Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 44

Tips For A Great Book Layout

If you are getting to the final pre-publishing stages for your book and want to know what the best layout might be before you let the world see it, use these tips to ensure your book looks as good as it reads.

Let the content do the talking

A strong book layout needs to consider the content of your book. This means that there is room for every type of book to have a unique layout that perfectly reflects what’s inside. A decent designer knows that there isn’t a one size fits all approach and each new book is a blank canvas where the content can guide the process. Content-led design just makes good sense - regardless of whether you have created an image-heavy cookbook, a beautifully illustrated children’s story, or a fast-paced text-only novel. Remaining conscious and aware of the subject matter while also considering the genre, the typical design elements in books similar to yours, and so on will ensure that you get this right. 

Pay attention to text alignment

Lining up your text is one of those should-be simple’ tasks that can actually cause a lot of grief. Your lines must have consistent vertical spacing and should be justified too. Using an automatic word processor function to do this is not recommended as it could space lines out too much and stretch them out to keep them the same length. Instead, use specialized book software to help you. 

A consistent grid is also necessary for book layout perfection, so ensure the text lines up horizontally from page to page. It’s always worth ordering a test copy if you are printing on demand to make sure that the grid is still perfectly aligned before you do a mass order.

Check your margins

You need to make sure the line length of your bargains is standardized throughout your manuscript. This is to make sure that the text doesn’t disappear when the book is bound. For ebooks the gutter margin can be thinner, but for most standard books, there should be 0.5-inch margins around the top and bottom and 0.75-0.9-inch gutter margins to be safe that all the text remains visible on the page. 

Pay attention to the details

Little details can make all the difference when it comes to creating a streamlined reading experience. You should be striving to ensure that your layout helps to enhance readability, and everything from the font type to letter spacing of small caps to ornamental breaks in between scenes can make a huge difference. 

Keep white space even

We all know that lots of white space can help create a clutter free reading experience and ensure that the readers don’t feel overwhelmed by the text. However, it is important the white space is even throughout the page and that you don’t go overboard. Massive margins will squash your text, where a generous amount of space for chapter headings (about 1//3 of a page) looks good if you are using chapter headings for your book. 

These tips are just some of the things that book designers must consider. If you are self-publishing your book or just want to get it into as good a shape as possible before sending it to agents and publishers, follow these tips to create a clean, functional, and attractive layout. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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A Guide To Self-Publishing A Children’s Book

If you are hoping to make your self-published children's book a success, you need to prepare your launch and marketing plan so that you have everything in place to ensure this rolls out seamlessly and that you keep working hard to ensure you boost your book's visibility and get it in front of the right audiences.

So what are some things you can do to help bring your children's book into the world? Here are some helpful tips. 

Take time to do your research

Research is critical if you want to break into the children's book market. While you might have a fantastic idea, it's essential to know what is already out there and understand your target audience and the types of books that are most popular with them. As with any book, the better you know what the audience wants, the more likely you are to write something that appeals to them, so make sure you understand what kind of book your children's book is and what category it would fall under. From here, you can check out the most popular titles in a particular niche or genre and try to ascertain what they have in common. Trends don't have to dictate your work, but you need to consider them if you want to give your book the best chance of success. 

Get a good editor

Unless you are a professional editor yourself, you should find a reputable children's book editor to help get your manuscript in ship shape. Before you do, you should work the script yourself and go through several rounds of edits before handing it over to the professional. By the time you are ready to do so, you should be sure that your book has a clear story that will engage younger readers, that there are distinct and unique characters, that the language is appropriate for your target age range, and that there are no grammatical or spelling errors. Doing this will mean you can spend your budget on an editor who will give you valuable insights and use their expertise to make your book shine. 

Test your book

Before you publish, why not try your book out with both parents and children to get some feedback? This way, you can refine and rework your story and iron out any areas of confusion or questions before it's too late. 

Hire an illustrator

Not all children's books have illustrations alongside them, but ones aimed at younger readers are often accompanied by beautiful, arresting images that will bring the story to life. A good illustrator will understand your vision and is someone you can work well with to ensure that they get this right. To help them be clear on your ideas and have examples of the types of illustrations you admire from other published works. Get an illustrator with experience and a good reputation.

Figure out the typesetting

You need the layout and interior of your book to captivate and engage your audience. Spend some time playing with the typeface, the margin size, and the book's layout design to ensure that every element works with, rather than against, your story. 

Discover your distribution method

You need to decide whether you are selling in print or just as an ebook and whether you'll print on demand or in bulk. For children's books, the general consensus seems to be that print it best (less screen time is always viewed as a good thing), and so you'll need to think about getting an ISBN and which distribution channels to use. 

Plan and execute your marketing campaign

Your marketing campaign should be planned well in advance of your launch date and should cover the lead to launch as well as what you'll be focusing on to keep momentum up after the big day. A thorough and well-planned marketing campaign is what will ensure your book gets seen by the right readers and could even create a snowball effect. So make sure you boost your book's exposure by taking the time to strategically plan lots of campaigns and identify marketing opportunities to make those book sales soar!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post A Guide To Self-Publishing A Children’s Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Do Readers Want?

Understanding what your readers want is key to any piece of writing. Whether you are crafting a blog post, writing content for an advertisement, creating your memoir, or plotting your novel. If you don't take the time to consider what who your reader is and what they might hope to gain from reading your work, then you will have a hard job writing something that resonates with them. In fact, you will have an even harder one convincing anyone that they should take some time out of their precious day to read what you have written in the first place.

Discovering what motivates readers, what inspires them, and what makes them tick is all part and parcel of being a good and successful writer. You need not only to understand what kinds of things they like to read, but also, why? You not only need to know they like a tragic love story or a hard-hitting crime drama, but what it is that makes them weep for the two young lovers that are torn apart or keeps them glued to the page, heart beating a little faster as they try to work out whodunnit.

Answering the question, 'what do my readers want?' will give you a unique insight that will help you craft a novel that excites them, thrills them, moves them, and leaves them clamoring for more.

Of course, readers come in all shapes and sizes and want many different things. It is up to the author to work out what kind of audience might enjoy the story they want to write, but then to go out and find them and learn about them and carry them around in their heads like a little imaginary confidant and always ask them: 'Is this the way forward? What should I make happen next?'

There are, however, some things that all readers want. They want a well-crafted, smart, and engaging story with a strong beginning, a page-turning middle, and a profoundly satisfying conclusion. They want drama, want a protagonist they can relate to, feel a range of emotions when reading, and become lost in an immersive world. They want compelling characters who are unique and exciting and mysterious and complicated and human (even if they are not humans). They want a book that is thoughtfully crafted and free form errors and is easy to understand and subtly shows them the way things are without telling them how it is and trust them to interpret the story correctly and gives them space to do so. They also want honesty; they don't want to be tricked into thinking they are reading something they are not, or given false promises or left with unanswered questions and confusion.

So, the advice to all writers, whatever they are writing, is this: know your reader, and use what you know to create the perfect piece of writing just for them and deliver it in the best possible way. If you can do that, and you have really kept your reader in mind, there is no reason to believe that your work won't be a success.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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What Makes A Great Beginning?

Beginning your novel is often the very most challenging part. No matter how much research you have done, no matter how often you have mentioned your idea to family and friends and they have gone ‘wow, that sounds brilliant,’ no matter how much work you have done creating timelines, spider maps, chapter outlines and so on, when you actually sit down, pull up a blank document on your computer and take a deep breath…it can suddenly feel like writing a note is a very overwhelming task indeed.

To be honest, if you feel this way, you are not wrong. Writing a book is a mammoth undertaking, and if you are feeling a little daunted by the prospect, you are not alone. The beginning of your novel feels so massive because it is hugely important. A weak opening can put readers off before they’ve even bought your book. Think about it; if you hope to have your book in bookstores, browsers will often pick up a book they are interested in a have a scan of the first few pages to see if it’s something that they might like. Similarly, on giant bookselling sites such as Amazon, readers can sample your novel without buying it if you use the ‘look inside’ feature. So, in short, your beginning has to be good.

So what are the kinds of things writers should be aware of when crafting the opening to their stories? Here are some things to consider.

Make the fist line startling

Your very first line should be startling, attention-grabbing, arresting, and unusual.

Begin in the middle of action

Don’t wait too long before creating action. In fact, if possible, begin with action to immediately draw your readers in.

Introduce your intriguing protagonist

Make sure your protagonist makes an appearance, and that he is compelling and exciting and relatable from the get-go.

Don’t forget to set the scene

Action is essential, but so is grounding your readers and immersing them in your world.

Set the mood

Show your readers what to expect by creating a mood and atmosphere that will keep them gripped and wanting more.

Up the stakes

Add drama right away by upping the stakes in the first chapter - don’t make your readers wait for your story to get interesting.

End your chapter with a cliffhanger

Add tension and excitement immediately by ending the first chapter on a cliffhanger that means readers will find it impossible to was away from your story.

Don’t get lost in exposition

Don’t get too bogged down in details, backstory, history, and so on. Keep it present and active and reveal these details as the story unfolds.

So there you have it - when trying to make an excellent beginning for your book, consider the above, and you won’t go far wrong. You beginning is crucial, but just remember that you can always go back and do more work on it, don’t let the pressure of writing a perfect beginning cripple you before you’ve even started - because starting is the most important thing.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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What Makes A Great Ending?

When it comes to ending your novel, if you want to leave your readers with fond memories of your book and you as an author, you need to ensure you make it a good one. A good ending is crucially important. Even if your book has gripped your readers until this point, and the story was full of engaging action, compelling characters, vivid descriptions, and with a tight, well thought out plot, if the ending disappoints or leaves readers feeling cheated and confused, none of it will matter.

A lousy ending could well be disastrous for your book. If you don't tie up loose ends, answer unanswered questions and bring the story to a satisfying and comprehensive conclusion, your readers will not only be disappointed but be left feeling as though everything they read before was a lie, that they have been tricked. If that is the case, they will not only let you know about it but let other potential readers know too - and your book sales will plummet because of it.

So what makes a good ending, and how can you ensure you write one?

Let's take a look:

Making sure it's not totally predictable

It doesn't matter what kind of story you've written; if the reader guessed how it would end five chapters back, they'll be stifling their yawns as they reach your predictable conclusion. Instead, make sure you keep at least some elements surprising to keep your readers on their toes.

Tying up loose ends efficiently

Don't make tying up your loose ends a long, drawn-out process. Do this quickly and efficiently, and make sure that you are thorough. Your readers will be sure to pull you on it if you aren't.

Making it both happy and sad

Mixing an upbeat ending with poignancy elements or reflection on what a character has had to go through or has lost is another way to leave your readers reaching for the tissues while still feeling as though your hero successfully completed their journey.

Resolve every storyline

Don't forget about your subplots and other character's journeys, and make sure you've ended all plot lines before the last page too.

Keep the focus on your hero

The last chapters of your book should focus on your hero, so don't get too sidetracked by more minor characters at this point.

End on a high

Ending your book is so exciting, but make sure you don't rush it. Your reader deserves to feel engaged and gripped right up until the very last word, so make your ending count.

Crafting a great ending to your story is worth taking time over. If you do, your readers will come away having finished your novel feeling sad that it's over, but yet completely satisfied. This will not only compel them to recommend your book to others but will encourage them to read your next one too!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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How To Add Subtext To Your Writing

Adding subtext to your writing can give it more depth and create hidden meanings that get your reader thinking. Adding subtext can be an innovative device that helps characters communicate emotions without being explicit about them. It can be added to reveal more about your characters and disclose exciting information in the story that can help readers engage more fully with the plot.

The subtext is the implicit meaning of a text and can be used in several different ways to enhance your story. 

Privilege subtext lets the reader know some essential information about the plot before this information is revealed to the characters. When used well, it builds drama and tension. For example, one character's inner thoughts can be revealed to the reader, but the other character is not yet privy to them. Imagine, for instance, that on3 character is plotting to murder another. 

Revelation subtext is a more subtle form where a subverted message is conveyed beneath the written words. So when a character acts or behaves in a certain way, the underlying message that is conveyed to the reader discloses their hidden emotions or unconscious meanings.

Subtext via questioning occurs when the author carefully layers details about a particular character or object to ensure that they have lots more questions that are not yet answered or revealed to them. This builds extreme curiosity and makes them stay alert for more information, in the hope that they might find out the answers before the protagonist does.

Adding subtext into your work creates an intriguing, multi-layered narrative that will keep readers engaged. 

To help you understand how to do this, you can first start by watching films or reading stories that are well-known for using subtext and note how the writer carefully adds in subtext and reveals this to their audience. Think about how information is conveyed without being explicit. What are the characters thinking but not saying, what is being revealed without being spoken? What information sparks questions or gives clues that make you want to know more? 

Live inside your character's heads. Writing subtext is much easier if you fully understand your character and their motivations and personalities. The better you know your character, the easier it will be to write dialogue laced with a subtext that conveys hidden messages and meanings to the reader.

Write a scene of dialogue but make notes of how your character is really feeling throughout. You can then go back and edit and amend to make sure their true feelings are subtly woven into the narrative without overtly displaying them through their speech. 

Withhold information. Allow characters to see just the tip of the iceberg and then leave hints and clues as to what lies beneath throughout the text. Make sure you give just enough to keep them hooked and guessing, and your book will be one they'll be unable to put down!

Using the above tips, you can successfully add subtext to your book and create a richer more engaging narrative for your readers - good luck!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post How To Add Subtext To Your Writing appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Write A Great Epilogue

If you are considering writing an epilogue at the end of your story, you need to ensure you get it spot on. This is an unusual story device, and it can split opinions from agents and publishers - some find them unnecessary and irksome, where others believe they can be a useful device to leave readers feeling satisfied when your novel concludes. So to give your book the best chance of success, if you are going to use one, make sure that you’ve thought it through!

What is an epilogue?

The term epilogue originates from the Greek word epilogos, which translates as a “concluding word.” When used in a story, the epilogue helps to provide closure and can give readers insight into what comes after the ending. This might be set in the future to show what becomes of the main characters, or even just a few days on. 

Does your novel need an epilogue? 

Many editors argue that there is no need for an epilogue if your story has a good ending. If the conclusion is weak, an epilogue might be required, but then they may argue - why not just rework the end to make it strong enough so that the epilogue becomes redundant?

However, done well, and an epilogue is a neat device to help writers tie up any loose ends and deliver a completely satisfying ending - which readers, of course, do appreciate.  

So what can writers who choose to include an epilogue do to ensure that they write one with purpose? 

Show the reader what happens to the principal characters after the ending. You may wish to skip a few years and show your protagonist living a future life in this instance. This could even be where you sow the seeds for a sequel if you intend to write one. 

Make sure it is entirely separate from the ending. The epilogue is not the place to try and drive your theme home or create a moral to the story. If these elements are not apparent in the story itself, you must go back and work them in. 

Ensure the epilogue is wholly satisfying and doesn’t create more loose ends or leave the reader with questions or confusion. The meaning and intent of your epilogue should be obvious. Don’t use it to create an additional cliffhanger, to compensate for your unsatisfactory ending, or make it too convoluted or wordy. 

Many celebrated novels have used epilogues well. Some examples include Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - if you are considering writing an epilogue - look at these for inspiration and guidance. 

While it is probably fair to say that most books do not require an epilogue if you do think your story can benefit from one, follow the tips above to ensure that yours is as successful as possible. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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The Seven Crucial Elements Of Any Story

When it comes to excellent story writing, it's all in the planning and the details. Creating a solid story structure and understanding which elements are crucial to ensure your story flows well, that the characters hook your readers and develop over time and that the plot is exciting and ebbs and flows to keep them turning those pages is all part of the planning process. 

While stories can take many different forms, there are common elements that all good books have that ensure the foundation is solid enough to add then the unique detail that will really wow your audience. 

So let's explore the seven main story elements and why they are so important. 

The characters

Your characters are the lifeblood of your story. Without believable, relatable, and engaging personalities, you cannot expect people to enjoy your book. Good characters don't have to be likable, they certainly shouldn't be perfect, but they must be compelling, unique, different from one another, surprising, and they must face challenges that your readers can relate to and use these challenges to learn, grow and drive the plot forwards. 

The theme

Every successful story has a theme or several that are continued and referred back to and made evident through the book. The theme is often the motivation for writing the novel in the first place, which inspires the characters to do what they do. Your theme can be anything - courage, heartbreak, prejudice, good versus evil, fighting your demons, redemption, revenge. You discover your themes by understanding why it is you want to write your story in the first place. When exploring your them in your account, you don't need to shove them in your reader's face - a good theme will come out naturally, weave it into the plot, and trust that your reader will understand it without stating it explicitly. 

The setting

Your setting is the backbone of your story. The setting evokes a sense of place and will allow your readers to immerse themselves, to ground themselves, to imagine. The environment includes what your characters can see around them but also engages all the senses. By carefully layering the setting into your story, showing your readers and revealing it piece by piece rather than telling them it is there, you allow them to become accustomed to the fictional world naturally. Make action the spearhead of your book, but let setting unravel subtly, so it registers without effort in your reader's minds. 

The POV

Deciding on the point of view is an essential part of creating your story. You can choose between various viewpoints such as First Person (I, me), Second Person (you, your), or Third Person (he, she or it). Determining the POV will change the shape of your story. You must only write from one person's perspective per scene. Though many writers choose to keep the same perspective throughout the novel and tell it through the protagonist's eyes or only change perspective at chapter breaks. However you choose to tell your story; it is important that it is clear whose POV it is; otherwise, readers can quickly feel confused and frustrated. 

The Plot

Structuring your plot before you start writing is crucial to storytelling success. You need to make sure you are clear about what happens, why it happens, and how the action unfolds. Your plot should include an enticing incident that causes the protagonist to set out on their journey and a series of obstacles that they must overcome to achieve their goal. When planning your plot, you should also consider the resolution and how you will make sure all loose ends are tied up when the story finishes. 

Conflict and challenges

Creating conflict is essential in any story. These conflicts can come in many forms, from internal struggles within a character, personality clashes between characters to actual physical barriers they must overcome. Remember, if everything in your plot is going well for too long, readers will get bored, so it's important to add in conflict throughout your story to keep them hooked and excited to find out what will happen next. 

The resolution

Finally, you must bring your story to an end with the resolution. While you write your book, you should keep your ending in mind, and every chapter should be another step towards this ending. Your protagonist must be changed at the end of your story and reflect back on what they have learned. Delivering a satisfying ending is crucial. Don't rush it, and make sure you haven't left any storyline unattended to. 

These seven story elements must be considered and included in every book. So use them to plan your novel before you start writing, and you will feel secure and satisfied that you have the right ingredients to do your story justice. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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Preface, Foreword, & Introduction – What’s The Difference Between Them?

When it comes to gathering the front end matter for your book you might rightly find it a little confusing to gain clarity around the difference between a foreword, preface, and introduction. However, distinguishing those differences is important if you intend to use them as they each have different functions and you can ensure you label your own work correctly.

So lets take a look at each of them. 

Foreword

A foreword tells readers why they should read the book. It is not written by the author of the book. The person who writes the foreword is usually someone with a level of expertise related to the book’s contents therefore making them a reliable and trustworthy source that will help encourage readers to purchase it. When choosing someone for a foreword, their job position, title, or name recognition can be key in helping to boost book sales. 

Preface

A preface acts as a short introduction to the book and is written by the author themselves. A preface can be used to explain why the book has been written, the purpose, and why the reader should want to discover more. This is an opportunity for the author to make a unique kind of sales pitch, appealing directly to potential readers to motivate them to buy. The most successful prefaces spark curiosity and help to build author credibility and demonstrate how you are the ideal person to have written this book and why readers should trust you as an authority on the subject matter. 

Introduction

An introduction introduces readers to the central themes and topics of the manuscript. It is also usually written by the author themselves and helps to prepare readers for what they can expect should the continue to read. It doesn’t necessarily standalone from the content of the book though would be written in a different tone and style, but rather would link into the first chapter. So it’s coherent and related to the content of the book, but also distinguishable from the rest of the book so much so that it must be kept separate from the text itself. 

Authors can use an introduction to establish their promise to the readers, to explain any methods or theories or definitions on which the book is based and that will help enhance understanding of what’s to follow. In the introduction, you can tell readers what they can expect to gain from reading your book.

These three different front-matter elements all have their uses, but they must be used correctly in order to be effective and to avoid any embarrassing errors. Using them to convey necessary information to your readers can be hugely beneficial and contribute largely to your book’s success. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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Writing A Proposal For Your Non-Fiction Book

If you are writing a non-fiction book you need to think a little differently about how to construct your book proposal. What is important to remember, however, is that writing a book proposal for a non-fiction book is just as crucial as it is for those writing fiction.

A book proposal will give agents and editors a good idea of what your book is about, how it will be structured, who it will appeal to, and will allow them to decide whether they want to pursue it. 

So what are the things that you should include in your book proposal to help showcase it to the best of your ability and hopefully engage the interest of those you send it to? 

What is your book about?

The most important question you are trying to answer in your book proposal is what it’s about. You need to drill your book down to reveal the core, the very central idea that it flows from. Open with one sentence that introduces the hook and follows with 2-3 paragraphs summarising your intentions in further detail. 

Who is your audience?

Telling agents and publishers who your book will appeal to will help them understand how they will sell your book should they decide to take it on. Here conducting proper research is important. Find out who those readers are that are looking for books like yours and ensure that you are able to prove there are readers out there who would be interested. Go into depth and detail here if you want to impress. 

How your book is different to what’s already out there?

You need to make sure that your book will stand out from the crowd and so in your book proposal you must explain how it is different from existing books within the genre. Choose a few of the most popular titles and explain how your book will answer the question or explore the topic better or from a unique perspective. 

Why are you the best person to write this book? 

You also need to explain why you are qualified to write this book. What knowledge and experience do you have that makes you an authority on the subject matter? Again be precise here and list qualifications, work experience, social media presence, website, research, and other experiences that help prove your worth and value.

Writing a proposal prior to commencing work on your book can help to identify the benefits for your potential agent or publisher. By asking and answering these questions you’ll have a clear idea of what your book is about, your potential readership, and boost your self-confidence in your ability to write it. 

Happy writing!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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