Pembroke Sinclair's Blog, page 22
April 23, 2017
Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Giveaway
Today, I have a fun surprise that I’d like to share with you.
I’ve teamed up with 45 post-apocalyptic sci-fi book authors to give away a huge collection of novels to 2 lucky winners, plus a Kindle Fire to the Grand Prize winner!
You can win my novel Humanity's Hope , plus books from authors like S.B. Sebrick and Ann Christy.
Enter the giveaway by clicking here: bit.ly/post-apoc-apr17
Good luck, and enjoy!
I’ve teamed up with 45 post-apocalyptic sci-fi book authors to give away a huge collection of novels to 2 lucky winners, plus a Kindle Fire to the Grand Prize winner!
You can win my novel Humanity's Hope , plus books from authors like S.B. Sebrick and Ann Christy.
Enter the giveaway by clicking here: bit.ly/post-apoc-apr17
Good luck, and enjoy!
April 18, 2017
Taking Risks
As authors, we constantly take risks. From the moment we send out our first query to an agent or publisher, we risk them saying no. Once our book is published, we risk readers hating it and getting bad reviews. For some people, these notions can be debilitating and stop them from ever trying. But for some of us, it’s par for the course. No matter who you are, there will be people who love and hate what you do.
We are willing to take the risks because we love to tell stories. And part of loving to tell stories is wanting to see those stories in different mediums, including on the big screen and on TV.
I was thinking about this the other day, and I thought it was rather ironic. The vast majority of us authors would love to see our books turned into movies, and yet, we are always distressed about how movies are nothing like the books, and in a way, inferior. It’s quite amusing to think about.
What I think the real draw of seeing our stories on the big screen is all the money we’d make, especially if we get merchandising rights. No, I’m kidding—although that is probably part of it. I think the real draw is introducing our story to a new audience. It’s seeing how others view our work and what they take away from our worlds. It’s seeing them being inspired by something we created.
Movies and books are two different mediums, and things can be done in movies that can’t be done in books and vice versa. Sure, I compare books and movies all the time, but that’s an unfair comparison—it’s not comparing apples to apples. Now, I try to look at each medium in their respective rights and understand why the director made the choices they made, but it can still be upsetting when I feel the movies stray too far from the book.
Seriously, doesn’t it seem weird that authors would want their books turned into movies at all?
Again, I think it boils down to wanting to share their story.
Authors take yet another risk when their work is made into a movie or TV show. It could be a resounding success or fall completely flat. Audiences could either love it or hate it. But that is the world of storytelling.
I’ve been trying to get my young adult zombie book into the world of movies and TV shows. A few years ago, I pitched Life After the Undead to several different agents and producers. Nothing came of it, but I met an incredibly nice indie producer who gave me some fantastic advice. The most important of which was that zombie movies aren’t selling right now. Producers are steering clear of them, but I didn’t let that dissuade me.
Within the last year, I decided to try my luck at having Life After the Undead adapted for TV. That involved posting my pitch on a site called TV Writer’s Vault. I researched this site for a long time before finally deciding to take the plunge. The reason for my hesitance was the fact that it costs.
As authors, we’re always told that if something costs to do, it’s not worth doing or it’s a scam. I went into this believing that to be true. After reading about the site and asking questions, I still don’t know for sure, but I told myself I had to take a risk. Besides, someone has to fund the site’s overhead and keep it running, why shouldn’t it be us writers?
So far, nothing has come of having Life listed on the site. A couple of production companies have looked at it, but nothing more. I Googled the companies, and they seem legit, so I’m happy they took the time to look over my proposal.
Maybe I’m not getting any action because I’m pitching a zombie show. I will continue to love the zombie genre, but the rest of the world might not. I’m fully aware that producers have to take calculated risks and go after projects that are going to make them money. Personally, I feel like I have more freedom when it comes to being creative because my livelihood doesn’t depend on my work—I get to create just for the sake of creating, and the royalties are a bonus!
By nature, I’m a cynical person. I always think the worst is going to happen, which means when something good happens, I’m usually surprised. But at the same time, I’m well aware that nothing is going to happen with my books unless I take some risks. While the fantasy of a producer stumbling across my book, falling in love with it, and offering me money to make a movie is a wonderful thought, the chances of it happening are slim. The chances of me getting my book turned into a TV show are slim, but they increase slightly by me putting my work out there.
At the end of the day, even if nothing happens, I can at least say I tried. Sure, taking risks is risky, and the potential for something bad to happen increases, but so does the chance of something good happening. I’ll never know which one it will be unless I take a chance.
We are willing to take the risks because we love to tell stories. And part of loving to tell stories is wanting to see those stories in different mediums, including on the big screen and on TV.
I was thinking about this the other day, and I thought it was rather ironic. The vast majority of us authors would love to see our books turned into movies, and yet, we are always distressed about how movies are nothing like the books, and in a way, inferior. It’s quite amusing to think about.
What I think the real draw of seeing our stories on the big screen is all the money we’d make, especially if we get merchandising rights. No, I’m kidding—although that is probably part of it. I think the real draw is introducing our story to a new audience. It’s seeing how others view our work and what they take away from our worlds. It’s seeing them being inspired by something we created.
Movies and books are two different mediums, and things can be done in movies that can’t be done in books and vice versa. Sure, I compare books and movies all the time, but that’s an unfair comparison—it’s not comparing apples to apples. Now, I try to look at each medium in their respective rights and understand why the director made the choices they made, but it can still be upsetting when I feel the movies stray too far from the book.
Seriously, doesn’t it seem weird that authors would want their books turned into movies at all?
Again, I think it boils down to wanting to share their story.
Authors take yet another risk when their work is made into a movie or TV show. It could be a resounding success or fall completely flat. Audiences could either love it or hate it. But that is the world of storytelling.
I’ve been trying to get my young adult zombie book into the world of movies and TV shows. A few years ago, I pitched Life After the Undead to several different agents and producers. Nothing came of it, but I met an incredibly nice indie producer who gave me some fantastic advice. The most important of which was that zombie movies aren’t selling right now. Producers are steering clear of them, but I didn’t let that dissuade me.
Within the last year, I decided to try my luck at having Life After the Undead adapted for TV. That involved posting my pitch on a site called TV Writer’s Vault. I researched this site for a long time before finally deciding to take the plunge. The reason for my hesitance was the fact that it costs.
As authors, we’re always told that if something costs to do, it’s not worth doing or it’s a scam. I went into this believing that to be true. After reading about the site and asking questions, I still don’t know for sure, but I told myself I had to take a risk. Besides, someone has to fund the site’s overhead and keep it running, why shouldn’t it be us writers?
So far, nothing has come of having Life listed on the site. A couple of production companies have looked at it, but nothing more. I Googled the companies, and they seem legit, so I’m happy they took the time to look over my proposal.
Maybe I’m not getting any action because I’m pitching a zombie show. I will continue to love the zombie genre, but the rest of the world might not. I’m fully aware that producers have to take calculated risks and go after projects that are going to make them money. Personally, I feel like I have more freedom when it comes to being creative because my livelihood doesn’t depend on my work—I get to create just for the sake of creating, and the royalties are a bonus!
By nature, I’m a cynical person. I always think the worst is going to happen, which means when something good happens, I’m usually surprised. But at the same time, I’m well aware that nothing is going to happen with my books unless I take some risks. While the fantasy of a producer stumbling across my book, falling in love with it, and offering me money to make a movie is a wonderful thought, the chances of it happening are slim. The chances of me getting my book turned into a TV show are slim, but they increase slightly by me putting my work out there.
At the end of the day, even if nothing happens, I can at least say I tried. Sure, taking risks is risky, and the potential for something bad to happen increases, but so does the chance of something good happening. I’ll never know which one it will be unless I take a chance.
April 16, 2017
Easter Recovery
I hope all of you are recovering from your chocolate bunny and tons of food hangover. I also hope you had a fantastic time hanging out with friends and family this weekend. I know I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Well, I enjoyed most of it. I’m over this house nonsense. I think we finished our last big project this weekend, so I should be able to recover over the week. We had to replace some doors. I’m more than certain that there’s a rule in the universe that says no home improvement project can or will go right on the first try. It’s a stupid rule.
I did have a chance to watch a movie with the boys ( Monster Trucks ), and they were able to dye Easter eggs with their cousins. We also had a fantastic Easter Dinner with my in-laws. I ate so much I thought I was going to pop!
What kinds of fun things did you do for Easter?
With a little luck, I’ll be able to work on more edits this week. Edge of Humanity is so close to being ready for the editor. Of course, we’re still waiting for Humanity’s Hope to come out, but that should be any day now. Any day now. If nothing else, it will be sooner rather than later.
I’m looking forward to being a little lazy this week. I’m hoping to catch up on some of my shows. I’m pretty far behind on most of them. I’m also looking forward to getting back into my schedule. I thrive so much better when I have my schedule.
Here’s to the beginning of a great week and getting things accomplished!
Well, I enjoyed most of it. I’m over this house nonsense. I think we finished our last big project this weekend, so I should be able to recover over the week. We had to replace some doors. I’m more than certain that there’s a rule in the universe that says no home improvement project can or will go right on the first try. It’s a stupid rule.
I did have a chance to watch a movie with the boys ( Monster Trucks ), and they were able to dye Easter eggs with their cousins. We also had a fantastic Easter Dinner with my in-laws. I ate so much I thought I was going to pop!
What kinds of fun things did you do for Easter?
With a little luck, I’ll be able to work on more edits this week. Edge of Humanity is so close to being ready for the editor. Of course, we’re still waiting for Humanity’s Hope to come out, but that should be any day now. Any day now. If nothing else, it will be sooner rather than later.
I’m looking forward to being a little lazy this week. I’m hoping to catch up on some of my shows. I’m pretty far behind on most of them. I’m also looking forward to getting back into my schedule. I thrive so much better when I have my schedule.
Here’s to the beginning of a great week and getting things accomplished!
April 11, 2017
Branding, Marketing, and Trying to Sell Things
For the past month or so, I have been working at my local paper as an ad rep. In essence, my job is to sell ad space in the newspaper to local businesses. It’s one of the most challenging jobs I’ve ever done.
On average, I would say more than half of the people I talk to would rather stick white hot needles in their eye. I’m not a pushy person; in fact, most days I question my ability to do this job at all. I’m not shy, but I’m not going to make anyone buy ads from the paper. But to watch how business owners act, you’d think I had devil horns and a pitch fork.
I try not to let it deter me. After all, my goal is to help these businesses be successful, but to do that, I have to get them to part with their money—and no one wants to part with their money unless they know that it’s going to be worth it. They want to know that they are going to get a return on their investment.
I don’t blame the business owners for wanting a return on their investment. That’s the name of the game: spend money to make money. And it’s their money, so they can do with it what they see fit.
When it comes to marketing, I can talk the talk. I’ve been marketing my books for a long time, and I’m always looking for ways to improve. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert in marketing—far from it—and I know there’s always more that I can do. Like the business owners I deal with, I’m pretty shrewd when it comes to spending money. I don’t have a lot of it, so I have to be careful where I invest.
When it comes to marketing, there are so many different options out there—and it’s hard to know which one is going to be successful and which one isn’t. When it comes right down to it, what works at one point in time might not in the future and vice versa, and there’s no way to know—unless you take a chance.
If you read any kind of marketing articles out there (and there are tons), they all have advice on what you should be doing. Write a blog. Get a Twitter account. Have a Facebook page. Get on Instagram. If you’re like me, you’ve done all that (with the exception of Instagram. I have a Pinterest page, but I’m terrible at posting on there).
The nice thing about these sites is that their free. At one time, I think they were novel and really helped businesses and authors get their message into the world. But like everything, they’ve grown—to the point where it’s super easy to get lost in all the other posts and messages that people put on these sites.
And let’s not even get started on Facebook and their analytics. If you have a business or author page, you are aware the FB limits the amount of people who view your posts—and it’s because they want you to pay for people to view them. If you pay, then they expect you to pay all the time, so there’s no way you can win.
Twitter is so busy. I refrained for a long time before posting on Twitter because I was afraid of getting lost. And I’m sure I do, along with thousands of others who are Tweeting. It’s chaos in 140 characters.
Blogging can be just as difficult. Once you write a blog, you have to get people to read it. Which brings you back to the marketing conundrum.
Advertising in print media can be expensive. But at the same time, people expect ads to be in papers.
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to marketing, and each medium has its share of pros and cons. However, if there’s one truth when it comes to advertising it’s this: if we are trying to sell something, we have to advertise.
Social media and print media get your information in front of different audiences. While there may be some overlap of who sees your posts in both places, more often than not you’re targeting different demographics, but how can you tell if you’re actually reaching an audience?
That’s where the marketing game gets tough. You can’t. Unless someone specifically tells you they saw your advertisement, you have no idea if your plan is working. On Facebook and Twitter you have analytics so you can see if people are interacting with your posts, but you have no idea if that interaction turns into sales.
Marketing is an incredibly frustrating pursuit. And marketing is different from branding, and advertising is a tool of marketing. The whole thing gets convoluted and confusing. It’s no wonder most business owners/authors don’t want to mess with marketing.
But we have to. If we want an attempt at being successful, we have to put ourselves out there. And just because there is no clear-cut way for us to know if Twitter or Facebook or blogging or ads in a newspaper are working, we still have to try. In the long run, it’s better than doing nothing.
My new job has forced me to look at my own marketing methods and scrutinize what I’m doing. I think a lot about how I am viewed and treated when I go in to a business to sell ads, and I can’t help but think the consumers out there feel the same way. I imagine they’re thinking, “Oh, great. Here she comes again trying to sell me one of her books.” And then they try to hide or act busy—anything so they don’t have to interact with me.
It’s hard. We want people to know how wonderful our books are and get readers to read them, but consumers, like business owners, don’t want to part with their money unless they know they’re getting something of value in return.
I wish I had an easy answer for a way to fix the problem, but I don’t. It’s like shooting in the dark and hoping to hit something. Every so often, we get lucky. The one thing I can offer is to not give up. Keep trying new things, revisit some old attempts and see if they make an impact now.
Another thing I can tell you is this: make a connection. It’s not always about selling things, it’s about forming relationships. Don’t always talk about your books or whatever it is you’re trying to sell, talk about other things—your passions, things that make you happy or ask your consumers what they’re passionate about and what makes them happy.
The hardest thing I do as a writer is marketing. I’m trying to get better and looking for different ways to get my name out there, but I’ll be honest, it’s exhausting. Still, if I keep at it, I’m sure my efforts will eventually pay off.
On average, I would say more than half of the people I talk to would rather stick white hot needles in their eye. I’m not a pushy person; in fact, most days I question my ability to do this job at all. I’m not shy, but I’m not going to make anyone buy ads from the paper. But to watch how business owners act, you’d think I had devil horns and a pitch fork.
I try not to let it deter me. After all, my goal is to help these businesses be successful, but to do that, I have to get them to part with their money—and no one wants to part with their money unless they know that it’s going to be worth it. They want to know that they are going to get a return on their investment.
I don’t blame the business owners for wanting a return on their investment. That’s the name of the game: spend money to make money. And it’s their money, so they can do with it what they see fit.
When it comes to marketing, I can talk the talk. I’ve been marketing my books for a long time, and I’m always looking for ways to improve. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert in marketing—far from it—and I know there’s always more that I can do. Like the business owners I deal with, I’m pretty shrewd when it comes to spending money. I don’t have a lot of it, so I have to be careful where I invest.
When it comes to marketing, there are so many different options out there—and it’s hard to know which one is going to be successful and which one isn’t. When it comes right down to it, what works at one point in time might not in the future and vice versa, and there’s no way to know—unless you take a chance.
If you read any kind of marketing articles out there (and there are tons), they all have advice on what you should be doing. Write a blog. Get a Twitter account. Have a Facebook page. Get on Instagram. If you’re like me, you’ve done all that (with the exception of Instagram. I have a Pinterest page, but I’m terrible at posting on there).
The nice thing about these sites is that their free. At one time, I think they were novel and really helped businesses and authors get their message into the world. But like everything, they’ve grown—to the point where it’s super easy to get lost in all the other posts and messages that people put on these sites.
And let’s not even get started on Facebook and their analytics. If you have a business or author page, you are aware the FB limits the amount of people who view your posts—and it’s because they want you to pay for people to view them. If you pay, then they expect you to pay all the time, so there’s no way you can win.
Twitter is so busy. I refrained for a long time before posting on Twitter because I was afraid of getting lost. And I’m sure I do, along with thousands of others who are Tweeting. It’s chaos in 140 characters.
Blogging can be just as difficult. Once you write a blog, you have to get people to read it. Which brings you back to the marketing conundrum.
Advertising in print media can be expensive. But at the same time, people expect ads to be in papers.
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to marketing, and each medium has its share of pros and cons. However, if there’s one truth when it comes to advertising it’s this: if we are trying to sell something, we have to advertise.
Social media and print media get your information in front of different audiences. While there may be some overlap of who sees your posts in both places, more often than not you’re targeting different demographics, but how can you tell if you’re actually reaching an audience?
That’s where the marketing game gets tough. You can’t. Unless someone specifically tells you they saw your advertisement, you have no idea if your plan is working. On Facebook and Twitter you have analytics so you can see if people are interacting with your posts, but you have no idea if that interaction turns into sales.
Marketing is an incredibly frustrating pursuit. And marketing is different from branding, and advertising is a tool of marketing. The whole thing gets convoluted and confusing. It’s no wonder most business owners/authors don’t want to mess with marketing.
But we have to. If we want an attempt at being successful, we have to put ourselves out there. And just because there is no clear-cut way for us to know if Twitter or Facebook or blogging or ads in a newspaper are working, we still have to try. In the long run, it’s better than doing nothing.
My new job has forced me to look at my own marketing methods and scrutinize what I’m doing. I think a lot about how I am viewed and treated when I go in to a business to sell ads, and I can’t help but think the consumers out there feel the same way. I imagine they’re thinking, “Oh, great. Here she comes again trying to sell me one of her books.” And then they try to hide or act busy—anything so they don’t have to interact with me.
It’s hard. We want people to know how wonderful our books are and get readers to read them, but consumers, like business owners, don’t want to part with their money unless they know they’re getting something of value in return.
I wish I had an easy answer for a way to fix the problem, but I don’t. It’s like shooting in the dark and hoping to hit something. Every so often, we get lucky. The one thing I can offer is to not give up. Keep trying new things, revisit some old attempts and see if they make an impact now.
Another thing I can tell you is this: make a connection. It’s not always about selling things, it’s about forming relationships. Don’t always talk about your books or whatever it is you’re trying to sell, talk about other things—your passions, things that make you happy or ask your consumers what they’re passionate about and what makes them happy.
The hardest thing I do as a writer is marketing. I’m trying to get better and looking for different ways to get my name out there, but I’ll be honest, it’s exhausting. Still, if I keep at it, I’m sure my efforts will eventually pay off.
April 9, 2017
New Adult Scavenger Hunt - Coming Soon!
Hello Everyone! Hope you are excited as I am, because we have less than three weeks until the Spring 2017 New Adult Scavenger Hunt begins!
Here are the Spring 2017 #NewASH teams:
TEAM BLUE
TEAM PURPLE
The New Adult Scavenger Hunt begins at Noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 26th and runs through Sunday, April 30th. For more information, visit newadultscavengerhunt.com.
April 4, 2017
The Reason Things Have Been so Crazy
First of all, thanks for being patient with me while I get things together. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s amazing to me how quickly life can change—and change it has.
In the past few months, it’s been a roller coaster of emotions for me. Most of the time, I was waaaaay down in the dumps, but there were a few high points. I finally felt like things were getting back to normal, then my spouse got a promotion and was moved to another dealership. Which means the boys and I will also be moving soon.
I’m excited about going to Nebraska. I’m ready for a change. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us. The boys are going to finish out the school year here, then we’ll be on our way. That decision was also based on the fact that we have to sell our house—and that is where my stress has been coming from lately. It’s a lot of work getting a house cleaned and ready to put on the market.
As you can imagine, working on my house has cut deeply into my writing and social time. I’ve been exhausted and out of sorts, so mornings have been a struggle to get up and get ready—there’s been no way I’ve had time to post to my social accounts. That’s going to change soon…
Technically, at this time, the house is done enough. There are just a few loose ends to tie up, but the house is ready to be shown. Keep your fingers crossed we get an offer!
There will still be some stress, but it won’t be as much as before (I hope!). I’ll get some time back (I hope!), so I’ll be able to get back to writing and doing posts. Once we move, there will probably be a short time when I take a break again, but it won’t last long.
Thanks for bearing with me!
In the past few months, it’s been a roller coaster of emotions for me. Most of the time, I was waaaaay down in the dumps, but there were a few high points. I finally felt like things were getting back to normal, then my spouse got a promotion and was moved to another dealership. Which means the boys and I will also be moving soon.
I’m excited about going to Nebraska. I’m ready for a change. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us. The boys are going to finish out the school year here, then we’ll be on our way. That decision was also based on the fact that we have to sell our house—and that is where my stress has been coming from lately. It’s a lot of work getting a house cleaned and ready to put on the market.
As you can imagine, working on my house has cut deeply into my writing and social time. I’ve been exhausted and out of sorts, so mornings have been a struggle to get up and get ready—there’s been no way I’ve had time to post to my social accounts. That’s going to change soon…
Technically, at this time, the house is done enough. There are just a few loose ends to tie up, but the house is ready to be shown. Keep your fingers crossed we get an offer!
There will still be some stress, but it won’t be as much as before (I hope!). I’ll get some time back (I hope!), so I’ll be able to get back to writing and doing posts. Once we move, there will probably be a short time when I take a break again, but it won’t last long.
Thanks for bearing with me!
March 29, 2017
Taking a Break
Hey, friends! With all the craziness that is happening in my life at the moment, I've got to take a break. I've tried to keep up with my social posts and blogging, but I keep falling behind.
I won't be away for long. I just have to get things in order! Now would be a great time to get caught up on some other reading. :)
I won't be away for long. I just have to get things in order! Now would be a great time to get caught up on some other reading. :)
March 22, 2017
Off Kilter
This week marks the third week I’ve been at my new job, and I’m still trying to get a schedule down. It doesn’t help that I took a trip to Nebraska over the weekend or that I had a presentation 3 hours away on Tuesday. I’m not complaining about either of those—they were fun—but they’ve thrown me off.
For those who know me, I thrive on a schedule. It gives me a sense of control and helps ease my anxiety. I can be flexible if I need to be, but it’s not exactly natural for me. I like to have a schedule so I can get my work (whatever it may be) done in a timely manner. Deadlines are a source of stress for me—even self-imposed ones that I can move if I really want.
This week has definitely been a challenge, and I’ve apparently been a little stressed out. I’ve had nightmares twice this week and I haven’t been sleeping well. In addition, I haven’t been writing. I feel out of sorts, unable to focus, and completely overwhelmed.
Things will settle down soon (I hope), and I’ll get back on track. I just need my schedule back…
So, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I took a few trips this past week, and I tried something a little different: I downloaded some audiobooks. I always think about doing that, but then I totally forget when the times comes. Well, this time I made sure I remembered. I’ve listened to audiobooks before, just not in the car.
Here are the books I “read”:
I have been reminded why my boys like to be read to. It’s nice to be surrounded by the words and drawn into the story by the narrator’s voice. It’s also nice to be able to get through so many books in such a short amount of time.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love holding a book in my hand and reading in my mind, but it is a treat to listen to a book too—especially if the narrator is good. It’s really nice to listen to books when I’m in the car because it keeps me awake and gives me something to do.
What are your thoughts on audiobooks or schedules?
For those who know me, I thrive on a schedule. It gives me a sense of control and helps ease my anxiety. I can be flexible if I need to be, but it’s not exactly natural for me. I like to have a schedule so I can get my work (whatever it may be) done in a timely manner. Deadlines are a source of stress for me—even self-imposed ones that I can move if I really want.
This week has definitely been a challenge, and I’ve apparently been a little stressed out. I’ve had nightmares twice this week and I haven’t been sleeping well. In addition, I haven’t been writing. I feel out of sorts, unable to focus, and completely overwhelmed.
Things will settle down soon (I hope), and I’ll get back on track. I just need my schedule back…
So, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I took a few trips this past week, and I tried something a little different: I downloaded some audiobooks. I always think about doing that, but then I totally forget when the times comes. Well, this time I made sure I remembered. I’ve listened to audiobooks before, just not in the car.
Here are the books I “read”:
I have been reminded why my boys like to be read to. It’s nice to be surrounded by the words and drawn into the story by the narrator’s voice. It’s also nice to be able to get through so many books in such a short amount of time.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love holding a book in my hand and reading in my mind, but it is a treat to listen to a book too—especially if the narrator is good. It’s really nice to listen to books when I’m in the car because it keeps me awake and gives me something to do.
What are your thoughts on audiobooks or schedules?
March 14, 2017
What is a “beta reader”?
There are a variety of steps when it comes to writing, and depending on the author and the story, it can take hours to years before that story is complete. The first step, of course, is the writing phase, which consists of putting words on the page. After that comes editing, which can go through multiple drafts and versions.
Once the author has finished editing the story and has it at a place that they are fairly content with how it reads, it may be sent to a professional editor, or it might be sent to beta readers—it depends on what the author wants to do. Beta readers, like editors, will read the story and look for ways to improve it. They may look for plot holes or character mistakes or issues with grammar and punctuation, but unlike an editor, they might not be professionally trained.
Beta readers are an important step in the writing process because they help the author perfect the story before it is published. For me, most of my beta readers are individuals who have read my work before and know what to expect, and I trust that they will let me know if something has gone awry in the story. Beta readers are important because as readers, they have insight into stories that reflect what the reading public wants to see. Editors have that ability too, but I trust editors and beta readers for different reasons.
How does one become a beta reader? Well, I don’t think there’s any trick to it. I chose my beta readers because they are dedicated fans and have read all (or the vast majority) of my work. Beta readers can also be reviewers (I have one who is). It just depends on what the author is looking for.
The most important part about being a beta reader is having constructive criticism and getting back to the author in a timely fashion. We’re all busy people, I totally understand that, but remember that the author is biting her nails waiting for you to get back to her with suggestions on how to improve the story. And the way to do that is to tell the author what you liked best about the story, what was confusing or unclear, and perhaps suggest ways to improve it.
The author may not take all of your advice or suggestions for the next round of editing, but I speak from experience when I say we deeply appreciate the time you took to read it and comment. For me, if the reader doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say in my story, then I’ve failed. I want the reader to enjoy what I’ve written and be inspired and/or moved by it.
The relationship between the author and beta reader is a close one. It involves lots and lots of questions and a little bit of nerves. You’re seeing work that probably isn’t close to perfect, so the author might be afraid of how you’re going to react. But the goal is to find ways to improve the story and make it better, and it’s a big responsibility to be part of that process.
Are any of you beta readers? What has been your experience with the process or author relationship?
Once the author has finished editing the story and has it at a place that they are fairly content with how it reads, it may be sent to a professional editor, or it might be sent to beta readers—it depends on what the author wants to do. Beta readers, like editors, will read the story and look for ways to improve it. They may look for plot holes or character mistakes or issues with grammar and punctuation, but unlike an editor, they might not be professionally trained.
Beta readers are an important step in the writing process because they help the author perfect the story before it is published. For me, most of my beta readers are individuals who have read my work before and know what to expect, and I trust that they will let me know if something has gone awry in the story. Beta readers are important because as readers, they have insight into stories that reflect what the reading public wants to see. Editors have that ability too, but I trust editors and beta readers for different reasons.
How does one become a beta reader? Well, I don’t think there’s any trick to it. I chose my beta readers because they are dedicated fans and have read all (or the vast majority) of my work. Beta readers can also be reviewers (I have one who is). It just depends on what the author is looking for.
The most important part about being a beta reader is having constructive criticism and getting back to the author in a timely fashion. We’re all busy people, I totally understand that, but remember that the author is biting her nails waiting for you to get back to her with suggestions on how to improve the story. And the way to do that is to tell the author what you liked best about the story, what was confusing or unclear, and perhaps suggest ways to improve it.
The author may not take all of your advice or suggestions for the next round of editing, but I speak from experience when I say we deeply appreciate the time you took to read it and comment. For me, if the reader doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say in my story, then I’ve failed. I want the reader to enjoy what I’ve written and be inspired and/or moved by it.
The relationship between the author and beta reader is a close one. It involves lots and lots of questions and a little bit of nerves. You’re seeing work that probably isn’t close to perfect, so the author might be afraid of how you’re going to react. But the goal is to find ways to improve the story and make it better, and it’s a big responsibility to be part of that process.
Are any of you beta readers? What has been your experience with the process or author relationship?
March 7, 2017
What the What?! The Numbers Are Going Down?
You know you can’t help it. You know you keep track of how many followers and friends you have on social sites, and you know when they go up and when they go down. And when they go down, all you can think is: oh, my gosh! What did I do?
When you’re an author and you have a newsletter, that obsession with numbers becomes even bigger—especially when you get an email that specifically tells you how many subscribers and unsubscribers you have.
How do I know this? Because I’m guilty of it. I watch the numbers on my various social sites and I get the emails that tell me how many people have subscribed or unsubscribed to my newsletter. But I don’t let it get me down.
I’m sure that it should bother me when people quit following me or don’t want to read my newsletter any longer. After all, the more people following me, the more potential readers I have and the more opportunity I have that they’ll buy some of my books. More followers means a bigger audience.
The reason it doesn’t bother me is because I don’t let it bother me. I could spend a good portion of my day wondering what I did wrong to make someone stop following me and trying to figure out ways to get them back, but I just don’t have the time. And maybe they don’t have time either. Maybe their day is chalked full of happenings and they don’t have time to read my tweets or my Facebook page or my newsletter. And that’s totally okay.
Throughout the day, we all have to pick and choose what we’re going to expend our energy on. I only have so much, so I choose not to worry about why someone stopped following me. It makes me a little sad, but at the same time, I only wish them the best.
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have the friends and fans that follow me, and I look forward to adding more in the future. Hell, maybe I’ll even win a few deserters back. There will always be those who stop following me for one reason or another, and that’s fine. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing because that’s what I have the energy for.
When you’re an author and you have a newsletter, that obsession with numbers becomes even bigger—especially when you get an email that specifically tells you how many subscribers and unsubscribers you have.
How do I know this? Because I’m guilty of it. I watch the numbers on my various social sites and I get the emails that tell me how many people have subscribed or unsubscribed to my newsletter. But I don’t let it get me down.
I’m sure that it should bother me when people quit following me or don’t want to read my newsletter any longer. After all, the more people following me, the more potential readers I have and the more opportunity I have that they’ll buy some of my books. More followers means a bigger audience.
The reason it doesn’t bother me is because I don’t let it bother me. I could spend a good portion of my day wondering what I did wrong to make someone stop following me and trying to figure out ways to get them back, but I just don’t have the time. And maybe they don’t have time either. Maybe their day is chalked full of happenings and they don’t have time to read my tweets or my Facebook page or my newsletter. And that’s totally okay.
Throughout the day, we all have to pick and choose what we’re going to expend our energy on. I only have so much, so I choose not to worry about why someone stopped following me. It makes me a little sad, but at the same time, I only wish them the best.
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have the friends and fans that follow me, and I look forward to adding more in the future. Hell, maybe I’ll even win a few deserters back. There will always be those who stop following me for one reason or another, and that’s fine. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing because that’s what I have the energy for.
