Sara R. Turnquist's Blog, page 38

Marketing: Minefield or Goldmine?

Of all the things that have become a part of my life as an author, marketing is not the most exciting. On personality tests, I test right on the halfway mark between introvert and extrovert. But in this part of my life, I’m definitely an introvert. Selling myself is just not my strong suit. But my education in this area has been more like a crash course. So, I’ll share what I have learned in my short time of actively seeking out information about the craft and all that’s involved in being an author…and hope it helps someone.

Keeping up a webpage. Well, having a webpage and keeping it up is like having a homebase for your audience. It’s a place where they can come to begin connecting with you – learning about your books, what you want to share with them about you, your blog, etc. The key is maintaining it. Keeping something new and fresh on the page as the weeks go by. We just did some refreshening of my webpage. So, if you haven’t looked around, feel free to – especially the pages of my novels (published and in progress). There are also some links on the left side of the home page you might not have seen.

Blogging. Regular blogging is important to keep bringing fresh information to your audience and your page. Sharing your ideas and letting your audience “peek behind the curtain” as it were. Those of you that follow my blog know that I try to blog twice a week (usually on Tuesday and Friday) but I rarely (if ever) let a week go by when I don’t blog at least once.

Social Media. Social Media can be a beast…or your best friend. The key is to think of it as connecting with your audience. Just be you. Post about things that interest you (and about your books occasionally, but don’t be cramming it down everyone’s throat). People will connect with you about your interests and, again, it’s those connections that you are looking for. And I will say here: Hootsuite is a lifesaver. Just sayin’. Social Media also includes places like Pinterest where you can make boards for each of your books, pinning your ideas for what your characters look like, costuming, settings, etc.

Swag. I have swag…bookmarks, postcard sized prints of my book covers, notepads with my book cover in the corner, etc. But I find that I don’t pass them out as much as I’d like. That’s probably more due to my introverted nature in this area than anything else. I recently heard of a company that prints booklets with your cover on the front and a chapter excerpt inside. Now that sounds like some interesting swag.

Blog Tours. I think that the blog tour after a book release is a good idea. I have benefitted a lot from making that decision. I recommend using a service and picking one that is specific to your genre. I write Historical Fiction, so I use Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. They have been wonderful to work with and they are able to connect me with blogs that write in my genre. Therefore I am connected with audiences that are interested in my genre and are more likely to be interested in my book then, say, a blog about Mystery – only some of those readers will be interested in my book.

Speaking Engagements. I’ve heard that authors should make every effort to be speakers as well. Speak about the topics in your book, your message, or even just about your books. I am just now starting to expand this area of my platform. This one can be a little bit harder to get going, in my experience. Local venues are a good place to start – libraries, local clubs, etc.

I’ve touched on just a few areas that encompass marketing. This list is by no means meant to be extensive. There is so much to marketing and I am still learning. But this is a place to start. It is not easy to conquer the marketing giant. The best advice I’ve gotten is to take a couple of these areas at a time. Like do twitter and facebook for a while. It’s better to do a couple of areas really well than to do them all poorly. Happy marketing!

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Monitor Your Expectations

I am a “recovering” perfectionist…at least that’s what helps me sleep at night. All joking aside, I truly believe I am on the road to recovery. But this perfectionism streak runs deep. I run into challenges in my life created by its existence over and over again. In every area of my life – as a mother, a wife, an educator, and even a writer. Where does this perfectionism come from? Well, it must have something to do with my childhood, with the way I’m wired…but how do I conquer it?

The cause. I find, after much thought in introspection, that the root cause of my perfectionism is expectations. Expectations about who I should be as a mother, what my home should look like, what my marriage should look like…even how my books should be received. See a pattern here? I do. “Should’s”. The buzz word for expectation. I imagine this picture in my head of what my life could look like (slipped around that should, did you see that?). And I long for that. And I beat myself up that I’m not there. Because that’s what I expect. Because that’s what I think everyone else expects (to some degree). Help me get off this roller coaster!

“Expectations are pre-meditated miseries”

I’m not sure who said it, but it hits the mark, doesn’t it? Who of us has gained anything by setting ourselves up for failure? I’m not saying we can’t have realistic expectations. It’s actually unrealistic, I think, to say that we will reach a place where we don’t have expectations. We all have them. And we’re not all unhealthy about them. But you know I’m talking about those expectations that set the bar way up there. Unreal expectations. “I’m going to be Martha-Stewart-crossed-with-Mother-Theresa when I become a mom” expectations.

A possible solution. I am NOT saying I have all the answers. Or even the only solution to this problem. But I can tell you what is working for me: setting small, reasonable goals for myself. Daily goals, monthly goals. And bouncing them off someone who can help me be realistic and make them tangible. “I want to be more interactive with my kids” is vague. “I will set out 30 minutes of each afternoon this week to just play with my kids” is measurable and attainable. It’s a goal you can reach and then feel good about. Then you can raise the bar a little if it would be good for you. Baby steps.

Learn to accept yourself where you are in your season of life. And monitor your expectations for where you want to be. These are two key things that I am learning right now as I self-evaluate. I never want to stop growing and learning, but I want to be able to experience joy and contentment for where I am and where God has me right now. And then look to the future with HOPE.

 

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So you want to be a writer?

As some of you know, my second book released yesterday. “The General’s Wife” went up for sale in the wee hours of the morning…I know, I was up at 2 a.m. checking on Amazon. It was there. And the next 36 hours, I had so many texts and e-mails from friends and family members congratulating me and wondering what it must be like for an author on book premier day. Or what it is like to be a writer in general. It’s never too late to find out.

Make the time for it. This is the most crucial thing about writing. You must carve out and protect the time. And you must practice writing. Work on short stories. Share them with your significant other and close loved ones who won’t judge you but who will give you some good feedback. If you don’t have a clue what to write about, google “writing prompt” and get some ideas that way.

Join a Writing Group. Find a critique group that meets regularly. Preferably one that is led by a published author. And gather up enough courage to participate by bringing in scenes or short stories to share with the group and open yourself for helpful critique. That is the only way to improve…by allowing iron to sharpen iron.

Go to a conference…or several. Conferences are like crash courses for writers and then some. You sit in on session about the craft of writing and you have the opportunity (in most cases) to pitch to an agent or editor or mentor. This is a rather unique experience and one I would encourage you to take every advantage of. Even if you don’t feel ready. Make it a Q&A session or a practice session to ease yourself into the idea of pitching.

Take an online class. I made the decision to join a national writing organization. I joined the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and they host a monthly online class that I participate in. It is PERFECT for me. They focus on a different topic each month and there is one to two lessons a week (not overwhelming, but just enough to keep the juices flowing). It helps keep me on my toes and keep me learning.

Look for other opportunities to learn/network/connect. My critique group hosts workshops every few months which I participate in. I also joined a local chapter of the ACFW which meets monthly. Additionally, I do what I can to interact with other authors via social media whether they be other authors that work with my publisher or other authors in the ACFW (they even have a Facebook group for several different genres, so I can connect with ACFW authors in my genre).

I believe that there are people born with certain talents and aptitudes. So, some people have more of a bend toward writing than others, and even some have more passion for it than others (and passion counts for a lot). But no matter your aptitude, natural talent, or passion, there is always room for growth and learning when it comes to the craft of writing.

 

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Are you ready for this?

Well, friends, “The General’s Wife” will be released in TWO days! I can scarcely believe that come Thursday I will open my computer and see another one of my books available for purchase. It’s nearly unimaginable. It’s been quite the journey. Especially for this book…

My first novel. Even though this will be my second published novel, this was my first completed novel. This was the first book I plotted out, wrote on, labored over, and wrestled with. I started working on it so long ago, when I was still in college. As I didn’t have the know how or the time to work on it, this novel took years of honing and polishing to become what it is.

My first query. And though it was not first published, it was the first one I queried. I received a lot of “no responses” and one response that informed me that there was too much “head hopping”. Like I knew what that was. So, I started querying “The Lady Bornekova” and it was accepted for publication and began my road to publication, going to conferences and joining a critique group and learning a TON in a short amount of time. And then I learned what “head hopping” was (switching point of view character within the same scene). And I fixed it. Then “The General’s Wife” was ready to go.

My first go at research. As I had not written anything before, I had never been involved in the kind of research I would need for writing historical fiction. And I have come to find out that unique type of research I need for each book is different. This novel takes place in a real period in history, but almost all of the characters and events are fictional (the Pharaoh and his Queen are based on the actual Ptolemy II and Queen Arsinoe) – so I had a lot of creative leeway. Another of my books, “Trail of Fears” involves more real people that actually lived as well as real events, requiring a whole different level of research.

I imagine that each book of mine that I am blessed enough to have published will be unique for its own reasons. These are just a few of the reasons why “The General’s Wife” is singled out for me. Of course, with so many “firsts” it will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

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My “No Resolution” 2016

Some of you love New Year’s Resolutions…I know you do. And if this day is a special day to you and makes you feel more encouraged to make a change in your life, more power to you and I truly do wish you the best. But it has always seemed to me that New Year’s Resolutions for most people last maybe a few weeks or a couple of months at the most. I really believe that someone who is ready for a change will make that change on any obscure date of the calendar year they finally reach that point where they face their old habit and decide they’ve had enough of living that way. I have had some such pivotal moments in the past year and so for the New Year, I resolve to CONTINUE these changes I have ALREADY made in my life:

To CONTINUE to work toward a healthier me. This is a challenge that has been ongoing. There have been times in my life I was more serious than others, but it was more often about losing weight. I have changed my perspective, however. It is now about being a healthier, more well me. So, over the last couple of months, I have made some changes in my life, little by little. My doctor is a fan of making one change at a time (he feels it is easier to sustain changes if you make them one at a time instead of changing so many things in your life so drastically). I am doing good-for-me smoothies for breakfast (which has always been a “what do I eat if anything” problem meal for me anyway). I am striving to trade pasta and rice for quinoa and couscous. More lean meats and veggies. Introducing more physical activity. Small changes, one at a time. And I am seeing results like I couldn’t have imagined.

To CONTINUE to schedule my time thoughtfully. As a wife and mom, there is a lot that goes into my life apart from the writing and the extra stuff I do. So, I have to guard my time carefully. And I have to be able to delegate the things that don’t belong in my schedule or simply say “no”. That’s hard for this extreme people pleaser. But necessary. Each week I look at my schedule for the week, looking over my commitments/appointments and then placing my “to do” lists on each day. Then in the morning, I go over that day and make adjustments to my “to do” list – shifting some to another day if need be.

Here is the key thing though: I celebrate that day if I accomplish only 3-4 things on that “to do” list. Anything else I get done is extra. That has taken a LOT of grace-giving and learning. But, especially on busy days, I need to not burden myself with unrealistic expectations. Because you and I know that, especially with a house, husband, and kids, there are always more things to do than are on that list. The others that don’t get done can slide to another day that may not be so busy (as you can imagine prioritizing those items is important).

To CONTINUE to make time for writing. “Write like a crazy woman November” (NaNoWriMo) led into “no writing December” for many reasons. Maybe I was burned out, maybe it was because December was so crazy for me. I definitely spent most of my free time reading. Ah, reading. It is a vital part of writing. It helps you learn from other writers, inspires you, helps you grow in ways that nothing else can. Stephen King says that “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I think I concur. But, because I haven’t been writing, part of me feels a little….empty. My characters are all sitting around waiting for me to write their next line of dialogue. And they are desperate to know what’s going to happen to them.

All in all, these are the things I have been working on. Along with the “normal” desires to continue to be more involved with my kids and continue to daily “bless my home” (as FlyLady puts it) through routine care. So, while I am thrilled to welcome 2016 and look forward to a new year full of hope and promise, as far as a “resolution”, the only one I’m making is to continue what I’ve already started.

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“The General’s Wife” COVER REVEAL!!

I know, I know…I teased you before Christmas with the cover reveal. Well, the holidays required that the cover reveal be a bit more delayed than I had expected, but it is here…

This journey has been quite different from that of the first book. But similar in many respects. It has gone by faster, it seems, and the editing process has required a little more of me. But I have been more distracted with other things – conferences, workshops, critique groups, getting other novels ready for review, NaNoWriMo, and whatnot…it’s been quite the ride these last few months. But this book’s release is drawing ever nearer – early January! The cover came in just today and we are ready to reveal it to everyone!!!

The Cover. This cover is the product of some collaboration between the artist and myself and LOT due to the cover artist’s great talent. For that, I can take no credit. The cover depicts pieces of the story so well and I am well pleased with the end result.

The Story. For those of you who have not been following my blog a description of THE GENERAL’S WIFE can be found here. It is the story of a young woman who is torn from her own home to face an arranged marriage to one of Pharaoh’s most powerful generals during the time when Greeks ruled Egypt. Leaving behind everything she knows, and her first love, she finds adversity awaits her. She faces the reality of a faceless group who wants nothing more than to run all of these Greeks out of Egypt and has set their menacing sights on her. Can she guard her heart from this man who has bargained for her hand? Will her spirit endure in the face of this mob who vows to rid Egypt of her and the whole ruling class of Egypt for good?

Clean Reads. The publisher I have been with for two novels now is called “Clean Reads”. They have been fabulous! Stephanie, the owner, has made herself available for any and all questions and has really been amazing to work with. You can learn more about this company here.

And so, without further ado….HERE IT IS:(click to reveal)

http://saraturnquist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/The-Generals-Wife-cover-reveal.mp4

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Merry Christmas!!!

It is coming…can you feel it? Christmas is upon us! Time draws us ever forward no matter how we kick and scream against it. No matter how we beg for one more day to get everything done. It comes. And I’m glad for it.

Peeking. I was always one of those kids that shook the presents. Well, not hard. I didn’t want to break anything. I did everything I could to figure out what was in those beautifully wrapped packages underneath that glorious tree. Yes, I even pulled at the tape if I thought I could put it back without anyone noticing. In my defense, this was something my brother taught me. I was just doing what anyone would, right? Even now, though, I am eager, so very eager, for my children to unwrap their presents and the waiting to be over. At 6, 4, and 2, they are not yet at that stage where they come up with stuff such as peeking under the wrapping, but I am eager for them.

A love fest. Gift giving is definitely my number one expressive love language. So, Christmas is a love fest of sorts for me. As much as it is work, I enjoy finding the right present for the right person and watching them open it. Could anything be better? Ah, yes, the number one way I receive love – quality time. Another big one at Christmas. All the family, together, in one place, for several hours of quality time. Ahhh… So, as you can imagine, Christmas is just the most amazing time of year for me from that perspective.

The hope of the New Year. As the days draw us closer and closer to Christmas, we march ever onward toward a new year. I despise New Year’s Resolutions…I’m just going to say it. I think if you want to make a change in your life, you should do it, regardless of when in the year it is. I get the whole “it’s a new year, what better time than now…” So, more power to you if you want to make a change and make it happen then, but that’s not me. And I think it’s why a lot of New Year’s Resolutions fail. Because people that are serious about change, do it when they become serious, not because of some kind of arbitrary date on the calendar. Remember a few weeks ago I told you I was going to be more serious about my health? About what I ate and about exercise? I decided that day to make a change…I’m down almost 15 lbs. And I’ll keep going. Because I am determined and because I am serious about the change for my various reasons.

I’ve always liked these lyrics from Anna Nalick’s “Breathe”: “‘Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable; And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table; No one can find the rewind button…And breathe…” Time – our enemy, our friend, our constant companion…take advantage of the time you have. Hold your loved ones close this Christmas, take advantage of that opportunity. And about all that other craziness…just breathe.

 

 

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Where are you, Christmas?

This, I think, is perhaps the first year that I find myself searching for the Christmas spirit. This is also the first year I have been vamping up for the release of a book just after the first of the year. Between NaNoWriMo and getting things together for “The General’s Wife“, I have been terribly distracted this holiday season. But I am pleased that my car radio has been tuned into Christmas music as it is the only thing it seems anchoring me to the reality of the season.

“I need a Silent Night…” Do you know this song sung by Amy Grant? It is so true for me. All the hustle and bustle of the season has taken me over. Going here, running there, shopping, baking, dinners, appointments, not to mention the daily grind of keeping home and hearth. There’s a part of the song that goes “Did my own mother keep this pace, or was the world a different place?” I don’t think my mother had this craziness. I think she had some of it. But I think as time goes on, much more is expected of us. There are more programs, more TV channels, pinterest, the bar has been raised for us moms. At least it seems that way. The world is a different place. Times seemed much simpler, of course I was a kid. But it just doesn’t seem to me that my parents got caught up in the craziness that I have.

“Hope that you don’t mind our manger…Welcome to our World…” This song, “Welcome to Our World”, really does get to me each year. There are several versions of this song out there. My favorite is probably Michael W. Smith’s. How do I not only catch the Christmas spirit and find time to keep my family in joy of the season, but also teach them the reason for the season? That is of utmost importance to me and my husband. And I think even more so as our world continues on it’s current trajectory. There is a lyric here, that says “Bring your peace into our violence, bid our hungry souls be filled. Word now breaking Heaven’s silence, welcome to our world…” Is anything more true than this? His peace into our violence. Look around you, what could we need more than peace? Love? Joy? All the things that God promises will come as a wellspring of His presence in us. And, I hope I don’t step on toes here, but I might…if you, as a believer, are not spreading peace…love…joy into the hurting world, you’ve missed the point. Light in the darkness, not light among other lights. Not that we don’t need that time with other believers, but our light shines brightest in the dark. That’s why we’ve been given that light. {Stepping off soapbox.}

So, these are my goals for this week…(remember, without goals, how do you know you have accomplished anything?) To take some time off. Time to just BE with my family in the season and enjoy them. And to take some time in the Word, to just BE in His presence and let Him fill me with His peace, His love, His joy…not for myself, but so I can give it to my family and to those He places in my path who will need it.

 

 

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Keep Calm…it’s Nearly Christmas

Well, at least it smells like Christmas at my house now…I am finally at the point of getting some Christmas baking done. Yay! At least my family is celebrating. And I think that maybe…just maybe my Christmas shopping is under control. Did that just come from me? The girl who just earlier this week was nearly bawling because it was all craziness!?! Why, yes, I believe it did. Things are starting to slow down…I’m starting to slow down and take advantage of some of the merriment of the season. But there are some exciting things happening on the book front!

Cover Art. Keep posted…the next time you hear from me, it will (most likely) be for a cover reveal!!! I have been communicating with Clean Read’s (my publisher’s) wonderful cover artist about the cover for “The General’s Wife” and I couldn’t be more excited.

Blog Tour. I am also getting things geared up for another Blog Tour. Yes, the last one was a bit of work, but the amazing people at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours organized everything and made it a much less painful process. I will definitely be utilizing their services again!

Galleys. My very supportive husband and I are each making our way through the Galleys. For those of you who don’t know what that is (as I’ve been just throwing that term around)…it’s the final mock-up of the book. It’s the final (and most crucial) step in the process. I have to go through and make sure everything is as it should be. As much as I’d like to do some more rewriting (as every author would, I’m sure), we’re looking for commas out of place or misspelled words…things that might have been missed in the last round of editing.

All in all, it is exciting times, my friends. This holiday season has much to bring for me As well I hope it does for you, but more than anything, I hope you have time to slow down and enjoy it.

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It’s beginning to look a lot like…CRAZINESS!

As much as November was packed and went off without much trouble, December is not quite as full, but I am running myself ragged every day and I don’t know quite where all my time is going! What am I doing each day? My schedule doesn’t seem full, but yet I’m running here and there and all around the square…every day. Then I’m exhausted. What can I do to combat that? In November, I knew my schedule was full, so I used several techniques to manage that. But unless I can get a grip on what’s filling my days, I can’t employ those same techniques. How do you manage details that seem to pop up out of no where?

Christmas shopping. First off, and don’t be hating on me…I’m one of those people that is usually DONE shopping by the first week of December. Well, with my packed November, that did not happen. I had not even started by the time December rolled around. I had not even made one list. Grrr….

Christmas baking. I’m also one of those wives/moms (again, don’t be hating) that likes to bake Christmas goodies to have hanging around the house during this season for guests that stop in and what not. I’m talking like fudge and cookies and other treats like that. I have not even made the grocery list to shop for the ingredients to start on said goodies. Driving. Me. Bananas.

Seasonal Traditions. I like for us to do the advent candles. And we have the Little People Nativity that we do an activity with. The characters are “hidden” around the house and every 5 days, we tell a piece of the Nativity story featuring a character and that character makes their way to the Nativity stable. Yeah, it’s Dec 8th, we haven’t done one yet (we missed Dec 1st and Dec 5th). Grrr….

Galleys. My galleys are in for “The General’s Wife”. The last and most important step of this process before publication. They have a hard deadline though – Dec 15th. I have yet to download the document. I am soooo behind.

So, where is all my time going? I am seriously running around like a chicken with my head cut off…without a plan, letting things hit me as they will. Maybe that’s the problem. I’ve become a reactive person rather than a proactive person. Maybe I need to remember the lessons I learned in November about what goes “on the bar” and what I need to let go of, and plan my day accordingly. And stick to the plan. Not letting these last minute things throw my day for a loop. Proactive, not reactive. What about you?

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