Handling a Harsh Book Review

Hi everyone,

James Patterson

Okay, so you've finally finished your book and it's on the market and a couple of hundred or maybe even more have bought it. You are thrilled and you should be! Congratulations :-) Things are humming along and you are feeling pretty proud when you log into your Amazon account and come across a harsh review of your precious work. HOW could that be?? Don't worry...it happens to everyone from time to time. Believe it or not, not everyone that reads your book is going to like it or think it's great. That is part of writing...there will be people who love what you do and how you do it, there will be people that will read it and go "meh" and others that will read it and dislike it for whatever reason.

Don't be too hard on yourself at this point! Even the best known authors of our time like Stephen King, James Patterson, or John Sanford (a few of my fav's) don't always write winners every time.  It doesn't mean that you suck or you are a bad writer. Maybe you type of writing was too fast or too slow for someone. Maybe your writing isn't their usual genre of reading. Maybe they wouldn't know a good book it if hit them in the head! Instead, take what they have to say and give it the weight it deserves. For example, if they criticized the grammar then perhaps your next book should be edited by a copy editor instead of yourself and uncle Ted or if they said the plot was thin then maybe you could look at working up a stronger plot for the next book.  

The bottom line of today's post is that every writer should use a harsh review as an opportunity to learn about your writing technique and to pick up tips on how to improve your writing skills. Take those negative comments and use them to strengthen your writing muscle! 

Have a great day everyone!

Becky

Working with an Editor ~ Part II

Working with an Editor ~ Part II

I’m going to say the following again because it is important and because I can :-)   Having your work edited by someone OTHER THAN YOU is a necessary evil because you won’t see your writing errors – you are too close to your story and far too familiar with what the words should say to notice, in some cases, what they do say. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one!

On Monday, we examined some common misunderstandings about editors and we are going to finish today by looking at some questions you may want to ask of a perspective editor and for those of you that still think you can do it all on your own, I will give you a checklist of things to look for when editing your book:

1.     What type of editing services do they offer?

2.     What fees do they charge?

3.     When are fees due (up front, upon completion of work)?

4.     How long will it take for them to edit your book?

5.     How much control do you still have with edited content?

6.     What type of books do they read in their spare time?

7.     What kind of books have they edited?

8.     How are they with meeting deadlines?

9.     What format does your book have to be in for editing purposes?

10. Can they provide references?

For those of you that still think you can be your own editor, I don’t agree but can’t stop you so here is an editing checklist of things you should look for and consider:

1.     Does your story have a good hook?

2.     Is there a prologue and do you really need it? Try reading the story without it and see if it makes a difference.

3.     Do you consistently stay in 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd person?

4.     Have you balanced your writing enough between action, dialogue and narrative summary?

5.     Does the action have a purpose and does it move the story forward in a believable way?

6.     Have you, in any part of your story, drifted off into a realm that doesn’t fit with the rest of the story?

7.     Are your plot twists feasible and believable?

8.     Does your plot and all of your subplots become resolved by the end of the story?

9.     Is your dialogue necessary to move the story forward? Is it advancing the plot?

10. Did you manage to keep your characters in character and are they true to their character arc?

11. Does the protagonist of your story have a clear character arc?

12. Does your story engage a reader’s senses through descriptions that allow the reader to get a sense of the setting and to visualize characters?

13. Have you shown your readers what is happening instead of telling them?

14. Does each chapter or scene stay in a single point of view?

15. Check, double-check and triple-check your story for spelling, grammar, and punctuation!

Happy writing and editing everyone!

Becky

Throwing Together a Quick Plot

Kate Burns

On Thursday, I have been asked, as a 'real author', to speak to my daughter's grade 3 class on the subject of how to take an idea and turn it into a real story.

Good question! But, like the class already asked, how?

Well, let's throw together a quick plot.

We'll start with a little Trouble.

Every good story starts, of course, with trouble. Not little trouble -- losing your car keys, or forgetting to let the dog out -- but Trouble. Like, say, if you lost your car keys in a bad part of town and found yourself running for your life as two rival street gangs open fire on either side of you. While delivering (stolen) diamonds for your abusive boss. That kind of Trouble.

The snowflake method is good for plotting. It's a good one for that nagging 'what happened next' question.

Basically, you write out a beginning situation: Martha gets up at four o'clock every morning to start her day's work in her parents' bakery. She slaves all day, quitting at dusk only to drag herself home and fall into bed, exhausted. Her chances of meeting a man with her head in the oven are slim to none.

And an end situation: Martha emerges as a heroine, having solved the mystery of the arsons in the neighbourhood. The blue-eyed fire investigator she sleuthed with has proposed to her, and she finds the confidence to break out on her own as a special events caterer.

An inciting incident: Four o'clock in the morning. Locks her keys in the car and is stuck outside in the alley behind the bakery. While waiting for a locksmith, Martha sees someone running out of the alley. She smells smoke, then all hell breaks loose as the tenement building next door explodes into flame.

With a dangerous complication: He sees her, too.

With some serious trouble in the middle: Martha is nearly cooked when her ovens malfunction. Is it a freak accident? Gross negligence that could cost her parents the business? Or an attempt on Martha's life?

Some serious sleuthing: She comes across a clue to ovenly sabotage, a motive, along with a few possible suspects.One of whom just started working there.

One Red Herring: The bakery's new cashier lives rent-free in a nearby warehouse, and is an anarchist. He believes home is wherever a person squats and would defend it with knife, gun or burn it to the ground before anyone else got to it. He's attractive, if a little high-strung.

An obstacle: The anarchist cashier likes Martha. A lot. She goes out with him a couple of times, only to discover that although he doesn't believe in ownership for property, he's pretty possessive regarding women.

And a twist: A little google is a dangerous thing: Martha comes to suspect the fire investigator of being an arsonist himself!

Or three: Trouble is, she's falling in love with him. And the cashier can see it, too. Whenever the investigator is around, she can't seem to shake loose her anarchist barnacle.

Weave in a Subplot: Martha's parents are not only not supportive of all the crazy things she's been doing, it looks like they may actually try to have her committed. It turns out her mother went through a 'crazy' phase in her own youth, only to have her dreams dashed and her heart broken by tragedy. She has been shielding her daughter from the same fate, by hiding her away in the family business.

And how about a title? Even just a working title: The Scent of Fresh Murder

Poof! A story! And all I did was start with a beginning situation, ask myself (or my muse) a few questions, and answer them according to some plot points I know I'll need.

And that is where I think I'll take those kids.

Stay tuned Thursday for what questions to ask while building a plot.

Happy Writing!
Kate Burns

Working with an Editor ~ Part I

Working with an Editor ~ Part I

Having your work edited by someone OTHER THAN YOU is a necessary evil because you won’t see your writing errors – you are too close to your story and far too familiar with what the words should say to notice, in some cases, what they do say. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one!

Finding the right editor for you can seem like a daunting task and if you don’t know the difference between the types of editing that is offered from one person to another and you may think you are getting something that you are not. That’s why it’s important to educate yourself!

We will look at some common misunderstandings about editors in order to guide you through some of this process and then I will provide some common check list tips for you to follow when looking to hire an editor on Friday in “Working with an Editor ~ Part II”.

It is important to remember that some editors may edit work from several different genres, but for the most part, editors specialize. They can’t be experts on everything and if the editor you are considering has integrity and morals they will tell you flat out if they are not the right person to be editing your book (tread carefully and ask questions before you commit to working with anyone).

Editors employed at publishing houses do perform editing and if you are being pursued by a publisher that doesn’t offer editing services for free prior to publication, you are probably working with a self-publishing service (e.g., vanity press) and not a book publisher.

Editors need to know the marketplace in order to assist you in preparing book proposal and if you can find a savvy book editor, especially one who has ties to publishers, you will maximize your ability to get your book proposal sold.

All editors DO NOT do the same type of work! There are several different types of editors:

In-house Acquisition Editors – buys the rights to books and oversee their publication, acting as a liaison with many different departments. Often, they are not the person that will do the actual line editing or structural editing of your book.

Developmental Editors – will restructure manuscripts, clean up writing and make it less awkward and more consistent and add in transitions and headers. This type of editor is sometimes referred to as a heavy-line editor, a structural editor or a book doctor. They will often, but not always, help you to develop your story and their services and fees vary.

Light-line or Copyediting Editors – don’t address the structure of the book, the voice or the tone. Instead, they fix grammar and punctuation; decide on styling, fact check, and not inconsistencies (this is the type of editing I offer authors). A copyeditor or light-line editor doesn’t necessarily do developmental editing and a developmental editor will often only do minimal copyediting.

Note: even though developmental editors do very little copyediting as they get the book into shape for the publisher, when they are finished their work they will turn the manuscript over to someone whose expertise is in copyediting and proofreading. Even if the developmental editor happens to be a great copyeditor as well, they know it’s better to have a second set of eyes looking at text that has become extremely familiar to them. Proving my point from the beginning of this post – having your work edited by SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOU is critical!

Whatever type of editor you decide you require, don’t wait to find a professional to work with until three weeks before publication because editors are often booked up months in advance.

Remember to check back on Friday for “Working with an Editor ~ Part II” to get your checklist for working with an editor.

Becky

Finding a Publisher ~ Part II

Finding a Book Publisher ~ Part II

Hi everyone and welcome back! To recap from Monday’s post, we looked at he first 5 steps that need to be completed in order to find a publisher, which were as follows:

1. WRITE THE BOOK

2. DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE

3. RESEARCH THE MARKET

4. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

5. PREPARE YOUR MANUSCRIPT

6. SUBMIT YOUR BOOK PACKAGE – only send the editor exactly what is requested. If you are mailing a large manuscript, use a box for this purpose (available at stationary or office supply stores). Address it to the editor by name and make sure your package is sealed securely but don’t use a half a roll of tape.

7. INCLUDE A STAMPED, SELF-ADDRESED ENVELOPE – make sure you send a large enough return envelope (depending on if you want your manuscript back or not) and sufficient postage.

8. PREPARE TO WAIT – it can take two months or longer to receive a response to your query and can take up to six months or more to find out if the publisher is interested in your manuscript.

9. KEEP WORKING – don’t wait to find out if your book is being picked up or not, get started on your next book or begin building a network of followers for when your book does hit the shelves.

10. DON’T GIVE UP – it’s hard but you need to try not to take rejection personally as there could be numerous reasons as to why your book may not be a good fit for one publisher to the next. Move to the next publisher on your list and remember it take time, effort and usually many submissions to get published.

Two common questions asked are:

How do I copyright my work? Good news! It is not necessary to register your work with the Copyright Office to protect it. The fact that you’ve put your book on paper places it under your copyright. You can declare copyright ownership by typing the words “Copyright (year) by (your name)” on the first page of your manuscript.

Should I get an agent? Usually first-time authors look for an agent AFTER a publisher has expressed interest in publishing your work. You will want the agent to help negotiate your contract.

Best of luck to everyone!

Becky

Finding a Book Publisher ~ Part I

Finding a Book Publisher - Part I

For those of you that don’t have the time, money, energy, know-how or patience to go down the self-publishing route (it does take all of these things to get it done), this post may be for you!

Let’s get the first misconception out of the way right of the bat – you don’t have to have an agent, or connections within the industry, to get published. However, you do need to know how to submit your work in the most professional manner possible and you need to ensure that you have what a perspective publisher will require if they are interested in publishing your work. Imagine getting that email, phone call or letter from an interested publisher and within the first few moments you discover that you don’t have what they need in order to publish your work? It would be catastrophic!

Today we will look at the first 5 steps you will need to complete in order to find a publisher. On Friday, we will look at the last 5 steps in “Finding a Book Publisher – Part II” and some common questions that get asked.

1. WRITE THE BOOK – not an outline or the first few chapters but the entire book. The first thing a publisher will want to establish is that you have the skill, stamina and discipline to complete a full-length book; they are interested in selling a product not your ideas.

2. DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE – you ask some writers the question, “Who is your targeted audience?” and they don’t know the answer. You should be able to answer this question because it will help you choose an appropriate publisher. Also, you need to be able to define what genre your book belongs to. Not wishy-washy statements like “its sort of a mystery-romance with some sci-fi elements” because statements likes this will only confirm that you either haven’t refined the concept of your work or that you don’t understand the book market. Think in terms of how books are stacked on the shelves at your local Chapters.

3. RESEARCH THE MARKET – I know…research, blah. This is a critical step that can’t be avoided. You don’t want to call just any publisher listed in the book to see if they might be interested in publishing your work. Instead, focus on publishers that publish work that is within your genre. If you are not sure who publishes work in your genre, visit your local Chapters or library and see which publishing houses have published books in your genre.

4. DO YOUR HOMEWORK – you can find out promising publishers in the current Writer’s Market (available in bookstores), which lists what publishing companies are buying and their rates and will let you know how to approach the editor (e.g., some publishers want to see the entire manuscript whereas others only want a query letter outlining your idea). Of course, if you need more information you can write or call the publisher to request a copy of their writer’s guidelines. Another resource for publisher information can be found in the Literary Market Place (in the library reference section of your local bookstore).

5. PREPARE YOUR MANUSCRIPT – make sure that your manuscript is printed on high-quality white bond paper and never use erasable paper or a dot-matrix printer. Make sure you double-space your manuscript and leave a 1-inch margin on all sides, number your pages, check your spelling (not with just a spellchecker), use a clear readable font in 10 or 12 pt., don’t justify your right margin, don’t mix fonts or overuse boldface or italics. If you have further questions about how to format a proposal, query or manuscript you can consult The Writer’s Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats.

Remember to check back on Friday for the final 5 steps and some commonly asked questions.

Have a great day!

Becky

Marketing YOU and YOUR BOOK ~ Part I

Hi everyone,

Okay, now it’s time to get serious about MARKETING!! In publishing, this means marketing yourself as much as your work. So, how do you market yourself? Does this entail wearing a big neon sign on your person or taking out a full-page ad in the Sunday paper? What works and what won’t? What exactly does that mean?!?

For some authors, this is a very challenging and at times intimidating task and something I continually try and offer some solutions to the readers.  Today, I think I will focus on marketing your most important asset – YOU!! On Thursday, I will focus more on marketing your work so be sure to come back and read that post as well.

Marketing yourself isn’t easy but it is necessary and probably one of the most important tasks you will undertake in the world of publishing. YOU are the product and the brand all in one. This is different than selling Nike running shoes – where the shoes are the product. I don’t think the designers of these wonderful shoes ever looked at a finished product that didn’t quite make the cut and feel like a part of their soul had died with the design. Writing is different in that it is personal and emotional. So, your book, although a product like running shoes, is also much, much more.

Do you want to be known as an author that is mysterious, forthright, funny, or aloof?  These are some questions you may want to explore before you begin to “put yourself out there”. For those of you that are already feeling a little queasy and your are thinking, “I don’t want to push myself on other people and have to do a bunch of empty socializing or make superficial small talk.” I understand but effective marketing creates a pull for more from you and people begin to seek out you and your product (book).

 
Here is an eight-step plan to guide you:

1. Define your mission and the benefits you offer your readers.
2. Set your marketing objective: What exactly do you want to achieve? Make it measurable and realistic and built in timelines and deadlines.
3. Design performance measures: what will be observable, objective indicators that show that you are accomplishing or have accomplished your goal?
4. Gather, analyze and interpret information about your situation. For example, what are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? Perform this assessment and then act on the areas that need to be adjusted to improve your success.
5. Identify your target market and speak to them!
6. Develop your marketing strategy and activities aimed at your target market (attend conferences, continuing education events, write articles for them or professional publications that your target market would subscribe to).
7. Define implementation strategies: What will you do, when will you do it and what resources will you need or obstacles might you have to overcome?
8. Periodically evaluate marketing efforts and modify them if needed to determine what is working or what you may need to do differently. Do you need to do more or can you scale back your efforts?

Make sure you come back on Thursday for more tips and tricks and you can also view some of the previous marketing discussions we've had on Mystery Writers Unite by clicking the following link: Marketing

Becky

Getting Published ~ Part II Information and Resources

Hi everyone,

As promised in “Getting Published ~ Part I Options” that was run on Tuesday of this week, here is “Getting Published ~ Part II Information and Resources”.

Agency Representation:

The first rule of thumb is to try and choose an agent’s filed of expertise matches your genre. Don’t just choose one or two but make a longer list of about 10 – 15 possibilities and then prepare your Query email or letter. For rules for preparing your Query email or letter, check out the post that was on Mystery Writers Unite by clicking the following link: The Query Letter.

Remember:

Do not send any files until an agent asks you for more material. Also, don’t be afraid to let the agent know that numerous agents are considering your project and you have made “simultaneous submissions”.  Lastly, don’t try to flatter or cajole an agent and resist the temptation to praise or denigrate your own work and don’t phone them to find out what their decision is because agents can take much longer to reply and sometimes they never reply. Your better off to focus your energy on those who do respond instead of worrying about those that don’t. This option is NOT for the faint of heart.

One final note: Fiction writers will be asked at some point to submit either a sample of their work with a synopsis or the complete manuscript whereas non-fiction writers will be expected to submit a proposal. A classic guide for submitting a book proposal is Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal. For those of you that are more visual, literary agent Ted Weinstein offers a free 90-minute “Proposal Boot Camp" seminar online.

Independent Press:

The leading association of independent publishers in the US is the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). They are located at 627 Aviation Way, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 or online at www.ibpa-online.org . A national group of independent publishers is the Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN). They are located at P.O. Box 1306, Buena Vista, CO 81211 or online at www.spannet.org .

Co-op or “POD” Publishing:

Most Co-op or “POD” publishers arrange for the printing of your book through a print-on-demand technology, which means that books are produced only in the quantities orders, eliminating the need to maintain an inventory. If you plan on producing a single copy that is likely to sell in a low quantity (less than 1000 copies) then this may be an option for you.

Co-op or “POD” publishers vary in the amount and quality of production and publicity services they will provide so it is important to research their contract very carefully and that in the end you will still probably do the majority of the publicity of your book. If you are the type that is willing to invest in your work but prefer not to get involved in all the technical aspects of publishing, then working with a Co-op or “POD” publisher may be just what you’ve been looking for. Feel free to visit the following links to get a feel for this new publishing option:

• Writers Collective
• AuthorHouse
• CreateSpace (Amazon subsidiary)
• IndyPublish.com
• Infinity Publishing
• iUniverse
• Petersen Publishing Group
• Trafford Publishing
• Lulu.com
• XLibris

Lastly, here are two websites that compare the costs and benefits of various Co-op or “POD” Publishers: Problems & Benefits of POD  and  PublishOnDemand.net

Electronic Publishing:

Some online references about ePublishing include:

• EPIC: Electronically Published Internet Connection
• ePublishing Overview at Writers Write
• The Digital Landscape, a Kirkus Reviews article by Damon Brown featuring Fearless founder D. Patrick Miller

Visit the following electronic publishers to get an education in this field:

• Booklocker
• New Concepts Publishing
• Hard Shell Word Factory 

As you can see, there are MANY options to become published and there is no right way or wrong way!! Happy writing and publishing everyone!!

Becky

Getting Published ~ Part I Options

Hi everyone,

My first post of the year that isn’t one of the regular weekly posts (Poetry Corner, What Can YOU Write in 6 Sentences or an Author Interview) is going to be a two-part post about “Getting Published”.

In today’s publishing world, there are so many options to choose from in order to get your work out to the masses and I’m going to cover them all very briefly in this post and then provide a bit more in-depth information in part II.

PUBLISHING OPTIONS

Agent:

The traditional route, for some, is still the most desired route and you can certainly submit your work to an agent in the hope that you will find representation by a major publisher.  You can find a fairly decent list of literary agents online at AuthorAdvance, or you can search the database of the Association of Authors’ Representatives. Another alternative is to check at your local library as they may have a comprehensive listing of book publishers, agents or other resources available.

Independent Press:

A growing field, the independent press, enables you to find a publisher who may not give you any money up front for your work but who is more likely to be loyal to your work over the long run. You won’t find many agents that work with the smaller publishers because their advances are small or nonexistent, and agents live on commission.

Co-op or “POD” Publishing:

Until I had begun research for this post, I had never heard of this option – a recent development in alternative publishing! This group comprises of co-op publishers, who charge authors a fee for the production and publication of their work. A great alternative and a step above the self-publishing route where the author bears the full cost of publication for a very small number of conventionally printed books.

A word of caution: some Co-op Publishers let you retain your rights as the publisher while others do not.

Electronic Publishing:

A publishing option that is rapidly gaining public acceptance and is becoming a significant economic force in the publishing world!! Some e-publishers produce POD books and some don’t. Also, some may be here today and gone tomorrow so you want to make sure you have up-to-date information on the field before committing your work to any particular firm.

Self-Publishing:

If you have determination and some money to invest, you can be your own publisher and Mystery Writers Unite has already done numerous posts on the subject! Check out some of the information by clicking here: Self-Publishing

Make sure to check out Part II of “Getting Published” on Thursday!

Becky