Rob Bignell's Blog, page 343

Editing client releases first literary novel

An editing client of mine, Elan Carson, has published her first novel, “The Willow Tree.” The novel tells the story of Emma, who must learn to fight for her emotional stability and life when she engages in a stormy relationship with her abusive stepfather, as her mother slips away to depression. “The Willow Tree” is available online in paperback and ebook.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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Five great quotations about plots

“Not every story has explosions and car chases. That’s why they have nudity and espionage.” – Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum

“I don’t praise plots as accurate representations of life, but as ways of keeping readers reading.” – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

“The image that fiction presents is purged of the distractions, confusions and accidents of ordinary life.” – Robert Penn Warren

“Plotting is like sex. Plotting is about desire and satisfaction, anticipation and release. You have to arouse your reader's desire to know what happens, to unravel the mystery, to see good triumph. You have to sustain it, keep it warm, feed it, just a little bit, not too much at a time, as your story goes on. That’s called suspense. It can bring desire to a frenzy, in which case you are in a good position to bring off a wonderful climax.” – Colin Greenland

“Plotting isn’t like sex, because you can go back and adjust it afterwards. Whether you plan your story beforehand or not, if the climax turns out to be the revelation that the mad professor’s anti-gravity device actually works, you must go back and silently delete all those flying cars buzzing around the city on page one. If you want to reveal something, you need to hide it properly first.” – Colin Greenland

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

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Editing client releases ‘Son of a Preacher Man’

An editing client of mine, Missouri’s former Speaker of the House, Rodney Jetton, has released his first book, “Son of a Preacher Man.” The autobiography traces Jetton’s formative experiences while growing up during the 1970s and 1980s and examines what growing up as the son of a preacher is really like. The book is available online in paperback and ebook.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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How to land a television or radio interview

A great way to promote your book is through a radio or television interview. Most likely the program you land on boasts a loyal audience that’s highly interested in your book’s topic. This can quickly translate not just to additional book sales but requests to appear on other, similar programs.

The first step in arranging such interviews is to find those programs that would be most interested in your book. Look for shows that cover the kinds of topics that your book addresses. For example, if your nonfiction book addresses mental illness, seek out radio programs that regularly have guests who speak on the topic. If your novel is set in a specific city, such as Cleveland, Ohio, then Cleveland is the perfect place to seek a television or radio interview. Typing “radio program” AND “mental illness” into a search engine or “Cleveland radio, television stations” will quickly give you a list of potential shows.

The next step is to actually pitch yourself to these shows. Begin by emailing to them a media kit and a pdf of your book with a cover letter introducing yourself and asking if they would be interested in interviewing you. In your cover letter, describe why your appearance would benefit their program, such as explaining how your book will:
g Resonate with the show’s target audience
g Bring additional listeners as you will promote the interview in your social media platforms, giving free advertising to the show
g Increase the likelihood that your fans likely will tune into the program, increasing the station’s audience share
In addition, include a list of articles and positive reviews about the book, showing the book is of high interest.

As part of the pitch, give potential dates that you could do this presentation. Give plenty of lead time so you can promote your interview via your social media.

While most programs will be interested, do expect rejection. Don’t fret about it; all it means is the radio and television show simply wasn’t convinced by your pitch. Go back and refine your media kit and cover letter and keep at it.

One additional note: With the Internet, also think about podcasts in addition to radio and television shows. Podcasts have very small audiences, but if you find one that covers the topics of your book, the audience will be extremely interested in you. Remember: Your book will sell better among a hundred interested people than a thousand who are disinterested.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

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Editing client publishes alcohol addiction book

A recent editing client of mine, Wyatt Holes, has published his first book, “Sobriety Rocks.” The book describes how Wyatt became addicted to alcohol, the downward spiral of addiction, and ultimately his successful recovery. If you’re suffering from alcohol addiction or know of someone who is, “Sobriety Rocks” is the book for you: Without being preachy, you’ll receive the encouragement to overcome this ailment. It’s available online in paperback, hardcover or ebook.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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Sort it all out: Councilor vs. counselor

Looks like a lot of people could some use some advice on these two words.

A councilor is a member of a group, usually in the government: The townspeople re-elected Councilor Brady to the village board just last year.

A counselor provides advice to others, and typically is a psychologist or an attorney (Attorneys often are referred to as “counsel.”): To deal with her depression, Amy sought the help of a counselor.

With that settled, there’s no reason to be guilty of mixing up these two words again!

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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Editing client releases first near-future novel

A recent editing client of mine, Colin Juvonen, has published his first novella, “3 Auditions.” The book tells the tale of screenwriter Emory Mann, whose brilliant hacktivist daughter disappears in a coup that initiates the New Republic of America, and is placed on the 10 Most Wanted List. Emory tries to help her but becomes entangled in the web of those who control the New Republic and begins a journey of discovery through a disturbing, near-future United States. The novella is available online as an ebook.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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Avoid writing concealed identity story

One kind of plot you should avoid is the concealed identity story. This involves keeping the main character’s identity or true nature secret until the end of the story, often the last line. Sometimes called “shaggy dog stories,” this plot is popular among science fiction writers, though it’s turned into a cliché. Probably any reader who has watched old “Twilight Zone” episodes, for example, can recall an episode in which the two people marooned on a planet are named Adam and Eve.

Because we’ve seen such stories in our childhood and because they had a big impact in those formative years, we think they’re cool. They are. The revelation is a surprise, and there’s a certain joy in suddenly recognizing – or rewatching/rereading to identify – all the details and hints given so that the revelatory last line makes sense. But such stories have been written ad nauseum in which the main character turns out to be God or Satan… a dog…a cat…a computer game icon, etc. Except to the first-time reader of such a story, they really aren’t surprising anymore.

A subtype of this kind of plot that you also should avoid writing is the amnesiac story. In this plot, the main character does not know who or what he is, but that surprise is revealed at the story’s end as well.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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Editing client releases novel based on true story

A recent editing of my client, E. Robb Martin, has published his first novel, “The Incident: Lost in the Woods.” Based on a true story, “The Incident” tells the tale of three brothers who chose very different roads in life, only to find over the years that their paths crisscross – with many of those junctions centered on the eldest of them, hot-tempered Jim, who after killing a man in Louisiana spends his days on the run. The novel is available online in paperback or ebook.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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How to stay focused on writing one book

Sometimes inspiration strikes for an entirely different book than the one you're working on. Unfortunately, this can create the problem of stopping one book and starting a new one so that your original work never gets finished.

The odds are that the new project you started won’t get completed either, though. You'll come up with another great idea for a book and start working on that one.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay focused on writing one book:
g Limit new project ideas to note taking – If an idea comes to you for a new book, quickly jot it down and forget about it. Keep those notes in a separate folder or file. That means no research on the new book, no outlines of it, no writing character sketches, etc.
g Set a deadline – If you can write 2,000 words a day, you'll need 35 days to write a 70,000 word novel. Being realistic – you may be ill, holidays occur, emergencies with the kids happen – give yourself a few extra days. So, that means in 50 days you will complete your novel. That means no other writing can interfere with your goal of 2,000 words a day for about two months.
g Dedicate time slots – If you need two hours to write those 2,000 words, then set aside two specific hours each day in which you only work on your book. Nothing else can be written during that time.
g Bet on yourself – One wild trick I've heard some writers successfully use is to give a hundred dollars cash to a close, trustworthy, relative or friend. When you complete the novel and show it your relative/friend, then you get the money back. You need not use money; perhaps you instead agree with your spouse that if you don't complete the novel by a specific date, you will do the one chore you absolutely hate to do for the next two months.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper 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. I can provide that second eye.

 

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