Beth Martin's Blog, page 17
November 12, 2017
The Gorilla
Where does an 800lb gorilla sit?
Wherever the fuck he wants.
I try to be pretty upbeat in these posts, but I just can’t do it today. I’ve read quite a few articles recently (one, two, three, and four) about Amazon stripping page reads or royalties or flat out terminating accounts from authors who’ve had a spike in sales. The idea is that the author has hired some sort of click farm
Wherever the fuck he wants.
I try to be pretty upbeat in these posts, but I just can’t do it today. I’ve read quite a few articles recently (one, two, three, and four) about Amazon stripping page reads or royalties or flat out terminating accounts from authors who’ve had a spike in sales. The idea is that the author has hired some sort of click farm
November 5, 2017
Do What You Love
NaNoWriMo has been going really well so far! I’m already 16,337 words into my new novel and am absolutely loving it. This story-line has really recaptured the initial exhilaration and love of writing which fueled me through the first draft of The End of Refuge.
However, I have a confession to make. I’ve never won NaNo before. The past two times that I participated, I kept up with the daily
However, I have a confession to make. I’ve never won NaNo before. The past two times that I participated, I kept up with the daily
October 31, 2017
Introducing My 2017 NaNoWriMo Novel
It’s November 1st, which means that NaNoWriMo has officially begun! To celebrate, I wanted to share the novel I’m working on this year.
The Other Humans
A sci-fi dystopian novel by Beth Martin
Synapsis
In the future, there are only two things worth owning: land and robots. Leona's family has both—Rommel’s has neither.
The disparity between the rich and poor is essentially the difference
The Other Humans
A sci-fi dystopian novel by Beth Martin
Synapsis
In the future, there are only two things worth owning: land and robots. Leona's family has both—Rommel’s has neither.
The disparity between the rich and poor is essentially the difference
October 29, 2017
All Hallows Write Tag featuring Quality DNA
Happy Halloween, everyone! Halloween is no longer the crazy party day it was in my early twenties, although I am totally happy staying at home, handing out candy, and squee-ing over all the cute kid costumes as my husband takes out our two munchkins—both dressed as Batman—trick-or-treating.There’s a fun Halloween book tag going around called “All Hallows Write Tag.” Since I’ve just finished
October 22, 2017
The Pantser Guide to Plantober
November is the national month of writing novels. Starting on November 1st, writers all over the globe start fresh on a new manuscript with the plans of finishing a first draft by the end of November 30th. And by finishing, I mean hitting the 50,000-word mark.
I’m all for setting yourself up for success, and part of that for a lot of writers means planning out their NaNoWriMo novel before
I’m all for setting yourself up for success, and part of that for a lot of writers means planning out their NaNoWriMo novel before
October 15, 2017
How to Write a Book Review (featuring Dracula)
Writing a review for a book is quite possibly the biggest thing readers can do to help their favorite authors. However, reviews like:
★★★★★
THIS BOOK WAS AMAXING!!!1!
and
★☆☆☆☆
Don't waste your time. This book was trash.
don't really help anyone. In fact, most people ignore these reviews, relying only on the ones with some real meat to them. Ready to write better reviews? Then keep reading
★★★★★
THIS BOOK WAS AMAXING!!!1!
and
★☆☆☆☆
Don't waste your time. This book was trash.
don't really help anyone. In fact, most people ignore these reviews, relying only on the ones with some real meat to them. Ready to write better reviews? Then keep reading
October 9, 2017
Today is Release Day for Quality DNA
After completing The End of Refuge, I was hooked on writing and couldn't stop. I was perusing r/WritingPrompts one day and found a post which inspired my next project.
In the not too distant future, every person born has their DNA added to a global database. Nine months after a one night stand, your child is born—and the father's DNA doesn't match anything on file.
I loved the idea of a ‘
In the not too distant future, every person born has their DNA added to a global database. Nine months after a one night stand, your child is born—and the father's DNA doesn't match anything on file.
I loved the idea of a ‘
October 1, 2017
What Every Writer Should Do Before Self-Publishing
When it comes to publishing, writing the book is the easy part. I'm not trivializing the work involved in writing a book—it's hard—but once you're ready to unleash your manuscript into the world, there are a number of things you can do to ensure success.
I recently came across a story of an aspiring author who jumped too quickly into self-publishing her novel and marveled at the train wreck
I recently came across a story of an aspiring author who jumped too quickly into self-publishing her novel and marveled at the train wreck
September 25, 2017
How to: Book Cover Coloring Pages
Okay, here's my totally awesome new marketing idea:
Coloring pages.
Yes, I'm a child at heart. I've drooled over all of the beautiful adult coloring books at the bookstore, but have avoided buying them because I just don't have the time (that's not entirely true—I made an exception for a signed copy of The Oatmeals's 404 Not Found).
Since I write gritty science fiction, there probably isn't
Coloring pages.
Yes, I'm a child at heart. I've drooled over all of the beautiful adult coloring books at the bookstore, but have avoided buying them because I just don't have the time (that's not entirely true—I made an exception for a signed copy of The Oatmeals's 404 Not Found).
Since I write gritty science fiction, there probably isn't
September 17, 2017
Dystopian with Strong Female Lead: Tropes I Despise
After deciding to self-publish my first novel, I decided to 'scope out the competition.' Basically, I read a bunch of books. I focused on dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels with young women as the protagonist because that's what my novel is.
There are a few tropes that work well and some that really ruin the reading experience. I thought I'd share the ones that bug me the most and really just
There are a few tropes that work well and some that really ruin the reading experience. I thought I'd share the ones that bug me the most and really just
