Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 72
October 7, 2018
Writing the Cozy Mystery: Series Tropes and Rituals
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve touched on this topic before, although before I was sort of working it through in my mind. What I’m calling ‘series tropes,’ which is what writer Camille LaGuire termed ‘rituals,’ are those little recurring bits that turn up book after book in a series (this post is specific to cozies, but I know other genres use these elements, too).
Examples:
In M.C. Beaton’s Hamish MacBeth series, it’s Hamish’s hapless love affairs, laziness, and crazy pets. For Hercule Poirot, it’s his vanity and OCD behavior. With Miss Marple, we expect her to compare everything and everyone to situations and people in St. Mary Mead, her village.
In my books, the tropes include Myrtle’s insomnia and post-midnight treks, Miles’s hypochondria, Puddin’s ‘thrown’ back, silly book club books, the way Myrtle’s soap opera helps her figure out the killer, and Myrtle’s horrible cooking.
How to Use Them:
Humor: You can use them straight out for humorous effect that resonates with regular readers. You can also twist the tropes and provide variations on the themes to make them even funnier (while putting the characters in situations that make them uncomfortable).
Sense of continuity: I think it provides a certain full-circle feeling for regular series readers. They expect certain things are going to happen. It fulfills reader expectations. It’s almost like seeing a familiar landmark.
As a method to check in with recurring characters: This is important for those of us who have regulars in our series. Readers like to ‘catch up’ with characters who are like old friends and our tropes can provide opportunities for them to do so.
Tracking them:
This is the easy part. List all of your recurring storylines into a master list by series. I have a staggering 18 in the Myrtle series alone. I keep them in a Word doc that I review before each book.
Why should we include these rituals? Mostly because readers enjoy them. I struggled with it as a writer, thinking that maybe I was relying on these tropes as crutches. But when I left them out, readers wrote me. Now I go off my list, think of fun, new ways to use or twist them, and don’t worry about including them. They’re clearly beneficial to my books.
For my other articles on writing cozy mysteries, see this link.
Do you have any recurring tropes in your series? Do you keep track of them?
Series Tropes and Rituals in the Cozy Mystery:
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October 6, 2018
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 48,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
New Stuff
Free Guide for Pre-Nano: Are you thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Are you getting ready for your next novel? If so, then you might want to visit Fiction University. Janice Hardy is giving away her Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure ebook for free until October 15 just for subscribing to the site (and if you want to learn more about writing, you’ll want to anyway). Check out the details here.
Free Webinar: If you missed How to Survive and Succeed as a Writer (without Breaking Your Heart or Losing Your Mind), there’s a live encore class on Tuesday October 9, 12pm ET. (Part of the DIY MFA program from Gabriela Pereira).
Master Class Opportunity: The DIY MFA Master Class (a 10-week program) is now enrolling students. Each weekly module includes video lessons, audio recordings, slides, and worksheets, so you can absorb the material in the way that’s best for you. More about the program here (note that I’m an affiliate for the class) or consider the free class first (here) to see if this would be something up your alley.
Business / Miscellaneous
Affiliate Programs for Books: @KathySteinemann
Alternative Ways to Make Money as a Writer: @LynseyMay @scottishbktrust
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Industry Notes: Man Booker’s Shortlisted Authors, London Book Fair’s Literacy Charity: @Porter_Anderson
At Frankfurt’s ‘The Markets’ Conference: Brazil’s Gustavo Lembert: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Accessibility: ‘Frankfurt For All’ and France’s ‘Literary Season For All’: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
IWSG Anthology Contest 2018 (free to enter): @TheIWSG
At Frankfurt’s ‘The Markets’ Conference: China’s Jiang Yanping: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / First Novels
5 Important Parts of a Story: @WritersCoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
9 Books on the Complexities of Mother-Daughter Relationships: @vanessa_hua @ElectricLit
What do you read when you’re writing? It’s complicated: @Roz_Morris
7 Novels That Capture the Pain and Chaos of Alcoholism: @laura_june @lithub
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Overcome Distractions and Write: @WriteNowCoach
When Writing Habits Fall Apart: @katekrake
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
When You Can’t Think What to Write About: @ClaireFayers
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
3 Ways to Make Your Book Memorable: by Jeffrey Eaton @murderbecomes
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
How to Start a Local Writing Group: @shaylaleeraquel
Why Writers Need Confidence—5 Ways to Boost Yours: @colleen_m_story
4 Ways Travel Can Enrich Your Writing: @thecreativepenn
On Taking a Writing Retreat for Solitude When Your Biological Clock is Ticking: @emjsmith
How to Finish Writing Your Book By Abandoning It Well: @JeffGoins
10 Animals Who Have Broken Into the Library: @erinkbart @ElectricLit
How Wilkie Collins found sensation in ordinary life: @samjordison @GuardianBooks
Beating Burnout – A Writers Guide: @TheMerryWriter
5 Writers, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers: @TeddyWayne1999 @lithub
A Librarian’s Life: “Buddy, the Library Isn’t a 7-Eleven”: @Kristen_Arnett @lithub
3 Steps to Bring Clarity to Help You Finish Your Book: @lornafaith
100 Reasons Libraries are Better than Amazon and Starbucks: @DrunkestLibrary @5minlib
“Why I Have to Write, Even While Working Full-Time”: @KarisRogerson @LitReactor
The Weirdest Libraries Around the World: by Brianne Alphonso @ElectricLit
Writing and the Creative Life: The Mundane and the Marvelous: @GoIntoTheStory
Why You Should Pull Out the Manuscript Under Your Bed: @KelseyBrowning @RomanceUniv
The Hack’s Guide to Buying a Writing Desk: @BillFerris @WriterUnboxed
What to Do When Journaling Makes You Feel Worse: @writingthrulife
5 Ways to Restart a Bad Day: @BrynDonovan
Genres / Fantasy
Keeping the Magical World Secret from the Mundane World in a Fantasy: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Genres / Horror
H.P. Lovecraft And The Shadow Over Horror: @R_Emrys @NPR
Modern horror films are finding their scares in dead phone batteries: @TashaRobinson @verge
Genres / Miscellaneous
Why Genre Mashups Are Not Just for Music: @Magic_Violinist
Genres / Mystery
Should You Age the Characters in Your Mystery Series? @mkinberg
Murder Motives for the Crime Writer: @DPLyleMD
5 Must-Use Tips on Writing a Thriller: @KarenCV
Genres / Non-Fiction
What Authors Need To Know About True Crime: @FredBobJohn @standoutbooks
Five Things You Must Do if You’re Writing Non-Fiction: @Bookgal
How and Why to Use Subheads in Your Nonfiction Writing: @theladyck @NinaAmir
Genres / Romance
Keeping the Bedroom Door Closed: @RayneHall @RomanceUniv
Genres / Screenwriting
Writing a spec episode: Act Four Scenes: @BittrScrptReadr
Writing a spec episode: Act Five Scenes: @BittrScrptReadr
Genres / Short Stories
A Basic Guide to Flash Fiction: @daciaauthor @RMFWriters
Promo / Blogging
Tips for Allowing Guest Posts on Your Blog: @ZoeMMcCarthy
7 Ways To Get More Readers To Your Blog: @HughRoberts05
Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting
How to Write Attention-Grabbing Promo Copy for Books: @MJRose @BookBub
Promo / Book Reviews
How to Change a Book Title Without Losing Reviews: @helenahalme @IndieAuthorALLI
Promo / Miscellaneous
1 Writer’s Quiet Rebellion Against 3 Pieces of Conventional Marketing Wisdom: @Roz_Morris
An Agent on Non-Fiction Platforms: @RachelleGardner
Create a List to Sell All Your Books: @SueBEdwards @womenonwriting
Promo / Platforms
Branding For Authors: @KristineRusch @thecreativepenn
Promo / Social Media Tips
5 Simple Ways to Crush Your Networking on Goodreads: @Bookgal
5 Common Twitter Mistakes of Indie Authors: @DebbieYoungBN
Publishing / Miscellaneous
The DIY Guide To Turn Your Book Into An Audiobook: @DaveChesson
Industry Notes: Charkin Opens Mensch Publishing; LBF Opens Award Submissions: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Gvantsa Jobava on Guest of Honor Georgia at Frankfurt: @Porter_Anderson @GvantsaJobava
Publishing Issues for the IPA’s Meetings: Diversity, Emerging Markets, Literacy: @Porter_Anderson@Bodour
European Publishing Welcomes ECOFIN’s Decision on Taxation for Ebooks: @Porter_Anderson @StephenLotinga @pubperspectives
A New ‘Barometer’ Checks Sales Conditions in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain: @Porter_Anderson @wischenbart
Wattpad To Beta-Test a Payment Plan for Its Writers: Canada, UK, Philippines, Mexico: @Porter_Anderson @wattpad
Publishing in Southeast Asia: ASEAN Forum Highlights: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Writing Story Openings: @Lindasclare
Do You Really Need To Start At The Beginning? by Robert Wood @standoutbooks
20 Things Learned After Reading 150,000 Words in Opening Pages: @katiemccoach
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Character Motivation: How to Write Believable Characters: @ReedsyHQ
Writing Craft / Common Mistakes
Think Small: 32-quick-fixes-for-writing-microblocks-and-mini-glitches: @RuthHarrisBooks @annerallen
Writing Craft / Conflict
Writing an Action Sequence: @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Dialogue
3 Ways to Make Your Dialogue More Interesting: by Bucket Siler
Dialogue Issues? Read It Out Loud: @BE_Sanderson
8 Rules for Better Dialogue: @CherylProWriter
Writing Craft / Flashback and Back Story
Is Your Backstory A Threat To Your Book? @Writers_Write
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Five Stories That Don’t Understand Power & Privilege: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
“Choosing to Read or Watch According to the … Adjacency it Might Have to Your Own Work”: @Porter_Anderson @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
When you should stop reading, start writing: @pubcoach
Crafting a “Body Language Voice”: @SeptCFawkes
Create Power Paragraphs For Stronger Storytelling: @Writers_Write
Do You Have a Story with a Twist, or a Twist That Thinks it’s a Story? @Janice_Hardy
3 Ingredients You Need To Make Readers Feel: @LisaHallWilson
Weaving A Narrative: by Aaron Miles @FantasyFaction
How To Focus on Your Story’s DNA: @JennyHansenCA
Why Writers Should Let Go and Enjoy the Story: @mike54martin
Getting the Big Picture Across in Your Scenes: @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Plot Holes
How to Find and Fix Your Story’s Plot Holes: @kristen_kieffer
What to Do When You Write Yourself Into a Corner: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Outlining
Crafting Outlines That Work for You: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Stories Are About Change: @SPressfield
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
How Much Research Is Really Enough? @writeabook
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
Verb Tenses — 2 Tips for Errors: @JJ_Burry
How to punctuate dialogue in a novel: @LouiseHarnby
Writing Craft / Revision
An Example of Editing a Scene: @DavidCorbett_CA
The Every-Novel-Is-Wildly-Different Guide to Revision: @jcbaggott @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Series
Planning For the Next Book In Your Series: @chemistken
Writing Craft / Settings and Description
Writing a Setting Your Reader Can Call Home: from Let’s Write Some Novels
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
22 Common Nouns & What You Can Use Instead: @Writers_Write
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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October 4, 2018
Let Go and Enjoy the Story
by Mike Martin, @mike54martin
All fiction requires the reader to suspend belief in order to follow the story. You have to pretend that you are in a different location with people that you don’t know in order to experience the full effect. Those who can’t do that often claim that they don’t like fiction books or stories, but I think it may be that they just don’t know how to let themselves go and be captured by the story or the characters. I also think they are missing out on a great deal of fun!!
What most people don’t realize is that writers have to do the same thing. Suspend our belief in the ordinary and escape to another reality, inside our heads. In my Sgt. Windflower Mystery series I use the very real town of Grand Bank, Newfoundland, as a backdrop for my stories. It settles the stories in a solid foundation of place that many people who have read the series now think they know. I hope so. But the setting is truly just the beginning. Because, with the exception of a few historical facts and bread crumbs, the rest is all imagination.
The main character, Sgt. Windflower, came out of the fog one night in Grand Bank and started telling me his story. All I did was write it down. Once I did that, all these other characters came along and I started writing their stories too. My main job today is to try and keep them all happy and allow each of them the appropriate time to tell their part.
If that’s not enough to stretch your imagination, there’s more. Two of Windflower’s family, his aunt and uncle, turn out to be dream weavers. They can interpret dreams, their own and others. Windflower learns how to do that too, and soon he is awake while he is dreaming and understanding the messages that come to him. I know it sounds crazy, but it really happens, at least to Windflower. He uses it to access the spirit world, the other side.
At first, Windflower appears skeptical about this whole spirit and dreaming thing. Until he starts to realize that there might actually be messages and information about himself that he can learn. That’s when he decides to ask his relatives to teach him how to do it. After a while he comes to see that reality might be more than just what we can see in front of him. Once he accesses this power, his life becomes richer, and of course, the story gets better.
The other thing that is happening in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series is that the spirit world starts to become more visible. In the latest book, Darkest Before the Dawn, there’s a ghost. Or maybe there’s a ghost? That’s up to Windflower to discover, or for readers to decide. You don’t get to see the ghost. That would be too easy. But if you look carefully you just might see the signs.
This all gets me back to the first point. You have to suspend your belief in order to enjoy the story. That is true in all fiction, and more particularly in mystery fiction. So, don’t rule out Windflower’s dream weaving abilities or the possibility that an old ghost is wandering around the old B & B that he and Sheila have bought. If you do, you might miss half the fun.
Darkest Before the Dawn is available in print and e-book versions worldwide through Amazon and in Canada through Chapters/Indigo and other fine bookstores. And from Ottawa Press and Publishing.
Giveaway
Enter a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Darkest Before the Dawn, sent to you anywhere in the world!!
Find Mike:
Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.
Writers Must Suspend Their Disbelief, Too (by @mike54martin ):
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September 30, 2018
Making Your Book Memorable
By Jeffrey Eaton, author of the “Murder Becomes” series, @murderbecomes
Each year, more than one million books get released by publishing houses and self-published authors. You read that right – more than one million books. Every year.
How do we make our books stand out in a crowd that immense? Well, it’s not easy, and even the most relentless marketers get no guarantee their efforts will result in their titles rising above the ever-increasing din.
There are, however, a few techniques we can employ that will at least increase the odds people will notice our novels and then remember them when they’re looking for something to cozy up with on a cold winter’s night.
Here are three things we’ve done with the “Murder Becomes” series to build renown for the books over the past four years:
Develop a theme that’s memorable
I have a slightly embarrassing confession. I stole my idea for the “Murder Becomes” series from the dear and recently departed Sue Grafton. When I stumbled upon her Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Murder Series in a bookstore several years ago, I thought, “What a clever idea. How can I make such a simple concept my own?”
I have been a free-lance journalist most of my life, conducting interviews in cities all over the world. So, for me, the natural answer was to set my mysteries in international locales that start with the letter ‘M’ (to alliterate, of course, with ‘murder). Fortunately, the number of intriguing options is endless, and soon “Murder Becomes Manhattan” was born, shortly followed by “Murder Becomes Miami” and (as of October 1, 2018) “Murder Becomes Mayfair.”
Now, I have readers pleading with me to set a future book in one of their favorite ‘M’ locations – Milan, Moscow, Montreal, Marrakech and Maui, to name just a few. The theme has stuck in their minds and gotten them eager to learn at the end of one book where the next murder will take place. And, believe it or not, the woman who volunteered to host my first book launch at her spacious home in Dallas has the initials, “MM” (a complete coincidence).
WHAT SORT OF MEMORABLE THEME CAN YOU CREATE FOR YOUR BOOKS?
Create memorable characters
The protagonist in the “Murder Becomes” series is Dalton Lee, a world-renowned architect who was born in Hong Kong but raised in San Diego. Dalton’s bicultural background helps him stand out, right from the get-go.
But he has other characteristics that make him hard to forget. He is a purist when it comes to how a grilled cheese sandwich is cooked. He rides an Italian scooter from the 1950s called a Maicoletta. And, he is frequently engaged in conversation by inanimate objects – sculptures, paintings, and even mannequins in a department store window.
The result? Readers are constantly sending me grilled cheese recipes to ‘pass along’ to Dalton. Or, they send photos of themselves posed alongside an Italian scooter. I even had a reader send me a photo of a car they were passing that had the phrase “Where is Dalton?” written in soap on the back window. Dalton’s peculiarities have bred a bit of fandom among my readers, who associate with his quirkiness in ways that drive them to purchase the next book in the series.
WHAT MEMORABLE TRAITS CAN YOU INFUSE IN YOUR CHARACTERS?
Consider taking the digital versions of your books to a whole new level
I love a hardcover book as much or more than anyone. But I also understand the world is changing. The more we adapt to and profit from the change, the better.
That philosophy has led us to do something innovative with the digital versions of the “Murder Becomes” series. We’ve embedded hyperlinks throughout the story to give readers some visual and aural elements to make the reading experience more memorable.
When a street musician plays a tune that causes one of Dalton’s teammates to have a meltdown on a Manhattan street, you click on ‘song’ and HEAR the tune in a YouTube video. When Dalton has a clandestine meeting in a creepy cemetery in Miami, you click on ‘cemetery’ and SEE a photograph of that cemetery.
And with architecture playing a critical role in each book, we give readers links to visuals of the skyscrapers in Manhattan, the Art Deco hotels on Miami Beach and the Georgian townhouses that populate the London neighborhood of Mayfair.
HOW CAN LINKS MAKE THE READING EXPERIENCE OF YOUR BOOKS MORE MEMORABLE?
It’s not easy these days to capture the attention of readers inundated with one new title after another.
Find a way to employ the techniques described above, however, and you will be well on your way to helping more readers than ever before to find your books, savor them, and recommend them to their friends.
Learn more about “Murder Becomes Manhattan,” “Murder Becomes Miami,” and “Murder Becomes Mayfair,” at murderbecomes.com.
Eaton was graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a degree in journalism. He instantly put it to use, becoming editor of the university’s alumni magazine at age 23 and editor of the employee publications produced by an international oil company at age 25.
He formed his own freelance writing business at age 27 and by the age of 30, had been to 45 countries on five continents. Among his most memorable assignments were interviews with a prime minister, a world-renowned heart surgeon, and the CEO of one of South America’s state-owned oil companies.
Now Eaton has returned to his first passion – writing novels. The “Murder Becomes” series unites his love for intrigue with his passion for travel with his excitement for crafting word puzzles, several of which have been published in some of the world’s premier newspapers and magazines. He hopes you enjoy reading these tales as much as he delights in creating them! More about Jeffrey here.
3 Ways to Make Your Book Memorable (by Jeffrey Eaton @murderbecomes ):
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September 29, 2018
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 48,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
New Stuff
If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your name in print but don’t know how to get there, register for this free video series, Stop Dreaming, Start Doing: https://bit.ly/2OJGJBi . It’s produced by Gabriela Pereira, creator of the DIY MFA blog and program for writers. As a note, I’m an affiliate for Gabriela’s workshop.
Business / Miscellaneous
2018 Reader Survey Report: Popular Genres and the Popularity of Print: @MKTodAuthor
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
6 things every author can do to captivate an event audience: @BetsyGFasbinder @sandrabeckwith
10 Essentials to Pack for a Three-Week Writing Retreat: @ZoeMMcCarthy
National Book Foundation Announces ‘5 Under 35’ Honorees: @Porter_Anderson @nationalbook
IlluSalon’s Global Illustration Award: At Frankfurt Pavilion October 10: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Goal setting
How To Reduce Shame When You Don’t Meet Your Writing Goals: @pubcoach
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
Diving into Graphic Novels without Drowning: @rfishewan @DIYMFA
“Seven Books I’ll Never Read”: @AdamOPrice @parisreview
Reading Fearlessly in Troubling Times: by Chaitali Sen @ElectricLit
8 Classics of Suspense and Isolation: @ericrickstad @CrimeReads
The Wind in the Willows Isn’t Really a Children’s Book: by Peter Hunt @lithub
Five Books About Unconventional Pirates: @seesarawrite @tordotcom
5 Books About Women Who Make A Fuss: @eklages @tordotcom
Six Works of SFF Short Fiction that Defy Convention: by Thea James @tordotcom
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
Finding the Tribe that Fuels Your Writing: @NancyJAuthor @WriterUnboxed
Embracing the Discipline to Write Your Book: @JeffGoins
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Why I Only Write for 15 Minutes A Day: @the_writing_pal
Writing on a Schedule: @Lindasclare
Write More in a 15 Minute Session:
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / When to write
How a Morning Ritual Changed My Life: @Britt_the_wit @MichaelHyatt
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s Block
7 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block: @writing_tips
5 Ways to Defeat Writer’s Block: @dougeboch
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
Writer Worries: Why Am I Such a Slow Writer? @BrynDonovan
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
How Reader Profiles Can Help You Sell More Books: @Bookgal
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
8 Questions to Help You Simplify Your Writing Life: @colleen_m_story
The Books We’re Drowning In: A Bookseller’s Lament: @MargaretKWrites @BookRiot
How a Structured Evening Ritual Can Help You Stay Sharp and Rested: @Manish_Analyst @MichaelHyatt
How Much Time Do You Spend Writing And How Much Time Marketing? @thecreativepenn
Funny gifts for witty writers: @TheWriterMag
The Artist’s Journey in the Real World: @SPressfield
5 Reasons a Writer Should Move to Tucson: @__eshani @lithub
When Your Imposter Syndrome is Out of Control: @RedfordJan @lithub
Notes on Nearing Ninety: Learning to Write Less: by Donald Hall @parisreview
Why Writing Can Be The Best Way To Deal With Adversity: @writingcookbook @thecreativepenn
The best advice that many writers fail to take: @DanBlank
Writing and the Creative Life: “The Power of Structured Procrastination”: @GoIntoTheStory
Fit to Write: 9 Tips for Becoming a Healthier, More Productive Author: @BuildYourBrandA
Inside the Weddings of 10 Famous Writers: @knownemily
Email to a Young Writer: How to Keep On Writing: @PaulaSMunier @CareerAuthors
Write Like You Diet: @CherylProWriter
Two Words that are Deadly to Your Writing Career: @colleen_m_story
Genres / Horror
Like ‘Goosebumps?’ Here’s Another 30 Years’ Worth Of Horror For Kids: @grady_hendrix @NPR
Genres / Memoir
Editorial suggestions for a memoir: @sarahrcallender @WriterUnboxed
Genres / Miscellaneous
Handling Violence, Swearing, and Sex in Christian Fiction: @_HannahHeath
Genres / Mystery
Hunches as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Courtroom ‘Bombshells’ as Elements in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg
Using Contrasting Characters to Add Tension and Contrast to a Mystery: @mkinberg
Writing the Cozy Mystery: The Right Motive:
Genres / Screenwriting
Writing a spec episode: Story and Theme Development: @BittrScrptReadr
Writing a Spec Episode: Act One Scenes: @BittrScrptReadr
Writing a spec episode: Act Two scenes: @BittrScrptReadr
Writing a spec episode: Act Three scenes: @BittrScrptReadr
Promo / Book Descriptions and Copywriting
How to Write an Amazing About Me Page: @EditingWizard
5 Traits Great Copywriters Have in Common: @nera_joy @WritetoDone
How to Write an Effective Author Bio: @DebbieYoungBN @IndieAuthorALLI
Promo / Book Reviews
Your Book Isn’t for Everyone: by Julie Glover
Promo / Connecting with Readers
Discoverability for Writers: @nlowell @RMFWriters
Promo / Miscellaneous
Deleted Book Reviews and Waning KENP Income: Try a Simple Fix: @KathySteinemann
How to Create Merchandise for Books: by Melissa Chan @JFbookman
Promo / Platforms
An Author Logo Can Make Your Brand Memorable: @DaveChesson @BookWorksNYC
An Agent Answers Questions About Author Platform: @RachelleGardner
Publishing / Miscellaneous
‘Publishers have the responsibility and opportunity to use technology to extend their reach (and) explore new media’: @Porter_Anderson @galitariel
Association of American Publishers to Focus on Advocacy, Copyright: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Discrimination in the Writing World: @davidfarland
A Very Short History of the New Oxford English Dictionary: by Richard Charkin @pubperspectives
The Freedom To Publish and Challenges in the Way: @Porter_Anderson @KristennEinars1
What is the Best Service for Print on Demand Books? @ReedsyHQ
Publishing / News / International Publishing
IPA and United Nations Unveil New ‘SDG Book Club’ Promoting the Sustainable Development Goals: @Porter_Anderson @antonioguterres @michielams
“We need to relate to an international world. Our literature still primarily focuses on white middle-class men and women.” @Porter_Anderson @ Gyldendal
Eksmo CEO Evgeny Kapyev’s Optimism for Russia’s Book Market: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Interview: The Bookseller’s 2018 UK Rising Star @SophieHJonathan: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Industry Notes: Marrakesh Treaty; Bologna Carle Award; Kids’ Black Detectives in the UK: @Porter_Anderson
Publishing / Options / Traditional Publishing
Tips for Building a Strong Author-Agent Relationship: @lauraeweymouth @laurenspieller @NatalieIAguirre
Publishing / Process / Book Design
When You’re Asked to Design a Cover After Others Have Tried: @colleenie_r @lithub
Book Design Pet Peeves: @JFbookman
Writing Craft / Beginnings
Nail That First Line: @PBRWriter @RomanceUniv
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
12 Common Character Archetypes Every Writer Should Already Know: @ReedsyHQ
What are Good Character Traits? 7 Helpful Attributes: @nownovel
Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Tattoo Artist: @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Diversity
9 Picture Books with Diverse Characters Any Kid Can Relate To: @CynthiaVarady
How to Write Cross-Culturally with Authenticity: @vanessa_hua @SignatureReads
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
One Simple Trick to Write Everything Better: @LMacNaughton
Tightening Your Focus: @davidfarland
Why Structure Matters When You Are Writing a Novel: @louise_candlish
What is the ideal reader? @Peter_Rey_
Four Challenges of Nonlinear Narratives: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Writing Craft / POV
5 Tips for Choosing the POV Character for a Scene: @LauraDiSilverio
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming
Title Your Novel for Maximum Visibility: @ZaraAltair @ProWritingAid
A Trad-Published Author on Choosing Book Titles: @AmySueNathan
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Game Theory in Story: @StoryGrid
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept
Where to start when developing a story? @GoIntoTheStory
Nailing Your One-Sentence Story Concept: @LiveWriteThrive
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
7 Flawed Sentences Redeemed by Commas: @writing_tips
Writing Craft / Revision
Writing Rules, Guidelines, and Just Plain Bad Advice: @LyndaDietz4 @TheIWSG
How to Improve Your Self-Editing in One Simple Step: @kristen_kieffer
Taming a Terrible First Draft: An 11 Step Editing Process: @katekrake
Writing Craft / Synopses
Tackling the Dreaded Synopsis: @jkolin27
How to Write a Synopsis: from Let’s Write Some Novels
Writing Craft / Tropes
10 Superhero Tropes and How My Hero Academia Blows Them Out of the Water: @VictoriaGHowell
Know Your Tropes: from Let’s Write Some Novels
Writing Craft / Voice
10 Tips for Strengthening Your Unique Writing Voice: @writingthrulife
Finding My Voice—So Easy. So Hard. @VaughnRoycroft @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
Stealth Words: A Writer’s Overlooked Weapon: @marciamoston @EdieMelson
Writing Tools / Books
Finding the Plot: 4 Plot-Focused Writing Books: @LynseyMay @scottishbktrust
Writing Tools / Miscellaneous
Novel in a Month Notebook (Printable): @EvaDeverell
Writing Tools / Resources
A Free Video Series to Hone Skills, Build Productivity, and Learn Ins and Outs of Publishing (registration required): @DIYMFA
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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September 27, 2018
Writing the Cozy Mystery: The Right Motive
by Elizabeth Spann Craig, @elizabethscraig
I can only imagine the number of murder motives that I’ve come across in the last 35 years that I’ve read and watched mysteries.
While writing cozy mysteries, I think finding a motive can be a bit tricky. Although there’s some breadth out there in terms of how writers approach cozies, a large number of cozy readers seem to appreciate a very traditional approach…nothing too gritty. They want an escape in which the reader helps the sleuth find the killer.
This means that a recent mystery I watched where the motive involved revenge for past child abuse wouldn’t really be a great pick for the audience. Drug addiction can be tough too, although doable if treated carefully.
In my books, I tend to play it very safe. The motives are still what I consider real life motives, but they’re more toned down.
Frequently, they’re the common annoyances that just get out of control: the obnoxious neighbor, for instance.
Deaths of blackmailers are fun because first we have to discover the fact that the blackmailer was a blackmailer and then we have to find out what he knew about various suspects.
The usual trio of jealousy, greed, and revenge are also good for cozies.
The killers can be really awful or they can be good people who were pushed a little too far.
I’ve written victims who seem like delightful people, which worked out well (the sleuth later uncovers that some suspects didn’t consider the suspect that delightful). I’ve written victims who were particularly nasty people, too, who stirred up a lot of resentment against them. This used to worry me because I was concerned if the victim was too horrid, no one would care who killed her. But now I’ve come to the conclusion that this is more of an accepted part of a cozy mystery. It’s part of the process and the point is still to solve the case and bring the murderer to justice. Taking a life is serious and, even in a humorous cozy, the crime is taken seriously. The secondary characters, the supporting cast, more than makes up for the deficiencies of character in the victim and keep the books from getting too dark.
The point is that the motive is personal. These are not the types of mysteries where there are political motivations or hitmen or international intrigue or drive-by shootings. The killer is well-known to the victim and the other suspects (all of whom are usually not too upset by the victim’s death) and there is a closed group of people who might be the murderer.
There are now many cozies that don’t necessarily follow these guidelines. Some cozies have become a bit edgier. As a writer, you don’t have to do anything. The story, its world, its crimes and people are totally up to you. My thoughts are that it’s just easier to find an audience if you deliver what readers of a specific subgenre expect to find.
For further reading, see mystery writer Camille LaGuire’s post on motives (some are cozy motives, some aren’t).
Any other thoughts on what makes a good cozy mystery motive (from readers or writers)?
Finding the Right Motive for a Cozy Mystery:
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September 23, 2018
Write More in a 15 Minute Session
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
My favorite way to write is in fifteen minute sessions. That’s short enough for me to stay laser-focused on my story, but long enough to make some real progress.
It helps that I can usually write several pages in this amount of time. This post is for anyone who would like to get more writing accomplished in short sessions.
Outline
This is a no-brainer, although I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It wasn’t my cup of tea until I started running into plot holes and also realized I wasn’t working as quickly as I could. If your story is already loosely mapped out, you’re going to write right out of the gate instead of trying to brainstorm every single writing session.
Note where you left off and where you want to pick up each day
This may seem to go along with outlining, but should work for almost everyone, even if you’re not usually an outliner. If you make a small note at the end of every writing session stating where you left off with your story and where you want to pick up, it prevents you from wasting precious time rereading what you wrote the previous day. (It also prevents you from going into left-brain, editing mode.)
Think about the story before you open your laptop
What do you do before you start writing? If you write the first thing in the morning, you’re probably like me…brushing your teeth, walking downstairs, making coffee, feeding the dog. While I’m doing those rote tasks, I’m thinking about my story and where I’m planning on going with it that day. When I open my laptop, I’m ready to go.
Turn notifications off
If email or other types of notifications are distracting to you, turn them off. Or disable the wifi on your laptop.
Use a timer
I love using a timer when I write because it helps me keep focused until it goes off. Frequently I’ll find myself writing even after it goes off.
Be flexible in terms of when and where you write
This relates more to finding those fifteen minutes to write, but it’s important. If you can’t write first thing in the morning, grabbing those fifteen minutes can be tough. If you can be flexible enough to write on the go, in public, or at different times of the day, you may be more successful in establishing a writing habit.
Write daily, if possible, for easier sessions
This won’t work for everyone but, if possible, write every day, even if it’s just for 5-15 minutes. If you can do this, you’ll find it’s much easier to hop back into your story each day and that the percentage of easy writing days increases.
On those rough days where your session can only be five minutes:
You really can make progress on your story in five minutes time, if you make lists. A short list is a quick way to brainstorm ideas. The lists can be related to your ending, your middle, descriptions of important settings or characters, etc. For more ideas on using lists on busy writing days, see these three posts of mine: here, here, and here.
Are your writing sessions long or short? How do you stay focused and productive (no matter how long they are?)
Tips for more productive 15-minute writing sessions:
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September 9, 2018
That’s What She Said: 3 Dialogue Tips
by HL Carpenter, @hl_carpenter
We think about how much writing styles change over the years every time we open one of the books on our reading shelf—a book that was published in 1908. Of the many differences between today’s style and the approach used back then, we find the evolution of dialogue especially interesting.
Here are three stylistic comparisons.
“We’re not fans of fancy dialogue tags,” they said.
In today’s style, if “said” isn’t enough after dialogue, the sentence needs to be reworked. The reader should know what’s going on from the words, not because the writer has added a description of the way the words are supposed to sound.
In the book from 1908, dialogue tags are not only fancy, but at least one of them appears to be made up.
Examples include:
“Now, Orde,” said he, “here is where you come in.”
“Look here, Joe,” he objected.
“Not a bit,” negatived Newmark.
“But, Mother,” expostulated Carroll.
Based on comments from editors, good dialogue avoids overuse of character names. “Not that we would know personally of course, Elizabeth,” they said. :)
Think about real life conversation. How often do you use the name of the person to whom you’re speaking? You probably don’t include given names in every sentence. Applying that habit to fictional conversations can make the narrative flow more smoothly.
The book from 1908 follows this practice as well. Typically, the author includes given names when the conversation includes multiple participants.
We think avoiding words no one ever uses outside of crossword puzzles is a good idea…unless your hero is a naturally pompous speaker. “I really must request elucidation on that prohibition,” the hero said.
Here again, the idea is to model real-life conversation.
The dialogue in the book from 1908 comes across as stilted, though this is likely due to today’s less formal conversational habits. Here’s an example:
“In a moment,” replied Gerald. “Have patience. I have come in the last twenty-four hours to a decision. That this happens not to affect my own immediate fortunes does not seem to me to invalidate my philosophy.”
A final note: No matter how writing styles change, a solid, engaging story can overcome the drag of datedness. The book we used for this comparison is the tale of a turn-of-the-nineteenth century riverman, published in 1908 and written in the terminology and mores of the time. Not our usual choice of reading material.
And yet— We’ve read the book before, but we once again found ourselves drawn into the story while writing this post.
In the end, a book that talks to the reader is the best dialogue of all.
About HL Carpenter
Mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter write family-friendly fiction from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit HLCarpenter.com to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.
Find them online:
HLCarpenter.com
Pinterest
Linkedin
Google+
Twitter
GoodReads
Amazon Author Page
About Walled In:
When her father is accused of fraud, seventeen-year-old Vandy Spencer discovers her entire life has been built on a heart-shattering deception.
3 Tips for Better Dialogue (by @hl_carpenter ):
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September 8, 2018
Twitterific Writing Links
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific writing links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 48,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers.
Have you visited the WKB lately? Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox! Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here.
Business / Miscellaneous
Why Nobody Gives A Crap About Books In The Summer: @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
Writers & illustrators: Run Your Backups: @inkyelbows
A Book Release in Numbers: the Cozy Mystery Publishing Process: @Ellen__Jacobson
5 Steps to Prove You’ve Been Plagiarized: @plagiarismtoday
Conferences and Events / Miscellaneous
Five Easy Ways to Look Like a Pro at Conventions: @johnhartness
How to Sell Books in Your Local Community: @Magic_Violinist
‘Vintage Man Booker’ Is Launched, an Online Retrospective on the Prize’s First 50 Years: @Porter_Anderson @ManBookerPrize
Cuba Named Guest of Honor at Upcoming Liber Book Fair in Barcelona: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers
11 Books Where Poetry and Politics Overlap: @TobiasCarrol @SignatureReads
Reading a Book Takes Time—Deal With It: @erinkbart @ElectricLit
“Why I Can’t Stop Attempting Impossible Reading Projects”: @JonathanArlan @lithub
8 Things You Didn’t Know About Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep: by Anthony Dean Rizzuto @SignatureReads
Overdrive vs Libby: Which Will Serve You Best? @katsudonburi @BookRiot
Josephine Tey: A Crime Reader’s Guide to the Classics: @CrimeReads by Neil Nyren
A Close Reading of 1 Writer’s Favorite Short Story: @knownemily
Creativity and Inspiration / Motivation
11 Web Comics for Writers: Inspiration and Motivation: @JessZafarris @WritersDigest
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing
Making Time to Write: Quitting to Win: @JanalynVoigt
Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writing Quickly
3 Ways to Move Forward Fast With Your Writing Even if You’re Overwhelmed and Exhausted: @Eclecticwaters
Creativity and Inspiration / Success
The Satisfaction of Excellence: The Growth Mindset for Writers: @jennienash
Be a Bad Writer to Be a Great Writer: @StefanieFlaxman @copyblogger
Creativity and Inspiration / Writing Life
Why 1 Writer Gave Up Drinking: @BrynDonovan
No Writer’s a Geek: by Andrew Pettigrew @scottishbktrust
How to Write While the World’s Burning Down: @mdilloway @WriterUnboxed
Readers’ Taste (or Blaming The Writer): @KristineRusch
8 Fears That Hold Writers Back From Publishing Their Books: @ScottAllan2 @thecreativepenn
Talent is a Myth: @p2p_editor
It Helps If You Can Write: @jamesscottbell
3 Types of People to Watch Out For In Your Writing Life: @Margo_L_Dill
Why Writing Is A Form Of Meditation: @swetavikram @WomenWriters
Writing For Life: @sowulwords @DIYMFA
Do Writers Have To Be Sad? @helpfulsnowman @LitReactor
4 Book Lovers who Left Charitable Gifts in Their Wills: by Hayley Hutchison @scottishbktrust
Writing a Book Did Not Change My Life: @DanaSchwartzzz @lithub
Writer’s Envy-And 3 Thoughts on What to Do About It: @KMWeiland
Fighting Anxiety Even When You Think You Can’t: @TheKTDaxon
“Eighty percent of what you write will never go anywhere.”: @MegDowell
Genres / Fantasy
5 Steps to Creating a Perfect Fantasy World: @andrewtheauthor
Crafting A Fall: Turning Heroes to the Dark Side: by Aaron Miles @FantasyFaction
Genres / Miscellaneous
Tips for Writing Graphic Novels: by Oren Ashkenazi @mythcreants
Genres / Mystery
Where Southern Gothic Meets Crime: @LORIROYauthor @CrimeReads
Crime Writing: Inside The Four Corners: Search Warrants: @LeeLofland
Genres / Science Fiction
Writing Combat for Character and Scale in SFF: @TracyATownsend @lunaquarterly
Genres / Screenwriting
Find Your Authentic Screenwriting Voice To Make Your Film Script Stand Out: by Matthew Kalil @CreativeScreen
Why Spec Scripts Fail: Formula vs. Structure: @stewartfarquhar @scriptmag
When Flashbacks Attack – Your Guide To Correct Use In Your Screenplay: @JamesNapoli
Promo / Connecting with Readers
Authors Are You Building Social Media Relationships with Your Readers? @CaballoFrances @annerallen
Promo / Metadata
How To (Ethically) Hack Amazon Categories: @DavidGaughran
Promo / Miscellaneous
3 fiction lead magnet ideas: @sandrabeckwith
10 Tips for Pitching Your Book: @bookouture
Promo / Websites
12 Ways to Ensure Your Website Helps You Sell More Books: @Bookgal
Top 8 WordPress Plugins for Bloggers, Writers, and Entrepreneurs: @TCKPublishing
Publishing / Miscellaneous
Why All the Books About Motherhood? @LaurenElkin @parisreview
Good Reasons to Rerelease a Revised Version of Your Book: @Bookgal @BookWorksNYC
Why We Shouldn’t Be Fighting Over Trigger Warnings: by Chris Winkle @mythcreants
Simon & Schuster’s Woodward Book on Trump Roars Up the Charts Ahead of Its Release: @Porter_Anderson @realBobWoodward
Author Coaches: How They Can Help Both Beginners and Experienced Writers: @IngeniumBooks @IndieAuthorALLI
Publishing / News / Amazon
Industry Notes: Amazon ‘Prime Book Boxes’ for Children: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Publishing / News / International Publishing
Moroccan Author Leads a Widening Call for an End to Rabat’s Silence on Rape, Poverty: @oliviasnaije @pubperspectives
Beijing International Book Fair Reports Gains in Rights Sales: @Porter_Anderson
Chad Post Named 2018 Ottaway Honoree in International Literature: @Porter_Anderson @chadwpost @pubperspectives
Publishing / Options / Self-Publishing
“Mistakes I Made as a New Indie Author”: @Creativindie @annerallen
Publishing / Process / Distribution
List of Print Book Distributors: @ReedsyHQ
Choosing Your Book’s Distribution Channels: @Ellen__Jacobson
Publishing / Process / Translation
‘Words Without Borders’ September: ‘The Lullaby of the Machine Gun’: @Porter_Anderson @GvantsaJobava @wwborders
American Literary Translators Assoc. Shortlists Titles in Poetry and Prose: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives
Writing Craft / Beginnings
4 Signs You Might Be Confusing, Not Intriguing, in Your Opening Scene: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / Characters / Antagonists
Use The 7 Deadly Sins To Strengthen Your Antagonist’s Motives: @Writers_Write
Writing Craft / Characters / Development
Character Motivation: How to Write Believable Characters: @ReedsyHQ
5 Simple Tips For Powerful Character Development: @Bang2write
Writing Craft / Characters / Emotion
How to Write Emotional Scenes When You’d Really Rather Not: @AnneGBrown @WriterUnboxed
Writing Craft / Hooks
5 Tricks that Help with Hooks: @SeptCFawkes
Writing Craft / Lessons from Books and Film
Learn About Storytelling from Blockbuster TV Series: @writingthrulife
Writing Craft / Miscellaneous
Tips for Writing Female Characters: @CM_DZA @lunaquarterly
3 Signs You Might Be Ignoring Writing Advice That Can Help You: @Janice_Hardy
How to Capitalize On An Unconventional (aka Crazy) Childhood: @JGDornbush @WomenWriters
When should your character’s goal be identified? by Bucket Siler
Writing Craft / POV
How to Use Deep POV for Pacing: @LisaHallWilson
A Beginner’s Guide to Multiple Point of View: by Bucket Siler
Diving Deep into POV: @christinadelay @beccapuglisi
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Naming
Creating Character Names: by Valerie Allen
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Plotting
Scene Trackers for Writers: @plotwhisperer
How to Skillfully Use Subplots in Your Novel: @dianakimpton @JaneFriedman
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Research
Research: So Your Character is From Israel: @VictoriaGHowell
How To Write Effective Injuries For Your Characters: by Samantha Keel @thecreativepenn
Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / Story Concept
4 Steps for How to Turn an Idea Into a Story That Rocks: @KMWeiland
Writing Craft / Punctuation and Grammar
3 Ways to Use Coordinating Conjunctions: @JJ_Burry
Writing Craft / Revision
On Editing Your Novel: @davidfarland
Writing Craft / Series
Series, Sagas, Cycles… How About We Call Them “River Novels”? @KentWascom @lithub
Writing Craft / Word Crafting
The Power of Word Choice in Fiction: @Janice_Hardy
Writing Craft / World-Building
8 Easy Details You Can Include To Add Depth to Your World-Building: @_HannahHeath
Writing Tools / Apps
The Best Mobile Apps for Writers: @TCKPublishing
Uncategorized
Why Writers Should Have Their Books on OverDrive:
The top writing links from last week are on Twitterific:
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September 6, 2018
Update on OverDrive
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Getting our digital books into libraries is much easier these days than it was a few years ago. All we need to do is upload our ebooks to a distributor like Smashwords, Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, or StreetLib , which will make the file available to OverDrive. OverDrive supplies over 30,000 libraries in 40+ countries.
OverDrive is one of my favorite sites as a reader, so I was eager to have my books available there. I was writing this post and pulled the site up and then immediately became distracted and requested three books. :) Eventually I realized that I was trying to write a blog post.
A little bit of background for those of you who aren’t familiar with OverDrive. For me, OverDrive makes reading easier. I’ve read over 45 books so far this year and OverDrive definitely helped. When I hear about an interesting book, I check OverDrive through my library’s website. If it’s available through OverDrive, I add my name to the waitlist. When the book becomes available, it’s automatically checked out to me. I download it on my Kindle (readers can also read on epub devices or by reading a PDF) and then, when it’s time for the book to be ‘returned’ to the library, it becomes unavailable on my device. It’s just a very easy process for a busy person who might not have time to go to the library as much as they’d like.
I use PublishDrive to distribute my books there and have done for the last year and a half or so. I do like the graphs on their sales dashboard that help me make sense of my sales (which are steady on OverDrive). I don’t price any higher for libraries than I do Amazon or other retailers. The graph below shows that my newer titles (which are priced higher than older ones) do the best in sales.
The graph below shows that my sales, despite OverDrive’s reach, are overwhelmingly in the US (I’m hoping this will change as more international readers try OverDrive).
If you’re someone who doesn’t have an epub version of your book (which is the file type needed for OverDrive), you can easily create one (for free) by uploading your original Word document to Draft2Digital. They will convert it and even distribute it to OverDrive for you, right from their platform. That, I’d imagine, would be the easiest way for someone to get on OverDrive who is ordinarily only published on Kindle (obviously, if you’re in the KU program, this is off limits to you).
If your books are already available through OverDrive, you may be interested in seeing exactly where your books are. If you look up a title on WorldCat (you’ll need to enter your location to see where your books are located), a list of libraries that have your book available will pull up. It’s fun for me to see a recent release of mine in libraries in Ohio and Washington state.
I do also have print copies available for library purchase through IngramSpark … but that’s another blog post.
Wrapping up, for me, it’s a no-brainer. I make money every month on OverDrive and it pleases me to have my titles available in libraries.
Are you on OverDrive yet? Do you use the app as a reader?
Why Writers Should Have Their Books on OverDrive:
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