Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 172

Planning Your Novel—Guest Post by Mike Fleming

by Mike Fleming, @hiveword

I enjoy mountain biking. It’s simultaneously exciting and great exercise. When I’m not worrying about breaking bones or dying it’s actually very peaceful and I get a lot of great ideas. While the trail in the image is not very picturesque it’s in my backyard so I ride it often. If you’ll notice, though, the trail just seems to drop off. Does it keep on going or is it a three foot drop off? 50 feet? Are there a bunch of rocks there? A nest of ticks? (I hate ticks!)

Cliffhangers are great for readers but for writers? Not so much.

Fortunately, on this trail I know where I’m going and what to expect when I get there. So, I know that I can pedal my bike as fast as I want and just fly along this section without worry. It’s a beautiful thing.

It’s the same way with writing. Knowing where you’re going makes the whole process more efficient. More productive. Plus, you’ll spend much less time doing rework and untangling messes you’ve gotten yourself into.

Don’t believe me? How about James Patterson? He releases up to nine books a year. How does he do it? Organization and outlining the story first is what allows him to pump out novels quickly. (Well, having co-writers certainly helps, too.) Outlining is an efficient way to capture and revise a story at a time when changes are less costly in terms of time and rework.

Many writers worry that outlining takes the art out of writing. I’ve never understood that. Specifying the story in the form of an outline or bullet points is itself a creative process. Then, the real art, perhaps, is actually writing the story using the framework provided by the outline. There’s still a lot of room for the muse to shine during both phases.

How about some concrete examples? P. Bradley Robb outlined (ha!) the reasons why writers should outline their stories first:

1. Establish clear motives

2. Separate major plot from minor plot

3. Spot plot inconsistencies before they pop up

4. Enhance foreshadowing

5. Keep your story on track

In the article he elaborates on each point but you can see at a glance that there are some obvious benefits to planning your story.

Why not try outlining your next project to see if it works for you? There are many different ways to do it:

1. A traditional outline (Look, Roman numerals!)

2. Index cards

3. Spreadsheets

4. Custom novel writing software

Really, there’s no wrong way -- it’s up to your personal preferences and what works for you. The first three are common and well-understood but all four have their strengths and weaknesses.

As the creator of my own novel writing software, Hiveword, I’m particularly partial to applications tailored to the purpose. With Hiveword, for example, you don’t deal with an outline in the traditional sense but rather work with the components of a novel. You deal with scenes, characters, settings, and plotlines -- concepts that translate directly to writing a novel. For each scene you’d write a few sentences or a larger summary to describe the scene. Then when you’re done you effectively have an abridged story from which to build. Plus, you know where and when everything is at a glance.

Unlike a spreadsheet, however, Hiveword understands what you’re trying to do and can thus present your work in a sensible way and make it both easy to manipulate and visualize. Add a character to a scene with a click. Sort your scenes by drag and drop. See how your subplots weave in and out of your story. Have a look at the screenshots and you’ll see what I mean.

If you’ve never planned your story before perhaps now is the time to give it a try with whichever approach you think would work best. I’d love to hear from you about how it worked out or tips and tricks you use for planning your novel.

Happy trails!

Mike Fleming is the creator of the Writer ’ s Knowledge Base and Hiveword which is his online novel - writing software . He blogs about technology and writers and tweets at @ Hiveword .

A Few Self-Publishing Thoughts and Discoveries

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

My income from self-publishing has varied since I first put a title up last August and followed it with another in November.

I've seen income as high as several months at about $1700 monthly income for one title.

I've seen it as low as $350 ,total, one month for two titles.

I don’t do any advertising. I don't have time to mess a lot with the price or to put well-placed ads on reader-oriented sites. I haven't done cool things like teasers for the next book in the series at the end of each book. I don't tweet or Facebook my books. I don't force Amazon to list books for free by having them run free on Smashwords. I haven't blog-toured during these releases or held giveaways or run contests. Basically, I'm not doing any of the things I'm supposed to be doing, as a smart self-published author, because I'm always scrambling to hit my deadlines.

So...when sales fluctuate wildly, it's not really the result of something I've done. But, as I'll explain below, it can result from what I haven't done.

I just do exactly what you see me do—blog,
tweet, update Google +, and use Facebook (although I don’t Facebook
much). These promotional things that I do are usually focused on writers, not readers. I'm a little shy with readers.

I'm obviously not becoming one of those Kindle millionaires we're always reading about. Although the extra income is more than welcome.

I'm frequently completely puzzled by my results--both good and bad. This week, I saw Dyeing Shame go to #7 on the Amazon women sleuth's chart...above one of Janet Evanovich's. Yeah, it was priced at $.99 to get attention....but it had been at that price for a couple of months. I have absolutely no idea what made the thing suddenly jump up the chart like that. I understood the surge in sales last month, when I had a new release from Penguin. But why in July? So I'm tracking to make more in sales this month for both books than I usually do.

What seems to bring in more sales:

1. When I’ve got one book priced at $.99 and another priced at either $2.99 or $3.99. I’m not saying this is the right thing to do…but I’ve made a lot more money when this has been the case. So, when I’ve had a loss leader (using grocery store parlance), I’ve had higher volume of sales and more general income.

2. When I’ve had a traditionally published release and then have had a book for $.99 and one priced (moderately) higher.

A note: I’ve made more money following a traditionally published release in my own name (i.e., the recent Quilt or Innocence release) than following a release with a pen name (the November 2011 release of Hickory Smoked Homicide as Riley Adams.) This tells me that readers are looking for other books under my real name.

Sales were brisk the first full month after I launched each self-pubbed title. I'm imagining this is due to the fact that I'm writing for a particular subgenre (cozy/traditional mystery) and when there are new books available in that niche, readers are immediately downloading them.

My costs for the projects were recouped in the first month for one book and about a month and a half for the other. Again, this is specific to me and my own experiences. But on average I put in about $550—$600 upfront on the books (editing, covers, formatting).

My main discovery from this process is that I do need to keep track of the sales. I don’t do this for my traditionally published titles—I avoid sales figures at all costs and just focus on writing the best books I can. But for self-pub, when you’re the one in charge of visibility and sales for the title, you need to check in at least once a month. If sales are slow, try something different...probably in regards to pricing. Otherwise, it’s likely going to continue a downward spiral. This is what happened that really slow month that I referenced at the start of the post. I was struggling under a couple of deadlines in May and paying absolutely no attention whatsoever to what was going on with those books. They were both priced at $3.99 and fell in rankings and I never even spared a moment to glance at Amazon to check on them.

From a production standpoint, I’ve learned that I have to think ahead in terms of reserving editors, artists, and formatters. Last year I was ready to put my first self-published book through the production process and everyone I contacted was busy. This time I will contact everyone on my team before I complete my final draft.

I’ve been somewhat unprepared for readers who’ve contacted me asking about print editions of the Myrtle Clover books. A few readers who started reading the series with the trade paperback debut several years ago have been upset, actually, that I had e-versions only of the books and no print copies. I tried to make it up to several by sending them a free PDF of the ebooks. I'm not in the business to alienate readers. I may need to reconsider using CreateSpace.

Although some authors have relished the feeling of complete control over their book that self-publishing provides, I don’t enjoy it that part of it as much….that’s because I’m just so busy in both my personal and professional life that I don’t enjoy scraping together time for the nuts-and-bolts of the production process. I’m happy handing it over to people I've vetted and trust.

What I've found incredibly gratifying is the response from readers. They've bought the books, they've emailed me and Facebooked me. They've enabled me to continue writing a series that had basically ended in 2009. Their interest in the series has encouraged me to keep writing Myrtle Clover books and spend more time with a character I enjoy writing. And the extra income has been nice, too.

I'm thinking that niche books with built-in, dedicated audiences (like cozy mysteries) tend to do well with self-publishing. It certainly doesn't hurt, in my observations, to have traditionally published books releasing regularly, either.

If you’ve dipped your toes in the self-publishing pool, what have you learned? What are your thoughts on it so far?

What Traditional Publishers Offer—and What They Don’t

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Recently, I’ve realized through emails and direct messages that there’s sometimes some confusion about what traditional publishers offer writers.

The reason this concerns me is because I get the impression this is causing some writers to pursue traditional publishing when they might otherwise have chosen to self-publish.

One person who contacted me about my thoughts on ing mentioned that they didn’t have much money for promo and needed a traditional publisher so that the publisher could take care of all of that.

Others have thought that publishers send authors on books tours and set up their websites and social media for them.

Others have had fairly grandiose ideas about the size of an advance for a typical genre novel from a debut author.

What I’d like to do with this post is to tell what my experience as a midlist writer with both a major publisher and a midsized press has been. If you have a six-figure deal with a publisher and a high concept novel, this won’t apply to you.

In my experience, traditional publishers have:

Edited: They’ve done both global/developmental editing and proofreading. If you read all the editorial notes and changes in your submitted manuscript, you can get quite an education…for free.

Provided covers: These covers have been created by either an in-house art department or sub-contracted to artists that the house uses.

Promoted: They have submitted review copies to major book reviewers (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly) and industry magazines. They’ve included the books in the publisher’s catalogue. They’ve sent copies to the most well-read book bloggers for my genre. Upon request, they will send copies to smaller newspapers who want to write a review or a story (local papers, for instance.)

Distributed and provided good shelf-placement: They’ve distributed copies of books to bookstores and, in my case, provided extremely good shelf-placement for them.

Intervened with issues: When I’ve had a problem with something to do with social media (for example, I had a migration issue with Facebook), they’ve intervened for me directly with the platform/service and gotten quicker results.

Provided promotional copies of my book: Provided me with free copies of my books for my own promo purposes. I receive, per my contract, ARCs for the first book of a series, and author copies prior to the book’s release. If the book goes to large print, etc., I receive copies of those books as well.

They have not:

Provided promotional materials for me. If I want bookmarks, pamphlets, or business cards, I purchase them myself.

Set me up with a website or other social media platforms. We’re on our own with this one…and they’d like for us to have an online presence.

Sent me on a book tour.

Paid for me to attend conventions or conferences.

Paid me large advances on books. If you’re a debut genre fiction author, it would not be unreasonable to expect a $5,000 advance for each book (in some genres, like mystery, you’ll get a 3 book deal) and then royalties once you earn out. Your mileage may vary, but just a heads-up in case you’re planning on paying off your car loan with your advance. It would be best to think of your book money, as a debut genre writer, as something to provide extra money to your regular income (wherever your regular income comes from.)

This advance money is usually not paid out all at one time. In my case, the money I receive for an advance is in three parts: a portion when I sign my contract, a portion when I deliver the manuscript and it’s accepted, and a portion when the book is published.

Remember, if you have an agent, your agent will generally receive the publishers' checks and take 15% of the check as payment (if they negotiated that particular contract).

Royalties may be paid out every six months (or quarterly, depending on your publisher) along with sales statements and you might reasonably expect to make 8% of the publisher’s suggested retail price on a mass market paperback. You might expect to receive 25% of the amount received by the publisher (this is net income received by the publisher) on digital copies sold of the work.

Obviously, this is a much smaller amount than Amazon, for instance, would currently pay in royalties for a book priced at $2.99 and above (they pay 70% royalties for sales of these ebooks.)

Again, this information is specific to my own experience working with a midsized press (Midnight Ink) and a large publisher (Penguin) and in writing genre fiction. Some publishers pay larger advances for new writers, but then it can be harder to earn-out (and you want to earn out, if you’re writing for a traditional publisher.)

This post is not intended to negatively reflect on traditional publishing—it is what it is. There are pros and cons of writing for a publishing house. But if, for instance, you write science fiction/fantasy, romance, or mysteries and you’re trying to decide whether you want to pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing, hopefully this will give you some additional information to help make your decision.

Looking back over this post, I guess you could say the biggest pros for traditional publishing are that you get your editing and covers and store distribution for free and that you receive some payment in advance. The cons would be that you don’t have as much control and you could potentially make more money long-term by publishing a book yourself (if the book is good and if it finds an audience).

Cons for self-publishing would be the initial investment for editing and covers (which can potentially be recouped later in the process), frequent lack of presence in brick-and-mortar stores, and no advance payment. Pros for self-publishing would be the potential to make more money in the long-term and more control over the product itself.

I think that the right path to take depends on the book and the writer and what works for one writer or one book may not work for another writer or another book. (How’s that for noncommittal?) :)

If anyone would like to ask a question, I could try to answer it out of my own experience. Or if anyone would like to share their own experiences with either traditional or self-publishing—as a way to supply information to other writers—I’d love for you to chime in.

Wednesday I'll talk a little about some of my recent results with self-publishing (again in the for-what-it's-worth department). :)

Image: Frank McMains c.c.

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.

The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming ) which has over 17,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook .

Have a great week!

A publisher with series criteria and whether you should pitch all the books when querying: http://bit.ly/NIsbfc @behlerpublish

Tips for bookstore events: http://bit.ly/PMJW0T @kalayna

Creative writing *can* be taught: http://bit.ly/PMKa8i @GuardianBooks

Penelope Trunk interviewed after choosing self-pub instead of trad.: http://bit.ly/NDP3Ms @penelopetrunk @laurahazardowen @Porter_Anderson

When your book doesn't sell: http://bit.ly/PMKjIW @79SemiFinalist

Tips for Dealing with Bad Book Reviews: http://bit.ly/PMKtjw @goblinwriter

The Origins of Creative Insight & Why You Need Grit: http://bit.ly/PML2tw

An agent on the new contractual language she's seeing from publishers: http://janefriedman.com/2012/07/19/writing-on-the-ether-47/#5 @rachellegardner @Porter_Anderson

How to Cultivate Creativity: What Science Teaches Us About Freeing the Mind: http://bit.ly/MiGW7d

How to Blog a Finished Novel and Land a Traditional Contract: http://bit.ly/MiH9Hv @NinaAmir

DRM, Pricing and How to Help Piracy End Itself: http://bit.ly/MiHdqK @pubperspectives

An editor looks at memorable titles: http://bit.ly/MiHpGu

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Turns 150: http://bit.ly/MiHvhb @galleycat

How Your Day Job Is Preparing You For Your Writing Career: http://bit.ly/MiHFFr @krissybrady

Reading With An Agenda: http://bit.ly/MiHKJg @mooderino

Worldbuilding--gender roles: http://bit.ly/MiHSs7 @juliettewade

A literary writer tackles gritty writing and its challenges: http://bit.ly/Ml4kzP @_JoyCastro

How to Build a Platform and Get Noticed in a Noisy World: http://bit.ly/Ml4reI @smexaminer

Making Money From Paperbacks: http://bit.ly/Ml4xmy @davidgaughran

Writing Series: The Cliffhanger Dilemma: http://bit.ly/Ml4N53 @erin_bowman

10 sites with free images: http://bit.ly/Ml4V4x @amberrisme

Your 1st ideas are probably not your best ones: http://bit.ly/Ml5awv @nataliewhipple

4 tips for getting more traffic to your author website: http://bit.ly/Ml5ATG @LynnettesBooks @JFBookman

Is your conflict strong enough? Could you have too much? http://bit.ly/Ml6ZcI @karalennox

Promote Your Book on a Budget: 20 Thrifty Ways to Get Your Writing Out There: http://bit.ly/Ml8yri @chrisrobley

3 Steps to Recycling Your Half-Finished Novels: http://bit.ly/Ml8Azm @joebunting

How not to be a successful self-pub author: http://bit.ly/N28t1z @ava_jae

Author Bios: Concise, Relevant and Fascinating: http://bit.ly/MlaPTk @fictionnotes

4 Ways to Discover More About Your Audience With Social Media: http://bit.ly/Mlb6pi @smexaminer

Having it all: Life as a Working Mother and Author: http://bit.ly/N28TVF @shawnarhill @womenwriters

Profanity in fantasy fiction: http://bit.ly/MlbdkL

The 10 Most Bizarre Pieces Of Literary Merch: http://bit.ly/N2bgI3 @kimber_regator

Why We Shy Away from Writing Good Conflict and What We Can Do about It: http://bit.ly/MleIYt

Strong Nouns and Verbs: http://bit.ly/N2bn6s @livewritethrive

If We Remember More, Can We Read Deeper– and Create Better? http://bit.ly/MyPGJz @mkonnikova

7 Networking Tips for Authors: http://bit.ly/LTUmI2 @thecreativepenn @chrisrobley

3 Steps to Pinpoint Your Readers' Favorite Hangouts: http://bit.ly/MH5zxF @duolit

15 Stock Characters — and How to Restock Them: http://bit.ly/LTUirU @writing_tips

How To Publish Your Book On The Kindle And iPad: http://bit.ly/LXiObw @bubblecow

5 Stages of Editing Grief: http://bit.ly/LXiRnN @LyndaRYoung

Crafting Natural-Sounding Internal Thoughts: http://bit.ly/LHAgTh @Janice_Hardy

Tips for making a book trailer: http://bit.ly/QTTF3A @beth_barany

Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers: http://bit.ly/QUwNRs @jasonboog @galleycat

How To Write A Successful Book Proposal: http://bit.ly/QUxY3B @bubblecow

12 Most Fundamentally American Literary Works: http://bit.ly/LxZzsX @12Most

8 tips for increasing Facebook followers: http://bit.ly/Oima73 @KristinNador

Writers pick the best literary sex scenes: http://bit.ly/Ll7zfz @guardianbooks

Learning from "The Dark Knight" (spoilers): http://bit.ly/Ll7Jng

An author's thoughts on writing quickly: http://bit.ly/Ll8gWe @ChuckWendig

Show, Don't Tell, in Your Opening: http://bit.ly/Ll8qwG @janice_hardy

Promoting Your Book At Publishing Events: http://bit.ly/Ll8wEs @thecreativepenn

5 Problems with Parallelism: http://bit.ly/Ll8AUR @writing_tips

Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/Ll8IDL @ThereseWalsh

The cons of series writing: http://bit.ly/Ll92m5 @JeffSalyards

More to consider when deciding whether to trad. publish or self-pub: http://bit.ly/Ll9LUb @susanspann

How to Use Touch to Pull Your Reader Into Your Novel: http://bit.ly/Ll9Qr5 @marcykennedy

Talent vs. Learning: Do You Have to Be Born a Writer? http://bit.ly/NwfFNK @KMWeiland

Blogging – should authors go self-hosted or not? 2 bloggers who don't: http://bit.ly/NwfQsu @dirtywhitecandy

Learning from Spider-Man (spoilers): http://bit.ly/Nwg6b2

Document Look Good? Back it up: http://bit.ly/Nwgczn @YAHighway

Benefits of Multi-Genre Writing: http://bit.ly/NwgkyP @ssvik @womenwriters

11 ways to rekindle your creative spark: http://bit.ly/NwguWP

Prologues: Keep or Cut? A critique of one manuscript's prologue: http://bit.ly/NwgDcT @janice_hardy

POV Choices: http://bit.ly/NwgK8d @theresastevens

10 of the best wills in literature: http://bit.ly/Nwh3Aa @guardianbooks

Create a strong ending with a book jacket structure: http://bit.ly/NwjGBK @write_practice

The complex link between pride and creative achievement: http://bit.ly/NuVPFP @sbkaufman

The Key to Descriptive Writing: Specificity: http://bit.ly/P8lsy3 @glencstrathy

Your outline doesn't have to be perfect: http://bit.ly/P8lEx7

Audience In The E-book Age: http://bit.ly/P8lIwQ

Tips for writing the long synopsis: http://bit.ly/P8m0E1

Blogging for authors – should you be self-hosted? Two bloggers who self-host: http://bit.ly/P8m8U0 @dirtywhitecandy

Bad Reviews—6 Reasons to Be Glad You Have Them: http://bit.ly/P8mnOX @annerallen

Peak/peek/pique: http://bit.ly/P8mE4s @JLeaLopez

Online tools for writers: http://bit.ly/P8ne27 @AnnieNeugebauer

Indie Epubbed Authors: How Often Do You Check Your Ebook Sales? http://bit.ly/P8ngXC

Writing Religion And Spirituality: http://bit.ly/P8njTx @thecreativepenn @JillCarroll

5 Things A Writer Can Do to Evolve: http://bit.ly/P8ns9o @LyndaRYoung

Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing–Either or Both? http://bit.ly/P8ntdB @thecreativepenn @livewritethrive

The balance found in small press publishing: http://bit.ly/NuYlMd @DavidBCoe

Eliminating Filter Words: http://bit.ly/Lt5zBU @Janice_Hardy

3 Tips for Developing Characters: http://bit.ly/Lt5FcT @annastanisz

Every time something is repeated in your story, it has to be different: http://bit.ly/Lt5Kxb @kid_lit

5 basic marketing tips: http://bit.ly/Lt5ONs @KarenCV

Create idiosyncrasies for characters: http://bit.ly/Lt62Ec @lisagailgreen

Tips for staying inspired: http://bit.ly/Lt666Q

5 Steps to Telling Engaging Stories on Your Blog: http://bit.ly/Lt67Ys

Various ways that authors spam others: http://bit.ly/Lt6aUl @ava_jae

The importance of a realistic promo plan in a query: http://bit.ly/Q437oo @behlerpublish

Your villain is there to serve the story: http://bit.ly/Q44GCJ @PaulTobin

What Do The Authors Of Serialized Works Owe To Their Fans? http://bit.ly/Q44Mdx @robwhart

The Great Publishing Wars of 2012: http://bit.ly/Q44Qdv @bob_mayer

The bad query paradox: http://bit.ly/NGrCRd @literaticat

An agent explains what 'researching an agent' really means & gives tips for your social media accounts: http://bit.ly/NGrQYC @breeogden

How many hooks are too many? http://bit.ly/NGrXTW

How To Fight Book Pirates: http://bit.ly/NGs55W @jasonboog

Penelope Trunk interviewed after choosing self-pub instead of trad.: http://bit.ly/NDP3Ms @penelopetrunk @laurahazardowen @Porter_Anderson

Is Ignoring The Importance Of Setting Killing Your Novel? http://bit.ly/NGsaqf @bubblecow

Writing crowd interactions: http://bit.ly/NGsipx @juliettewade

A look at Twylah and Topsy Analytics for Twitter users: http://bit.ly/NGstRP @woodwardkaren

Qualities of a good book reviewer: http://bit.ly/NGsNjD @magdalenaball

The trickiness of writing character deaths: http://bit.ly/OEB9sb @mistymassey

The Spectrum of High School Reality in YA Fiction: http://bit.ly/OEBhHW @4everYA

YA writer Ellen Hopkins on Fearless Writing: http://bit.ly/OEBqLI @4YALit

Facebook: Promo vs Privacy: http://bit.ly/OEBxXD @authorems

The emotional seesaw of being a writer: http://bit.ly/OEBUBs @KeithCronin

The Reader Must Want to Know What Happens Next: http://bit.ly/OEC1Nw @janefriedman

5 quick tips writers can use to avoid procrastinating: http://bit.ly/OECajS

Subtext in "The Amazing Spider-Man": http://bit.ly/Q3BIll @jamigold

The New World of Publishing: Editing and Proofing: http://bit.ly/Q3BSZU @deanwesleysmith

The importance of fully-engaged worldbuilding: http://bit.ly/OEHB2c @juliettewade

The 4 Questions Everyone Asks at Conventions: http://bit.ly/OEHNi6 @tordotcom

Villain archetypes: http://bit.ly/OEHZhd

An agent lists 3 common dialogue problems: http://bit.ly/OEIJD8 @sarahlapolla

The types of errors that proofreaders catch: http://bit.ly/OEJ2xA @nicolamorgan

What Writer's Block Is, And What to Do About It: http://bit.ly/OEJ74w @krissybrady

Top 8 Literary References in Seinfeld: http://bit.ly/OEJa00 @NewDorkReview

A tip for writers who get great ideas while showering: http://bit.ly/OEJg86 @woodwardkaren

Outlining For a Fast Draft: http://bit.ly/OEJSdP @denisejaden @janice_hardy

Have You Set the Right Tone for Your Story? http://bit.ly/OEJXyi @KMWeiland

What Every Writer Ought to Know about Flashbacks in Fiction: http://bit.ly/OEK8JN @LoriDevoti

10 Things for Writers to Pack When They Travel: http://bit.ly/OEKCjh @elspethwrites

"Defining moments in...our lives form the basis of our own natural writing rhythms": http://bit.ly/OEKNuH @genelempp

4 iconic types of freelancers: http://bit.ly/O9NV3J @michellerafter

Tips for avoiding bloated writing: http://bit.ly/O9O47n @catewoods

How to pitch your comic book series to a publisher: http://bit.ly/MjZ440 @79semifinalist

How Goals and Good Intentions Can Hold Us Back: http://bit.ly/O9OD0Z @Psych_Writer

Creativity: Change the Way You Look at Things and the Things You Look at Change: http://bit.ly/O9PtL9 @MichaelMichalko

Does worldbuilding have value? Or is it a subcultural "disease"? http://bit.ly/O9PvT6 @juliettewade

The need for ebook formatting standardization: http://bit.ly/NDPJS4 @Porter_Anderson @fakebaldur

Balancing different elements in crime fiction-- book length, violence, narrative vs. dialogue: http://bit.ly/NuL3k5 @MKinberg

Reverse engineering your story: http://bit.ly/MI3XAu @mesummers

Authors, stop spamming--use permission marketing: http://bit.ly/NCLKFp @JFBookman @EditorJamieC @indieauthor @Porter_Anderson

Your Story Cannot Be Published Just Sitting On Your Computer: http://bit.ly/NIs977 @greyhausagency

Choosing The Right Words Is One Key To Good Writing—Guest Post by Patrick Del Rosario

by Patrick Del Rosario

Get It Down First, Get It Right Second

At First, Just Write
When the muse is striking, or even if it’s just sitting on your shoulder yawning, just write. Go with the flow and don’t pay much attention to what your hands are doing. Gather momentum and go. Let your mind be a baby and wander where it will.

Go Back and Listen
If you are a writer of any mettle, you must know that the poetic qualities of prose are most important. One may think that readers don’t listen, but words bounce around in a reader’s cranium – a vast acoustic chamber that could host choirs – just as if they are spoken. The rhythm and alliteration of your words are so important. Read your stuff aloud to help yourself choose the right word.

Beware the Thesaurus
If a word doesn’t seem to fit and you can’t fathom a better one, you might peruse Roget’s, but you better be careful. A thesaurus can make you sound stupid and out of touch as easily as it can do the opposite. If you pick a word from a thesaurus, look it up in a dictionary before you dare use it. Having done so, you will probably search for another more appropriate.

Just Forget It
If the sentence or the piece isn’t working, leave it. Or dump it. You have put down what you want to say; you may just need a different mood, a long walk, or a hit of gin to give it verve or eloquence or meaning. Then go back to it. If you’ve dumped it, well, go after “the thing of it” again – like a badger.

“Le Mot Juste” (“The Right Word” in French)
Gustave Flaubert supposedly would spend days quibbling over a single sentence until he got the words just right. You and I are writing all kinds of things from novels to sales letters to web content. We don’t always have the luxury of hours quibbling with a word. Still, having the right word is most important. In fact, Mark Twain said so in this way: "The difference between the almost-right word & the right word is really a large matter. It's the difference between the lightning-bug & the lightning." There you go. Write right. It’s easier with the background told above.

One Last Thought on Choosing the Right Word

If you don’t read poetry, even if you’re a marketing writer, you’re doing your writing skills and your clients a disservice. Read poetry, no matter what kind of writer you are, or intend to be. If you’re new to poetry, your soul will be smitten (if you are really a writer) by “The Love Song of J. Alred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot. A beautiful classic, it offers many examples of choosing just the right words and wringing all the meaning out of each in a sublime and beautiful way.

*********************

Patrick Del Rosario is part of the team behind Open Colleges, one of Australia’s pioneer and leading providers of great Business management courses and Open Colleges Human resources courses. When not working, Patrick enjoys blogging about career and business. Patrick is also a photography enthusiast and is currently running a photography studio in the Philippines.

Tips for Writing Multiple Series

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I always hesitate to post on these kinds of topics, knowing that not everyone is as crazy as I am and writing several series at once.

I’m just figuring it out, myself. I usually juggle two series, but this year I decided to make it even more complicated and continue writing Myrtle Clover books in addition to the others. Why not? It’s already nutty around here.

Here are some ways I’ve found to make it work:

If you have any control over your deadlines at all, try to make sure that your deadlines don’t hit at the same time. It’s just very stressful. Get your agent onboard with that if you can and if you have one. I’ve done it this year and I did manage to get the deadlines 2 months apart, but it was still tough.

If you do get the deadlines that close together, try to deliver the first deadline earlier than promised, if you can. That will give you more time with the second and will also give you a little leeway when your edits for the first book come back in (if they come back early.)

The ideal situation is different for every writer, but I usually like to be drafting one book when I receive edits on another. I get the work done on both, but I’m using different parts of my brain so I don’t get that burned out feeling. That’s just how it works for me, anyway.

If you have time, consider skimming over the previous books in the series before writing the next book. At least enough to pick up the character voices and remind yourself of the tone of the books.

Develop a style sheet for your series. This has been the most helpful tool for me when writing my series. Penguin has been great to send me style sheets for each book, which I’ve downloaded and refer to often. These sheets include character names, descriptions, and ages; business names, connections between characters—all the little things that we can forget but shouldn’t forget. Sort of a little cheat sheet to get yourself going in the right direction.

If you’ve written a few books in the series, review the storylines for the previous books. It helps to keep from accidentally writing too closely to a previous storyline. Or to a similar storyline in another series you’re writing.

One other thing I like to do is review my Word file of copy/pasted notes from reader emails, reader Facebook and Twitter messages, and reader reviews on online retailers. This way I can remind myself what readers liked about the series…and didn’t like. Then I can deliver more of what they liked.

Write quickly. There are, obviously, a few reasons to do this. One, you don’t get frozen—worrying about how to approach the next book in the series. Jump in, write it, fix it later. Also, the next book for the other series is waiting on you to work on it.

Keep a Word document of each book you’ve written, in each series. And back them up. You need to have a searchable document on hand. Many times I’ve been busily writing in a little detail that I think belongs to one series, frown, do a search on the book I believe the detail comes from, and find that the detail/minor character is from a different series. I know that sounds ridiculous, but when you go from book to book and series to series it happens. And it’s hard to search a paperback book for a small detail. I’m keeping Word docs from years back just for the ability to search them.

This is what I’ve learned so far about juggling series. I’d love to hear from others who do the same. And I’d aslo love to hear from those of you who write a single series— your tips for keeping series continuity without repeating the same formula for each book.

Image: vpickering

Figuring Out Your Writing Schedule—Guest Post by Carol Kilgore

by Carol Kilgore, @carol_kilgore

I've been a regular reader of Mystery Writing Is Murder for a long time. As you can imagine, I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your blog space with me.

When I learned I would be guest blogging here, I found out I needed to blog about some aspect of writing. Still thrilled, but Ack! I usually try to skirt around actual writing details. So I'll just tell you a story.

A continuing long-term problem for me is struggling for a solid block of writing time. I find plans that work for various lengths of time, anywhere from a few days to several months. Then I seem to sabotage them without being aware until one day I realize my writing time is over and I have no new words on the page.

A few months back, I tried something totally out of my norm. I tried writing first thing in the morning. Get up. Stumble downstairs. Let dogs out. Get coffee. Let dogs in. Open document. Write. For two hours. Did I mention I am not a morning person?

OMG!

I couldn't believe how easily and, for me, quickly the words flowed. And the feeling of accomplishment after completing my primary goal for the day before lunch was amazing.

A couple of weeks later, the first words still flowed. But that second hour…not so much. When we came back from vacation in May, I added a walk. Write an hour, walk for 30+ minutes, write another hour.

While I walk, I think about the story. I believe my subconscious processes the words I just wrote and decides which words to use next. When I come back for Hour Two, success!

For the last few weeks I've used my morning writing time to focus on details of the release of IN NAME ONLY. But in another week or two, I'll be back to writing. Will this routine still work? I hope so.

So my best writing advice? Find what works for you, whether it's how you construct a character or how you manage your Facebook time. Do it that way for as long as it works. When it stops working, try something different—even if you think it won't work. You may be surprised.

********

Carol Kilgore is a Texas native who has lived in locations across the U.S. as the wife of a Coast Guard officer. Back under the hot Texas sun in San Antonio, Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. She and her husband share their home and patio with two active herding dogs, and every so often the dogs let them sit on the sofa.
Learn more about Carol and follow her here:
Blog: http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.carolkilgore.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/carol_kilgore
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_Kilgore

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/author/ckilgore

No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

Starting Projects

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m sure everybody has a closet that needs some attention.

I hope everybody does. I know I have at least one at all times that needs help.

The closet with the biggest issue was the one under the stairs. Large areas tend to attract the most junk. This one had various boxes in it. You know.

Since I just finished my two biggest deadlines for the year, I decided to tackle the closet.

In the closet, I found an unfinished project—not a book project. It was a box of video tapes that needed to be transferred to a modern, digital format of some kind.

I’d started this project a year ago, stalled out with it, and shoved it back into the closet along with a bunch of other stuff that I didn’t want to deal with.

I remember being very annoyed because I’d bought a VCR to DVD burning device and then found out that, after I burned the DVDs, they were in a proprietary format that meant they could only be played on a particular Panasonic device that was no longer being made. Of course.

I learned that there were services that could transfer for you if you ship them the tapes. But I didn’t get very far with my research on that because I was so frustrated and annoyed by the proprietary format and was busy with the complaint letter that I was writing.

A year passed and nothing had been accomplished on this project. So I pulled out the box of videos and made a list of all the steps I needed to do to finish this project in one sitting so that I could take on the rest of the closet.

Starting any project—a stalled one or a new one—can be the same way. We have all these great ambitions for our books, for instance, but getting the words on paper can be intimidating.

You’d think that by now I’d be done with project hesitation for my writing—but I still have it. It’s the hesitation of not really knowing what to do next. Usually I just look at the deadline on the calendar and jump right in. With a self-imposed deadline (I’m writing a book for self-pub before working on my next publisher-driven project), it feels a little different.

Starting a stalled project—listing the tasks.

So, for my video transfer project, I needed to decide if I wanted to send the online company camcorder tapes or VCR tapes. I needed to gather all the tapes together. I needed to decide which company I wanted to use. I needed to make sure if I sent all my tapes that I wouldn’t go over my budget. Then I needed to create an online account with the company, pay a deposit for the service, print out the shipping label, pack it, and then drop the box off with UPS.

For starting out my latest mystery, I needed to decide who my victim was going to be, how my sleuth was going to be involved, and who my suspects were. To really jump into it, I also wanted to know how the victim was killed. (Because this book is part of a series, I already know my main characters…a benefit of series writing.)

For your project, you might need to decide other things: what’s the inciting incident (which turns an ordinary day for your protagonist into something special)? Who is the main character? What about the incident changes them or their situation? How do they react to it?

Half the time when we don’t get started with a project, or put it aside for a while, it’s because we’re really not sure what direction we want to take or how to approach the task. Maybe we don’t feel like we have enough information to begin. Or it might be that we’re worried that the outcome might not end up as successful as it is in our imaginings.

Instead of packing the project back into the closet (or burying it in Word), we could just make a list to get ourselves going.

How do you jump back into projects….or jump into new ones quickly?

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.

The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming ) which has over 17,000 free articles on writing-related topics. Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook .

Have a great week!

Keepsakes as clues to character and murder in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/NwAYig @mkinberg

Amazon--not just a book company: http://bit.ly/NOQeZX @Porter_Anderson @jamesbridle @philipdsjones

Is it OK to conduct interviews via email? http://bit.ly/P8tnwb @MichelleRafter

The 4 Faces of Facebook's Timeline for Authors Explained: http://bit.ly/P8tJTy @authormedia

Give Characters Interesting Anecdotes: http://bit.ly/P8u1tt @mooderino

Whatever Happened to Horror? http://bit.ly/P8unjV @tordotcom @FrankTallis

Winning The Hearts And Minds Of Your Readers Through Editing: http://bit.ly/P8uwnq @thecreativepenn

DRM denies fundamental book function--sharing: http://bit.ly/NOWqB0 @bsandusky @Porter_Anderson

5 Common Mistakes New Writers Make: http://bit.ly/P8voIC @novelrocket

How Should Writers Handle Facebook Frustrations? http://bit.ly/P8vJLs @jodyhedlund

Comparing Lightning Source to CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/P8we8s @jentalty

8 Tips for Waking Up Early & Conquering the Alarm Clock: http://bit.ly/P8Ca1c @jeffgoins

8 Tips for Creating an Anthology: http://bit.ly/P8CmO3

7 things 1 writer has learned so far: http://bit.ly/P8CDQP @KM_Ruiz

We can't shoot for perfection for our books: http://bit.ly/P8Dh0N @KristineRusch

Thoughts on ebook pricing: http://bit.ly/P8Dr8p @bubblecow

"I'll have the 10 oz. writer's life with a side of self-promotion": http://bit.ly/P8E0z2

The First Sale: Expectation vs. Reality: http://bit.ly/P8E5To @YAHighway

How to Use Subtext in Your Writing: http://bit.ly/P8Eaq4 @joebunting

Authors: say yes to libraries: http://bit.ly/MYH3p0 @PWxyz

Some real perspective on pricing our books: http://bit.ly/MYHb7O @deanwesleysmith

Punctuation in dialogue: http://bit.ly/MYHijR @noveleditor

Should you pitch an unfinished book to an agent? http://bit.ly/MYHxeH @nicolamorgan

Prepare for conferences early: http://bit.ly/MYHPCg

4 Writing Crutches that Insult the Reader's Intelligence: http://bit.ly/MYHY95 @kristenlambTX

Stuck on character? Use a simile: http://bit.ly/MYId3Q @fictionnotes

When to write dialogue, and what it's for: http://bit.ly/MYImUO @SF_Novelists

What is the scene ABOUT? http://bit.ly/MYICU3 @theresastevens

A phrase you should consider revising: http://bit.ly/MYJqrS

5 online marketing tips: http://bit.ly/MYK6NP

How to Write Characters Your Readers Love: http://bit.ly/MYKIDb @Ava_Jae

8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Deciding to Self-Publish: http://bit.ly/M1QEQw

The Top 10 Archers In Fiction: http://bit.ly/MYKZ98 @fantasyfaction

Does Killing Off Characters Make Readers Care Less? http://bit.ly/MYL7FP @janice_hardy

Editorial phone calls: http://bit.ly/NtM2yt

52 Reasons to Hate My Father Beat Sheet: http://bit.ly/NtS6He

A historical's beginning diagnosed: http://bit.ly/NtSe9T @janice_hardy

A Freelance Editor Talks About Authors' "Habits" & Predictable Writing: http://bit.ly/NtSG87 @EditNinja

eBook Design Today and Tomorrow: http://bit.ly/NtSMMX @JFBookman

How to Stop Dreaming about Your Writing and Actually Do It: http://bit.ly/NtT9qN

iTunes University for Writers: http://bit.ly/NtTh9y @JulieMusil

How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Workshop: http://bit.ly/NtTHg8 @DIYMFA

Protecting Your Writing Time – And Yourself: http://bit.ly/NtTOZm @ClaireCookwrite

Three Reasons Why Prologues Don't Work: http://bit.ly/NtTUAe

Approaches for writing a wrap-up scene: http://bit.ly/N648Ys @dirtywhitecandy

Pros and cons of writing a series: http://bit.ly/N64hv0 @KenScholes

The vanished writer phenomenon: http://bit.ly/N64COq

Free Sites to Promote Your eBook: http://bit.ly/N1E5D6 @galleycat

20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes: http://bit.ly/Pnardj @thecreativepenn

Why Do Bad Books Get Published? http://bit.ly/PnaB4l @KMWeiland

1 traditionally published author makes a move to self-pub: http://bit.ly/PnbR7D @AlexSokoloff

When publishers drop the promo ball: http://bit.ly/Pncz4M @AlmaAlexander

How to raise creative kids: http://bit.ly/PncEoT @tobywneal

How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel: http://bit.ly/LwxTEQ @glencstrathy

Pain and Stress Inform the Work, But Not Always Right Away, and Only If You Survive: http://bit.ly/LwxYZ9 @indieauthor

Quick tips to avoid being a bad writer: http://bit.ly/Lwyrui @writing_tips

Writing the emotional body blow: http://bit.ly/LwywhM @chrstnabrooke

Encouragement from this rejection? http://bit.ly/LwyB4Z @nicolamorgan

8 Blogging Styles You Can Use Today: http://bit.ly/LwyC8Z @JFBookman

3 writing maxims to ignore or tweak: http://bit.ly/LwyFSg

Unleash Your Writing With This Trick From the Movies: http://bit.ly/LwyS84

Ten challenges to innovation: http://bit.ly/LwyV3N @thefuturebook

Kiersey Temperament Survey Identifies Who Reads What Genres; Says Reading "Still Strong": http://bit.ly/Lwz4Ec @LindaGray_

Is the Stigma of Self-Publishing Finally Gone? http://bit.ly/Lwzcnj @bengalley

Showing C.A.R.E. in Your First Chapter: http://bit.ly/LwzhXY

How to Polish Your Writing Until It Shines: http://bit.ly/LwzgU2 @StinaLL

7 ways you give away your power--and how to avoid it: http://bit.ly/LwznyK @rachellegardner

What to Do when Hollywood Rewrites Your Book--How to Survive a Writer's Most Desirable Problem: http://bit.ly/LwzudV @annerallen @cryanhyde

A Study in Opposites: http://bit.ly/LwzFFY @ThereseWalsh

Outlines for Plot, Pantser for Character: http://bit.ly/LwzJWi @janice_hardy

The 10 Essential Grammar Rules Of Life: http://bit.ly/LwzLgS @ollinmorales

6 Easy Steps to Stop the Chaos in Your Life: http://bit.ly/LwzPNs @lyndaryoung

Fear and writing: http://bit.ly/LxWUQ0

Copyright for Writers: http://bit.ly/LxWWHF @eMergentPublish

Tips for juggling a busy schedule and writing: http://bit.ly/LxX61I @writeitsideways

5 Signs You're Having a Blog Identity Crisis & 8 Ways To Fix It: http://bit.ly/LxXdu5 @roniloren

Point of View: Common Types and 5 Tips for Strengthening: http://bit.ly/LxXcXd @howtowriteshop

Adverb Advice: Use Carefully: http://bit.ly/LxXgWO @fictionnotes

The (Not So) Surprising Key to Writing Quickly: http://bit.ly/LxXld7 @ava_jae

Flip the Script: Use Adverbs Fearlessly: http://bit.ly/LxXq0q @JaelMchenry

A few brainstorming suggestions: http://bit.ly/LxXzAS @lisagailgreen

Are You Proud to be a Writer? http://bit.ly/LxXBZv @fuelforwriting

When you hate your book: http://bit.ly/LxXGwv @sarahahoyt

Leonardo da Vinci's 8 tips for modern creators: http://ow.ly/ceRSq @SimonBrushfield via @Porter_Anderson

Does the Authors Guild really serve writers? http://bit.ly/LxXNYT @DavidGaughran

Using signature phrases to distinguish between characters: http://bit.ly/LxYSjg @juliettewade

5 Common Writing Blunders that Can Annoy or Bore Our Readers: http://bit.ly/LxZ4Pw @KristenLambTX

Not All Characters Deserve To Be In The Story: http://bit.ly/LxZ6a8 @mooderino

Top 10 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction: http://bit.ly/LxZaqi @DIYMFA

Thoughts on ebook exclusivity and free books: http://bit.ly/LxZmWD @JAKonrath

Short Tip on Irreversible Plot Points: http://bit.ly/LxZqph @Kid_Lit

A Guide to GATSBY and Alcohol: http://bit.ly/LxZEwR @bookriot

Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books. Will readers bite? http://bit.ly/NfhXRs @laurahazardowen

Easter eggs in a story (using Harry Potter as an example): http://bit.ly/MSI8SS @HP4Writers

6 Tips for a Friendly Author Website: http://bit.ly/Nfi2o7 @sierragodfrey

6 things to learn from Hemingway: http://bit.ly/Nfi9Qt @rachellegardner

Tips for making up your own words: http://bit.ly/NfidzI @noveleditor

Rights vs. Copyright: http://bit.ly/NfieDM @victoriastrauss

Is It Harder Today for Self-Published Authors to "Break in" at Amazon? http://bit.ly/NfimTJ @goblinwriter

Signs of a Promising Superhero Origin Story: http://bit.ly/NfinY0

Sexuality in fantasy: http://bit.ly/Nfiz9A

Tips for writing a direct sequel: http://bit.ly/MSIPfa @junglereds @jeffabbott

What can publishers do to face challenges in a new marketplace? A publisher with 6 suggestions: http://bit.ly/NfiKBF

10 Traits That Are More Important Than Talent: http://bit.ly/NguLH6 @jodyhedlund

Create Powerful Imagery in Your Writing: http://bit.ly/NguROQ @writersdigest

Just being on Amazon doesn't sell your book: http://bit.ly/NguZhj @hopeclark

Ebooks Gone in 5 Years? http://bit.ly/PC2UZs @Porter_Anderson @hughmcguire

25 practical, productive things freelancers can do when everyone else is on vacation: http://bit.ly/PC32rG @michellerafter

Indie or traditional publishing: what's right for you? http://bit.ly/PC3gPH @rebeccaberto @melissa_foster

8 Lessons for Modern Creators from Leonardo da Vinci: http://bit.ly/NAhStr @markmcguinness

What should you expect from a developmental editor? http://bit.ly/NAhRFW

The Fantasy Feminist: http://bit.ly/NAjX8M @AmyJRoseDavis

Music and characterization: http://bit.ly/NAk5Fi @byrozmorris @pilyara

88 Books that Shaped America: http://bit.ly/NAk8B6

Using the Right Scene Glue: Transitions and Sequels: http://bit.ly/NAkdVm @beth_barany

If Selling Used Software is Legal Then Why Not Used eBooks? http://bit.ly/NAkmYI @thDigitalReader

Discovering the story question: http://bit.ly/NAks2F @novelrocket

Maximizing Research: http://bit.ly/RPxSuw @Ravenrequiem13 @KMWeiland

Query Tracker: Keep Track Of Your Stories: http://bit.ly/Mf7y92 @woodwardkaren

Why Empathy is the Key to Story: http://bit.ly/Mf7yWH @joe_bunting

Don't rush out the book? http://bit.ly/Mf7ENU @forbes @passivevoiceblg

10 Tips to Clean Up Your Writing: http://bit.ly/Mf8daB @WritingFineLine

The Business of (Successful) Writing: http://bit.ly/Mf8nOZ

Ways to develop your inciting incident: http://bit.ly/Mf8rhG @donmaass

How Much Does Self-Publishing Cost? A Guide: http://bit.ly/Mf8ASx @duolit

Links to images, image editors, and music for your book trailer: http://bit.ly/Mf8FFE @beth_barany

Draw Out Your Story's Tension—But Not Too Far: http://bit.ly/Mf90YY @KMWeiland

Defining Success: http://bit.ly/Mf94YS @janelebak

The Social Life of a Writing Residency: http://bit.ly/Mf99M0 @PatrickRwrites

2 methods of getting feedback for our writing: http://bit.ly/MgDXRX

Books for boys--thoughts on winning the reading war: http://bit.ly/NOVhJW @Porter_Anderson @thejeffnorton

Interviewing Expert Sources: http://bit.ly/MgEbbN

Writing: Where Less Can Be More: http://bit.ly/MgEdjL @jamigold

The Realities of Publishing (And What Rejection Has Taught 1 Writer): http://bit.ly/MgEmUz @MeredithMcP

How to Get Those Creative Juices Flowing: http://bit.ly/MgEsvn @jeffgoins

Tips for writing effective tweets: http://bit.ly/MgEAee @rebeccaberto

The 5 bricks of story and life: http://bit.ly/MgELpZ @maureenlynas

The Curse of the Middle Book: http://bit.ly/MgEV0n

How to Create a Twitter List in 4 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/MgEUd2 @authormedia

What You Can Learn About Writing By Writing Thrillers: http://bit.ly/MgF0RY @nickthacker

Further Proof that Print Books are Disappearing, Literally: http://bit.ly/NIrTVC @pubperspectives

A look at witches and their popularity in fiction: http://bit.ly/NIrZg2 @guardianbooks

Could mentoring put the brakes on poorly-written self-pubbed books? http://bit.ly/NCzwhR @threekingsbooks

Modern books frequently=easy reads.Will complexity return w/ self-pub's popularity? http://bit.ly/NORQCP @nathanbransford @Porter_Anderson

What Agents Are Not Doing: http://bit.ly/NOUU22 @Porter_Anderson @LizaDawsonAssoc @sum_mary @DeahlsDeals

Tips for staying safe on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/NCAYRh @KristinNador

Working With Editors

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I have a tough time adjusting to change sometimes.

I’ve learned, through the years, to be more flexible. That’s the only way I’ve managed to write books as a parent—because a parent’s life can be totally chaotic. Children get sick, carpools change, children’s activities change, schedules are changed at the drop of a hat.

But change, in general? Still tough for me.

So that would explain the feeling of trepidation I got when I found out two days before the July deadline that my editor for the Memphis series is changing. My previous editor is leaving Penguin and she sent me an email to let me know…and to give me the contact information for the new editor for my series.

Everything got better quickly. I shot an email to the new editor and introduced myself—gave her a brief overview of the kinds of books I write and the different editors I’ve worked with. I told her I would be sending her a new book….the next day. I told her I was always happy to make changes of any kind.

I also stated that I wasn’t great on the phone and preferred emailing, if possible. :) Otherwise, I’m usually so deer-in-the-headlights that I don’t even remember the substance of the conversation afterwards.

The new editor emailed me back and was totally lovely. I calmed down and got back to the new story I was writing.

But it’s tough. I’ve been working with Emily since 2009 to develop and promote the series. She knows the characters and knows when something is out of character for them. She knows the setting and my voice.

My friend, Hart Johnson, had the same editor. She was a little anxious about the changes, too.

Of course, this change does give me the opportunity to hear some new ideas and possibly take the series in a new direction. Once I realized that was the case, I felt a lot better.

Each editor I’ve had has handled business a little differently:

New books, possible new series, contract issues, payment:

For these types of issues, my editors go through my agent. Except for one editor—in a deal that I negotiated myself. For Midnight Ink, when I have a royalty issue, etc., I call them directly.

Planning the series: One of my editors likes an outline/proposal for the next book in the series. Another editor told me whatever I wanted to do was fine.

Communication:

One editor corresponded by mail. I’m not kidding. I was shocked to see a huge package of revisions one day with corrections written in the margins. I made the corrections on my Word file and emailed it back….it would have cost a ton to print and mail back that thing.

Usually I communicate by email. I really prefer it that way because I have a record of the changes and the editor’s thoughts on a project. Sometimes I’ll copy-paste bits of the emails to my online calendar to make sure the items are addressed.

One editor does like communicating by phone some. Unfortunately, I’m usually out running errands or taking my kids somewhere…and flustered. The phone does fluster me. It means I have to email later to make sure that I’m on the same page with the editor.

Revisions and light editing:

Aside from the editor who mailed revisions, the other editors use Word’s Track Changes to send me suggested corrections and changes. I make the changes and email them back.

Artwork and production:

One editor asks me after the fact how I like the cover…but will make changes if there are elements I don’t like (there has only been one time where I asked for a small change—a sign was purposefully misspelled outside a business owned by my character—and I thought the error it didn’t fit the character, whom I perceived as educated.)

The other editor asks for me to be very involved with the cover—actually, more involved than I feel qualified to be. I’d probably prefer the art department and marketing to work their magic, then just have the be ability to comment on a sketch and ask for minor changes.

Sales reports and follow-ups:

Both editors send me figures after the first week and ask whether I’d like weekly reports from that point out. I don’t. :)

Conferences and promo:

One editor, years ago, never mentioned promo of any kind. Never asked if I blogged, never asked if I tweeted or if I went to stores or conferences.

My current (well, and now former) editors invite me to conferences where the publisher has a presence there (like Malice Domestic and Bouchercon) and ask if I’ll be at the dinner the publisher hosts. Unfortunately, these tend to always occur far away when the children have something huge going on….although I did attend one that was very nice.

I think that the key factor in working with editors is flexibility. Business is handled differently, depending on the editor—and change doesn’t have to be bad. It’s just…different. And now I’ll need to be flexible again.

I’m reminding myself, also, that they are adjusting to change, too. My new editor is saddled with me! Now she’s got a writer who hates talking on the phone….and explained that to her. :) What if that’s the primary way she likes communicating with her writers?

What’s your experience working with editors…or dealing with changes? How do you adapt to change (and is it easy for you to?)

Image: Mad African!: (Broken Sword)'s photostream