Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 54
August 26, 2016
Seed Me Signing at West Edmonton Mall
Following the events of the August book launch at Happy Harbor Comics, I’ll be heading over to West Edmonton Mall Chapters for a signing of Seed Me. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, the World Mother score, tshirts, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Saturday, September 10th from 11:00am – 4:00pm
Chapters – West Edmonton Mall
8882 170th, Edmonton, AB T5T 4M2
Mark your calendars.
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August 24, 2016
A.F. Stewart Discusses Writing Speculative Fiction
This month’s guest author is A.F. Stewart who has a history of writing fantasy, sci-fi and horror novels, along with poetry. Her work has been published in various anthologies such as Beyond the Wail, Legends and Lore and Mechanized Masterpieces from Xchyler Publishing. She has kindly agreed to join us in discussing the broad Speculative Fiction genre and offering some of her insight.
Thanks for joining us A.F. Stewart, to start, tell us a bit about who you are.
I hail from Canada, and lead a very boring life. No great adventures for me unless you count doing the grocery shopping. I split my time between the everyday of life and my sessions of hunt and peck at the computer to write my books. To date, I’ve published several collections of short stories, a few novellas, and four volumes of poetry.
To relax, I like reading (of course), watching TV shows and movies (especially the show Supernatural, action movies, and good sci-fi), and I practice art as a hobby. I love geeky collectables, and have a mild obsession with scarves.
What got you into writing?
I’ve always been writing, since my little fingers could hold a pencil as a child. Stories, poems, even an ill-conceived attempt at songwriting, ideas have been binging about in my head for as long as I can remember (maybe even longer).
Speculative Fiction is an umbrella term for a number of genres, what is your favorite one to write?
My favourite one to write is fantasy, possibly because it’s my favourite genre to read, but I think I may do my best work when I write horror. That’s probably why so many of my stories lean to the dark side, even when they are in other genres. Fantasy though, is where my heart lies, flying with the dragons, conjuring spells, going on quests with your sword at the ready.
What was the first book that you wrote?
A very bad attempt at a Harlequin romance novel, which will stay forever hidden from the world. It was a learning experience, though. It taught me I truly suck at writing romance novels. Magic and mayhem, that’s my specialty.
Two of A.F. Stewart’s novels.
Something I always ask authors – what made you choose self-publishing?
I started way, way back at the beginning, when self-publishing was just starting to take off (back even before Createspace and Kindle). It seemed to me a great way to test the waters so to speak, to see if readers liked what I wrote, or if I my work was totally irredeemable. I published my first book of poetry, and a book of short stories to favourable reception, and kept on going.
You’re published in a number of anthologies, what were the first steps you took to be a part of your first anthology publication?
I love short stories, reading and writing them, so getting involved in anthologies had to happen for me. I started with self-publishing collections of my own stories, and did a collaborate anthology freebie with some writer friends. But the first small press, multi-author anthology came about due to my budding interest in steampunk. I had been toying with the idea of writing a steampunk story, and then I saw the call from Xchyler Publishing for Mechanized Masterpieces. They were asking for submissions that combined steampunk and classic literature, a tailor made combo for me. So I took a chance, wrote and submitted Our Man Fred, a clockwork spy tale staring Scrooge’s nephew from A Christmas Carol. To my surprise they accepted it. I’ve since had two more stories published in their anthologies, plus a few in the Christmas Lites series, and some others as well.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
I wish I knew. (Then I could bottle it and sell it. Ready-made story inspiration only 2.99.) Really, anything can trigger an idea in my head: something I overhear, an online article, a photo, even a sound. I once got a story idea washing dishes and listening to the noise of a plane flying by. My mind is a strange place.
Do you find writing short stories easier than longer ones (say 60,000 words and up)?
In a word, yes. Short stories have far less plot to figure out. Not to mention no pesky subplots, or dangling loose ends to weave into the storyline. Novels are richer in scope, but definitely harder and more complex to write. And getting a short story just right, twisting it in that perfect way, that is a particularly fine satisfaction. Plus, it’s easier to kill off characters in short stories, as you don’t get so attached.
What do you currently have in the works?
Many, many things. I’m currently compiling a horror poetry book to be published in October for my annual Halloween celebrations. I’m also finishing the first draft of my seafaring fantasy novella, Ghosts of the Sea Moon; that should be done in the next few weeks and ready for publication by the end of the year. Plus, I’m working on The Duke’s Assassin, the first novel in my steampunk horror series, and writing The Prophecy of Seven, the first book in my new epic fantasy series. And I have a steampunk adventure novel, Racing the Hellfire Club, ready to begin editing. Oh, I also have some short story collections kicking around in various stages of completion, and a book series planned to continue the adventures of my Camelot characters from the story Grail Days (found in the Legends and Lore anthology).
Thank you again A.F. for joining us to chat about your experience and the various genres you write in.
You can find A.F. Stewart’s latest updates on her blog at afstewartblog.blogspot.ca. You can also find her work on Amazon.
A.F. Stewart is also active on the following social sites:
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August 16, 2016
First Time at When Words Collide
This year I had the opportunity to go to When Words Collide in Calgary, Alberta. For those that do not know, it is a yearly non-profit festival that is all about writing. This means writers, readers, agents, editors and publishers alike come together to share, learn and discover literary for a full weekend.
I had initially learned about the festival a year ago when I was having a book signing at the Sentry Box. They were kind enough to inform me about the festival and as soon as tickets went on sale, I got mine!
The reason for my rush is, to my knowledge, there are very few writing conventions here in Western Canada and I wanted to guarantee the chance to go. The only other convention I am aware of is Star Fest in St. Albert. Please correct me if I am wrong though, I would love to join more.
The Arrival at When Words Collide
While driving down from Edmonton, I kept thinking to myself: What can I expect?
I have gone to a number of comic conventions and could get a rough idea what I’d experience but didn’t fully grasp it fully until I arrived. Once I obtained my badge, program guide and schedule, I was in awe at the amount of options available throughout the day. There were a good 10-11 programs going on at any one time. Unfortunately there was only one of me and I had to pick and choose what to do.
The Objective
The intention for the weekend was to meet fellow authors and learn new techniques on reaching readers. Writing is a very isolated craft and meting people in the industry has been a challenge for me. I also wanted to find ways to broaden my reader base in the online world, eBooks specifically.
These were the primary goals for the weekend and it was not a letdown. I connected with many authors through events like the “Writer’s Speed Mingle” and obtained pages worth of notes from great panels on all three days at the festival.
Adam Dreece on Indie Writing
The most valuable information happened to be the theories that I learned from the panels, workshops and in casual conversation from other writers. Every author has had a different experience with their writing, even though we often go through the same struggles and emotions. Hearing their feedback and how they tackle situations was well worth the travel on its own.
The Reading
Another great aspect of When Words Collide was the opportunity I had to share my new novel Seed Me. On the Saturday I partook in a 10 minute live reading of the novel. It was a fantastic opportunity to be able to share the book with a fresh set of ears. The audience and other readers were all supportive of each other and it gave us all a chance to fine-tune our reading skills.
Wrapping Up and Heading Home
Throughout the weekend I was rejuvenated with the writing spirit. The three days flew by and it was over before I knew it. The ability to introduce myself to new authors, connect with previously established relationships, and plan for the future made it an amazing experience. What I enjoyed was the fact it provided an even playing field for all writers, indie or published, new or veteran. It didn’t matter, everyone was thrilled to be there for their passion of writing and talked to one another as peers.
I would recommend anyone who has an interest in writing to join in next year. As I mentioned previously, writing tends to be a very isolated experience and it is incredibly insightful to know there are others out there too. Building a network of like-minded people is highly important for any form of success.
Hanging out at the Sentry Box booth.
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August 10, 2016
Want To Write A Fiction Novel? Part 1 – The Premise
So you’ve decided that you want to write a book, congratulations! That’s a big commitment. Do you already know what your book is about? If you have this one figured out then you are off to a good start. Or perhaps you have always enjoyed writing but have never been able to piece together the necessary components to make a full manuscript. Maybe you got a great scenario or concept but nothing seems to piece together beyond that. So, that leads us to the big question, where do you begin writing a novel? One words for that:
Premise
The premise should be the very first step when it comes to working on a new novel (or any literary piece for that matter). To summarize it in the simplest terms:
The premise is your novel’s setting, the protagonist and the challenges and or desires that they face.
It is the foundation of your whole book. Ask other writers from any field, it is highly recommended to define a premise before you dive into the writing. Trust me, it will save you a ton of headaches down the road. Even if you hash out a rough version as a guideline that no one else sees.
Already have a premise in mind? Great, then the next thing to do is get it out of your mind and onto some paper (or a digital document). Scribbling the idea down so you have it in reality, it is the first stepping stone of many to come.
If you don’t have a premise in mind, it is time to flesh one out. This is a lot more challenging than it seems and there is a chance your premise will change over time while you develop the plot. Your premise doesn’t need to be overly complicated either, it can be as simple as a couple of sentences or as long as several paragraphs. I wouldn’t recommend going much further than that, if you do, it basically becomes your plot outline or possibly your first chapter. Keep it short and direct.
Your premise is the plot from a 5,000 foot view.
To further support the statement above, your premise can be composed of three main components, The Setting, Protagonist and their desire(s):
The Setting – Where does your novel take place in? Is it modern times? The future? Another dimension with talking roadkill? Another way to look at it is – what type of stories do you like to read? Make that your setting.
The Protagonist – Who is your primary character? Where do they fit into the setting? Why are they here?
The Protagonist’s Desire – What drives your protagonist? Are they seeking revenge? Are they wanting to bring goodness back into the world or perhaps they have a deep rooted lust that they are wanting to fulfil with another character.
The protagonist as a whole is a much larger topic that we will go over in another post. You can find some insight into character development from the “Defining a Character” series that I had written previously. These three components can open a whole can of worms for ideas. The protagonist’s desire can spark the idea of who the antagonist is. The setting can define the protagonist’s supporting cast. However, for the premise, think short and simple. Remember, you want to summarize this in one to two sentences.
Your Exercise
To practice, try creating three different, one to two sentence premises. Don’t worry, you don’t have to write three full novels based on these premises if you don’t want to. The idea behind this exercise is to think big and broad. Make these premises as dramatic, ridiculous or as serious as you’d like.
Share these premises in the comments if you’d like some thoughts on them.
There are many online resources if you want to dive deeper into what a premise is. Some links that may be useful to you are listed below:
The Premise of Your Story
How to structure a premise for stronger stories
Story Concept and Story Premise: Do You Know the Crucial Difference?
Keep watch for part two where we will dive deeper into shaping your story with plot outlines.
The post Want To Write A Fiction Novel? Part 1 – The Premise appeared first on Konn Lavery.
August 2, 2016
Unprocessed Thoughts – August
Summer is here, meaning more time outside is needed. Hence in the month of July I was rather vacant. Plus, with the launch of my new novel Seed Me I haven’t had a lot of time to spend on blogging. A lot of it has been spent on social media promotional posters, contacting media for press releases, novel/eBook reviewers and agents. Yes, the last one is also true, I’ve decided I’d take the next step with my writing and find a literary agent.
Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts.
Initially I went on the self-publishing path because I was against finding any outside help in fear of lack of control over my work. It was very D.I.Y. and quite frankly a little naïve. After releasing four books, introducing myself to authors in person and online, I gained enough experiences and feedback within the industry to figure out where I want to go with writing.
“So what is that?” you might be asking. Ultimately I’d like to sell more books to be self-sustaining on just writing as is every author’s dream. To get there, I’ve decided I can’t wear all the hats that are required. The writer, the cover/book formatting designer, the promoter, the salesman, the marketing manager, etc. It’s just too much for one person to be effective at them all. In 2015 I had bought the Literary Guide to Agents and had it collect dust for a good year and a half while I was still writing Seed Me. Now is the time to put it into use. It provided solid advice on building an author platform by having a strong online presence. This can attract agents when you submit queries to them. It makes sense, everyone does background investigation on Google in today’s society. Those initial search results are an important first impression… and that’s where July went.
Oh, also, on the last weekend of the month I attended Western Canada’s only Industrial music festival, Terminus: Gravity. It was a much needed get-away with new friends, old friends and blaring tunes.
A video posted by Konn Lavery (@_konnartist) on Jul 31, 2016 at 1:50pm PDT
The highlights were seeing the bands 16 Volt, Hate Dept. and my home town, Edmonton’s Strvngers.
Moving forward into August, looking like another busy month. I will be attending the When Words Collide. Here’s their official description:
When Words Collide is an annual non-profit festival designed to bring readers and writers together in a celebration of the written word. Up to 10 tracks of programming, beginning at 1 PM on Friday and running through 5 PM Sunday, offer informational, educational, and social activities covering a wide spectrum of literature including Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Literary, Script-writing, Poetry, Comics, and Non-fiction. Roughly 650 readers, writers, editors, publishers, agents, and artists attend with over 200 presenters in our program.
I am very excited to be attending and will be giving a 10 minute pitch reading of Seed Me at the event.
Shortly after When Words Collide I will be having the official launch of Seed Me at Happy Harbor Comics with a live reading and physical copies of the novel and score.
While all of this is going on, somewhere in there, I will be finding time to write the next novel (what could it be?).
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July 15, 2016
Seed Me Now Available!
I am pleased to say that after two years in the works, Seed Me is finally available for order! The Edmonton-based horror story has gone through a number of revamps and has pushed my creativity to its limits. Glad to finally “close this chapter” is a good figure of speech. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did working on the book. Please share with your friends and if leave a review if you’d like.
Observe through the eyes of Logan, who is obsessed in trying to uncover who is behind the famous 4-20 Drain Murder after his ex-girlfriend was murdered. He and his friends struggle to find answers while dealing with drug addiction, the living dead and being stalked by cultists.
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July 5, 2016
Vince Seim epic fantasy author of Heaven, Hell & Humanity
This month’s guest author is Vince Seim, the creator of the Heaven, Hell & Humanity series. Vince and Chance Clark – the illustrator – and I met at the Calgary Comic Expo. I saw their booth covered with prints, bookmarks and the book series themselves. The epic-fantasy novels were an impressive size, the spine had to be about 2 inches thick and around 160,000 words, something that you do not normally see at conventions. We struck up a conversation about our writing practices and the joys and struggles of self-publishing.
Vince, thank you for joining us. Tell us a bit about yourself and the Heaven, Hell & Humanity series.
I am the writer and creator of the H3 Trilogy, and my counterpart, Mr. Chance Clark, is the Visual Merc, the artist who does the covers and prints to bring the characters into being. The trilogy has been the conclusion of six years worth of writing, rewriting, editing, and major revamp. After the endless tweaking, we have begun the epic tale of Heaven, Hell, & Humanity.
The premise of our series is that Earth is a prison world for the High Heavens. Dissident angels are stripped of their powers and immortality, being cast down. Over centuries, two factions form out of the beliefs of redemption and vengeance. The kingdoms of Humanity are trapped within the midst of the conflict.
Our first book, A Mortal Mistake, revolves around the impact of actions and beliefs, upon ourselves, our family & friends, and even those we do not know. Primarily the effect of our mistakes. The sequel, A Fallen Redemption, focuses upon the desire and need for redemption.
Six years is a long time! How did you first get into writing?
Cliché as it may sound, I have been writing for as long as I can remember, always using my robust little imagination to create stories. The H3 trilogy is the culmination of decades of my story ideas to be utilized into character driven adventures within a complex world. I am a visual person and the book is also my way of painting these characters and environments. As I could not draw the images within my head, not to the level to do them justice, I chose the path of writing the story and leaving the art to Mr. Clark.
You work with illustrator Chance Clark who draws the characters and creatures found within the series, what made you want to include drawings with your writing?
The decision to ask Chance to draw the characters came upon seeing his initial sketches for the first book cover. From my original sketches to Chance’s finished Sven character, with his attention to detail and the thought process that went into the character, I knew I had to convince him to come onboard. With the world and characters we created, we wanted to have an avenue that may appeal to those who do not enjoy reading or enjoy distinct visual reference of the characters they are reading about. The art allows people to appreciate what we are creating and adds a level of depth within the story itself.
Tell us a bit about the process you and Chance have with coming up with characters and the lore of the story.
While a lot of the characters and story lore were already created, everything has also evolved as the story has progressed. We use each other as sounding boards for ideas and concepts. The ability has allowed stronger ideas and concepts to grow, as well as questioning towards those already implemented. Chance adds a visual strength to everything we do with his extremely high level to detail.
What were your inspirations to get into writing and have you done other types of writing beyond fantasy?
Amongst my wide taste in reading, I have always enjoyed historical novels but sci-fi and fantasy the most. I love them for the creativity that is afforded within the genres. When writing my own, that aspect allowed my imagination to go to whatever depths it desired. As such, we can create something truly unique that is very much our own.
Most new novels tend to be around 60,000 words, the H3 series is well beyond that. What was the thought process behind the sizing?
The size was merely a product of story and character depth. For a first time author, choosing the intensive epic story was ambitious and taxing, but we also write what we enjoy. I enjoy multiple characters and story arcs that add to the complexity of the story. Ultimately, this also adds to the size of the book.
What’s your biggest challenge being an author?
The biggest challenge, is perhaps the marketing and connecting with our audience outside of the obvious finances of self-publishing. While it is a very popular and widely read genre, there are a large number of fantasy novels out there. We believe our use of angels and demons within a fantasy fiction is something unique, but it in itself poses difficulties. Creating something new and different, it can sometimes take quite a bit to pique a person’s interest enough to stray from their norm or expand their area of intrigue.
Do you have any other books planned after the trilogy?
Our story and world is designed to extend far beyond the Heaven, Hell, & Humanity trilogy. In order to provide the depth we desired, the lore has been already created so the overall story aspects of sequel and prequel trilogies are in place. However, we have also discussed the possible writing of standalone character stories. Closer to the 80,000 words instead of our epic 185,000. This is all, of course, success permitting to explore our already established lore.
Any final thoughts to share?
Although very demanding and intensive, I would encourage anyone to pursue their imagination in whatever their medium. Let your passion for creating your own genuine stamp of creativity fuel the journey. We also appreciate you taking the time to visit and look forward to catching you at a future shows!
Thank you Vince for joining us for this month’s blog post! You can find Vince’s work at his website vinceseim.com or on Amazon, Facebook or Twitter.
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June 27, 2016
Exclusive Streaming of the World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score
That’s right, just as the title suggests. Why wait until July 2nd for the World Mother: Seed Me Novel score when you can stream the whole album now? The folks over at Brutal Resonance have an exclusive early streaming of the whole album on their website.
Listen to the World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score on Brutal Resonance!
As previously mentioned, the track featured four musicians including myself. The track listing is as follows:
Whyte Ave Waltz by Sean Lacroix
The Children
River Valley Walker
Wild Magic
River Valley Deepstalker
Disciple’s Ritual
World Mother by Apollyon’s Visage
Hellfire
Plod in Mud by Voice Industrie
Sprout
Album available July 2nd on Amazon and Bandcamp.
Photo credit: Nastassja Brinker
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June 18, 2016
Unprocessed Thoughts – June
Do you ever sporadically get a wild idea in your head, one that you feel is so exciting that you can’t get out of your mind? Basically you’re fixated on the concept until you follow through with the idea? Whether that is writing it down, drawing it, creating or performing it? They’re pretty intense and you can call it instinct or intuition if you’d like. I think they are worth following through on. Sometimes they are worth the effort and other times they are dead ends, but the exploration alone helps keep an open mind. It’s like a drill to keep you sharp.
This is another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts.
That introduction came from a moment I had during the weekend of Eek! Fest. I’ve recently finished a large workload of websites, logos, finalized Seed Me and World Mother. The break has given my brain a chance to breathe and have my thoughts question, like what am I doing with my life? The big ones.
I was at an alternative/industrial music event at a venue called Bohemia. There were about five bands playing. I haven’t had played jams or seen any concerts for a number of months. Specifically I went for a one-man synth pop project called Hello Moth who I had seen at Terminus Festival last year. His performance sparked a chorus idea in my head – a black metal industrial chorus – that I was fixated on for the remainder of the show and I didn’t have any note paper around to even jot the concept down.
A video posted by Konn Lavery (@_konnartist) on Jun 5, 2016 at 10:14am PDT
It stuck with me until I had a chance to write it down the next day at Eek! Fest. Whether the chorus will go anywhere or not I do not know, but putting it in my notebook was a way transfer the idea into reality and clear my head.
Personally, keeping an idea book is the core of my creative process, which I had mentioned in the post “Why You Should Keep an Idea Book”. It was actually how the idea of Seed Me came about. I was having late-night patio beers with some friends and watched a truck get pulled over by the cops and I rolled with the idea in my idea book. Two years later Seed Me was finished.
Both Seed Me and this chorus concept came around the same time of year, spring and summer. This happens to be the time period each year when I experiment with new ideas. It happens to be a lighter workload which gives me the time to try new things. Maybe it is a thing in Alberta. Summer is the quiet time for work and winter is busy time. Here in the prairies it’s nice out for about 3 months so no one else wants to work too – the rest of the year I am scheduled back to back. No complaints about spending the cold Albertan winters indoor working, it Is warm and keeps me out of trouble…
With summer coming up, I will explore that chorus concept and see where it goes. If something comes of it, I’ll throw it up on the Sound Cloud account. If not, I’ve got all summer to come up with new ideas for writing.
Also… I’m actually following through on the last Unprocessed Thoughts and spending time with friends, reading and for the first time in years, playing a game (Overwatch, which is VERY fun). Imagine that hey?
A normal work schedule has become a foreign concept to me this 8 hour work day is like I’m working half days.
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June 7, 2016
Christa Wojciechowski – Horror Novella Author of SICK
For this month’s guest author, I’d like to welcome Christa Wojciechowski, a fellow horror/thriller writer who focuses on novellas. Her work can be seen in the series titled SICK and her book The Wrong David. Christa and I will be chatting about her writing process and her books. Let’s get to know Christa.
Thanks for joining us Christa; tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, Konn. Thanks so much for having me. I’m a writer and Internet marketer. I live in Panama in a rustic little house surrounded by misty mountains and ever-blooming flowers. My passions are literature, writing, and nature. I actually hate sitting indoors all day, which isn’t a good trait for a person who works on the computer. I like to stay active with outdoor activities and yoga. So now that my business is developed and my books are on the upward track, my mission is to find that healthy balance between work and play. I’m developing a course for people who want the same lifestyle—a mobile working situation to live a life of more travel and adventure.
Awesome! You tend to write more novellas; why do you choose this style of writing versus novels or short stories?
It was mostly because I was frustrated. I had written a series of three full-length novels over the course of three NaNoWriMos, but when it came to time to tackle the revisions, I was completely overwhelmed. Work was busy, and I needed to focus on growing my business first, but I still wasn’t willing to give up on writing.
That’s when I had the idea to “speed publish” the SICK series. I wanted to get into a rhythm of write, revise, publish, repeat. Write, revise, publish, repeat. I kept getting stuck in these periods of self-doubt. I was waiting till my novel was perfect before releasing it, you know? But if you wait till you think it’s perfect, you’ll never get it done. I’ll see all sorts of room for improvement in what I thought was perfect yesterday. I’ll second-guess the whole thing, especially because the subject matter I’ve been writing about is so disturbing. The novella strategy forces me to publish before I chicken out.
I was also experimenting with this strategy to build a backlist and sell more books. I experiment with my own work so I can develop the best strategy for my clients, many of whom are indie authors too. I use Amazon’s KDP select and leverage their free days to get the first book into the readers’ hands. At the end of the book they’re prompted to buy the sequel. It’s an explosive way to expand your readership.
Tell us a bit about how you go about writing a new story.
I’m a very methodical person, so when I first began writing, I tried to outline everything to the minutest details. But strangely enough, my creative brain doesn’t work like that. I work best if I don’t think about the story in my downtime. I research and collect bits and pieces of life and form characters as I go about my day, but I try not to consciously map anything out. Then when I sit down, I just turn the creative beast loose and try to stay out of its way.
Afterward, I compartmentalize everything and make it nice and orderly for the analytic OCD brain’s demands. SICK was inspired by a nightmare, so it started with my subconscious, and I kept it that way. I’ve discovered that the creative process is a constant unfolding. Everything I see, hear, experience, and all that I’ve been through in my past informs my writing. It’s like I’m writing all the time in some secret corner of my brain. I think other writers have said this before—most writing takes place when I’m not at the keyboard.
You also offer Twitter services for writers, so you do more than just writing?
Yes, I build websites and design full-service social media marketing packages. Managing an Internet platform can be mind boggling for most people. It’s also a huge time suck, so I take the load off for my clients. Most aspiring writers have regular jobs, families, and other obligations. They want to save what little extra time they have for writing.
I have trial-by-fire experience and whole arsenal of amazing software that allows me to build awareness for a brand much more quickly and effectively. Most writers don’t understand, you’re not trying to sell your book to everyone. Not everyone is going to want it. You’re trying to find the people who do, and I believe every book has an audience; you just have to say hello and let them know you exist!
On the topic of marketing books, how do you find and engage fans?
It has taken a couple years to grow my small cult of readers. My books are not your mass-appeal stuff, so I never expected to have a bestseller or anything like that. I used the strategy mapped out in Kristen Lamb’s book, Rise of the Machines: Human Authors in a Digital World.
Like she suggests, I wrote about my passions on my blog, and I shared my interests on social media. I really focused on authenticity and reciprocity. I try to help others as much as I can. I try to contribute something valuable when leaving comments. This is how you bond with likeminded people. If they “get” you, they’ll “get” your books.
So Christa, do you have more books in the works?
I’m working on the third novella in the Sick Psychological Thriller series. I’m really pleased where it’s taking me so far. My characters are completely insane and so much stronger and deeper than I knew. I love them. I fucking love them.
Exciting! I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Something I enjoy asking: if you had one piece of advice to give aspiring writers, what would it be?
I would tell aspiring writers to not get discouraged. There is no reason to give up on your dream if you don’t sell any books right away.
All writers I’ve met, I mean ALL, have stars in their eyes when they get ready to publish their first book. Everyone has that feeling when they’ve created something special. Creativity is a divine force and we feel it’s destiny. The world has been waiting this book!
Many writers imagine uploading their copy to Amazon and waking up in the morning with 10,000 downloads. The truth is that, unless you have a large author platform and have some at least some basic PR skills, no one will know you have a book out. If you don’t know how to SEO your book for Amazon’s search engines, the likelihood of anyone stumbling across it are slim. Do you have an eye-catching book cover? Did you hire a professional editor? Or did you just slap up your final draft and expect people to ignore any flaws because it’s The Book of Destiny?
I think every writer must to go through this. It’s part of the process, and you have to try because, let’s face it, some writers do become overnight successes. You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy the ticket.
Still, I try to prepare my new author clients for the difficult road ahead. Even if your book is good, even if it’s extraordinary, you have to compete with the hundreds of thousands of other authors who have the exact same dream.
This is hard to explain to the first-time author. In my experience, they completely filter out my warnings and march ahead with a huge smile, ready for the confetti to fall and the champagne to pop. At this point, I just wait and let them go through it. Once they realize it’s not likely they’ll become famous overnight, then they’re all ears—and then we can get to work.
So go ahead, choose your dream cast, visualize what you’re going to wear on Good Morning America, and practice your autograph. Enjoy it. Never stop dreaming about it. Don’t give up! Just keep in mind that it may not happen with your first book. Years later, you’ll probably be thankful it wasn’t your first book. I know that I don’t want the stuff I wrote years ago to ever surface. Just trust that each challenge is a stepping-stone on your journey to becoming the writer you were meant to be. Keep writing. Build your backlist. Keep organically growing your author platform, and one day you will hit the tipping point and sell books on a regular basis.
Thank you again, Christa, for taking the time to chat about your writing. You can find Christa’s work on her website or on Amazon. She is also active on social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
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