Jade Varden's Blog, page 42
February 13, 2014
Books, Butterflies and Hope's
"The writing in this novel was superb. It was sophisticated, and witty, and engaging, and incredibly eloquent."
"I have no words to describe how phenomenal this book was written. Every little tiny detail had a purpose, and it all comes together in such a way that, at the end, your mind is completely blown."
Hope's Rebellion is featured at Book Butterfly reviews! Check out the full review to find out why the reader didn't want to read this story at all...and why they're happy they decided to do it, anyway.
You can get the book for FREE at Smashwords. Just use the code WQ47M to get your copy in any electronic format.
"I have no words to describe how phenomenal this book was written. Every little tiny detail had a purpose, and it all comes together in such a way that, at the end, your mind is completely blown."
Hope's Rebellion is featured at Book Butterfly reviews! Check out the full review to find out why the reader didn't want to read this story at all...and why they're happy they decided to do it, anyway.
You can get the book for FREE at Smashwords. Just use the code WQ47M to get your copy in any electronic format.
Writing 101: Consistent Marketing
As an indie author, it's a good idea if you write frequently so you can publish often and keep readers interested in your work. But it's not necessary. What's even more important than writing? Consistent marketing.
My Girl Likes to Market All the Time
I may be taking a somewhat controversial stance on this issue, of this I am aware. Some may say what's a writer without the writing? But that may be wrong. Writers do not have to be prolific in order to be successful. I know I bring her up all the time, but I must point again to Margaret Mitchell. She wrote only one book. But after "Gone With the Wind," where is there to go? Jane Austen wrote a mere 6 books.
If you write great books, you don't necessarily have to write a ton of books. But you will have to do a ton of marketing, even if you only write one book. The key to being an indie author isn't in the amount of marketing you do. It's that you do it consistently.
How often should you write to book bloggers to get reviews? At least once a week. How often should you Tweet? At least once a day. How often should you blog? At least once a month. How often should you write? When you're feeling the creative energy to write. Are you getting the point?
Keep marketing consistently. Keep doing the same things regularly, and frequently, even when you feel like you would rather pull out all your hair instead. Get creative to find new ways to market and new things to say, but keep doing it so you can engage new readers. I don't care how much you market, or how much money you spend on it (because you can do it for free). But do something every single day, or you aren't doing all that you can for your books.
My Girl Likes to Market All the Time
I may be taking a somewhat controversial stance on this issue, of this I am aware. Some may say what's a writer without the writing? But that may be wrong. Writers do not have to be prolific in order to be successful. I know I bring her up all the time, but I must point again to Margaret Mitchell. She wrote only one book. But after "Gone With the Wind," where is there to go? Jane Austen wrote a mere 6 books.
If you write great books, you don't necessarily have to write a ton of books. But you will have to do a ton of marketing, even if you only write one book. The key to being an indie author isn't in the amount of marketing you do. It's that you do it consistently.
How often should you write to book bloggers to get reviews? At least once a week. How often should you Tweet? At least once a day. How often should you blog? At least once a month. How often should you write? When you're feeling the creative energy to write. Are you getting the point?
Keep marketing consistently. Keep doing the same things regularly, and frequently, even when you feel like you would rather pull out all your hair instead. Get creative to find new ways to market and new things to say, but keep doing it so you can engage new readers. I don't care how much you market, or how much money you spend on it (because you can do it for free). But do something every single day, or you aren't doing all that you can for your books.
February 12, 2014
Writing 101: Mismatched Titles
I'm all for being artistic, and I personally consider myself a "creative type." I like irony and I appreciate authors who want to create a title that will instantly grab readers. But when you knowingly give your book a title that directly contradicts the content of the book, readers are going to get aggravated with you. Some may even give up on you. When it comes to titling your book, literal really is better...and mismatched titles really aren't a good idea.
By Any Other Name...
Don't believe me? Fine, then don't believe me. Believe Shakespeare, truly one of the most prolific, famous and enduring storytellers in human history. Think about the The title is the first impression, and you know what people say about first impressions. Don't start out greeting your readers with deception, not for irony's sake or for any other reason. Mislabeling your book, either to be funny or to be attention-getting, is deliberately misleading. I know because I've been incredibly frustrated with a book I've been reading (or not reading, as the case may be) that I consider to be mistitled.
The title would lead the reader to believe that someone needs to be found. So I'm ready to join the investigation. I've got my detective hat on and my clue notebook out, and I'm ready to hunt this character down all through the pages of the novel. Imagine my dismay when said character is found in Chapter 1 of the book. The remainder of the story is (so far) taking place in a single setting and it's all conversation. My inner detective is stuck in a living room, and there is no more mystery to solve. Under most circumstances, I'd close that book for ever.
Mismatched titles aren't cute and they aren't funny and they're not cool and ironic. They're misleading, and the vast majority of readers probably won't like that. Think about all your favorite titles. Fan of Divergent, The Hunger Games, Twilight? All those titles match the content of the book. So don't listen to me. Look back at all the most successful, memorable and popular stories through history...and think about their titles.
By Any Other Name...
Don't believe me? Fine, then don't believe me. Believe Shakespeare, truly one of the most prolific, famous and enduring storytellers in human history. Think about the The title is the first impression, and you know what people say about first impressions. Don't start out greeting your readers with deception, not for irony's sake or for any other reason. Mislabeling your book, either to be funny or to be attention-getting, is deliberately misleading. I know because I've been incredibly frustrated with a book I've been reading (or not reading, as the case may be) that I consider to be mistitled.
The title would lead the reader to believe that someone needs to be found. So I'm ready to join the investigation. I've got my detective hat on and my clue notebook out, and I'm ready to hunt this character down all through the pages of the novel. Imagine my dismay when said character is found in Chapter 1 of the book. The remainder of the story is (so far) taking place in a single setting and it's all conversation. My inner detective is stuck in a living room, and there is no more mystery to solve. Under most circumstances, I'd close that book for ever.
Mismatched titles aren't cute and they aren't funny and they're not cool and ironic. They're misleading, and the vast majority of readers probably won't like that. Think about all your favorite titles. Fan of Divergent, The Hunger Games, Twilight? All those titles match the content of the book. So don't listen to me. Look back at all the most successful, memorable and popular stories through history...and think about their titles.
February 11, 2014
Writing 101: My Unhealthy Relationship...with Writing About Food
I'm in a toxic relationship. It's not easy to admit or to talk about, but there it is. I have such a bad relationship that it seeps into everything I do...and almost everything I write. And as a writer who's having this toxic relationship, it's impossible for me to write about this relationship without giving readers a skewed, distorted viewpoint. But I know that I can't fix this toxic relationship...so I've found a way to make it work with my writing. If you have a personal issue or some strange quirk, you can't ignore it. You can't write around it. All you can do is embrace it...just like I have.
The Girl with the Most Cake
Those of you who follow my colleague Annalisa Crawford may be aware that I've been engaged in a battle with my toxic relationship for years. I am winning, but not without casualties. My toxic relationship is with food. We've been having a torrid love-hate relationship since...well, perhaps since I was born. Me and food just can't love each other the way we want to, and so we find ourselves constantly at odds instead.
This all makes it very difficult for me to write about food in a way that seems reasonable to people who don't have my hang-ups. You see, I'm deeply in love with food. I want to do nothing but eat it all day. And I'm not talking about lettuce. I want fried things, and battered things, and sweet baked things...and frankly, I want it all to be chocolate-dipped and covered with sugar, too.
But, I've been on a decently strict diet (some would say insanely strict) for about three years now. Iron-handed control is the only way I've been able to successfully manage my weight. But all this food obsession has given me a very off-kilter perception of food and eating and what normal people eat. Lucky for me, I know that I've got this issue.
And I know that I can't write about food normally. My characters can't go out to eat dinner as average people would, nor can they eat regular meals and snacks that other everyday people eat. They can't do this because I don't do this, and I don't know how to write about people who do because all my experiences with food border on the psychotic. So when I write about food in my books, it's always in the extreme.
In the Deck of Lies series, there is a character who's constantly eating diet foods and terrible-sounding, low-calorie stuff. This is me. There's another character in the series who's always craving "real" food. This is also me. In Hope's Rebellion, one character completely devours all bread she can find. This is who I want to be. See how it works?
If you're weird about something, write weird about it because that's what you know and that's where you'll shine. I don't try to write about people with normal food habits, because I'm not at all familiar with that. So I write about people with weird food habits, because that's me. If you have an unhealthy relationship or an obsession or a hang-up or even an unreasonable fear, use it. Don't try to avoid it or write around it or ignore it. It's yours, so find a way to put it on the page. These are the kinds of quirks that give your writing its unique voice, and make your work unlike anyone else's.
The Girl with the Most Cake
Those of you who follow my colleague Annalisa Crawford may be aware that I've been engaged in a battle with my toxic relationship for years. I am winning, but not without casualties. My toxic relationship is with food. We've been having a torrid love-hate relationship since...well, perhaps since I was born. Me and food just can't love each other the way we want to, and so we find ourselves constantly at odds instead.
This all makes it very difficult for me to write about food in a way that seems reasonable to people who don't have my hang-ups. You see, I'm deeply in love with food. I want to do nothing but eat it all day. And I'm not talking about lettuce. I want fried things, and battered things, and sweet baked things...and frankly, I want it all to be chocolate-dipped and covered with sugar, too.
But, I've been on a decently strict diet (some would say insanely strict) for about three years now. Iron-handed control is the only way I've been able to successfully manage my weight. But all this food obsession has given me a very off-kilter perception of food and eating and what normal people eat. Lucky for me, I know that I've got this issue.
And I know that I can't write about food normally. My characters can't go out to eat dinner as average people would, nor can they eat regular meals and snacks that other everyday people eat. They can't do this because I don't do this, and I don't know how to write about people who do because all my experiences with food border on the psychotic. So when I write about food in my books, it's always in the extreme.
In the Deck of Lies series, there is a character who's constantly eating diet foods and terrible-sounding, low-calorie stuff. This is me. There's another character in the series who's always craving "real" food. This is also me. In Hope's Rebellion, one character completely devours all bread she can find. This is who I want to be. See how it works?
If you're weird about something, write weird about it because that's what you know and that's where you'll shine. I don't try to write about people with normal food habits, because I'm not at all familiar with that. So I write about people with weird food habits, because that's me. If you have an unhealthy relationship or an obsession or a hang-up or even an unreasonable fear, use it. Don't try to avoid it or write around it or ignore it. It's yours, so find a way to put it on the page. These are the kinds of quirks that give your writing its unique voice, and make your work unlike anyone else's.
February 10, 2014
Writing 101: Tick, Tock Are You Trying to Beat the Clock?
I'm one of those writers who figured out what I wanted to do very early. Age 9, to be exact. I didn't start doing my own writing right away, however. I read a lot first, and penned (literally) my first short story at 11. What can I say? I'm the type who learns best from hands-on experience. Back when I was 11, I set a goal for myself that seemed incredibly reasonable at the time. I told myself I would be a published author by the age of 18.
It was a perfectly logical plan...for an 11-year-old. I'm past the age of 18 now, good and past it really, and sometimes I still find myself setting ridiculous goals for no reason other than to make myself feel like a failure.
Tick, Tock
I mean, that's probably not why I do it. I don't think I actually set myself up to fail, but this is almost always the case. I didn't get published before 18. I didn't get published before 20. It took me years to get published, and even longer to learn that getting published isn't nearly enough. You have to keep getting published, and selling books, and you have to do it a lot.
And I've learned that trying to set these weird limits for myself (by this age I'm going to... Before I turn this age, I will have done...) just doesn't work. Making unreasonable demands on yourself will only make you feel as though you've failed if you don't meet that goal. If you publish a book, if you sell a single copy, if you have just one fan you haven't failed. It's hard to remember that if you're not hitting a mark on a calendar that you set for yourself out of some wellspring of optimism.
Be optimistic. Try to reach goals. Aim high and keep trying. But don't give yourself a time limit. Don't put a date on your success. When you do, it only diminishes every small accomplishment you do achieve. You don't have to beat the clock or predict the future. Just write, and that will be enough.
It was a perfectly logical plan...for an 11-year-old. I'm past the age of 18 now, good and past it really, and sometimes I still find myself setting ridiculous goals for no reason other than to make myself feel like a failure.
Tick, Tock
I mean, that's probably not why I do it. I don't think I actually set myself up to fail, but this is almost always the case. I didn't get published before 18. I didn't get published before 20. It took me years to get published, and even longer to learn that getting published isn't nearly enough. You have to keep getting published, and selling books, and you have to do it a lot.
And I've learned that trying to set these weird limits for myself (by this age I'm going to... Before I turn this age, I will have done...) just doesn't work. Making unreasonable demands on yourself will only make you feel as though you've failed if you don't meet that goal. If you publish a book, if you sell a single copy, if you have just one fan you haven't failed. It's hard to remember that if you're not hitting a mark on a calendar that you set for yourself out of some wellspring of optimism.
Be optimistic. Try to reach goals. Aim high and keep trying. But don't give yourself a time limit. Don't put a date on your success. When you do, it only diminishes every small accomplishment you do achieve. You don't have to beat the clock or predict the future. Just write, and that will be enough.
February 9, 2014
Indie News: Sony Out, Kobo In...What Does It Mean for Indies?
Next month, the Sony ebook store will no longer exist. Sony's Reader Store titles will be automatically transferred to Kobo. Well, most of them. Some of them. When it comes to self-published ebooks...the issue gets a little muddy. How will this switch affect your books and your readers?
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Through the new deal, some smartphones and Sony's entire line of tablets will now carry the Kobo app instead of the Reader Store app. The books in reader libraries are supposed to switch over. But what about self-published authors who have opted into Sony and/or Kobo through Smashwords?
According to a Sony representative's comments to Good e-Reader, ebooks purchased through Sony's Reader Store will transfer right to Kobo. Magazines and periodicals won't transfer, but Kobo already as a large library of these available to readers. Customers who transfer their libraries to Kobo will receive info about which titles didn't transfer, and why.
Self-published Smashwords books won't transfer automatically. The ePub files themselves won't be transferred, but Sony says that the digital identifiers for ebooks will still be available. This allows readers to find their self-published books in the Kobo library. Books distributed from Smashwords to Sony but not to Kobo will not transfer.
To make your books more readily available, opt in to Kobo through Smashwords. This will allow your books to be listed and accessible to Sony readers.
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Through the new deal, some smartphones and Sony's entire line of tablets will now carry the Kobo app instead of the Reader Store app. The books in reader libraries are supposed to switch over. But what about self-published authors who have opted into Sony and/or Kobo through Smashwords?
According to a Sony representative's comments to Good e-Reader, ebooks purchased through Sony's Reader Store will transfer right to Kobo. Magazines and periodicals won't transfer, but Kobo already as a large library of these available to readers. Customers who transfer their libraries to Kobo will receive info about which titles didn't transfer, and why.
Self-published Smashwords books won't transfer automatically. The ePub files themselves won't be transferred, but Sony says that the digital identifiers for ebooks will still be available. This allows readers to find their self-published books in the Kobo library. Books distributed from Smashwords to Sony but not to Kobo will not transfer.
To make your books more readily available, opt in to Kobo through Smashwords. This will allow your books to be listed and accessible to Sony readers.
February 6, 2014
High Hope's
"An impeccably written story about three young women in a society where status is determined by hair color. This is a fast pace novel for a dystopian fantasy and one that I highly recommend."
"For the first 95% of the novel I couldn’t read fast enough. For the last 5% I couldn’t read slow enough. I’m sorry to say goodbye to three unforgettable protagonists."
Hope's Rebellion has been reviewed at Parajunkee! Read the full review before you get your copy of the book -- it's free this month at Smashwords with the code WQ47M.
"For the first 95% of the novel I couldn’t read fast enough. For the last 5% I couldn’t read slow enough. I’m sorry to say goodbye to three unforgettable protagonists."
Hope's Rebellion has been reviewed at Parajunkee! Read the full review before you get your copy of the book -- it's free this month at Smashwords with the code WQ47M.
Writing 101: Just Slow Down
Or better yet, stop. It's easy to get caught up in the business of being an indie author. You'll get overwhelmed with writing goals, blogging commitments, review requests, reading forums, using social media, editing and all the other stuff that goes into self-publishing. If you don't slow down every once in a while, you're going to stifle all your own creativity. And I should know. I have all kinds of trouble with slowing down.
Is It Really Writer's Block?
I published a book recently, so naturally I'm back at work on a new manuscript. The only trouble is, I've been stuck in the same spot for...well, for longer than I'd like to admit. And the other day, I realized exactly why that is: I haven't stopped doing stuff long enough to figure out the next scene. I've been baking and cleaning and exercising and working and doing, doing, doing every single spare second.
Of course I can't figure out my story. I haven't spent any time just thinking. Sometimes you have to do nothing just to get your mind working. It's into these empty spaces that creativity wanders.
So slow down. Stop doing things, and take a little while just to think. This is where creativity appears...and you can always make time for that.
Is It Really Writer's Block?
I published a book recently, so naturally I'm back at work on a new manuscript. The only trouble is, I've been stuck in the same spot for...well, for longer than I'd like to admit. And the other day, I realized exactly why that is: I haven't stopped doing stuff long enough to figure out the next scene. I've been baking and cleaning and exercising and working and doing, doing, doing every single spare second.
Of course I can't figure out my story. I haven't spent any time just thinking. Sometimes you have to do nothing just to get your mind working. It's into these empty spaces that creativity wanders.
So slow down. Stop doing things, and take a little while just to think. This is where creativity appears...and you can always make time for that.
February 5, 2014
Writing 101: Is Storytelling Man's Oldest Art?
Are stories the oldest known form of art created by mankind? Possibly. It predates writing and, anthropologists believe, even cave paintings. Before man learned how to paint his stories on the wall, he probably spoke them around the fire. Maybe even before they knew there was fire. Storytelling is so very old, there's no way to know how really old it is. And if you're an author, or want to be, you're a part of that proud tradition.
Super Ancient Storytelling
Storytelling has been a part of most ancient and modern cultures who have inhabited the Earth. Before writing was invented, stories could be told through pictures and symbolism. Images were carved into wood, bone, rock, leaves, tablets and on fabric before it was put on paper.
When you think about it, storytelling is still everywhere. Movies, TV shows, even video games tell a story. Songs tell stories. Even a single tweet may tell an entire story. (Example: Woke up. Felt sick. Went back to bed).
Storytelling may be as old as man himself (homo sapiens have existed for about 5 million years). Writing is a bit newer than that...but it changed storytelling for ever.
Recorded Storytelling
Images that represented fragements of a story evolved from the first oral tales. From these images, writing began to develop. Each letter, or symbol, stands for letters or a series of letters (depending on the writing). Thanks to this art form, another was preserved in immortality: storytelling.
The first writing came into reality only about 10 thousand years ago, and was highly pictorial in nature with complex symbols. The oldest writings (that have survived) were put into stone so that they would last...and some of them did. This is because even ancient cultures recognized the need to preserve their stories, a practice that mankind still enjoys with great passion.
Clay tablets became the popular method for preserving writing a little later, about 5 thousand years ago. But really, we have the ancient Egyptians to thank for inventing the modern-day book. They created papyrus, the first paper, and used thin sheets of material to preserve their writings. Egyptians even invented the first quill pens: they used sharpened reeds and bird feathers as writing tools. Egyptians put together the very first papyrus books, which were really long scrolls.
China invented their own form of paper, and actually printed their own books to spread more writings among its people. Rome produced books as early as 1 BC. In fact, ancient Rome had libraries as early as 377.
Storytelling is an art that mankind has been practicing for thousands, maybe millions, of years. And like any art form, it can never be perfected. It can only become more modern, and continue to evolve. After all, you wouldn't draw your stories on a cave wall...and those ancient storytellers wouldn't have conceived of a way to tweet about their books. So remember that you're an artist, and like any good artist you have to find what works best for you in terms of storytelling. Be proud. You're a part of a long history.
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Super Ancient Storytelling
Storytelling has been a part of most ancient and modern cultures who have inhabited the Earth. Before writing was invented, stories could be told through pictures and symbolism. Images were carved into wood, bone, rock, leaves, tablets and on fabric before it was put on paper.
When you think about it, storytelling is still everywhere. Movies, TV shows, even video games tell a story. Songs tell stories. Even a single tweet may tell an entire story. (Example: Woke up. Felt sick. Went back to bed).
Storytelling may be as old as man himself (homo sapiens have existed for about 5 million years). Writing is a bit newer than that...but it changed storytelling for ever.
Recorded Storytelling
Images that represented fragements of a story evolved from the first oral tales. From these images, writing began to develop. Each letter, or symbol, stands for letters or a series of letters (depending on the writing). Thanks to this art form, another was preserved in immortality: storytelling.
The first writing came into reality only about 10 thousand years ago, and was highly pictorial in nature with complex symbols. The oldest writings (that have survived) were put into stone so that they would last...and some of them did. This is because even ancient cultures recognized the need to preserve their stories, a practice that mankind still enjoys with great passion.
Clay tablets became the popular method for preserving writing a little later, about 5 thousand years ago. But really, we have the ancient Egyptians to thank for inventing the modern-day book. They created papyrus, the first paper, and used thin sheets of material to preserve their writings. Egyptians even invented the first quill pens: they used sharpened reeds and bird feathers as writing tools. Egyptians put together the very first papyrus books, which were really long scrolls.
China invented their own form of paper, and actually printed their own books to spread more writings among its people. Rome produced books as early as 1 BC. In fact, ancient Rome had libraries as early as 377.
Storytelling is an art that mankind has been practicing for thousands, maybe millions, of years. And like any art form, it can never be perfected. It can only become more modern, and continue to evolve. After all, you wouldn't draw your stories on a cave wall...and those ancient storytellers wouldn't have conceived of a way to tweet about their books. So remember that you're an artist, and like any good artist you have to find what works best for you in terms of storytelling. Be proud. You're a part of a long history.
February 4, 2014
Writing 101: What's the Big Secret to Book Sales?
For obvious reasons, I go in search of writing and self-publishing tips all the time. I need all the help I can get, for starters, and it's always useful to see what others are writing about. What I've found is this: everyone seems to know exactly what it takes to be successful at self-publishing. They all know the big secret.
Big Book Sales
Yes, it's out there! The big secret to book sales...and it's everywhere. Buy this book, click that link, read this thing and you'll discover the secret. The trouble is, everyone has a different answer -- and often, a complex series of steps you need to follow to go with it.
But it really isn't a secret that to sell any product, you have to market it. And the very best form of marketing is, and always has been, word of mouth. So here's the real secret to selling books: getting someone who loves that book to talk about it. If you can do that, you're going to sell books.
First, you have to write a good book. Edit it thoroughly and check it for consistency. Get rid of anything you don't need. Next, put that book in a pretty package. Get a great cover and write an amazing blurb. Now, start giving it away for free.
Write to as many book bloggers as you can find (using a great pitch of course), and ask them to review your book. As the reviews start to come in (and you should be searching for them every day), start promoting them. Quote reviewers directly. Try interacting with them on Twitter to get them to talk about your book. Comment on their review. This refreshens the content, and that pings the search engines again.
It's not a secret: you need word of mouth to sell books. Even if you have to be the mouth and you have to give the words away for free, do it. This is the best way to get actual paying customers to read your words.
Big Book Sales
Yes, it's out there! The big secret to book sales...and it's everywhere. Buy this book, click that link, read this thing and you'll discover the secret. The trouble is, everyone has a different answer -- and often, a complex series of steps you need to follow to go with it.
But it really isn't a secret that to sell any product, you have to market it. And the very best form of marketing is, and always has been, word of mouth. So here's the real secret to selling books: getting someone who loves that book to talk about it. If you can do that, you're going to sell books.
First, you have to write a good book. Edit it thoroughly and check it for consistency. Get rid of anything you don't need. Next, put that book in a pretty package. Get a great cover and write an amazing blurb. Now, start giving it away for free.
Write to as many book bloggers as you can find (using a great pitch of course), and ask them to review your book. As the reviews start to come in (and you should be searching for them every day), start promoting them. Quote reviewers directly. Try interacting with them on Twitter to get them to talk about your book. Comment on their review. This refreshens the content, and that pings the search engines again.
It's not a secret: you need word of mouth to sell books. Even if you have to be the mouth and you have to give the words away for free, do it. This is the best way to get actual paying customers to read your words.
