Lynne Stringer's Blog, page 10

Selecting something different

I have a question for readers. How often do you try new genres? Do you ever think, ‘I’ve never read a book like that before. I’ll give it a go’ or do you tend to stick to genres you know you love?

There are certain genres I know I’m likely to love when I read them. Definitely romance. Science fiction. Fantasy. Historical fiction. Young adult books of difference subgenres. But I must confess I usually stay within the same confines. Sometimes it’s for reasons of self-preservation. For example, I steer clear of horror because I know they will disturb me and that’s not a good thing. Gratuitous violence or sex are other things I avoid. But I sometimes wonder if I’m avoiding some genres simply out of habit. I don’t usually read crime books. Perhaps I’d love them if I tried more of them. I bought one from another author at an event I attended recently. When my TBR pile starts to diminish, I hope to get to it!

I know a lot of people refuse to read my trilogy because it’s science fiction. However, so many have, upon reading it, amid rolling eyes and saying, ‘All right. I’ll give it a try.’ have then said, ‘Wow! I love it!’ A fellow author at this same book event bought The Heir to support me, even though it’s not a genre she’d normally try. I was surprised when a rave review from her was up on Amazon within 24 hours of the event! I was even more surprised when she purchase The Crown and The Reign on Kindle and had reviews of both of them up the following week! It was great too see, and was a reminder to me that I should occasionally think outside my usual genres.

Have you ever had an experience like this? Which book did you read, expecting not to like it because it was in a genre you didn’t normally like, yet discovered you loved it? Let me know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

All in the Family

Yesterday I had the honour of hosting the book launch for my father’s latest book at my house.

My dad has been writing books and getting them published for a lot longer than I have. He’s been writing seriously since 1985 and has published numerous books. Most are biographies of prominent British Christians, such as John Wesley, William Booth, and in his most recent book, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. You can check this book out here.

He has so many book now available under his name that he had no problem filling the large trestle table I had laid out for his use. It made my paltry total of three published novels pale by comparison. But as he told those who were at the launch, he’s been doing it a lot longer than me!

Although there was only a small crowd in attendance, they were an attentive bunch and made sure they went home with books. Two even bought copies of The Heir, which made me happy!

This event served to remind me what a writing family we are. In fact, this week at school, my nine year old son received praise from his teacher for his writing. They’ve been reading Roald Dahl’s book, The Twits, and had been asked to write an additional chapter. My son’s creation was so good he was asked to read it to both grade four classes! While I still believe any writing talents he has will be more likely employed in non-fiction when he grows up, it’s nice to know he has the creative streak as well.

So it was a real family affair when it came to writing this week, and that’s something I always enjoy.

Finding new fans

One of the most gratifying things about being an author is meeting someone who loves your books. There’s nothing like the feeling of someone sending you a message or coming to you excitedly with a copy of your work and saying, ‘I really loved this! Thanks so much for writing it! When’s your next book out?’

I was fortunate to see this happen to a fellow author this week. On Thursday evening I went to an event at my favourite bookstore, Little Gnome. The event was called ‘Wynnum UpLate’. Most shops in Wynnum (a suburb in Brisbane) close in the evenings, but they’ve now started to open them every once in a while, advertising ahead of time so the locals will know when it’s happening. Four other authors also attended, and we were happy to see that the footpaths around Little Gnome were reasonably busy, and had many good conversations with passers-by and with each other.

Diana Hockley was the author whose table was closest to mine. She writes crime stories set in Queensland. While we were chatting to various people, Diana got into a conversation with an interested reader. This woman, on looking at Diana’s books, frowned and said, ‘I think I’ve read this one.’

‘Really?’ said Diana.

‘Yes,’ said the woman, her eyes lighting up. ‘I loved it! Do these others follow the same story?’

So ensued a conversation that ended up in at least one sale for Diana, who was delighted to hear directly from a person who had already read one of her books and adored it, to such an extent that she was eager to get the follow up stories.

These are the kind of moments we authors love, especially those of us who are unknown. To have someone we don’t know, with eyes shining, tell us how much they love our books is something that keeps us going amidst the hard slog of being a new author, and all the visits, promo giveaways and begging bookstores to hold signings.

So if you’re a reader, reach out to your favourite author and let them know how much their writing means to you. It will help them to keep going.

Are you an author? What’s your favourite fan encounter story? Are you a reader? Have you ever met an author whose books you adore? Let me know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

 

And the winner is …

For the last month I’ve been running a competition for all you reviewers out there. During the month of February, I said that anyone who left a new review of The Heir, the first book in the Verindon trilogy, on Amazon US, would go in the draw to win an autographed set of the full trilogy.

I’m pleased to announce that the winner is Cecily Thew Paterson. Congratulations, Cecily!

Thank you so much to all of you who made the effort to review The Heir on Amazon US. While I didn’t quite make my target of 25 reviews, I’ve moved from only 18 up to 23. Hopefully some of the interest that’s been generated over the past month will mean more reviews are added soon. If you’ve already read The Heir please feel free to review it on Amazon US. Here’s the link. I’d really appreciate it. It makes a huge difference if you have more reviews. Also, if you’d like to read The Heir, you can click on that same link to purchase it on Kindle, or visit my Verindon page on this site to find out more.

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Remember, reviews are an author’s lifeblood. Please post as many as you can everywhere you can, especially if they’re rave reviews!

Your Last Chance!

In this week’s blog I wanted to remind you that there’s still time to review The Heir on Amazon US before my competition ends.

In the month of February I’ve been running a competition to try and get 25 reviews on Amazon US. The deal is, if you post your review by 29th February, then you’ll go into the draw to win an autographed set of the full Verindon trilogy! It think that’s a pretty great offer, and a few people must agree, because when I started this competition I only had 18 reviews on Amazon US and now I have 23.

I still need two more before I hit the magic number. Can you help me out? If you think you’d like to enter but don’t think you’d finish reading The Heir in time, just drop me a line to let me know you’ve purchased it and you’re intending to post a review. If you do that and can get it done within the next fortnight, then I’m happy to wait until then. However, if no one new contacts me I’ll be announcing the winner in next week’s blog.

I originally started this because I was told once a book has 25 reviews on Amazon they’d start making it a suggested read. Someone recently told me that they think it’s actually 35 reviews a book needs. *sigh* I’m hoping that’s not the case, but if it is, I might need to do another of these offers this time next year!

So if you’d like to win my trilogy please help me out by reviewing The Heir right here.

Exciting and Daunting

Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter may well have seen the news that I will have a new book published this year. The lead up to a new release is always an exciting time for an author, although it can be nerve wracking as well, as I wait to see how my new novel will be received.

It’s especially daunting this time, as my new novel is probably the most personal book I’ll ever write. It’s certainly the most personal I’ve written to date.

Called Once Confronted, it tells the story of a young woman named Maddy who’s on her gap year after high school. She’s working in a bookstore, and while she’s there one day, she becomes the victim of a violent crime.

The reason this book is so personal is because I too, used to work in a bookstore, and one day, while there, I became the victim of a violent crime. Fortunately, the event in my life was less harrowing than Maddy’s, but it meant that I could capture perfectly what the book is really about – that’s her recovery from what’s happened as she deals with the fear that becomes part of her daily life.

It becomes even more personal as Maddy grapples with the idea of forgiving the men who did this to her. This aspect of it is probably what has me the most worried, as I’m sure the idea that she even considers forgiving someone who’s wronged her in this way will be challenging for many people. It was challenging for me to write it, as it’s something I have had to grapple with myself. I have no idea of the identity of the man who held a knife to my wrist that day, and I probably never will know, so in my situation, being sure I’ve forgiven him is difficult. I think I’ve done it, but if he was face to face with me would I still feel that? I hope so.

In a way, I think this book is a challenge to me to make sure I mean it when I say I forgive him. That can be hard in the day to day, when thoughts of fear and danger might take hold and the anger that goes with that comes back. Mine was a long time ago now, so it’s not often that happens to me anymore, but it’s still something I have to be aware of and sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to step away from those kinds of feelings. It’s still hard, even after all these years.

How will my book be received? Some will like it. I’m sure some will not. That’s the same with any book, but considering this one’s subject matter and the buttons I’m sure it will push, it’s no wonder I’m a little nervous!

Are you a writer? What the most personal story you’ve ever written? Are you a reader? Which novels have challenged you the most? Let me know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

What editors do

I’ve been running my own private editing business for nearly four years now and prior to that I edited a newspaper/magazine and also some manuscripts for my publisher, Wombat Books/Rhiza Press. I think I do a pretty good job, all things considered. Of course, no single editor is going to suit everybody, but I’d like to think I’m good at helping people improve their books. I’ve certainly received positive feedback in my time and I know I’ve had some referrals based on the work I’ve done for some of my satisfied clients.

However, it’s always the ones who don’t like me that stick in my mind the most. Like just this week. I did a sample edit for a client so he could see the kind of work I do. When reading his novel, I noticed he had some problems with point of view. This is when an author jumps from one person’s point of view to another quickly, often several times in the same scene. It’s something that traditional publishers are strict about these days, as it annoys many readers (it certainly annoys me when I’m reading!). Also, there was a section when he was doing a lot of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’. This means he was just relating what happened as if he was filling you in quickly on what the characters are doing, rather than let the scene play out before the reader’s eyes. There were some other paragraphs that I tweaked a bit because I thought they could be better, but all in all, I thought, with a bit of work, he could have a pretty good manuscript on his hands.

However, it was clear by his reply that he didn’t agree with my assessment. He said (and I’m paraphrasing a little): ‘It’s clear that you have no understanding of the way to write a rural romance. I’m glad I sought out the opinion of a professional editor, or I wouldn’t have realised how much they drastically try and alter an author’s voice.’

Obviously not someone who’s going to become a regular client!

Looking back, I honestly don’t think I was too harsh on him. But unfortunately, some people seem to think that an editor is just going to correct a few spelling mistakes here and there and tell you your book is wonderful. No, correcting only spelling mistakes and punctuation errors is a proofreader’s job. My job is to tell you what’s wrong with your novel and what you need to fix up to make it the best it can be.

Yes, editors can be harsh sometimes. But guess what? The reader will be worse to you than we can ever be if they don’t like your book. Wait until you get your first negative review. Of course, every book, no matter how good, will usually receive a negative review from someone, but if you don’t listen to your editor, you could be getting a lot more than that, and you may end up with a bad reputation as an author. That will ruin any chance you have of doing well in this industry.

You don’t have to do everything your editor says. Sometimes it is just their opinion and yours will be better, as you understand your story better than anyone else. However, there’s a reason we’ve become professionals. It’s usually because we know what we’re doing. So if you ignore everything we say it likely won’t bode well for your book. Keep an open mind. Yes, we’re telling you your baby’s in need of drastic surgery, but sometimes that’s necessary in order for them to have the best and longest life possible.

Editing – a luxury?

This week is my final blog on the meme ‘What every reader needs to know’. This week I’m looking at the meme’s final point:

Not every self-pubbed author has an editor. Most of us aren’t rich and can’t afford $500 to edit a book, so be kind.

This is the only point the meme raises that I disagree with. I think it is essential to make sure you find a decent editor before you publish, and I’m not just saying this because I’m a professional editor.

I have read so many books that are, in all honesty, difficult to read simply because the book hasn’t received a professional edit, or even a professional proofread. I know there are people out there who don’t think it matters if books have spelling mistakes, but while a few here or there are understandable, some on every page is distracting. It certainly doesn’t help the reader stay engaged in the story.

There are also the other problems that can creep in when you don’t have an editor. Plot problems. Problems with inconsistent characterisations. Too much description. Insufficient explanation. The list is endless.

I know editing can cost a lot (I’d like to point out here that I only charge one cent per word and cover all the things I’ve mentioned). But no matter the cost, every writer needs an editor. Doing it yourself will help, especially if you’re good at English, but you’ll never spot all the problems. You’re too close to the story for that. You need someone with objectivity.

I know it’s difficult to afford a lot of these things. But in my mind, if you can afford a typesetter to lay out your book, someone to design the cover, and especially if you’re getting paperback copies and paying from them to be printed, you need to put aside money for editing as well. Because if you skip the editing phase and go straight to design and publication, you will be throwing away every cent you spend because it’s likely your book will not be anywhere near as good as it could be. It will result in fewer sales for you, probably more bad reviews than you would have otherwise received, and could give you a bad reputation as an author. This will not help you if you want to continue in this industry.

Why hamstring yourself from the start? Give yourself the best chance at success. Find a professional editor before you do anything else.

Are you a reader? Have you ever read a book that needed a good edit to such an extent that you couldn’t read it? Are you an author? In what ways have you benefitted from a professional edit? Let me know in the comments.

Reviews are an author’s lifeblood

Now it’s time for the third point raised in the meme ‘What every reader needs to know’.  It is as follows:

Amazon will only recommend a book if it has at least 25 reviews posted. The 3-5 minutes it takes to post a review is the life or death of that book and determines if it is a suggested read. No matter how great a book is (or isn’t) Amazon will let it die a slow death without reviews.

I can’t stress how important reviews are to an author, particularly Amazon reviews. Yes, I know a lot is said on how we must fight against Amazon’s stranglehold on the industry, etc, but the fact is, if you’re an author, it’s something you have to work with, and there’s no denying that having a high profile on Amazon will do an author good. As much as we might not like it to be so, that’s the way it is.

What I’ve quoted above is the truth. Actually, I thought it was more than 25 (more like 50 reviews) a book has to have before Amazon really paid attention to it. If it’s only 25 that’s reassuring to me, as The Heir, my debut novel, currently has 18 reviews on Amazon US. That means I only need seven more before they start suggesting my book as a possible read where people who don’t know me might actually see it. This is the lifeblood of an unknown author, like me. Exposure is everything. Without it, I will never do anything more than sell a handful of copies to a select few who just so happen to encounter me at a small event.

So if you’ve read The Heir, please leave a review, particularly on Amazon US. In fact, I’ll give you an incentive. If you review The Heir on Amazon US over the next month, let me know via the contact form on this website (or post a comment below) and you will go into the draw to win autographed copies of the completed trilogy. I don’t care where in the world you are, I will post you a set, but only if you’re in the running by posting a review on Amazon. You can buy a copy of The Heir on Kindle at Amazon for only $2.99 US. Here’s the link to the US Amazon page for it. There will be other pages on your local Amazons if you want to search for it. The best way to search for it on any Amazon site is to use the ASIN number: B00BS1O2RW.

Don’t just do this for my books, either. Think of all your favourite authors and of that book you loved. Let the author know just how much you enjoyed it by leaving them a review.

Are you an author? Have you seen any difference to your sales figures when you have more reviews? Are you a reader? Do you review regularly? Have you noticed other readers ‘like’ing your reviews? Let me know in the comments section below.

The price you pay

A couple of weeks ago I started blogging about different points made in a meme about authors. It was called ‘What Every Reader Needs to Know’. I’m continuing that theme with the second point it made:

‘A book sold for 99 cents on Amazon nets the author only 17 cents. Please consider this when saying $1.99 is too much.’

Nobody likes to ask for more money, especially if you want a sale, and authors are no different. And I know what it’s like as a reader who doesn’t have much money. I have very little to spend on books myself, so I freely admit that I look for the cheapest ones. However, I will still buy a more expensive book if I’m interested in it, because I always remember, just as the meme says, that the amount the author receives for it is not great. Also, if the book is traditionally published, the publisher needs to be paid some of that as well. This is especially important with a small press publisher, like mine. They’ve outlayed their funds to publish my book and if they don’t earn it back (and hopefully a bit more) it makes it difficult to keep publishing. Even with ebooks, there are still costs associated with publishing that book, and 99 cents doesn’t provide much of a return.

Please, be aware if you’re buying books, that an author’s future may depend on the money you spend. If you like the author’s work, please don’t hesitate to pay a reasonable price for it. Consider it an investment in future novels that you will probably enjoy. And I’m not suggesting that you be okay with paying $20 for an ebook of an averaged-sized novel, but be aware that an unknown author is trying to find reasons to continue with this, and lack of funds is a major drawback, whether they are self-published or traditionally published. There are many ways you can support your favourite indie author, and being prepared to pay more than 99 cents for a copy of one of their novels is a good one.

*special note* the winner of last week’s giveaway copy of Glimpses of Light is Lesley Turner. Congratulations Lesley!