Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida, page 96

32 Editing Tips for Writers

32 Editing Tips for Writers by Nancy J. Cohen

Periodically, I’ll post these self-editing tips after updating them. I am involved in my own revisions at the moment for Warrior Lord, book #3 in my Drift Lords series. This means two read-throughs. The first round is for line editing and catching repetitions. The second round is to read for smoothness, final word tweaks, and consistency. Then I’ll send it in.



When I get the marked up version from my editor back, I am always appalled at the number of things I still want to change. This proves revisions are never done. You have to call a halt when you feel you’ve done your best. So what should you do during your self-edits? Use these rules as a guideline.

Have an identifiable main character. With multiple viewpoints, you run the risk of detaching your reader unless you go into deep viewpoint with each switch. Have one main character with whom we can identity and cheer on, otherwise why should we care what happens?

Make your protagonist likeable. Have you watched TV shows where none of the people appeal to you? Would you continue watching it? Even if you employ an anti-hero in your story, give him a reason for his anti-social behavior. He has to be redeemable or sympathetic in some way.

Motivate your characters with clear goals. If they don’t care what’s happening, why should your reader? Make sure your character’s goals are obvious up front. Why is this important to him? What is he doing to make it happen? What’s stopping him? What stakes are involved?



Invest your characters with attitude to give them a distinctive personality. NO: I’m fine, thanks. YES: You really wanna know? OR: It’s none of your business, dude.



Keep description within the viewpoint of your character. Similes and metaphors should be within her frame of reference. Hairdresser: as limp as a strand of shampooed hair. Or: as tight as a newly permed curl.

When you’re in deep viewpoint, use pronouns rather than the character’s name. Keep viewpoints distinctive. Use a new paragraph with a space break when you switch heads.

Avoid flashbacks and backstory. This is probably the most common mistake of newbie writers. Leave the past in the past unless it’s important for your current story. Keep the action moving forward. Drop in backstory into dialogue or relate it in brief thoughts during action scenes. Less is better. There’s nothing faster that will disengage your reader and kill the pacing than long passages of backstory or flashbacks suddenly inserted into the middle of a scene.



Show, don’t tell. Show me your character’s emotions. Don’t tell me about them, or I won’t be engaged as a reader. NO: She felt afraid. YES: Ice gripped her heart. NO: He was angry. YES: He slammed his fist into the door. Physical reactions and nonverbal clues indicate emotions. Without these, you’ve written a cardboard character who I can’t relate to as a reader. Also, don’t have the hero only perform action stunts and hold terse dialogues. Show me how he reacts internally. Introspection is important to helping us relate to him, although paragraph after paragraph of angst can get tiring. Just don’t leave it out or I won’t get a feel for him as a person.

Dialogue should have a purpose. Conversations should advance the plot or reveal character. Know going into a scene what you mean to reveal. If your characters are aimlessly yakking about their love lives or what they’re cooking for dinner, cut the conversation. Don’t ramble. Have a snappy conversation filled with innuendos and hidden meanings. And remember to include your protagonist’s emotional reactions. Also, don’t overuse dialects. Sprinkle in some foreign or slang terms to give the flavor without making sentences hard to pronounce.



Beware of talking heads. Lines of dialogue need to be broken up by character tags, such as sensory descriptions or action. Remember to include emotional reactions and introspection so we can see what’s preying on your character’s mind.

Eliminate most substitutes for said along with adverbs that describes speech. NO: I love it, he chortled merrily. YES: I love it, he said with a chuckle.

Replace he/she said with character tags. Use action as an identifier and bring in the five senses whenever possible. NO: “I suppose you’re right,” she said. YES: “I agree.” Her nape prickled as though Grace’s words had prophetic power.

Avoid long paragraphs of exposition. Show us the scene unfolding from the character’s viewpoint. Otherwise, do these passages really need to be there? Make the reader feel what your hero feels. Don’t just tell us what’s going on.

Tighten your sentence structure by replacing phrases with precise words. NO: the light of the boat YES: the boat’s light NO: He ran down by the terrace and out toward the lake. YES: He sped past the terrace toward the lake.

Replace passive verbs with active tense. NO: The slaves were slain by lions. YES: Lions mauled the slaves. NO: His forehead was heated by the sun baking overhead. YES: The baking sun heated his brow.

Replace walked and went with a more visual word. She shuffled toward the door. He raced down the street. He sprinted across the yard.

Dangling Participles. Learn by example: NO: Glancing into the rearview mirror, her breath released upon noticing the coast was clear. YES: Glancing into the rearview mirror, she released a breath upon noticing the coast was clear.

Gerunds. Beware of ing phrases that are illogical. NO: Flinging the door wide, she stepped inside the darkened interior. YES: She flung the door wide and stepped inside the darkened interior.

Avoid weak phrases like seemed to, tried to, began to. NO: He seemed to want her input. YES: His smile encouraged her to speak. NO: She tried to tie the knot, but it slipped through her fingers. YES: As she fumbled with the knot, the rope slipped from her fingers. Also avoid unnecessary phrases such as she realized, she figured, he decided, he watched, he thought.

Be realistic about meal and work hours.

Avoid weak verbs: is, was, are, were, there was. NO: There was water on the window. YES: Water droplets beaded the window. NO: His pulse was racing. YES: His pulse raced.

Avoid negatives. NO: He would not wait any longer if she didn’t appear. YES: He’d leave if she failed to show up.

Delete redundancies. NO: sat down YES: sat NO: He thought to himself YES: He thought. BETTER: eliminate he thought if you’re in his viewpoint.

Check for repetitions: Most of us subconsciously overuse a favorite word. Be alert for these when you read through your manuscript. (I just counted how many times I use the word “just” here, and it’s 9 times. I’m guilty!) Avoid the same phrases or words in consecutive pages. Watch out for repeats of the same information in conversations or in a person’s thoughts.

Eliminate the word “that” where not needed.

Remove qualifiers that weaken your prose, such as: very, rather, quite, really, just, awfully. NO: I remembered that she was really nice. YES: I remembered how her smile lit the room. NO: It was very hot. YES: The heat made my skin itch.

Beware of flying body parts.NO: Her eyes flew across the room. YES: Her gaze flew across the room. NO: She threw her hands in the air. YES: She raised her arms.

Be specific: NO: She passed a clump of flowers. YES: She passed a clump of red tulips sprouting from the ground like supplicating hands. NO: It had been a hard day. YES: Her body sagged as though she’d run a marathon (cliché alert?).

Learn correct spelling and usage: their or they’re; it’s or its; lay or lie; you’re or your. This is fundamental, and there is no excuse for getting these wrong.

Use descriptive detail only when it enhances your story. Too much description can slow pacing and lose the reader’s interest. However, whenever you describe a scene, remember to use the five senses. If you want to engage the reader, include specific sensory details.

Avoid clichés like the plague. If you spot one during revisions, go back and replace it with something more original. NO: He wore a scowl like a cloak. YES: He wore a scowl like a seasoned samurai (and he’s Japanese, so this fits the frame of reference).

Go for strong endings at ends of sentences. Don’t end sentences on a preposition. NO: I didn’t know what he was waiting for. YES: I didn’t understand why he waited. NO: He stared in horrified dismay at her. YES: He stared at her in horrified dismay.

And speaking of strong endings, this concludes my self-editing tips. It helps if you put aside your work for several weeks after completing the initial draft. Coming back to it with a fresh perspective will allow you to catch things that might otherwise slip by. Working off a hard copy and reading dialogue aloud are other techniques to use. You want to polish your manuscript until it literally sparkles and then move on to the next story.

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Roach

Last night we went to dinner at a favorite restaurant, an upscale chain that shall remain anonymous. We were seated at a booth against a rear wall and were enjoying our appetizer dumplings when I spotted a familiar brown bug crawling along the table by the wall.

“Roach!” I cried, grabbing my plate and scooting toward the opposite side of the bench seat.

“What?” My husband peered around. His eyes widened when he saw where I pointed.

The waiter, who was nearby, hastened over. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, there’s a roach.” I pointed a wavering finger. Dang, but the critter had scurried behind the salt and pepper shakers.

“I’ll be right back.” The young man rushed away and returned a moment later with reinforcements.

“What do you want to do?” the manager asked me as I stood by uncertainly.

“We need to change tables. I’m not staying here.” I’d already grabbed my food dishes. The manager indicated another table nearby with regular seating, not a booth.

My husband and I transferred our drinks and other accoutrements while the wait staff stripped off the tablecloth and hunted the offending creature. The manager even got down on his knees with a flashlight to look underneath. I guessed he’d got the bug because the waiters remade the table as though nothing had happened.

The manager bustled over. “I’m so sorry. This almost never happens.” He mumbled several excuses which I blanked out, but I did hear the words, “Of course, we’ll compensate you for the inconvenience.”

I nodded my agreement. “That’s fine, thanks.” I figured we’d be lucky to get an item discounted off our bill. “Did you get it?” was all I really cared about.

“We did.” He left us to dine in peace.

Our meal proceeded until we got the final bill. To our pleasant surprise, the entire meal had been comped. All we had to pay for were our drinks and gratuity. I didn’t expect such generosity, but really, they owed it to us. I could have stood up and shrieked “Roach!” at the top of my voice. Imagine the reactions of the other patrons.

And then, being a writer, my imagination took flight. What if I had a character who did just that? This would fit right in with my humorous Bad Hair Day mysteries. Marla, my hairdresser sleuth, wouldn’t act this way, but a companion might. That person could even knock over her wine class at the same time and cause a general ruckus in an entertaining scene.

And—get this—what if Marla later spied this same character twisting a top on a medicine bottle and putting it into her purse, when Marla didn’t recall this person taking any pills. Could the guest possibly have brought the roach herself to let loose in the restaurant, hoping for a free meal? What an outrageous character. I can’t wait to write her into my next book! You see, inspiration always comes from life’s experiences.

I just love those What If’s, don’t you?

Reader Reviews

When you finish reading a book, do you write a brief review and post it online? If your answer is negative, why not? Do you feel you have nothing to say? Are you afraid your opinion won’t count? Is it too much bother? 

Reader reviews count a great deal to potential book buyers. When you’re thinking of ordering a book, do you go to the virtual bookstore and read customer reviews? I know I do. It’s possible that the more customer reviews on an Amazon page, the more chances of Amazon’s algorithms picking up the title and including it in their promotion, “If you like this book, you might like…” This recommendation is of tremendous help to authors. So are five star reviews. But be honest in your opinion and assign however many stars you feel is appropriate. Just please don’t trash someone’s work. If you don’t like the book, leave off your opinion. Nothing hurts worse than seeing someone give my book one star and condemning it. Maybe it just wasn’t their cup of tea and another reader will love it.

So how do you write a review? Start out with a blurb about the story. Pretend you are summarizing the tale for a friend, but omit any critical plot points that may act as spoilers. Then mention what you liked about the book. The exquisite setting details? The engaging characters? The non-stop action, or the quirky sidekick? Surely you can find something good to say. End your review if you can with a quotable line encapsulating your opinion. This may range from “A charming historical mystery that will sweep you away to the Victorian era” to “Starships, space battles, and snarky sidekicks…what’s not to like about this action-packed sci-fi adventure?”

Since the New Year is upon us, hereby resolve to start writing reader reviews and posting them online to support your favorite authors. Where to put them? Here are several sites where your opinion matters.

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com

Go to the book’s page. Scroll down to where is says Most Helpful Customer Reviews. Scroll down some more until it says Write a Customer Review. Then click there and follow the directions. You’ll need to be signed into your account. Preview and Publish your review as the final steps.

If you want to see my reviews as an example, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3UDQEWI9GCQ5Z

And if you’ve read any of my books, even backlist titles, I can use more reviews! Go here to access a list of all my titles: http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-J.-Cohen/e/B001HD1ELI/

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Barnes and Noble is often overlooked, but with so many NOOK owners, this online bookstore still carries weight. On a book’s page, scroll down to where it says Customer Reviews. Then fill in your star rating and write your review in the box provided. Click Submit to finish. Again, you’ll probably need to be signed into your account first.

Here’s my author site on B&N. This online bookstore isn’t as author friendly as Amazon so it’s harder for us to make changes, like eliminating books under my name that don’t belong there. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/nancy-j.-cohen

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com

Goodreads is a popular reader site where readers review books they’ve read, file these reviews on virtual bookshelves and create genre lists. Readers participate in group discussions, offering each other recommendations. A good review here really helps, and so does a recommendation in any of the groups! You can also look for book giveaways under Explore to get a taste of new releases. It’s easy to register for a free account. Then you just go to My Books, click on Add Books, and type in the book title. The book should pop up. Click on it and give it a star rating. Then click on Edit my Review and write in your review, or cut and paste it from your home computer. Be my friend at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91508.Nancy_J_Cohen

Library Thing

http://www.librarything.com

Here’s another site for you to post reviews and keep track of your reads. I need to update my bookshelf here. Librarians frequent this site. Find me on Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/home/NancyJCohen. And, it’s another place for authors to offer giveaways of upcoming new releases.

Shelfari

http://www.shelfari.com/

This site is linked to Amazon, so any book details you add in here may show up there. I need to update my reviews here, too: http://www.shelfari.com/nancyjcohen.

Admittedly, it’s hard to keep up with each place. Once I get caught up, though, I can just copy and paste my book review to each site once I finish reading a title.

Your opinion as a reader truly counts now more than ever, with professional reviews almost impossible for authors to get on their own, reviewers swamped with hundreds of titles, and the days of bookstore browsing severely diminished. Word of mouth is critical, and this is where you come in. Offering positive reviews and recommendations online of books you’ve read is one of the best forms of support you can do for authors. Consider yourselves our street team, and get involved.

Are you already doing online reviews, and if so, where?

Warrior Rogue on Kindle

Warrior Rogue, #2 in the Drift Lords Series, has been released early on Kindle. This title will still follow its official release date of April 26 for various digital formats and a print edition. But in the meantime, if you have a Kindle, you can get it now at http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Rogue-Drift-Series-ebook/dp/B00AU62NQS/  

She seems like everything he despises—until her beauty challenges his warrior’s heart.

When fashion designer Jennifer Dyhr loses her lead actor for a video-game commercial, a replacement literally drops from the sky. Reluctant to let him leave, she hires him as a model for her studio. But when terrorists attack their flight home, Jen must awaken powers she didn’t know she had to protect them both. Will she be able to keep her heart safe from the sensual man beside her?

When space ops warrior Paz Hadar falls through a spatial rift onto Jen’s set, he soon realizes she is essential to his mission. Not only must he protect her, his success depends upon her special powers. But as they struggle to stay one step ahead of the enemy, he discovers that fighting his attraction to the lovely Jen is as much a challenge as keeping them both alive.

And here is a brief excerpt after Jen and Paz make an emergency landing in their business jet on a remote Pacific island:

“Come on, we can’t waste time.” Paz signaled to her from the open hatchway.

She staggered toward him. Peering outside, she was glad to note they didn’t need the emergency chute. They could easily jump the short distance to the ground. Holding her long skirt, she leaped after Paz onto the beach.

He caught her in his muscular arms and gently eased her down. His tousled hair, determined jaw, and ocean blue eyes had never looked better.

“Thank you. You saved our lives.” On impulse, Jen rose on her tiptoes and kissed him.

She’d only meant it to be a brief expression of gratitude, but Paz’s gaze intensified. He swept her into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss that left her breathless.

“We’re safe now.” He broke away with a regretful expression. “At least, for the moment. But we shouldn’t linger.”

“For the moment? What does that mean?” The memory of those ugly men who’d attacked them returned with full force. “You know who assaulted us, don’t you? When are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Let’s summon help first. I need to put my comm unit back together. If we can hook it into a local network, you can call your people.”

“I have my cell phone.” She patted her purse.

His hand clamped onto her arm. “We should scout around. Our landing probably attracted attention, and we don’t want the wrong people to find us.”

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Vision Board on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/njcohen/warrior-rogue/

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/cjV-PRVGoVs

Think of it as Project: Runway meets Lord of the Rings. The action begins in Tokyo and zips to Hong Kong, New York, and Palm Beach in this fast-paced paranormal romantic thriller.

Remember, if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the free Kindle app for other devices: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=dig_arl_box?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771 Or, you can convert between formats using the free Calibre program:http://calibre-ebook.com/

Also, watch for my Valentine’s Day Bonus Special to share with your friends.

And if you haven’t yet picked up Warrior Prince, book #1 in the series, here are the links:

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/nancy-j-cohen-m-831.html

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Prince-Drift-Lords-Series/dp/1612173578/

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Prince-Drift-Series-ebook/dp/B009ESNVOG/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warrior-prince-nancy-j-cohen/1112989278

Are you more likely to buy a book if it’s part of a series as opposed to a stand-alone?

Upcoming Author Events

As 2013 is upon us, I hope to see some of you at my upcoming Author Appearances and Book Events. Stop by to introduce yourself, to chat about books, and to share your opinions. In some of these, I’ll be giving a presentation on my romance or mystery novels. Others will be writing workshops. Booksignings will accompany each event. Please come join us!

January 3, Thursday, 2:00 pm, “Writers LIVE!” with Author Nancy J. Cohen, Greenacres Branch Public Library, 3750 Jog Road, Greenacres, FL 33467, 561-641-9100. Preregister online at www.pbclibrary.org/writerslive or http://www.pbclibrary.org/branch-gb.htm.

January 12, Saturday, 9:00 am, “Social Networking for Writers” with Author Nancy J. Cohen and Contributing Editor Barbara Vey from Publisher’s Weekly, Florida Romance Writers, Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel, 1825 Griffin Road, Dania, FL 33004. Advance reservations required

February 3, Sunday, 2:00 pm, Delray Beach Public Library, “World Building: Create a Sizzling Setting for your Novel” with author Nancy J. Cohen, Delray Beach Public Library, 100 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444; 561-266-0798

February 12, Tuesday, 2:00 pm, Florida Author Showcase Coffeehouse , West Regional Library, 8601 Broward Blvd, Plantation, FL 33324, 954-382-5860

March 23, Saturday, “Social Networking for Writers”, Southwest Florida Romance Writers, Fountain Lakes Library, 22201 Fountain Lakes Blvd, Ste. 1, Estero, FL 33928 http://fountainlakesestero.com/

April 17, Wednesday, 6:30 pm, “Marketing Strategies for Authors”, Writers Network of South Florida, Glades Road Branch Library, 20701 95th Avenue South, Boca Raton, FL 33434, 561-482-4554 http://www.pbclibrary.org/branch-gla.htm

April 20, Saturday, 11:30 am, “Promotion Strategies in Today’s Market”, MWA-FL, Doubletree by Hilton (formerly Deerfield Beach Hilton), 100 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, 33441 (at Hillsboro Blvd exit, east of I-95). Advance reservations required.

May 1, Wednesday, Florida Library Association Annual Conference, Hilton Orlando, 6001 Destination Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32819, http://www.flalib.org/conference_2013.php

11:30 am – 12:30 am, “New Possibilities in Publishing” with Authors Sandra Balzo, Nancy J. Cohen, Patrick Kendrick, Ron Farrington Sharp and Elaine Viets. Location: Lake Concord Room

Happy New Year and Hope to see you soon!

The Hobbit and More

We had an interesting holiday weekend. On Christmas, we viewed The Hobbit at Downtown Disney’s Fork & Screen Dine-In Theater. But let’s backtrack a minute.

On the previous day, we viewed the resident alligator at our neighborhood lake where we take walks in balmy weather. This sunny afternoon, the gator had stretched himself out along the grassy bank to soak up the rays. We got a clear view and a perfect photo op. Watch out if you have small pets!

We went to Epcot another day to try out the new Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in the Italy Pavilion. Here you can order small plates to go with your wine or food from the menu at the neighboring restaurant. Passholders take note of a discount off food during weekday lunch hours. This wine bar has a pleasant, cozy atmosphere where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the theme park. Epcot wasn’t so crowded because most visitors were heading toward the Magic Kingdom. We could see the line snaking in that direction from the Epcot exit. Here’s a holiday concert being performed outside near Spaceship Earth.

The Dine-In Theater is the best place to view a movie as lengthy as The Hobbit, nearly 3 hours long plus previews. You can recline in the soft cushioned chairs, put your feet up and munch away on snacks or a full meal at a table aligned in front of you. Wine and beer are on the menu along with soft drinks to quench your thirst. If you need wait service during the film, you merely press a button and the attendant appears. Watching a rousing mainstream action adventure, sci-fi, or epic fantasy film here during a holiday is one of my favorite Disney activities, aside from the theme parks.

So how did I like The Hobbit? [Spoiler Alert!] It’s a lot of monsters and fighting and dark-lit scenes. The plot wanders toward a distant peak without much sense along the way. Bilbo Baggins is recruited by a gang of dwarfs to reclaim their kingdom. Spurred on by Gandalf the Wizard, our hapless hobbit stumbles along in the wake of his Klingon-like warrior friends. They reach their target by the end, the fortress that has been taken over by a dragon guarding a hoard of gold. But there the story waits for the next installment.

From part A to part B is the rest of the movie, a series of adventures involving battles with trolls, orcs, and other assorted creatures. One bad guy, an ugly bald being, stood out, but he wasn’t the best villain I have seen. Baggins has a character arc where he mans up and learns how to use a sword, and the reluctant hero is always a favorite archetype. I did enjoy the pure escapism, the world-building, the grand vistas of New Zealand scenery. The special effects make it worth getting a bonus disk just to see how they were done.

But eventually all the monsters get tiring. The fantasies I enjoy reading, like Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, involve people more than creatures. These bad guys often have fearsome powers. They’re more frightening to me than the ugliest monster because they are more real. I liked the quieter moments in The Hobbit when character interaction took over, and it was a pleasure to see the Elvin kingdom again. But this story lacked a romantic subplot plus it lacked a tried and true friendship like Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings. And it’s those moments of humanity that raise a film beyond the ordinary. While Bilbo has to prove himself to the dwarfs and to himself, I missed the stronger sense of purpose like in the first trilogy. Still, if you’re looking for an exciting escapist adventure, go view this flick.

Social Networking for Writers

Florida Romance Writers January 12, 2013 Meeting

DATE: Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013

TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel, 1825 Griffin Road, Dania, 33004

COST: $22 per person/member, $25 non-member; includes buffet breakfast

DIRECTIONS: I-95 to Griffin Road exit (Exit 26). Go east on Griffin and make a right at the first light into the Sheraton parking area.

PARKING: Self-parking is free of charge. Take a ticket when you enter and when you leave be sure to tell the parking attendant you were attending the FRW event.

PROGRAM: Social Networking for Writers with Author Nancy J. Cohen and Special Guest Barbara Vey, Contributing Editor at Publisher’s Weekly.

The planned schedule is to start EARLY: breakfast and business meeting simultaneously at 9am, followed by Nancy’s talk at 10am, and Barbara at 11 or shortly thereafter. What a way to kick off the New Year! Don’t miss it! Email me at lisamore1@aol.com.



SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR WRITERS

Have you hesitated to get started on Facebook or Twitter because you don’t know what to do? Or perhaps you’ve established a presence on the social nets but would like more tips and tricks. Join this workshop to learn more about Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other sites where you can connect with friends and readers.

Nancy J. Cohen is an award-winning author who writes romance and mysteries. Her humorous Bad Hair Day mystery series features hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several of these titles have made the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller list. Shear Murder is the tenth book in this series and her sixteenth title. Nancy’s imaginative romances have also proven popular with fans. Her first title in this genre won the HOLT Medallion award, while Silver Serenade won Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews. Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. http://nancyjcohen.com/

Barbara Vey: As Contributing Editor for Publishers Weekly, Barbara Vey brings readers and writers together with her popular Beyond Her Book blog. Recipient of the 2012 RWA Vivian Stevens Industry Award. From her entertaining “Drive By Videos” to reader feedback on books with WW Ladies Book Club BHB continues to grow into a must read daily adventure. An avid reader, Barbara consumed a book a day before taking on the glamorous life of a roving reporting. Traveling all over the United States to conferences from Romance to Thrillers, Mysteries to Horror, Historicals to Comic Con, Barbara has even broken through the barrier into the entertainment industry by covering Red Carpet Events and interviewing the likes of Richard Dean Anderson, Joshua Jackson, Joss Whedon, Chris Evans and others. But her love of Romance and the Happily Ever After keeps her grounded while she offers readers a place to step away from life’s daily trials to take a positive journey through the world of books. http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Please RSVP by the Wednesday prior to the meeting by e-mail to Lisa Manuel at lisamore1@aol.com to make your reservation. Members may pay at the door, but if you make a reservation and then can’t attend, you will be billed for $22.00. Please remember we are now accepting only CHECKS or PayPal. Please be advised there is a $5.00 late fee for any reservations made after the Wednesday, 4:30pm, prior to the meeting.

NON-MEMBERS are welcome to attend two (2) meetings per year. Please contact Lisa Manuel at lisamore1@aol.com for more information. Pay via PayPal at http://www.frwriters.org or send a check for $25.00 payable to Florida Romance Writers, Inc. to:

Florida Romance Writers

c/o PO Box 430744

South Miami, FL 33243

 

 

Contests for Published Authors

Is it worthwhile for published authors to enter writing contests? Yes, it is. Here are the pros and cons for you to consider before entering your book in a contest.

PROS

Gain exposure for your work to new readers

Have a chance at calling yourself an Award-Winning Author

Adds prestige to your credentials if you win

Ego boost and sense of validation if you at least final in a contest

CONS

It’s expensive when you add up the contest fees, cost of books, and postage

Entering contests can be time-consuming

Winning awards won’t help you sell books to either fans or your publisher

Low scores can be demoralizing

Why would you want to enter a contest at all? In the mystery/thriller field, we have MWA’s Edgars® and the International Thriller Writers contest, the Thriller Awards Competition. These you can enter yourself. Mystery conferences like Left Coast Crime and Malice Domestic have contests, but your book has to be nominated and voted on by attendees. Those don’t count in our discussion since you can’t enter them yourself and the books are not evaluated by objective judges.

States have writing awards you can enter, and so do smaller regional or chapter conferences. For example, I entered Shear Murder, my tenth Bad Hair Day mystery, in the Florida Book Awards competition. This applies to all fiction genres, as does the Florida Publishers Association contest. Why didn’t I enter that one? The cost was too high. Both require four print books, but the Florida Book Awards costs $50 to enter and the latter one costs $60. That’s too expensive, in my opinion, despite the exposure my book would get.

And this brings up another matter. How do you decide which contests to enter? Consider these factors:

CRITERIA

Sponsoring Organization: Will anyone besides other genre authors recognize this award?

Judges: Are they readers, booksellers, librarians, or other authors?

Prize: Is it worth the entry fee and effort merely to get a certificate if you win? What types of publicity come along with the award? Will you get a plaque, medallion, lapel pin, website logo, or trophy?

Cost in Entry Fee and Number of Books

If you write in the romance genre, you have a much broader range of contests to enter. True, most readers have probably never heard of them. But winning may gain you publicity, new fans, and the chance to call yourself an award-winning author. Use the criteria above to determine if the contest is worthwhile for you to enter. RWA’s Romance Writers Report lists contests, plus you’ll find mention of them on many chapter listserves.

Keep track of which contests you enter, because the costs will add up. I entered a lot with Warrior Prince because this is the first book in my Drift Lords series, and I’m aiming to gain exposure. Judges are readers, too, even if they’re booksellers and librarians. But I’ve spent close to $164 on entry fees and nearly $200 in the cost of books alone. I can’t afford to do this for the second book in my series.

Following is a listing of writing contests for published authors that I have gathered. These are specifically ones you can enter yourself, minus the contests particular to Florida. If you spot one that needs correction, please let me know. Also share with us contests in the SciFi/Fantasy or YA genres as those are not included here. And good luck! Even if it’s an obscure contest, being a finalist or winning still means the judges liked your work, and that alone brings a warm glow of satisfaction. It’s hard to win, so consider it a well-earned reward if you do place in the top tier.

CONTESTS FOR PUBLISHED AUTHORS

ASPEN GOLD (Heart of Denver Romance Writers)

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE (Colorado Romance Writers)

BEACON (First Coast Romance Writers)–Discontinued; see comment below.

BOOK BUYERS BEST (Orange County RWA)

BOOKSELLERS BEST (Greater Detroit RWA)

DAPHNE DU MAURIER (Kiss of Death chapter RWA—Romantic Mysteries, Romantic Suspense)

DUEL ON THE DELTA

EDGAR® AWARDS (Mystery Writers of America—Mysteries)

ENCHANTED WORDS

EPIC (Ebooks)

GAYLE WILSON AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

GOLDEN GATEWAY

HOLT Medallion (Virginia Romance Writers)

IDA (Ebooks only, All genres; Oklahoma Romance Writers)

IPPY PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS (Indie books)

LAUNCHING A STAR

LAUREL WREATH (Volusia County Romance Writers)

LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

LORIES BEST PUBLISHED (The Heart RWA Online)

MAGGIE AWARDS (Georgia Romance Writers)

NATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN ROMANCE FICTION (First Coast Romance Writers)

NATIONAL READERS CHOICE (Oklahoma Romance Writers)

PRISM (FF&P chapter of RWA—Fantasy/ Futuristic/Paranormal Romance)

READERS CROWN (RomConInc)

RITA® (Romance Writers of America®)

THRILLER AWARDS COMPETITION (ITW—Mysteries/Thrillers)

WINTER ROSE (Yellow Rose RWA, TX)

Technology and Obsolescence

Do you still have stationery, greeting cards, and letterhead paper in your drawers? I just found a whole pile of stationery for the era in which I used Nancy Cane as my pseudonym. It’s a pack of lovely designed letterhead stationery to fit into a printer back in the day when I answered fan letters via snail mail. I could try to use it now to answer the few handwritten letters that still come my way (and I love those!), but it might confuse readers who have no idea I’m Nancy Cane.

So what to do with these relics of a bygone era? Turn them over and recycle them? That would be a shame, considering that I likely spent a lot of money on this personalized supply. I don’t see an alternative, however. Even if I crossed out Cane and wrote in Cohen, I rarely send letters via snail mail to fans anymore.

I still have boxes of lovely stationery, too. Don’t you miss the thrill of getting a handwritten letter from a friend or relative? Of course, I don’t miss the thrill of writing one. Typing is faster. I use this stationery now for note paper. Even when I have to jot a message to someone, I have personalized notepads that serve that purpose.

Greeting cards can still be useful. It’s good to keep a supply of birthday, get well, and sympathy cards handy. Friends still really appreciate it when you take the time to write a note and mail it. If we’re neglectful, the greeting card companies will be sure to remind us of upcoming holidays.

My cousin mentioned an idea for recycling cards. Cut out the picture part and slap it between two laminated sheets, then use it as a coaster. As for Christmas cards, I save them each year. After a few years have passed, I cut out the picture half and donate a batch of them along with other goods to a local charity. I figure someone there might have the talent to turn these into a craft project.

So do you have any old-fashioned stationery lying around your house? Or any ideas for using letterhead imprinted paper with an outdated name or address?

When Are Revisions Done?

Newbie writers often ask, how do you know when to stop revising and send in the work? There’s no easy answer as each of us goes through our own self-editing process. Revisions are never done. Every time you read through your work, more things pop up to fix. So when should you quit? When the story is as good as you can make it for now, and you’ll plotz if you have to go through it one more time. But all is not lost. You’ll get another chance to make corrections and tweak your phrasing during the editing phase.

Finishing your manuscript and doing second or third drafts is only part of the equation. Once your story is finished for good, you need to go back to your synopsis. Why? The story probably branched out in new directions since you began, and you need to update this important marketing tool.

You should also check through the submission guidelines and format your work accordingly. Different publishers prefer different fonts and line spacing. So get it right before you submit anything.

Check your front and back end materials to make sure everything is there. Besides the title page, in the front may go any endorsements you’ve gathered, dedications and acknowledgements, world building details like maps or casts of characters. At the end go your biography, author’s note if any, and any bonus materials like recipes in a culinary cozy. Again, see if your publisher requires anything else.

Once you have accomplished all these tasks, then you are ready to submit. Does the publisher want you to attach any ancillary materials, like cover art sheets or permissions or cover copy blurbs? This may come before or after a sale. Be certain you have these forms filled out.

Then write your cover letter and send the submission.

Here’s a quick checklist:

· Proofread your final draft for timeline consistency, character continuity, repetitions, word choices, spelling.

· Verify any research as necessary.

· Check all loose ends to make sure you’ve solved them by the story’s finale. You may want to review your plotting notes to see if you have left anything out.

· If a series, include a hook for the next story.

· Write a reader discussion guide during your final draft.

· Jot down blog topics for your blog tour.

· Rewrite your synopsis to match the finished story.

· Format your manuscript according to publisher guidelines.

· Prepare requested ancillary materials to attach with your submission.

· Submit your work and cross your fingers.

I am in this phase now which is why I’m not blogging too often, posting on FB, etc. Getting the book done amidst the holiday frenzy is taking my total concentration. I’ve gone through the manuscript, so now I have to format it to the publisher’s guidelines and fill out the required forms. Then I’ll send my baby out into the world.

Is there anything you would add to this checklist?