Reb MacRath's Blog, page 37
February 12, 2013
I May Semi-Unretire from Retiring from Reviewing
LinkedIn was one of those things I'd never really understood but decided to give a try. Glad I did. I received an invitation from a serious new online review journal, asking if I'd like to join their review team. I saw a terrific opportunity to review assigned books when my schedule allows...work with some cool new people...and keep one foot in both camps, trad and ebook publishing. If this works out, I may look for a way to return to other reviewing as well.
Fingers crossed. It's been a long while since I've had the pleasure of holding new galleys in my hands!
Fingers crossed. It's been a long while since I've had the pleasure of holding new galleys in my hands!
IT'S HERE--TODAY IS TOOTSIE DAY!
Shocking, hilarious and true-blue: how I passed myself off as a woman in order to break into print.
GIVE MY TOOTSIE ROLE A HUG is now Live on http://authorselectric.blogspot.com
You don't want to miss this one--at least if you hope to get published!
GIVE MY TOOTSIE ROLE A HUG is now Live on http://authorselectric.blogspot.com
You don't want to miss this one--at least if you hope to get published!
February 10, 2013
On the Fine Art of Self-Surprise
My upcoming spring release is a short novel loaded with plot twists and tricks. Originally called White Knights, this is is the one that agent Henry Morrison once called "Perhaps the greatest Christmas story ever written--but one that can never be published." I've learned a lot about writing since then and, because of what I've learned, I'll be putting out an even better version: cleaner, clearer, infinitely quicker in its prose.
But something astonishing happened the other night when I was revising one passage. At several points throughout the book we return to the basement, where a man lies trapped, apparently destined to drown. Now, I hadn't reread the book in some time. And I'd hidden the identity of the doomed man so carefully that I couldn't recall, to save my life, which of two men I'd placed there.
The book is now called April Yule. Revisiting, and revising, it has been a great dual adventure: I've regained the magical sense of fun that possessed me when I wrote the book and I've discovered a new type of fun in revising to enhance the reader's pleasure at each turn. It's all about 'me' in the first draft, for most. But it's got to be all about 'you' at the end.
I think you'll get a kick out of April Yule. Coming soon. Brace yourselves: I've got a few tricks up my sleeves that top the misdirection with the poor guy in the basement.
But something astonishing happened the other night when I was revising one passage. At several points throughout the book we return to the basement, where a man lies trapped, apparently destined to drown. Now, I hadn't reread the book in some time. And I'd hidden the identity of the doomed man so carefully that I couldn't recall, to save my life, which of two men I'd placed there.
The book is now called April Yule. Revisiting, and revising, it has been a great dual adventure: I've regained the magical sense of fun that possessed me when I wrote the book and I've discovered a new type of fun in revising to enhance the reader's pleasure at each turn. It's all about 'me' in the first draft, for most. But it's got to be all about 'you' at the end.
I think you'll get a kick out of April Yule. Coming soon. Brace yourselves: I've got a few tricks up my sleeves that top the misdirection with the poor guy in the basement.
February 6, 2013
Beat the Clock: Part Two
One day I expect to look back on this past Tuesday night as one of my life's bigger moments. I'd worked two jobs for years while battling for time as a writer. And I'd finally given notice at my second job. Tuesday was to have been my last night.
But I wasn't making the move in a decisive enough spirit. I was worrying about the lost income. Now, I didn't want to work that last night. My main job's a night position: 7 nights on, 7 days off. And I'd have lost my full first day off, sleeping for four or five hours after a ten hour night sift, then working six hours at job #2. Plus, my part-time boss had been treating me worse by the week.. But hang on, the good part's at hand. Here it is:
I sat down with a pencil and paper, then examined the finances with a cold eye: I figured out what I was actually making on the part-time job if I factored in cab fare from there to job #1. Then I began to strategize: How could I make more money by working just the one job? E.G.: Scrap the cab fare: $48/month. Eliminate the first morning coffee at Starbucks. Switch from $2.00 single servings of oatmeal to a box containing eight servings at $.40 apiece. Switch from 20-oz bottled waters at $1.00-$1.25 apiece to 24-bottle cases, on sale: approx. $.10 a bottle.
I also asked for, and received, an extra hour a day at the main job.
You get the idea. Without suffering in any way financially, I could scrap the part-time job I hated and by following my game plan, I could make about $300 more a month. I could continue to work for about 3 hours a day on my work nights and as many hours as I please on my off days. I could put on more serious speed in building an online body of work.
Back to Tuesday night: I called out and said, "That's it. I can't come back, I'm busy." And I wrote with, at long last, a true warrior's heart. I'd escaped a dependent position. I'd flipped the bird at bad treatment. And I'd taken better ownership of my time and money.
But I wasn't making the move in a decisive enough spirit. I was worrying about the lost income. Now, I didn't want to work that last night. My main job's a night position: 7 nights on, 7 days off. And I'd have lost my full first day off, sleeping for four or five hours after a ten hour night sift, then working six hours at job #2. Plus, my part-time boss had been treating me worse by the week.. But hang on, the good part's at hand. Here it is:
I sat down with a pencil and paper, then examined the finances with a cold eye: I figured out what I was actually making on the part-time job if I factored in cab fare from there to job #1. Then I began to strategize: How could I make more money by working just the one job? E.G.: Scrap the cab fare: $48/month. Eliminate the first morning coffee at Starbucks. Switch from $2.00 single servings of oatmeal to a box containing eight servings at $.40 apiece. Switch from 20-oz bottled waters at $1.00-$1.25 apiece to 24-bottle cases, on sale: approx. $.10 a bottle.
I also asked for, and received, an extra hour a day at the main job.
You get the idea. Without suffering in any way financially, I could scrap the part-time job I hated and by following my game plan, I could make about $300 more a month. I could continue to work for about 3 hours a day on my work nights and as many hours as I please on my off days. I could put on more serious speed in building an online body of work.
Back to Tuesday night: I called out and said, "That's it. I can't come back, I'm busy." And I wrote with, at long last, a true warrior's heart. I'd escaped a dependent position. I'd flipped the bird at bad treatment. And I'd taken better ownership of my time and money.
January 31, 2013
Something Liquid This Way Comes
Mark this on your calendars if you have any hope of succeeding:
When: February 12.
Where: Authors Electric blog: http://authorselectric.blogspot.com
What: A magnum of Dom Perignon in the form of a new post entitled: Give My Tootsie Role a Hug. A mindblowing, true account--containing a great deal of bubbly--about the greatest untold scandal in the history of publishing. I'm proud to have been part of it and look forward to sharing top secrets that may help you break into print.
See you there!
Reb MacRath
Learn:
--How you too can change past negative perceptions and be seen with a fresh eye.
--How you can get a Good Address.
--Why you're better off ignoring agents' demands for your bio.
--Why you should refuse to speak with, even meet, any agent until they're officially handling your work.
And, while you're at it, learn the Almighty Shockeroo--all on February 12!
When: February 12.
Where: Authors Electric blog: http://authorselectric.blogspot.com
What: A magnum of Dom Perignon in the form of a new post entitled: Give My Tootsie Role a Hug. A mindblowing, true account--containing a great deal of bubbly--about the greatest untold scandal in the history of publishing. I'm proud to have been part of it and look forward to sharing top secrets that may help you break into print.
See you there!
Reb MacRath
Learn:
--How you too can change past negative perceptions and be seen with a fresh eye.
--How you can get a Good Address.
--Why you're better off ignoring agents' demands for your bio.
--Why you should refuse to speak with, even meet, any agent until they're officially handling your work.
And, while you're at it, learn the Almighty Shockeroo--all on February 12!
January 28, 2013
Biggers Can Be Choosers
As you'll have noted from the last blogs, my sights are now trained on Perception. And I'm taking five from Perception at large to improving Perception on Twitter. Here's why...
Take a minute or two to sit at your computer screen and watch Twitter's general stream. About 200 Tweets seem to flash by every minute. And anything you Tweet will be vanish from the screen in a second or two, missed by the very people whom you hope to reach--unless: 1) You have a substantial Followers base; 2) You ReTweet your core Followers who ReTweet you in turn; 3) You maintain a healthy balance between your 'shout-outs' (touts for your own work) and reach-outs--inspirational, informative or helpful stuff to others.
Let's look at each of these in turn...
1) What's a substantial Followers base? We begin to be taken more seriously at 1000 Followers. Then at 3000 we can take some pride that we're actually starting to look pretty good. But I now agree with John Logan: 10,000 seems to be the magic number--the point at which we're taken very seriously indeed...and at which we make super-desirable allies.
2) With a base of 10,000 we're in a position to offer them something important: the power to ReTweet about their new books and giveaways, etc. And our 10,000 Followers have their own fans in turn. When Claude Bouchard ReTweets you, the word goes out to his 300,000-plus Followers. Getting up to 10,000 will take some hard daily work...but as Logan says, the growth process grows easier. The rich get richer and the big get bigger. And biggers can be choosers.
2) Balance becomes everything. If we're perceived as spammers or self-aggrandizing jerks, down we go: we get Unfollowed or get blocked. No one minds an occasional tout or even more than occasional--so long as balance is perceived. And we're more likely to buy or free-download something from someone who's amused or amazed us with well-written, unselfish Tweets. I discovered nearly all of my ebook writers on Twitter--through the power of their Tweets: Claude Bouchard, David Cranmer, Kirkus MacGowan, Roz Morris, John Logan, Rebecca Scarsberry, Diane Rapp, Douglas R. Cobb, etc.
Closing note on numbers: I hope to find a balance between Bouchard's volume and selectivity. Now and then I'll copy a block of Followers from a writer I like to help me gain some traction. But I prefer to examine each name, seeking those who share my interest in mysteries and thrillers or who stand out somehow in their profiles. Anyway, the game is on and I will keep you posted.
Take a minute or two to sit at your computer screen and watch Twitter's general stream. About 200 Tweets seem to flash by every minute. And anything you Tweet will be vanish from the screen in a second or two, missed by the very people whom you hope to reach--unless: 1) You have a substantial Followers base; 2) You ReTweet your core Followers who ReTweet you in turn; 3) You maintain a healthy balance between your 'shout-outs' (touts for your own work) and reach-outs--inspirational, informative or helpful stuff to others.
Let's look at each of these in turn...
1) What's a substantial Followers base? We begin to be taken more seriously at 1000 Followers. Then at 3000 we can take some pride that we're actually starting to look pretty good. But I now agree with John Logan: 10,000 seems to be the magic number--the point at which we're taken very seriously indeed...and at which we make super-desirable allies.
2) With a base of 10,000 we're in a position to offer them something important: the power to ReTweet about their new books and giveaways, etc. And our 10,000 Followers have their own fans in turn. When Claude Bouchard ReTweets you, the word goes out to his 300,000-plus Followers. Getting up to 10,000 will take some hard daily work...but as Logan says, the growth process grows easier. The rich get richer and the big get bigger. And biggers can be choosers.
2) Balance becomes everything. If we're perceived as spammers or self-aggrandizing jerks, down we go: we get Unfollowed or get blocked. No one minds an occasional tout or even more than occasional--so long as balance is perceived. And we're more likely to buy or free-download something from someone who's amused or amazed us with well-written, unselfish Tweets. I discovered nearly all of my ebook writers on Twitter--through the power of their Tweets: Claude Bouchard, David Cranmer, Kirkus MacGowan, Roz Morris, John Logan, Rebecca Scarsberry, Diane Rapp, Douglas R. Cobb, etc.
Closing note on numbers: I hope to find a balance between Bouchard's volume and selectivity. Now and then I'll copy a block of Followers from a writer I like to help me gain some traction. But I prefer to examine each name, seeking those who share my interest in mysteries and thrillers or who stand out somehow in their profiles. Anyway, the game is on and I will keep you posted.
January 23, 2013
Beat the Clock: The Advanced Version
Self-discipline can be the highest form of pure self-indulgence. At least when it comes to managing multiple projects in writing. Today I had a twelve-hour creative bout that illustrates this truth.
I'm exhausted, I can tell you. From my blissed-out expression you might assume quite naturally that I'd been doing something else. But I was playing Beat the Clock, balancing three different projects--reveling in each of them and then moving brutally on.
#1: Continuing the marathon first draft of the third Boss MacTavin novel. Since November 5, I've drafted at least 500 words every day. The temptation now, in the home stretch, is to drop everything else and devote every hour of my time to getting the ending on paper. But no--and no for a good reason. Why's that? Because when I've reached my word quota, and when I stop at a critical point, I shut the door on the boiler...and let the pressure build all night. When the next day comes I'm all fired up to go. I also stoke my confidence by sticking to my schedule. Though some can go faster, I'm well aware, each day my faith grows with my pride: I'm getting it done on my timeline.
#2: Typing up what I've drafted so far. I should have started this months ago. To get caught up and avoid a massive typing chore, I need to type a minimum of 5 pages a day. Or in 40 days 200 pages. Tiring work but here's the kick: If I stay on track with both #1 and #2, I'll have the new book drafted and typed by about the end of February--leaving me 6 or 7 months to rewrite and fine-tune for a fall release. The payoff there is very sweet.
#3: While all this is going on, I need to completely rewrite and retype my next ebook--because it isn't on flashdrive. It's on disc somewhere, I know. But rather than frantically searching, I'm retyping for the chance to go at this thing freshly, as a new work of art and not just a backlist title. To stay on schedule, I need to rewrite and type at least 7 pages a day. Neatly. Spell-checked. Ready for my formatter.
The self-discipline part is obvious. The self-indulgence part required a cartoon lightbulb. But, luckily, I realized: I don't 'gotta' do this stuff--man, I get to do it! And I'm glad I do. So don't be alarmed by my curious smile. I haven't stumbled off the set of an adult film. I've just been playing Beat the Clock.
I'm exhausted, I can tell you. From my blissed-out expression you might assume quite naturally that I'd been doing something else. But I was playing Beat the Clock, balancing three different projects--reveling in each of them and then moving brutally on.
#1: Continuing the marathon first draft of the third Boss MacTavin novel. Since November 5, I've drafted at least 500 words every day. The temptation now, in the home stretch, is to drop everything else and devote every hour of my time to getting the ending on paper. But no--and no for a good reason. Why's that? Because when I've reached my word quota, and when I stop at a critical point, I shut the door on the boiler...and let the pressure build all night. When the next day comes I'm all fired up to go. I also stoke my confidence by sticking to my schedule. Though some can go faster, I'm well aware, each day my faith grows with my pride: I'm getting it done on my timeline.
#2: Typing up what I've drafted so far. I should have started this months ago. To get caught up and avoid a massive typing chore, I need to type a minimum of 5 pages a day. Or in 40 days 200 pages. Tiring work but here's the kick: If I stay on track with both #1 and #2, I'll have the new book drafted and typed by about the end of February--leaving me 6 or 7 months to rewrite and fine-tune for a fall release. The payoff there is very sweet.
#3: While all this is going on, I need to completely rewrite and retype my next ebook--because it isn't on flashdrive. It's on disc somewhere, I know. But rather than frantically searching, I'm retyping for the chance to go at this thing freshly, as a new work of art and not just a backlist title. To stay on schedule, I need to rewrite and type at least 7 pages a day. Neatly. Spell-checked. Ready for my formatter.
The self-discipline part is obvious. The self-indulgence part required a cartoon lightbulb. But, luckily, I realized: I don't 'gotta' do this stuff--man, I get to do it! And I'm glad I do. So don't be alarmed by my curious smile. I haven't stumbled off the set of an adult film. I've just been playing Beat the Clock.
January 20, 2013
Perception, perception, perception!
In The Graduate, of course, the one word intended as the Universal Key was: "Plastics!" But in the life of Kelley Wilde, the Midlist Monster I once was, quite a different magic word was uttered in an SUV by an older writer I admired. This was John Farris, who'd published some Serious Novels while barely out of his teens and then went on to put his mark on the horror and thriller genres. If you've ever read The Fury or seen the Brian DePalma film version, you know who John Farris is. John is the man of whom Stephen King had said that he wanted to be John Farris: great plotter, great plot twister, great master of suspense...and all-around great prose stylist.
Anyway, what was the word? In the SUV that night, we got to talking about the changed publishing landscape. My own trad-pub career had tanked after just four books. And John, while he maintained a solid core of about 100,000 readers, made regular treks to LA to land just one more chance in films--and recapture the glory of the days when he'd worked with DePalma, John Cassavetes, Kirk Douglas...
John was in his sixties the night that we sat there and wondered. And suddenly, in the middle of a longish silence, he cried out: : "Perception, perception, perception!" He could not elaborate on this. Nor did he really have to. He still had a youthful face (King had suggested that Farris had a portrait of Dorian Gray stashed somewhere). He wore his hair longer, stylishly hip. He'd changed, in the years since we'd first met, from bland striped polo-style shirts and chinos to jeans and denim shirts with sunglasses tucked at the neckline. He was a charming raconteur. A man of enormous creative and personal power. He was well-respected by those in the know and had big buckeroos in the bank. That said, he'd put on some pounds and he was in his sixties and his work did not easily translate to film--nothing had clicked since The Fury.
Now, all these years later, the word comes to me. Though John Farris and I drifted when I moved to the West Coast, I know I was given a fabulous gift: this mantra that I've finally begun to understand after all these years. The single word I live by.
And this next week, I'll go into full gladiator mode as I begin to apply what I've learned: redoing my Amazon bio and the book descriptions. The full transformation will be from a struggling ebook writer to--
Ah, but that part is Top Secret, as my good friend John Logan would say.
Stay tuned and remember: Perception, perception, perception!
Anyway, what was the word? In the SUV that night, we got to talking about the changed publishing landscape. My own trad-pub career had tanked after just four books. And John, while he maintained a solid core of about 100,000 readers, made regular treks to LA to land just one more chance in films--and recapture the glory of the days when he'd worked with DePalma, John Cassavetes, Kirk Douglas...
John was in his sixties the night that we sat there and wondered. And suddenly, in the middle of a longish silence, he cried out: : "Perception, perception, perception!" He could not elaborate on this. Nor did he really have to. He still had a youthful face (King had suggested that Farris had a portrait of Dorian Gray stashed somewhere). He wore his hair longer, stylishly hip. He'd changed, in the years since we'd first met, from bland striped polo-style shirts and chinos to jeans and denim shirts with sunglasses tucked at the neckline. He was a charming raconteur. A man of enormous creative and personal power. He was well-respected by those in the know and had big buckeroos in the bank. That said, he'd put on some pounds and he was in his sixties and his work did not easily translate to film--nothing had clicked since The Fury.
Now, all these years later, the word comes to me. Though John Farris and I drifted when I moved to the West Coast, I know I was given a fabulous gift: this mantra that I've finally begun to understand after all these years. The single word I live by.
And this next week, I'll go into full gladiator mode as I begin to apply what I've learned: redoing my Amazon bio and the book descriptions. The full transformation will be from a struggling ebook writer to--
Ah, but that part is Top Secret, as my good friend John Logan would say.
Stay tuned and remember: Perception, perception, perception!
January 16, 2013
Under Construction Like Crazy!
--Workouts for new photo.
--Hair training.--Continuing first draft of Untitled Boss MacTavin thriller #3.--Typing the 50-odd thousand words written so far.--Completely redoing ALL copy for Amazon listings: based on a Top Secret formula I've devised: to be changed on Amazon at a strategically orchestrated date.--Preparing to join an aggressive young team with a hot new website (100,000 hits, shooting for a million) and an online Live show. --Enjoying the heck out of my participation in the Authors Electric collective blog.--Cutting back from two jobs to one to ramp up my creative time.--Coming up daily with one new quip or zinger worthy inclusion in the Pink Book I've kept for ten years.
--Remembering who my friends are, no matter how busy I am--and trying a little bit harder to show my gratitude and love.
--Finding a better balance between reading for pleasure and reading for growth. Tackle one challenging classic a month.
Gee, I wish I had something to do.
--Hair training.--Continuing first draft of Untitled Boss MacTavin thriller #3.--Typing the 50-odd thousand words written so far.--Completely redoing ALL copy for Amazon listings: based on a Top Secret formula I've devised: to be changed on Amazon at a strategically orchestrated date.--Preparing to join an aggressive young team with a hot new website (100,000 hits, shooting for a million) and an online Live show. --Enjoying the heck out of my participation in the Authors Electric collective blog.--Cutting back from two jobs to one to ramp up my creative time.--Coming up daily with one new quip or zinger worthy inclusion in the Pink Book I've kept for ten years.
--Remembering who my friends are, no matter how busy I am--and trying a little bit harder to show my gratitude and love.
--Finding a better balance between reading for pleasure and reading for growth. Tackle one challenging classic a month.
Gee, I wish I had something to do.
January 13, 2013
I retire, for now, from reviewing
No choice involved here, I do have to stop while I can still look back on my reviews with both pride and pleasure. All were written from the heart. But the perils of reviewing are far more complex than I'd thought.
I remembered Rachel Abbot's tale of what happened when she was asked to review a book she thought third-rate. She contacted the writer forthrightly to tell him why she couldn't review his book. He responded by posting a one-star review of her best-selling novel. Rachel stopped reviewing. And now so have I with great thanks to her for freeing me to read for pleasure and for growth while focusing on my own writing.
Cheers.
And, for the record, my last review gave a well-earned five stars to Sparks: A Year in E-Publishing. Check it out!
I remembered Rachel Abbot's tale of what happened when she was asked to review a book she thought third-rate. She contacted the writer forthrightly to tell him why she couldn't review his book. He responded by posting a one-star review of her best-selling novel. Rachel stopped reviewing. And now so have I with great thanks to her for freeing me to read for pleasure and for growth while focusing on my own writing.
Cheers.
And, for the record, my last review gave a well-earned five stars to Sparks: A Year in E-Publishing. Check it out!
