Pearl Luke's Blog: Pearl Luke's Book and Writing Blog, page 16

Sep 17, Short Story and Creative Writing Contests and Competitions

Short Story and other creative writing contests and competitions with big cash prizes like the ones below can provide a real step up for writers. Writing competitions can jumpstart a career.

Sep 11, Editing Novels: The First Three Chapters Manuscript Evaluation.

Editing novels. The First Three Chapters manuscript evaluation will quickly and inexpensively determine whether your novel is ready to send out to an agent.

Sep 7, THE WHOLE CLOVE DIET (a novel) September 6th BOOK GIVEAWAY at BookClubBuddy.com

Twenty-nine-year-old Rita, the protagonist in The Whole Clove Diet, has broken 200 pounds. She is married to Graham, a self-focused widower with two difficult kids and a mother who makes Rita’s own mother look like a role model.

Graham’s first wife just keeps getting better and better in everyone’s memories while Rita only gets fatter and more aggravated.

I have long been a fan of one of Walters' previous novels, The Woman Upstairs, first published by NeWest Press in 1987, so I found it interesting that Ms. Walters chose to self publish this novel, which is as polished and well structured as any large press book. I asked her if she believes that self published books are the future:

Mary W. Walters: I absolutely do think that self-published books are the future. In terms of sheer numbers, they are already the present: most readers don’t know if the book they are reading is self published or not, especially if it’s on an e-book reader.

At this point in time there are still drawbacks to self-publishing (e.g., bookstores don’t want to deal with print-on-demand books, which self-published paperbacks usually are, because it’s hard to return them if they don’t sell; established book-review outlets and awards competitions still tend to exclude self-published books; etc).

As serious authors approaching this new world, we need to ensure quality by paying for great editing and book design, for example, and some well directed promotional activities.

But the advantages are enormous: the author has total control over the whole process; the royalties are double what they are with traditional publishers; the book can be out and selling less than six months after it is completed; reviews by real readers start being posted two days later; you can monitor daily sales; royalty payments come in once a month (after a certain point); etc, etc.

I feel my major responsibility is to make sure that my books are of as good a quality as any that are coming out from any traditional presses. This is important for two reasons: 1) for the reader (always the most important consideration!), and 2) for other authors who are considering self-publishing.

There is a whole lot of junk being published now, because it can be. I want to show that writers who care about literary quality can also find a place in this new milieu, and in fact can thrive here in a way that we were unable to do in the traditional context. It is only when a whole phalanx of really outstanding books emerges from the junkpile that self-publishing will gain a toehold on respect. In the meantime, I am having fun!

To read more about Mary Walter's novel, The Whole Clove Diet, and to enter the draw, please visit BookClubBuddy.com. Draw ends September 11, 2012. The Whole Clove Diet, by Mary W. Walters

Sep 5, Character Name Generator - Create Interesting and Plausible Character Names

The automated character name generator is a simple tool that makes choosing character names quick, fun, and easy.

Sep 2, Short Story and Creative Writing Contests and Competitions

Short Story and other creative writing contests and competitions with big cash prizes like the ones below can provide a real step up for writers. Writing competitions can jumpstart a career.

Aug 14, Creative Writing Library

Creative Writing Library: A library of books for writers

Aug 9, Creating Fictional Characters — Useful Internet Resources

Best Web Resources for Creating Fictional Characters

Aug 9, Creative Writing Degree Programs in Canada and the United States

Canadian and US Creative Writing Degree Programs

Aug 9, Creative Writing Resources

Creative writing resources for hours of inspiration, tips, activities, help, and entertainment for creative writers.

Aug 9, Where to Read Short Stories Online

Read short stories online. Links to high quality online fiction, the best new literary fiction online offered by the Book Trust, publishers, universities, and quality online journals.