Editing without Screaming

That dreaded "E" word. The BIG YUCKO  of writing our brains out. 

Edit. 

Truthfully, I have multiple novels written, but not edited. They sit on a shelf, in a box or wasting away on the hard drive. Happy little stories, scary little stories, weird little stories. All just hanging out awaiting the edit. Every now and then I stumble across it and think it this was a good story. I should finish it. 

And yet it still sits in the drawer collecting dust. 

So, I recently made a deal with another writer to edit each other. We have a phone session every Saturday morning and beat each other up...er... I mean, talk about what the story needs. She reads my 3 or so chapters, I read hers and we do a basic spelling/grammar check but more importantly we talk about story structure and plot points. The building blocks of  fiction. 

Those structure/plot issues are the biggest. Did this make sense? Does the timing work? How could the MC not have seen that clue?  Some of this frustrates and we gently argue our points but mostly, in the end, the editing partner points out the weak points I didn't see in my head while writing. This is a big help. 

Got an editing partner?  How's it working for you? 

Oh NANOWRIMO! Will I make it?

 Our beloved NANAOWRIMO is almost over. Eleven days and counting. Will you make it? 

Will I make it? eh, not sure. But I do have some good bones of a story to continue on with. 

I always thought NANO should be in January. I mean, half the country is snowed in and there is much more down time than in November, the month where the big holidays begin. 

But what do I know? It's kind of like dry December. If you are even a social drinker, that's when you drink the most. parties, get togethers, heck! I've worked in offices where they break out the wine and beer at lunch in December. People can't wait to start the party. Crazy month. 

Yet, here we are in November struggling to write that breakout novel. I did start on November 1st. I went to one of those plot generator aps and it gave me Mermaids and a person hunting. Hmmm, In my mind I made that a man who hunts mermaids. But the "why" question had me thinking he has to believe in mermaids before he can hunt them, right? So my opening scene had Paul discovering a fish-like woman caught in the sand on a beach in New Jersey in March. If you know New Jersey you know it's chilly at the beach in March, not swimming weather and beaches are pretty deserted.  So Paul sees this vision of beauty and scales on the beach just minutes before it sees him and flips back into the water. Now he might be a believer. Or headed to the nearest psychiatrist's couch? 

Okay, that went for about 500 words before I lost interest. Bah!

On my computer I have dozen's of story premises. When an idea come into my head I jot down the blurb. Those 2 or 3 paragraphs that give the idea some light then I just hit save into the abyss that is the "Ideas" folder.  It was to this folder I went next to find Soul of the Painting. I must have written the blurb over a year ago. 

I hit 3756 words this morning. Nowhere near where I need to be to complete NANO but it's moving along. I actually like this story so it might get completed. I can see the future scenes in my head which is something the Mermaid Hunter didn't give me.  

Let's do the math; To hit 50,000 words in the next 11 days I'd have to write 

4204 words a day. 

I laugh so hard I cry. Challenge or an unreachable goal? 

So how is your NANO coming? Share your word count and your challenges and on November 30th we'll pour the wine whether we make it or not. Because we tried and we have a great story still inside us that will someday make it out. 

The Pitfalls of Admitting You’re a Writer

I'm a writer and proud to admit it. It never was that way, but it's okay now. I think once you accept you're who you are, writing gets easier. Talking about who you are and what you do gets easier, too. 

Any professions should be something to be proud of whether it’s sweeping floors or flying airplanes. It’s what you do, what puts food on the table and a roof overhead. However there is one profession where people think you should work for free or at least on their project for free.

“What do you do for a living.”

“I’m a writer.”

“I have a great idea for a book. You could write it and I’ll split the money with you.”

Yes, I’ve had the conversation many times and I used to bite my tongue every time. I used to say, “Sorry, I really don’t have time. I do have a book I’m working on now.” This reply has either brought no response or something along the lines of, “But this will be a best seller. You should still write it.”

Aside from the fact that most lay people have no idea how much work goes into writing a book. The late hours, pages upon pages of edits and revisions and when the book is finally done, searching for a publishing house or agent. Some writers are fairly prolific and others spend years perfecting their books. People outside of the profession just don’t get it.

So what do you do when someone insists you’re missing that best seller if you’d only write their book? You know, and do all the work so they can “split” the profit? And POOF! Have that magical best seller?

Here’s what works for me;

“Okay, give me an outline by chapter and character sketches. I’ll also need a timeline in detail to make sure I get it right.”

No one has ever given me any of this and most never come back asking. If they do, I reiterate how important it is getting the outline, character sketches and timeline is to create the book.

Next time they ask you to write that book, give them the list and watch that glint go out of their eye. Oh wait! Writing a book is work???? Who knew!

No Apologies

Gone Indie, Where to Now?

I went Indie a while ago but slacked in marketing. Really, I know marketing. I've worked in the field (along with Human Resources, Sales, Office Management and a few others that don't apply) so I know what to do. I'm just a slacker and used that "life happens" excuse to not get it done.

I do have several books finished that are just sitting on my computer waiting to be edited. That's the real work. Editing. It's like you worked hard to create this art project you love and someone leans over your shoulder and points out all the things that don't work with it. BUT IT WAS SO BEAUTIUFL! before that editing muse stepped up. Sheesh! What a nag!

So here's my new experiment.

I took a book I loved and I'm posting it to a blog, placing adsense on it and a link to Patreon.

I first discovered Patreon from podcasts. Another thing I long to do, but (insert "life happens" excuse here) just haven't done. It's a place where creative people can post for donations to keep the creativity flowing. Podcastors do it, You-tubers, and artists all do it on Patreon and people just donate towards their work. Some do exceedingly well, other's just float along. Some have no donations. :(
Then I figured since my "life happens" excuse was blocking my podcasting abilities, why don't I use it for my writings? And so, a new blog was born; The Midnight Brain.   I put an age warning on it for violence and or sexual stuff. Mostly I did this so I don't scare the kiddies.

First two chapters of Eyes of My Killer are up and the next two are set to launch over the next couple of days. I'm editing each chapter as I put it up. This forced editing is getting things done! Wo0t!

Patreon is almost set up, too. Still learning the technicalities on the site, but I've been approved. Yay!

To all my fellow writers, I'll keep you posted on this experiment.

Bargain Booksy Ad Update

The Bargain Booksy ad started on Monday and today, Saturday, I've sold 21 books. Not a big amount but for me, not bad for a week. I waited to check today because sometimes I don't check my email until the weekend. So I was hoping today would turn up a few extras. It did; one.
Oh well!
Now back to writing....and so it goes...

Amazon Ad - Rejected!

Tried to place the Amazon ad last night and this morning I got the rejection letter. (It's okay, I'm a writer, I'm used to rejection)

Apparently, No Apologies' cover art is too hot to handle.

Hey! She's dressed (sort of) and he's just shirtless. 

Amazon has a list of rules for ads here.

No Apologies just doesn't make the cut. Maybe too much skin per square inch?
When a my cover designer first gave me this cover I liked the beach because the opening scene is a woman on a beach. She moves back home and is thrown together with the man she left at the altar. Cue the suspense and she needs his help because she's being stalked by a man who wants to auction her off to the highest bidder. Although there are several suggestive scenes, they never actually have sex. So maybe my cover is too hot?

All day long I've been thinking about whether or not I should change the cover. If Amazon doesn't like it, maybe others are turned off, too?

Is my cover too sexy for my book? 

After asking around, (friends & family) the general consensus is not to change the cover.

I wanted to promote this book for more reviews, get it some face time on the Internet. I guess I could turn to AdSense or something like that? Spend the same budget there that I had marked for Amazon? I'm going to have to think about this for a day or two.

Of course I could put one of my other books in the Amazon ad, they all need more reviews, but I'm thinking its better to concentrate on this one book for awhile to kind of kick it off the ground.

Maybe I should just be writing?

Facebook Ads or Boost Post

The facebook ad was a NO SALE!
Although I did have a few click throughs they went to nowhere-land.
Money invested $10.
Ad length of ad one week.
Books sold? Zero

Experiment over.
Did my ad suck and no one wanted to look? Was it not engaging enough? Was my audience too narrow? Is $10 not enough to take a fb ad anywhere? Or is facebook just not a great place to sell books? Anyone out there have any luck with facebook ads?

My next try will probably be something like Pixels of Ink or one of the book blasters. A blog tour? I have to do some research on this subject. Set a budget and do another round of something that's not Facebook. Until then I'm back to the writer's cave and my  WIP and maybe the NANO and will get the fun part of this author thing done.

Strangely, after I decided to give up on the NANO I got this great idea of where to take the story. :)

Google: Facebook Ads for Indie Authors

If you put "Facebook ads for Indie Authors" into a search you get a lot of hits. Everyone has advice on how to promote your book on Facebook and I think I'm going to have to save this research for Saturday morning and coffee. I know I'm going to want to take notes.

Right now my facebook report says I've reached 453. However my page views for my author fb page says 671. I'm guessing this sudden page view phenomenon is connected somehow to the ad.  So I guess I should go write something witty and awesome on that page to keep them coming back.
Bottom line; No Sales. :(

Facebook Ad Update

Indie Marketing & Podcasts

In my search for marketing ideas, (Yeah, I know I should spend more time writing...) I went to YouTube. You can learn anything on YouTube. My daughter learned to play guitar there and she's quite good now. So, I figured I'd see if anyone there had Indie marketing ideas.

I found Joanna Penn and you can see her wealth of ideas on this video.
She talks about a lot of things, but one that caught my eye was Podcasts. I have a few short stories I don't know what to do with. Not enough to throw into a novella, but I wanted to do something with them. Podcasts? Would that lure people to read my other books?

My other Podcast idea is to read a chapter or two of one of my books. Then add, "To read Soul Mates go to www.jeannedonnelly.com." I only worry that it might piss people off. Would they see it as an interesting hook or a feel cheated? The Podcast would be free. Maybe put a note that says, "First chapter of Soul Mates read by the author?"

History lesson; When James Patterson was a new author he wanted to do a commercial. His publisher/agent said he was crazy. It wouldn't work and would be a waste of money. He did it anyway and landed on the New York Times best seller list. It worked and look where he is now.

Anyone out there Podcasting?

Romance! Suspense! Old boyfriends! Add in one crazy Rescue Dog and the fun begins! 

Editing, Editing, #*&(*@$%*(! Editing...

Editing & stress...so happy together.
Re-editing with the help of my daughter who a ruthless, unforgiving editor. I call her the grammar Nazi, but she also pounds me on those little technicalities in the plot. A degree in psychology with a minor in literature, she should have gone into publishing. And she killing my story!

Well, not really.

She's catching things that make me go, "How did I not see that?" or "How stupid of me." Don't get me wrong, I do argue with her. Explaining my point or the character's pov. What I wanted to say was....blah, blah, blah. But then she reminds me my readers wouldn't know that, wouldn't get it.

So, I'm back to a editing a story I'm kind of sick of seeing. Now I'll be sitting out in my car on my lunch hour with my red pen. Reading something I've read a thousand times. I park in the back of the lot so I can read out loud without people thinking I'm crazy.

Anyone got any editing tips they'd like to share?

Advertising and the Indie Author

I've heard that the best way to get noticed as an Indie author is to write multiple books. I'm working on that, but would still like to see better sales for the books I do have up. How many books are enough books? How many books are "multiple books?"

In one article I read that Hugh Howie knew he had to keep writing and getting more books done before he worried about promotion. Smart man. It worked.

So, should I be doing a little advertising? Make a budget?

Book Bub is supposed to give great results, but its a little pricey. I guess you get what you pay for?

Facebook ads can generate sales and some authors swear by it.

I did a freebie on Pixels of Ink and gave away about 80 something books. I got a few reviews from that, but nothing startling. However, that result did show me that Pixels has a good readership so I'll keep it on my list for later.

There are quite a few sites/email blasters like Pixel of Ink. I'd like to find a rating on these sites. Which ones preform better, which ones have the biggest audience, and which give you more bang for your buck.

I wonder if giveaways are worth anything at this point? I think a giveaway works better if you're writing a series that will make someone want the next book. I see Nick Pirog doing it and that's how he hooked me to read his series; 3 a.m.. I saw it on one of the ebook blasters that I subscribe to and since it was free, I grabbed it. It was a great surprise, very well written with a great story line. I went back and bought his other books.

Amazon has ads, too. Now that might be a better way to target an audience?

Twitter? I've tweeted a few, but not sure they produced anything. I just got the hash tag thing down better so that might change. Tweeting with hash tags does help my blog posts get noticed. I've had a few of them from Sidewalk Politics shared on independent newsy sites.  I think they found me through the hash tags.

Book Bloggers...this is an industry that's still out there. Amanda Hocking once said she credited Book Bloggers with the success of her vampire series. I met a couple of bloggers who do book reviews. Most don't charge anything to have a book reviewed by their site, but don't say it will definitely be reviewed. They have a group of reviewers who chose what they want to read and review. The reviewers will be honest on how they feel about the book.  These bloggers make a living with the ads on their site.

With all these options I think Indies need a marketing plan. Spend X amount on ads, pick a couple of bloggers, make a social media outline and stick to it. Organization! We need organization! Publishing houses have departments to handle this stuff. Do they have plans? Outlines to follow? (Not that a new author gets much of that.) I need a step by step plan for this advertising stuff. I know they have books on Marketing for Indie's but when I look up the authors of those books I don't see any reviews for their other books and the ranks on Amazon aren't that great. So tell me why I should listen to them?

What's your marketing plan?

Writer's Conference in New Jersey! Yay!

Heading out tomorrow to the Liberty State Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference in Woodbridge, NJ.
I'm excited!
I belonged to Liberty State Fiction Writers a few years ago but I made a decision that I was not ready to share with my fellow writers. Writers that had been traditionally published. Not because I was afraid of their feelings on the subject (back them going Indie wasn't as accepted as it is today) but because I just didn't want to hear it. I made a decision. End of story. (or just the beginning of it?)
Either way, I drifted away from this awesome group of writers. Got a few books up on Amazon and went on with life.
Then I saw it...a traditionally published writer whom I respected put a book on facebook. When I clicked the link and saw the publisher....Amazon. This multi published author was putting her back list up on Amazon. Independent of the big five.
Was this a turning point? Did I see something on the horizon regarding Indies?
So I signed up to go to the conference and I can't wait to go to the seminars and rub elbows with people I respect in the industry. This time I'm not going hoping to meet an agent or publisher. I'm happy with my choice and want to keep on my Indie path. The Create Something Magical Conference has a "How to" seminar on self publishing. (hate that name! Is there anything wrong with calling it Independent Publishing?) A sign of the times? We'll see. I'll let you know how it goes.
Write on, my friends!

Indie Book Cover Trama

 Now that I've finished the manuscript and I'm waiting for the edits to come back, I'm playing with book covers. At this point as an unemployed, starving writer I have to do this myself. If any of my books actually take off, i'd definitely hire a cover artist, because I'm at a loss here.

Two covers ideas so far;
First the fire represents a fire the main character accidentally causes  that burns down the police station. The dog is a dog she finds that offers some comedy relief in the story.
The woman...well I really didn't want a yoga type woman but needed something to represent the main character.

Cover two; Depicts a scene from the beginning of the book. You'd have to read it to know but I thought it might entice readers to find out what it means. The "Not for Sale" tag relates to the human trafficking problem the main character encounters in the story.

Still not sure if I'm done figuring this out. But that's all I have so far.

Any preferences? I'm taking votes.

Back to the drawing board....