How Long Does It Take to Write a Novel?

Okay, so I sort of have an answer to this question. Sort of and maybe not so helpful, other than to give some comfort to writers who are in the trenches of finishing that first, or second or however many. I did some research and quite honestly the information did not answer the question. Instead, the authors and their works were scattered all over the place and covered a huge range of time. From two days to fifteen years! (Although, picturing an author sitting at a desk several hours a day, nonstop, for fifteen years is NOT feasible, practical, or healthy. Lol. Most likely took breaks -- months, maybe years in between writing, right?)

Here are some of the authors and their famous works mentioned:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne: finished in 2.5 days! Wow. Talk about speed writing.

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens: finished in 8 months. A little more along my pace.

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien: finished in 2 years: Okay, but this one would have been fun to write and I wouldn't want the journey to end!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone -  J. K. Rollings: finished in 5 years. Yeah, but think about all the coffee and conversations interrupting the writing flow. And family stuff. Life happens.

Aaand *drumroll*, those competing for the longest running time to write a novel (on this list, at least) are:

Salinger's Catcher in the Rye and Mitchell's Gone with the Wind - tied at 10 years.

Hugo's Les Miserables - 12 years. (Loved this novel! And even when I had to read it in French during college!)

Tolkien's Lord of the Ring's Trilogy - 15 years. (Really? This shouldn't count since we're talking about 3 books, not one.) 

Those are only a few mentioned in the article, but there is a clear message in answering the question, "How long does it take to write a novel?" Answer: However long it takes. 

Footnote: I spend an average of 4 to 9 months to finish a manuscript. Things to consider -- day job, staying healthy, personal life, inspiration or lack of, plot bunnies, genre vs. literary fiction, and so on, will all affect how much time you have to write and get it done. In other words, don't beat yourself up by comparing yourself to other writers' accomplishments. It's not healthy or productive. Writing is creative and not tied to a timeline...or at least it's that way until you get a book contract. Then the publisher will have something to say about timelines! LOL

Happy writing and reading! Below is a link to the article and chart. I hope it gives you some solace as you dive into your project. 😄

Time to Write a Book

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Book Deals and Treadmills

I'll admit it. I'm a couch potato. A desk chair dud. Find me a place to park my derriere and I'm in it, getting all comfy, cozy. It's the downside of being a writer and retiree. That and binging on junk food. However, I promised myself if a got a book deal (it's been four years since I signed my last one), I'd make an attempt to live a healthier, more active life, i.e. dust off the treadmill and get to walking. To clarify, I've been on the treadmill, take walks with the dog, and such, but nothing regular. I'm determined to change that. Cross your fingers for me. I'll need lots of cheering on!

And yes, the time is here, folks. I signed a deal last week with Black Opal Books, a very nice independent press, stamped with approval by Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. My mystery, BURIED IN SIN, (previously titled Grave Maker Blues), will see the "light of publishing" sometime in 2019. It's been a long road to get here. Lots of hard work and buckets of sweat. And I am excited. Really, really excited!

Of course, the work is never done. Writing is a cycle, an on-going adventure. Sort of like that treadmill. You gotta keep walking to stay alive and healthy. That said, I'm stepping away from the desk and laptop to get my routine started. And maybe while I'm at it, I can plot my next mystery!

Enjoy your week! Happy reading 😀

Weekly Deets -- 8.24.15

It's Monday morning and I'm attempting to jump start my week. Protein and fiber included in breakfast (I'm usually not so vigilant; most of the time it's coffee and more coffee.) to get the energy juices flowing. Then I stare at the current WIP and ... and ... okay, so I decide to pop in here to write a post. After all, I totally skipped last week *gritting teeth being reminded of bad habits, i.e., procrastination*. Seriously though, this is writing calisthenics, which will get me going on that WIP. I'm 99.99999_% sure of it!

So, topic for the week? I've been thinking about the whole representation-publication-because-I-want-a-career process. I've trudged through nearly fifteen years of it, faced the battlefields, hurdled the obstacles, picked myself up and, well, trudged on some more because that's what we do if we want something badly enough. And I want it. I want it baaaaad. *maliciously grinning while drooling* Anyway, returning to my original thought. Let's go far back in time ...the image in my brain is a caveman writer, chiseling out his story on a stone tablet, and then Dino the dinosaur traveling miles and miles to deliver it to the Bedrock Publishing Company. No. Wait. That's the Flintstones. Wrong story. Oops. Seriously, you get the picture and you know it hasn't always been easy to get your writing out there to somebody, anybody, like it is today. 

Up until the nineties, the process was quite simple, well, not simple as in easy, but there was one way to do things. Only one. You wrote a story. You wrote a query to introduce the story. (Remember, all of this needed to be typed ... on a typewriter, folks. Ever seen one?) You printed off your story, your query letter. Searched for an envelope. Oh yeah, almost forgot, you needed a copy of the Writers Digest, (actual book, cause there wasn't a computer and internet, or any modern technology to go searching through, right?) And last year's copy wouldn't work. No, no, no! Writers Digest  was, and probably still is, released once a year. You needed access to the current one because editors come and go so quickly in the land of publishing, don't they? So, you found an agent or publisher you thought would like your story, and then you sent your work to said agent/publisher. Don't forget, you had to include a SASE for their response. Yeah, they don't flip the bill for that. And then you waited. And waited. And waited some more. Really this should sound familiar. Even through cyberspace communication, you wait, and wait. 

If you were lucky you got a positive response. Maybe the person you addressed wanted to see more (if this was a full-length MS), in which case, NOW you were about to spend a whole lot more on additional chapters to print, or even the whole thing! This, on a possible yes-we-want-your-story from agent/publisher. And if no? Well, you started over. *sigh* Yes, today seems so much easier and cost-effective, if only the market wasn't flooded with so many wannabe authors. Still, we try, don't we? Because that is what we do if we want something badly enough. 

Happy writing! Enjoy your week and above all, if you write it, they will come. Or at least if you keep subbing your story, they will ... eventually ... we always hope. 

Weekly Deets (or more like MONTHLY this time around!) 8.3.15

Busy week, great stuff, and more great stuff. Enough stuff to make me super happy, super excited, and super optimistic! First, I was offered a publishing deal which made me waver back and forth about what to do. So, I decided to take a risk and maybe be just a bit pushy ... okay, maybe hugely pushy, but it was worth it. Squeakiest wheel and getting the most oil, you know. Back on point: I decided to email the agent who had my full, AND by the way, she's the one who I really wanted to have represent me. I asked her for advice and pressed the point how much I wanted an agent to help me with my career. Going it alone was not really in my best interest any longer. I guess I may have done a teensy bit of groveling ... okay, a lot of groveling, but it paid off. Yes. It. Paid. Off. 

This brings me to #2 round of great stuff: I have an agent! Yepper. I am no longer flying solo, which is a really big deal. Really, really BIG deal. When Jessica answered my mail (and, by the way, she suggested I pass on said publishing offer) I was over-the-top excited. You see, we sort of have a history together. Back in February I participated in a Twitter contest called #adpit. Jessica requested a partial of my manuscript. Circumstances didn't create the deal, then. But fate wasn't about to give up on us! Fast forward to July, and another opportunity came about. This time it was on #pit2pub, also a Twitter contest. I took a chance and asked her if she'd be willing to look at the revised work. She said yes and I was stoked.

Soon, she wanted to set up a time for THE CALL. When we talked it was like fate brought us together. We clicked. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. Most times, I am extremely nervous talking to people I don't know. (my childhood shyness and insecurity at its best) But not this time. Turns out, I felt very comfortable. I like her, really like her. She's enthusiastic, energetic, quite knowledgeable about the publishing industry, and she had such wonderful things to say about my writing. I'm impressed with her powerful ideas on where to get GRAVE MAKER BLUES published. We shall see. I have every confidence in her. So, thank you, Jessica Schmeidler and Golden Wheat Literary. I think we make a great team!

Traveling a Very Long Road

FLASHBACK: I finally received an email (after many emails, actually) from the publisher I'd submitted to for my mystery romance, A DEADLY DEED GROWS and the editor informed me that I was being offered a contract. Woo hoo! I was so excited. In fact, I was amazed that I could've gotten two books and two contracts in a matter of six months. Both were with small presses, one significantly smaller than the other. Still, I'd managed these on my own. Of course I want to get more, and more. We authors are a greedy lot :-) Anyway, I signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press in April of 2013. Yes, you heard me. 2013. 

FLASH FORWARD: It's now February, 2015, nearly two years of editing, revising, and editing and revising some more, but we (my editor Johanna and I) are finally getting there, i.e. a publication release. I'll admit, there were times I'd think, "maybe they'll decide not to publish it, put it on a shelf, and let it sit for an eternity". This, too, is the mind workings of an author. Lots of insecurity and doubt along the way, and it's a true roller coaster of emotions from highs to lows. But when you see the cover, then you know. It will happen. And it feels great! 

I haven't received a release date for the book yet, but I'm hoping some time this spring. In the meantime, I have my cover to keep me satisfied. And it's truly an awesome cover! Thanks Kim Mendoza! You rock! So, drum roll, please ..... brrrrrum ... Tada!  (UPDATE: Released March, 20, 2015)

Wild Rose Press Special Price

A Tweeting We Will Go ... to Find an Agent

I decided it was time to post about my experience tweeting. No. Not just any tweeting. I'm not a newbie to that. I'm talking about Twitter contests for authors and agents and publishers. I ventured into that world recently to see what I could accomplish, and frankly to see what the buzz was all about. After all, I've been writing for many years, had a few books published, which gained a modicum of success, depending on how you view success. I've been enjoying the experience thus far, but want to take it to another level, i.e. agent represented, i.e. knock on pub doors I can't do otherwise. 


I discovered Twitter contests like #adpit, #agentmatch, #pitchmad, etc. by accident while using Query Tracker (an excellent resource, by the way) and perusing the comments. Authors were saying how they submitted to such and such agent after said agent requested their work on __________ Twitter contest. So, I ventured over to Twitter and ... Voila! All those little goodies, a paradise land for writers scrambling to get noticed and sell their work to an agent were here, popping up all over the place. I could already feel the attraction, the joy it must bring to be a part of it all. I mean, there can't be anything better than that feeling of validation where one hears an agent tweet, "I liked what I read in your pitch. Send me the first 20, 30, 50 pages." What??? Somebody likes me, really likes me ... that is, I hope so after he/she reads my sample pages. 


So, I took the dive. I entered #sunvssnow, #adpit, and #agentmatch. Now here's where I must warn you, it's addictive. A drug you want twenty-four seven. But that aside, I gladly joined the realm of agent-seeking peons. And it hit me. So, here's where the party is happening! All the agents are coming over to take a look. Then another thought slapped me in the head. Of course, they'd come here. Scanning through maybe fifty to a couple hundred pitches vs. hundreds of query emails coming at you almost everyday? I'd choose door number one, too. Not to forget, these contests provide a support system with lots of success. Writers helping writers helping agents, and it's turning out to be a wonderful pay-it-forward cycle.


Oh, about that support system? Writers connecting with other writers is gold, pure gold, giving each other encouragement, pulling each other up from the trenches when it gets rough and mean, and sometimes offering help with that precious baby called a manuscript. Trust me. Nine months is nothing when there are some who've spent years on developing, polishing, and polishing again that "precious baby". 

So, what did I accomplish? Lots of new Twitter friends, like-minded people with similar goals and obsessions. And I did get a few nibbles at my work. Who knows? One of them may work out and a partnership will be made. I can always hope. In the meantime, I glow from the validation, the acceptance, the camaraderie. Yes, that part is priceless. 

Oh, and did I mention the addiction aspect? Hmm ... I think I'll head over to Twitter and see what's happening next. I hear #pitchmad is approaching, or maybe ...

Happy writing, all! 

Cleared for Takeoff

Just heard from the publisher -- Mainly Murder Press -- and Dying to Dream is online now. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, etc, e-book ($2.99) and paperback ($15.95) are available. ***Have to add ... right now Amazon is offering a preorder deal: $10.82, which remains at that price until June 1st. That's almost $5.00 off the original cost.

It's hard to believe that it all started last September when I signed my contract, more than eight months ago. I think the waiting periods got to me more than the busy ones. Fortunately, the experience remained void of "artistic" differences. The cover art is beautiful, like I never could have imagined -- especially since I'm not really talented at that kind of thing. All in all, I've grown to appreciate the whole process, going from creation to publication, after having ventured down the self-publishing road a time or two. Of course, the parts I enjoyed the most so far is seeing my cover and searching to find it on Amazon. But cliche as it sounds, I'm really looking forward to holding the paperback in my hands.

I have to thank a few people for giving me support and help along the way. LIke those who so kindly and generously agreed to read my story and write reviews ... Michael Murphy, Cherie Jung, and Sand Pilarski. And to my husband who showed patience (most of the time) while I'd spend hours churning out chapters. Can't forget the crew at MMP, especially Karen with her fantastic creative talent. I absolutely love the cover. All the elements, the symbolic representation, right down to the font used in part of the title, which I agree gives the word dream a truely dreamy feeling :-) And a future thanks to all those readers who may decide to read my work and maybe even write a review comment or two. I'm eternally grateful.

So, now what happens? Well, as they say, this is when the real work begins. Promotion. Book signings, virtual tours, peddling to book stores, more book signings, and on it goes until the next creative tidbit comes out! Bottom line, it's fun. I love writing. Otherwise, why would I put myself through such a challenging workout?

At least I've made that first marketing step ... a book signing at my local library in July. Hopefully, a lot more to follow :-) Until then ... enjoy reading!

Time to Correct ... Correct?

Well, I sent off my list of corrections to the editor and now I wait once again. I know I was able to catch a few errors, but always the worry that there may be more. After all, if the pub's editor missed some -- ones that I noticed -- then what? I'm not going to stress over it though. At least I feel between the two of us we did a great job.

 
It's difficult to read my work so many times. I wish I could be one of those who experience it anew. I envy that. Still, I think it's good, really good, the best story I've written so far. I love my characters, especially Tante Louise Picault. She's old but feisty, and colorful with the perfect touch of french culture. The southern feel to the characters makes them approachable and loveable. I'm optimistic that readers will find them endearing and drawn to their story that weaves mystery from the past and the present. The touch of paranormal with the main character who uses dreams from spirits to gather clues is yet another layer to interest, I hope, many. We will see.


  In the meantime, I wait, patiently.

And I'm Off and Running to the Publishing Deadline

I finally received an email with lots of goodies attached ... my ARC and editor comments. And I have 20 days to read through it all, make my comments, corrections, etc. Yikes! I can do this. Yes, I can. Uh ... right? Fortunately, nothing really big going on at work, so I should have time. I just want to make sure I do a thorough job. So, nobody better bug me! Or ... grrrrrrr. (Just noticed: is it any wonder my editor says I use maybe a few too many ellipses?)

I read and reread the email, and then a few more times to make sure I didn't miss anything. So, this is the skinny: my feedback on the first draft ARC is due March 23rd. Cover should be coming around the beginning of April, so I need to start collecting reviews. If I would like them added to the back cover, that is. Of course, as anxious as I am, I already sent out requests for reviews to several mystery review websites and authors. Keeping fingers crossed. -- Thanks Michael Murphy for agreeing to do one :-) And to Cjung at Over My Dead Body. You both are great for responding so quickly, and settling my nerves since this means my back cover won't be blank! haha

Okay, what next? Well ... (yet another ellipse ... sigh) just have to wait and see! If all goes well and according to plan, I will be seeing my baby in print sometime in June. Then, I'd absolutely love to have a book launch event. Maybe at our local library or perhaps at one of the area bookstores. I'll have to start researching. Hmmm. Yet another task to consider, but such fun!

Update: Yet another thanks goes out to Sand, a wonderfully kind and helpful lady who happens to run the very cool ezine, The Piker Press and also agreed to do a review. Then finally, to Apex Reviews who will take a look and see :-)

All great people who help to make this project a success.

Where Oh Where Does My Story Go? ... The Journey of DYING TO DREAM

Manuscript is finished ... check. Edits, Revisions, More Edits, and Revisions ... check. Final read-through ... check. Now what?


Well, I had two options, both of which I'd taken before. If I chose option A -- query to agents, it will be a much longer road, much longer wait, but if it happened, I could get doors to open that would never be possible without an agent. Or option B -- submit the work to small, independent publishers who don't require an agent. Quicker, less fuss, but not the big payoff. Okay, so I'm not so patient any longer. Go with option B. Besides, I had accumulated a waaaay long list of indies to submit to. It would be a really long time before I'd run out of "doors to knock on".


I started with 4 or 5, one of which responded right away and asked for the full manuscript. Turns out this was to be a big delay in getting Dying to Dream published because this particular pub wants the suspense they accept to be big on romance. The good part is they were willing to work with me to get the story to the point where they'd like it and want to contract.


Two good things happened during this process. One, I did manage to add some romance. And two, I narrowed down the POV's to three, which I hadn't realized is such a very big deal :-). The downside was that there wasn't enough romance, and I wasn't willing to add more, so we parted ways after almost a YEAR! "Sigh"


Back to square one: This time, I submitted to five more pubs (that's a total of about 10 submissions -- really low number for me since the last work I'd written went out to probably about 50!) That was in the first week of August, 2012. Mainly Murder Press replied right away and said they'd get back to me after reading the sample chapters. Two weeks later, they asked for the full (8/22/12). By the end of August they offered me a contract. (WOW! That was fast.) But wait. I'm not through.


While I was taking time to read through the contract and deciding what to do, I received an email around the middle of September from yet another pub I'd queried, offering a contract. By this time, I'm thinking, what is going on and what a gem of a story I must have written! In the meantime, MMP is wanting an answer. I'm researching, even reading some of the books they've published and liking what I see. We go back and forth with me asking questions about certain things in the contract.


I finally make my decision and decide to go with MMP. It's a good fit. But the story doesn't end there. Geesh! A couple of days later, one of the other pubs asks to see the full manuscript. And a couple months later, yet another wanted to offer a contract! That's 3 out of 5 this time around who wanted to contract, and 1 that showed interest. The odds don't get better than that! And the expression, "you snooze, you lose" comes to mind :-) Sorry, you other guys. MMP caught the fish and I hope they are as happy as I am.


Now, of course, I can't help thinking, if I'd known what a great thing this novel of mine was, would I have gone the agent route and caught a bigger fish of my own? Well, I'll never know, and that's not how I'm gonna play this act in my life. No sir. I'm gonna drink the wine and enjoy the ride!

Pointing in the Right Direction

It's been awhile, but I thought a refresher on helpful websites might be in store. Maybe one or both of them will work for you.

In the market for a class to brush up on your craft? Then this course offered on the Writers' Village site is worth a look. This 14 week course is a free introduction to the Writers' Village Master Class. Learn to add energy and suspense to your stories, build characters, and so many more effective strategies. With several weeks of modules emailed to you along with a writing manual, you have a great start. -- Writers' Market Class 


If you don't like to travel the path most taken or follow the herd or, in other words, you'd like to find a way to self-publish, but not through Amazon Kindle or Smashwords ... then this might be for you. Indie Isle will help you publish, sell and promote your stories free of charge. They provide the ebook formats and the promotional tools to market your work. One of the most attractive features is that you get 90 percent of the profit. Yes. I said 90. Not 70. Once you've published your books, you get a web page to promote them. Nice. So, check it out: Idie Isle

 Enjoy!

The Road to Publication is a Long One ...

Almost ten years ago, I had this dream. Someday, hopefully in the near future, I'd write a story good enough to be noticed and wanted by a reputable publisher. That was in 2004. Fast forward to 2012, and I made the dream a reality. I had queried before on other work, submitted to publishers and agents alike, by the hundreds. Some wanted to see more. Some gave me a polite rejection. None wanted what I had to offer.

Then, I had this idea. I would write a story in the most unique fashion, using any particular skills/knowledge I had to make it different. The result: Dying to Dream, a mystery with paranormal and romantic elements. But that wasn't all. I wanted to make the characters and setting something special. I know French. So, the story takes place in Louisiana. Tante Louise, a peculiar old aunt who dabbles in voodoo, doesn't hesitate to blurt out a phrase or two in French. The street names of my imaginary town, Saint Toulere, are in French, such as Tant Pis, which means "too bad" and is an appropriate label since the street's buildings have a certain history. And I didn't stop there in creating this unique nature for my work. Each chapter has a quote from classic poets and authors about ghosts. After all, there are ghosts in my story. Marin, the main character, dreams the dreams of spirits who need to communicate a message to her. In other words, she becomes them.

So, I had my story completed. Next, I wanted to query some small, independent publishers, and I really expected to be bogged down with querying to dozens and dozens before any resulted in a contract. However, I did feel strongly about the work and that it certainly would eventually have its moment in the limelight. Maybe in another ten years! And then ... it happened ... so very quickly that I was stunned. First, one and then another offered a contract. I actually had to choose! That amazed me even more. I decided to go with Mainly Murder Press. It seems like a good fit.

So ... Dying to Dream will make its debut in June, 2013. I can hardly wait, but have much to do beforehand. It's been a long struggle with lots of heartbreak and perseverance on my part. Still, I made it and life is good. And if you have time, head on over to check MMP out. They have many really cool books! And they even undercut the prices on Amazon. An extra plus :-)

It's Never Too Soon or Too Young.

How soon or at what age should someone think of taking the big leap and publish a book? Well, times are a changing! Meet Spencer Brokaw. He's twelve AND a published author ( Impenetrable Spy ). Can you imagine? Plus, he maintains a website where he regularly includes author interviews, which is how we got together. I asked and he accepted. So, below is the link to that interview.

Writing and publishing at a young age is what I'd refer to as "dream-inspiring". What self-publishers such as Amazon, Smashwords, and Lulu have done is to make it possible for writers of all ages to display their work in a big way and with an actual product. That's an extrinsic motivator you can't ignore. Before the days of computers and the internet, I recall how elementary teachers would "publish" their students stories, making them into books. Sure, it looked homemade, perhaps with construction paper covers and spiral-binding. But it was something to take home and show to family and friends, thus creating a proud moment for both creator and admirers.

So, I'd say it is a great thing being done, here. Giving young people the opportunity and encouragement to fulfill their dreams. Nothing wrong with that!

Here is the link to my interview, if you're interested. And to all those writers and writers-to-be ... write on!

Interview With Author K. Sean Jennkrist (Kathryn Long)

New eBook craze ... Digital Add-ons ... What Could Possibly Be Next?

Ebooks ... some might say, "Isn't that enough technology in the reading world?" Well ... I guess not. I have to admit I'm rather excited about this new trend. And I imagine it will attract a whole new category of readers -- those who would rather watch than read the written word. Sigh, groan, sigh somemore.  I myself would like readers who truly enjoy reading, but an occasional visual might add to the experience.

Okay, getting right to it. The latest technology is to embed videos in the eBooks where ever they might fit. I am linking to an article that might explain it better. It even gives you an example of a book -- Nixonland put out by Simon & Schuster. Since it's an historical book, it places video clips on such topics/people as John F. Kennedy, news clips of demonstrators against war, etc. Really, it is very fascinating to watch.

The author of the article on this trend brings up a valid point -- visualizing or imaging through words is what drives the imagination and makes each reader's experience a personal one. As a teacher, I agree totally that to take away from this skill and experience by replacing words with videos may diminish the skill. We already do that enough with the technology and media at everyone's, especially young people's, fingertips. In other words, walking a fine-line and not overusing this technology should be the guideline for authors and publishers. At least, that's what I hope for. From an author's viewpoint, I truly am infatuated by the idea. I can see embedding videos in my books, only to supplement the stories, not to replace the details. Again, limiting the numbers is key. I think I would most like to embed a video of me in each of them, talking about how I came up with the idea for writing them, etc.

So much is changing in the digital world. It's scary and exciting at the same time. Who knows where we will be five years from now? (A memory of when I first saw the hollistic chess game in Star Wars comes to mind. I thought that was the greatest invention ever!) I wish I had that crystal ball. Anyway, here is the link to the article on video-enhanced eBooks. Let me know what you think.

Video-enhanced E-books Beginning to Gain Momentum

Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Not So Snow White

Stay Posted ... New Theme - Guest Authors

Just letting you all know that in a couple of weeks I will be having a guest blogger -- author, Michael Murphy, who has a published novel, Scorpion Bay, just released this month. I'm so excited for him! He will be writing about ... well, writing! And of course a bit about his novel, Scorpion Bay ... oh, did I mention that already? And that I'm excited for him?

Anyway, stay tuned for his visit, sometime around the middle of April. Until then ...

To Kindle or Not to Kindle - That is the Publishing Question

Hot off the presses .... Amanda Hocking's creations -- the Trylle triology, for one. If you've been following publishing trends in the news, you may already be aware of what's happening. Like it or not, self-publishing, especially in ebook format, is blazing a trail and aiming for the clouds or the heavens or however far up it can reach! With the creation of ebook readers, monster outlets like Amazon, easy to use tools provided by CreateSpace and Kindle Direct, an author can easily self-publish at little to no cost and be up and running on the Amazon website quicker than you can blink an eye ... okay maybe not quite that fast, but it's only a matter of weeks, not months or a year such as it takes with traditional publishers. And you don't have to "pass the gates of entry" to get by the agents and publishers who must approve you when taking the traditional route.
I know what some of you are thinking ... how good can those books be? Well, I had my doubts. Since the big hype, I've purchased a couple of self-pub books, ebook format, for my reader. I've been reading Amanda's Switched. It's for young adult readers and has the fantasy or paranormal element to it. It may not be great prose, but the story is engaging. At least as engaging as it can be for this adult reader! The thing is that her books selling. Selling BIG. I mean like 450,000 copies in the month of January alone. Now, at 99 cents a pop on Amazon, with the author's take of 30%? You figure the math. Not shabby. Right? Anyway, the whole new trend of this is something to think about ... for readers, for writers, for publishers, for agents ... everyone in the game!

Read much more about this interesting topic and phenom in USA Today ...

Authors Catch Fire

Making a Book -- How Hard Could It Be?

If you do nothing else today, and you really enjoy books, watch this video on book making from days gone by. It's fascinating and will make you appreciate just how easy the process is today!


Book Making

Pointing in the Right Direction -- Author Success

Debra Riley-Magnus is a marketing and advertising professional and runs an author success coaching business. As a FB friend, I found myself directed to her series of articles on building an author platform and planning the successful book launch. There are (or will be) twelve articles, starting with "But ... I'm a writer, not a business person!". Let's face it. Many authors are solitary, if not shy characters. It's difficult to get out there and sell. But it's also a widely overlooked part of the plan when authors do not start building a platform, network to increase awareness and friends, and at the very least create interest BEFORE the book comes out.

In any case, if this is something you've often thought about, please read her articles. Debra offers many practical tips to get you started and give you confidence so even the shy, solitary you can be successful in your book-selling endeavors.

Author Success

Article to Note: What Authors Should Know

Visiting the Hunnington Post website, I read an article by Penny Sansevieri who writes about the reasons why some authors may fail to sell their work. It struck a chord with me. I had to admit, some of those are part of my story, my past mistakes. And I truly hope I've learned from them, or as Sanservieri puts it, that I have managed to "fail up".

Her points of advice cover: 1)not learning enough about the industry; 2)not accepting feedback; 3)not surrounding yourself with enough professionals; 4)not doing your research; 5)not clearly understanding how to measure success in booksales; 6)not understanding how New York publishing works; 7)playing the blame game; and 8)believing in the unbelievable.

As a teacher, I'm very familiar with the philosophy of being well-prepared and well-informed before you go forth and do, well, whatever it is you attempt to do. And as the author says, the mistakes you make in publishing may be costly in both time and money. And with the Internet at our fingertips, we have an unending resource of advice to read. Unfortunately, not all of it is well-intended. As one might figure, there are some unscrupulous people out there. Taking the time to learn about the industry before you try to sell your masterpiece is essential.

In any case, take a look at what this article has to offer: Why Some Authors Fail

Knowing -- Setting the Limits to What You Write

An article in the April 1 issue of the online mag, www.writing-world.com , set off a quiet rumble of protest inside me -- that idea of writing only what you know. The author professes the idea that there are ways of stretching the rule a bit, but then goes on to really pretty much stick to it. She advises writers should tap into whatever they are "expert" or familiar with, such as a lawyer using his knowledge to write a legal thriller (hmm... what bestselling author do we know who does that???) Okay, I will buy that. But then the author says settings should reflect where one has lived for a significant amount of time, and only then can it sound authentic.

If this is what the author really believes, I disagree. The idea of writing what you know should include what you research. And let's face it, in this day and age you can research anything! That includes locations, time frames, professions, scientific know-how, and the list goes on. We have the resources, and we need to use them. Sure, living in a place can lend itself to making the setting "authentic", but there's nothing to stop a writer from networking and researching to get a handle on what's needed to describe a place, or to find any other info that validates the story.

So, in one respect, I agree with the author: take advantage and use what you DO know. However, I'd say, don't stop there. After all, the writing world and all its stories are our fantasies growing in our imaginations. If we want to write about the Shire, home to Bilbo Baggins or Dorothy's OZ and her trek through munchkin land, what's to stop us? After all, maybe we've never been there, but the places are familiar inside our heads. Right?

What are your views? Do you think it's too much of a gamble to venture out into realms we've never personally experienced? Or is the sky truly the limit?