Is Something Missing?

© Marilyn Meredith 2011 all rights reserved

Lately, I’ve been reading books I’ve been sent to review and I’ve noticed some problems.


One of the biggies is with the point-of-view. In a romance, the head-hopping almost made me dizzy. I know that romance writers do a lot more changing of viewpoint in a scene than any other writers—but I wonder if they realize how disconcerting it is to the reader. Any story, no matter the genre, is stronger if the POV stays with the person who has the most at risk in a scene.


Another problem I’ve been noticing is characters that have very little description or even a descriptive tag for me to be able to keep track of who is who. I don’t need to know every little detail about how someone looks, and I certainly don’t want it given to me all in one lump, but I would like to have some clues as to whether the person is young or old, tall or short, skinny, dumpy or downright fat, along with the color of the hair, eyes, and some identifying tags such as limping, polishing a bald spot, picking at his cuticles, a nervous twitch, flipping of long hair, running fingers through already messed hair (a good time to give the color), always checking cell-phones and on-and-on. That way, when the character’s name pops up, I know who he or she is.

What about the five senses?

Of course the seeing will be what the POV characters sees and notices all during whatever is happening. This includes color—another thing I’ve noticed that is often missing.


Feeling, in this case means when the POV character touches something and describing what it feels like: silky, rough, damp, wet, hot, cold, etc. Also feeling clammy air on the skin, hot air that feels like stepping into an oven, icy wind sneaking under clothing. Rain drops on his or her nose.


Hearing. What’s going on around the POV character that he or she hears? The church bells chiming the hour? The wind rushing through the eucalyptus trees? Stealthy footsteps behind him? Floorboards creaking? A train whistle off in the distance?

Smells. This gets left out a lot. In mysteries dead bodies smell. If it’s fresh kill not only blood but bowels and bladders release. If it’s a body that’s been dead for awhile, especially cooped up inside, it’s going to smell putrid. People have odors: perspiration, deodorant, strong perfume, shampoo in hair, talcum powder on babies and the elderly. Buildings have their own identifying odors. Hospitals, sometimes sterile smells, sometimes odors like bleach and Lysol. Funeral parlors and mortuaries, the sickening sweet smell of too many flowers. People’s homes have individual odors: cooking smells: Refried beans on the stove, tortillas, cabbage, chicken soup, etc.; dogs and cats, freshness from open windows, dirty diapers, garbage.

Taste. When you talk about a character eating food, be sure and include how it tastes: to hot, too cold, salty, sweet, and any way you can think of to describe it. You may make the reader hungry, and that’s a good thing. Sometimes a character might taste the salt on the air when near the ocean. I’m sure you get the idea.

And last, but certainly not least, I’ve read a couple of books with really good dialogue but there was no indication as to where the conversation was taking place. The reader always needs to know where the characters are—and that brings me to the sense of place. Location can be as important to the story as the characters.

Each of these topics could be expanded, but it gives you an idea of what I’ve noticed missing in too many of the books I’ve read lately.

About the author

F.M. Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, is the author of nearly thirty published novels. Her latest in the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, from Oak Tree Press, is Angel Lost. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Internet chapter , Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Her blog is at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Angel Lost Blurb

As plans for her perfect wedding fill her mind, Officer Stacey Wilbur is sent out to trap a flasher, the new hire realizes Rocky Bluff P.D. is not the answer to his problems, Abel Navarro’s can’t concentrate on the job because of worry about his mother, Officer Gordon Butler has his usual upsets, the sudden appearance of an angel in the window of a furniture store captures everyone’s imagination and causes problems for RBPD, and then the worst possible happens—will Stacey and Doug’s wedding take place?

Building a Mystery

As I sat reading a great suspense novel the other day, I began thinking about how the author created the story and made me like it. Figured what the heck, I was not doing anything, so maybe I could write it down and share what I thought with you.

Here's what i found:

First, set the stage. Wrap us in the setting of the crime. This author makes me feel like I am sitting right there where the victim is. And keeps me there until the paper person croaks, even up to their last vision.

Next, insert a victim who either deserves the chopping block, or doesn't , but either way, make us interested in him or her. We have to at least be interested in him or her to care that they are a victim, we do not have to like them, however. Sometimes the best victims are ones we sort of think deseve being hurt or killed. Sure makes the killer justified, albeit horrible, but makes figuring out whodunit a whole lot harder!

Then, bring in the hero/heroine and the supporting cast of investigators of the crime. They may only be crime-scene cleaners, or security people but the interaction will give clues and feed us info that moves the plot along. Info such as info abou the seting, the victi, or the situation leading up to the crime.

Next, have them set out to unravel the how and why of the crime and maybe settle a score in the process. This heightens tension, elevates our anticipation.

Finally, bring all the various threads of story together at the end and make the ending clench our throats and make us love that character so much we go out and buy the next book.

Easy, yes? About as easy as catching a robin in the front yard with a chicken Chihuahua!image by kim smith

How's Your Character Measure Up to Life?

© Marta Stephens 2011 all rights reserved

Has anyone ever told you that your characters are not well developed? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, that statement alone isn’t the magic wand that will help solve the problem. Often what your critique partner, your editor or agent mean to say is that the characters lack the substance that makes them come alive.

Still not sure what that means? Pretend you are the protagonist in your book. Take out a piece of paper and pen and write down your demographics; sex, race, age, date and place of birth, religion, address, profession, family history (parents’ names, siblings, etc.). Once you’ve identified yourself, write down the answers to the following traits that best fit you personally.

1. General traits are those we inherit or are things we are exposed to through our environment.

2. Physical Traits are a person’s physical make up (height, weight, color of hair/eyes, etc.).

3. Personal Traits are those things that stem from a person’s social and ethical aspects.

4. Emotional Traits refers to the mental or psychological state of the character.

Take time to get to know your protagonist intimately. Aside from the demographics and the items listed in 1-3, what makes a character sing with life and are possibly the hardest to show in one’s writing are the deep wounds the character carries inside. It’s the life altering experiences your character brings into the story that lead him or her past the hurdles and help shape the plot.

Let’s say for example that fear is an obstacle in your character’s path and you’re not sure how to handle the scene. Dig deep inside into that dark corner of your heart or mind for buried emotions. What are your greatest fears? Describe them. What is the depth of those feelings. Where do they stem from? Think back to every similar emotion you felt and look to the source of that fear. Analyze it. What can it be compared to? Once we can identify and put words to those feelings, the character will come to life. Unfortunately, it could take time to fully develop your character so be prepared to write several drafts. In the meantime, keep prodding and don’t be afraid to show both the positive traits as well as the character’s dark side. We all have one, shouldn’t he/she?

About the author:
Marta Stephens writes mystery/suspense.

THE DEVIL CAN WAIT (2008), Bronze Medal Finalist, 2009 IPPY Awards, Top Ten, 2008 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).

SILENCED CRY (2007) Honorable Mention, 2008 New York Book Festival, Top Ten, 2007 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).

Her books are available in paperback and most electronic format. Find them online at http://www.bewrite.net , Amazons, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-a-Million. For more information about Stephens and her writing, visit www.martastephens-author.com

Critique Happens

copyright 2011 by Ron Adams

Sometimes you write a book, publish a book, have people buy the book, and then realize…I can do better than that. So you write another book, figuring out along the way a lot of the errors you made the first time. And that book gets published, and people seem to like it and say nice things about your story.

Then the unusual happens, and someone gives you a do-over. I can’t tell you all how excited I was to give my first novel a second chance. So I sent it off to an editor, a real one this time, with the instructions to tear it up tear it down, and we’ll make it better. Does anyone remember the phrase, be careful what you wish for?

The critique I received started with all the things the editor liked – the characters, the relationships between them, the descriptions of the various settings, and even the humor interwoven in the story. The editor praised me for good grammar, good and appropriate spelling, and even for the mechanics of the way the story was set up. That was the first three paragraphs. Unfortunately, the e-mail was three pages long.

The rest of the critique centered around the flaws. Yep, two and a half pages of them. All of them were valid points, and I don’t have any real objections to the changes that were suggested. There were minor continuity issues, details that had to be ironed out. And then came the big suggestions. Those included re-writing the ending, and taking out half a dozen chapters written in third person while the rest of the story was written in first person narrative. Okay, I’ll admit, those stung a little, and I am currently working through the major issues. The point is, the critique was presented in a format that was designed not to be “critical”, but helpful in a way that would further the story, improve my writing, and be a stepping off point for growth and development in my craft.

We here at MB4 have recently taken to providing critiques to our readers, and I for one have read some very talented pieces so far. I wanted to share my experience with you all to let you know that even published writers have to learn to take positive and negative criticism, and that we all get through it. It is my hope you take advantage of the opportunity to have an impartial look taken at your writing, and look at it not as scorn or ridicule, but as an opportunity to improve and develop as a writer. Besides, it doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as you might think.

MB4 April Critique: The White Deer by Robert Sells

Every second Monday of the month, your four Murderby4 hosts will get together to critique a short piece from our readers. Todays piece is by Robert Sells. Thanks, Rob, for sending this in!
Below you'll find our comments with footnotes for the comments made by Marta Stephens, Kim Smith, Ron Adams, and Aaron Lazar. Remember, if you'd like to have a critique, please send it to Aaron Lazar via his email.
 

Return of the White Deer by Robert Sells.

The excerpt relates to a character in the book, Mother Hebron who is kind and gentle as well as a fierce leader of a secret army of females dedicated to the White Deer. Chapter Six deals with the loving relationship between the woman and main character Pen, a twelve year old[AL1]  boy. Chapter Seven presents her history.

She returned to the kitchen and sat down, thinking about the farm boy. She had helped raise the lad and watched the friendship between Liana and Pen grow. Perhaps her proud girl would marry him. No one knew what the future held[ms2] , she mused. One can only truly know the past. Hands folded, she thought about her own past, before she was Mother Hebron. She closed her eyes in the pleasant cottage and…

CHAPTER SEVEN[AL3] 

-        i     -

…opened them on a gray afternoon in a city. Her parents succumbed to the plague. Now just five-years old, she stood wordlessly watching a cart bump down the cobblestone street carrying the two people who were the center of her world. Standing beside her was a muttering, short, hawk-nosed man who was her uncle. She had met him only once when her mother had fussed over him at supper one night.

Now her mother was dead, never again to fuss over the uncle or the child. Once the cart turned out of sight at the corner, the thin, gray-haired uncle grabbed her roughly and pulled her through dark winding streets, forcing her to run to keep up with him. All the way to his dingy shoe shop, he complained about the extra mouth to feed. Once inside the shop, he immediately put her to work pounding leather with a wide, flat hammer. So began her new life[AL4] .

She rarely recalled play of any sort while living with her uncle, but she had vivid memories of dozens of different tasks put upon her by the grumpy guardian. To be fair, the uncle provided daily sustenance. But he never fed her affection or praise, perhaps the most important food of all. Indeed communication was limited to the uncle giving gruff orders and instructions. In the time she was with him, he never addressed her with[AL5]  her name… Mary. [ms6] 

Though a naturally inquisitive child, it took Mary a week to hazard a question. The old man stared at her for a long moment and she feared he might hit her.  Then he answered her with a dismissive snort and went to bed. The precedent safely set, Mary asked many questions. Several times the uncle answered her in short sentences as though he was marshaling his words as carefully as he did his coins and food. Much to his frustration, the child kept asking questions, undaunted by his terse responses.

The work day started early for the child: cleaning the shop, sweeping the front, softening the tough leather, going through Bremen to buy and deliver whatever her uncle requested. Only at nightfall did she and the old man sit down together to eat bread and drink soup. After the modest meal, the uncle would then lay down on a worn mat and go to sleep while Mary would put a blanket on the hard wood floor and pull her mother’s shawl over her to keep her warm. Weary from the day’s work, sleep came quickly as did the shivering dawn[AL7] [AL8] .

From Ron Adams: Well written. Smooth writing style with very few things to critique. My only observation is that although this is a history of this character and perhaps you introduce dialogue after this, I think some dialogue between Mary and her uncle would help to show his grumpy disposition and draw the reader to the characters.  Other than that, well done! I’d read more.  

From Kim Smith: I have been a lover of historical novels and romances all of my life beginning at 16 with Gone with the Wind. I have even written one although it will probably never go anywhere. So I have to say this one took me from line one to the end of the passage without stopping. It drew me in and I was interested in Mary's story. I think for a historical you have to be a good weaver. A little history, a little story, a little history, a little story. This one is very good. I felt like the uncle is about to reveal something to Mary, like, either good or bad, and I wanted more!!  

---

 [AL1]Usually when an age is presented in the “X year old” format, the words are linked with hyphens. But if you write “he was twelve years old,” you don’t use the hyphens. ;o)

 [ms2]Internal dialogue needs to be italicized.

 [AL3]I think it might be best to just start Chapter Seven with the “She returned” graph.

 [AL4]Very sad. I already felt empathy for the poor young girl.

 [AL5]“by her name” might work better?

 [ms6]Good way of giving the reader the character’s name in this first person narration.

 [AL7]I like this phrase.

 [AL8]Your style reminds me of an old man sitting around the pot bellied woodstove, telling a tale to his grandchildren. Because this is a historical YA, it should work well.

Writing your Synopses: How to begin?

Earlier this week I promised to write a piece about the creation of the dreaded synopsis. We've talked about this before over the years, but because I am fresh off a new experience with FireSong, I thought I'd share the process with you.

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What I didn't expect was to have NEW release news to tell you today! My publisher, Lida Quillen from Twilight Times Books, is a phenomenal woman and I adore her. (Now, don't get jealous, honey, it's just business!) 
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On the tail of our recent whirlwind experience with Tremolo (Kindle bestseller for several weeks in March), she pushed hard to get the FireSong eBook out early. It's even on sale for 50% off, only $3.25! The print version book comes out in July, but we already have a gorgeous cover and the eBook is now for sale. Neat, huh? 

One more aside, Lida also put Mazurka, the fourth LeGarde book up for free for a limited time only. If you're up for a wild rollercoaster ride through Europe with Gus LeGarde, get it now. (Note: the books don't have to be read in order. )
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So, where do you start? You need to turn an 80,000 word book into a 50 word synopsis or book blurb for your back cover. How's that possible?


Here's how I do it.


First of all, after the book is done, I create an outline.


Heh. Yeah. I know. I'm backwards. I never write to an outline, it just flies out of my head. But really, this outline is more like a record of who did what to whom. I need it to keep straight, and it's very helpful in developing a full-fledged synopsis later.


I start out by simply jotting down all the themes in the story. This doesn't have to be fancy or even written well. It's just a start. For example, the themes in FireSong involve the following:

• Missing town supervisor and parishioner from Gus LeGarde's church is found after a tornado unearths his bones near the church. What happened to Colin Springer? And who murdered and buried him in that field?

• Elderly minister, Nahum Hardina, crashes his car into a tree in Gus's driveway, and heroin is found in his blood. How did this happen, and was East Goodland's saintly reverend really a heroin addict?

• Gus's wife Camille starts digging into the history of their old house, and begins to discover amazing possible links to the underground railroad. Could Mary Hill, original owner of the house back in 1811, really have been involved? Her coffin comes up empty when grave robbers try to steal relics to sell online. Where is she really buried and what happened to her?

• The old salt mine dries up, and the region is plagued with horrible consequences. Wells dry up. Gas leaches into wells and burns all day long. Tempers are short. Native Americans protest because the new well site lies directly over sacred ancient burial grounds.

• Nature goes nuts. First a tornado, then the driest July on record. Crops are dying. Dairy farmers struggle to get enough water for their cows. And a freak lightning storm causes the worst fire ever to hit the Genesee Valley.

• Colombian criminals have been into some reprehensible dealings in the old mine. What are they doing down there? And why are they driving panel vans all over the countryside in the dead of night?

Okay, I admit it. This book has a helluva lot going on. I probably could have written two books with all this. There are more sub-themes, too, like Colin's wife's severe depression. And the escape of prisoners from the local prison. Never mind Gus's daughter Freddie, who struggles to keep her household in order with a toddler and two twin babies.


I created a 1000 word version for my publisher when I submitted the query, which intentionally included plot spoilers. That's what you're supposed to do when you submit a query synopsis. No plot spoiling on my watch! 

Following is what I chose to highlight in the 250 word version. This was not intended to give all the secrets up, like a synopsis would do that you would send to a publisher or Hollywood filmmaker. This is intended for readers only. You'll see I add a lot of questions to spark interest, and try to write it as if it were an advertisement. It's intended to intrigue, as opposed to the submission query, which is intended to intrigue.

What would you do if your country church was hit by a rogue tornado during services? What if the shrieking winds unearthed the bones of a missing parishioner in a nearby wheat field? Now add the discovery of heroin in your elderly minister’s bloodstream. When Gus LeGarde is thrown into the middle of the mess, he knows life’s finally gone berserk in East Goodland, New York.

The Genesee Valley is in chaos. Strangers drive panel vans through the countryside at weird hours of the night. A new batch of drugs is on the street, endangering local. The local salt mine collapses due to illegal mining practices. Gas fires burn in wells. Watering holes turn to brine. Crops are dying. Tempers are short. To top it off, the new salt mine lies directly over ancient Indian burial grounds, bringing anguish to local tribes.

While Gus faces ordeals delivered by nature and man, his wife Camille discovers a hidden room in their house. She digs through historical archives to learn that the 1811 original homeowner, Mary Hill, may have had connections with the Underground Railroad. When local grave robbers begin to loot historic coffins, they find an empty coffin. Who killed Mary? How did she die? Where is her body? And where will this two-hundred-year-old mystery lead?

Join Gus as he’s lured into a bizarre network of underground tunnels to expose the most shocking discovery ever to rock the Genesee Valley.

I'd love to be able to fit that much in the Amazon blurb or back cover, but it's never possible. So it's necessary to shrink it down. My publisher has needs for various length synopses. Some go to distributors. (175 word) Some will go on her website(50-100). Some go to Hollywood. (one sentence loglines). And some will be used for advertising online. (10-20 words) Oh, and there's always the twitter super short blurb, too.


As you would expect, the back cover blurb which must be tight and evocative. That's your ONE chance to get folks to open the book and maybe buy it.


I had to decide right off the bat WHICH of the themes to promote in the shorter blurbs. Right or wrong, I took out the references to Mary Hill and the underground railroad for the 175 word blurb. I'll use the term "underground railroad" and "slavery" etc. in the book tags that are included in articles and on Amazon, etc. But I can't fit it all in there, much as I'd like to!


For the 175 word version, I just took out that whole paragraph about Mary.


Now comes the harder part. The back cover blurb. Typically, I like to do a 150 word synopsis for that, but in this age of trying to keep down costs, the size of our print book has gone down to manage costs. So instead of 6x9, we have a slightly smaller version, with less real estate to fit things in. Here's what I think might look good on the back cover, but Lida thinks it might be too long.

What would you do if a rogue tornado hit your church during worship, unearthing the bones of a missing parishioner in a nearby field?


The Genesee Valley is in chaos. The local salt mine collapses. Gas fires burn in wells. Watering holes turn to brine. Crops are dying. Tempers are short. And the new mine lies directly over ancient Indian burial grounds.


Join Gus LeGarde as he’s lured into a bizarre network of underground tunnels to expose the most shocking discovery ever to rock the Genesee Valley.

Now, to squeeze it down even further, from 87 to 50 words, see how this came out:

When a tornado touches down in Gus’s hometown, it unearths the body of a missing churchgoer. Who killed Colin Springer? Is the murder linked to the recent salt mine collapse? The mystery leads Gus to an underground labyrinth, where he finds the most shocking discovery ever to rock the Genesee Valley.

 

Last of all, for the Hollywood crowd and other online sites, we need a log line. This was my attempt at that.

When a tornado touches down in Gus LeGarde’s hometown it unearths the body of a missing churchgoer, leading Gus into a bizarre underground labyrinth where he discovers the shock of his life and potential links to the Underground Railroad. 

And here's a possible tweet that will lead to the new eBook sales link:  

FIRESONG - new release. Bones. Tornadoes. Fires. Collapsing Mines. Flooding tunnels. How much worse can it get?

 
Okay, so what do you think? Does it intrigue you? Would you open it up to read a bit of the first chapter? You can do that here if you'd like. 

I hope these examples help you the next time you're faced with creating any length synopsis. And by the way, if you were intrigued, I'm seeking good reviewers to take a look at this book. Want to host my virtual book tour in July? Want to read the eBook and do reviews? You never know, your blurb and name might end up on my back cover. ;o)
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As I always say, take pleasure in the little things. And if you love to write, write like the wind!

Aaron Paul Lazar

***

Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of LeGarde Mysteries, Moore Mysteries, and Tall Pines Mysteries enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his websites at www.legardemysteries.com and www.mooremysteries.com and watch for his upcoming releases, FIRESONG, TERROR COMES KNOCKING, and FOR THE BIRDS, coming in 2011.

From One Indie Author to Another: The Ten Commandments for Indie Publishing

by Selena Blake

copyright 2011, all rights reserved

So you're ready to go indie. Or are you? Do you have your plan of attack? Have you done your research? Have you asked lots of questions? Sought guidance for your upcoming adventure?

From one indie author to another, here's my list of Ten Commandments for Indie Publishing. I’m by no means an expert so take them with a grain of salt.

1. Be Professional

To me, it means looking at your writing like a business. Making sound business decisions. That may mean hiring a professional cover artist and editor. Spending money (when you really need to!) to make money, as LJ Sellers did. Act professionally and treat your work and your writing time as a professional would.

2. Publish Clean Copy

It’s not enough to write the book. You need to polish it. Luckily, most of my current releases had been previously published which means that I polished them a lot before I sent them to my editor where they went through three more rounds of editing. I got to keep those edited copies. As Joe Konrath says, have your betas and fellow authors proof your work. I’m lucky enough to have two editors as friends.

3. Use Professional Cover Art

The saying goes: never judge a book by its cover. But we all do it anyway. Why would you want to submit a small, fuzzy, hard to read cover to sell your book? You wouldn’t roll in the mud before going into a job interview would you? Decide what you can spend. Ask your fellow indie authors who they use. View plenty of cover art. Contact cover artists with an idea of what you need.

4. Promote

I’ve done plenty of it. I’ve joined message boards, yahoo groups, Goodreads, Shelfari. I have a website and a blog and a newsletter. I offer free reads. I’ve joined sites within my niche where I’ve met readers, shared book recommendations and purchased advertising. I also write guest blog posts like this one. And I've done blog tours. I have profiles on all the major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, Myspace, Bebo, Linkdin) and of course, Amazon. The key is interacting, I think. Subtle promo, not drive by promo. Consistent presence.

5. Advertise

I’m a big fan of having someone else do my promotion for me while I’m sleeping. So I’ve had advertisements on half a dozen sites over the years and I’m looking to increase this in the future. Look for sales. Double check the numbers. Don't be afraid to try something once. Again, ask for recommendations from friends and Indie authors.

6. Distribution

I’ve always felt that distribution is important. When I look at the most successful companies, the ones who pay attention to getting their products into the hands of their customers as easily, efficiently, and cost affectively as possible are generally at the top of the list. With so many options available to us now, making your books available on as many platforms as you can makes sense to me.

7. Be willing to change

Along with the brand new cover art that graces all my current books, I changed the descriptions on many of them as well. I’ve even changed the blurbs more than once. The great thing about digital publishing, in my opinion, is the ability to craft a description that gets more attention. It’s being able to go back and adjust your key words, change your title or cover if you feel you can do better. Adjust your price points. Or even, updating your book.

8. Grow your readership

That sounds trite, doesn’t it? But what I mean, and what I’m trying to do, is meet new readers. Introduce myself to them. Become friends with them. Discover what THEY want to read. Publishers often think they know what readers want and authors often feel like readers should want something out of the ordinary. Independent publishing gives you the flexibility to try something new. To give readers what they say they want.

9. Have a plan

Just like businesses have a business plan and many professionals have a career plan, I recommend having a career plan and a marketing plan. Both of these will help keep you focused and they’ll provide guidance along the way. But don’t carve these into stone. Be flexible. I had a career path and marketing plan developed way back when I sold to my first publisher. Now I’m readjusting that to include self publishing. And perhaps even a POD anthology of my Stormy Weather series.

10. Write Another Great Book

The key here I believe is to always be learning, always improving your craft. As Joe Konrath has mentioned, there are plenty of popular authors who weren’t the best writers in the beginning. But time and knowledge will allow you to write a better book. And when you write a better book, that should help you sell better.

There's a reason "write another great book" is the last on the list. It's the final thought in the process. Keep writing. Keep perfecting your craft. Keep developing your voice. Keep writing.

Good luck!

Selena Blake writes erotic paranormal and contemporary romance. First published in 2008, her series Stormy Weather has been on the best seller lists and nominated for awards.  She's a fan of action movies, Diet Coke, Milky Way bars and thunderstorms, not necessarily in that order. Learn more about her online at http://www.selena-blake.com or catch her at facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorSelenaBlake

Reviews or peyews?

I have found a site where an author and reviewer go at it through the comments pretty strongly. It makes me wonder how often we get reviews that we think are really stinky and unfair.

I also have to ask how many do we get that are peyews but are truly justified, even if we cannot face up to the bald truth?

Reviewers take a lot of time to read your work, and although they are only one person's opinion, reviews are an important part of being a writer. It is not really a professional bit of behavior to diss them about their point of view (when posted) when you get that not-so-positive one.

A few things to remember about book reviews are :
1. They are a reader's perspective of the story, and not always parallel to our love of the book/story.
2. They are oftentimes posted in public places and can lift or lower your rankings based on whether it is good or bad.
3. They are also something that you will end up doing for someone if you are a writer.

Have to say that the weather has finally turned out nice here and I give IT a five star review! Hope your week flies by!

The Publishing World—The Big Bang

copyright 2011 Marci Baun, all rights reserved.

The publishing world has exploded. The world of books as we know it is going to end. Publishing Armageddon is coming. Run for the hills! (g)

Okay, not really, but if you listen to some of the talk out there and read some of the articles, you’d think we were just a second away from being overrun by a tsunami. To some degree, we are. A tsunami of change, which is not a bad thing at all. The publishing industry has been bloated and dysfunctional for a long time. The business practices of both the bookstores and the big 6 publishers has seen to that. It needs some shaking up, perhaps even a big bang, to get it back on track.

Change is good; change is healthy; change will keep the industry moving forward, even if we have to go kicking and screaming into our future. (Remind me I said this when I’m having one of my fits. ;) ) The future is kind of scary. Not just for us publishers, but for the authors and readers as well.

Why us publishers? Well, the “new” rage is self-publishing via Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s PubIt, and Apple’s iBookstore or through POD technology (print on demand). A number of unpublished (and previously published) authors listen to J.A. Konrath or look at Amanda Hocking as an example and are saying they don’t need publishers. What they don’t realize is that Konrath already has a fan base, and Hocking knows how to work the social networking system. (However, she has signed a four-book, $2 million deal with one of the big 6.) Not everyone is going to have the same results as these two. Matter of fact, the vast majority won’t. And what frequently happens is when the book doesn’t do as well as the author had hoped, they bring the already published work to a publisher. Most publishers will not sign a book that has been published (whether it was for free on a website, or available at Amazon, Apple or Barnes & Noble or anywhere else one the web). It’s just not sound business practices…unless that author has an established track record or the story looks promising enough to invest in.

Personally, I think self-publishing will either become more sophisticated or will turn out to be the latest fad. Only time will tell.

One of the biggest draws of independent publishers in the past has been the ability to take a chance on a new author/genre as well as our short turnaround time from signing a contract to releasing a book (anywhere from one to three months). While we can still take chances on genres and new authors, the more established houses are finding their editing queues to make this nearly impossible. For instance, Wild Child/Freya’s Bower is, at this moment, a year from contract signing to release. We used to be able to go from contract signing to release in three months. This presents a problem for those of us who like to “pack light.” Our flexibility has been decreased quite a bit, and many of us are forced to close our submissions to new authors for months (and some permanently) at a time. When we are open, our guidelines are tighter and require more. Authors want to know that we are serious about our business. The same is true for publishers. We want to know the authors are serious about theirs. 

For authors who truly want to see their books go somewhere but don’t have the know how to do it alone, this is also a scary time period. Many are still hooked on print. They don’t understand eBooks, and many have disdain for that format entirely. That attitude of disdain can only hurt them. eBooks are here to stay. Every year, this portion of the industry grows by astronomical percentages (last year was easily over 240%).  Marketing eBooks is challenging, but so is marketing print. Authors are being asked to do a lot more now than they ever have before. You can’t be a hermit and still be a successful author. Not any more. Not even the blockbuster authors can do it. And, for many authors, who grew up with the idea that being a recluse is part of the author life, that’s scary.

So, what do they do now? They must educate themselves about the new publishing industry and social networking, treat publishing as a business (because that’s what it is), and really get a tough skin. This business can be brutal. As long as you don’t take anything personal and know it is business, you can survive, and even thrive.

Now, readers are also being forced to change.  The closing of Border stores across the States has made it so many areas no longer have local bookstores. These chain stores put a lot of mom-and-pops out of business. Now there is a huge hole in the marketplace. Where do they go? Where can they go? This is forcing readers to buy differently. Either they buy online or go to what my sister-in-law said was “having to cave and buy a Kindle, even though I love the feel of holding a book in my hands.”  She is mourning the loss of her local bookstore. (I don’t blame her. Yes, I publish eBooks, but I still enjoy holding a book sometimes. Some of my fondest memories are of combing the shelves for the latest novel from a favorite author. Alas, I don’t have that kind of time anymore, but when we do visit a bookstore, it can still take hours before you’ll drag me out of there. I must say, though, that the last time I visited one, I was highly disappointed with the selection. I’ve become spoiled from indie press. And you don’t see much indie press in bookstores. (grin)

The prices of the indie presses’ books lure readers to our eBooks, but there are still those who turn up there noses at us. Take my brother and nephews, for instance. They are avid readers. (Yay!) But, other than the Christmas I gave one of them a copy of a book we had published, they have never read any of our books. This is not meant to be a bad reflection upon them. This is just an example of the average person. There is definitely a biased about indie press books (and self-published books). It’s slowly changing. It’s one of the things we, as independent publishers and/or authors with independent houses or self-published, must take into consideration and work into our business/marketing plan. It still makes my blood boil a little, but it’s the reality, so I can either work around this and find the readers who want to read our material, or get angry and bang my head against the proverbial wall. Since anger is not productive, I’ll claw my way over that wall if I have to. (g)

This has also changed the landscape for organizations. I am the vice president of Electronic Publishing Internet Coalition^TM (http://epicorg.org). This organization was established in 1998 because RWA treated eBook authors as the redheaded stepchild (this has changed some and RWA isn’t the only writing organization to do this) and provide support for these authors. The new environment requires EPIC to redefine itself and think about what more it can bring to the table. It’s a wealth of information to its members, but it wants to be, and must be, more.

There is definitely an upside to this situation: there have never been so many opportunities in the publishing world as there are now. Truly, the opportunities are endless, but, and this is a big “but,” those entering this business, whether it’s in the capacity of a publisher, self-published author, or author, must be prepared for the long haul, have a marketing plan in place, have realistic goals, determination, and a thick skin, and do their homework. Oh, yes, and have talent. (A bit of luck never hurts either.)

With all of these in place, you’ll be prepared to ride out the big bang that is creating this new publishing universe. The ride will be exhilarating and scary with the potential of great things, but it will never be dull and will never guarantee you anything but a wild ride.

***

Marci Baun is the publisher of Wild Child Publishing and Freya's Bower. She is also the vice president pro-tem for two organizations Electronic Publishing Internet Coalition (http://epicorg.org) and Association of Independent Digital Publishers. Her career in electronic publishing began in 1999 with the e-zine Wild Child Magazine. Wild Child has since morphed into the publishing house and been featured in Writer's Digest in its Standout Market column. When she's not working (HAHAHAHAHAHA), she is a wife and mother to a very active, sweet six-year-old girl who, at present, is home for Spring Break and driving Mommy nuts. :)

Writing Synopses: How hard can it be?

Hi, folks!

I've been working on polishing and editing and writing synopses lately. For weeks... Actually, when I think back, it's been months! My publisher has decided to try to catch up with me, and we're going to put out 3-4 books per year for the next few until we get all of the books out of the queue and I can write fresh for every release. That means lots of synopses. And not just one per book.

We do 3-4 versions of the synopsis for each book. Often they range from loglines (a one or two sentence short blurb), 50 words, 150 words, to 250 words. We also produce slightly longer treatments for the Hollywood crowd, but these include what folks call the "plot spoilers," or the secrets that will be revealed at the end of the mysteries.

I always found writing a one page synopsis tough. But the loglines are brutal!

This week I happily gave my Sunday slot up to Sonya Bateman, our dear former member of MB4. Next Sunday I'll write an article to share how I came up with a few of them, and show you what I cut out of the long ones, and how I choose which themes on which to focus, etc. It really is a learning experience!

Today I thought I'd share a nice synopsis provided by Marci Baun for one of her authors. Marci runs Wild Child Publishing and has a great crop of authors out there. See what you think?

 ***

Deputy Karen O'Neil is a California girl, shedding the abusive husband who'd ripped her from a sun-drenched, stimulating life as a San Diego cop to isolation in rural Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Talented, attractive, and cut off from everything she wants, her rock-bottom self-esteem lunges at the mysterious airplane crash as though a life line, a chance to escape the doldrums of perceived failure in every other aspect of her life.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Adam Phlatt has his own issues. His career is going nowhere. His love life smolders in ruin after he horribly misplayed his heart, something he swears he'll avoid forever. The accident investigation is a no brainer, a simple case of too much airplane and not enough pilot. The easy inquiry over, he plans his return to Chicago and the safety of his own loneliness, yet he somehow entangles himself with Deputy O'Neil's complex personality.

Karen refuses to let go of the case, or of Adam. When she discovers the pilot's life is a lie, it's a whole new ball game. Thrust from one perplexing clue to the next, they tumble headlong onto a group of criminals, intent on protecting a lucrative shadow business with violence, if necessary.

Karen and Adam face an impossible confrontation, even as hope triumphs over experience, and they fall in love. Their first intimate encounter as lovers is interrupted by the disappearance of a friend under sinister circumstances.

A killer targets Karen, and Adam must regain what he once was--a man tough enough to save the woman he loves.

Her attention focused on a smoking hole containing the remains of a wrecked airplane and its equally wrecked pilot, will Karen O'Neil notice salvation walking up behind her?

***

I think this was very well done and quite intriguing. What do you think?

Have a wonderful week, and remember to take pleasure in the little things, and if you love to write....write like the wind!!!

                                                                                                                     -  Aaron Paul Lazar

P.S. Here's the link if you're interested in taking a further look at the book described above,  OUT OF IDEAS by James Greer, released by Wild Child Publishing in February 2011.

Writing Master and Apprentice, by Sonya Bateman

MB4 welcomes back Sonya Bateman (aka S.W. Vaughn) for her first guest post since the changing of the guard. For those of you who don't know her, Sonya was an original member of our MB4 team and writes screamingly good fiction.

--  Aaron

Note: This article first appeared on the Romantic Times Book Reviews website.

This is a love story. More or less.

Master and Apprentice was the first novel I’d ever written under contract. The first book in the series, Master of None, had sold to Pocket Books as a two-book deal, with a synopsis and fifty pages of the second book—which was at the time titled Djinn’s Apprentice—already written. At that point, having already completed eleven novels (yes, it took me that long to break into publishing), I was fairly confident that I could meet the dreaded deadline with the second book.

It wasn’t long before I was forced to reevaluate my opinion. Confidence is a fickle thing, and around page 200 of the sequel... it left me.

I was sure Confidence had laid eyes on some other, more established writer—perhaps Jayne Ann Krentz, whose books I’d recently glommed. Or maybe it had gotten bored with urban fantasy and jumped ship to Stephen King territory. I knew I shouldn’t have read Duma Key that sixteenth time. At any rate, one night Confidence packed its bags and moved out, without leaving so much as a Dear Sucker letter, and I awoke the next day completely stuck.

Without Confidence, my characters turned on me. My unlucky thief, Donatti, decided it’d be a great idea to cease and desist all this save-the-world stuff and find some tropical island to hide out on until the djinn finished achieving world domination. Ian, the main sort-of-good djinn, wanted to take his princess and go home—if only I hadn’t let his princess get kidnapped. For weeks, they sat around glaring at me. Taunting me. Telling me that I shouldn’t have taken the contract, because I was never going to finish this book, and my publisher was going to send some goons around to lump me up or cart me off to writer jail.

Finally, I realized that the problem wasn’t where I was stuck. It was how I’d gotten there. I needed to go back and frontload a catalyst in the earlier part of the book that would make things happen later.

Thus began my fortunately brief tryst with Panic.

Panic settled in comfortably, having been with me before. It reminded me that I’d done this type of major change with other books, and it always resulted in the deletion of several chapters. Once, I’d had to scrap an entire 80,000-word novel because I’d written it around the wrong main character. At that point, I hadn’t been on a deadline—but I was now. And Panic gleefully poked me with this fact over and over, while I stared at the place I knew the change had to come: page 16. I was facing the prospect of deleting 175 pages of work, and somehow writing 300-plus brand new pages in about ten weeks.

Then an unexpected idea presented itself. Instead of changing the plot and deleting large chunks of story to accommodate the catalyst, which I’d planned to work into the arc of an existing character, I’d create a new character. Someone quirky and interesting and fun, with lots of guts. Since my characters were, on page 16, traipsing around a largely uninhabited mountain, I thought, “A crazy hermit mountain man! Yes!”

And the hermit said, “Actually, I’m a woman.”

I named her Mercy, and she fit right into the story like I’d intentionally left gaps just for her. She brought her pet raccoons along, and even finagled herself a romantic sub-plot with an existing character. I didn’t have to delete anything major, and my sketchy planned ending suddenly solidified itself with Mercy’s addition.

Panic hung around for a while, muttering halfheartedly about deadlines and deleted scenes and writer jail. Once I ignored it long enough, Confidence poked its head back in and asked if it could stay awhile.

I let it, even though I knew it was still seeing Jayne Ann Krentz and Stephen King on the side. To this day, Confidence and I have a spotty relationship—but it usually comes around just when I need it the most. I did manage to meet my deadline for Master and Apprentice, and that’s what matters.

But I’m sure Panic isn’t done with me yet. In fact, it’s looking forward to my next book more than I am.

-----------------------------------------------

MASTER AND APPRENTICE is now available at Amazon, BN.com and (almost) everywhere books are sold (except Walmart).

Haven’t read the first book yet? You can read MASTER OF NONE online for free this month (April) when you join the Pocket After Dark online romance and urban fantasy community (also free).

In other news, my alter ego – former Murder By 4 member S. W. Vaughn – has a present for you: a free book! Starting this Tuesday, April 5, BROKEN ANGEL will be free for your Kindle through Smashwords and Barnes & Noble in eBook format. This is the first in a thriller series about underground street fighting, and the next three books in the series will be on sale for $2.99 for a limited time.

Here’s what it’s all about:

One rule: don't lose.


When Gabriel Morgan’s sister disappears somewhere in New York’s underground, he’ll do anything to save her. But finding her is only the beginning, because Marcus Slade won’t let her go for less than ten million dollars – earned through Gabriel’s blood.

Slade, one of five ruthless leaders of an organization identified only by a symbol, runs hookers and street fighters, and never gives up what's his. Including Gabriel’s sister. To win her freedom, Gabriel is forced to undergo a brutal training program with Slade’s top fighters in order to become one of them. He is branded, broken, given a new image, and a new name.

In the ring, Gabriel is known as Angel…and he does not lose. Because the price for losing is his sister’s life.

----------------------------------------------

Visit Sonya Bateman at http://sonyabateman.wordpress.com/

Visit S. W. Vaughn at http://housephoenix.wordpress.com/

Author of the Month: Stephen King

Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. —Stephen King

King has long been a favorite author of mine, especially when I’ve felt the need to be scared out of my wits. To this day, I can’t drive past a corn field without recalling the images he created in, Children of the Corn or wonder what would happen if a virus like the one in The Stand killed all but a few. And what if machines came to life like they did in, The Mangler? And yet in spite of the scary gore we often associate with his works, his writing flows and pulls the reader along to places they never thought of going and continue to relive long after the story ends.


Of course, we assume authors like King are overnight successes. Maybe it’s because that’s the point in their career when we, the readers, come in. The truth is, King’s overnight success developed over numerous year of dedication to the craft. He’s written about 49 novels, has 166 published works that include short stories, essays, novellas, and poems, and 51 movies adapted from his writings and yet his journey is one that many of us could easily relate to.

King’s first professional short story sale, The Glass Floor to Startling Mystery stories was in 1967. Years later, several of his short stories were collected into his Night Shift collection. In college he wrote for the school newspaper. In 1970 he graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Main in Oron, but was unable to find a teaching position for several months and supported himself and his wife by working as a laborer at an industrial laundry. He eventually did go on to teach high school English and continued to write in the evenings and weekends to produce short stories and work on his novels.

So far this scenario sounds vaguely familiar.

His first major break came in the spring of 1973 when Doubleday & Co. accepted his novel Carrie. It was published a year later. The sales from this book allowed him to quit his teaching job and dedicate his time to being a full-time writer and the rest, as they say, is history. Although I couldn’t find any reference on his website about his frustration with this book—how he tossed the pages in the trash and his wife made him pull them out and finish it. I have to wonder if the dedication he wrote in the book implies this is so, "This is for Tabby, who got me into it- and then bailed me out of it."


It’s comforting to know that even the greats need someone to believe in them—to nudge them along and prod them on to achieving their dreams. Where would I or any one of us be without our private cheer block? And so, when I feel alone, frustrated with the writing, it helps to know that others have walked the same path, survived, and flourished. It also makes me realize that in comparison, I have only just begun my journey. Whether my path to success is long or short, it all depends on perseverance and to quote King, “… a lot of hard work.”


About the author:

Marta Stephens writes crime mystery/suspense. She is currently working on the third book in her Sam Harper Crime Mystery series, Grave Witness.

How do we sell books? One at a time!

 

How do we sell books? One at a time!

© Raff Ellis 2011  all rights reserved

A wise author friend once said to me: "You know how I sell books? One at a time!" This is one of those truisms that should cause every author to think and yet, many do not.

I've been promoting and selling my first book for over three years now and I've learned some dos and don'ts. But one thing I didn't have to learn was that everyone is a potential book buyer, and if you treat them well they may just buy yours. If an author believes in his/her product then he/she shouldn't be bashful about promoting it and soliciting sales.

Admittedly, most authors suffer from insecurities about their writing and are many are introverted. As a result they are unsure whether their work is good enough to openly promote. But after the initial validation arrives, such as being published by a reputable press, they should be unabashed about putting themselves "out there" to solicit sales. Authors shouldn't be timid about offering their book(s) to others in a nice, unobtrusive way. Let me tell you about some of my experiences in this regard.

Whenever I'm seated on an airplane next to someone who is reading a book, and when the occasion presents itself I venture to ask, "Is that a good read?" It has never failed to get a response and always initiates a pleasant conversation. I then ask, "What other kinds of books do you read?" This normally elicits the response, "Oh, all kinds." I then offer, "Could I give you a recommendation?" "Sure," they invariably say. I then give them my business card, which has the cover of my book on one side and one line reviews and where they can order the book on the other (a card I designed myself, and which several authors have mentioned they wished they'd have done that). Oftentimes, if I have a book in my carry-on, I sell it to them on the spot.

Once I met a little old lady on a flight and we enjoyed a nice conversation—in which I mentioned that I was on my way home from a book appearance in Austin, Texas. She said she'd like to buy one but the only copy I had was in my checked luggage. Unfortunately, she hadn't checked any so we parted ways in the terminal. "Darn," I thought, "There goes a sale." About a month later I got a letter from the woman telling me that she had ordered my book from Barnes & Noble and loved it. "You probably don't remember me..." she began, and related our trip together on that plane. Of course I remembered.

Many people have never met an author face to face and getting a personalized  autographed copy from one can be  considered a thrill. Venues where I've sold books will surprise many an author. I took a bunch of mail ordered books to the post office to start a conversation, and sold one to the postal clerk. When being checked into a hospital for surgery, I sold one to the admitting nurse. I've sold books at a bowling alley, a funeral dinner, to a cashier at a restaurant, to my doctors and dentists and their receptionists, at cocktail parties, once while out for a walk, and in a hotel bar while having a drink. I always carry business cards with me and hand them out at every opportunity. Everyone is a potential book buyer!

I believe in answering all my emails and treating people with respect. I met an author via the Internet and even bought one of her books. I tried to correspond with her but she never answered my inquiry. Do you think I'll buy another of her books? Underneath it all, everyone is a potential book buyer and you never know where your next sale will come from.

After all, we do sell them one at a time.

 

 

Raff Ellis is a former computer industry executive and prolific writer of short stories, essays, and political commentary. His first book, Kisses from a Distance, was published by Cune Press, Seattle, Wash.

A graduate of LeMoyne College with a BS in Pure Science, Mr. Ellis also has a MBA from the University of Central Florida. He spent his entire business career in the computer industry, rising from the ranks of computer programmer to CEO of an Information Technology R & D firm.

He lives in Florida with his wife Loretta.