Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 93

Writing Mistakes That Can Cost You Money

Writing a novel takes a considerable amount of time and effort. Whether you are in it merely for the joy and satisfaction of seeing your work in print or are determined to make a living out of your writing, there are several readily made mistakes which can end up costing you money in the long run.

Not polishing your book

If you don’t get a professional editor to read your work, if you don’t hire a professional book cover designer to design your cover, and if you don’t get feedback or make an effort to check for grammar and spelling mistakes, your book simply won’t sell. There is just far too much competition out there these days, and you have to spend a little to see a return. If you aren’t willing to invest in yourself then why should anyone else?

No marketing plan or author platform

If you’ve spent money getting your book into the best shape possible, then you need to put effort into getting it seen. Having a robust marketing plan and an excellent author platform for which to launch and advertise your book will increase your reach, ensure your book is being seen by the people most likely to buy it and increase your sales. Without doing this, you might as well have just thrown your money away,

Paying crooks

There are so many ‘publishers’ out there that will tell you your book is great and will happily take it on - for a fee. They can make you think that you have been ‘chosen’ when in fact they accept every single submission they are sent, take the authors money and then do very little in return to help get the book noticed. A reputable publisher won’t ask you to pay them money up front. That’s not to say that you won’t find businesses who you pay to design your cover, edit your book and advertise it on their website, get it on Amazon for you and submit it to the trade. If you want to go down that route that is fine, but you need to make sure you are clear on all costs and exactly what they are offering and how much control you will subsequently have over your book sales before you agree on anything with them. It’s important to get everything in writing too.

Not doing your research

Spending loads of money on Facebook advertising or other forms of marketing can end up being a massive waste of money if you haven’t done your research and properly looked into what will work best for you, your book and the kind of audience you are trying to reach. Before throwing money at marketing make sure you get advice and explore your options to see what will likely make the most significant impact.

By being savvy, learning about the publishing and book marketing process and not making simple first-time novelist mistakes, you can make sure that you don’t waste your money or make your book unreadable, unsellable and unsearchable. Follow the tips above to give your book the best chance of success and of making you some money back too!

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

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How To Write A Book For Beginners

If you have never written a book before, the very idea of doing so can seem incredibly daunting. There are so many pieces of advice out there as well as so many warning stories about how difficult it is not only to get published but to even complete your book in the first place, that it is no wonder many would-be novelists end up feeling overwhelmed.

However it is important to remember that writing a book doesn’t have to be all that complicated, and if you have a story within you that is dying to get out, then you owe it to yourself to at least try. Everyone can write a book, and there is no one set of rules which work universally for all authors, nor is there only one way of working.

Writing a book is all about dedication, about perseverance and discipline. The hardest part of writing a book is sitting down and getting on with it! The reason why many people fail is that they make excuses, procrastinate and simply can’t find the time to get the book written.

So what are some useful tips for beginners writing a book? Here are some invaluable lessons which every novice writer should know:

Take it one step at a time

Writing is a process, and it will take time to get to the end of your novel. Try to break down your workload, so it doesn’t seem as overwhelming and then take it one step at a time. Slowly but surely, you’ll get there!

Stay motivated

Learn what motivates you and do more of that! There is no ‘one size fits all’ motivational technique so it’s about understanding what works for you and making sure you do everything you can to stay focused on and dedicated to finishing your book.

Have a clear idea of what your book is about

Don’t start your book until you firmly understand what kind of book it is going to be and have the entire story already written in your head. It’s great to have exciting ideas but if you start writing before you know what you are dealing with you might find that the initial spark starts to flicker and dwindle and eventually goes out.

Set goals

Setting yourself small, manageable goals and assigning yourself deadlines will help to keep you moving forwards and make the enormity of what you are trying to achieve seem a little more achievable.

Be consistent

Try to write every day at the same time, or at least on the same days of the week. Writing in the same place often helps too to train your brain and help you be at your most productive.

Get feedback early on

Don’t wait until you’ve finished your novel and spent hours editing it before you let someone see it. Get feedback early on (and regularly) - this way you can make sure you are writing something great and won’t have to go back and re-write it basically from scratch when you finally get someone to critique it!

Be prepared to edit

Editing is the part of the book writing process many authors hate. Unfortunately, there is no escaping it, and it is very necessary if you want your book to be any good.

Learn how to come back from failure

You might be one of the lucky ones, and there is no harm in believing you will be if that’s what inspires you to write your book. However, make sure that you are prepared for rejection. Almost all writers go through this, and it doesn’t mean your book is no good, so just keep trying.

Don’t just stop at one

Once you’ve written your first book, write another, and then another. If you are truly passionate about writing, keep those stories coming and you’ll learn and grow and improve with every one you finish!

These simple steps mean that every writer who wants to write a book can do it! Set aside self-doubt and worries about whether your book will be a success. When you are trying to write it just keep your head down, stay focused and get on with it!

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

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5 Reasons You Should Not Self-Publish Your Book

In the last few years self-publishing has become the preferred route of many authors. However, it is important to examine what the benefits of self-publishing your book are to truly understand whether or not it is the right route for you and your book.

Self-publishing might seem like the easy option - you don’t have to wait around in the desperate and unlikely hope that you’ll be accepted by an agent or publisher, you have complete control over your book sales, and you can do it pretty much instantly.

However many authors rush full pelt into self-publishing their work full of giddy hopes and expectations only to find that it's not what they hoped it would be and subsequently regret not exploring other options.

Here are five reasons why you should not self-publish your book

Your reputation. We must face facts; there is still an attitude that being the author of a self-publishing book is not nearly as good an achievement as being an author of a book that has been published by a publishing house. Whether that attitude is right or wrong - well the jury’s out, but while anyone can self-publish a novel, getting picked up by a publisher is far rarer, and therefore more valued and trusted. The fact is that the majority of authors would beam with pride had their novel been published via the traditional route, where many feel embarrassed to say they actually self-published their novel shows that there really is a difference.

2. The quality. A publisher who decides to take on your novel is likely to have a team of experienced professionals who they’ll use to make your book the very best it can be. Even if you use a professional editor and get a book cover designed especially for you, the quality just won’t be the same.

3. The competition. Most self-published books are lost, drowning amongst the sea of others never to be seen again. Even if your book is really good, the competition is so fierce that getting anyone to actually read it is a pretty tough task.

4. The expense. You don’t have to pay anything upfront if your book gets picked up by a publisher. They’ll simply take a cut of what you sell (and you’ll be far more likely to sell). If you want to go down the self-publishing route and do it properly, you’ll need a spare few thousand if you want to give your book any chance of doing well.

5. The ability to market your book. If you self-publish your book, the responsibility falls on you to market and promote it, to reach out to readers and sell it. Most authors aren’t marketing professionals, and unless you are willing to put some serious time and effort into marketing your book, you'll find this time consuming, daunting task quickly becomes a source of frustration, guilt and annoyance pretty quickly!

At the end of the day, we’ve got to acknowledge that going down the traditional publishing route means you may never see your book in print. But wouldn’t you rather spend your time, energy and money trying to actually win the jackpot rather than selling yourself short?

We must admit that self-publishing simply suits some authors, and indeed there have been cases where previously unheard of authors have risen to fame and fortune through the self-publishing route. However, these are few and far between.

At the very least authors should initially try to get a publishing deal or to find themselves an agent. Self-publishing will always be there as an option at the end of the day so why not believe in yourself and shoot for the stars before you settle for something that might feel just as disappointing and unsatisfying as never seeing your work in print in the first place? At least this way you can know you did everything you could to make your book a the best success possible.

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

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Top 5 Mistakes People Make Self Publishing a Book!

Self-publishing is a tricky business. On the one hand, it has made it possible for so many aspiring authors to achieve the goal of seeing their book in print, getting reviews, and making money (however much or little) from their creative writing. On the other, it has made the competition fiercer than ever, and even more difficult for writers to get their work noticed.

So if you do want to self-publish your book, and want to give yourself the best chance of making a success of it, it’s essential to make your book stand out from the crowd. It’s so easy for people to rush into publishing (it is exciting after all) without considering their options or thinking about what they hope to achieve from the process. Doing so can mean you end up making easily avoidable errors that could have a severely detrimental impact on your book sales.

So what are the top 5 mistakes people make when self-publishing a book, and what can we all do to avoid them?

1 Designing your book cover

We’ve all read loads of books right? And seen many different books covers? So how hard can designing a book cover really be?

This is the assumption that many novice writers make when self-publishing their work. They don’t consider the different design elements necessary to create a good book cover, or what it will take to get your book noticed. It’s the same when it comes to the layout of your book. There are many features that only a professional would know about, and any attempts to do this oneself will immediately show your book to be unprofessional and therefore probably not a very good read! Don’t put your readers off before they’ve even given you a chance and leave editing and designing the layout of your book to the professionals.

2 A poorly edited read

Hire a professional editor to adjust your manuscript before you publish it. A book full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes screams of amateur, and you’ll quickly see the bad reviews pouring in, and with them, your sales plummeting.

3 A non-existent marketing plan

You need to build a platform from which to sell your book and you need to be willing to put in vast amounts of time and energy into finding potential audiences and marketing your book in every possible way you can think of. If you simply upload your book to Amazon and let it sit there, chances are you’ll see very few sales in return.

4 A bad book description

If your book description is poorly written or just lacks a bit of ‘Va Va Voom’ no one is going to be stirred to buy it. Work hard on your book description and learn what to include to make it sound as compelling as you possibly can.

5 No budget

Self-publishing isn’t entirely free. If you want to do it properly, you need to have a budget for your book design, for editing and marketing. If your primary goal is to make lots of money yet you don’t want to invest any in yourself - you can expect a pretty weak return.

By avoiding these common self-publishing mistakes, you are giving your book the best chance of success. So make sure you don’t fall into these pitfalls, and be prepared to put in the hard work that’s needed to make any self-published book sell.

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

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Book Not Selling? Try This!

One of the most frequently asked questions from authors who have recently published their books is, ‘why isn’t it selling?’

It can be so frustrating, particularly after all the time and effort (and quite possibly money) you’ve put into getting your book to the publishing stage if the sales just don’t start coming in. Many authors believe they are doing everything right and yet start to feel incredibly disheartened when book sales just don’t match their expectations.

There are, however, some common mistakes that many first time authors make that result in reduced book sales. So if you are disappointed with the results, read on and see how you can boost your book sales as well as come to terms with the fact that some factors are simply outside an authors control.

Poor editing

A poorly edited book won’t sell. It’s as simple as that. Make an effort and spend the money to get your book properly edited. It’s the least you can do since you’ve actually finished it - don’t sell yourself short now!

A terrible cover

Don’t design your book cover yourself - have it done professionally. Again this costs money, but it really will make all the difference.

The wrong genre

Where have you listed your book? Think carefully about its genre. Put it in the wrong one, and you’ll disappoint readers who were expecting something different. Too vague and it will get lost, too niche and no one will find it, or your readership will be so small you won’t be doing it justice. Picking the right genre and your book will be seen by the people who want to read it.

Not enough advertising

Many authors just aren’t advertising their books properly. If you’ve put out a couple of Facebook ads, written a blog post and tweeted about it, how many people have you actually reached? For your book to be successful, you need to think about who your audience is, why they would be motivated to buy and then reach out to them in every single way you can think of.

Bad timing

Don’t release your book on the same day as one from a world-famous author that’s been talked about for months. Time your release well and also think about the timing of your book promotions too. Getting this right can make a big difference to how well your book gets noticed.

Incorrect pricing

If you price your book too high no one will buy it. Why would they splash out buying a book from an author they’ve never heard of when they could spend the same or less on one of their dearly loved authors? Too low and readers will be suspicious that your book is no good. Research what other books are selling for in your genre and place yourself somewhere in between that works for you.

No reviews

Amazon and Goodreads reviews count and will make your book seem better quality and more trustworthy. However, endorsements in publications is where the real success lies. Get some bloggers to review your book, get a magazine or newspaper to write about it, and you’ll be reaching so many more people.

By following the above, you should slowly but surely see an increase in your book sales. Of course, you have to be patient, and there are no guarantees, but at least you can feel safe in the knowledge that you gave your book the very best chance of success.

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

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How To Become A Confident Writer

One thing that many writers suffer from is a lack of self-confidence. In fact, even some of the most prolific and celebrated writers have admitted to feeling overwhelmed, uncertain and so full of doubt about their writing abilities that they have thought about giving up altogether.

Thinking you are not good enough, feeling vulnerable and finding it hard to come back from a rejection are all common writer ailments! However, we must be careful not to let these overwhelm us or inhibit us from following our dreams and achieving our goals.

Being a confident writer means that you remain positive, have self-belief and lots of determination - all incredibly helpful to anyone trying to get published or pursue a writing career. A lack of self-confidence, if left unchecked, can have a severe impact on our writing, so it is essential that writers make an effort to improve their confidence and to opt for positivity even when the chips are down.

So how do you become a more confident writer? Follow these useful tips:

Develop consistent writing habits

If you can write every day, or at consistent times throughout the week your writing will turn into a habit. The more ingrained this pattern is in your day to day life the less likely you are to struggle with it. Just like exercise, the more you do it, the easier it will become, and you’ll soon notice if you skip a session you start to miss it. So the sooner you start to flex and work those writing muscles the better!

Make small, achievable goals

Don’t overwhelm yourself with massive goals and deadlines that are far too far in the future to realistically contemplate. Break your writing goals down into, smaller, more manageable aims and make sure you give yourself time to achieve them. Each time you can tick something off that list or reach that milestone, your confidence will improve.

Seek the support of friends and family

Make sure you let your friends and family know how important writing is to you. The people that care about you will be there to support and encourage you, and give your confidence a boost when you need it most.

Start a writing blog

Starting a writing blog will not only help you reach out to potential new readers, but it will also help keep you writing frequently, and just seeing your writing published online will give you a real boost. You could write about anything on your blog, but don’t put pressure on yourself to get a certain amount of followers or comments, just do it for you and see where it takes you.

Join a writing group

Meeting regularly with other writers can be so helpful, not only to keep you motivated to write but also as a kind of group therapy. A sensitive group of writers will help one another with their work, give each other feedback and will also be an excellent source of support through the ups and downs as you progress through your writing journey.

Take breaks

If you start feeling yourself getting overwhelmed or stressed when writing then make sure you stop and walk away from it for a little while. If you are not careful you could end up putting too much pressure on yourself or burning yourself out, so make sure you give yourself a break from time to tome.

Know what inspires you

Reading books, baking a cake, walking in the countryside - whatever it is that inspires you, do more of it!

Become a great editor

Every writer knows that the first draft of any piece of work is unlikely to be their best. That’s why learning how to edit successfully is so important. Learning how to edit is a skill, but the more practice you have, the more proficient you will become and you'll soon see pieces of writing you may have thought were awful, become something to be proud of.

Experiment

Finding your writing voice requires you to experiment. Don’t be afraid to test out different writing styles and forms of writing. One day something will just click, and you’ll know you have found a style of writing that works for you.

Write from the heart

If you are writing your truth and doing so from the heart, you should always feel confident and proud of your writing, no matter how well it does.

Remember that writing can be learnt

It is so important for every writer to understand that writing is a skill and there is always more to learn. Even if you don’t have much faith in your writing skills at the moment, there is so much you can do to get better. So don’t despair but instead just write and learn as much as you can and you'll soon see a massive improvement in your work.

Find publications and competitions that work for you

Aiming to win the Man Booker prize straight off might be a little ambitious. Look for low key publications of small, local competitions to enter your work into, if you see your work in print or win a competition your confidence is sure to soar!

Learn to have acceptance

Not everyone will love your work, in fact, some people will think it is dreadful. Learn to accept this as soon as you can. This is one of the hardest lessons a writer must face. But if you can truly accept that your writing will not be universally adored then you’ll be able to deal with rejection, bad reviews and any other obstacles that come your way, safe in the knowledge that for every critic there is a reader who’ll think your work is fantastic.

By following these tips you will slowly but surely improve your confidence, learn how better to deal with a period of uncertainty and self-doubt and become a better writer in the process too!

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

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Useful Writing Lessons for Beginners

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The Simplest Blog Writing Formula

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10 Books To Help You Become A Better Writer

We all know that reading can really help us learn and grow as writers. While reading fiction, particularly in the genre we have chosen to write in can help give us ideas and inspiration, there is also a lot to be said for reading more practical guides to writing too. There are thousands of books for writers out there which can help give you insight into the industry as well as excellent writing tips and advice.

So what are the top 10 books that can help you become a better writer?

Here are some of our favourites

1. On Writing by Stephen King

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”

On Writing is one of the most revered books for writers, full of words of wisdom from one of the greats!

2. The Writers and Artists Yearbook edited by Alysoun Owen

The Writers and Artist Yearbook is one that every writer should have on their shelves. Packed with practical information and tips as well as advice from published authors, this book is ideal for anyone looking to get published. It is the directory of all publications, publishing houses, agents and so on - so you can find the best people to send your manuscript to all in one place.

3. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

If you want to learn how to edit like a pro this book is for you. It’s fantastically written and is crammed with advice on how to polish that manuscript, so it’s in the very best shape possible - giving you the highest chance of success.

4. Story Genius by Lisa Cron

“Each thing you add to your story is a drop of paint falling into clear water; it spreads through and colors everything.”

Lisa Cron's storytelling methods are well thought out and truly unique. This book will guide writers right from the very beginnings of an idea, through to the finished piece. A must-read for anyone who wants to write a brilliant book.

5. Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin

“Ultimately you write alone. And ultimately you and you alone can judge your work. The judgment that a work is complete — this is what I meant to do, and I stand by it — can come only from the writer, and it can be made rightly only by a writer who’s learned to read her own work. Group criticism is great training for self-criticism. But until quite recently no writer had that training, and yet they learned what they needed. They learned it by doing it.”

This book makes storytelling seem simple. It’s well set out, easy to follow and will help writers of all abilities craft wish narratives and improve their use of language.

6. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use — do the work you want to see done.”

If you are ever suffering from writer's block or have periods where you are feeling short of ideas, this clever book by Austin Kleon will help you find inspiration once more.

7. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

This collection of essays by Ray Bradbury should be on every writer's nightstand and is perfect to browse through when you need a little writing pick me up as Bradbury’s love of writing shines through and can’t help but inspire us all.

8. Writing Fiction for Dummies by Peter Economy and Randall Ingermanson

If you are just starting out, Writing Fiction for Dummies covers all the basics and is a handy guide for novice writers, helping them to understand what makes good fiction writing and to avoid the oh so common traps that many writers fall into.

9. Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain

If you are looking for a no-nonsense, yet highly practical guide into the art of writing and selling books then this insightful book will be right up your street.

10. Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

by Jeff VanderMeer

This rather beautiful book is perfect for writers who want to tap into their creativity and write some imaginative fiction. With drawings, maps and exercises this book is perfect for those who are looking for something a little different.

These ten books are perfect for anyone who loves writing, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro. They will help you become better, give you new perspectives and teach you not to give up.

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

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Top Tips Every Content Writer Should Know

If you are trying to make it as a content writer, you’ll know that often there can be fierce competition for jobs. Whether you are promoting your own work, or working on behalf of a client, getting your content just right is so important.

Content writers need to be able to understand how to write creative, compelling copy every time they produce a new piece. In doing so, they’ll get repeat work, build up an excellent reputation in the industry and are more likely to win those bigger and better jobs.

So what are some great tips for content writers?

Put the most important information first

People have short attention spans and may well merely scan through your article. By putting the most critical information first, you’ll ensure that they get your point and absorb what you are trying to tell them.

Use headings

Headings will help break up your text which makes it easier to read. It will also help scanners to find the pieces of information they are most interested in. It will help to keep your text clear, concise and to the point too.

Make lists

Making lists and bullet points are a great way to feed information to people quickly and easily. Instead of having vast walls of texts, delivering a series of short, sharp points can be much more effective.

Your title must be persuasive (and truthful)

Your title is what potential readers first notice, so make it attention-grabbing. However, you also need to be truthful. Don’t write a headline that you know people will click on, only to have the content underneath that doesn't live up to its promise. If you do this, your audience will feel cheated and angry and won’t make the same mistake twice.

Understand your audience

When writing good content, the most important consideration is your target audience. Who are they? What do they want? What problems do they have that you can solve? Considering your reader throughout your piece is imperative.

Write simply

While it’s fun and often beneficial to be intelligent, witty and creative, if you overdo it you could find that you are isolating a significant demographic of readers. Again this is all down to knowing your readership. If your article is informative than make it so, -don’t try to be too smart, just deliver the information simply and clearly. If your article is for entertainment purposes, you may have more creative freedom to try to make it humorous or unique.

Use visuals to help you

Using great visuals to help emphasise your points and draw attention can make your content look fresher, more professional and exciting, so consider adding some sharp and relevant images to your content.

Know your purpose

Above all, you should always write with purpose. Before you even begin you should have a clear idea of what you are hoping to achieve with your work and keep that in mind throughout, making sure you are guiding your audience to where you want them to be and getting them to act in the way you want them to act by the time they have finished reading.

So next time you are writing a piece of copy, whatever the job or project, take into consideration the above and you’ll be sure to see an improvement and a more profound sense of satisfaction in the work you produce.

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

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