Jae's Blog, page 44

GCLS Award Finalists 2013

I’m excited to announce that my novel Something in the Wine has been named a finalist for a “Goldie” (Golden Crown Literary Society) award in the category traditional romance.

Congratulations to all the other finalists!

Visit the GCLS’s website to take a look at the complete list of finalists.

Filed under: Something in the Wine Tagged: GCLS, literary award, Something in the WIne

Backwards to Oregon — new release and giveaway

Backwards to Oregon was an important milestone in my personal journey as a writer. It was the first original novel that I wrote in English. When it became the “story of the year” on The Athenaeum in 2007, I received hundreds of e-mails with feedback from readers. With that kind of encouragement, I took the first tentative steps toward publication. Even though I had written other novels before, Backwards to Oregon was the first book I published. I will never forget how it felt to hold a copy of it in my hands for the first time.

So it’s no wonder that Backwards to Oregon still holds a special place in my heart. It seems Luke and Nora’s story resonated with readers too. To this day, many readers write to tell me that Backwards to Oregon is one of their favorite novels.

When I switched publishers in 2012, I started to reread my old novels to prepare them for republication. I quickly realized that I didn’t want to republish Backwards to Oregon as it was. While I still love the characters and think Backwards to Oregon holds a story worth telling, I found many little—and not so little—things that needed to be changed. I have a lot more experience than I had six years ago and, hopefully, fewer bad habits.

I also added four or five new scenes that were missing in the first edition and that give us more insight into the characters.

So after many months of rewriting, revising, and editing, Backwards to Oregon once again represents an important milestone: it’s the first of my earlier novels republished by Ylva Publishing.

We added one of the “Oregon” short stories, A Rooster’s Job, to the book to give readers a glance into the Hamiltons’ lives after the end of Backwards to Oregon.

The other stories (Grasping at Straws, The Blue Hour, A Rooster’s Job, The Christmas Oak, and The Art of Pretending), along with Swept Away, a new short story about the Hamiltons, will soon be published in an anthology titled Beyond the Trail.

Backwards to Oregon is now available through Smashwords and through Amazon, and it will soon be available from many other online bookstores and as a paperback.

My publisher, Ylva Publishing, is giving away a free e-book of Backwards to Oregon. Head over to Ylva’s blog to participate in the giveaway.

I hope you enjoy the revised and expanded edition.

Jae

Filed under: Backwards to Oregon Tagged: Backwards to Oregon, historical fiction, Jae, western

Writing hours in March

March was a busy month for me. I finished the final edits of my novel Backwards to Oregon, which will be available within the next week. I also worked on Beyond the Trail, an anthology that goes with Backwards to Oregon. It should also be published in April.

I also edited an amazing book, Walking the Labyrinth by Lois Cloarec Hart, which will come out later this year.

So here are the numbers for March:

 
Writing


Beta reading / editing




January


46 hours
14 hours


February


44 hours
19 hours


March


82 hours
15 hours


TOTAL
172 hours
48 hours

 Check back soon for more news on Backwards to Oregon.

Filed under: Jae's writing process

What makes a good editor

A few months ago, people on one of the mailing lists I belong to started an interesting discussion: How do you know if the editor you or your publisher hired is a good one? Most first-time writers don’t have the skills or the experience to tell the difference between a good editor and a bad one.

During the last six years, I’ve published six novels (and I’m working on getting the first five republished and completing the seventh), two novellas, and fifteen short stories. I’ve worked with almost a dozen different editors, so I’ve learned to tell the good ones from the bad ones.

Here are a few things to look out for.

A good editor:

… is able to explain the reason behind her suggestions and changes. 


… gives constructive criticism, feedback that is honest, but encouraging. An editor who’s just flattering your ego is useless, but so is someone whose feedback is so crushing that you want to give up writing.


… will make specific suggestions about how to solve a problem, so instead of just saying “your main character needs more development,” she might say, “How about showing a bit more backstory about her divorce here?”


… should be able to rewrite sentences—more as an example of what she wants the author to do, not as a ghostwriter who will rewrite the whole book.


… respects the author’s style, voice, and vision. She’ll make suggestions to improve the manuscript, but she won’t try to make it into her own.


… is a good teacher. Working with a great editor can teach you something for all of your future works and help you become a better writer. 


… knows the market and the target audience better than you do. She knows what publishers and a particular demographic of readers is looking for.


… won’t introduce errors into your manuscript. She won’t make any changes without knowing or checking the rules, the dictionary, or the style guide. I once had an editor who arbitrarily changed quotation marks and added commas within compound predicates. Needless to say that I never worked with her again.


… should be familiar with the applicable style guide, e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style.


… is organized and disciplined. She’ll meet the deadlines and send your manuscript back on time.


… will point out the strong points of the story as well as the flaws. That way, you know what not to change, and a pat to the back is always a good motivation when it’s well-deserved.


… knows the difference between subjective taste and objective mistakes. Maybe the author’s voice differs from that of the editor, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s poor writing.


… has good interpersonal and communication skills. She won’t just pull out the red pen and start editing but will first make sure she knows what you need and expect from the editing process. Editing is an ongoing dialogue with a lot of back and forth.


… doesn’t just make changes without giving you a way to know what she has changed. She uses the “track changes” function so that authors can accept or reject changes. That allows the author to learn something for her next book and to retain full control over the manuscript. Personally, I wouldn’t want to work with an editor who is refusing to use “track changes.”


… won’t overedit and change things that don’t really need to be changed, just because it’s not the way the editor would have written it.


… doesn’t just point out errors but will make suggestions on how to realize the story’s full potential.

Any other traits or skills you want in an editor? Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Filed under: writing tips Tagged: editing, editor

Writing hours in February

I just realized I’m late with the report of my writing hours for February.

So here are the numbers:

 
Writing


Beta reading / editing




January


46 hours
14 hours


February


44 hours
19 hours


TOTAL
90 hours
33 hours

Compared to 2012, that’s 12 more hours spend writing and 26 more hours spend editing other writers’ works.

Most of my writing time in February I spent on revising Backwards to Oregon, which will be republished in May. Now I started working on putting together an anthology of short story sequels and prequels to Backwards to Oregon.

Check back at the beginning of April to see the numbers for March.

Filed under: Jae's writing process Tagged: editing hours, writing hours

Something in the Wine — Book Trailer

My publisher created a book trailer for my novel Something in the Wine.

Personally, I really love it. But then again, I might be biased

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Filed under: Something in the Wine, Uncategorized, Ylva Publishing Tagged: book trailer, lesbian romance, Something in the WIne

E-Book Giveaway

There have been a lot of book giveaways in the last few months, but my motto is: there’s no such thing as too many books, especially if they are free

To celebrate the publication of Hot Line, Alison Grey’s erotic romance novella, my publisher is giving away two e-books (and for the Germans among you, also there’s an e-book and a paperback of the German version).

The giveaway runs until the end of today (Sunday). To participate in the giveaway, leave a comment at Ylva Publishing’s blog or send an e-mail at info@ylva-verlag.de

Good luck and have a nice Sunday, everyone!

Jae

Filed under: News, Ylva Publishing Tagged: book giveaway, Hot Line

Free short story for Valentine’s Day

Dear readers,

Valentine’s Day is a day dedicated to lovers, but it isn’t just a day for couples and romance. Love is worth celebrating in every form. For many people, Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to show affection and to say thank you to the important people in their lives.

I want to take this opportunity to spread the love and say thank you to my readers by giving away my newest short story, Seduction for Beginners, on Valentine’s Day. The story is available for free from now on until the end of February 14.

Seduction for Beginners is a mini sequel to my novel Something in the Wine (available on Amazon, Smashwords, Bella Books, and many other online bookstores), in which Annie and Drew met and fell in love, turning especially Annie’s life upside down. The short story will now give you a glimpse of the next step in their relationship.

Here’s a short summary:

For Annie, work always took precedence over romance. But now, recently come-out and involved in a relationship with a woman for the first time, Annie is determined to seduce her girlfriend, Drew, on Valentine’s Day.  Unfortunately, she has no clue as to the arts of seduction.

Here’s the link.

Also, just in time for Valentine’s Day, my friend and fellow Ylva Publishing writer Alison Grey has a new book out! Hot Line, is an erotic romance novella of about 27,000 words. It’s available at Smashwords and Amazon for $3.99. You can read the blurb here.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Jae

Filed under: News, Ylva Publishing Tagged: free short story, Hot Line, Seduction for Beginners, Something in the WIne, Valentine's Day

10 tips for working with an editor

In the last post, I talked about how to find an editor. Let’s assume your search for the right editor was successful and now the editing will begin. Many first-time authors enter the editorial process with some trepidation, worried about what the editor will do to their “baby,” but there’s no need for that. The editing process should go smoothly if you keep a few simple things in mind:

Remember that the editor is an ally, not an enemy. You and your editor are working together to produce the best book possible. Don’t take criticism of your story as a personal attack. It might hurt to read some of the feedback, but the editor is only trying to make your manuscript better.
Set aside your ego and your fears and approach your editor’s suggestions with an open mind. Remember that old saying: Minds are like parachutes. They work best when they’re open. If you’re not open to your editor’s suggestions, you’re wasting your time and your or your publisher’s money. So don’t slip into a defensive attitude. Most writers I know (myself included) are very protective of their story and its characters. That’s understandable. But if you’re busy defending your manuscript, you lose the chance to listen and learn.
Take some time to carefully think about the editor’s suggestions. Take a step back and try to see where the editor is coming from. Never send off an e-mail to the editor right after you read her feedback. Get some professional distance first. Writing coach Holly Lisle’s first rule for working with an editor is to “shut mouth, open ears.” She advises writers to write down everything the editor says, even if you don’t agree with it, then to ask for some time to let it all sink in before discussing it with the editor.
There’s no need to be afraid that the editor will change your story into something that you won’t even recognize anymore. A good editor won’t rewrite your book for you; she’ll make you do all the work. The editor’s goal is to make your work the best it can be, not to turn it into her own story.
A good editor is right more often than not, but they’re human, so even editors are wrong sometimes. Most often, it’s not even a matter of who’s right and who’s wrong; you just disagree. It’s okay to disagree with your editor, but don’t let it became a power struggle. Talk about it in a respectful way, let the editor explain why she feels the change is necessary, explain what you were trying to do with the scene, and try to find a compromise. Most often, it turns out that the best solution might not be what the editor suggested, but that there’s still a problem in the scene that needs to be addressed.
The editor’s suggestions are exactly that—suggestions that are meant to help you improve your story. The editor suggests; she doesn’t dictate. Since it’s your name on the cover, a good editor won’t make any changes without your approval.
Most of the editor’s suggestions are more than the subjective opinion and personal preferences of one person. A good editor bases her suggestions on years of experience and on her knowledge of the writing craft, grammar rules, and style guides. She’s familiar with the market and the expectations of your target audience, and she has a professional distance, so she might see flaws that you as the writer don’t see because you’re too close to your work.
Among many things, editors are readers. If the editor expresses concerns about one aspect of your story, other readers might too. You can’t afford to dismiss it out of hand.
Try to communicate with your editor. I’m often amazed at how many writers don’t communicate well. Ask questions if you’re not sure you understand or if you need more help or information.
Please don’t justify yourself by saying, “But X [insert name of a famous, bestselling author] does this too.” First, it’s possible that a really experienced writer can pull off what you were trying to do. Second, that author’s book sells well despite, not because of her head hopping, overuse of adverbs, or anything else she might be doing.

Can you think of anything else that might be helpful when working with an editor? Leave a comment, please.

Filed under: writing tips Tagged: editing, editor, working with an editor

Tips for finding an editor

In past blog articles, I talked about why you need an editor. But where can you find a good editor? How can you avoid hiring an incompetent editor who will do more harm than good?

I suggest you check out several different editors. Ask other your writer friends or published authors whose books you liked about their editor. Search the Internet, e.g., blogs about editing, editors’ websites, etc. Organizations such as the Editorial Freelancers Association (US), the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (UK), the Institute of Professional Editors (Australia), the Editors’ Association of Canada, or the New Zealand Association of Manuscript Assessors (New Zealand) also have lists of members.

After you have found several potential editors for your book, try to get more information about them.

Qualification and experience: Look at the editor’s website. It should display a bio or some information about the editor’s background. Does she have an academic degree? Has she ever worked in the publishing industry? If the editor has worked for a reputable publisher in the past, that’s a big plus, but it’s not automatically a disqualification if she hasn’t. How long has she been editing? Is she a successful writer too? That might be a plus for a developmental editor.
References and testimonials: On their websites, most editors will name a list of books they worked on. Ask for a list of completed projects and contact a few of the authors with whom the editor has worked before. What do these former clients say about the editor?
Track record: Also, check out the books the editor worked on. Read an excerpt to make sure there are no mistakes that the editor overlooked. Read reviews of the books. Do they mention big flaws that the editor should have caught? Have some of the books the editor worked on been published by a traditional publisher, or are they all self-published books?
Check websites such as Preditors & Editors, Writer Beware, Absolut Write, and WritersWeekly to see if anything negative has been posted about the editor before you hire her. But, of course, keep in mind that just one disgruntled customer doesn’t necessarily mean an editor is a fraud.
Editor’s website: Does the editor’s website look professional? Does it have any spelling/grammar mistakes? If the editor can’t even correct mistakes on her own website, she probably won’t find them in your manuscript either.
Type of editing : Make sure the editor provides the type of editing you want or need. A copy editor will not help you with plot holes, while most content editors won’t correct your spelling mistakes. Once you contact the editor, make sure you find out what exactly the editor will be looking for and what she won’t do.
Genre: Most editors specialize in certain areas—nonfiction, fiction, technical writing, etc. Fiction editors often specialize in specific genres. If you write romance, it won’t help you much to hire an editor who has only worked on mysteries before. Look for an editor who has experience in your genre.
Fees : Check to see if the editor’s website gives you an idea about the costs of editing. Some editors have hourly rates, so the total costs depend on the length of the manuscript and the quality of writing. Other editors have flat rates that are based on word count. If the website doesn’t have information about the editing fees, ask the editor. After taking a look at your manuscript or a sample edit, the editor should be able to give you a rough estimation of how many working hours will go into editing the manuscript and how much it will cost. Be aware that the editor with the lowest cost isn’t necessarily the best choice.
Sample edit: Most editors offer free sample edits (usually 1,000 words) or at least a sample edit at a very low price. So once you narrowed it down to one or two editors, contact them and request a sample edit. That way you can make sure the editor is a good match for you and your book. Are the editor’s comments clear and helpful? Is the editor merely correcting spelling mistakes, or does she make suggestions to improve the book? Do you like her style of communication?
Editing tools: You might want to ask the editor which style guide she uses and whether she’ll provide you with a style sheet. If she doesn’t know what the heck you’re talking about, she’s not a professional editor.
Editing method: Make sure the editor’s preferred working method fits your needs. Some editors edit onscreen, using MS Word’s Track Changes and comments. Other editors edit the old-fashioned way with red ink on a hard copy of the manuscript. Never hire an editor who makes changes in your document without marking them so you can see what she did.

Does anyone else have tips for how to choose an editor? Please leave a comment.

Filed under: writing tips Tagged: editing, editor, finding an editor