Angela Shaeffer's Blog, page 5
May 6, 2025
May 1, 2025
Back Cover Blurb
Summarizing a story you love is challenging.How do you sum up 95,000 words in less than 200?
Fortunately I've been working on the summary for years -- first in class, than refining for pitches and queries,more tightening last fall for the "first" back cover, and then again recentlyfor the final back cover.
Last month, when I was in New York helping with the new baby,many nights at the end of a great but inexplicably tiring day,(I should not have been the one who was tired!)I'd say goodnight and head back home ready to turn on the TV or fall into bed and read,but instead, I'd find I had a note from Manon at AuthorImprints suggesting changes.
Thankfully she kept me plugging along, when it would have been so easy to neglect my book and procrastinate the final mile until after I got back to Utah.
I'd consider her suggestions for clarity, metaphor and tightening and work long past bedtime.
Then the next day,after my daughter and I returned from slow walks through Central Park and lunch somewhere in the neighborhood, when everyone was ready for downtime,I'd screen share the newest version to the TV and review the updates with Courtney and Michael for their opinions and advice,then once I was back at my apartment, I'd submit the changes. Repeat.But I'm so grateful for the accountability that kept the forward momentum!
The final product:
Fortunately I've been working on the summary for years -- first in class, than refining for pitches and queries,more tightening last fall for the "first" back cover, and then again recentlyfor the final back cover.
Last month, when I was in New York helping with the new baby,many nights at the end of a great but inexplicably tiring day,(I should not have been the one who was tired!)I'd say goodnight and head back home ready to turn on the TV or fall into bed and read,but instead, I'd find I had a note from Manon at AuthorImprints suggesting changes.
Thankfully she kept me plugging along, when it would have been so easy to neglect my book and procrastinate the final mile until after I got back to Utah.
I'd consider her suggestions for clarity, metaphor and tightening and work long past bedtime.
Then the next day,after my daughter and I returned from slow walks through Central Park and lunch somewhere in the neighborhood, when everyone was ready for downtime,I'd screen share the newest version to the TV and review the updates with Courtney and Michael for their opinions and advice,then once I was back at my apartment, I'd submit the changes. Repeat.But I'm so grateful for the accountability that kept the forward momentum!
The final product:
April 30, 2025
Behind the Scenes
What I didn't report on in my ski post, was the crash I had at the end of the day.
(Isn't it always the end of the day?)
While most of the runs were slushy, the back canyon was icy,
and I unintentionally bombed a steep downhill and crashed at the bottom.
I knocked the air out of me but was grateful nothing was broken, or so I thought.
Still in pain two days later I visited Instacare and discovered I had two broken ribs (in my back),
a pleural effusion, an injured tailbone along with a very bruised behind.
Its taken me a minute to recover--that first week was ROUGH.
But ten days in I was well enough to go on a short girls trip and was glad for the distraction
and all the gut-busting late-night laughs, even though laughing was sooo painful.The best kind of pain.
(Isn't it always the end of the day?)
While most of the runs were slushy, the back canyon was icy,
and I unintentionally bombed a steep downhill and crashed at the bottom.
I knocked the air out of me but was grateful nothing was broken, or so I thought.
Still in pain two days later I visited Instacare and discovered I had two broken ribs (in my back),
a pleural effusion, an injured tailbone along with a very bruised behind.
Its taken me a minute to recover--that first week was ROUGH.
But ten days in I was well enough to go on a short girls trip and was glad for the distraction
and all the gut-busting late-night laughs, even though laughing was sooo painful.The best kind of pain.
April 15, 2025
Taking Fun Seriously
Friends that encourage silliness are good friends to have.
We even changed costumes halfway through the day!
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We even changed costumes halfway through the day!
April 10, 2025
Booklife Editor's Pick!
I just received my first professional review!And received a Booklife EDITOR'S PICK!!
Booklife, a subsidiary of Publisher's Weekly, caters to indie (self-publishing) authors.If you submit your book to Booklife, you're guaranteed to get a review and critical analysis from a professional PW reviewer in your genre. They absolutely don't hand out all glowing reviews or all A's.They encourage authors to use the feedback to make needed adjustments before publishing.
So, I am absolutely speechless with the glowing comments! (And sleepless...I stayed up all night just thinking about it.)
The review will be published in Publisher's Weekly,(a weekly trade magazine, "the Bible of the business" for publishers, booksellers and librarians,)on May 12, and yes, I ordered extra copies.
Booklife, a subsidiary of Publisher's Weekly, caters to indie (self-publishing) authors.If you submit your book to Booklife, you're guaranteed to get a review and critical analysis from a professional PW reviewer in your genre. They absolutely don't hand out all glowing reviews or all A's.They encourage authors to use the feedback to make needed adjustments before publishing.
So, I am absolutely speechless with the glowing comments! (And sleepless...I stayed up all night just thinking about it.)
The review will be published in Publisher's Weekly,(a weekly trade magazine, "the Bible of the business" for publishers, booksellers and librarians,)on May 12, and yes, I ordered extra copies.
April 8, 2025
Two Babies
Two babies arrived last month.
So many emotions holding Marlie while admiring my real, live book!
It's marked Not for Resale because it's an author's proof --
an opportunity to find typos and mistakes before it goes on sale.
Yes, in spite of all the proofreading, there were still typos.
And of the five people who were willing to read it and search for errors, everyone found some,
and no one found the same ones. 😅😂
March 26, 2025
Marathons
This post was originally published in October 2022.
We've come a long way, baby.
Because who knew how far I'd actually get? What if I never got past the first chapter? Or the first draft? What if I found out I was a crappy writer and never got better?Or what if I never found the time to work on it so it just stalled out as little more than a few scenes scrapped together?
No one wants to announce a goal just to have it fizzle out, imagining the whole world wondering what ever happened with their big idea?
Or worse, confirming the whole world's suspicions you'd never be able to do it.
But after I finished a first draft, started my writer's group and had some positive feedback in classes,I became more brave in telling people I was writing a book.
Now I've got a finished manuscript, and though it still needs work--lots of it--
I've got a path and a plan.But there's a really good chance it won't ever get published. Few first books do.
A couple months ago I was grappling with, if it never gets published, what do I tell people who ask about it?
Will they feel sorry for me? Or worse, embarrassed for me?
Years ago my friend described her son's little league baseball abilities as, "He doesn't suck." And you know what? That's something.
It often comes to mind now when thinking about my novel.
It's definitely not perfect and maybe not even great, but it doesn't suck.
I'm proud of the fictional story I imagined out of my very own brain with a beginning, middle and end, three-act structure, hero's journey, sympathetic characters you can relate to but who also make you mad, decent setting, realistic dialogue, showing and not telling, some pretty funny banter, scenes that make you feel and chapters that will probably make you cry. I'm super proud of myself for accomplishing a goal I've had since 6th grade.It's been a lot of work, but it's been so fun too. I'm so grateful to be able to spend time doing something I love.
This summer I had a burst of inspiration as we cheered on (metaphorically through their Instagram posts) friends and relatives who participated in big events --10K's, triathlons, LoToJa, marathons --
--You don't have to win a marathon to be proud of yourself for running a marathon.--
I don't have to get published, to be proud of myself for writing a book.
We've come a long way, baby.
Sometimes--a lot of times--on my writing journey,
I've had to silence the inner critic.
Because who knew how far I'd actually get? What if I never got past the first chapter? Or the first draft? What if I found out I was a crappy writer and never got better?Or what if I never found the time to work on it so it just stalled out as little more than a few scenes scrapped together?
No one wants to announce a goal just to have it fizzle out, imagining the whole world wondering what ever happened with their big idea?
Or worse, confirming the whole world's suspicions you'd never be able to do it.
But after I finished a first draft, started my writer's group and had some positive feedback in classes,I became more brave in telling people I was writing a book.
Now I've got a finished manuscript, and though it still needs work--lots of it--
I've got a path and a plan.But there's a really good chance it won't ever get published. Few first books do.
A couple months ago I was grappling with, if it never gets published, what do I tell people who ask about it?
Will they feel sorry for me? Or worse, embarrassed for me?
Years ago my friend described her son's little league baseball abilities as, "He doesn't suck." And you know what? That's something.
It often comes to mind now when thinking about my novel.
It's definitely not perfect and maybe not even great, but it doesn't suck.
I'm proud of the fictional story I imagined out of my very own brain with a beginning, middle and end, three-act structure, hero's journey, sympathetic characters you can relate to but who also make you mad, decent setting, realistic dialogue, showing and not telling, some pretty funny banter, scenes that make you feel and chapters that will probably make you cry. I'm super proud of myself for accomplishing a goal I've had since 6th grade.It's been a lot of work, but it's been so fun too. I'm so grateful to be able to spend time doing something I love.
This summer I had a burst of inspiration as we cheered on (metaphorically through their Instagram posts) friends and relatives who participated in big events --10K's, triathlons, LoToJa, marathons --
--You don't have to win a marathon to be proud of yourself for running a marathon.--
I don't have to get published, to be proud of myself for writing a book.
February 27, 2025
Interior Formatting
My book's interior formatting preview came this week!
I'm sooooo in love with the fonts they chose!I've been working all day on finalizing the acknowledgments and book club discussion questions.(Also binged the last half of season 2 of Bad Sisters on Apple TV. Soooo good!)
January 27, 2025
Novel Reveal
Today I posted on Instagram my news that I'd written a book.
I received so many supportive comments, cheers and congrats I've been practically flying!
There was a time I didn't tell anyone I was working on a book.Didn't want to share my dream. What if I couldn't actually accomplish it?And now... six years later, I've done it.
