Tag: atozchallenge

F is for Face (to launch a thousand sales)

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F

“Originally the book cover was designed to sell the book to the book store, who judged solely on the cover whether to buy something for their store(s). Now, cover appeal is all about how it looks in a tiny square on Amazon.”

“If you are using a traditional publishing house, chances are your book cover will get art from the slush pile assigned to it. Few houses ask an author’s opinion on cover art until they make a name. The bigger the house, the less say you get.”

“A soulless picture on the cover is not going to connect to readers no matter how beautiful it is.”

“Europeans don’t like people on their covers. Consider a different cover for your European market.”

“Above all be true to the story and deliver what the cover promises.”

-Book Cover Hero(ines) Panel

E is for Editors

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E

“Most nos happen on the first page. The market is saturated and you only have maybe 500 words to grab readers. Have lots of people read your first page.”

“A new author cannot pitch anything to an editor. A pitch is worthless as few people can actually finish a novel. We’re only interested if you have a book done.”

“All correspondence with an editor is professional. Be clear and concise and polite. Quirky is often inappropriate.”

One editor said she only looks at the synopsis if she likes the first ten pages.

“Follow the guidelines on all the big things for submission, ie. genre, length, exclusions.” Do your homework.

“The professionalism of your indie product is the biggest attraction to a traditional publishing house.”

-Why Editors Pass Panel

D is for Dos and Don’ts of Social Media

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

 

-Don’t Dpush your book via social media. Do make sure a google search leads them to you (your website/blog/etc) and where to buy your book.

-Don’t over stretch your social media presence. Do a few things and do them well.

-Don’t try to imitate the really big name authors. Do be yourself, work at the level you are, and grow your empire slowly.

-Don’t use a platform just because everyone else is. Do pick the one(s) that is right for you.

-Don’t let your blog/website/etc languish. Do keep it updated.

-Do NOT obsess about your stats.

 

-How to be an Auhor on the Internet Panel

C is for Change (it up)

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C.jpg

“Don’t assume what used to work always will; change it up.”

“If you usually work to a word count, hide it temporarily and assume any progress is good progress. If you normally ignore your word count, set a reasonable amount to make each day and then stop when you hit it, so you don’t feel guilty about living life as well as writing it.”

“There’s an unwritten publishing law that you can change an editor once with no harm to foul to your career, so leave the relationship if it is not working for your career.”

-Fighting Through the 20K Slump, The Art of Rewriting it Again, and Finishing Your Fiction Panels

B is for Bang, Bang, You’re Dead

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B“When writing about guns and ammo, find an expert to take you to a gun range. Actually fire the guns you want to write about.”

“A handgun shot to the torso has an 80-95% survival rate in the USA. A rifle shot, same circumstances, 20% survival rate.”

“Any gun using compressed gas, will still be at least 110 decibels with a suppressor.” For comparison, a motorcycle is about 100 decibels, a power saw 110, and a rock concert about 115.  A Girandoni air gun is actually almost entire silent. Can fire about 20 shot/minute as well.

-Writing Firearms Well Panel

A is All About

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A

My A to Z Challenge this year will be all about Norwescon, which was the last weekend of March in “sunny” Sea-tac, WA. This is a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention with a strong bent toward writers and readers. I like to attend the writer track class and take notes from the independent authors making a real go of it on their own. I will bring you a few great quotes I heard for each letter this month. I hope you enjoy the wisdom…

Wednesday Lego Monsters 3/30

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 6 Comments

I’m not at cafe right now. In fact as this posts, I am flying home from Southern California, where I just spent a few days at Lego Land with the kiddo and some friends.

I kept bird dogging the weather in the weeks before our departure. I was so excited to see it was going to be mid 70’s and sunny. Yes! A few days basking in warmth was exactly what the doctor ordered. Only…yeah.

It wasn’t quite like that. LOL. Cold, windy, and reoccurring showers. Apparently I imported my local weather to Lego land.

But for all that we had a good time. The kiddo rode his first real roller coaster. Loved it!! Then I took him to Tappan for the first time. So fun introducing kids to new things.

Anyway, can’t wait to tell you all about norwescon in April a to z challenge.

2016 First Quarter One Page Reviews

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

January, February, and March the following book fell supremely short:

I picked up A Beggining, A Muddle, and an End by Avi on my craft book binge. I was looking for things to include in weekend workshops or help with my workshop series at the library or even for use next year in teaching. It sounded so cute. An ant and a snail talk about writing. Lots of interesting little nuggets in a funny little comedy, perfect.

Yeah, no. I was wrong. It was tired. In fact, reading it made me tired. According to the cover it’s philosophical. ROFL. That alone is funnier than the entire book. Let me share jst a few “highlights.”

“…but instead write a book about my life. I’m hoping that writing will allow me to find myself.” “I had no idea you were lost.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have a way with words.” “Avon, by now you should know that words don’t really weigh anything.”

“Because my father always told me not to be thoughtless.” “And my father always taught me that it’s the thought that counts.” “I’d much prefer that.” “Why?” “Because I’ve always been good at mathematics.”

The whole book is this way. But at least it’s short, so my torture did not extend too tall, because extending yourself is dangerous, as the book would have said.

Lost for Words – Edward St. Aubyn

Oh god, this book. I couldn’t even finish it. I tried I really did, as you know I have issues with leaving a book unfinished no matter how bad it is but this one…

The idea behind the book: a satire of literary works and the competitions that judge them. Ha- ha, how funny this will be. Um, no.

The book is so busy being what it makes fun of that it was unreadable for me. Sentences go on for half a page, filled with words of four syllables or more. Let me give you an example of one of the more readable sentences that goes on for half a page.

“… the substitution of a slightly resistant adjective to engender a moment’s reflection, in short, the joys of editing, all carried out without forgetting the art that disguises art, giving the appearance of ease to the greatest difficulty and bringing clarity to tangled and obscure ideas.”

Yeah and that was just the last quarter of that sentence. What ever happened to say what you mean and mean what you say and don’t say it mean?

Grey – E.L. James

I gave this one 20 pages. Seriously, it opened with a dream. There are not even words.

Why was I even reading this travesty? Ok so my oldest friend in the world begged me to. She loves the Grey series. And she swore that Christian Grey’s business partner was me incarnate, so please please would I just try it?

I tried. I failed. It went back to the library.

I’m posting this one a smidge early, I know it’s still March, but with the beginning of April begins A to Z Challenge and I will be blogging about lessons learned at Norwescon in the A to Z format.

Nano to Publish March Workshop

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

I had this grand idea about the March workshop where I would move about my hard working cohorts helping them get their novels ready for beta with wit and compassion. Are you rolling on the floor laughing yet? I am.

In reality, every one has it already. They are either moving forward on making their first pass critique changes at a solid clip or they are done. No one needed me. No one.

What ended up happening was all these fabulous conversations occurred. We talked about blogging, about pen names, the greater nature of art, ways to handle multiple books in multiple genres.  The group convinced me it was OK to abandon my murder mystery. Guess they had that compassion I was envisioning.

I helped one guy a little with his blog. I heartily suggested people jump on the A to Z blogging challenge as a way to get their blog rolling with a bang and to get a quick readership. As you may have noticed I am participating in the A to Z blogging challenge this year. For the month of April I will be posting what I learned at norwescon (I’m there right now), in the A to Z challenge format. My normal posts will be suspended for this daily challenge in the month of April.

If you’re at Norwescon, stop by the Clockwork Dragon table (#37 in the vendor room) and check out the incredible indie authors, including my novel Scripting the Truth.