Beth Revis's Blog, page 65
December 3, 2010
Yes, I am Placating You with Videos While I Do Other Stuff
So...yeah. I'm still preparing for the EPIC CONTEST OF EPIC (TM), so no proper post. BUT DUDE, THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME.
Watch it even if you don't like/care about Harry Potter (*gasp!* How could you not!)--because it's really cool how he uses books to make music.
Watch it even if you don't like/care about Harry Potter (*gasp!* How could you not!)--because it's really cool how he uses books to make music.
December 1, 2010
Greater and Lesser
A couple of things have had me thinking. Always a dangerous thing. First: the things that made me think:
A fellow writer sent an email out about how she was having a confidence crisis, worried about making it.
Natalie Whipple wrote a blog post that made me cry.
Here's something you may or may not know about me.
I get jealous.
Like, ridiculously, stupidly jealous.
Before I finished my first novel (ten years ago), I was jealous of the people who'd actually written a whole novel, omg amazing.
Then I finished my first novel.
After I finished writing it, I was jealous of the people who got published with their first novel.
After my twentieth birthday, I was jealous of all those teens who got published. Christopher Paolini gave me a complex and made me feel ancient while I was still in college.
I started blogging to get practice with writing and network with writers. I was (and sometimes still am) jealous of everyone with more blog followers than me. Or more comments. Or cleverer posts.
I could go on. Long story short: I wrote for ten years and completed ten novels, and every. Single. Step. of the way, I was jealous of someone else. Nearly everyone else.
I was jealous of those who were agented.
I was jealous of book deals.
Oh, how I was jealous of the book deals.
Now I can look back at those years I spent jealous of others, and shake my head. Now I can look at all the rejection, and understand that it made me a better writer, and a better person. Now I can appreciate the whole journey, even the parts that sucked.
Now.
But not then. Not while I was in it.
Look, I know it's not good for me to think this way. I know it. I know that I made myself miserable--sickeningly utterly miserable. I know that I would be happier if I didn't get jealous. I know that there's no point in being jealous, especially when it comes to writing--after all, writing is by definition subjective.
I know all this.
But I don't always believe it.
But the thing that I gets me through my green eyes is a line from the Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. My parents have a copy hanging on the wall, and I memorized a bit of it by accident (when I was little, I just read everything that my eyes rested on--framed poems on the wall, cereal ingredients, whatever. Heck, I do that now).
Anyway, the Desiderata:
There will always be someone better: they have an agent and you don't; they have a book deal and you don't; they have 10,000 blog followers and you don't; they have a better review, they have a better cover, they have a better marketing plan, they have something and you don't.
And there will always be someone who's looking up at you, wishing they had what you had.
Knowing that makes it easier, I think. It helps my green eyes fade, at least. It reminds me that I'm human--but so is everyone else.
Oh, and also? I know it's way easy for me to write this. Now. Hindsight being 20/20 and all that. But I also know that part of the reason why I wrote this post, today, was because sometimes I still get jealous. I didn't throw that Max Ehrmann quote up there for you. I wrote it for me. Because I still need to remind myself of it. I still need to tell myself, in the dark cold of the night, that I don't have to be jealous of other people, that being me is enough.
I still have to remind myself of some of the last lines of the Desiderata:
A fellow writer sent an email out about how she was having a confidence crisis, worried about making it.
Natalie Whipple wrote a blog post that made me cry.
Here's something you may or may not know about me.
I get jealous.
Like, ridiculously, stupidly jealous.
Before I finished my first novel (ten years ago), I was jealous of the people who'd actually written a whole novel, omg amazing.
Then I finished my first novel.
After I finished writing it, I was jealous of the people who got published with their first novel.
After my twentieth birthday, I was jealous of all those teens who got published. Christopher Paolini gave me a complex and made me feel ancient while I was still in college.
I started blogging to get practice with writing and network with writers. I was (and sometimes still am) jealous of everyone with more blog followers than me. Or more comments. Or cleverer posts.
I could go on. Long story short: I wrote for ten years and completed ten novels, and every. Single. Step. of the way, I was jealous of someone else. Nearly everyone else.
I was jealous of those who were agented.
I was jealous of book deals.
Oh, how I was jealous of the book deals.
Now I can look back at those years I spent jealous of others, and shake my head. Now I can look at all the rejection, and understand that it made me a better writer, and a better person. Now I can appreciate the whole journey, even the parts that sucked.
Now.
But not then. Not while I was in it.
Look, I know it's not good for me to think this way. I know it. I know that I made myself miserable--sickeningly utterly miserable. I know that I would be happier if I didn't get jealous. I know that there's no point in being jealous, especially when it comes to writing--after all, writing is by definition subjective.
I know all this.
But I don't always believe it.
But the thing that I gets me through my green eyes is a line from the Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. My parents have a copy hanging on the wall, and I memorized a bit of it by accident (when I was little, I just read everything that my eyes rested on--framed poems on the wall, cereal ingredients, whatever. Heck, I do that now).
Anyway, the Desiderata:
... always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
There will always be someone better: they have an agent and you don't; they have a book deal and you don't; they have 10,000 blog followers and you don't; they have a better review, they have a better cover, they have a better marketing plan, they have something and you don't.
And there will always be someone who's looking up at you, wishing they had what you had.
Knowing that makes it easier, I think. It helps my green eyes fade, at least. It reminds me that I'm human--but so is everyone else.
Oh, and also? I know it's way easy for me to write this. Now. Hindsight being 20/20 and all that. But I also know that part of the reason why I wrote this post, today, was because sometimes I still get jealous. I didn't throw that Max Ehrmann quote up there for you. I wrote it for me. Because I still need to remind myself of it. I still need to tell myself, in the dark cold of the night, that I don't have to be jealous of other people, that being me is enough.
I still have to remind myself of some of the last lines of the Desiderata:
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Getting Ready...
Ack! Sorry I've been gone so long--we've had tons of storms here, and since my interwebs requires a satellite, that means no interwebs.
But!
But!
But!
I am gearing up for a contest of such epic proportions that the word epic doesn't begin to cover it. Penguin's helping me out with this one, and there will be. So. Many. Prizes.
But ha! I'm not telling you about them yet! Haha! :P
But!
But!
But!
I am gearing up for a contest of such epic proportions that the word epic doesn't begin to cover it. Penguin's helping me out with this one, and there will be. So. Many. Prizes.
But ha! I'm not telling you about them yet! Haha! :P
November 24, 2010
Thankful
This time last year, I hadn't signed with my agent, and I wasn't sure if any book I ever wrote would ever be published.
This time two years ago, Across the Universe was just an idea I'd not started writing.
This time three years ago, I was just realizing that the project I'd been working on...wasn't working. It was the tenth novel I'd written, without one single sale.
Recently, people have been asking me, "How did you know Across the Universe was the One?"
I didn't.
I always thought whatever I was working on at the time would be the One.
In the past, whenever I looked at those ten unpublished novels, I'd feel ashamed.
I'd feel like a failure.
Now?
I feel thankful.
I couldn't have written the eleventh novel without writing the first ten. I couldn't be here, without being there.
I'm thankful for Across the Universe and all the dreams that have come true with it.
But I'm also thankful for the toil and rejection that came before it.
This time two years ago, Across the Universe was just an idea I'd not started writing.
This time three years ago, I was just realizing that the project I'd been working on...wasn't working. It was the tenth novel I'd written, without one single sale.
Recently, people have been asking me, "How did you know Across the Universe was the One?"
I didn't.
I always thought whatever I was working on at the time would be the One.
In the past, whenever I looked at those ten unpublished novels, I'd feel ashamed.
I'd feel like a failure.
Now?
I feel thankful.
I couldn't have written the eleventh novel without writing the first ten. I couldn't be here, without being there.
I'm thankful for Across the Universe and all the dreams that have come true with it.
But I'm also thankful for the toil and rejection that came before it.
November 22, 2010
Online Networking Part 2
So, yesterday I posted about how you don't have to blog (or whatever else online) if you don't want to. But if you DO want to, here's my own personal do's and don'ts:
DO:
Use proper grammar
This is especially true if you want to be an or already are an author. Your profession is in words. Show it.
Does this mean you can't have your own voice and/or slang? Of course not. I mean, make an effort for correct punctuation, spelling, etc.
Also: please be aware that I'm a former English teacher and a stickler for grammar. So, obviously, I'm probably biased.
Also also: I've probably made a gazillion grammatical errors on this blog. Sorry.
When in doubt: be professional
Professional layout and design
There is nothing wrong with the simplest blog design--but there is often much wrong with the more complicated ones. More graphics/colors/bling does not a better blog make.
Please please don't make me listen to your music
Professional tone of writing
Professional subject of posts
But don't be so professional that you don't show your own personality
Book covers & info
If you are a published author, please make your cover and ordering information easy to find
If you are not a published author, be very very very wary of making a mock-up cover of your unpublished book. You tend to either (a) look like an amateur or (b) look like you're trying to trick people into thinking you're published. You just can't win this way.
DON'T:
Lose sight of your goal
If you're writing an author blog, think about your content and limit yourself. Post about topics your audience will want to know about. This doesn't mean you can't talk about your dog--but don't let it overwhelm your blog.
Be combative, rude, or belligerent
There's a difference between a negative review and a slam
There's a difference between a debate and an attack
There's a difference between sharing your opinion and trolling
Make it hard to find basic information
There are a few things that should just be easy and obvious to find:
Contact info
Feed subscription links
Comment links
Permalinks
In the end, I thought about what I want people to think of me based on my online presence. Does that make me pompous or fake? I hope not. But I decided what I wanted people to think of me was that I was professional, but real. To that end, I made an effort to have a professional design to my website, and keep most of my posts in a professional vein. But not all--I wanted to also be real--so I'll have posts about my real life, or tweet about my dog, or show you pictures of me on vacation on Facebook. But not too much. There have been books I've read and not liked--but you won't see a negative review on here (or not any more--I did do some before I got my book deal, but decided to take them down). I won't lie--if you ask my opinion on a book I didn't like, I'll tell you--but I'm not going to post it publicly. There have been reviews of my own book that I've not liked...but I won't comment on them. There have been online opinions that I disagreed with, and while I'll give my personal views, I won't argue.
But this is all me. Maybe the you that you want to represent is different. Maybe you want to be known for being fun and funny. Or maybe you'd rather be known for being an expert on something. Maybe you'd rather be wise than witty--or vice versa.
Think about who you want to be--and be it.
DO:
Use proper grammar
This is especially true if you want to be an or already are an author. Your profession is in words. Show it.
Does this mean you can't have your own voice and/or slang? Of course not. I mean, make an effort for correct punctuation, spelling, etc.
Also: please be aware that I'm a former English teacher and a stickler for grammar. So, obviously, I'm probably biased.
Also also: I've probably made a gazillion grammatical errors on this blog. Sorry.
When in doubt: be professional
Professional layout and design
There is nothing wrong with the simplest blog design--but there is often much wrong with the more complicated ones. More graphics/colors/bling does not a better blog make.
Please please don't make me listen to your music
Professional tone of writing
Professional subject of posts
But don't be so professional that you don't show your own personality
Book covers & info
If you are a published author, please make your cover and ordering information easy to find
If you are not a published author, be very very very wary of making a mock-up cover of your unpublished book. You tend to either (a) look like an amateur or (b) look like you're trying to trick people into thinking you're published. You just can't win this way.
DON'T:
Lose sight of your goal
If you're writing an author blog, think about your content and limit yourself. Post about topics your audience will want to know about. This doesn't mean you can't talk about your dog--but don't let it overwhelm your blog.
Be combative, rude, or belligerent
There's a difference between a negative review and a slam
There's a difference between a debate and an attack
There's a difference between sharing your opinion and trolling
Make it hard to find basic information
There are a few things that should just be easy and obvious to find:
Contact info
Feed subscription links
Comment links
Permalinks
In the end, I thought about what I want people to think of me based on my online presence. Does that make me pompous or fake? I hope not. But I decided what I wanted people to think of me was that I was professional, but real. To that end, I made an effort to have a professional design to my website, and keep most of my posts in a professional vein. But not all--I wanted to also be real--so I'll have posts about my real life, or tweet about my dog, or show you pictures of me on vacation on Facebook. But not too much. There have been books I've read and not liked--but you won't see a negative review on here (or not any more--I did do some before I got my book deal, but decided to take them down). I won't lie--if you ask my opinion on a book I didn't like, I'll tell you--but I'm not going to post it publicly. There have been reviews of my own book that I've not liked...but I won't comment on them. There have been online opinions that I disagreed with, and while I'll give my personal views, I won't argue.
But this is all me. Maybe the you that you want to represent is different. Maybe you want to be known for being fun and funny. Or maybe you'd rather be known for being an expert on something. Maybe you'd rather be wise than witty--or vice versa.
Think about who you want to be--and be it.
November 21, 2010
Aspiring Author? Here's What You HAVE To Do.
Perhaps it's just me, but it seems that the most common question I hear from aspiring authors is "what do I need to do to market myself?" This question comes out in many forms: "Do I have to blog?" "Do I have to Tweet?" "Should I have a Facebook Profile or a Facebook Page?" "How can I get more blog followers?" "Why the eff can't I just write my effing book and ignore all this effing marketing crap?"
Here's my simple answer:
No.
You don't have to do any of that. The only thing you have to do, if you want to make a profession of writing?
Write a kick-ass book.
That's it.
But, of course, we've all heard that, and even if we know that all we have to do is write a kick-ass book, there's also the fact that we hear about the author who turned mediocre sales into best-seller-status through an online promotion, the self-publisher who went trade because of a Twitter campaign, the blogger who got a book deal because she had 10,000 followers on Google Friends.
And even if we know that the most important thing is the book, we also know that we can probably help with online marketing. The thing is--unless you're rude, pompous, or otherwise unseemly, online marketing can probably only help and more than likely won't hurt. There are exceptions, of course, but I would think being a decent human being (or at least portraying yourself as one online) is really the safe zone to be in.
So, let's say you're a decent human being who has a book (or is working on one) and has decided that, while you know that writing the book is the most important thing, you also feel the need (or want) to do online promotion, social networking, whatever.
Recently, I was chatting with the Elevensies and the Tenners dropped by. Leah Cypress, author of MISTWOOD, had this advice for us:
So: if you are convinced that you HAVE to market yourself, my best advice is to echo Leah--do only what you want to do.
I blog because I like to blog. Not to sell you a book. If you happen to buy a book, GREAT. But I'd blog anyway. I think my three years of archives before I sold my book should be evidence of that. I tweet because I like to tweet. I think it's fun. I've found out lots of cool information from links, met a few new friends, and love the drop-in-drop-out ability of Twitter. I use to sometimes advertise contests and such, but I try not to be a commercial because I'd much rather be a part of the conversation. I Facebook...sometimes. It's not my favorite. I have a page for people who like to Facebook so they can find info easily, but I'm honestly not on Facebook much (btw, the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE page on Facebook is run by my publisher, not me).
Do what you want to do.
And if you don't want to do any of it?
That's totally OK.
Have you seen Suzanne Collin's blog? No, you haven't. Because she doesn't blog. Neither do a lot of writers. Twitter's even more bereft of literary figures. For every Maureen Johnson, Neil Gaiman, and Meg Cabot who's tweeting and blogging, there's a hundred other writers who simply don't.
Are there advantages? Absolutely. I know of two writers who attribute their publication success to their blogs--although I think it's debatable. In my own personal experience, there are four books on my shelves that I bought solely because I "knew" the author online--I liked their blogs, so I sought out their books. But guys? I have hundreds of books. And only four purchases made based on an author's online presence.
So, while there MAY be a help to an online presence, don't forget what Leah says: "Nothing helps enough that it's worth doing if you hate it." If you enjoy it, by all means--go for it. But if you hate it? It's not worth putting up with.
Here's my simple answer:
No.
You don't have to do any of that. The only thing you have to do, if you want to make a profession of writing?
Write a kick-ass book.
That's it.
But, of course, we've all heard that, and even if we know that all we have to do is write a kick-ass book, there's also the fact that we hear about the author who turned mediocre sales into best-seller-status through an online promotion, the self-publisher who went trade because of a Twitter campaign, the blogger who got a book deal because she had 10,000 followers on Google Friends.
And even if we know that the most important thing is the book, we also know that we can probably help with online marketing. The thing is--unless you're rude, pompous, or otherwise unseemly, online marketing can probably only help and more than likely won't hurt. There are exceptions, of course, but I would think being a decent human being (or at least portraying yourself as one online) is really the safe zone to be in.
So, let's say you're a decent human being who has a book (or is working on one) and has decided that, while you know that writing the book is the most important thing, you also feel the need (or want) to do online promotion, social networking, whatever.
Recently, I was chatting with the Elevensies and the Tenners dropped by. Leah Cypress, author of MISTWOOD, had this advice for us:
"The thing about promotion: all of it MAY help. But nothing helps enough that it's worth doing if you hate it."
So: if you are convinced that you HAVE to market yourself, my best advice is to echo Leah--do only what you want to do.
I blog because I like to blog. Not to sell you a book. If you happen to buy a book, GREAT. But I'd blog anyway. I think my three years of archives before I sold my book should be evidence of that. I tweet because I like to tweet. I think it's fun. I've found out lots of cool information from links, met a few new friends, and love the drop-in-drop-out ability of Twitter. I use to sometimes advertise contests and such, but I try not to be a commercial because I'd much rather be a part of the conversation. I Facebook...sometimes. It's not my favorite. I have a page for people who like to Facebook so they can find info easily, but I'm honestly not on Facebook much (btw, the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE page on Facebook is run by my publisher, not me).
Do what you want to do.
And if you don't want to do any of it?
That's totally OK.
Have you seen Suzanne Collin's blog? No, you haven't. Because she doesn't blog. Neither do a lot of writers. Twitter's even more bereft of literary figures. For every Maureen Johnson, Neil Gaiman, and Meg Cabot who's tweeting and blogging, there's a hundred other writers who simply don't.
Are there advantages? Absolutely. I know of two writers who attribute their publication success to their blogs--although I think it's debatable. In my own personal experience, there are four books on my shelves that I bought solely because I "knew" the author online--I liked their blogs, so I sought out their books. But guys? I have hundreds of books. And only four purchases made based on an author's online presence.
So, while there MAY be a help to an online presence, don't forget what Leah says: "Nothing helps enough that it's worth doing if you hate it." If you enjoy it, by all means--go for it. But if you hate it? It's not worth putting up with.
Secret Password Revealed!
If you'd like to check out the page behind the telescope, the password is:
seekthetruth
seekthetruth
November 20, 2010
Winner of Across the World Blog Tour Prize Pack!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed the Across the World Blog Tour we had running the week before last! But I know what you're really asking...who won??
I'll just say that for one of you, 16 is a lucky number:
Lucky Number 16 wins an Across the Universe prize pack including:
A signed and doodled ARCA bag of star swagA super-rare AtU watch
And that winner is...
Mallory R. of The Teen Bibliophile Blog
I'll just say that for one of you, 16 is a lucky number:
Lucky Number 16 wins an Across the Universe prize pack including:
A signed and doodled ARCA bag of star swagA super-rare AtU watch
And that winner is...
Mallory R. of The Teen Bibliophile Blog
November 18, 2010
Kidlit Critterpalooza!
For over a year now, CRITTER, the creation of artist Ian Sands, has been travelling the world, meeting many talented writers and authors and exploring where they live. At each stop he learns more and more about KIDLIT and the importance of literacy and creativity. This journey was the brainchild of Christy Evers, who got her hands on Critter after an interactive art project of Ian's, where 500 Critters were hidden all over her city for people to find.
Critter has visited PJ Hoover (and the Texas Sweethearts!) in Texas, Beth Revis in North Carolina, Christina Farley in Korea, New England with Nandini Bajpai, Illinois with Kelly Polark, MG Higgins in California, Rena Jones in Montana, Cynthia Leitich Smith in Texas, Bish Denham in the Virgin Islands, Jacqui Robbins in Michigan, Tina Ferraro in California, Cynthia Chapman Willis in New Jersey, Jill S. Alexander in Texas, Ellen Oh in Virginia and finally, Alberta Canada with Angela Ackerman.
Critter has been to college, rock concerts, national landmarks, a palace, attended his first SCBWI conference, walked among giant redwoods, and met the world famous artist, Robert Bateman. Now that his journey is coming to a close, it's CRITTER'S hope that you will help him celebrate over at The Bookshelf Muse. His new hosts, together with old hosts, have teamed up to create the Kidlit-inspired event, Critterpalooza! and you're invited!
[image error] There are many AMAZING prizes to be won, all in the spirit of helping Critter celebrate the wonderful creativity & support within out KIDLIT community, and to also raise awareness for his charity, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
If you would like to donate a few dollars to Critter's charity, just click on the I Love St. Jude button. Children's lives are saved every day thanks to the support of people like you!
Critter has visited PJ Hoover (and the Texas Sweethearts!) in Texas, Beth Revis in North Carolina, Christina Farley in Korea, New England with Nandini Bajpai, Illinois with Kelly Polark, MG Higgins in California, Rena Jones in Montana, Cynthia Leitich Smith in Texas, Bish Denham in the Virgin Islands, Jacqui Robbins in Michigan, Tina Ferraro in California, Cynthia Chapman Willis in New Jersey, Jill S. Alexander in Texas, Ellen Oh in Virginia and finally, Alberta Canada with Angela Ackerman.
Critter has been to college, rock concerts, national landmarks, a palace, attended his first SCBWI conference, walked among giant redwoods, and met the world famous artist, Robert Bateman. Now that his journey is coming to a close, it's CRITTER'S hope that you will help him celebrate over at The Bookshelf Muse. His new hosts, together with old hosts, have teamed up to create the Kidlit-inspired event, Critterpalooza! and you're invited!
[image error] There are many AMAZING prizes to be won, all in the spirit of helping Critter celebrate the wonderful creativity & support within out KIDLIT community, and to also raise awareness for his charity, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
If you would like to donate a few dollars to Critter's charity, just click on the I Love St. Jude button. Children's lives are saved every day thanks to the support of people like you!
