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Merry Christmas

ALL THE BEST FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

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Published on December 22, 2018 16:16

Do you like to read? Do you have a favourite author?

Most people enjoy a good read. Their choice may be thrillers, comic books, non-fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, romance or one or more of the many other genres available in digital, paperback, hardback or audio format. When readers have enjoyed a book and they turn the last page, they get a feeling of satisfaction. If the book has been a particularly good one they search to see if the author has written any more in a similar vein.

My questions are – how does the author know her readers have enjoyed the book? Was there anything in the book that the reader felt could have been handled better?

The sales levels answer part of the first question, more sales – happier readers, right? This is only a partial answer to the author knowing if their readers have enjoyed the book. So how can a reader tell the author how much they’ve enjoyed reading their work? Send an email? Write a letter? There is one way which is much easier and can also lead to more sales for the author. The main reaction to the author finding the book is entertaining a lot of people is not to rub the hands with glee and picture dollar signs floating from above. It’s the warm glow inside that all he hard work of writing and publishing the book has been worthwhile. Someone enjoyed it!

So how can you let the author know? Write a review.

Most online bookstores have the ability for a reader to post a review about ebooks and audiobooks. Your comment doesn’t have to be long, merely write about the parts you enjoyed the most or that you think it’s one of the best of this genre you have read. Did you read the book in paperback or hardback? Write a review on Amazon or Goodreads or any of the other many review sites online. Local newspapers also do reviews of books and might be willing to accept your views. If you enjoy reading let the author and the world know by writing your thoughts on the book on the places it is sold or where other reviews are placed. Go on. You know you can do it and the author will thank you – not personally but with fingers on keyboard they will carry on writing for your enjoyment.

Sue Perkins

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Published on December 20, 2018 13:04

Friday Focus

Today's Friday Focus is about self publishing and editing. Our thanks go to Wendy Scott, an award winning author from New Zealand, who has a lot of experience in this sphere. I know I'm going to read this post and see what tips I can pick up. Thanks Wendy.
Tips for Self-Publishing Authors - Get Your Book Professionally Edited My number one piece of advice for all indie-authors is - do not skimp on the editing.Do not add to the mountainous slush pile of poorly edited indie books that litter the literary horizon, and sully the indie brand.
Please don’t insult your readers by offering a sub-standard read. The excuse ‘I couldn’t afford an editor’ isn’t good enough. If you can’t afford to get it edited, then don’t release it into the public arena.

Editing is more than a quick computer spellcheck or a quick read-over by a friend. Friends and family members are unlikely to want to upset you by pointing out oddities within your manuscript. Many authors aren’t open to criticism, no matter how constructive, and become extremely defensive. A structural edit by a skilled editor will add polish and cohesiveness to your story. Their review should cover: consistency, logical story flow, pacing, characterisation, POV (point of view), passive sections, dialogue, repetition, and any genre-specific elements. The punctuation and spellchecking comes last.Here’s the process I follow for a full length novel.1. Outline - so I know how the story starts and ends (although any ideas are fluid and can change as the story develops).2. First ‘crappy’ draft (I don’t censor myself at all – basically I regurgitate words onto the page). Within the first draft I keep moving forward and jot down notes for any gaps I need to fill in later.3. I may do 10-20 passes before I’m satisfied that I have a good enough “first draft” to send to a structural editor. Sometimes I leave the manuscript to sit for a while so that I can review it with a fresher prospective.4. It’s important to connect with an editor who is familiar with the genre you are writing in, and has a proven track record. Their job is to enhance your author voice and coax the best story out of you – not rewrite it in their voice.5. After a structural edit your once pristine manuscript is likely to be covered in so much red ink it looks like a CSI lab prop. Entire sections may require a significant rewrite. Don’t despair, but work your way through the issues, and try to learn from them so you can make your next manuscript cleaner.6. Depending on how much rewriting is involved, there will be some passes back and forth between you the editor. Make sure you are crystal clear on the terms and conditions you’ve negotiated with the editor as you don’t want editing costs to spiral out of control if you are paying by the hour (strongly suggest you get a fixed quote based on word count). 7. The last edit is for spelling and grammar. There’s no point doing this earlier as entire sections may end up being culled from the story. My skill set does not include being an ‘editor’ so I’m reliant on the editors I choose. Luckily, I’ve connected with some awesomely talented editors. Note: there are different schools of style, and editors may not agree with each other. The key within your book is be consistent with whichever editing style is applied.8. When my manuscript is at the stage where all the fiddling is around where the commas go – it is time to move on.9. Beta readers are invaluable for finding oddities like missing words, extra words, wrong words, typos (pesky little varmints!!!), inconsistencies, stray speech marks, or how a character’s eye colour has changed between page twenty and eighty. An author is too close to their work and can miss the mistakes. It’s amazing how several different beta readers will pick up different mistakes. They may pick up on some bigger issues which may require a substantial rewrite and re-edit. Remember, be true to your unique author voice, there may be some suggestions, which you make a conscious choice not to include.10. Format into a novel (eBook and/or print).11. Next step is the proof-readers (I recommend) at least two before you publish. The more scrutiny the better. 12. Seek reviews (independent honest reviews). There are many genre-specific book blogging sites (some are paid). Independent validations of your work is crucial to help convince readers to take a chance on your book. 13. Readers’ Favorite offer a review service – if your book scores a 5* review, it’s awarded a Readers’ Favorite digital seal for your website and a high resolution version for your book cover. https://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm

Readers’ Favorite also runs an annual International Book Award Contest.https://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm

14. The annual Wishing Shelf Awards UK offers feedback from the readers (invaluable!!!).The children’s books I’ve entered have been read and reviewed by students from several UK schools and their teachers. They mark and judge on the cover, plot, and editing, and if you take the option you can receive a summary of their comments, plus the Wishing Shelf will post a review on Amazon and Goodreads. http://www.thewsa.co.uk/

15. BooksGoSocial offer a paid service for Quality Marks (Gold, Silver, Bronze) – dependent on your books’ score, and are individually numbered. Your book is analysed by an editing software programme and by a human assessor. You also receive an in-depth report on the strengths and weaknesses within your manuscript.

A poorly edited book is unlikely to win awards or receive great independent reviews or editorials that will encourage new readers to buy your book. Take the time and fully edit so your finished book is a delight to read, and of such high quality that readers will recommend it to others.

About the author Wendy Scott has a New Zealand Certificate in Science (Chemistry), which allows her to dabble with fuming potions and strange substances, satisfying her inner witch.Wendy writes fantasy and children’s novels.One of the creeds she lives by is to always – Live a life less ordinary!Gold Medal Winner: The Wishing Shelf Book Awards UK 2015Silver Medal Winner: International Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2016Blue Treat Award: RRBC KCT International Literary Book Awards 2017 & 2018Finalist: The Wishing Shelf Book Awards UK 2016 & 2017Gold Quality Marks: BooksGoSocial 2017Finalist: Book Excellence Awards 2018
Please visit www.wendyjscott.comto learn more, read Wendy’s blog, sign up for her newsletter, or to leave her a message. She loves hearing from readers.
Pen NamesFantasy ~ Wendy Scott https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Scott/e/B009B1N8NA/
Children’s ~ WJ Scott https://www.amazon.com/WJ-Scott/e/B00MGDXQ8COther (Romance/Paranormal) ~ Wendy Jayne https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Jayne/e/B07F3M3KF2

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Published on December 13, 2018 04:00

Ghoulies and Ghosties and things that go bump in the night

Over the last few weeks my new releases have centred on ghosts. The books are all for early teenage and possibly 9 to 12 year olds.

The first book is

Spirit Stealer: Ghosts in the Library
In 1908, Fader, a street urchin, takes shelter in the newly opened library to escape the cold winter. Months pass and the book characters emerge as playful phantoms in the nighttime library – all except for the green Spirit Stealer. This evil phantom steals the spirits of children who are accidentally locked in the library at night. Fader has to dodge the Spirit Stealer or his spirit will be taken.
A century later, Tyler is trapped by accident and tries to help a wraith called Amelia who still has half her spirit. Will they succeed in getting rid of the Spirit Stealer? If they do what will happen to the girl with half a spirit?

Available in ebook from Amazon and various other online outlets
Available in paperback from Copy Press, Nelson

The next two are books one and two of a series and both are set in New Zealand:

Fury's Ghost

Fury's family leave the city for a six month visit to rural New Zealand. They stay in an old house belonging to her mother's family, but who is the ghostly figure in a hidden attic room and why is Fury the only one who can see her? She learns the ghost is the spirit of the original owner who has been trapped in the room for one hundred years.
Fury promises to help the spirit lady to end her earthly existence. Problems arise when Fury delves into the past to find the answers she needs.
Available in ebook from Amazon and various other online outlets
Available in paperback from Copy Press, Nelson

Fury's Island

On holiday in Nelson, New Zealand, Fury meets Eion who offers to teach her to paddle board. Immediately attracted to him, she agrees. After basic instruction, he takes her out to Skull Island, a creepy looking rock some distance from the beach. No one has ever discovered a way up to the caves which look like eyes, but Fury finds a secret entrance and convinces Eion they should investigate. Their excitement rises as they discover tunnels and caves hidden beneath the ground, but neither is prepared for the arrival of ghostly pirates bringing their treasure chests to bury in one of the underground caves.
Available in ebook from Amazon and various other online outlets
Available in paperback from Copy Press, Nelson

As a special celebration of these releases

Ghost Bus: Mystery of the Phantom Bus
is available free for an unlimited time.
Jack's family has a new home, a converted bus depot. The original owners of the depot disappeared and the ghost of their last bus appears to take Jack and his sister on a journey to several different places to solve the mystery.
Available in ebook from Amazon
However some readers in some countries may find they are unable to download free from Amazon and if this is the case I suggest downloading from Prolific Works.

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Published on December 09, 2018 17:50

Friday Focus

Proofreading is the final stage in presenting your manuscript (MS) for publication. Don’t skip it. Proofreading should happen after all other editing processes – and don’t skip them either.

For the purposes of this article I’m assuming that you have written a full-length novel, but the same principles apply to shorter forms. Do get your MS properly edited; you will probably have to pay for this service, but it is worthwhile. Editing looks at a piece of writing in its broadest sense, covering things like structure, plot, characterisation, and so on. An editor will point out such things as where the plot could be strengthened, when characters’ motivation is unclear, and how dialogue can be made more effective.

While editing looks at the big picture, proofreading looks at the detail – every single word and mark. Proofreading picks up typos, i.e. typographical errors, or accidental typing mistakes. These can be simple spelling mistakes, for example writing ‘though’ instead of ‘through’ or ‘hop’ instead of ‘hope’. It also picks up things like grammatical errors, inconsistencies, and incorrect punctuation, e.g. missing question marks.

It can be as difficult to proofread your own MS as it is to edit it. You are too close to the story, too involved with the characters and what they are doing, to be objective. When you look at the page, you can’t help seeing what you meant to write, not what is actually there. So the best advice is to get someone else to edit your story, make all the changes they suggest, and then get someone different to proofread it.

If for some reason you can’t get a professional proofreader, here are some tips for doing it yourself.

Give yourself some time. Put your MS aside for a while; perhaps work on another project. You need to get that piece of writing out of your head so you come to it from a fresh perspective.

Print out your work. Proofreading requires focussing on one word at a time. You must stop your eyes from running ahead, as they do when reading for pleasure. This is much easier when working from a printed copy than on screen.

Place a ruler under each line to hide the following text, and work your way down the page line by line. Use a pencil to point to one word at a time.

Read your work out loud. This forces you to read each word individually, and is also a good way to pick up things like repetitions, e.g. using your favourite word six times in one paragraph.

You will probably be amazed by how many little errors you will pick up!
Chrissie Ward

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Published on December 06, 2018 04:00

Friday Focus

Today we thank Holly Dunn for this article. Holly is the author of Moth Picture Book

With these principles in mind, you’ll need to evaluate whether or not you’re ready to self-publish. First, you’ll need a great book. This is the hardest part, but fortunately it is the part you have the most control over. This book assumes you already have a manuscript. Your manuscript’s success is very much reliant upon its quality. Remember the first point: You can present the book in the best possible way, and tell the entire world about it, but if the book is poorly written or about a subject no one is interested in, then it simply won’t sell. So how do you determine if your book is any good? Well first of all, you read. You read other authors’ books. You read all sorts of different genres. You read great books and poorly written ones, and you analyse what the great ones have that the poor ones don’t. You get others to read your book and you listen to their feedback. Treat it as an ever-changing piece of work, and adapt where necessary. Hire a professional editor, listen to what they have to say, and take it on board. If your book needs improvement and you’re not quite ready to hire an editor, try joining a writing group. Being around other writers, especially those who are better than you, can help to improve your writing. Reading your work out loud to an audience allows you to identify which sections you’re happy with and which sound awkward. If you don’t have any local writing groups, try looking online. You might be able to find a group more specific to your genre. Another constructive step you could take to improve your writing is doing a course, either in your local area or online. Subscription sites like Skillshare have hundreds of classes on writing as well as other skills, such as social media marketing, that will be useful on your self-publishing journey. Bookshops and libraries are common places to find local writing workshops.
This is an extract from Independent Publishing in New Zealand (978-0-9951155-0-7) by HL Kennedy, scheduled for release early 2019.

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Published on November 29, 2018 04:30

50,000 words on NaNoWriMo

50,000 words and counting (actually 62,000 at time of certificate being issued.

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Published on November 25, 2018 11:47

Friday Focus

Proofreading is the final stage in presenting your manuscript (MS) for publication. Don’t skip it. Proofreading should happen after all other editing processes – and don’t skip them either.

For the purposes of this article I’m assuming that you have written a full-length novel, but the same principles apply to shorter forms. Do get your MS properly edited; you will probably have to pay for this service, but it is worthwhile. Editing looks at a piece of writing in its broadest sense, covering things like structure, plot, characterisation, and so on. An editor will point out such things as where the plot could be strengthened, when characters’ motivation is unclear, and how dialogue can be made more effective.

While editing looks at the big picture, proofreading looks at the detail – every single word and mark. Proofreading picks up typos, i.e. typographical errors, or accidental typing mistakes. These can be simple spelling mistakes, for example writing ‘though’ instead of ‘through’ or ‘hop’ instead of ‘hope’. It also picks up things like grammatical errors, inconsistencies, and incorrect punctuation, e.g. missing question marks.

It can be as difficult to proofread your own MS as it is to edit it. You are too close to the story, too involved with the characters and what they are doing, to be objective. When you look at the page, you can’t help seeing what you meant to write, not what is actually there. So the best advice is to get someone else to edit your story, make all the changes they suggest, and then get someone different to proofread it.

If for some reason you can’t get a professional proofreader, here are some tips for doing it yourself.

Give yourself some time. Put your MS aside for a while; perhaps work on another project. You need to get that piece of writing out of your head so you come to it from a fresh perspective.

Print out your work. Proofreading requires focussing on one word at a time. You must stop your eyes from running ahead, as they do when reading for pleasure. This is much easier when working from a printed copy than on screen.

Place a ruler under each line to hide the following text, and work your way down the page line by line. Use a pencil to point to one word at a time.

Read your work out loud. This forces you to read each word individually, and is also a good way to pick up things like repetitions, e.g. using your favourite word six times in one paragraph.

You will probably be amazed by how many little errors you will pick up!
Chrissie Ward

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Published on November 23, 2018 04:00

Friday Focus

Belinda Mellor continues her insight on words used in writing. Thanks Belinda

As an editor I sometimes see words or phrases used that simply don’t fit – whether with the historical context, or situation, or experience of the characters. I think the problem comes when we take words for granted. Every word, phrase and saying has a history. If that history is too obvious then the words can sometimes stick out like a sore thumb.
But it’s possible to go too far. Where do you draw the line?
Take colours, for instance. ‘Burnt Siena’ is a rich reddish-brown colour. It is named after the Italian city-state of Sienna, which in turn was named after Senius (son of Romulus - as in one of the wolf-reared twins who were the supposed founders of Rome). On the other hand, Burnt Umber (a dark yellow-brown colour), which also shares its name with an Italian city (Umbria) actually translates as ‘shadow’; the region it is named after was known as the ‘land of shadows’. Perhaps because it doesn’t have a mythical Roman behind it makes it more acceptable. I’d let that one go, just as I’d let ‘Turquoise’ for, even though it takes its name from Turkey (the country, not the bird). However, for me there is no question at all about colours such as ‘Navy Blue’ – that one is a definite no-no if the context doesn’t warrant it.

On the subject of place name, Damask roses are named after the city of Damascus and I admit that I thought long and hard about that one in my own writing, but decided there was no good alternative. After all, Damask roses are a very specific type of rose with a texture and a scent like no other and that’s what I wanted to convey. On the other hand, I would not use the flower ‘Rose of Sharon’ in a book set in a time or setting that was unaware of the existence of that particular place. When I thought about it, I decided that my criteria was: exact word – no; derived word – yes. (But that’s not an actual rule, it’s simply my rule!)

Sometimes you just have to decide what works for you and not over-analyse it. So I would advise anyone against using Wellington boots, but woudn’t ever worry about the word ‘sandwich’. In this case, I think the capital letter is the issue: it announces that it is something named after someone, even though sandwiches, like the aforementioned boots, are so named (after an earl rather than a duke but that hardly matters!)

An author’s own experience can make a word or phrase problematic, while another author might not even notice it. For instance while ‘beyond the pale’ might to some sound slightly cliched, it probably wouldn’t worry anyone without a working knowlege of Irish history. But once you know that ‘the Pale’ referred to an area under English jurisdiction just outside of Dublin (in the 15th century) and ‘beyond the Pale’ was a 17th century British term referring to ‘unlawfulness’ or ‘uncivilised’ you might find it jarring to see it in a historical novel set for instance in Ancient Egypt or in a science fiction story where the characters hadn’t started off from Earth. And even if it doesn’t bother you, your readers might find it jarring, so if in doubt about a word or saying – check!

Curses, oaths and expletives are another issue. But that might be a subject for another day.

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Published on November 15, 2018 14:55

Friday Focus

CONQUERING THE DREADED SYNOPSIS
Many years ago I came across Lisa Gardner’s Conquering the Dreaded Synopsis: A Series of Ten Lectures. I was very impressed and when I was asked to do a workshop on presenting manuscripts to publishers I wrote and asked Lisa if I could use her Lectures as an example of how to write a synopsis. She gave her permission and I’m sure many people since have found her lectures very helpful.
This is Lisa's introduction to the series of ten lectures about writing a synopsis.
Synopsis writing is one of the most difficult tasks any writer faces. Most novel-length authors have an undying love for the written word. We craft wonderful 70,000-100,000 word books with beautiful descriptions, complicated plots, and complex characters. Now, we’re supposed to summarize our magnum opus in merely three pages?It seems impossible. But for any writer serious about selling her work, sooner or later she must undergo the submission process with its boilerplate query letters and stringent length requirements. The purpose of the following ten lectures is to help guide a new writer through this complicated, formalized process. The lectures are: “Synopsis: Introduction” ©2000 Lisa Gardner www.LisaGardner.com Page 1
Lecture One: The MarketLecture Two: The Query LetterLecture Three: Synopsis OverviewLecture Four: Short Synopsis ExamplesLecture Five: Creating a Strong HookLecture Six: Identifying Plot PointsLecture Seven: Short Synopsis OutlinesLecture Eight: The Long SynopsisLecture Nine: Full SubmissionLecture Ten: Final Summary of Submission Do’s and Don'ts
The first lecture covers how to view a novel as an objective product to be marketed, versus the precious child it has become. Then we will go through the submission process step-by-step, starting with the query letter, then spending significant time on developing the short synopsis before covering the long synopsis. The lectures on the query letter and short synopsis include generic outlines for a writer to follow, as well as award-winning examples of proposals. Finally, we’ll cover the complete submission package along with proper follow up protocol as you anxiously wait for an editor to read your work.By the end of this fifty page lecture series, you should have a good idea of what an editor expects in the submission package, as well as some best-in-class examples for you to follow.
To download all ten lectures visit Lisa’s webpage for writers and find this and many other helpful things such as The Writers Toolbox.

https://www.lisagardner.com/about/for...