Emily Goodwin's Blog, page 8
May 12, 2012
DC Update
I've been working hard on edits. Ugh. I hate editing! It's not much fun...I'd rather write book #3 :) Anyway, I was able to cut out about 2,000 words-not as many as I'd hoped I could cut out. It's hard for me to take stuff out because (of course) I think everything I write is important lol. There is a lot of action in this book but there is a lot of conversation and downtime as well.
Anyway, I would love to give out ARC copies for review. Comment below if you are interested! The deal is that you have to get the book read by June (DC will be available June 1st) and post a review on either B&N, goodreads.com or (and preferably) amazon.com. I don't really understand why, but the more reviews the more some people are willing to buy your book.
Personally, unless a book has numerous scathing reviews, what other people thought about it doesn't impact my decision to buy and read it or not. I could go off on a whole other post (again) about what I think about that. But I won't. ;)
Anyway, I would love to give out ARC copies for review. Comment below if you are interested! The deal is that you have to get the book read by June (DC will be available June 1st) and post a review on either B&N, goodreads.com or (and preferably) amazon.com. I don't really understand why, but the more reviews the more some people are willing to buy your book.
Personally, unless a book has numerous scathing reviews, what other people thought about it doesn't impact my decision to buy and read it or not. I could go off on a whole other post (again) about what I think about that. But I won't. ;)
May 7, 2012
Advice for new authors
I've done several interviews for blogs and one question always asked is some like 'if you could give one piece of advice to new authors, what would it be?' My usual answer is to not give up and follow through with writing b/c I think many people get easily discouraged.
While I agree with that to be very true, I feel it is kind of vague. I've been thinking about this lately (don't ask me why lol) and I came up with some more concrete advice. I feel like I should put in a disclaimer here that reminds you I'm still a new author and that this is all coming from my own personal opinion.
My advice is about reviews. First I'd like to remind you of what a review is. A review is written by the customer (for a book, it is your reader). The point of a customer review is to give the customer a place to voice what they thought of the product. In this case the product is your book. The point of all that is to let other customers read those reviews and hopefully be helpful.
When I am ordering clothes or shoes offline, I find it very helpful when other customers note that the shoes run a size small or the clothing runs large. Stuff like help influences what size I'm going to order. I also find it helpful when people list what they did and didn't like about a product. Personally, the 'I didn't like it' reviews are not helpful to me.
But, back to your books and its reviews. You will get good reviews and you will get bad reviews. I have seen many people say that books with only 4 and 5 star reviews look fishy and I totally agree. There is not one single product/book/invention/food/whatever that will please everyone! Remember that!!! You cannot please everyone in life. You could write an award winning book that is on the NY Times bestseller list for weeks and you will still have people who do not like it. Take Twilight for example. Super popular, super well-liked but some. Absolutely hated by others. Why? Because people have different opinions. So, when you get your bad reviews (b/c it is bound to happen) be happy you got another review under your belt and move on.
Now, what really irks me (and my main piece of advice) is authors who respond to these bad reviews (mostly on amazon). Again, IMHO, it is in very bad taste to try and argue via an amazon page on why the person who gave you a one star rating is wrong.
Opinions are subjective and cannot deemed wrong. I think donuts are gross. Thousands disagree with me. Does that make my opinion of donuts wrong? No. It just makes it mine. So someone leaves a review saying that they didn't like your book b/c your characters were boring/dull/flat/unlikeable/mean/stupid/whatever. And let's say 90% of the other reviewers stated how much they loved your characters. Does that make the person leaving a bad review wrong?
Not at all. It means they interpreted the story differently. That is one of the best things about books! Every reader can interpret it how they want. Characters can remind you of people from your life (which, in turn can reflect on the overall enjoy-ability of the book. And yes I just made up that word ;) ) You can put yourself in the main characters shoes and imagine their world to look like yours or look like something entirely different.
Maybe this is super lame of me, but I don't even like saying 'bad review'. I'd rather call it negative b/c to me, no review can be entirely bad. On amazon, for example, the more reviews you have-regardless if they are 1 star or 5 star- the more 'important' amazon sees your book. Supposedly, once you hit 50 reviews your book gets some free advertising from amazon. I've only heard that from other authors so I don't know if it's true or not...I hope it is! (48 reviews for Contagious so far! Woo-hoo!)
Anyway, do not respond to the negative review! If you want to read it, fine, but take it with a grain of salt and remember it is just one person's opinion. It is not the be all end all to your writing career. And, please remember, that the reviews are not meant for the author. They are not suppose to be tidbits of advice. They are written for the customer, whose decision to read or not read the book might be influenced by what others thought.
I feel like this post is all over the place. It was something that was kind of bothering me and I do think it will be helpful. So, in conclusion...
You will get a bad review. Deal with it and move on. If you don't want to be criticized, do not offer something to the public.Reviews are for other readers, not for the author. If you want constructive criticism, find some beta readers or, better yet, hire an editor. Do not under any circumstances reply to a negative review! It is so unprofessional!! And, you are arguing with a complete stranger on the internet...don't waste your time. Go write your second book instead!Be grateful you got a review. The more reviews you have, the more 'legit' your book looks.If you're going to get upset over negative reviews DO NOT read the reviews. Pretty simple, right? (Oh, but it's sooo tempting! lol)I hope that doesn't sound too mean. Just remember that there are people out there who think it is their duty to 'warn the public' about something they didn't like. Seriously just move on. Read the good reviews you've gotten if it bothers you that much. Yes, I completely understand the time, devotion, and emotion put into writing a book and no one likes their work insulted.
Be prepared for it to happen, b/c it will.
Enjoy writing, write from your heart, and write what you want to write. For every person who didn't like your book, there is one (or more!) person who did like it. You live and learn and improve and grow every day. Do not let the negativity get you down! :)
While I agree with that to be very true, I feel it is kind of vague. I've been thinking about this lately (don't ask me why lol) and I came up with some more concrete advice. I feel like I should put in a disclaimer here that reminds you I'm still a new author and that this is all coming from my own personal opinion.
My advice is about reviews. First I'd like to remind you of what a review is. A review is written by the customer (for a book, it is your reader). The point of a customer review is to give the customer a place to voice what they thought of the product. In this case the product is your book. The point of all that is to let other customers read those reviews and hopefully be helpful.
When I am ordering clothes or shoes offline, I find it very helpful when other customers note that the shoes run a size small or the clothing runs large. Stuff like help influences what size I'm going to order. I also find it helpful when people list what they did and didn't like about a product. Personally, the 'I didn't like it' reviews are not helpful to me.
But, back to your books and its reviews. You will get good reviews and you will get bad reviews. I have seen many people say that books with only 4 and 5 star reviews look fishy and I totally agree. There is not one single product/book/invention/food/whatever that will please everyone! Remember that!!! You cannot please everyone in life. You could write an award winning book that is on the NY Times bestseller list for weeks and you will still have people who do not like it. Take Twilight for example. Super popular, super well-liked but some. Absolutely hated by others. Why? Because people have different opinions. So, when you get your bad reviews (b/c it is bound to happen) be happy you got another review under your belt and move on.
Now, what really irks me (and my main piece of advice) is authors who respond to these bad reviews (mostly on amazon). Again, IMHO, it is in very bad taste to try and argue via an amazon page on why the person who gave you a one star rating is wrong.
Opinions are subjective and cannot deemed wrong. I think donuts are gross. Thousands disagree with me. Does that make my opinion of donuts wrong? No. It just makes it mine. So someone leaves a review saying that they didn't like your book b/c your characters were boring/dull/flat/unlikeable/mean/stupid/whatever. And let's say 90% of the other reviewers stated how much they loved your characters. Does that make the person leaving a bad review wrong?
Not at all. It means they interpreted the story differently. That is one of the best things about books! Every reader can interpret it how they want. Characters can remind you of people from your life (which, in turn can reflect on the overall enjoy-ability of the book. And yes I just made up that word ;) ) You can put yourself in the main characters shoes and imagine their world to look like yours or look like something entirely different.
Maybe this is super lame of me, but I don't even like saying 'bad review'. I'd rather call it negative b/c to me, no review can be entirely bad. On amazon, for example, the more reviews you have-regardless if they are 1 star or 5 star- the more 'important' amazon sees your book. Supposedly, once you hit 50 reviews your book gets some free advertising from amazon. I've only heard that from other authors so I don't know if it's true or not...I hope it is! (48 reviews for Contagious so far! Woo-hoo!)
Anyway, do not respond to the negative review! If you want to read it, fine, but take it with a grain of salt and remember it is just one person's opinion. It is not the be all end all to your writing career. And, please remember, that the reviews are not meant for the author. They are not suppose to be tidbits of advice. They are written for the customer, whose decision to read or not read the book might be influenced by what others thought.
I feel like this post is all over the place. It was something that was kind of bothering me and I do think it will be helpful. So, in conclusion...
You will get a bad review. Deal with it and move on. If you don't want to be criticized, do not offer something to the public.Reviews are for other readers, not for the author. If you want constructive criticism, find some beta readers or, better yet, hire an editor. Do not under any circumstances reply to a negative review! It is so unprofessional!! And, you are arguing with a complete stranger on the internet...don't waste your time. Go write your second book instead!Be grateful you got a review. The more reviews you have, the more 'legit' your book looks.If you're going to get upset over negative reviews DO NOT read the reviews. Pretty simple, right? (Oh, but it's sooo tempting! lol)I hope that doesn't sound too mean. Just remember that there are people out there who think it is their duty to 'warn the public' about something they didn't like. Seriously just move on. Read the good reviews you've gotten if it bothers you that much. Yes, I completely understand the time, devotion, and emotion put into writing a book and no one likes their work insulted.
Be prepared for it to happen, b/c it will.
Enjoy writing, write from your heart, and write what you want to write. For every person who didn't like your book, there is one (or more!) person who did like it. You live and learn and improve and grow every day. Do not let the negativity get you down! :)
May 5, 2012
My animals
I was bored the other day so I made a collage of all my animals. :) One of them isn't really mine...can you guess which one? It is my dream to own one of these guys some day!
YA-aholic's review of Beyond the Sea
If you guys haven't checked on Haley's blog, YA-Aholic, I suggest you do! She is an awesome reviewer and on overall super nice person! I am so happy that she agreed to do a review of Beyond the Sea for me.
Here is the link, in case you want to check it out. And if you don't follow Haley's blog already, you should! Along with reviews, she posts cover reveals and does a lot of cool giveaways!
Here is the link, in case you want to check it out. And if you don't follow Haley's blog already, you should! Along with reviews, she posts cover reveals and does a lot of cool giveaways!
May 4, 2012
Beta Reader Update
I am absolutely blown away by the number of people who have emailed me about wanting to be a beta reader. It is such a compliment that you guys like my work :) I want you all to know how grateful I am!! But, unfortunately, I cannot give beta copies to everyone. So, I will randomly select a few people for the 'first round' of betas and then randomly select more to go over the changed/improved product.
And remember: I still need ARC reviewers of the finished product!
Thank you so much for your support. I know you can't tell my tone from my typed words but I am really grateful and ecstatic about this. This is really becoming a dream come true!!! :D
(If you're still interested but haven't emailed me yet...it's not too late. I won't pick the 2nd set of betas until I get the changes done from the 1st round)
***I really want to emphasize how random the random selection is: I'm making my husband pick the names. I HATE having to single people out even when it's a good thing. I feel bad that I cannot send a free copy to everyone lol***
And remember: I still need ARC reviewers of the finished product!
Thank you so much for your support. I know you can't tell my tone from my typed words but I am really grateful and ecstatic about this. This is really becoming a dream come true!!! :D
(If you're still interested but haven't emailed me yet...it's not too late. I won't pick the 2nd set of betas until I get the changes done from the 1st round)
***I really want to emphasize how random the random selection is: I'm making my husband pick the names. I HATE having to single people out even when it's a good thing. I feel bad that I cannot send a free copy to everyone lol***
May 3, 2012
DC Beta Readers!
Finally, it's time! :) I've gone through and done my own edits; the grammar police are still reviewing the MS. So, like I said in my previous post, I would like several people to be 'content' beta readers who will look for any holes, point out anything they think is stupid/lame/boring, and give their general opinion of the book.
Rules for being a beta reader:
~You read the first book; there is no way you can understand what is going on in DC or know the characters if you haven't read Contagious.
~You agree to treat me and the MS with respect-no sending it out to friends and no spoilers.
~You are able to commit the time to pick it apart. If you want a copy before it's released but don't have the time to put to being a beta, don't worry. I want several people to review ARC's.
~You can get through it in a timely manor. I want to hear everyone's opinion, but if I'm waiting forever it will delay the release of the book. I'm still hoping to have this pretty much done by the beginning of June.
If you want to be a beta reader, email me at emilykgoodwin@hotmail.com and write 'DC beta reader' in the subject line.
*Also, this book (like the first) is very graphic and violent. I will say that there are more 'adult only' scenes, if you know what I mean. Some sensitive subjects are brought up and there is a lot of mature content.*
Rules for being a beta reader:
~You read the first book; there is no way you can understand what is going on in DC or know the characters if you haven't read Contagious.
~You agree to treat me and the MS with respect-no sending it out to friends and no spoilers.
~You are able to commit the time to pick it apart. If you want a copy before it's released but don't have the time to put to being a beta, don't worry. I want several people to review ARC's.
~You can get through it in a timely manor. I want to hear everyone's opinion, but if I'm waiting forever it will delay the release of the book. I'm still hoping to have this pretty much done by the beginning of June.
If you want to be a beta reader, email me at emilykgoodwin@hotmail.com and write 'DC beta reader' in the subject line.
*Also, this book (like the first) is very graphic and violent. I will say that there are more 'adult only' scenes, if you know what I mean. Some sensitive subjects are brought up and there is a lot of mature content.*
May 1, 2012
What's in a name?
Many of my characters were named very carefully. A lot of characters are named after people (friends and family members, for example, who want to 'be in' my stories). Other names are given after much research and are based more on the meaning of the name, rather than the name itself. I though you might find it interesting to see the 'secret' meanings of some of the names.
In the Contagium Trilogy:*There are siblings Jason and Sonja. Both names use the same letters. *Heart of gold Dr. Padraic's name fittingly means 'noble'. *Zoe means 'life'*Raeya (actually spelled Raya) means 'friend'
* Dr. Cara is named after a friend
*I named Hayden Hayden because I wanted something sorta 'modern' and different. His middle name-James-is named after my dear friend Megan's son.
*There are characters named after my sisters and my niece as well
*Orissa's middle name is my BFF's middle name
In Beyond the Sea
*Peter means rock or stone (sinks in water...it is mentioned in the book and makes sense)
*Melia, Nyneve, and Nerina are names from mythology
*Ever single water 'creature' in this book name has a meaning. It will be a post of its own to write them all...I might do that another time.
In The Guardian Legacies
*Anora means light
*Ethan means strong
*Laney is named after a friend
*Estelle means star
*Rene is named after a friend
That is a very short list of the important character names. I pay more attention to the meaning of names in my fantasy books, I'm not sure why but I do lol. You might be able to figure out a bit about a new character just by researching their name. :)
In the Contagium Trilogy:*There are siblings Jason and Sonja. Both names use the same letters. *Heart of gold Dr. Padraic's name fittingly means 'noble'. *Zoe means 'life'*Raeya (actually spelled Raya) means 'friend'
* Dr. Cara is named after a friend
*I named Hayden Hayden because I wanted something sorta 'modern' and different. His middle name-James-is named after my dear friend Megan's son.
*There are characters named after my sisters and my niece as well
*Orissa's middle name is my BFF's middle name
In Beyond the Sea
*Peter means rock or stone (sinks in water...it is mentioned in the book and makes sense)
*Melia, Nyneve, and Nerina are names from mythology
*Ever single water 'creature' in this book name has a meaning. It will be a post of its own to write them all...I might do that another time.
In The Guardian Legacies
*Anora means light
*Ethan means strong
*Laney is named after a friend
*Estelle means star
*Rene is named after a friend
That is a very short list of the important character names. I pay more attention to the meaning of names in my fantasy books, I'm not sure why but I do lol. You might be able to figure out a bit about a new character just by researching their name. :)
April 29, 2012
DC is done!!
At 1 AM, I typed the last word in Deathly Contagious. I have to say that I think the ending is awesome. :) Of course I would say that, right? A lot happens in the book. Lots of action, more romance, new characters, new problems, and of course lots of zombies. The plot gets thicker and zombies aren't the only thing Orissa has to worry about. She continues to grow and evolve as a person and has to learn how to live with losses, death, and fear.
Now, for the exciting stuff. I will need beta readers and ARC reviewers. If you're interested, then listen up! :)
Content Beta Readers
I would like to have five people read through and give me their feedback on the content of the book. This includes the plot, any holes you can find, character personalities, descriptions, point out anything you think is stupid or boring.
Grammar Beta Reader
I need five people who are good at proof reading to read through DC after I get it back from the editor to make sure all mistakes were caught.
ARC Reviewers
I'd like at least five people to be able to write ARC reviews. You will get the finished book several weeks before its publication date with the understanding that you will read it and leave a review on amazon and/or goodreads before or on DC's release date. That way there are honest reviews up for people to see as soon as the book is available.
Before I can have any betas, I need to finish going through the book myself and make some changes and add a few more details that I thought of at the end. I have finals this week so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to get done. I'm gonna get started right away. By the end of next week, I will be ready for the content betas. :) I'm excited. I hope you guys like this book!!
April 25, 2012
Death Becomes Us
I've killed a lot of people recently. Some died quick, others unfortunately had to suffer. Most died unmercifully, a few died for a cause, and even fewer had just or fair deaths. It was hard killing most of these people and I kept changing my mind, thinking I couldn't go through with it. But I had to.
Of course, I'm talking fictionally. If you've read Contagious, then you know no character is safe and I off quite a few of the main characters. Alas, such is the life in the ZA. No one is safe, especially if you go out on a mission or fight against the zombies. Every minute is literally life or death and one false move can cost you your head.
For reasons most unfortunately more realistic than the books, death seems to be lurking. I've been around death and dying a lot lately, and it got me thinking about life, living, and the purpose of it all. I've been stuck in a funny mood, unable to move on or get my head focused on anything else.
Life is short. We've heard that little (yet powerful) saying many, many times. When I think back on my childhood years, life doesn't seem short. But when I think about how fast this past year has gone, it scare me by how quickly time can slip between my fingers. There is so much I want to do with my life and not only before I die. I have a list of stuff I'd like to accomplish before graduating nursing school, before having children, before the summer, by the end of the night.
I get myself so overwhelmed just thinking about everything I have/want to do. And then I usually don't do half the shit I want to do b/c I'm too overwhelmed. Totally counterproductive, I know. I started making lists, trying to prioritize what needs to get done first.
Being in school, working, writing, having horses, ferrets, my dog, my friends, and being a wife takes up a lot of time. Like right now, I'm already ready for bed. I REALLY wanted to finish DC tonight. (A little side note...I don't like to write when I'm really tired. It usually turns into complete crap and I rewrite it.) I'm always wishing for another hour to be added to the day so I can have more time to get my shit together. I always look forward to the weekend so I can have that day off to sleep in, be lazy, and write.
I want the week to end so I can get to Saturday.
And I need to stop. I need to stop rushing. I need to sit back and enjoy every minute of every day. I know I won't be happy every minute of every day, but I want to remember that I am alive. Which brings me to my purpose of life debate that causes much inner turmoil and late night philosophical conversations with my friends.
Why are we here?
We have to have a reason other than to get married and have babies, right? To me, the purpose of a human life has to be more than just reproducing. That is so...animalistic and basic. This will be a question that I will never be able to answer or ever feel satisfied with. I like to think we are here to make a difference: and that difference can be good or bad.
Obviously, we should make a good difference. But life is about balance: light and dark, good and evil. If there was no evil, no crime, no sickness, then the world would be a perfect place, right? How can you improve Utopia? You can't. So you really wouldn't be able to make a difference. Would that make you not have a purpose? Would your purpose be something simple like growing crops? Simple, yet needed.
I feel my rational goes in circles. What is it about humans that makes us want to know this crap? Why do I even care? Why do I feel this hallow, pulling drive to be the best I can be and fulfill my purpose? I have no idea. All I know is without this pull, without this desire, I wouldn't be the person I am today.
I'm totally going to assume other people feel this way. Hopefully, lol. So, I try to live my life to the fullest each day. And that doesn't mean I do something grand and amazing; I just appreciate what I was able to do today, even if it was sit on my ass, eat Swedish Fish and type on this blog. Life can be gone so quickly.
Be grateful for your health.
Be thankful for the people you have in your life.
Smile.
Laugh.
Be happy for others.
Let go of grudges.
Do something nice for yourself.
Do something nice for someone else.
Appreciate that you were able to get up this morning.
"Live like you are dying."
Of course, I'm talking fictionally. If you've read Contagious, then you know no character is safe and I off quite a few of the main characters. Alas, such is the life in the ZA. No one is safe, especially if you go out on a mission or fight against the zombies. Every minute is literally life or death and one false move can cost you your head.
For reasons most unfortunately more realistic than the books, death seems to be lurking. I've been around death and dying a lot lately, and it got me thinking about life, living, and the purpose of it all. I've been stuck in a funny mood, unable to move on or get my head focused on anything else.
Life is short. We've heard that little (yet powerful) saying many, many times. When I think back on my childhood years, life doesn't seem short. But when I think about how fast this past year has gone, it scare me by how quickly time can slip between my fingers. There is so much I want to do with my life and not only before I die. I have a list of stuff I'd like to accomplish before graduating nursing school, before having children, before the summer, by the end of the night.
I get myself so overwhelmed just thinking about everything I have/want to do. And then I usually don't do half the shit I want to do b/c I'm too overwhelmed. Totally counterproductive, I know. I started making lists, trying to prioritize what needs to get done first.
Being in school, working, writing, having horses, ferrets, my dog, my friends, and being a wife takes up a lot of time. Like right now, I'm already ready for bed. I REALLY wanted to finish DC tonight. (A little side note...I don't like to write when I'm really tired. It usually turns into complete crap and I rewrite it.) I'm always wishing for another hour to be added to the day so I can have more time to get my shit together. I always look forward to the weekend so I can have that day off to sleep in, be lazy, and write.
I want the week to end so I can get to Saturday.
And I need to stop. I need to stop rushing. I need to sit back and enjoy every minute of every day. I know I won't be happy every minute of every day, but I want to remember that I am alive. Which brings me to my purpose of life debate that causes much inner turmoil and late night philosophical conversations with my friends.
Why are we here?
We have to have a reason other than to get married and have babies, right? To me, the purpose of a human life has to be more than just reproducing. That is so...animalistic and basic. This will be a question that I will never be able to answer or ever feel satisfied with. I like to think we are here to make a difference: and that difference can be good or bad.
Obviously, we should make a good difference. But life is about balance: light and dark, good and evil. If there was no evil, no crime, no sickness, then the world would be a perfect place, right? How can you improve Utopia? You can't. So you really wouldn't be able to make a difference. Would that make you not have a purpose? Would your purpose be something simple like growing crops? Simple, yet needed.
I feel my rational goes in circles. What is it about humans that makes us want to know this crap? Why do I even care? Why do I feel this hallow, pulling drive to be the best I can be and fulfill my purpose? I have no idea. All I know is without this pull, without this desire, I wouldn't be the person I am today.
I'm totally going to assume other people feel this way. Hopefully, lol. So, I try to live my life to the fullest each day. And that doesn't mean I do something grand and amazing; I just appreciate what I was able to do today, even if it was sit on my ass, eat Swedish Fish and type on this blog. Life can be gone so quickly.
Be grateful for your health.
Be thankful for the people you have in your life.
Smile.
Laugh.
Be happy for others.
Let go of grudges.
Do something nice for yourself.
Do something nice for someone else.
Appreciate that you were able to get up this morning.
"Live like you are dying."
