What I Learned from Jim Azevedo and Smashwords

This week, Jim Azevedo, Marketing Director for Smashwords, did a presentation to my writing group about epublishing. Here’s what I learned.

• ebooks rarely go out of print.

• The first step is to write a great book.

• Everyone needs an editor and a proofreader.

• ebooks are consumed differently than print books. They can be read on multiple devices and on screens that are different sizes.

• Formatting is crucial for ebooks.

• Smashwords offers some free style guides and other resources on their website.

• The cover design is critical for your book.

• If you purchase a cover design from an online artist, make sure that you have exclusive use of it. (You don’t want to see your cover with another title and author.)

• Spend your money on editing and cover design. Don’t look like an amateur.

• When readers look for ebooks, the cover is about the size of a stamp (thumbnail size). Your cover needs to be able to look good in a variety of sizes.

• Be fanatical about quality.

• When you price your ebooks, know your genre.

• You need to maximize your book’s availability to a lot of sellers. Make sure you use a distributor.

• When your cover is in draft form, compare it to the top books in your genre.

• Your email list/newsletter is valuable. You own and control it.

• Don’t blast your email list with too many newsletters.

• Most books don’t sell well. There is no magical, silver bullet. Authors need to follow best practices and create the best book they can.

Writing Advice Worth Its Weight in Gold

Over the years, I’ve received some invaluable advice from editors and other writers that has helped me along my writing journey.

• When you get to the point with your writing and revising where you think you’re done, you’re not. That’s just the beginning.

• Go through your manuscript and use your word processor’s search feature to find your overused words. You will be surprised how many times you use “just” and “that.”

• Everyone needs an editor.

• Everyone needs a proofreader.

• You need to print your document and reread it after every round of edits to ensure that you didn’t create other mistakes.

• Find beta readers or a critique group to help you work through story lines and plot holes.

• Don’t be afraid of reviews or critiques.

• Read the last sentence of each chapter. Make sure it’s strong. It should make the reader want to read past her bedtime.

• Eliminate unnecessary dialogue tags.

• Go through your manuscript and rewrite “be word” sentences.

• Look for passive sentences and rewrite them in active voice.

• If you read a paragraph and you’re bored, your reader will be, too.

• Read your manuscript aloud.

• Writing is a business.

• Guard your writing time.

How to Keep Your Writing Life Moving during the Pandemic

We are experiencing a unique and scary time. It’s hard on everyone. There’s isolation, loneliness, and disappointment, not to mention fear, stress, and anxiety.

I’m hearing from a lot of writers that they’re having a hard time getting motivated.

I think it’s important during this crisis to keep to a schedule or a routine if you can. Last week, I put makeup and shoes on for two video conferences and a trip for groceries. (Who knew going to the grocery store would be a dress-up occasion!)

Here are some ideas of helping with routines and schedules. I do better when I have a deadline.

1. Write when you feel like it. Try to do some writing every day.

2. Research and revisions count as writing work.

3. Work on blog posts or marketing ideas.

4. Reading in your genre counts as research.

5. Find ways to catch up with others. Video conferencing, phone calls, group chats, and social media are great ways to stay in contact. My two critique groups and my marketing group have moved to Google Hangouts or Zoom. My critique groups give me a monthly deadline, so that helps keep me on schedule.

6. Look for volunteer opportunities and ways to help others. There are many things that you can do from home. My neighborhood Facebook group puts out daily calls for neighbors in need. My church also has a network for people to request assistance. You can use your social media platforms to connect with people and to share information. My alumni association put out a call last week for members to submit thoughts and wishes for the Class of 2020 who had their senior year and celebrations cut short. There are lots of ways you can help.

Let me know what other ideas you have. Best wishes for you and your family! Be safe!

Waiting is the Hardest Part...

Tom Petty said it best, “Waiting is the Hardest Part.” I agree. I think it’s one of the toughest things about the writing process. I am soooo not a patient person, and this is often a struggle for me. Writers wait for everything from agent and editor responses, reviews, contracts, to award and contest nominations and announcements. The list goes on and on, and the clock hands move slowly.

Don’t waste your time worrying or agonizing during the wait. Here are some things you can do…

1. Write your next book. This is important. You should always be working on your next project.

2. Build or update your website. Take a really good look at it. Is it easy to navigate? Does a visitor see what you want them to see when they land on your page? Is it inviting?

3. Write your next newsletter or blog post. It’s nice to have content already created.

4. Make sure your author biography is current.

5. Check all of the bios on your social media sites.

6. Join a writers group.

7. Read a book in your genre. Reading is research.

What are some of your waiting horror stories? Drop me a line or a comment.

What I Learned from Murder and Mayhem 2020

Many thanks to Lori Rader-Day, Dana Kaye, and their team for making the Murder and Mayhem conference virtual. It was a great way to spend a Saturday during the quarantine. Here’s what I learned from all the fabulous panelists.

Writing/Craft

• It can be hard to keep a series fresh and new. The story needs to make sense especially when you get 5-6 books into the series.

• The character needs to progress and evolve as the books move forward.

• The challenge is to keep long-time readers interested and to draw in new readers to your series.

• Weave in your backstory. It should come naturally as the story progresses.

• Get rid of gender biases in your writing. Don’t fall into tropes or stereotypes.

• Create a document (character bible) to help you keep up with the details about your characters and locations.

• Remember that every character has a secret.

• Characters need a purpose.

• Stop reading craft books and read lots of novels that you like. If you want to be a screen writer, watch lots of movies.

• Write from your gut.

• Sit down and write.

Book Promotion/Marketing

• Plan your marketing up front.

• You need to connect with bloggers, influencers, and podcasters.

• Understand your audience and how they get book recommendations.

• Start small and local.

• Find out what your publisher is doing, so that you can supplement and not duplicate.

• When you talk to people, make it conversational and not pitchy. You don’t want to be the guy or gal with the sandwich board and the megaphone.

• Look at the analytics for your social media posts and see what resonates with people.

• Street teams are often helpful with book promotion.

• See what people are reading, and see where those books are mentioned.

• Go where your audience is.

• If you do a newsletter, make sure the content is effective. Be consistent. Do what works.

• Personal and educational content often works best in newsletters.

• Build your email list organically.

• Quality over Quantity.

• Always be a good, literary citizen. Like, share, comment on others’ posts.

• It’s okay to connect with others via email. Just don’t do mass email blasts.

• Face-to-face events are still important.

Things You Need to Check Out

• Book Cellar in Chicago

• The Doe Network (International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons)

• International Dark Sky Places

• Quarantine Online Book Clubs

• Unlikeable Female Characters Podcast

• Writer Types Podcast

• Dana Kaye Speaks

The New Normal - Make Time for Writing

It’s been a trying few weeks with lots of change and flux. I hope you and yours are doing well and are happy, healthy, and safe. My day gig is in IT, so the team has put in a lot of time making sure the rest of the staff can access systems and services. I was exhausted from all the hours last week, and I’m not doing the heavy lifting like our network guys and systems people.

I started my teleworking adventure on 3/19. The dogs still can’t figure out why I’m home so much. We’re learning how to cope and to be creative when things don’t quite work like they do in the office.

This meme summed up a lot of conference calls. Here’s your bingo card for this week.

I’m still getting up at my normal o’dark-thirty, and I’m using my commute time to write and revise. It’s important to stick to as much of a schedule/routine as you can. Also figure out ways to connect via video chats, calls, or social media. My book promotion groups and my critique groups are switching to virtual chats. And I attended the best conference online on Saturday. Many thanks to the Murder and Mayhem team in Chicago. Over 930 people attended the panels virtually.

Don’t forget to eat right and exercise. (I ordered a bicycle device that fits under my desk. I’ll let you know how that goes.)

I grew up watching “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” and the wise Fred Rogers always told us, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” They’re there, and I’ve seen so many caring and generous folks this week.

We’re in this together, and we can do this.

I love that so many creative folks are doing all kinds on concerts, story times, and exercises. There are so many ways you can learn new things and to connect with others. If you have downtime, finish projects, clean up, and start your next writing effort.

Drop me a note or add a comment and let me know what you’ve done recently for your writing life. Be safe.

The Value of a Critique

I am in two monthly critique groups. One is in-person and the other is a video chat. In each, we read about 50 pages of the others’ works and provide feedback. I joined the in-person one about ten years ago, and it took some courage to submit my work the first time. I actually waited a couple of months before dipping my foot in the pool.

But I learned quickly that the feedback from these groups is invaluable. These are readers and mystery lovers who help with structure, plot holes, typos, and writing issues. All writers want to hear how wonderful their baby is, but sometimes, a detailed critique is worth it’s weight in gold as you try to make your manuscript the best it can be. Here are some of the things I’ve learned through the years.

1. Find a group that understands your genre. It helps that the feedback focuses on what you’re trying to write. Both of my groups are made up of mystery writers/readers. I read other genres, but I want my writing focus to be on mysteries.

2. None of the members knew each other when we started. I think this was helpful. When people are friends, there’s often a tendency not to be open and honest about the writing because you don’t want to hurt the other’s feelings. You can give a positive critique without being brutal or covering every page with red ink.

3. We also set the rules up front, and there is a moderator in the larger group to keep us on task and watch the clock.

4. The writers in my groups are at different stages of their writing journeys. That brings a variety of perspectives. They also come from different backgrounds and experiences, and the wealth of knowledge is amazing.

5. Everyone in the group has committed to read and provide comments on the submissions. I read theirs; they read mine. They help me talk through plot holes or weak areas. I believe in sweat equity. Everyone is contributing.

6. I learn as much from the discussion of others’ issues as I do with the one centered on my work.

7. There are a few folks in one of my groups who don’t write frequently or just want to be readers. But they read a lot of mysteries. Their comments often help me judge reactions to tension points and characters.

8. Read the feedback and decide what you’re going to change. If multiple people had the same reaction, you probably should take a look at it.

9. The monthly deadline helps me stay on track with my writing. I am more productive when I know I need to get my pages ready for my groups.

The goal is to get your work published, and you need to make your WIP the best version possible. For me, the writing/revising part of the process is key to improving the work. This takes the most time and energy. I’ve been alone with my manuscript for months, and the critique groups provide me a way to introduce it to readers and get an honest reaction. Invest in your writing and find a group to help you.

When You Think You're Done Writing...

There is no other feeling like typing, “The End.” You have worked and worked on your manuscript, and now you’re done. Take a break and celebrate.

Now the work for the next phase begins. You need to polish and revise this to make it the best that it can be. If you’re going to query it to agents and publishers, you only get one shot.

• Go through your manuscript and remove all unnecessary or overused words. Use the find/replace feature. (Mine are “that,” “just,” and “a few minutes.”)

• Reread your manuscript and make sure the plot flows and the events move your story forward.

• Make sure that your main character is likeable and human. They shouldn’t be perfect. If they are, then, there’s not that much conflict. (Make sure that your reader knows who the story is about. You don’t want confusion.)

• Create a document that summarizes what happens in each chapter. This will help you see plot holes. (You’ll also need it later as an outline for a synopsis.)

• Make sure that you didn’t leave any minor story lines hanging. Readers will want to know what happened to something earlier in the story.

• Find a critique group, beta readers, or a writing partner to read your whole manuscript and provide you with feedback. (Parents, friends, and spouses are great for feedback, but you need someone who is going to tell you about the good, the bad, and the ugly.)

• Look over your feedback and make revisions. Sometimes, this means rewrites.

• Print a copy and check for typos, misspellings, and any other inconsistency. (I probably do this three or four times before the book is ready to send to an editor or agent.)

• I hire an editor to go through what I think is my final version. Then I go back and make the changes and proofread the book again.

Then take a few minutes to celebrate all the effort that it took to get your book ready. Now, it’s time to think about marketing and promotion.