Marta Szemik's Blog, page 13

Insecure Writers Support Group

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Insecure (adj): 1. subject to fears, doubts, etc.; not self-confident or assured: an insecure person.

It just occurred to me today that I have not defined 'insecure' yet. Perfect day to do so above as today is the First Wednesday of the month and time for the IWSG.

The brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh and Matthew MacNish :)

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

I follow many blogs and once in a while someone writes something that makes me say "OMG! That's exactly how I feel."  Today, I'd like to post a quote by J.A. Konrath from one of his latest posts. Whether you agree with Mr. Konrath's views or not, what he said rings true for all writers and authors - at least it should. I found these words very inspirational, to know someone who has been successful in this industry feels exactly the same way I do about writing. I hope these words help you with today's insecurities:)

"I love writing. I loved it for the 12 years where I didn't sell a single thing, and I've loved it for the 12 years I've been a professional. I have all the conceits that every writer has. I think about my characters as if they're real people. I dream about scenes. I secretly believe my stories are the best in the world. I laugh at my own jokes, cry at the emotional parts, and often dislocate my elbow patting myself on the back after a good bit of dialog or a fun twist. Being a writer does more than define me; it isn't a job, it's a way of life. And when I put my life out there for the world to see, I want it to be the very best that I am capable of. I want readers to enjoy it as much as I have. I want every chapter, every scene, every sentence to be deliberate, to convey exactly what I want it to convey."

Have a great Wednesday everyone! 
If you have not yet done so, don't forget to sign up for the A-Z April Challenge!


This is a Blog Hop!

Why Books are like Fish

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Sate (v): 1. to satisfy (any appetite or desire) fully. 2.to fill to excess; surfeit; glut.

First, I don't know what's going on with my Google Friends Connect, because the box seems to be loading forever and my friends are not there  :(  So, if you're a follower of this blog, sign in using the new Linky Tool on the right.

Thank you to Hope Roberson for the sunshine award! I'm still smiling.



Books vs. Fish

The thought of books being like fish came to me last week. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. So, here are my thoughts on why books are like fish:

* there are plenty of fish in the sea with millions being born each year
* many books available to buy, with millions being published each year
* schools of fish survive longer than singled out ones
* authors with larger backlists have greater chances of survival through sales

* fish often attract mates through display of their colours, size, strength
* books attract readers (their mates) with beautiful and well designed covers
* fishing takes patience
* finding a good book and being published takes patience
* a good hook will catch a good fish quicker
* a good blurb will catch a reader quicker
* a fish that's thrown back in the sea is lucky to live
* a book that's picked up by a new reader is lucky to live
* fish will lay many eggs to increase its chances of survival* a writer will continue writing, increasing their word count and number of titles to survive 
* it takes luck not to be eaten by a bigger fish
* it takes luck for a small author to be discovered amongst the big ones

So, are you a shark or a sardine? I'm a carp, hoping to be a barracuda by the end of the year:)Will you be swimming with us for the A-Z Challenge this April?

I am a reader not a writer interview

Today I'm at I am a Reader not a Writer and there is a giveaway! Pop on over and say hello :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Why I love my Scrivener

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Croft (n):  1. a small farm, especially one worked by a tenant.

Friday's featured blog is: Melissa Sugar's blog. I encourage you to visit it. She walks through the options for keeping your blog friends if and when Google friends connect disappears and she explains it much better than I could.
I've added a Linky tool just under Google Friends connect, so click away and follow.

Scrivener

Haven't heard of it? It's writing software and you can find more information on it here. If you're not sure about it you can give it a try for 30 days (that's what I did). They walk you through a tutorial (very clear, precise and informative) on how to use it. It takes a couple of hours to get through, but well worth it.

But, I'm not writing about it to sell it, I'm writing to let you know the three reasons why I love it and I haven't even used all of its features.

* I'm a writer who may jump all over the place, seeing scenes in my mind further in the story. Scrivener makes it easy to jump chapters, re-arrange them, put them on a "cork-board" where you make notes on what the chapters contain.

* I can have all of my research in one file. Right under the chapters I have a heading called:
   - Characters (where I keep all important items on each character.  From clothing to appearance, quirks, manners, favorite sayings etc.)
   - Spares (anything I don't use or cut out from the chapters goes there. You never know when you'll need to use it.)
   - Outline (self-explanatory, but it stays empty for a while for me as I'm a panster. I begin to write down ideas I want to see in the story as I write, so I guess it's sort of an outline)
  -  Places (the different cities or areas my story takes place in)
  - Research (includes reference photos, websites)

* It allows you to convert your document to format for ebooks and print. I haven't done that yet, but will brave to do so very soon. I'm looking forward to learning about this feature.

* ok, cheating here, fourth reason is I no longer have a need for tons of post-its, papers, notes etc, because it's all in one place.

Have you used Scrivener? Do you like it? Do you use different software or do you prefer the pen and paper style instead of the computer? (I know many authors do)
And, most importantly, have you joined the A to Z April Challenge yet?

Catch Fire Party!

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Fire (n):  1 a (1) : the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat (2) : one of the four elements of the alchemists b (1) : burning passion : ardor (2) : liveliness of imagination : inspiration

I am honored to be one of the hosts for Alex J. Cavanaugh's Catch Fire Blog Party, celebrating the release of Cassa Fire!

The goal is to help CassaFire "catch fire" on the best seller charts and achieve the success of the first book, CassaStar. There's also a special package of prizes being given away at the author's blog (copies of CassaFire, CassaStar, tote bag, mug, and bookmarks) as well as book giveaways during his two-week blog tour. See Alex's site for details: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/


CassaFire

by Alex J. Cavanaugh
CassaStar was just the beginning…
The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron's days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it's a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.
The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren's civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan's technology and strange mental abilities. 

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron's unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…
Available today!Science fiction - space opera/adventure Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pagesEBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats
CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh's first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:"…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein's early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars." - Library Journal
You can visit the author's site at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/ Book trailer available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa6VINRGtyE.
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cassafire-alex-j-cavanaugh/1034742568Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/CassaFire-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/0982713940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329417150&sr=1-1
Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/CassaFire-ebook/dp/B007A2TSNG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329663355&sr=1-1

Trailer: 

The Oscars...

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Oscar: Trademark : one of a group of statuettes awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion-picture production and performance.


Jut some of my thoughts on the stars and the events, not necessarily the winners:


Billy Crystal: Loved him back, but couldn't get used to the extra cheeks.

Gwyneth Paltrow: Gorgeous! Wished for that body.

Rooney Mara: You are the one to look for in the future.

Chris Rock: The hair must go - sorry just does not suit you. 

Sandra Bullock: Such a pretty natural face does not need botox.

Christopher Plummer: Congratulations! Beautiful speech.

Cirque du Soleil: Amazing talent. Just WOW!

Emma Stone: You rock!

J.Lo: Interesting dress. Wondered what would happen if the tape gave out (actually the hubby wondered)

Live Music for the show: very well done! Impressed.

On a side note, saw a commercial for Titanic in 3D coming to theaters on  April 4th. I remember seeing this movie twice in a theater, once at 1am in the morning because the tickets were sold out. Looking forward to this touching movie again.

Did you watch the Oscars? What was your favorite part? Worst? Best? Funniest? Saddest? Overdone? Underdone?

I'm pooped...

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Pooped (v): 1. to cause to become out of breath or fatigued; exhaust: Climbing that mountain pooped the whole group.

All right, you can all stop laughing now and read my brilliant post :) Not!

I just thought it'd be an appropriate title for how I feel. I'm not sad, angry or in a bad mood. Just simply pooped. Not tired, but pooped.

You know, the kind of pooped when you feel there should be 48 hours in a day instead of 24 so I could get all my writing done, comment on a few blogs I missed the couple of days, perhaps take care of the kids (kidding).

It would be appropriate to insert a photo here of a poop, but that would be just too gross.
(I just read this post to my kids and they couldn't stop laughing either. Somehow "poop" is the magic laughing word.)

Perhaps "poop" should be the new LOL or ROTFL? Or, perhaps it could be a good word for the letter "P" for the A-Z Challenge. It'd be interesting to see what people come up with, after all, there are different definitions of "poop" (click above) such as : a superstructure at the stern of a vessel. Can you believe it?


Ok, so now that I've pooped you out by reading this post, I need to go and .... (you finish this sentence!)


Have a great weekend everyone!


p.s. And that's what happens to blogging when you're pooped. I'm sure this post will one day come back to haunt me.

Marked early release!

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Mark (n): 1. a visible impression or trace on something, as a line, cut, dent, stain, or bruise: a small mark on his arm.

Note: If you don't like hearing about KDP Select, skip to the bottom of this post to the bold underlined text :) I won't be upset. This is a topic discussed by many authors.

[image error] A little earlier than planned, Marked is now available exclusively on Amazon. Yes, I've done what I said I didn't agree with before, but anyone who knows me also knows I don't do things without research first.  I enrolled Marked into Amazon's KDP Select program, which  makes Marked available exclusively at Amazon for 90 days (I still cringe at the word exclusive). My reasons for doing this will be posted in a month with other data as it comes available, along with the positives (which I can see already) and negatives (which I can also see already).

Why will I post it? Because I do believe in sharing information with other authors. We all know how difficult it is to get your books noticed among the millions. Mine are nothing more than two grains of sand in a desert. So how do you sift through that sand to get particular two grains? Well, the short of it (or long) can be found here. And if you read through that post you'll know exactly which point I'm at in the strategy.

Has it worked? I don't know yet. So far there have been over 6000 free downloads boosting Marked to #58 in the Free Kindle Store,#1 in Fiction/Genre Fiction (don't know how Amazon assigns those). From my research, being in the top 100 is a magic number as the mysterious algorithms of Amazon begin their work. I'm not someone who watches the rankings, because really, they're just numbers, but when these numbers mean Amazon gives you a kick in promotion and advertising your book in their email blasts, they do become important.

It was interesting watching the rankings. At some point I just stared, because each time I refreshed the screen, the numbers changed and changed and changed. 200 downloads in 15 minutes, 600 in 1 hour. Yes, that's what the big sellers are selling - yes selling, not giving away, because although the freebies count towards the ranking, they're still freebies - not sold (as many people in the program refer to them). Now, I'm ready to watch the ranking plummet (which I expected), but it was still cool seeing what I saw the past two days.

Could I have let Amazon price matched to $0 and not enrolled - yes, but that's where you loose control of your free days because who knows when they would match it (and it's breaking your TOC with them). I have my suspicions on that too and why it is that they will price match a price reduction above $0 very quickly and at $0 who knows when. The whole point of the free days in KDP Select is to raise the ranking and your visibility, but more on that soon. (And that's just my opinion)

Most of what I will post about in 30, 60 and 90 day intervals is from research, observation of what worked for others, and weighing the pros and cons, understanding that each result is different. Since Marked was ready 1 month in advance, this played a big role in my deciding to enroll it in KDP Select, thus if things don't work out the way I'd planned, I'm technically loosing 2 months only. Note: I would not have done it if I had only 1 book available. In fact, building a bigger back list (meaning writing a lot) is my number one priority.

This new way of publishing is an experiment. Sometimes we need to take a chance and that's just what I'm doing. Believe me, I've taken a chance at other promotional activities (while always writing), but they did not work. Perhaps with a little luck this will be the right step in the direction of building new fan base.

For now, if I have any advice to other authors is keep writing and keep your options open. The more you have out there, (edited, good cover and blurb) the better in the long run. This industry is changing so fast, who knows what it will be in 6 months or a year. So be ready with more books.

Whatever happens with KDP Select I will dissect the information, to learn for my future releases, because I will not stop writing.


For those of you who skipped here from the top:

Feel free to spread the word (tweet, post etc). Marked is now available in ebook format here.

I'm working hard to two books at the same time. It's going pretty well and I'm very happy with the story lines. One is the sequel to Two Halves, the other, a new dystopian novel which should be available before the end of the year.

Honestly, this post got longer than I expected. It felt odd writing about this and I don't know why. I think it's just one of those days where you're dealing with other issues than writing and publishing and the emotions show in the work. Makes me wonder if being in the right mood transfers onto the written pages more than I thought. Perhaps it's a good topic for another post. But I do hope some will find the information helpful.

Warning: Marked has Adult Content including sex scenes written in an artistic and less graphic manner.

And, have you joined the A-Z Challenge yet?

Here it is...

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Spectrology (n): the study of ghosts, phantoms, or apparitions.

I finally have a blurb for Marked: A Two Halves Novella.  I can't even explained how much I enjoyed writing this one. It was easy, which I cannot often say about writing and my other pieces I'm currently working on. It took a life of its own as Xander told his story. 

The novella digs further into where a few unique characters from the novel come from. It's written from a male POV. The only place I struggled with were the intimate scenes as they were very spicy. And, I decided to keep them that way. Nothing else made sense and making them PG didn't make sense either, simply because that's who Xander was.
Warning: Adult Content
Enjoy!

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Xander is a shapeshifter, a watcher, a demon. Stuck in an oblivion between good and evil, he impatiently waits to be marked—with the sphere that will identify him as a servant of the underworld; or with the water mark, serving the keepers of humans, vampires, and warlocks. His twin sister, in love with a man bearing the water mark, wants Xander to follow the path of the good. But Xander is in love with a black witch, minion of the underworld. All he has to do to join her forever . . . is kill. After all, there's something good about being bad.









What do you think? And, Have you signed up for the A-Z Challenge yet?

Featured Blog and Big Thanks...

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Purl: verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to knit with a reverse stitch. 2. to finish with loops or a looped edging.

Today's featured blog is:

Annalisa Crawford. Annalisa just published Cat and the Dreamer and has been extremely supportive with my blog. Congratulations Annalisa! 

I'm still in shock right now. This week, I surpassed the 100 followers threshold. I'm in awe that so many people want to listen to my ramblings about my writing, publishing and sometimes personal life. I'm sure this was a result of two blog hops earlier this week which were absolutely awesome and so much fun! I do hope you guys stick around for a while. I hope I did my job and followed you as well. If I have not, leave a comment. I try to follow all bloggers who follow me:)


To all of you Thank you! A Big Thank You!

Now, so that everyone has a good weekend, I found this photo on Derek Hough's twitter, then found its source. I thought it was very funny, so I'm sharing it with all of you:) (source)

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Then, someone else took this idea and spun in into this: (source)
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Have a great weekend everyone!