Robin Murphy's Blog, page 10

Two Small Tips to Help Market You and Your Book

There are countless books, blog posts, and articles that have been written about the art of marketing your book.  I have read many of those books and blog posts and they’ve helped me along the way.  I don’t believe everyone has “the” answer because it has been a work in progress for me, and over time I have learned what works best.  So you need to choose which works best for you and what you feel comfortable doing.

Contact Local Newspapers – this piece of advice was given to me when my first book, Sullivan’s Secret, was published by a small press.  At first I couldn’t imagine why the local newspaper would have any interest in me, and then I realized I had to put those thoughts right out of my head and believe everyone would be interested in reading about my story.

You can easily find the contact by going to a newspapers website, or in the printed version, that is if they still print their newspaper.  Let’s face it, that’s slowly becoming obsolete, but once you have a contact you can reach them through email, phone, etc.

Each newspaper is different in how they publish a “local author” story. My local newspaper used to request a copy of the printed book and then did an interview.  I was then sent to the photographer to get a picture to be used with the story.  Recently though, they just use a scripted interview, but they still take a fresh photo.

What’s great about being interviewed by any local newspaper is they also publicize the story on their website and the story will be archived…forever.  I’ve done a search many times where that newspaper interview appears in the feed.  That’s pretty exciting and this is the patient and slow process of getting your name out there for readers to find you.

Libraries – the possibilities are endless.  If you choose to get a Library of Congress number, which I strongly suggest, then you will have some amazing opportunities to get your book out to the public.  You only need to contact them, I suggest stopping in and introducing yourself.  Ask them if they would be interested in having your book or books in the library.  I have never had anyone say no, they love local authors.

After the librarian read my book/s I was asked to be a part of a book signing/selling event with other local authors during a town festival, and then they asked me to give a talk on a subject of my choosing.  It became a domino effect just because I reached out to them.  So don’t be shy.  You’d be surprised what opportunities develop from your library.

Another way to get your book out in libraries is to have a family member or a friend, who lives in another area or state, go to their local library and request your book/s.  The library will in turn purchase your book wholesale, which is a sale for you, and then add it to their catalogue.  It may seem like a small or impossible way to get a readership, but these small steps lead to bigger and better things.

Turning Down a Publisher?

I had a very exciting opportunity take place for me this week. A publisher that I submitted the third book in my paranormal mystery series, Federal City’s Secret, offered me a contract.  Needless to say, I was thrilled, but also disappointed, because you see, I had already self-published the book.

I was also disappointed that the response back to me was well past the allotted time they stated on their website.  We authors can only wait for so long before we decide to move on, or possibly accept another offer. They were very gracious and apologetic, but before I dove into the traditional publisher phase, I gave it 24 hours to gather my thoughts and questions.  Not to mention to relish in the euphoria I felt of being offered a contract.

Once I refreshed my memory of their guidelines, I realized there were certain limitations regarding the print side of publishing. I would need to sell 50 e-books before the book would go to print. It wouldn’t have been difficult for me to pull my book off of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail stores, but I had done so much marketing for this book that I really needed to be sure what they had to offer was more than what I was doing for myself.

So, I decided to reach out to the writing community that I belong to and posted my question to a great author group.  Needless to say, the response I received was AWESOME and they gave me some very helpful insight to areas I had not thought of myself.

I gathered their points and added a few of my own and submitted the questions to the publisher.  I received a quick response, and after reviewing their answers, decided to pass on the deal. Now some would say I was crazy, but I am happy with my decision.

A few of the reasons why I chose to keep my book self-published:

Did I really want to take my self-published book out of print and wait for 50 e-books to be sold before it went back into print? Especially since I take these printed books to workshops/conferences/book fairs. Not to mention my giveaways on Goodreads.
They didn’t offer adding a Library of Congress number, so that was a huge disappointment with me because I LOVE my libraries and all they have to offer authors.
The marketing aspect was a big bust for me. They made it clear they are not a marketing company, which I understand, but it was being left completely up to me, which I’m already doing…quite successfully. The wealth of knowledge I have gained is immense and I truly did feel that far outweighed what the publishing company had to offer.
There is never a guarantee the selling of a book, we all know that, but I just felt it was best to have the freedom and flexibility as a self-published author, and reap the rewards myself for my hard work.
Another little bugaboo for me was the title and cover change. Now they stated the title may change if it was offensive, which it’s not, and the cover would be done by their artist, which is great, but I liked the cover I had chosen and it has already become familiar with readers, so that didn’t resonate well with me either. Not to mention too that if the title had changed, my great reviews would not stay with the book that is out there on Amazon or B&N. They said they could incorporate my reviews with the book, but I didn’t get a direct answer as to how.

After I graciously declined and thanked them, I had no doubts or second thoughts on my decision.  I felt good and proud of where I’ve come after my third book. Plus I won’t deny, having been offered a contract solidified my confidence and I did give myself a little “pat on the back”, not in a boastful way, but we all know how personal these books are to us and the amount of hard work we put into them, so it’s nice to be acknowledged, right?

So, if you are struggling with either traditional publishing or self-publishing, the decision truly does lie with you, but make sure you research everything before you sign on the dotted line. I’m glad I did and I thank those who offered their help.

Remember, keep on writing…

Self-Editing/Rewrites – An Important Tool for any Author

You will find MANY articles, blogs and self-help posts on the internet regarding self-editing and rewrites.  Everyone has their own way of doing this process, and quite frankly I think it should be left up to you, the writer, to discover what works best. Some wait until they are completely done to begin the editing, others do it while they write.  Me personally, I edit as I write, and then again, and again, and again after I have completed the novel.  The same holds true if you are writing a non-fiction article.

Some despise this process, while others love it. I happen to fully enjoy editing. It gives me comfort in knowing I’m making my story that much better, and it allows me to change my mind anytime I wish. Which is what writing is all about, right?  That complete freedom to change, add, delete anything you want within your story.

I also feel that editing is the most critical part of the writing process.  There isn’t a magic number of times to re-read your story.  I also agree with the advice after you’ve re-read it until your mind squeals, put it away for a week or two and then come back to it to re-read. I like to read my story out loud to myself because when I slow down or stop when I’m speaking, that’s a sign of something being off base or not quite right.

I’m an author on a budget, so unfortunately I haven’t been able to pay for a professional editor to edit my stories.  There are many who say to join a critique group to read/edit your story, this can be okay, as long as they are genuinely sincere in your success.  For me, I use some family members.  After all, they’re readers, and are comfortable in telling me there’s either an error, typo, or something doesn’t make sense.  You have to be able to receive this constructive criticism.  We authors hold these stories close to our hearts, but you need to gain a thick skin because what I’ve discovered over the years is that most of the points my family have made…have been correct.  Or a point of view I hadn’t seen for myself.

However you choose to have your article/story edited, please do it to an inch of its life, because after all, an editor of a magazine or publishing company is going to expect it to be at that professional level.

A Great Topic on Editing from The Creative Penn

5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Editing Experience

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/blog/

Welcome to Diantha Jones’ Oracle of Delphia Blog Tour

Today I am doing a character interview with Strafford Law, Prince of the Sun, Guardian of the Oracle. So everyone sit back, relax, and let’s get started!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

It’s hard to say. There’s not much I’m proud of. I would say my first mission when I was eight. I took on a hydra dragon and won.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Perfection is definitely overrated, and in the kingdom of Myth, so is happiness.

What is your favorite occupation?

I’m a demigod and that’s my occupation. I’m a warrior, a hero, and there’s nothing else I could ever be.

What is your most treasured possession?

My sword, Aor. Oh, and my necklace.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Well, that’s an easy one. Chloe Clever. Yes, the Oracle is the love of my existence.

What is your most marked characteristic?

The lip ring or the dragon tattoo are usually the first things people notice about me. Then there’s my scent. I was born smelling like laurel, and it’s never left me.

What is it that you most dislike?

Liars. Betrayers, which is quite ironic considering the world I was born into. All of the gods are liars and they’ll sacrifice anyone to fuel their own ambitions. Even each other.

What is your greatest fear?

Letting my family down again. I’ve got siblings, tons of ‘em, and they all look up to me. As a Prince, I’m expected to perform at a certain level, to be fearless, to be brave. Once upon a time I forgot that and it cost me everything.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I’m not as flashy as I used to be. I do own a tower that I keep up pretty well. But other than that, I’m pretty chill.

Which living person do you most despise?

I wouldn’t call my father a person. He’s a god and he doesn’t possess an ounce of humanity. But he is living and I do despise him. A lot.

Where would you like to live?

Ireland. Always Ireland.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Intelligence. Sure, I appreciate good looks and all of that. But without smarts, looks are meaningless after the first date.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

In my world, we are the heroes. But in history, I did admire Perseus, then maybe Jason. Both awesome heroes in their own way.

Whose are your favorite heroes in real life?

My little brother Ace is a great hero. Fierce, loyal, strong. I honestly wouldn’t be here without him.

Which living person do you most admire?

I most admire Chloe. She took being snatched from the mortal world and dropped into ours better than I would have. She’s taken on the role of the Oracle without a single look back and she really wants to be the best Pythia she can be. She handles the gods like no mortal I’ve ever seen and she’s not afraid to smack them around a bit. *laughs* So yeah, my Chloe is the best.

On what occasions do you lie?

Whenever I’m talking to a god, I try never to tell the truth.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

At one point, I thought it actually was me that needed to make a change. So I did. But now that everything has gone down the way it has, I’m done changing. I’m exactly the way I need to be. I hope they’re ready.

Diantha Jones is the up-and-coming Indie author of the Oracle of Delphi series, the Mythos mini-series, the Unknowing short story series.

Writing a Query

One of the dreaded but necessary evils for a writer is the query. This seems to be a huge topic for so many, and for good reason. This topic is probably one of the most discussed and questioned amongst writers, including myself. I learned some great tips and ways to query editors of magazines, as well as publishers for novels. I have a few tips, but I’m also going to include examples, which has always been the best way for me to learn how to do it for myself.

First, and foremost, you must be sure to research the best possible editor or publisher for your submission. If you are submitting a non-fiction article please be sure you have read the magazine to understand what and how they publish their stories. You certainly wouldn’t submit a travel article on France’s gardens to a magazine that publishes stories on mechanics. Search for magazines specific to your topic and then read their submission guidelines. Some magazines will even send you one free copy if you are planning to submit to them. They do this for the specific reason that you understand what their magazine is about. If you don’t take the time to research, then you will have wasted your time and energy, as well as theirs.

The same goes for submitting your novel to a Publisher. It’s truly worth the effort to search for publishers and/or agents who are interested in the genre of your story. It takes a great deal of time, but it’s worth it in the end.

Another huge mistake writers make is not following the submission guidelines. These are out there for a reason, so do take your time and carefully read what they’ve outlined. They’ve written them for a reason. If you don’t follow them, they will more than likely toss that query you spent weeks on perfecting in the proverbial garbage.

Most agents/editors prefer a one page query, as opposed to receiving a full manuscript or article. They expect to find pertinent information written in a concise and well organized manner. Below is a breakdown of what is needed in a query letter.

Paragraph One – should contain the hook, much like the hook you used in your opening first chapter of your novel or the first paragraph of your article. You want to grab their attention in the same manner you try to grab the reader. I have learned that if you do not grab them within the first ten seconds, your query will land on the slush pile. It can be as critical as the first line. Here was the one line I used describing my second paranormal mystery book.

“My paranormal mystery book, Secret of the Big Easy, is a Ghost Hunters (TAPS) meets Psychic Detectives consisting of 57,800 words. Dr. Marie Bartek struggles to gain control over the new psychic abilities she encounters while attending a veterinarian conference in the French Quarter of New Orleans. These recent visions prompt her to work with local police and members of the Sullivan’s Island Paranormal Society team to help solve the succession of heinous satanic murders, while fighting against a demon from taking over her mind. Secret of the Big Easy is the second book in my series with Dr. Marie Bartek and the SIPS team. This story will captivate the reader with murder, suspense, and the world of the paranormal.”

This first line gives them a visual of a ghost investigating team working with a psychic helping to solve a murder or mystery. It also includes the word count and a very brief description about the focus of my protagonist. I also added the fact of it being the second book in my series, which is important information, and then included how my book would intrigue a reader.

Paragraph Two – can also include the length of the article and/or novel, along with your objectives. Why is this article or novel suited for this magazine or publisher? You can also include a statement of a certain timing of your article or book. Such as something taking place during a historical event or technological breakthrough.

Paragraph Three – give your credentials if you have previous publications, fiction or non-fiction. Include if you have a special background for writing the article/story, such as a health professional; include hobbies you are passionate about. If this is your first publication and you have no real expertise, you can omit this paragraph. Don’t add anything that isn’t germane to your article or story. Stick with your experience, and if you decide to omit this paragraph make sure your first paragraph really hooks them. Here is what I had for paragraph three for my first book:

“Sullivan’s Secret was assisted-published in June of 2011 and received great reviews. I am a 2011 winner of the 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading, and a member of Sister’s in Crime. I will self-promote this story on my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads author pages, as well as my website. I am a paranormal/ghost investigating junkie and this interest is what gave birth to Marie and the SIPS team.”

Paragraph Four – close the deal. Let them know your article or novel is complete and NEVER forget to thank them for their time. Here’s an example of my last paragraph:

“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my query. I hope Secret of the Big Easy can find a place with you at ________. The novel is complete, and I can send it to you at your earliest convenience.”

Rest in Peace Dan

It’s interesting as I reflect over the past five days and realize how we clearly cannot control the outcome of our lives. You see, my son lost his father unexpectedly at the age of 56 and it tore my heart out to watch him go through the pain of having to take charge and bury his father at age 22.

I remember Pastor Gary stating at the service how we cannot begin to understand God’s plan. I’ve always believed that, and as I get older and go through difficult times, I come to realize we are at his mercy.

Back in 1987, I married Nathan’s father Dan at the age of 24. I can honestly say I was in love with him and ready to begin a new journey. Part of that journey was starting a family, and low and behold I became pregnant in November of 1989.

Within 4 to 6 weeks of the pregnancy on a cold December morning, I was taking a bath and getting ready for work. We were renting in my home town of Winder, PA and the bathroom did not have a shower. As the water slowly began to go down the drain, I noticed blood mixed in the soap. I hysterically called for Dan and was afraid to move. We called my sister-in-law, Kathy, an OBGYN nurse, and she told me to lie down in bed and call the doctor. I did as instructed, and they gave me the same instructions and told me to wait…and when I needed to go to the bathroom to pay attention to anymore blood discharge.

I then immediately called my parents to come and stay with me while Nathan’s dad went to work, but not before he went out and bought a telephone to place in my bedroom so I didn’t have to get up to answer the phone, and to also have it there for any emergency.

My mother never left my side and within 4 to 5 hours I needed to use the bathroom, but I refused to go for fear of the outcome. I can’t begin to tell you how frightened I was of losing my child, but the agony of not relieving my bladder overcame everything and my mother promised to stay by my side. After repeating the Lord’s Prayer about a million times, I gave in and thankfully all was well. There was no discharge and after that victory, I called my doctor and he explained that it was probably the warm water that broke some of the blood vessels, but he advised me to stop taking baths from here on out. So the next order of business was my father and Dan putting in a shower as to not allow this to happen again, and on August 26, 1990 at around 1:15 a.m., Nathaniel Joseph Hubai was born and the world was a better place.

Fast forward to present, there were so many thoughts that ran through my mind as I stayed at my son’s side as he began the process of making the most difficult decisions of his life to plan his father’s funeral. The stabbing pain I felt in my heart plagued me knowing I couldn’t do a single thing to make any of the process easier or to completely take it away from him as I was able to do when he was a child. I knew he needed to go through this because it was important he received closure.

I’m not even sure if pride begins to touch the surface of what I felt watching my son step up and take charge of his responsibilities. He not only gave an amazing and respectable tribute to his father, he was there supporting his family helping them through their pain.

I know it was a blur and now that it’s over, Nathan will have to return to “reality” of his job, moving into a new apartment, and get back into life. For we all know that life doesn’t stop, but I know Nathan will succeed in this endeavor and over time the pain will be a tiny bit less each day. He’ll never forget, but he will be able feel confident in the sendoff for his dad and that he is at peace and in a better place.

As for me, I think I was able to have closure as well. It’s been 17 years since I last saw his father and I wasn’t quite sure if I would be able to be there, but my inner need as a mother and the love for my son took over and I placed my selfish emotions aside.

So, God Bless Dan, and I hope you will continue to look down upon your son as his guardian angel and nudge him when he needs a little help and protect him from the other side, and I will continue to do my part as we promised on the day he was baptized and protect him on this side.

As I said, we cannot question God’s plan, and it was obvious that Dan and I were together to create one of God’s most amazing gifts, our son. Even though we fell out of love and we moved on with our separate lives, Nathan was always first and foremost in what we did separately for him.

As I close, I believe that we need to live life to the fullest and without fear and to remain in the moment each and every day. Life is short, and when you experience a loss such as Nathan and his family has, it reminds you even more to forgive those who have hurt you, to tell the people in your life you love them every day, and to be kind to one another because you don’t want to have any regrets in this life…or in the next.

Some Tips on Writing Your Book Synopsis

This is your “pitch”, your foot in the door description of your article and/or novel that will allow the editor to understand the full concept from beginning to end without further explanation. This will give them a taste of your writing skill and must be as well written as your story. This is a key component for any writer and must be done with all the proficiency and eloquence you can muster.

How long should your synopsis be? It will depend on the submission guidelines. If they only want 1-2 pages, then that’s what you submit. If they don’t give any specific length, than a good rule to follow is, 1-2 pages per every 50 pages of your manuscript. If you are submitting for an article, no more than 1 page should be sufficient.

Now the big question…how do I pack a 300 page manuscript into 12 pages of double-spaced pages? Here’s where you get to be creative. The synopsis should read like your novel, telling the story, but just not as wordy. Here are a few tips on how to summarize your novel.

Jot down a list of the ten most important scenes in your story, remembering the strong hook.

List your main characters, those with strong points of view, and try to limit no more than 6-8 characters.

Thread those 10 important scenes together, showing focus through POV and character reactions to what is happening in the story.

Try to build as much tension as you have in your story and eliminate those stale scenes. Be sure to check for active verbs.

Heighten the emotion and include any motivation you may have missed for your characters.

End with a satisfying resolution; they do want to know how the story ends.

Simple is best – don’t try to use the thesaurus to sound fancy or flowery. Being concise is vital.

Be sure to entertain, all of the fun or fear should be included in your synopsis.

Add tension and focus action through emotion in every scene.

You want to make the editor care for your characters. Even though this may be a fiction story, you want the characters to be believable.

Try to rid your synopsis of clichés and please don’t forget to let the editor know how to reach you. Include your address, phone number, and email.

Remember…keep on writing

Dreamweaver Novice Finds EasyRotator Tool a Dream

I am clearly a novice when it comes to website design. I’ve had previous jobs where I have learned to create a website in, as it was and may still be called, a wizzy wig. Having said that, I love using Dreamweaver because it allows you to work in the design or code side.

What I set out to do was create, as I phrased it in my google search engine, “one of those rotating thingy things”. I wanted to have a scrolling or rotating bar which showed the different images of my books, and then allow someone to select that book in the scrolling thingy and be sent straight out to Amazon to buy one of my books.

Needless to say, after hours of finding the correct search phrase, I found an extension to Dreamweaver called, EasyRotator. It’s absolutely amazing! I downloaded and installed and followed their instructions, and tadah, my rotating image of my books was created.

If you go out to my website: www.robinmurphyauthor.com, you will see what I mean. So if you have a little knowledge in website design and you want one of these scrolling thingys, then go to http://www.dwuser.com/products-extensions/ and download any of their extensions to Dreamweaver. You’ll be glad you did. I know I am. Now I have a professional looking website that allows excited readers to purchase my books by easily choosing from my scrolling rotator thingy.

Have a great day, and keep on writing…and learning!

Federal City’s Secret Ready for Purchase

http://www.amazon.com/Federal-Citys-Secret-Bartek-Volume/dp/1490311718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371651057&sr=8-1&keywords=Federal+City%27s+Secret