Sarah Allen's Blog, page 53

N is for Niche Market

This ones a bit hard for me. I am, and I believe most people are, interested in a wide, eclectic variety of things, so it's hard for me to narrow down my target audience to a specific type of person. Of course we all hope for a wide and varied readership, transcending this kind of stereotyping. But publishers don't like that kind of talk, and for good reason; you need a narrow focus for a successful marketing campaign.

So, niche readership. Once you've found yours, you can go from there. Find out where your target audience spends its time and focus your resources on those areas. For example, if your target audience is women in their 30's and 40's, you're probably going to want to go for ads more in Elle than in Petersen's Hunting. You can use sites like Alexa.org to find out what sites your demographic is visiting and spend your time there. Find the Facebook pages and groups that cater to your type of reader and spend time there too. Once you find your niche, it's easier to be creative and spread the word.

The hard part, for me at least, is figuring out your particular niche market. Sometimes it's fairly clear. For example if you're writing a high school romance, then your target audience is teenage girls, and if it's a political thriller, then probably men age 30-50. Maybe I'm just too close to my own book and can't get objective, but I'm having a bit of trouble defining my target audience.

See, okay. My MC is a 40 year old man named George who takes care of his teenage niece, which makes basing my target audience on my MC sort of confusing. But there is a romance strain throughout the book as well, which might narrow the audience down to women age 30-50, as well as a paranormal thread as well, which might narrow it down even further. Does that sound about right? Even thought my main character is a middle-aged man, my target audience is probably 25-50 year old women who like a bit of fantasy. I'm hoping to be able to chat about this with my beta readers pretty soon which is probably be the most helpful thing one can do in terms of determining target audience, but again, that sound right?

That means, even though my book is absolutely nothing like Twilight, I might do well to spend a bit of time talking to the readers of TwilightMoms. Find sites where moms spend a lot of time.

What about you? What is the target audience for your book, and what are some ideas for finding it?


Sarah Allen

M is for Mmmmm...

Some things that make me go mmmmm...
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Have a good weekend :)

Sarah Allen

K is for Kiva and Kickstarter

I should say first of all that I have not used Kiva and Kickstarter. Yet. But I know of them and what they do and definitely plan to use them in the future. I totally see Kiva and Kickstarter as the way our worlds economy is heading, and I'm okay with that. 
On the one hand, we have Kiva. Just in case you haven't heard of it, Kiva provides a way for investors to give micro-loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries, and it has an almost 100% payback rate. So you donate a little bit of money so a shop owner in Columbia can buy more merchandise to grow their shop and they pay you back quickly and completely. This isn't giving someone a fish, or even teaching them how to fish. This is helping them start a fishing business. Then they can hire people and contribute to their own countries in economy and it's just a growing snowball of awesomeness. In terms of giving to the world, this is one of the best ways I can think to do it. 
And also there is Kickstarter. In my mind this is the opposite end of the spectrum, the first place I would go to grow a career or business. Or you can donate here as well to budding artists, so its another good use of money. Anyway, Kickstarter is a website for what is called crowd funding, which means that instead of going to a tiny group of wealthy investors who give you a big lump sum (and take things over in the meantime), you make it generally available for the "crowd" to fund you with smaller donations. So on Kickstarter you have a bunch of artistic people working on documentaries or art projects or a bunch of other cool things who have to fund their projects, and you can find ones you like and donate a little money. Enough people donate and boom, you're funded. 
Again, like I said, I haven't used these sites yet myself, so I'm not sure on the specifics and more research is warranted. But definitely look into these sites, because they are just plain awesome. Check em out.
Also, in yesterdays comments it turns out a lot of people haven't heard of John Green. My assumptions were wrong :) But anyway, I wanted to make sure to clarify. John Green is, obviously, a writer, who writes young adult contemporary that is AWESOME! (Which is what the A in DFTBA stands for. The other letters stand for "Don't Forget To Be") He also vlogs with his brother Hank, and his vlogs are awesome. I wanted to leave you with my favorite of his videos, so here goes: (The yellow chart and boxes are from when he signed every pre-ordered copy of The Fault In Our Stars, which, when you have as many preorders as he did, is a major feat)

Enjoy :)
Sarah Allen

J is for John Green

So I'm not writing this just because I'm a fan-girl. I mean, I totally am (I just want to give him a hug. Or touch the puff) but John Green seems to be someone who has things figured out. We all worry so much about making a writing career for ourselves with grace and awesomeness and he's someone who has done it. Basically he's someone who's example we could do worse than to follow.

Here are some lessons from the life of John Green:

1. Create good work. It really just comes down to that basic thing. We're in this because we care about putting beauty into the world. The work and study and practice that it takes makes more sense when we have that in mind. And dang John Green's work is beautiful.

2. The power of collaboration. And I'm not just talking about the vlog with Hank, although that is a major one, and very very awesome. I think that's where it started, but look at all the other stuff too, like CrashCourse with a bunch of cool people, or making a Kiva group also with a bunch of awesome people, or all those cool projects in collaboration with cool nerdfighters. Working with talented cool people can bring about some great stuff.

3. Be yourself and be it a lot. I think that has been the key to John Green's internet success, in a way. He did the videos as himself, how he wanted to do them, because he thought it would be cool. Not just that, but he also uses Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr. He's done the work of putting himself out there.

4. It helps to be a nice person. What's not to like about John Green? He's smart and funny but also just a nice guy, not someone fans have to be afraid is going to treat them badly. I know he said in an interview that he has that dark snarky author side of him like Peter Van Houten from TFiOS, but he hasn't given in to it and that's what counts.

5. Marry someone named Sarah. That's actually the true key to all of his success.

Anyway, if you haven't read anything by John Green, it's definitely worth your while to do so. It's good, good stuff. Oh, and also...

DFTBA.

Sarah Allen
(Photo Credit)

I is for Inches (and Italy. Where I'm going!!!!)

So inches. I mean that word in terms of progress. Progress in everything, but especially writing, a writing career, all that. I know I'm not the only one that feels like that progress is so...slow...
Inches at a time. And sometimes that is the most frustrating thing ever. Granted I am super, super impatient (another I word), but sometimes I'm like, hey, universe, I've been working for so long already and working hard and I know I still have work to do but I know what I want and where I want to be and whats with the getting there inches at a time thing?
There's pretty much only two things we can do. First, recognize that inches of progress is still progress and that's good, and if you keep working and work long enough when you look back you realize you've gone miles. Every book starts out with a blank page, every blog starts with zero followers. Have you ever heard someone say they found themselves an overnight success after ten years of hard work?
The second thing we can do is look for boosts, if and wherever possible. Sometimes all it takes to move us to where we want to be is the right help from the right person--the right book reviewer reading it, the right friend recommending it to the right movie producer, or other such fortuitous occurrences. We can't expect or plan for things like this, and have to work accordingly. But we can still look for them and do whatever we know how to do to put ourselves in the right possible places for these things to happen. Does that make sense? I mean, just by having an online presence we make it a possibility for the right person to discover us. What other boost things can you think of for us to do?
Mostly, though, we move in inches. And that's okay.
Especially because sometimes those inches take us to ITALY!!! So this is the I'm going to be gone for a few weeks in May and I need guest posts thing I mentioned a while ago. It was sudden and wonderful and amazing, but I'm going on a cruise with my cousin and aunt that begins in Venice, and then we go through places like Athens and Mykenos and Rome and Istanbul and end in Barcelona. I still can hardly believe how amazing it is and that it's actually going to happen, like I'm actually going to wake up in a ship off the coast of Turkey in a few weeks. I'm also going to come back totally broke and have to bunk with my cousin till I find a job and place to live, which is terrifying, but totally worth it. We're leaving in the second week of May. I'm going to preschedule stuff around here to keep things relatively moving forward, but I'm still very open to guest posts if anyone is interested. And please, don't be shy or worry about what to write about or anything like that, just something creativity/writing related is great, meaning pretty much anything. Even a recycled post from your own blog is fine, and you'll get links and traffic to your own blog to boot. So send stuff my way (sarah.n.dipity123[at]gmail[dot]com) and we can work something out. You guys can take care of things here while I'm writing probably bad poetry here:

Sometimes there are some really pretty inches :)
Sarah Allen

H is for Habits (and Hobbits)

Our lives are run by them, both good and bad. The habits, I mean, not Hobbits. (Although that could be potentially awesome...) Anyway, that means our writing often happens or doesn't depending on our habits. Or our habits can make writing easier or harder.

Sometimes we get into the bad habit of putting things in the way of our writing time, like coming home from work and watching TV or doing the dishes right before bed instead of writing. Or we get out of the habit of blogging or tweeting as often as we know we should.

There are good habits, too. Some are simply the opposite of the bad ones, like sticking to our writing time. Sometimes they're good luck rituals that help us get in the mood, like a habit of having a bowl of Waffle Crisp before you sit down at your writing desk. If it helps, then it's probably a good thing.

A stable schedule helps me get in good habits more than anything else. When my day is laid out in front of me all nice and planned, then I can just move forward through the day, writing and blogging and gyming like I know I should and things don't tend to get in the way. But when I meander and get lax, then bad habits start creeping in.

So if you find bad habits getting in the way of your productivity, set a schedule for yourself and commit to following it. Maybe you can have friends remind you, or put up reminder notes around your desk of why you're committed in the first place, have a power song in mind to pump you up when you're feeling the laziness coming and motivation lacking.

What other habits should we be wary of? Any tips or experiences overcoming them?


Oh, and as for the hobbits, here's the best one of them all:

 Happy Monday!

Sarah Allen

G is for God and Dog

K, so I know it's totally cheesy, but I totally get hot behind the eyes when I watch this. 

Have a happy Easter Sunday, and remember what really counts.
Sarah Allen

F is for Fear

[image error] So, I don't know what happened, but a few years ago I knew everything and wasn't scared of anything. Now I know nothing and everything is terrifying.

I've felt like this for a long time, and it can be stressful, but it's just a part of growing up. Sometimes I forget I'm still doing that. I think we all are. It's really just fear of the unknown, because I'm being faced with making big decisions with some really big consequences that involve doing things and going places that I haven't done or gone before, and doing it by myself. I think the by myself part scares me more than anything else.

I'm scared of making the wrong decision. I'm scared of being by myself in the middle of nowhere with no friends. I'm scared of being stuck in a dead-end job and writing never taking off. I'm scared people think I'm totally lame.

This is where you have to let your mind take some control over whatever crazy emotional chemicals and hormones are flooding it. Yes, these things are scary, but they're not that scary, and we just have to decide what's worth it and not let fears get in the way.

Not only is that real life, but it's what drives a good story. At the heart of it, the protagonist is either trying to escape their fears (a serial killer or evil stepmother) or trying to conquer them (a dark wizard or fiery eyeball trying to take over the world.) And the climax is them in the same room with that fear, looking it right in the eye. Sometimes literally.

I've come to the conclusion that fear is okay. Letting it overpower you is like being in a tunnel and denying the light at the end of it. Even if right now you can't see it, it is always there. Stories remind us of that.

Sarah Allen

E is for Edelweiss

You know, it wasn't until recently that I knew edelweiss was spelled with an 'E'. This isn't random, though, at least no more so than usual, I have a writerly purpose behind this.
Besides the attractiveness of Captain Von Trapp.

Ok, but really. Everybody knows the 'Edelweiss' song. And we all know that the edelweiss flower and the song were symbols of Austrian nationalism during the German occupation in WWII. And that, I think, is why the song is so lasting and has such an impact, to people who've never even been to Austria. Basically, it means more than itself. Edelweiss is not just a flower or a song, it is a flower and a song with a history, that symbolizes things we can all admire: patriotism, courage, loyalty, strength. It's like the mocking jay bird in Hunger Games. 
I feel like these kinds of symbols really give readers and audience something to grasp and hold on to. It's hard to talk about or illustrate abstracts like courage and loyalty and strength, but when you put those things into something concrete like a flower or a song, it's easier to take in and understand. We know what you mean when you sing 'Edelweiss'.
And I adore it when that happens, when someone says something but is really talking about something else, or something deeper. The Office does this brilliantly. When Jim says "Dwight, send in the subs," we know what he's really talking about it. But how much less effective and poignant would it have been if he'd said the words out loud? Or when Michael says, "Can I kiss you?" how many words are contained in Holly's one word, "Yeah." This kind of association is why just the word chimerical can almost make me cry (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee anyone?) I'm getting off track here, but do you see what I mean? We can use symbols to mean things more than they mean, but that's where the greatest moments and greatest dialog comes from too. Can you think of other moments, book, movie, or tv, that are like this?

And now you're all going to have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day :)
Sarah Allen

D is for Downton Abbey

Whew! Okay. I thought it had been long enough that I could be relatively calm and sane about writing about this show, but nope. Still giddy all over. I LOVE ALL THE DOWNTON THINGS!!!
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Okay. But seriously. I know this show has gotten totally blown up huge, but I really feel like it was tailor made for my particularly quirks and kinks. The writing is in-freaking-credible, as is, of course, the acting. Of the entire bleeping cast. But right, I'll try and calm down enough to talk about why this show is so brilliantly fantastically amazing best thing ever and what we can learn from it.

Again, a brilliant entire cast. Every single character is complex and developed. They are generally sympathetic, but have flaws, sometimes pretty major ones, and even the very unsympathetic characters (Thomas and O'Brien) have small moments of potential sympathy inducing redemption. (Thomas and the blind soldier anyone?). This kind of character complexity is satisfyingly realistic, because we are all like that. We see people trying their best and sometimes doing the wrong thing and we can relate. The closest I can come to as full and complex a cast is Harry Potter.

The setting is absolutely gorgeous. Meticulously gorgeous.

The drama/story/plot is a really good mix of what I call world stakes and personal stakes. We have big world stakes like the Titanic and, you know, a world war, but we really care about these things and are drawn into them through the characters eyes and their "less" significant personal stakes like romantic drama and bickering old (hilarious) ladies and floral arrangement competitions and trying to do ones job with a limp. On a related note, why are limps so sexy? (see John Bates; Gregory House)

John Bates!!! Ah!!! Bates and Anna are my favorite thing ever. Every good story is at it's heart a love story, with lots of good pining and wishing and this show has it in spades. Mary and Mathew, Bates and Anna, and now we just need Edith and that boring old guy to end up together. And what about Lord Crawley's period of loneliness? Is he going to be okay?

It is all about characters, and caring about them, and this show proves it. This show would still be the awesomest thing ever if it was only this:


Enjoy :) And do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, and watch this show.

Sarah Allen