Lane Diamond's Blog, page 16

Is "Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day" in jeopardy?

Today is Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day nationally. How many of you knew that?

This is a fantastic idea. Kids need to read more, to know the wonder and majesty of the written word, to let their imaginations carry them to worlds created wholly on the page.

Yet with the advent of the eBook, and the slow (or maybe not-so-slow) dwindling of print books, might this laudable event be in jeopardy? The Borders bookstore chain is already gone. Barnes & Noble is cutting back on shelf space, rather drastically in some cases. Mom-and-Pop bookshops are struggling to keep their heads above water—those that haven't already vanished.

Fewer people are buying print books at all, and those who are do so more often online, or through discounters like Wal-Mart and Target. So where are parents going to take their children in the future?

Perhaps it's time we started a new tradition: a monthly Read with Your Child day. We could use the third Saturday of each month, for example, and dedicate two hours per month to actually sit down and read with our kids, to talk about books, about their favorite stories and characters—and why they made their choices.

I remain more convinced than ever that kids must read more, particularly in a world dominated by television and computer games. Use eReaders. Go ahead! I mean, let's face it: eReaders are right up your kid's alley. Just read with them. Please! It does for their brain development what TV and computer games cannot.

And then maybe—just maybe—we'll stop hearing twenty-somethings toss out sentences like this real-life gem: "It's like… so… I don't know, kinda like… well, you know what I mean?"

My response: "Well, no, I don't know what you mean. Perhaps if you spoke English."

Her response: "OMG! Like… whatever!"

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Newer Pictures of an Older Me, Family Visit, and Giants on Mini-Planes

I'm catching up now from the time I took off for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's a slog, but I'm getting there.

One of the things I did was update this website, along with various social media sites where I play, with some new pictures. They show the newer, older me. Yikes! That's okay.

My little sister, Dawn Lane Vornholt (aka Laney Bird), took the pictures while I was visiting her and Rich, her husband, in Georgia over the Thanksgiving holiday. She's accustomed to taking pictures of beautiful things—mostly birds. I hope her camera survived the shock.

I hadn't seen little sis in over three years, not counting our Skype conversations, so it was great to catch up. I also got to visit with Rich, a fun guy with a great sense of humor, and even his three daughters (from previous marriage), Hayley, Anna and Piper—good peeps, one and all. Rich and Dawn were exceedingly generous, and I had a great time.

I managed to meet up with my business partner, D.T. Conklin, while I was in Georgia. As fate would have it, he lives a little over an hour from my sister. We hammered out some business, enjoyed some good food and drink, and I met his lovely wife, Kesh. Don't know what she sees in him, but… no accounting for taste. (Just kidding!)

I used to fly routinely on business and pleasure, jumping on planes dozens of times per year. The past few years, however, flying has been a rarity. Thank God! Man, I hate cattle cars… I mean airports. And I hate being a giant on those itty-bitty planes.

I mean… I must be a giant, since my right shoulder hung out in the aisle even as my left shoulder cozied-up with the person seated to my left. I wish they built planes for giants like me—you know, people who weigh more than 100 pounds. A few people on the plane were twice my size—well, twice my weight—and man, did I feel sorry for the people sitting next to them! No offense, big people, but that can't be comfortable on a mini-plane. And I must have been on a mini-plane.

It's also not a fun thing to land in a mini-plane when the wind is gusting to 60 MPH.

If I'm lucky, I won't have to get on a plane for a while. I figure it will be at east a year, as plans now stand. Maybe by then, they'll have built planes large enough to seat adults comfortably.

One can dream.

So now it's back to the grind, to a workload that borders on insane. I swear, I'm busier than a one-winged bee at a honeycomb convention. Oh well, I guess that's why I get the big bucks. Oh wait! Ahhhh… never mind.

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Guest Blog from Tony Hooper: Screw the courts! Justice is not negotiable.

[If you haven't read Tony's three previous posts, you can check them out here: first visit, second visit, third visit.]

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Lane Diamond has asked me to stop in and talk one more about my dilemma: Mitchell Norton—murderer, destroyer of dreams, the monster who keeps me up nights. Damn you, Diamond! I'm trying to forget about this stuff, but you just won't let me. Why won't you let me forget?

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June 7, 1995:

I hadn't expected to see her—not now, not here. Special Agent Linda Monroe of the FBI decided to pop into Algonquin on the very day authorities released Mitchell Norton from prison. Not a coincidence.

She knows me too well.

We enjoyed a short reunion yesterday at Murphy's Irish Pub, but it didn't really go anywhere. Now we're having breakfast, struggling to carry on a conversation, to engage in a little small talk, when we both know the unspoken reason she's here.

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I occasionally drop my eyes lower and linger for a few seconds. I know I shouldn't stare but….

Why isn't she wearing a bra, damn it? Look at— Uh-oh!

She catches me staring. I have no idea the proper reaction here, but I'm sure my rooster-in-the-henhouse grin is not it. She doesn't appear upset, at any rate. In fact, I'd swear she's rather pleased, if not at my staring, then at least at the "gotcha" moment, which she has the good graces not to mention.

Her smile fades and she glances around the dining room at nothing.

Keep your eyes up, Tony. Eyes up!

She takes a deep breath and exhales a heavy sigh, and returns her gaze to me. "It would be an awful shame if I had to put you in custody, if I had to be part of an investigation that lands you in jail."

I've been preparing for this. "The real shame will be when you have to notify the next of kin that Mitchell Norton has killed again."

She comes up short, and pauses to sip her coffee while she considers a response. I have difficulty reading her expression—sad resignation, perhaps.

She strains through a low voice, "It's not that simple."

"No?"

"No. There are times when I wish it were, believe me, but the laws serve many purposes, and we mustn't condone or encourage vigilantes."

"Vigilantes?"

She rolls her eyes and looks at me as though…. Yeah, she knows.

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Well, shit! What should I expect? Sure, I saved her ass from Ronald Allen Stegman, serial killer, in California three years ago. She owes me, or at least thinks she does. But she's a special agent with the FBI! How much can I expect her to put at risk for me?

I must get to Norton. I must! The challenge lies in doing so while navigating around Linda.

This could get complicated.

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Link to 1st 5 Chapters of: Forgive Me, Alex

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The Soft Sell versus the Hard Sell: Please Don't Cram Your Book Down My Throat

I've been attempting, as a writer, to think more like a reader lately. Not too much of a stretch.

At issue is what to do when my psychological thriller, Forgive Me, Alex, comes out on December 20th. I mean, I can't just release it and sit back, waiting for it to sell a million copies as if by some form of literary osmosis. If I want people to buy my book, and of course, I do, I'll have to work at it.

Yet which are the best methods for promoting a book? There's quite a lot of debate about this in the indie book world. Everyone agrees that the social media venues are important tools: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and so on. We all have our blogs. Then there are blog tours and interviews.

The problem I have—as a reader—is that it all devolves into a bunch of white noise. "Buy me!" "No, buy me!" "Hey, don't listen to them. Buy me instead!"

Frankly, I get sick and tired of that crapola, and I really don't want to treat those who engage with me online to that nonsense. Yet how shall I sell my book if I don't… well, sell my book?

Perhaps I should take the softer approach. I might talk about the book on occasion, but nothing too heavy. I'll ask Tony Hooper, protagonist, to stop by from time to time, as he has already on three occasions: first visit, second visit, third visit. I'll try to engage people in meaningful conversation, some lively but friendly debate once in a while.

I think the best thing is just to let people know my book is available. Treat potential readers with a little respect. And let the chips fall where they may.

The begging, perhaps, will come later.

A Question for Readers: How much does quality, professional writing matter; or is the story ALL that matters?

I've jumped into a discussion at The Passive Voice blog, and I'd like to expand on it here. I'm really gearing this question towards readers, but I welcome comments from writers too, provided you first put on your reader's cap.

We all love great stories. That's a given. However, is that all that matters to you? What if it's poorly written, laden with grammatical errors and poor structure? Does that matter to you? How much? Where do you draw the line and forgive an author for poor writing?

Does moving, eloquent prose move you as a reader? If so, how much will you forgive a less-than-thrilling story?

Okay, so that's more than one question… sort of two sides (or ten) of the same coin.

Please, I'd love to know your opinion on this.

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This was a difficult decision for me, but it made perfect sense.

I've decided to postpone the release of my novel, Forgive Me, Alex. I am now stating for the record (etched in stone, folks) that the release date for my psychological thriller is (Shouldn't there be a drum roll or something?):

December 20, 2011

Yep, just in time for Christmas, so be sure to stay in touch with the big guy up north. To those of you who've been anxiously waiting for me to launch the book, I beg your patience for just a bit longer.

So why the delay? The simple answer is that I need a little more time to establish a coherent launch strategy. I'll want to promote it, advertise it, market it, generate some buzz, make children weep in the streets and make real singers of Milli Vanilli… err, okay, maybe not those last things. I may also do all of this in a coordinated effort with two other authors from our Evolved Publishing team, who will be releasing books around (or exactly) the same date.

When releasing a new book, it's not just about writing it and getting it out there, it's also about managing the business end of things. And that requires more time and preparation than I've been able to devote to it so far.

So please hang in there, my friends. It's not so far off, in the grand scheme of things. And believe me, no one is more anxious than I am. So stay tuned—more to come soon.

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Hey, who doesn't like awards?

Come on, we all love awards. Face it: nothing beats recognition from your peers for a job well done.

 These days, many organizations water down awards by giving them to everyone who participates, apparently making the point that if you have a pulse, you're a winner. Okay, okay… I'll not go down that road.

Still, we know a real award when we see it, usually because there are many entrants and few winners.

And so, I am pleased to announce that Kimberly Kinrade, one of our authors with Evolved Publishing, has won a Forward National Literature Award. If you go to that link and scroll down to the Second Place finishers, under Drama, you'll find her book, Forbidden Mind.

I'm happy to say that I participated in that project as editor. The story is all hers, of course, but I made my own modest contribution. Fun! Gosh, awards are cool.

We've established Evolved Publishing around a few core philosophies, one of which is simple and unwavering: Quality Matters! I'd say Kimberly's award is evidence that we're on the right track.

'Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn't be lazy (or discouraged).

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Trying to Cash In on the Social Media Madness

How shall readers connect with those who write, and with their material? And how shall authors build a following?

It hardly matters what you do for a living, or which hobbies interest you, or which sports teams or movie stars or musical acts or authors you like—a social media presence is pretty much a given in modern life. Unless you live in under a rock, or you're a seasoned citizen who never quite got the hang of them dang computer contraptions (in which case you're not reading this anyway), you have at the very least a Facebook or Twitter account.

We communicate through the internet. That's just the world we live in. Even if you only use it to "keep in touch" with that long lost brother who last phoned you in 1992, and who, on those rare occasions when he sees you, has to snap his fingers and scratch his head and say, "What was your name again?"

Yet it's moved well beyond that. The internet is increasingly where we do business. We look for work on the internet, or seek potential new hires for our company. We study on the internet, or catch up with the news. And yep, we buy and sell on the internet.

Never has that been more evident than in the world of books. EBooks are revolutionizing the way we read and write. If you're a booklover, you're already finding old-fashioned bookstores harder to find—a trend that will continue. EBooks and eReaders are here to stay, and to that, brothers and sisters, I say, "Amen!"

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For an author like me, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. That's the good news. The bad news is that I must now spend a lot of my time not writing, but reaching out to readers. It's not that I don't appreciate the opportunity to communicate with those who like my work. I do. I mean, seriously, what author doesn't want to hear from readers how his work has affected their lives?

Nonetheless, it's more work—another ball we must juggle… or ten.

It means I must not only embrace the new technologies, I must also educate myself on their proper use. Opinions vary so widely on how best to do this, it seems largely a matter of trial and error for most. However, some folks have already established some expertise in this arena, and they can help you. One of those is Dan Zarrella, whose blog I heartily recommend.

For readers, the new market also considerably changes the dynamics. If you want to keep up with what authors are offering, to remain apace of all that's happening in the world of books you love, you'll have to stay tuned-in to various online activities. One of the communities that's most geared towards readers' needs is Goodreads. Here, not only can you discover what's new in the world of books, you can also find out what other readers—potentially millions of them—think about specific books, and engage with them in an interactive community. If you're a true booklover, you need to be on Goodreads. And I say that not as an author, but as a fellow reader.

You can also peruse reviews at the big eBook retailers such as Amazon (for their Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (for their Nook).

Naturally, where readers go, writers must go. It's not that we're stalking readers, it's just that… well… okay, we're stalking readers. Really, we just want readers to know about our work. How else can they make an informed decision about whether or not to buy it?

I've set up my own Goodreads Author's Page, as well as a Publisher's Page for Evolved Publishing, our indie publishing business. I have an Amazon Author's Page too. Yes, I have a presence at social media sites everywhere (well, seems like everywhere). As an author, I can't escape it.

Then, of course, there's this blog, which provides a more detailed and more personal forum to connect with folks. All part of doing business in the 21st century.

Yet what is enough? What is too much? Should I drive, drive, drive people to buy my books, constantly hammering them over the head? Pfft! Like that won't send readers running to the hills! As a reader myself, I hate that kind of constant barrage.

No, I think a softer approach is required, a gentle touch—followed by huge portions of patience and perseverance. I'll be talking about the "Soft Sell" in an upcoming blog post, so please stay tuned.

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How Much Should I Study the Art and Craft of Writing?

Folks have asked me that question (the title of this post) more often than I can recount—mostly editing clients past and present, and members of writing groups I've participated in over the years. My answer is always this simple: As professionals, we never stop learning.

Learning comes in many forms, of course, but one of the important methods is the basic act of self-education, taking advantage of the ever-expanding library of books on the subject. I've read somewhere in the neighborhood of 70-80 of those over the past 30 years, many of them twice. I refer to a few of them repeatedly as reference guides.

Hey, there's a lot to soak up.

The inevitable follow-up question has been this: "Hey, Diamond, if you had to pick just a few, which books would you recommend I start with?"

Everyone has their favorites, and many could, and surely would, offer alternatives to these, but here are my recommendations: Scroll down the page on the left, until you come to a section of book covers under the heading, "On WRITING: I Recommend these Books (Amazon)."

Each of those 8 books informed heavily my approach to both writing and editing. How strong has their influence been over the other 62-72 books? Or the thousands of articles I've read? I think the fact that I return to them regularly is all the answer I need give.

You would do well to absorb all eight of those books. Even if you can only start with one… start! Those covers are simple links to Amazon, if that helps. Or get them on eBay, or Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore… but get them.

'Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn't be lazy (or discouraged).

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Free Copy of Stephen King's eBook – 11/22/63

I have exactly one free copy of Stephen King's new eBook, "11/22/63″ available, compliments of Simon & Schuster by way of Klout. This is strictly a first come/first serve opportunity. Once a lucky winner gets it, the link will no longer get you the book.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY

Whoever the lucky winner is, please leave a comment on this post so I know. Thanks, and enjoy!

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