Rebecca Besser's Blog, page 63
February 17, 2014
Out of the Shadows – Be Seen and Build a Platform
Some people won’t jump into the Indie Writer movement. They’d rather keep all their writing for the higher end publications… You know, the publications that pay full price for everything. Now, granted, there’s nothing wrong with that, we should all strive to get the best for ourselves and our writing. But for that to make a difference, you would have to be published with those higher end publications constantly. You’d have to have a column in a widely read magazine/newspaper or something, and be turning out something weekly that would have to appear before readers. That’s not going to happen, but for a few. And no one is going to hire a nobody for that job, unless you were birthed into the world through shiny, glittery unicorn poop.
So unless you’re some major guru, and we all read those publications, you aren’t going to build a name for yourself or gather fans/a following if you can’t get your writing out in front of the reader.
You can sit on your writing unless the exact publication you want is willing to take it on, or you can work with what you have. There’s nothing wrong with doing a “for the love” publication or throwing a short story at an anthology once in a while to gain some readers.
At least the Indie Writer is out there building a platform, gathering fans and readers, having a blog that someone actually reads, and a social media profile people actually want to follow and interact with. You know what? Those big publications you’re after will want you to have those things (with decent numbers) when they take you on. They’ll want you to show them that people like you and your work. They’ll want to see that you have fans and a following.
Sitting on your hands (and all of your writing) is not going to get you in front of the masses.
Oh, it may if you’re super lucky (see unicorn poop reference above), or have the best writing in the universe. But, with the way the economy and everything is working against everyone today, what are the chances of you being the “chosen one” for that big publishing house? Especially when you haven’t been building a platform/name for yourself?
Not very likely.
You can ask anyone who has been published with a bigger publishing house, who has an agent, and they’re going to tell you you’ll need the platform. And, if you get picked up without having one, you’re going to be told really fast that you need to build one.
Why not start building your name now, while you’re waiting?
Did you know that if you’re an Indie Writer or self-published writer and you sell or give away thousands of copies of your work, it will increase your chances of an agent or big publishing deal? Yes. It’s true. You know why? Because you’re not invisible and people want what you’re putting out into the world. Granted, that happens about as much as being the magical “chosen one,” but you’re not completely invisible to the world if you’re getting a few hundred readers to read your stuff.
At least someone will know your name. At least someone will have read your story(ies). Keeping them all to yourself is doing absolutely nothing for you.
I believe it’s better to stand up and be noticed, even a little bit, rather than sit in the corner and be invisible. You don’t get any fans that way. No one is going to ask you to dance and sweep you off your feet (agent/publisher) if they don’t even know you exist.
Another thing you’ll bring to the table when the time comes for that big contract, if you’re in the Indie Writer movement… You’ll have a general idea how publishing actually works. You’ll have seen various types of contracts. You’ll have worked with various editors. You’ll understand the professionalism and respect that go into the transactions of publication. You’ll know what to expect and have a realistic perception of the reality of what writers do, what editors do, and what publishers do. How are you going to get that experience waiting for just the right deal to come your way? Sitting in the corner, knowing nothing?
The point of this post? Yeah, you’re awesome with all your good writing, but no one can see you unless you stand up and show yourself and what you can do. Readers want to see you. And agents and publishers want to see your following. So, against the risk of staying a no one forever, throw something out into the world and build your platform.
Stand up! Make some noise! Show the world what you can do, and what you can be. Don’t keep thinking good things are going to come your way when you’re not trying to build yourself a platform and a name. All the experience, and networking, will help you in the long run. I promise. 
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser. All rights reserved.
February 14, 2014
New Release - Straight to You by David Moody
Released today!
Straight to You by David Moody
The sun is dying. The temperature around the world is rising by the hour with no sign of any respite. At this rate the planet will soon become uninhabitable; all life extinguished. It might be weeks away, it might be days... we may only have hours remaining. Society is crumbling. The burning world is descending into chaos.
Steven Johnson's wife is hundreds of miles away and all that matters is reaching her before the end. He has to act now, no time to stop and think. Every second is precious. Tomorrow is too late.
"An engaging and heart-breaking read - Moody is the go-to-guy for extraordinary stories starring ordinary people" -Wayne Simmons, author of Plastic Jesus and Flu
"He brings to mind old Brit horror writer James Herbert. And that is some recommendation" -London Lite
"David Moody spins paranoia into a deliciously dark new direction" -Jonathan Maberry, author of Patient Zero and Rot and Ruin
I've acquired David's permission to share an excerpt with you!
Excerpt from Chapter 6 of Straight to You by David Moody:
She was waiting at the door when he finally made it home. Ready to pounce. He was being unfairly harsh on her tonight, he knew he was. His defences were up, that was all. ‘You wouldn’t think I left early,’ he said, kissing her on the cheek as he went inside.
‘Busy out there?’
‘Crazy. Like you wouldn’t believe.’
‘I would believe it. You seen the news today?’
‘Haven’t had a second. Why, what’s happened?’
‘Climate change protest in London.’
‘Climate change?’ he said as he kicked off his shoes. ‘Bit late for that, isn’t it? The climate has
changed.’
‘I know. About a hundred thousand people in the middle of the city, though, marching in this heat. It was pretty obvious it was never going to go well.’
‘I’ll watch the headlines in a while. I need a drink first.’
She followed him into the kitchen. ‘Are you worried, Steve?’
‘Worried? What about?’ He watched her face anxiously. Had she realised something was going on at work?
‘About the weather.’
He laughed. ‘I’ve got more important things to think about.’
‘People are starting to get really scared.’
‘Then they need to get their heads out of their backsides and get on with their lives. Jesus, I wish all I’d got to worry about was the bloody temperature.’
‘Like what?’
‘Eh?’
‘What else have you got to worry about? Come on, you never tell me anything anymore.’
‘It’s not interesting or important. Christ, I’ve just managed to get out of the office, the last thing I want to do is spend the weekend talking about all the shite going on there.’
‘Who rattled your cage?’
‘Sorry. Long day. Difficult day.’
She looked hurt, not surprised by his short fuse, but disappointed all the same. She carried on regardless. ‘You should have seen it. Horrible, it was. The police had got the march route all marked out, then a bunch of the protestors decided to go another way. The police penned them in close to Trafalgar Square and had to just leave them there ’cause the place was so busy they couldn’t easily move them on. They were giving them water but there was hardly any shade. People started passing out in the heat, Steve, and then other people started panicking. Seventeen dead, they said. Some got crushed by the crowds, others were just out in the sun too long. It was vile. It was all on TV. Most of them were just kids. They were collapsing and being trampled by the others. It was horrible. There was nothing anyone could have done . . .’
Straight to You by David Moody is available for purchase at Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble! Grab your copy today!
About David Moody:
David Moody was born in 1970 and grew up in Birmingham, UK, on a diet of trashy horror and pulp science fiction books and movies. He worked as a bank manager and as operations manager for a number of financial institutions before giving up the day job to write about the end of the world for a living. He has written a number of horror novels, including AUTUMN, which has been downloaded more than half a million times since publication in 2001 and has spawned a series of sequels and a movie starring Dexter Fletcher and David Carradine. Film rights to HATER were snapped up by Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) and Mark Johnson (producer of Breaking Bad and the Chronicles of Narnia films). Moody lives with his wife and a houseful of daughters and stepdaughters, which may explain his pre-occupation with Armageddon.
His website: http://davidmoody.net/
Copyrights owned by David Moody. All rights reserved.
February 13, 2014
Sirens Call Ezine - Women in Horror Edition 2014
This year the flash fiction version of my story, "Hall of Twelve," is included in the issue with a lot of other works from women who write horror!
Guess what?! The ezine is free! You can download it as a PDF and read all the scary greatness!
Link to Sirens Call Ezine Women in Horror Edition 2014: http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/pdfs/SirensCallEZine_WiHRM_Feb2014.pdf
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser and Sirens Call Publications.
All rights reserved.
January 30, 2014
Winter Ebook Giveaway - It's Cold and We're Bored!
It's winter. It's cold. We're all stuck inside for the most part, and we're bored! So, I thought I'd give you all something to ease the cabin fever... Three free ebooks by me!
Twisted Pathways of Murder & Death, Cursed Bounty, and Hall of Twelve will all be available for free on Kindle from Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2014!
Enjoy!
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser. All rights reserved.
January 3, 2014
Feel the Music by Rebecca Besser
Most of you only know me as a horror writer. Something you might not know, is that I'm a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature. Meaning... I also write for children from time to time, and not just in the horror genre. A fair number of poems, articles, reading theater, and fiction pieces of mine are published on the Super Teacher Worksheets site. This site allows teachers to download worksheets for use in any classroom, anywhere. One of the articles of mine that was published with them (that I wrote for one of my writing course assignments with ICL) was picked up by McGraw & Hill for NY assessments.
Learning much about me yet? Curious? Below you'll find a story I wrote in 2009 that was previous published on the Stories That Lift website (which is gone now). I hope you enjoy it!
Feel the Music by Rebecca Besser
Getting out of the car, I clung to Mommy’s hand. There were lots of people around. They bumped into me, and tried to get between us. But, Mommy didn’t let them. She gave them a dirty look, and said something. I couldn’t see her lips, but it probably wasn’t anything nice.
She tugged me over to the side of the hall, away from the crowd rushing through the entrance.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she signed.
I could see the worry in her eyes.
“Yes,” I signed. “I want to feel the music.”
She frowned. I knew she didn’t understand. How could she?
I grinned at her and took her hand, pulling her back into the stream of bodies moving down the hall.
The shiny-twinkle of the women’s dresses and the dark suits that the men wore, looked like a flower garden swaying in the breeze.
I was almost jumping with excitement when we reached the door to the giant room with lots and lots of seats that Mommy called an auditorium. We have one at school, but it is not nearly as pretty as this one.
Mommy looked down at me and smiled. I knew she was trying to reassure me.
We were shown to our seats by a man that greeted us at the door, and looked at our tickets. We were really far back, but we had an aisle seat. Mommy let me sit there so I could lean out of my seat and see the stage better.
“When will they start?” I signed excitedly.
“Soon,” she signed and said at the same time. “I think in fifteen minutes or so, sweetheart.”
“Ok,” I signed back.
Looking around, I watched the people laugh, and talk to each other. Once in a while, I could read their lips, catching a bit of a conversation.
I sometimes wonder what laughs sound like. I know what they look like. I have seen many people laugh. It makes them look happy, and their eyes twinkle. I have even felt a laugh. I put my hands on Mommy’s throat when she laughs. Her neck vibrates in a happy dance, deep inside. That is the same way it feels when I laugh.
Pretty soon, most of the seats were full of people. The lights went out, and everyone looked at the stage. Bright lights came on, lighting up all the chairs waiting for musicians.
They began walking out onto the stage, carrying their instruments. They were shiny. The light glinted off of them. People all around started bringing their hands together in what Mommy said was a clap. Their clapping made my seat vibrate.
Finally, all the musicians were seated in their chairs, except for a couple I saw in the back. They played drums, and big instruments.
Mommy explained instruments to me before we came. They were supposed to make sound, by vibrating, or by wind being pushed through them.
I held my breath as they started to play. Each group of instruments moved the same way at exactly the same time. It was like a beautiful dance.
I glanced at Mommy and grinned.
She smiled back, looking a lot more relaxed.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” I signed.
“Ok,” she signed back. “Let’s go.”
“No,” I signed, shaking my head. “I can go by myself.”
“Are you sure?” she replied. “Do you know the way?”
I nodded yes.
She hesitated, then nodded.
“Hurry back,” she signed.
I left my seat, and went back to the door we entered through. The man was still there, and he opened the door for me.
I stood outside the door for a moment, looking around. Then I spotted it, a sign that directed the musicians to the stage. I headed in the direction it pointed.
No one was around. They must all have been in the auditorium.
After walking down a couple halls, I found a door that said, “Stage.”
I slowly opened it and peeked inside. No people were present here, either. Stepping through, I closed the door behind me. I could feel intense vibrations coming through the wooden floor boards. I was getting closer.
There was a huge red curtain, ahead, to the left. I walked slowly over to it. There, right in front of me, just past the curtain, were the musicians. They were moving fast. Their dance was even more beautiful up close. I stood there, watching them. My hands itched. I rubbed them against the skirt of my dress. I wanted to touch the instruments. I wanted to feel them vibrate in my hands.
Before I realized what my feet had in mind, I walked out onto the stage. No one noticed me at first, so I kept going. I walked over to the drum and pressed my hands on the sides.
The drummer saw me, he must have said something to the conductor, because everyone stopped and looked at me.
Suddenly, they all turned to look out at the crowd of people. My Mommy was rushing down the aisle, saying something. I couldn’t read her lips. She was talking too fast, and was too far away.
The conductor said something to her, and she stopped. She looked really confused. Then she nodded, and turned to go back to her seat, pausing ever few steps to look back at me.
The conductor walked over to me. I backed up a few steps, then I saw the smile on his face. He bent down and took my hand. Leading me gently, he gave my hand to an elderly woman who had appeared from behind the curtain. He said something to her, and she looked down at me and gave him a brief nod.
He went back to his place on stage, and the musicians started playing again.
The women lead me out onto the stage, taking me over to a man playing a violin. She took my free hand and placed it gently on the shiny wood of the stringed instrument.
I could feel the music that it made – the rise and fall, the fast and slow vibrations.
I grinned up at the woman, and she smiled.
She took me around to many different musicians, laying my hand on each instrument. Each one felt different. They all felt magical.
By the time I had felt most of the instruments, the concert was over. I turned to look out at the crowd of people. They were all standing, and doing that clapping thing again. Most of them were crying. I don’t know why. I couldn’t stop smiling.
The woman took me to the stage door, where Mommy was waiting for me. I could tell she had been crying.
“Are you ok, Mommy?” I signed.
“Yes, Amy,” she signed back. “I’m wonderful. Did you have fun?”
“Yes,” I signed, with a huge grin. “It was a wonderful adventure, to feel the music.”
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser. All rights reserved.
December 19, 2013
Ask and ye shall receive a free ebook!
Follow this link: http://literary-agents.com/becca/
Then ask Mark a questions! The question can be about anything writing related... Agents, query letters, etc. All you have to do is ask! I will be giving away six ebooks (Kindle) to random people who ask Mark a question between now and Christmas eve (2013).
Now you're probably wondering about the books I'm giving away...
I'll be giving away three ebook (Kindle) copies of Cursed Bounty - my recently released zombie western novella
and three ebook (Kindle) copies of my short story collection,
Twisted Pathways of Murder & Death!
If you're not an author, and really don't have any questions you would like to ask Mark, don't worry! Cursed Bounty and Twisted Pathways are both on sale for $.99 until the end of the year! Just hop over to Amazon to buy your copy (click on the cover pics in this post to go directly to the titles on Amazon).
If you are an author... Go ask a question so you can win an ebook.
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser. All rights reserved.
December 12, 2013
New Release - Cursed Bounty
Now available for Kindle!
Cursed Bounty
A Western Zombie Novella
by Rebecca Besser
Click on cover pic to visit title on Amazon!
When a zombie bounty hunter is sent to a small western town after bank robbers, things get complicated…and deadly for the local sheriff and his men.
They must fight the battle for moral good against a powerful, corrupt politician and the zombies he controls.
Cursed Bounty will be on sale for $.99 until the end of the year (2013)!
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser, 2013. All rights reserved.
December 10, 2013
The Invisible Dream
For musicians, it may be their first record deal or gig.
For artists, it might be that first gallery showing or the first big commissioned piece.
For writers, it might be their first publication or book deal.
Until that moment when you actually have something tangible to show for all your effort, people don’t see what you do and spend your time on as something real. It’s not because they don’t respect that you have a gift or skill, but because it’s not bearing something of physical value that they can see. Sure, it makes you happy, but they don’t understand how. Often times, they’re jealous you have some kind of skill they could never possess. They will put you down and try to make you feel small so they can feel better about themselves.
While you’re raised to believe anything is possible (or so children’s movies, books, etc., lead you to believe) once you start accumulating years on your life, it’s no longer okay to reach for the stars. You have to have a real job, pay bills, and be responsible.
Those of us who still cling to our Invisible Dreams and try to make them come true, fight a hard battle just to have time to do what we need to do to push those dreams forward. After all, no one else can see them but us. Granted, most of the time (if you’re lucky, like me), your family will support you. But, a lot of you have to deal with family members and friends who don’t understand that you’re trying to make your dreams come true. All they see is hours of wasted time on something that makes no sense to them whatsoever.
If you’re dealing with a lack of support, you have to be careful with your family and friends. It’s very easy for them to convince you that what you’re seeking will never happen and isn’t real. The only way that is true is if you accept it as your truth. Countless people will try to break your dreams because they don’t have the courage to build theirs.
That leaves you alone in a world only you can see to fight for what you want. Luckily, now that there are social media networks, you can find like-minded, supportive individuals with their own Invisible Dream. It’s nice to have people who understand. Those people can give you strength and companionship through the trials and hard work necessary to move forward toward your dream.
It’s completely up to you to make your dreams come true. No one will do it for you. You’ll have to decide deep within yourself that you’re going to do it, and then make the plans to make things happen.
Silence all those negative people with something tangible. Don’t give up on your Invisible Dream. Keep pushing until you have something tangible to show the world that your dream is real.
Most of all, keep the people who are supportive close. Family… Friends… Whoever helps you see your dream as possible and real, and will be there for the journey to reality.
Your Invisible Dream is real. Show the world!
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser, 2013. All rights reserved.
November 6, 2013
Interview with Author Consultant Mark Malatesta
Interview With Author Consultant Mark
Malatesta
What
is
Literary
Agent Undercover
?
Literary
Agent Undercover
helps authors of all genres get top literary agents, publishers, and
book deals. I founded Literary
Agent Undercover
in August 2011, after closing my literary agency called New
Brand Agency Group
(more about that below).
Literary
Agent Undercover
offers a free weekly newsletter, insider articles, audio and video
training (including interviews with top literary agents), the world’s
best Directory
of Literary Agents (online), an interactive Ask
a Literary Agent area (online), and 1-on-1
Coaching and Consulting Services (in person, by phone, and/or
Skype).
Literary
Agent Undercover is
for authors that fit into one of the following categories: 1)
Unpublished authors just starting to write (or pitch) their book(s),
2) Self-published authors who now want to find a real (traditional)
publisher, and 3) Previously published authors who’ve lost their
agent and/or publisher and want to find a new one.
Exactly
what do you do in any given day?
Most
days I get up at 5 am (thanks to 5
am Wake Up Call guru Bryce Chapman in Australia) and spend a few
hours in my home office before going to the gym for a couple hours
(weights, cardio, and laps in the pool keep me sane). Most authors
would probably be surprised to learn that I only spend two days a
week coaching, but I spend much of my time “offline” editing
query letters, book proposals, etc.
I
also post new content on my Literary
Agents Blog each week, and make time to respond personally to
every question and comment posted there. I do a lot of speaking at
live events and online as well. And I coach high-level entrepreneurs
with my wife, Ingrid Elfver, through Born
Celebrity. Lastly, if it’s a Sunday afternoon or Monday night,
there’s a good chance I’ll be watching American football. I’m a
huge fan, much to my wife’s disappointment (football is the
“f-word” in our house).
Who
are some of the best-selling authors you have worked with?
Although
my author consulting company Literary
Agent Undercover
is only two years old, I’ve already helped dozens of authors (in
the United States and abroad) get the attention of top literary
agents and/or book deals with major publishing houses like Random
House and Thomas Nelson. Click here to see some of our Success
Stories. I’ve also listed below most of the book deals I was
personally responsible for as
the owner of New
Brand Agency,
before I founded Literary
Agent Undercover
(I’ve excluded TV, film, stage, and other subsidiary rights for
sake of space).
NONFICTION:
The Marriage
Plan by
Aggie Jordan, Ph.D. (Broadway/Sourcebooks); Soul
Sex: Tantra For Two
by Pala Copeland and Al Link (NewPage); The
Husband Book
by Harry Harrison (Andrews McMeel); The
Women’s Guide to Legal Issues
by Nancy Jones (Renaissance); Say
Yes to Change
by George and Sedena Cappanelli (F&W); Father
To Son; Mother to Son; Father to Daughter; and
Mother to Daughter
by Harry Harrison (Workman); Eat
Or Be Eaten
by Phil Porter (Prentice-Hall); The
Crisis Counselor
by Jeff Caponigro (Contemporary); Get
Weird! by
John Putzier (Amacom); Money-Tree
Marketing by
Patrick & Jennifer Bishop (Amacom); Creative
Selling by
Dave Donelson (Entrepreneur); Fearless
Brewing by
Brian Kunath (Chartwell); The
Dog’s Drugstore
by Richard Redding & Myrna Papurt (St. Martin’s). ADULT
FICTION:
24/7
and Black
Valley by
Jim Brown (Ballantine); Multiple Novels by Rae Foley (Simon &
Schuster); BloodTrail
by Michael Sullivan (Jameson). YOUNGER
READERS: The
Body of Christopher Creed and
many other young adult novels by Carol Plum-Ucci (Harcourt);
The Finnegan
Zwake Mystery Series
by Michael Dahl (Pocket/Scholastic); The
Young Shakespeare Mystery Series
by Linda Fisher (Hyperion); The
Misfits, Inc. Mystery Series
by Mark Delaney (Peachtree); Multiple Young Adult Novels by Susan
Rottman (Peachtree/Penguin).
Please
note that I’m no longer an active literary agent—the only work
that I do now with authors is in a coaching/consulting capacity.
Also, “Mark Malatesta” is my birth name and “Mark Ryan” is my
stepfather’s name. So, if you’re Googling me to check out my
literary agent history, make sure you search for “New Brand Agency”
and/or “Mark Ryan.” When I was 16 years old (and didn’t know
better) my mother remarried and asked me to take on my stepfather’s
name. I agreed but never developed a meaningful relationship with my
stepfather, so I finally changed my name back to my birth name “Mark
Malatesta” in 2007 (after I stopped being a literary agent).
How
does having an agent benefit an author?
There
are many benefits to having a literary agent. The most important one
is the fact that 95% of traditional publishers like Random House
don’t accept unsolicited submissions from authors. If you send them
your material, they’ll return it to you unopened. Literary agents
are essentially gatekeepers that read (on average) more than 1,000
pitches each month from authors. Then they take the best of the best
and work (for free) until they get you a book deal (and collect a
commission if they’re successful).
Here
are some other reasons to work with a literary agent:
Agents
Know Exactly Who to Send Your Book To
Book
agents are familiar with individual publishers and their lists.
Agents are also intimate with the preferences, strengths, and
weaknesses of individual editors at publishing houses. That knowledge
will allow your agent to submit your book to the perfect editors at
the best publishers for you.
Publishers
Will Take Your Work More Seriously
Top
agents have access to senior editors and other publishing executives
due to the agent’s track record of success. This allows agents to
pitch books face-to-face (sometimes with the author present), submit
books to publishers simultaneously, hold auctions, and get deals done
faster.
You’ll
Get Better Contract Terms
Book
agents are skilled negotiators who can get you larger advances and
higher royalty rates, multi-book deals, bonuses for any awards or
special recognition that your book gets, a bigger promotional budget,
hardcover and paperback edition commitments, an earlier publication
date, etc.
Your
Agent Will Troubleshoot Any Problems
Agents
handle any challenges that come up during the publication or
post-publication process, so you don’t have to. For example:
editors that are difficult, fired, laid-off, or retire; title changes
or bad book cover design; bad reviews or publicity; poor book sales;
changes in the industry or marketplace; etc.
Your
Agent Might Bring You Extra Book Ideas & Book Deals
You
might not be aware of this, but top book agents often bring their
authors ideas for new books. Sometimes those book ideas are something
the agent came up with. Other times, the ideas are something an
editor with a publishing house came up with. There’s never been an
easier way to get a book deal.
What
can authors do before they seek an agent that will help them get one?
My
answer to this question will make some authors very happy; it will
irritate others. That’s because I’m going to say something that
many authors won’t be expecting and might not want to hear.
Here
it is…
Learning
how to write a bestselling book often has a lot less to do with
talent than most authors realize.
Yes,
talent is overrated.
And
that’s not just my opinion.
If
you want to know how to write a bestseller, you probably don’t need
more natural talent. You need a
writer’s education.
And I’m not talking about some literary, highbrow, ivory tower
education made up of academia and MFAs (not that there’s anything
wrong with that). I’m talking about a practical, down-to-earth,
reality-based, how to write a bestseller education. And that type of
education is made up of seven simple parts.
Which
one(s) do you need to add to your repertoire?
HOW
TO WRITE A BESTSELLER – 7 STEPS
Conscious
Reading
You
can’t learn how to write a bestselling book without reading a lot…
but I don’t just mean reading bestselling authors in your genre
that you admire.
You should also be reading bestselling authors in your genre that you
don’t
like. And, you should read bestselling authors in
other
genres.
You
also need to read consciously.
When you’re reading purely for pleasure,
you can permit yourself to get lost in a author’s story or style.
However, when you’re reading for
business
(how to write a bestseller), you should be studying the context of
what you’re reading.
Pay
attention to what you’re thinking and feeling as you’re reading.
Peek “behind the curtain” where the author is busy pulling
his/her strings. Try to deconstruct what’s happening, and why. When
you feel something, try to figure out what you’re feeling and why
you’re feeling it.
Writing,
Writing, Writing
Duh.
This
should be obvious, but some writers think they can learn how to write
a bestselling book without paying their dues. In other words,
you can’t learn how to write a bestseller without spending
thousands of hours writing. I’m talking pure volume here.
A
good idea for a bestselling book isn’t the same as a good idea for
a bestselling book in
the hands of an experienced writer.
Rewriting
One
of the biggest mistakes writers make is measuring themselves (mainly)
by how much writing they’ve done. But it’s not just volume that
matters. It’s quality.
And the best way to improve the quality of your writing is rewriting.
Unfortunately, hard work alone doesn’t always lead to extraordinary
results. It has to be the right
hard work.
In
other words, if you want to learn how to how to write a bestselling
book, you have to design your “writing time” to your specific
needs. For example, most writers spend most (or all) of their writing
time doing one thing: writing. And they spend very little (or no time
at all) rewriting.
Some writers do this for ten years, write ten books during that time,
and never get published (because they didn’t write ten good books,
they wrote ten first
drafts).
Studying
the Craft of Writing
Most
writers understand that they need to spend time studying the craft of
writing, but I want to encourage authors to do more… expand their
range
of study to new areas.
Read
books that might not seem (at first) to apply to you like books on
humor, suspense, story, mystery, horror, romance, etc. If you want to
learn how to write a bestselling book, start by having a more
eclectic approach in what you study. This will make your writing
richer, no matter what genre you’re in.
Here
are a few books to get you started:
10
Best Books for Writers.
Studying
the
Business
of Writing
If
you consider yourself a “creative artist” you might resist this
idea or be intimidated by it. Don’t be. Check out this one simple
resource to help you get more educated and stay plugged in:
Publishers
Marketplace.
If
you want to become a bestselling author, it will show you deals being
done, who’s doing them, and more. 40,000+ publishing professionals
are part of this community. There’s a free newsletter you can
subscribe to as well. And there’s a paid option that gives you
access to even more goodies.
Case
Studies
One
of the best shortcuts to learning how to write a bestselling book is
case studies… learning how other bestselling authors became
successful. The act of writing books, proposals, and query letters
takes a lot of time. Don’t experiment. Take advantage of those
who’ve gone before you.
For
example, let’s say you need to write a query letter to get a
literary agent. You might have read a book or two about query
letters, but you’ll write a much better
query letter if you have a case study to look at first. In other
words, a before and after example of a query letter that eventually
led to success… with a detailed explanation of the changes that
were made, and why.
Case
studies let you see what you would have done differently than the
subject. This process of focusing on different scenarios and
evaluating different solutions is powerful. That’s why the “case
method” is used by top universities around the world like Harvard
and Yale.
Studying
theory is great, but it’s much more beneficial to see that theory
applied
in real-life situations that resulted in success. Guessing
is for the amateur. Case
studies are
for the professional writer who wants to learn how to write a
bestseller.
Coaching
and/or Consulting
If
you want to learn how to write a bestselling book, coaching is
possibly the most important piece of the puzzle. It requires the
biggest investment, but it can also save you years of wasted time and
lots of money working with editors and/or publishing companies that
aren’t the best fit for you. Virtually every bestselling author has
had some type of coaching, for good reason.
If
you want to learn how to how to write a bestseller, you’ll need
some help to see things that you’d never see alone. And you’ll
need help overcoming things that you can’t overcome alone. Coaching
is about discovering shortcuts, being held accountable (for some
people), and having someone on your side who’s actually already
“been there and done that”.
No
one can guarantee you’ll write a bestselling book, but this 7-part
process is as close as you’ll get to a proven formula. These are
the things that you can actually control
(unlike natural talent or ability, if there even
is
such a thing).
Focus
on them.
And,
make sure you’re dividing up your time properly based on what you
really need…
instead of what you want
(don’t neglect one of the areas above that you know you should be
focusing on). If you want to learn how to write a bestseller, you
need to treat your writing more like a business… and less like a
hobby. I don’t mean to take the romance out of writing, but a
balanced writer’s education is the key to helping you write a
bestseller.
And
that’s pretty romantic in my book.
MARK
MALATESTA is
the author who went “undercover” as a literary agent for five
years to find out how to get his own
books published. During that time, Mark became a NY Times bestselling
literary agent and helped many authors launch their writing careers
with major publishers like Random House. The result was millions of
books sold along with projects being picked up for TV, stage, and
feature film (with companies like Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks).
Mark’s authors have gotten 6-figure advances, been on the NY Times
bestseller list, been licensed in more than 30 countries, and won
countless national and international awards and honors. Now Mark is
helping authors of all genres get top literary agents and book deals
through his new training and consulting company called Literary
Agent Undercover.
Get instant access to Mark’s FREE 60-minute mp3 training: Seven
Secrets Every Author Needs to Know… to Get a Top Literary Agent,
Publisher, and Book Deal,
weekly newsletter, insider articles, Directory
of Literary Agents,
interactive Ask
a Literary Agent
area of his website, and information about his1-on-1 coaching and
consulting services. Click Here
Now to Become a Publishing Insider with Literary Agent Undercover.
Copyrights owned by Mark Malatesta & Literary Agent Undercover. All rights reserved.
October 31, 2013
Win A Signed Copy of Twisted Pathways of Murder & Death by Rebecca Besser
To enter to win the signed copy of Twisted Pathways of Murder & Death
you must download the free ebook version
Click on the cover pic to go directly to Amazon for the free Kindle download.
find the story, "Game Gone Wrong," and email me the first sentence of the story.
Email addy to send to: reviews@rebeccabesser.com
Subject Line: First Line Game
In the body of the email: [the first sentence of the story, "Game Gone Wrong."]
The contest is only open today (Oct. 31, 2013) for as long as the ebook is free.
Happy Halloween and #AllHallowsRead!
Copyrights owned by Rebecca Besser, 2013. All rights reserved.
