Janalyn Voigt's Blog, page 34
April 15, 2011
Janalyn Voigt's Weekly Wrap
It's been a tough week with the passing of a beloved family member. I take comfort that my mother-in-law lived a long, full life.
We can easily forget as we go through the daily grind to look up and notice one another. Times of loss serve as a reminder to truly love and truly live.
This week's links:
Live Write Breathe: Keep Readers in the Loop with an Alexa Toolbar
You can keep readers informed by offering a toolbar with quick links to your blog posts, Facebook Page and recent tweets. I see an application for writers who already have an active fan base. The following brief video explains how to create your own toolbar and embed it on your site. (Read More.)
Author Haven: World's First Heads-Up Display E-Reader
Here's a bit of fun, just 'cause. (Read More)
Book Readers Central: Whistlestop Book Review: An Uncommon Crusade by Caron Guillo
Simon, who has left his training as a monk, carries stolen parchments containing the Word of God.
Hugo is a cottager eager to escape the bondage of servitude.
Golden and beautiful, Kateline wears rags with the grace of a noblewoman.
Elizabeth, a victim of rape condemned by her village's priest, believes she must reach the Holy Land and fight for Christ to exonerate herself. When things start to go wrong, she's certain it's a result of her "curse."
An Uncommon Crusade tells the story of these and ten thousand other children who… (Read More)
Meet and Greet: Ann Shorey
Book Giveaway Drawing!
Read the details later in this post.
Ann Shorey has been a story collector for most of her life and a full-time writer for over 20 years. Her writing appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma's Soul and theAdams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut the The Edge of Light. Book one in the At Home in Beldon Grove series released in January 2009. The third book in the series, The Dawn of a Dream, will release in April of 2011.
Ann says she's tempted to thank Peet's coffee and Dove chocolates when she writes the acknowledgements for her books.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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April 9, 2011
Keep Readers in the Loop with an Alexa Toolbar
You can keep readers informed by offering a toolbar with quick links to your blog posts, Facebook Page and recent tweets. I see an application for writers who already have an active fan base. The following brief video explains how to create your own toolbar and embed it on your site.
The Alexa Toolbar Creator from Alexa Internet on Vimeo.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
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April 8, 2011
Janalyn Voigt's Weekly Wrap #5
In the same way that trees endure and strengthen when buffeted by strong winds, I've survived a week of challenges. If you also face difficulties, plant your roots deep and let yourself bend to survive them.
Note to Self: Don't Let Your Writing Die
When I plant seeds in my garden, I believe they will sprout and draw nourishment from sun, rain and soil. The very act of planting, then, becomes an act of faith.
Writing requires faith, too. (Read More)
Author Haven
Novel Craft Writing Workshop: Ending Well
Let's say you've written a compelling black moment that leads to an epiphany. With a new mindset, your main character makes a big decision that sooner or later will bring victory against a problem or antagonist which previously seemed insurmountable.
Okay, now what?
The resolution of a plot isn't the place for the writer to relax. Here's how to end well: (Read More)
Book Readers Central
Meet and Greet: Laurie V. Hilton
Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor's wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools her children. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.
She is the author of Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past from Treble Heart Books and a devotional in a compilation from Zondervan. The first book "Patchwork Dreams" in her Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House will release in April 2011, the second book in September 2011, and the third in April 2012. Laura has her business degree from Ozarka and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. As a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, Laura has over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites. (Read More)
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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April 2, 2011
Note to Self: Don't Let Your Writing Die
When I plant seeds in my garden, I believe they will sprout and draw nourishment from sun, rain and soil. The very act of planting, then, becomes an act of faith.
Writing requires faith, too.
Seeds may sprout but they won't flourish in poor soil. I must first loosen the soil, break up clods, remove rocks, extricate weeds, and add compost. Seedlings require water on a regular basis during dry spells. And even then, weeds can overwhelm fledgling plants.
In the same way, my writing projects won't grow if I don't give them the time and attention they need, even when it's hard. If I don't pluck weedlings of doubt, worry and discouragement from my thinking, negativity may well deny my projects the light of life. It requires an attitude of humility for me to learn, take advice and accept criticism. And yet, I must have the self-confidence and courage to reject my own disbelief, as well as the disbelief of others. I have to confront and remove every obstacle that will budge and grow around those that won't. Only when I enrich myself as a writer will my writing thrive.
Note to Self: Tend all your gardens.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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April 1, 2011
Janalyn Voigt's Weekly Wrap #4
This week saw a self-published author at the center of a flame war due to her response to a bad review. As artists, writers can be thin-skinned when it comes to criticism. Regular practice helps. I recommend all writers participate in a critique group or submit to a critique partner on a regular basis. Options are available both online and off.
I completed and submitted sample chapters for my historical romance work-in-progress. I'm taking the opportunity to grab a bit of research and write a sample scene for a new historical fantasy series idea, and then I'll dive back into historical romance by putting together sample chapters for another work-in-progress. I'll only write one book at a time, but it's time for me to line up new projects and branch out as a writer.
If you signed up for my email list, don't worry that I haven't sent you anything yet. I'm currently changing email list managers.
This week's links:
10 Publishing Trends You Don't Want to Miss
Confused by rapid-fire changes in the publishing landscape? The following posts give an analysis of 10 publishing predictions. (Read More)
Scarlett O'Hara and the Big Decision
The climax of a story is the turning point where the main character, after the black moment leads to an epiphany, makes a single big decision based on a changed definition of reality and so defeats a previously undefeatable adversary. There's nothing intimidating about that, right? (Read More)
Lisa Harris is an award-winning author who has over 20 novels and novella collections in print. She and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live near the Indian Ocean in Mozambique as missionaries. As a homeschooling mom, life can get hectic, but she sees her writing as an extension of her ministry, which also includes running a non-profit organization. The ECHO Project works in southern Africa promoting Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way for her to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice" (Proverbs 31:8).
When she's not working Lisa loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, and heading into the African bush on safari. (Read More)
And We Have a Winner!!! "Abigail's New Hope" by Mary Ellis
Click to read who won. Thanks, everyone, for participating.
Whistlestop Book Review: "Kaydie" by Penny Zeller
Pregnant and widowed in the Wild West, Kaydie would seem to need a husband. That's not how she sees it, though. After a bad marriage to an abusive man, she wants nothing more to do with romantic love. (Read More)
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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March 26, 2011
10 Publishing Trends You Don't Want to Miss
Janalyn Voigt
Confused by rapid-fire changes in the publishing landscape? The following posts give an analysis of 10 publishing predictions.
1. Self-Publishing Will Lose Its Stigma
One of the media transformations I expect to take place over the next 10 years, if not sooner, is that book publishing will become more blog-like — that is, micropublishing, the interest of the New York houses in putting out blockbusters, and the decline of the industry (and its retail counterpart) generally will lead to a proliferation of vanity presses that will, over time, lose their stigma. ~ David McCarthy
2. Motion Comics will Evolve into a New Form of Entertainment
Motion graphic novels will continue to evolve with the likes of new mobile devices such as the iPad and iPod Touch. They will become a new form of entertainment and something of great value to new and avid comic book fans. ~ Nick Defina
3. Large Publishers Will Restructure Themselves
So, unless one CEO arises who, I'm appalled to see myself write, lays off about 50% of the workforce and utterly reconstitutes the company (as IBM did 1990-1995) all the aforementioned leads to one significant prediction — that all the giant publishers will be pygmies in ten years, publishing perhaps 100 books a year, all blockbusters or would-be blockbusters, and continually under threat of going out of business.~ Richard Eoin Nash
4. More People Will Become Published Writers
If the big six NY book publishers (the fat head) today publish 50% of what's sold, and the long tail of thousands of indie publishers comprise the rest, then 10 years from now the fat head will shrink to 10% and the long tail will get both taller and longer. There will be more published authors than ever before, and collectively they will earn record revenues, yet individually the average "published" author 10 years from now will earn less than the average "commercially published" author today. Advantage will go to those with best ability to reach their audience. ~ Jeff Rivera
5. E-books Will Gain in Popularity
In the next twelve months the relationship between book content, online content, marketing materials, ad campaigns and experimentation will continue to break down, seeing the development of a new style of work that exists somewhere between them all.~ Michael Bhaskar
6. Media-Savvy Authors Will Gain an Advantage
Ideally, promotion will begin much earlier – perhaps even the minute the book's contract has been signed – and continue much longer than 60 days beyond the launch date. This is a model used in both the music and entertainment industries (both of which have much more expensive production costs) – so why not for books? ~ Josie Brown
7. The Memoir Genre Will Continue to Grow
Memoir has been a popular genre these past several years, and I don't think it will fade any time soon. In 2010, we will continue to see a rise in the number of published memoirs and the genre will become even more creative. ~ Matilda Butler
8. Books Won't Have a Minimum Length Requirement
Ebooks that are too short to be print books will become a real factor in ebook sales, opening up new opportunities for publishers but even more for authors. ~ Mike Shatzkin
9. More Small Print and E-book Publishers Will Start Up
First, 2011 will be the year of the publishing start-up. I think we're going to see an explosion of new companies. Technology changes (in the way books are written, edited, acquired, produced, marketed and sold) have slowly re-shaped the large publishing houses. But those houses have tried to keep the same basic model in place for how they run their businesses. Now we're going to see a bunch of small, print and e-book publishers arise who are faster, more nimble, and conduct business in an entirely new way. ~ Chip MacGregor
10. Rights Negotiations Will Take Longer
Agents will become more aggressive in pursuing more rights to each book causing pre contract negotiations to take longer than ever before; bigger authors will push to sell only print rights to publishers. ~ Jane Dystel
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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March 25, 2011
Janalyn Voigt's Weekly Wrap #3
This week went by in a whirlwind while I edited sample chapters for a historical fiction work-in-progress, read a book for endorsement and fine-tuned my Web site. I've spent long hours at the computer and look forward to a little time off on the weekend.
I planted peas and potatoes and began my annual dandelion hunt (always a challenge). I'm attempting to follow the advice of Carla Emrys, author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living, and plant something every day until harvest, and then harvest something every day after that. We'll see. That may be too ambitious given the realities of life as a debut author. I like the idea, though.
Spring has arrived in my neck of the woods, and I couldn't be happier. I hope you will remember to celebrate spring in your own fashion. Now is the time to work hard, so that in summer, you can enjoy the benefit of your labors with friends and family.
Read an Excerpt from DawnSinger.
This Week's Posts:
Live Write Breathe
Tips and Strategies for the Working Writer
Newsy Notes ~ Publishing Prediction #10 Rights Negotiations Will Take Longer
Confused by rapid-fire changes in the publishing landscape? Here's a link to an article covering one of ten publishing predictions I've covered on this blog. I give an analysis of the post and my own take on the prediction. Too read them all, type "publishing predictions in the search box at the top of the page at http://janalynvoigt.com.
Agents will become more aggressive in pursuing more rights to each book causing pre contract negotiations to take longer than ever before; bigger authors will push to sell only print rights to publishers. Jane Dystel Read More.
Author Haven
Your Online Writing Retreat.
Novel Craft Writing Workshop: Scarlett O'Hara and the Epiphany Moment
Epiphany: A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something. The Free Dictionary
An epiphany is a sudden, unexpected moment of revelation. This revelation is often of an inspirational nature. It's not about something your main character needs to do, although it certainly leads to your plot's resolution. The epiphany is an internal revelation by your main character of a heretofore hidden truth about your main character.
Let's Get Back to Scarlett. Read More.
Book Readers Central
a reader's guide
Book Giveaway Drawing!
Mary Ellis grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish community, Geauga County, where her parents often took her to farmer's markets and woodworking fairs. She loved their peaceful, agrarian lifestyle, their respect for the land, and their strong sense of Christian community. She met her husband in college and they married six days after graduation.
She, her husband, dog and cat now live in Medina County, close to the largest population of Amish in the country—a four-county area in central Ohio. They often take weekend trips to purchase produce, research for her best-selling books, and enjoy a simpler way of life.
Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught Middle School in Sheffield Lake, Ohio and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate for twenty years—a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. All three of her Miller Family series, A Widow's Hope, Never Far from Home, and The Way to a Man's Heart have made the CBA and CBD bestseller lists. A Widow's Hope was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards for 2010 in the long contemporary category, and a runner-up in the 2010 Holt Medallion Awards. Read more.
Who said this? Author Trivia Quiz
Surprise Pop Quiz!
Name the quoted author. Answers follow. Read More.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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Janalyn Voigt's Friday Wrap #3
This week went by in a whirlwind while I edited sample chapters for a historical fiction work-in-progress, read a book for endorsement and fine-tuned my Web site. I've spent long hours at the computer and look forward to a little time off on the weekend.
I planted peas and potatoes and began my annual dandelion hunt (always a challenge). I'm attempting to follow the advice of Carla Emrys, author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living, and plant something every day until harvest, and then harvest something every day after that. We'll see. That may be too ambitious given the realities of life as a debut author. I like the idea, though.
Spring has arrived in my neck of the woods, and I couldn't be happier. I hope you will remember to celebrate spring in your own fashion. Now is the time to work hard, so that in summer, you can enjoy the benefit of your labors with friends and family.
Read an Excerpt from DawnSinger.
This Week's Posts:
Live Write Breathe
Tips and Strategies for the Working Writer
Newsy Notes ~ Publishing Prediction #10 Rights Negotiations Will Take Longer
Confused by rapid-fire changes in the publishing landscape? Here's a link to an article covering one of ten publishing predictions I've covered on this blog. I give an analysis of the post and my own take on the prediction. Too read them all, type "publishing predictions in the search box at the top of the page at http://janalynvoigt.com.
Agents will become more aggressive in pursuing more rights to each book causing pre contract negotiations to take longer than ever before; bigger authors will push to sell only print rights to publishers. Jane Dystel Read More.
Author Haven
Your Online Writing Retreat.
Novel Craft Writing Workshop: Scarlett O'Hara and the Epiphany Moment
Epiphany: A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something. The Free Dictionary
An epiphany is a sudden, unexpected moment of revelation. This revelation is often of an inspirational nature. It's not about something your main character needs to do, although it certainly leads to your plot's resolution. The epiphany is an internal revelation by your main character of a heretofore hidden truth about your main character.
Let's Get Back to Scarlett. Read More.
Book Readers Central
a reader's guide
Book Giveaway Drawing!
Mary Ellis grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish community, Geauga County, where her parents often took her to farmer's markets and woodworking fairs. She loved their peaceful, agrarian lifestyle, their respect for the land, and their strong sense of Christian community. She met her husband in college and they married six days after graduation.
She, her husband, dog and cat now live in Medina County, close to the largest population of Amish in the country—a four-county area in central Ohio. They often take weekend trips to purchase produce, research for her best-selling books, and enjoy a simpler way of life.
Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught Middle School in Sheffield Lake, Ohio and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate for twenty years—a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. All three of her Miller Family series, A Widow's Hope, Never Far from Home, and The Way to a Man's Heart have made the CBA and CBD bestseller lists. A Widow's Hope was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards for 2010 in the long contemporary category, and a runner-up in the 2010 Holt Medallion Awards. Read more.
Who said this? Author Trivia Quiz
Surprise Pop Quiz!
Name the quoted author. Answers follow. Read More.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
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March 21, 2011
Newsy Notes Publishing Predictions #10: Rights Negotiations Will Take Longer
Confused by rapid-fire changes in the publishing landscape? Here's a link to an article covering one of ten publishing predictions I've covered on this blog. I give an analysis of the post and my own take on the prediction. Too read them all, type "publishing predictions in the search box at the top of the page at http://janalynvoigt.com.
This week's link:
Agents will become more aggressive in pursuing more rights to each book causing pre contract negotiations to take longer than ever before; bigger authors will push to sell only print rights to publishers. Jane Dystel: Book Publishing in the Next 10 Years (Galley Cat)
Points of Interest to Writers:
Publishing houses will continue to consolidate.
Publishers will push for more rights.
Agents will push to retain rights for writers.
Publishers will stop "windowing" e-books.
Territorial disputes will result due to the increasing popularity of e-readers and e-book smart phone apps.
We'll see another big young adult series like Twilight and Harry Potter.
Trade paperbacks will increase.
Advances will decrease for most authors, but big names will receive higher advances.
An agent's role will evolve as writers take on more responsibilities.
My take:
I think Jane's prediction is well-founded. With e-books and self-publishing eroding print book sales, publishers will need to push for more rights to survive. At the same time, authors won't want to give up those rights, especially since they are taking on more and more of the burden for promotion of their books for smaller advances. Agents, who receive their pay from author's advances, will be hard hit if they can't negotiate additional income from rights sales. This scenario will lead to protracted negotiations.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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March 18, 2011
Janalyn Voigt's Weekly Wrap
This week I developed a scheduling tool to manage life as a writer, since I just wasn't getting to everything. My tool is still in the testing stages, but when it's finished, I plan to offer it free on my Web site. It's already shown me where I need to cut back in order to allow myself the time to take care of the most important tasks, and it's helped me meet a few deadlines. I'll keep you posted on how well it works and when it becomes available.
Another highlight of the week was that I received advanced reader copies of DawnSinger, my debut novel, in the mail. I had no idea they were coming because my editor deliberately let me think she wanted to wait a bit longer. She got me, all right! As a book reviewer and literary contest judge, I often receive book parcels in the mail. It was still a little early for a contest I'm judging to send me books, but I figured that's where the parcel came from. Imagine my surprise when I noticed my editor's name on the package, and then found copies of my own book inside. I can't describe the feeling, but it's a memorable experience.
Read an Excerpt from DawnSinger.
Live Write Breathe
tips and strategies for working writers
Publishing Prediction #9: More Small Print & E-Book Publishers Will Start Up in 2011
Confused by rapid-fire changes in the publishing landscape? Here's a link to an article covering one of ten publishing predictions I'll cover on consecutive weeks. I give an analysis of the post and my own take on the prediction.
First, 2011 will be the year of the publishing start-up. I think we're going to see an explosion of new companies. Technology changes (in the way books are written, edited, acquired, produced, marketed and sold) have slowly re-shaped the large publishing houses. But those houses have tried to keep the same basic model in place for how they run their businesses. Now we're going to see a bunch of small, print and e-book publishers arise who are faster, more nimble, and conduct business in an entirely new way. ~ Chip MacGregor
Speed in Writing: Can You Compete with the Hocking Principle?
Self-published Amanda Hocking is now a millionairess due to sales of her 99-cent Kindle novels. The ripple effect of this to the publishing world won't be seen in its entirety for some time.
Author Haven
your online writing retreat
Novel Craft ~ Novel Writing Workshop: Create a Gripping Black Moment
It's always darkest before the dawn. A wise writer proves out this proverb and leads the main character by steps to a "black moment," a time when despair wins the day and lies seem true. Formidable obstacles stand in the way of ever obtaining the desired goal, and all hope dies. Defeat seems eminent, even inevitable.
Book Readers Central
a readers' guide
Educated in Bermuda, England and Canada, Catherine holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto. When she's not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. Catherine and her husband live on the beautiful island of Bermuda, with their two college-aged children. Catherine is a member of Romance Writers of America, and American Christian Fiction Writers, and is a founding member of International Christian Fiction Writers. Catherine's debut novelYesterday's Tomorrow, will release in March 2011, through Oak Tara Publishers.
Whistlestop Book Review: Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes
Set in Virginia during a time of strained relations between America and Britain, Lady in the Mist tells the story of a midwife caught between a past love and a British bondsman who is not all he seems.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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