Louise Lennox's Blog, page 2

Beta Readers: Gain Feedback Without Losing Your Story

As a first-time author, there were a lot of terms I was unfamiliar with at the start of this journey. When you add self-published to my description the list of unknowns grows exponentially. One of those terms was beta reader.

Beta Readers are unpaid readers of a manuscript that provide feedback from the POV of the average reader. The term comes from the IT world. Beta testers review software and try to “break it.” They discover flaws that need to be fixed before release. Beta readers are usually the step between a rough draft the author feels pretty good about and a professional editor.

Most writing blogs, websites, or Facebook groups I subscribe too, champion the practice of using beta readers. Conscientious posters add a disclaimer: Take Care, or Betas (as they are affectionately called) will paralyze your publishing process.

In short, you can end up with so much feedback from so many readers that you are in a constant state of revision. Your book may no longer feel like is your own. Or worse, imposter syndrome manifests and you no longer feel comfortable sharing your work with the world.

To ensure this does not happen to you; I’m sharing the five practices I employed for a successful Beta process. I believe this process works across genres.

Tip # 1: Tap Your Network: turn to the pool of people that know your genre and want to help. I bet you write about something many people in your network care about or like to read. Because well, birds of a feather…you know the rest. Ask them! Pick your favorite acquaintances; not your friends. Tap your alumni groups, parenting groups, neighbors you chat with, that co-worker you share lunch with every day (make sure its work appropriate), that cousin you always laugh with, etc.

Tip # 2: Be Selective: “average reader” is not anyone and everyone. This step is an early exercise in marketing and platform engagement. Target your audience. Ask yourself: Who in my network would enjoy reading a book like mine? Pick only those people! I write Steamy Contemporary Romance with themes and characters across the African Diaspora. It does me no good to ask someone who only reads Sweet and Clean romance novels to offer feedback on my books. Also, to ensure my cultural themes are sound; I always I have at least 1-2 Beta readers that relate to my characters background and voice.

Tip # 3: You need Five but Ask Ten: You really don’t need more than five beta readers. Any sample size over that is overwhelming. But if you want five pieces of good feedback from people who will read your ENTIRE manuscript; ask ten. Trust me 50% is the likely rate of completion.

Tip # 4: Provide Direction: Most people have never been beta readers before. If you desire useable feedback you need to be clear about the kind of feedback you need and how the beta readers can give it to you. Using resources from the web (www.firstmanuscript.com) I sent my chosen betas this newsletter when they signed up (beta reader newsletter). After they were clear on what I was asking from them I sent a Google Form I created (Google Form) asking them to rate and provide evidence of said rating for character development, plot, pacing, and readability. There is also space for them to say whatever they want. The form is a serious timesaver. Google forms creates nifty graphs from the data, and you can easily see your highest leverage feedback for revisions. That leads me to my last tip…

Tip # 5: Implement High Leverage Feedback: Look for trends and act on the trends. Do not waste your time chasing every one-off comment about your manuscript. Instead, step back and interpret the data. Are there similar comments about your protagonists’ characterization? Are 60% of your readers uncomfortable with Chapter 16? Zoom in on the trends, but not every comment.

Balance the trend data with the fact that you are the author and don’t have to change a damn thing if you don’t want to. Hopefully, you will gather group of readers that will partner with you in presenting the best version of your work! I know I did!

Instant Access for Black Romance Writers: What’s our Move?

The publishing world is not inclusive. If you’re Black, you felt this. If you’re White, you likely knew this. If you need data to affirm racism, exclusivity, and inequity reach the halls of publishing houses review the results of Lee & Low Books’ first Diversity Baseline Survey, released in 2019. They state the reason for the survey is to use the collected data to ‘track what progress our industry shows over time in improving representation and inclusion.” You can read more about the methodology here.

Below is a snapshot of the findings.

Black professionals make up about 5% of the entire industry. We’re talking editors, agents, reviewers, and executives. It’s equally bad for women, the LGBTQ community, and disabled populations.

I am a cisgender Black woman. Today’s post will focus on the racism in the Black romance writing and publishing world. Very few who look like me sit at the table with the decision makers controlling what books and stories are published. Consequently, our stories routinely never pass GO!

It’s bad. I started writing romance at the start of COVID-19. In this short amount of time I discovered it’s nearly impossible out here for Black writers. I never thought about the genre before. I never read much of it before this year. Now I know why… it isn’t marketed to me!

I am a highly educated, married Black woman with kids and a very successful career. My profile is almost non-existent on the pages of romance novels. So, I decided to create my own characters. With time on my hands and writing skills in my back pocket (Thanks Spelman College!), I dove into romance writing with both feet. It didn’t take me long to realize romance writing is a sorority that Black women are often not invited to rush.

Then the world caught on fire! Ahmad Aubrey and George Floyd were murdered in cold blood at the hands of White supremists and cops. The crimes are on video. The world watches as it did fifty-four years ago on Bloody Sunday.

Everyone demands justice. Everyone demands implementation of Anti-racist structures. Everyone demands reparations for microaggressions, implicit bias, and the withholding of the cultural capital needed to tap into America’s myth of meritocracy.

Now, every organization in America is like “Wait! Are we racist? Are we about to be cancelled? Fuck! Have any of y’all been micro-aggressive? FIX THAT SHIT NOW!” Even NASCAR banned Confederate flags at their events. NASCAR!!!! If you fly a confederate flag you may as well burn it now. For some, the races were a front for regional conferences of the confederacy. Those days are gone with the wind.

Publishing houses and national writing organizations are not exempt from the times. Editors are on Twitter asking Black non-agented Black writers to submit query letters and manuscripts. They are ready to review submissions and provide contracts or editorial feedback. That tells me they weren’t giving equal attention to our submissions before this. The excuses we often hear, range from low marketability to submission errors. While, Allies in publishing world will tell you it is racism pure and simple.

Without informed feedback and field professional development (aka cultural capital) It is nearly impossible to become a successful author. Even networking groups formed by industry and indie insiders tend to center White. Black romance writers are systemically shut out of access to these opportunities. Remember the racist drama with Romance Writers (RWA) of America? It seems the industry is asking for a shot to change.

Sisters, what should we do with all this attention? RWA wants us to come to their national conference for free. But will the speakers, content, and networking be inclusive? Publishing houses and editors want us to submit our sacred love stories. But will our cultural differences be respected? Will they deem all stories worthy of their beautiful covers, high-level editors, and extensive marketing?

We will see. However, I don’t think it’s wise for Black women to ignore the opportunity. No matter how nominal the gestures may seem, we should consider the being offered at the table even if we think we don’t want to eat. We should claim our portion of the publishing space. Only we are able to steer the conversation, conferences, and copy. I’m going to the conferences with solutions and I’m submitting every manuscript with pride.

If that’s not radical enough, then consider approaching the table to collectively slam chairs and walkout with fellow sisters the moment you smell bullshit!

Black Romance Matters!

I had an uncle Cookie. He was a five percenter in rural South Carolina. He heard I was precocious and an avid reader. So, he gifted me, his seven-year old niece, a copy of Before the Mayflower, A History of Black America.

It took me six months, but I read the entire tome. I carried that book with me everywhere. It spurred my love of Black writers and their words and shaped my reading preferences. Over time, it became very clear that my Black books were for information and learning, while I read mainstream books for pleasure. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Nothing else was readily available.

To me, readily available meant going into Borders and looking at the fiction books on display. I read the blurbs and digested the covers, before picking my book of the week. Then I took the long walk to the African American Studies /Interests section (really Borders?) and picked up a book. That section was overwhelmingly non-fiction.

The few fiction books in the section were hard to find. If the novel wasn’t written by Toni Morrison, Terry McMillan, or Zane (I bought them all), you could forget being introduced to it. To this day I have no idea where Borders hid all the Black Contemporary Fiction Authors. When I got a bit older, I discovered subscription services for Black fiction and romance book clubs. I also discovered Black bookstores during my time living in Atlanta and Chicago. But that was not the same as being able to order a latte and eat a scone while reading my new BeBe Campbell book.

What was the publishing industry saying? What are they saying now? Are they assuming Black women don’t need romance? Are our lives so different from White women that our everyday stories can’t be told with humor and hope?

Was Borders implying that all Black people cared to read were books about overcoming current and historical race and economic struggles? Is that all we do in their eyes? March!

I march and read Dubois, Gates, and bell Hooks aplenty. Sometimes, I just want to take a break and dream about a fine African King showing me the earth’s secrets and making my body come to the realization that he is all I need.

Black women write contemporary fiction about facing femininity in is many facets with strength and wit. It’s time for the industry as a whole to take notice. Black Romance Matters!"

Seeking Comfort? Write a Story!

Meditation is the standard tool for creating calm and comfort. During COVID-19 there are so many mindfulness exercises being introduced to us, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. I realized rather quickly that meditation is not a good method for me to unplug

When I need to disconnect from stress, pandemics, or adulting in general: I write stories.

Creating an entire world of people and problems that have absolutely nothing to do with my current life is calming.

Today, I will share the five reasons writing a story calms my nerves!

1. Routine is Soothing: There’s something about knowing I am going to write every day for one-hour from 9:00-10:00 pm that makes my intense workdays easier. My manuscript feels is a lover waiting for me when I get home. I spend all day thinking about him, fantasizing about what I’m going to do to him, and jotting down love notes to share with him later.

2. I Get to play God: It feels powerful to manipulate characters and plot lines on a page. If I want two characters to fall in love, they do. If it is time for them to break-up, it happens. If someone needs to die, done! In a world that feels increasingly out of hand, writing fiction brings a sense of control.

3. I Love a Sense of Accomplishment: No matter how much you write. If you write on any sort of schedule you feel accomplished at the end of your session. I write five times a week, 2000 words a day because I have novels in a series to finish. Nothing makes me feel calmer then hitting my goal night after night. It’s simply orgasmic!

4. It’s Great Excuse for Me to Connect: Once I started writing again, I wanted to talk to other writers. Before now, I was never a big social media user. Now I am on three platforms daily having great conversations and connecting with all kinds of people. Synergy heals!

5. I get hooked on new music: I write to music. But it can’t be music I will sing along to. I need to focus. So, I pick music according to the mood of the current chapter I’m writing. Whether it be classical, jazz, or gangster rap; I always end up with some new favorites. I even make playlists that align with each manuscript I write!

To some, writing is a chore. I get it. All I'm saying is, don’t knock it until you try it! The next time you feel anxious, write down the story that resides in your head and start creating a new world.

Where My Ladies At: My Favorite Black Romance Heroines

In my debut novel the heroine is Ella Jenkins. She is the epitome of Black Girl Magic. She is fire and ice. Beautiful, smart, and loyal. She is using her magic to change the world one public school at a time. She is also using it to drive King Kofi Ajyei wild. She does not suffer fools nor arrogant kings well; their first meeting proves that! Her character is my Spelman Sisters, girlfriends, and aunties wrapped up into one persona.

Conversely, today’s media portrays Black women as overwhelmingly difficult creatures who are desperate for a man. Any man with a sports or rap contract will do. In current movies, TV shows, and books; we are successful but alone. We are educated, but bitches if we demand excellence. We are beautiful but misused and overlooked. We are not portrayed as the heroines we really are. Therefore, we don’t get the same basic shine as White women in the pages of romance novels and romantic comedies. This is a narrative I intend to combat with every stroke of my pen.

Please Note, it was not always like this. When I was a teenager and young adult in the nineties and early aughts; Black women were portrayed as goddesses that successful men both worshipped and eventually attained. I dreamed about graduating from college, landing that dream job, travelling and being completely loved. I dreamed of bringing my whole self into a relationship and being loved for it. I saw my dreams vividly in romantic comedies that did not just tolerate my Black presence as the humorous sidekick. I was the main event. Today I want to pay homage to my top four Black heroines of the nineties and early aughts!.

1. Maxine Shaw, Living Single

Who is She: Maxine Shaw was the “maverick.” A successful New York Lawyer her character was strong, sexy, and smart. Her vice was that she never let her emotions lead her. She kept her heart closed. But Kyle Barker had the wits to match her and the heart to hold her.

Scene: Best Seduction EVER!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Cab9JsoEQ

2. Nina Mosley, Love Jones

Who is She: Nina Mosley was a beautiful Renaissance woman. A photographer who had to battle sexism and racism in her field. Coming off of heartbreak from a man hat didn’t respect her art or talents. She meets Darius Lovehall, a poet, who provides amazing sex and the support she needs to allow herself to take flight.

Scene: Best Grovel EVER!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnA9h21aWyw

3. Monica Wright, Love and Basketball

Who is She: Monica Wright was the ultimate athlete. What some may call being a tomboy; she called being a baller! Q was the baller next door that stole her heart. My favorite line of this movie is when Monica tells Q she never asked him to choose between her and basketball…so why was he asking that of her? Feminism at its best.

Scene: Best OH! You’re not just the girl next door moment EVER!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Ddj8vLa5E

4. Sidney 'Sid' Shaw, Brown Sugar

Who is she: Sidney Shaw was an Editor for The Source (MY DREAM JOB!) She’s been best friends with Dre, an A&R Executive since they were ten. Fast forward almost twenty years later and Dre is marrying Reese. Sidney is in love with Dre but says nothing. Reese cheats on Dre. Sidney Consoles him. Sidney and Dre DO IT!! I dare you to find a better “I knew you were the one the whole time, please make love to me until I can’t see straight...OH SHIT! What did we do scene.” I’ll wait…

Scene: Best I’ve Been Waiting My Whole Life to Make Love to You Scene EVER!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa4IKrf2YHI

COVID-19 and the Romance Writer

“I gather up each sound you left behind and stretch them on our bed. Each night I breathe you and become high.”

The Character Nina Mosley from Love Jones quoting Sonia Sanchez's Poem #3

When COVID-19 hit the USA, our world stopped as we knew it. I stopped having go to the office on March 16th. Gratefully, my career pays me a full salary while I work from home. Everyday I am home with a husband and two toddlers. So it isn't exactly an oasis of calm. However, the hiatus from going into the office everyday did give me what every working mother and wife wants more of: TIME!

I virtually clock in eight hours daily to a very demanding job. However, I no longer commuted. I no longer picked up and dropped-off at two seperate daycares. I no longer spent time grocery shopping or getting gas. The extra time was a gift I was determined to use.

The first inkling to write romance was sudden. One Saturday, I sat on my couch and watched the entire Fifty Shades of Gray Trilogy. I wanted more. Amazon Prime Video introduced me to the Passionflix Channel.It sounds like porn, but it's not. Its a channel dedicated to popular romance novels adapted to film. Think Hallmark Channel with steamy love scenes. I always thought the two-hour lead up to one kiss in a Hallmark movie was anticlimactic.

Seriously, the characters are adults. Adults make-out. Adults have sex. Get on with it!

Anyway! the movie run led me to read the novels. Then, I was reading one or two a week. By the end of March I decided to write one of my own. Why?

One reason is I majored in English and always fancied myself a storyteller.Just going to be honest and put that out there. Two, I knew I could do it. There was literally no hesitation.When does that ever happen? Lastly, Out of the fifty or so contemporary romance novels I read only one book had a character I could truly see myself in.Let's keep it real, I'm not Anna Steele from Fifty Shades of Gray. I'm Nina Mosley from Love Jones. Black women are beautiful. We are successful. We are romanced. We are pursued with passion. Just ask my husband. I want to tell our stories.

So,here I am. My first manuscript, Craving a King is in editing, and due for release in mid-July. Meanwhile, I'm drafting my second manuscript Pursuing a Prince. The series is set in West Africa and the heroines are having the time of their lives on the pages of my books.

This is the start of a long journey that is bringing me joy. I love the love stories that stem from #BlackGirlMagic. I hope you will love reading them!