/UGuAOV
@chuckwendig
Premium Author Program to come to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/TLM3kp
Is Genre Dying? http://bit.ly/UGuJSB
@MarcyKennedy
The Role of an Acquisitions Editor: http://bit.ly/TLM8Vg
Use digital publishing in tandem with print: http://bit.ly/UGv4op
@brooke_warner
Verbing the Nouns: http://bit.ly/UGv9s2
@TrueFactBarFact
The Only SEO Your Blog Posts Need: http://bit.ly/TLMw6p
@problogger
Resources for Writing Inspiration--Presentations, Prompts, and
Paris: http://bit.ly/UGvACT
Shot Putting and the Art of Story Maintenance: http://bit.ly/TLMMSU
@storyfix
Tips for editing: http://bit.ly/TLMRGa
@nickthacker @thecreativepenn
Rights reversion: http://bit.ly/XilmtR
@kristinerusch
How to Win in Amazon's KDP Select Program: http://bit.ly/XilxFI
@tweetthebook
Self-Publishing in Audio: http://bit.ly/TOsurZ
@JordanDane
Boost Your Creativity: Ideation Techniques for Writers: http://bit.ly/XilMQV
@diymfa
Beware The False Compliments That Are Killing Your Writing: http://bit.ly/XilZnd
@fuelyourwriting
3 things your editor needs to know: http://bit.ly/TOsDvn
@wherewriterswin
The Lure of the Other WIP: http://bit.ly/XimfCM
@bookemdonna
5 Artistic Renderings of Authors in Their Own Words: http://bit.ly/TOsLuQ
@deadwhiteguys
Altering the Quality of Time in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/TOsQ1w
@livewritethrive
Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman: Why we're co-writing a
serial zombie novel: http://bit.ly/TOsXKB
@guardianbooks
"Amazon Is Playing Indie Authors Like Pawns," says
Smashwords founder @MarkCoker: http://bit.ly/Xin26I
Authors, Gather Your Tribe on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TOt3So
@jfbookman
A Day in the Life of a Children's Book Editor: http://bit.ly/TOtaNK
Don't sabotage your writing career: http://bit.ly/XinKAY
@jameswatkinscom
When you hit the brick wall while writing your story: http://bit.ly/TOtBYG
@YAOTLBlog
5 Skills Writers Might Not Know They Possess: http://bit.ly/Xiofea
Can blogging help you write fiction? http://bit.ly/TOtLPG
@michellerafter
13 Ways to Scare Readers Away from Your Book's Website: http://bit.ly/ZMXblI
@authormedia
Seven Notable Literary Kills: http://bit.ly/103vdBr
@Kornlock
How To Attribute Artwork Licensed Under The Creative Commons: http://bit.ly/ZMXX2d
@woodwardkaren
10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection Letters: http://bit.ly/103wdph
@writersdigest
10 Tips for Beginning Writers: http://bit.ly/ZMYCAG
@buddhapuss @KMWeiland
10 Indisputable Signs That You're a Writer: http://bit.ly/103wBE1
@ava_jae
The Greengrocer's Apostrophe, and Why You Shouldn't Buy It: http://bit.ly/ZMYZeH
@nickdaws
Ways to start a social media platform: http://bit.ly/103xs7S
@storyrally
3 indie screenwriting tips: http://bit.ly/ZMZWmZ
An agent reports on YA queries she's received lately and what
she passed on: http://bit.ly/103y9hu
How To Use Craigslist as an Editing Tool: http://bit.ly/ZN0Akp
@galleycat
Don't Compare Your Beginning to Someone Else's Middle: http://bit.ly/103yuAE
@lifehacker
How to be gracious with your book promo: http://bit.ly/ZN0PMD
@behlerpublish
More on the Amazon-Waterstones alliance: http://bit.ly/QurJr8
@Porter_Anderson @philipdsjones
Do Publishers Need to Offer More Value to Authors? http://bit.ly/ZN0ZmV
@janefriedman
A Successful Author Builds a Team: http://bit.ly/103yQHy
@danblank
When Good Paranormal Fantasy Sex Scenes Go Bad: http://bit.ly/ZN26TU
@paulgoatallen
It's Genre. Not That There's Anything Wrong With It: http://nyr.kr/103zZii
@pageturner
Ebook format options: http://bit.ly/UNP42G
Field report on developments in the ebook revolution: http://bit.ly/WmB1qE
@jamesscottbell
Defining genre: http://bit.ly/UNPdDi
@noveleditor
Tips for chapter breaks: http://bit.ly/WmBtoP @woodwardkaren
7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter: http://bit.ly/UNPjuD
@lkblackburne
Scan, OCR and Restore BackList Books: http://bit.ly/UNQvhA
Tips for writing strong female characters: http://bit.ly/WmEGF5
@wordforteens
101 tips for increased creativity: http://bit.ly/UNQM44
@MichaelMichalko
How Much Should You Plan Before Starting a Novel? http://bit.ly/WmF6uQ
@aliventures
Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry: Legs: http://bit.ly/UNR1wb
@beccapuglisi
Tips for ebook publishing: http://bit.ly/WmFBVR
@aliventures @thecreativepenn
A roundtable of editors discuss formatting manuscripts, the
editing process, and more: http://bit.ly/UNRfDl
@RuthHarrisBooks
Overwhlemed? Do the Next Thing. http://bit.ly/WmFSIz
Real people in books--Alice Liddell: http://bit.ly/UNRo9P
@clothesinbooks
Winning in Amazon's KDP Select Program: http://bit.ly/WmGaPw
@TweetTheBook
Positioning Your Book Even If It's Not Genre Fiction: http://bit.ly/UNRvCm
Picking up the Pace in a Slow Scene: http://bit.ly/UNRX3C
@janice_hardy
Tips for lengthening a novel: http://bit.ly/UNS67d
@glencstrathy
17,500 readers with a corrupted ebook file–what 1 writer did
wrong: http://bit.ly/UNSa6N
@lmskomal
You Might Have a Bad Prologue If...: http://bit.ly/UQbBl8
@RC_Lewis
12 Steps to a Heart-Wrenching Romance: http://bit.ly/UQbK8e
@jamiemichelebks
World building and titles: http://bit.ly/UQcbiK
@MLChesley
The Screenplay Method of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/VjbM82
@NAAlleyBlog
An interview with 2 literary agents: http://bit.ly/SIDYeU @lovethepippins
Thematic Image Systems: http://bit.ly/UQcryr
Varieties of the Publishing Experience: http://bit.ly/UQcvOx
@jfbookman
Writers' thoughts on whether an MA is worth it: http://bit.ly/UQczxT
Good books are portals wherever we find them: http://bit.ly/SIEsli
How a creative mindset busts nighttime monsters: http://bit.ly/UQcJ8s
@JeffreyDavis108
Going It Alone: http://bit.ly/UQcNoz
@nlowell
1 writer's advice for new indie authors: http://bit.ly/UQd1Mo
@sarahahoyt
Lessons in Indie Publishing--Marketing: http://bit.ly/UQd6j7
Blogging your book: http://bit.ly/UQj4Rd
@ninaamir
If you write what you know, where do you get ideas? http://bit.ly/SIQ8EN
@dirtywhitecandy
The Relevance of Zombie Fiction: http://bit.ly/UQjlU7
@booksmugglers
Context is everything: http://bit.ly/SIQA5W
10 Stories With (Brilliant) Loose Ends: http://bit.ly/UQjuqO
@kmweiland
8 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Book: http://bit.ly/UQjBTg
@RuthHarrisBooks
Contextual missions for your story: http://bit.ly/UQjPto
@storyfix
Self-Publishing: An Experiment in ‘Free’: http://ow.ly/fsUe5 @PubPerspectives
@Porter_Anderson
Setting and Characterization: Make Them Believable and
Compelling With Specific Visuals : http://bit.ly/SIRrmY
The Empowered Author: (R)evolution Day: http://bit.ly/TljXzc
@BKGKristen @Porter_Anderson
3 Late Bloomers Created Our Favorite Genres: http://bit.ly/UQjZRy
@jenningswire @DebraEve
A novel approach to going DRM-free: http://oreil.ly/ZvZ85Z
@jwikert
10 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Following: http://bit.ly/TFbJND
@smexaminer
Putting free bonus material in our ebooks: http://bit.ly/UGhCko
@duolit @NealAbbott
Publishing has never been an agile industry. And book products
are not MVPs: http://bit.ly/TLxDkq
@Porter_Anderson @bsandusky
How to Tell if Your Book Is a Success: http://bit.ly/RPuUrM
@KMWeiland
Secondary branding in publishing? http://bit.ly/TLvViZ
@Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin
Writing a Romance Novel? Try this Exercise & Develop Your
Characters: http://bit.ly/S48fG2
@writersdigest
Character Motivation: http://bit.ly/TNTeqk
11 Traits of Highly Successful Writers: http://bit.ly/TNTfua
@krissybrady
Is There Ever a Time to Give Up On that Book? http://bit.ly/TNTiX5
@AimeeLSalter
The importance of an ISBN: http://bit.ly/WjH7DB
@Porter_Anderson @ljndawson
Publishing Advice: Gauging the Gurus: http://bit.ly/QuqBnx
@Porter_Anderson @MickRooney7777
More on the Amazon-Waterstones alliance: http://bit.ly/QurJr8 @Porter_Anderson
@philipdsjones
What's Next in Publishing? A Literary Agent Looks in Her Crystal
Ball: http://bit.ly/WmGxJK
@annerallen @agentsavant
Different types of chase scenes in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/UPY6Sx
@mkinberg
Planning a trilogy: http://bit.ly/UPPOtQ
@ PAShortt
A writer's reflections on ghostwriting and ending up with 2
agents and a self-pub book: http://bit.ly/WjJgPF
@Porter_Anderson @ByRozMorris
Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared
the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge
Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike
Fleming) which has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and
interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your
read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS. The
free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And
check out Hiveword to help you organize
your story.
REact and PROact – developing your character: http://bit.ly/W13AK3
@behlerpublish
Ghostwriting: A Checklist of Questions to Ask Potential Clients:
http://bit.ly/SSJLzc
@BrianKlems
Believable Plots: http://bit.ly/SSJQD9
@fictionnotes
Popularity, Visibility & KDP Select: http://bit.ly/SSJYCC
@DavidGaughran
Structure--Genre Matters: http://bit.ly/SSK2SZ
@kristenlambtx
A writer's reflections on ghostwriting and ending up with 2
agents and a self-pub book: http://bit.ly/WjJgPF @Porter_Anderson
@ByRozMorris
10 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Following: http://bit.ly/TFbJND
@smexaminer
How to Become an Agent: http://bit.ly/TFbX7h
The importance of an ISBN: http://bit.ly/WjH7DB
@Porter_Anderson @ljndawson
Tips for synopsis writing: http://bit.ly/ZvULaV
@LynnetteLabelle
Including pauses in our story: http://bit.ly/ZvUWTT
@SouthrnWritrMag
The 8 Best (Actual) Literary Bars: http://bit.ly/TFczK6
@EddMcCracken
A Self-Publisher's Guide to Kobo: http://bit.ly/ZvWCwC
@mollygreene
What's Your Inner Mythology? http://bit.ly/TFcO80
@EnchantedInkpot
Being unreachable can make you more productive: http://bit.ly/TFcTZq
@lifehacker
How To Download Fan Fiction as eBooks: http://bit.ly/ZvXFfT
@mediabistro
Tips for pitching your book: http://bit.ly/TFdbiP
@msheatherwebb
What
are men reading? http://bit.ly/Wp6WlG
@JustBethanne @Porter_Anderson
10 Twitter Hashtags To Get You Writing (And Keep You Writing): http://bit.ly/ZvYdm7
@krissybrady
Is Blogging Important for Novelists Considering Self-Publishing?
http://bit.ly/TFdjip
@jodyhedlund
Use Fear to Develop Character and Conflict: http://bit.ly/ZvYKEF
Beat Procrastination and Distractions By Scheduling Time for
Them: http://bit.ly/TFdxG8
@lifehacker
A novel approach to going DRM-free: http://oreil.ly/ZvZ85Z
@jwikert
Caught between too much pointless detail and not enough? Choose
your "logic of caring." http://bit.ly/TFdDh0
@juliettewade
How to Mind Map Your Story: http://bit.ly/ZvZx8B
6 Ways Your Protagonist Should Be Like Jack Reacher: http://bit.ly/SK6II8
@fuelyourwriting
Structure–Getting Primal and Staying Simple: http://bit.ly/VM0RiL
@kristenlambTX
Fill The Shelves – A New Initiative To Help Underfunded School
Libraries: http://bit.ly/TRDqHw
@DavidGaughran
Malapropisms: the Pineapple of Linguistic Errors: http://slate.me/WBjV9s @salon
Licensing for Authors: http://bit.ly/VIpqxb
@beth_barany
In Praise of the Implausible: http://bit.ly/UFJxkp
3 Reasons Why SEO Matters: Improve Search Engine Rankings: http://bit.ly/TL37Y3
@robertleebrewer
Writing For Children--Pros and Cons: http://bit.ly/UFJUvb
@BryanThomasS
Publishing Advice: Gauging the Gurus: http://bit.ly/QuqBnx
@Porter_Anderson @MickRooney7777
Is Becoming a Best-Selling Author a Matter of Luck? http://bit.ly/UFJXr3
@goblinwriter
Bypassing theme for objective correlatives: http://bit.ly/TL3sK8
@litreactor
An agent on the need to love a story idea: http://bit.ly/UFK5H4
@literaticat
Where does author end and book begin? http://natpo.st/UFKd9o
@npbooks @coreyredekop
Facebook tips and tricks: http://bit.ly/UFKkll
@JennyHansenCA
How to get inside the mind of a serial killer: http://bit.ly/TL3Qsb @i09
How to Ease Into a Standing Desk Routine: http://bit.ly/TL6wWB
@lifehacker
Do You Have Writer's Block Or Is It Procrastination? http://bit.ly/UFMC43
10 of Literature's Greatest Comeback Books: http://bit.ly/UFMDF5
@flavorpill
Attributes of literary fiction: http://bit.ly/UFN1TV @EdanL
6 Non-Writing Things That Might Improve Your Writing: http://bit.ly/TL73YK
@davidbcoe
8 Simple Tips to Better Writing: http://bit.ly/TL792x
@writersdigest
The 3 Most Popular Editorial Services and Do You Need Them? http://bit.ly/UFNhT1
@TheLitCoach
Author event dos and don'ts (for readers): http://bit.ly/TL7kuB
@NewDorkReview
The Ultimate Story Checklist: http://bit.ly/RP2wpD
@CockeyedCaravan
Building Your Writer Platform — How Much is Enough? http://bit.ly/RPwFVM
@ChuckSambuchino
Filter To Enhance Story: http://bit.ly/ROPsk3
How to create your own marketing team: http://bit.ly/UGuh6N
@rachellegardner
5 myths about science fiction writers: http://bit.ly/TLLUgT
@RobertJSawyer
Why Writers Must Beware Quackery: http://bit.ly/UGuAOV
@chuckwendig
Premium Author Program to come to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/TLM3kp
Is Genre Dying? http://bit.ly/UGuJSB
@MarcyKennedy
The Role of an Acquisitions Editor: http://bit.ly/TLM8Vg
Use digital publishing in tandem with print: http://bit.ly/UGv4op
@brooke_warner
Verbing the Nouns: http://bit.ly/UGv9s2
@TrueFactBarFact
The Only SEO Your Blog Posts Need: http://bit.ly/TLMw6p
@problogger
Resources for Writing Inspiration--Presentations, Prompts, and
Paris: http://bit.ly/UGvACT
Shot Putting and the Art of Story Maintenance: http://bit.ly/TLMMSU
@storyfix
Tips for editing: http://bit.ly/TLMRGa
@nickthacker @thecreativepenn
Rights reversion: http://bit.ly/XilmtR
@kristinerusch
How to Win in Amazon's KDP Select Program: http://bit.ly/XilxFI
@tweetthebook
Self-Publishing in Audio: http://bit.ly/TOsurZ
@JordanDane
Boost Your Creativity: Ideation Techniques for Writers: http://bit.ly/XilMQV
@diymfa
Beware The False Compliments That Are Killing Your Writing: http://bit.ly/XilZnd
@fuelyourwriting
3 things your editor needs to know: http://bit.ly/TOsDvn
@wherewriterswin
The Lure of the Other WIP: http://bit.ly/XimfCM
@bookemdonna
5 Artistic Renderings of Authors in Their Own Words: http://bit.ly/TOsLuQ
@deadwhiteguys
Altering the Quality of Time in Your Novel: http://bit.ly/TOsQ1w
@livewritethrive
Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman: Why we're co-writing a
serial zombie novel: http://bit.ly/TOsXKB
@guardianbooks
"Amazon Is Playing Indie Authors Like Pawns," says
Smashwords founder @MarkCoker: http://bit.ly/Xin26I
Authors, Gather Your Tribe on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TOt3So
@jfbookman
A Day in the Life of a Children's Book Editor: http://bit.ly/TOtaNK
Don't sabotage your writing career: http://bit.ly/XinKAY
@jameswatkinscom
When you hit the brick wall while writing your story: http://bit.ly/TOtBYG
@YAOTLBlog
5 Skills Writers Might Not Know They Possess: http://bit.ly/Xiofea
Can blogging help you write fiction? http://bit.ly/TOtLPG
@michellerafter
13 Ways to Scare Readers Away from Your Book's Website: http://bit.ly/ZMXblI
@authormedia
Seven Notable Literary Kills: http://bit.ly/103vdBr
@Kornlock
How To Attribute Artwork Licensed Under The Creative Commons: http://bit.ly/ZMXX2d
@woodwardkaren
10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection Letters: http://bit.ly/103wdph
@writersdigest
10 Tips for Beginning Writers: http://bit.ly/ZMYCAG
@buddhapuss @KMWeiland
10 Indisputable Signs That You're a Writer: http://bit.ly/103wBE1
@ava_jae
The Greengrocer's Apostrophe, and Why You Shouldn't Buy It: http://bit.ly/ZMYZeH
@nickdaws
Ways to start a social media platform: http://bit.ly/103xs7S
@storyrally
3 indie screenwriting tips: http://bit.ly/ZMZWmZ
An agent reports on YA queries she's received lately and what
she passed on: http://bit.ly/103y9hu
How To Use Craigslist as an Editing Tool: http://bit.ly/ZN0Akp
@galleycat
Don't Compare Your Beginning to Someone Else's Middle: http://bit.ly/103yuAE
@lifehacker
How to be gracious with your book promo: http://bit.ly/ZN0PMD
@behlerpublish
More on the Amazon-Waterstones alliance: http://bit.ly/QurJr8
@Porter_Anderson @philipdsjones
Do Publishers Need to Offer More Value to Authors? http://bit.ly/ZN0ZmV
@janefriedman
A Successful Author Builds a Team: http://bit.ly/103yQHy
@danblank
When Good Paranormal Fantasy Sex Scenes Go Bad: http://bit.ly/ZN26TU
@paulgoatallen
It's Genre. Not That There's Anything Wrong With It: http://nyr.kr/103zZii
@pageturner
Ebook format options: http://bit.ly/UNP42G
Field report on developments in the ebook revolution: http://bit.ly/WmB1qE
@jamesscottbell
Defining genre: http://bit.ly/UNPdDi
@noveleditor
Tips for chapter breaks: http://bit.ly/WmBtoP @woodwardkaren
7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter: http://bit.ly/UNPjuD
@lkblackburne
Scan, OCR and Restore BackList Books: http://bit.ly/UNQvhA
Tips for writing strong female characters: http://bit.ly/WmEGF5
@wordforteens
101 tips for increased creativity: http://bit.ly/UNQM44
@MichaelMichalko
How Much Should You Plan Before Starting a Novel? http://bit.ly/WmF6uQ
@aliventures
Physical Attributes Thesaurus Entry: Legs: http://bit.ly/UNR1wb
@beccapuglisi
Tips for ebook publishing: http://bit.ly/WmFBVR
@aliventures @thecreativepenn
A roundtable of editors discuss formatting manuscripts, the
editing process, and more: http://bit.ly/UNRfDl
@RuthHarrisBooks
Overwhlemed? Do the Next Thing. http://bit.ly/WmFSIz
Real people in books--Alice Liddell: http://bit.ly/UNRo9P
@clothesinbooks
Winning in Amazon's KDP Select Program: http://bit.ly/WmGaPw
@TweetTheBook
Positioning Your Book Even If It's Not Genre Fiction: http://bit.ly/UNRvCm
Picking up the Pace in a Slow Scene: http://bit.ly/UNRX3C
@janice_hardy
Tips for lengthening a novel: http://bit.ly/UNS67d
@glencstrathy
17,500 readers with a corrupted ebook file–what 1 writer did
wrong: http://bit.ly/UNSa6N
@lmskomal
You Might Have a Bad Prologue If...: http://bit.ly/UQbBl8
@RC_Lewis
12 Steps to a Heart-Wrenching Romance: http://bit.ly/UQbK8e
@jamiemichelebks
World building and titles: http://bit.ly/UQcbiK
@MLChesley
The Screenplay Method of Storytelling: http://bit.ly/VjbM82
@NAAlleyBlog
An interview with 2 literary agents: http://bit.ly/SIDYeU @lovethepippins
Thematic Image Systems: http://bit.ly/UQcryr
Varieties of the Publishing Experience: http://bit.ly/UQcvOx
@jfbookman
Writers' thoughts on whether an MA is worth it: http://bit.ly/UQczxT
Good books are portals wherever we find them: http://bit.ly/SIEsli
How a creative mindset busts nighttime monsters: http://bit.ly/UQcJ8s
@JeffreyDavis108
Going It Alone: http://bit.ly/UQcNoz
@nlowell
1 writer's advice for new indie authors: http://bit.ly/UQd1Mo
@sarahahoyt
Lessons in Indie Publishing--Marketing: http://bit.ly/UQd6j7
Blogging your book: http://bit.ly/UQj4Rd
@ninaamir
If you write what you know, where do you get ideas? http://bit.ly/SIQ8EN
@dirtywhitecandy
The Relevance of Zombie Fiction: http://bit.ly/UQjlU7
@booksmugglers
Context is everything: http://bit.ly/SIQA5W
10 Stories With (Brilliant) Loose Ends: http://bit.ly/UQjuqO
@kmweiland
8 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Book: http://bit.ly/UQjBTg
@RuthHarrisBooks
Contextual missions for your story: http://bit.ly/UQjPto
@storyfix
Self-Publishing: An Experiment in ‘Free’: http://ow.ly/fsUe5 @PubPerspectives
@Porter_Anderson
Setting and Characterization: Make Them Believable and
Compelling With Specific Visuals : http://bit.ly/SIRrmY
The Empowered Author: (R)evolution Day: http://bit.ly/TljXzc
@BKGKristen @Porter_Anderson
3 Late Bloomers Created Our Favorite Genres: http://bit.ly/UQjZRy
@jenningswire @DebraEve
A novel approach to going DRM-free: http://oreil.ly/ZvZ85Z
@jwikert
10 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Following: http://bit.ly/TFbJND
@smexaminer
Putting free bonus material in our ebooks: http://bit.ly/UGhCko
@duolit @NealAbbott
Publishing has never been an agile industry. And book products
are not MVPs: http://bit.ly/TLxDkq
@Porter_Anderson @bsandusky
How to Tell if Your Book Is a Success: http://bit.ly/RPuUrM
@KMWeiland
Secondary branding in publishing? http://bit.ly/TLvViZ
@Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin
Writing a Romance Novel? Try this Exercise & Develop Your
Characters: http://bit.ly/S48fG2
@writersdigest
Character Motivation: http://bit.ly/TNTeqk
11 Traits of Highly Successful Writers: http://bit.ly/TNTfua
@krissybrady
Is There Ever a Time to Give Up On that Book? http://bit.ly/TNTiX5
@AimeeLSalter
The importance of an ISBN: http://bit.ly/WjH7DB
@Porter_Anderson @ljndawson
Publishing Advice: Gauging the Gurus: http://bit.ly/QuqBnx
@Porter_Anderson @MickRooney7777
More on the Amazon-Waterstones alliance: http://bit.ly/QurJr8 @Porter_Anderson
@philipdsjones
What's Next in Publishing? A Literary Agent Looks in Her Crystal
Ball: http://bit.ly/WmGxJK
@annerallen @agentsavant
Different types of chase scenes in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/UPY6Sx
@mkinberg
Planning a trilogy: http://bit.ly/UPPOtQ
@ PAShortt
A writer's reflections on ghostwriting and ending up with 2
agents and a self-pub book: http://bit.ly/WjJgPF
@Porter_Anderson @ByRozMorris
November 20, 2012
Thanksgiving Week Schedule Change
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
If it seems a little quieter than usual on the web this week, it’s probably because Thanksgiving is tomorrow here in the States.
Although I've got tweets scheduled through the week on Twitter, I’m going dark here on the blog until Sunday when I’ll post my usual Twitter wrap-up. This way I can figure out what I’m cooking and pull my recipes together before my family arrives!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you’re celebrating. See you on Sunday.
Image: MorgueFile—Bosela
If it seems a little quieter than usual on the web this week, it’s probably because Thanksgiving is tomorrow here in the States.
Although I've got tweets scheduled through the week on Twitter, I’m going dark here on the blog until Sunday when I’ll post my usual Twitter wrap-up. This way I can figure out what I’m cooking and pull my recipes together before my family arrives!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you’re celebrating. See you on Sunday.
Image: MorgueFile—Bosela
November 18, 2012
Planning the Trilogy--Guest Post by Paul Anthony Shortt
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by Paul Anthony Shortt, @PAShortt
Thank you for having me, Elizabeth. Your blog is a constant source of wisdom which I try to apply to my work.
I’ve always loved trilogies. They just seem like the perfect storytelling format. You’ve got your opening, establishing the heroes and their challenges. Then the twisty middle where the villains retaliate and it seems like all may be lost. Finally, the big finish, the final showdown where we see if the heroes really can defeat the villains.
Like many kids of my generation, the first real trilogy I was exposed to was Star Wars. With The Empire Strikes Back I first saw the villains appear to win at the end of a story. This concept blew my mind and made me desperate to see what happened next. I felt for the heroes. I had suffered as the heroes had. I wanted to see them fight back. That’s a powerful feeling.
It’s a feeling I hope to capture with the story of Nathan Shepherd. While I’ve been promoting the release of Locked Within, I’ve also been working on the sequel, Forgotten Cause. Originally I had planned to write a 6-book series, feeling I needed that many books to properly tell the story.
But speaking with my publisher made me realise how turning the series into a trilogy could tighten up my storytelling and keep the emotions and stakes at their peak. I could introduce important characters sooner, reveal secrets of my setting, and keep the focus on Nathan Shepherd’s struggle against not only his enemies in this life, but the emotional demons of his past lives.
Changing from a 6-book series (a hexalogy) to a trilogy has dramatically changed how I need to plan the overall story. Instead of whole books of character development and angst, I have plans for concise, tense adventures where the characters must face their inner conflicts while facing high stakes. The fate of the world will hang in the balance, and it’s important that the characters’ internal challenges are of an appropriate level.
With Locked Within I introduce Nathan Shepherd, my hero, and the supernatural world he learns that he’s already a part of. He faces a monster connected to his past lives, which threatens innocent people all over New York.
In Forgotten Cause, I will explore more of this dark, sinister New York. Nathan will encounter people from past lives who may be friends or enemies, and he must confront decisions in a previous lifetime which have dire consequences for his current incarnation. This will likely be quite a dire story, appropriately dark for the middle point in the trilogy.
The final part in the story is tentatively titled Memory War, and will feature Nathan’s final battle against his enemies, bringing together allies from incarnations past and present. Nathan will have to call on all his skills and memories to figure out how to stop his nemesis, a reincarnated warrior named Athamar who bears an insatiable hatred of Nathan, from enacting a plan that will threaten the entire world.
All trilogies need to raise the stakes as the series goes on. The potential rewards, as well as the cost of failure, must increase to keep the reader focused.
What are some of your favourite trilogies? Personally, I think the best trilogy in film is the Back to the Future series. It fits the format perfectly, each installment building on the last.
About Locked Within: The supernatural realm and the mundane world have existed side by side since the dawn of time. Predators walk the streets, hidden by our own ignorance. Once, the city of New York was protected, but that was another age.Now a creature emerges from the city's past to kill again, with no one to hear the screams of its victims. The lost and the weak, crushed under the heels of the city's supernatural masters, have given up hope.
But one man finds himself drawn to these deaths. Plagued by dreams of past lives, his obsession may cost him friends, loved ones, even his life. To stop this monster, he must unlock the strength he once had. He must remember the warrior he was, to become the hero he was born to be.
His name is Nathan Shepherd, and he remembers.
Buy for Kindle
Paperback
Bio:A child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life.
Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.He lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends. Jen is pregnant again and is expecting twins.
Website: http://paulanthonyshortt.blogspot.com
November 17, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific is a compilation of all
the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike
Fleming) which has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics.
Sign up for our free newsletter for
monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us
on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way
for you to list and sort articles, view your read articles, and see your search
history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS. The free My WKB page
is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to help you organize your story.
I'm also on the Wordpreneur blog today, talking about how I started self-publishing and became a hybrid writer. Hope you'll pop by.
The secret to writing fiction--emotional manipulation: http://bit.ly/ROYQnY
@authorterryo @WHammondAuthor
Plot Motivates, Character Complicates: http://bit.ly/Uk6dka
@CockeyedCaravan
Publishing has never been an agile industry. And book
products are not MVPs: http://bit.ly/TLxDkq @Porter_Anderson @bsandusky
The Value of QR Codes for Authors: http://bit.ly/RPweL6
@wherewriterswin
Defining sexual tension and 4 areas to consider when
creating it in our stories: http://bit.ly/SSr12M @authorterryo @SavvyAuthors
Crime fiction--a look at country house mysteries: http://bit.ly/UG8J4v
@mkinberg
Keeping Your Name in Readers’ Minds with a Newsletter: http://bit.ly/TL0Agm
@carol_kilgore @mpax1
Secondary branding in publishing? http://bit.ly/TLvViZ
@Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin
Collaboration & Lessons Learned From Improv: http://bit.ly/U3VCJL
What are Best Practices for KDP Select? http://bit.ly/PxJGDD @passivevoiceblg
Publishing Short Stories: http://bit.ly/U3VOZw
Too Smart?: Intelligence in Romance Novels: http://bit.ly/PxJNz5 @heroesnhearts
Literature as Societal Reflection: http://bit.ly/U3W1fl @sarahahoyt
4 Ways to Revise as You Write: http://bit.ly/PxK4C7 @writersdigest
Writing lessons learned from "Unending Devotion": http://bit.ly/U3W6ji @juliemusil @jodyhedlund
4 steps to using mind mapping for story ideas, blog topics: http://bit.ly/WBjyvG @michellerafter
Publishing's "open" future: http://oreil.ly/TwlCzf @jwikert
Malapropisms: the Pineapple of Linguistic Errors: http://slate.me/WBjV9s @salon
A Typeface Just for Dyslexics? http://bit.ly/TwlOP5 @jfbookman
Little Fixes: http://bit.ly/TwlUGj @maryannwrites
10 Things You Don't Know About Sherlock Holmes: http://bit.ly/WBkwIe @junglereds @bakerstbabes
1 romance editor's pet peeves: http://bit.ly/TwmmnR
How Do Your Characters Fight? http://bit.ly/WBlEvG @bookemdonna
25 Things Writers Should Know About Conferences And Conventions:
http://bit.ly/TwmEuX {lang.}
10 Strategies to Keep You Afloat in the Treacherous Social Media
Waters: http://bit.ly/TwmLXx @JanalynVoigt
What does a book edit look like? http://bit.ly/WBn0Xb @rachellegardner
A look at Amazon Author Rank: http://bit.ly/TwmRyf @woodwardkaren
How to Hustle Your Readers in 3 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/Twn6to
Balancing Beauty, Language, and Story: http://bit.ly/WBoDEf @KgElfland2ndCuz
13 Steps to Getting an Agent: http://bit.ly/SwbOnQ @4YALit
Avoiding Digital Eye Strain: 7 Easy Tips: http://bit.ly/SwbUvJ
Emotion Behind Story: http://bit.ly/SOP2dq @StinaLL
Is Your Author Website Doing Its Job? 6 Things to Check: http://bit.ly/SOP70C @laurapepwu
Blog tour basics: http://bit.ly/SwcfhP
Using Twitter to (Effectively) Market Your Book: http://bit.ly/SwcQ2W @duolit
Networking for Writers: Conference Etiquette: http://bit.ly/SwcUzI @adriennedewolfe
Grammar refresher--possessives: http://bit.ly/Swd2zd
6 Tips for Creating and Selling Your First ebook: http://bit.ly/Swdpdf @alexisgrant
Wikis for Writers: http://bit.ly/SOPZ5t
How to Kill Characters With Impact: http://bit.ly/SwdQnU @avajae
Critique Groups…a Blessing and a Curse: http://bit.ly/SOQfkS @howtowriteshop
Setting Boundaries in a World with No Borders: http://bit.ly/Swe2Uf @KristenLambTX
Plurals and Apostrophes (Mostly) Don't Mix: http://bit.ly/SOQoVt @writing_tips
Check Your Writing For Adverbs And Other Problem Words: MS Word
Macros: http://bit.ly/SOQrAB @woodwardkaren
Subtext in your screenplay: http://bit.ly/WL8NqQ @UnkScreenwriter
Licensing for Authors: http://bit.ly/VIpqxb @beth_barany
Common Writing Mistakes: http://bit.ly/ScboTt @noveleditor
When Should You Launch Your Author Website? http://bit.ly/SoT8d3 @authormedia
Writing, Creativity, And The Empowerment Of The Author In
Publishing: http://bit.ly/VRHafk @thecreativepenn
The Only 2 Things Authors Ought to be Doing: http://bit.ly/S40TSU @JFBookman
Subtext in Your Screenplay's Dialogue: http://bit.ly/WLblFg and http://bit.ly/ZdpPLB @UnkScreenwriter
How to create a 25-word pitch: http://bit.ly/WLctc1 @nicolamorgan @victoriastrauss
The Dangling Carrot and Character Development: http://bit.ly/Zdsox8 @behlerpublish
Indie Authors & Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/WLcUD3
17 Phrases That Crush Creativity Every Time: http://bit.ly/Zdu75I @lifehackorg
Dialogue Spacing: http://bit.ly/WLeTaI @kid_lit
Transportation in SF: http://bit.ly/Zdw16s @sfsignal
Flexible eBook Price Advice for Authors: http://bit.ly/ZdwtBF @jasonboog @jasonashlock
1 writer's experience with using music for inspiration: http://bit.ly/WLfZTU @guineapig66 @byrozmorris
Bookshout: Managing Bookshelves, Not Books: http://bit.ly/WLg8Xs @publisherswkly
How Long Should a Paragraph Be? http://bit.ly/WLgg9n @writing_tips
Freelancers--5 Simple Questions To Ask Before Choosing a Writing
Mentor: http://bit.ly/Zdy6z8 @museinks
What's The Itch Your Character Can't Scratch? http://bit.ly/WLgL35 @jacobkrueger
A site that lists book reviewing blogs: http://bit.ly/TArTKm @blog_nation
5 Essential Elements of Getting from Blog to Book Deal: http://bit.ly/TRDerJ
Why writers disappear (part 3): http://bit.ly/TAs5Js @kristinerusch
Fill The Shelves – A New Initiative To Help Underfunded School
Libraries: http://bit.ly/TRDqHw @DavidGaughran
How to Write a Han Solo Hero in 6 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/TAsbka @tiffanyreisz @janice_hardy
Does Your Dialogue Deserve to Exist? http://bit.ly/TRDyqq @marcykennedy
Character reactions: http://bit.ly/SYey0E @angelaackerman @davidfarland
Refresher on semicolons: http://bit.ly/SYeA8S @fictionnotes
31 Blog Design Tips: http://bit.ly/TCqbIj @HeidiCohen
Creating Your Literary Foundation: http://litreactor.com/columns/creating-your-literary-foundation @TheLitCoach
How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Writers: http://bit.ly/TCqlzu
Why We Need To Write With A Purpose In Mind: http://bit.ly/SYeOwS @fuelyourwriting
The Hidden Powers of Book Marketers: http://bit.ly/SYeRc5 @threeguys1book
Frightening Fantasy? http://bit.ly/TCqG4Z @rmriegel
When You Feel Like the Worst Writer in the World: http://bit.ly/SYeWwq @jodyhedlund
Is "literary citizenship" just a nice way of saying
"hype?" http://bit.ly/TCqP8P @daycathy
5 Tips for Using Google+ to Boost Your Marketing: http://bit.ly/SYf5Qi @smexaminer
Writer Igniter: The Story Behind the Web App: http://bit.ly/TCqRNT @diymfa
Expanding your story's setting into a larger container: http://bit.ly/SYfaDx
Conflicting Your Reader: http://bit.ly/SYffan
3 More Protocol Tips for Attending a Writing Conference: http://bit.ly/SYfjac
5 Ways to Silence Your Internal Editor: http://bit.ly/SYfp1F @jeanoram
Emotion in The Three Acts: http://bit.ly/TCrdUK @aliciarasley
What writers can learn from Barry Eisler: http://bit.ly/SYfu5t
Two Tips That Will Make Plotting Easier: http://bit.ly/TCrhnj @janice_hardy
Writing a Romance Novel? Try this Exercise & Develop Your
Characters: http://bit.ly/S48fG2 @writersdigest
Writing a Romance Novel? Try this Exercise & Develop Your
Characters: http://bit.ly/S48fG2 @writersdigest
How to Hustle Your Readers in 3 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/Twn6to
Revealing your novel's theme: http://bit.ly/UjrCdf
Are You Hiding Your Contact Information From Your Readers? http://bit.ly/ROR6ST @selfpubreview
Struggling with a story? Test its architecture: http://bit.ly/RORiRY @storyfix
How to write a book in 30 days: http://bit.ly/UjtLp3 @guardianbooks
Recapture Your Creative Groove: http://bit.ly/RORQaz
Unsolicited Evaluation Is the Enemy of Creativity: http://bit.ly/ROS1Te
Book Review Blogs That Accept Self-Published Work: http://bit.ly/RP1x93 @woodwardkaren
Writers' most common submission mistakes — and how to avoid
them: http://bit.ly/RP1AS1 @midgeraymond
Online Thesaurus Gives Shorter Alternatives To Big Words: http://bit.ly/UjGd8r @chris_shultz81
Exploding the Perfect Writer Myth: http://bit.ly/UjGisL @Anna_Elliott
In Medias Res: An Ancient Secret for Beginning Your Novel: http://bit.ly/UjGmJ6 @glencstrathy
Reorganize Files to Get Yourself Back on Track for Big Projects:
http://bit.ly/UjGBne @lifehacker
The Hero's Goals Can't Be A Mystery: http://bit.ly/RPohFQ @CockeyedCaravan
Setting Up Your Author Central Page: http://bit.ly/RPu9im @WhereWritersWin
Don't be afraid of telling your story: http://bit.ly/UkcImO @kcraftwriter
Tips for writing middle-grade: http://bit.ly/RPuxxk @theheraldryang
Should Authors Use Different Names for Different Genres? http://bit.ly/QADngo @annerallen
Intimate POV and show v. tell: http://bit.ly/RPuOjZ @BryanThomasS
5 Ways to Make Your Novel Inescapable: http://bit.ly/Ukdnoy @victoriamixon
How to Tell if Your Book Is a Success: http://bit.ly/RPuUrM @KMWeiland
Baloney Advice Writers Should Ignore: http://bit.ly/Ukdr7L @jamesscottbell
How to Avoid Wet Blanket Phenomena In Creative Collaborations: http://bit.ly/RPv2Yf @thinkjar_
Think Like A Writer Every Day, Even If You Can't Write Every
Day: http://bit.ly/UkdOPv @thecreativepenn @midgeraymond
3 Types of Humor ~ Getting Them On The Page: http://bit.ly/RPvohD
Hooking the Reader With a Quieter Beginning: http://bit.ly/Uke40R @janice_hardy
An agent on whether authors should blog: http://bit.ly/RPvypd @rachellegardner
Reach New Readers with New Genres, Story Elements and
Categories: http://bit.ly/UkeuV9 @ddscottromcom
The Upside of Writing Fast: http://bit.ly/RPvUw7 @RuthHarrisBooks
The Click Moment. Embracing Randomness For Authors: http://bit.ly/UkeC76 @thecreativepenn @Frans_Johansson
Should writers change their story to suit an editor? http://bit.ly/UkeXqd
5 Podcast Sites for Authors: http://bit.ly/Ukfadh @wherewriterswin
Advice From Authors on Avoiding Online Distractions: http://nyti.ms/RPwwln @nickbilton
Working With World Building Backstory: http://bit.ly/UkflFd @janice_hardy
Understanding Metadata for Authors: http://bit.ly/RPB1fM @badredheadmedia @LauraHoward78
6 Ways to Shake Up Your Storytelling Style: http://bit.ly/UkkWLJ @write_practice
3 Steps for Using Prompts to Write Better & Get Published: http://bit.ly/RPBxdC @diymfa
Mindfulness for the Writer: http://bit.ly/Uklb9P @CherylRWrites
The New Path to Writing Success: http://bit.ly/RPBKxh @CBIClubhouse
7 tips to advertise your book: http://bit.ly/Uklstg @badreadheadmedia
Consumers may pay more for DRM-free products they can use
as they please: http://bit.ly/TLyqSn @Porter_Anderson @joshgans @jwikert
Putting free bonus material in our ebooks: http://bit.ly/UGhCko @duolit @NealAbbott
Your Publishing Journey—An Obstacle Course: http://bit.ly/UklK3r @livewritethrive
A list of spooky words: http://bit.ly/RPCe6O @SharlaWrites
10 top romances in Stephen King books: http://bit.ly/Ukm3Lr @heroesnhearts
A book launch marketing plan: http://bit.ly/SSFT1g @socialmouths
Hooks: Fly-Fishing for Writers: http://bit.ly/W0Xh9r @writersherry
The future is bright for ebook prices and formats: http://oreil.ly/SSG1Og @jwikert
Bring Your Blogging Muse Back to Life: http://bit.ly/SSG6Bq @blogussion
Writing Life: Turn Your Dreams into Reality: http://bit.ly/SSGboJ
Always Write Terrible First Drafts: http://bit.ly/SSGeB7 @CMKaufman
Agents Share Conference Tips: http://bit.ly/W13ylo @diymfa
Secondary branding in publishing? http://bit.ly/TLvViZ
@Porter_Anderson @MikeShatzkin
November 16, 2012
How I Fell Into My Genre--Guest Post by Mike Martin
by Mike Martin
A funny thing happened to me on the way to becoming a
fiction writer. I ended up in mystery. I'm not really sure how I got here or
why. But, after being here for a little while I think I like it.
I have been a freelance writer, ghost writer, content
article churner, SEO and keyword specialist, editor, associate publisher,
social policy developer, and family Christmas chronicler since forever. But my
fiction works could fit into one school exercise book. And mystery was not one
of my major areas of interest.
Actually that is a bit of a lie because when I discovered
all of the various sub-genres of mystery and crime I found that I already liked
many of them. That includes some old-time stuff like Agatha Christie's Miss
Marple and Poirot. And a ton of the British series like A Touch of Frost and
Midsomer Murders.
When I dug a little further I realized that I also liked
detectives, police procedurals, cozies, hard-boiled, locked-room, true crime,
amateur and professional sleuth, legal, medical, suspense, and historical mystery
series and books. There really wasn't much mystery that I didn't like.
What appealed to me about mystery was that with the
exception of true crime, and that might even be included if you think about the
ingenuity of the criminals, all of these genres and subdivisions relied on one
basic premise: telling a good story that was pure fiction and imagination. That
drew me in and kept me prisoner every time.
It was the love of a good story that brought me into mystery
writing. First, the reading and enjoying of it. And now the creation of my own.
But I actually think it is the people inside this genre who will keep me here.
That starts with my fellow writers, the famous and the soon to be, who have
almost to a person invited me into the fraternity/sorority of mystery writers
with helpful hints, advice, reviews and guidance along the way. They have
encouraged me to write well, write better, and write more.
And it is the mystery lovers who sustain me. Every single one
who stops by when I'm sitting alone, probably feeling sorry for myself, at a
book signing, and they say hello and ask about my book. They don't have to buy
it, although that's nice. They have already given me a gift by acknowledging
the fact that I am a mystery writer. I am one of them.
I have one book out and another in editing and the third
rolling around from back to forth in my head, sometimes waking me up in the
middle of the night to look for a pad and paper. I have never been happier in
my life. It may have taken me a long time to get here but I plan on staying.
That is if you kind folks will still allow me the privilege of hanging around
this genre.
Mike Martin is the author of The Walker on the Cape, the first in the Windflower mystery series. For more information visit www.walkeronthecape.com
A funny thing happened to me on the way to becoming a
fiction writer. I ended up in mystery. I'm not really sure how I got here or
why. But, after being here for a little while I think I like it.
I have been a freelance writer, ghost writer, content
article churner, SEO and keyword specialist, editor, associate publisher,
social policy developer, and family Christmas chronicler since forever. But my
fiction works could fit into one school exercise book. And mystery was not one
of my major areas of interest.
Actually that is a bit of a lie because when I discovered
all of the various sub-genres of mystery and crime I found that I already liked
many of them. That includes some old-time stuff like Agatha Christie's Miss
Marple and Poirot. And a ton of the British series like A Touch of Frost and
Midsomer Murders.
When I dug a little further I realized that I also liked
detectives, police procedurals, cozies, hard-boiled, locked-room, true crime,
amateur and professional sleuth, legal, medical, suspense, and historical mystery
series and books. There really wasn't much mystery that I didn't like.
What appealed to me about mystery was that with the
exception of true crime, and that might even be included if you think about the
ingenuity of the criminals, all of these genres and subdivisions relied on one
basic premise: telling a good story that was pure fiction and imagination. That
drew me in and kept me prisoner every time.
It was the love of a good story that brought me into mystery
writing. First, the reading and enjoying of it. And now the creation of my own.
But I actually think it is the people inside this genre who will keep me here.
That starts with my fellow writers, the famous and the soon to be, who have
almost to a person invited me into the fraternity/sorority of mystery writers
with helpful hints, advice, reviews and guidance along the way. They have
encouraged me to write well, write better, and write more.
And it is the mystery lovers who sustain me. Every single one
who stops by when I'm sitting alone, probably feeling sorry for myself, at a
book signing, and they say hello and ask about my book. They don't have to buy
it, although that's nice. They have already given me a gift by acknowledging
the fact that I am a mystery writer. I am one of them.
I have one book out and another in editing and the third
rolling around from back to forth in my head, sometimes waking me up in the
middle of the night to look for a pad and paper. I have never been happier in
my life. It may have taken me a long time to get here but I plan on staying.
That is if you kind folks will still allow me the privilege of hanging around
this genre.
Mike Martin is the author of The Walker on the Cape, the first in the Windflower mystery series. For more information visit www.walkeronthecape.com
November 15, 2012
Observations from Running a Free Book Sale
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I finally got around to experimenting with doing a free promo. Naturally, I was interested in seeing if running this kind of a promo would boost sales of my other books…and also, I was just curious. I’ve seen a ton of free book promotions and hadn’t tried doing one myself.
So far I’ve run two…a very short one, and one that’s turning out to be longer than I anticipated.
What I’ve noticed:
You get a ton of reviews and a real look at who’s reading your books. They talk about what they like and don’t like. I like getting a snapshot of my readers and feel like I was casting the net wider to really get a better picture of my demographic.
You get a lot of visibility. As unbelievable as this sounds, I heard from two different people that I’d worked with, two different summers while I was in college. I hadn’t heard from these coworkers in twenty years…and they both happened to find me through the free book promo.
The sale does impact your other books’ sales. But don’t get too excited. This seems to vary. I know that my sales for the other books did show a slight uptick. One comment from a reviewer on Amazon for Progressive Dinner Deadly: Found this browsing around. I usually hesitate to buy self-pubbed vanity releases for obvious reasons but took a chance with the good reviews and free price. I sooooo enjoyed this. Good marketing because now I'm willing to pay for the rest!
So there we have proof of actual sales resulting from the promo….if she did indeed follow through with the purchases. :) (And please forgive the inclusion of a good review to make a point.)
You may not have as much control over how long your book is free as you’d like. Maybe you know something that I don’t, but the length of the sale might be somewhat out of your hands. The first time I tried this, I successfully ran a free promo for a couple of days by making the book free on Smashwords. I almost immediately took raised the price back up again on Smashwords. Amazon made the book free within 24 hours and then raised the price after 48 hours.
This time…the book is still free. I’ve raised the price on Smashwords (it’s been over a week now), and Amazon has not reflected the change. I’m guessing that somebody out there…Kobo, Apple, etc….hasn’t raised the price up yet and Amazon is still matching the free listing.
Update 11-16--This morning I see that the free ebook is now full price again. So Amazon finally either realized the book was no longer free at the online bookstore that prompted the sale, or else that bookstore (Kobo?) finally raised the price (although the price had changed at Smashwords long ago.)
Might be a better strategy if you have a couple of other books up for sale. Otherwise, you could be missing out on income. Jane Friedman touched on this during an interesting Reddit conversation:
What I haven’t noticed:
Others have noted that they saw particularly harsh reviews during free promotions—a common conclusion is that readers have little respect for a product they receive for free.
I haven’t seen this. Yes, I’ve gotten some harsh reviews during the free promos, but I’ve gotten some harsh reviews on a $6.99 Penguin ebook, too! I can’t say that I’ve noticed a difference. Either way….just build up your thick skin. I take anything helpful from a bad review that I can.
Have you ever run a free book promotion? How did it go? As a reader, have you ever downloaded free ebooks? What was the quality of the books you downloaded?
Image: Flickr—Klabusta’s Photostream
I finally got around to experimenting with doing a free promo. Naturally, I was interested in seeing if running this kind of a promo would boost sales of my other books…and also, I was just curious. I’ve seen a ton of free book promotions and hadn’t tried doing one myself.
So far I’ve run two…a very short one, and one that’s turning out to be longer than I anticipated.
What I’ve noticed:
You get a ton of reviews and a real look at who’s reading your books. They talk about what they like and don’t like. I like getting a snapshot of my readers and feel like I was casting the net wider to really get a better picture of my demographic.
You get a lot of visibility. As unbelievable as this sounds, I heard from two different people that I’d worked with, two different summers while I was in college. I hadn’t heard from these coworkers in twenty years…and they both happened to find me through the free book promo.
The sale does impact your other books’ sales. But don’t get too excited. This seems to vary. I know that my sales for the other books did show a slight uptick. One comment from a reviewer on Amazon for Progressive Dinner Deadly: Found this browsing around. I usually hesitate to buy self-pubbed vanity releases for obvious reasons but took a chance with the good reviews and free price. I sooooo enjoyed this. Good marketing because now I'm willing to pay for the rest!
So there we have proof of actual sales resulting from the promo….if she did indeed follow through with the purchases. :) (And please forgive the inclusion of a good review to make a point.)
You may not have as much control over how long your book is free as you’d like. Maybe you know something that I don’t, but the length of the sale might be somewhat out of your hands. The first time I tried this, I successfully ran a free promo for a couple of days by making the book free on Smashwords. I almost immediately took raised the price back up again on Smashwords. Amazon made the book free within 24 hours and then raised the price after 48 hours.
This time…the book is still free. I’ve raised the price on Smashwords (it’s been over a week now), and Amazon has not reflected the change. I’m guessing that somebody out there…Kobo, Apple, etc….hasn’t raised the price up yet and Amazon is still matching the free listing.
Update 11-16--This morning I see that the free ebook is now full price again. So Amazon finally either realized the book was no longer free at the online bookstore that prompted the sale, or else that bookstore (Kobo?) finally raised the price (although the price had changed at Smashwords long ago.)
Might be a better strategy if you have a couple of other books up for sale. Otherwise, you could be missing out on income. Jane Friedman touched on this during an interesting Reddit conversation:
It also helps if you have more than 1 book to sell—if you have, in fact, a series to sell. That way, you can use the first book as a loss leader (free or 99 cents), then charge more for the later books. But that only works if you prove yourself with readers on the first book.
What I haven’t noticed:
Others have noted that they saw particularly harsh reviews during free promotions—a common conclusion is that readers have little respect for a product they receive for free.
I haven’t seen this. Yes, I’ve gotten some harsh reviews during the free promos, but I’ve gotten some harsh reviews on a $6.99 Penguin ebook, too! I can’t say that I’ve noticed a difference. Either way….just build up your thick skin. I take anything helpful from a bad review that I can.
Have you ever run a free book promotion? How did it go? As a reader, have you ever downloaded free ebooks? What was the quality of the books you downloaded?
Image: Flickr—Klabusta’s Photostream
November 13, 2012
Spacing Releases—to Keep Readers Hooked
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
In my last post, I talked about production time for self-publishing and traditional publishing and how much shorter the lead-time for self-publishing is. Basically, you have the ability to publish a book quickly once you’ve got a finished product.
But how often should we release books in our series? How far apart is too far? Can books be released too close together?
Paul Anthony Shortt commented on a post recently that he thought the studio behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy had done an especially good job pacing releases. Even though they might have had a film ready to go earlier, they released a movie every year at about the same time. Paul remarked that this seemed to increase filmgoers’ anticipation for the next movie.
I think a book year, per series, can definitely work. That’s what my publisher seems to prefer for releases. My Southern Quilting mystery series is set for a yearly release from 2012 through 2014. But—there’s also the need for longer production time that plays into this decision.
But I will note that for my other traditionally published series, (the Memphis Barbeque series) the strongest seller seems to have been the book that released five months after the previous release. I think all the characters and the setting were fresh in readers’ minds and they saw there was a new release…and they bought it.
So there’s something to be said for a release in a series every 6 months, too. But can too many releases get too overwhelming or lessen the anticipation for the next book? Can readers get fatigued with our series? Can we glut the market with our books?
So these are my pros and cons for a book every 6 months:
Pros:
The previous book is still fresh in readers’ minds.
Your name/the series name is still fresh in readers’ minds.
If you’re writing a continuing series (a real serial, instead of each book in the series acting as a standalone), then readers will be excited to see where the story picked up.
Seems to spike sales for the previous books in the sales.
Cons:
Deadline pressure for writers (unless they already have backlist books or trunk books)
Readers might lose interest if the books seem to come out all the time…decreases the “specialness” of each book.
Possible difficulty sustaining series quality
Might have to juggle your promo and writing at one time.
Yearly releases:
Pros:
Less deadline pressure for writers
Potential for developing additional anticipation from readers/hype
Easier to maintain series quality
Easier to write books for more than one series in a year
Cons:
Could a yearly release make it easier for readers to forget us?
Of course, I’m thinking all these things through in a rational way and realizing how organized this type of regular production schedule for self-publishing can be—and then I do exactly the opposite. :) Right now, I’m having to squeeze in my own projects in between my traditionally published projects (and, obviously, the traditional projects have got to come first…I’ve already been paid in advance for those.) So my self-pub schedule has been very erratic so far. I launched two books in 2011 a few months apart—one was backlist, one was written for a publisher but they didn’t buy it. Then I was finally able to write another book in the series in July/August and released it last month.
In retrospect, I’m thinking it would have been smart to sit on one of those books that I released three months after the previous one. To build it up a little more steadily. So instead of releasing the book in November following the previous book’s August release, maybe I should have waited until February. Then I had a traditionally published June release and would have had my late-October release. That probably would have been perfect.
So far, the biggest spike in my self-pub sales has been after either a traditional novel or a self-pub novel releases. So that makes me think that regular releases, whether traditional or self-pub, can be important to drive sales.
We might also want to consider the time of year we're planning to release our book. Before Christmas (October, November, early December) is clearly a good shopping time. But what about January? What about all the people who got Kindles in their stockings? Summer can be dead…but people also buy beach books in the summer.
What are your thoughts on spacing book releases and the best time of year to launch a book?
Image: Morguefile: Rezdora70
In my last post, I talked about production time for self-publishing and traditional publishing and how much shorter the lead-time for self-publishing is. Basically, you have the ability to publish a book quickly once you’ve got a finished product.But how often should we release books in our series? How far apart is too far? Can books be released too close together?
Paul Anthony Shortt commented on a post recently that he thought the studio behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy had done an especially good job pacing releases. Even though they might have had a film ready to go earlier, they released a movie every year at about the same time. Paul remarked that this seemed to increase filmgoers’ anticipation for the next movie.
I think a book year, per series, can definitely work. That’s what my publisher seems to prefer for releases. My Southern Quilting mystery series is set for a yearly release from 2012 through 2014. But—there’s also the need for longer production time that plays into this decision.
But I will note that for my other traditionally published series, (the Memphis Barbeque series) the strongest seller seems to have been the book that released five months after the previous release. I think all the characters and the setting were fresh in readers’ minds and they saw there was a new release…and they bought it.
So there’s something to be said for a release in a series every 6 months, too. But can too many releases get too overwhelming or lessen the anticipation for the next book? Can readers get fatigued with our series? Can we glut the market with our books?
So these are my pros and cons for a book every 6 months:
Pros:
The previous book is still fresh in readers’ minds.
Your name/the series name is still fresh in readers’ minds.
If you’re writing a continuing series (a real serial, instead of each book in the series acting as a standalone), then readers will be excited to see where the story picked up.
Seems to spike sales for the previous books in the sales.
Cons:
Deadline pressure for writers (unless they already have backlist books or trunk books)
Readers might lose interest if the books seem to come out all the time…decreases the “specialness” of each book.
Possible difficulty sustaining series quality
Might have to juggle your promo and writing at one time.
Yearly releases:
Pros:
Less deadline pressure for writers
Potential for developing additional anticipation from readers/hype
Easier to maintain series quality
Easier to write books for more than one series in a year
Cons:
Could a yearly release make it easier for readers to forget us?
Of course, I’m thinking all these things through in a rational way and realizing how organized this type of regular production schedule for self-publishing can be—and then I do exactly the opposite. :) Right now, I’m having to squeeze in my own projects in between my traditionally published projects (and, obviously, the traditional projects have got to come first…I’ve already been paid in advance for those.) So my self-pub schedule has been very erratic so far. I launched two books in 2011 a few months apart—one was backlist, one was written for a publisher but they didn’t buy it. Then I was finally able to write another book in the series in July/August and released it last month.
In retrospect, I’m thinking it would have been smart to sit on one of those books that I released three months after the previous one. To build it up a little more steadily. So instead of releasing the book in November following the previous book’s August release, maybe I should have waited until February. Then I had a traditionally published June release and would have had my late-October release. That probably would have been perfect.
So far, the biggest spike in my self-pub sales has been after either a traditional novel or a self-pub novel releases. So that makes me think that regular releases, whether traditional or self-pub, can be important to drive sales.
We might also want to consider the time of year we're planning to release our book. Before Christmas (October, November, early December) is clearly a good shopping time. But what about January? What about all the people who got Kindles in their stockings? Summer can be dead…but people also buy beach books in the summer.
What are your thoughts on spacing book releases and the best time of year to launch a book?
Image: Morguefile: Rezdora70
November 11, 2012
Spacing Out Our Novels’ Releases—Production
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Paul Anthony Shortt had an interesting comment for my “Shorter Novels in the Digital Age?” post last week. He mentioned book spacing and book release timing (as far as prime dates for launching books onto the market.)
This is something that’s very important, I think, and is going to become even more important in the future. It also ties into the short novel phenomenon…because it has to do with readers more than anything else.
For traditional publishing, I have no control whatsoever over my release dates or how spaced out my releases are. I’m sure that some writers do, but no one I know does. I know writers who’ve had their books released a couple of days after Christmas (not exactly the best time for a launch). I know writers who had books released in other really slow times (August comes to mind.)
Production time in traditional publishing is huge. There are global edits, line edits, proofreading, cover design, marketing meetings, catalog deadlines, pass page edits, blurbs…the works. Plus—let’s face it. Your book isn’t exactly the only thing on the publisher’s mind. They have other releases to worry about.
Sometimes things get held up. I never really know what’s going on behind the scenes, but I know most of this stuff is out of my editor’s hands. I’ve seen my release dates vary for my Memphis Barbeque series. The series started July 6, 2010. June 7, 2011 was book two….perfectly reasonable at a year later. Book three released November 1, 2011 (!) Book Four is coming out July 2, 2013.
Book three was, from what I can tell, the most successful of all the books so far. It came out five months after book two (no, I don’t know why it came out then.)
My concern is, obviously, book four. It’s coming out nearly two years after the third book’s release. In fact, my new editor for that series asked me to write it like a standalone. I very carefully set up the characters, setting, and descriptions as if no one had ever read these books before. We felt like that was vital since even dedicated readers of the series probably hadn’t read the previous books for a while.
Another unfortunate thing is that the future of the series depends on sales for this book four (that’s releasing at something of a disadvantage.) This is the way traditional publishing works. It’s about the figures…and that makes sense. It’s a business.
My other Penguin series is set for one release each year through 2014 (if production stays on schedule).
But let’s consider self-publishing now. It doesn’t have nearly the lead-time needed for traditional publishing.
Case in point—my latest self-pub release, which was the first book I wrote specifically for self-publishing. I started writing the book in July, as soon as I turned in a manuscript for Penguin. I’d finished the book by the end of September.
In September, I gave the book to two beta readers to read while I was still working on the ending, and hired a freelance editor to work on the finished book in early October to find as much wrong with the thing as she could.
In late September/early October, while my editor and betas were still working on the manuscript, I started talking to the cover designer who’d done my other self-pubbed covers. She turned a cover around to me in a week.
In mid-October, I asked my formatter to help me out with getting the book set for publishing on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. He turned it around in two days.
By October 28, the book was available for purchase.
So, I guess that’s nearly a 4-month turnaround there from starting to write the book to publishing it.
Point being…the production time can be very short for self-pub. So….the release schedule is really up to us. A book can be ready to publish whenever we’re ready. I’m thinking, to be on the safe side, we should give ourselves three months to get a book ready. So let’s say we want a November release to capitalize on holiday shopping. In August, I’m thinking we need to start assembling our team of editors, designers, and formatters.
Or—take a very organized and professional approach by planning it all out farther in advance. Dean Wesley Smith’s post: Think Like A Publisher: Chapter 4: Production and Scheduling will explain more.
On Wednesday, I’ll look more at spacing novels out and mulling over supply and demand.
Image: Flickr: Burwash Calligrapher
Paul Anthony Shortt had an interesting comment for my “Shorter Novels in the Digital Age?” post last week. He mentioned book spacing and book release timing (as far as prime dates for launching books onto the market.) This is something that’s very important, I think, and is going to become even more important in the future. It also ties into the short novel phenomenon…because it has to do with readers more than anything else.
For traditional publishing, I have no control whatsoever over my release dates or how spaced out my releases are. I’m sure that some writers do, but no one I know does. I know writers who’ve had their books released a couple of days after Christmas (not exactly the best time for a launch). I know writers who had books released in other really slow times (August comes to mind.)
Production time in traditional publishing is huge. There are global edits, line edits, proofreading, cover design, marketing meetings, catalog deadlines, pass page edits, blurbs…the works. Plus—let’s face it. Your book isn’t exactly the only thing on the publisher’s mind. They have other releases to worry about.
Sometimes things get held up. I never really know what’s going on behind the scenes, but I know most of this stuff is out of my editor’s hands. I’ve seen my release dates vary for my Memphis Barbeque series. The series started July 6, 2010. June 7, 2011 was book two….perfectly reasonable at a year later. Book three released November 1, 2011 (!) Book Four is coming out July 2, 2013.
Book three was, from what I can tell, the most successful of all the books so far. It came out five months after book two (no, I don’t know why it came out then.)
My concern is, obviously, book four. It’s coming out nearly two years after the third book’s release. In fact, my new editor for that series asked me to write it like a standalone. I very carefully set up the characters, setting, and descriptions as if no one had ever read these books before. We felt like that was vital since even dedicated readers of the series probably hadn’t read the previous books for a while.
Another unfortunate thing is that the future of the series depends on sales for this book four (that’s releasing at something of a disadvantage.) This is the way traditional publishing works. It’s about the figures…and that makes sense. It’s a business.
My other Penguin series is set for one release each year through 2014 (if production stays on schedule).
But let’s consider self-publishing now. It doesn’t have nearly the lead-time needed for traditional publishing.
Case in point—my latest self-pub release, which was the first book I wrote specifically for self-publishing. I started writing the book in July, as soon as I turned in a manuscript for Penguin. I’d finished the book by the end of September.
In September, I gave the book to two beta readers to read while I was still working on the ending, and hired a freelance editor to work on the finished book in early October to find as much wrong with the thing as she could.
In late September/early October, while my editor and betas were still working on the manuscript, I started talking to the cover designer who’d done my other self-pubbed covers. She turned a cover around to me in a week.
In mid-October, I asked my formatter to help me out with getting the book set for publishing on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. He turned it around in two days.
By October 28, the book was available for purchase.
So, I guess that’s nearly a 4-month turnaround there from starting to write the book to publishing it.
Point being…the production time can be very short for self-pub. So….the release schedule is really up to us. A book can be ready to publish whenever we’re ready. I’m thinking, to be on the safe side, we should give ourselves three months to get a book ready. So let’s say we want a November release to capitalize on holiday shopping. In August, I’m thinking we need to start assembling our team of editors, designers, and formatters.
Or—take a very organized and professional approach by planning it all out farther in advance. Dean Wesley Smith’s post: Think Like A Publisher: Chapter 4: Production and Scheduling will explain more.
On Wednesday, I’ll look more at spacing novels out and mulling over supply and demand.
Image: Flickr: Burwash Calligrapher
November 10, 2012
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared
the previous week.
The
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. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing
tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your read
articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS .
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb .
And check out Hiveword to help
you organize your story.
The Art Of Creating Believable
Characters: No Mr. Nice Guy: http://bit.ly/ScNS9A
@woodwardkaren
Is Reading the Genre You're
Currently Writing Dangerous? http://bit.ly/PiDyil
@roniloren
How To Add Up Your E-Book Sales In A Snap: http://bit.ly/TDTtbB
@JennyHansenCA
12 Writing Insights from Famous
Authors: http://bit.ly/ScOpZe @susan_silver
How to Write a Romance Novel:
The Keys to Conflict: http://bit.ly/PiDJKs
@writersdigest
How publishers can stay in the
game: http://bit.ly/PiEEe8 @janefriedman
@nztaylor
Develop Any Idea Into a Great
Story: The BADS Technique Illustrated: http://bit.ly/ScR05q
@writersdigest
Building a Local Readership: http://bit.ly/ScRgRO
1 writer's favorite books on
writing: http://bit.ly/PiEUcS
The Myth of a ‘Book Market’: http://bit.ly/WLh3ad
@rebecsmart @MikeShatzkin @Porter_Anderson
5 Tips to Making Your Cover
Look Professional: http://bit.ly/ScRKaB
@bubblecow
8 Eroding Inflectional Endings:
http://bit.ly/PiF0kL @writing_tips
Screenwriting--montages: http://bit.ly/XYEVVG @gointothestory
Big 'A' Little 'a': Writing
Between the Concrete and Abstract: http://bit.ly/XYF8Iu
@litreactor
Your IQ Doesn't Matter &
Other Lessons About Creativity From Children: http://bit.ly/XYFCOR
@SeanBlanda
Selling Our Books on Social
Media–Don't Be a Personal Space Invader: http://bit.ly/Sc9Poq
@kristenlambtx
The Humble eBook Bundles and
Authors: http://bit.ly/Scaq9y @Scalzi
Fifty Shades of Black-on-Grey:
The unfortunate design limitations of e-books: http://bit.ly/XYIgUA
@teleread
Launching an author career
after 50: http://bit.ly/ScaNkr @DonnaGalanti
Are Blog Tours Losing Their
Promotional Power? http://bit.ly/XYJvmU
@CreepyQueryGirl
How to Keep Your Fight Scenes
Interesting: http://bit.ly/XYKeUY @KMWeiland
Physical Therapy For Your
Writing–Keeping Your Manuscript In Balance: http://bit.ly/XYKvr8
@jhansenwrites
Common Writing Mistakes: http://bit.ly/ScboTt @noveleditor
Techniques for planning a
series: http://bit.ly/ScbwCk
An agent on foreshadowing: http://bit.ly/XYLbwL @rachellegardner
8 Myths to Squelch During Story
Critiques: http://bit.ly/XYLBTR
@adriennedewolfe
Your Amazon Author Rank: Boon
or Bane? http://bit.ly/ScbTwG @fictionnotes
How Do You Write When The
Thrill Is Gone? http://bit.ly/Y1AB8c
@curiosityquills
Series or Stand-Alone? How to
Decide: http://bit.ly/SdeIxv @novelrocket
Why Writers Disappear (Part
Two): http://bit.ly/Y1B61V @kristinerusch
Anti-Heroes/Heroines &
Villains Need Love Too—12 Tips: http://bit.ly/Y1Puar
@DonnaGalanti @jordandane
Cultivating an Email List for
your Blog: http://bit.ly/Y1POpQ @JulieBMack
The 6th Sense: Is Your Idea
Good Enough? http://bit.ly/SdjN97
@jacobkrueger
Tips for Self-Editing: http://bit.ly/Y1QsU3 @pegeditors
Organize Your Novel With
Hiveword: http://bit.ly/Y1QEmd
@woodwardkaren @hiveword
Is Cutting More Important than
Adding? http://bit.ly/SdkajT @sechintower
Writers Are Fearless: http://bit.ly/Y1Rrnf @MermaidHel
Amazon Author Rankings and Who
They Actually Benefit: http://bit.ly/SdkgYK
@Scalzi
5 observations from the big
marketing world: http://bit.ly/Y1SzHr
@junglereds
How 1 Writer Learned to Stop
Worrying and Love His Goals: http://bit.ly/TwpgeJ
Authors suggest Q&A topics
for book events: http://bit.ly/UklpOy
@bookriot
Tips for historical fiction
writers: http://bit.ly/TwpJxu @jodyhedlund
@marcykennedy
A trad. published writer on her
self-pubbing experience: http://bit.ly/UklO3w
@TamaraLeighAuth
How Children's Authors Can
Profit from School Visits: http://bit.ly/TwpZMU
@BookMarketer
Using the 5 Senses to Make Our
Stories Jump Off the Page: http://bit.ly/Ukm4zt
@jodyhedlund
4 tips for writing a quick 1st
draft: http://bit.ly/TwqeHV @rachellegardner
Creating An Imaginary Panel to
Get Unstuck: http://bit.ly/UkmnKy
@Jess_Keating
The 5 Keys to Pain-Free Book
Promotion: http://bit.ly/TwqqGQ @JFBookman
Jane Friedman on the empowered
author: http://bit.ly/Ulxjra @JaneFriedman
@Porter_Anderson
3 Steps to Creating a Beautiful
Book Site for Less than $100: http://bit.ly/UlB0NH
@jeffgoins
5 tips for creating a great
character: http://bit.ly/Txg4H0 @4YALit
@wordforteens
Non-Writing Spouses: http://bit.ly/PShIDE @kaitlin_ward
Twitter: 12 Guidelines to
Engage & Build Your Following: http://bit.ly/UlBpQd
@heidicohen
The importance of connecting
with the right editor: http://bit.ly/Txgi0z
@LesannBerry
Tips for writing a thrilling
climax: http://bit.ly/Txgpt7 @tessgerritsen
Why does "The Princess
Bride" work as a romance? http://bit.ly/UlBTpz
@laurie_gold
Tips For Writing Story
Beginnings: http://bit.ly/TxgA7T
@writersdigest
Situations that might require
writing a longer scene: http://bit.ly/PSjaG5
@LynnetteLabelle
Creating story flow: the secret
power of cause and effect: http://bit.ly/U1eARz
@karenschrav
Putting Emotion In Story: http://bit.ly/TxgIEe @mooderino
10 Questions You Need To Answer
Honestly If You Want To Sell More Books: http://bit.ly/UlCmIo
@thecreativepenn
Pros and cons of Goodreads
giveaways: http://bit.ly/VHvUMJ
5 ways to increase conflict: http://bit.ly/VHvZjC @EileenWriter
10 ways to save the publishing
industry: http://bit.ly/VhWyQK
@guardianbooks @orbooks
Is it still considered
necessary for writers to blog? http://bit.ly/VHwfir
@VeronicaSicoe
6 Steps To Choosing Your Next
Writing Project: http://bit.ly/VhXt3P
@joebunting
Revising Your Book: Do's and
Don'ts: http://bit.ly/VHwr1c @kmweiland
@wiseink
8 Tips To Bring Your Readers
Along For The Ride: http://bit.ly/VHwydg
7 Stages of Publishing Grief: http://bit.ly/VHwHgx @RLLAfevers
Similes and metaphors: http://bit.ly/VhYecV
An avid reader has feedback for
indie writers: http://bit.ly/SPg2cQ
@jamesscottbell
Self-discovery: http://bit.ly/VHwMB2 @BretBallou
Agent Michael Larsen on Why We
Should Self-Publish 1st: http://bit.ly/VhYKru
@chrisrobley
9 Tactics To Create Content on
Two Week Schedule: http://bit.ly/VhYWqA
@heidicohen
Making Orange Juice From Life's
Lemons as a Writer: http://bit.ly/VhZ09R
@JessBaverstock
Want to be a writer? Have a
literary parent: http://ind.pn/VhZqxa
Amazon's Author Ranking And Why
It Means So Little: http://bit.ly/VHxm1J
@VeronicaSicoe
Why Agent/Editor Breakfast,
Lunch, Coffee, Ice Cream, Cupcake and Drink Dates Are Important: http://bit.ly/VhZKvJ @bostonbookgirl
Don't Fancy Up Your Manuscript
Formatting: http://bit.ly/VHxwpS @RC_Lewis
Stop Worrying About Book Deals
& Write: http://bit.ly/VhZTiQ @galleycat
Want to get the creative juices
flowing? Let your mind wander: http://bit.ly/Vi011V
@sianbeilock
Screenwriters and Novelists –
what's the difference? http://bit.ly/VI4ypG
@thecreativepenn
Networking for Authors: 5
Survival Tips: http://bit.ly/VI4Cpw @diymfa
Twitter fiction: 21 authors try
their hand at 140-character novels: http://bit.ly/VI4Fl5
@guardianbooks
The Sensual Writer: Listening
vs. Hearing: http://bit.ly/VI4Lcq
What's Your Writing
Personality? http://bit.ly/VI4OFm @KMWeiland
The Screenplay Method of
Storytelling: http://bit.ly/VjbM82
@NaAlleyBlog
The publishing industry
shouldn’t get special treatment: http://bit.ly/SxpTBl
@NathanBransford @MikeShatzkin @Porter_Anderson
Long-Haul Writing Career: What
It Takes To Succeed: http://bit.ly/U4ReAn
Booksellers Resisting Amazon’s Disruption: http://nyti.ms/VxP1gM
@NYTimes
Tips for writing strong
characters: http://bit.ly/U4Rn6X @JKagawa
Publishing schedule for indie
writers – who to hire and when: http://bit.ly/U4RU8H
@dirtywhitecandy
Licensing for Authors: http://bit.ly/VIpqxb @beth_barany
How to Write a Script: Push
Your Protagonist to the Edge: http://bit.ly/U4S53V
@writersdigest
In Defense of Real Fairy Tales:
http://on.wsj.com/U4SeEz @wsj
Never Can Say Good-Bye:
Good-Byes in Romance Novels: http://bit.ly/VIpCMI
@smexys_sidekick
The Evolution of Sexuality,
Homosexuality and Gender in SFF: http://bit.ly/VIrsNH
@fantasyfaction
5 Ways for Writers to Blast
Through Self-Doubt: http://bit.ly/U4VJec
Maybe the success of your ebook
isn't due to promo...maybe you wrote a good book: http://bit.ly/VIrwNs
@deanwesleysmith
Q&A on Copyright With an
Attorney: http://bit.ly/U4W1S8 @janefriedman
What's stopping you from that
rewrite? http://bit.ly/VIrCog
5 Facts About Publishing That
Could Change Your Writing Career: http://bit.ly/U4W8NO
@jeffgoins
Debunking Myths about Writing: http://bit.ly/VIrJQF @howtowriteshop
Trust your instincts as a
writer: http://bit.ly/SK59tL @Jan_Ohara
Can journalists write novels? http://bit.ly/U1NdGT @guardianbooks
The Slippery Slope of
E-Originals: http://bit.ly/SK5GMf @DBW
@PassiveVoiceBlg
7 Been-There-Done-That Tips on
Formatting, Taxes, Amazon, Reviews and More: http://bit.ly/SK6ikZ
@duolit @YasminSelena
Common Manuscript Mistakes and
the Writers Who Make Them: http://bit.ly/U1NJ7U
@AimeeLSalter
6 Ways Your Protagonist Should
Be Like Jack Reacher: http://bit.ly/SK6II8
@fuelyourwriting
11 Riffs on Creativity &
Time: http://bit.ly/U1NWYu @JeffreyDavis108
Testifying for Fan-Fiction: http://bit.ly/SK7jtd @peterdamien
Immediacy – Writing in Real
Time: http://bit.ly/U1ObTz @PBRWriter
How to know a good agent from a
bad one: http://bit.ly/SK7zIL @breeogden
Amazon, Popularity, and a List
that We Really Don't Need: http://bit.ly/SK7C7f
@davidbcoe
Tips for achieving our goals: http://bit.ly/U1PhP9 @JWhite
Writing food into your story: http://bit.ly/SK9Nrq @HP4Writers
Are There Downsides to Giving
Away Free Ebooks? http://bit.ly/SKahxV
@goblinwriter
Successful Self-Publishing: http://bit.ly/U1PFgF
Writing The Short Query Novel
Pitch: http://bit.ly/U1PH8h @BryanThomasS
7 Reasons Why Your Book Should
Also Be An Audiobook: http://bit.ly/SKaxgk
@authormedia
Do Agents and Editors Expect
Novelists to Blog? http://bit.ly/TDS44R
@jodyhedlund
5 Literary Journals Born of the
Digital Age: http://bit.ly/VLZQY0
@EmilyWenstrom
Unnecessary Words, Blah Words,
and Just Plain Wrong Words: http://bit.ly/TDShoB
@susanjmorris
Are you a traditionally-published author with out of
print books? Some facts about rights reversion: http://bit.ly/SxjkP2 @DonnaFaz
The Best Way To Build A
Writer's Platform Is To Write: http://bit.ly/VM0Ds9
@woodwardkaren @deanwesleysmith
Gluing Plot to Theme and
Character to Fuel Your Story: http://bit.ly/VM0JQk
@4YALit
Structure–Getting Primal and
Staying Simple: http://bit.ly/VM0RiL
@kristenlambTX
Characters Should Think
Progressively: http://bit.ly/VM0QeI
@mooderino
Improve credibility of your
fiction by identifying silly dialogue and unrealistic action: http://bit.ly/TDTn3P
10 Tips for Writing Impactful
Dialogue: http://bit.ly/VM1dpC @cemckenzie1
The Killer Three-Headed Story
Beast: http://bit.ly/VM1Gbv @storyfix
The appeal of deadlines: http://bit.ly/TDTOLz @angelaackerman
@janetgurtler
How To Design A Great Looking
Book Cover: http://bit.ly/VM1Pvo
@woodwardkaren
Should Writers pay for
Professional Services? http://bit.ly/PxIXlY
@bubblecow
10 Ways to Syndicate Your
Online Writing: http://bit.ly/U3UYw5
@galleycat
7 Scientific Facts That Will
Ruin Movies for You: http://bit.ly/PxJ1C7
@i09
The 'Fifty Shades' effect on
book covers: http://usat.ly/PxJgx1
@roniloren
Turns Out You Don't Really Need
a Plot: http://bit.ly/U3Vk5O
@GeoffreyCubbage
Inspiration for Writers: How to
Be More Creative: http://bit.ly/PxJqVb
@writersdigest
Does the Random House-Penguin
merger mean a pub. that can take on Amazon? http://bit.ly/SwGFAy
@robeagar @JosephJEsposito @Porter_Anderson
When to ignore critiques: http://bit.ly/U3Vv13 @rebeccaberto
Pros and Cons of Entering
Writing Contests: http://bit.ly/PxJzrH
@writeitsideways
Handling adoption in fiction,
part 2: http://bit.ly/VzUhAB @LauraDennisCA
