Mary Frame's Blog, page 5
April 26, 2014
Working with Createspace: What size book? What color paper?! What is ISBN? WHERE AM I???
Hello lovely blog readers!
Today, we are going to talk about publishing through Createspace and how to make some of those pesky decisions that you have to make when you decide to indie publish through Amazon.
FIRST DECISION (chose wisely!)
Will you publish e-book only, or paperback only or both? It would be silly-pants to do paperback only, because once you have all that uploaded, Amazon will import everything FOR YOU into KDP and the e-book world, and the more exposure the better. But I know a few people who started e-book only, or who currently sell e-book only.
Some things to think about: e-book is easier. You don't need a full spread (that sounds dirty) which includes the spine and back blurb stuff for cover art, you just need the front cover. It's also very quick to publish e-book only (once you've spent half your life crafting the dang novel in the first place).
Why would someone chose e-book only? Well, maybe you don't have the time or resources to have a full blown cover designed. Maybe you need to make some money to pay for said cover, so you want to see what you can get with the e-book and THEN get the paperback version available.
What did I do? I did both almost simultaneously, and I'm glad I did. I got to hold a paper copy in my hands, and I was able to review the paperback and find more things I wanted to change, formatting issues, etc. before I hit publish on the ebook. Also...YOU GET TO HOLD A PHYSICAL COPY IN YOUR HANDS! Come on, we all want that, right? Yes, I had to spend a little bit more money and time, but I feel it was worth it.
DECISION PART DEUX
So, you log into Createspace, you enter in all the easy stuff: Title, author name, is this is a series, etc. And then comes something funky...ISBN. WHAT IS THIS? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I See Buggy Noobs?
ISBN is International Standard Book Number. (Warning: what follows is information I've gleaned from various sources across the interwebs, which are hopefully accurate. I know, I know, everything I read on the internet MUST BE TRUE!)
Your ISBN is what the industry uses to track and distribute your book. For example, when you strike it real big and libraries and bookshops want to sell your book, they find and track it using your ISBN. When you become a bazillionaire and everyone wants to represent you and publishing houses are begging at your door for the chance to wipe your sweaty brow, they use the ISBN to see how many sales you've made with a particular title.
When you choose your ISBN on Createspace, you have three options.
Option One: Free Createspace assigned ISBN. This is free. You have access to Creatspace's expanded distribution, which means more potential buyers. Things to consider: people will see that your publisher is Createspace and they will know you are an indie author (SIDEBAR: I saw this on multiple sites and I am kinda annoyed by it. I mean, as someone who reads a lot of both indie and traditionally published works, I really don't care who published it, I care whether the book is good or not. Also, if you want to self-publish your work and you're that concerned about what others are going to think about it being a self-published work...maybe self-pubbing isn't the right path for you.)
Another BIGGER con is that you cannot use your Createspace ISBN to publish your book through other channels. If you decide later you want to push your book through another distribution channel, you may need a different ISBN for the same product and that's when things get sticky, distribution wise and sales-tracking info will be harder to nail down.
Option Two: Custom ISBN. I don't really understand the draw with this one because you pay $10, and you still cannot use this ISBN through other publishing platforms.
Option Three: Purchase Custom Universal ISBN for $99 where you can use this ISBN to publish across other platforms, and still have access to Amazon's expanded distribution channel.
Option Four: Purchase your own ISBN through Bowker or another ISBN agency. This seems to be the best choice, but again, it's going to cost you. The cost for one ISBN through Bowker is $125. They give you deals if you purchase more. For example, you can purchase 10 for $295, or $29.50 per ISBN.
Phew. I know, that's a lot of nonsensical information. I guess it comes down to how much you want to spend and if you think you're going to want to distribute elsewhere or get an agent/publishing deal down the road. It will be easier for them to see how well you've sold if you have one ISBN across multiple platforms.
Here's a chart that may help.
PriceImprintDistributorsCreateSpace-Assigned ISBNFreeCreateSpace Independent
Publishing PlatformCreateSpaceCustom ISBN*$10You chooseCreateSpaceCustom Universal ISBN*$99You chooseYou chooseProvide Your Own ISBNExisting ISBN
RequiredYou chooseYou chooseFREECreateSpace-Assigned ISBNCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform is your book's imprint of record. If you select Amazon.com or Amazon's European websites as distribution channels, this imprint will be reflected on your book's detail page.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, a CreateSpace eStore, and all Expanded Distributionchannels.This ISBN can only be used with the CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.Your book's ISBN information will be registered with BooksInPrint.com®$10Custom ISBN*You choose your book's imprint of record. If you select Amazon.com or Amazon's European websites as distribution channels, this imprint will be reflected on your book's detail page.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, a CreateSpace eStore, and some† Expanded Distributionchannels.This ISBN can only be used with the CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.Your book's ISBN information will be registered with BooksInPrint.com®$99Custom Universal ISBN*You can use this ISBN with any publisher.You choose your book's imprint of record. If you select Amazon.com or Amazon's European websites as distribution channels, this imprint will be reflected on your book's detail page.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, a CreateSpace eStore, and some† Expanded Distributionchannels.Your book's ISBN information will be registered with BooksInPrint.com®Provide Your Own ISBNYou can purchase your own ISBN fromBowker or through your local ISBN agency.If you are reprinting your book, the title, author name, and binding type must remain the same. A new edition requires a new ISBN.Your book's imprint must match what's on file with your ISBN.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, an eStore, andsome† Expanded Distribution channels.
DECISION PART THREE
The next thing you will have to decide is trim size and interior type. You will be given the option of black and white text only, or full color. Obviously, if you have pictures or colorful drawings and such in your work, you're going to pick full color. Full color is more expensive to print, so it will be more expensive for people to buy, and you will have to spend more to get a proof copy. According to the Createspace calculator for manufacturing costs, a full color 200 page book (6X9 dimension) will cost over $14 to print. Black and white interior (text only) with same specs is $3.25. Pretty big difference.
Another decision to be made here is the color of your paper, white or cream? White is pretty glaring when you get a print book (My eyes! My eyes!), and industry standard is cream for fiction, white for non-fiction. I went with cream since my book is fiction, and I think it's a little easier to read. My pasty white legs have blinded enough people as it is, no need to stretch that to my novels as well.
Next, you pick trim size. 6 X 9 is the most recommended option with the widest distribution options, and I suppose you may pick a smaller size or larger size depending on your page count and what it will look like. The good news is that you can order a proof copy and review it before hitting publish, allowing you to make changes and find out which size/dimension will work best for you.
Is your brain hurting yet?
And wow this post got waaay longer than I thought it would! So before I bore you to tears we'll stop here and continue another time with even MORE decisions you get to make when indie publishing.
Coming up soon: Formatting! Uploading! Waiting! Oh my!
Today, we are going to talk about publishing through Createspace and how to make some of those pesky decisions that you have to make when you decide to indie publish through Amazon.
FIRST DECISION (chose wisely!)
Will you publish e-book only, or paperback only or both? It would be silly-pants to do paperback only, because once you have all that uploaded, Amazon will import everything FOR YOU into KDP and the e-book world, and the more exposure the better. But I know a few people who started e-book only, or who currently sell e-book only.
Some things to think about: e-book is easier. You don't need a full spread (that sounds dirty) which includes the spine and back blurb stuff for cover art, you just need the front cover. It's also very quick to publish e-book only (once you've spent half your life crafting the dang novel in the first place).
Why would someone chose e-book only? Well, maybe you don't have the time or resources to have a full blown cover designed. Maybe you need to make some money to pay for said cover, so you want to see what you can get with the e-book and THEN get the paperback version available.
What did I do? I did both almost simultaneously, and I'm glad I did. I got to hold a paper copy in my hands, and I was able to review the paperback and find more things I wanted to change, formatting issues, etc. before I hit publish on the ebook. Also...YOU GET TO HOLD A PHYSICAL COPY IN YOUR HANDS! Come on, we all want that, right? Yes, I had to spend a little bit more money and time, but I feel it was worth it.
DECISION PART DEUX
So, you log into Createspace, you enter in all the easy stuff: Title, author name, is this is a series, etc. And then comes something funky...ISBN. WHAT IS THIS? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I See Buggy Noobs?
ISBN is International Standard Book Number. (Warning: what follows is information I've gleaned from various sources across the interwebs, which are hopefully accurate. I know, I know, everything I read on the internet MUST BE TRUE!)
Your ISBN is what the industry uses to track and distribute your book. For example, when you strike it real big and libraries and bookshops want to sell your book, they find and track it using your ISBN. When you become a bazillionaire and everyone wants to represent you and publishing houses are begging at your door for the chance to wipe your sweaty brow, they use the ISBN to see how many sales you've made with a particular title.
When you choose your ISBN on Createspace, you have three options.
Option One: Free Createspace assigned ISBN. This is free. You have access to Creatspace's expanded distribution, which means more potential buyers. Things to consider: people will see that your publisher is Createspace and they will know you are an indie author (SIDEBAR: I saw this on multiple sites and I am kinda annoyed by it. I mean, as someone who reads a lot of both indie and traditionally published works, I really don't care who published it, I care whether the book is good or not. Also, if you want to self-publish your work and you're that concerned about what others are going to think about it being a self-published work...maybe self-pubbing isn't the right path for you.)
Another BIGGER con is that you cannot use your Createspace ISBN to publish your book through other channels. If you decide later you want to push your book through another distribution channel, you may need a different ISBN for the same product and that's when things get sticky, distribution wise and sales-tracking info will be harder to nail down.
Option Two: Custom ISBN. I don't really understand the draw with this one because you pay $10, and you still cannot use this ISBN through other publishing platforms.
Option Three: Purchase Custom Universal ISBN for $99 where you can use this ISBN to publish across other platforms, and still have access to Amazon's expanded distribution channel.
Option Four: Purchase your own ISBN through Bowker or another ISBN agency. This seems to be the best choice, but again, it's going to cost you. The cost for one ISBN through Bowker is $125. They give you deals if you purchase more. For example, you can purchase 10 for $295, or $29.50 per ISBN.
Phew. I know, that's a lot of nonsensical information. I guess it comes down to how much you want to spend and if you think you're going to want to distribute elsewhere or get an agent/publishing deal down the road. It will be easier for them to see how well you've sold if you have one ISBN across multiple platforms.
Here's a chart that may help.
PriceImprintDistributorsCreateSpace-Assigned ISBNFreeCreateSpace Independent
Publishing PlatformCreateSpaceCustom ISBN*$10You chooseCreateSpaceCustom Universal ISBN*$99You chooseYou chooseProvide Your Own ISBNExisting ISBN
RequiredYou chooseYou chooseFREECreateSpace-Assigned ISBNCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform is your book's imprint of record. If you select Amazon.com or Amazon's European websites as distribution channels, this imprint will be reflected on your book's detail page.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, a CreateSpace eStore, and all Expanded Distributionchannels.This ISBN can only be used with the CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.Your book's ISBN information will be registered with BooksInPrint.com®$10Custom ISBN*You choose your book's imprint of record. If you select Amazon.com or Amazon's European websites as distribution channels, this imprint will be reflected on your book's detail page.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, a CreateSpace eStore, and some† Expanded Distributionchannels.This ISBN can only be used with the CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.Your book's ISBN information will be registered with BooksInPrint.com®$99Custom Universal ISBN*You can use this ISBN with any publisher.You choose your book's imprint of record. If you select Amazon.com or Amazon's European websites as distribution channels, this imprint will be reflected on your book's detail page.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, a CreateSpace eStore, and some† Expanded Distributionchannels.Your book's ISBN information will be registered with BooksInPrint.com®Provide Your Own ISBNYou can purchase your own ISBN fromBowker or through your local ISBN agency.If you are reprinting your book, the title, author name, and binding type must remain the same. A new edition requires a new ISBN.Your book's imprint must match what's on file with your ISBN.You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, an eStore, andsome† Expanded Distribution channels.
DECISION PART THREE
The next thing you will have to decide is trim size and interior type. You will be given the option of black and white text only, or full color. Obviously, if you have pictures or colorful drawings and such in your work, you're going to pick full color. Full color is more expensive to print, so it will be more expensive for people to buy, and you will have to spend more to get a proof copy. According to the Createspace calculator for manufacturing costs, a full color 200 page book (6X9 dimension) will cost over $14 to print. Black and white interior (text only) with same specs is $3.25. Pretty big difference.
Another decision to be made here is the color of your paper, white or cream? White is pretty glaring when you get a print book (My eyes! My eyes!), and industry standard is cream for fiction, white for non-fiction. I went with cream since my book is fiction, and I think it's a little easier to read. My pasty white legs have blinded enough people as it is, no need to stretch that to my novels as well.
Next, you pick trim size. 6 X 9 is the most recommended option with the widest distribution options, and I suppose you may pick a smaller size or larger size depending on your page count and what it will look like. The good news is that you can order a proof copy and review it before hitting publish, allowing you to make changes and find out which size/dimension will work best for you.
Is your brain hurting yet?
And wow this post got waaay longer than I thought it would! So before I bore you to tears we'll stop here and continue another time with even MORE decisions you get to make when indie publishing.
Coming up soon: Formatting! Uploading! Waiting! Oh my!
April 22, 2014
Available now! A book! By me! Plus some things I've learned!
Hey everyone!
It's been a busy year, and an even busier month.
My first novel, Imperfect Chemistry, a new adult romance chick-lit romantic comedy type book is now available via Amazon!
Oh the pretty! Oh the purple! Dontcha just wanna go buy it RIGHT NOW!?
e-book currently available, print version is available via createspace.com
but won't be on Amazon for a few more days. Sad face.
Self publishing (er, indie publishing, whatever you want to call it) is very interesting. I've discovered lots of things.
For example, there's another Mary Frame who wrote "Tie Dying and Batik" I have no idea what that means, or who this person is, but let's give her some love anyways!
On Goodreads.
I love tie dyeing!
And after googling, I discovered that Batik is an ancient Japanese form of wax resistant dyeing.
I love this chick because I love hippies, and not just because her name is Mary Frame, although that helps.
And yes, I totally added this to my "To read" list on Goodreads.
Another thing I've learned: when I first published on Amazon when I entered my name into the search, my book wouldn't show up until like page 5 of the search results.
But now, after a couple days, if you type my name into Amazon, my book comes up almost immediately!
Right underneath THIS:
Mother Mary Photo Frames! AVAILABLE FREE ON YOUR ANDROID!
But if you click the link on Amazon, it's also rated "guidance suggested" which kinda creeps me out a little.
Why isn't Mother Mary suitable for all ages?!
I've also learned that marketing is hard, I'm obsessive compulsive about Amazon rankings and perusing my royalty stats, and that my friends (writer friends, coworkers, general life friends) are amazing and supportive and wonderful.
So that's where I'm at.
I've learned many more, useful things, but I'm too tired and I've had too much wine to write anything that will mean anything to anyone However, I promise I will return to blogging shortly with some much more eloquent and worthwhile info.
Until then!
It's been a busy year, and an even busier month.
My first novel, Imperfect Chemistry, a new adult romance chick-lit romantic comedy type book is now available via Amazon!
Oh the pretty! Oh the purple! Dontcha just wanna go buy it RIGHT NOW!?e-book currently available, print version is available via createspace.com
but won't be on Amazon for a few more days. Sad face.
Self publishing (er, indie publishing, whatever you want to call it) is very interesting. I've discovered lots of things.
For example, there's another Mary Frame who wrote "Tie Dying and Batik" I have no idea what that means, or who this person is, but let's give her some love anyways!
On Goodreads.I love tie dyeing!
And after googling, I discovered that Batik is an ancient Japanese form of wax resistant dyeing.
I love this chick because I love hippies, and not just because her name is Mary Frame, although that helps.
And yes, I totally added this to my "To read" list on Goodreads.
Another thing I've learned: when I first published on Amazon when I entered my name into the search, my book wouldn't show up until like page 5 of the search results.
But now, after a couple days, if you type my name into Amazon, my book comes up almost immediately!
Right underneath THIS:
Mother Mary Photo Frames! AVAILABLE FREE ON YOUR ANDROID!But if you click the link on Amazon, it's also rated "guidance suggested" which kinda creeps me out a little.
Why isn't Mother Mary suitable for all ages?!
I've also learned that marketing is hard, I'm obsessive compulsive about Amazon rankings and perusing my royalty stats, and that my friends (writer friends, coworkers, general life friends) are amazing and supportive and wonderful.
So that's where I'm at.
I've learned many more, useful things, but I'm too tired and I've had too much wine to write anything that will mean anything to anyone However, I promise I will return to blogging shortly with some much more eloquent and worthwhile info.
Until then!
April 18, 2014
Coming out of the closet (not in the way you think. Although I would totally do Anna Kendrick...just sayin')
I've been blogging since 2010, about a year after the whole, "HEY I WANNA WRITE A BOOK!" part of my life started.
Since then, I've confided in my writerly journey to: my mother, other writers, my closest friends, and a handful of other people.
Coming out (so to speak) to people is tough. Especially when you're struggling just to put words on a page, let alone trying to master the art of storytelling, character development, thematic nuances, dialogue, juggling multiple plot arcs...it goes on, and on, and on.
The truth is (and if you've read my way past blog posts, you know this already), when I first started writing, I sucked. Like really sucked. And to be honest, I'm still not that great. But one of the many the draws (for me), and the point of this whole part of my life is that it's something that I can learn. I can grow. I can get better.
Someday, I'm not going to suck so much. As a matter of fact, I suck less than I did five years ago, and that's exciting. That's thrilling, actually.
I think this is GENERALLY true for anyone who pursues any kind of art. When you first start out, you're not that great. You have to learn-just like with anything else-and it takes time and a whole lot of work to build your skills. For me, it took me longer than the average bear. I don't know why. I'm special like that. But it was a good thing! It was a humbling thing. Most things I've tried, I pick up fairly quickly. Not so with writing, and that's okay.
The point, I guess, is that I didn't give up. I could have. I thought about it, occasionally. But then an idea would grip me and it wouldn't let me go and I had to get it out there.
I'm so pleased that I didn't give up after the first year (or the second, or the third, or the fourth...). I didn't let the fact that I knew I wasn't that great stop me from continuing to try.
And now I have something to share with the world. Something that will let them escape for a few hours, something that will make people laugh (hopefully), and that's a great feeling.
So, yes. I am coming out of the closet to...everyone.
My name is Mary Frame, and I am a writer.
(it doesn't say GOOD writer, it just says writer, you see that?)
Since then, I've confided in my writerly journey to: my mother, other writers, my closest friends, and a handful of other people.
Coming out (so to speak) to people is tough. Especially when you're struggling just to put words on a page, let alone trying to master the art of storytelling, character development, thematic nuances, dialogue, juggling multiple plot arcs...it goes on, and on, and on.
The truth is (and if you've read my way past blog posts, you know this already), when I first started writing, I sucked. Like really sucked. And to be honest, I'm still not that great. But one of the many the draws (for me), and the point of this whole part of my life is that it's something that I can learn. I can grow. I can get better.
Someday, I'm not going to suck so much. As a matter of fact, I suck less than I did five years ago, and that's exciting. That's thrilling, actually.
I think this is GENERALLY true for anyone who pursues any kind of art. When you first start out, you're not that great. You have to learn-just like with anything else-and it takes time and a whole lot of work to build your skills. For me, it took me longer than the average bear. I don't know why. I'm special like that. But it was a good thing! It was a humbling thing. Most things I've tried, I pick up fairly quickly. Not so with writing, and that's okay.
The point, I guess, is that I didn't give up. I could have. I thought about it, occasionally. But then an idea would grip me and it wouldn't let me go and I had to get it out there.
I'm so pleased that I didn't give up after the first year (or the second, or the third, or the fourth...). I didn't let the fact that I knew I wasn't that great stop me from continuing to try.
And now I have something to share with the world. Something that will let them escape for a few hours, something that will make people laugh (hopefully), and that's a great feeling.
So, yes. I am coming out of the closet to...everyone.
My name is Mary Frame, and I am a writer.
(it doesn't say GOOD writer, it just says writer, you see that?)
April 16, 2014
Decisions, Decisions...and some things I've learned about KDP Select
While working on getting my book published, I've been researching a lot of information. I'm going to (attempt to) organize some of the things I've found useful. Soon, I will also be posting some tips and things I've learned (and screwed up!) while making this publishing journey.
Keep in mind that a lot of this is based on the decisions I've made, mostly because they will work best for me, personally. Everyone's path is different, and if you are choosing to self-publish your book, you may find another route that works better for you.
I have decided to start my journey by going through Amazon and their KDP select program.
What is this KDP select program you speak of (you may be asking)? KDP select is where you agree to publish your book SOLELY through Amazon and NO OTHER retailer. There are, of course, certain benefits and detriments to going through KDP select.
The obvious downfall: you can't publish anywhere else, and therefore may lose out on sales through other retailers like Barnes & Noble or Smashwords. However, you can opt out of the KDP select program after the first 90 days (IMPORTANT SIDEBAR! Amazon will automatically re-enroll you after 90 days! You must go into your account and de-select the auto-enroll feature).
The benefits to KDP select: Your e-book will be available for Amazon prime members to download for free, while you still get your royalty cut. Your book will be available to readers in Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and India (all those readers in India who love romantic comedies...).
Plus (and this was the big draw for me as a brand new, unknown author) you can pick between these two promotional tools:
1) Kindle countdown deals (where your book is available at a lower cost for a limited time to draw more readers, while you still earn royalties) and,
2) Free Book promotion where readers can download your book for free (you don't earn any royalties in that scenario, but you may reach more potential readers and move up the Amazon charts which means more exposure-a critical aspect of marketing when you're a newbie like myself).
I haven't decided which promotional tool I will use yet, but I'm leaning towards the totally free since I'm an unimportant nobody who really needs to focus first on exposure before working towards making all those millions of dollars with my books (hardy har har).
Another reason I am going with KDP select is because it will likely take me AT LEAST 90 days to figure out how to format and upload my book onto all those other platforms, so...win, win. After my initial 90 days and use of the promotional tools, I will be able to spread across other devices and websites.
Also, Amazon has made it AMAZINGLY easy to upload and publish, while other platforms are a bit more complicated and time consuming (from what I've heard/researched). And let's face it, Amazon is a GIANT retailer. It's hands-down the best place to get the most exposure.
Coming soon to a blog post near you: some tips and guides for formatting and publishing through Amazon, and some mistakes I've made, all in one convenient location (i.e. here)!
Stay tuned...
Keep in mind that a lot of this is based on the decisions I've made, mostly because they will work best for me, personally. Everyone's path is different, and if you are choosing to self-publish your book, you may find another route that works better for you.
I have decided to start my journey by going through Amazon and their KDP select program.
What is this KDP select program you speak of (you may be asking)? KDP select is where you agree to publish your book SOLELY through Amazon and NO OTHER retailer. There are, of course, certain benefits and detriments to going through KDP select.
The obvious downfall: you can't publish anywhere else, and therefore may lose out on sales through other retailers like Barnes & Noble or Smashwords. However, you can opt out of the KDP select program after the first 90 days (IMPORTANT SIDEBAR! Amazon will automatically re-enroll you after 90 days! You must go into your account and de-select the auto-enroll feature).
The benefits to KDP select: Your e-book will be available for Amazon prime members to download for free, while you still get your royalty cut. Your book will be available to readers in Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and India (all those readers in India who love romantic comedies...).
Plus (and this was the big draw for me as a brand new, unknown author) you can pick between these two promotional tools:
1) Kindle countdown deals (where your book is available at a lower cost for a limited time to draw more readers, while you still earn royalties) and,
2) Free Book promotion where readers can download your book for free (you don't earn any royalties in that scenario, but you may reach more potential readers and move up the Amazon charts which means more exposure-a critical aspect of marketing when you're a newbie like myself).
I haven't decided which promotional tool I will use yet, but I'm leaning towards the totally free since I'm an unimportant nobody who really needs to focus first on exposure before working towards making all those millions of dollars with my books (hardy har har).
Another reason I am going with KDP select is because it will likely take me AT LEAST 90 days to figure out how to format and upload my book onto all those other platforms, so...win, win. After my initial 90 days and use of the promotional tools, I will be able to spread across other devices and websites.
Also, Amazon has made it AMAZINGLY easy to upload and publish, while other platforms are a bit more complicated and time consuming (from what I've heard/researched). And let's face it, Amazon is a GIANT retailer. It's hands-down the best place to get the most exposure.
Coming soon to a blog post near you: some tips and guides for formatting and publishing through Amazon, and some mistakes I've made, all in one convenient location (i.e. here)!
Stay tuned...
April 14, 2014
The cover at the end of this blog
Okay guys, it's here, it's really here and it's really real and I'm about to piss my pants!
Before sharing the cover for my novel, Imperfect Chemistry, I'm going to share with you the journey to the cover! With GIFs! Get excited. It's real fun (or real stupid and boring, I dunno.)
I wrote Imperfect Chemistry in November of 2013, and once I finished the crappy, sloppy rough draft, I knew that it would be my first published book. It just didn't suck quite as much as everything else I had written, and I knew I could make it better. So, I immediately hired one of my favorite designers, Mae I Design. I sent her an e-mail, she sent me the pricing, I paid, she told me it would be a few months (she's very popular and has a loooong waiting list).
Time passed, I edited, revised, edited some more, sent my book to beta readers, did more editing and revising, hired a line editor did YET MORE editing and revising, and then I was getting real antsy. I e-mailed the designer to make sure of the time frame of when I could expect it, she told me just a couple weeks. Not much time, but it felt like for-ev-er!
Then it happened! I got the e-mail with an image and a, "Let me know if I'm on the right path!"
We went back and forth a few times, I had her make a few changes, she sent it back, I showed it to some of my favorite peeps for feedback, then had her change a few more things. It only took a few days for the whole process, but I was so excited time passed very sloooowly! (especially since I was checking my phone for her responses every three and a half minutes.)
THEN IT HAPPENED GUYS! I GOT IT!
I will keep you in suspense no longer. Here it is, the full spread for the printed version:
OH THE PRETTY! OH THE PURPLE! Ohmergerd this is really gonna happen and I'm gonna vomit all over the place!
Now, I'm just waiting for all of the formatted files to upload and review. I'm going to mail myself a paper copy and go through it once more (or possibly six more times. I just can't help it, somebody STOP ME!) and then I will unleash it upon the world. Hopefully it will not suck so badly as to incite the apocalypse, but we'll see.
In the mean time, I'm trying to figure out how to set up an author page on Facebook and playing with the formatting for the printed version (as opposed to the e-book version), and groaning over things like author photos (I am NOT very photogenic) and author bios, etc. I will keep y'all apprised of the situation!
So, until next time, goodbye McFly's!
Before sharing the cover for my novel, Imperfect Chemistry, I'm going to share with you the journey to the cover! With GIFs! Get excited. It's real fun (or real stupid and boring, I dunno.)
I wrote Imperfect Chemistry in November of 2013, and once I finished the crappy, sloppy rough draft, I knew that it would be my first published book. It just didn't suck quite as much as everything else I had written, and I knew I could make it better. So, I immediately hired one of my favorite designers, Mae I Design. I sent her an e-mail, she sent me the pricing, I paid, she told me it would be a few months (she's very popular and has a loooong waiting list).
Time passed, I edited, revised, edited some more, sent my book to beta readers, did more editing and revising, hired a line editor did YET MORE editing and revising, and then I was getting real antsy. I e-mailed the designer to make sure of the time frame of when I could expect it, she told me just a couple weeks. Not much time, but it felt like for-ev-er!
Then it happened! I got the e-mail with an image and a, "Let me know if I'm on the right path!"
We went back and forth a few times, I had her make a few changes, she sent it back, I showed it to some of my favorite peeps for feedback, then had her change a few more things. It only took a few days for the whole process, but I was so excited time passed very sloooowly! (especially since I was checking my phone for her responses every three and a half minutes.)
THEN IT HAPPENED GUYS! I GOT IT!
I will keep you in suspense no longer. Here it is, the full spread for the printed version:
OH THE PRETTY! OH THE PURPLE! Ohmergerd this is really gonna happen and I'm gonna vomit all over the place!
Now, I'm just waiting for all of the formatted files to upload and review. I'm going to mail myself a paper copy and go through it once more (or possibly six more times. I just can't help it, somebody STOP ME!) and then I will unleash it upon the world. Hopefully it will not suck so badly as to incite the apocalypse, but we'll see.
In the mean time, I'm trying to figure out how to set up an author page on Facebook and playing with the formatting for the printed version (as opposed to the e-book version), and groaning over things like author photos (I am NOT very photogenic) and author bios, etc. I will keep y'all apprised of the situation!
So, until next time, goodbye McFly's!
March 31, 2014
My Writing Process Blog Tour (or Whaaat? I'm supposed to have a PROCESS? WHAT IS THIS YOU SPEAK OF?)
My wonderful friend Precy Larkins (who blogs here: one blog and two blog) was kind enough to tag me in a blog tour regarding the writing process. She's got a short story published in an anthology here: Winter's Regret: What Might Have Been. Her story is totally amazeballs, you should buy this book JUST FOR THAT! And she's represented by Julia A. Weber, who's obviously a genius for snapping this gem up.
I was thrilled for a few reasons. One, Precy is quite possibly the sweetest, most beautiful person ON THIS PLANET. I DO NOT EXAGGERATE. I AM INORDINATELY FOND OF CAPS RIGHT NOW! Also, I lurve learning about other writers and how they get from vague plot idea to full blown novel. It's fascinating and intriguing how different our paths are, and yet how similar we all tend to be. In addition, I've had absolutely no idea what to blog about lately, so this is a great help.
So, here we go. For this tour, I am required (lest Precy find me in my sleep and break my thumbs) to answer four questions.
1) What am I working on?
An entire bottle of chardonnay!
Oh wait, this is a writing tour. Fine, fine. I am working on edits (mostly line edits at this point) of my novel Imperfect Chemistry. Hopefully, it will be available on Amazon on May 4th. That's what I'm shooting for since it seems feasible and that's my husband's birthday. In addition to that, I'm outlining/drafting the second novel of the same series entitled: Imperfectly Legal. See the "What I'm working on" tab above for more info on those novels.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Well. With Imperfect Chemistry, it's a New Adult novel that's also a romantic comedy. I haven't seen many comedies coming out of the NA genre. Most of what I've seen/read (and please, correct me if I'm wrong!) involves dark pasts and broken characters, guys that are tough and kind of slutty and/or controlling, and the girls who change them/fix them, etc. My novels are different because while the characters aren't perfect and they each have their own character arcs, I try to add a little more humor and awkwardness than what you might typically see in a NA Romance. In addition, I love reversing some of those gender stereotypes that seem prevalent in most romantic novels. I love to surprise my readers.
3) Why do I write what I do?
Imperfect Chemistry was the first romantic comedy I've ever written. Prior to this, I wrote mostly paranormal or fantasy type stories. But, this was an idea that had been following me around for awhile. I read Patricia Cabot's Educating Caroline (who is also Meg Cabot, I think Meg is actually her pen name) many years ago. Educating Caroline is a historical novel about a young society Miss who catches her fiance cheating on her, and instead of crying foul (it was the Victorian era, after all, you couldn't throw over your fiance and get away with it without becoming an object of ridicule, especially if you were a woman), she seeks the counsel of a notorious rake to help her learn the art of seduction. I started thinking...how would something like that work in contemporary times?
While mulling over that potential concept, I also started thinking of some of my good friends. You see, I have a few friends who are brilliantly smart. One who's a lawyer, speaks four languages, decided on a whim to take the LSATs when we were in college and scored in the 93rd percentile and...she also called me once when she was babysitting to ask how to make a tuna fish sandwich. "Do you have to cook it?!" she asked frantically.
I have another friend, who is now a heart surgeon or some crap, who took the math entrance exam for college and tested into calculus three. CALCULUS THREE which is what you need to get a minor in Mathematics! This same friend had a hard time pulling his crap together long enough for us to make simple plans to hang out. He was always making everything way more complicated than it needed to be.
It was with these things in mind that the plot for Imperfect Chemistry began to formulate. What if you had a heroine who was exceptionally scientifically smart, but was not too smart in some other area? She would have to learn more about it, and maybe have to solicit advice from someone who would, of course, be the romantic hero. It grew from there.
How does your writing process work?
I used to be a pantser. Alas, this did not work out well for me. I would have a concept or idea and just start writing...but then I would never finish. Or I would rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite again and then throw it all away! It works for some people, but it took me WAY TOO LONG and about twenty half-written novels to figure out that I'm not one of those people.
I have a word doc labeled "idea file" where I put all my ideas, inspirations, characters, concepts, whatever, and I pull from there to outline. I pick whatever story appeals to me the most.
I outline fairly extensively. It's not one of those fancy schmancy outlines with roman numerals and junk. It's more like: Scene one - this happens, that needs to happen, maybe some dialogue, more thoughts, more dialogue, show this somehow, introduce this character etc. etc. occasionally, I'll write, "Ugh that sucks, think of something better!" and that actually works sometimes.
The outline for Imperfect Chemistry was 20 pages and it took me about a month and a half to finish it. Then I drafted fairly quickly. Imperfect Chemistry was my 2013 NaNo novel, so I wrote it in 30 days.
Then came the edits. Those take a little longer. It's difficult to separate yourself from your writing in order to look at it critically. This is why I am uber grateful for beta readers like Precy. I spent about two months editing, then sent it off to my readers and edited some more based on their feedback. And seriously, I love feedback. I really do. ANYTHING to make my work stronger! And I am TRULY blessed with some brilliant friends who are able to give constructive feedback that's not uber critical or snarky, it's just plain brilliant.
***
Phew, that's all done. Now I have to tag three other writers to participate in this lovely little tour.
Without further ado, I bring you:
Jennifer Wayne! Watch out world, this girl is hot hot hot! Her paranormal romance trilogy, THE CHOSEN is coming to an ebook near you (hopefully soon. Get on it sister!) She's fairly new to the writing world, but she's SUPER sweet and her books are sexy, sassy, and she's got that THING, I can't even explain it, but I've read enough new writers to know that this one is going somewhere. Fast. Keep yer eye out, matey! (I have no idea where the pirate talk came from, just let it happen.)
Jennifer Prescott. What can I say about my lovely Jenny Phresh-face? She's brilliant. Like, literally genius-worthy brilliant, and if you don't believe me, just check out her fantastic mid-grade fantasy THE HUNDRED. The world building will make you piss your pants and karate chop your furniture! You should also read every last thing on her blog. You will laugh so hard your innards will implode from sheer humor.
Joyce Alton. Ah, Joyce, This lady is super sweet and talented and her blog is chockablock FULL of amazing usefulness so go follow it now! She's written a barrel-full of novels and is published in the non-fiction world under a different name (she's sneaky-sneaky like that). She also moderates a speculative fiction group on Agent Query Connect. In short, she's amazeballs.
Honorable mention:
Jenn Marie Thorne. I have this thing with Jennifer's. I don't know what it is. THIS Jennifer has been a beta reader of mine for (hold on while I check my e-mail account here) August 2010! So, about four years, and I have to say, it has been absolutely wonderful watching her grow as a writer. Her book, which is currently listed on Goodreads as SPIN (the title is changing and I don't know if I can share that and...aca-awkward) you SHOULD READ IT AND ADD IT TO YOUR LISTS AND KISS HER FEET. Ahem. Let's just say, I went from beta reader to fan-girl on this one, and you would be wise to follow suit! She doesn't currently have a blog, but she's working on it (this is why she is merely mentioned honorably rather than tagged), and I will let you lovely blog readers know when she's ready to face the world!
That's it! Thanks for getting this far if you're still reading (this blog post literally took me a week and a half to write, phew!). Catch ya on the flip side.
I was thrilled for a few reasons. One, Precy is quite possibly the sweetest, most beautiful person ON THIS PLANET. I DO NOT EXAGGERATE. I AM INORDINATELY FOND OF CAPS RIGHT NOW! Also, I lurve learning about other writers and how they get from vague plot idea to full blown novel. It's fascinating and intriguing how different our paths are, and yet how similar we all tend to be. In addition, I've had absolutely no idea what to blog about lately, so this is a great help.
So, here we go. For this tour, I am required (lest Precy find me in my sleep and break my thumbs) to answer four questions.
1) What am I working on?
An entire bottle of chardonnay!
Oh wait, this is a writing tour. Fine, fine. I am working on edits (mostly line edits at this point) of my novel Imperfect Chemistry. Hopefully, it will be available on Amazon on May 4th. That's what I'm shooting for since it seems feasible and that's my husband's birthday. In addition to that, I'm outlining/drafting the second novel of the same series entitled: Imperfectly Legal. See the "What I'm working on" tab above for more info on those novels.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Well. With Imperfect Chemistry, it's a New Adult novel that's also a romantic comedy. I haven't seen many comedies coming out of the NA genre. Most of what I've seen/read (and please, correct me if I'm wrong!) involves dark pasts and broken characters, guys that are tough and kind of slutty and/or controlling, and the girls who change them/fix them, etc. My novels are different because while the characters aren't perfect and they each have their own character arcs, I try to add a little more humor and awkwardness than what you might typically see in a NA Romance. In addition, I love reversing some of those gender stereotypes that seem prevalent in most romantic novels. I love to surprise my readers.
3) Why do I write what I do?
Imperfect Chemistry was the first romantic comedy I've ever written. Prior to this, I wrote mostly paranormal or fantasy type stories. But, this was an idea that had been following me around for awhile. I read Patricia Cabot's Educating Caroline (who is also Meg Cabot, I think Meg is actually her pen name) many years ago. Educating Caroline is a historical novel about a young society Miss who catches her fiance cheating on her, and instead of crying foul (it was the Victorian era, after all, you couldn't throw over your fiance and get away with it without becoming an object of ridicule, especially if you were a woman), she seeks the counsel of a notorious rake to help her learn the art of seduction. I started thinking...how would something like that work in contemporary times?
While mulling over that potential concept, I also started thinking of some of my good friends. You see, I have a few friends who are brilliantly smart. One who's a lawyer, speaks four languages, decided on a whim to take the LSATs when we were in college and scored in the 93rd percentile and...she also called me once when she was babysitting to ask how to make a tuna fish sandwich. "Do you have to cook it?!" she asked frantically.
I have another friend, who is now a heart surgeon or some crap, who took the math entrance exam for college and tested into calculus three. CALCULUS THREE which is what you need to get a minor in Mathematics! This same friend had a hard time pulling his crap together long enough for us to make simple plans to hang out. He was always making everything way more complicated than it needed to be.
It was with these things in mind that the plot for Imperfect Chemistry began to formulate. What if you had a heroine who was exceptionally scientifically smart, but was not too smart in some other area? She would have to learn more about it, and maybe have to solicit advice from someone who would, of course, be the romantic hero. It grew from there.
How does your writing process work?
I used to be a pantser. Alas, this did not work out well for me. I would have a concept or idea and just start writing...but then I would never finish. Or I would rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite again and then throw it all away! It works for some people, but it took me WAY TOO LONG and about twenty half-written novels to figure out that I'm not one of those people.
I have a word doc labeled "idea file" where I put all my ideas, inspirations, characters, concepts, whatever, and I pull from there to outline. I pick whatever story appeals to me the most.
I outline fairly extensively. It's not one of those fancy schmancy outlines with roman numerals and junk. It's more like: Scene one - this happens, that needs to happen, maybe some dialogue, more thoughts, more dialogue, show this somehow, introduce this character etc. etc. occasionally, I'll write, "Ugh that sucks, think of something better!" and that actually works sometimes.
The outline for Imperfect Chemistry was 20 pages and it took me about a month and a half to finish it. Then I drafted fairly quickly. Imperfect Chemistry was my 2013 NaNo novel, so I wrote it in 30 days.
Then came the edits. Those take a little longer. It's difficult to separate yourself from your writing in order to look at it critically. This is why I am uber grateful for beta readers like Precy. I spent about two months editing, then sent it off to my readers and edited some more based on their feedback. And seriously, I love feedback. I really do. ANYTHING to make my work stronger! And I am TRULY blessed with some brilliant friends who are able to give constructive feedback that's not uber critical or snarky, it's just plain brilliant.
***
Phew, that's all done. Now I have to tag three other writers to participate in this lovely little tour.
Without further ado, I bring you:
Jennifer Wayne! Watch out world, this girl is hot hot hot! Her paranormal romance trilogy, THE CHOSEN is coming to an ebook near you (hopefully soon. Get on it sister!) She's fairly new to the writing world, but she's SUPER sweet and her books are sexy, sassy, and she's got that THING, I can't even explain it, but I've read enough new writers to know that this one is going somewhere. Fast. Keep yer eye out, matey! (I have no idea where the pirate talk came from, just let it happen.)
Jennifer Prescott. What can I say about my lovely Jenny Phresh-face? She's brilliant. Like, literally genius-worthy brilliant, and if you don't believe me, just check out her fantastic mid-grade fantasy THE HUNDRED. The world building will make you piss your pants and karate chop your furniture! You should also read every last thing on her blog. You will laugh so hard your innards will implode from sheer humor.
Joyce Alton. Ah, Joyce, This lady is super sweet and talented and her blog is chockablock FULL of amazing usefulness so go follow it now! She's written a barrel-full of novels and is published in the non-fiction world under a different name (she's sneaky-sneaky like that). She also moderates a speculative fiction group on Agent Query Connect. In short, she's amazeballs.
Honorable mention:
Jenn Marie Thorne. I have this thing with Jennifer's. I don't know what it is. THIS Jennifer has been a beta reader of mine for (hold on while I check my e-mail account here) August 2010! So, about four years, and I have to say, it has been absolutely wonderful watching her grow as a writer. Her book, which is currently listed on Goodreads as SPIN (the title is changing and I don't know if I can share that and...aca-awkward) you SHOULD READ IT AND ADD IT TO YOUR LISTS AND KISS HER FEET. Ahem. Let's just say, I went from beta reader to fan-girl on this one, and you would be wise to follow suit! She doesn't currently have a blog, but she's working on it (this is why she is merely mentioned honorably rather than tagged), and I will let you lovely blog readers know when she's ready to face the world!
That's it! Thanks for getting this far if you're still reading (this blog post literally took me a week and a half to write, phew!). Catch ya on the flip side.
March 27, 2014
Cover Lovin' Had Me a Blast
Hello lovely people! I'm home today because my daughter turned into Pukey McPukerson last night, so after obtaining approximately four hours of sleep, I thought, hey I can blog today! It seems like a good idea although random nonsense may emerge periodically, and tomorrow I might decide this was a bad decision.
Oh, well.
So, my cover should be ready within the next few weeks, and in honor of me rending my hair in nervous anticipation, I decided to give out some cover lovin'. Below, I give you a combination of my most favorite covers, and some hilarious covers. To kick it off, a cover by the designer I hired for my novel.
I lurve this cover. This is the reason I hired Regina Wamba at Mae I Design. One of the best romance cover's I've seen. And I don't generally like covers with people on them for some reason, I usually prefer fairly simple covers, like the ones below.
Nice colors, nothing too crazy. I love this. And this is an awesome, hilarious, tragic book, btw.
AND THIS ONE OMGERD! This is a great cover, and I'm not just saying that because I know and love the writer, Bethany Crandell. It's so perfect for this book. And it's simple, clean, bright and cheery...I love it so much, I want to rub it all over my body. Oh, wait, I have a copy so I will do that right now. If you would like to join me, buy your own here: Summer On The Short Bus
I saw an article the other day about the trend of book covers beginning to lean toward more typographically inclined, as opposed to faces and people. I stole this image from there: Write All the Words: Author and Poet E. Kristin Anderson and I have to say, I really like all of these. I think that Ms. Anderson is correct in that covers like this have more universal appeal, and could lead to gaining readers who may not have picked up a book otherwise.
Say, if it looked like the one below.
This might not be a bad novel, but...what are they looking at? What's with the thousand mile stare and the hair blowing in the wind? I guess it IS a NASCAR novel. Oh, look, the cars are going around, and around, and around. Hey, they just completed another lap! (I really shouldn't judge to harshly. I read somewhere once that Harlequin sells four books every second or something completely ridiculous like that.)
Ahhh Fabio...giving romance novels a bad rap since 1982. I mean seriously, there's a lot of really awesome, wonderful, clever romance novels out there but they have these awful cheeseball covers! Every single one of them have shirtless men, scantily clad women, and poses that would make anyone else look like fools. They're embarrassing to buy and/or read in public. Thank god for Kindle. And the titles! "Defy Not the Heart" what does that even mean?
So there you have it. Some book cover lovin' and laughing.
Coming soon: I was tagged by the delectable Precy Larkins for a "Writing Process Blog Tour," so stay tuned for the next blog installment! In the meantime, good night and good luck.
Oh, well.
So, my cover should be ready within the next few weeks, and in honor of me rending my hair in nervous anticipation, I decided to give out some cover lovin'. Below, I give you a combination of my most favorite covers, and some hilarious covers. To kick it off, a cover by the designer I hired for my novel.
I lurve this cover. This is the reason I hired Regina Wamba at Mae I Design. One of the best romance cover's I've seen. And I don't generally like covers with people on them for some reason, I usually prefer fairly simple covers, like the ones below.Nice colors, nothing too crazy. I love this. And this is an awesome, hilarious, tragic book, btw.AND THIS ONE OMGERD! This is a great cover, and I'm not just saying that because I know and love the writer, Bethany Crandell. It's so perfect for this book. And it's simple, clean, bright and cheery...I love it so much, I want to rub it all over my body. Oh, wait, I have a copy so I will do that right now. If you would like to join me, buy your own here: Summer On The Short BusI saw an article the other day about the trend of book covers beginning to lean toward more typographically inclined, as opposed to faces and people. I stole this image from there: Write All the Words: Author and Poet E. Kristin Anderson and I have to say, I really like all of these. I think that Ms. Anderson is correct in that covers like this have more universal appeal, and could lead to gaining readers who may not have picked up a book otherwise. Say, if it looked like the one below.
This might not be a bad novel, but...what are they looking at? What's with the thousand mile stare and the hair blowing in the wind? I guess it IS a NASCAR novel. Oh, look, the cars are going around, and around, and around. Hey, they just completed another lap! (I really shouldn't judge to harshly. I read somewhere once that Harlequin sells four books every second or something completely ridiculous like that.)Ahhh Fabio...giving romance novels a bad rap since 1982. I mean seriously, there's a lot of really awesome, wonderful, clever romance novels out there but they have these awful cheeseball covers! Every single one of them have shirtless men, scantily clad women, and poses that would make anyone else look like fools. They're embarrassing to buy and/or read in public. Thank god for Kindle. And the titles! "Defy Not the Heart" what does that even mean?So there you have it. Some book cover lovin' and laughing.
Coming soon: I was tagged by the delectable Precy Larkins for a "Writing Process Blog Tour," so stay tuned for the next blog installment! In the meantime, good night and good luck.
March 17, 2014
On Blogger's Block & Inspiration
My little sister, Sarah Kane, is living the writer's dream right now. Or, possibly, the human's dream. She's traveling through South America on a little more than a hope and a prayer, blogging about her experiences while she surfs, hangs out on the beach, and eats tropical fruit with the ultimate goal of working on a vineyard in Argentina.
I know. What a bitch, right? But she's so cute! Look how cute she is!
Isn't she adorable? You want to squeeze her face off, don't you?
BTW, she's NOT the one with the mustache.
I sent her a message, recently, to make sure she was still alive because she has not been blogging much, and she shared with me her a little of her blogging anxiety. What should I write about? Pre-post anxiety, she calls it!
This is nothing new to me. I've been there. This blog went dark for two years until I recently breathed some life back into it. And still, I think sometimes (or most of the time): what next? What can I write about that will touch someone, somewhere (and not in an inappropriate touchy way)?
I worry about this as a writer in general, and I touched on it in my last post about writerly fears of DOOOOOM. It's scary. What if this is it? What if I have no new thoughts or ideas, like, EVER AGAIN!?
There's a few tricks. One: (and this is the one I gave my sister) don't be afraid to expose your insecurities. Don't be afraid to share some intimate, embarrassing, hopeless, useless part of your being. As humans on this planet we are all subjected to self-doubts about something. And with this, we can relate to each other. We can sigh in relief, and gasp in wonder about the fact that no matter how alone we feel, we are never really alone, and we are all in fact the same - yet beautifully different.
Two: Just keep writing. Write through it. Keep going, no matter what. Even if what you're writing is terrible, because writing terrible things is the only way to write beautiful things. Eventually. At least that's the hope.
There are other things that help ignite inspiration, for me anyways: music, movies, good books, my children, travelling, climbing mountains, and for some bizarre reason every time I'm in the shower I come up with fixes to broken plot points and character arcs.
What about you? What do you use to inspire yourself and break through those pesky writerly insecurities? What weapons have you forged against writers block?
I know. What a bitch, right? But she's so cute! Look how cute she is!
Isn't she adorable? You want to squeeze her face off, don't you? BTW, she's NOT the one with the mustache.
I sent her a message, recently, to make sure she was still alive because she has not been blogging much, and she shared with me her a little of her blogging anxiety. What should I write about? Pre-post anxiety, she calls it!
This is nothing new to me. I've been there. This blog went dark for two years until I recently breathed some life back into it. And still, I think sometimes (or most of the time): what next? What can I write about that will touch someone, somewhere (and not in an inappropriate touchy way)?
I worry about this as a writer in general, and I touched on it in my last post about writerly fears of DOOOOOM. It's scary. What if this is it? What if I have no new thoughts or ideas, like, EVER AGAIN!?
There's a few tricks. One: (and this is the one I gave my sister) don't be afraid to expose your insecurities. Don't be afraid to share some intimate, embarrassing, hopeless, useless part of your being. As humans on this planet we are all subjected to self-doubts about something. And with this, we can relate to each other. We can sigh in relief, and gasp in wonder about the fact that no matter how alone we feel, we are never really alone, and we are all in fact the same - yet beautifully different.
Two: Just keep writing. Write through it. Keep going, no matter what. Even if what you're writing is terrible, because writing terrible things is the only way to write beautiful things. Eventually. At least that's the hope.
There are other things that help ignite inspiration, for me anyways: music, movies, good books, my children, travelling, climbing mountains, and for some bizarre reason every time I'm in the shower I come up with fixes to broken plot points and character arcs.
What about you? What do you use to inspire yourself and break through those pesky writerly insecurities? What weapons have you forged against writers block?
March 1, 2014
Top Seven Writerly Fears of DOOOOM
Being a writer is scary. It's serious business. You write something and then you pass it over to people to read, and they're like "oh whatever" and you're like "OMG THEY'RE READING MY SOOUUL".
In honor of recently handing off my own work to some of the most wonderful writers I've ever read, (and also some friends who aren't writers, but voracious readers) I bring you: TOP SEVEN WRITERLY FEARS OF DOOOOOM. But it's not just about baring your soul to other people, there are many things about being a writer that would scare the piss out of even this guy:
One, two beta readers coming for you; three, four better run spell check before...
Writerly Fear Number One: Even though I've been writing for five years and I edited that draft until my eyes bled, deep down, I still think it might suck.
You know you're thinking it. You love it. You want to squeeze it and kiss it and call it George, but then you send it to that reader. The one that's super smart, or super informed and opinionated, and you think it. They're going to hate it. And by extension they're going to hate me.
Writerly Fear Number Two: They're not going to get it.
You outlined it. You wrote it. You edited it to death. You understand the thematic nuances behind each scene, and the irony of some scenes that are supposed to be taken ironically and not completely literally. But will they get it? Will they think it's stupid? Will they think it's literal and then judge you and hate you some more?
Writerly Fear Number Three: I'm never going to write anything remotely good ever again. This was a one off.
You've finally done it. You wrote something, and you don't think it completely sucks (it just sucks a little, maybe. In spots.) It's taken YEARS to get to this point, but the fear remains. What if this is it? This is the only book I ever write that isn't total crap on a poodle stick?
Writerly Fear Number Four: You get good feedback from people about your work, but you're pretty sure they're lying.
This is it. You get the e-mail/text/phone call from your reader and they love it. They love the characters, they think it was funny, etc. etc. And you have a moment of elation. Yay! I rock! But what if they're lying? What if they're just saying these things because they're really nice people, but the truth is they hated it and they don't know how to say that without being mean?
Writerly Fear Number Five: Four million one star reviews on Amazon/Goodreads/pick a site!
Okay, this isn't a totally legitimate fear because if you have four million reviews, one star or not, that's means lots of people read your book, so it can't be that bad. But seriously, what if you become like the Rebecca Black of the writing world? Tons of people saying awful things about your work...how horrible is that? Poor Rebecca Black, she's so cute, she doesn't deserve the mean things people said about her song :(
Writerly Fear Number Six: Telling people you know that you're writing a book
It always happens to me. I reveal to a co-worker, acquaintance, whomever, that I write books and they ask things like, "What's your book about?" and that elevator pitch that you've worked on forever that sounds super great while you're thinking about it in the shower, comes out sounding like the lamest concept ever imagined. Like Sharknado. Or you stumble over your words and can't quite get the idea out. Yep. Real articulate. I'm a great writer. Really. *face palm*
Writerly Fear Number Seven: Not doing a topic justice
I'm struggling a little with this one right now. I'm writing a book and the MC is a side character from the last book I wrote. In book one, this character experiences date rape. In the book I'm currently drafting, she's dealing with this issue and how it's effected her and her current relationships. But...what if I can't do this topic justice? What if someone who's experienced rape reads it and finds it lacking or insulting? That's the last thing I want, I want people who've dealt with this trauma to know that they are not alone, and they can move on and they can get justice.
So, those are my biggest fears when it comes to writing, and some of what I'm experiencing now.
Please feel free to share your own biggest fears and insecurities, it really does help overcome them!
In honor of recently handing off my own work to some of the most wonderful writers I've ever read, (and also some friends who aren't writers, but voracious readers) I bring you: TOP SEVEN WRITERLY FEARS OF DOOOOOM. But it's not just about baring your soul to other people, there are many things about being a writer that would scare the piss out of even this guy:
One, two beta readers coming for you; three, four better run spell check before...Writerly Fear Number One: Even though I've been writing for five years and I edited that draft until my eyes bled, deep down, I still think it might suck.
You know you're thinking it. You love it. You want to squeeze it and kiss it and call it George, but then you send it to that reader. The one that's super smart, or super informed and opinionated, and you think it. They're going to hate it. And by extension they're going to hate me.
Writerly Fear Number Two: They're not going to get it.
You outlined it. You wrote it. You edited it to death. You understand the thematic nuances behind each scene, and the irony of some scenes that are supposed to be taken ironically and not completely literally. But will they get it? Will they think it's stupid? Will they think it's literal and then judge you and hate you some more?
Writerly Fear Number Three: I'm never going to write anything remotely good ever again. This was a one off.
You've finally done it. You wrote something, and you don't think it completely sucks (it just sucks a little, maybe. In spots.) It's taken YEARS to get to this point, but the fear remains. What if this is it? This is the only book I ever write that isn't total crap on a poodle stick?
Writerly Fear Number Four: You get good feedback from people about your work, but you're pretty sure they're lying.
This is it. You get the e-mail/text/phone call from your reader and they love it. They love the characters, they think it was funny, etc. etc. And you have a moment of elation. Yay! I rock! But what if they're lying? What if they're just saying these things because they're really nice people, but the truth is they hated it and they don't know how to say that without being mean?
Writerly Fear Number Five: Four million one star reviews on Amazon/Goodreads/pick a site!
Okay, this isn't a totally legitimate fear because if you have four million reviews, one star or not, that's means lots of people read your book, so it can't be that bad. But seriously, what if you become like the Rebecca Black of the writing world? Tons of people saying awful things about your work...how horrible is that? Poor Rebecca Black, she's so cute, she doesn't deserve the mean things people said about her song :(
Writerly Fear Number Six: Telling people you know that you're writing a book
It always happens to me. I reveal to a co-worker, acquaintance, whomever, that I write books and they ask things like, "What's your book about?" and that elevator pitch that you've worked on forever that sounds super great while you're thinking about it in the shower, comes out sounding like the lamest concept ever imagined. Like Sharknado. Or you stumble over your words and can't quite get the idea out. Yep. Real articulate. I'm a great writer. Really. *face palm*
Writerly Fear Number Seven: Not doing a topic justice
I'm struggling a little with this one right now. I'm writing a book and the MC is a side character from the last book I wrote. In book one, this character experiences date rape. In the book I'm currently drafting, she's dealing with this issue and how it's effected her and her current relationships. But...what if I can't do this topic justice? What if someone who's experienced rape reads it and finds it lacking or insulting? That's the last thing I want, I want people who've dealt with this trauma to know that they are not alone, and they can move on and they can get justice.
So, those are my biggest fears when it comes to writing, and some of what I'm experiencing now.
Please feel free to share your own biggest fears and insecurities, it really does help overcome them!
