P.J. Fox's Blog, page 28

What We Can Learn From the Micro Penis

First, for those curious about the experience, Buzzfeed has thoughtfully compiled a list of blow-by-blow (no pun intended) accounts.  Having never experienced the phenomenon firsthand, I’ll have to trust that these women’s experiences are accurate.  And they are all women.  Evidently our gay friends either weren’t invited to this forum or refused to give up the goods.  But, after reading this, I had some writing-related thoughts.

Namely that, first and foremost, what’s hot–no matter what the size of the penis, or what the kink involved–is being an adventurous and sensitive lover.  The running joke re: erotica is, of course, that all readers want is a large cock and a larger wallet.  In actual fact, I’m not sure that’s true.  While there might not be much micro penis-themed erotica (unless that’s a fetish I’m not aware of?), what the penis-having characters in erotica all have in common is that they’re good in the sack.  Mediocre writers attribute that to size; better, or maybe simply more experienced, writers acknowledge that it’s, you know, the motion of the ocean.  Not the size of the boat.  Er.  And, even more importantly, it’s who the man is outside of the bedroom.

Personality matters.

Thoughts?

Mail Bag #3: Answering Your Questions

Over on Facebook, I asked fans if they had any questions they’d like answered–about me, my books, or anything in between.  That offer is still open; if there’s a question you’d like to ask, then ask it either over there or here in the comments and I’ll include it in the next post.

Steffanie asks, “why did you change the 3rd part of the “Dark Prince” trilogy from coming out in February 2015 to the end of 2015?”

The good news, Steffanie, is that I didn’t!  I’ve been a little vague about when, exactly, The Black Prince is coming out, because I haven’t started writing it yet.  But my hope is that it’ll be coming out in February 2015/late winter 2015.  So, maybe March?  The latest I’m hoping for is spring 2015.

The reason I’m not writing The Black Prince now is that I have a few other projects on my plate: two books coming out this month, I, Demon and The Prisoner, as well as two books coming out later this fall: A Dictionary of Fools, the sequel to The Price of Desire, and a book on succeeding as an indie writer.

So, editing, copy editing, and promotions for those things have taken up a lot of my time.  Writing-wise, I’m working on a different romantic trilogy, which I’m hopeful will also be released at some point this winter.  It’s set in the modern day, so it’s something of a departure for me, but it’s still–I hope–got that fairy tale feeling.  It’s actually a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The tough thing with predicting release dates is that you’re never sure how long actually writing a manuscript is going to take.  Release dates, even tentative ones, are only released after a consultation with the publisher–and even once the manuscript is completely finished, polished and ready to go, there are a lot of other variables.  Publishing scheduling, typesetting…a lot of people contribute to the final product.  I’ve been at this for awhile now, so I usually have a pretty good feel for how long it’s going to take me to complete a manuscript.  The problem is that sometimes, as has happened with my modern day trilogy, what started out as a stand-alone book actually turns into a trilogy.  If The Black Prince turns out to be really long, I may split it up into two parts (both of which would be released at the same time).

Which isn’t, incidentally, a bid by writers and publishers to make more money!  Or, at least, it shouldn’t be.  Splitting up books is a way of, in the long run, keeping publishing costs low and thus print books more widely accessible.  The cost of printing and binding a thousand page book is astronomically higher than that of printing and binding a book half that length, or less.

I’m hoping that The Black Prince won’t be a two volume event, but a lot of really exciting things are going to happen in the final installment.  I want to do justice to these characters, and to their stories!  I love them, too!

And thank you, Steffanie, for being such a wonderful fan and taking an interest!

Crystal asks, how do you keep yourself so absolutely stunning all of the time?

The short answer, Crystal, is that I don’t post pictures of myself doing what I’m doing right now, which is sitting on the couch in my PJ’s with the dog.  My PJ’s which, to be honest, smell and look a little like the dog.  But thank you for the compliment!

Here, for those who don’t know, is me:

In this picture, I have showered and removed( most of) the dog hair.

Yes, that’s my natural eye color.

For skincare, I enjoy affordable drugstore products.  In particular, I enjoy Roc.  You can judge for yourself whether I’m a good ad for their products; I’m turning 31 this year.  Because I’m so pale, I wear makeup so my face doesn’t disappear.  Want this look?  When not dressing up to go fancy places (which I rarely do), I use the same five product makeup routine.  Which consists of Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara, pressed powder, Benefit Dandelion all-over face powder, Sephora Collection eyeliner (black), and MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot (quite natural).

I also usually fill in my brows because they’re naturally blonde, too.  I usually just use eyeshadow, but have recently upgraded to Bare Minerals Brow Powder (dark blonde).  After I cleanse and moisturize, I start by filling in my brows and then lining my eyes.  The trick, here, is to get the pencil as much in the lash line as possible, really lining between the lashes rather than on top of them.  Then, I use my fingertips to apply a little of the paint pot to my lids.  I have several different shades of this particular item, and like it a lot.  Then, using a blush brush, I sweep a little Dandelion over my lids to set the powder, and give a little more warm color to the rest of my eye area.  I sweep up, over the brow bone.  Then, I add a little more to my cheeks.  Then, I do an all over wash with the Meteorites powder.  If you have deep-set eyes, like I do, sweeping a little powder up over the bottom eye area to the bottom lash line can keep your makeup from migrating and giving you raccoon eyes.

Finally, I brush on a single coat of mascara.

And that’s it!

My other health tips include drinking a lot of water, wearing sunscreen, and eating a mostly vegetarian diet.  I’m not a super hardcore vegetarian; I will and do eat meat, once in awhile (as in, once every few months).  But for the most part my preferred sources of lean protein are beans and leafy green vegetables.  I could quite possibly eat my body weight in hummus.

Going almost-vegetarian, as well as cutting out processed food whenever possible, not only helped me to feel more energetic but also helped me to lose a significant amount of weight.  I still have quite a bit more to lose, but my body is a lot happier with me now.  I also enjoy running, both purely for exercise and also to keep up after my toddler.  And terrier.  I have found, too, that investing in sensible shoes has been helpful for this.  After all these years of wearing them, I’m still learning to walk in heels.

Today’s Sexy Time Moment

From the chapter I started writing this afternoon…

His lips were cool, assured. Forceful without being demanding. Leading rather than pushing. A man’s experienced kiss instead of a boy’s fumbling. He knew what he wanted and knew, too, that he’d take it; he waited only for her acquiescence. For her to accept the inevitable and yield herself up to him, body and soul.

The rain beat against the windows. The room was in gloom. Ash guided her down onto the couch and she stared up, watching beads of shadow-rain running across the ceiling.

Do You Find My Advice Useful? Then…

Remember, it’s also contained in book form.

I Look Like This Because I’m A Writer is my definitive guide to how, what, and why to write.  It’s the same tough love-style advice as on here, but much more in depth.  While my guide to self publishing, which is coming out this fall, talks about how to succeed once you’ve written a book, ILLT is about how to write a book that’s actually worth publishing in the first place.  Memoir, erotica, sword and sorcery, the basic principles for writing are the same.

You should check it out!

And now the postscript: obviously I think you should, because I wrote it.  But, more, my motivation has to do with why I wrote it.  Because I want you to succeed.  I’m one of those crazy people who wants us all to make it.  But, as I’ve lamented before, one of the reasons that success is so challenging in this field is that there are so few mentors.  We can all benefit from sharing what we know, and in turn learning from each other.  Having figured out, on my own, how to write 300,00+ quality words in a year without losing my mind (or my free time, or my family), I decided to share.

I’m considering, at some point, writing a sequel: How To Lose a Hundred Pounds and Write a Novel at the Same Time (All In Less Than a Year), but that’s going to depend on the feedback I get from ILLT and the upcoming self publishing guide.  As always, your feedback is much appreciated!

(More) Mistakes That Writers Make

On today’s edition: mistakes writers make with their blogs.

If you’re a regular follower of this blog, then you know I’m a big fan of doling out unsolicited advice.  Which has come with some of its own negative consequences, which in turn seem to be the price of having an opinion about anything in this country.  On the whole, most of us seem to like yes men; and prioritize their ass kissing above the genuine care embodied in some well thought out advice.  People who aren’t invested in your success don’t bother to correct you.

One of my favorite pieces of advice to give and, oddly, one of the more controversial is to design (or pay someone else to design) a decent website and keep it updated.  A lot of writers tell me that’s “not how they work” or the blog post isn’t a form they’re interested in pursuing, writing-wise.  Then they turn around and ask me how to sell books.  Or they ask me how I’ve sold so many books.  Which reminds me a lot of the response I get when people ask me how I lost the weight.  I work out, I tell them, and I restrict what I eat.  Not to expensive packets of protein powder, or the latest fad diet, but to healthy things free of refined sugar.  Like hummus.  They’re invariably disappointed, not because I gave them advice that isn’t valuable but because I gave them advice they didn’t want.  Nobody wants to hear “I worked hard,” when it comes to weight loss; just like nobody wants to hear “leave your comfort zone” when it comes to writing.

To get results you haven’t gotten before, you have to take action you haven’t taken before.

It’s as simple as that.

I’ve been wrong before.  Back when I was a lawyer, I didn’t win every case.  I’ve been with my husband for about a decade now–we got together young–and my years of being married have also taught me a great deal about how wrong I can be.  And, too, about how useful it is to recognize when you are wrong.  You succeed more in the end by recognizing when you’ve made a mistake, learning from that mistake, and moving on than you do from woodenly refusing to admit that you’re capable of fault because your pride won’t let you.

And the fact is, when it comes to writing a blog, a lot of people are–in my opinion–doing a lot of things wrong.  And by people I mean writer people and by wrong I mean they’re approaching the exercise in such a way that it’s not serving them.  This should be obvious, but it’s not, so I’m going to spell it out: the purpose of your blog is to sell prospective readers on your writing.

The three biggest issues I have, when I read (some) other writers’ blogs, are these:

Bad writing.
Formulaic, repetitive content.
Nothing personal.

Let’s discuss these in turn, shall we?

So many blog posts I discover are unclear, hard to follow or, indeed, actually impossible to follow.  They drone on and on without really saying anything; by the end, if I can make it that far, I have absolutely no friggin’ clue what the author was trying to tell me.  This is not a good thing.  As a prospective reader, it makes me dread your book.  If you can’t tell me, cogently and coherently, about something as simple as what you think about your sales rank on Amazon, then why am I going to trust you to spin a real story?

Which brings me to my second point about bad writing.  A negative post here and there is fine.  But if literally all you have in your repertoire is bashing other writers, then I’m going to wonder if you actually have a voice.  Are you writing because there’s a story inside you that simply needs to get out, or are you writing because you think it’s a quick way to make a buck?  Most aspiring writers seem to think that writing is a quick path to riches.  It isn’t.  Neither is writing easier than, say, going to college, going to law school, securing a job at a law firm and actually practicing law.  Trust me, I know.  If you want, or for whatever reason need to bash other writers, then confine that to your journal.  Your website is your public face.  This is where you put your best foot forward; where you tell me, and the rest of the world, who you are and what you’re about.  If who you are is comparing yourself to other people, then–whatever your true intentions, or however you perceive yourself–you come across like a troll.

Don’t tell me what’s wrong with the prose of writers who are more successful than you.  Don’t dwell on their comparatively larger bank accounts.  There really is more to life than comparing yourself to other people.

And, as a writer, at some point you simply have to face the fact that they may be more successful than you because they have something original to say and you don’t.  You can’t prove how original you are by telling people, I’m so original.  You can only do it by actually being original.  And insulting your prospective fans’ poor taste isn’t going to make friends and influence people.  Yes, my favorite novel is Ulysses.  But I also love Richard Laymon and Stephenie Meyer.  They’re both fantastic storytellers, and I’m confident enough–and educated enough–to take a good story where I find it.  Thinking that the only “real storytelling” out there is found between the pages of a New York Times book review is letting someone else do your thinking for you.  It’s a rookie mistake.

Which brings me to my second issue: formulaic content.  Why are you writing, if you have nothing to say?  Being a writer means being in tune with the world around you.  If the world around you bores you, and the people in it bore you, then you probably shouldn’t try to write professionally.  Writing is about connecting with other people.  And not connecting them to you, but connecting them to your characters through you.  Which means understanding how people tick, which means caring how people tick.

You have to remember that prospective readers are judging you.  Come across like a Johnny One Note, and that’s what people are going to assume is in your books.  I can’t tell you how many websites seem to consist of content mainly related to the idea of my book is the best, buy my book.  Well yes, that’s nice, but…why?  People don’t simply drop their hard-earned cash because you tell them to.  There’s something like fifteen million books for sale on Amazon right now; are any of those authors saying, don’t buy my book, it’s terrible?

Yes, tell people about your books–but really tell them about your books.  What your books are about, and why they should care.  Provide excerpts.  Discuss your creative process–from concept formation to publishing and everything in between.  Solicit feedback from your readership.  Pay attention to which posts are most popular, and write to trend.  I didn’t intend, when I started this blog, to write so much about the actual nuts and bolts of writing but the demand was huge.  Which, of course, led to my writing a book on writing.

And learn from the feedback you get–both on your website and through your sales ranks.  Not every book you write is going to be equally popular.  Yes, you’re writing for you, and still write those books, but at the same time be honest with yourself about your goals.  If your goal is to be a commercial success, then you need to focus on playing to your strengths.  Your strengths, here, being determined by your readership–or lack thereof.  As a storyteller, your job is to captivate the attention of your readership–not reeducate them about what they “should” like.

Finally, tell me about yourself.  Who are you, apart from your writing, and why should I care?  Knowing something about you helps me to connect with you on a deeper level which, in turn, might be the deciding factor in whether I try your book.

COVER REVEAL!

Here it is: the news on the mystery project that you’ve (hopefully) all been waiting for.  What have I been working on all this time, instead of writing The Black Prince?  Well, I’m still working on it, because all three books are going to be released together (and soon).  But I’ve broken my own rule and written a trilogy of erotic novels.  You can read a short excerpt here, and a longer excerpt is coming.  But in the meantime, here are the covers…

A Little Light Bondage

What follows is a preview from my upcoming trio of erotic novels.   The Prince’s Slave: Captive In His Castle , Bound In His Bed , and Collared In His Care are coming soon From Evil Toad Press.  Expect a full cover reveal within the next few days.  And in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this steamy session.  I will say that, in trying to select which scene to share, I was constrained both by wanting to avoid spoilers and to avoid anything that might…not appeal to my squarer readers.  And now, read on…

She unbuttoned his shirt, her eyes never leaving his. Her fingers did their work slowly, concentrating on each button as though it were the most important task in the world. He, in turn, waited.

She spread his shirt open, to reveal his chest. Smooth, muscled. Perfect.

Then, as carefully as she’d done everything else, she took his glass from him and placed it on the floor. She had to bend over, almost across him, and he touched the top of her breast. Just a simple touch, but lingering. She straightened, facing him once more, and he let his hand drop. He was half reclining on the couch, she kneeling.

Reaching behind herself, she tugged open the laces of her glorified corset. Her eyes were still on his and they bored into her, their gray now the dark and lowering slate of storm clouds. Something flashed deep within, like lightning.

She eased herself out of the satin, the boning, and then all she had left was her garter belt and stockings. Her panties had been lost earlier, and she hadn’t worn a bra. Hadn’t needed one. She held perfectly still, letting him study her. The dress fell to the floor, forgotten. Crawling forward, choosing each movement as cautiously as a cat, she placed her hands on his shoulders. Reaching up, he trailed a finger down the line of her jaw. But he said nothing. He was enjoying the show.

“Shall I undress you, Master?” Her voice was pitched low, with just the smallest hint of humor.

He slid his hand down the side of her breast, cupping it, testing its weight. She held her position, barely breathing. He pushed her nipple back and forth with his thumb. She felt the nub of flesh grow hard beneath him. Back and forth, and then in a gentle rolling motion.

He let his hand fall. “Yes,” he said. “You shall.”

She slid his shirt down over his shoulders. He didn’t help her, didn’t hinder her. Merely waited. She lifted first one arm and then the other, easing the expensive cotton down and off. All off his shirts had been made for him, and it showed.

Bending down, she kissed him just above the right nipple. And then just below. She kissed him again on his flat, hard stomach, as her fingers made short work of his belt buckle.

“I’ll need the belt,” he said.

Pulling it free from his pants, she laid it over the back of the couch. Expensively tanned leather. Supple.

She undid the first button.

“Later, I’ll teach you to do it with your teeth.”

“Yes,” she agreed. The idea excited her. Part of her wanted to be on her knees before him, helpless. And part of her wanted to bite him. To bite him, and then be bitten. She didn’t know where these ideas had come from, only that they created a new warmth between her thighs. A warmth, and a need that seemed so much deeper than merely the need to climax.

“Yes what?”

She looked up, her eyes meeting his. “Yes, Master.”

“Good girl.”

He stood up and then she was on her knees before him, removing his shoes and then his pants. She should have removed his shoes first. She’d never done this before. There were still so many things she hadn’t done. But he was patient. Nothing like John, or Alec.

He raised her to her feet. “Where?” he asked.

“Wherever you wish. Master.”

With gentle pressure, he directed her back toward the couch. She took one step, and then another, and then felt the soft velvet of the upholstery against her legs. It wasn’t a large couch, but it was large enough. She sat down reflexively, and he guided her into a lying position. Then he straddled her. She stared up at him, not saying anything.

He ran his fingertips along the belt. “Anyone thinking about incorporating pain into sex should be warned. This is, for some of us…highly addictive. There are those who’ve found that, over time, they need more and more pain to be satisfied. And those, in turn, who’ve found that sex without pain has become…uninteresting.”

He smiled slightly. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. She shivered.

“You did well tonight, serving me.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready to experience the pleasure of pain for your Master?”

The words were an invitation. “Yes.”

“Good girl. And this is meant to be pleasure. My goal is for you to come, for me, when I tell you to.”

She nodded, nervous now. Nervous, and excited.

He trailed his hand down from chin to waist, pausing there. “For that to happen, you must open yourself to me completely. Trust me. There’s no room for shame, or embarrassment, here. Open yourself to me, give yourself to me. Give me your limits, and your resolve.”

She thought about the night when—she’d believed—he’d burned her.

She’d never been so scared, or so humiliated. So conscious of her own vulnerability. Even the night she’d been captured hadn’t been that bad; at least then, shock had been an insulator. When he’d taken her like that, she’d been raw. A thousand nerve endings, screaming out. She’d hidden herself from him before, hidden her fear. Just as she’d hidden it from the initial captors. She’d been an island. Remote, not allowing anyone to pierce that secret and hidden veil. Until Ash had torn it from her, revealing a depth of terror that even she hadn’t known existed.

She nodded.

“Touch yourself.”

“What?”

“Touch yourself. While I watch. Touch yourself and feel the pleasure.”

This was the most intimate act. More intimate than someone watching her while she used the toilet. The ultimate invasion of privacy. She hesitated. He waited. He’d made her come before, forced her to feel pleasure that she didn’t want. Why was this so different?

Cautiously, she moved her hand down between her legs. He didn’t respond, but she thought she saw a flicker of approval in his eyes. She was wet. So wet. She had no idea that she’d been this turned on. Her fingers were slippery as they separated her folds. She shivered.

“Now,” he said, “use your other hand to caress your nipple.”

She did as he asked.

“You have sensitive nipples, which is good. Yes, like that. Just like that. I want it to be nice and stiff for the pain.”

She shuddered.

“Start squeezing your nipple. Just enough to feel a slight discomfort.” She felt a tap on her thigh. “But don’t stop touching yourself. Slowly, now; we don’t want you to come before you’re ready.”

She didn’t think she could come, with him watching her. She felt a curious mixture of heat, alarm, and humiliation. She didn’t want to lose control in front of him, even though she already had. But at the same time, she was finding it harder and harder to think clearly, to care that she was being humiliated. She wasn’t sure that she could stop touching herself.

He spoke in low, measured tones. “The goal, here, darling, is to balance pain and pleasure.”

Her eyes fluttered closed, and then opened again.

“Pinch your nipple. Hard.”

She did as he asked, and gasped at the shock.

“Again.”

She moaned.

“The pain, now, is a little bit more than the pleasure between your legs.”

She sighed.

“Let the pleasure mount again. Feel the ebb and flow of pleasure and pain inside yourself.”

Every nerve ending tingled, alive. She did feel the ebb and flow, like waves; like she was lost in a sea of sensation, one tiny particle among thousands. Millions. Floating. Insignificant. Alive to her body in a way she’d never been before. Knowing that he was watching her only heightened her awareness. He saw her chest rise and fall, saw the flush of red creeping down her neck. Saw her hands on herself, the involuntary jerk of her hips.

“This excites you, doesn’t it. More than you want it to. Feel how powerless you are, over your reactions. As you become more excited, you’ll find that it takes more pressure on your nipple to cause the same amount of pain.” He paused. “Again.”

She could barely feel the pressure on her nipple, now.

She moaned.

“I haven’t given you permission to come.” His voice was low, calm.

“Before I let you come, darling, I’m going to make you take a great deal of pain. Pain that, even now, you crave. Pain is your reward; your release.”

Her nipples were turgid, stiff, focal points for her unspent desire. She felt like she was going to burst apart from the inside out and all of that feeling was concentrated there. Her skin was on fire.

There was a crack as the belt connected with her tender flesh. Her eyes flew open as she cried out. Her neglected nipple, rock hard and aching, stung.

“Don’t stop. I want both hands on your cunt. Spread yourself apart so I can see.”

She did. She wanted him to see. Even as she wanted to disappear. That hidden, unwanted exhibitionist was back. She slid her fingers up and down over herself, reveling in the sensation.

The crack came again and she cried out, again. He’d struck her already tender nipple, and hard. Her hand faltered to a stop, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

The leather licked her again, raising a line of fire. “I didn’t give you permission to stop.”

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to continue.

And the truth was, she wanted to.

Wanted to, and didn’t.

She wasn’t even conscious of the pleasure, only of the need to keep going. To find some sort of release from this agony. Whenever she slowed down, the belt came down again. She put all of her effort into finding her release. She was so close, but at the same time an orgasm felt impossible. And then—she felt herself building toward something. Something she couldn’t, didn’t want to stop. Her back arched, her head tilted back. Her mouth opened slightly.

She felt—but didn’t feel—a final crack as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her hands were forced up and then back and then Ash was on top of her and inside her and she was wrapping all of her limbs around him and biting down hard on his shoulder. She thrust her hips up to meet his.

That first release hit her like a tidal wave, flooding her as she clung to him.

Tipping her chin up, he kissed her. Really kissed her. She opened her mouth to his, obedient to the gentle pressure, and welcomed his exploration. His hands were firm, his touch sure, as she sank into his embrace.

His mouth was still on hers when she came again.

On Losing Sixty Pounds

For those of you who’ve been following along, so far I’ve lost 60 of the 98 pounds I gained by being a slug.  A sickly slug, and also a parent slug.  Medications, lack of movement…doughnuts…denial.  And then one day it hits you: you are one of those people.  Those people who need to lose an entire person.  I can’t say that losing the weight has been easy or, indeed, entirely gratifying in all respects.  And the funny thing about losing weight is, even when you finally reach the point where you’ve lost more than you still need to lose…the amount accomplished always seems smaller than the amount left to accomplish.  Like Sisyphus with his rock, the never-ending challenge.  Even so…

The details are these: 60 pounds lighter has brought me (still 5’9) from a size 20 to a size 14.  Which is a long way to go from where I was, and my doctor would still like to see me lose some weight–as would my vanity–but it’s nice to fit back into some of my old clothes.  And to buy some new ones.

There’s really no secret to it.  Exercise regularly, watch the quality of what you eat, but also practice portion control.  I’ve had my ups and downs, and days when I ate things I shouldn’t; but I’m learning that it’s the overall trajectory that matters.  Just like one day of healthy eating won’t reverse years’ worth of doughnut consumption, neither will the occasional treat negate all your efforts to the contrary.  Although, for me, the concept of “occasional” has been tough.  It’s remarkably easy to convince yourself that once or twice a week (or more!) is “occasional.”

For those of you who are new to this blog, and want to read more about my weight loss journey, go here.

Anyway, 40 more to go!

Wish me luck!

When Will Book Three Come?

WHERE IS THE BLACK PRINCE?

Here’s the disappointing answer: I haven’t started writing it yet.

Now, let me explain why.

First, as a writer, sometimes you need a break.  From your characters, and their problems.  Which means switching gears to work on a different project but, also, means that when you do return to your original project, your work is that much better.  Over the past year or so, I’ve written almost 300,000 words about Tristan and Isla and Hart and Rowena and everyone else.  The Black Prince is fully outlined, and I know exactly what’s going to happen–and I think you’ll be pleased–but even so, I’m not ready to actually start writing.

So when will I be?

Soon.

I’m currently (as in today, right now) copy editing I, Demon and then I’m going to get back to my stand-alone project that’s somehow turning into two books or possibly another trilogy.  And once I’m done with that, which I anticipate will happen sometime around Thanksgiving (that’s American Thanksgiving so, the end of November), I’m going to start work on The Black Prince.  Once I actually do start writing, I’ll keep everyone updated.  And of course, I’ll issue a release date once I have it.

Thoughts, readers?

How To Market Your Paranormal Romance

Or, really, any book.  All of these suggestions stem from the same three principles: know your book, know your audience, and understand their expectations.  Suggestions that work equally well for marketing any book–but particularly for genre fiction, because the expectations are so much clearer.  And yes, it is important to recognize that readers do have expectations and to honor those expectations.  If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you know what happened when The Price of Desire first came out.

First and most importantly, invest in a good cover.  And by “good cover,” I mean good for your individual story and good for your genre.  If I see one more naked male torso I am seriously going to scream.  Yes, yes, I get that there’s a man in your book–so what?  Are you writing Harlequin-style romance?  Is this a collection of Playgirl-type stories?  If no, then ditch the man candy.  Give me a cover that intrigues me.

If I see an incredibly formulaic cover then, rightly or wrongly, I’m going to assume that your writing is also incredibly formulaic.  I’ve ignored a number of books, myself, as a reader because just looking at them bored me to tears.  And, honestly, the handful of these books I have read, both as a consumer and as an editor, unfortunately bears my theory out.  If your book is different, if it’s gripping, if there’s something in there apart from a vapid maiden panting at a tumescent member, then show me.

And tell me!  Write a good blurb!  The other thing that’s going to immediately convince me that your book is bland, derivative crap is a blurb that reads exactly like the thousands of other bland, derivative blurbs out there.  Excitement!  Romance!  Un-putdownable!  Epic!  How about no!  Your blurb is my first–and often only–introduction to your writing.  It’s how I, the prospective reader, judge you.  Give me a flavor for your writing.  Give me a reason to think your story is awesome.

“But these aren’t marketing ideas,” you may be saying.  “You haven’t told me how to sell my book.”

To which my response is, yes I have.  All the clever marketing gimmicks in the world won’t help you if, when I actually get to your Amazon page, the book itself is a total turn-off.  You may think you’ve written the greatest thing in the world and the truth is, you may have–but just telling people “my book is awesome” isn’t enough.  Everyone says their book is awesome.  Ever heard the phrase show, don’t tell?  That doesn’t just apply to freshman comp; your actual book, and its presentation, are your opportunity to back up your claims.

And remember, word of mouth is the best marketing of all.  The only marketing I’ve ever done is free, and has mostly involved giving away my books for free.  Which I also recommend that you do, particularly if you’re writing a series.  People, as a group, are far more willing to take a gamble on free than they are on something that costs even three dollars.  Or even a dollar.  My theory, here–and it’s been borne out by my sales–is that letting people actually read my books is what’s going to convince them that I’m worth reading.

So to recap what we have so far:

Have a decent cover.
Have a decent blurb.
Give your book away for free.

What else can you do?

Maintain a professional website (like this one), with both static pages and a blog, and update it all the time.  I elaborate on websites and why you need one in Self Publishing Is For Losers (forthcoming), but the short answer is that this is your public face.  Your website is how fans will find you, and connect with you.  It’s where they can read samples of your work (which should be copiously available) and learn more about you.  Your writing, your writing process, but also you.  What makes you, and your view of the world, different?

What, for that matter, makes your books different from the thousands of other books out there?

And no, saying “my book is different” isn’t an answer.  You need to explain why.  You need to give people a reason to want your book.  For example, The Demon of Darkling Reach is for readers who’d rather have an affair with Dracula than Edward Cullen.  And me telling you that tells you a lot more about the book, and who’s going to like (and hate!) it, than telling you that “it’s good.”  Well of course I think it’s good; I wrote it!

So, readers…has this been helpful?  Is there anything you think I’ve overlooked?  What’s worked for you?