My favorite restaurant is named for a famous Beatles landmark. I go there at least once a week to eat and write. The waitstaff put my order in when I walk through the door.
Recently, a new waitress was being trained. We were being friendly, chatting about various things, when the senior waitress said--"Elizabeth is an author." The new waitress smiled and nodded and went away to check on my order.
When she returned, we had this conversation.
HER: are you Julia Day?
ME: yes, that's one of my pen names.
HER: you're my niece's favorite author.
ME: Wow, that's great.
HER: I took her to B&N and told her to pick out any book she wanted. So she got yours because she loved the cover. She took it home and read it and now she loves your books.
ME: Do you know which book? One came out just a few days ago.
HER: she's read both. She had her mother order the next one immediately.
I'm sharing this story for two reasons.
One, because that's just frickin' cool. Talk about a small world! I'm not that well-known. My author career has had only modest success (extremely modest.) Knowing that someone reads and loves your books is fuel to write more.
Two, it reminds me to encourage readers to speak up. Whenever you meet your favorite authors, tell us you enjoy our books. Send us an email; we all have contact forms on our websites. Leave us reviews (like Amazon), especially for the modestly successful authors. Let us know that you're enjoying what we write!
Showing posts with label author stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author stuff. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Fun times with self-publishing
In March 2016, I presented a lunch-time seminar about self-publishing to aspiring authors who work at my day-job employer. This post is based on the topics from that presentation. [Updated Nov 2023.]
Disclaimer: these ideas are based on my experiences, business goals, and temperament. You will bring a different perspective to self-publishing, so consider what resonates and ignore the rest. Also, this post is not financial advice or legal advice. Seek assistance from an accountant or an attorney for legalities and money matters. Every state has different statutes to follow for your small business.
By self-publishing your books, you have become a small business owner. You are selling a product that you create. Your publishing house is a small business; run it like a professional.
Name – Consider picking a name for your publishing house. I picked “FictionEtc Press”. I also recommend searching the internet and the US Patent and Trademark Office for your “publisher name” to ensure you don’t violate a trademarked name.
Type of business - Decide what type of business you are forming. Ask fellow authors about the pros and cons of an LLC, the various categories of corporations, etc. I chose to be a sole proprietorship--which meant I had to research what was expected in my county/state for someone who was operating a doing business as (DBA) company. My county does require registration as a DBA, which cost about $35 and only took an easy, notarized form.
Banking – Retailers will want to send royalties on a periodic basis. Be sure to have your bank routing/account numbers or a paypal account ready. I have a separate bank account and credit card for my publishing house.
Snail mail address – If you don’t have a personal mail box, consider getting one for your author business mail. There are instances where you will have to provide a postal address, and if you're like me, you want to be careful about surfacing the address of where you live. I’m paying $150 for a year’s lease of a mail box at USPS facility.
Sales tax – if it’s possible that you’ll be selling print books directly to readers, you should check with your state’s department of revenue to see whether you’ll owe any sales tax. The state of North Carolina does require quarterly payments of sales tax.
Income taxes – Keep good records for your business expenses and revenues. You may wish to consider a small business financial package for your computer or careful use of Excel. I hired a tax accountant to assist me my first year of self-publishing, but my husband and I have been managing it ourselves since. (Turbo Tax does a great job for us!)
Buy your own set of ISBNs. File for copyright protection.
ISBNs – International Standard Book Number is a 10-digit or 13-digit number that uniquely identifies a book. Having your own ISBNs is optional for some distributors, so this step is not required. I wanted my own ISBNs for my books. It's a control issue; I don't want the author platform telling me how to use them. So I bought a block of 10 ISBNs from Bowker for $250. Each book format (ebook and print) needs a separate ISBN. Bowker periodically runs promotions, so watch for a sale and "stock up." I bought my second 10 ISBNs for $100.
Filing for copyright – I recommend filing for copyright protection of your book. It costs $35 and takes about ten minutes to complete the application online at copyright.gov . It'll take a couple of months to get the document. This step is not required; your book is copyrighted as soon as it's in tangible form. But having the copyright filed gives me peace of mind. YMMV.
Know your supply chain. Understand the difference between distributors and retailers.
Author Platform - most distributors/retailers of e-books want to make it as easy as possible for you to load your digital books for distribution. They will provide a "staging" website that we generally call "the author platform." The platform has tools to help you format your books, price them, upload covers (or get one of their designers to create for you), etc. Some author platforms are easier to use than others. Amazon's is good. B&N's is getting better. I don't use Apple's (because I don't have an iOS device.) There are also author platforms that are not associated with a specific retailer; you can load your books to a centralized site--and they will ship it to retailers on your behalf. Setting up your books on an author platform is free.
Retailers – Retailers are the companies that sell your books to readers on your behalf. Retailers keep a portion of the retail price and send “the publisher” (that is, you) your royalties on a periodic basis. The biggest retailers are Amazon, B&N, and Apple. Overdrive and Baker&Taylor are big for retailing your books to libraries. And there are thousands of other online retailers and independent bookstores—which is why you need a distributor…
Distributors – Distributors give you a central place (also known as the author platform) to upload your book. They, in turn, distribute it to the retailers that you choose. A distributor stores your books, provides to the retailers, and tracks your royalties. The distributor gets a cut of your royalties, the retailer does, too--and you get whatever is left. For instance, KDP is the distributor of ebooks to Amazon. KDP can also distribute your print books to Amazon and other retailers. B&N has its own e-book and print book distribution. IngramSpark can distribute e-books or print books to pretty much everywhere. More on this later.
Front matter – Front matter is the first 3-4 pages of a book--before you get to the text of the story. You should always include the title page and copyright page. You can also, optionally, include a dedication page, a list of your other books ("Also By"), your acknowledgments, and a "call to action" for signing up for your newsletter. Most retailers of e-books require that you have a Table of Contents in your front matter.
Back matter – Back matter is the final 4-10 pages of your book--after The End. Back matter provides a good location for any Author Notes, Author Biography, and bonus content, such as an excerpt for your next book. The back matter may also include the acknowledgments and a list of your other books. (This is my preference--to have Acknowledgments and "Books By" in the back matter.) Additionally for e-books, you can include buy-links to your other books and links to your social media sites. Note: most retailers do not allow you to include buy-links for competitors. For instance, Apple does not surface any buy-links for Amazon. You'll likely produce multiple versions of your e-books, a unique version for each retailer with their specific buy-links.
The interior layout of your book is the presentation of your book's content. You can go for a no-frills approach or invest in applying more care to the format. When making these choices, consider your personality, the costs involved, and the conventions for your book's market.
Making the interior pretty - The interior layout is all about making the appearance of the book’s content pretty. Some frills that you can add include fancy fonts, fancy chapter headings, scene break images, "left flush" or "drop caps" for the first paragraph of each chapter / scene, and maps (or enhanced content.)
Scene break images: I used scene break images for my first two self-published books, but I've stopped now because they are really hard to get right. (I also made an effort to notice them in other books and decided that they're just noise that adds to the book size.) If you hire a layout expert, they should be able to handle scene break images for you.
First paragraphs: I left-flush the first paragraph of each chapter and each scene break. I played around with drop-caps, but decided I didn't like the way they looked.
Fonts: I limit myself with the fonts, using at most 2 fonts in a book: a serif font for regular text and a san-serif if my characters are texting. The Garamond font is used for 90% or more of the text in my print books. I use "free" fonts in my e-books. There are some weird legalities with "purchased" fonts in e-books.
Hiring a layout expert - I contracted out the interior layout for my first 2 self-pubbed books. I asked self-pubbed friends for recommendations. The going price seemed to be $75-$150 per book. Now, I do the interior layout myself (but I'm also a software developer, so I do this stuff at work for my day-job). Draft2Digital (a distributor) has good tools for turning WORD docs into pretty layouts. You may use them (even if you don't use D2D), and download the books. I haven't used their tools, since I do the work myself.
The text and images (such as covers) that you include in your book can be published in different publishing formats. Your distributor has a required publishing format that they use for creating and distributing books.
PDF – the text and covers of print books are always uploaded to distributors in PDF. The distributors I use (Amazon/KDP and IngramSpark) have templates available to ensure that you get covers right.
ePub – nearly all retailers use the ePub format for e-books. There are plenty of tools out there to convert WORD documents to ePub. I use an open source tool called Calibre to create my ePub files and then upload them to the distributors. If you prefer, the distributors have tools to convert WORD to ePub; these conversion tools work very well, but you do lose a little bit of control over the interior of the book.
NOTE: Amazon formerly used their own proprietary format for distributing e-books, but they have transitioned to using ePub like everyone else.
Book covers – This is your number one marketing tool, so do it well! There are many cover designers out there. Ask for recommendations from your self-pubbed friends. Distributors often have cover designers available. There are also several crowd-sourcing sites that allow you to get “bids” on your book cover design. Prices can run anywhere from $150 to $1000 or more. I've paid $150 for covers and $500 for covers. The quality was good with both. It is possible to create your own covers, but take care that it doesn't look thrown together. Bad covers can kill sales.
Licensing – your cover designer may ask you to pay license fees for stock photos and/or specialized fonts. I paid $10 to license fonts and $50 to license stock photos for my former cover designer. My current one handles the licensing fees herself.
Cost – once you have your interior layout and cover completed, it costs nothing to establish yourself with an e-book distributor. You just open an account, set up the royalty payments, tax info, and your preferences, and upload your files.
Distributors – Each distributor has a website known as their "author platform." I have accounts with the author platforms on:
The author platforms for KDP, Kobo, and D2D are amazingly easy to use. Very author friendly. It is a pain to go to so many platforms. In my case, I publish separately to KDP, Kobo, and I use D2D for everywhere else.
Royalty – review the royalty percentages carefully with each distributor; percentages change with differing price ranges. I have my ebooks priced at $2.99 or $3.99. Amazon and Kobo give me around 70% and D2D - 60%. Note that Amazon/KDP charges a delivery fee based on the ebook file size.
Release date – Amazon and D2D allowed me to set the release date in the future and accept pre-order sales. On the release date, everything magically worked. With the others, you just click "publish" on the release date, and it releases immediately.
Now, let's go over releasing print books.
Cost – Amazon/KDP charges nothing to set up print books. IngramSpark used to charge $49 per book but I think they will drop the fee after 2023. I did pay $20 to both distributors to ship a proof copy. Both distributors allow authors to purchase “author copies” at approximately $7 per book plus shipping&handling.
Distributors – I use KDP to distribute paperbacks to Amazon. I use IngramSpark to distribute to everyone else. The quality of Ingram books is a little better, and their worldwide shipping is faster. KDP has better domestic shipping plus you will make much more money per book.
Royalty – review the royalty percentages carefully with each distributor. I make about $2 royalty on my KDP books and less than $1 with Ingram. Ingram is a lot of work for lower royalty, but it does have stronger, more loyal distribution to libraries and indie bookstores.)
Release date - KDP releases your book immediately once you have indicated that the proof is acceptable. Ingram allows you to set the release date. If you "accept" the book-proof in advance, they will treat it as a pre-order until the actual release date.
Let me close these notes with a brief discussion of my opinions about being self-published.
My business goals - Before you make a decision about how to publish your books, be clear about what is important to you for your writing career.
Consider your unique situation - As an author, I love to collaborate with a publishing team to help produce my books. I love knowing that there are editors committed to improving my story. I happily lean on the expertise of marketing teams and cover designers. A traditional publishing experience works best for me when, of course, I can get a contract.
Another factor that I have to consider is my target market. In the past, I wrote teen fiction in a narrow sub-genre. Since teens prefer print books over e-books, I had to sell print books, which are harder to produce as a self-pubbed author and make a smaller profit margin. I now write adult historical women's fiction--which has book clubs as its primary market. Traditional publishing houses have a strong presence with book clubs.
Self-publishing works especially well for genres with a strong e-book customer base and for authors who can produce quickly and steadily. Neither is true for me.
What I like about self-publishing:
What I don't like about self-publishing:
Disclaimer: these ideas are based on my experiences, business goals, and temperament. You will bring a different perspective to self-publishing, so consider what resonates and ignore the rest. Also, this post is not financial advice or legal advice. Seek assistance from an accountant or an attorney for legalities and money matters. Every state has different statutes to follow for your small business.
Establishing a publishing house
By self-publishing your books, you have become a small business owner. You are selling a product that you create. Your publishing house is a small business; run it like a professional.
Name – Consider picking a name for your publishing house. I picked “FictionEtc Press”. I also recommend searching the internet and the US Patent and Trademark Office for your “publisher name” to ensure you don’t violate a trademarked name.
Type of business - Decide what type of business you are forming. Ask fellow authors about the pros and cons of an LLC, the various categories of corporations, etc. I chose to be a sole proprietorship--which meant I had to research what was expected in my county/state for someone who was operating a doing business as (DBA) company. My county does require registration as a DBA, which cost about $35 and only took an easy, notarized form.
Banking – Retailers will want to send royalties on a periodic basis. Be sure to have your bank routing/account numbers or a paypal account ready. I have a separate bank account and credit card for my publishing house.
Snail mail address – If you don’t have a personal mail box, consider getting one for your author business mail. There are instances where you will have to provide a postal address, and if you're like me, you want to be careful about surfacing the address of where you live. I’m paying $150 for a year’s lease of a mail box at USPS facility.
Sales tax – if it’s possible that you’ll be selling print books directly to readers, you should check with your state’s department of revenue to see whether you’ll owe any sales tax. The state of North Carolina does require quarterly payments of sales tax.
Income taxes – Keep good records for your business expenses and revenues. You may wish to consider a small business financial package for your computer or careful use of Excel. I hired a tax accountant to assist me my first year of self-publishing, but my husband and I have been managing it ourselves since. (Turbo Tax does a great job for us!)
Buy your own set of ISBNs. File for copyright protection.
ISBNs – International Standard Book Number is a 10-digit or 13-digit number that uniquely identifies a book. Having your own ISBNs is optional for some distributors, so this step is not required. I wanted my own ISBNs for my books. It's a control issue; I don't want the author platform telling me how to use them. So I bought a block of 10 ISBNs from Bowker for $250. Each book format (ebook and print) needs a separate ISBN. Bowker periodically runs promotions, so watch for a sale and "stock up." I bought my second 10 ISBNs for $100.
Filing for copyright – I recommend filing for copyright protection of your book. It costs $35 and takes about ten minutes to complete the application online at copyright.gov . It'll take a couple of months to get the document. This step is not required; your book is copyrighted as soon as it's in tangible form. But having the copyright filed gives me peace of mind. YMMV.
Know your supply chain. Understand the difference between distributors and retailers.
Author Platform - most distributors/retailers of e-books want to make it as easy as possible for you to load your digital books for distribution. They will provide a "staging" website that we generally call "the author platform." The platform has tools to help you format your books, price them, upload covers (or get one of their designers to create for you), etc. Some author platforms are easier to use than others. Amazon's is good. B&N's is getting better. I don't use Apple's (because I don't have an iOS device.) There are also author platforms that are not associated with a specific retailer; you can load your books to a centralized site--and they will ship it to retailers on your behalf. Setting up your books on an author platform is free.
Retailers – Retailers are the companies that sell your books to readers on your behalf. Retailers keep a portion of the retail price and send “the publisher” (that is, you) your royalties on a periodic basis. The biggest retailers are Amazon, B&N, and Apple. Overdrive and Baker&Taylor are big for retailing your books to libraries. And there are thousands of other online retailers and independent bookstores—which is why you need a distributor…
Distributors – Distributors give you a central place (also known as the author platform) to upload your book. They, in turn, distribute it to the retailers that you choose. A distributor stores your books, provides to the retailers, and tracks your royalties. The distributor gets a cut of your royalties, the retailer does, too--and you get whatever is left. For instance, KDP is the distributor of ebooks to Amazon. KDP can also distribute your print books to Amazon and other retailers. B&N has its own e-book and print book distribution. IngramSpark can distribute e-books or print books to pretty much everywhere. More on this later.
Preparing the book to sell
Produce great content – First and foremost, write a great book. Then I strongly recommend that you have your book professionally edited and proofread. If you, as an author, get the reputation for producing sloppy books, that impression can be hard to fight and could cost you sales. Freelance editors vary greatly in price. For a 70K book, you could pay anywhere from $500 to $2000 for developmental edits. (And the more expensive fees do not guarantee better edits.) Ask for recommendations. You should also consider line-edits, copy-edits, and sensitivity reads (if you are including diverse characters or issues that you don't have firsthand experience with.)
Front matter – Front matter is the first 3-4 pages of a book--before you get to the text of the story. You should always include the title page and copyright page. You can also, optionally, include a dedication page, a list of your other books ("Also By"), your acknowledgments, and a "call to action" for signing up for your newsletter. Most retailers of e-books require that you have a Table of Contents in your front matter.
Back matter – Back matter is the final 4-10 pages of your book--after The End. Back matter provides a good location for any Author Notes, Author Biography, and bonus content, such as an excerpt for your next book. The back matter may also include the acknowledgments and a list of your other books. (This is my preference--to have Acknowledgments and "Books By" in the back matter.) Additionally for e-books, you can include buy-links to your other books and links to your social media sites. Note: most retailers do not allow you to include buy-links for competitors. For instance, Apple does not surface any buy-links for Amazon. You'll likely produce multiple versions of your e-books, a unique version for each retailer with their specific buy-links.
The interior layout of your book is the presentation of your book's content. You can go for a no-frills approach or invest in applying more care to the format. When making these choices, consider your personality, the costs involved, and the conventions for your book's market.
Making the interior pretty - The interior layout is all about making the appearance of the book’s content pretty. Some frills that you can add include fancy fonts, fancy chapter headings, scene break images, "left flush" or "drop caps" for the first paragraph of each chapter / scene, and maps (or enhanced content.)
Scene break images: I used scene break images for my first two self-published books, but I've stopped now because they are really hard to get right. (I also made an effort to notice them in other books and decided that they're just noise that adds to the book size.) If you hire a layout expert, they should be able to handle scene break images for you.
First paragraphs: I left-flush the first paragraph of each chapter and each scene break. I played around with drop-caps, but decided I didn't like the way they looked.
Fonts: I limit myself with the fonts, using at most 2 fonts in a book: a serif font for regular text and a san-serif if my characters are texting. The Garamond font is used for 90% or more of the text in my print books. I use "free" fonts in my e-books. There are some weird legalities with "purchased" fonts in e-books.
Hiring a layout expert - I contracted out the interior layout for my first 2 self-pubbed books. I asked self-pubbed friends for recommendations. The going price seemed to be $75-$150 per book. Now, I do the interior layout myself (but I'm also a software developer, so I do this stuff at work for my day-job). Draft2Digital (a distributor) has good tools for turning WORD docs into pretty layouts. You may use them (even if you don't use D2D), and download the books. I haven't used their tools, since I do the work myself.
The text and images (such as covers) that you include in your book can be published in different publishing formats. Your distributor has a required publishing format that they use for creating and distributing books.
PDF – the text and covers of print books are always uploaded to distributors in PDF. The distributors I use (Amazon/KDP and IngramSpark) have templates available to ensure that you get covers right.
ePub – nearly all retailers use the ePub format for e-books. There are plenty of tools out there to convert WORD documents to ePub. I use an open source tool called Calibre to create my ePub files and then upload them to the distributors. If you prefer, the distributors have tools to convert WORD to ePub; these conversion tools work very well, but you do lose a little bit of control over the interior of the book.
NOTE: Amazon formerly used their own proprietary format for distributing e-books, but they have transitioned to using ePub like everyone else.
Book covers – This is your number one marketing tool, so do it well! There are many cover designers out there. Ask for recommendations from your self-pubbed friends. Distributors often have cover designers available. There are also several crowd-sourcing sites that allow you to get “bids” on your book cover design. Prices can run anywhere from $150 to $1000 or more. I've paid $150 for covers and $500 for covers. The quality was good with both. It is possible to create your own covers, but take care that it doesn't look thrown together. Bad covers can kill sales.
Licensing – your cover designer may ask you to pay license fees for stock photos and/or specialized fonts. I paid $10 to license fonts and $50 to license stock photos for my former cover designer. My current one handles the licensing fees herself.
Releasing the Book
Let's look at e-books first.
Cost – once you have your interior layout and cover completed, it costs nothing to establish yourself with an e-book distributor. You just open an account, set up the royalty payments, tax info, and your preferences, and upload your files.
Distributors – Each distributor has a website known as their "author platform." I have accounts with the author platforms on:
- KDP (Amazon),
- NookPress (B&N),
- Kobo Writing Life (Kobo),
- Draft2Digital (iBooks, Overdrive, several international retailers--as well as Amazon and B&N)
The author platforms for KDP, Kobo, and D2D are amazingly easy to use. Very author friendly. It is a pain to go to so many platforms. In my case, I publish separately to KDP, Kobo, and I use D2D for everywhere else.
Royalty – review the royalty percentages carefully with each distributor; percentages change with differing price ranges. I have my ebooks priced at $2.99 or $3.99. Amazon and Kobo give me around 70% and D2D - 60%. Note that Amazon/KDP charges a delivery fee based on the ebook file size.
Release date – Amazon and D2D allowed me to set the release date in the future and accept pre-order sales. On the release date, everything magically worked. With the others, you just click "publish" on the release date, and it releases immediately.
Now, let's go over releasing print books.
Cost – Amazon/KDP charges nothing to set up print books. IngramSpark used to charge $49 per book but I think they will drop the fee after 2023. I did pay $20 to both distributors to ship a proof copy. Both distributors allow authors to purchase “author copies” at approximately $7 per book plus shipping&handling.
Distributors – I use KDP to distribute paperbacks to Amazon. I use IngramSpark to distribute to everyone else. The quality of Ingram books is a little better, and their worldwide shipping is faster. KDP has better domestic shipping plus you will make much more money per book.
Royalty – review the royalty percentages carefully with each distributor. I make about $2 royalty on my KDP books and less than $1 with Ingram. Ingram is a lot of work for lower royalty, but it does have stronger, more loyal distribution to libraries and indie bookstores.)
Release date - KDP releases your book immediately once you have indicated that the proof is acceptable. Ingram allows you to set the release date. If you "accept" the book-proof in advance, they will treat it as a pre-order until the actual release date.
The good and the bad with self-publishing
Let me close these notes with a brief discussion of my opinions about being self-published.
My business goals - Before you make a decision about how to publish your books, be clear about what is important to you for your writing career.
- Do you write because you have something to say?
- Do you like the research and potential travel opportunities?
- Do you want to earn a living as an author?
Consider your unique situation - As an author, I love to collaborate with a publishing team to help produce my books. I love knowing that there are editors committed to improving my story. I happily lean on the expertise of marketing teams and cover designers. A traditional publishing experience works best for me when, of course, I can get a contract.
Another factor that I have to consider is my target market. In the past, I wrote teen fiction in a narrow sub-genre. Since teens prefer print books over e-books, I had to sell print books, which are harder to produce as a self-pubbed author and make a smaller profit margin. I now write adult historical women's fiction--which has book clubs as its primary market. Traditional publishing houses have a strong presence with book clubs.
Self-publishing works especially well for genres with a strong e-book customer base and for authors who can produce quickly and steadily. Neither is true for me.
What I like about self-publishing:
- Faster release dates (you publish when the book is ready)
- Higher royalty rates
- Faster marketing/sales data (it's instantaneous)
- Faster receipt of earnings (usually a month or two after you earn them)
- Controlling my own price points
What I don't like about self-publishing:
- The time I spend writing versus publishing "biz"; I'd really rather spend 100% of my "author" time writing the book
- Making decisions about factors that I have no expertise with (such as book covers and promotion)
- Working on my own (I love collaborating with a publishing team!)
- The correlation between social media presence and earnings
Thursday, January 8, 2015
break-through author on K-books
A book blogger, Kayleigh of K-books, named me as one of her top 10 breakthrough authors for 2014.
Thank you, Kayleigh!
Thank you, Kayleigh!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Whisper Falls Question - How does the waterfall work?
How does the waterfall work? What are the time travel rules?
The simple explanation: The waterfall serves as an express elevator between years.
I based "time travel" in this series on an ancient theory of time known as spiral time. In this theory, time is not linear. It does not move in a straight line (linear). It spirals--like a coil, spring, or "slinky."
Another way to model time in the Whisper Falls series is to view it like a round building. Each floor represents one year. (Or--each floor is 365 days in circumference.) In the first book, there are 220 floors stacked on top of each other. The bottom floor is 1796. The top floor is 2016.
- Travel always occurs on the same day between centuries. If it's July 4th in 1796, then it is July 4th in 2016. You can think of it as an "express elevator" in the round building metaphor. If you get on the December 9th elevator in the 19th century, then you get off on December 9th in the 21st century.
- Time progresses at the same pace between centuries. If Mark visits 1796 and stays for 24 hours, then 2016 has moved forward 24 hours as well. For instance, if Mark traveled to the past on June 2nd and stayed one full day, then he'll need to ride the June 3rd "express elevator" back up to 2016.
- Present-day is always the destination of any travel to the future. Susanna cannot choose to travel to a future year other than Mark's world. In the round building metaphor, Mark's life always awaits them on the top floor. For books 1 and 2, that is 2016. For book 3, it's 2017. The express elevator only travels up to the 21st century.
- The waterfall allows Susanna to suggest a year in the past that she wants to travel to. Susanna can ask the waterfall to change the "bottom floor" to years later than 1796. For instance, if she asked to go to 1800, Whisper Falls could take her there.
- The waterfall can refuse to take Susanna somewhere if it deems that too dangerous. If she wanted to visit the American Civil War, for example, the waterfall would've refused.
- Once Susanna has visited a date in the past, she can't go further back. She can only ask for dates that are moving forward. For instance, if she visits October 1, 1800, she may never again travel to a time that is earlier than October 1, 1800.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Whisper Falls question - Why is Mark so nice?
Why is Mark so nice[, boring, immature, ordinary]?
Many reviewers have noted in their reviews that Mark is not a typical YA hero. He's not a super-hero, a super-jock, a super-geek, a super-bad-boy, or a super-star.
Mark is a nice, ordinary teen guy. He'll change, of course. Over the three book series, he'll mature, particularly toward the end of the final book. But I had to create him as average because that is exactly what Susanna needed.
A super-anything guy wouldn't have been interested in Susanna, and she would've been put off by him. She needed someone who was kind, polite, and curious. She had to be paired with someone who, when the situation called for it, was able to draw upon his reserves of strength and become more than he could've possibly imagined. Mark fits that description.
Here are some things to keep in mind about the hero of the Whisper Falls series.
- It isn't fair to compare Mark to Susanna. I doubt there are many teens in contemporary America who could ever be as mature as Susanna. She was forced into servitude at ten. She's been a working adult for 8 years. No modern teens biking through Umstead Park USA could approach her maturity. If you must compare Mark, compare him to other guys his age.
- Susanna is a good judge of character. She sees into the core of Mark's being and recognizes his innate decency. Sure, he makes mistakes. He regresses when he gets back to school and starts hanging out with his classmates. But he's still just a genuinely good guy waiting for the right catalyst to draw the greatness out of him. Susanna will be that catalyst--eventually.
- Mark's growth is slow and steady. He's a late bloomer. Until he met Susanna, he had little reason to be amazing. Although he did live through bullying in middle school, he's had no real opportunities to excel at anything that matters...until Susanna. Over the length of the trilogy, Mark will mature. He'll cycle through periods of setbacks and growth. Yet, by the end of the series, he will be so much more than when the story began.
I wrote Mark because teens should know that it's fine to be (so-called) average. They don't have to be the best at any of the things that society (or high school) deems important. All they have to be is good people; the rest will follow. I hope they see themselves in Mark, a character who demonstrates that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things.
[I often get questions about the Whisper Falls series. I'll answer each of the most commonly asked questions in a separate blog post. You can navigate to them in the FAQ on my website too.]
Friday, April 25, 2014
Whisper Falls Question - Is Neuse Academy fact or fiction?
Is Neuse Academy fact or fiction? Did you use a specific private school in the Raleigh area
for Mark’s high school?
Neuse Academy, the fictional private high school that Mark
attends, is a composite of three local private schools.
There were several attributes that I wanted for Neuse
Academy. I couldn’t find one school in the area that had all of those
attributes, so I visited the web sites of several local private schools and
found 3 that seemed to have the academics, activities, sports,
extracurriculars, and atmosphere that I wanted for Mark. He gets the best of
the best in his school.
[I often get questions about the Whisper Falls series. I'll answer each of the most commonly asked questions in a separate blog post. You can navigate to them from my website, too.]
[I often get questions about the Whisper Falls series. I'll answer each of the most commonly asked questions in a separate blog post. You can navigate to them from my website, too.]
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Whisper Falls Question - What do you know about teens?
I often get questions about the Whisper Falls series, writing YA, researching history, or what it's like to be an author. I'll answer each of the most commonly asked questions in a separate blog post and include them in the FAQ on my website too.
What do you know about teens? What qualifies you to write
Young Adult (YA)?
I have two kids in college, so I’ve lived through the
process of parenting teens. I do recognize, however, that my daughters and
their friends might not be typical of American teens in every region of the country,
so I’m grateful to have an editorial staff that brings different perspectives
to both my books as well as the dozens of other YA books they edit.
My junior editor is in her early twenties (recent college graduate and
former teen). My senior editor teaches social studies to eighth-graders,
so he’s surrounded by teens throughout the school year. Even my 18-year-old
reads all of my books multiple times to ensure that I’m keeping things realistic.
I’m lucky to have such a solid team of people to find and point out my mistakes.
Monday, February 3, 2014
My first fan letter
I have received my first fan letter. It was written by the 20-something granddaughter of a long-time colleague and friend. (I suspect I've known him about as long as she's been alive.)
Sarah received a copy of my book for Christmas. I'm not sure what she must've thought as she opened that gift. (Really, Grandpa? A book?) She tells me (through her letter) that she has not read much for pleasure in recent years.
I totally get that. My two daughters struggled with the same problem in middle- and high-school. Novels assigned to them in English classes were often long, slow-paced, and boring. It frustrated me as a parent because, while I understood the goal of having kids cover 'the classics,' I hated that my girls were so turned off by books that they simply stopped reading.
Sarah says that Whisper Falls helped her experience the joys of reading. Wow. I'm delighted, honored, and humbled to learn that she feels that way.
I won't copy her entire letter here (because I love it and I don't like to share. :) But there are a few quotes I don't think she'd mind if I passed along.
"For the first time in my life while reading, I laughed, cried, got angry, felt warm inside ... I didn't want it to end."
"While I was reading the book, I seemed to realize how much we take for granted, such as ice cream, a warm bath, and a bed with sheets and blankets. I lay in the bed now, thankful for all that I have ..."
"It was amazing to me that I could get so involved in words on a piece of paper, but it felt great."
Sarah's letter made me a little teary-eyed when I read it this morning. It makes me teary-eyed now. It's thrilling to know that she enjoyed this book and that she wants to read more.
Most authors don't make all that much money on their stories. 85% of us have to show up at our day jobs to afford to keep writing. But we do it anyway, because we are compensated in ways too glorious to miss. Like our first fan letters.
Thank you, Sarah. Readers like you are the reason I write.
Sarah received a copy of my book for Christmas. I'm not sure what she must've thought as she opened that gift. (Really, Grandpa? A book?) She tells me (through her letter) that she has not read much for pleasure in recent years.
I totally get that. My two daughters struggled with the same problem in middle- and high-school. Novels assigned to them in English classes were often long, slow-paced, and boring. It frustrated me as a parent because, while I understood the goal of having kids cover 'the classics,' I hated that my girls were so turned off by books that they simply stopped reading.
Sarah says that Whisper Falls helped her experience the joys of reading. Wow. I'm delighted, honored, and humbled to learn that she feels that way.
I won't copy her entire letter here (because I love it and I don't like to share. :) But there are a few quotes I don't think she'd mind if I passed along.
"For the first time in my life while reading, I laughed, cried, got angry, felt warm inside ... I didn't want it to end."
"While I was reading the book, I seemed to realize how much we take for granted, such as ice cream, a warm bath, and a bed with sheets and blankets. I lay in the bed now, thankful for all that I have ..."
"It was amazing to me that I could get so involved in words on a piece of paper, but it felt great."
Sarah's letter made me a little teary-eyed when I read it this morning. It makes me teary-eyed now. It's thrilling to know that she enjoyed this book and that she wants to read more.
Most authors don't make all that much money on their stories. 85% of us have to show up at our day jobs to afford to keep writing. But we do it anyway, because we are compensated in ways too glorious to miss. Like our first fan letters.
Thank you, Sarah. Readers like you are the reason I write.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
65 days
My first book releases in 65 days. 9 weeks. Around Thanksgiving.
I'm in a no-man's land between contract and debut release. Technically, I'm not a published author. I will be published on 19 November and forevermore after that. But I've been in a gray area for the sixteen months since I signed a contract. Not quite published. Not really un-published.
I'm sitting in a cafe, about to eat my veggie omelet, with my laptop going.1 People ask what I'm doing and I say I'm an author. And there's a hesitance in me to say that out loud because it doesn't seem quite true. Yet.
In a couple of months, that slight hitch in my statement will go away. I'll claim the job. I'll have information about my numbers.2 I'll have reviews, fans, detractors, and other such authorial stuff.
Last night, I finished my fifth full-length novel. I wrote it several years ago, but the story needed a skilled, experienced writer to write it, and that wasn't what I was several years ago. So I put it down and waited. This summer, I picked it back up. This go-round, I did the characters and their pain justice. And this time, it might get published because I'm an...author now.
Okay, my omelet's getting cold. And so is my coffee. Plus, with all of my current projects completed and/or in the publishing assembly line, I'm ready to dream up a new idea.
1 Always, I have my laptop with me when I'm not working at my day job.
2 For most authors, your numbers are "how many units sold" or "how much in sales". But there are other numbers too, like "how many twitter followers" or "how many books under contract." I'll go from caring about words to caring about numbers too.
I'm in a no-man's land between contract and debut release. Technically, I'm not a published author. I will be published on 19 November and forevermore after that. But I've been in a gray area for the sixteen months since I signed a contract. Not quite published. Not really un-published.
I'm sitting in a cafe, about to eat my veggie omelet, with my laptop going.1 People ask what I'm doing and I say I'm an author. And there's a hesitance in me to say that out loud because it doesn't seem quite true. Yet.
In a couple of months, that slight hitch in my statement will go away. I'll claim the job. I'll have information about my numbers.2 I'll have reviews, fans, detractors, and other such authorial stuff.
Last night, I finished my fifth full-length novel. I wrote it several years ago, but the story needed a skilled, experienced writer to write it, and that wasn't what I was several years ago. So I put it down and waited. This summer, I picked it back up. This go-round, I did the characters and their pain justice. And this time, it might get published because I'm an...author now.
Okay, my omelet's getting cold. And so is my coffee. Plus, with all of my current projects completed and/or in the publishing assembly line, I'm ready to dream up a new idea.
1 Always, I have my laptop with me when I'm not working at my day job.
2 For most authors, your numbers are "how many units sold" or "how much in sales". But there are other numbers too, like "how many twitter followers" or "how many books under contract." I'll go from caring about words to caring about numbers too.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Reader reaction
The thing I'm going to love most about being published is the response from readers.
I've been warned that I can't please everyone. So, yeah, I understand that. Not every book I read appeals to me either.
But there will be some people who do like them. They're going to love my characters. Readers will gasp over, worry over, cry over the things that my characters go through. And then readers will talk to me about it, and we'll compare notes, and imagine what happens after The End.
I can't wait.
I got a taste of it this weekend. I submitted Whispers From the Past to my editors. Editor-J finished the book this weekend, and we've been sending a flurry of email talking about what happened to whom and how it made us feel and...
I loved it.
All of you readers out there, send me email or come to my book-signings or stop me at conferences where I'm speaking. And talk to me about books, characters, consequences, emotion, love.
That's why I write stories. That's why you read them!
P.S. I took the above photo on vacation in Belgium this summer. The B&B where we stayed had a beautiful backyard garden.
I've been warned that I can't please everyone. So, yeah, I understand that. Not every book I read appeals to me either.
But there will be some people who do like them. They're going to love my characters. Readers will gasp over, worry over, cry over the things that my characters go through. And then readers will talk to me about it, and we'll compare notes, and imagine what happens after The End.
I can't wait.
I got a taste of it this weekend. I submitted Whispers From the Past to my editors. Editor-J finished the book this weekend, and we've been sending a flurry of email talking about what happened to whom and how it made us feel and...
I loved it.
All of you readers out there, send me email or come to my book-signings or stop me at conferences where I'm speaking. And talk to me about books, characters, consequences, emotion, love.
That's why I write stories. That's why you read them!
P.S. I took the above photo on vacation in Belgium this summer. The B&B where we stayed had a beautiful backyard garden.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Hard to say goodbye
I submitted Whispers From the Past last night to the publishing house. It's a milestone to celebrate and to mourn.
I love the characters in the Whisper Falls series, especially my hero and heroine. Mark and Susanna are household names around here. We talk about M&S as if they were real. If I swear, DD2 will say "That's Mark's favorite curse word." Or if I mention our second president, someone will remind me that "Susanna calls John Adams a vain toad", as if she's an authority on the subject.
I cried when I came to The End. Really. It was like going through empty nest syndrome. And on the day a few months hence, when I approve the final edited version and see the third book head off to the printer, I'll probably cry again. I'll want to write novellas and short stories about Mark and Susanna and their fictional friends, just so I can slip into their world(s) again.
There will be other series to write. Other stories to plot. But this book is my first-born. I'm going to miss it a lot.
Yes, M&S are members of the family now. It's time to let them go.
I love the characters in the Whisper Falls series, especially my hero and heroine. Mark and Susanna are household names around here. We talk about M&S as if they were real. If I swear, DD2 will say "That's Mark's favorite curse word." Or if I mention our second president, someone will remind me that "Susanna calls John Adams a vain toad", as if she's an authority on the subject.
I cried when I came to The End. Really. It was like going through empty nest syndrome. And on the day a few months hence, when I approve the final edited version and see the third book head off to the printer, I'll probably cry again. I'll want to write novellas and short stories about Mark and Susanna and their fictional friends, just so I can slip into their world(s) again.
There will be other series to write. Other stories to plot. But this book is my first-born. I'm going to miss it a lot.
Yes, M&S are members of the family now. It's time to let them go.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Body language
My best friend and I were sitting at lunch the other day, and a hot guy walked by. So I said, "That guy is hot." (I'm eloquent that way.)
"Would you say that in front of your husband?" she asked.
"Sure would. And he doesn't mind."
She expressed some disbelief on his behalf, but it's the truth. It has to be. It is my job to notice people.
I'm an author. I write stories where I must describe things. Human beings are the main things I describe. Mostly, a story is about what my characters think and how they act. But their appearance (either the one they're born with or the one they create) can have a powerful impact on their thoughts, their actions, how other characters react to them, and--ultimately--how the reader responds.
Authors must be good manipulators of body language.
I know a dozen ways to say "blond." If I call a girl "overweight", the reader has a different mental image than if I call her "curvy." I might give a minor character light brown eyes, but the hero's eyes are amber.
I pay attention to details. What is the shape of a person's face? Is it symmetric? Do they have scars? Facial hair? Does their hairstyle flatter or detract? How about their hands? Do they have long, elegant fingers? Is the skin supple, rough, or wrinkled? Are the nails long? Manicured? Dirty? Bitten?
I might say that I find a guy attractive, but I could also write you a five-hundred word description to tell you exactly why. And it is likely that elements of that description will wind up in a book of mine one day.
Authors have careers that require understanding from spouses, but we're not the only ones. Actors kiss people who aren't their partners. Health care providers see and touch bare body parts as part of their daily routine. The lady at the lingerie store knows precisely what bra size I wear just by looking.
My husband understands. He knows that a lot of what I say is simply exercising the tools of my trade.
Really. If I say you're hot, it's professional, not personal. Most of the time.
"Would you say that in front of your husband?" she asked.
"Sure would. And he doesn't mind."
She expressed some disbelief on his behalf, but it's the truth. It has to be. It is my job to notice people.
I'm an author. I write stories where I must describe things. Human beings are the main things I describe. Mostly, a story is about what my characters think and how they act. But their appearance (either the one they're born with or the one they create) can have a powerful impact on their thoughts, their actions, how other characters react to them, and--ultimately--how the reader responds.
Authors must be good manipulators of body language.
I know a dozen ways to say "blond." If I call a girl "overweight", the reader has a different mental image than if I call her "curvy." I might give a minor character light brown eyes, but the hero's eyes are amber.
I pay attention to details. What is the shape of a person's face? Is it symmetric? Do they have scars? Facial hair? Does their hairstyle flatter or detract? How about their hands? Do they have long, elegant fingers? Is the skin supple, rough, or wrinkled? Are the nails long? Manicured? Dirty? Bitten?
I might say that I find a guy attractive, but I could also write you a five-hundred word description to tell you exactly why. And it is likely that elements of that description will wind up in a book of mine one day.
Authors have careers that require understanding from spouses, but we're not the only ones. Actors kiss people who aren't their partners. Health care providers see and touch bare body parts as part of their daily routine. The lady at the lingerie store knows precisely what bra size I wear just by looking.
My husband understands. He knows that a lot of what I say is simply exercising the tools of my trade.
Really. If I say you're hot, it's professional, not personal. Most of the time.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Jitters that did not come from coffee
To borrow a phrase from my agent, we are on submission.
Writers are in a golden age, I think. We are no longer limited to one channel for selling our work. Ten years ago, if we wrote a great book, we had to find a publishing house (PH) willing to take a risk on us. The book had to be different enough to be fresh and unique, but similar enough for the PH to understand how to promote it and where to shelve it in bookstores. So, yeah—fresh, unique, and the same as everything else. Quite the trick.
Today, if no PH will buy our great book because it's too risky, authors have two choices: 1) try self-publishing or 2) hope the market changes so that we can try again later. There are pros and cons to both.
I'm sticking with the second option for now. Its pros are more compelling for me than its cons. I like having professional help with editing, distributing, and promoting my books—and those qualities tend to be the strengths of publishing houses.
Several years ago, I wrote a book called I WISH. It finaled in an international writing contest known as the Golden Heart®. It caught the eye of my literary agent, who signed me because of I WISH.
We tried for months to sell IW. We came really close a couple of times. Even though the responses was positive, the answer was the same. This book is too different. Too risky. We don't know how to market it.
Fine. Whatever. I archived IW and started something new. After that something new sold, I pulled I WISH out of archive and took another look. The world had changed enough in the interim that I thought this book still held promise.
First, I have changed. I am a better author now. I've practiced hard, taken classes, and improved my skills at processing feedback. Secondly, technology has changed. The characters have new computers, devices, and information available to them. Thirdly, the market has changed. E-books have expanded the possibilities. Young Adult fiction, with its willingness to experiment with "formulas," has pushed the market along new and exciting terrain.
Given all of those changes, I took my much-loved I WISH apart and put it back together. I worked hard. I hired a freelance editor and 2 teen beta readers. I listened to them and applied their suggestions. And together, we've made IW even better than before.
My agent has sent the book out there into the publishing world. It could be weeks or months before we know anything. Until then, I wait for good news, with the jitters in full force.
Writers are in a golden age, I think. We are no longer limited to one channel for selling our work. Ten years ago, if we wrote a great book, we had to find a publishing house (PH) willing to take a risk on us. The book had to be different enough to be fresh and unique, but similar enough for the PH to understand how to promote it and where to shelve it in bookstores. So, yeah—fresh, unique, and the same as everything else. Quite the trick.
Today, if no PH will buy our great book because it's too risky, authors have two choices: 1) try self-publishing or 2) hope the market changes so that we can try again later. There are pros and cons to both.
I'm sticking with the second option for now. Its pros are more compelling for me than its cons. I like having professional help with editing, distributing, and promoting my books—and those qualities tend to be the strengths of publishing houses.
Several years ago, I wrote a book called I WISH. It finaled in an international writing contest known as the Golden Heart®. It caught the eye of my literary agent, who signed me because of I WISH.
We tried for months to sell IW. We came really close a couple of times. Even though the responses was positive, the answer was the same. This book is too different. Too risky. We don't know how to market it.
Fine. Whatever. I archived IW and started something new. After that something new sold, I pulled I WISH out of archive and took another look. The world had changed enough in the interim that I thought this book still held promise.
First, I have changed. I am a better author now. I've practiced hard, taken classes, and improved my skills at processing feedback. Secondly, technology has changed. The characters have new computers, devices, and information available to them. Thirdly, the market has changed. E-books have expanded the possibilities. Young Adult fiction, with its willingness to experiment with "formulas," has pushed the market along new and exciting terrain.
My agent has sent the book out there into the publishing world. It could be weeks or months before we know anything. Until then, I wait for good news, with the jitters in full force.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Happy birthday to my hero
It's my hero's birthday. My real hero.
That would be my husband. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure if I would be a writer.
Being a writer is a horribly difficult career. Only masochists should apply. Like any artform, it requires talent, hard work, lessons, practice, and practice. You do your best, display your talent to the world, and wait for.... rejection.
Yes, indeed, rejection is what writers get most of the time. I've been rejected by editors, by agents, by contest judges—and many were cruel. Once my books release, I'll be rejected by critics and readers—and many will be cruel. Let me assure you, even the most secure person gets their soul chipped away from all of that rejection.
That is why a writing career is a terrible choice for the writer's family. With all of the hard work, practice, and rejection it includes, things get neglected, like chores. Meals. Basic civilities. People.
Without the support and encouragement of my husband, I couldn't have done it. He has waited patiently for more than a dozen years for my writing career to take off. He ignored the messy house (most of the time), pushed me to attend conferences, drove me on research trips, shrugged at the receipts for my expenses, and took the kids away on daddy-daughter trips so that Mom could write. He listened to my insecurities and then did what he could to leave me feeling ever-more-secure. He created the environment in which I could be my best. If my books do well, it's his success too.
Thank you, sweetheart. And happy birthday!
That would be my husband. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure if I would be a writer.
Being a writer is a horribly difficult career. Only masochists should apply. Like any artform, it requires talent, hard work, lessons, practice, and practice. You do your best, display your talent to the world, and wait for.... rejection.
Yes, indeed, rejection is what writers get most of the time. I've been rejected by editors, by agents, by contest judges—and many were cruel. Once my books release, I'll be rejected by critics and readers—and many will be cruel. Let me assure you, even the most secure person gets their soul chipped away from all of that rejection.
That is why a writing career is a terrible choice for the writer's family. With all of the hard work, practice, and rejection it includes, things get neglected, like chores. Meals. Basic civilities. People.
Without the support and encouragement of my husband, I couldn't have done it. He has waited patiently for more than a dozen years for my writing career to take off. He ignored the messy house (most of the time), pushed me to attend conferences, drove me on research trips, shrugged at the receipts for my expenses, and took the kids away on daddy-daughter trips so that Mom could write. He listened to my insecurities and then did what he could to leave me feeling ever-more-secure. He created the environment in which I could be my best. If my books do well, it's his success too.
Thank you, sweetheart. And happy birthday!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The write kind of holiday
I'm loving this time of year. Regardless of your faith tradition, I hope you are too.
However, 2012 brings a major change in how I structure my holiday.
I've spent so much time around work-a-holics that I vowed I would never be one. When I was off-duty, I wouldn't work. Holidays were a time to relax and celebrate.
Then I became an author, and my attitude had to change. I am writing under a deadline. I can no longer measure a project by its percentage of completeness. The book is done--or it's not done.
So, yes, it is Christmas morning. We've opened gifts. We've eaten our 'special breakfast.' We've planned what we'll take to Christmas dinner at the home of dear friends.
And in-between all of that, I'll be writing.
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The scariest question
A blogger in the UK, Reading away the days!, has scheduled me for an interview on January 14th. Megan McDade has sent me advance questions to ponder.
The scariest question: Tell me about yourself.
Let's think about this a moment. I'm a novelist. I write fiction! Why would readers trust me to get the facts straight when I'm paid to make things up?
Okay. Deep breath. I can do this. Back to writing answers to my first interview as an author...
The scariest question: Tell me about yourself.
Let's think about this a moment. I'm a novelist. I write fiction! Why would readers trust me to get the facts straight when I'm paid to make things up?
Okay. Deep breath. I can do this. Back to writing answers to my first interview as an author...
Monday, November 19, 2012
366 and counting . . .
November 19 is the big day—in 2013!
Yes, in precisely one year, Whisper Falls releases. It seems so far away. I want it to be here already.
Of course, it's not like I'm lying around waiting. I have more edits to make. Two more books to complete. Facts to research. Readers to meet. Swag to design. ARCs to sign.
And, naturally, there's my life outside of writing. I have two daughters to (s)mother. A house to ignore. A geeky job to perform. A spouse to adore.
Yeah, maybe that year will fly by...
Yes, in precisely one year, Whisper Falls releases. It seems so far away. I want it to be here already.
Of course, it's not like I'm lying around waiting. I have more edits to make. Two more books to complete. Facts to research. Readers to meet. Swag to design. ARCs to sign.
And, naturally, there's my life outside of writing. I have two daughters to (s)mother. A house to ignore. A geeky job to perform. A spouse to adore.
Yeah, maybe that year will fly by...
Monday, November 12, 2012
Be Not Afraid
Sunday was a spectacular day in many ways.
I learned so much from this wonderful group of young women and their moms. (For the YA writers reading this post, get thee to a book club. You will get way more than you give.) I asked the group if I could interview them, and they graciously consented. Read on and I promise that you too will benefit from their collective wisdom1.
Q: What do you like least about the current YA fiction market?
A:
Q: What makes a YA book appealing to you? What would you wish to see more of?
A:
Q: How much slang is okay? How much cursing?
A:
Q: What topics can authors address in YA fiction?
A:
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring YA authors?
A:
Q: What makes you want to pick up a book in a bookstore?
A:
Q: Anything else besides the cover?
A: Back blurbs, although not everyone reads them. Some readers don't want to have too big of a hint in advance.
Q: Tell me more about what you like in cover art.
A:
Q: What types of social media do you use most?
A:
Q: How do you find out about books?
A:
Wow. Are you not blown away by their wisdom? I'm so glad I asked them for this interview. The girls4, like their answers, were smart, profound, fun, and inspiring. I enjoyed this visit so much that I'll just have to beg, borrow, and steal my way into other such opportunities.
America, you have nothing to fear. The next generation is amazing!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 The answers to interview questions include actual quotes from the book club members. The teens answered more than the mothers, but Moms are represented in there too.
2 The adults agreed with the teens on this issue, which is good since my characters (especially the hero) curse. I think it is organic to his personality, though.
3 There was a Language Arts teacher at the book club meeting. She told me that her booklists tend to contain classics. She said that it's hard to find well-written books in the current market that she can recommend. That, YA authors, is a sobering statement. Just sayin...
4Thanks to Ellie, Claire, Laura, Melanie, and Michelle for inviting me!
- North Carolina had another gorgeous autumn day. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love my adopted state?)
- It was Veterans Day. People told me thank you for my service to the nation (and I, in turn, thanked those who gave the far-greater sacrifice of service during wartime.)
- I attended my first author's event.
I learned so much from this wonderful group of young women and their moms. (For the YA writers reading this post, get thee to a book club. You will get way more than you give.) I asked the group if I could interview them, and they graciously consented. Read on and I promise that you too will benefit from their collective wisdom1.
Q: What do you like least about the current YA fiction market?
A:
- There is too much sameness. Bookstores have entire sections of Paranormal Romance. We're seeing too many Twilight knock-offs.
- The storylines just seem too young. A lot of today's books are better suited to the middle grade age group than high school readers.
Q: What makes a YA book appealing to you? What would you wish to see more of?
A:
- When writing a character, allow him/her to be:
- more real
- both good and bad
- multi-dimensional and flawed
-
We want stories with:
- more complex plots
- higher quality, especially in execution
- better writing in general (style, voice, sentence structure, literary devices, vocabulary, etc)
Q: How much slang is okay? How much cursing?
A:
- Only use slang in dialog. Leave it out when we're inside the character's head.
- With cursing, it really doesn't matter. It's fine either way. But—if you do use curse words—don't let them be gratuitous. It has to flow naturally from the characters' personalities and the situations they find themselves in2.
- FYI... we spell out everything in our texts now. We might be a little easy on the capitalization, but everything else is usually correct.
Q: What topics can authors address in YA fiction?
A:
- Avoid anything too cliched. We've seen plenty of books on typical teen issues.
- Give us more about relationships. Romantic relationships are still fine, but there are other kinds too. We have relationships with our parents, friends, siblings, grandparents, and teachers. Explore those.
- It would be great to have more characters who struggle to find their purpose in life. Why am I here? Where should I go next and how do I get there? Write books about the process of self-discovery.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring YA authors?
A:
- Don't try to follow a pattern too much. Don't copy what's already on the market. If you do, you're missing the point. You have your own good qualities, your own voice, your own unique way of executing a story. That's the book we want to read.
- Don't cater to the least common denominator. Don't dumb down the book. We like well-written stories. We like good sentence structure and vocabulary. We want complexity.
- Let the characters be real. Let them make mistakes and suffer the consequences.
- Don't be predictable. We don't want to see the plot twists a mile away. But don't just insert yourself into the story and make things happen either. Surprise us in the right way.
Q: What makes you want to pick up a book in a bookstore?
A:
- The Cover [the girls said in unison]
- [laughter]
- [silence]
Q: Anything else besides the cover?
A: Back blurbs, although not everyone reads them. Some readers don't want to have too big of a hint in advance.
Q: Tell me more about what you like in cover art.
A:
- It has to be cool.
- It needs a great font.
- We like photographs better than artwork, but it has to be good quality photography.
Q: What types of social media do you use most?
A:
- Twitter, for conversations
- Tumblr, a little
- But Facebook? Not so much. FB seems to be fading away.
Q: How do you find out about books?
A:
- Word of mouth is the best way. We get recommendations from our friends and our moms.
- goodreads.com
- booklists from teachers3
- teenink.com
- magazines
- Once we like an author, we'll research more books by that author on amazon.com or the author's website.
Wow. Are you not blown away by their wisdom? I'm so glad I asked them for this interview. The girls4, like their answers, were smart, profound, fun, and inspiring. I enjoyed this visit so much that I'll just have to beg, borrow, and steal my way into other such opportunities.
America, you have nothing to fear. The next generation is amazing!
1 The answers to interview questions include actual quotes from the book club members. The teens answered more than the mothers, but Moms are represented in there too.
2 The adults agreed with the teens on this issue, which is good since my characters (especially the hero) curse. I think it is organic to his personality, though.
3 There was a Language Arts teacher at the book club meeting. She told me that her booklists tend to contain classics. She said that it's hard to find well-written books in the current market that she can recommend. That, YA authors, is a sobering statement. Just sayin...
4Thanks to Ellie, Claire, Laura, Melanie, and Michelle for inviting me!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A Dog's Tale
My co-worker Ed is visually impaired. He has a seeing-eye dog who has his own blog.
Willie-the-seeing-eye-dog Blog has been in existence for about six months and has had two postings. Willie and his ghost-writer Ed have been too busy to give it the attention it needs.
Ed has asked me to take over the responsibility of ghost-writing for Willie. After all, I'm a writer. How hard could it be to switch from writing fictional characters to channeling a live dog?
I've said yes to writing the blog. But the request reminded me of a simple truth about artists that might not be intuitive. Our abilities tend to be limited to specific genres and forms. Consider dance. A dancer who has trained in hip-hop for years will not be able to pick up a role in classical ballet overnight. While hip-hop and ballet are both forms of dance, the style, mood, and required skills can be very different. This holds true for writing. Just because I'm good at novel-length fiction, it isn't a certainty that I will be good at short stories, poetry, or ghost-writing for a non-verbal creature.
But I'm going to give it a shot. If you check Willie's blog periodically, you may see the ghost of Elizabeth there.
Willie-the-seeing-eye-dog Blog has been in existence for about six months and has had two postings. Willie and his ghost-writer Ed have been too busy to give it the attention it needs.
Ed has asked me to take over the responsibility of ghost-writing for Willie. After all, I'm a writer. How hard could it be to switch from writing fictional characters to channeling a live dog?
I've said yes to writing the blog. But the request reminded me of a simple truth about artists that might not be intuitive. Our abilities tend to be limited to specific genres and forms. Consider dance. A dancer who has trained in hip-hop for years will not be able to pick up a role in classical ballet overnight. While hip-hop and ballet are both forms of dance, the style, mood, and required skills can be very different. This holds true for writing. Just because I'm good at novel-length fiction, it isn't a certainty that I will be good at short stories, poetry, or ghost-writing for a non-verbal creature.
Friday, October 19, 2012
The First Appearance
A mother/daughter book club has invited me to visit their next meeting.
My first reaction was yes!
Then logic took over. Whisper Falls doesn't release for another year. The book club knows that--right?
Yes, they knew. And, yes, they want me anyway.
I'm so excited. I love to talk about writing and the publishing process. Commercial fiction is a tough business. Breaking-in can be crazy-difficult. Aspiring authors write for years, pouring their hearts-and-souls into their stories. Yet there is no guarantee that they will sell. In fact, less than one percent of manuscripts will ever be bought and published!
It gets worse. For the magic few who get one of those elusive publishing contracts, the money is usually mediocre. Only a handful of authors will earn enough to quit their day jobs.
We must be psycho. Really. It takes years of practice to write that first marketable book. A tiny percentage of us succeed in selling. The lucky ones make very little money. And our success is entirely dependent on the good opinions of people we'll never meet.
Why do we do this again?
I know why. The book club reminds me. It's all about the readers. Meeting them fuels my enthusiasm. I can't wait to infect others with my love for the characters in my stories. I can't wait to hear what these teens like (and don't like) to read. And I'm aware that the next JK Rowling could be sitting in that room. What I say to the girls in the book club might inspire one of them to write the next Little Women or The King of Attolia.
Even though the meeting is in November, I'm getting prepared. My publisher has given me permission to read an excerpt from Whisper Falls. There is swag to collect. It's time to learn how to be better at my new job.
My first reaction was yes!
Then logic took over. Whisper Falls doesn't release for another year. The book club knows that--right?
Yes, they knew. And, yes, they want me anyway.
I'm so excited. I love to talk about writing and the publishing process. Commercial fiction is a tough business. Breaking-in can be crazy-difficult. Aspiring authors write for years, pouring their hearts-and-souls into their stories. Yet there is no guarantee that they will sell. In fact, less than one percent of manuscripts will ever be bought and published!
It gets worse. For the magic few who get one of those elusive publishing contracts, the money is usually mediocre. Only a handful of authors will earn enough to quit their day jobs.
We must be psycho. Really. It takes years of practice to write that first marketable book. A tiny percentage of us succeed in selling. The lucky ones make very little money. And our success is entirely dependent on the good opinions of people we'll never meet.
Why do we do this again?
I know why. The book club reminds me. It's all about the readers. Meeting them fuels my enthusiasm. I can't wait to infect others with my love for the characters in my stories. I can't wait to hear what these teens like (and don't like) to read. And I'm aware that the next JK Rowling could be sitting in that room. What I say to the girls in the book club might inspire one of them to write the next Little Women or The King of Attolia.
Even though the meeting is in November, I'm getting prepared. My publisher has given me permission to read an excerpt from Whisper Falls. There is swag to collect. It's time to learn how to be better at my new job.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)