Thursday, December 29, 2016

Think out of the Box and Sell Your Writing Around the World



It's important to think "out of the box" when looking for ways to keep your writing circling the globe. My own surprising experience is an example.

Let me tell you how unexpectedly far-reaching my research and writing became happened. As many of my readers know, worldwide recognition of my regional Montana history,
Behind These Mountains, Vol. I, II, and III, first began in 2003, when I posted the trilogy on a website I created to share Montanans' turn of the century histories and photographs from their private albums, free. I didn't want the history of those remarkable people to be forgotten.

I had no inkling that 13-years-later I'd receive an email from Brita Olson, Coordinator for the
Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG) and worldwide recognition would increase substantially.

LCFWG is an "umbrella" organization that connects watershed councils, agencies, and corporate partners working on collaborative watershed restoration efforts through the lower Clark Fork River and its tributaries. The
lower Clark Fork watershed is defined from the Clark Fork River's confluence with the Flathead River downstream to Lake Pend Oreille.

LCFWG sought permission to use historical photographs from my books in a 2017 calendar they envisioned to promote the group's work. Subsequently, Brita selected 84 pictures, wrote copy for each calendar page, hired a graphic designer, and when the draft calendar was ready, sent a copy to me. My contribution to the project was a little editing plus a suggestion to exclude two of the images.

In addition to paying me licensing fees for non-exclusive one-time rights for each image, LCFWG invited me to write a paragraph for the calendar to promote my books ~ an invaluable perk.


I imagine the calendar will be one of those "keepers" that no one throws away simply because of the captivating, rare, photographs. Six hundred 2017 Bull River Valley
calendars were printed.The'll be mailed only to residents with a Noxon address, in Sanders County, Montana.  Collector statistics indicate those will become doubly collectible in time.

I learned about the increased international recognition from comments left on LCFWG's website where the 2017 B&W calendar can be downloaded free.

When I was editing the original 1st edition softcover books published by the Statesman-Examiner in Colfax, Wash., during 1986 and 1991, IWW Nonfiction members skillfully critiqued every word to create a more professional, newer digital edition. When the manuscript was ready, members of other genres on IWW coached me through the process of converting the trilogy to digital Kindle 1st editions.


To promote the calendar and the Kindle and PDF editions of my books, I announced the sale on the on the
Internet Writing Workshop. The announcement was then also posted on IWW's blogspot. Members of IWW, which includes several genres in addition to Nonfiction, also post the news to their social media.

It's not only heart warming to know promotion keeps increasing through friend's, family, and writers' social media, those special, invaluable congratulations rewards that writers cherish continue to arrive.

Think "out of the box" and keep your writing accessible worldwide.

 

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Writers Benefit from Internet Writing Workshop's Blogspot


The Internet Writing Workshop has monitored critique groups for fiction, nonfiction, novels, romance, short prose, poetry, scriptwriting, and practice writing.
 
Each have participation requirements.
 
The IWW also has groups discussing the art and craft of writing in general, creative nonfiction, speculative fiction, and marketing.
 
The IWW is a cooperative. Membership is FREE.

At the IWW blogspot, check especially each Topic in the right-hand panel.

Monday, December 12, 2016

A Creek Named Sorrow Review


Meet Judith Quaempts, and read how her low-key marketing succeeds.

 
 
A review for A Creek Named Sorrow, by Judith was publish in the East Oregonian, her local paper. [Read the digital review. ] The print copy will be available, probably on Sat the 11th.

 

Sunday, December 4, 2016

How Being Interviewed on Speak Up Talk Radio Promotes Author Lynne M. Hinkey


 Recently, author, Lynne M. Hinkey, Marine Scientist, was interviewed on
Speak Up Talk Radio.

"The host, Pat Rullo, is great and easy to talk with," Lynne said. "The interview and an author page with my info will be available on the website for 1-year."
Lynne said she considers the $52 well spent, and thinks it's a valuable and valid promotion of her books. Her interview podcast is available now.

Lynne Hinkey uses experiences from her years living in the Caribbean to infuse her novels with a bit of tropical magic, from the siren call of the islands in Marina Melee to the hysteria and humor of the mysterious chupacabra in Ye Gods! A Tale of Dogs and Demons and The Un-Familiar: A Tale of Cats and Gods.



 
 
Read more about this charming, intelligent author at her
website. Lynne is an active and valuable member of Internet Writing Workshop

Learn here how easily you, too, can be
interviewed for Speak Up TalkRadio. Check out the benefits and browse the website. Then use the Contact link.

Speak Up Talk Radio donates the $52 ($1 per week), to the Sewport Project, which sends handmade one of a kind pillowcases to troops overseas, homeless veteran shelters, women and children’s domestic abuse shelters. The Sewport Project is now also sending cage comforters to animal rescue shelters.
 

Friday, November 18, 2016

Enjoy Personal Satisfaction and Book Sales Without Active Marketing

 
Judith Quaempts achieves personal satisfaction, and sales, without actively marketing her books, A Place Called Winter and A Creek Named Sorrow .


"I'm very low key," Judith said. "I don't market and I've never asked for a review. It seems to me that word of mouth helps sales the most and I hope my novels are interesting enough to warrant readers passing the word along."
Judith lives in Athena, Oregon (pop 1200), between Walla Walla, Washington and Pendleton, Oregon.
The one independent bookstore in Pendleton where she had sold books, closed this year.
 
"I suppose I could take some books outside the area. I haven't explored that possibility because I don't travel much. However, I do sell my books at the Pendleton Center for the Arts at 214 N. Main Street, in Pendleton. The Art Center is generous and only takes 30% of each sale. 
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute on the Umatilla Indian Reservation contacted me after A Place Called Winter  came out. They ordered twenty books. I contacted them when A Creek Named Sorrow was published and was pleasantly surprised when they ordered twenty copies, plus another fifteen of A Place Called Winter . I provide them a discount and am paid in advance. 
I lived on the Reservation for years, and now I’m a couple miles south of it. 
Two things helped me decide to self-publish. 1.) I had no luck finding an agent. One publisher expressed considerable interest. However, I withdrew the manuscript when a year and a half slid by and my followup letter asking for the status of my manuscript was not returned. 
I wanted readers. If I only sold fifty copies that's still fifty more than if the book stayed in my computer. 
 2.) I self-published on the advice of two people I very much trust. One of them, Robin Cain, is also a member of  Internet Writing Workshop. Now I can't imagine going any other route. And speaking of the  Internet Writing Workshop, I’ve belonged for years and cannot begin to express my gratitude for the invaluable critiques I received when submitting both novels. 
 I donate books to the three libraries in the area. Libraries have, and still do, sustain me. For years, my budget didn’t stretch to buying books. Now that has changed-but I know there are many people who can’t afford to buy books and rely on the library for most of their reading. In fact, the Pendleton Library has invited me to read from A Creek Named Sorrow on December 1, 2016, and they're handling venue and advertising."

Judith Kelly Quaempts lives and writes in rural eastern Oregon. Her books are available in Kindle and paperback at Amazon. Her short stories and poetry have been published online and in print, most recently in Crafty Poet II, Windfall, A Journal of Place, Young Ravens Literary Review, and The Poeming Pigeon.

 

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Market Information Recently Shared by Internet Writing Workshop Members


The following marketing information has been recently shared by successful Internet Writing Workshop authors.

The Literary Hatchet If you write "dark" fiction or poetry, defined very loosely, this seems to be a good place to send your work.  They respond promptly to your submission and they pay $10 when they say they will. What's more, since they publish out of New Zealand, if you get something accepted, you can call yourself a paid, international writer.

Big Pulp. 
If you write dark-ish genre stories, Big Pulp is a good site.

The Underground Book Review 
UBR reviews indy-published books only (self-pubbed or small-press, nothing affiliated with the "Big-5" including their vanity publishing subsidiaries).

Lady Lady is an online literary magazine for women, by women of all ages.

Young Ravens Literary Review: A Biannual Online Literary Journal, A Biannual Online Literary Journal


Mused -the BellaOnline Literary Review  Deadline Approaching for the 2016 Ebook Awards! Those must be in by Sat, Nov 20, 2016!!


Chicago Writers Association http://www.chicagowrites.org/


Visit: Internet Writing Workshop blog 
 

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Let Retrieving Misplaced Data = Efficient Writing


Retrieving forgotten file names

Take the time to learn the search functions in your computer because Search functions save hours of frustration, and allow you to retrieve misplaced and related pertinent information quickly.
 
You will never regret the time spent learning, and by doing so you will increase your efficiency and output considerably.
 
Operating system search option locates keywords in word documents, and e-mail software search option sifts through e-mail files lightening fast. Each returns a list of files containing the precise word or words you enter into the Search.
 
Most searches will operate in the background while you continue writing, if you're pressed for time.
 
Because operating systems vary widely, and so do e-mail software programs, you will need to read your program's help files to learn how to use your search functions.
 
About software programs essential to writers
 
Internet browser: A software program enabling users to navigate the Internet.
 
Web-based e-mail: e-mail messages are stored in equipment owned by an Internet service provider, but is not stored in your computer unless you copy it into a file in your computer.
 
E-mail software program: Let's you download your e-mail messages from equipment owned by an Internet service provider, into a file folder in your computer, and you choose to either save or delete messages from your computer.
 
Alternative methods for web-based e-mail:
Save material as a draft message, which makes it is easy to access anywhere on any computer, and backup as both word documents and messages to minimize any loss due to both online-site and computer failure.
 
When doing research, open two web based email accounts, e.g. one Hotmail and one in another, such as a Gmail or Qmail account. Send the mail to both email accounts (e.g. you have the Hotmail open and send it to yourself, and put your other account address in the CC line). It is very unlikely with this double system that you will ever lose data. To be extra safe, use three instead of two accounts. Some people won't like it because you give away part of the control, and some people will use three accounts to be extra safe.
 
Word processor documents work just as well as a computer-based e-mail file-message.
 

For another option you can use Carbonite, an automatic backup resource.  
It's also possible to use Microsoft with Gmail. You'll find instructions here .
 
End
 
 

Monday, August 15, 2016

Jeff Vandermeer's Wonderbook and the Editor Roundtable



Jeff Vadermeer's Wonderbook  is an illustrated guidebook on writing. While aimed primarily at fantasy writers, I'd applicable to all genres. It provides a wealth of helpful information, plus a really interesting companion website.

One of the items on the website is the Editor Roundtable. The page has a short story submission--one that was rejected--and comments and critique from a number of editors. The intent is to show writers a behind the scene glimpse of the editors' thought process and preferences of different editors.

When Lynne Hinkley, Author and Marine Scientist, recommended it to members of  Internet Writing Workshop. She said, "I found it quite fascinating and thought many of you would too."

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

The 23-Month Pregnancy of "Kill All Cats" by Rick Bylina



How did Rick Bylina remain dedicated for nearly two years to completing and publishing "Kill All Cats"?

As you read Rick's guest blog, pay attention and you can pick out the salient points that kept him writing as he relates the growth of Kill All Cats

Rick Bylina & Sidney Writers

THE TWENTY-THREE-MONTH PREGNANCY
By Rick Bylina

I knew the moment my pregnancy began.

On June 26, 2014, at 4:33 p.m., the lamenting had reach fever pitch in a private authors-only Facebook group about the lack of our book sales and the banning of books. My mind darkened to match the stormy skies outside. Creative thoughts sparked my fingers. Charged, they skittered across on the keyboard. "I’m going to write something so horrific that thousands will ban it and millions will buy it to protest the banning."


My words garnered a few LOLs. And then, an efriend launched a dozen pictures of cats onto my Facebook page. The images flowed like kitty porn designed for an excitable alley cat.

I like animals but couldn’t abide the cat stampede. I groaned. Then, I gripped the arms of my chair as all the synapses in all the corners of my engorged brain erupted with spasmodic writer euphoria. Idea penetration had been achieved. I gasped as my brain cells formed the story idea zygote about an isolated man, telepathically controlled by a cockatiel, who goes on a wild killing spree to rid the world of cats. My oblivious cockatiel slept on my knee at that moment, at least, I think he slept.


After 5,000 words in the next few hours and several thousand the following morning, I paused for a long pull on a coke or possibly bourbon. I don’t remember in the afterglow of plot lust. In the ebb of writing ecstasy, I savored the moment because I couldn’t usually keep it up that long. Then I realized, my brain coveted an idea to which I could never do justice. Steven King had never composed anything as macabre as I had penned in that writing orgy.


My twenty-three-month gestation conundrum had begun.


I had to accept my limitations as a writer based on my experience, ability to research, and personal tastes; I needed to stretch my boundaries to create a break-out novel. I wanted a noteworthy book, especially when I could envision a rich story complete in every element of style. I revised and feed the story language that reflected aspects of great writing that I had learned about and honed over the years. I saw the language didn’t need the verbs “was” and “were” to be vibrant, thoughtful, and intriguing.

I fleshed out the plot organically and revised as needed, looped-back on touchstones, hid clues in plain sight, and gave each character achievable goals and the motivation to go after them. I relived the thrill of idea conception as each new chapter grew, and I remembered to stay true to the core story idea.

The need to strengthen the motivation of the protagonist, Ron, arose. I gave him a horrific background to make his nature understandable and provide him room to grow and mature, or fall into a meaningless life. I added humor as his cockatiel, Brisbane, morphed from a malevolent bird to a humorous sidekick, blissfully parroting appropriate clichés from crime shows and movies, which he watched 24/7. I made Ron and Brisbane co-dependent in a way that only someone who had faced despair could truly understand and then made the emotion available for all readers.

I added intrigue, but the story needed more. I erected the pillars of romance for Ron as I tightened the screws to his situation, building his strength and knowledge for the final showdown against a host of powerful villains and gut-check situations. Endless editing, constant rewrites, alpha and beta reader comments, editorial face slaps, cover design hiccups, production deadlines, and executing the marketing plan followed.

Twenty-three months after conception, I gave birth to Kill All Cats, a novel unexpectedly beautiful in my eyes, and I hope in yours.

Rick Bylina
The only rule: Writers write! Everything else is a guideline.

Rick has been a member of Internet Writing Workshop
for many years, and is well known and beloved for the unstinting support and encouragement he gives to fellow IWWmembers and for his advice, and delightfully unique sense of humor.

I'm Rick the author man
I write all the words I can
I shuck the adverbs
Embrace power verbs
I'm Rick the author man.

Kill All Cats was the featured book July 8,2016 on the North Carolina Writers' Network, (4,000 members strong) BOOK BUZZ site.

Mel Jacob's review of Kill All Cats is up at Gumshoe Mystery Review. 

Sunday, August 7, 2016, Kill All Cats will have its world premiere public reading at The Joyful Jewel (art and book store) in Pittsboro, NC from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Find more Rick Bylina books at Amazon.
NOVELS: One Promise Too Many, A Matter of Faith, All of Our Secrets .
POETRY: Poems for a Platypus FLASH FICTION: Bathroom Reading.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Is Translating Books a Job You'd Enjoy?

 
 
Mark Kline, a long-time member of Internet Writing Workshop, translates books, so I asked him for a guest blog on the topic that writers will be sure to learn from. It may be a good venue for you.


Mark Kline
"It felt like a natural step for me to start translating literature. I've always loved reading fiction; I'd been living in Denmark for about twenty years, and I spoke and read Danish every day; I'd started writing short stories (in English); I've always liked working closely with others on projects. And I thought; why not give it a shot?
 
"I read translations and practiced translating. Then I contacted a somewhat unknown writer whose work I admired. Like most writers – as I've discovered – she was pleased that someone was interested in translating her work, and she was glad to help. I translated a few of her stories and sold them. It was thrilling to see they worked well in English – but how did it happen? It seemed almost like magic.
 
"Even now that I'm used to it, it can still seem a bit magical, though there's much routine involved. Reading a Danish story or novel, then starting in on it, translating the first sentence, the second, the third, until I reach the end. Then going back and thinking about words and paragraphs, approaching the work in smaller and larger bits, reading it at different 'distances.'

"It's somewhat like writing, except I always have to keep an eye on the original. It's push and pull, a constant stream of questions, usually resolved within seconds but certainly not always.

Questions such as:
  • Does this word correspond closely enough to the Danish word?
  • Does it fit in the flow of the translation?
  • Can I drop the adverb in this dialogue tag and find an English verb that covers it?
  • Is the tone of this paragraph too sarcastic in comparison to the Danish?
  • Should I try to write a sentence using alliteration as the Danish sentence does, or should I stick with what's closest to the content?
 "One way of looking at translation is that it's a series of dilemmas, many of them similar to those writers face. But translation dilemmas have more dimensions. For example, there's a golden rule: thou shalt not improve what you're translating.
 
"It's constantly in the back of my mind. But how do you define "improve?" Tricky!
 
"There are also many loyalties to juggle around – the people who will be reading the English translation, the author's wishes, the original work itself, whoever is paying.
 
"Another dilemma, maybe the biggest one of all – you have to write like other writers do, in styles that may not come natural to you.
 
"A sort of impersonation act. Maybe translators are like character actors?
 
"I was lucky. The first writer I translated many years ago became very popular, and through her and her publisher, I started picking up jobs. Gradually I became a full-time translator of literary fiction, poetry, crime novels, cookbooks, memoirs, journalism, alternative educational theory, videos on accordion repair – the strangest job I ever had was writing a report on a book by a Norwegian philosopher whose sentences averaged out at five pages in length.
 
"I can't say I've ever had a job that wasn't interesting in some way. The translations I'm happiest with don't necessarily come from books or writing I greatly admire. I still think about a short story I translated ten years ago. And a few poems. The beginning of a crime novel I translated last year.
 
"If you're thinking about trying your hand at translation – assuming you're fluent in a foreign language – I have a few simple tips:
  • Read translations and compare them to the originals.
  • Learn about the culture(s) that speaks the language you're translating from, the source language – traveling there is a big plus, if you can.
  • Practice; short stories or novel excerpts are good to start with, you get exposed to many styles and voices and the practical problems involved.
  • Read slowly and deeply as you're translating.
  • Read a lot in both the source language and the target language, which almost always is your native tongue.
  • And keep writing.
 "If you find you really enjoy translating, there are plenty of universities offering programs you can look into, for example: Center For Translation Studies.

"Some of the literary translators I know, or know of, have at least some education in translation. Most of the others are published writers who moonlight as translators. But then, to me all literary translators are writers.


 
"They have to be."

"Kingsize, by Mette Moestrup, is among my latest translations. Stephen Burt, said in Yale Review, "It might be no surprise that we live in a great time for avant-garde work in translation. And yet it's still surprising to see translated poems that depend on a spoken voice, on intonation and attitude, working in English almost as if they belonged there: that's the pleasant surprise – and sometimes the shock – of the Danish poet Mette Moestrup's Kingsize …

"I also translated The Last Supper, by Peter Wivel. Paul Berman, author of Terror and Liberalism and The Flight of the Intellectuals, said, "Klaus Wivel's report on the persecuted Christians of the Arab world is vivid, precise, morally astute, heartbreaking, and infuriating."

"I finished an unusual translation recently. It's on a wall at the  National Museum of Art in Copenhagen, which is a place I never imagined anything I ever had anything to do with would be.

"I had to translate the poem so each line and the poem as a whole took up almost the same number of words, characters, spaces, to give a mirror effect on the wall, the original and translation side by side. the poem was written for an exhibition of the Danish painter, Hammershoi.

"My translation of Sara Blaedel's crime thriller,
The Killing Forest was published earlier this year by Grand Central Publishing

"And finally, a story of mine, Ghosts That Never Lived, is in the spring 2016 issue of the Tulane Review, the litmag published by Tulane University.



Mark Kline grew up on a farm in the Flint Hills of Kansas. He now lives in Copenhagen, where he translates and writes short stories. He loves watching jazz from the side of the stage, crooked hedgeposts, baseball, old town barcelona at midnight, grandkids anytime anywhere, his eclectic taste, bees in lavender, informality, the summer we hitchhiked, playing bluegrass, fiction so great it makes you want to live in it, and hollyhocks and zinnias. He hates traumas, tight clothing, his childishness, nationalism, handicap toilets you have to walk downstairs to get to, canned spinach in vinegar, and privilege.
 

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Lynne M. Hinkey's Latest Novel: The Un-Familiar: A Tale of Dogs and Demons



On the first of June, 2016, Lynne M. Hinkey's third novel, The Un-Familiar: A tale of Dogs and Demons, was released by independent publisher, Casperian Books.  It is the second book in her Chupacabra Trilogy.


Three years ago, I posted Lynne's guest blog, Partnerhip Publishing ~~ Is It Right For You?


Marina Melee, on Amazonwas released in 2011 by  Casperian Books.  
 
Lynne had recently signed a contract with Casperian for her second novel, Ye Gods!
 

Read what Bob Sanchez said on his blog  about Lynne Hinkley, who is a marine biologist, animal lover and nice person.


Visit Lynne On Facebook 
 

Thursday, June 30, 2016

What Do You Learn From Aaron Shepard's " What Makes a Good Story"?


Aaron Shepard's article, What Makes a Good Story? Tips for Young Authors, is a must read for all writers striving to write a good story.

As in all discussions of what makes a good story, different opinions arise over the order of Shepard's elements. 

However, most agree with the author who says, "The real breakthrough starts with storytelling. It is what makes your writing real entertainment."

For more resources, visit Aaron Shepard’s Young Authors Page And visit his Home page  as well.
 

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

How Many Writers Are at Work in America?


When you wonder how many writers are at work in America a few minutes and read this December 2013 article written by Dominic Smith and published by MM The Millions.

The following are a few statistics in his article.
  • 2012 fiction books published with an ISBN: adult fiction 67,254; YYA and juvenile fiction 20,339
  • 2011 books published: traditionally published 347,178; self-published 235,000
  • 76 percent of all books released in 2008 were self-published
  • Roughly 50 percent of all fiction published (traditional or self-published) is a romance, mystery, sci-fi, or fantasy story
  • Approximately 185 U.S. institutions granting MFAs in fiction
  • 600-700 books received weekly by LA Times for review consideration
  • 197,768 self-reporting writers in 2009
  • 39 percent increase between 1990 and 2005 in the number of writers and authors.
The author's well researched and interesting article also concedes that "... the real answer is that no one knows exactly how many novelists are at work in America."

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Learn How To Benefit From Critiques


June 2, 2016, Writer's Digest published "4 Ways to Take Criticism Like a Pro", a guest post fromTanaz Bhathena, which  contains good advice for both writers and those who critique that is well worth studying.

Tanaz Bhathena, writes Middle Eastern and South Asian fiction.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Another Reason to ePublish


 
I asked Jeannette de Beauvoir for the following guest blog becuase of her experience and expertise. I knew Jeannette would give good advice to all writers, not just to novelists. Please drop her a note to thank her.
 
Jeannette wrote:
 
Once upon a time I wrote a novel. 

That’s the way all good stories start, isn’t it? And that’s the way that novels start, too: with an idea that eventually gets developed into a work of fiction. And if you’re a serious novelist, you don’t stop at writing: you keep working it until it’s the best that it can possibly be.

So I finished writing this novel and I submitted it, chapter by chapter, painstakingly, to the online novels critique group at the Internet Writing Workshop. I revised it. I revised it again. I had it critiqued again. I hired an editor to work on it. And then I sent it to my literary agent, knowing that not only was it the best that I could make it, it was decidedly the best thing I’d ever written. (My first-ever novel was published in 1980, so I did have a decent backlist to which to compare this particular book.)

My agent loved it. He called me late in the evening to tell me so. He said it was brilliant. And so I went on to my next project—that’s what writers do, too—and waited for a fabulous offer to come in.

Here’s what I’m grateful for: I’m grateful that I wrote my acknowledgments at the same time that I wrote the novel. Because this book was critiqued so long ago that none of the people I thanked are even part of the critique group anymore.
 
I started submitting it in the year 2001, and my agent began shopping it in 2005 (yeah, revisions and editing do take that long). And earlier this year my agent and I agreed that—for reasons that escape both of us—it just wasn’t going to sell to a traditional publisher. So I pulled it out and went through it yet again and finally, via Amazon’s Kindle and Draft2Digital, I put it up online as an ebook, and will probably bring out a paperback version later this year.

Because the truth is that, despite everything, my re-read convinced me that it’s still the best thing I’ve ever written. I say that with three novels written and published in the interim, two of them with a major publisher and one with a respected small press. I still think this is the best thing I’ve ever written.

And no one wanted it.

I wasn’t at all sure that I wanted to do this independently. My day job is that I’m a freelance editor, and I know what work goes into professional editing—and how few so-called self-published books have availed themselves of that step. I know the value of the gatekeeper concept that’s behind traditional publishing, and I respect it.
 
As a reader, I’m very cautious about purchasing books that haven’t gone through the lengthy, arduous, and completely necessary process of critiques, vetting, professional substantive and copy editing, and revisions.

On the other hand, I thought, someday I will die. Do I want this book to still be sitting on my hard drive when I do? That was enough to move me to action. And it’s not the first time I’ve turned to Kindle: my extremely lengthy medieval novel, The Crown & The Kingdom, went that route several years ago, since the major complaint of publishers (and this was before I had an agent, so I was submitting it myself) was that it was too expensive to produce. So now InDark Woods (not a medieval novel!) has joined it.

Is this a tale of woe? No; but it is a cautionary tale. There’s too much talk on writing lists and critique groups of traditional versus independent publishing, as though the two were mutually exclusive and one somehow better than the other; and we’re going to see so many changes in the industry in the next ten years that it’s worth our while as authors to be a little flexible. To consider alternatives that we hadn’t in the past. To persevere. And to always, always, always be professional about it, whether it’s in hiring an editor—or in accepting that the “fabulous” offer we were expecting just isn’t going to materialize this time around.

Because we’re novelists, and so there’s always going to be a next time. It’s what we do.

Jeannette de Beauvoir writes mystery, historical, and general fiction; her new novel is InDark Woods. Read more about her work on Goodreads, her Amazon author page, Facebook, and her website. She offers editing services through CustomlineWordware and is the founder and director of the Cape Cod Writing Workshops.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

4RV Publishing Open for Many Genres, Artists and Illustrators


Based in Edmond, OK, 4RV Publishing, located at 2912 Rankin Terrace, Edmond, Oklahoma, ranks high in the publishing industry, and won the coveted “Best of Edmond Book Publisher 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015”

Be sure to check all the links at the top of their website before deciding to submit your work. Currently, New submissions for Tweens, Teens, Young Adult, New Adult, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Biblical Based are open for submissions.
 
The home page also lists genres that are currently closed, and provides vacation dates.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

What Happens To Your Books and Career When Your Publisher Quits?


I requested this guest blog from Pat Brown because you'll learn from her what happens when your publsiher goes out of business, or sells to some other publisher.

Revising Earlier Novels, by Pat Brown

Earlier this year one of my publishers went out of business. This happens frequently today—publishers exist on a very narrow margin of profit and it doesn't take much to tip that margin into the red. So what happens then? If you were smart you have a contract that spells out exactly what happens under these circumstances. Usually, it's that the rights to your works return to you, meaning they are yours to do what you want with. 

In my case, I got the rights back to four books and one novella. The publisher was even kind enough to send me copies of the formatted manuscripts that are completely editable. So what do I do with these five works? Turn right around and self-publish? I've considered self-publishing a book more than once. So far I haven't. I like the luxury of someone else editing my manuscript and preparing a cover for me, saving me the expense. 

Can I find another publisher for it? Some publishers reject re-publishing a work. They only want first rights.  A little research online will answer that question. I decided I was going to look for a new publisher(s). I've actually gone through this before, except the publisher didn't go out of business, we just mutually parted ways. The new publisher edited the old manuscripts just like they would have for a new submission. In my case I think the books were improved by the editing—another set of professional eyes never hurts. I was also able to update the books' police procedures as both my own knowledge had increased and some technologies had changed. Win-win all around. 

Is there any reason to do more than window dressing? After all, the novel was good enough to sell the first time, right? Why make more work for myself?  Except one of those books is Latin Boyz and I've been itching to get the rights back for it for the last two years. It never sold well; I believe it was not marketed well. Not anything the publisher did, but the title was horrible—it made the book sound like a gay porn—and I did something a writer should never do. I gratuitously added sex scenes or added unnecessary detail to existing sex scenes. Not enough to make it true porn, but more than the book called for. The story is actually more a coming of age story about a young Hispanic man coming to terms with his gayness and accepting the love of another man. None of that was conveyed by the title, the blurb I provided or the cover. I hope to remedy that with a new publisher. 

I vowed to rewrite the whole thing. Then I took the opening to my writer's critique group, where I got positive feedback but also an interesting suggestion. The book is primarily written in first person and the idea was thrown out that it might be more powerful if it was close third instead. It was almost  like a light went off. Something had always bugged me about the book, but I could never pinpoint any reason for the unease. Now I had an idea to explore. I went home and took a good look at the manuscript and decided to commit myself to do just that. Rewrite a 92,000 word novel, changing the main character's POV entirely.  I made a new folder and renamed the file with the working title Burn and launched a massive revision. It's too early to tell if I'm on to something, but I have a good feeling about it. 

Time will be the final arbiter.##

Pat Brown is the award winning author of gay police procedurals under the pen name P.A. Brown, including the L.A. series featuring LAPD Homicide Detective David Eric Laine and his lover Christopher Bellamere. These include L.A. Heat, L.A. Mischief, L.A. Boneyard and L.A. Storm. And the Geography series, featuring Santa Barbara cop Alexander Spider and his lover Jason Zachary in Geography of Murder  and A Forest of Corpses.
As GK Parker she is the author of two historical novels.
 
Ashes & Ice is the story of two Irish immigrants who flee the oppression and crushing poverty in Ireland to find a better life in the New World. Instead, they find themselves struggling to survive the streets of the Lower East Side in the infamous Five Points slum.The sequel to Ashes & Ice will be released in several months. The title is The Perfect Tree and it picks up 16 years later. The survivors of New York City land out west ranching in the foothills in Central California.
Her second historical novel is Indifferent City , set in Los Angeles in 1929, in a time when the only difference between the cops and the bad guys were their badges. LAPD officer Billy Brewster gets mixed up with the wrong people in this gritty tale of corruption and love gone bad. A crooked cop, a mysterious, classy dame; what could possibly go wrong?


GK Parker Website

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Fees for Copyediting Journal Articles


  • When writers asked what to charge for copyediting journal articles, ie: correct grammar, spelling, and format information, provided by Internet Writing Workshop members may be helpful.
  • Between $2 and $6 a double spaced, hard-copy page, depending on the kind of editing required and the difficulty of the manuscript.
  • Typically around $2 per page for copyediting.
  • By the page: $2 to $4; by the hour: rates start at $25 and go beyond.
  • Even iff what’s wanted is light editing you should leave yourself some wiggle room, maybe 10 percent more, in case some pieces turn out more time consuming.
A page normally means 250 words.

Whatever you decide, have a contract.

Get Paid to Have Your Flash Fiction Published

 
If you're interested in publishing flash fiction, where several Internet Writing Workshop  members are frequently published, go to The Flash Fiction Press. They pay $3 per flash fiction.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Highly Recommended Book for Writers of all Genre's


“Self-Editing for Fiction Writers”, by Renni Browne and Dave King is one book highly recommended by many authors on Internet Writing Workshop.

Peter Bernhart summed it up this way
,“The authors point out that writing and editing are two different skills. True. However, both skills are necessary for today's writer who shoots for a publishable manuscript. You have to be able to wear both hats, though not at the same time. So for me, this gem of a book is absolutely essential reading for anyone aspiring to become a professional writer/author.”
Peter's books include, The Stasi File, 2011 ABNA Quarter Finalist, Kiss of The Shaman's Daughter (sequel), and Red Romeo. 
 
 
 
Enjoy Peter's Amazon page and his website: Writing Among Sedona's Red Rocks.
  
 

Friday, April 22, 2016

Nom de plume or Alias?


Established authors who change their name on new books they've written is a subject I haven't covered. So when popular author, Carol Crigger decided to make that change, Carol agreed to write a guest blog on the topic.

Nom de plume or Alias?, by C.K. Crigger

"Why are you changing your name?" a friend asked. "How will I know how to find your books?"

"It won't be hard," I assured her. "Im still Crigger, only now it's Carol Wright Crigger instead of C.K. Crigger. Search engines bring either up pretty easily. Carol Wright Crigger is a combination of my maiden name and married name. C.K. are simply the initials of my first and middle names."

"But why did you do it?" she asked again. "Why does anybody?"

 I'm not 'anybody' so I can't fully answer for them. I can only speculate.
  • 1) They're writing in more than one genre and want to set each apart.
  • 2) Earlier books have been unsuccessful and they're starting over.
  • 3) Their name is the same as another author and readers get confused.
  • 4) Their publisher suggested the change.
  • 5) Their relatives suggested the change.
  • 6) They're avoiding the Internal Revenue Service.
  • 7) They're avoiding a hit squad.
  • 8) They're going into Witness Protection.

All legitimate reasons.

As for me? I just plain prefer the way Carol Wright Crigger looks on the cover of a book. And yes, a few other thoughts are mixed up in the decision.

Five Star/Cengage is publishing Four Furlongs, the fourth book in the China Bohannon adventure/mystery series.

New publisher equals new name.

I've since had a contemporary mystery (Hometown Homicide) picked up by Black Opal Books. Even though the genre is different, I've gone with the new author name for that one, too.

If you ran a real survey, I'd bet you'd find the number one reason people vary their author name is because of writing in a different genre. Secondary to that is writing a couple different series. Perhaps one is mystery and one romance. And a literary writer might not want their mainstream books associated with erotica. Or an expose might bring trouble down on a writer's head. Different names give separation. Or maybe denial.

One of my long time publishers recently closed its door. They had published ten of my novels, in print and e-book, which are now looking for a new home. They all were written under C.K. Crigger. These books also are all published by Books In Motion in audio. So now I have a decision to make. Go all in with CWC, or stick with C.K.C. I expect it'll be the latter on those older books, in hopes of avoiding confusion.

Honest, the IRS, hit squads, or witness protection aren't considerations.

Hah! And most people think there's nothing much to this writing business.

Bio: Carol Crigger lives with her husband and a raft of little dogs in Spokane Valley, Washington, where she crafts stories set in the Inland Northwest. She is a two-time Spur Award finalist, in 2007 for Short Fiction, and in 2009 for Audio.

Four Furlongs is available for pre-order on Amazon and B&N. Libraries and bookstores contact FiveStar.Cengage.

Contact Carol at ckcww@aol.com
Carol Crigger's Writing Pages,  www.ckcrigger.com
www.chinabohannon.blogspot.com