T.R. Robinson's Blog, page 36

No Posts - Part October 2016

Monday 3 October 2016

I apologise in advance that for the next two or three weeks there will not be any new posts.

There are a number of matters requiring my attention. I have concluded I need to apply the majority of my attention and time to them for now otherwise nothing will be properly and fully completed.

Do Memoirs Have to Be Factual?

An odd question? Perhaps.
Before continuing, just a quick word regarding modern day definitions. I have noted people now frequently use the term ‘memoir’ to include autobiography and biography as well as memoir. The difference? Autobiography is where the author is telling their own life story. Biography where someone recounts the life story of another person. Memoir is, as a rule, where the author records a series of events they have experienced (e.g. selected occurrences rather than a life history). Personally, I still favour the use of all three definitive terms but readily acknowledge, and accept, others may prefer to simply refer to all of them as memoirs.
Back to the question posed. If you are going to refer to your book as a ‘Memoir’ then there is no question the answer is a resounding YES. It would be misleading and unfair to readers if everything shared in the book were not true. The fact they have selected the book is indicative of their desire to read about true life events rather than fiction.
Is there an alternative to writing a factual memoir? Yes, such books are, these days at least, usually referred to as ‘Biographical Fiction’. There can be no mistaking the intent. A reader selecting this genre will be looking for an entertaining read that has elements of truth or is partly based upon truth. The term itself should avoid any misunderstanding as to a book’s content.
‘Biographical Fiction’, autobiography and memoir are included by default, is not a new concept. In the past such books tended to be simply described as ‘Fiction’. Charles Dickens’s book ‘David Copperfield’ is well known for the fact that he based parts upon his family experiences. For example, the character of Mr Micawber is based upon his own father. And, of course, we cannot miss the similarities between David Copperfield’s and Dickens’s struggles to eventually become successful authors. This is certainly only one of many examples that may be found in past ‘classical’ writing. Many established authors very evidently drew upon their own experiences and observations for the creation of characters and situations in their stories.
Why do some authors opt for biographical fiction rather than autobiography, biography or memoir? Do they consider the truth would be insufficiently interesting or entertaining for a reader? Do they feel their life story needs enhancing? Do they wish to conceal some facts? It could be for a variety of different reasons; I am sure you could come up with many more. Why did I opt for this format in one of my books? Up to that point I had primarily written autobiographically with some biographical content. However, when it came to my maternal grandparent’s dramatic experiences I considered it would make a far more engaging read if these events were interspersed, or enhanced, with some fictional drama. Nonetheless, I believed it important these should draw, and guide, the story into the realities and truth of what actually occurred. There were primarily two reasons for my decision. First, though the events would in themselves make for an interesting read, to simply record them alone would have resulted in a rather short book. Not a fault in itself but I felt the story deserved to benefit from being encompassed in a full length novel. Second, I do not have all the factual details and had to surmise some of the occurrences from snippets of conversation and the few accounts presented to me. I therefore felt the need to use my imagination, not in total wild abandon but partly based upon what I knew of the participants. My book ‘Peter’ is the result. I estimate approximately one third is factual with the remainder being guessed at or totally fictional in order to bring the events to a conclusion. By the way, the end result is factual.
So how do you go about developing a biographical fiction book? I must point out I am not a trained professional. The suggestions that follow are purely based upon my own writing and reading experience.
Obviously, first decide upon which events or lives, if you plan to write a full epic, you wish to base your story. I suggest before launching into it, you carefully consider which format will best support what you want to share. It is easy to get carried away with the idea of writing a bestselling novel when in truth a memoir would suit the matter better. Once you have selected the event(s) you will need to determine exactly what you want included and, perhaps more importantly, what you do not want to include. Subsequently the usual story format should be considered e.g. beginning-middle-end. If possible, I suggest you open, and end, with something based upon fact. After all, our experiences, if worth sharing, do have a start and end which, in themselves, we consider merit the telling. Of course you may enhance these with some fictional content but it would help if the essence is based upon truth.
Once the beginning and end have been defined you will have to turn your thoughts to the middle, often the bulk of a book. Though much of this will undoubtedly be fictional I suggest it would, again, be best if some of it is based upon fact. Having suggested all this, it may be the story you are telling has sufficient truth to carry it through the whole length of the book and that you are simply choosing to add some fictional detail to make it an easier, or more entertaining, read.
One word of advice: when adding purely fictional elements ensure you carry out all necessary research. Make sure of your facts. Imagination is fine and yes you can let your mind fly where it wants but you also need your book to have the sense and feel of authenticity. For example, in my book I needed to refer to various medical conditions. I could have simply run off and written my ideas of how I thought, or assumed, these conditions effect people. That, as I discovered, would have been a very big mistake. I sought information from medical books and on the internet and am very glad I did. It turned out some have symptoms I could never have guessed at. I also had to research other topics, such as secret societies, the occult etc. It really was all very interesting and I did have to fight the temptation to immerse myself in research and consequently fail to get the book completed. End result? Hopefully an interesting, informative, entertaining read.
Just to harp back to Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield. I enjoyed reading it and wonder if part of that had not been due to the fact I had known part of the story is based upon truth. Of course the same may apply to many other books but I am not here to discuss English Literature.
I hope you have found my thoughts and ramblings of interest and help. Writing is a privilege as well as a joy and sharing stories, true and fictional, is exciting. Please write in whatever style suits you best but bear in mind the reader’s experience and do your utmost to make this the best possible. Never know you may end up with a committed readership and fan base. I wish you every success.

Author Website - What should it contain?

General and widespread advice to author’s is to have a website even if you do not wish to blog. Whether you should have a blog or not is a different topic and one I do not intend to deal with in this post.
So, if you accept the advice and decide to set up a website, what should your author website comprise? Please note, as an author, I am writing from that perspective nevertheless, I suggest many of the aspects referred to here would apply equally to any other kind of website.
There is a considerable amount of detailed advice about but, for this post, I intend to primarily deal with the top-level aspects otherwise it will become endless. One thing to note: it is consistently suggested the home (front) page of a website should be static e.g. not change on a regular basis. The idea is for it to contain sufficient upfront information for a reader to quickly gain some understanding of who you are and what you do. After that there are ‘pages’ which contain a variety of additional information and details. As already stated, in this post I intend to deal with the general aspects rather than go into excessive detail. So here goes.
Author Biography - Many readers like to know something about the author as a person. Share a little about your background; where you come from; who your ancestors were/are; how you came to wright; your interests and hobbies; etc. How much you share is up to you; you may consider it desirable, for a variety of reasons, not to share all details. For example, for the protection of others, whether they deserve it or not, I retain anonymity (bear in mind a lot of my writing is autobiographical/biographical). You may also wish to steer away from topics which can be controversial or tend to polarise people e.g. politics; religion; ethnicity, etc.
Book Page(s) - Some recommend a ‘Landing Page’ for each and every book. I have to say, unless you really are a bestselling, well known author, I consider this to be a little over the top. For most of us, a single ‘Books’ page should be sufficient. This would contain the cover image for each of your books; a synopsis of each; extracts from any reviews; links to purchase sites or a ‘buy’ button if you intend to sale direct from your site.
Contact Details - An e-mail address reader’s may use or, if you have a more versatile site, a contact form. Remember this information will be publicly viewable so ensure any e-mail address you give will not compromise any you use for personal or other business purposes e.g. banking, legal dealings etc.
Call to Action - What is meant by this? In the majority of cases this is related to the utilization of an e-mail capture system. This enables readers to sign up for receipt of an e-mail each time you have something to share. Be sure to only use these for the communication of valuable, relevant information otherwise you may be accused of spamming. Please note this is different to the ‘follow’ option most website hosts provide. Having an e-mail capture facility means you WILL e-mail the individuals who have signed up as advertised e.g. you may have stated it to be a weekly, monthly or an ‘as and when’ e-mail.
Social Media Buttons - Buttons enabling readers to follow you on Facebook and Twitter, if you have them. It is strongly recommended by most you do. Of course you should also include buttons for other social media you may utilize e.g. Goodreads, LinkedIn, Pinterest; Instagram; Google Plus; the list can go on though you should try and avoid the temptation to spread your resources to wide. It all takes time of which no doubt you already have little enough of.
Interviews and Articles - If you have been fortunate enough to have been interviewed or have written or contributed to articles, provide links so your readers may enjoy them. These would also, probably, provide them with a greater insight into who you are. For some the more they know about you the better.
Calendar - Publication dates, if you are someone who sets these prior to actual publication. Dates and details of any public engagements. You may even wish to include dates for up and coming pre-planned posts. Of course, if you are not someone who pre-plans it would be best to omit having a calendar: it would not look professional to have one without any events in it.
Blog Page - I have already said I do not intend to discuss the topic of blogs in this post however, for many of us, blogging has been and is our primary channel for publicising our work. Of course you do not have to blog but if you decide it is for you then it makes sense to combine your blogsite with your website. Doing so will provide your readers, followers, fans with one comprehensive site rather than them having to remember or follow multiple ones, which, in these, for most, time constrained days, can be tedious. In fact, they may tire of it and cease following all or some of them.
Media Page - This sounds rather grand for most of us nevertheless, the idea may have merit for some. Again, I think this really more something for those who have been fortunate enough to be identified as a bestselling author. As the title implies, this page is intended to contain information the media may use. Among other things to include, if you do decide to have such a page, should be good quality images of your profile and book covers. It is highly recommended your profile photograph be ‘professional’ e.g. not a general, homely, family one. Other things recommended for this page: author bio (again) but preferably not too long, 150-300 words or less recommended; book descriptions and buy links; reviews; contact info (again); book trailer, if you have one e.g. iTunes; how your book(s) relate(s) to current issues; extracts/sample chapter(s). I could go on and on. As said, I doubt this page, at least in the full state suggested, is really appropriate for most of us. If I think it will be of interest to my readers, I may try and expand upon ‘media pages’ in a future post.
Conclusion
Without question I agree with all the advice recommending an author have a website. To date I have relied upon blogs for the purpose of communicating with readers and contacts but now appreciate I could do with something that will, hopefully, be more professional. Besides wanting to communicate with them I really do want my readers to have an enjoyable and informative experience.
Naturally, when first setting up your website, it is not necessary to include everything at once. You have the facility to update and enhance your site over time. But I suggest you do include author biography and book(s) details as soon as you are able.
I must make clear many of the comments and observations above are my own. Yes, naturally, I have taken on board a lot of the advice given in various places nonetheless, I have made a point of including my own observations. I hope you have found this post of interest and assistance.

Should Authors have a Website?

For many years I have not bothered about having a website relying instead upon blogs to communicate with readers, authors and social media friends and contacts. However, increasingly I see sound advice suggesting a website really is a must for most authors. Nevertheless, my lack of resources have held me back as it appeared the finances required for a good quality website were considerable. I am about to publish a further two books, with work on others having commenced, and consequently consider it is time I opted for a more professional presence, if possible. I have therefore re-examined the potential for creating a site at minimal cost.  Many of you will probably already know some, if not all, of what I am about to share nevertheless, there may be new ‘starting out’ authors who will find the information helpful. I very much believe indie authors really should try and help each other.
My research has revealed there are a few companies who offer the facility to create reasonably attractive websites for free. Many also have the option for ‘premium’ sites, which offer greater functionality, at a sensibly realistic fee. Having said that, I must point out many professional, experienced advisors recommend a preference for self-hosted sites with a paid host provider who will look after a lot of the functionality and detail for you. However, these do come at a cost. One estimate suggested this could be anything from $2,000 to $6,000 plus a year. Certainly outside my budget. Off course these sites do provide all singing-all dancing capabilities. However, you really would have to have a high number of visits, and purchases, to recover your outlay. The other advantage to a self-hosted site is it belongs to you whereas the free and premium ones remain the property of the provider e.g. Wordpress, Blogger (Google) etc. However, with the premium services you may have your own domain name that omits the mandatory .wordpress.com/.blogspot.com etc. required by the free options e.g. one of my blogs is currently ‘trbooks7.blogspot.com’ with a premium site this could be ‘trbooks7.com’, which makes it a little more personal and probably easier for when someone wants to search for it.
Another drawback for me, at this stage anyway, is beside the cost you, with a self-hosted site, are completely responsible for maintenance and recovery should it go down. Added to which, you probably need some knowledge of coding, html at the least. Of course this may be learnt but it appears to be quite a steep learning curve.
You may now ask ‘But what about my blog? I still want to communicate with my readers on a regular basis.’ Of course you do. There are two aspects to this.
First, some authors really do not like blogging. They prefer to simply have a website that gives details about themselves and their books. Some of you will no doubt suggest that not to blog is missing out on publicity/marketing potential. That is as it maybe but we must allow for people to be themselves and to act as they wish. And it must be acknowledged some authors find just having a website is sufficient.Second, we must not mistake a website to be the replacement for a blog. It is not, or at least should not be. A website is primarily a ‘static’ page where readers may find details about you and your books. Of course you should refresh it at times but in essence it should not be changing on a regular basis. However, as far as I can see, most websites provide the option for an attached blog page similar to the ‘About’, ‘Books’, pages etc. you no doubt have on your existing blog. Consequently, readers are able to find everything relating to you in one place including your daily/weekly posts. Certainly makes it easier for them and for you, from the maintenance point of view.

In this post I started out with the intention of discussing what an author website should have on/in it. Did I say I am seriously considering establishing my own website to replace my existing blogsites? To that end I have been reading up on what is required, or at least what content is suggested and wished to share with you what I have discovered so far. Well to carry on with that now would make this post far too long so I will hold back and share some of what I have discovered with you in next week’s post.
I hope you have found the above information helpful in making your own decisions about whether to create a website (for those of you who do not already have one).

Reader Purchasing

As an indie author I like to have an idea of how readers chose books to read. I am sure I am not alone. Publicity and marketing is always a challenge, especially in these days when hundreds of thousands of books are being independently published. Consequently, any information that may help us target readers is invaluable.
Before continuing there is one very important discovery indie authors really need to take on board: The majority of readers still prefer to buy physical books. Because most of us have difficulty getting an agent or traditional publisher we, by default, have to primarily rely on the internet for publication and marketing. This can become an all absorbing task and it is easy to forget there still remains a very large proportion of readers who are not digitally inclined. I know several people who have absolutely no on-line activity. May be hard to believe in these days of digital everything: tablets, smartphones, PCs etc. but it is a fact.
Some statistics
Please note the majority of the following is based upon the investigation of American readers’ habits. Nevertheless, I would consider the principles apply generally across the globe.
Only 73% of people read.40% only read print books.6% only read digitally. (This statistic is one we really need to take note of.)
Statistics from a different source:
65% have read print books in the last year.28% have read e-books.14% have listened to audio books.
What may we glean from this information? Print remains favourite!
We should not allow this to discourage us too much but need to be aware our on-line target audience (many of who probably only read digitally) only forms a small part of the overall readership. That does not mean we should give up. Of course we have, and should avail ourselves of the POD (Print-On-Demand) facility which may help though many still appear to prefer purchasing from a bricks and mortar book shop.
Genres
Top fiction genres: (1) Romance; (2) Erotica (What does this say about our society?); (3) Young Adult and Teen; (4) Fantasy; (5) Mystery and Detective (It surprises me, bearing in mind the popularity of television detective shows, ‘Detective’ is not higher.); (6) Gay and Lesbian; (7) Science Fiction; (8) Historical; (9) Thriller and Suspense (Another surprise); (10) Adventure.
Top non-fiction genres: (1) Biography (As an autobiographical/memoir author this pleases me no end.); (2) Health, Wellbeing and Medicine; (3) Business and Economics; (4) Self-Improvement; (5) Religion and Spirituality; (6) Relationship and Family; (7) Sports and Outdoor Recreation; (8) Education and Study Guides; (9) New Age; (10) Computer and Internet (Surprised me ‘Internet’ should fall in the last category. In these days of increasing internet activity, I would have thought it more popular. Perhaps, most who use it consider themselves sufficiently knowledgeable not to need to read up more.).
Sell Techniques
Pre-Orders: Most of you will no doubt have heard a lot over the last year or so about the ‘pre-order’ facility most on-line retailers now offer. It appears this has proven a very successful means of marketing books, for those who have availed themselves of the option. I must point out I have never tried it nor it seems have many indie authors. Nevertheless, the statistics are impressive. I understand 2/3 of the 200 top selling books were launched as pre-orders. I am also given to understand these authors earn approximately 3.5 times more than those who have not utilised the pre-order option. Clearly this option/facility is something we need to seriously consider.
Free: In the early days of self-publishing giving ‘free’ books proved an effective means for gaining new readers; readers may have been reluctant to spend out for a book by new and unknown authors. Subsequently the ‘free’ option appears to be having considerably less success and the debate regarding whether we should or should not follow this path has raged across all social media for some time. Last year, I understand, there were 39 more downloads of free books compared to those for priced ones. This is markedly down from previous years: 91 in 2013; 100 in 2012. The primary area where free books still appear to have more success are the ‘series’ ones where the first in the series is often given free. These earned 66% more downloads than the one-off books. The above figures are off-set by comments from some authors who continue to find the ‘free’ option works well for them. One suggested they gained approximately ten sells for every free book. I have taken this statement at face value having no means to ascertain the facts for myself.
Book Length: Apparently longer books sell better than short ones. Again this surprised me; in these days when many use tablets and smartphones to read, particularly when commuting, I would have thought shorter books more popular. Goes to show that many are still interested in good quality full length tales. Caveat: this statistic may have been distorted by multiple-author box sets.
Pricing
Again this is a topic that has been and is constantly discussed.
$3.99 - appears to be the most successful price for full length fiction.$0.99 - the suggestion is that this is similar to the ‘free’ option; designed to gain new readers.$1.99 - the advice is to AVOIDthis price. No one is sure why reader’s do not like this but the facts support the notion they do not. If your book is priced at $1.99 you are strongly advised to change to the more successful $2.99 or $3.99 or $0.99 if you are out to gain new readers.
On-line Presence
It seems most, but not all, bestselling authors have Facebook and Twitter accounts and a blog. In view of the multiple sites available this appears to be a minimal presence but I would suggest highlights those that are considered paramount for attracting attention.
Conclusion
Remember, overall, a high percentage of readers still prefer print books. If your genre is one of the less popular you need to think of ways to draw greater attention. I would suggest this may be achieved through engaging synopsis’ and blurbs. Also by highlighting in posts, tweets etc. why it would be of interest to the reader.Price your book, if you have decided not to give it free, at one of the optimum price ranges.Seriously consider the pre-order option.

I hope you have found the above interesting, informative and helpful.
Sources:
2015 survey by Smashwords (I publish with them). Please see note below.Recent PRC survey.Individual comments and observations in LinkedIn discussions.
Note: Smashwords distributes to a number of retailers however, Amazon, though included, forms a very small part of the sales that show up in their statistics. This means books included in the KDP Select programme are not included in the figures. Most, but not all, Smaswords statistical sells are made through iBooks and Barnes and Noble. I appreciate Amazon is the world’s largest on-line retailer however, I think it worthwhile to gain insight from other sources and points of view, providing us with perhaps a more balanced perspective.

Here We Are & There We Go by Jill Dobbe – A Review

It is a while since I read this book but note I have not included my review of it in this blog. Today I rectify that oversight.
Before commencing my review, I would like to remind readers I am not a trained or recognised critic. Consequently, as always, the following comprises my personal observations and views . Readers need to remember reading, when not of technical or scientific material, is primarily a subjective experience. This means when we write a review it is usually about how the story impacts upon us as an individual rather than a series of objective technical observations. At the author’s request I received this book as an exchange for one of mine, agreeing to each review the others.
‘Here We Are & There We Go’ is a personal account of how the author and her husband travelled to a variety of different countries on teaching assignments and of their lives in those places. There may be times when you may feel like agreeing with some of their relatives who thought them crazy to undertake such a life style with their two young children; one and two at the start.
In the prologue Jill Dobbe effectively shares how having been born and brought up in a provincial town she has a desire to travel and see the world; you certainly find yourself empathising with her feelings. However, before she can put any of her plans into practice she marries her soul mate and has two young children. Fortunately, her husband turns out to have similar desires and with both of them feeling restless they ultimately venture out into overseas teaching assignments; they are both qualified teachers.
Now before going on I have to confess I was initially a little disappointed. Having travelled fairly extensively myself I was looking forward to reading about countries and places I had not visited anticipating detailed accounts of the landscapes, architecture, culture, history, social conditions and life styles of the indigenous people. Although the book does in places contain a little of this it is primarily about the family themselves. A point I had to remind myself of. It was I who had made an erroneous assumption and consequently initially took the wrong approach to my reading of the book. Realising my mistake I undertook a second speed read of the story and having set aside my presumptions was able to enjoy the account of their adventures and experiences.
Their adventures start in chapter 1 on the island of Guam in the Pacific and move in chapter 2 to Singapore. In these chapters we are taken from event to event in quick succession with some descriptions of how the local inhabitants celebrate certain events, what is considered bad mannered and how daily life such as shopping was conducted. As I have said I had to remind myself this was a personal account of one family’s experiences and not an exegesis of different cultures and countries. Nonetheless, as previously mentioned it would have been nice to hear more about the places themselves. One of my relatives lived in Singapore for a while so I let them read the second chapter. They did say there was so much to see and enjoy not only in Singapore but also in adjoining Malaya and considered it would have enhanced the read if more had been shared. For example; Tiger Balm Gardens are mentioned but no description of this unusual place is given. Also there is a quick reference to ‘exotic’ flowers but no mention of the myriad of different and wonderful orchids which are grown and cultivated in the area. But again I must remind myself this is a personal family tale.
I found chapter three to be very different and absorbing. Here we have the account of their five year stay in Ghana, Africa. It quickly becomes clear they loved it and in the telling you feel more involved and share in their enthusiasm for the country and culture. How the scenery takes the breath away and how the locals deal, fairly or unfairly, with perceived wrong doing are but a couple of the qualities that come through. You are left in no doubt of Jill and her husband’s pleasure with the place and I would not be surprised to hear of them returning to an African country for a further teaching assignment in the future.
Chapter 4 deals with their stay in Mexico, which they choose on this occasion because it meant a less arduous journey to and from their home in Wisconsin. No longer would they endure twenty-four hour flights and could in fact drive to and from their home. Of course, as Jill points out, it was also nice that they were in the same hemisphere and consequently did not have to get up in the middle of the night to telephone their relatives at a reasonable hour for them.
I found chapter 5 very interesting. Something few of us would have even considered is the idea of ‘reverse culture shock’. The family had been away from the United States for so long that the children really had little idea of what life there was like and their parents had virtually forgotten what it was like. Jill Dobbe’s description of this reverse culture shock creates a feel for what they were undergoing. It also honestly shows how easy it is to be quickly drawn into what is considered acceptable and necessary for life, whereas in fact many of these ‘necessities’ are not such. She also compares how they lived life without these items in the foreign countries they stayed in and got on well enough, even though it was uncomfortable at times. Certainly anyone who is contemplating leading such a life would do well to read this chapter before attempting to resettle in their homeland no matter were that is; the principles apply in general to all life styles.
Besides telling us about the countries they lived in, the author also treats us to additional information regarding the variety of places they stopped over in on their way to and from the USA. Understandably, these are recorded in chronological order however, for me personally, I think it would have been preferable for these to be lumped together in a separate chapter ‘Incidental visits’ or something like that. But we are all unique and different and have alternative ways of doing things.
As mentioned earlier some of their relatives thought Jill and her husband were crazy for taking their children on such adventures of life and even irresponsible. In fact some could not understand their desire to live in foreign places, many of which did not have the facilities they took for granted. Such attitudes are regrettably frequently displayed by people who have lived in rural and provincial locations all their lives. I personally think, as difficult as it was, by enduring the hardships and difficulties they have provided their children with a broad, multicultural education and upbringing from which they will benefit all their lives.
I have said this is a personal tale personally told. Although I have never met Jill Dobbe or her family, I do feel that if we did meet it would simply be a continuation of the discussions from the book; it is almost as if I can hear her voice in my head. For those who are considering travelling long term or living in third world countries with young children this would be an interesting read. I give a three star rating. If you are not a regular reader of my reviews, you may like to read ‘Book Reviews - Star Ratings’ to understand my take on ratings.
The book is available in both paperback and e-formats:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk

You DO have the ability!

Back in April of this year I published a post entitled ‘Afraid to Write?’ in which I briefly discussed how some find the idea of writing, anything that will be seen publicly, a fearful prospect. In that post I also looked and considered a new company that has been set up to help people, at a cost, to get their stories published. Now, in today’s post, I propose to briefly consider who has the ability to write a book. Naturally, as memoir and autobiography are my primary focus I will tend to look at the subject from that angle nevertheless, I think the principles will apply generally to all writing.

It really is very simple. If you are able to tell people your tale over a cup of coffee or tea or a drink, you DO have the ability to write your story. After all memoir, I use the term to include autobiography, is the relating of how YOU remember, understand, interpret and feel about events in and from your own life.
Now you may say:
 I do not know how to create proper phrases.Grammar was never my strong subject.I have never been very good at spelling.I do not understand about punctuation.English is not my first language.People will criticize me if I do not make a good job of it. If I tell everything as it really was I may upset people.Where do I start?What do I include and what do I omit?Etc.
All of us who have written about our lives faced the same dilemma. We had to sit down and carefully consider whether we could in truth achieve our aim. Whether we could in reality ‘publish’ a book. It is from this experience I am sharing with you.
Something you will hear occasionally is the term ‘the author’s own voice’. In other words, the tale has been told in a distinctive style that reflects how the author would be relating their tale if they were actually speaking to you direct. This may be to do with localised accents, terminology, phrases, spellings, customs, understanding and acceptances; in other words, ‘culture’. Of course these may require a little explanation for those not familiar with the locality or country. But that is something we would be doing even when telling the tale over coffee, tea or a drink.
As to grammar, punctuation, English Language, etc. These may be learnt reasonably easily from study guides or books in general. However, we also need to bear in mind the aspect of ‘author’s voice’ as related above. Sometimes, what is referred to as incorrect may in fact simply be a reflection of uniqueness. Make no mistake, I am NOT advocating the creation of poor quality books. We must always seek to achieve the best we can and sometimes to this end it may be necessary to employ a proof-reader and editor, if you have the means. If you are unable to do this please ensure, at the very least, you go through your manuscript several times before publishing. Even better if you have someone else you can ask to read through it.
So how do you get started? Very simple. First decide whether you are going to use ink and paper, typewriter or computer. Someone may suggest recording your story. Though this may be useful to get your ideas sorted I suggest, ultimately, it is not the most helpful means to achieve your aim. You will come to note that the majority of authors find it most beneficial to actually write down their tales: I doubt they are all wrong.
One thing I should point out; it may be necessary to apply some self-discipline to achieve your goal. If you are able, I recommend setting aside some time each day, preferably the same period, when you find somewhere quiet to write, even if you do not feel like it. If you find yourself struggling with what to write it will often be best to just put down what comes to mind. You will frequently be surprised at how much sense it makes when you re-read it. In addition, it is a principle generally accepted that if you do not have anything written down then you have nothing to work on. If you are like me, or in fact writers in general, just keeping your thoughts in your head will achieve little. It is not until you see them on paper, or screen, that you will be able to start properly formulating the story.
There, see how simple it is? YOU DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE YOUR STORY, whether memoir, autobiography or fiction. If you are still unsure, why not write something down and then ask someone else to have a quick read. Sometimes, as happened with my first attempt, you may be told you have an interesting story even if it requires the wording or presentation to be worked on.
So please do not rob us of your story. Please DO write it. Society, the world, will be the poorer if your tale is lost to it.

Saying Goodbye to Characters

Over the years I have read how some authors often find it hard to leave a book they have completed and to move on to the next. In each case they have expressed reluctance to say goodbye to the characters they created. Until recently this was not my own experience.
Perhaps I have not felt the same because, until my latest book, my writing has been primarily autobiographical. Except for the last, my books have been a combination of biography (my ancestor’s dramatic tales); autobiography (my own less than normal life) and memoir (encompassing my own recollections of various events and situations). Consequently, the ‘characters’, if you wish to call them such, were not created from my own imagination but are, or were, actual people. They are forever with me whether living or deceased. In a sense I suppose I have said goodbye to those who have sadly predeceased me but I never forget them, whether good or bad.
But now I have a new experience. As said, my latest book is primarily fictional though inspired by actual events from my maternal grandparent’s dramatic lives. The events themselves make for a dramatic read on their own but, so as to make it more entertaining for readers, I decided to develop the tale into a novel. As a result, I needed to create some fictional characters to enhance and support the story and to take it forward. At first I had been unsure if I could do this although I believe I have a reasonable imagination. However, I quickly found I enjoyed the release from having to rigidly stick to facts and chronology. The freedom to let my imagination run where it will has proven quite liberating. The thought of writing fictionally had been wavering in the back of my mind for some years nevertheless, at the time, I had not had the confidence nor the time to do so. Now, however, my latest experience has persuaded me to push forward with the idea; I have sufficient fodder (excuse the expression) for many tales in both my ancestors and my own lives. I therefore intend to write further fiction when time and responsibilities permit. However, I digress from the point in hand.
When it came to writing the last couple of chapters of my latest book I, to my surprise, initially found a strange reluctance to proceed. Why? I wondered. Slowly I came to appreciate I was experiencing what those other authors had been talking about; I did not wish to finish with my characters. I did not want to see them go. Over the many months of writing they had become part of my mind set if not my life. I had spent a lot of time imagining how they would react and speak in their given situations, private or public, confrontational or peaceful. They really had become part of my life and I discovered an emotional attachment, a ‘relationship’ with them. Oh dear! Now I understand when some authors imply if people knew how we behave when writing they would probably consider we should be ‘shut away’. But I know I am not insane; do I not?! Anyway, back to the point, like many have stated before me, I found I did not want to finish with my ‘friends’, my characters, and yet I was also looking forward to starting the next book.
A couple of thoughts or rather questions:
Had these characters become substitutes for those from whom I have not received the affection I desired? Had they become ‘people’ with whom I could interact without fear of rejection or reprisal? ‘Reprisal!’ you ask. Regrettably many people in my life have been very unkind hence my thoughts of reprisal or in fact worse. But that is not for this discussion topic. Is it healthy to be so attached to fictional characters? Well, in all honesty, I do not think we could write effectively if we did not have some sort of attachment. We need to have an empathy with them if we are to convey to a reader their personalities, thoughts, desires, reactions etc. So to that end yes it is healthy. But of course we need to guard against them becoming psychotic hallucinations. Thankfully, in general, this will naturally be achieved by our interaction with family, friends, colleagues, or social contacts. However, those of us who are on our own and do not, in daily life, have such contacts, need to make the effort to get out or at least to speak to others on the telephone if not in person. Alternatively, if the proceeding suggestions are not a realistic option, the simplicity of just going to the shops may help.
So overall I consider it good to have an empathy with our fictional characters provided we retain the reality of the fact they do not actually exist. And, naturally, as with any relationship, we will be reluctant to see them go. For those who write serially of course this is not an issue until they come to the end of the series. But then, for them, it is probably harder to say goodbye when the series ends as they will have spent far more time with their ‘friends’. Nevertheless, if we are to ever publish the book, we must say goodbye and move on. Of course this is true of any relationship but at least for us authors we have the advantage of being able to look forward to the next book and the new characters we will develop and build a relationship with. We may feel a little despondent for a while but it will soon pass as we bond with our ‘new’ characters.
It is also worth noting (and helpful to those of us who may become concerned about our own mental wellbeing) that some readers also discover a reluctance to finish a book they have been enjoying and to say goodbye to the story’s characters. It is also worth noting we are not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of authors who feel and experience the same sensations as we do.

Stress & Creativity

‘Stress’ is a much used word and recognised condition these days. Most of us will have used it at some stage in our lives. But what is stress? And how does it impact upon creativity? And, more importantly, how do we deal with it?
The Little Oxford Dictionary defines stress as: Pressure; tension; mental or emotional strain; emphasis. And gives the following as synonyms: Strain; pressure; tension; worry; anxiety.
Though I believe the majority of us will concur with these descriptions I would warn against assuming everyone is defining the same circumstance when they use the word. Remember we are all unique and different and consequently may have varying concepts.
It is not my intention to go into a dialogue of meanings and understandings here. My purpose is to try and comprehend how ‘stress’ impacts upon our creativity whether we are an author/writer, painter/sculptor, actor/dancer, designer/tailor and so on, in other words anything that requires us to draw upon our creative abilities.
Nevertheless, having made the above statement it will be helpful to consider some of the things that may cause us to feel stressed. Now, yet again, these must to large extent be personal however, there are the generally recognised issues of: finance, relationships, health, career, responsibilities, fears etc. And, of course these do not necessarily apply to our own, personal condition. It very well may be someone we care about who is facing such issues and we are concerned, worried etc. on their behalf, especially if we are not in a position to help with the actual problem.
Please note : I am not a psychiatrist, counsellor, nurse or in any other way trained to help with psychological difficulties. What I share here will be from personal experience or observation.
Stress may lead to all sorts of conditions: depression, lack of concentration, tiredness, loss of interest, loss of appetite, comfort eating, drinking, etc. I am sure you will be able to identify many more results that may occur. In the majority of cases it is inevitable this will impact negatively on creativity. Mind, there have been those, artists come to mind, whose ‘stress’, ‘depression’ or whatever people liked to term it, has had a ‘beneficial’ impact upon their art. Some have had their ‘blue’, ‘dark’, ‘fantasy’, ‘surreal’ periods which have been acclaimed by critics long after. However, I would suggest these are in the minority and that for most of us the condition has a negative impact.
Now, as an author, I am going to consider stress and creativity from that point of view.  Nonetheless, I would suggest most of the resulting conditions and resolutions I have discovered will apply equally to other art forms.
So what impact may stress have on our creativity?
Complete lack of interest in the subject.
View as of poor quality because we cannot get our minds round the matter to hand.
 Slap dash writing, painting etc. Perhaps this is where some ‘modern’ art came from.
Lack of attention to detail. Cannot be bothered.
Over critical.
 Overwhelming desire to abandon project. But, at the same time, feeling sorry or guilty at the thought.
By no means an exhaustive list but I am sure you get the concept.
Before continuing I would point out that we do not always know when we are ‘stressed’. We may simply put how we feel down to tiredness, over exertion, general busyness, etc. Nevertheless, I think there does come a stage when we do recognise things are not as they should be. Whether we refer to it as stress or not is immaterial.
How do we retain or regain our creativity when stressed?
Please remember these are my ‘personal’ observations.
See if there is anything practical we can do about the situation. And, of course, do it if we are able.
Accept the circumstance if we cannot change it. Naturally, our ‘stress’ still remains but accepting the fact may help clear our mind a little and alleviate the intensity.
Self-discipline. In my case sit down and write no matter what. It may prove to take longer to create the ‘perfect’ paragraph but I can assure you it will slowly come together.
Adhere to any commitments you have made. For example; when re-publishing two of my books recently I gave an undertaking to publish the third in the series this year. Okay, it was an informal undertaking but I firmly believe in doing what we say we will. This provides both motivation and a goal no matter how weak they may feel.
While still maintaining the self-discipline referred to above, break the usual daily routine. If possible go out, even if it is simply to shop in a different location. Change of scene can be refreshing and stimulating.
Exercise: I find simply going for a walk is beneficial.
Make a point of going somewhere you enjoy. I love nature and even when in a city or town I find the simple visit to a garden centre uplifting and inspiring. Of course, there is the negative aspect that I cannot take all the plants home with me. So annoying!
Consider whether you are able to re-channel your ‘stress’ into creating something different or new. This may simply be applying a different slant to what you are already working on.Of course the list could be endless and I am sure you will have your own slant on the subject. But to my mind, the important thing is to keep going. It may feel a drudge to start with but as you progress you will find some degree of freedom. Of course your ‘stress’ or at least some degree of it, will remain while the situation that caused it continues. However, pushing through and eventually succeeding in creating whatever you were aiming at may, and usually does, have a releasing effect. The circumstance may remain but you will ‘feel’ lighter. And, as with all situations, the problem will eventually dissipate or be resolved.

Advertising Your Book

 In my recent Marketing Paranoiaseries of posts (three in total), I looked at the usefulness, or not, of various social media sites for book marketing. (Click here to see a list of the posts with an indication of which sites were considered in each.) I also, briefly, commented upon the advertising potential of each. That got me thinking about where it may be most useful to advertise our books.


Note 1: Before continuing, I must again emphasis I am not a marketing expert nor have any personal experience of paid marketing. I am simply a private person who has self-published her books and would like to get them noticed.
Note 2: I make no pretence to fully understanding all that is involved with advertising generally or with the companies mentioned below. I just thought it may help to provide an overview so we may make a more educated decision of where, or if, to advertise.
So, bearing in mind there is a cost to it, what may be the best places to advertise? In this post I am simply going to consider what I think are the three principle sites/companies to use: Amazon, Google and Apple.
Amazon
There is no denying Amazon is the world’s largest and most prolific internet retailer. And it is not just books. A high percentage of those of us who self-publish have much to thank Amazon for as it has provided easy to use, and free, systems which we have benefited from. Without them many of us, unable to get an agent or publisher, would never have seen our books in print; physical or digital.
It therefore makes a lot of sense to advertise with them as it certainly is one of the places where we would gain the broadest exposure. And, of course, where many readers go to purchase their books.
Advertising here is primarily on a ‘Pay per Click’ payment option. In other words, you only pay each time someone clicks on your advert. Of course these do not always result in a purchase; something we need to always consider whichever site or facility we may decide to use for advertising. But at least they do provide us with greater exposure.
There are a couple of things you need to be aware of before considering an advert campaign with Amazon:
·         The minimum budget you may set is $100. Not a fantastic amount but for those of us without any real resources, may be an issue.
·         You have to have registered your account with Kindle Select or be a Kindle Partner. For me this is an issue. In effect you may only have your books available with Amazon: they may not be available from another retailer for the minimum ninety (90) day period you have to sign-up to. I have to say this has always annoyed me; my books are available from multiple retail sites and the thought of having to remove them and then re-add them afterwards is too troublesome. To my way of thinking Amazon would not really lose out if the book remained available from elsewhere as any campaign with them would naturally draw people to your Amazon page.
Google
The Google advertising facility is known as: ‘Adwords’. Bear this in mind when searching for information otherwise you will find it difficult to find anything.
‘Adwords’ works across ALL of Googles sites and programmes, which may only be considered as advantageous considering its broad spectrum of activity.
To advertise with them you first need to set up an account. You have to provide: e-mail address; website; country; time zone; currency; etc. In addition, you will need to settle upon a keyword for your advert: this assists Google’s search programme. You will note the requirement for your website address. I am not sure if you may use a blog address in place but the reason is that your advert should connect whoever clicks on it to a viable site. Naturally, this means you should ensure your site is of good quality and clearly signifies whatever it is you wish to sell. In our case books.
Advantages, (many other advertising campaigns have similar advantages): You may target your audience; countries; regions; cities, or even a set distance from your business and so on. Also, if you budget more than £6 (UK) per day you may request and benefit from their help facilities/team. For those of us inexperienced in such matters this would be very helpful. Apparently they would be willing to help you set up your campaign, making the £6 per day budget an attractive proposition when first setting out.
The suggested minimum daily budget is £10-£20 (UK) per day. For some of us that is a lot of money. However, your campaign may be as short or long as you chose. You may adjust, pause or stop it at any time without any additional charge. We, as private individuals rather than business account holders, also have the benefit of being able to pay by credit or debit card or straight from our bank accounts, which makes matters a lot easier. There is also the added advantage of a tracking facility so you may see how your campaign is doing.
Apple
In these days when iPhones and iPads are very popular and widely used, Apple must be a real contender for advertising. Of course, in my opinion though I have not seen it stated as a requirement, it would help if your book is available from iBooks. This may be easily done by publishing with Smashwords, who distribute to multiple retailers including iBooks, or by publishing direct with iBooks. The Apple advertising system is known as: ‘iAd Workbench’. Useful to know when searching for information.
There is a minimum budget of $50 per campaign with a $10 daily minimum spend. You are able to choose either ‘Pay per Click’, as described under ‘Amazon’ above or ‘Cost per Thousand’ payment options i.e. the maximum amount you are willing to pay for each 1,000 times your advertisement is shown.
As with other advertisements, your advert should take the potential customer to a designated destination. In some ways Apple has a broader spectrum as they clearly state your destination may be: website; video; ITunes Store; App Store; product page or another type of link. Quite versatile.
Auction based pricing
This is a slightly complicated area which I have no intention of going into in detail. Not all advertising campaigns use this method. Basically, when you submit your campaign details and desired budget your advert application is thrown into a general pot: everyone is seen as bidding for the same space. This inevitably means your advert will be up against large company/corporation applications who undoubtedly will have far more funds available than you.
Personally, if I were to have the resources to submit an advert campaign, I would do my best to avoid this ‘auction’ system. I would far prefer to utilize the type of advert we have traditionally seen; those that have set parameters from the start e.g. clear one banner (basically set image and wording) advertisement or full page advert (naturally these are a bit more expensive). I would also favour the ‘Pay per Click’ payment option with a defined set budget and time scale. Of course all this is controlled by personal as well as budget preferences.
Conclusion
As previously stated, I am no marketing expert and have no personal experience. The information above I have simple gleaned from some basic research. I would like to get my books noticed and therefore have been considering my options bearing in mind my resource limitations.
Overall, I think Amazon would prove the most beneficial for indie authors expect for the restrictive requirement to be signed-up to Kindle Select. I am fully aware many fellow authors only publish through Amazon and therefore the latter point will not be an issue for them. In their case I would consider Amazon adverts the best and the ones that would give them the widest exposure. Of course I have no idea how effective any of the above campaigns are with regard to sells. For people like myself, Google’s Adwords would probably be the best second choice because these may be shown in so many different places. Google is the world’s most well-known and utilized search site. But then again, the popularity of iPhones and iPads also makes iAd worth considering. If you do chose to advertise, I would be interested to hear how it works out for you; nothing can replace actual experience. Whether you chose to advertise or not, I wish you every success. Please remember to let my readers and I know how you do get on if you do advertise with one of the above or with any other company.