Riley Adams's Blog, page 72
September 6, 2018
Update on OverDrive
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Getting our digital books into libraries is much easier these days than it was a few years ago. All we need to do is upload our ebooks to a distributor like Smashwords, Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, or StreetLib , which will make the file available to OverDrive. OverDrive supplies over 30,000 libraries in 40+ countries.
OverDrive is one of my favorite sites as a reader, so I was eager to have my books available there. I was writing this post and pulled the site up and then immediately became distracted and requested three books. :) Eventually I realized that I was trying to write a blog post.
A little bit of background for those of you who aren’t familiar with OverDrive. For me, OverDrive makes reading easier. I’ve read over 45 books so far this year and OverDrive definitely helped. When I hear about an interesting book, I check OverDrive through my library’s website. If it’s available through OverDrive, I add my name to the waitlist. When the book becomes available, it’s automatically checked out to me. I download it on my Kindle (readers can also read on epub devices or by reading a PDF) and then, when it’s time for the book to be ‘returned’ to the library, it becomes unavailable on my device. It’s just a very easy process for a busy person who might not have time to go to the library as much as they’d like.
I use PublishDrive to distribute my books there and have done for the last year and a half or so. I do like the graphs on their sales dashboard that help me make sense of my sales (which are steady on OverDrive). I don’t price any higher for libraries than I do Amazon or other retailers. The graph below shows that my newer titles (which are priced higher than older ones) do the best in sales.
The graph below shows that my sales, despite OverDrive’s reach, are overwhelmingly in the US (I’m hoping this will change as more international readers try OverDrive).
If you’re someone who doesn’t have an epub version of your book (which is the file type needed for OverDrive), you can easily create one (for free) by uploading your original Word document to Draft2Digital. They will convert it and even distribute it to OverDrive for you, right from their platform. That, I’d imagine, would be the easiest way for someone to get on OverDrive who is ordinarily only published on Kindle (obviously, if you’re in the KU program, this is off limits to you).
If your books are already available through OverDrive, you may be interested in seeing exactly where your books are. If you look up a title on WorldCat (you’ll need to enter your location to see where your books are located), a list of libraries that have your book available will pull up. It’s fun for me to see a recent release of mine in libraries in Ohio and Washington state.
I do also have print copies available for library purchase through IngramSpark … but that’s another blog post.
Wrapping up, for me, it’s a no-brainer. I make money every month on OverDrive and it pleases me to have my titles available in libraries.
Are you on OverDrive yet? Do you use the app as a reader?
Why Writers Should Have Their Books on OverDrive:
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September 1, 2018
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 48,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
I’ll be observing the Labor Day holiday tomorrow and won’t be posting. I’ll see everyone on Friday. :)
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
How to Make Writers’ Conferences Work for You: @katiemccoach
6 Steps to Selling Your Books in Person: by Jacob Mohr
Frankfurter Buchmesse’s THE ARTS+ Contextualizes AI, Innovation: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
2018 PEN Pinter Prize Winner and acclaimed author @Chimamandabook will address Frankfurter Buchmesse: @Porter_Anderson
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
How to Start a Creative Journal: @KarenBanes
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Five Novels Dealing With Time Travel: @PrentisRollins @tordotcom
Boring Books and the Appeal of the Hypnotically Dull Novel: by Christine Ro @BookRiot
The 13 Unluckiest Characters In Fiction: @xymarla @LitReactor
The Scariest Children in Crime Fiction: @zooshka @CrimeReads
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
20+ Writing Strategies (That Helped Bestselling Authors Finish Their Books): @ReedsyHQ
How to Stay Motivated When You’re Not Making Progress: @ADDerWORLD
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
3 Time Management Tips: Writing When You Have No Time: @angee
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
10 Writer’s Block Memes: @ReedsyHQ
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
On Motivation, Becoming an Indie Author, and Healthy Changes in Routine: @colleen_m_story @natNKB
How to Avoid Writing Advice Overload and Trust Your Own Creative Process: @katekrake
How to Copy Your Favorite Authors’ Best Beach Looks: @knownemily @lithub
How much sleep do writers need? @pubcoach
Use Writing Therapy to Enhance Personal Growth and Improve Mental Health: by Mary Ann Cohen @writingthrulife
Working on multiple projects: @jodimeadows
Are Writers More Vulnerable to Migraine Headaches? @colleen_m_story
5 Reasons to Give Up on Your Novel (And One Reason Not to): @Janice_Hardy
Forcing Yourself to Write What You Don’t Want To: @Kid_Lit
Genres / Horror
Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Low Budget Horror: @SamanthaHorley @Bang2write
Genres / Miscellaneous
Top 10 Online Tools to Help You Write the Perfect Essay: @writing_tips
Spy Novels: How to Nail The Character of an Espionage Hero: @PiperBayard @AngelaAckerman
Genres / Mystery
Character Observers in Crime Fiction: @lisajohnljc @wvancamp
Information as a Commodity in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Starting School as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Sleuths Working Past Sticking Points as Elements in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Genres / Picture Books
How to Find the REAL Target Market for Your Children’s Book: @ReedsyHQ
Genres / Romance
Six tips for writing romantic comedy for the modern reader: by Catherine Bennetto @CurtisBrown
Missed Connections: How Characterization Creates Chemistry: @HDemchick @RomanceUniv
Genres / Short Stories
Tips For Ending a Short Story: by Sara Kopeczky
Promo / Blogging
Blogging Can Jumpstart Your Writing Career…Even Before You Publish a Book: @annerallen
4 Lessons from 4 Years of Blogging: @KristinaAuthor
Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting
A Book Title Generator: @ReedsyHQ
Promo / Book Reviews
10 Reasons Book Reviews Still Matter: @Gabino_Iglesias
Promo / Connecting with Readers
Increase Your Readers and Your Book Sales with this One Thing: @Bookgal
How Readers Discover New Books to Buy [Infographic]: @DianaUrban @BookBub
Promo / Crowdfunding
6 Steps to a Prosperous Patreon Campaign: @TCKPublishing
Promo / Social Media Tips
How to Use Facebook Live to Promote Your Book: @TCKPublishing
How To Simplify Your Social Media Marketing Strategies: @KarenBanes
Don’t Break Up with Social Media—8 Tips That Help You Stay Committed: @EdieMelson
How to interact on Facebook using your author page: @helpingauthors1
Promo / Websites
What Publishers Want to See on an Author Site: @helpingauthors1 @LiveWriteThrive
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Who Are You Going to Acknowledge in Your Book? @JudithBriles @JFbookman
Publishers Field Trump Books–Pro and Con–With the Midterms Looming: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
‘We Cannot Stand Silent’: Macmillan’s John Sargent Is Featured in Frankfurter Buchmesse’s CEO Talk: @Porter_Anderson
What Makes a Story ‘Big’ or ‘Small’? by Janet Beneton @SignatureReads
Industry Notes: Penguin Random Opens Education Site, Cengage Unlimited Provided by Two Campuses: @Porter_Anderson @CengageLearning @penguinrandom
Millennial reading habits have changed the definition of a classic book: @Queerpants @qz
Barnes & Noble’s Former CEO Launches Lawsuit Against Bookseller: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writing and Publishing Graphic Novels from Start to Finish: @stevekissing @WritersDigest
Berlin State University Cooperates With De Gruyter on Digital Archive: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Germany’s Bertelsmann Reports a Half-Year Decline at PRH; Dohle Messages Staff: @Porter_Anderson @penguinrandom
China Bestsellers for July: Entrepreneurism and School Reading Lists Boost Sales: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Moving from CreateSpace to KDP Print:
What is the Best Service for Print on Demand Books? @ReedsyHQ
Publishing / News / International Publishing
South Africa’s Snapplify and Econet Wireless Announce Partnership for Digital Reading in Africa: @Porter_Anderson @Snapplify
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
11 Things Nobody Tells You About Being An Indie Author: @_HannahHeath
Going Indie With A Traditionally Published Series (Podcast): @JennAllyson @SteveCampbellFL
Publishing / Process / Book Design
What 10 Books Looked Like Before the Final Cover: by Jo Lou @ElectricLit
Publishing / Process / Services to Avoid
Watchdog Analysis: De Montfort Literature: @JohnDoppler @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishing / Process / Translation
US National Endowment for the Arts Announces $325,000 in Literature Translation Fellowships: @Porter_Anderson @MACartsDC @pubperspectives
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Understanding Character Karma: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / Endings
How to End Your Book: 5 Steps to Writing a Fantastic Final Chapter: by Jacob Mohr @TCKPublishing
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
How to Write Unique Themes: @KMWeiland
Recognizing Themes at Each Stage of the Writing Process: @SaraL_Writer @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Create the Perfect Storm in a Novel: @aquavita
Writing A Series: 7 Continuation Issues To Avoid (video): @thecreativepenn
Focusing Your Novel With a Journalist’s Trick: @AndreaWriterlea
Writing Characters’ Thoughts: @JeriWB
Tips for Writing in English for ESL Writers: from Just a Writing Aid
When To Utilize An Ensemble Cast and How To Do It Well: @JoshuaIsard @LitReactor
Writing Craft / POV
Tips for POV: @HankPRyan @CareerAuthors
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining
Constructing Story Outlines: @AJHumpage
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Where Do You Place Your Inciting Incident? @SnowflakeGuy
The Plot Clock: The Structure Template that Saved 1 Writer’s Career: By Joyce Sweeney
Working with Multiple Plot Lines–Is There a Specific Way? @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept
The Quest for Originality: by Nils Odlund
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Punctuation Boot Camp: by Gail Radley @TheWriterMag
Writing Craft / Revision
5 Ways to Know Your Book is Finished: @LyndaRYoung @TheIWSG
5 Ways to Take Your Story from Good to Great: by Ashly Hilst @DIYMFA
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
5 Main Benefits of Creative Writing Workshops: by Sara Kopeczky
Writing Craft / Scenes
The Essentials of Scenes: @p2p_editor
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
Fictional Gardens and Gardeners: @ClaireFayers
Writing Craft / Tension
Scene Writing Tension: Boundaries: @Lindasclare
Writing Tools / Apps
A Closer Look at Editing Software @ProWritingAid :
6 Good Reasons To Use Scrivener To Write Your Book: by Julie Pierce @Writers_Write
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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August 30, 2018
Moving from CreateSpace to KDP Print
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Always leery of more work, I’d put off moving my print books from CreateSpace to KDP Print. With about 20 titles to transfer (the rest were trad-pubbed), I was concerned that it would be a long, problem-riddled process.
There were originally other concerns, too. I was used to buying cheap author copies on CreateSpace and for a while, there was not an avenue to buy those copies on KDP Print. That changed as of November 2017.
A full list of differences between CreateSpace and KDP Print can be found on Amazon here.
But I changed my mind about not making the move when I received an email Tuesday from Amazon, stating:
In a few weeks, we’ll start automatically moving your CreateSpace books to KDP. Your books will remain available for sale throughout the move and you’ll continue to earn royalties. Once we begin this process you’ll be unable to edit existing titles or create new titles on CreateSpace.
If you have a release planned soon or you would like to start the move yourself, we are making updates that will allow you to move your entire catalog in just a few steps. During this transition, you can contact KDP customer support by email and access phone support in English.
I decided to stop putting it off and make the move myself. If there were going to be issues, better to go on and address them now and before we all started having issues at once. And I have a fair number of titles.
Here’s what I found:
First off, Amazon has a handy list of things you should do before your transfer. This is a good time to make sure that you don’t have any books awaiting your proofing or approval, for instance. You also lose your CreateSpace reports, so go ahead and download those if you want to keep your historical sales figures.
Although several sites recommended migrating from the KDP side and not the CreateSpace side, this did not work for me. The dashboard wanted me to completely upload the files, etc. I definitely didn’t have time for that.
Fortunately, I found this video from KDP that walked me through the process (if you have problems seeing it, the YouTube link is here.)
According to Amazon’s email, they’re staggering the start of the move, so it’s possible that you may not yet see the prompt/popup on the CreateSpace site that helps you start the process:
To ensure a quality experience, we will add links to the CreateSpace member dashboard in phases so authors may see it at different times.
The linking was easy. And the transfer took only 2 minutes.
After the transfer, CreateSpace sends you to your KDP dashboard to check and see if everything migrated (all your projects are now removed from the CreateSpace dashboard).
Everything had switched over. I only had a few issues. Two of them were easy to resolve. You can immediately tell the ones that have issues because they have ‘continue setup’ highlighted. Two examples below.
How a problem migration looks:
A successful title migration:
First, my most recent release didn’t have the ebook and print versions linked on my KDP dashboard (they were linked on the Amazon product page). I clicked ‘link to the print edition’ from the Kindle edition and they matched right up.
Next, one of my titles had somehow transferred twice. I deleted one of the print editions and then linked the other print edition to the digital (again, on my KDP dashboard) since they weren’t linked.
The only other issue was one I had to call KDP about: an ISBN issue. There was an error message saying that my imprint (which is my name) didn’t match the ISBN. Support actually wrote a ticket up for this issue and are keeping in touch as they resolve it.
I checked to make sure that author copies were similar to the CreateSpace prices. They definitely appeared to be:
I’ve read on forums about writers having issues with covers, interiors, etc…but this wasn’t my experience, thankfully. Aside from the one problem I took to support, this was a painless process.
Here is a link to Amazon’s KDP Print FAQ.
Have you made the move yet? How did it go?
Transferring Books from CreateSpace to KDP Print:
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August 26, 2018
Writing While Uninspired
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
What is inspiration? I don’t think ‘inspiration’ is synonymous with ‘ideas’. I get ideas and don’t feel necessarily inspired.
To me, inspiration is more of that creative rush or creative energy and passion. It’s being in the zone and writing until your wrists and hands are numb or sore. It’s trying to jot down a tsunami of ideas or even a whole plot before it disappears into the far reaches of your brain.
I rarely write while feeling inspired. When I write, I usually feel as though I’m working very hard at it. But the end result still works out…there’s still life in my words and in my characters. The dialogue can even still be funny (I write humorous mysteries), even if I’m not ‘feeling it.’
I think the whole concept of the muse does something of a disservice to writers. It may make writers feel as though they need to write when inspiration strikes instead of simply making time every day/week to make progress on their stories, regardless of how they’re feeling.
How do I make progress without inspiration?
First off, the outline must be complete and solid. Am I inspired when working on my outline? Again, not particularly. The number one question I ask myself all the way through the outlining process is: what would appeal to my readers? What would they like to see in the story? What character might they like to see more of? Being reader-focused helps me to create a good outline. If you don’t outline: At least know what you want to cover for the next writing session. Just one or two sentences can give you enough direction to keep you from stalling out.
Next, I make sure I show up every day. For you, it may be that you show up weekly or twice a week. Whatever your goal is, make it happen.
Change up the routine if needed. On days when I haven’t gotten as much accomplished (which can happen when I’m not feeling especially driven to write), I make a point to switch up my routine a little. This usually means that I tack on an additional writing session at another point in my day. It nearly always means that I go to another location to write (library or coffeeshop, for me).
Make sure the story sparkles during revisions. One way I do this is by rereading well-written passages of mine from previous works. I fix anything in my current manuscript that seems flat.
Most importantly: keep filling that creative well. As I wrote in this post in June, it’s one thing writing while uninspired and it’s another to write when you’re actively burned out. Forcing the words out makes for wooden words. I make sure that not only I’m well-rested, eating well, and generally taking care of myself, but also that I make time to enjoy the products of other artists’ creativity and that I give myself some quiet time to just think. More on that in a series of posts soon.
I write books this way every day. The creativity is there. The fervor is not. But I love my characters, take pride in my work, and respect my readers. When I keep at it daily, there may not be inspiration, but there is rhythm. And I can work with rhythm.
For further reading and other ideas for those times you’re uninspired, see these posts:
How to Get Into the Mood to Write Daily by Now Novel
7 Tips for the Uninspired by Brooke Warner
How inspired are you when you write? How do you stave off burnout?
Writing While Uninspired:
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August 25, 2018
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 45,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
I had a book release last week. :) Cleaning is Murder launched Tuesday.
Business / Miscellaneous
How to Treat Writing Like a Business: @TuesWithLaurie
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
International Literature Festival Berlin Rolls Out 2018 Programming: @Porter_Anderson @ilb_
5 Etiquette Tips for Your Next Book Event: @wandalu64
Update From the Beijing International Book Fair’s Professional Programs: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Beijing Book Fair Director Liying Lin on China’s Book Market: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration
Where do you get your ideas from? @melanippee
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
20 Reasons to Read a Book: @JodyHedlund
7 Authors Who Only Ever Published One (Fantastic) Novel: @Keith_Rice1 @SignatureReads
25 Alice Munro Stories You Can Read Online Right Now: @knownemily
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
Tips for Getting the Passion Back in Your Writing: @christinadelay
How to Break a Bad Habit or Start a Good One: Reward Yourself: @BrynDonovan
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
How to Use a “Time Block” to Get More Writing Done: @losapala
How to Make Time to Write With a Busy Schedule: @the_writing_pal
How to Write Your Book in Five Minutes a Day: @WriteNowCoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / When to write
Why 1 Writer Goes to Bed Early: @asthebirdflies
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
6 Steps to Achieving Zen-Like Writer Efficiency: @annerallen @DaveChesson
How a Secondary Project Can Help with Productivity: from Just a Writing Aid
6 Ways to Double Your Writing Speed: @LMacNaughton
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
5 Things Successful Writers Do that Others Miss: @DanBlank
7 Things Lucky Writers Do to Succeed: @colleen_m_story
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Silence Your Inner Editor: @victoria_grif7
3 wondrous paradoxes of a slow writing process: @Roz_Morris
Own Your Success and Your Failure: @KristineRusch
Why It’s Time to Finally Call Yourself a Writer: @BeingTheWriter @womenonwriting
10 Ways to Survive Your Debut Author Year: @WF_writerEM @WomenWriters
On (Re)Writing Real-Life Tragedy: @KimberlySBelle @WomenWriters
When family and friends aren’t interested in your writing: from Just a Writing Aid
Don’t Let Anybody Tell You How to Write (or 8 Tips for Learning Responsibly): @KMWeiland
On Falling in Love with the Language I’ve Spoken My Entire Life: @citizenofspace @lithub
Genres / Fantasy
How to Create a Magic System in Six Simple Steps: @kristen_kieffer
Creating a Magic System for Superpowers: by Chris Winkle
Creating a Fictional Economy: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Genres / Memoir
Writing Memoir: Owning Your Story (Podcast): @DIYMFA with Grace Kennan Warnecke
Genres / Mystery
5 things about writing a psychological thriller: @HeidiPerksBooks @CurtisBrown
3 reasons to use free indirect speech in your crime fiction: @LouiseHarnby
Crime Writing: Cops: How To Tell Who’s Who: Behind The Pins And Medals: @LeeLofland
Genres / Non-Fiction
“I Talked to 39 Women Who Write Nonfiction, and Here’s What I’ve Learned”: @eb_bartels @ElectricLit
Get Back To Writing Creative Nonfiction When You’ve Lost Your Way: @kayladeanwrites
Genres / Picture Books
How to Write a Children’s Book: an Author’s Guide: @ReedsyHQ
Genres / Science Fiction
4 Authors Share Their Best Tips for Writing Fantasy & Science-Fiction: @WritersDigest
Genres / Screenwriting
Great Scene: “Citizen Kane”: @GoIntoTheStory
Genres / Young Adult
9 Tips for Writing Good, Healthy Relationships in Your YA Novel: @_HannahHeath
Promo / Blogging
4 Ways You Can Start Writing Better Blog Posts Immediately: @karonthackston
Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting
Your Author Bio is a Powerful Tool to Build Your Brand: @DaveChesson @BookWorksNYC
Promo / Connecting with Readers
Look for deeper ways of connecting with readers: @austinkleon
Promo / Influencers
How to Get Blurbs: A Case Study on Connecting with Influencers: @timgrahl
Promo / Platforms
12 Author Platform Building Blocks to Choose From: @sandrabeckwith
Promo / Social Media Tips
How to Build a Community on Twitter: @CaballoFrances @JFbookman
Publishing / Miscellaneous
How to Use the Amazon Algorithm to Sell More Books: @AlinkaRutkowska @jfbookman
Author Richard Russo Warns of Tech Giants’ Move Into Content for Writers: @Porter_Anderson @AuthorsGuild
Kobo Ebooks and Audiobooks Arrive in America at Walmart: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
New Report: American Teens Spend Less Time Reading: @Porter_Anderson @jean_twenge
New Partnership Between @AuthorsGuild and The Hot Sheet: @Porter_Anderson @JaneFriedman
Easy listening: the rise of the audiobook: @AlexClark3 @GuardianBooks
New York Public Library Initiates Its New ‘Insta Novels’ on Instagram: @Porter_Anderson @nypl
Wattpad’s 2018 ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ Survey: Progress, and Tech Realities: @Porter_Anderson @allenlau @wattpad
Industry Notes: ‘Great American Read’ Has Its Own Read; Unicorn Driven to ‘Urban Cars’: @Porter_Anderson @UnicornPubGroup
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Australia’s online retailer Booktopia expands its distribution service: @thenewpubstd
Canada’s Fraser Valley Regional Library Has VR Partnership for Inanimate Alice: @Porter_Anderson @ReadLearnPlay
Programming for the 2018 Singapore Asian Festival of Children’s Content: @Porter_Anderson @AFCC_sg
Political Publishing: The UK’s Byline Media Festival Showcases Its New Press: @MarkPiesing @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
The Rewards and Challenges of Self-Publishing Children’s Books: Q&A with Four Authors: @sangeeta_editor @JaneFriedman
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
Five myths and two truths about getting published: @DanaShavin @TheWriterMag
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
What the ‘Send 50 pages’ Agent Request Really Means: @Janet_Reid
Publishing / Process / Book Design
Top Five DIY Book Layout Mistakes: @JFbookman
Writing Craft / Beginnings
How to Write a Great First Sentence, with 22 Examples: @RuthHarrisBooks
Real Life Diagnostics: Does This Crime Fiction Opening Hook You? By Maria D’Marco
Trick the Mind, Get Creative and Opening Lines: @10MinNovelists
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Characters development and personality traits points to consider: @Joannewriter
Different Types of Characters to Include in Your Story: @KathyEdens1 @ProWritingAid
Creating Characters That Wow: @TheMerryWriter
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
Writing Emotions Effectively: @repokempt
Writing Craft / Conflict
Conflict Choices for Characters: @FaeRowen
Person Vs Society: 6 Types of Story Conflict: @nownovel
Writing Craft / Dialogue
Getting Regional Dialogue Right: @JoEberhardt
Writing Craft / Literary Devices
How Do You Lead Readers to Your Theme? @sacha_black
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
Finish Writing Your Book Using This 4-Step Process: @JennHarris_ICM
Tips for writing religious devotionals: @MissyTippens
6 Ways to Manipulate Time in Fiction: @ChairmanDog @ReedsyHQ @LiveWriteThrive
Beginning or Finishing? Which is Harder? @plotwhisperer
Novels are Way More than Just Writing a Story: @CindyDevoted @EdieMelson
How to Write Stuff People Want to Read: @AnneJanzer
Writing Craft / Pacing
Good Pacing and Why It Matters: @HannahFergesen
Writing Craft / POV
Cleaning Up Those POV Breaks: @anngborn2write
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
What Your Character Experiences While Leaving the Military: from It’s a Writer Thing
5 Things a Writer Needs to Know About a Character with a Mental Illness: @SloanTamar
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Beats
Writing Down the Story Beats: @Lindasclare
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
On Semicolons and the Rules of Writing: @AdamOPrice @The_Millions
Writing Craft / Revision
8 Self-editing Techniques to Cut Your Editing Time in Half: by Hayley Millman @ProWritingAid
2 Simple Tips To Spot Structural Problems In Your Writing: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
Critique Groups – 8 Good Reasons to Love Them: @eroyalauthor
Writing Craft / Scenes
The Making of a Scene: @EddieJonesTweet
Writing Craft / Tropes
The Mentor: Trope Reboot by Brian DeLeonard @mythicscribes
Writing Tools / Miscellaneous
Writer’s Tools and the Forgotten Keyboard: @JFbookman
Uncategorized
7 Habits of Highly Effective Writing Critique Groups: By Ryan Van Cleave
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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August 23, 2018
Editing Tool ProWritingAid
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
When the ProWritingAid team recently got in touch with me and offered me the chance to check out their editing tool, I was happy to take them up on it. I have never used editing software and was curious to see how well it would work. (I’m not an affiliate, but I did get a free account to try out.)
After setting up my account I decided to upload a couple of documents. The first I uploaded was the current WiP. ProWritingAid indicated that the document might be too large for the tool to effectively handle. I also uploaded a much shorter document, a condensed version of one of my mysteries that’s going to be translated into Spanish.
As the program predicted, it had some trouble with the big (about 50,000 word) file. It still worked, but the response was slow. The shorter document had no problems at all. It might be best to portion out a completed or near-completed manuscript into smaller chunks to run through the software.
I was impressed by what the program picked up in my unedited document. It quickly pointed out words that I overuse (I’m a ‘just’ fan), instances of passive voice, and times when I needed to either add a comma or remove one. It will prompt you to switch out ‘very small’ for ‘tiny’ or to drop the ‘very’. You can also check your story for specific issues. A click on ‘echoes’ resulted in the software pulling up words or phrases that were repeated closely together. In the example below, it picked up a somewhat larger problem–a split infinitive.
Writers can get a feel for whether they’re being consistent in their style.
A click on ‘pacing’ will pull up instances of slow pacing paragraphs (usually heavy in narrative).
A click on ‘clichés’ will return the clichéd phrases for you to consider changing.
You can pull up various reports for your story, too. I was interested in the readability report, for instance. Because the project was supposed to be written in an easy reader style for an English speaking person learning Spanish, I was glad to see that it was relatively readable.
The software focuses on grammatical errors, style issues, and readability. Did it mess up? Yes. Not as much as the grammar-checker on Microsoft Word, but still fairly frequently. Like Word, writers can ignore its feedback.
This software does not replace human editors but can be an effective tool to help clean up a manuscript before it goes to an editor. It can also help educate writers on mistakes to avoid.
Pricing can be found here and is by the year. Although it’s definitely an investment, I think it’s the kind of program that can help writers save money in the long run by cutting down on the amount of time editors have to spend on their manuscripts. Time is money when it comes to editing.
For further reading, Dave Chesson has a nice post comparing proofreading software.
Have you tried ProWritingAid or other proofreading software? How did you like it?
A Closer Look at Editing Software ProWritingAid:
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August 19, 2018
Keeping Your Reviews After Rights Revert to You
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve written on rights reversion a couple of times and each time I’ve received emails from traditionally published authors concerned about one aspect or another relating to the process.
The biggest concern appears to be keeping those hard-earned reviews after a rights reversion.
ISBNs do need to be changed in some circumstances, most notably when the content of the book is changed. These changes are due to significant alteration of the book’s content, not fixing typos, etc.
But ISBNs do not need to be changed when changing a book’s cover, for example. Or when changing publishers. With no change, those reviews are not in any danger.
This is fresh on my mind because I’ve just recently received the long-awaited ebook rights to the first Myrtle Clover book from Midnight Ink (as of July 1).
Here is US ISBN agency Bowker on changing ISBNs:
If an author gets the publishing rights back, does the original publisher’s ISBN remain?
No, they do not have to be assigned, but they can be.
But, of course, the most important feedback comes from Amazon. I wrote Amazon for clarification for all of us on retaining reviews after a publisher change. Here is the reply from Amlan Jyoti P. with Amazon seller support:
1. I would like to inform you that since the publishing rights will be transferred to you for the ASIN : B002WJH2I0, hence in this case you do not need to update a new ISBN for the product , the old ISBN will do.
Here, we can just change the publisher name to your name since you will have the publishing rights.
2. Please know that since in this case, the ISBN does not needs to be changed and only the publisher name needs to be changed hence the reviews will not get removed. The ASIN will contain all the reviews that is currently present on it.
I appreciate your efforts for reporting these corrections and in helping Amazon maintain data integrity to create a positive shopping experience.
Other retailers operate much the same way. If the ISBN remains the same, the author name is written exactly as before, and the rest of the metadata is the same, they’ll merge the two editions of the book. I haven’t run into any issues at Apple, Nook, etc.
I simply uploaded my own version of the book with a new cover (the cover art, at least in my experience, is never reverted to the author), myself as publisher, and the same metadata as before (lowering the price substantially from the publisher’s price) and then the retailer transferred the reviews to the new edition. It usually took 24-48 hours for the previous version to disappear from the retailer and the reviews to transfer.
I’m hoping this puts the fears of traditionally published authors to rest and that more of them will explore asking for their rights to be reverted to them. More information on obtaining those rights in my post here.
More information on ISBNs in general in this post by Giacomo Giammatteo for the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Have you requested rights back? Did you run into any issues?
Keeping Your Reviews After Rights Revert to You:
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August 18, 2018
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 45,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
Business / Miscellaneous
A plea to authors to speak out about piracy: @Roz_Morris
Staying Relevant As An Author: @JL_Campbell
The Ever-Thriving TV Industry is Sending Many Literary Writers into the Writers’ Room: by Joy Press @VanityFair
Are you a Short Story Writer or Novel Writer? @AJHumpage
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Beijing Book Fair Emphasizes Digital Zone: Conference and Exhibition Area: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
Goal-Setting With Prolifiko: @beprolifiko
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
The 17 Best Horror Podcasts Of 2018: @lifewire
10 Classic Fantasy Books You Need to Read: @Keith_Rice1 @unboundworlds
8 Books About the Eerie, Awesome Connection Between Identical Twins: @AnitaFelicelli @ElectricLit
The Rise of the Aspirational Divorcée: @terraloire @ElectricLit
Holden Caulfield: Egotistical Whiner or Melancholy Boy Genius? @knownemily @lithub
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
How to Create and Stick to a Writing Schedule: @KathyEdens1 @ProWritingAid
Redesign Your Life To Prioritize Writing: @kadavy @thecreativepenn
Baby Steps All the Way: Making the Time to Write a Book: @housleydave @The_Millions
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
1 Simple Tip To Help You Get More Writing Done: @Bang2write
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
5 Steps to Ensure Your Novel is a Bestseller in its Genre: @LiveWriteThrive @WritetoDone
What Makes Stories Go Viral? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Tips for Indie Writing Success from Cozy Writer @CosyCrazy: @IndieAuthorALLI
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
“Why I Struggle To Relate To Relatability”: @joluloff @lithub
Writing as the Art of Thinking Clearly: 6 Steps: @KMWeiland
When You’re Grateful to Write, You Can Overcome Any Challenge: @IrisYang86351 @colleen_m_story
For the Love of Libraries: @SarahMMcCoy @WriterUnboxed
Chelsea Hodson on Why Being a Writer Is Such a Slog: @mjseidlinger @ElectricLit
5 Tai Chi and Yoga Techniques to Help With Writer Focus: @AmbreDLeffler @DIYMFA
Writing Through Pain: @yuvizalkow @WriterUnboxed
Judge Yourself Less, Trust Yourself More, and Write Better Stories: @KMWeiland
How to Start a Local Writing Group: @shaylaleeraquel
There’s So Much More to Writing Than Just Writing: @Wordstrumpet
The Pros and Cons of the Independent Writing Life: @colleen_m_story
Genres / Dystopian
How to Live in a Dystopian Fiction: @AdamOPrice @parisreview
Genres / Fantasy
Creating a Magic System: by Aaron Miles @FantasyFaction
History for Fantasy Writers: Merchant Guilds: by E.L. Skip Knox @mythicscribes
Genres / Horror
Prestige Horror Has Arrived: @JE_TRUSSELL
Genres / Memoir
5 Simple Steps to Get Started Writing Your Memoir: @lornafaith
Genres / Miscellaneous
3 Differences Between Genre And Literary Fiction: @TheMerryWriter
Secrets of the Morality Genre: by Rachelle Ramirez @StoryGrid
Genres / Mystery
How To Write A Thriller: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice
Comic Book Noir: 10 Essential Mystery Graphic Novels: @fredvanlente @CrimeReads
5 Reasons the World of High Finance Is Ripe Territory for Thrillers: @cristinaalger @SignatureReads
6 Unusual Forensic Techniques: @SueColetta1
How World War One Gave Rise to the Traditional Mystery: @misericordius @CrimeReads
Genres / Poetry
On Apocalyptic Poetry: @oil_spell @brownbrandonj
What Is Anaphora? Walt Whitman Demonstrates This Literary Device: @abauerwrites @WritersDigest
Which Poets Were Contemporary to Each Other? @My_poetic_side
“Five Lies I Believed About Poetry Writing”: @10MinNovelists
Genres / Romance
Brainstorming Romance: How to Keep Your Ideas Fresh And Original: @LovettRomance @DIYMFA
Promo / Ads
Promo Stacking: Effective Strategies For Every Author: @ricwol @WrittenWordM
Promo / Blogging
12 Worst Blogging Mistakes: @AHuelsenbeck
The Importance of Hashtags, Titles and Images for Blog Posts: @EdieMelson
Promo / Book Reviews
Is It Ever Okay to Buy Reviews? @JohnDoppler @IndieAuthorALLI
Promo / Miscellaneous
Book marketing: Where should you start? @sandrabeckwith
Promo / Newsletters
A Survey of Your Newsletter Readers Provides Info, a Sense of Community: @RJCrayton @IndiesUnlimited
Promo / Social Media Tips
Book Launch Checklist: A Marketing Timeline: @debbiemacomber @BookBub
Promo / Speaking
Advice for shy authors: @Roz_Morris
How to Perform (Not Just Read) Your Work in Front of Audiences: @NataliaSylv
20 Tips to Wow an Audience and Own the Stage: @JeffGoins
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Writing for Audiobook: @LNightingale @RomanceUniv
Submitting Your Work: How to Write Your Best Cover Letter: @2elizabeths @DIYMFA
Trump Campaign Tries to Stop Omarosa Book: Simon & Schuster Says No Way: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
‘Reading Is Being Replaced’: New Warnings from Lithuania of Competition to Books: @Porter_Anderson
Authors Guild Closes Ranks With Press on First Amendment Freedoms: @AuthorsGuild @Porter_Anderson @JamesGleick
Amid Turkey’s Spiraling Currency Crisis: An Appeal for Rights Acquisitions: @Porter_Anderson @wischenbart @pubperspectives
Publishers Association: How Rights Sales Factor Into the UK’s Industry Revenues: @Porter_Anderson @PublishersAssoc
Rights Roundup: Summertime Offerings in Fiction, Nonfiction, Adult and Children’s Titles: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Germany’s Börsenverein Announces German Book Prize 2018 Longlist: @Porter_Anderson
China’s Book Market in the First Half of 2018: Slower Growth, Rising Prices: @Porter_Anderson @trajectory
Frankfurter Buchmesse Expands Its Citywide BookFest in October: @Porter_Anderson
Trump Books Travel: Foreign Rights Sales of Political Books: @Porter_Anderson @HappyMigrant
Stories from Indonesia To Be Made Into Films by Iflix, Wattpad: @Porter_Anderson @wattpad
Germany’s Buchtrailer Awards and the UK’s Republic of Consciousness Small Press: Honor @Porter_Anderson @PrizeRofc
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
How to Write and Publish a Book for Free: @Jffelkins
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches
What Goes On A One Sheet? @LornaSeilstad
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying
Pitching a planned series to an agent: @Janet_Reid
Online Dating vs Submitting to Agents: @JoFranklin2
Common Mistakes When Submitting to Agents: @RachelleGardner
Pen Names and Why Authors Use Them: @Writers_Write
Writing Craft / Arc
The Hero’s Journey Feels A Lot Like The Loser’s Journey: @CallieOettinger @SPressfield
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Writing Unforgettable Characters: @Lindasclare
Building Characters Layer by Layer: @jamesscottbell
Writing Craft / Conflict
The essential types of conflict in a story: @Peter_Rey_
6 Conflict Types in Fiction: Man vs Self: @nownovel
Writing Craft / Dialogue
Dos And Don’ts Of Dialogue: by Ellie Writes Stories
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Pixar Storytelling: 20 Points Writers Can Learn From Animated Stories: @JordanDane @killzoneauthors
5 Things George R. R. Martin Can Teach You About Writing: @FredBobJohn
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
How to Convey an Established Relationship Quickly: @SeptCFawkes
The Priority Parallax: Everything is Not as Important as It Appears: @KristenLambTX
How to Write Big Character Life Changes: @Kid_Lit
The ‘Maverick Friend’ As a Plot Device: By Bonnie Randall
How To Write A Story That Connects With Readers: @alysiaseymour @thecreativepenn
How to Spot an “Info-dump”: by Bucket Siler
A Brief Guide to Narrative Navigation: @debluskin
Writing Craft / Pacing
How Structure Affects Pacing: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Revision
The Difference Between Editing and Revising a Novel: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques
What to Do When Your Critique Feedback Gets Ignored: @Janice_Hardy
Why Every Writer Needs a Critique Partner: @Jenslattery
Writing Craft / Scenes / Conflict
6 Intriguing Conflict Types in Fiction: Man Vs Nature: @nownovel
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
Tips for describing settings: from Hey, Writers
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Is Just Justified in Writing? @ZoeMMcCarthy
Cliches and Fixing Them: from Just a Writing Aid
Perk Up Your Story with Onomatopoeia: @LauraDiSilverio @CareerAuthors
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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August 16, 2018
Goal-Setting With Prolifiko
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Today I wanted to pass along a helpful goal-setting and tracking tool for writers.
I’ve gotten very into tracking lately. I especially like it when it’s easy to do (which is why I use the free app Daylio to track exercise, healthy eating, etc.) There’s something very satisfying in plugging in info and getting charts and data in return. Plus, I think it helps me to stay motivated.
That’s why I was happy to get early access to Prolifiko (now released to the public…I’m not affiliated with the product).
As they state on their website, Prolifiko helps you get writing in four ways:
Get focused: Our small steps system provides a laser-like focus on what you need to achieve next.
Reflect and learn: Super-simple tracking makes your writing process plain to see.
Stay motivated: Nudges, streaks and rewards keep you to deadline and moving forwards with your goals.
Improve and progress: Coaching tips and personalised writing data help you improve, optimize and keep writing.
The concept of goal-setting in small steps is especially appealing to me. I have always found that I’m a lot more successful setting incremental goals and writing in short sessions. As the saying goes, the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
The app walks you through the process of getting started on your goal. Here it recommends you list your first step (the emphasis is on ‘small’ steps again):
And it makes sure that you set a deadline for taking that first step. They email you your goal, step, and deadline, which does make it feel more of an official contract.
It’s easy to quickly record how your first step/writing session went. Prolifiko takes it an additional step and recommends that you write a quick line to analyze your writing session (and why you should):
They also have a page that they call the ‘coaching center’ which offers info and help on topics such as writing systems, rewards systems, and accountability.
Prolifiko looks like a good tool for any writer who either gets a little overwhelmed at a writing project, or needs some help making more actionable goals or sticking with them. There is a 30 day free trial with no credit card required if you wanted to take it for a spin. It looks as though they’re currently running a half-off sale until September, too, if you wanted to sign up.
Have you tried Prolifiko? Do you track goals and writing sessions?
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August 12, 2018
Update on Translations
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Thought I’d provide a somewhat belated update as to the translation platforms I’ve been working with alongside my Spanish translator, Freddy Moyano.
As you may remember (and here’s a link if you don’t remember), I wasn’t exactly pleased by my experience working on the most well-known royalty sharing translation platform, Babelcube. I found the customer service slow and didn’t like the fact that the contract was a bit constricting. Freddy and I wanted to have a translated book in audio format but the terms of the Babelcube contract precluded that. Also, I thought the distribution was a little too limited. I’m still at Babelcube though, because my other translators did not feel they could leave the platform.
Freddy and I started a new project…easy-reader versions of my Myrtle books for English speakers interested in learning Spanish. This time we decided to try something else. Here are my thoughts on BundleRabbit and TekTime (known in Italy as Traduzione Libri):
BundleRabbit Pros:
It’s very easy to get an account set up there.
The terms are good. You’re free to distribute your book elsewhere besides BundleRabbit.
You can set up the royalty split as you like it. (Translators usually make more than the author, having absorbed all of the risk on the project.)
You can have more than one collaborator. (For example, if you have an anthology.)
Excellent response times. The owner of BundleRabbit, Chuck Heintzelman, has written me back within 5 minutes before.
No upfront cost, just revenue sharing. (10%)
BundleRabbit Cons:
I wish there were more distribution channels. From what I’ve seen of this business, I’m sure more are on the way. Again, though, you’re free to distribute outside of BundleRabbit.
TekTime Pros:
Set-up is easy.
Response time is quick. The owner of TekTime, Danilo Clementoni, responds incredibly quickly, despite dealing with a significant time zone difference.
The distribution is wide. They have many more channels than Babelcube or TekTime.
They have audiobook distribution to Audible, as well as other channels.
No upfront cost, just revenue sharing (10%).
TekTime Cons:
The contract you’re signing is in Italian (you can find an English version online, though: narration agreement, translation agreement) and pretty long. A representative said that the fact that it was in Italian was because of Italian laws. The contract process is a bit tedious. You must also submit your photo ID. That being said, it’s a pretty standard contract.
To publish an audiobook through TekTime, you must also publish/distribute your book through them.
With all this trouble, you may wonder why we didn’t simply set this up so that one of us acted as a publisher and then split the royalties with the other through PayPal. The problem with that is that whomever the publisher is must also send out 1099s and handle all the administrative work of opening dashboards, getting the earnings reports, and paying out. Maybe you actually have that kind of time. But what happens when you pass away…leaving your family to manage this for you? It wasn’t something that I felt I could take on.
Are you exploring translation? Which platform are you using?
Translation Alternatives to Babelcube:
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