Beverly Magid's Blog: Marketing Is Harder Than Writing-, page 3

My books are from the past, but reflect current events

Women seem to be at the forefront of current events. The #MeToo movement is just one aspect, but very vocal and evident. Women want to be heard, they refuse to be dismissed or discounted. They’re marching, voting, organizing, reporting, running for office. The word “feminist” became the word –of-the-year. Why not? Women have been trying […]

Nothing better than having readers “get” it

A virtual blog tour was something that was totally new for me in connection with my new book, WHERE DO I GO. It was like sending your baby out on a trip all by herself before she has learned to walk. Will she end up crawling back home, bullied by the world. Still, there’s no […]

Welcome to the New Year

A new year is another chance to get it right, to overcome last year’s problems, to do better. After surviving an auto accident, I’m ready for a better year. And having published my third novel, WHERE DO I GO, at the end of the year,I’m also ready to have readers discover Leah’s journey which continues […]

staying right-side-up in a upside-down-world

Well, right away I have to say it may be impossible. After all a writer is supposed to be in tune with the world, sensitive to its nuances, its changes, the imperceptible whims of the world. We might not understand them but we're hip to them happening. Our job is to figure them out or give some meaning to it all. I keep asking myself, in this current world, where is the meaning. In every era there have been books and authors, both fiction and non-fiction trying to make sense of it all. Sometime they will need several tries before they come up with an answer. In today's world, I'm not so sure there is an answer. Craziness is rewarded, cruelty is accepted, bigotry is celebrated, and the nuttiest part of it all: this comes from the minority. The majority voted for the right. Most people want honest leadership, leaders who regard the truth as a given, facts as a necessity, civil courtesy as the norm. They must continue to stand up, not give up. Speak up, not shut down. Words and actions do have consequences. Let things slide and they are gone forever. In 2018 - to the ramparts!

Staying right-side-up in an upside-down-world

Well, right away I have to say it may be impossible. After all a writer is supposed to be in tune with the world, sensitive to its nuances, its changes, the imperceptible whims of the world. We might not understand them but we’re hip to them happening. Our job is to figure them out or […]

It’s A Delicate Path

When the book is finished, all you want to do  is talk about it, blog about it, write about it. It’s been the focus of your mind for so long, now you want to share it. But how much is too much? It can’t be all you want to say. You still have to be […]

Research: Aid or Trap

Since my three novels are all historical fiction, the first project is always research. I love it, I could stay with the past forever. It's there to be figured out, to be understood in a comprehensive way. The present is too muddy, too blurry with situations that have not become clear as yet. And the future, too scary (especially in our present climate.)

But the big question is always, when is enough research too much, so seductive you don't get back to writing. The creation of your story, your characters and their world is the most important. Once you have investigated a foundation of the times and places for your book, get back to writing. You will continue to research, even one detail at a time if necessary. When I decided that my protagonist in WHERE DO I GO, could be a healer with natural herbs, I had to go back and study which herbs grew in her area and what their healing effects were. Did they have ice cream then, research. How about cooking methods, research. Anything to enhance the times, but also what would enhance the story and their character. At that point, doing the research gave me a break during my writing day and still didn't detract from time spent.

Researching: Aid or Trap

Since my three novels are all historical fiction, the first project is always research. I love it, I could stay with the past forever. It’s there to be figured out, to be understood in a comprehensive way. The present is too muddy, too blurry with situations that have not become clear as yet. And the […]

Marketing is so much harder than writing

Once the book is done, now the hard work begins. Promoting, marketing, publicity, press release, signings, readings. All necessary, getting it started takes lots of time and energy. The problem in today’s world is, so much of it is on-line. No human contact. Emails, tweets, facebook, voice mails, where did the humans go. Of course […]

Me Too, It’s All Of Us

Along with the California wildfires, there’s been a conflagration of sharing by women regarding their experiences of sexual harassment and assault. It seems that no female has gone unscathed in their lifetime. I added some of mine, starting as a young ten year old, who had matured physically beyond her years. People made remarks, boys […]