Research Your Genre - Tips for Authors

It’s often hard when writers plan out a new WIP (Work in Progress), especially if they want it to be a series. You need to know what will be selling in the next two to three years, and I don’t know about you, but my crystal ball is broken. Here are some ideas that can help as you plan your next project.

• Read everything you can get your hands on in your genre. It helps you to see what is popular now and the trends.

• Read all of the acknowledgment pages. See who the agents, publicists, and editors are. This will help you later when you query.

• Peruse online book retailers and visit bookstores to see what is on their shelves. You’ll need a list of comps (comparables) when you start your querying process.

• Many times, books are rejected because the publisher already has one that is similar.

• If you believe in your story, you need to come up with ways to show that it is different from everything else that is out there. What makes it unique?

• Look at agents’ websites and their wish lists. This shows you what they represent and is often a good indicator of what they think they can sell in the next few years.

• When you’re plotting your story, look for hooks that will appeal to your type of reader. Set it in a unique place. Give your character an interesting job that readers want to know more about.

• Write the best book you can. Make sure that it is professionally edited before you begin the query process.

The publishing business is a tough business. Agents and editors represent stories they think will sell, so it’s a good idea to spend some time researching your genre.

What Do You Have to Have to Write?

Writers have their own routines and habits. Here are some things I have to have when I’m researching and writing a mystery.

Music - I usually listen to faster music when I’m writing. I like a lot of genres, but if I’m trying to concentrate, I listen to jazz or classical. Those are my choices for editing, too.

Caffeine - I must be caffeinated for my writing sessions. I’m not much of a hot drink drinker, so I drink soft drinks, iced tea, and iced coffee all year. My day starts at 5:00 AM, and caffeine is always part of the morning ritual.

Snacks - I don’t do a lot of snacking, but when I’m in writer mode, chocolate is a must-have. Dark chocolate is my favorite (no nuts or coconut).

Exercise - I tend to sit still too long. My fitness band is good about buzzing when I’ve been in my seat too long. I also have two crazy Jack Russell Terriers for officemates, and they let me know when it’s time for a break.

A Plan - I’m more of a plotter (even though I do go off script) than a pantser when I write. I like to have an outline of each chapter. That helps me when I start and stop. It also helps when I go to write the dreaded synopsis.

No Distractions - When I am in full writing or revising mode, I need to keep the distractions to a minimum. No TV, internet, or phones. It is too easy to just stop to research something and end up watching funny cat or dog videos for an hour.

What works for you? What would you add to my list?

What is Your Writing Kryptonite?

What keeps you from your writing? What is your biggest distraction?

Mine is probably the internet. I tell myself that I’m only going to look up one thing, and then the next thing I know, I’m looking at dog videos, cute alpaca memes, and recipes that I’ll never make. It is often easy to get distracted from your writing or revising tasks. Here are some things that help me stay focused.

• When I feel tired or restless, I get up and walk around for 5-10 minutes. There are lots of desk exercises that you can do to get the blood flowing back to your brain. During the plague, I bought a desk bike to pedal while I’m sitting. It helps to get the endorphins going again.

• Resist the urge to research everything while you are writing. Mark it and come back to it later, so you don’t break your momentum. The great Brad Parks calls this “killing his X’s.” When he gets to a spot that needs some research, he types, “XXX” and moves on. When he’s in editing mode, he goes through his document, searches for the “X’s,” and fills in the missing information.

• Try to keep to a writing schedule. Routines help you be consistent. Even if it’s only 30 minutes a day, you know that that is your writing time.

• Treat your writing like a business. There are things that you have to do to keep your business thriving. If it is always the last thing on your list, it will never get done.

• Schedule your writing time. You schedule other important events. Make sure you book time to create.

• When you are in writing mode, don’t edit. Just keep writing. You can revise the whole thing when you have a draft.

• I do an outline for each novel (that I use for the synopsis later). This helps me from getting bogged down or off track in the middle of the book.

• Figure out what daily word count works for you. If I finish early, then I go do something fun. You will see progress quickly with daily goals.

• Reward yourself for victories, even little ones.

What helps you stay focused? Happy writing, y’all!

Find the Writing Routine That Works for You

It’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), the time when authors commit to writing each day with the goal of completing a good chunk of their novel by the end of the month. Anyone participating this year?

I think daily writing goals are good. For a long time, I resisted. There was too much going on in my life to commit to being able to write every day. (And it took almost five years to finish my first novel.) I have picked up speed over the years, and that includes daily writing.

You need to find the routine that works for you and your schedule. This one is mine. I still have a day gig that starts at 7:30 AM, so I get up and write at 5:00 AM. I have always been a morning person, and I usually stick to my routine on weekends. I write during my lunch, and if I didn’t hit my word count for the day, then I come back after dinner to finish. On days that I work, my goal is 1,000 words. On weekends and days off, my goal is 3,000 words. I can usually finish a cozy mystery draft in about two to two and a half months. I have my major research completed and a pretty good outline of the mystery before I start. When I’m not writing a book, I use the time to network, market my current books, and update my social media platforms.

Here’s what I learned about having a routine:

• Do your best to keep to your schedule. Figure out how much time you have and be realistic about your plans.

• If you miss a day or so, don’t beat yourself up. Life happens. Try to get back on track. The longer you are away from your WIP (work in progress), the harder it is to find where you left off.

• Just write when you are in first draft mode. Make notes of things you need to research later. Don’t go back and edit or revise. Just write.

• If you’re finding it hard to carve out time, look at your daily schedule. Where can you find 30-60 minutes each day? What can you exchange for some writing time?

• When we worked from home during the pandemic and lockdown, I committed my commuting time to writing. I was way more prolific than I’ve ever been. To me, it proved that daily writing time works.

• Celebrate your victories. I keep a little sheet of paper with my daily word totals. You’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up.

Let me know what works for you. Happy Writing!

Some Characters You May Want to Avoid

Writing is a business, and authors need to treat their writing life that way. You want to be known as you build your platform and your readership, but you don’t want to be remembered for the wrong traits. Here are some characters you may not want associated with for your brand.

This is the character who always has to be THE center of attention. He or she has complaints or snarky feedback about everything. Nothing meets his or her expectations or is ever up to snuff. He or she has to be in all the pictures, invited to everything, and have top billing. He or she should have the best seat at the the head table and given all the starring roles.

The Bore is the character who makes every conversation or email about him or herself. He or she takes full advantage of any audience and holds them captive with long recitations about themselves, their books, and their lives. He or she will hog the the mic and the spotlight at every opportunity. He or she always tops whatever anyone mentions, and his/her experiences are always better than whatever anyone else on the planet has ever done.

This character is a terror. He or she reacts in the moment, often without much thought, and demands to be heard all the time. He or she is loud, forceful, and burns bridges wherever he or she goes without regard to others’ feelings. People run and hide or give in to make this person go away.

The Leech looks for every opportunity to steer any conversation to him or herself. This is the person who comments on your promotional posts and adds a link to his/her book. He or she jumps on every bandwagon and pushes his/her way to center stage (even if he or she is not involved).

The goal is to get your name out there and to promote your books. But you also want to be known as the author who is easy to work with.

Remembering All the Administrative Tasks - Tips for Authors

Writing is a business, and with that comes a lot of administrative tasks that you need to keep up with, along with your writing, revising, and book marketing work. Make sure that you take care of the tasks before they get out of control.

Mileage and Receipts - After an event, I record the mileage, tolls, and expenses in my yearly spreadsheet. I do it as part of my unpacking routine. If I purchase something, I print the receipt and file it. By doing these as they happen, I don’t have to spend time at the end of the year trying to remember what I did and how much I spent. And I don’t have to scramble to find receipts.

Sales Tax - My state requires that I collect and file sales tax on all book sales that I do. During an event where I’m selling books, I keep a list of what books sell and the cost. I record all sales in my spreadsheet, so I have the information when I file my quarterly sales tax.

Filing - Filing is not my favorite thing to do, but I’ve learned over the years to keep up with it (or it’s a mess at tax time).

Contacts - When I get a new contact, I added it to my electronic contact’s database with a description of who/what it is. It takes some time, but it helps me remember later. If it is a service or a person for book marketing, I also keep a spreadsheet with a lot of metadata (like name, business name, specialty, who recommended them, etc.), so I can find the information later (in case I forget the person’s name). Make sure that you back up your favorites and contacts in case your computer or phone is lost or damaged.

Minimize the Clutter - I acquire hundreds of postcards, bookmarks, flyers, and business cards throughout the year. I put all of the contact information in my electronic contacts database or my spreadsheet, and then I recycle the business cards and flyers. If it’s an event that I attended, then I keep the souvenir for my scrapbook. I donate a lot of books to the Friends of the Library, and I’ve started putting bookmarks that I don’t use in a plastic baggie to go with the donation. You can also slide them in the book for the next reader.

Organizing Your Photos - I download my photos to my computer after an event. I file them by event with enough information that I can find them again, especially if it something that I want to use for book marketing. I go through my pictures and delete the ones I don’t want to keep. Cloud or hard drive storage can add up with thousands of pictures after time. At the end of the year, I move all of the previous year’s photos to an external hard drive.

If I do the admin-y tasks throughout the year, then it’s not such a big hassle at tax time. Best wishes for your writing and book marketing!

Revisions, Ugh! Tips for Authors

To me, the revising and self-editing part of the writing process is the hardest. One big lesson I learned early on was JUST write the first draft. My first book took so long because I kept stopping to revise. Now, after I outline the story, I write the first draft. Here’s my process. There is no one, right way. You need to find what works for you.

1. Outline the book. This keeps me focused, and I don’t get stuck in the saggy middle. It also helps me write my synopsis later.

2. Write the draft. No editing. No proofreading. BIFOK (Butt in Chair; Fingers on Keyboard)

3. Print a copy and do a read through. This is usually when I go back and add description to hit my word count. (I am notorious for coming in under my desired count.)

4. Make all of the edits.

5. I usually print the manuscript again and go through it a few more times. Sometimes, I’ll put it down for a few weeks and then go back to it.

6. After I think it’s “ready,” I submit it to my critique group and writing partners for more revisions and feedback.

7. I make the needed edits.

8. Then I send it to a paid editor for line edits and copy editing.

9. Yep, you guessed it. Make the changes.

10. I print the manuscript again and proofread.

11. Sometimes, I have a beta reader or two read it like a book and provide feedback. My critique group meets monthly, and we ready only about 50 pages at a time.

12. Then I send it to my agent. Many times, she provides edits.

13. When it goes to the publisher, there two, and sometimes three rounds of edits and changes.

A lot of time and effort goes into the writing process. My critique group, beta readers, agent, and editors are invaluable! For me, the revision stage often takes longer than the research/writing part.

Happy writing!

Things to Do When I Have a New Book - Tips for Authors

When you have book launch, there are hundreds of tasks you need to do for promotion and marketing. Here’s my list of things authors should remember to do to ensure that your sites are current and show off your new book.

Website:

• Update your cover and your book links.

• Make sure that the new book is listed in your press kit.

• If you offer book club discussion questions, create a new set for this book.

• Update your events page with all of the tours and signings you’ve scheduled.

• If you sell books on your site, make sure to update that section, too.

Social Media Sites

• Review all of your biographies on your sites and update. (Facebook Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, BookBub, Amazon Author Central, Goodreads, etc.) If you have some that you don’t use as often as others, check to see that the information is current there.

• Update any graphics or photos. You want your readers to recognize you when they visit your social sites. Your brand should be on each site.

• If you have a commerce/shopping site on any of your pages, make sure you’ve included this one.

• Upload any new graphics of the book.

Other Documents

• Create a document that contains your story’s summary (long and short version), biography, and social media links.

• Add all of the book buy links to your documentation. That way, you have one place to go when someone asks for your information.

• Create bookmarks and email signup sheets for your events and presentations.

• Draft your press release and add it to your press kit.

Best wishes with your book promotion!