Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 57
November 3, 2014
What They Don’t Tell You Before Selling You $30 Mascara
2014 will likely go down in history as the year women became inordinately obsessed with our eyelashes.
Yes, eyelashes.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably aren't very active on Facebook. Or you don't pay attention to an announcement approximately half of your female friends seem to have posted.
They're all selling this $30 mascara called Younique that promises to change your life, improve your mood, and "uplift, empower, and validate" you. What does it do? This:
It's mascara--just in a four-step process. You put your mascara on, then this gel mascara, then fibers, then more gel mascara. Here's the thing, though...those Younique saleswomen will promise you the moon and the stars to get you to buy their product.
In one situation, a girl who was on a TV show I watched this summer chose to help sell Younique. Over the summer, I heard her say on camera that she uses Latisse, a $100+ per month prescription-based product that makes your lashes grow. Yet now that she's being given free Younique products, they post pictures of her super-long lashes and pass it off as being 100% mascara.
I even mentioned on one of her posts that I heard her say earlier she uses Latisse. Her salesperson chimed in to quickly explain to me that this former TV star wears Younique, not Latisse. The saleswoman also answered questions from others with inaccurate information, as I've seen almost every other host do.
So, here's what you should know before you pay $30 for this great mascara:
NO, it doesn't come off easily. In fact, even eye makeup remover doesn't take it off. A combination of cleanser, eye makeup remover, and time finally removes the stuff. If you use it every day, you might end up with a mess.It clumps. You'll need an eyelash separator. Or talent with separating your eyelashes with a safety pin without poking your eye out.It will not lengthen your lashes. It makes them fuller. Period. If you see someone saying it'll give you spider-leg eyes, that person is lying.If it doesn't turn your life into magic, they'll tell you you're using it incorrectly. None of their advice makes any difference, by the way. Most of us know how to put on mascara by now.That said, here's Younique on me. The stuff is pretty good, I must say, considering even with regular mascara my lashes are pretty much nonexistent. But you can see a little clumping. You can also see I don't have spider-leg eyes! That may be a good thing.
All that said, it's a GREAT product. I love the way it makes my lashes look. I just think you should know before you buy what you're getting...so you can invest in a couple of bottles of eye makeup remover and a few bags of cotton balls!
What "hostess party" items have you bought? Did you find the hostess exaggerated the claims to get you to buy?
Yes, eyelashes.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably aren't very active on Facebook. Or you don't pay attention to an announcement approximately half of your female friends seem to have posted.
They're all selling this $30 mascara called Younique that promises to change your life, improve your mood, and "uplift, empower, and validate" you. What does it do? This:
It's mascara--just in a four-step process. You put your mascara on, then this gel mascara, then fibers, then more gel mascara. Here's the thing, though...those Younique saleswomen will promise you the moon and the stars to get you to buy their product.
In one situation, a girl who was on a TV show I watched this summer chose to help sell Younique. Over the summer, I heard her say on camera that she uses Latisse, a $100+ per month prescription-based product that makes your lashes grow. Yet now that she's being given free Younique products, they post pictures of her super-long lashes and pass it off as being 100% mascara.
I even mentioned on one of her posts that I heard her say earlier she uses Latisse. Her salesperson chimed in to quickly explain to me that this former TV star wears Younique, not Latisse. The saleswoman also answered questions from others with inaccurate information, as I've seen almost every other host do.
So, here's what you should know before you pay $30 for this great mascara:
NO, it doesn't come off easily. In fact, even eye makeup remover doesn't take it off. A combination of cleanser, eye makeup remover, and time finally removes the stuff. If you use it every day, you might end up with a mess.It clumps. You'll need an eyelash separator. Or talent with separating your eyelashes with a safety pin without poking your eye out.It will not lengthen your lashes. It makes them fuller. Period. If you see someone saying it'll give you spider-leg eyes, that person is lying.If it doesn't turn your life into magic, they'll tell you you're using it incorrectly. None of their advice makes any difference, by the way. Most of us know how to put on mascara by now.That said, here's Younique on me. The stuff is pretty good, I must say, considering even with regular mascara my lashes are pretty much nonexistent. But you can see a little clumping. You can also see I don't have spider-leg eyes! That may be a good thing.
All that said, it's a GREAT product. I love the way it makes my lashes look. I just think you should know before you buy what you're getting...so you can invest in a couple of bottles of eye makeup remover and a few bags of cotton balls!
What "hostess party" items have you bought? Did you find the hostess exaggerated the claims to get you to buy?
October 31, 2014
Scariest Ghost Pictures Ever
It's my favorite holiday of the year!
All month, I've set aside Fridays for scary places. To celebrate the best October Friday of all, I'm celebrating by posting some of the scariest pictures ever taken. One thing you should know is that most pictures involving orbs are pure junk. Usually it's just the reflection of the flash. But people love posting pictures of orbs and claiming those dots are ghosts.
I decided to look up some of the scariest photos ever taken. While there's no way to prove these are 100 percent authentic, many were taken during a time when digital photography and Photoshop hadn't yet been invented.
Perhaps the most famous is the Brown Lady. The photo was taken at Raynham Hall in England. Many believe the apparition is Dorothy Townshend.
The below photo was taken in Franklin, Tennessee, at a Confederate cemetery. Note the sepia-toned soldier in the upper-right corner.
What's spooky about this picture is that one of the men pictured in the back row (inset) had died two days earlier. He's hiding back there behind the soldier's head. See him?
I've found the scariest images are much more subtle. One of the images I find scariest was captured on video by the TV show Ghost Hunters. An unmanned camera captured what appears to be an apparition moving toward it in the snow.
What's the scariest ghost picture you've ever seen?
All month, I've set aside Fridays for scary places. To celebrate the best October Friday of all, I'm celebrating by posting some of the scariest pictures ever taken. One thing you should know is that most pictures involving orbs are pure junk. Usually it's just the reflection of the flash. But people love posting pictures of orbs and claiming those dots are ghosts.
I decided to look up some of the scariest photos ever taken. While there's no way to prove these are 100 percent authentic, many were taken during a time when digital photography and Photoshop hadn't yet been invented.
Perhaps the most famous is the Brown Lady. The photo was taken at Raynham Hall in England. Many believe the apparition is Dorothy Townshend.
The below photo was taken in Franklin, Tennessee, at a Confederate cemetery. Note the sepia-toned soldier in the upper-right corner.
What's spooky about this picture is that one of the men pictured in the back row (inset) had died two days earlier. He's hiding back there behind the soldier's head. See him?
I've found the scariest images are much more subtle. One of the images I find scariest was captured on video by the TV show Ghost Hunters. An unmanned camera captured what appears to be an apparition moving toward it in the snow.
What's the scariest ghost picture you've ever seen?
October 29, 2014
Why You'll Never See Me Feeding a Troll
A long, long time ago in an internet village far, far away, I was a top blogger on MySpace. I shared the top spaces with big names like Matthew McConaughey:
And a whole bunch of people who were famous in the MySpace days:
It all started around 2006, when I discovered the site had a "blog" feature. I posted my first blog, began slowly getting readers, and soon had a fairly large readership. In 2007, when the site was at its peak, I was averaging around 5,000-10,000 views a day.
All of that meant absolutely nothing in the real world, but within that blogging community, it was huge. So huge, in fact, that once you reached that many views you began to be the subject of an astounding amount of hate.
The hatred did a little permanent damage (as I post this, I still have the fear it will unleash one of those crazy-bags on my blog), but I'd like to think it made me stronger. At one point, there was a guy who posted a blog parodying the blog I wrote every single day. If you can write while that's going on, you can write through anything!
Early on in all of that, I learned one very important lesson the hard way:
A woman had written a very hostile tirade because I'd angered her by posting a lighthearted blog about Barbie. I emailed her personally, apologizing for having offended her. Being a nice Southern girl, that's what you do to diffuse a situation...right?
She initiated a fight with me, then posted the entire private message string on her blog for attention. She got it. It was the first incident on the site but it was far from the last. I soon learned to ignore and keep going. The more you ignored them, the dumber they looked.
Recently an author learned this lesson the hard way. She chased a reviewer down and confronted her. That was an extreme example, especially since a negative review is far from "hate," but arguing with people who post negative things online is never, ever a good idea. In fact, if you have the self-control to do it, you should refuse to read the negative comments/reviews about you and continue to move forward as if they don't even exist.
I know, easier said than done. This might help...
Have you ever been the victim of a cybertroll?
And a whole bunch of people who were famous in the MySpace days:
It all started around 2006, when I discovered the site had a "blog" feature. I posted my first blog, began slowly getting readers, and soon had a fairly large readership. In 2007, when the site was at its peak, I was averaging around 5,000-10,000 views a day.
All of that meant absolutely nothing in the real world, but within that blogging community, it was huge. So huge, in fact, that once you reached that many views you began to be the subject of an astounding amount of hate.
The hatred did a little permanent damage (as I post this, I still have the fear it will unleash one of those crazy-bags on my blog), but I'd like to think it made me stronger. At one point, there was a guy who posted a blog parodying the blog I wrote every single day. If you can write while that's going on, you can write through anything!
Early on in all of that, I learned one very important lesson the hard way:
A woman had written a very hostile tirade because I'd angered her by posting a lighthearted blog about Barbie. I emailed her personally, apologizing for having offended her. Being a nice Southern girl, that's what you do to diffuse a situation...right?
She initiated a fight with me, then posted the entire private message string on her blog for attention. She got it. It was the first incident on the site but it was far from the last. I soon learned to ignore and keep going. The more you ignored them, the dumber they looked.
Recently an author learned this lesson the hard way. She chased a reviewer down and confronted her. That was an extreme example, especially since a negative review is far from "hate," but arguing with people who post negative things online is never, ever a good idea. In fact, if you have the self-control to do it, you should refuse to read the negative comments/reviews about you and continue to move forward as if they don't even exist.
I know, easier said than done. This might help...
Have you ever been the victim of a cybertroll?
October 27, 2014
First Review for 25 Roses...and a Giveaway!
I was so excited to see that 25 Roses got its first review this weekend!!! And it was all the way from England. Check it out at Pen and Paper!
Also, I'm giving away an Advance Reader Copy of 25 Roses at Goodreads. The giveaway link is below.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
25 Roses by Stephanie Faris Giveaway ends October 31, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
And one last thing...I have brand new bookmarks for 25 Roses, designed by the fantabulous It Girl Designs. If you'd like a stack of free bookmarks for your school or library (or just for the tween girls in your life and their friends), email me your mailing address and I'll put some in the mail. Here they are:
Also, I'm giving away an Advance Reader Copy of 25 Roses at Goodreads. The giveaway link is below.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
25 Roses by Stephanie Faris Giveaway ends October 31, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
And one last thing...I have brand new bookmarks for 25 Roses, designed by the fantabulous It Girl Designs. If you'd like a stack of free bookmarks for your school or library (or just for the tween girls in your life and their friends), email me your mailing address and I'll put some in the mail. Here they are:
October 24, 2014
Scary October: The Whaley House
In celebration of my favorite month, October, I'm featuring a different scary place every Friday. This week it's a haunted home we visited while in California in 2011.
The Whaley House is located in San Diego in the heart of Old Town. (Old Town, by the way, is home to some of the most amazing Mexican restaurants in the world!) My husband suggested we go there, since it's often called the most haunted house in the world.
Almost every haunted attraction has been called that at some point, but not many have been called that by LIFE magazine. The most prominent ghost in the house is reportedly this man...
James "Yankee Jim" Robinson was publicly hanged on the land in 1852. His death wasn't an easy one--the hanging failed and he strangled to death. The exact place where he was hanged--the area that is now marked by an archway between the house's music room and parlor--is said to be haunted by his ghost.
Many other ghost sightings in the house are attributed to members of the Whaley family.
Visitors have even reported seeing a small fox terrier running through the house. The Whaleys owned a terrier they named Dolly Varden. I would like to point out, however, that each room is blocked from visitors by glass. Many of the supposed paranormal pictures out there are simply reflections of the photographer in that glass.
Here's an episode of "The Haunting Of..." where Regis Philbin visits the Whaley House.
The Haunting Of S01E05 Regis Philbin by ghostvid
The Whaley House is located in San Diego in the heart of Old Town. (Old Town, by the way, is home to some of the most amazing Mexican restaurants in the world!) My husband suggested we go there, since it's often called the most haunted house in the world.
Almost every haunted attraction has been called that at some point, but not many have been called that by LIFE magazine. The most prominent ghost in the house is reportedly this man...
James "Yankee Jim" Robinson was publicly hanged on the land in 1852. His death wasn't an easy one--the hanging failed and he strangled to death. The exact place where he was hanged--the area that is now marked by an archway between the house's music room and parlor--is said to be haunted by his ghost.
Many other ghost sightings in the house are attributed to members of the Whaley family.
Visitors have even reported seeing a small fox terrier running through the house. The Whaleys owned a terrier they named Dolly Varden. I would like to point out, however, that each room is blocked from visitors by glass. Many of the supposed paranormal pictures out there are simply reflections of the photographer in that glass.
Here's an episode of "The Haunting Of..." where Regis Philbin visits the Whaley House.
The Haunting Of S01E05 Regis Philbin by ghostvid
October 22, 2014
No, I Don’t Want a Free Sample and NO, You Can’t Ask Me a Question
We live a very short distance from this gigantic mall:
While I've never measured it, I believe if you walk the complete length of the mall, it's at least a mile. That makes it a great place to get a little indoor exercise while also shopping or grabbing a bite to eat.
There's only one thing that completely obliterates any enjoyment you might possibly get from being in a mall. (Yes, the mall is my happy place!)
Picture it. You're walking along, enjoying your day, inhaling the delicious aroma of Auntie Anne's pretzels and new clothes...
When all of a sudden, a hand is thrust toward you. It's a sample. And some kiosk salesperson wants to know if you want one.
Of course, you say "no, thank you," because you're polite. But the kiosk salesperson isn't through with you just yet. There's one more thing on the script they all use.
Sometimes I say, "No, thank you" and sometimes I keep walking. As polite as I am, I figure the first, "No, thank you," should do it. My stepdad suggests this answer to that question:
If there's a way to get around them, I haven't found it. This article suggests looking poor, while this article recommends feeling sorry for them.
I wonder if annoying kiosk people are contributing to the death of the indoor shopping mall. I haven't yet seen annoying kiosk people at the many outdoor lifestyle centers that are replacing them. I have a feeling once indoor malls are completely gone, kiosks will pop up at lifestyle centers, too.
How would you deal with being harassed every few steps while shopping or trying to get from Point A to Point B?
While I've never measured it, I believe if you walk the complete length of the mall, it's at least a mile. That makes it a great place to get a little indoor exercise while also shopping or grabbing a bite to eat.
There's only one thing that completely obliterates any enjoyment you might possibly get from being in a mall. (Yes, the mall is my happy place!)
Picture it. You're walking along, enjoying your day, inhaling the delicious aroma of Auntie Anne's pretzels and new clothes...
When all of a sudden, a hand is thrust toward you. It's a sample. And some kiosk salesperson wants to know if you want one.
Of course, you say "no, thank you," because you're polite. But the kiosk salesperson isn't through with you just yet. There's one more thing on the script they all use.
Sometimes I say, "No, thank you" and sometimes I keep walking. As polite as I am, I figure the first, "No, thank you," should do it. My stepdad suggests this answer to that question:
If there's a way to get around them, I haven't found it. This article suggests looking poor, while this article recommends feeling sorry for them.
I wonder if annoying kiosk people are contributing to the death of the indoor shopping mall. I haven't yet seen annoying kiosk people at the many outdoor lifestyle centers that are replacing them. I have a feeling once indoor malls are completely gone, kiosks will pop up at lifestyle centers, too.
How would you deal with being harassed every few steps while shopping or trying to get from Point A to Point B?
October 20, 2014
Can You Make a Full-Time Living as a Writer?
It's been well established that most authors never make enough money to quit our day jobs.
I quit my day job more than a year ago to write full-time.
Granted, I'm not making a full-time living off of writing fiction. Instead, I'm combining fiction with freelance writing jobs I've gotten online.
I set my own hours. I do what I love for a living. I write when I want, go to the mall when I want, and do my grocery shopping and other chores while everyone else is at work. There are downsides, though...
I trade set work hours for having to put in extra work on the weekends. Because it makes more sense to me to do chores on a Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., that means I often have to play catch-up on weekends. But if I want to take Saturday afternoon off, I can. Or I can take all weekend off...I just have to work harder during the week. The point is, I'm in control of my time, and I like that.
I didn't start off making big bucks, though. In fact, I was probably paid $0.0000001 per word at first. But once I'd built my portfolio, I started bidding $.01 per word and gradually went up from there. Yes, many people out there are looking for writers to write for next-to nothing. Experience and talent allows you to gradually charge more.
The truth is, if you're going to be a full-time writer, you'll probably have to supplement your writing income with something. Whether it's paid appearances like school visits, writing magazine articles, doing odd jobs you find on sites like TaskRabbit or Uber Corner Store, or writing--it's up to you. But in today's sharing society, you can do it. That's the good news!
I quit my day job more than a year ago to write full-time.
Granted, I'm not making a full-time living off of writing fiction. Instead, I'm combining fiction with freelance writing jobs I've gotten online.
I set my own hours. I do what I love for a living. I write when I want, go to the mall when I want, and do my grocery shopping and other chores while everyone else is at work. There are downsides, though...
I trade set work hours for having to put in extra work on the weekends. Because it makes more sense to me to do chores on a Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., that means I often have to play catch-up on weekends. But if I want to take Saturday afternoon off, I can. Or I can take all weekend off...I just have to work harder during the week. The point is, I'm in control of my time, and I like that.
I didn't start off making big bucks, though. In fact, I was probably paid $0.0000001 per word at first. But once I'd built my portfolio, I started bidding $.01 per word and gradually went up from there. Yes, many people out there are looking for writers to write for next-to nothing. Experience and talent allows you to gradually charge more.
The truth is, if you're going to be a full-time writer, you'll probably have to supplement your writing income with something. Whether it's paid appearances like school visits, writing magazine articles, doing odd jobs you find on sites like TaskRabbit or Uber Corner Store, or writing--it's up to you. But in today's sharing society, you can do it. That's the good news!
October 17, 2014
Scary October: The Queen Mary
In celebration of my favorite month, October, I'm featuring a different scary place every Friday. This week it's a ship that I had the privilege of visiting in 2011: The Queen Mary.
The retired ocean liner rests in Long Beach, California, where it is open for tours every day. The luxury liner had 49 total deaths during its time of service, leading the ship to be labeled "haunted" in recent years. Guests have reported hearing children playing in the nursery and feeling strange things in a cabin where someone was murdered.
The spookiest place on the ship is the pool area.
They told us the changing rooms were a vortex of negative energy. I thought that sounded a little absurd, especially without explanation, so I decided to go back there. It was dark and spooky, but I think that part of it was due to the power of suggestion.
Haunted or not, the ship is well worth a visit. Take a rest on the deck while you're there.
Oh--and I'm hosting a giveaway. Click below to enter to win an Advanced Reader Copy of 25 Roses.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
25 Roses by Stephanie Faris Giveaway ends October 31, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
The retired ocean liner rests in Long Beach, California, where it is open for tours every day. The luxury liner had 49 total deaths during its time of service, leading the ship to be labeled "haunted" in recent years. Guests have reported hearing children playing in the nursery and feeling strange things in a cabin where someone was murdered.
The spookiest place on the ship is the pool area.
They told us the changing rooms were a vortex of negative energy. I thought that sounded a little absurd, especially without explanation, so I decided to go back there. It was dark and spooky, but I think that part of it was due to the power of suggestion.
Haunted or not, the ship is well worth a visit. Take a rest on the deck while you're there.
Oh--and I'm hosting a giveaway. Click below to enter to win an Advanced Reader Copy of 25 Roses.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
25 Roses by Stephanie Faris Giveaway ends October 31, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
October 15, 2014
Guest Blog: Quanie Miller, The New Mrs. Collins
It's an exciting week for Quanie Miller. She's celebrating the release of her first paranormal novel and this a-ma-zing cover is perfect for October!
Today, Quanie is writing about a topic every published author can't get enough of: promotion. We can all learn from her experiences in hiring out her cover design.
A Book Cover Horror Story: Why You Should Google before You Hire
by Quanie Miller
I have a confession to make: last year I made a horrible decision. Yes, me. Quanie. Quan Dizzle. The girl from one of America's prettiest towns. The girl who slipped off the bus steps in high school and got laughed at by all of her peers. Yes: the girl who lost the spelling bee in fifth grade because she misspelled complacent made the cardinal sin of indie publishing: I hired someone without researching them.
Picture it: July, 2013. There I was, minding my own business (like I'm prone to do) and surfing the internets for a book cover designer for my first novel, It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy, when I found him: The Book Cover Artist Who Shall Remain Nameless. And 'till this day, I ask myself: out of all the book cover designer websites in the world, why'd I have to walk into his?
I liked his work, and even though he had no chick lit covers in his portfolio, I contacted him anyway. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Quanie, you big dope! That was your warning sign right there!" But hear me out: I conveyed this concern to him and this is what he told me: he doesn't have any chick lit covers in his portfolio because he never gets asked to do them. "But," he said, "I am fully confident that I can create a stellar book cover for your debut."
"How can we proceed?"
"Send me the money via PayPal, naive little writer, and while you're add it, also send me your pride and your ego."
"Okay. Wait--what's that noise?"
"It's the sound of my evil laugh, echoing against the walls."
"Oh. Okay." I sent the money. He gave me a timeline for the cover, and once that time frame passed, I didn't hear from him. I waited. And waited. And made origami. And a cake. But still: no word from the not so gentle man. Finally, I emailed him, asking about the status. No response. I started to get the feeling that he'd run for the hills with my hard-earned coins when something truly bizarre happened: I had a dream about a redheaded woman with glasses, waving goodbye to me from her front porch.
Not thinking anything about the dream, the next day I did something that I should have done from the start: Googled his name. I don't mean to get too woo-woo here, but one of the first negative reviews that popped up was on the blog of this lady with red hair and glasses who looked eerily similar to the lady from my dream. The title of her blog post? "Why you Should Never Hire What's His Face."
I gulped. And then gulped again. I felt the words "You Big Dope" emerge on my forehead. I contacted What's His Face and still got no response. A couple of weeks later he contacted me:
Dear Quanie, sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner but I have been spending most of my time trying to perfect my evil laugh. Here is your book cover, attached.
Honey, let me tell you: I opened that attachment and laughed so hard I cried. I don't like disparaging anybody's work, but let's just say that if I had used that as my book cover, I would have provided the literary world with what might have been the laugh heard 'round the world. The lady on the front was knocked-kneed and pigeon-toed, had no facial features, was bent over and balancing some odd circle like thing on her back that she looked like she was just about to throw before someone took her picture, and to make matters worse, the back drop was gold and looked like that old rug in my grandmother's living room that she couldn't give away if she stapled twenty dollars to the front of it.
Did I mention it was a hot mess? The only "positive" thing was that the lady on the cover was voluptuous. But what's a voluptuous woman without any facial features??? I'll tell you who: Mrs. Potato Head.
As badly as I wanted to go around bad-mouthing the cover artist, the truth was that I did it to myself by not researching him and ignoring the fact that he didn’t have any chick lit covers in his portfolio. Quite frankly? I was so excited about publishing my first book and being able to show off my book cover that I lost all the good sense God gave me and made a terrible decision that cost me my hard-earned coins. I learned from this experience and when it came time to publish my paranormal novel, I knew exactly what to look for. I hired Ravven to do the cover for The New Mrs. Collins, and if I do say so myself, she did a pretty splendid job!
Moral here? Don't be like me. Learn how to spell complacent and for the love of God, do your research before you hire somebody!
What about others? Any book cover designer horror stories? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
About Quanie Miller
Quanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She is the author of The New Mrs. Collins, a southern paranormal novel, and It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy, a romantic comedy. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress visit quanietalkswriting.com..
If you're ready to buy The New Mrs. Collins or add it to your Goodreads list, check out the links below. You can also learn a little more about Quanie by visiting her website or following her on Twitter and Facebook.
Website | Blog | Amazon - Kindle | Amazon - Paperback | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Today, Quanie is writing about a topic every published author can't get enough of: promotion. We can all learn from her experiences in hiring out her cover design.
A Book Cover Horror Story: Why You Should Google before You Hire
by Quanie Miller
I have a confession to make: last year I made a horrible decision. Yes, me. Quanie. Quan Dizzle. The girl from one of America's prettiest towns. The girl who slipped off the bus steps in high school and got laughed at by all of her peers. Yes: the girl who lost the spelling bee in fifth grade because she misspelled complacent made the cardinal sin of indie publishing: I hired someone without researching them.
Picture it: July, 2013. There I was, minding my own business (like I'm prone to do) and surfing the internets for a book cover designer for my first novel, It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy, when I found him: The Book Cover Artist Who Shall Remain Nameless. And 'till this day, I ask myself: out of all the book cover designer websites in the world, why'd I have to walk into his?
I liked his work, and even though he had no chick lit covers in his portfolio, I contacted him anyway. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Quanie, you big dope! That was your warning sign right there!" But hear me out: I conveyed this concern to him and this is what he told me: he doesn't have any chick lit covers in his portfolio because he never gets asked to do them. "But," he said, "I am fully confident that I can create a stellar book cover for your debut."
"How can we proceed?"
"Send me the money via PayPal, naive little writer, and while you're add it, also send me your pride and your ego."
"Okay. Wait--what's that noise?"
"It's the sound of my evil laugh, echoing against the walls."
"Oh. Okay." I sent the money. He gave me a timeline for the cover, and once that time frame passed, I didn't hear from him. I waited. And waited. And made origami. And a cake. But still: no word from the not so gentle man. Finally, I emailed him, asking about the status. No response. I started to get the feeling that he'd run for the hills with my hard-earned coins when something truly bizarre happened: I had a dream about a redheaded woman with glasses, waving goodbye to me from her front porch.
Not thinking anything about the dream, the next day I did something that I should have done from the start: Googled his name. I don't mean to get too woo-woo here, but one of the first negative reviews that popped up was on the blog of this lady with red hair and glasses who looked eerily similar to the lady from my dream. The title of her blog post? "Why you Should Never Hire What's His Face."
I gulped. And then gulped again. I felt the words "You Big Dope" emerge on my forehead. I contacted What's His Face and still got no response. A couple of weeks later he contacted me:
Dear Quanie, sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner but I have been spending most of my time trying to perfect my evil laugh. Here is your book cover, attached.
Honey, let me tell you: I opened that attachment and laughed so hard I cried. I don't like disparaging anybody's work, but let's just say that if I had used that as my book cover, I would have provided the literary world with what might have been the laugh heard 'round the world. The lady on the front was knocked-kneed and pigeon-toed, had no facial features, was bent over and balancing some odd circle like thing on her back that she looked like she was just about to throw before someone took her picture, and to make matters worse, the back drop was gold and looked like that old rug in my grandmother's living room that she couldn't give away if she stapled twenty dollars to the front of it.
Did I mention it was a hot mess? The only "positive" thing was that the lady on the cover was voluptuous. But what's a voluptuous woman without any facial features??? I'll tell you who: Mrs. Potato Head.
As badly as I wanted to go around bad-mouthing the cover artist, the truth was that I did it to myself by not researching him and ignoring the fact that he didn’t have any chick lit covers in his portfolio. Quite frankly? I was so excited about publishing my first book and being able to show off my book cover that I lost all the good sense God gave me and made a terrible decision that cost me my hard-earned coins. I learned from this experience and when it came time to publish my paranormal novel, I knew exactly what to look for. I hired Ravven to do the cover for The New Mrs. Collins, and if I do say so myself, she did a pretty splendid job!
Moral here? Don't be like me. Learn how to spell complacent and for the love of God, do your research before you hire somebody!
What about others? Any book cover designer horror stories? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
About Quanie Miller
Quanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She is the author of The New Mrs. Collins, a southern paranormal novel, and It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy, a romantic comedy. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel. To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress visit quanietalkswriting.com..
If you're ready to buy The New Mrs. Collins or add it to your Goodreads list, check out the links below. You can also learn a little more about Quanie by visiting her website or following her on Twitter and Facebook.
Website | Blog | Amazon - Kindle | Amazon - Paperback | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
October 13, 2014
Q&A with Crystal Collier, Soulless Author
If you've spent any time in the blogosphere, you've likely met today's talented author and blogger. Crystal Collier not only writes awesome books with eye-catching covers, she's a relentless cheerleader for other authors, constantly supporting their new releases.
For that reason, it's even more exciting that we get to support Crystal in her new release. I showed you the breathtaking cover of Soulless a couple of months ago:
She recently set some time aside to answer a few questions for my blog. Not only did she tell us about her writing process, but she also shared the multiple concepts that led to the above cover. Read on for that surprise!
Q: Like me, you spent a while trying to get published before you landed that first deal. How does it feel to finally have your words in the hands of readers?
A: Surreal. Every time someone says they’ve read my work, I do this little happy dance. (With cheese.)
Q: I’m in love with your covers! How involved were you in the cover design process?
A: Super. The cover for Moonless ended up being nothing like what I was thinking, but my super genius graphic artist got it exactly right. After a couple false starts with Soulless, I sent him (very rough) mock-up ideas, and he ran with one of them. Talk about flattery! Here are the mock-up ideas:
Q: Tell us a little about Soulless.
A: The official summary: Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is disrupted by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.
And risk losing everything.
Soulless is the dark heart of the Maiden of Time trilogy. This was a hard book to write because I didn’t want to see my beloved characters suffer. (My editor made me.) The decisions Alexia faces will determine her character—whether she’ll lose herself to the darkness of her shifting world, or rise above it.
Q: You describe Moonless as Jane Eyre meets Supernatural. What inspired you to write a series with that combination?
A: It just happened. I had a dream of this teenage girl facing a prejudiced society with impossible decisions to make, all while being haunted by an irresistible man with blue eyes. By the second draft I realized Moonless belonged to a larger story world, one that had been tumbling around my head since I was 13 (with things that go bump in the night).
Q: How long did it take you to write Soulless? Was it easier or harder than writing the first book in the series?
A: Soulless was written in about a year (including revisions). However, it had been tickling around my brain since 2007. Compare that to Moonless, first draft completed in 2003, entirely rewritten at least 10 times and finally published in 2013. Yeah, I’d say the process was wee bit easier.
Q: Will readers be able to read more of Alexia’s story or is this the final book in the series?
A: The final book in the trilogy, Timeless, is in the works. There will be a spin-off serial series (release date TBD 2015) titled Bellezza, and the Maiden of Time trilogy is a partner series. Alexia’s story may come to a close with Timeless, but she and her friends will be making appearances in future works.
About Crystal Collier
Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids with a thriller pace. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
If you're ready to buy Soulless or add it to your Goodreads list, check out the links below. You can also learn a little more about Crystal by visiting her website or following her on social media. Enter the Rafflecopter below to win one of six Halloween-themed/time travel-themed reads.
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For that reason, it's even more exciting that we get to support Crystal in her new release. I showed you the breathtaking cover of Soulless a couple of months ago:
She recently set some time aside to answer a few questions for my blog. Not only did she tell us about her writing process, but she also shared the multiple concepts that led to the above cover. Read on for that surprise!
Q: Like me, you spent a while trying to get published before you landed that first deal. How does it feel to finally have your words in the hands of readers?
A: Surreal. Every time someone says they’ve read my work, I do this little happy dance. (With cheese.)
Q: I’m in love with your covers! How involved were you in the cover design process?
A: Super. The cover for Moonless ended up being nothing like what I was thinking, but my super genius graphic artist got it exactly right. After a couple false starts with Soulless, I sent him (very rough) mock-up ideas, and he ran with one of them. Talk about flattery! Here are the mock-up ideas:
Q: Tell us a little about Soulless.
A: The official summary: Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is disrupted by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.
And risk losing everything.
Soulless is the dark heart of the Maiden of Time trilogy. This was a hard book to write because I didn’t want to see my beloved characters suffer. (My editor made me.) The decisions Alexia faces will determine her character—whether she’ll lose herself to the darkness of her shifting world, or rise above it.
Q: You describe Moonless as Jane Eyre meets Supernatural. What inspired you to write a series with that combination?
A: It just happened. I had a dream of this teenage girl facing a prejudiced society with impossible decisions to make, all while being haunted by an irresistible man with blue eyes. By the second draft I realized Moonless belonged to a larger story world, one that had been tumbling around my head since I was 13 (with things that go bump in the night).
Q: How long did it take you to write Soulless? Was it easier or harder than writing the first book in the series?
A: Soulless was written in about a year (including revisions). However, it had been tickling around my brain since 2007. Compare that to Moonless, first draft completed in 2003, entirely rewritten at least 10 times and finally published in 2013. Yeah, I’d say the process was wee bit easier.
Q: Will readers be able to read more of Alexia’s story or is this the final book in the series?
A: The final book in the trilogy, Timeless, is in the works. There will be a spin-off serial series (release date TBD 2015) titled Bellezza, and the Maiden of Time trilogy is a partner series. Alexia’s story may come to a close with Timeless, but she and her friends will be making appearances in future works.
About Crystal Collier
Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids with a thriller pace. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
If you're ready to buy Soulless or add it to your Goodreads list, check out the links below. You can also learn a little more about Crystal by visiting her website or following her on social media. Enter the Rafflecopter below to win one of six Halloween-themed/time travel-themed reads.
Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website
a Rafflecopter giveaway
