Shanna Swendson's Blog, page 113
April 6, 2017
Weaving a Web
The bad thing about having a book boosted into bestseller ranks by something artificial like a BookBub ad is that you then have to watch it very quickly slide back into obscurity. It’s depressing to watch those numbers changing. I have to remind myself that it’s far better than if the ad hadn’t been there in the first place. I just need to get a book that makes it there on its own without any artificial manipulation like a price drop (though with publisher support). That’s one of my career aims.
As part of working toward that goal, I’m about to be getting my web site redone. The designer has a fairly extensive questionnaire so he can better know exactly what I want. I’ve started work on it, but I imagine that’s what I’ll be spending Saturday working on.
The hard part is that he asked who my top competitors are. I thought a good start would be to go to the “people who bought this also bought” for my books, but most of the people who come up aren’t what I’d consider my competition. Most of them are paranormal romances or cozy paranormal mysteries, while I’m trying to position myself in fantasy. I guess I should tell him that. There are some fairly close comparisons in some of my subgenres (especially the YA steampunk), but in fantasy there isn’t a lot that I would put in the same category as my books, which may be part of my problem. Or else the people I get compared to are way out of my league, so trying to compare myself or the kind of website I can afford to get done to them is rather pointless.
I also need to come up with examples of websites I like and don’t like. When it comes to author websites, I can find a lot I don’t like, but few I do like, that have all the information I want in a way that’s easy to find and that doesn’t look too cluttered and doesn’t make me scroll for hours to get to a spot on the page.
Are there any author websites you particularly like or don’t like?
As part of working toward that goal, I’m about to be getting my web site redone. The designer has a fairly extensive questionnaire so he can better know exactly what I want. I’ve started work on it, but I imagine that’s what I’ll be spending Saturday working on.
The hard part is that he asked who my top competitors are. I thought a good start would be to go to the “people who bought this also bought” for my books, but most of the people who come up aren’t what I’d consider my competition. Most of them are paranormal romances or cozy paranormal mysteries, while I’m trying to position myself in fantasy. I guess I should tell him that. There are some fairly close comparisons in some of my subgenres (especially the YA steampunk), but in fantasy there isn’t a lot that I would put in the same category as my books, which may be part of my problem. Or else the people I get compared to are way out of my league, so trying to compare myself or the kind of website I can afford to get done to them is rather pointless.
I also need to come up with examples of websites I like and don’t like. When it comes to author websites, I can find a lot I don’t like, but few I do like, that have all the information I want in a way that’s easy to find and that doesn’t look too cluttered and doesn’t make me scroll for hours to get to a spot on the page.
Are there any author websites you particularly like or don’t like?
April 5, 2017
Writing Truths
In my last writing post, I talked about some myths — some advice about writing that may or may not be true. Today I’ll give some advice that I think it’s safe to say is absolutely true.
1) Read
If you want to write, you need to read. If you don’t enjoy reading, then you probably won’t enjoy writing. Reading fuels writing, and loving to read is how most writers are first inspired to want to write. By reading, you internalize all the lessons about story structure, characterization, etc. In fact, I would bet that you’d get more benefit from reading a lot and never looking at how-to books or taking writing seminars than you’d get from studying writing without actually reading a lot.
What should you read? Read widely in the genre you’re writing. Read the classics in that genre so you know the foundations. Read the latest releases, bestsellers, and books by new authors so you know what’s selling now. Read the award winners so you know what’s considered good. Read outside your genre. You can learn a lot about plotting by reading mysteries, a lot about pacing by reading thrillers, a lot about emotions from reading romance, a lot about language by reading poetry. Take another look at the classics you were forced to read in school and try reading them without having to write essays or take tests about them. Read the latest thing burning up the bestseller list. Read non-fiction so you learn about the world and about people.
2) Write
I may argue with the “write every day” advice, but it’s hard to be much of a writer if you aren’t writing often and regularly. Yes, it’s important to read and study and research, but at some point, in order to be a writer, you have to write something. You have to write a lot. There are some people who are fortunate and talented who sell the first thing they write, but most writers spend a lot of time writing and write a lot of things before they actually get good at it. You wouldn’t expect to be able to play Beethoven sonatas the first time you sit down at a piano, so don’t expect to produce a publishable novel the first time you try to write. There certainly are cases of the industry not recognizing genius, but for the most part, if you’re failing it’s because you’re not good enough yet, and the best way to get better is to write more. Think of it as your practice sessions so that you learn and get good enough to perform in public.
3) Study
While it is important to write instead of deluding yourself into equating writing-related work with actual writing, it is important to learn about what you’re doing, especially when you start considering publication. I’m constantly surprised and appalled by how many people I talk to who claim to be writing seriously who seem to have absolutely no clue as to how the business works. I was recently at a party and ended up in conversation with an aspiring writer who didn’t realize when I said I was a writer that I truly was a career novelist, and she was boasting about the three books she’d written, but said she didn’t have them published because she couldn’t afford that. She didn’t understand that a publisher pays the writer. I tried to gently educate her about the difference between publishing, vanity press, and self-publishing. If you’re trying to do this, you need to know these things, and it’s ridiculously easy to learn, if you make any effort. Most libraries have a section of books on how to write and how to get published. There are writing organizations like Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America that help educate writers. There are writing conferences and conventions. There’s a wealth of information online for aspiring writers. Many editors and agents have web sites and blogs with advice on publishing. There is no excuse for being uniformed about the industry you’re trying to participate in.
4) Persist
This ties into the “write” advice above, in that it may take you some time and a lot of effort before you see success. You’ll get rejections. You’ll get criticism. You have to decide for yourself whether you can handle this. It’s okay to decide that maybe writing isn’t for you, that it’s not as much fun as it seems, that you don’t want to spend the time it takes to be able to succeed. But you have to be honest with yourself about what’s going on. If you really, truly want it, you have to keep going. You have to carry on and finish that book even though the middle is hard and you just got this other new idea. You have to slog through revisions that aren’t as much fun as the first draft. You have to take rejections and decide to try again and write something new. There’s no guarantee that you’ll succeed if you keep on, but it’s absolutely guaranteed that you won’t succeed if you give up — if you don’t finish something, don’t revise and polish it, don’t keep submitting, don’t write anything else.
So, that’s the quick (well, maybe not so quick) and easy (except not) formula for writing success: Read, write, study, persist.
1) Read
If you want to write, you need to read. If you don’t enjoy reading, then you probably won’t enjoy writing. Reading fuels writing, and loving to read is how most writers are first inspired to want to write. By reading, you internalize all the lessons about story structure, characterization, etc. In fact, I would bet that you’d get more benefit from reading a lot and never looking at how-to books or taking writing seminars than you’d get from studying writing without actually reading a lot.
What should you read? Read widely in the genre you’re writing. Read the classics in that genre so you know the foundations. Read the latest releases, bestsellers, and books by new authors so you know what’s selling now. Read the award winners so you know what’s considered good. Read outside your genre. You can learn a lot about plotting by reading mysteries, a lot about pacing by reading thrillers, a lot about emotions from reading romance, a lot about language by reading poetry. Take another look at the classics you were forced to read in school and try reading them without having to write essays or take tests about them. Read the latest thing burning up the bestseller list. Read non-fiction so you learn about the world and about people.
2) Write
I may argue with the “write every day” advice, but it’s hard to be much of a writer if you aren’t writing often and regularly. Yes, it’s important to read and study and research, but at some point, in order to be a writer, you have to write something. You have to write a lot. There are some people who are fortunate and talented who sell the first thing they write, but most writers spend a lot of time writing and write a lot of things before they actually get good at it. You wouldn’t expect to be able to play Beethoven sonatas the first time you sit down at a piano, so don’t expect to produce a publishable novel the first time you try to write. There certainly are cases of the industry not recognizing genius, but for the most part, if you’re failing it’s because you’re not good enough yet, and the best way to get better is to write more. Think of it as your practice sessions so that you learn and get good enough to perform in public.
3) Study
While it is important to write instead of deluding yourself into equating writing-related work with actual writing, it is important to learn about what you’re doing, especially when you start considering publication. I’m constantly surprised and appalled by how many people I talk to who claim to be writing seriously who seem to have absolutely no clue as to how the business works. I was recently at a party and ended up in conversation with an aspiring writer who didn’t realize when I said I was a writer that I truly was a career novelist, and she was boasting about the three books she’d written, but said she didn’t have them published because she couldn’t afford that. She didn’t understand that a publisher pays the writer. I tried to gently educate her about the difference between publishing, vanity press, and self-publishing. If you’re trying to do this, you need to know these things, and it’s ridiculously easy to learn, if you make any effort. Most libraries have a section of books on how to write and how to get published. There are writing organizations like Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America that help educate writers. There are writing conferences and conventions. There’s a wealth of information online for aspiring writers. Many editors and agents have web sites and blogs with advice on publishing. There is no excuse for being uniformed about the industry you’re trying to participate in.
4) Persist
This ties into the “write” advice above, in that it may take you some time and a lot of effort before you see success. You’ll get rejections. You’ll get criticism. You have to decide for yourself whether you can handle this. It’s okay to decide that maybe writing isn’t for you, that it’s not as much fun as it seems, that you don’t want to spend the time it takes to be able to succeed. But you have to be honest with yourself about what’s going on. If you really, truly want it, you have to keep going. You have to carry on and finish that book even though the middle is hard and you just got this other new idea. You have to slog through revisions that aren’t as much fun as the first draft. You have to take rejections and decide to try again and write something new. There’s no guarantee that you’ll succeed if you keep on, but it’s absolutely guaranteed that you won’t succeed if you give up — if you don’t finish something, don’t revise and polish it, don’t keep submitting, don’t write anything else.
So, that’s the quick (well, maybe not so quick) and easy (except not) formula for writing success: Read, write, study, persist.
April 4, 2017
Book Birthday!
It’s new book day! Rebels Rising is out now. Go, buy, read!
And before anyone asks, yes, the series will continue. I’m planning at least one more book. How many more will depend on how hard it is to get the characters out of the trouble they’re in. I don’t know when the next book will be coming. I’m tentatively planning to start writing it this fall, but that is subject to change depending on what else is going on in my life and my career, and how long it takes me to write the other things I’m trying to get written. I’m juggling a lot of stuff right now.
Other FAQ stuff:
I don’t know when/if the books in that series beyond Rebel Mechanics will be out on audio. Apparently, the sales of the first one in audio were “modest,” so the audio publisher isn’t jumping to grab rights to the rest. I don’t know how Audible membership sales affect their sales (this one was published by someone else, not Audible), so I don’t know if using Audible credits counts or if they only care about outright purchases, or what. So, anyway, the answer is still I don’t know, and I’m not sure what can be done to change that, other than perhaps requesting that your library get the CDs, which might mean enough sales that they want the rest of the series. The idea with going with that publisher in the first place, rather than Audible, was that they were supposedly good about getting their books into libraries, while Audible was at the time only talking about doing digital versions.
If you can’t find this book at your library or in your library system, you may have to request that they add it to their collection. This is different from requesting it from their collection or putting it on hold. Most libraries have some way for you to tell them about a book you want that they don’t have. You can ask a librarian about that when you visit the library. There may be a form to fill out. Your library system may also have an online form for you to request a book. Look for something like “request to add item to collection.” You just fill in the author, title and whatever other info you have (most of it you can get from the Amazon listing). You can do this for any book, audiobook, movie, CD, etc. They may or may not do it, but they do listen to what patrons want if they think it’s something more than just one person would want. In this case, there’s a pretty good chance they have the first book in the series, so they may just need cluing in that there are more books in that series.
I don’t know exactly when the next book will be out, since I don’t know for certain when I’ll be writing it. I’d guess maybe around this time next year would be likely, but that’s not set in stone.
And before anyone asks, yes, the series will continue. I’m planning at least one more book. How many more will depend on how hard it is to get the characters out of the trouble they’re in. I don’t know when the next book will be coming. I’m tentatively planning to start writing it this fall, but that is subject to change depending on what else is going on in my life and my career, and how long it takes me to write the other things I’m trying to get written. I’m juggling a lot of stuff right now.
Other FAQ stuff:
I don’t know when/if the books in that series beyond Rebel Mechanics will be out on audio. Apparently, the sales of the first one in audio were “modest,” so the audio publisher isn’t jumping to grab rights to the rest. I don’t know how Audible membership sales affect their sales (this one was published by someone else, not Audible), so I don’t know if using Audible credits counts or if they only care about outright purchases, or what. So, anyway, the answer is still I don’t know, and I’m not sure what can be done to change that, other than perhaps requesting that your library get the CDs, which might mean enough sales that they want the rest of the series. The idea with going with that publisher in the first place, rather than Audible, was that they were supposedly good about getting their books into libraries, while Audible was at the time only talking about doing digital versions.
If you can’t find this book at your library or in your library system, you may have to request that they add it to their collection. This is different from requesting it from their collection or putting it on hold. Most libraries have some way for you to tell them about a book you want that they don’t have. You can ask a librarian about that when you visit the library. There may be a form to fill out. Your library system may also have an online form for you to request a book. Look for something like “request to add item to collection.” You just fill in the author, title and whatever other info you have (most of it you can get from the Amazon listing). You can do this for any book, audiobook, movie, CD, etc. They may or may not do it, but they do listen to what patrons want if they think it’s something more than just one person would want. In this case, there’s a pretty good chance they have the first book in the series, so they may just need cluing in that there are more books in that series.
I don’t know exactly when the next book will be out, since I don’t know for certain when I’ll be writing it. I’d guess maybe around this time next year would be likely, but that’s not set in stone.
April 3, 2017
Free Time
I tried to spend most of yesterday away from the computer in spite of having a BookBub ad. I do know that I was as high as #83 overall at Amazon and the #14 overall Nook book at B&N. Kind of cool. I think that’s the best I’ve done. Today, it will obviously start sliding and I will have to force myself to ignore it because I have writing to do, and I have a new book coming out tomorrow that I need to do something about. Plus lots of business-type stuff that needs to be done.
We had the final episode of Grimm on Friday, and while I think I’ll miss it, I’m okay with it going. They took a really bad wrong turn in the previous couple of seasons that they couldn’t really recover from. It led to a situation that I couldn’t believe in. It not only seemed out of character for these people, but out of character for people, in general. This is where I have my “reasonable person” rule (as in the standard they mention during jury duty — would a reasonable person make this assumption or decision?) — if a character does, accepts, or believes something that a reasonable person would not, you have to provide an extra strong motivation or reason why this character would do so at this time and in this circumstance. They violated the “reasonable person” rule.
So that’s my Friday nights freed up now. It may be a movie night this week. Or I may go back to my old habit of having a writing marathon on Friday nights. I used to love doing that when I had a day job because that was my best writing opportunity. I’d come home from work, have dinner, then make a pot of tea and write until I couldn’t stay awake any longer. Though I doubt I’ll manage to make it as late as I did when I was 23 or so. Either I’ll do that to make more progress on the primary project, or that will be my “fun” project time — the things I want to play with. Like writing a short story, or playing with a story idea that I’m not sure is viable but I just want to see where it goes.
But first I have to write a book and launch a book and get through this week before I can get to the weekend. Next week is Holy Week, so from Sunday to Sunday it’s going to be incredibly busy for me. I need to charge up this week to be ready.
We had the final episode of Grimm on Friday, and while I think I’ll miss it, I’m okay with it going. They took a really bad wrong turn in the previous couple of seasons that they couldn’t really recover from. It led to a situation that I couldn’t believe in. It not only seemed out of character for these people, but out of character for people, in general. This is where I have my “reasonable person” rule (as in the standard they mention during jury duty — would a reasonable person make this assumption or decision?) — if a character does, accepts, or believes something that a reasonable person would not, you have to provide an extra strong motivation or reason why this character would do so at this time and in this circumstance. They violated the “reasonable person” rule.
So that’s my Friday nights freed up now. It may be a movie night this week. Or I may go back to my old habit of having a writing marathon on Friday nights. I used to love doing that when I had a day job because that was my best writing opportunity. I’d come home from work, have dinner, then make a pot of tea and write until I couldn’t stay awake any longer. Though I doubt I’ll manage to make it as late as I did when I was 23 or so. Either I’ll do that to make more progress on the primary project, or that will be my “fun” project time — the things I want to play with. Like writing a short story, or playing with a story idea that I’m not sure is viable but I just want to see where it goes.
But first I have to write a book and launch a book and get through this week before I can get to the weekend. Next week is Holy Week, so from Sunday to Sunday it’s going to be incredibly busy for me. I need to charge up this week to be ready.
Free Time
I tried to spend most of yesterday away from the computer in spite of having a BookBub ad. I do know that I was as high as #83 overall at Amazon and the #14 overall Nook book at B&N. Kind of cool. I think that’s the best I’ve done. Today, it will obviously start sliding and I will have to force myself to ignore it because I have writing to do, and I have a new book coming out tomorrow that I need to do something about. Plus lots of business-type stuff that needs to be done.
We had the final episode of Grimm on Friday, and while I think I’ll miss it, I’m okay with it going. They took a really bad wrong turn in the previous couple of seasons that they couldn’t really recover from. It led to a situation that I couldn’t believe in. It not only seemed out of character for these people, but out of character for people, in general. This is where I have my “reasonable person” rule (as in the standard they mention during jury duty — would a reasonable person make this assumption or decision?) — if a character does, accepts, or believes something that a reasonable person would not, you have to provide an extra strong motivation or reason why this character would do so at this time and in this circumstance. They violated the “reasonable person” rule.
So that’s my Friday nights freed up now. It may be a movie night this week. Or I may go back to my old habit of having a writing marathon on Friday nights. I used to love doing that when I had a day job because that was my best writing opportunity. I’d come home from work, have dinner, then make a pot of tea and write until I couldn’t stay awake any longer. Though I doubt I’ll manage to make it as late as I did when I was 23 or so. Either I’ll do that to make more progress on the primary project, or that will be my “fun” project time — the things I want to play with. Like writing a short story, or playing with a story idea that I’m not sure is viable but I just want to see where it goes.
But first I have to write a book and launch a book and get through this week before I can get to the weekend. Next week is Holy Week, so from Sunday to Sunday it’s going to be incredibly busy for me. I need to charge up this week to be ready.
We had the final episode of Grimm on Friday, and while I think I’ll miss it, I’m okay with it going. They took a really bad wrong turn in the previous couple of seasons that they couldn’t really recover from. It led to a situation that I couldn’t believe in. It not only seemed out of character for these people, but out of character for people, in general. This is where I have my “reasonable person” rule (as in the standard they mention during jury duty — would a reasonable person make this assumption or decision?) — if a character does, accepts, or believes something that a reasonable person would not, you have to provide an extra strong motivation or reason why this character would do so at this time and in this circumstance. They violated the “reasonable person” rule.
So that’s my Friday nights freed up now. It may be a movie night this week. Or I may go back to my old habit of having a writing marathon on Friday nights. I used to love doing that when I had a day job because that was my best writing opportunity. I’d come home from work, have dinner, then make a pot of tea and write until I couldn’t stay awake any longer. Though I doubt I’ll manage to make it as late as I did when I was 23 or so. Either I’ll do that to make more progress on the primary project, or that will be my “fun” project time — the things I want to play with. Like writing a short story, or playing with a story idea that I’m not sure is viable but I just want to see where it goes.
But first I have to write a book and launch a book and get through this week before I can get to the weekend. Next week is Holy Week, so from Sunday to Sunday it’s going to be incredibly busy for me. I need to charge up this week to be ready.
March 31, 2017
Good Timing
I’m in the middle of re-replotting the book I’m working on. I wasn’t crazy about what I had done at this point, but I’m not sure where to move forward with it. I can see several options for possibilities, but I don’t know which I like best. This may be a day for sitting on the patio with a whiteboard and playing with flow charts, or something. I don’t know.
Meanwhile, I’ve learned that the price drop on Enchanted, Inc. is because the publisher got a BookBub feature for it that’s running Sunday. It would have been nice if I’d known so I could have built some other publicity around it. With one of those ads, there’s always a chance of hitting a bestseller list, but it means knowing about it and timing the promotion strategically. It would mean focusing the promo and sales on the week from this Sunday through next Saturday, because that’s the reporting period. So I really shouldn’t have said anything this week in order to focus the sales at one time. Ah well, it’s a 12-year-old book, so the odds were always slim. It just would be nice to be able to put something like “USA Today bestselling author” on my covers.
And apparently even my editor didn’t know about Rebel Mechanics being picked up by Scholastic for a book club edition. Not that there’s much I can do about that to promote it, but it’s still a very cool thing that could pay off nicely for me in the long run.
The timing on both of these things is very fortunate, with a new book coming out next week. Even though the BookBub is for a different book, it still raises my overall visibility. Meanwhile, there will be one more book for all the kids who get the book club edition to go on to buy.
All this means I really need to work out the problems in the book I’m working on to have something to go out to new publishers with and capitalize on the increased visibility.
Meanwhile, I’ve learned that the price drop on Enchanted, Inc. is because the publisher got a BookBub feature for it that’s running Sunday. It would have been nice if I’d known so I could have built some other publicity around it. With one of those ads, there’s always a chance of hitting a bestseller list, but it means knowing about it and timing the promotion strategically. It would mean focusing the promo and sales on the week from this Sunday through next Saturday, because that’s the reporting period. So I really shouldn’t have said anything this week in order to focus the sales at one time. Ah well, it’s a 12-year-old book, so the odds were always slim. It just would be nice to be able to put something like “USA Today bestselling author” on my covers.
And apparently even my editor didn’t know about Rebel Mechanics being picked up by Scholastic for a book club edition. Not that there’s much I can do about that to promote it, but it’s still a very cool thing that could pay off nicely for me in the long run.
The timing on both of these things is very fortunate, with a new book coming out next week. Even though the BookBub is for a different book, it still raises my overall visibility. Meanwhile, there will be one more book for all the kids who get the book club edition to go on to buy.
All this means I really need to work out the problems in the book I’m working on to have something to go out to new publishers with and capitalize on the increased visibility.
March 30, 2017
Being an Adult
Although my designated “adulting” day yesterday mostly failed because of tiredness and headache from lack of sleep the night before, it’s been a very “adulting” week. Earlier in the week, I was being a mentor, something that still kind of blows my mind. I was involved in an honorary service organization when I was in college (you had to be nominated and selected for membership), and they’ve created an alumni group. They asked alumni to participate in a mentoring program with current members, and it turns out that there’s a member who wants to work in publishing, so I was able to describe to her what I know about the industry.
This morning I had a call with a web designer. I’m working on trying to look like a real professional, so instead of doing what I can with my own software, I’m going to let a pro work on it. It’s getting unwieldy with as much information as I have now, and the company that made my web software went out of business, so it’s not being updated or supported.
This means I’ll need to write more to pay for it, but on the other hand, maybe a good site will help sell more books.
In my Facebook “memories” for today, they gave me the post I wrote a year ago today, in which I talked about how I got the idea for the current book the night before. I’m still working on developing that idea. Monday night I got a burst of information in the shower (where the best ideas happen) that may alter things, but in a good way, and that meant figuring out how it would affect things, which ended up requiring going back to the beginning to adjust some things to set it up. I’m on about the fifth draft of the first part of the book without the book being finished, which is different from the way I normally write, but I need the beginning to be right before I can move forward. I keep having to go back to set things up properly. This tends to happen in a universe I’m still developing, as I get to know the characters and their situation.
And other than a few tasks I need to take care of, my adulting for the week is done, and it’s time to play with my imaginary friends in an imaginary world.
This morning I had a call with a web designer. I’m working on trying to look like a real professional, so instead of doing what I can with my own software, I’m going to let a pro work on it. It’s getting unwieldy with as much information as I have now, and the company that made my web software went out of business, so it’s not being updated or supported.
This means I’ll need to write more to pay for it, but on the other hand, maybe a good site will help sell more books.
In my Facebook “memories” for today, they gave me the post I wrote a year ago today, in which I talked about how I got the idea for the current book the night before. I’m still working on developing that idea. Monday night I got a burst of information in the shower (where the best ideas happen) that may alter things, but in a good way, and that meant figuring out how it would affect things, which ended up requiring going back to the beginning to adjust some things to set it up. I’m on about the fifth draft of the first part of the book without the book being finished, which is different from the way I normally write, but I need the beginning to be right before I can move forward. I keep having to go back to set things up properly. This tends to happen in a universe I’m still developing, as I get to know the characters and their situation.
And other than a few tasks I need to take care of, my adulting for the week is done, and it’s time to play with my imaginary friends in an imaginary world.
March 29, 2017
Now I've Arrived
I’m getting a late and sluggish start this morning, thanks to the thunderstorms that went through just before 3 this morning. My weather radio woke me up at about 2:15. I couldn’t hear what it was saying, so I picked up my tablet and checked Twitter, where I follow the National Weather Service and several local meteorologists, and saw that there was a tornado warning that didn’t include me, but that was heading in my direction. I turned on the TV to get the storm coverage, saw what was going on, and decided it might be a good idea to get dressed and put shoes on. I got everything ready for hitting my “safe place,” but then the warning expired before it got to me, the storm solidified into a solid line, and it went through in about ten minutes. Apparently it got nasty again because there was serious damage east of me, but it wasn’t too bad here, as far as I can tell. When I finally let myself go back to bed, it took me forever to fall asleep again.
Even aside from the storms, yesterday was a pretty eventful day. The book went up for pre-order, but I also got a lot of other book news. It seems that the e-book of the first Enchanted, Inc. book is currently available for 99 cents, so if you want a Kindle copy to supplement your paper copy, if you haven’t tried that series, or if there’s someone you’re trying to hook, now would be the time. I don’t know how long it will last.
But the really cool thing is that a high school classmate sent me a picture on Facebook of the Scholastic book order form he was passing out to his students — that had Rebel Mechanics on it! Now I feel like I’ve really arrived. Those book orders were a major part of my childhood. The day we got the order form was so exciting, and I spent quite a bit of time poring over it, trying to decide which books I wanted (since “all” wasn’t an option). I would try to be strategic with my order, finding a way to stay within my budget and still order enough stuff to get the free poster. My walls were covered with those free posters. The day the book orders came in was like Christmas. The box would be on the teacher’s desk, and there was much anticipation while she sorted things out and then passed the books out. Then there was the anticipation of getting home and being able to dig into my new books. I’d say that most of the middle grade and YA books I own came from Scholastic orders. It gives me shivers to think that other kids are out there, looking at those forms now, and trying to decide whether or not to get my book (get it!).
I think this is one reason I like ordering from Amazon. It’s a way to replicate that experience, only the catalog is much bigger. There’s still the fun of trying to order enough stuff to get free shipping (rather than a poster of a puppy), and then there’s the happy day when the box arrives.
Even aside from the storms, yesterday was a pretty eventful day. The book went up for pre-order, but I also got a lot of other book news. It seems that the e-book of the first Enchanted, Inc. book is currently available for 99 cents, so if you want a Kindle copy to supplement your paper copy, if you haven’t tried that series, or if there’s someone you’re trying to hook, now would be the time. I don’t know how long it will last.
But the really cool thing is that a high school classmate sent me a picture on Facebook of the Scholastic book order form he was passing out to his students — that had Rebel Mechanics on it! Now I feel like I’ve really arrived. Those book orders were a major part of my childhood. The day we got the order form was so exciting, and I spent quite a bit of time poring over it, trying to decide which books I wanted (since “all” wasn’t an option). I would try to be strategic with my order, finding a way to stay within my budget and still order enough stuff to get the free poster. My walls were covered with those free posters. The day the book orders came in was like Christmas. The box would be on the teacher’s desk, and there was much anticipation while she sorted things out and then passed the books out. Then there was the anticipation of getting home and being able to dig into my new books. I’d say that most of the middle grade and YA books I own came from Scholastic orders. It gives me shivers to think that other kids are out there, looking at those forms now, and trying to decide whether or not to get my book (get it!).
I think this is one reason I like ordering from Amazon. It’s a way to replicate that experience, only the catalog is much bigger. There’s still the fun of trying to order enough stuff to get free shipping (rather than a poster of a puppy), and then there’s the happy day when the box arrives.
March 28, 2017
One Week to Rebels Rising
I guess time flies when you’re busy because it’s only one week until Rebels Rising comes out!
And I have pre-order links:
Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
These are all for the e-book. It takes a little longer for the paperback and hardcover editions to come up.
And if you just want to see the cover without having to go to a bookstore site, here it is:
And I have pre-order links:
Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
These are all for the e-book. It takes a little longer for the paperback and hardcover editions to come up.
And if you just want to see the cover without having to go to a bookstore site, here it is:
March 27, 2017
Productive Year (so far)
I rewrote the first chapter on Friday and I think I’m on the right track. It’s amazing what giving your protagonist a clear-cut goal at the beginning of the story can do for your plot. Duh!
You’d think after this many books I’d have learned, but apparently not. I seem to have become overconfident and skipped ahead in the process without thinking it through.
I have a busy week ahead, with getting a book ready for publication, writing a book, and doing other business-related stuff.
It was June of last year before I’d spent as much time devoted to writing as I have this year, and last year was a pretty good year. I’m kind of excited to see how much I can get written this year if I keep it up. I’m not doing any conventions during the summer, so I should be able to get a solid streak of writing done after May. I have a couple of ideas clamoring for attention that I can’t wait to dive into.
So I guess I’d better get to work …
You’d think after this many books I’d have learned, but apparently not. I seem to have become overconfident and skipped ahead in the process without thinking it through.
I have a busy week ahead, with getting a book ready for publication, writing a book, and doing other business-related stuff.
It was June of last year before I’d spent as much time devoted to writing as I have this year, and last year was a pretty good year. I’m kind of excited to see how much I can get written this year if I keep it up. I’m not doing any conventions during the summer, so I should be able to get a solid streak of writing done after May. I have a couple of ideas clamoring for attention that I can’t wait to dive into.
So I guess I’d better get to work …
