Riley Adams's Blog, page 74

June 17, 2018

Combating Release Day Stress Part One

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I read an interesting article lately that really made me think. It was by Sweta Vikram and was titled, “How Mindfulness Can Help You Enjoy Your Book Release Day.” In it, Vikram offered suggestions for better launch days.

I’m horrible at mindfulness, although I’ve definitely given it a go. I’ve set timers and reminders for myself. My mind always swims off to something I should be doing. Clearly, I need to work harder at making it work.

But Vikram gives other tips for making a release day better. I especially liked her reminders to continue building relationships with family and friends, to be grateful (she specifically mentions trad pub here, but it is the same for self-pub…we have a lot of folks to acknowledge on our road to publication), and to pay it forward.

All of these are excellent ideas. The biggest thing that I got from the article was this…release days frequently aren’t fun. This probably sounds odd to anyone who hasn’t yet published, but it’s the truth. I was extremely stressed out on launch days for my books with Penguin RH (there were decided promo expectations there) and am still stressed during my self-pub releases (where I’m the sole person responsible for everything going right…or everything going wrong, as the case may be).

This is a problem for many of us. I have several releases in a year. Some writers have a good deal more.

Keeping the article in mind, I have come up with additional suggestions for combating release day stress. I’ll cover the first couple today and the rest on Friday.

Do as much in advance as possible. This is a tip that I’ve used for nearly every aspect of my life for the last twenty years or so. It works for avoiding vacation stress, for the (enjoyable) disruption of holidays, and for busy mornings herding young children off to school.

In terms of a book release, this means that we should:

Load our books onto each retail/distribution platform prior to the release day. We can either set up the book as a preorder and do all the set-up work before the release, or we can simply have all the metadata and files loaded and wait for the launch to hit publish.

Create our reader newsletter announcing the release before release day and either schedule its release on launch day or hit publish that day.

Schedule a social media announcement (through a program like HootSuite or Buffer).

Set up a giveaway if that’s part of our marketing plan. Or set up a previous book in the series to price for free. If you’re doing a blog tour, make sure the posts are written ahead of time.

Keep a checklist handy.

There’s a lot to remember for release day. I found that I frequently forgot things if I had to rely on my memory. I use this checklist (and I’ve added a couple of things to it…like ordering print copies for myself and updating my list of books in print).

Otherwise, I will forget to make sure the print edition and ebook are connected on my product page. Or that I’ll forget to make sure they are linked to my Author Central page.

These are just a couple of things that I do to make sure everything goes smoothly (and are less stressful) on launch day. I’ll cover the rest on Friday.

Do you find releases stressful? How do you reduce the stress of launches?

Tips for Reducing Release Day Stress:
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Photo credit: ToniVC on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

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Published on June 17, 2018 21:02

June 16, 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.

New Stuff:

There’s a new platform especially designed for writers wanting complete privacy with their pseudonym: Scrivinor (not to be confused with the writing app). Founder Dwight Jurling says, “Pen names in Scrivinor are not connected to real-world identities unless writers choose them to be.” He also states: “Scrivinor is an option for writers to self-publish for free, with no obligation.” A nice non-pen name related extra is the ability to collect groups of articles into books. Check out Scrivinor here.

Authors M.K Tod, Heather Burch, and Patricia Sands announce their 4th annual reader survey. The survey is designed to discover “reader preferences, habits, and attitudes.” You can take the survey here and share this link with others: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/68HL6F2

Business / Miscellaneous

Plot a Publishing Plan – Step One: @plotwhisperer

A Niche Market Book Can Be a Plus: @SaveYourLifeMe @BookWorksNYC

After Your Death, the Royalties Keep Coming, But Where Do They Go? : by Jane Marlow @WomenWriters

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

The UK’s Society of Authors Releases Its Shortlists for the Authors’ Awards Slate: 2018 @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

BookExpo and New York Rights Fair Extend Their Partnership, Polling Attendees: @Porter_Anderson @BookExpoAmerica

The 10th PEN Pinter Award 2018 Goes to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: @Porter_Anderson

The Rebecca Swift Foundation’s New Women Poet’s Prize Opens for Submissions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

8 Novelists Who Should be Getting Paid to Write Reality TV: @LucasWMann @ElectricLit

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

On Finding Motivation to Finish Your WIP (video): @Ava_Jae

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

The Gift of Writing Regularly: @Lgood67334 @WomenWriters

How to Write a Book This Year: 10 Tips: @Belinda_Pollard

Just Set a Start Date: @MegDowell

5 Things Learned By Writing Every Day For A Year: @DanBlank

5 Benefits of Writing Every Day: @lucy_m_benton @DIYMFA

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block

Overcoming Resistance as Writers: @JoelDCanfield

Creativity and Inspiration / Success

Top 5 Secrets For Successful Writers: by Niraj Kapur @Bang2write

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

How to Fight Isolation When You Work From Home: by Michelle Woo @lifehacker

Writing Rituals That Work: @Wordstrumpet

How One Late-Blooming Author Turned a Publishing Fiasco into Hilarious Fiction: @annerallen @DebraEve

Write What You (Don’t) Know: Graduate School, Research, and Writing a Novel: by Nishant Batsha @The_Millions

Being a Confident Writer: Tips: @WritetoDone

9 Quotes About The Library As A Temple: @TomBlunt @SignatureReads

How to Keep the Naysayers from Getting You Down: @colleen_m_story

Genres / Dystopian

Tips for Writing Zombie Apocalypse: @WordDreams

Genres / Fantasy

History for Fantasy Writers: Pirates: by E.L. Skip Knox @mythicscribes

Genres / Mystery

5 Lessons Studying Sleight-of-Hand Can Teach You About Writing Suspense: @michael_kardos @WritersDigest

Common Mistakes in Crime Fiction: Are You Murdering Your Cop Stories? @LeeLofland

Recurring Antagonists in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg

Exposés as elements in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Genres / Non-Fiction

5 Surprising Tips for a Nonfiction Book Deal: @LisaTener @LiveWriteThrive

Genres / Poetry

The Poetry World Cup: @My_poetic_side

Genres / Romance

Writing Sensual Romance 101: by Miranda Shepard

Do Romance Authors Receive Worse Treatment from Publishers Than Anyone Else? @PassiveVoiceBlg

Promo / Miscellaneous

Six Rules of Author Self-Promotion: @JMJauthor

10 Great Places to Promote Your Book Online: @ChrysFey @TheIWSG

“5 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Published My First Book”: @CaballoFrances

10 Marketing Techniques That Annoy Potential Readers: @NathanBransford

Marketing Beyond Your Book Launch: @AnitaFreshFaith

The key to book marketing: do what you’re best at: @NathanBransford

Promo / Newsletters

Just Use MailChimp: @GlennJMiller

Promo / Platforms

Branding Tips to Help Build Your Writing Career: @JaneFriedman @NinaAmir

Promo / Social Media Tips

10 Ways Authors Can Grow a Facebook Group: @CaballoFrances

Adding a Goodreads Widget to Your Facebook Page:

Build Your Author Platform with Facebook Groups: @loishoffmanDE

9 Ways To Network And Get Yourself Noticed on Twitter: by Kate Peers @ProWritingAid

Promo / Websites

Website Analytics for Indie Authors: Understanding Your Traffic: @nocargr @BookWorksNYC

Publishing / Miscellaneous

How to Become a Bestseller with Money, Luck, or Work (Mostly Work): @cdetler @JaneFriedman

How To Produce A Premium Journal: @JFbookman @thecreativepenn

How To Write An Acknowledgment Your Readers Will Love: by Paige Duke @standoutbooks

Reading in Virtual Reality: The Good And Not-So-Good: @AnAnteaterMaybe @BookRiot

The Acknowledgment Dilemma: @MortonSGray @WomenWriters

17 Secrets of Audiobook Narrators: @micheledebczak @mental_floss

Publishing / News / Amazon

Both Text and Audio Sold Together in Amazon Original Stories Collections: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Deadlines: A Call for Papers in Germany, for Translation Fund Applications in Scotland: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Covering the International Books Industry: A Discussion of Trends and Challenges: @Porter_Anderson @FabricePiault @BeyondTheBook

Aleida and Jan Assmann To Receive the 2018 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Audiobooks in the Headlines: Wooing Guys in the UK, Winning Over Publishers in Canada: @Porter_Anderson @BookNet_Canada

World Industry Organizations Condemn Bangladeshi Publisher Shahzahan Bachchu’s Murder:

Industry Notes: Garréta, Ramadan Are Albertine Prize 2018 Winners; Guest Curators Are Named at Cheltenham: @Porter_Anderson

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Pitches

How and Why to Pitch Agents at Pitching Events: @jeannevb @WritersDigest

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

What It Takes: How Acquisitions Editors Think: @StoryGrid

Dear Editor: How Do I Write a Query Letter? @BookWorksBetty @BookWorksNYC

16 Query Tips From Agents: @WordDreams

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Rejections

Rejected? Top 5 Tips What To Do About It: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / Beginnings

Pro Analysis: Your First Page: @PBRWriter

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Keep your Characters Consistent: @jimdempsey

Creating a Character: Tips: @themaltesetiger

How To Make Sure Every Character Counts In Your Story: @ShanDitty

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

The Dilemma of Too Many Characters in Your Novel: @diannmills

How to Dump Info without Info-Dumping: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Dialogue

3 Different Types of Dialogue: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Diversity

Using Folklore Respectively with Balanced Perspective: from Writing With Color

Writing Craft / Endings

Don’t Write Bad Endings: @jenniferlellis

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

Tips for Writing Back Story: @Lindasclare

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

How (And Why) You Should Write An Ensemble Cast: @standoutbooks

What is an Unreliable Narrator? @ReedsyHQ

Writing with Emotion: @PBRWriter @RomanceUniv

Five tips for writing good prose: @Roz_Morris

Cause and Effect Story: Maximizing the Power of Cause and Effect in Your Writing: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice

Women Were Better Represented in Victorian Novels Than Modern Ones: @KatEschner @SmithsonianMag

5 Writing Tips for Punching up Fight Scenes: @JChaseNovelist

Writing Craft / POV

Don’t Lose Your Head Over Point-of-View: @jamesscottbell

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

What is a plot point? Find and Plan Clear Story Events: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Overcome Your Fear of the Semicolon: @TheresaStevens @RomanceUniv

Writing Craft / Revision

Editing Poetry: Some Revisions on Editing by Nick Twemlow: @PoetryFound

The 5 Stages of Editing Grief: @Julie_Glover

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

Conveying the Senses of Place to Our Readers: @hopeclark @EdieMelson

Writing Craft / Voice

How to Refine the ‘Voice’ of Your Book: Free Webinar: Wednesday 13 June • 12 pm LA • 3 pm New York • 8 pm London: @DIYMFA @ReedsyHQ

Writing Tools / Apps

How to Create Scrivener Templates (and Why You Should): @the_writing_pal

Writing Tools / Resources

15 (Mostly) Free Tools to DIY Your Self-Published Book: @MandyCorine

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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Published on June 16, 2018 21:02

June 14, 2018

Overcoming Resistance

by Joel D. Canfield, @JoelDCanfield

To begin, tell me a little bit about yourself. How many of these have you experienced in your writing life during the past two years? I’ll include checkboxes so you can keep track.

Never finding the time to write Making the time but not writing Dreaming of writing but never getting started Starting but never finishing Starting but never finishing that one particular piece Thinking you can do it without help Thinking you’re beyond help A love/hate relationship with your writing Focusing on unhelpful negative feedback and ignoring positive feedback Focusing on positive feedback and ignoring helpful negative feedback Wanting to write deep but writing shallow Writing for others instead of yourself Writing for money but not treating it like a business Reading about writing instead of writing Seeking out feedback before you’re ready Seeking out the wrong level of feedback Ongoing health challenges like Unexplained fatigue (physical or mental) Mysterious illness (a neverending or recurring cold or flu) Injuries (constant little accidents) Addiction of any kind (substance, activities, self-destructive habits)

How many did you check? (Put the number right here) Is it more than zero? I’ll bet it is. If so, you’re facing Resistance. I’ve written nearly 20 books and 200 songs in the past 11 years. I checked 17 boxes. SEVENTEEN. I’m facing Resistance. You’re facing Resistance.

Resistance? What’s That?

According to bestselling author Steven Pressfield in his groundbreaking work The War of Art Resistance is the mental and emotional pushback we feel when we dare greatly by being creative. It is our unconscious mind protecting us from what it thinks is the danger of emotional vulnerability. It shows up in all the ways in that checklist above, and more.Resistance is a bully. It will stand in your way and stop your writing. It will knock you down and hurt you, emotionally, even physically. Resistance strikes nonfiction and fiction authors alike. (Memoirists, are you listening?) Writing a nonfiction book is still a creative endeavor and will expose you to the same fears. It will stop you from writing using the tools you checked off in that list above.

It’s Not Just You & I
“I was ashamed. I have spent a good many years since—too many, I think—being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction and poetry who as ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent.” “. . . in my heart I stayed ashamed. I kept hearing Miss Hisler asking why I wanted to waste my talent, why I wanted to waste my time, why I wanted to write junk.”

Who was this loser? Stephen King. Stephen 350 million books sold King. This is a quote from his On Writing which, although not precisely instructional, is the most inspiring book I’ve read when it comes to staying the course as a writer. This is the quote that gave me my writing life back. (I’ll tell you that story someday if you like.) Our inborn desire to have our work respected can lead to problems if we put what others believe about our “God-given talent” ahead of what we choose to write. It’s one of many ways Resistance twists natural feelings into quicksand.

What’s a Writer to Do?

You cannot defeat Resistance once and be done with it. It’s part of our mental and emotional makeup. What you can do is make it irrelevant. Note that I don’t say “ignore it” because you can’t ignore a bully. But if you defuse them, do things to take away their power, they are no longer a threat. Like the bully at school (or, frankly, in the office) they still show up every day. But we don’t have to keep giving them our lunch money. Being a writer is hard. You don’t have to do this alone. Too many writers face the emotional struggle to write without proper support. After years of writing about it, I’ve created a forum to help writers and artists deal with writer’s Resistance. It’s not going to be a collective moan-fest or chat-fest. It’s a guided learning environment, a community of writers making a safe place for some “you’re not alone” emotional support. It will also cover practical and actionable tools and processes to get you writing and keep you writing. Membership is $5 per month or only $25 for the whole year.

Questions? Comments? Shout ’em out below and I’ll answer every one.

Joel D Canfield has written 18 books, nearly 200 songs, and a million words in blog posts over the past 20 years. When he’s not writing novels and songs he helps authors get their books out of the ‘someday’ box by showing them how to start writing and keep writing. Access the secret file about his work at http://SomedayBox.com/ and see how he can help you.

Writer @JoelDCanfield with a community to help writers beat resistance:
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Published on June 14, 2018 21:02

June 10, 2018

Goodreads Widget For Facebook

Someone is reading in a chair with a cup of coffee and a phone on a table beside them.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Last Monday I talked a little bit about Goodreads widgets on our website can help us offer some social proof to readers and maybe help drum up interest in our books. Today, I thought I’d cover another of the Goodreads widgets, this one for our Facebook page.

Adding a tab to our Facebook page is pretty straightforward. I chose to add an author tab, since I have a lot of books, but you could also choose to add a book tab if you’d rather. You can also add a group tab (instructions for that at the bottom of this page).

Here are the directions, straight from the Goodreads Help page:

To add an author or book tab:

1. Create a Facebook Page if you don’t already have one.
2. Visit your author dashboard.
3. Scroll down to the “Facebook Page Tab” section.
4. Click the green “Add the Goodreads app” link in this section.
5. A pop-up will appear. Choose your page from the drop-down menu and hit “Okay.”
6. Navigate to your Facebook fan page. You should now see a Goodreads icon on the “About” bar (under the “Like” button). Click on this to visit your page tab.

The tab will default to showing an “Author” page, which will show all of your author information, details, and books. If you’d like to switch this to a dedicated book page instead, just go back to Facebook. Click on the page tab and scroll the whole way down. At the bottom right, you’ll see a link that says “Edit your Goodreads tab settings.” Click this to choose what type of tab you’d like to set up.

You’ll want to tinker with the default settings to make sure you’re highlighting your better reviews on the site. Although I find bad reviews very helpful in making sure readers know that the title isn’t only reviewed by friends and family, I don’t think they’re very helpful as advertising.

It ends up looking like this:

Once I’d added the Goodreads tab to the page, I realized that not only was I not happy having the tab at the bottom of the list of tabs, the whole tab column was way too cluttered.

To Reorder Tabs on a Facebook Page:

Go to your Page and click Settings

Click Edit Page in the left column
Click and drag a tab to reorder it

Remove Tabs and Sections
Keep in mind that you can only remove the following tabs and sections: Events, Groups, Notes, Services, Shop, Jobs, Offers and Reviews.
To remove a tab or section:

Go to your Page and click Settings

Click Edit Page in the left column
Click Settings next to the tab you want to remove
Click to select Off

Click Save

After that, it looked much better (unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t allow you to remove some tabs, but I removed what I could):

And that’s pretty much it! Just another way to try to set our Facebook page apart and perhaps generate some interest in our books.

Have you integrated the Goodreads widget in your Facebook page? What other promo activities have you been working on?

Adding a Goodreads Widget to Your Facebook Page:
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Published on June 10, 2018 21:02

June 9, 2018

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Business / Miscellaneous

Why You Need to Test Market Your Book Idea…and How to Do It: @WriteNowCoach

What’s in an Author Name? @MarieMyungOkLee @The_Millions

Good Advice, Bad Advice: Writing through the “Shoulds”: @msheatherwebb @WriterUnboxed

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

10 Best Packing Tips For Authors: @gailcarriger

Hay Festival 2018 Sets a Record, Selling 18,000 More Tickets Than in 2017: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

University of Warwick’s Peter Marshall Wins £40,000 Wolfson History Prize: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Cheltenham Literary Festival 2018 Announces Elements of Its Educational Program: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Kamila Shamsie Wins £30,000 Women’s Prize for Fiction: @Porter_Anderson @kamilashamsie

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

Increase Writing Quality by Both Filling and Stilling Your Mind: @annkroeker

The 7 Habits Of Highly Creative People: @constantmusings

How Designing Covers for My Books Helps 1 Author Write Them: by Johan Harstad @lithub

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Quotes

Quotes for Writers: 35 International Authors’ Writing Advice: @nownovel

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

The Novel Within the Novel: 8 Meta Stories With Thrillers Inside: @sarabooks @CrimeReads

Five Essential Books About Plagues and Pandemics: @claudiagray @tordotcom

Ten Excellent SFF ‘Ships: @riss4x @tordotcom

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

How To Keep Writing When That Critical Inner Voice Won’t Shut Up: @LisaCron @AngelaAckerman

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

3 Words to Help You Find Time to Write: @BetJett @EdieMelson

15 minute writing challenge (video): @EvaDeverell

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

Mindfulness and Memory: by Pamela Moore @livequiet

Writing And The Fear Of Judgment: @thecreativepenn

How to Make an Honest Living as a Writer: @savilleneuve

Supporting Disability Amongst Writers: @nick45wood @sfwa

Writing on the Go: by Janet Lane @RMFWriters

What to Write When You’re Not Writing: @gargimehraa @sfwa

52 Things Writers Fear (but shouldn’t): @katekrake

Genres / Fantasy

Creating Believable Fantasy Characters: @StevieRaeCausey

6 Characteristics of a Great Fantasy Writer: by Jessica Wood @mythicscribes

9 Fantasy Duos Bound By Fate: @nataliezutter @tordotcom

Genres / Horror

Mariana Enriquez on Political Violence and Writing Horror: @raviddice @lithub

Reverse-mullet pedagogy: valuing horror fiction in the classroom: @MathiasClasen @OUPAcademic

Genres / Memoir

How to Deal with Memory and Emotions When Writing a Memoir: @writeabook

9 Tips For Using Fiction Techniques When Writing Memoir: @Michael_Editor @thecreativepenn

Genres / Miscellaneous

Why Are There So Few Female Horses in Speculative Fiction? @dancinghorse

Genres / Mystery

A look at privacy vs. police procedures as elements in crime fiction through the years: @mkinberg

How to Create a Mystery Detective Readers Love: @ZaraAltair @ProWritingAid

Different sets of standards for the wealthy as an element in crime fiction: @mkinberg

Crime Writing: Want to Make Your Scenes Come Alive? Here’s a Cop’s-Eye View: @LeeLofland @killzoneauthors

Genres / Non-Fiction

How To Write About Family in Creative Nonfiction: @kayladeanwrites @DIYMFA

Genres / Picture Books

Essential Marketing Tactics For Children’s Authors: @DaveChesson @AngelaAckerman

Genres / Science Fiction

The Science in Your Science Fiction: Future Space Travel: @MelanieMarttila @DIYMFA

Genres / Short Stories

How Themes Are Presented in Short Stories: @SaraL_Writer @DIYMFA

Promo / Connecting with Readers

Know Your Audience and Story Age Distinctions: by Just a Writing Aid

Promo / Crowdfunding

1 Writer’s Experience Crowdfunding: @DiannaLGunn

Promo / Miscellaneous

Why Authors Need to Create Book Trailers: by Jonathan Vars

Create a Marketing Plan That Works For You—Free Template Download: @tessaemilyhall

How to Market a Book: 5 Strategies One Writer Used to Win Readers’ Choice: @_KimWriteEdit_

5 Ways to Build Your Local Market: @Bookgal @IndieReader

Promo / Social Media Tips

30 Minutes a Day is All It Takes to Automate Your Social Media Activity, But I Don’t Recommend it: @thDigitalReader

3 Things You’re Probably Not Doing on Goodreads But Should (via @ChrysFey ):

Promo / Websites

Learn link building, or how to get others to link back to your website: @CherylProWriter

Publishing / Miscellaneous

Audiobook Royalties: To Share or Not Share? @annacastl @joelfroomkin @IndieAuthorALLI

Storytel in Spain: When Entering the Audiobook Market Means Making New Serials: @Porter_Anderson

Wattys Open for Nominations With New Diversity-Driven Category: @Porter_Anderson @wattpad

Publishing / News / International Publishing

Industry Notes: Asian Festival of Children’s Content; Macmillan, Binc Open Diversity Scholarships: @Porter_Anderson

Freedom to Publish Advocacy: Authors Guild Wins ‘CockyGate’ Court Ruling: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

As the World Cup Approaches, PEN Authors Press Moscow for Oleg Sentsov’s Release: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Industry Notes: ‘The Great American Read’ Gets Videos; America’s Big Read Gets Grants: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Authors Guild Opens Regional Chapters, Amazon Complaint Resolution: @Porter_Anderson @mariraz

Friday Photos: Kinokuniya Opens Its First Bookstore in Cambodia: @Porter_Anderson

Book Aid International Cites Good Results in Zambia From Its ‘Study Hub’ Pilot: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

A Checklist Before A Writer Hits Send On a Submission: @KatyKauffman28 on @EdieMelson

Birth of a small press – ‘I knew so many talented authors being turned away’: @Roz_Morris @ForestAvePress

Movements, movers and shakers: publishers and authors as literary citizens: @Roz_Morris @ForestAvePress

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

5 Reasons Querying Is Good for You: @TopdjianC

Publishing / Process / Author Assistants

7 Reasons You Need To Hire an Author Assistant Right Now: @TheRuralVA @BadRedheadMedia

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

What to do When Your Antagonist Isn’t a Villain: @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

No, Your Female Characters Don’t Just Need More Dialogue: @Bang2write

Even More Show Don’t Tell: @RuthanneReid

Writing Craft / Drafts

Finishing Your First Draft Like a Pro: @TheMerryWriter

Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film

3 Theater Techniques to Make Your Story Jump Off the Page: by Joslyn Chase @write_practice

Writing Craft / Literary Devices

2 foreshadowing techniques to reduce new information overload: @raimeygallant

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Tone, Style, and Voice in Writing: Practical Definitions: @AnneJanzer

How (And Why) You Should Write An Ensemble Cast: by Robert Wood @standoutbooks

How Ideas Become Stories: by Aaron Miles @FantasyFaction

Different Ways Characters Can Show Love: From Just a Writing Aid

Exploring Activism and Politics in Fiction: @sadowsky_nina @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming

Tips for naming characters: @Peter_Rey_

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

Theft by Finding: @CEMcKenzie1 @WriterUnboxed

The 3 Questions That Will Solve Every “Plot Problem” You’ll Ever Have: by Steven James @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Research Is Writing. Stop Berating Yourself: @NatRusso

How to Show and not Tell Intelligence: @SloanTamar

3 Research Hacks for Your Novel: @DaveChesson @JerryBJenkins

Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar

Seven sentences you should stop writing: @pubcoach

How to Use Adjectives Wisely and Judiciously: @peterselgin @JaneFriedman

Writing Craft / Revision

Finding Your Revision Groove – and Staying Sane: @AnneJanzer

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

Leveling Up as a Writer with Peer Critique: @DanKoboldt @WritersDigest

Writing Craft / Scenes

How To Craft High Impact Scenes For Your Stories: @StephMorrill

Writing Craft / Scenes / Conflict

Where Does Your Novel’s Conflict Come From? @Janice_Hardy

Writing Craft / Tension

How to Raise the Stakes With Your Characters: @KathyEdens1

Writing Craft / World-Building

World Building: The World Itself: by Dana Nuenighoff @WritersRumpus

Writing Tools / Apps

Productivity Tools for Writers: @writingthrulife

How Scapple Helps Authors Plan Books: @Jeff_Shear @IndieAuthorALLI

Writing Tools / Resources

Useful Writing Tools: @KarenBanes

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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Published on June 09, 2018 21:01

June 7, 2018

3 Things You’re Probably Not Doing on Goodreads that You Should

by Chrys Fey, @ChrysFey

Are you on Goodreads? Your answer should be yes. Whether you’re a reader, a writer waiting to published, or an author. Goodreads is an important place to be. As an author, you want to have an author profile and book pages. As a reader, you can post reviews. As a writer, you can join the community and build up your connections through Goodreads before you’re published.

Out of all the social media platforms out there, I love Goodreads the most. More than Facebook. More than Twitter, which I really don’t care for at all. There’s always something to do on Goodreads, whether you’re participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, adding to your to-read list, or sharing what you’re reading.

But you can do so much more than that.

If you don’t think Goodreads is a great place to promote because you don’t have many friends there or much traffic, then you need to hop on more often and send requests. I built up my number of friends by hunting down everyone I knew on Google + and my blogging network. Then I checked out who my friends had befriended, looking for familiar names. After that, I sent requests to people in groups I joined. No, not everyone, but those who appeared to share my interests in books/authors.

Also, make sure your pages are updated and you link to your Goodreads page everywhere. This is a place were readers hang out and post reviews, so make sure to have a presence here.

Now, I am going to share my three favorite things to do on Goodreads as an author.

3 Things You’re Probably Not Doing on Goodreads that You Should:

Events

Not many authors take advantage of Goodreads Events, probably because it’s not a place where the event would unfold like a Facebook Event, but rather more of an announcement, an invite.

Whenever you have a book release or put an eBook on sale, create an event to share it with all of your Goodreads friends.

On your profile page, scroll down to “Upcoming Event” and click “add an event.” Pick a date for when the event will start and when it will end. For a book release, pick the day your book will have its World-Wide Release. Then you can set the end date for one or two weeks after the release date. Choose an event name and event type. Usually, for the “event type” I select “other.” Fill in the necessary information. If it’s online, you don’t need to put in an address. For the “description,” write a message to your Goodreads friends. Make it personal, explain what your event is, and what they can do. For example, If it’s for a sale, share the links for where your eBook can be purchased. Keep the check mark in the box to list your event publicly so others may find it. And also let anyone send an invite to your event. More invites could mean more sales! Then, when you’re all done, click “save” and invite ALL of your Goodreads friends.

You can even do this for a blog tour. Set the event for the first day of your tour. And in the description, you can share the blog links and dates for every stop you’ll be making.

Link to Your Books in Your Profile’s Bio

At the top of your bio, say you are the author of XYZ and link to your book(s). To link to your books, you’ll need the Goodreads code for your book’s page. You can get this a few ways, but an easy way is to go to your inbox, click “compose,” and then click “add book/author.” A box will pop up. In the search bar, type in your book’s title and select your book. A code will appear in the message box looking like this:

Hurricane Crimes

Copy and paste that code into your bio. When you do, it’ll look like this:

Author of Hurricane Crimes

When you save the changes, your profile’s bio will generate your linked titles. With those linked titles right at the top of profile, readers can click on them right away. Do this for your most important books.

Join Goodreads Groups

There are many groups for writers, authors, and readers.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a book club on Goodreads that I run. This book club is for writers to read/learn about the writing craft. Every two months, we swap back and forth between writing books and fiction books that demonstrate how to do certain aspects of storytelling.

There are also groups for authors to promote their books, get reviews, or to find critique partners. Do a search on the Goodreads Group’s page https://www.goodreads.com/group for the type of group you are looking for. You can connect with other readers and writers in these group as well as promote and ask for reviewers. Make sure to follow their rules, though. Each group has a specific set of rules, especially for authors, so follow them or risk being deleted from the group. And don’t just post to promote either. If they have discussions, join them. Share what you know, share your thoughts, be an active group member.

You can even create your own group for fans of your books. Admittedly, this would be better for those of us with a lot of readers, but it’s definitely something you can consider. Everyone and their mother has a Facebook group for readers. Be different and create a group within a platform designed for readers, instead.

Goodreads is a neat place to be, not just to promote but to find like-minded individuals who share your passion for reading and your love of books. And, of course, you can connect to many authors in your field, too.

Go there, participate, and have fun!

QUESTION: What else should writers/authors do on Goodreads?

Be sure to enter my giveaway at the bottom of the post!

For more information like this check out:

Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication by Chrys Fey

BIO: Chrys Fey is the author of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication. Catch the sparks you need to write, edit, publish, and market your book! From writing your novel to prepping for publication and beyond, you’ll find sparks on every page, including 100 bonus marketing tips. Fey is an editor for Dancing Lemur Press and runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Goodreads book club. She is also the author of the Disaster Crimes series. Visit her blog, Write with Fey, for more tips. @ChrysFey www.ChrysFey.com

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Published on June 07, 2018 21:05

June 3, 2018

Goodreads Review Widgets

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It has taken me a long time to warm up to Goodreads. As a writer, I’m still very wary of some aspects of the environment over there. But I’ve grown to use it as a tool, both as a reader and a writer.

I recently posted about my experience using Goodreads giveaways. I’ve also started using a few Goodreads widgets…carefully. Today and next Monday I’ll be covering a couple of widgets that I’m using there and Friday Chrys Fey will be talking about three other important things to do with Goodreads.

The way I’ve set up my website is for each book to have its own page, which helps with title SEO and visibility. I’m starting to add the Goodreads review widget on my book pages for a little visual interest and perhaps some social proof. I won’t add them to all of my book pages because I don’t want to slow my site down when it starts loading. I’m thinking the last few releases would be good enough.

But! We need to tinker with the settings on the widget a bit. Below are the default settings:

Goodreads is a tough environment for writers. Reviews on the site (even for good reviews) are frequently a lot lower than what you’d see on Amazon. I think this is because readers mark books as a reminder to themselves how they liked a book/series compared to other books/series. It makes sense, but can be rough on authors who are used to higher ratings.

The review widget on Goodreads defaults to a minimum 1-star rating. Obviously, we don’t want to have 1-star reviews on our website.

Don’t get me wrong–as writers, we need those lower reviews in order to prove that real readers (not just Mom, Dad and Sis) have read our books. But those lower reviews don’t make for great sales copy.

I’d advise that you change the minimum rating to 3 or 4 for advertising purposes. Here are my changes:

You can see that I changed the ISBN (necessary for them to pull up the book), changed the number of reviews to show to 3 (because I didn’t want the widget to take up the entire page), changed the minimum star rating, and altered the header text. From there, you hit submit and then copy/paste the code into a webpage (using the ‘text’, not the ‘visual’ compose setting). Then you end up with something that looks like this:

Next Monday I’ll cover the Goodreads widget for Facebook (Friday look forward to a post from Chrys Fey covering three things you’re probably not doing on Goodreads, but should).

Have you spent time on Goodreads? As a reader, a writer, or both? Do you use widgets?

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Published on June 03, 2018 21:01

June 2, 2018

Twitterific Writing Links

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

New Stuff:

The folks at Kirkus Reviews are offering a free self-publishing guide for authors. The PDF can be accessed here.

Reedsy has a free downloadable character template PDF that looks pretty cool for helping with character development.

There’s a new, free, app called Taskade (a pro version is coming soon). CEO John Xie calls it a “bullet journal reimagined” and “a beautiful outliner for brainstorming, note sharing, and managing tasks.” You can see an example of a project road-map here. It even offers collaboration, if you’re co-writing. Something to check out if you’re looking for a way to plan or organize your life or projects. FAQ is here.

Business / Miscellaneous

Accounting for Writers: @FictionNotes

When and How to Change Your Book Title: @DaveChesson

Building Your Business Model as a Writer: @JaneFriedman

How to Get Your Story or Poem Unpublished: @NathanielTower

Barnes & Noble chief Len Riggio: ‘Open More Stores Than We Close’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives @BookExpoAmerica

How AI Technology Will Change Literature: @jenxuewrites

Everything You Wanted to Know about Book Sales (But Were Afraid to Ask): @TheLincoln @ElectricLit

Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous

At the Hay Festival, the Man Booker Prize Announces Its Anniversary ‘Golden Five’ Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Details for the next #IWSGPit Twitter pitch on July 19: @TheIWSG

As BookExpo Approaches, US Publishers Cite Revenue Up In First Quarter: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ Wins 2018 Audie Awards for Random House: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Book Clubs – The Human Touch in Marketing: by Debbie Burke @killzoneauthors

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration

102 Ways to Spark Novel Ideas: @TheMerryWriter

Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers

10 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels Featuring Characters Living with Mental Illness: by Matt Staggs @unboundworlds

Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation

Make Your Writing Anxiety Disappear By Thinking Small: @anne_staw @JaneFriedman

You and Your Writing Deserve the Grand Gesture: @annkroeker

You’re Never Too Old, Never Too Bad, Never Too Late, Never Too Sick to Start From Scratch Once Again: @block_sandra

What You Really Need to do as a Discouraged Writer: @colleen_m_story

Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing

The Easiest Way to Get More Writing Done: @Janice_Hardy

Stop Making Excuses: Make the Writing Plan You Need: @the_writing_pal

Making Time to Write: Time Management For Screenwriters: by C. Bryce Fuller @WritersDigest

Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life

5 Caffeine-Free Beverages to Boost Writing Focus & Energy: @colleen_m_story

The importance of deep breathing: @pubcoach

5 Writers, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers: @lithub @askanyone @TisforThompson @MegWolitzer

You Need to Drink More Water, but Watch Out for This: @colleen_m_story

On Distractions That Keep Us From Writing: @LindaGilden

A Homework Assignment from W. H. Auden: by Anthony Madrid @parisreview

11 Highly Literary Tote Bags: by Jo Lou @ElectricLit

Writing and the Creative Life: One key to creativity… naps? @GoIntoTheStory

The Sanitized Words of Complicated Women: @diancalondon @byshondaland

Don’t Be Satisfied With Competence: @jamesscottbell

So Longhand: Has Cursive Reached The End Of The Line? @GeoffNunberg @NPR

Is a Workaholic Writer Unhealthy? @colleen_m_story

Five Movies About Master Writers: @librarylore @DIYMFA

I Have Wasted My Life: by Patricia Hampl @parisreview

An Open Letter to My Dog: I Couldn’t Have Written This Without You: by Cinelle Barnes @lithub

Genres / Fantasy

History for Fantasy Writers: Money: by E.L. Skip Knox @mythicscribes

Genres / Humor

The 3 Steps to Writing Humor: Channeling Erma: by Diane Laney Fitzpatrick

Genres / Memoir

6 Simple Ways To Help You Find Out What Your Memoir’s About: @Writers_Write

Genres / Miscellaneous

Know Your Writing’s Genre: @Lindasclare

5 Tips to Understanding Genre in the Publishing Industry: @SydneyMathieu @KillerNashville

Genres / Mystery

Why Crime Authors Need to Stop Pretending They’re Badasses: @Gabino_Iglesias @LitReactor

The perfect crimes: why thrillers are leaving other books for dead: @hesutton @GuardianBooks

Trophy Wives and Boy Toys as Elements in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg

Crime Writing: How To (Legally) Get Away With Murder: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors

How to Write the Perfect Mystery: Writing Advice from the Greats of Crime Fiction: @CrimeReads

Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting

Make sure your book description doesn’t include spoilers:

Promo / Book Reviews

8 Rules to Help You Handle Bad Reviews: @RachVD

Promo / Miscellaneous

Contact Info and More in Amazon Author Central:

Promo / Newsletters

Website Tools to Build Your Author Email List: @selfpubbootcamp

Promo / Social Media Tips

5 Simple Tips for Creating Video Content for Social Media: @Bookgal

Publishing / Miscellaneous

A Bunch of Hard Truths About Publishing: @RuthanneReid

BookExpo’s CEO Roundtable Cites Stability, Growth, Promise for Books Ahead: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Some of the First Sketches of Winnie-the-Pooh and the Collaborative Process of Shepard and Milne: by James Campbell @lithub

“Goodreads is credited by Penguin Press for helping to rapidly build the popularity of bestseller ‘Little Fires Everywhere’”: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

“Why (and how) I chose a small press publisher”: @jasonbougger

Publishing / News / Amazon

Beat KDP Select’s Catch 22: @ianhsuth @IndieAuthorALLI

Publishing / News / Data

Amazon’s control over ebook sales data should upset everyone in publishing: @thu @qz

Publishing / News / International Publishing

University College London Press Passes 1 Millionth Open Access Book Download: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

April 2018 Bestseller Lists From China: Young Readers Cheer a Celebrity-Powered World Book Day: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives

Industry Notes: China Literature at Rights Fair; Amazon Publishing Signs Cornwell Series: @Porter_Anderson @1pcornwell

‘…(R)eaders are being penalized with an additional 20-percent VAT for choosing to embrace digital,’: @StephenLotinga : @Porter_Anderson

As BookExpo and New York Rights Fair Open: Warnings for Publishers: @Porter_Anderson @BookExpoAmerica

Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing

A Free Self-Publishing Guide for Authors (PDF) from @KirkusReviews :

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing

A week in the life of a small press: @Roz_Morris @ForestAvePress

Why Publish Your Novel with a Traditional Publisher? @SnowflakeGuy

Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / Querying

Don’t query before your novel is complete, revised, and ready: @LisaPoisso

Publishing / Process / Book Design

10 Book Designers Discuss the Book Covers They Rejected, And Why: by Jo Lou @ElectricLit

Publishing / Process / ISBNs

Why indie authors should buy ISBNs: @selfpubbootcamp

Writing Craft / Beginnings

How to Craft the Perfect Opening Scene: @ShanDitty

Your Ultimate First Chapter Checklist: Writing the Opening Scene: @KMWeiland

Writing Craft / Chapter Endings

Controlling Chapter Lengths in Your Novel: @SnowflakeGuy

Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists

Types of antagonists: Creating riveting opponents: @nownovel

Writing Craft / Characters / Development

Mining Our Characters’ Wounds: @RLLaFevers

Seven Common Problems in Character Creation: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants

Developing a Character with a History of Sexual Assault: @SloanTamar

Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion

Writing Emotions In Layers: @LisaHallWilson

Writing Craft / Characters / Protagonists

Wounded Heroines as Strong Female Characters: @ZoeMMcCarthy

Writing Craft / Common Mistakes

7 Ways to Master “Show, Don’t Tell”: @LMacNaughton

How to Spot an “Info-dump”: by Bucket Siler

Writing Craft / Conflict

How to Find the Conflict in a Story: @DavidHSafford

Writing Craft / Endings

How to End a Book: @writingrefinery @DIYMFA

Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story

How to Write a Flashback: @SnowflakeGuy

Writing Craft / Miscellaneous

Chapterettes, Prologues, Introductions, and Other Spare Parts–What Purpose Can They Serve in a Book? @writeabook

Character Driven Stories through Life Values: by Leslie Watts @StoryGrid

Writing lessons from Tom Wolfe: @pubcoach

Why Storytelling Advice Is Such a Mess: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Addressing the Reader: @Janice_Hardy

A Short Guide To Unusual Chronology: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / POV

Marketing Copy: The First- Versus Third-Person Debate: @jan_ohara @WriterUnboxed

Should I Use a “Throwaway” POV to Add Tension? by Chris Winkle @mythcreants

Minor Viewpoint Errors: @SeptCFawkes

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting

7 Essential Elements of a Story: @jasonbougger

Are There Only 7 Stories in the World? @EditingWizard

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research

Help with researching royals: @Roz_Morris

A Writer’s Guide to Firearms: Shotguns: @Nicholas_Rossis

Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept

Top 5 Concept Mistakes Writers Make: @Bang2write

Writing Craft / Revision

5 Self Editing Essentials To Perfect Your Novel: by Dana Isaacson @CareerAuthors

How to Be a Better, More Efficient Editor of Your Own Writing: @AnnieMueller

Writing Craft / Revisions / Critiques

How to Handle Critiques: @ClareLangleyH @killzoneauthors

Writing Craft / Scenes

How To Craft High Impact Scenes for Your Stories: @StephMorrill

Writing Craft / Series

How NOT To Mess Up Your Book Series: @sacha_black

Writing Craft / Settings and Description

How to Write Unforgettable Settings: @KristenLambTX

Appealing to the Senses: @davidfarland

Writing Tips: 3 Techniques to Write Better Settings: @thecreativepenn

Writing Craft / Tropes

On Writing Genius: from Art Attempts Writing

Writing Craft / Voice

How To Make Sure Your Characters Don’t Speak In The Same Voice: by Rebecca Langley @standoutbooks

Writing Craft / Word Crafting

7 Types of Phrases That Add Detail to Your Writing: @JJ_Burry

Writing Tools / Apps

The New Scrivener 3.0 – Should You Upgrade? @KMWeiland

Writing Tools / Resources

Writing worksheet to help writers create a home environment in their story world: @EvaDeverell

The World at Large: A Worksheet to Aid in the Creation of a Story World: @EvaDeverell

Writing Tools / Thesauri

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Outdoor Guide: @AngelaAckerman

The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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Published on June 02, 2018 21:04

May 31, 2018

Accidental Spoilers

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I have a quick, cautionary tale for you today.

I released book nine in the Southern Quilting series in late-April. I consider the series to be one that can be read out of order with no problem…there’s really no continuing story arc for the main story, since each mystery is wrapped up at the close of every book.

But there are subplots that arc for this series. As usual, I tend to think that nothing is more important than the mystery. That’s been a stance that I’ve had to reconsider through many years and many editors, but my first instinct always concerns the mystery.

Another note: I always write my book description before I write the book. In fact, I write it months before I write the book…when I have my cover designer create the cover. I’m focusing so hard on the wording that maybe I have tunnel vision.

That’s the set-up. And here’s what I did in the first paragraph of the back cover copy: (if you’re a reader of mine who hasn’t read all of the last 9 books….spoiler alert!)

When Beatrice takes on a new case, she must solve it before anyone else rests in pieces.

Beatrice and her new husband, Wyatt, have started their life together. Their first big event as man and wife is another wedding: that of Beatrice’s daughter. It’s a happy occasion and a beautiful ceremony—aside from the appearance of the odd and uninvited Ophelia. Ophelia argues with another guest, who is later discovered dead.

When the book released, I received an email almost immediately from a reader. She said, “I suppose it’s my own fault for not being caught up with the series, but the synopsis for Rest in Pieces begins with a giant spoiler: Beatrice and her new husband, Wyatt.” She signed it “still a fan.”

I slapped myself on the forehead. The subplot of the sleuth and Wyatt’s developing relationship was something started in book one. Not everyone is on board with book nine. Some readers have faithfully followed along but missed book eight. Or book seven. Or whatever.

I wrote back and apologized to the reader. Then I just as quickly opened up a bazillion publishing dashboards to change the book description.

It was quickly edited to:

When Beatrice takes on a new case, she must solve it before anyone else rests in pieces.

It’s a beautiful evening for a wedding and Beatrice couldn’t be prouder as the mother of the bride. It’s a happy occasion and a beautiful ceremony—aside from the appearance of the odd and uninvited Ophelia. Ophelia argues with another guest, who is later discovered dead.

There you go. What not to do! I figured if I could so easily and cluelessly mess this up, it could be worth sharing to prevent other writers from doing the same thing. It seems to be easier to accidentally give series spoilers than it does for the book itself.

Have you accidentally spoiled your own books? Thoughts about spoilers (for books, films, etc?)

Make Sure Your Book Description Doesn't Include Spoilers:
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Published on May 31, 2018 21:02