Rob Bignell's Blog, page 276

Don���t commit these five book design sins

You���ve probably spent years mastering the craft of writing and have authored an excellent book. Hurried, mistake-ridden formatting can nullify all of your good work, though.

Simply put, if your book is difficult to read merely because of its appearance, few will bother to work their way through it. At the very least, an unprofessional appearance gives readers the impression that you���re an unprofessional writer.

As an editor, I often see these five cardinal sins of book design:
��� Bad typography ��� Always stick to a simple, easy-to-read font. Cambria and Garamond tend to work well. Use italics and boldface sparingly in the text and never underline.
��� Off-center headers and titles ��� A page lacks symmetry when some of the text is off-center. This frequently occurs because the chapter title or the header was unintentionally indented.
��� Too much line spacing ��� Years of reading have conditioned buyers of your book to views lines that are grouped together into paragraphs. Double spacing in a paperback or an ebook will confuse readers; a point of empty space between lines (i.e. single-space) usually is sufficient unless writing children���s or large print books.
��� Indenting when using block formatting ��� Block formatting indicates a new paragraph by placing a blank line between the last line of a paragraph and the first line of the next one. Indenting is redundant.
��� Putting page numbers on blank pages ��� A page number suggests there should be text on the page. For decades, book design style has left page numbers and headers off blank pages, which typically is a left-handed page next to the right-handed page on which a new chapter begins.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Las Vegas, Nevada, or a small town like Accident, Maryland, I can provide that second eye.

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Alaskan editing client publishes latest novel

Jana Meador, a long-time editing client of mine has published her latest novel, ���Of Thorns, Roses and a Devil���s Lie.��� When wildlife photographer Margot Smith travels on assignment to remote, oceanside Lingit, Alaska, the lives of four people and a decades-long secret haunting them are set on a collision course. Offering one another compassion and empathy, they seek inner peace. Can a tragic event from the distant past destroy their lives in the present or will the human spirit prevail? The book is available in paperback and ebook.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Omaha, Nebraska, or a small town like Duckville, Tennessee, I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Prompt: Expand on a nursery rhyme

Suffering from writer���s block or need to add some spunk to your writing? The problem may be that you need to change up your routine.

To that end, try this tip: Treat a nursery rhyme such as ���Jack and Jill��� like an outline of a story. Now write a first draft of the story.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Albuquerque, New Mexico, or a small town like Mud Butte, South Dakota, I can provide that second eye.

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You're best to avoid writing gimmick stories

Sometimes what seems at the outset like a great story idea really isn���t. Such is the case with the gimmick story.

This is a story in which character development takes a back seat to a big reveal or a shocking twist at the tale���s end. A good example would be in science fiction, when the evil alien invaders ��� whose frightful appearance and behavior raises tension through the story ��� turns out to be humanity. Or when the main character, usually an inept boy messing up a classroom assignment ��� actually is ���God��� creating our universe.

There are a number of reasons why gimmick plots almost never work. First, stories thrive on conflict that characters must overcome. Even if there is no great moral message (as is the case with a romance or a mystery novel), readers are able to identify with and root for characters who solve problems rather than those who do little of anything. Secondly, a gimmick story usually doesn���t ring true. That���s because to make the great reveal or twist ending work, plot holes often have to be glossed over, and so readers lose their suspension of disbelief. Ultimately, most gimmick stories are simply clich��d premises or plots. Perhaps for some deep Jungian reason, people constantly come up with plots that have already been done, such as the names of the last two survivors on a expedition to another planet turning out to be ���Adam��� and ���Eve.���

Of course, there���s a fine line between a gimmick and a quality story, usually based on the reader���s experience and personal tastes. Just about all readers past their mid-20s will find almost any story using a Twilight Zone- or an O. Henry-styled ending to be a gimmick; a middle school reader, though, who���s encountering such an ending for the first time will find the story delightful and memorable. And, of course, sometimes just for nostalgia or because we agree with the gimmick story���s allegory, the twist ending is darn appealing.

Still, on balance, authors ought to avoid penning gimmick stories, unless it���s a really clever idea.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Indianapolis, Indiana, or a small town like Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky, I can provide that second eye.

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Five Great Quotations about Fiction

���If it's fiction, then it better be true.��� - Sherman Alexie

���Good fiction creates its own reality.��� - Nora Roberts

���The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.��� - Tom Clancy

���...required for good fiction: character, conflict, change through time. And if you're really blessed, you get resolution. But life doesn't usually work out that way.��� - Ted Conover

���Fiction is the truth inside the lie.��� - Stephen King

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Columbus, Ohio, or a small town like Ricketts, Iowa, I can provide that second eye.

 

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Writing Inspiration: Identify and rewrite

Failure can be a great a teacher. Look back at other works you���ve written but ���failed��� to complete. What was the obstacle that prevented you from completing it? The writing felt flat? No action occurred? The character wasn���t interesting? Identify the problem, research some tips for overcoming it (for example, use active rather than passive voice to give writing spunk), and then rewrite the piece utilizing the advice you���ve read.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Tulsa, Oklahoma, or a small town like Drain, Oregon, I can provide that second eye.

 

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How to promote your book presentation

A book signing, reading or other presentation centered on your book obviously is a good way to promote your title. To be successful, however, your presentation will need to be promoted as well.

Some forms of promotion work far better than others. It mainly depends on where you are presenting the book.

If appearing at a bookstore, retailer or library, a press release to local newspapers, radio, TV stations, and bloggers who cover events in that area works best. Local media usually are eager to print releases (or to include them in calendars) for events in their area. Less effective is social media in which you contact your friends/followers, as they likely are scattered around the country. Instead, you want to get on your event promoted on your host���s Twitter, Facebook and other sites.

When appearing at conferences or workshops, a press release to local media largely will go ignored. Instead, focus on bloggers who write about the field your will present in, especially if those bloggers cover the organization hosting the conference or workshop. The most effective way to promote your presentation will be through that organization���s social media, since its members are the ones who will attend the conference/workshop.

Of course, mentioning on your blog and other social media sites that you are making a presentation doesn���t hurt. Just don���t expect your attendance to pick up much, if at all (The exception would be Facebook in which the majority of your friends live in the community where the event is held.). The real benefit of such social media exposure is that you give the appearance to anyone reading the tweet or post of being more than just an author. Instead, you are an author in demand, and that can raise the respect level for you as you seek new friends/followers. It even can bring in new business if your book relates to your occupation.

One thing NEVER to do is to pay for advertisement. You simply will not recoup the costs of an ad in a newspaper or on a radio station through book sales unless you the biggest of names in writing. In such a case, the host of your event will pay for advertising because your name will draw people to their store or institution.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or a small town like Cluttsville, Alabama, I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Inspiration: Make yourself accountable

Making yourself accountable to another also is a good way of motivating yourself to achieve a goal. So tell you family you���re writing a book. Tell them it will come out next Thanksgiving. Are you feeling a little pressure? Good. Now go impress your family so you can show off copies of your book to them before everyone sits down to turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberries 365 days from now.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Youngstown, Ohio, or a small town like Hogshooter, Oklahoma, I can provide that second eye.

 

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Editing client publishes first heroic fantasy novel

A recent editing client of mine has published his first heroic fantasy novel. Robert E. Dudley II���s ���Lady Dove: Jubilant Order of the Air��� follows the story of the great Lady Dove, a legendary leader and unstoppable warrior. Yet as the Commander of the Jubilant Order of the Air, an epic fighting order, she is a failure.

Two of her members were taken by a Demon Lord from the Pits while she was in command. Twenty times her order descended into the fiery abyss to reclaim their fallen comrades. Each time was a failure. Now the Jubilant Order is no more, its members scattered to the far corners. Only Lady Dove remains.

Finding a powerful sage who augurs that her only hope to recover her fallen brothers is to align herself with Krayer, a fallen Paladin who leads an order of evil warriors, the Knights of the Bloody Rose. Lady Dove will stop at nothing to reclaim her lost members and reform her order ��� not even teeming up with the foul Lord of Death.

The book is available online.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Tucson, Arizona, or a small town like Zap, North Dakota, I can provide that second eye.

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Writing Prompt: Outline a story idea

Suffering from writer���s block or need to add some spunk to your writing? The problem may be that you need to change up your routine.

To that end, try this tip: Outline a story idea in your project bible or journal. Do you prefer to use note cards? Beat-by-beat list? Flow chart? Did the method work well for you? Select another kernel of a story idea and try a different method of outlining it. Which of the two methods do you prefer?

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like Houston, Texas, or a small town like Chicken, Alaska, I can provide that second eye.

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