Joylene Nowell Butler's Blog, page 24

IWSG: Believe

Our very first Insecure Writer's Support Group post for 2013 -- thanks to Ninja Captain and IWSG creator Alex J. Cavanaugh! If you'd like to join, sign up at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/...

On the first Wednesday of every month, you can share, encourage, or express your insecurities among like-minded insecure writers.

Having said that, I know how difficult sharing your insecurities can be. It's something that's never been easy for me.

By showing my insecurities I worry that I admit defeat and allow the world to see just what a scared kid I am.

Even now as I type, I'm not convinced I can ever be specific. My insecurities frighten me. Not to mention that experience has taught me that while honesty is fine, it can also come back to bite you in the butt.

My insecurity leaves me feeling lonely,

cold,

isolated.

Right about now you may be thinking What do you have to feel insecure about, Joylene? At least you've been published. Your dream came true.

True.

Laura and Nancy, the catalysts for my publishing career

Self-doubt is part of who I am as a writer. I'm full of insecurities.

But guess what? Even Hemingway had his low days, as did Shakespeare and Dickens.

Still that doesn't get you through those dark days when you wonder if it'll ever happen: an actual contract.

If you look closely in the photograph above, you'll see the word Believe.

During my darkest moments, and I've had plenty, I never stopped believing. I could no sooner quit writing than I could quit breathing.

Sound familiar?

If you published during 2012, you may have already figured out that being published won't solved your problems. Instead of worrying whether you're a writer, you're now faced with a greater fear: Will novels two, three, or four be well received?

The thing about insecurities is there is no assurances. While I do believe if your desire to be published is strong enough, it'll happen. But whether you're successful, that I don't know.

But I do know this:

- Stay hungry.

- Never stop believing.

- Ride those dark moments because -- they'll pass.

At least until the next low point.

ps. Best wishes to you in 2013. May all your dreams come true. And may your insecurities drive you.

ASK PZM Oct 2012 reviews

My guest , marketing expert Phyllis Zimbler Miller has been answering marketing questions on my blog under the heading ASK PZM (5th day of every month) since January 2010. Thanks, Phyllis! If you have a question you need answered, please submit it before the 30th of each month and I'll make sure she gets it in time. If you'd like to read all Phyllis' Q&A's, type ASK PZM in the search window on the right just below the eBook cover of Dead Witness.

* * *

Q: Could you discuss the importance of reviews as well as what to do about negative reviews?


Let’s start with the importance of reviews.

Are they important? Heck, yes!

But, as I have discovered 4 ½ years after the publication of my first novel, MRS. LIEUTENANT, all reviews are not created equal.

Today, October 2012, I would recommend that an author selling her books on Amazon (and if you aren’t on Amazon, are you even a serious author?) focus on getting reviews on Amazon for her book.

Why is getting reviews on Amazon so important compared to other review sites?

For the last few months I have been tracking the rankings of my books on Amazon. And while the Amazon search algorithms (complex mathematical formulas) are secret, I can say with confidence that both the number of reviews and the number of purchases of your book affect your book’s ranking on Amazon.

What does this mean in actual terms?

In general, the more good reviews and the more purchases a book has, the better ranking Amazon gives that book. And the better the ranking, the more often Amazon apparently recommends that book to prospective buyers in a specific category.

Now the most reviews does not mean you get the best ranking. The Amazon categories in which your books are placed have a lot to do with the ranking.

Okay, the above explanation may have confused authors, including myself.

Let’s take an example:

The thriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS that I wrote with my husband is NOT my best reviewed book on Amazon. (MRS. LIEUTENANT has approximately twice as many reviews and a higher average.) But MOLLIE SANDERS sells more ebooks.

I believe this is because MOLLIE SANDERS fits into a much more specific category – sea adventures – than does a “general” novel like MRS. LIEUTENANT. (I talk about Amazon book categories in my ebook TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK.)

By checking my KDP reports frequently (kdp.amazon.com), I see the correlation between an ebook purchase and the book’s improved ranking. And by checking for new reviews on the ebook’s Amazon sales page, I see the correlation between another review and the book’s improved ranking.

(Improved rankings are temporary. I have noticed that, if a book goes without new purchases, the ranking worsens. Also note that improved rankings are actually smaller numbers – 20,000 is better than 200,000.)

Attached is a screenshot of MOLLIE SANDERS ranking taken at 9:18 a.m. Pacific on October 4th. As this ranking could change in the next moment, it is only here for illustrative purposes. (To find this ranking for your own book, scroll down your book’s Amazon sales page until you get to the bottom of PRODUCT DETAILS.)

Now the goal of a book author is to sell her books, right? Amazon reviews help you sell books in a very specific way, and this is why I am currently focusing on Amazon reviews.

How to get reviews:

First, do NOT pay for reviews. When I started out 4 ½ years ago and knew no one, I admit I paid for a couple of reviews from companies advertising this service.

And 4 ½ years ago that was okay. Now it is NOT okay. Amazon really, really frowns on paid reviews in most cases.

Caution: Although I give people free copies of my books for review purposes, Amazon “rewards” reviews from people who have purchased the book on Amazon. This is the “Amazon Verified Purchase” you see next to some reviews, and I strongly suspect this also figures into the search algorithms.

Second, you can ask for reviews. You can ask via Facebook, Twitter, wherever you have connections online. And please do NOT ask for a five-star review. Ask people to write a review if they like the book.

(Many reviewers who read a book that they do not like do not write a negative review. They write no review – and sometimes contact the author privately with suggestions.)

Asking for reviews includes looking for books on Amazon similar to yours and checking out the people who reviewed these books. Click on the names of the reviewers who interest you. Often their Amazon public profile will include contact information if they are open to reviewing other books. Then you can contact them with a politely worded request to review your book.

What to do if you get a negative review:

Nothing.

That’s right – nothing.

While Amazon allows comments on reviews, you do NOT want to comment on a negative review as you may only be opening a very nasty can of worms.

If there is useful information in the negative review, do keep it in mind. But if it is simply someone being mean, ignore it. Other people reading the review can probably also figure out that the reviewer is just being mean.

Now if the language in the negative review is so offensive that you would be embarrassed for people to read this review, you can report it to Amazon. I did this once for an Amazon U.K. review of MOLLIE SANDERS because the review was so offensive I didn’t want other people to read it and be upset. And, yes, Amazon removed the review, although this outcome is not assured.

Although I strongly encourage you NOT to respond to negative reviews on Amazon, you can respond to positive reviews when appropriate, including people you do not know and whose Amazon username you may not even recognize. (The COMMENT button is located next to each review.) In conclusion, yes, reviews are important, and if you believe in your books, it is worth spending your time to seek out reviewers who post on Amazon.

Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of fiction and nonfiction books/ebooks. A new nonfiction ebook of hers is TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK and her newest fiction ebook is the thriller CIA FALL GUY.

Click here to visit her Amazon author page at amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller

She also has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the online marketing company www.MillerMosaicLLC.com

OCTOBER PEACE

It's the first Wednesday of October and yes--that means it's time for Alex J. Cavanaugh's INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP.

We're all about sharing and supporting each other. Click on the link above to join.

For a long time, October have felt both beautiful and heart-rending. For many years, I've tried to shake the doom and gloom associated with this month. I lost a child and a parent in October. Self-perseverance dictates I learn to experience all the wonders of the season without letting this gigantic ache in my heart consume me. I thought I was succeeding, but the advancement of years seems to have weakened my resolve.


Time for change.

At this precise moment, I acknowledge that the recurring sorrow of October is part of my journey through life. I don't need pity, I don't need cookies, I just need to let October be as it was meant to be: A symbol of what I've loved and lost.

Someone once said that to write well means to have experienced much. I hope you'll join me in expressing gratitude for all the joy and pain associated with being a writer. One does not have to be at peace to write. Nor does one have to be happy to be at peace.

--

joylene

Barbra Streisand's Stage Fright

Some time in the late 90s I learned that Barbra Streisand suffered from stage fright. I was perplexed. How could someone with that much talent be afraid to sing in front of people? Because her condition didn't pertain to my life, I soon forgot about it. I'm sure I didn't even hear the term social anxiety disorder until years later. Notice how naming something adds to its weight?

I once had to testify in court. It was my civic duty and I was fine with the idea until I entered the court room. Suddenly I could barely walk. By the time I reached the stand I was sweating profusely. My insides were like mush. But I got through it and even managed to walk out despite rubbery legs. That was 20 years ago.

In hindsight my first reading as a published author was pretty pathetic, but I had nothing to base it on, so I concluded I'd done okay. Then I started receiving invitations to do more readings, and soon I was suffering the entire morning of each event from stage fright. Four years later, I became distressed 36 hours prior to the book launch of my second novel Broken but not Dead. I did five readings over a year's period and each time I couldn't sleep the night before and felt sick to my stomach for an entire two days prior to the reading.

Last March I got a call inviting me to read from my novels at the En'owkin Centre in the Okanagan, 775 km [450 m] south of Omineca's Cluculz Lake. The En'owkin Centre is home to the oldest Aboriginal publisher in Canada: Theytus. I was scheduled to read Sept 18, this past Tuesday.

Around Sept 10th, I began having difficulty sleeping. My stomach was upset and I was eating TUMS like there was no tomorrow. Worse, because I had to travel such a long distance, I not only couldn't sleep or eat, for a whole week I felt as if there were a big black cloud hanging over my head, despite the sunshine. I sensed gloom in every turn.

They should rename social anxiety disorder the BARBRA STREISAND'S Stage Fright. Did I mention Miss Barbra is exactly 11 years and one day older than I am? While I'm not Jewish, but Metis, my husband is. The similarities have always appealed to me.

Did I mention how incredibly beautiful Penticton is?

The En'owkin Centre is equally impressive.

The vast gathering room took my breath away. The warm welcome made my heart lighten. I knew immediately that I was in a safe place. Still, by the time I took my spot at the podium, I was shaking so badly you'd think I was freezing, yet my back was soaked with sweat. As I read the opening to my first novel, I kept my eyes on the page only because I was sure if I looked up I'd see people dazed with boredom. Actually one fellow did look tired, but it turned out he had just arrived from Germany.

The response from the audience was more than I imagined. After the reading and question period, we partook of deer meat, bread and goodies, a meal especially prepared for me. I had to laugh. I had arrived believing I'd be one of many authors, and ended up their special guest who got to fill her plate first! Did I mention they paid for the trip and even paid me for reading!

Next time I'm invited to read anywhere I'll remind myself that although it may not compare to the En'owkin Centre, I'll have a great time; I always seem to. And really, once I begin to read, my undying love for my protagonist takes over.

ps. I met a fellow who said it's been recorded that man's #2 fear of all things is public speaking. Did I mention he also knows Tina Keeper!

NANCY S. THOMPSON

I'm very pleased to introduce my guest today. If you don't already know Nancy, you can find out more about her at her blog. What I've learned is that besides looking way too young to have a son in college, she's a gentle, thoughtful, and generous human being with a talent for writing suspense. When she mentioned her book was being released, I knew I had to have her on my blog to help spread the word. Please give a warm round of applause for a terrific lady and writer, Nancy S. Thompson!

Thanks for having me over, Joylene. People always ask me the same question: Why write a novel? While most of my writer friends have been at it for years, that’s not the case with me. Except for a little poetry, I’d never written anything in my life. But back in March of 2010, I had a weird epiphany.

I was driving around when a new song started playing on my iPod. It was Hurricane by 30 Seconds To Mars, and its lyrics—Tell me, would you kill to save a life? Would you kill to prove you’re right? — incited an idea, or, more accurately, a question.

We’ve all heard those news stories where someone, who’s never had a violent thought in his life, is suddenly caught up in an impetuous moment, lashing out, hurting or even killing someone. We wonder what could possibly have made that otherwise non-violent man turn so destructive. And that’s where the idea for The Mistaken took root.

I wondered what could drive a genuinely good man to commit a violent crime, and, in the aftermath, if there was any way he could ever return to the man he used to be. Well, for whatever reason, this idea simply wouldn’t let go, so I let it take over.

At the time, I knew nothing about plotting, characterization, setting, dialogue, or anything else for that matter, yet it was all there, however rough. After completing the first draft, I made all the typical rookie mistakes, like querying way too soon, but I learned fast and took on a bunch of critique partners who helped whip my manuscript into shape.

I queried a few agents, as well as one publisher. This small, new press requested a full, and, after a slight revision, offered me a deal, which I accepted. I’ve been very happy with Sapphire Star Publishing. They’ve given me considerable control and ample amounts of marketing and promotion, all well before my book has even “hit the shelves.” But that day, October 18th, is very near, and I am filled with excitement and anticipation. I hope you join me in its release.

Excerpt:

As time passed and I grew accustomed to the intensity of my pain, I spoke to Nick about Jillian, about how much I missed her, how empty the house felt without her. Nick and I eventually straightened out the place after he reminded me how much Jill hated a messy house. It once again looked as it did when she and I lived as a couple, but it certainly didn’t feel the same. The emptiness tormented me. Everywhere I looked there was something that had a memory of Jillian connected to it, especially her photographs which still lined the walls, and what remained of all the things we had bought for our child, which lay refolded and untouched in a dark corner of the den.

It was just too much for me to see everyday. My guilt and loneliness gradually evolved into bitterness and rage, the venom of each so pungent and sharp it soured my only refuge, my treasured nightly sojourn with Jill’s haunting apparition. My last solace was gone, betrayed by the very bitterness that corroded my soul. That was when I first seriously considered suicide, contemplating the effectiveness of different methods. But there was one thing that held me back. Once I’d read the police reports and ascertained the extent of Erin Anderson’s role in Jillian’s accident and death, I knew I couldn’t leave this world with her still in it, especially when the cops refused to arrest and charge her.

Whereas I once spoke to Nick about Jillian—my memories of her and our life together—I now shared my fantasies about gaining revenge on the woman who had provoked Jill into such reckless behavior. It soon became a favorite pastime to lie drunk around the house and spin wild tales of vengeance against Erin Anderson, the bane of my existence, the core of my deep-seated hostility.

They started simple, as visions of setting her house on fire with her trapped inside, or perhaps I would run her car off the road and down into a steep ravine where she would lie immobilized, entangled in the wreckage, unseen from the roadway far above. I had an endless reservoir filled with pernicious scenarios. I found that when I fantasized about a long, tortuous death, I felt a greater sense of vengeance and a considerable awareness of relief, as sick as that was. And I knew it was sick. But I didn’t care anymore. I wanted Erin to suffer for a long time before she died. Or maybe…maybe she shouldn’t die. Maybe she should just suffer. Forever. I could think of many ways to make that woman suffer forever.

At first, it gave me some relief to savor the vision of retribution. Yet, I always woke up the next day with the realization that Erin Anderson was still alive and well, walking the earth, enjoying her life, enjoying her family, while my wife was not, while my child lay eternally buried in Jillian’s cold womb six feet beneath the heavy earth, a tiny speck of immeasurable possibility heartlessly quashed into nothingness. I spoke to Nick about this train of thought and how crazy it was making me, how utterly enraged I felt, powerless and impotent.

“Tyler, do you think if you were to somehow get even with her that you would actually feel…I don’t know...better? Relieved maybe?” he asked late one afternoon.

“Hell yes,” I admitted. “Most days, it’s the only thing that keeps me from drinking until I just fucking die.” I shook my head, disappointed in myself, far removed from the man Jillian once loved.

“Well then, maybe we should do it,” he suggested. “Get revenge. Go Old Testament on the bitch.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Don’t get me started, Nick.”

“Why not, Ty? I mean, we could probably do it, figure out a plausible way to really get back at her, to completely ruin her life. How hard could it be?”

“Nick, as good as that sounds, I don’t think I’m actually up to killing someone. Even that rotten whore.”

Nick walked around with his head down, his finger drumming absently along the sharp edge of his jaw, deep in thought. He turned to me, rather excited at the plan forming deep within the dark confines of his mind.

“We wouldn’t have to kill her, Ty. Just make her wish we had…”

Bio:

Nancy makes her fiction debut with The Mistaken. She is an interior designer and California transplant, currently living with her husband near Seattle, WA. Find her on her publisher’s website, her blog, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. Nancy invites you to learn more about her novel, The Mistaken on Goodreads, as well.

Beginning October 18th, her book (ebook & trade paperback) will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, as well as Sony, Kobo, Apple, Diesel, and Baker-Taylor.

Nancy S. Thompson

Peace vs Happiness

The 2012 Global eBook Awards announced the winners this morning. No, I didn't win, but it gave me an idea for a post, which probably sounds weird. You see, I try not to blog about disappointments. With so many struggling writers out there, it feels wrong to reiterate how published writers have bad days too. You already know that: no sense reinforcing the negative, right?

http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.ca/2012...

THE UNTHINKABLE: Doing Nothing?

Gabrielle Desjardins Nowell

I don't remember my mother ever doing nothing. Even when she watched her soaps, she'd bake, iron, or sew. Idle hands, never. Summertime, she gardened. When dad was working, she'd tend to the farm animals. In the winter she'd can, bake bread and sew. Later years she hooked rugs. She was always doing something.

Bibianne Gauthier Desjardins



I imagine it was the same for her mother, who had 12 children before she was 50.

Gabrielle, 2nd from left, and her sisters

My mother never ridiculed me in public or private. She never questioned my values. She never criticized my religious or political views, though they might differ from hers. Okay, I remember one time she did raise her eyebrows and her jaw did drop at something I'd said. I was pretty mouthy as a teen. At 13, I was an enigma to her.

Gabrielle with her first child


I've been imagining her this week. Generally I think of her every day, but this week I've been seeing her busy doing her chores: cleaning, sewing, weeding. I wish I'd asked her what she thought about while her hands were busy. Did she stop thinking and just enjoy the tasks?


Every day I make a point to grab a book and read for 30 minutes. I do this a few times a day. Sometimes I meditate. During the summer I sit on the deck. Lately she's there beside me, crocheting or doing needlework.


My hands are often idle. Sure I watch TV with my laptop open, but other times I sit and try very hard not to think. I notice the lake, the eagles, the loons, the ducks. In my mother's world, that would have been the same as doing nothing.


I asked her spirit once if she was disappointment by my idleness. I heard a clear "No."


She thought I was smarter, prettier, and more astute than she was, and said so often. "You're so much brighter than I am, Joylene. I hope you realize that."


I didn't. She played the piano and the guitar, yet couldn't read music. I can't play a note; and forget trying to play an instrument.


She read the first 4 pages of Omatiwak: Woman Who Cries in its infancy the night before she passed away. In the morning I found the pages on the dining room table with the spelling mistakes circled. She was an exceptionally good speller despite only reaching grade eight. She said it was because she read lots (lots being in bed at night).

Gabrielle, before the children.


My mother attended an English speaking school before she could speak English. She had to quit in grade eight because she was needed at home to help with her younger siblings. Her father died when she was eighteen, and she found a job at Swift Meats in Winnipeg so she could help with the financial burden on her mother. During the war, she rose to shift supervisor. On her days off she toured the province with the Glee club. She had a wonderful singing voice. She and two younger sisters performed regularly on the radio. Their official name was The Three Ds, but fans referred to them as the Winnipeg Lennon Sisters. On one of their tours she met Bob Hope.

Gabrielle, grandmother.


I do remember my mother saying "Oh shit," once. Okay, maybe twice. When I told her I repeatedly mumbled "Bloody hell" during the birthing of the little man above, she nodded and said, "That's understandable."


On one of their trips to Manitoba from BC, my mother had to pee badly. Dad wasn't always quick to pull over. When he finally did, the traffic was thick and he grabbed a blanket to give her some privacy. But the wind was blowing and when a big semi-truck sped past, the wind picked up the blanket and flapped it with such force that Mum peed all over dad's moccasins. Ah, the look of horror on her face every time he repeated that story.

Pregnant with Joylene


My mother passed away in her sleep October 16, 1999. I wonder if she's able to see me now, the daughter who wasn't always as considerate or conscientious as I should have been. I hope so. Because in the end, I turned out very much like her. No, I don't sing, sew, crochet, or play an instrument, but I'm a walking institution on the merits of keeping busy. The best part, I get to share stories about her in blogland.

ASK PZM July 2012

Q: What is your opinion of KDP Select?

Is it worth forgoing putting an ebook anywhere else than Kindle?

To answer this question, let’s first start with the basics.

Anyone can upload an ebook via kdp.amazon.com. The Kindle ebook format is mobi as opposed to epub used for the Nook and other devices. But Amazon cleverly provides for free Kindle apps for almost any electronic device, including the iPad and PC or Mac.

In other words, the proprietary Kindle format can be read almost anywhere today that ebooks are being read.

Now I personally do NOT upload a document and let KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) format my book for mobi. I know that bad formatting can interfere with a reader’s enjoyment of a book.

Therefore I had my business partner teach me how to do html formatting myself based on this series of blog posts that starts at http://guidohenkel.com/2010/12/take-p... and explains why you want to ensure that your formatting looks good.

After I do the html formatting (and check the ebook on Kindle to find my mistakes), I then use Calibre to convert the html document to mobi. Finally, I upload the mobi to KDP.

The above is time consuming and complicated, so you may want to hire an ebook converter. But before you do, read the warning below.

Warning: To learn how you can unwittingly lose control of your own book on KDP, read this guest post I did -- “Not All Ebook Converters Are the Same” or “Why I Love Chris O’Byrne” -- at http://budurl.com/converters

KDP Select:

Now when you upload a book to KDP – or at a later date after you have uploaded a book, you can choose to put the book on KDP Select.

Here is the important thing to know: For each 90-day period that your book is on KDP Select, it can ONLY be on Kindle as an ebook (can be elsewhere as a physical book). In other words, it cannot be on Nook, etc.

And Amazon uses software to make sure that you comply with this requirement. In fact, when I decided to take my ebooks off all other sites so that the ebooks could be on KDP Select, Amazon found one site that I was unaware still had one of my ebooks for sale. I had to get that ebook removed before I could put it on KDP Select.

For more information on KDP Select, answers to frequently asked questions are here: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishin...

What is the advantage of KDP Select?

First, your ebook is available to be loaned to Amazon Prime members who own a Kindle. And Amazon pays you for each copy of your book loaned.

Second, you can have five free days in any configuration during each 90-day period. And there are sites that promote these free days.

Why I have decided to put all my ebooks on KDP Select:

As an author I only have so much time in each day to market my books. Sound familiar?

And one of the most important ways to sell books is to have good reviews.

One of my marketing tenets is to make it as easy as possible for a person to say yes. Recently I have realized this means NOT sending someone to my website to learn about my books. Instead I want to send people directly to a book’s page on Amazon, where the book can be bought.

And why Amazon?

Because Amazon has the largest market share plus I can work on getting reviews for each book on Amazon. I cannot work on getting reviews of each book on numerous sites.

My experience with KDP Select:

For my first experiment I tried a two-day KDP Select with both a fiction and nonfiction book. I figured that, once I was posting the announcement of one book, it would not take that much more time to post the announcement of a second book.

I also did NOT pay for any promotions. I wanted at least for the first time to try the free days without spending any money on advertising.

Now many of you know that I am active on social media as I am the co-founder of an online marketing company. Thus I did have the advantage of having online connections.

But I did NOT ask all my online connections to help me promote the free days for my thriller CIA FALL GUY and my new book TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK.

I did upload announcements to numerous sites that I found by compiling lists from various sources, including ebooks that I bought. But I will admit I did not upload announcements to as many places as I could have done – again, available time is a restraint for all of us.

My marketing strategy and conclusions:

I put the Amazon page links to all my other ebooks at the end of each of the two ebooks that were free. (I did this per the steps above of html doc, Calibre conversion to mobi, upload to KDP.)

I offered the free ebooks to introduce me to readers who did not know me.

Judging by the number of downloads during the 48 hours, I did get my writing out to a good number of people. And I hope that some of these people will check out my other books.

One warning: Someone wrote a mean-spirited review of CIA FALL GUY complaining that when you get something for free you get what you “paid for.” So there is this downside to people downloading a free ebook.

In conclusion, authors have to decide for themselves whether KDP Select is right for them. But for me, I want to do more experimenting before I weigh in on one side or the other.

In fact, my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT, which was a 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist, will be a free KDP Select ebook on August 20th and 21st. Mark your calendars now to get it then at http://amzn.to/OXrBhh

And I have a brand-new ebook – TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET ON THE INTERNET WITH PICTURES: Action Steps You Can Do Immediately Whether You Are an Expert or a Novice – at http://amzn.to/Oa5Cmb to accompany my other new nonfiction ebook – TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK: Action Steps You Can Do Immediately Whether You Are Traditionally Published or Self-Published – at http://amzn.to/N5H0Gj

Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of fiction and nonfiction books, which you can learn more about at her Amazon Author Central profile at http://amazon.com/author/phylliszimbl... She is also the co-founder of the online marketing company www.MillerMosaicLLC.com, which builds websites for clients and coaches them about online marketing.

The Secret to Being Published

My very first IWSG post!

It's that time again...

INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP

To find out more about the group, visit:

Alex J. Cavanaugh

[Our Ninja Captain]

@

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com.au

~ ~ ~

It's not an easy life choosing to be a writer. We write because we love writing, but we also open ourselves up to rejection, lots and lots of rejection.

"Why would you do that?" non-writers want to know.

Why? Because it's who we are... and... we can't help ourselves.

Truth is most of us believe getting published is simply the final step in the process. First you write the book, then you query agents, then your agent finds a publisher, and voila: you're a rich published author.

How long before you realized it was never going to be that easy?

I bet (if you're not yet published) you read today's title and now you're waiting for the punchline. What is the secret to getting a contract, finding someone willing to pay money to turn your story into a novel or eBook?

In a word: WORK.

You work at writing clearer, smoother, better. You work at learning your craft. You work at becoming an expert in the art of fiction writing.

Could you be more specific?

Read the best how-to-books on writing you can find. Join as many writer's group as you deem necessary. Learn to give and receive helpful and constructive critiques. But most of all: write, write, write.

Getting published is like losing 20, 30 or even 100 pounds on purpose without dieting. (Bet you're shaking your head over that one. )

It requires trust, faith, perseverance, listening to your inner voice, AND (here's that word again) work. If you're shaking your head, mumbling something about "Yeah-well, I knew that already!" and getting ready to go to the next blog, I certainly wouldn't blame you. I can't count how many articles I read back in the days before I was published, promising if I followed their simple steps, I'd be published in no time.

Sorry, there's no real secret.

So, rather than waste your time with empty promises, here's something that might help enrich your prose, something I see many new authors struggling with -- the latest point of view:

DEEP POV

You've been attempting to get a handle on First, Third and Omniscient POV, and now there's yet one more to worry about: Deep POV. I can relate to your frustration. But as I've said above, though difficult to master, Deep POV -- the technique of going deeper into your point of view character -- is guaranteed to enrich your writing.

Here's examples of each POV:

FIRST: When John returned, he found me sitting on the white leather bench. I had my eyes half-closed, my arms crossed, and I was feeling great sadness. "Well?" I asked, but I was thinking, 'Give me a reason not to kill you.'

THIRD: Matthew sat down on the white leather bench and lowered his eyes. Consumed by a great sadness, he crossed his arms and waited. When John returned, he asked him, "How long have you worked for me?"

OMNISCIENT: When John returned from summing a plane to pick up his boss and return him safely to the mainland, he found Matthew sitting on the white leather bench with his eyes half-closed and his arms crossed. Matthew chose not to look at him, he was that angry. "John, tell me I didn't make a mistake bringing you," he said. John couldn't think and stuttered...

DEEP POV: The bench in the stern of the boat reeked of that new leather smell that burned all the way down his throat. A glimpse east and the sun's glare shot pain through his temple. Closing his eyes helped, but the trembling wouldn't stop. His pulse pounded through his crossed arms. This was John's fault. No respect. No gratitude. Hadn't he and his daughter been taken care of all these years. Ruby held a secure job at the Baja Hotel for the rest of her life if she wanted. John threatened that. Could his stupidity be forgiven without costing the Organization everything? A touch of the gun and the chill felt shocking at first, then comforting.

DEEP POV is a combination of first (intimate) and third (limited). As silly as it sounds, the only way to succeed in pulling your reader into the experience of your POV character is to become THAT character. Close your eyes, experience the totality of the protagonist, then open your eyes and start writing.

If that's too difficult, start off by writing a scene from FIRST POV, then switch it to THIRD POV. Drop as many verbs as possible, (saw, thought, looked, etc) eliminate the tags: said, asked (no need to show the reader what they already know). Do this for every scene, and I promise it'll start becoming as natural as riding a bike.

After a few exercises, let me know how you're doing.

--happy writing

joylene

ASK PZM July 2012

In place of Phyllis Zimbler Miller’s usual monthly Ask PZM column in which she answers questions, she has provided Chapter VI of her brand-new ebook TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON AND FACEBOOK: Action Steps You Can Do Immediately Whether You Are Traditionally Published or Self-Published: