Steve Vernon's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
In which I learn how to write...
The next time you find yourself stuck on what to write next have a peek at Douglas Clegg's absolutely-free 20 TIPS FOR WRITERS!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31244122/20...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31244122/20...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
How Do I Publish My Book???
Just recently I was asked an interesting question over on Facebook.
Somebody asked me – “Steve, I’ve been thinking about writing a book and I really want to get serious about it. How do I publish it? How much should I pay to get it published? I’d really rather not pay too much.”
So I answered that question and I’m going to airlift the answer from the Facebook page over to my blog – because we writers are unscrupulous recyclers.
I’m just changing the name of the person in the interest of privacy – but you know I’m talking about you Dean Koontz, now don’t you?
Hey Anonymous.
First thing, you ought to finish that book. Finish it right to the last period. It's very hard for a first-time writer to sell a "work-in-progress". A publisher wants to buy a finished product - so finish the book until it is done-done-done!
Then, you can start thinking about selling it to a publisher. If it is a good enough book, you will find somebody who wants to buy it.
I want you to get comfortable with those two words - "buy" and "sell" - on account of writing is primarily a business. You talk to ninety-five percent fo the publishers out there and they will tell you that they want a book that they can sell for a profit. So make sure you've written a marketable product. The best way to make sure is to read every damn book in the genre that you've chosen. If you're writing a mystery - read every damn mystery you can find in the library. Empty the mystery rack at the bookstore, while you're at it.
Read new stuff as well as old. Explore the medium. Find out what’s out there.
If you don’t really love to read then you’ve got no business trying to write.
One of the first questions you'll need to answer is - what the hell am I writing? - on account of that is the first thing a publisher is bound to ask you. A writer needs to be able to sum up what he's written in a line or two. Think about all of those promo plugs that you used to read in the TV GUIDE. All right, so there isn't any TV GUIDE anymore - don't blame me if I'm older than the dirt that grows under dirt. Think about the movie DIE HARD. What's it about?
DIE HARD is a story of a divorced cop who fights his way through an entire skyscraper of bad guys lead by Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) to save his ex-wife.
That's it. That's the whole story. You want to be able to see your book that way - in one sentence or less. Once you've written the book boil it down to a single sentence and start thinking about things like SUBMISSION PACKAGES and QUERY LETTERS - which would take a whole other five or fifty-eight Facebook entries to explain.
Lastly, do not EVER, EVER, EVER pay to have your book printed - unless you're honestly only thinking about giving out a few copies to your Mom and Dad and Great Aunt Murbaline. Or, unless you a world-class public speaker who is already being asked to go and speak at dozens and hundreds of public gatherings about the "Ancient Shaolin Technique of Toe-Growing". If you are already a world-class expert on some field that people will pay to listen to - then - and only then - should you consider paying for a private printing to sell to all of those people who want to learn more about growing toes.
Finally, the other alternative you might look into is putting your work into e-book format - which is another ten or twelve Facebook entries worth of explaining. But first thing - finish that book. Everything else ought to come later.
(I purposefully did not go into this topic on the Facebook page because I've already talked a lot about e-book publishing elsewhere - and I wanted to keep this entry strictly focussed on one particular facet of the business. This is a danger of somebody like me who actively writes in both the traditionally-published field and the e-book field. It is a little like being multi-lingual. I might be going on and on in Swahili and suddenly spout out something about Doc Savage in old-school Mayan.)
Lord holy old jello-goggles but I am a windy old windsock...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
Somebody asked me – “Steve, I’ve been thinking about writing a book and I really want to get serious about it. How do I publish it? How much should I pay to get it published? I’d really rather not pay too much.”
So I answered that question and I’m going to airlift the answer from the Facebook page over to my blog – because we writers are unscrupulous recyclers.
I’m just changing the name of the person in the interest of privacy – but you know I’m talking about you Dean Koontz, now don’t you?
Hey Anonymous.
First thing, you ought to finish that book. Finish it right to the last period. It's very hard for a first-time writer to sell a "work-in-progress". A publisher wants to buy a finished product - so finish the book until it is done-done-done!
Then, you can start thinking about selling it to a publisher. If it is a good enough book, you will find somebody who wants to buy it.
I want you to get comfortable with those two words - "buy" and "sell" - on account of writing is primarily a business. You talk to ninety-five percent fo the publishers out there and they will tell you that they want a book that they can sell for a profit. So make sure you've written a marketable product. The best way to make sure is to read every damn book in the genre that you've chosen. If you're writing a mystery - read every damn mystery you can find in the library. Empty the mystery rack at the bookstore, while you're at it.
Read new stuff as well as old. Explore the medium. Find out what’s out there.
If you don’t really love to read then you’ve got no business trying to write.
One of the first questions you'll need to answer is - what the hell am I writing? - on account of that is the first thing a publisher is bound to ask you. A writer needs to be able to sum up what he's written in a line or two. Think about all of those promo plugs that you used to read in the TV GUIDE. All right, so there isn't any TV GUIDE anymore - don't blame me if I'm older than the dirt that grows under dirt. Think about the movie DIE HARD. What's it about?
DIE HARD is a story of a divorced cop who fights his way through an entire skyscraper of bad guys lead by Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) to save his ex-wife.
That's it. That's the whole story. You want to be able to see your book that way - in one sentence or less. Once you've written the book boil it down to a single sentence and start thinking about things like SUBMISSION PACKAGES and QUERY LETTERS - which would take a whole other five or fifty-eight Facebook entries to explain.
Lastly, do not EVER, EVER, EVER pay to have your book printed - unless you're honestly only thinking about giving out a few copies to your Mom and Dad and Great Aunt Murbaline. Or, unless you a world-class public speaker who is already being asked to go and speak at dozens and hundreds of public gatherings about the "Ancient Shaolin Technique of Toe-Growing". If you are already a world-class expert on some field that people will pay to listen to - then - and only then - should you consider paying for a private printing to sell to all of those people who want to learn more about growing toes.
Finally, the other alternative you might look into is putting your work into e-book format - which is another ten or twelve Facebook entries worth of explaining. But first thing - finish that book. Everything else ought to come later.
(I purposefully did not go into this topic on the Facebook page because I've already talked a lot about e-book publishing elsewhere - and I wanted to keep this entry strictly focussed on one particular facet of the business. This is a danger of somebody like me who actively writes in both the traditionally-published field and the e-book field. It is a little like being multi-lingual. I might be going on and on in Swahili and suddenly spout out something about Doc Savage in old-school Mayan.)
Lord holy old jello-goggles but I am a windy old windsock...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
How to Grow a Reader
Hi folks.
I was just invited to a Facebook page - INSPIRING CHILDREN - ONE BOOK AT A TIME.
The page was set-up to talk about the need to encourage young readers.
I'm kind of interested in that whole idea.
We - as authors - NEED to reach young readers - and one of the best ways to reach those young readers is by reaching their parents and grandparents.
I learned how to read by watching my grandmother and grandfather and my uncle. The two of them ALWAYS had a book on the go.
I'm not saying that they were good books.
My grandmother was into Frank G. Slaughter, and the Mandingo series, and the Falconhurst series.
My grandfather was into Mickey Spillane and Richard S. Prather and John D. Macdonald's "Travis Magee" series.
My uncle dug Don Pendleton's Executioner series.
It seemed no matter where I looked I saw an adult reading something. I grew up figuring that this was just what people did with their time. I chewed my way through The Hardy Boys series, the Tarzan series, all of the adventures of Doc Savage, Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu series, Robert E. Howard's Conan series and many other yarns that were aimed at adults but read by kids.
First book my grandmother ever gave me was a hardback copy of Robert Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND. Second book was Bram Stoker's DRACULA. I read both of them right through and then hunted up copies of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE as well as THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.
I had three paper routes - getting up at 5am to deliver The Toronto Star and then completing two routes of The Sudbury Star after school - before supper. I saved my money and once a month would ride the bus for an hour to get to Sudbury - the closest city - to a used bookstore where I could feed my addiction.
This is how it happens. If we want to foster a love for reading it starts by demonstrating a love for reading!
I hope none of you minded me jumping up on this soapbox like I have - but that's what blogs are for, aren't they?
You want to check out that Facebook page you can find it right here https://www.facebook.com/events/47978...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
If you liked this post you might like to have a look at my middle-grade novel SINKING DEEPER.
I was just invited to a Facebook page - INSPIRING CHILDREN - ONE BOOK AT A TIME.
The page was set-up to talk about the need to encourage young readers.
I'm kind of interested in that whole idea.
We - as authors - NEED to reach young readers - and one of the best ways to reach those young readers is by reaching their parents and grandparents.
I learned how to read by watching my grandmother and grandfather and my uncle. The two of them ALWAYS had a book on the go.
I'm not saying that they were good books.
My grandmother was into Frank G. Slaughter, and the Mandingo series, and the Falconhurst series.
My grandfather was into Mickey Spillane and Richard S. Prather and John D. Macdonald's "Travis Magee" series.
My uncle dug Don Pendleton's Executioner series.
It seemed no matter where I looked I saw an adult reading something. I grew up figuring that this was just what people did with their time. I chewed my way through The Hardy Boys series, the Tarzan series, all of the adventures of Doc Savage, Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu series, Robert E. Howard's Conan series and many other yarns that were aimed at adults but read by kids.
First book my grandmother ever gave me was a hardback copy of Robert Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND. Second book was Bram Stoker's DRACULA. I read both of them right through and then hunted up copies of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE as well as THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.
I had three paper routes - getting up at 5am to deliver The Toronto Star and then completing two routes of The Sudbury Star after school - before supper. I saved my money and once a month would ride the bus for an hour to get to Sudbury - the closest city - to a used bookstore where I could feed my addiction.
This is how it happens. If we want to foster a love for reading it starts by demonstrating a love for reading!
I hope none of you minded me jumping up on this soapbox like I have - but that's what blogs are for, aren't they?
You want to check out that Facebook page you can find it right here https://www.facebook.com/events/47978...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
If you liked this post you might like to have a look at my middle-grade novel SINKING DEEPER.
A Kindle Countdown Experiment
Readers and writers of Kindle e-books might want to read just how I am attempting to promote my first Kindle Select e-book.
You hit this link and it will take you to my Wordpress blog, YOURS IN STORYTELLING, where I do the bulk of my blogging these days.
http://stevevernonstoryteller.wordpre...
Uncle Bob's Red Flannel Bible Camp - The Book of
You hit this link and it will take you to my Wordpress blog, YOURS IN STORYTELLING, where I do the bulk of my blogging these days.
http://stevevernonstoryteller.wordpre...
Uncle Bob's Red Flannel Bible Camp - The Book of
Doors and Writing...
As I have mentioned - this isn't my main blog anymore.
BUT - if you'd like to read and/or follow my main blog here's a link to my latest entry.
http://stevevernonstoryteller.wordpre...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
BUT - if you'd like to read and/or follow my main blog here's a link to my latest entry.
http://stevevernonstoryteller.wordpre...
yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
