Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 112

What Does It Feel Like To Try And Get Published?

For many writers being a published author is the ultimate goal. But when you first sit down to start writing that novel - the one which has been bubbling up inside you for years, you might have no idea of what is to come!

We all know that trying to get a book published isn’t easy, that it takes a lot of hard work and sometimes blood, sweat and tears, but what does it really feel like?

Here are some analogies to help you figure it out, and decide whether you are up for the challenge!

Trying to get published is like applying for a new job, your dream job, one that you have years of experience in, and yet, when you walk into the interview room, you realise there are a million other candidates all competing to get exactly the same thing.

Trying to get published is like that bit on a roller coaster when it’s slowly chugging up the steepest hill. You know there’s no turning back now, and you’ve no idea whether you are going to love the adrenaline rush, or be absolutely terrified. When it’s over you might feel elated and want to do it all again, or you might want to throw up and be sworn off rollercoasters for life!

Trying to get published is like having to tell the world about the thing you are most proud of, and the thing you are most ashamed of at the very same time.

Trying to get published is like being so excited about going on your dream holiday, looking forward to it for months, and then, after all, that planning, money and organising you get to the airport and your plane is delayed. Indefinitely.

Trying to get published is like trying to get your kid into the most competitive school. You start doing strange, over complicated sums about the odds of you actually getting them in. You try and do some mega snooping to figure out what other people are doing, what the secret is to being chosen, you become mildly obsessed with it and become willing to do some morally ambiguous things to make sure you achieve your goal!

Trying to get published is like trying to move house. There's that initial rush where you find the house of your dreams, and get your offer accepted. Then comes the paperwork, the radio silence, and of course, the nail biting, excruciating waiting period where you know, at any moment it could all collapse before your very eyes - you were so close, and yet, so far!

So, do these situations fill you with terror and anxiety, or do they get your heart racing, your blood pumping and you raring to go? If it’s the latter then you’ll be able to tackle the publishing process head on. Remember, often when it comes to getting published it’s all about confidence, motivation, perseverance and sheer grit. So just keep at it and you’ll get there in the end!

What analogies do you have for trying to get published? Share them with us here!

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Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Does It Feel Like To Try And Get Published? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How Being A Good Salesperson Will Help You Become A Successful Writer

Nowadays being a good writer requires more than being a good writer! If you want to sell books you need to be so much more. Not only does your book need to be well-written, perfectly edited and with an appropriate, eye-catching book cover, you also need to know how to sell it.

Simply putting your book up on Amazon just won’t cut it these days, the competition is too fierce and your book will likely get lost in a sea of others, regardless of how brilliant it is.

The same is true when it comes to writing for a living. Anything from pitching stories to editors to writing your blog requires putting in practice good sales techniques in order to maximise your profits!

So what does a good salesperson have in common with a writer?

A good salesperson builds relationships

Whether a freelance writer or an author, building good relationships is so important. As an author you need to constantly be looking for new ways to reach readers, to engage them, to make them think 'yes, this is the book I want to buy.’ If you are a freelancer, the more contacts and stronger the relationships in your network the more likely you are to hear about jobs first, get recommended and get repeat work.

A good salesperson is a good communicator

Good communication is imperative when it comes to boosting the success of your writing. For authors, you need to keep in touch with your fans, through social media, newsletters and books tours and signings. For freelancers it’s all about being on it with those who have hired you, being reachable, adaptable and a fantastic communicator at all times.

A good salesperson has a clear message

Having a clear message is so important when it comes to sales. Without it, potential customers will leave feeling confused, or worse still, cheated, which could lead to a huge plummet in your sales. As a writer you need to have a clear idea of what your book is about, as a freelancer your pitches need to be precise and direct - and both must deliver what they have promised.

A good salesperson understands that quality is everything

You can be the best salesperson in the world, but if the quality is poor, you’ll soon be found out and then no one will touch your product. The same goes for selling books - if your book isn’t up to scratch, you’ll soon get found out if it doesn’t deliver what it says it’s going to your readers will be disappointed, and they won’t be afraid to tell you so. Which leads us to…

A good salesperson gets good reviews

Reputation is everything. A good salesperson knows this and so does a good writer. You need positive reviews in order to establish a reputation and appear trustworthy. Never stop working on building those reviews, encouraging likes and shares and getting people talking about your work, the more you do the more successful you will be!

Being a writer, whether a fiction writer or a freelance writer, you need to work on your skills as a salesperson. Remembering that having the ability to pitch your ideas, to charm, to build a fanbase, to direct people to act - these are all skills that are necessary to make your book a success, so it’s well worth making sure you have them!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How Being A Good Salesperson Will Help You Become A Successful Writer appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How to Write A Book Series

How to Write A Book Series

When it comes to sharing great writing tips we are always willing to do so.

In fact, sharing great content similar to the post that I recently found over

on NowNovel.com by Bridget is one of the ways that great writers are born.

Take a look and let me know what you think

What Every Writer Needs

Writing can be exciting, joyful, difficult, miserable, inspiring, lonely, elating, magical and a million other things in between.

Whether you are first setting out on your writing journey, or have been writing for years, there are some things that every writer needs to help them not only write better but enjoy the process more as well.

Writing can be a tough job at times, but by preparing yourself for what’s ahead and arming yourself with a virtual toolkit of all these things, you’ll find it so much easier to make the most of your writing time and truly find pleasure and satisfaction in it too.

So what is it that every writer needs? Let’s take a look!

A support network

Writing can be isolating at times, it doesn’t really require much teamwork, especially in the early stages where it’s just you, your computer and the unnervingly blank page that seems to be boring a hole into your soul. Because of this writers need a good support network. A good support network consists of a variety of people. Great family and friends who are patient and understanding are naturally essential, but also a group of fellow writers who you can share work with, be inspired by and moan to when things aren’t going very well!

A quiet space to work

It’s rare to find a writer who doesn’t need peace and quiet to think and work. Creating your own little writing zone can be one of the best things you can do as a writer. Think about what you need and what you’d like to inspire you. Whether that’s quotes from famous authors around your walls, or a kettle nearby so you don’t have to keep getting up for tea breaks - use your imagination and create the perfect writing space for you.

A biggest fan

Every writer needs a biggest fan. It might start off as your partner, your mum, your best friend, but as you continue to put your work out there it’s so exciting to find new fans and readers that love your work. You biggest fan will read everything you write, will always leave you five-star reviews and will be happy to share and big you up in whichever which way they can!

A good notebook

An essential piece of kit for any writer is a good notebook. It doesn’t have to be fancy but it has to be something you remember to carry around with you, fill with your notes, inspirations and observations - for you never know when an amazing idea might strike!

A bad review

All writers need to get their first bad review under their belt. It’s a milestone, a coming of age moment, where you realise you’re a real writer. Remember not everyone can like your work, but at least they are reading it!

A writing schedule

A writing schedule is a helpful way to make sure you stay on track, keep focused and never stop writing. For some, writing comes naturally, but for most, we need a little self-imposed discipline! A writing schedule you know you’ll stick to will give you just that.

An honest critique

We all need someone we can trust to give us honest feedback on our work. Without them, we run the risk of being like one of those X Factor contestants that’s been brought up to believe they have the voice of an angel, where, in reality, they sound like a bag of screeching cats. Find someone you can trust to give you honest, helpful, and fair feedback, your work will be so much better as a result.

A good editor

Where would we be without our editors eh? A good editor can turn your words into works of art! They are there to help you improve, to make sure your manuscript is flawless and give you the best chance of success with your book - a good editor is priceless!

So there you have it, the essential tools of any writer’s toolkit - what would you add?

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Every Writer Needs appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Makes A Book Worth Reading?

As writers, we all know how important it is to read as much as possible. We also know that it's crucial to make our own work as readable as possible.

Regardless of what type of book you are writing, the genre, the target audience etc, there are some particular things that people look for and agree that all good books should have. Knowing these will not only make your next book purchase easier but also help writers to carefully consider how they craft their stories in order to make them more appealing.

So what are the elements that make a book worth reading? Let’s take a look:

It contains lesson

Many readers search for a book that contains some sort of lesson or at least teaches them something they didn’t already know or makes them view the world in a different light. These are the kind of books that really change people, inspire them and motivate them - these are the kinds of books that stick in people’s minds.

It engages readers emotionally

Readers must be emotionally committed to the book they are reading, they need to care about the characters, they need to want to know what happens to them and react accordingly. If readers can’t engage then there is no motivation for them to pick up the book, keep on reading and find out what happens next.

It takes readers on a journey

Every good book is a journey, with obstacles, adventures, victories and defeats along the way. The more thrilling the journey, the better the book will be.

It is well written

No matter how exciting your plot, if the writing is bad, readers ain't gonna like it. Readers can tell from the blurb on the back, or at the very least the first few pages whether the writing is poor. If they judge that it is, they won’t read any further - it’s as simple as that.

A captivating story

A good book will pique readers interests straight away, they will immediately feel immersed in the world, will want to get to know the characters better and become more enthralled as they see how the story and characters develop along the way.

It gives the readers what they need

Often readers pick a book because they need something particular at that time. They may be heartbroken and need a romance story to make them believe in love again, or a funny book to cheer them up and put things in perspective - if a book can help reassure, make sense of things or sympathise it will feel like a good friend, a companion and that’s what makes a good book truly great.

There are, of course, a huge list of reasons why a reader might choose a book. What do you think makes a book good, and do you consider this when writing your own? Let us know!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Makes A Book Worth Reading? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Why Writers Love Writing

Sometimes writing can feel like a bit of a struggle.

When we’re not feeling inspired, or we are suffering from writer’s block (or whatever you like to call it), or are simply feeling a bit disheartened about the writing process, it can be all too easy to give up, switch on the TV and put writing to the back of your mind.

However, procrastinating your writing won’t help you get out of your slump, and giving up on your dreams is something you might always regret. So instead why not try in inspire yourself? Reading the reasons why writers love to write can put things into perspective, remind us why we love to create and give us the motivation to continue.

So let’s take a look at some of the reasons why writers love writing:

To express themselves

Many writers use their writing as a way of expressing themselves. They find that writing is the best form of communication, where they can organise their thoughts and say what they want to say in a coherent and meaningful way.

Because they have to

Many writers feel that they have to write. Not in a 'forced against their will' kind of way, but simply because, deep down, no matter how hard it can be, they have this burning desire and passion for writing, and that will never be suppressed.

To help others

Many writers feel as though their writing can reach out to people, and can help them. If you have ever been touched by a book, or read something that somehow seems to have reached into your soul and helped you make sense of the world, you’ll know just how powerful, helpful and life-changing writing can be.

To educate, inform and influence

Many pieces of writing provide us with incredible insights into the weird and wonderful goings on in the world. Writing can be used to help teach people what life was like at a certain point in history, or to influence them to think and even act a certain way. Many writers use writing as their platform to try to educate people or persuade them round to their way of thinking.

To be creative and let their imaginations run wild

Writing allows us to set our imaginations free, to create worlds where there are no rules and everything is possible, to explore our darkest fears, our most magical and unrealistic desires. Writing allows writers to build worlds, to get lost, to immerse themselves in different universes. Being creative can bring about so much joy, and that’s what writing is all about.

Because it’s fun

Writing isn’t always painful and laborious. Sometimes it can be so much fun. As a writer you are the puppet master, you have ultimate control. You can decide whether to shock and scare readers, to make them laugh, or to give them the happy ending they crave - what’s not to love about that?!

Because it’s therapeutic

Writing is calming, cathartic and truly therapeutic for many writers. Allowing them to express themselves and explore their emotions in ways that perhaps are too difficult or scary to do in everyday life. Many writers report the benefits of using their writing as a therapeutic tool, and you can too!

To live forever!

Of course, knowing that your writing is likely to outlive you is very humbling but also very exciting. To think that there will be people living many generations in the future who could pick up and read your book - there is definitely something quite special about that.

Writing can be a magical, healthy, exciting rollercoaster, and that’s why writer’s love it and never want to get off! Why do you love to write? Share it with us here!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Why Writers Love Writing appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Why Are First Drafts So Bad?

Your first draft probably isn’t that great. There we said it. You probably knew it anyway, but perhaps it’s time to figure out why.

Writing an initial draft of any novel is usually a slow, painful and agonising process. It takes time, gives you sleepless nights, makes you feel emotional, tired, and foolish, and by the end it’s no surprise that most writers feel emotionally drained and wonder whether they should just give up altogether.

What we must remember is that first drafts are supposed to be bad, and it doesn’t matter that they are.

First drafts are bad because we haven’t censored ourselves.

We are always told to initially just ‘get the story out’, and this means trying as hard as we can not censor ourselves, and to let the writing flow. We write quickly and carelessly in order to get the story there on paper - of course, it’s not going to be great when we decide to look back over it.

First drafts are bad because we have censored ourselves too much.

Of course, on the flip side, we have days where we can’t help but agonise over every single word. This doesn’t help our writing either, and it becomes forced and disjointed. When we get to these parts we often wonder why we bothered wasting so much time trying to be perfect

First drafts are bad because they are overwritten.

It’s so hard to complete the first draft without having overwritten in some (or many) parts. We are trying so hard to get our point across that we use far too many words and tell our readers what’s going on rather than showing them.

The first draft is bad because it is full of spelling and grammatical mistakes.

There is no way that our first draft is going to be flawless. Poor grammar and punctuation, as well as prose littered with spelling mistakes makes our first draft look very unprofessional indeed!

First drafts are bad because there are parts where the story becomes boring.

When you read back over your first draft, do you find yourself skimming over certain parts, or lifting your hand to conceal and yawn? There are going to be parts where you weren’t really concentrating, where you go off on a tangent or the pace just slows right down. These are the parts you need to pay attention to when re-drafting your book.

First drafts are bad because our characters fall short.

In our first drafts, our characters aren’t nearly as good as they are going to be. Just think of them as not being quite fully formed yet, and you’ll be able to put them right at a later date.

Just remember:

First drafts are practice rounds - you might have to go right back to basics but that’s OK - you can have as many goes as you like!

First drafts are where you learn your lessons - you’ll learn so much from writing your first draft, and each chapter that you write and edit will make you a better writer too.

First drafts are simply the beginning

Remember, you have all the time in the world to finish your novel so don’t despair even if your first draft seems terrible - just take your time, and remember, doing it properly is so much better than rushing it, and in the end, you’ll have a manuscript you can be proud of.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Why Are First Drafts So Bad? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Is Evergreen Content And How Can It Help Your Blog?

We’ve all been told that writing a blog is a great way to increase our fan base, help boost our social media ranking and get more readers interested in our work. Whether you love writing your blog or hate it, there are some things you can do to make your life easier and keep your blog up to date, generating interest and hopefully making you money too!

What is Evergreen content?

So, first of all, let us define Evergreen content.

Evergreen content is content that is always in demand. This means that your readers will always be interested in it, new readers will always be looking for it and it will never become useless or irrelevant. Evergreen content won’t require you to change it or update it as time passes to keep it interesting, useful or popular. In the fact, the best Evergreen content is a piece of writing that people will always search for, no matter the time of year or how much time passes.

What kind of Evergreen content could you write?

There are lots of different types of Evergreen content that you could include in your blog. Helpful guides on how to create something, advice and tutorials will always remain popular. If you stick to subjects where that advice is unlikely to need to change, you can write a wealth of Evergreen content that will be helpful to your readers.

So why will doing so help your blog?

It’s good for SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is how you keep your blog visible. If you have good SEO, your content will come up as a top result when people search for relevant things in Google - meaning they are more likely to find your blog, to read it, and to become a fan of yours. If you write Evergreen content people will continue to click on links to your articles, increasing traffic to your website, boosting your rankings and keeping you at the top of those search engine results.

It remains relevant

If you don’t particularly enjoy writing blog posts, creating Evergreen content means that your blog will always be relevant, you can even repost old blog posts to keep your blog looking relevant and updated. If you’ve got lots of useful information on your blog that you know your readers will want, they will keep coming back there regardless of whether it was written yesterday or three months ago.

It generates continued revenue

If you are hoping to make a bit of extra money from your blog, having Evergreen content is one of the best things you can do. Doing so is a simple way to make sure that your blog posts will continually generate income regardless of when they were published. You can also use these posts to link to your book or other posts to encourage your readers to become fans and to buy your work!

So if your goal is to increase traffic to your blog, create a wide fanbase of readers and to sell your products and services, Evergreen content is really a no-brainer - so next time you write a post, consider whether it really is timeless, useful and relevant to your readers - if it does then keep on creating more posts like it and you’ll see a boost in your rankings, your readership grow and even generate more income for yourself too!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Is Evergreen Content And How Can It Help Your Blog? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Best Writing Milestones To Keep You Motivated

Every writer should have clear goals to aim for, ones that keep them inspired and motivated to keep on writing and achieve their dreams.

But if you are just starting out as a writer you might feel a little overwhelmed. Perhaps the idea of being a published novelist seems ridiculously far out of reach? If that is the case, it’s a good idea to break your writing goals down into more sizeable, achievable chunks. have different milestones to celebrate and then you’ll find those bigger, more daunting goals feel a lot more realistic and manageable.

First completed story

Don’t try to write an entire novel on your first attempt. Why not instead simply try to write a short story or a finished piece of writing of any kind? Once you have done this you’ll not only feel as though you have learned more about what it takes to write a good story from beginning to end, you’ll feel a strong sense of accomplishment too.

First critique of your work

Getting a critique of your work can seem super scary, but doing so will give you useful feedback and insight into your own writing. You can join online groups or a local writing club, or even take a writing course to get feedback from your peers. You might not like everything you hear, but if you learn how to take constructive criticism well this could prove invaluable for your book.

First online publication

Try submitting your work to various publications online. Online publications are usually always on the lookout for new content as they publish frequently due to their low costs. Try to submit your work to several and see if you can’t see it in (virtual) print!

First print publication

Seeing your work in print for the first time is a wonderful feeling. Holding an actual, physical copy of what you have written and knowing that it has been exposed to all these readers feels like a massive achievement - if you get to this point it’s time to celebrate for real!

Getting paid for your writing

When you receive that first paycheck, however big or small, you’ll really feel like you have made it. Suddenly doors open up and writing for a living seems that much more achievable - just go for it!

First fans

Someone leave you a glowing review? Or get in touch with you to tell you how much they enjoyed your piece? Getting your first true fans is a thrilling experience, and no your mom doesn’t count!

Your first draft

Finishing your first draft of your novel is a massive deal, and something so many people attempt to do and never manage - so you should give yourself a huge pat on the back. Though don’t celebrate too hard - now the real work begins.

Finishing your novel

For many authors, the editing process is the toughest part of writing a novel. Once you have gotten through this, your book is finished and you are ready to publish!

Getting published

Whether you have landed yourself a big publishing deal or are going down the self-publishing route, holding that first bound and printed copy of your novel is an amazing feeling. Cherish it, celebrate it, and then get back to writing some more!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post The Best Writing Milestones To Keep You Motivated appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Obstacles All Writers Must Overcome

No one said that writers have it easy! Let’s face it the road for many is long and bumpy. But if you can prepare yourself for the obstacles you have to face you have a much better chance of being able to overcome them.

So let’s take a look at some of the most common hurdles writers must get over, and how they can tackle them head on.

Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is probably the No1. bugbear for all writers. We can’t help but feel as though we are kidding ourselves, we are our own biggest critics, we lose faith, we teeter on the brink of giving up, we become fearful that we’ll never be good enough or that we’ll run out of ideas.

What’s good to remember is that pretty much every writer experiences this, so at least misery loves company! To tackle self-doubt we must try to remind ourselves that there are plenty of successful writers’s out there who struggled to become so for many years, and suffered many setbacks, but in the end it is perseverance and never giving up on one’s dreams that go them to where they are today (at the top of the bestseller lists). Therefore you just need to keep moving forward and you could see all your dreams come true too.

Criticism from others

All writers are going to be told their writing isn’t good enough (in whatever capacity this might be) at one point or another. Someone might leave you a bad review or you may have a friend or relative critique your work only to find out it wasn’t really their ‘cup of tea.’

Whatever criticism you face you must remember that it is impossible to please everyone. Some people won’t like your writing. it’s as simple as that. Does this mean your writing is worthless and awful? Of course not! There are as many potential fans out there as there are haters -you’ve just got to find them.

Self-Discipline

Writing consistently takes huge amounts of self-discipline. Writing is like a muscle and needs to be exercised regularly in order to be kept in the best condition. Many writers find themselves struggling to keep up with their writing.

In order to be a successful writer, you need to be strict with yourself. Make a writing timetable and stick to it, even if you have to sacrifice other things in your life - if you make time for your writing you will see a massive difference when it comes to how much you achieve and improve.

Writer’s Block

Many writers’s suffer from writer's block which can feel truly debilitating at times. Running out of ideas of getting stuck halfway through a story is a real worry for many writers.

If you get writer’s block try putting aside your project for a while and working on something else. Try free writing, or even going for a good walk to clear your head can be a helpful option too!

Rejection

It is incredibly rare for a writer to go through their career without suffering a rejection. For most writers rejection happens throughout their writing life.

Rejection can be crushing but it’s something we must learn to accept and to recover from as quickly as possible. Just remember that some of the most famous authors in the world were rejected (and even scorned) initially - it just took one person to give them a chance, and that could happen to you too!

Competition

There is so much competition out there these days that often writers can feel completely overwhelmed. How can they possibly expect their book to get noticed amongst the millions of others?

Luckily there is plenty you can do to market your book and give it the best chance of being seen by your target audience and getting it to stand out from the crowd. Read up on what you can do to boost your book sales, try everything once and see what works for you.

And last but not least...

Low Pay

If you’re in the writing game to get rich quick chances are you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Most writers accept the fact that this is not how they are going to make their fortune - but they do it anyway simply for the love of it!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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