Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 54

Story Arcs

 

Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. Back in June I wrote a post about Character Arcs (you can find it HERE). At the time I mentioned that I’d also do a post on Story Arcs ‘soon’. Well ‘soon’ has arrived 😊

 

In literature, a story Arc, sometimes called a Narrative Arc or Dramatic Arc, refers to the path your story will take. It’s called an arc because that path, which travels from the beginning to the end of your story, will normally take the form of rising, cresting and falling action.

It’s the actual shape of your story. A strongly crafted and executed arc is absolutely key if you want to pen a story that will have your reader eager to turn the pages from start to finish.

 

The arc is composed of the sequence of events that take place in your story. That being said, don’t confuse the story arc with the plot.  A plot is the actual events that take place in your story. The arc is the way those events are sequenced, emphasized and deemphasized to provide the shape of your story, the rising and falling action and emotion. It allows the reader to see the cause an effect between those story events which give them meaning and structure.  

 

So if it’s vital that your story have a compelling arc, just how do you make that happen? Here are a few steps

 

Decide on the TYPE of narrative arc you will be using in your story.
The most popularly agreed upon standards are these six.

Rags To Riches.  This type of story has but one movement – a steady rise, a continuous upward climb.

Examples would include Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and Holes by Louis Sinclair

Riches to Rags. The opposite of Rags to Riches, this story arc is a steady, ongoing fall in the emotional and/or moral value or experience.

Examples would include Animal Farm by George Orwell and Romeo and Julietby Shakespeare.

Man In a Hole. The shape of this story shows two movements, a fall and then a rise.

Examples of this type include the movie Finding Nemo, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Icarus. This arc is the inverse of the Man In a Hole – it’s characterized by a rise and then fall.

Examples would include the namesake mythological fable of Icarus and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Cinderella. The shape of this arc is a rise-fall-rise.

In addition to Cinderella itself, examples would include Disney’s Frozen and Disney’s Alladin. (In fact you could expand this list to include just about every Disney animated movie!)

Oedipus. The inverse of the Cinderella arc, this has a fall-rise-fall shape.

This would include stories such as Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

 

Know The 5 Classic Elements of Your Story Arc.   
Just about every story arc has these elements in this order.

Exposition or Set-Up. This is the opening scenes of your chapter, where your characters and story world are introduced  This is also where we introduce e the story question which we will spend the rest of the story exploring. Note I said introduce, as in lay out the groundwork-we don’t need to know every element of her life and backstory at the outset, just enough to give us a feel of who these characters are whose journeys we’ll be sharing for the length of your story, a way to help your reader settle in to your story before the meat of the action really picks up.

Rising Action.  This happens once your set-up is complete and the inciting incident has set the plot in motion, and is usually characterized by conflict, complications, challenges and reversals. In other words, this is everything that follows the inciting incident leading up to the story climax.

Climax.  This is where all of that rising action comes to a head, where it reaches critical mass. It should be where tensions are highest and should also be the most exciting moment in your book. It’s here that your protagonist has to make a crucial decision that will drive the story on through the falling action and to its final resolution.

Falling Action. Now that the Climax is behind you, this is where you show the fallout, either positive or negative, where the tension begins to lessen as we ease toward the conclusion of our story.

Resolution.This is the actual end of the story, where all the loose ends are tied up and where we get a sense of the lasting impact of the story events on your characters and their world. The story question has been answered and your story’s message has been imparted to the reader.

 

Play Twist and Shout.

Once you have a good handle on The various types of Story Arcs, the Elements of the Story Arcs and Genre conventions, then you can play with twisting and reshaping them to put new twists on them.  

Whatever genre you choose to write in, make certain you are very familiar with tropes, conventions and reader expectations (read, read, READ). For instance, if you’re doing a take on an Alladin story, perhaps your genie is a toddler rather than a fearsome presence. Or in your romance, instead of a meet cute you have a train wreck of a first meeting. Or you have a shapeshifter story where your protagonist can only shift into something innocuous like a duck. 

Just keep in mind, if you do play with twisting reader expectations do so with a story purpose, not just for shock value.

 

Deliver On Your Story Promise and Reader Satisfaction

Always keep in mind, reader engagement and satisfaction is key. Even when you bend the rules or genre expectations you need to deliver a satisfying story. That shapeshifter story with the duck as the protagonist would likely work well in a comedic story, but for a serious paranormal maybe not so much. If a an action thriller type story had a weak villain or one who just gave up at the end your reader would likely toss the book against the wall.

The real world often seems confusing, unfair, chaotic – in other words, meaningless. And as people we crave meaning.  By creating the arc in your story, and making that arc your own, you can give your readers that meaning they're craving.

And a compelling, satisfying story is about change, whether that change is for good or ill. Proper use of a narrative arc is the way to show that change.

So create your story with all its twists and turns, its quirks and unexpected re-imaginings, and then keep your promise to the reader by providing a satisfying, absolutely compelling pay off in the end.

So, do you have a particular type of story arc you prefer, either as a reader or writer? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for your selection of any book in my backlist

 

 

Taking Our Stories to Market

By Debby Giusti

Every Saturday, my town hosts a Farmer’s Market. I regularly shop there and always enjoy buying fresh vegetables—vine-ripened tomatoes, okra, eggplant, corn on the cob—as well as an assortment of fresh baked breads and pastries. Various musical groups perform each week, adding to the warm and welcoming ambiance, and a wide swath of vendors sell everything from produce and plants to grass-fed beef, local raw honey and even seafood trucked in from the coast. It’s always a fun event that attracts crowds of people who enjoy small town life at its best.

My favorite vendor! Love her veggies!

As I browsed the booths last weekend, I thought of the work involved in bringing a product to market. Consider the produce vendors. Someone who doesn’t understand farming might not realize the sweat and toil required to cultivate even a small parcel of land.

The Southern Band made the day even more
enjoyable!

Mother Nature can’t be rushed nor can any of the major steps in the growing process be ignored. The soil needs to be plowed, harrowed and the land leveled before the seeds are sowed. Add the need to fertilize, water and weed—all time-consuming tasks that must be repeated on a regular basis in order to end up with a successful crop.

So how does that apply to the writing life?

Pretty watermelons!

Similar to the farmer in his fields, writers have to get down and get dirty, so to speak. We need to work hard to create new stories, to improve our craft, to understand the nuances of plot and character development and to keep writing through the good times and the bad.

This gardener loves plants as much as I do!

We start by brainstorming a new story, fleshing out compelling characters and instilling them with their own particular goals, motivation and conflict before we begin to write. Some of us use a synopsis or outline to keep focused, while others rely on their own inner compass to steer their story. No matter our technique, whether plotter or pantser, we spend long hours—sometimes frustrating hours—taking that beginning idea and turning into a full-length manuscript. Then, we revise and rewrite until we’re satisfied that our finished product will catch the eye and the interest of an agent or editor.

Annie's French Bakery. I always enjoy her 
bread and her accent!

Like the vendors at the farmer’s market, selling our product—our stories—is our goal, but as we know so well, stories don’t always sell. Too often writers become discouraged when a book isn’t acquired or a contract doesn’t come about in a timely manner.

A booth for our canine friends!

The lack of a sale may force us to work longer and harder to improve our story. Or perhaps we’ll move on to a new project. Both options have merit. A new story brings fresh focus, and sometimes when we write that next story we can more easily see the shortcomings in our earlier endeavor, which can eventually be revised and resubmitted.

Great honey from local hives!

My message today is that things of worth, whether fresh vegetables or honey or grass-fed beef, take time and effort to bring to market. Writing a story does, as well, so don’t get discouraged. Keep working. The only one you’ll hurt if you give up is yourself.

My friend, Lois, helps this baker from Macon, GA.

I snapped these photos last Saturday because, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. I’ve also included a few quotes that provide food for thought and, I hope, a bit of motivation.

Who likes boiled peanuts?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act. But a habit.”            ~Aristotle~

 “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
~Colin Powell~

Something extra for sale! Such cute pups!

                    “I see the invisible. I believe the incredible. I attempt the impossible.”                 ~Robert Schuller~

                                                 “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”                                                 ~Japanese proverb~

This little sweetie didn't want to leave her puddle.

                “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent                                          hard work leads to success. Greatness will come. ”                              ~Dwayne Johnson~

Some of what I came home with last Saturday!
Share any inspiring quotes that give meaning to your life, and/or leave a comment about how you stay focused and on track. Let me know if you’d like to be included in the drawing for one of my stories, title of your choice.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings!

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

HIDDEN AMISH SECRETS

Her temporary Amish homecoming

could get her killed.

Julianne Graber left her Amish life behind after a family tragedy, but now she’s back to sell the family home— and someone’s dead set on getting rid of her. With her neighbor William Lavy by her side, Julianne must uncover dangerous secrets to make sense of the past and present. Can she find justice for her family—and a future with Will—before the killer hits his target?

Order on Amazon!

 

 

Increasing My Daily Wordcount

 

You need to understand two things about me:

A. I used to be a slow writer. I liked to take the time to read and re-read what I had written, revising as I went. On a good day, I would write 1000 words. Not bad, but I wasn't reaching that milestone every day.

B. My goal is to be a productive writer. Writing isn’t a hobby for me, it’s my full-time job. So I need to keep producing stories.

Do you see my problem?

A doesn't lead to B.

If I wanted B, then I needed to up my game. I needed to change my writing habits. I needed to not only increase my daily word count, but make it a regular, every day thing.

 
I’ve been working on that this year. It’s been a slow process, but the change is happening.

It’s a lot like climbing a mountain.

When I start on a book project, I have the story in my head. Not complete, but the big picture. The long view. This view can be a bit daunting, can't it? So many ideas swirling around, so many characters. Sometimes, even complete scenes are in my head, begging to get out.But there is no secret. No Fairy Godmother. No "poof!" and the story is written.
There is no elevator to the summit.
The only way to reach the top of the mountain is to do one thing: Walk the trail. Step by step. Word by word.

BICHOK! Which goes right along with the three D's (see Ruthy's post about the three D's here.)
Are we sensing a trend here? 

I'm learning how to achieve my goal of several thousand words per week. But to get to that goal, I need to use some tricks and tools.
1. I need a map. 

Call it an outline, or a storyline. Sometimes it looks like a stack of index cards. Sometimes it looks like a story board. Whatever method I use, the story goes a lot better when I know the beginning, middle, and end before I begin writing.
2. The first part of the trail is the smoothest, so I use that to my advantage.

Not every chapter will flow easily. I know that. I also know I’ll be revising these first few chapters several times before the end of the book. But writing these opening chapters quickly, even before my story plan is complete, gives my characters a chance to stretch a little bit and let me get to know their voices. It also gets a lot of words down in a short time.I will often write 25% of the book before my characters and story line are fleshed out. If I need to, I can revise and tweak. But I almost always keep going in the direction those first few chapters started for me.
3. Characters are tricky.

They require me to navigate their Lies, their Greatest Dreams, and their Dark Moment Stories. Sometimes I must investigate every nook and cranny of their lives before they reveal their secrets. Sometimes they don’t reveal their inner selves to me until we’re negotiating a particularly difficult part of the story and they let something slip out.

But do I let that slow me down? No! The story must go on. When this happens, I make notes (I keep a pad of paper by my computer to jot these items down,) but I keep on writing. I know I can come back to incorporate the stunning secret that the heroine just revealed!

4. Sometimes, even with all my story planning and plotting, I come up against a stone wall.

I have to try one way, and then another to get back on the trail. But just like this tree sending out roots, I persist until I find that way and continue on. One step at a time.
5. When I hit one of my plot points, I take another look at my map.

Am I heading in the direction I thought I would at the beginning? Do I need to make some adjustments? This evaluation is satisfying – even if the only landmark in front of me is the half-way point.
6. As tempting as it is, I’ve learned not to take too long of a break along the trail.

Muscles stiffen up and the goal isn’t as clear as it was before my rest stop. A quick break for a drink of water and a breather is enough before getting back to that word count.At the same time, though, I've learned to give myself mini-rewards for mini-goals. 250 words in 15 minutes earns me three chocolate chips. Yay for mini-rewards!
7. Sometimes it looks like I've lost the trail.

What will my character do now? Where is the bad guy? Is the baby awake or asleep (a big problem if one of your characters has a young child!) Did anyone feed the dog? A quick look at the map and a few steps along the trail solves the problem!

By the way, the best way for me to get past a writer’s block like this is to WRITE! I let my characters go, and they usually find their way back to the story.
8. Finally, the end is here!

But the end of the trail is only a new start. It’s time to retrace my steps, revising and editing the story. However, going down the mountain is a lot easier than the climb up. There are still some tricky spots to negotiate, but the big job - the first draft - is done.

How do you keep your word count going? Share your tips and tricks in the comments. We can always learn from each other!

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

Assumption of the Virgin, Guido Reni,
1637, The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. [PD-US]
 

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

    “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
        my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
        for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
    From this day all generations will call me blessed:
        the Almighty has done great things for me
        and holy is his Name.
    He has mercy on those who fear him
        in every generation.
    He has shown the strength of his arm,
        and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
    He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
        and has lifted up the lowly.
    He has filled the hungry with good things,
        and the rich he has sent away empty.
    He has come to the help of his servant Israel
        for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
        the promise he made to our fathers,
        to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

Luke 1:39-56

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!God Bless the USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.      

Weekend Edition

  






If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.


Monday: Audra Jennings shared one thing that works for her as a publicist.
Wednesday: Ruthy talked about the 3 D's for Success and winner of a copy of "Prescription for Mystery" is Kaybee! Congratulations, Kathy Bailey! 
Friday: The JustRead queen bees are buzzing about sticky book cover situations to avoid.


Monday:  Jan Drexler will be discussing ways to increase our daily word count. Is it possible? It is if we take it step-by-step, just like climbing a mountain!
Wednesday:  Debby Giusti will be talking about the writing journey. Stop by to join in the conversation!  Friday:  Winnie Griggs will be here discussing...something.  She's still trying to work it out, but never fear, it'll be something new and writing related :)

It’s a Friends Who Write giveaway with  Love Inspired authors Mindy Obenhaus and Tina Radcliffe and Love Inspired Suspense authors Jenna Knight, Dana Mentink, Darlene L. Turner and Kellie VanHorn. Grand Prize is a $150 Amazon Gift Card! First & Second Prize winners receive all six books. Click here to enter https://augustfriendswhowrite.com/

The Lost Lieutenant is very busy this week! Coming Tuesday...Erica Vetsch's very first full-length audio book! The Lost Lieutenant is being released in audio by Tantor Books, read by Mary Sarah! So thrilling! You can get your copy here: The Lost Lieutenant Audio
And, to celebrate, The Lost Lieutenant is just $2.99 in ebook this week! The Lost Lieutenant Kindle
AND...The Lost Lieutenant is being featured by Apple Books as part of their current Historical Romance promotion! If you can find the promotion Here: apple.co/historicalromance 






It's Okay to Fall Down by Jenny Hansen at Writers In The Storm


Don't Let Excess Baggage Bring Down Your Character's Plane by Marissa Graff at Writers Helping Writers
One Writer's Beginnings by Bob Hostetler at Steve Laube Agency
Creating Creatures for Speculative Worlds by EJ Wendstrom at Fiction University
Customizing Book Ad Templates by LA Sartor at Book Brush Blog
An Insider's View of Audio by John Gilstrap at Kill Zone Blog
How to Hone Your Fiction Craft at Write To Done 
How Pain Kills Creativity for Writers by Hannah Bauman at Between the Lines Editorial
Who Are You? by Toni Shiloh at Learn How To Write A Novel
How to Banish Shiny Object Syndrome by Lewis Jorstad at The Novel Smithy

Avoiding Sticky Book Cover Situations

As queen bees of the JustRead hive (aka owners of JustRead Publicity Tours) and avid readers, we’ve learned a thing or two about sweet reads and sticky situations. We want to help you avoid common book cover blunders and ensure your readers aren’t confused or even deterred by a sticky situation. 

Generally, authors will either have DIY, outsourced, or a publisher-directed cover design process. While this article is written primarily with independently publishing (or hybrid) authors in mind, the concepts are important for all authors to consider. Whether you are creating your own cover or conveying your vision to others, the goal is for the heart of your story (or nonfiction content) to shine through the cover.

Visual Vibes

Research book covers that are selling or trending in your book’s genre and subgenre, making note of images, design styles, fonts, and colors. Once you’ve identified design elements that work well for your genre, focus on reflecting the heart of your story within your author branding and genre trends. 

Stock Images

Even the pros utilize stock illustrations and images but check to see if your selections are already being used on another book cover. Layering multiple images is one way to create a more unique cover but make sure proportions and blending are natural.

Fonts

We love fonts but readability is key. Two different typefaces on a cover (sometimes three) are acceptable as long as the placement is mindful. Whimsical and script fonts are especially tricky but they pack a visual punch when used in moderation and/or paired with a simple clean font. 

Good Sticky

Stick to your budget and timeline. Don’t wait too long to finalize your cover or make last-minute changes, delays could end up costing you more. Compromise is common during the cover design process but be willing to stick to it and keep the lines of communication open rather than settling for a cover that doesn’t fit.

Encouragement for DIYers

You can successfully create your own book cover with thorough research, more research, and the popper tools! Creating an appealing cover on Canva, Picmonkey, or other free or low-cost design platforms is possible. Many of these tools even provide book cover templates and it’s a great way to get the ball rolling for cover mock-ups and even final cover designs. Be sure to ask a few trusted and experienced confidantes for their opinion on your work but don’t stress over trying to please everyone.

Cover Design Pros

If your budget allows, we definitely recommend working with a cover designer. Choose a professional who has created covers you love. We love so many covers including those designed by Roseanna White, Teresa Tysinger, Hillary Lodge, Sarah Monzon, Emilie Hendryx, and more! Please feel free to give a shoutout to your favorite cover designers in the comments. Keep an eye out for a more in-depth post on working with a cover designer in the future.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” 

It’s a nice sentiment but the truth is that the cover is the first glimpse a reader has of the content within. Book covers set the stage just as words pull back the curtains on the wonderful experience we share through stories, devotionals, and nonfiction accounts. Readers are going to judge book covers so let’s embrace that and maximize their impact positively. 

Can you name some genre-specific design features? Does a certain cover style grab your attention?  Carrie, Beth, and Rachel would love to chat about your favorite cover trends in the comments! 

JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC is a full-service publicity tour company for published works in the Christian genre or books considered within the wholesome or clean reads genres. 
Check out their About page to meet the queen bees or jump right into the Authors & Publishers or Readers sections to learn more about JustRead campaigns.

Three D's Of Success for Dog Days of Summer & Life's Interruptions

I love this picture..... this statement. This little quote that talks about how us nobodies can actually become somebodies no matter what time of year it is or what you're facing and right now, folks are facing a lot.

Dog days of summer... the lot o' youse are familiar with the phrase, I'm sure.

High heat, high humidity, scorching sun, pop-up thunderstorms that bring no relief, only more moisture into already moisture-laden air.

Dog Days of Summer... Here in the north we love summer, but most of us are northerners for a reason.  

1. We can't afford to move

2. We love snow

3. We are stick-in-the-mud folks

4. We are tied to business, family, faith and community. 

But Dog Days of Summer aren't a Northern thing. They're an everywhere thing. It's when heat indexes rise all over this great land, cicadas drone, Katydids clatter night after night, grasshoppers spread their funny little grasshopper wings and go from plant to plant, eating, munching, laying eggs... and the pavement seems to sizzle. 

It's hard to get motivated in the heat. I've often wondered how people in desert areas do it because they don't get my fall/winter reprieve. Now I understand that some folks like heat. 

I am not one of them. 

Even being in really good shape, I'm not one of them. Can we dish here?

I hate it. I really, really, really dislike anything over 82 degrees and humidity should be declared an enemy of the people and my hair, but I digress... this isn't about me. For once. This is about you and how you can push through times of struggle, heat, holidays, tempest, problems, etc. because that's one of the things all authors need to figure out. When life hands you curves, how can you best navigate them and still be productive?

(Then the question bears asking, how productive do you want to be? Are you satisfied with where you are and what you're doing? That's an important benchmark right there.) 

That last part is up to you, but here's some advice worth talking about:

1. Devotion: Think of Mary, standing by Jesus all those years.

     Mary sets the bar high for people, but particularly for women because despite the problems that they encounter, she never leaves her son's side. Through it all she stands strong and tall, helping, loving, her presence a beautiful thing. Be like Mary.

2. Determination: Take a page from Jessica Long's book and hold it tight.

Born to Russian parents in 1992, Jessica had a condition which meant her legs would have to be amputated below the knee. The lower structures in her legs hadn't developed properly. She came to America, to her adoptive parents at 18 months of age and has become a national hero for perseverance, choices, determination and guts. Here's a quote from the winner of over 50 championship gold medals, Para-Olympian Jessica Long: 

"I didn’t just wake up one day and become a Paralympic Games gold medalist. Dedication, hard work, and passion are hugely important to achieving your goals. That’s my big advice to kids: Find something to be passionate about, be confident in your abilities, and really go for it."

Be like Jessica.

3. Dedication: Model yourself after Mother Teresa.

In 1946 the young nun felt/heard a calling during a train ride. A calling to help the poor, the lowly, the sick, the ones who never hear about Jesus's healing love. After two years of being instructed and tested in her resolve, Mother Teresa was given permission to begin her own hands-on charity. Taking to the streets of Calcutta, this small woman nursed and nurtured the sick, the lame, the dying, the mentally ill and at the time of her death had over 4,000 people working in similar fashion around the world. From one calling, a calling she heeded, much good has come and I thought of this as we faced a pandemic and church leaders of all denominations kind of hid in their rooms/homes/rectories... because fear of the virus was stronger than dedication to the flock. 

We can learn a lot from one woman's courage and dedication, how one woman's hands made such a difference to so many.

Be like Teresa.

It is easy for us to make excuses, particularly in first-world countries where we have so much, so much is freely given and taken, and we are surrounded by a store after store of choices and goods and options and Amazon sending everything and anything you need 24/7/365.

But to tackle those difficult times in working, those Dog Days, or funerals, divorce, illness, anger, separation, sorrow, and yes, even joy because joy can be a detractor... Three D's. 

Devotion, Determination and Dedication.

In the end, getting through anything that comes our way isn't up to "them", the detractors or doubters or downers of life.

It's up to us.

And actually, friends:

It's up to you.

Jump into the conversation below and Ruthy will tuck your name into the candy dish alongside some really tasty Hershey's Kisses for a chance to win Ruthy's newest mystery

"Prescription for Mystery" from Guideposts Books! 

Somewhat bossy and very productive author Ruth Logan Herne is blessed to be living her dream of being a published author and having worked with numerous publishers including Waterfall, Waterbrook, Harper Collins, Love Inspired, Guideposts and Amazon, she knows that these three "D's" are crucial to your success as an author... So go for it! She loves to hear from readers and writers. You can email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com friend her on Facebook (always an interesting place, isn't it?) or swing by her website ruthloganherne.com. You won't find her on Twitter because there are too many angry folks over there... and Ruthy can't abide all that negativity, which isn't a surprise because Pollyanna is one of her all-time favorite movies. 

One Thing That Works For Me with guest Audra Jennings: A Good PR Inquiry Email

 

 

 Good Monday morning, Seekerville! I (Carrie) am here to introduce today's guest for this month's 'One Thing That Works For Me' series. Please join me in welcoming my friend, publicist Audra Jennings, as she shares the importance of a good PR inquiry email!

  Your book baby is due soon, and you’re preparing for its launch into the world. You know you need PR and marketing help, so you start reaching out to publicists and blog tour groups to learn more about their services. What do you need to provide in your inquiry email to let them know more about you so that they can determine if they are a good fit for you? There are a number of publicity and tour companies out there who promote books, but each have their specialty and know what the reviewers and media they work with like and don’t like and whether they are the ones who can help you be successful. Not everyone may be the best fit for you and/or your book, and you want to make sure you’re compatible. For that reason, it’s always best to send certain information to them to let them know more about you and your book, similar to making an inquiry to an agent, rather than sending an email that simply says, “Can you send me more information about your services and rates?” (If you have never sent an inquiry into an agent, some of these tips may help you there.) 
What should be in that first email to a PR company? 1. A professional presentation   Make sure you read over your email for spelling and grammar mistakes, and please use punctuation. I’ll be the first one to admit I could use some proofing in emails, and I’m not going to make judgments on accidental uses of it’s instead of its because I had to go back and fix that somewhere while writing this post. However, at least read over and try to put some writing effort into your email. It doesn’t give your best first impression as an author if your email is incoherent or doesn’t use periods. Just remember, this isn’t a text to a friend.
2. Some information about you

You don’t need to give your life history obviously, but you should introduce yourself. Who are you? What have you written? What is your passion? Why did you write this book (especially if you write non-fiction)? 

3. The title of your book

This might be a given, but I’ve gotten some interesting emails. 

4. The official description of your book/back cover copy 

This will tell what your book is about in a nutshell and tell us the basics of what we need to know about it. A publicist will be able to read this and know if they think there will be interest in your book from media and reviewers and be able to help you. A publicist also needs to see if they can connect with your book in order to promote it. (Remind me to come back sometime to talk about why good back cover copy is really important.)

5. The book cover

Like the song from Mary Poppins Returns, “The cover is not the book…” However, a cover does make a first impression with readers. It’s something we want to see in getting to know your book. 

6. Publisher

This will help me know more about how to advise you. There are some things we are going to need to address or talk about if you were doing this on your own without a publisher’s support. A publicist may have worked with your publisher before and may know how to answer some of your questions based on this answer as well.

7. Release date

Sharing your release date gives a timetable. There are aspects of PR and marketing that take some lead time, so knowing when your book is releasing will help your potential publicist advise you on what needs to happen and when or how quickly they can get a blog tour on the schedule. There are also times of the year when there are more releases than others, and they may not have the availability to take on a project within a certain timeframe.

8. Your website

In addition to what you share in an email, we want to go find some more information and look around, maybe see what other books you have released. (You really should have a website if you don’t, but that’s another post for another time.)

9. Your social media links  Like your website, we do want to be able to find you.  10. Your goals and expectations   Looking to do some podcasts? Are you looking for lots of online reviews? Need help with your social media? Want to take over social media? Hoping to get on Good Morning America? Won’t be happy unless you sell 100,000,000 books (that was an interesting email). Different companies and individuals provide different services, so may or may not be able to help you with need. It may be that you need help from a couple of places.

If you don’t know what you need, that’s ok. You can say that too. We can take a look at all of this information and make suggestions of what we think will work well for you.
Yes, that is ten things for one email, but isn’t really a lot when you look at it. Most of this you would probably include anyway. Best wishes on your new book launch!  ~*~*~*~*~*~  Audra Jennings is a freelance publicist in addition to working on staff with a Christian publisher as a part of the marketing team managing publicity and social media. She has worked in PR for almost twenty years. Although she really does love to sleep, she doesn’t really seem to get much of it because outside of her PR work, she has a side business with her dad, The Crafty Dad and Daughter. In the fall, they travel all over the DFW area on the weekends doing craft fairs. Claiming for the longest time she was going to turn into Ouiser from Steel Magnolias in her old age, she crossed the line into gardening this year and started growing tomatoes. Don’t worry though, she doesn’t have a dog that’s losing its hair (she doesn’t have a dog at all). Audra lives in Corsicana, TX. Visit her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Audra speaks truth, y'all! We'd love inquiry emails like this at JustRead Tours, too!
So helpful & saves all of us (you & the team) a lot of time. What questions do you have for Audra about crafting a good PR inquiry email?

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

The Institution of the Eucharist, Nicolas Poussin,
1640, Louvre Museum, Paris. [PD-US]

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
“I am the bread that came down from heaven, ”
and they said,
“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? 
Do we not know his father and mother? 
Then how can he say,
‘I have come down from heaven’?” 
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Stop murmuring among yourselves. 
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day. 
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. 
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father. 
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life. 
I am the bread of life. 
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die. 
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

John 6:41-51

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!God Bless the USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.       

Weekend Edition

  






If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.


Monday: Mary with here talking about vacation! The winners of a signed copy of A Man with a Past are Sarah Taylor and Donamae Kutska
Wednesday:  Mindy celebrated the release of her new book, A Future to Fight For . And the winner of a copy of that new release is... Amy Anguish!
Thursday: Carla Laureano was our guest. The winner of a copy of her new release,  Provenance , is... Kathy Bailey!
Friday: Surprise!


Monday: Audra Jennings will be sharing one thing that works for her as a publicist.
Wednesday:  Ruthy rolls in on Wednesday with a post on writing what's right and wrong in a politically correct world that is anything but correct a good share of the time. Her post touches on how writers navigate the tricky waters of avoiding a tweetstorm of negative reaction... and still tell a great story.   Friday: The JustRead queen bees are buzzing about sticky book cover situations to avoid.







Ruthy's newest mystery "PRESCRIPTION FOR MYSTERY" is touching hearts and souls nationwide! She's loving people's reactions to this new mystery series and would love to hear from you! Here's a link for this delightfully Southern novel, set in the charming and vintage neighborhoods of Charleston, South Carolina.  LINK TO "PRESCRIPTION FOR MYSTERY!"










The Benefits of a DIY Personal Writer's Retreat by Jodi Turchin at Fiction University
Book Blurbs and Pets by Terry Odell at Kill Zone Blog

Lyrics in Books by Scott McCormick at BookBaby Blog
Universal Story Themes - Take It From the Kids by Ellen Buikema at Writers In The Storm
Why You Should Never Give Up On Your Publishing Dream by Becca Kinzer at Learn How To Write A Novel
Tips on Writing in Active Voice by Sarah Sally Hamer on at The Write Conversation
How to Create Your Self-Editing Roadmap by Hayley Milliman at NaNoWriMo Blog

Rediscover Your Creative Free Spirit by Peleg Top at The Creative Penn
100 Ways to Buff Your Book by Elizabeth Sims at Writer's Digest
Fight, Flight or Freeze: What's Your Character's Go-To Response by Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers