Janalyn Voigt's Blog, page 42
November 25, 2010
Notes to Self: One Foot Before the Other
My personality type is often called "visionary." That's a glorified term for someone who dreams of conquering worlds. While people with visionary personalities have their strengths, we can with relative ease bite off more than we can chew. It's hard to ignore a plethora of wonderful ideas, all pulling at your attention span.
As a writer who wants to actually produce books, however, I have to pace myself. For me that means I focus on one project at a time but alternate as needed to meet deadline demands. I have to watch myself, though, or I'll over-schedule and lose my hard-won balance.
I write this in the wake of DawnSinger edits, which put my life in crisis for several weeks because I also thought I had time to write an elf story. It worked out, and my story made it as a finalist for possible inclusion in Port Yonder Press's upcoming elf anthology, but I did pay a price in stress.
I'm not sorry I wrote the story, but I can't always chase elves when I should be editing.
Note to Self: Pace yourself.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 24, 2010
Newsy Notes: Ebook sales almost double & cut into print book sales, Storytelling Beyond the Ebook
Ebook Purchases Cut into Print Book Purchases
Ebook consumers say they are buying more books overall, but fewer in print, and are decreasing their total dollars spent, according to new research from the Book Industry Study Group (BISG). ~ Book Industry Study Group
Highlights of interest to writers
Ebook purchases now directly impact publisher's bottom line.
Retailers are consulted over publishers for information on ebooks.
General Fiction and mysteries are fast-growing genres within the ebook market.E-book Sales Almost Double in 2010
eBook sales almost doubled over 2010 and now make up 9% of total consumer book sales, according to the Association of American Publishers. ~ ReadWriteWeb
Top Trends of 2010: Growth of eBooks & eReaders
Highlights of interest to writers
A price war for sales of ereaders drove sales of ebooks.
An analysis of the pros and cons of both paper and ebooks.Penguin Looks at Storytelling Beyond the Ebook
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 23, 2010
Novel Notes: Wins and Losses
My elf story made it to the list of finalists for possible inclusion in Port Yonder Press's first Elf Anthology.
I participated in the Clash of the Titles competition for "best back cover blurb" but lost to my competitor, JoAnn Durgin. I enjoyed the competition and look forward to taking part in COTT's annual round-up of participants. I'll provide more information on that soon.
Anna OBrien, the cover artist, and I should finish playing with the heroine's hair and clean up the last details of the cover soon.
I completed and returned "edits" for DawnSinger yesterday. I'll take a breather for Thanksgiving and then work with artist Holly Heisey on fantasy maps for inclusion in DawnSinger. I'll also put together a glossary and other such details. After that I should be free to finish second-pass editing of DawnKing (book two of Tales of Faeraven). You may recall I was just three chapters from completion when I had to set it aside. After that, I'll let DawnKing rest while I research Hills of Nevermore (my historical fiction work-in-progress). Oh, and revise an elf story. J
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
My elf story made it to the list of finalists for possib...
My elf story made it to the list of finalists for possible inclusion in Port Yonder Press's first Elf Anthology.
I participated in the Clash of the Titles competition for "best back cover blurb" but lost to my competitor, JoAnn Durgin. I enjoyed the competition and look forward to taking part in COTT's annual round-up of participants. I'll provide more information on that soon.
Anna OBrien, the cover artist, and I should finish playing with the heroine's hair and clean up the last details of the cover soon.
This week I heard from David Boyer, who interviewed me for his Walking a Thin Line: Faith in Fiction. An excerpt from DawnSinger will appear in this book. He's shopping it around and believes it will place soon. I'll keep you posted on progress. My best wishes and many thanks go to David.
I completed and returned "edits" for DawnSinger yesterday. I'll take a breather for Thanksgiving and then work with artist Holly Heisey on fantasy maps for inclusion in DawnSinger. I'll also put together a glossary and other such details. After that I should be free to finish second-pass editing of DawnKing (book two of Tales of Faeraven). You may recall I was just three chapters from completion when I had to set it aside. After that, I'll let DawnKing rest while I research Hills of Nevermore (my historical fiction work-in-progress). Oh, and revise an elf story. J
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 22, 2010
Quick Notes ~ Flooded with Email? 7 Easy Ways to Turn Down the Spigot
Drowning in incoming email?
These days, instruction-based marketing delivers quality content to our inboxes in droves, but trying to drink from the fire hose spewing virtual information can stop you in your tracks and even knock you down. With water everywhere, you can still die of thirst.
With the hose aimed straight at you, it's hard to reach the faucet, let alone turn it down, but making the effort will yield results. You can follow my Email Blitz and manage your email account, but you can't hyper-focus on email forever. To truly free yourself, turn down the fire hose:
Pick one newsletter, ezine, blog or other regularly emailed item to unsubscribe from per day until you've reduced your load to those items you actually read. No havering here: you either read it or you don't. Just wanting to read something doesn't mean you will. If you don't have time now, you probably won't have time in the future.
Now, change any settings for online accounts that send you unneeded emails or duplicated information. Examples include Facebook friend requests, comments to forum posts and notifications that your friends have updated their page. Instead, set up a schedule right in a calendar program that lets you enter repeating events with one reminder email. That way you'll know when it's time to visit virtual library sites, forums and groups without having to check a calendar, and you won't need all those separate emails to remind you.
Politely asks anyone who regularly forwards emails they enjoy to you. Tell them that, while it's sweet of them to think of you, time constraints prevent you from opening these types of emails from anyone.
If you have a problem unsubscribing to any regularly emailed item or if an offender won't stop forwarding "fun" emails, don't waste time sorting out confusing software and more confusing people. Just set up a filter in your email account that will direct all such emails straight to the trash without your ever having to see them.
If you receive something by email you always print and read, see if there's a paper copy available free, instead.
Change the settings of all your groups so you can read and respond to posts on the Web. Often you can subscribe to group and forum feeds that will deliver posts right into an online feed reader. The quickest way to discover to existence of a feed is by looking in the address bar where you type the site URL. You will see a red-and-white feed symbol if a feed is present, like the ones, below. Click it to add this feed to your reader. If there is no feed symbol, cut and paste the URL and then add it as a feed in Google Reader (see tutorial). Google Reader will attempt to notify you of updates to the URL address you input.
If your incoming emails still flood you, go back through steps 1-6 as many times as you need to until you've reduced your load to a manageable level. Be wary of giving out your email address to any but sites you trust.
Be bull-headed. Take charge. Remember, email is your tool, not the other way around. Let only the information you need to drink in through that hose.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 21, 2010
Reader Notes ~ Featured Book Video: "Havah" by Tosca Lee
Tosca Lee paints an unforgettable picture of the fall of man in Havah, the story of Eve, her latest novel from B&H Publishers. Lee's lyrical style lends beauty to the Garden of Eden, and touches of poetry and humor throughout the book enliven an otherwise dark story of love and loss.
The frank portrayal of some of the age-old struggles of femininity will endear Eve to the reader. Women in particular can relate to the curiosity and pique which leads her into peril. We understand on a visceral level her longing for Adam's return to her arms after a fight. Her weariness when overworked resonates with us. Her desire to see her children happy echoes our own.
Harder to accept are… Read my entire review: go to Novel Books.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 20, 2010
Grace Notes ~ When Discouragement Calls Your Name
Some things make life as a writer worthwhile despite the struggles. You win a contest, find an agent and land a contract. You launch your book with parties, signings and interviews – all with you, the author, at center. You're sought after as a speaker. People remember your name. You begin to feel like someone who won a coin toss.
But sometimes, just when you grow comfortable, the coin flips. You can't sell your next proposal, your relationship with your agent takes a nosedive or a contract falls through. Someone else gets that speaking engagement or a prominent reviewer shreds your book. It's easy at such moments to want to chuck it all.
Don't.
It's not my intent to make light of your pain. Discouragement hurts. But these low points provide the opportunity to stretch and grow. If you lose faith in yourself, how will anyone else believe in you? Don't look to others for validation and permission. Others will most often tell you what you can't do. Don't listen to the voice of discouragement and, whatever you do, don't join in.
Whichever way the coin tosses, believe in yourself.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
Grace Notes ~ When Discouragement Calls
Some things make life as a writer worthwhile despite the struggles. You win a contest, find an agent and land a contract. You launch your book with parties, signings and interviews – all with you, the author, at center. You're sought after as a speaker. People remember your name. You begin to feel like someone who won a coin toss.
But sometimes, just when you grow comfortable, the coin flips. You can't sell your next proposal, your relationship with your agent takes a nosedive or a contract falls through. Someone else gets that speaking engagement or a prominent reviewer shreds your book. It's easy at such moments to want to chuck it all.
Don't.
It's not my intent to make light of your pain. Discouragement hurts. But these low points provide the opportunity to stretch and grow. If you lose faith in yourself, how will anyone else believe in you? Don't look to others for validation and permission. Others will most often tell you what you can't do. Don't listen to the voice of discouragement and, whatever you do, don't join in.
Whichever way the coin tosses, believe in yourself.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 19, 2010
Viral Notes: Don't Lose Your Soul to the Promotion God
If you're an author, you're a painter of words. Such an artist may think more of touching readers' souls than their wallets. At a guess, you'd
rather hole up somewhere and pursue your passion than hawk your book. When you emerge and discover no one waiting in line for your offerings, you suffer angst.
You see, authors are communicators. By definition, we need listeners. That's why it's not enough, at least for most of us, to simply write. We must also be read to find fulfillment.
There's nothing wrong with being an artist. I applaud you. In fact, I belong to your ranks. Problems arise however, when we are only artists.
In today's ragtag publishing world of shrinking marketing budgets and growing expectations of what writers as marketers can do, we don't want to lose our souls. But we can't ignore the need to promote.
As a debut author, I've jumped with both feet into the promotional stream. I'm on a chart-your-own adventure in a land with boundaries drawn only by my own limitations. I'll learn as I go and share my findings you, cherished reader. I welcome you to comment and give your own perspectives.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
November 18, 2010
Newsy Notes: Michael Hyatt on George Bush, Capture Nontraditional Book Sales, Stream Live Video From FB Pages
CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers on George Bush Interview & Book
I think biographies are one of the absolute best ways to study leadership. ~ Michael Hyatt
How Leaders Make Tough Decisions
Capture Nontraditional Book Sales
Publishers call sales outside of the book trade "nontraditional sales" and they set up "special sales" departments to handle them. ~ Dan Poynter
Why Bookstores Are a Lousy Place to Sell Books
Stream Live Video From Facebook Pages
The Livestream for Facebook application works in conjunction with the Livestream Podcaster software for PC and Mac and gives Page owners the ability to stream live to their Facebook Page with a single click. ~ Jennifer Van Grove
New Facebook App Streams Live Video From Pages
New York Times Will Publish E-Book Bestseller Lists
In an acknowledgment of the growing sales and influence of digital publishing, The New York Times said on Wednesday that it would publish e-book best-seller lists in fiction and nonfiction beginning early next year. ~ Julie Bosman
Times Will Rank E-Book Best Sellers
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
Click to Subscribe to LiveWriteBreathe by Email
![[image error]](http://janalynvoigt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DawnSinger-Cover-For-COTT2.jpg){kind=link}