Jade Varden's Blog, page 31
July 8, 2014
Writing 101: When it's Pointless
For many, reading is an escape. It's the chance to fall in love, have an adventure, defeat the forces of evil. But what happens when a book does none of those things? When characters don't grow, when resolution is not found, when there are no significant changes? When is your story...pointless?
Wish You Weren't Here
Many books contain action. Walking across the room is action. But what happens when the character gets to the other side? In books, it's not always the walking that makes the difference. It's what happens at the end.
And in some books, nothing happens. The character goes across the room and sits down. Unless something falls out of the sky, why bother taking me on that walk?
It's pointless when characters learn nothing from that walk, face no consequences and make no decisions. And when that walk doesn't even move the plot forward in some way, it doesn't belong in your book. Every single sentence, and I cannot stress this enough, ought to be achieving some purpose. It should give information, make something move, create a feeling, reveal a secret -- something. Even one pointless sentence can be the ruination of a book.
But entire books can be pointless, too. It's not enough for the character to simply have experiences. It's not enough to merely walk across a room. Something has to come of it. Storytelling isn't just about painting pictures or writing good action scenes or even crafting great dialogue.
Never, ever forget the basic rules of storytelling. In stories, there should always be a beginning, middle and an end. The character shouldn't be the same in the beginning and middle of the book. Something has changed them by now. A love is lost, a dream is dead, an outlook is different. By the end, the character has changed again. If I can read the first page and the last page of your book and not see these changes somehow, you have a problem.
If readers can't find that difference at the end of your book, some of them might feel that it's pointless and that their time has been wasted. You never, ever want a reader to feel this way. So sharpen up that story, and show me the change. The journey will be much more worthwhile if you can.
Wish You Weren't Here
Many books contain action. Walking across the room is action. But what happens when the character gets to the other side? In books, it's not always the walking that makes the difference. It's what happens at the end.
And in some books, nothing happens. The character goes across the room and sits down. Unless something falls out of the sky, why bother taking me on that walk?
It's pointless when characters learn nothing from that walk, face no consequences and make no decisions. And when that walk doesn't even move the plot forward in some way, it doesn't belong in your book. Every single sentence, and I cannot stress this enough, ought to be achieving some purpose. It should give information, make something move, create a feeling, reveal a secret -- something. Even one pointless sentence can be the ruination of a book.
But entire books can be pointless, too. It's not enough for the character to simply have experiences. It's not enough to merely walk across a room. Something has to come of it. Storytelling isn't just about painting pictures or writing good action scenes or even crafting great dialogue.
Never, ever forget the basic rules of storytelling. In stories, there should always be a beginning, middle and an end. The character shouldn't be the same in the beginning and middle of the book. Something has changed them by now. A love is lost, a dream is dead, an outlook is different. By the end, the character has changed again. If I can read the first page and the last page of your book and not see these changes somehow, you have a problem.
If readers can't find that difference at the end of your book, some of them might feel that it's pointless and that their time has been wasted. You never, ever want a reader to feel this way. So sharpen up that story, and show me the change. The journey will be much more worthwhile if you can.
July 7, 2014
Writing 101: The Unreliable Narrator
In books, we often trust the narrator of the story and accept the secrets they reveal. But not all narrators are trustworthy. Have you ever considered using an unreliable narrator to spin lies for the readers of your books?
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Some narrators are unreliable. It's a rarely-used but quite effective literary technique. When it's done well, it will lead to a shocking twist ending that takes readers by surprise. One of the best examples of this technique is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie.
The big twist ending was a shock for audiences of the day because it was so new. Literary critics have called it a masterpiece, and one of the most influential crime novels ever created. The narrator in this book is Dr. James Sheppard, the victim Mrs. Ferrars. Roger Ackroyd says she committed suicide...but then he, too, is found dead. In the epilogue of the book, the lying narrator admits to some of the literary techniques used to lead the reader astray.
It's truly an epic novel and the perfect example of this technique. The unreliable narrator can be used in any genre, by the way. This is not a character who must live inside crime. The narrator can be an active part of the story itself, as is Dr. Sheppard in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, or they can be someone who is only telling the story second- or third-hand.
It should always be a twist when the audience learns that the narrator has been lying the whole time. Because narrators are inherently trusted by readers, half the work of giving the readers a twist is already done.
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Some narrators are unreliable. It's a rarely-used but quite effective literary technique. When it's done well, it will lead to a shocking twist ending that takes readers by surprise. One of the best examples of this technique is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie.
The big twist ending was a shock for audiences of the day because it was so new. Literary critics have called it a masterpiece, and one of the most influential crime novels ever created. The narrator in this book is Dr. James Sheppard, the victim Mrs. Ferrars. Roger Ackroyd says she committed suicide...but then he, too, is found dead. In the epilogue of the book, the lying narrator admits to some of the literary techniques used to lead the reader astray.
It's truly an epic novel and the perfect example of this technique. The unreliable narrator can be used in any genre, by the way. This is not a character who must live inside crime. The narrator can be an active part of the story itself, as is Dr. Sheppard in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, or they can be someone who is only telling the story second- or third-hand.
It should always be a twist when the audience learns that the narrator has been lying the whole time. Because narrators are inherently trusted by readers, half the work of giving the readers a twist is already done.
July 6, 2014
Indie News: Indies in the SFWA? Let the Debate Begin
Are the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America close to allowing indies to join their ranks? They're looking for ways to possibly include self-published authors in their group, so get your arguments ready.
A Sense of Belonging
The SFWA has had strict requirements for membership in the past: you must publish one novel or several short stories, being paid "professional" rates by a publisher. This leaves indies out in the cold...or, it did.
The SFWA is now looking for ways to offer membership to indies and self-published authors, and they're inviting comments from the indie community so the issue can be raised at their November business meeting. Comments have already appeared on their website, and the debate is becoming a hot topic.
Indies are upset because they don't want to have to "prove" themselves financially. Traditionally-published authors demand some sort of financial guidelines.
Want to sound off on the subject? Visit the SFWA to leave your own comment on the issue!
A Sense of Belonging
The SFWA has had strict requirements for membership in the past: you must publish one novel or several short stories, being paid "professional" rates by a publisher. This leaves indies out in the cold...or, it did.
The SFWA is now looking for ways to offer membership to indies and self-published authors, and they're inviting comments from the indie community so the issue can be raised at their November business meeting. Comments have already appeared on their website, and the debate is becoming a hot topic.
Indies are upset because they don't want to have to "prove" themselves financially. Traditionally-published authors demand some sort of financial guidelines.
Want to sound off on the subject? Visit the SFWA to leave your own comment on the issue!
July 5, 2014
Books on Film: The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett published The Secret Garden as a serial in 1910, and it was an unwise decision. Though this has become one of her most-adapted and popular works, in the beginning Garden was not a hit with audiences. But it's always been one of my favorite books. When it comes to film...well, somehow this story has never translated well to the screen.
The Book
But on the page, it's divine. Mary Lennox is not a likeable heroine. She's a spoiled little brat, actually, skinny and mean-faced and even nasty, on occassion. But in truth she's a lonely little girl, and her backstory shows a lot of neglect. It's heart-wrenching to get to know Mary at the beginning of the book, a girl who is "quite contrary."
Mary is 10, and has spent her life in India with British parents. However, they've died after succuming to a fever. Now she is being taken to soggy Yorkshire, England to live on the moor - whatever that is. She's going to live with her uncle Archibald Craven at Misselthrwaite Manor. He's crabby, cold...and (gulp) a hunchback.
Mary is still alone. The Uncle leaves her in the care of servants right away. Mary interacts with the housekeeper and the maid initially, but neither like her much. It's the maid Martha who tells Mary some of the secrets of the home, dishing about what Mrs. Craven was like before she died. Mrs. Craven was a woman who loved flowers, and used to spend hours tending her roses.
She must keep herself amused all day, so Mary goes outside to look around the grounds of the large estate. This is where she meets grumpy Ben Weatherstaff (the gardener) and makes friends with a robin. She begins to skip rope every day outside, and soon her appetite improves. Mary even meets Martha's brother Dickon, who knows everything about the moor and the creatures who live upon it. They become friends.
Then, Mary discovers a secret. The robin helps her find the door to the secret garden, where Mrs. Craven once tended to her roses. Mary makes the hidden area her own. She begins to enjoy being outdoors, something she never liked before, but there are still mysteries inside the house. Mary can hear crying at night.
And one night, she goes to find its source. This is how she discovers Colin, the sickly son of her uncle. He's about the same age as Mary and every bit as mean and spoiled as she used to be. Colin is too sick to get out of bed, yet still orders everyone around -- even Mary. That Mary resists his orders is why Colin likes her so much.
We learn that the garden is a powerful, magical place...maybe even powerful enough to heal Colin, and change Mary for the better. You must read it because I won't reveal the end!
The Secret Garden was not published in novel form at first. It was serialized in "The American Magazine," which was marketed to adults. This could be why it received a lukewarm reception despite Burnett's popularity as a children's author. During her lifetime, Garden was often ignored altogether in favor of her other books. Today, it has become one of her best-loved novels.
But no matter how good the book, it doesn't necessarily make for a good movie...as history has proved here.
The Movie(s)
The Secret Garden has been adapted many ways, but there are a few notable highlights. In 1949 it was a film with iconic child star Margaret O'Brien in what would become her last MGM movie. She plays Mary, of course, with Dean Stockwell as Colin and Brian Roper as Dickon. With O'Brien in the lead you'd expect the film to soar, but ultimately it lost the studio a great deal of money.
The story appeared as a movie again in 1987, this time a TV film starring Gennie James. The movie begins with a new intro where adult Mary arrives to Misselthwaite after WWI and goes to find the Secret Garden. This version of the story is incredibly faithful to the book until the end. We see adult Mary again and catch up on the histories of the three. Dickon has died in the war, and Colin shows up to propose to Mary. I hate this ending.
A British version of the movie was made in 1993, this time with Kate Maberly in the lead. This time Mary is sent to live in Liverpool. The highlight of the film is Maggie Smith, who plays housekeeper Mrs. Medlock. There is some extra plot in the novel, including an episode where Mrs. Medlock forces Mary to stay in her room and an even more emotional ending than the one the book has already.
What Got Adapted?
Mary's parents die of a cholera outbreak in India. Mary is not affected, and does not even know they are sick, because she has so little interaction with them. Some of the movies have changed this. Mary's spoiled, sour personality is often softened on film as well. In the beginning, she's an abominable little girl. Through the book, however, she becomes spunky and ambitious and friendly.
The films fail to really capture Mary's transformation, though the garden's transformation is good in all versions. None of the movie adaptations, so far, really capture the spirit of the book. Watch them to see how they compare with each other, but read the book. You'll be glad you did.
The Book
But on the page, it's divine. Mary Lennox is not a likeable heroine. She's a spoiled little brat, actually, skinny and mean-faced and even nasty, on occassion. But in truth she's a lonely little girl, and her backstory shows a lot of neglect. It's heart-wrenching to get to know Mary at the beginning of the book, a girl who is "quite contrary."
Mary is 10, and has spent her life in India with British parents. However, they've died after succuming to a fever. Now she is being taken to soggy Yorkshire, England to live on the moor - whatever that is. She's going to live with her uncle Archibald Craven at Misselthrwaite Manor. He's crabby, cold...and (gulp) a hunchback.
Mary is still alone. The Uncle leaves her in the care of servants right away. Mary interacts with the housekeeper and the maid initially, but neither like her much. It's the maid Martha who tells Mary some of the secrets of the home, dishing about what Mrs. Craven was like before she died. Mrs. Craven was a woman who loved flowers, and used to spend hours tending her roses.
She must keep herself amused all day, so Mary goes outside to look around the grounds of the large estate. This is where she meets grumpy Ben Weatherstaff (the gardener) and makes friends with a robin. She begins to skip rope every day outside, and soon her appetite improves. Mary even meets Martha's brother Dickon, who knows everything about the moor and the creatures who live upon it. They become friends.
Then, Mary discovers a secret. The robin helps her find the door to the secret garden, where Mrs. Craven once tended to her roses. Mary makes the hidden area her own. She begins to enjoy being outdoors, something she never liked before, but there are still mysteries inside the house. Mary can hear crying at night.
And one night, she goes to find its source. This is how she discovers Colin, the sickly son of her uncle. He's about the same age as Mary and every bit as mean and spoiled as she used to be. Colin is too sick to get out of bed, yet still orders everyone around -- even Mary. That Mary resists his orders is why Colin likes her so much.
We learn that the garden is a powerful, magical place...maybe even powerful enough to heal Colin, and change Mary for the better. You must read it because I won't reveal the end!
The Secret Garden was not published in novel form at first. It was serialized in "The American Magazine," which was marketed to adults. This could be why it received a lukewarm reception despite Burnett's popularity as a children's author. During her lifetime, Garden was often ignored altogether in favor of her other books. Today, it has become one of her best-loved novels.
But no matter how good the book, it doesn't necessarily make for a good movie...as history has proved here.
The Movie(s)
The Secret Garden has been adapted many ways, but there are a few notable highlights. In 1949 it was a film with iconic child star Margaret O'Brien in what would become her last MGM movie. She plays Mary, of course, with Dean Stockwell as Colin and Brian Roper as Dickon. With O'Brien in the lead you'd expect the film to soar, but ultimately it lost the studio a great deal of money.
The story appeared as a movie again in 1987, this time a TV film starring Gennie James. The movie begins with a new intro where adult Mary arrives to Misselthwaite after WWI and goes to find the Secret Garden. This version of the story is incredibly faithful to the book until the end. We see adult Mary again and catch up on the histories of the three. Dickon has died in the war, and Colin shows up to propose to Mary. I hate this ending.
A British version of the movie was made in 1993, this time with Kate Maberly in the lead. This time Mary is sent to live in Liverpool. The highlight of the film is Maggie Smith, who plays housekeeper Mrs. Medlock. There is some extra plot in the novel, including an episode where Mrs. Medlock forces Mary to stay in her room and an even more emotional ending than the one the book has already.
What Got Adapted?
Mary's parents die of a cholera outbreak in India. Mary is not affected, and does not even know they are sick, because she has so little interaction with them. Some of the movies have changed this. Mary's spoiled, sour personality is often softened on film as well. In the beginning, she's an abominable little girl. Through the book, however, she becomes spunky and ambitious and friendly.
The films fail to really capture Mary's transformation, though the garden's transformation is good in all versions. None of the movie adaptations, so far, really capture the spirit of the book. Watch them to see how they compare with each other, but read the book. You'll be glad you did.
July 3, 2014
Writing 101: Firing Chekhov's Gun
In the first Harry Potter book, Hermione uses a spell to open a door. This same spell must be used later when the famous trio is searching for the Sorcerer's Stone. This is an example of Chekhov's gun. If you add one to your book, you'd better darn well be ready to fire that gun. At least, that's what Anton says.
Bang!
No, I'm not just talking gibberish. I'm talking about a quote from Anton Chekhov, considered by many literary experts to be one of the greatest short story writers in the world. Here's what he says:
"Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there."
And I absolutely agree with that. You don't want to weigh your readers down with a bunch of extra details. If there's a laptop sitting on the desk by the wall, then I want to see the character at that desk using that laptop at some point. Otherwise, why did you tell me about it?
A seemingly random detail, usually inserted early into a story, which later comes into play is Chekhov's gun. It's a form of foreshadowing, and like any literary technique it's only powerful if it's revealed the right way. You need to draw an appropriate about of attention to the "gun" in question, but try not to build your readers a neon sign that it's going to be significant.
The important thing is, make sure Chekhov's gun goes off. Make sure that every detail with a start point also has an endpoint. Otherwise, Chekhov's gun becomes a MacGuffin...and then you're dealing with a whole new literary device.
Bang!
No, I'm not just talking gibberish. I'm talking about a quote from Anton Chekhov, considered by many literary experts to be one of the greatest short story writers in the world. Here's what he says:
"Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there."
And I absolutely agree with that. You don't want to weigh your readers down with a bunch of extra details. If there's a laptop sitting on the desk by the wall, then I want to see the character at that desk using that laptop at some point. Otherwise, why did you tell me about it?
A seemingly random detail, usually inserted early into a story, which later comes into play is Chekhov's gun. It's a form of foreshadowing, and like any literary technique it's only powerful if it's revealed the right way. You need to draw an appropriate about of attention to the "gun" in question, but try not to build your readers a neon sign that it's going to be significant.
The important thing is, make sure Chekhov's gun goes off. Make sure that every detail with a start point also has an endpoint. Otherwise, Chekhov's gun becomes a MacGuffin...and then you're dealing with a whole new literary device.
July 2, 2014
Finding Hope's
"This is a story of sweet innocence, deep friendships, heart-warming romance, fearful-yet-fearless bravery, coming-of-age, belief in a better future, tear-jerking, oh-my-godding brilliance."
"She weaves her tale in such a way as to make you forget anything else that might be going on your life and you are inextricably drawn into the world she has crafted around our three friends, yes, they will become your friends too."
Read the newest review of Hope's Rebellion at Goodreads! And don't forget to visit the book's page here at the blog to find out where you can get a copy.
"She weaves her tale in such a way as to make you forget anything else that might be going on your life and you are inextricably drawn into the world she has crafted around our three friends, yes, they will become your friends too."
Read the newest review of Hope's Rebellion at Goodreads! And don't forget to visit the book's page here at the blog to find out where you can get a copy.
Writing 101: Do You Infodump?
Have you ever, in your entire lifetime, managed to overhear an incredibly important conversation between two evildoers whose words just happen to totally unravel the big mystery you've been secretly solving? No that's never happened to you? It happens in books all the time. And when it does, it usually occurs as an infodump. Lots of writers do it. Do you, too?
Here's the Information You Need
The overheard conversation is just one example of infodumping. A much better one is the monologue, which is very frequently used for this purpose. You know how in the cheesy adventure movie the villain finally captures the hero and then the villain, instead of killing the hero, goes into a lengthy explanation of all his motives so that the hero can marvel at his cleverness? This is infodumping. It's giving the reader, or viewer as the case may be, a ton of data that explains various plot points which have occurred throughout the story.
And it is often quite tedious. Everyone likes dialogue when it's realistic, but most people don't want to read huge blocks of dialogue when it ought to be a narrative instead. Infodumping is an easy way to reveal certain facts about the plot, and some critics will say that it's too easy. In books, events should unfold naturally in order to maintain realism. When characters overhear shady conversations or have the luck of being treated to lengthy monologues, it tends to ring a little false.
But on the flip side, infodumping can be useful to you as an author. Do it well, and readers may not even notice that they're being treated to an infodump. Reveal your data in an interesting way (try to avoid the whispered-conversation cliche), and instead of a straight infodump give them the info in a more natural fashion. For example, your character has discovered an online blog that offers lots of new details about a conspiracy theory the character has been chasing. Instead of giving readers full blog posts, one right after the other, break it up with action and possibly dialogue from the character.
You don't just sit and read blog post after blog post (unless you're here at Jade's blog, obviously, where every word is just too captivating). In all likelihood you're also snacking, maybe flipping channels on the TV, checking your email, answering that text, whatever. So don't just reveal information in a gigantic chunk. Continue making your character behave naturally, and it will feel that the inforamtion is being revealed more naturally.
Most authors do infodump, from time to time. But if you can do it cleverly enough, your readers aren't even going to notice.
Here's the Information You Need
The overheard conversation is just one example of infodumping. A much better one is the monologue, which is very frequently used for this purpose. You know how in the cheesy adventure movie the villain finally captures the hero and then the villain, instead of killing the hero, goes into a lengthy explanation of all his motives so that the hero can marvel at his cleverness? This is infodumping. It's giving the reader, or viewer as the case may be, a ton of data that explains various plot points which have occurred throughout the story.
And it is often quite tedious. Everyone likes dialogue when it's realistic, but most people don't want to read huge blocks of dialogue when it ought to be a narrative instead. Infodumping is an easy way to reveal certain facts about the plot, and some critics will say that it's too easy. In books, events should unfold naturally in order to maintain realism. When characters overhear shady conversations or have the luck of being treated to lengthy monologues, it tends to ring a little false.
But on the flip side, infodumping can be useful to you as an author. Do it well, and readers may not even notice that they're being treated to an infodump. Reveal your data in an interesting way (try to avoid the whispered-conversation cliche), and instead of a straight infodump give them the info in a more natural fashion. For example, your character has discovered an online blog that offers lots of new details about a conspiracy theory the character has been chasing. Instead of giving readers full blog posts, one right after the other, break it up with action and possibly dialogue from the character.
You don't just sit and read blog post after blog post (unless you're here at Jade's blog, obviously, where every word is just too captivating). In all likelihood you're also snacking, maybe flipping channels on the TV, checking your email, answering that text, whatever. So don't just reveal information in a gigantic chunk. Continue making your character behave naturally, and it will feel that the inforamtion is being revealed more naturally.
Most authors do infodump, from time to time. But if you can do it cleverly enough, your readers aren't even going to notice.
July 1, 2014
Writing 101: Historical Figures
If you're writing a period piece, you have to really put your characters in their time frame. You have to know about the music, books and politics of the day. And you might be writing a story that takes place hundreds of years before anyone you know was ever born. So under those circumstances, is it all right to use historical figures in your fiction?
Expiration Dates
Anything ever written by Jane Austen can be purchased for free by you today. Any publishing company can print out copies of Jane Austen books, and they don't have to pay anybody any royalties for what they sell. It's because Jane Austen has been dead for so long that all her copyrights have now expired. Anyone can publish and use her books for free these days.
So what's the expiration date on a personality? If Jane Austen's copyrights are expired, does that mean that I can make her a character in my newest book?
The short answer to this is yes. If Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter taught us anything, it's that historical figures are pretty much fair game in fiction. I can't even count all the romance novels I've seen featuring William I or Charles I as supporting or peripheral characters. They were both sort of larger-than-life personalities, so it makes sense to use them for color in a novel that's set in the right time period.
But that's the short answer. When it comes to actually using historical figures as characters in your novel, the answer is really much more multi-layered. Even long-dead historical figures have Research thoroughly to be sure you know a reasonable amount about this character. In order to realistically include them in a story, you ought to know what they look like. Knowing something about their personality can't hurt, either. Throw in any interesting facts you can find, things that humanize characters (Charles I and his dogs, for example).
If you plan on rewriting or changing history and still including historical figures, it gets trickier still. You may get some criticism for that. But if you've got a story idea and you think it's good and you're compelled to write, this is what you must do. When you're including a real-life person in your books, try to adhere to at least one rule: be respectful. Do this, and in most cases you'll probably be okay.
Expiration Dates
Anything ever written by Jane Austen can be purchased for free by you today. Any publishing company can print out copies of Jane Austen books, and they don't have to pay anybody any royalties for what they sell. It's because Jane Austen has been dead for so long that all her copyrights have now expired. Anyone can publish and use her books for free these days.
So what's the expiration date on a personality? If Jane Austen's copyrights are expired, does that mean that I can make her a character in my newest book?
The short answer to this is yes. If Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter taught us anything, it's that historical figures are pretty much fair game in fiction. I can't even count all the romance novels I've seen featuring William I or Charles I as supporting or peripheral characters. They were both sort of larger-than-life personalities, so it makes sense to use them for color in a novel that's set in the right time period.
But that's the short answer. When it comes to actually using historical figures as characters in your novel, the answer is really much more multi-layered. Even long-dead historical figures have Research thoroughly to be sure you know a reasonable amount about this character. In order to realistically include them in a story, you ought to know what they look like. Knowing something about their personality can't hurt, either. Throw in any interesting facts you can find, things that humanize characters (Charles I and his dogs, for example).
If you plan on rewriting or changing history and still including historical figures, it gets trickier still. You may get some criticism for that. But if you've got a story idea and you think it's good and you're compelled to write, this is what you must do. When you're including a real-life person in your books, try to adhere to at least one rule: be respectful. Do this, and in most cases you'll probably be okay.
June 30, 2014
Writing 101: Tweeting About Your Books
As an indie author, you might spend more time tweeting about your books than actually writing them. Social media is your best avenue for marketing, and Twitter is an incredibly popular social media site. But tweeting about your books isn't easy...because you've got to figure out what to tweet about.
This Space for Rent
You can't tweet "buy this book" all day long, because who's going to click on that? You tweet something like that all the time, and you'll just get a bunch of people who unfollow you all the time. If you really want people to buy your books, you've got to use your tweets to make a case for yourself.
And you need to a spanking good job, too...because you've got a very limited amount of space.
Review quotes: Pulling quotes from your book reviews is an excellent way to promote your books to new readers. Look for the best comments about your book, and build your tweet around this. Review quotes can be used in a variety of different ways on Twitter, so work hard to get those reviews.Mini-excerpts: Pull intriguing lines from the book to make readers hungry for more. Use the "search" function on your software to find good lines based on certain scintillating keywords. I look for lines containing "lies," "secrets" and "murder." If you write romance, look for lines containing "kiss," "embrace," "passion" -- well, you get the idea. Sensational summaries: In your own words, write attention-getting statements or thought-provoking questions to whet the reader's appetite. If you can sum your book up in a single provocative sentence, you can definitely tweet about your book. Here's an example: Cora's life changed for ever the day she accidentally stumbled across the mummy's curse. You might click on that link, right? Write lines that make people want to click. That's the art of using Twitter.
What you don't want to do is Rickroll your followers. Don't write something like "Brad Pitt fully nude XXX" and link it to your book that has nothing to do with Brad Pitt. Be honest about what you're promoting at all times. If you can make your own book sound good, you don't need to resort to trickery. And if you can't make your own book sound good, re-writes on that book might be needed. Just saying.
Space is your biggest problem with Twitter. Make it easier on yourself by using a link-shrinking program so you can fit more characters into your tweets. With a good link shortener, you'll only need 20 characters for the link itself. That allows you to use the remainder of the space to tweet about your books.
Tweeting about your books is incredibly important. Learn how to do it and get it done...and hopefully, you'll sell more books because of it.
This Space for Rent
You can't tweet "buy this book" all day long, because who's going to click on that? You tweet something like that all the time, and you'll just get a bunch of people who unfollow you all the time. If you really want people to buy your books, you've got to use your tweets to make a case for yourself.
And you need to a spanking good job, too...because you've got a very limited amount of space.
Review quotes: Pulling quotes from your book reviews is an excellent way to promote your books to new readers. Look for the best comments about your book, and build your tweet around this. Review quotes can be used in a variety of different ways on Twitter, so work hard to get those reviews.Mini-excerpts: Pull intriguing lines from the book to make readers hungry for more. Use the "search" function on your software to find good lines based on certain scintillating keywords. I look for lines containing "lies," "secrets" and "murder." If you write romance, look for lines containing "kiss," "embrace," "passion" -- well, you get the idea. Sensational summaries: In your own words, write attention-getting statements or thought-provoking questions to whet the reader's appetite. If you can sum your book up in a single provocative sentence, you can definitely tweet about your book. Here's an example: Cora's life changed for ever the day she accidentally stumbled across the mummy's curse. You might click on that link, right? Write lines that make people want to click. That's the art of using Twitter.
What you don't want to do is Rickroll your followers. Don't write something like "Brad Pitt fully nude XXX" and link it to your book that has nothing to do with Brad Pitt. Be honest about what you're promoting at all times. If you can make your own book sound good, you don't need to resort to trickery. And if you can't make your own book sound good, re-writes on that book might be needed. Just saying.
Space is your biggest problem with Twitter. Make it easier on yourself by using a link-shrinking program so you can fit more characters into your tweets. With a good link shortener, you'll only need 20 characters for the link itself. That allows you to use the remainder of the space to tweet about your books.
Tweeting about your books is incredibly important. Learn how to do it and get it done...and hopefully, you'll sell more books because of it.
June 26, 2014
Writing 101: Selling In-Between Books
The self-publishing game moves pretty quickly. Bowker statistics show that around 391,000 self-published titles were published in 2012 alone. Since 2007, self-publishing as an industry has increased by a mind-boggling 422 percent. So if you want to stay in the game, you have to publish frequently. There's just one problem: it takes a long time to write a book. But you can still stay in the game. Start selling in-between books.
On Again, Off Again
Indies have to play the perfectionist game. You'll spend more time editing than you spent writing the darn book, and lots of editing is second-guessing and fact-checking and plot-managing (and, if you're like me, frustration). Factor into this the fact that you have a day job, and time starts to get pretty short. Let's not forget that you are also human, and must spend time eating, sleeping and not working (because if you don't relax a little you're no good as as a writer).
When all these factors come together, it's really not easy to publish new titles frequently. Books take time, and lots of indie authors don't have a lot of time. So you end up defeating yourself before you can even really get in the game. You have to publish often to keep selling often, but you haven't got the time to write often. Don't give up just yet. There are ways to start selling, even when you're in-between books.
Short stories: If you're like me and you get new ideas all the time, start using them. Instead of keeping a big list of potential novel ideas (like I do), start getting something out of your ideas and turn them into short stories. It's just as easy to sell short stories on Amazon as it is full-length novels. Price them to be less expensive than your full-length novels and make it clear that they're short stories. Now you've got something to promote and something new to sell...and perhaps an avenue to brand-new readers.Poetry: I don't know about you, but I totally went through a poetry phase. It's not at all unusual for writers to experiment with all types of writing. So if you've got any poetry, or you like to write it, why not publish a volume of poetry? This will introduce you to a new group of readers, it will allow you to share more writing and it can buy you some time when you're in-between books.Addendums, Companions, Extras: You worked hard on your book. Chances are, you've got all sorts of extra materials that you put together while writing that book. For some books, I've got maps and pictures and family trees and even full-on timelines. If you've got stuff like that, why not share it in a new companion volume to your book or a book of extras? Promote it along with your book, and give fans something new to enjoy while they wait for your next new release.Serials: Ever thought about writing a serial, rather than a complete novel? If you've got a story that is very well-outlined and you like to do on-the-spot editing, publishing a serial instead of a novel may be a good idea. Instead of waiting to complete the whole book, release it on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Now, this won't work if you're writing a 30-chapter book. No one wants to spend $30 on one book. But if you're writing big chapters and there aren't going to be a lot of them, a serial can work well and will allow you to publish more often.
Selling in-between books will help you keep your name out there while you work on your next big book project. Indie authors have to stay out there and keep promoting themselves, and marketing works best when you have something new to offer.
On Again, Off Again
Indies have to play the perfectionist game. You'll spend more time editing than you spent writing the darn book, and lots of editing is second-guessing and fact-checking and plot-managing (and, if you're like me, frustration). Factor into this the fact that you have a day job, and time starts to get pretty short. Let's not forget that you are also human, and must spend time eating, sleeping and not working (because if you don't relax a little you're no good as as a writer).
When all these factors come together, it's really not easy to publish new titles frequently. Books take time, and lots of indie authors don't have a lot of time. So you end up defeating yourself before you can even really get in the game. You have to publish often to keep selling often, but you haven't got the time to write often. Don't give up just yet. There are ways to start selling, even when you're in-between books.
Short stories: If you're like me and you get new ideas all the time, start using them. Instead of keeping a big list of potential novel ideas (like I do), start getting something out of your ideas and turn them into short stories. It's just as easy to sell short stories on Amazon as it is full-length novels. Price them to be less expensive than your full-length novels and make it clear that they're short stories. Now you've got something to promote and something new to sell...and perhaps an avenue to brand-new readers.Poetry: I don't know about you, but I totally went through a poetry phase. It's not at all unusual for writers to experiment with all types of writing. So if you've got any poetry, or you like to write it, why not publish a volume of poetry? This will introduce you to a new group of readers, it will allow you to share more writing and it can buy you some time when you're in-between books.Addendums, Companions, Extras: You worked hard on your book. Chances are, you've got all sorts of extra materials that you put together while writing that book. For some books, I've got maps and pictures and family trees and even full-on timelines. If you've got stuff like that, why not share it in a new companion volume to your book or a book of extras? Promote it along with your book, and give fans something new to enjoy while they wait for your next new release.Serials: Ever thought about writing a serial, rather than a complete novel? If you've got a story that is very well-outlined and you like to do on-the-spot editing, publishing a serial instead of a novel may be a good idea. Instead of waiting to complete the whole book, release it on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Now, this won't work if you're writing a 30-chapter book. No one wants to spend $30 on one book. But if you're writing big chapters and there aren't going to be a lot of them, a serial can work well and will allow you to publish more often.
Selling in-between books will help you keep your name out there while you work on your next big book project. Indie authors have to stay out there and keep promoting themselves, and marketing works best when you have something new to offer.
