Author, Jody Hedlund

Is All the Hard Work Ever Going to Pay Off?

2012-01-26T06:00:00.022-05:00

How can we achieve success?

As writers, most of us are struggling with that question. Day in and day out we sit in front of our laptops, write book after book, spend time building our brands, and hope that someday we’ll have something to show for all our hard work.

Most of us have to squeeze our writing and marketing around our day jobs and other responsibilities. And when we find the time to write and market, we’re often tired, stressed, and thinking about all the other things we should be doing instead.

At some point we say something like: “I don’t want to go to all this hard work for nothing.”

Truthfully, if we didn’t want to get an agent or book deal, if we didn’t want to see our sales rocket, if we didn’t have dreams about doing well enough to quit our day jobs, then we probably wouldn’t exert ourselves to the degree we do.

Sure, we’d likely keep on writing even without success, because we love telling stories. It’s in our blood and we’d do it even if no one else ever read our work.

But . . . most of us have big dreams. We aspire to have a readership beyond just our faithful dog.

We go the extra mile, get up at 5:00am, skip our lunch breaks, give up our free time, sacrifice our favorite TV shows, let the laundry pile up, and feed our families frozen pizza, so we can chase after our dreams of successful publication.

But will all the work really pay off? Can we really achieve success?

Recently I got an email from a blog reader with some great questions: “Is it worth it? All the time, writer's conferences, writing, and editing, book tours, and blogging . . . Is it worth all the time writing consumes to finally see your novel in print and on a bookshelf? Is pursuing the dream worth the end result?”

Here are several of my thoughts about achieving success in the writing industry:

1. If we want to climb the ladder of success, we have to start at the bottom and work our way up one rung at a time. Most of us can’t skip steps and make the leap to the top in one bound. Instead we have to take small, slow, steady steps upward.

The big names on the bestseller lists didn't get there after just one book. They worked hard year after year to earn their spots on the list. And if we want to end up there someday, then we'll have to do the same thing.

I love this quote: “Don’t expect overnight miracles. But have faith. If you persevere, the chances are very good that you will achieve some success.” ~Bickman

2. Success is illusive. Once we reach the top of the ladder of success we’re climbing, we see another higher point we want to reach—and we’ll think, “Now THAT is really success.” (A better book deal, bigger publisher, two books on the shelf instead of one). So we start climbing another ladder. When we reach the top of that one, we’ll redefine success again (more recognition, bigger royalties, bestseller list). And so on.

The truth is success can’t really make us happy. Oh, maybe for a few days or weeks. But then we’ll see something else we want and discontentment will settle in once again.

Yes, keep climbing, but we need to learn to enjoy each step as it comes, celebrate the small accomplishments, and find joy in the process of creating.

3. Ultimately, the writing journey will be as successful and worthwhile as we make it. Each one of us has to determine how much time and energy we can or want to devote to it.

I’ve reached a stage in my life where I’m able to handle the pressures and responsibilities of being an author. I’m not sure that I would have been ready sooner. But now, amidst my busy mothering phase of life, writing gives me a creative outlet, a quiet retreat, a break from the intensity of real life.

So yes, writing is worthwhile to me personally, no matter the level of success, no matter if I have one book on the shelf or ten, no matter if I make hundreds of dollars or thousands.

Of course, I’m going to keep on stepping up the ladder of success one rung at a time. But ultimately, I’m not in this journey for success. I’m in it because I love writing.

What about you? Have you ever asked yourself if all the hard work will someday pay off? Is all the time you put into your writing worth it to you?

How To Find Original Ideas When You Have None

2012-01-24T06:00:00.033-05:00

Recently I got an email from blog reader, Emma, and she said:

“I haven't written in a long time because I can't think of a single thing to write about. I've been trying for weeks now, but I just keep on hitting blank walls. Nothing grabs my attention anymore. When I used to write, if I got a good idea I would get really excited and the story would almost write itself. Now, if I do come up with an idea, my mind automatically thinks of other books or tv shows I've seen that have a similar plot line . . . I was just wondering if there was any advice you could give me?”

I could feel the frustration in Emma’s email. First of all, Emma, I want you to know you’re not alone. Most of us have struggled to find ideas at one point or another—especially creative, fresh, original ideas.

And second, since I don’t have all the answers, I’d love for ALL of YOU to chime in the comments with your advice to all those who are struggling to find original ideas. I want this to post to be a way we can help each other.

The fact is, it does seem like almost every good idea has already been done. And it’s all too easy to second-guess ourselves and to let our worries leech the joy and passion from writing.

So here are a few pieces of advice I have for Emma and anyone struggling to find original ideas when they feel like they don’t have any:

1. Uncage the beast:

I’m in the beginning phase of writing my next book. This is the stage where I spend hours upon hours brainstorming and coming up with ideas. I have a spiral notebook handy wherever I go, and I keep a running list of any and every idea that I could possibly include in my new book.

I don’t throw out anything at this point. I allow myself to list everything—even if it’s already been used, even if it sounds dumb. I scour books and biographies and I jot down all the things that sound even the least bit interesting. I don’t hold anything back.

I uncage the wild and untamed imagination deep inside.

I don’t leash it or try to fence it in with proper boundaries. Instead, I let it run around like a screaming naked banshee. The less we interfere with the wild beast of our imagination, the more creative it will be.

2. Make the beast even bigger.

Once I have pages of ideas, I start going through my list and pick out the things I like best. Then I start to say things like, “This is wild. But what could make it wilder?” “I like this situation, but what could make it more tense?”

In other words, at this stage, I want to begin to narrow down some of my ideas, pick the freshest and most original, and find ways to dress them up into something different and bigger than what’s been done before.

We may not always be able to find ideas that are utterly and completely unique. In fact, most writing gurus will tell us that every plot has already been written. But . . . we can take our ideas and ad a twist that is uniquely ours.

3. Finally, take the good, bad, and hairy and just write.

At some point, we have to take what we’ve got and just start writing. Even if we think our ideas are boring, cliché, and predictable, we have to write.

I’ve found that the process of writing is one of the biggest keys for stirring my creativity even more. No matter what beastly ideas I come up with before the first draft, invariably once I start writing, my ideas metamorphose into something so much more than I could have planned.

When we fill the page with words, when we work our writing muscles hard, when we push ourselves to get something on the paper, then we’re able to open our imagination in ways that aren’t possible during the planning phase.

Writing friend Heather Sunseri said this in a recent tweet, “Sometimes when you're unsure of what is supposed to happen next in your story, you just have to start writing. 'Next' will reveal itself.”

Summary: “You need to come up with hundreds of ideas, toss out the ones that don’t grab you, and then nurture and develop what’s left.” ~Bell (Plot & Structure)

So, what advice would you give Emma or anyone else struggling to find ideas? What’s the best way YOU find original ideas when you have none?

How to Make Your Book Play Out Like a Movie

2012-01-19T06:00:00.111-05:00

Recently I received a reader email that said this: "My friend gave me The Doctor's Lady and I devoured it in two days . . . The scenes play out like a movie in my head, and I felt the characters were all real people!”

The scenes play out like a movie.

The comment was interesting and pushed me to analyze some of the techniques that I utilize to bring the book to the big screen of the reader’s mind. Because ultimately, we want to bring our story to life in such a way that the reader feels they are there experiencing the story right along with our characters.

So how do we make our books play out in the reader’s mind like a movie? Here are just a few things I do:

1. Choose scenes strategically.

In the most recent book I wrote (which I recently turned in to my publisher), I had approximately 40-45 scenes. How did I choose what scenes to include and which ones to leave out?

Part of the decision-making will have to do with genre expectations. Romance readers want to see the developing love-relationship between the hero and heroine. So we usually need to play out the key relationship-changing moments (dates, conflicts, important meetings, etc.). Readers will be disappointed if those kinds of scenes happen off-screen. Other genres will have reader expectations as well (that’s why it’s important to study our genres!).

I also try only to display scenes that move quickly and have the most tension, conflict, and action—scenes that could truly play out on a movie screen. I eliminate having a bunch of slower-paced, smaller, static scenes with little happening in them. Instead, I economize by finding ways to slip minor but necessary details into my conflict-laden scenes.

2. Eliminate unnecessary transitions.

Obviously we can’t include everything that happens to our characters spanning many months. So we’ll summarize what happens between scenes (often called a sequel). I like to think of those summaries as transitions—a way to get from one important scene to the next critical happening.

Yes, transitions are sometimes necessary—especially when we want to skim over a large passing of time. However, movies have very few transitional scenes. Instead they jump-cut from one important point to the next, leaving it to the viewers’ imagination and intelligence to piece together what’s happened in the interim.

We can use that technique in our books too. Our readers are just as intelligent as movie-goers and don’t need to know anything other than what’s truly important to the story itself. If we must fill them in with the between-time happenings, we can often do so by dropping the information into the current scene in quick bites or subtle ways.

3. Craft the setting carefully.

We want the setting to become so vivid that our readers visualize, smell, hear, taste, touch, and are immersed into the scene right along with the characters. On the other hand, we don't want our readers to realize we’re describing things. Too much portrayal (or describing unnecessary or unimportant details) will bog the reader down.

So how can we make a setting seem movie-screen real without overpowering our readers? Like with other story elements, we'll need to be strategic in what we choose to describe and where we place those descriptions. Often we do a good job of grounding the reader in the setting at the beginning of the scene, but then we allow our characters to act in a blank vortex for the remainder. The key is to look for ways to intentionally thread the setting details throughout the entire scene.

4. Breathe life into characters.

Bringing our characters to life is one the most challenging aspects of writing. We can pick the dramatic scenes to “film,” eliminate pesky transitions that slow down the story, and give the setting a makeover. But then we often fail to breathe life into our characters and instead populate the page with stick-figures.

One way to make our characters three-dimensional, is to get inside her their heads. We need to see what they’re thinking. If all we do is “show” them acting, but never take the time to move into the character’s mind to hear their reactions, then we risk having flat characters. We need to know their intense joys, deep pains, and heart-wrenching conflicts—and we can do this by giving the reader glimpses into the character’s internal struggles and thoughts.

In getting the reader into a character’s head, we help them see the story through the character’s eyes. The book plays out even more like a movie because now the reader has “become” the main character.

Have you read any books lately that felt as if you were watching a movie? What helps bring a book to life for you?

P.S. If you missed voting on the cover options for my next book, there's still time. Head over to this post or to my Facebook Page to pick your favorite cover!

Special Post: Vote on the Cover of My Next Book!

2012-01-18T13:25:00.001-05:00

Dear Readers,

My publisher (Bethany House) is in the process of finalizing the cover of my next book, UNENDING DEVOTION (releasing Sept. 1, 2012). They have narrowed down the cover to three that they like best.

But, now they would like YOUR feedback!

Here's a blurb about the book that might help you decide:

In 1883 Michigan, Lily Young is determined to save her lost sister, or
die trying. Heedless of the danger, her search leads her to Harrison and
into the sights of Connell McCormick, a man doing his best to add to
the hard-earned fortunes of his lumber-baron father.

Posing as a photographer's assistant, Lily can't understand why any
God-fearing citizen would turn a blind eye to the crime rampant in the
towns. But Connell needs to earn a profit from the logging camps he runs
and figures living an upright life is all that matters. Lily challenges
everything he thought he knew but will they be able to put an end to the
corruption that's dominated Harrison for so long?

Please take a look at the three options and tell us which one YOU like the best!

Cover #1

Cover #2

Cover #3

If you're unable to leave a comment with your choice of #1, #2, or #3, please feel free to head over to my Facebook Page and vote there!

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

One Important Way for Authors to Get Discovered by Readers

2012-01-17T06:00:00.042-05:00

With the growing masses of books hitting virtual shelves, how can the average author hope to get noticed by readers? And likewise, how can readers discover new authors without having to wade through thousands of books?

Writers are trying all kinds of techniques in order to help their books stand out—luring readers with free or cheap books, doing social media blitzkriegs, and desperately trying to find any way to push their book into the spotlight.

Readers are growing frustrated too. They buy cheap e-books only to find them riddled with typos or bizarre stories that aren’t worth their time or money.

Authors and readers alike are struggling through the changes brought about by the growth of e-readers and e-books. Authors who’ve put in the time and effort to learn the craft and perfect their stories don’t want to get lost among the dregs. And readers are looking for ways to find good authors and books without having to sift through the masses of books out there.

So what’s the solution?

Smashwords did a survey back in September of 2011, which netted some interesting results. The questionnaire “challenged readers to select the single most common criterion they follow to discover their next read.”

The most-selected answer was "Recommendations from fellow readers on online message forums, blogs and message boards, with 29% of respondents choosing this.” (Emphasis mine)

The latest Romance Writers Report (RWR) reiterated the growing importance of review sites: “In a blizzard of e-books, readers will look to names they trust for recommendations. Review sites are likely to flourish for the same reason . . . Fewer stores and less shelf space in the big boxes will make online reading recommendations increasingly important.” (Emphasis mine)

I like what successfully self-published author Joanna Penn said in her article Book Marketing Tips From Amazon’s Bestselling Self-Published E-books Of 2011: “I am personally convinced that book reviews and an accessible price point are the best sales tactics for selling bulk fiction e-books, providing the book and cover are good enough in the first place.” (Emphasis mine)

In other words, readers are turning to online review sites to help them wade through the flood of books in order to find authors and books they can fall in love with.

What does that mean for authors?

1. Your marketing plan should include book reviews. One of the keys for getting your book to stand out is to get it into the hands (or e-readers) of online reviewers.

2. Look for variety in reviewers. Asking your twenty closest writing friends and family members to write reviews will only “stack the deck.” I continually hear readers say that they don’t trust reviews that are mostly 5-stars and with good reason if we as authors are arm-twisting or enticing friends into writing good reviews for us.

Instead, get to know your audience and target them. In a practical article that outlines his success with blog reviews, Tim Ferriss says: “You are not after the biggest audience possible, you are after the right audience.”

3. Give reviewers permission to be honest. They need the freedom to rate our books with as much subjectivity as they want. If we’re barging in and berating reviewers for less than stellar reviews, then we risk losing the trustworthiness of the review system that readers are looking for.

Remember review sites are for readers. I know that seems like a no-brainer. But if authors jump into review conversations, their presence or comments may prevent readers/reviewers from feeling like they can share openly and truthfully about the book.

4. Maintain a level of professionalism. Yes, this will be hard at times especially when we feel personally or unfairly attacked. But if we want the good part of reviews which can help us stand out in the crowded market, then we also have to be willing to take the more difficult aspects of it as well, including negative feedback. Often the most professional thing we can do is refrain from saying anything altogether and just let reviewers and readers enjoy interacting without our interference.

5. Above all give reviewers a book they will truly WANT to review. Enough said.

6. Finally, authors beware of writing reviews. Authors usually take two extremes—being overly critical or overly praiseworthy. I find that I’m much more critical than the average reader. My internal editor rarely turns off. Thus, my reviews will likely be more picky than most readers—which is why I rarely post public reviews.

On the other hand, in efforts not to hurt our fellow writers, we can move to the other extreme of only posting glowing praise (with the ulterior motive of hoping our fellow authors will do the same for us).

As writers, if we can’t find a middle objective ground, then we should probably shy away from writing reviews and look for other ways to support our fellow writers.

What about you? What’s your preferred mode of finding a new book or author? Do you look to online review sites for help? Or do you look elsewhere?

Walls on the Path to Publication: a Necessity or a Nuisance?

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

How can writers know when they’re ready for publication? How can they know when their writing skill has reached a quality that rises above amateur? And likewise, how can they know if they have a story that will resonate with readers?

These are age-old and very sage questions. I wrestled with them back in the days when I was querying. I think any wise writer will wrestle with such questions—trying to gauge their readiness and show caution before plunging into publication.

In the past, particularly with traditional publication, writers would hit brick walls that would cause us to evaluate our readiness. And those walls usually came in the form of rejection letters or agent or editor passes. The rejections would force us to work harder, challenge us to learn more about writing fiction, and push us to take our stories from mediocre to standout quality. If we had any hope of breaking through, we had to strive really hard to become better.

But nowadays, with so many writers opting to self epublish, the traditional wall of rejection has crumbled. The walls of waiting, persevering, and the pain of the journey are no longer barriers either.

The road to publication is wide open. Anyone, anywhere can publish anything without any barriers. Writers no longer have to push through the walls that once stood in the way.

Some would claim that’s a good thing, that the wall prevented too many good writers with good stories from having the chance of publication. Others would claim that the crumbling wall is now contributing to a new problem—a flood of poorly written self-published manuscripts crowding virtual shelves making it difficult for those good books to stand out.

Whatever the case, we would all do well to remember the mantras: Nothing good ever comes easy. No pain no gain. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going (thanks Christy Farmer for that one!).

In other words, walls of some kind or another are worthwhile to each of us. Whether those walls come externally or internally or both, we’re usually better off for having scaled them rather than skirted them.

I liked how my agent Rachelle Gardner recently described walls. She said, “Obstacles to our dreams are like brick walls, put there to test how badly we really want something . . . those brick walls stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.” And the brick walls strengthen those who persevere.

So, back to the original question: How can writers know when they’re ready for publication?

My answer: Set up a few walls.

What do I mean?

Before rushing into publication, put into place some barriers or trials that can test your writing skill and story-telling ability.

Of course, those heading toward traditional publication will still hit the walls of rejection from agents and publishers. But even so, all of us, no matter our publishing venue can put into place walls that will help us test our work and abilities. Instead of rushing to put something out there whether on Smashwords or CreateSpace or in a query to an agent, first we should evaluate if we’re ready.

Here are just a few ways we can do that:

• Hire a freelance editor. This is a must for anyone self-publishing. But even those seeking traditional publication can benefit from the skillful eyes of an editor. The lists of freelance editors has exploded over the past year. I suggest beginning with recommendations from other writers you trust. I also suggest my agent’s list of editors as a place to start.

• Get into a critique partnership or group with other skilled writers who can give qualified and objective feedback about the writing craft.

• Give the book to beta readers who can test your story-telling ability. They may not be qualified to catch editing mistakes or writing craft issues. But they can give feedback on the story.

• Enter writing contests that offer written feedback from judges. Sometimes the contest scoring can let us know how we’re doing compared with other writers.

• Give ourselves some distance from our manuscripts. After completing the first draft of a book, I edit it, but then I usually wait several months before I go back to it and do my in-house rewrites. The time and distance help me approach my book with a fresh perspective. I’m usually able to see the story more objectively.

• Use a how-to-edit book during our self-editing. I highly recommend Revision And Self-Editing by James Scott Bell and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King.

The point is to establish some walls that keep us from rushing headlong into publication, some bumps that slow us down, some checks that help us evaluate more clearly just how ready we really are.

What’s your opinion? Are walls a necessity or a nuisance? Do you think the road to publication has become too easy? Or do you think the crumbling wall has been a good thing for writers overall?

How Can Authors Get Their Books Into Bookstores?

2012-01-10T06:00:00.035-05:00

Many authors dream of the day when they can walk into a bookstore and see their masterpiece displayed on a shelf. They dream of picking up the book, smelling the ink on the pages, kissing it, and crying tears of joy.

However, the sad reality is that many authors browse the store only to find that their book isn’t where it’s suppose to be. They cross their fingers and hope the store has already sold out or given it a better spot because it’s so popular.

But the reality is that the bookstore has never carried the book and doesn’t have any plans to.

After the initial dejection, the author can’t keep from wondering this aloud: Why do some books make it into stores while others don’t? And wondering this privately: Why are all those other poorly written books sitting on the shelf and not my Pulitzer-Prize winning novel?

As bookstores close and shelf space shrinks, obviously stores won’t have enough room to hold all the books being published.

So how can authors get their books into the limited space? Who determines what books make it in? And what (if anything) can authors do to carve out a spot on a shelf?

I took my questions directly to Bill Shady, National Accounts Manager for Baker Publishing Group. (My publisher, Bethany House, is a division of Baker.) Bill leads sales efforts to key CBA accounts such as Family Christian Bookstores and LifeWay. Previously, he also sold books to stores like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Borders, and a plethora of other accounts.

With his many years of experience in getting Baker books (including mine!) onto shelves, he graciously answered my questions. During our phone conversation, I quickly concluded that the process of publishers selling their titles to bookstores is much more complicated than most authors realize.

Nevertheless, here’s a simplified version of how the process works:

Bookstores & Publishing Houses:

Before ordering any books from a publisher, bookstores have to open accounts with the publishing house. The process of setting up an account requires a lot of paperwork and often the logistics can be overwhelming. (This will vary from publisher to publisher—some may be difficult and others might be much easier.) That means bookstores are more likely to buy from publishers with whom they’ve already established accounts. Often it’s not worth the work and trouble for bookstores to set up accounts with smaller or newer presses.

Bookstores & Sales Representatives:

Once the bookstore has an account with a publisher, they work with the sales representative like Bill to obtain the books they put onto shelves. When Bill meets with the store’s buyer, he brings catalogs, pictures, and a spreadsheet which lists authors’ titles for the past 2-3 years along with sales figures. The bookstore buyer looks at the spreadsheets and makes decisions accordingly. Previous sales play a critical role in which books the retailer buys.

Debut authors are harder to sell. Obviously new authors don’t have past sales records for stores to look at. So stores pay more attention to the genre, the catalog information regarding the book, and the marketing value a publisher is assigning to the debut author.

Bookstores & Individual Authors:

So what happens if an author walks into a bookstore and notices it isn’t carrying his or her book? First the author can approach the manager with a gracious attitude (instead of one of entitlement) and say something like: “I’m from the area. I have a newly released book. People are asking for it but aren’t finding it. Can we fix that?”

Some managers will be more savvy about the business than others. If they’re busy or don’t understand the process, they may say they can’t do anything, that decisions are made on a corporate level. And to some extent that’s true. But, on the other hand, if the bookstore already has an established account with the publisher, the manager still might be able to order the book.

The hard reality is that much of the control of getting a book into a store is out of an individual author’s hands. And even harsher is the reality that unless the publisher is already established in the store, authors have very little chance of getting the book in.

Bookstores & Ingram:

Lest I end this post on a depressing note, Bill held out a ray of hope for all authors no matter their publisher. He indicated that an author can check if Ingram carries their title. Ingram is one of the largest distributors of books in the US. Every chain and bookstore uses Ingram to some degree. If Ingram carries the book, then a store could order it from Ingram (versus the publisher).

There you have it—the ins and outs of how books make it onto the shelves in brick and mortar stores. Many thanks to Bill Shady for taking the time to share his wealth of knowledge with us!

So, raise your hand if you’ve ever dreamed about walking into a bookstore and seeing your book on a shelf (here’s my dream post!). Do you still have the dream? Or as the times have changed, has your dream evolved into something else?

Making Friends Without Making Them Feel Used

2012-01-05T06:00:00.004-05:00

We hear a lot these days about the need to build a team (or tribe) that can help us in our quest for publication. As I recently said in this post How To Drive Yourself Crazy as a Writer, writing a book might be a solitary endeavor, but the road beyond that is not.

In the changing publication climate, we need each other now more than ever for things like editing, marketing, encouragement, instruction, advice, etc.

Now, with two published books out there, I’ve come to realize just how important a role my connections have played in achieving success. Influencers, reviewers, online friends, and blog readers, have been some of my biggest supporters.

For example, Lydia Sharp said this in an email: "A co-worker of mine just finished reading The Preacher's Bride (on my recommendation) and said she loved it! I also gave my copy of The Doctor's Lady to a different co-worker/friend . . . These ladies are not writers, just readers, and I was talking about your books (at different times to each of them) . . . neither one of them had heard of you before I mentioned your books. So it looks like you got some new fans!"

I could list example after example of other online friends who have done the same thing as Lydia—passed along the word about my book to the people in their circle of influence whether online or off. I’m absolutely thrilled and incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and the friendships that I’ve been able to make.

But how does a writer gain those kinds of connections? Like me, you’ve probably run into people online that you thought held out the hand of friendship. But it didn’t take long before their spam and requests made you feel used, as if you were just another pawn in their effort to play the publishing game.

As we strive to build a wider online presence, how can we make friends without making them feel used? Here are some principles I’ve tried to live by in my online interactions:

1. Form connections early in your publishing journey. I always encourage beginning writers to spend the majority of their time learning and growing as writers. But I also don’t advocate waiting until right before publication before jumping into social media and attempting to make connections.

2. Show genuine interest in other people. Yes, numbers matter (to a degree). But let’s never lose sight of the fact that every name and face we come across belongs to another human being with real joys and sorrows just like ours. They have dreams and aspirations, families and pets, and health issues and stressors the same as we do. They are more than just another number to help us rise higher and instead deserve our respect and basic consideration.

3. Ask for little. I rarely ask any of my friends for favors. For example, I don’t ask for guest blog posts, book reviews, retweets, or any other help promoting my books. On a couple of occasions, I’ve put out the word that I’d needed volunteers. And in those cases, online friends could email me if they wanted to participate in a blog tour or influencing for a book.

However, the large majority of support I receive from friends is freely given without any cajoling, spamming, or pleading on my part. In fact, I’m honored that people come to me on a regular basis and ask for interviews or guest posts.

But, you may be asking, how do you get to the point where people ask how THEY can help YOU and not the other way around? (See the next point.)

4. Give a lot. Become known as a giver in the writing community. But also make sure to give without strings attached. A surefire way to lose friends is to do something nice but then turn around and ask for a favor in return.

There are countless ways to give: encouragement, blog advice, retweets, reviews, etc. I’m continually amazed by the many generous writers I meet on the internet. They’re the kind of people that I want to rally behind and see succeed, not because they’ve asked me to, but because I’ve grown to respect and admire them.

Summary: The bottom line is this: To have friends, you have to be a friend--especially the kind of friend worth having. That’s the way it works in real life. And that’s the way it works on the internet too.

What about you? Have you ever made an online friend only to later feel used by that person? What are some ways you've had success making online friends?

What Will Writers Need in 2012 to Survive & Succeed?

2012-01-03T06:00:00.049-05:00

What are your predictions for the publishing industry in 2012?

Any time I talk to agents, editors, or other authors about the future of publishing, where it’s headed, and what’s going to happen, I usually get something like, “No one really knows at this point.”

We’ve seen incredible changes over the past twelve months: the explosion of e-readers and e-books, the rise of successful mid-list self-epublished authors, the closing of Borders, the ever-shrinking shelf-space of brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon becoming a publisher, dropping sales figures for authors who once considered themselves secure, self-published millionaires taking center stage, etc.

The changes often leave us feeling a bit excited and unsettled as we try to understand how we fit into the publishing picture. Whether we’re headed toward traditional or self-publication (or both), we know things won’t ever be the same again.

We may not be able to predict what’s going to happen in the upcoming year. But as I sat down to think about what would help me survive the upheaval and even succeed through it, here are five traits I want to cultivate:

1. Keep an open mind.

There's no one “right” way toward publication anymore (if there ever was). Those who turn up their noses at self-publication or who scoff traditional methods are likely to miss out on opportunities.

Wise authors are looking carefully at both options and considering how they can best build their readerships.

And publishers need to keep an open mind too. James Scott Bell said recently in his post, 10 Reasons Why I am Self-Publishing: “Traditional publishers should not fret over authors self-publishing . . . An author who makes more readers helps the traditional publisher sell more of that author's books.”

2. Maintain a long-term vision.

Whether starting out in traditional or self-publication, the climb upward for most writers is slow and gradual. Very few writers have instant fame and fortune. We can’t put one or two books out there and hinge our hopes on them. Instead, most authors have to publish multiple books before they develop a loyal fan base of readers and the sales figures to show that.

3. Grow in internet marketing savvy.

Most people I talk to insist that while venues are changing, readers are still buying books. Fewer readers are browsing brick and mortar stores which has led to a decline in impulse buying. Instead, readers are heading to online bookstores and are usually more directed—knowing what they want even before they click onto the shopping page.

Such changes within the industry have increased the need for publishers and authors to find ways to help draw attention to their books online. Those who want to succeed will need to study what’s working, find new inroads, and continually grow a web presence.

4. Write powerfully but pragmatically.

I wish all it took to find publishing success was a powerful, well-written story. However, we could all probably name at least a dozen incredible books published in 2011 that only had mediocre sales and tepid success. The writing and story alone are not enough to rocket a book to fame.

So while I firmly believe we need to write passionately and powerfully, we also can’t ignore the market and what readers like. We have to begin to understand what sells and what doesn’t and then why.

I’ve learned from personal experience that traditional publishers must keep reader needs paramount. But the reader relationship is key in self-publishing as well. As Bell said in his 10 Reasons post: “The readers themselves -- get to decide how much reward an author gets. That's as it should be. The more an author writes and publishes and pleases readers, the more the market will reward said author.”

5. Work incredibly hard.

There are no shortcuts to success. Anyone who’s reached a level of success either through traditional or self-publication has put in the time and the effort.

As the numbers of writers and published authors continues to grow, the factor that will separate the wannabes from the want-nots is WORK—and lots of it. Talent, friendliness, and savvy won’t take a writer the distance. Sure those qualities can help. But without plain old elbow grease, a writer won’t make it very far.

So those are the traits I hope to have in 2012. What trait(s) do you think YOU need in the upcoming year to stay the course? And do you have any predictions for 2012? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

*Photo Credit: Flickr

Embrace Your Beautiful Uniqueness

2011-12-22T06:00:00.010-05:00

In my family, we have the tradition of putting up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. My husband has off work, and thus can make the time in his otherwise busy schedule to bring up the boxes, fiddle around with the branches that have gotten bent in storage, and change the miniature bulbs as he strings all 5000 lights. (Okay, so maybe not quite 5000, but it sure seems like it!)

Once he does the hard work of putting together everything into some resemblance of a tree, we then bring up five boxes of ornaments—one for each of my children. Like many of you, we give our children a special ornament every Christmas. And of course, their boxes wouldn’t be complete without all of the handcrafted ornaments they’ve made.

As you can imagine, over the years our tree has become more and more crowded. Odd-shaped beaded candy canes, marker-scribbled snowmen, and blue stained glass Santas adorn the branches. Those handmade ornaments intermingle with the more glamorous mementos to Baby’s 1st Christmas, special hamsters, and Star Wars creatures.

The first week or so after our tree is decorated, my youngest children like to play with their ornaments. They take off a few, have a mini-family reunion with them under the tree, then put them back on—usually on the branch already bent with several heavy ornaments. They repeat this many times each day, crowding even more ornaments into the same spot, so that eventually the tree starts to lean.

Then there’s the cat. He thinks the tree and all the dangling ornaments are especially designed for his pouncing pleasure.

You get the point. By mid-December, my Christmas tree looks like a mini-tornado has hit it.

Occasionally in the past, I would tell myself I really needed to get a new tree without the wobbly branches, one that I can decorate with matching ribbons and glass balls, one with all of the glitzy and glimmering ornaments that I drool over at Pier 1 Imports.

Nevertheless, I’ve resisted the temptation. And eventually I’ve come to realize that my teetering, slightly dilapidated, very imperfect tree is actually quite beautiful.

Beautiful, you ask? How so?

For one very important reason—because the tree is uniquely mine.

It represents me and my family to the fullest essence. From the crazy crowded chaos down to the oddest ornament, each aspect of the tree stands for years of memories (both the joys and sorrows), layers of family differences, and all of the wonderful ingredients that make my family (and me) unique.

If I tried to copy some other family’s tree, or tried to make our tree look like a page out of Better Homes & Gardens, I’d miss the wonderful beauty that makes up my family.

In a world that pressures us to conform, it’s all too easy to overlook the unique beauty that each one of us has in our families and individually. We’re bombarded with ads and entertainment that subtly (and not so subtly) push us to be like everyone else.

Even in the writing world, we often feel the pressure to conform to a certain mold in order to make our books appealing and saleable. And yet we can’t lose sight of the little things, nuances, quirks, and aspects that make up who we are. All of those things come together to form our unique, beautiful identity that helps us to stand apart from everyone else.

This holiday season I urge us all to embrace the unique beauty inside ourselves and our families. Let your life (and Christmas tree!) reflect the uniqueness of YOU. And let your writing reflect all of the unique beauty of your experiences, personality, and depth of who you are.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

P.S. I will be taking a break from blogging next week. See you on Tuesday Jan. 3.

How To Drive Yourself Crazy as a Writer

2011-12-20T06:00:00.041-05:00

Here are four simple ways to drive yourself crazy (or to drive other writers & readers crazy!):

1. Think the very first book you’ve ever written is ready for publication.

This is a very hard truth for beginning writers to swallow. No one wants to believe they’ve gone to all the hard work of writing a book for nothing. But if you ask most published authors how many books it took them before they were ready for publication, likely you’d get a range from 4 to 6. Sure there are exceptions. But the large majority of authors have to write multiple books before really honing their skills.

It took me five books (not to mention a couple of books that I started but never finished). Those five books are stuck in a closet and will never see the light of day.

Fortunately, all the work isn’t for nothing. In fact, those first couple of unpublishable books are incredibly important. Without mine, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. The practice books—combined with studying fiction techniques—are the building blocks for a successful career.

We’ll only drive ourselves crazy with potential rejections, poor sales, and crushing feedback if we attempt to put our books out there too soon.

2. Think you don’t need time to grow.

I save my kids’ writing assignments. They date the papers and put them in their writing folders. Every year when they add new paragraphs, essays, and stories, they invariably go back and read what they’ve written in previous years. Now in seventh grade, my daughters giggle over what they wrote in second grade.

But, boy, in second grade they thought those stories were wonderful. And they were—for a second grader. However, the time, distance, and growth has helped them to look back and see how much deeper, richer, and more complex they’ve become. They can objectively see just how shallow and simplistic their earlier writing was.

Even though there’s no set number of years someone needs to write before being ready for publication, there’s something to be said for giving ourselves plenty of growing room. If we’re studying hard, over time we’ll begin to see improvements in our writing skill. And someday we’ll even look back at our earliest attempts and giggle (at least I do!).

3. Think you can catch all your own mistakes.

No one can edit his or her own manuscript perfectly. That’s a little bit like trying to give yourself counseling. Usually we can’t see our own issues and faults (or we’re prideful or in denial!). We need friends, family, and therapists to help us see the issues.

And the same is true in our writing. No matter how many times we read our manuscript, we can’t view it as objectively as someone who is reading with a fresh perspective.

Even with twenty plus years of writing experience, I still can’t catch all my own mistakes. I absolutely need a critique partner and editors who can give me their honest, careful, and detailed critiques (of both big and small problems).

4. Think you can make a go of the writing journey alone.

In this modern age, it’s pretty tough to go solo. Although writing a first draft of a book is a solitary endeavor, the road beyond that is not.

The longer I’m in the industry, the more I’ve come to realize just what a team effort the process of publication is—everything from the editing to the marketing. Yes, it takes a team effort to take a book in its somewhat rough state and to polish it up so that it can really resonate and shine.

But then once we have it sparkling, it also takes a team to help us market our books. With over one million other books vying for the reader’s attention, we have so much more of a chance of getting our books to stand out when our friends and online connections help us spread the word.

Plus, as I mentioned in my post about the insecurities that come after publication, we need writing friends to help us through the difficult times. Yes, our non-writing friends and family can support us too. But other writers can get it in a way that others often can’t.

We can drive ourselves crazy, sometimes even to the point of wanting to quit when we fall prey to any of the above. How about you? Do you agree or disagree with my points? Are there exceptions to the above that you’ve seen?

Write Tight: 3 Pieces of Advice I Wish I’d Known Earlier

2011-12-15T06:00:00.019-05:00

Last month I was on a panel at a writer’s conference, and one of the questions was “What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known earlier?”

My answer had mostly to do with the need to write tight. Early in my writing career, I had trouble writing succinctly—particularly in knowing what to include and what to leave out. And lately as I’ve been reading entries for a contest I’m helping to judge, I’ve noticed that many young writers have a similar struggle and often add more than is necessary.

So, here are three pieces of advice I wish I’d known earlier about writing tight:

1. Make Every Scene Count:

Before I write a scene, I envision a stage and my characters upon it. Who would want to go to a play and watch the actors meander around the stage talking to themselves or reflecting on problems while eating, getting ready, shopping, driving in the car, talking on the phone, etc.? Or thinking about their past (aka backstory)? Big yawn.

Rather than the mundane and ordinary, our audience wants to be entertained by the unfolding story. Put the characters on stage and have them jump right into the action. Start the conflict. Get the story moving. EACH scene needs to be critically important to the plot and story development or it needs to see the lovely black end of the delete button.

If we eliminate static scenes, then readers will come to expect that every scene in our book adds suspense or value to the plot, even when we slow the pace. The more succinct and necessary we make each scene, the fewer parts readers will be able to skim or skip.

2. Make Every Character Count:

Before I add a new character (particularly a minor one), once again I envision a stage. I check to see if any of the other characters who are already on stage can do the job first.

First, I don’t want my stage becoming cluttered with too many characters. Our audience will have a hard time keeping them all straight even if we do our best to give them unique tags and names. So when I need a minor character, I try to use one I’ve already brought onto the stage earlier (rather than add a completely new character).

Second, I try not to name all of my minor characters unless I need to do so for clarity’s sake. Even those I strategically place on the stage don’t get names. And if they get a “speaking part,” it’s often in a generic sense like: One of the other farmers said, “Go on you big chicken. Ask her to dance.”

The point is if we write tight with our characters, we increase the potential for them becoming more memorable versus getting lost on the crowded stage.

3. Cut the Flowery Descriptions:

When I write descriptions, I look at the stage and decide what props I need and why. I don’t wax eloquent about the weather or the clothing or the people passing by—just because I want to. I make myself have a reason for adding in those details.

Of course, as a historical writer, one of my important jobs is to bring to life a bygone era. Since readers haven’t been to the 1830’s Oregon Trail (the setting for The Doctor’s Lady), I have to find ways to create the aura of that setting. Even though I add in historical details to bring the era to life, I still try to do so with extreme care.

Sometimes I add setting details to create a certain mood. Other times, I describe things that play a role in the plot. The point is that I try to use description as strategically as possible. And, I try to weave it in seamlessly so that readers see the description through the eyes of the point of view character as the action unfolds.

Anytime we use flowery prose for the sake of sounding beautiful, that usually means we need to make another date with our delete key.

Have you ever had trouble deciding what to include and what to leave out of your story? In what area do you have the most trouble with writing tight?

The Inevitable Identity Crisis That Happens After Publication

2011-12-13T06:00:00.022-05:00

I wasn’t going to write this post. But after talking with numerous published authors over the past year and reading Elana Johnson’s post last week about her struggle after publication, I decided I needed to open up the topic.

Most authors don’t talk publicly about the after-publication crisis that happens. We put on our happy public persona and just keep going. But in reality, most of us experience an identity crisis at some point after publication where we question everything and wonder what in the world we’re doing. I know have. On more than one occasion.

Writerly crises are triggered by any number of things: a bad review, a low royalty check (or NO royalty check), an unexpected or difficult rewrite, low sales figures, not getting reader emails, dismal Amazon rankings, long dry spells without hearing from your agent or editor, bewildering advice, etc., etc., etc.

The trigger unleashes a gush of emotions and questions. We start asking ourselves things like: Why do I strive so hard? Why am I am putting in two hundred percent when there’s often so little to show for it? Is it really worth the pain, the sweat, the tears, and the uncertainty?

The questions beat against us.

But we can’t complain. At least not publicly.

First, if we publicly complain about any aspect of our publication process, we might inadvertently place publishers or other industry professionals in a negative light—and we don’t want to jeopardize our working relationships with anyone.

And second, if authors publicly complain, we sound ungrateful for being published. We know there are many other writers who would gladly trade places with us—problems and all. We think, “What right do I have to complain? I’m published. My dream came true. I shouldn’t be ungrateful.”

Thus, we keep shoving our complaints deep inside.

Until we reach the breaking point—when the pressure of everything builds up and explodes.

Before publication, most of us have dreams of what we think being a published author will be like. And the more we rub shoulders with other writers and fan the flame for publication, the larger our dreams become, until we’ve made being a published author into this HUGE, BIG deal—perhaps bigger than it really is.

Isn’t it that way with most things out of our reach? We long for something. But the more it’s denied us, the more intensely we want it. And we start to think it will be SO fabulous when we finally get it.

Our expectations grow with our longing, until eventually, our expectations are slightly (or maybe greatly) out of proportion with reality.

Now I’m not saying that being a published author isn’t wonderful. It is. I’m thrilled and grateful to have two books on the shelf and a couple more heading down the publication pipeline. I adore hearing from readers. And I love being a part of the publishing industry.

But I’ve also realized that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the published author side. There’s still an incredible amount of hard work, rejection, uncertainty, and waiting. There’s very little glitz and glamor. The hoopla never lasts very long. And I’m still just an ordinary person.

So, what have I learned through all my writing crises?

• An identity crisis or reality check is fairly normal for most writers, especially after the first book or two. We can’t help but question who we are and what we’re doing.

• We need a couple of closer writer friends with whom we can be completely honest, who will listen and not condemn us when we face uncertainties.

• We need to keep our expectations grounded. It’s hard to put aside those huge dreams we have of published author life. But the more realistically we go into publication, the better.

• Use those crises for evaluation. I let my difficult times push me to evaluate what’s working, what isn’t, and what I might need to do differently.

• When things get rough, we can’t have the “if only . . .” mindset. “If only I’d self-published, I’d be making more money.” Or “If only I’d traditionally published, things would be so much easier.” We may think having a different publisher, editor, agent, etc. will cure our insecurities. As I said above, the grass won’t necessarily be greener on the other side. I rub shoulders with enough authors in various publishing scenarios to know everyone has their share of problems.

• Realize that if you’re expecting instant fame and fortune, a writing career may not be for you. Instead, be prepared for a slow, steady upward climb.

So there you have it. If you’re a published author, have you experienced an identity crisis at some point? And if you’re not published yet, are you keeping your expectations realistic enough about life after publication?

How Much Time Should Writers Devote to Social Media?

2011-12-08T06:00:00.053-05:00

Let’s face it. Building our social media followings takes a lot of time and hard work. (See this post: How To Build a Blog Following From the Ground Up)

For those who thrive on social networking, it’s all too easy to let facebook, twitter, and blogging, eat away at our limited time.

And for those who cringe at the idea of having to carve out more time for social media, it’s just as easy to sit in the corner and whine about all of the problems related to building an online presence.

Either way, social media is here to stay. We can’t let it control us nor can we scoff at it. We need to learn to use it wisely.

And part of learning to use it wisely is figuring out how much time to give it. How much time should a writer spend on social media sites if they hope to establish a decent following and build a platform?

There’s no easy answer to that question. But I’m going to attempt to lay out my thoughts on it.

1. Beginning to middle level writers:

Beginning writers should spend LESS time on social media (and less time worrying about their platforms) and should spend MOST of their concentrated work time learning how to write—studying and practicing (See this post: 6 Tips For Making the Learning of Fiction Techniques Less Painful)

The prevalence of social media and all of the talk about building platforms has put undue pressure on newer writers (those working on their first book or two). Many beginners are jumping in too strong and pushing to develop followings too hard and thus taking valuable time away from really learning how to write saleable fiction.

I’m not saying beginning writers shouldn’t have blogs or chat on twitter. Because I don’t think it’s ever too early to get connected, meet other writers, and develop friendships. But I do think new writers should take the pressure off themselves, sit back, and focus on first things first—learning how to write good books.

2. Writers nearing publication:

Writers who’ve received critical and objective feedback that they’re moving toward publishable quality writing are ready to vamp up their social media time quota. This happened for me about the time I was ready to query. I found those months while I was querying, getting rejections, and waiting on agent responses, to be a good time to take social media to the next level.

I used those many months to visit blogs, meet new people, and get comfortable with social media. I scheduled in time almost every day for visiting and commenting on other blogs. I made a point of seeking out new people, not just on blogging but on twitter and facebook too.

However, I did NOT give social media more time than I gave my writing. I always, always kept writing in the midst of social networking. Through those early social media days, I learned to give my writing my best and most concentrated time, which has helped me do the same now after publication when blog tours, interviews, marketing, rewrites, etc. crowd in on writing time. I’ve trained myself to keep writing a priority even though other things demand my attention.

3. Published and beyond:

Around the time of publication, writers will find themselves becoming busier with other demands. We will likely have less time to spend visiting blogs and commenting and keeping up with everyone on facebook. Which is why if we wait to add social media until after getting a contract, we may not have the time and effort it takes to grow our followings.

I’ve had several friends email me and ask me how I was able to transition smoothly from less commenting and visiting without jeopardizing my following. If we’re well established as being reliable, offering consistent posts that resonate with readers, and we continue to be available to interact with friends in other ways (for me that is mainly through twitter), then we’ll likely be able to gradually diminish some of our earlier concerted efforts without ill-effects.

The bottom line is that eventually as we add in more, we can’t keep up with everything. We have to find ways to adjust or we’ll drive ourselves to exhaustion.

4. Non-fiction & self-published:

For those who are writing non-fiction or considering self-publication, devoting time to social media and developing a platform becomes even more critical. You will likely need to start earlier. And will probably need to continue to block in more time expanding your social media reach.

My summary: There’s no set amount of time any one writer “should” give to social media. As I’ve outlined, some of it will depend upon where we’re at in our writing journey. One thing is certain though, we can’t ever lose focus on what matters the most—writing a compelling, well-crafted book that readers can fall in love with.

How about you? Do you agree or disagree with my breakdown of how much time to spend on social media? And do you struggle to keep the time you spend on social media in balance?

What to Do With Contradictory Feedback (And 2 Star Reviews)

2011-12-06T06:00:00.075-05:00

At some point every author will get contradictory feedback—from contest judges, critique partners, editors, readers, etc. It’s inevitable. Someone will say something completely opposite of someone else. And we can only scratch our heads and say, “Huh?”

I’m always fascinated to compare those contradictions. I browsed through the 90 Amazon reviews on The Doctor’s Lady (released Sept. 1) and picked out just a few of the more obvious contradictions: (emphasis is mine)

About the romance:

“The scenes where the husband and wife are falling in love with each other are a little intense. Nothing vulgar or across any lines, but enough to make me blush at times.”

“I soured on inspirational romance in part because I didn't feel it dealt realistically with the physical attraction between men and women. The tension and desire between Priscilla and Eli in The Doctor's Lady, however, is tangible. Jody handles it so tastefully that even people accustomed to the hand-holding-only atmosphere of other inspirational romances won't be offended by it.”

About the hero:

“At first, I didn't particularly care for Eli. I thought him crass and kind of a jerk.”

“It didn't take me long to fall in love with Eli's strong, but gentle ways. Wow, he sure sounded like a hunk.”

About the story development:

“I was bit disappointed. Not completely, because I was very impressed with Jody's writing, and I will definitely pick up more from her. The Doctor's Lady isn't about the Whitman's mission with the Nez Perce. It's completely about their journey to the Nez Perce . . . I was just hoping there was more of the plot actually involving Native Americans.”

“I love every part of this book: the adventurous journey, the interaction with the natives, the beautiful description of nature, the struggle and courage of the characters, everything!”

About the ending:

“Although the end is predictable, the journey there is heart-wrenching and engaging - never flat.”

“By the end of this book you feel things coming together and I felt like I could just explode in emotions and tears of joy and I was sad that it had to come to an end. This is one of those books that although you are satisfied with the ending, you are disappointed that you are done reading about the characters that moved your life!”

Comparing my first two books:

“After disliking Jody's first book, The Preacher's Bride, I was pleasantly surprised by Jody's second book, The Doctor's Lady, and I enjoyed reading it very much.”

“This is a good traditional romance, and while it lacks the power of Hedlund's first novel The Preacher's Bride, it will keep readers hooked to finally see Eli and Priscilla admit their love for each other.”

*******************************************************************

So what do I take away from contradictions? (And there are plenty more in the Amazon reviews!) Here are several things I tell myself:

1. There will always be contradictory reviews. Always. Expect them. Accept them. And don’t worry about them.

2. Everyone will view a book through his or her own worldview glasses. Our religious beliefs, values, expectations, personalities, likes/dislikes—all of that will come into play for how we experience a story.

Thus what is acceptable and enjoyable for one person, may be completely opposite for another. That’s just the way it is. And there’s nothing we can do to change that. What that means is that as writers, we need to stay true to ourselves and know what’s important to us, even if that’s not going to please every single reader.

3. Give the most credence to industry experts when weighing contradictions. I look to my agent and my editors for advice. They have their fingers on the pulse of what my genre readers like through feedback and sales statistics. Over time, they’ve developed an expertise and an innate feel for what will resonate with readers and what won’t.

My point is that when we face contradictions, we may need to involve those more experienced than our readers to help give us the bigger picture of what works and what doesn’t.

4. Writers have to develop a thick skin. When I read reviews, I try to stay in the middle of the road. I don’t let the really high praise flatter me, and I don’t let two star reviews crush me. Because yes, the two stars DO eventually come.

One of my two star reviews on The Preacher’s Bride says “Not my cup of tea.” And I just had to laugh and realize the truth in the statement—my book just won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s okay.

In other words, let the negatives add new callouses, so that eventually we can take the pricks to our ego without letting them deflate us altogether.

How about you? Have you gotten contradictory feedback on your writing? How do you handle it?

6 Tips To Make the Learning of Fiction Techniques Less Painful

2011-12-01T06:00:00.008-05:00

If you’ve been reading my blog long enough then you’ll know I feel very strongly that writers need to grow in their writing ability by reading fiction how-to books. I blogged about it in this post: My Writing Success: The One Thing That Has Helped Me The Most.

Back in the days when I was first writing seriously (about twenty years ago), I devoured every how-to book I could get my hands on. I filled notecards with all of the things I was learning. And as I wrote, I’d flip through my notecards to help me remember everything.

Incidentally, I still have that stack of notecards and occasionally still read them. And I still regularly read writing craft books (usually when I’m between projects so that I can refresh myself and find new inspiration) (for a few of my favorites scroll down through my sidebar).

Now I realize not everyone agrees that writing craft books are helpful. Some people become overwhelmed by all of the information. Others feel stifled. Some even get discouraged to the point of quitting because they can’t seem to do things “by the book.”

Then there are those writers who don’t want anyone else telling them what to do. They feel that writing is an individualistic, subjective expression of our creativity (just like all of the other art forms).

Some may even say you can learn all you need by reading well-written novels and that the rhythm of story and structure is picked up through saturating ourselves with a variety of genres and stories (including the classics). Such writers might say things like, “Story trumps technique.”

The fact is, writers can come up with any number of excuses for why they don’t want to learn the basics of fiction-writing. And sometimes those excuses may even be valid, because after all, most excuses usually have a hint of truth to them, don’t they?

The truth is yes, sometimes we can try too hard to follow the rules and in the process get discouraged or end up with sterile writing. Sometimes we’re at risk of losing our individuality and creativity when we try to make ourselves fit into a prescribed structure. And yes, those of us who are avid readers may have a leg-up on how to tell a good story. Indeed, the story itself is critically important.

But the other truth is this—very few people are born as writing geniuses. I certainly wasn’t. Most of us have to learn how to write fiction similar to any other subject like typing, reading or algebra. And while there are many ways to learn how to write, one of the best ways to learn anything is to STUDY and then PRACTICE.

Here are few suggestions that might make the process of learning about writing fiction less painful:

1. Wait to read a how-to book until after you’ve completed your first manuscript. Often we don’t know what we need to work on until after we’ve had some firsthand experience. Besides, there’s something about giving yourself freedom with the first book to explore, be creative, and to nurture your imagination.

2. Check out several fiction how-to books from the library. When I’m able to browse through a book first, I’m able to see whether it’s going to contain information that will help me. Different books will speak to us more or less depending upon where we’re at in our writing journey. If we’re not selective, we might give up on how-to books too easily instead of continuing to search until we find one that meets our needs.

3. As you’re reading, take notes on specific things you’d like to work on in the next novel. I usually read a how-to book when I’m in the pre-writing plotting phase, which helps inspire ideas and reminds me of what I need to incorporate.

4. Don’t try to work on everything all at once. That’s a bit like having too many cooks in the kitchen—a recipe for disaster (or at the very least discouragement). Trying to do everything perfectly or too much to soon can zap the joy out of writing and lead to writer’s block.

5. Look at writing techniques as guidelines not rules. I examine the “why” behind particular guidelines. What is the point of a technique? For example, plenty of books advocate against using adverbs. Why? Because the modern reader doesn’t want to be slowed down by wordiness. They want a succinct, tight read. But does that mean we can’t use any adverbs? No, if I’m doing my job at keeping the story moving, then if I drop in an adverb here and there, it won’t bother the reader or slow my story.

6. Find a balance. Don’t focus too much on technique at the expense of your story or it will end up lifeless. But also don’t ignore the building blocks of good fiction because you think you have an awesome best-selling story. You might shoot your chance with an agent, publisher, or reader simply because they’re tripping over your presentation.

How about you? Are you taking enough time to work on your fiction techniques? What writing book has helped you the most from a practical standpoint?

Even Though Free is IN, Don't Forget to Buy Books Too

2011-11-29T06:00:00.103-05:00

I’ve noticed lately that “free” seems to be the new “in.”

Of course, as a reader, I like getting free books because I can try new authors I wouldn't normally consider. And besides, who doesn't like getting something free?

As an author, I think offering free books can be a good marketing technique to a degree. Most publishers and authors try to budget in giveaways for a variety of different purposes.

For example, some publishers give free books to reviewers who agree to post an honest review on their blog and with an online bookstore. This helps spread the word about books and can also generate more reviews (and the more reviews a book has, the more 'popular' it looks, even if that's not necessarily true.)

Publishers (and self-published authors) are also testing the waters for giving away e-books to increase the author's exposure. At the release of The Doctor’s Lady in September, my publisher gave away the e-book of my first book for a limited time. When all was said and done, they gave away thousands upon thousands of e-books of The Preacher’s Bride in the span of that month.

Ultimately, their hope (and that of others who give away free books) is that readers will enjoy the free book enough to go out and purchase additional books by that author. Or at the very least, tell others about the book to increase the word-of-mouth promotion.

The question is—does giving away all those free books really work? Does it help an author’s sales on their current release?

The jury is still out for how it’s helped sales on The Doctor’s Lady. My publisher didn’t see a significant boost—yet. But many factors influence the sales of a book during the critical months surrounding its release, which makes it difficult to isolate what really helps and what doesn’t.

Yes, free books are all over the place. At this point, we just don’t know the long term effects this will have on reader buying habits or whether it truly helps an author to build a readership.

However, in all of the book giveaways, let’s not forget ONE important thing: We can’t stop buying books. Writers and readers alike can’t become so enamored with getting free books—either for reviewing, endorsing, on our e-readers, or just because we can—that we forget to actually purchase books.

Most people don’t understand exactly how underpaid the majority of authors really are. Sure, there are the couple dozen authors who are making millions. But the rest of the masses of talented authors are not even making minimum wages on their books.

If we calculate out the months we spend writing, the weeks editing and rewriting, and then all of the time promoting, most authors end up making very little compared to all of the time and effort they put into the entire process.

So . . . at this time of year, at the beginning of the holiday season, I want to encourage us all to remember to buy books. Not only will we be supporting our favorite authors (who truly appreciate it!), but we’ll also be promoting the love of reading (which is something our modern culture desperately needs!).

Here are a few things we can all consider doing this holiday season:

• When giving someone a new Kindle (or other e-reader), purchase a couple of e-books for the person. Erika Robuck bought her mom a new Kindle and then bought The Preacher’s Bride as one of the first books her mom could read on the Kindle.

• For Christmas parties (either at work, with friends, or at church), consider giving a book for a gift exchange. Catherine Johnson emailed me to ask if I’d be willing to send bookmarks to a Christmas party she’s attending. She’s planning do a short reading from The Doctor’s Lady and then give away a signed copy.

• Put books on your own Christmas wish list, particularly of authors that you might not normally purchase.

• Buy books as gifts for family and friends and then ask the author if they’d be willing to send you a personally addressed and signed bookplate (sticker) that you can put into the book. (I know most authors would be as happy to do this as I am.)

• Buy and donate books to a charity of your choice. I recently donated a copy of each of my books to Judith’s Reading Room (as a result of Brigette Booth’s blog tour stop). Check out Bridgette's blog post for a list of other places you can donate books along with a description of each place.

If you love a book and an author, then one of the best ways to support them—so they can continue to write the stories you love—is to BUY their books!

What do you think? Are there too many free books? Is that inhibiting authors or helping? And have you made a point of buying books to support authors?

Why We Might Need to Go on a Diet

2011-11-24T06:00:00.007-05:00

Most of the people reading this blog are probably among the population of the world that has WAY more than we need. In fact, if you’re like me, you have SO much stuff that you have a hard time coming up with a Christmas wish list.

Every year, I struggle to write a list and usually it ends up looking something like this: chocolate, coffee, slippers, fuzzy socks, pj’s, clothes, and pretty kitchen oven mitts.

There’s absolutely nothing on my list I NEED.

Quite frankly, my kids don't need anything on their wish lists either. My eight-year-old son certainly does not need a General Grievous Transformer since he already has plenty of Star Wars action figures. And my youngest daughter doesn’t need the pink Webkinz Pompom Kitty since the end of her bed is already piled high with stuffed animals.

Of course, my children have had their wish lists put together since last Christmas. Well, maybe not quite. But they always have ideas of what they’d like. Thus, I’m continually reminding them that while it's exciting to get gifts, the newness never lasts. Our things quickly lose their shine and importance. Pretty soon they end up in the corner taking up space. And we’re on to wanting the next new thing.

Yet, even armed with knowledge that THINGS ultimately don’t fulfill us, I find my kids (and myself!) still craving more. The pulse of the modern culture beats through us, pounding with the steady insatiable rhythm of gimme, gimme, gimme.

I can’t help but stop on this U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving and ask myself, what are we teaching ourselves and our children by constantly feeding our appetite for things?

We’ve become overweight with our possessions. And as you know, obesity is often the cause of other problems. What are the long-term effects of our over-indulging going to be, especially upon the next generation?

Is it time to put ourselves on a diet?

Perhaps.

I think at the very least we can start cultivating an attitude of restraint within ourselves. Teach ourselves to say “no” to getting everything we think we need. Give ourselves permission not to have to keep up with our neighbors. Stop believing that having more is going to make us happy. Tell ourselves it’s okay to live simply and not to have the latest and greatest items that come out.

Then I think we can begin to retrain ourselves with a healthier lifestyle, primarily in taking large doses of gratefulness on a daily basis. Slow down, find contentment in the possessions we already have. Notice the things we take for granted and let gratitude whisper through our hearts for them. Remember what really matters in life—the intangibles like laughter, and hugs, and deep conversations. Relationships. Family. People. Love.

Thankfulness may not be the complete antidote to our over-indulgent lifestyles. But it’s a start.

So what about you? What are you most thankful for? And how are you cultivating a healthy lifestyle of gratefulness?

How to Build a Blog Following From the Ground Up

2011-11-22T06:00:00.032-05:00

If you’re a blogger, do you want to build your following?

I’m guessing that 99.9% of bloggers would answer that question with a resounding YES. Most of us check our stat counter and visitor statistics religiously. We keep track of every new follower and throw parties when we reach milestones (like 100 followers or 1000). And we have good or bad days depending upon the number of comments we get.

Okay, so maybe we’re not that bonkers over building our followings. But the fact is, whether we're a writer or not, we crave genuine connections on our blogs. We’re relational people. And so when we put ourselves out there, we long for a response, for someone to take notice, to care, to communicate back.

Recently I had a couple of emails asking me how I built my blog following, questions like:

“I hold your blog as one of the best examples out there. How do you do it? I find it extremely hard to generate content for my own blog. Do you have any advice for starting down the long road of building an online presence?”

“I hear people mention you and your success and how you had a built-in audience when you finally published your books. I was wondering if you had any tips for building a blog readership? How long had you been blogging before you got an agent and published your first books?”

So how did I do it? How did I build my blog following?

Of course, everyone’s blogging journey will be different (just like our writing journeys will be unique). But I think there are some basic principles that can help any blogger connect with other bloggers (and subsequently find more fulfillment in the blogging experience).

Here’s what I did early in my blogging career:

1. Start blogging well before publication. I began blogging months before I had an agent or book contract. Thus I had plenty of time to build genuine relationships. My followers didn’t have to worry that I was blogging to sell them anything.

2. Actively seek others out and mingle. I didn’t sit back and wait for people to come to me. I made a point of sticking out the hand of friendship to others. I followed the links of bloggers in comments of more popular blogs I was reading (especially people whose comments indicated they might be someone I’d like to get to know). I went to their sites, started reading their posts, and took the initiative.

3. Comment regularly. Whenever I visited a blog, I tried to leave a thoughtful comment that would let the person know I was genuinely interested in what they had to say. Over time, they would get to know me and often would come visit my blog in return.

4. Follow others generously. Most blogs I visited, I signed up to follow. I figured it was supportive to that blogger. And even if they didn’t follow me back, I still was getting my name and avatar into a variety of places where others might see me and follow the link back to my blog.

5. Schedule time for visiting other blogs. During my early blogging days, I’d allot 30 minutes to an hour for reading and commenting on other blogs. After I got busier, I’d usually try to reciprocate visits to those who regularly visited me, or new visitors, or hard core followers. The important thing was that I scheduled blog-hopping and made a point of keeping in contact with followers on a regular basis.

6. Post on your own blog consistently. I also tried to post interesting, thought-provoking, or helpful posts to my readers. I made sure people knew my schedule and I stayed consistent. I also have always kept my name, author photo, and contact information clearly visible. In other words, I’ve tried to maintain a professional but warm appeal to my blog.

So that’s my story for building my blog following. Of course, now that I’ve been blogging for a number of years and have built a solid foundation, the techniques I currently employ in my blogging are very different from when I first started (but that’s the making of a future post!).

How about you? What’s been the most difficult aspect for you as you’ve tried to build your blog following?

Why Every Story Needs a Zombie

2011-11-17T06:00:00.012-05:00

As you may remember, earlier in the year Amanda Hocking made news in the literary world when she became a millionaire through her self-published e-books and then signed a 7-figure book deal with St. Martin’s Press.

With all of the hype, I was curious about Hocking’s books. So when Hollowland became available for free on the Kindle, I decided to give it a try even though I’m not normally a dystopian genre reader.

Normally a book that has zombies who hunt down and eat the flesh of living human beings isn’t my idea of a cozy evening read. I prefer to stick with lovely bygone eras where the Black Plague, thumbscrew torture, and maggoty food are everyday problems.

Nevertheless, I read Hocking’s book. And I ended up going to bed petrified that a virus would overtake the world while I slept and that I’d wake up to Zombies pounding on my door trying to break in.

After my nightmares, I’m thoroughly convinced I will never write dystopian. But in thinking about Hocking’s heart-pounding, blood-curdling book, I realized every book needs a zombie, particularly if we want the kind of story that will hold our reader’s attention and keep them turning the pages late into the night.

Our books can also benefit from having a virus, creepiness, a struggle for survival, and the need for a cure.

Let me explain:

The Zombie Factor: (the Antagonist)

I like the idea of thinking of our antagonist (or the enemy/bad guy) as a zombie. The more threatening, bigger-than-real-life, scary, and dangerous we make the antagonist, then obviously the more heart-pounding we’ll make the adventure for our readers.

I fully realize that not every antagonist will be a living being. In fact, in the latter part of The Doctor’s Lady, the antagonist is a mountain range that the party of travelers must cross before the snow strands them. Even so, I made that mountain range into a zombie. It’s not a nice easy gentle climb for the weary group. Instead it’s steep and jagged, slick and cold with snow, with the added danger of a lurking mountain lion.

An antagonist can come in many shapes and can have positive as well as negative qualities. But to make our antagonists truly threatening to our characters, we need to find ways to turn them into zombies—so that they elicit fear, worry, and tension in the heart’s of our readers.

The Virus Factor: (the Danger)

In addition to the zombie (the antagonist), our stories can benefit from having a danger factor. Maybe it won’t be an infectious virus that threatens our characters at every turn, like the virus in Hollowland that the characters can easily catch from blood or saliva.

But the more danger we can put around our characters, the more shivers we’ll give our readers. In The Doctor’s Lady, during the journey west, the danger comes from the elements—the river crossings, cholera, wild animals, and the warring natives. In every scene, I made sure my characters were facing some kind of new danger.

The Creepiness Factor: (the Suspense)

In any story, we’ll have changes in our pacing. We’ll have higher-octane scenes with more action, and then scenes that are slower with more internal reflection. It’s easy to keep the suspense and tension high during the action scenes where our characters are fighting the “zombies” and battling the “viruses.”

But even during the slower scenes, we can add in the creepiness factor. By setting the mood, leaving questions unanswered, foreshadowing, and never wasting words, we can make our readers sit on the edge of their seats even during the slow scenes. We can keep them thinking that every noise, every knock on the door, and every detail is going to lead to more problems (and they should!).

The Survival Factor: (the Struggle to Survive)

To vamp the tension even more, we can add in the survival factor. We do this when we keep our readers guessing how our characters can possibly survive all of the obstacles (the zombies, virus, and creepiness). In fact, we can make it seem like our characters won’t possibly be able to survive the odds stacked against them.

In The Doctor’s Lady, in addition to all of the outside danger and the antagonists, my characters face the struggle to survive—thirst, hunger, illness, the weariness of traveling, and the emotional strain. Can this band of travelers possibly survive the trip to finally reach the West? This is the question I continually want my readers asking.

The Cure Factor: (the Driving Need)

Another way to keep the reader’s attention is to give our hero/heroine a driving, all-consuming need. In Hollowland, the heroine has an obsessive need to find her brother who is immune to the virus. He represents the “cure” to the zombie problem.

Our characters must have a driving need that pushes them almost obsessively forward so that they’re willing to face danger and even death in the process of getting that “cure” or need met. The stronger the need, the more invested our reader becomes in seeing our character succeed amidst the danger.

So writers, does your story have a zombie? And on a different note, have you read any dystopian lately? And does it creep you out as much as it does me? *grin*

How To Prolong Your Book’s Exposure

2011-11-15T06:00:00.060-05:00

In the life of a book, the several months surrounding the release date are critically important. That’s when the largest percentage of sales takes place. We set off fireworks, generate a lot of interest, and try to draw new readers.

But we can't set off fireworks forever. Eventually the newness of our release fades . . .

The average author doesn’t have long—two, maybe three months—until other hot, new releases push ours out of the spotlight and out of the top twenty list. Usually after the initial hype has died down, sales will dip. And we’ll count ourselves fortunate if our book continues to have slow but steady sales after that point (as opposed to none at all).

My second book, The Doctor’s Lady, has been on shelves for approximately three months. So my book has likely hit its peak in terms of sales. If it follows the same pattern as my previous book, The Preacher’s Bride, I’ll continue to have sales and new readers, but the figures won’t come close to those initial release numbers.

As I’ve watched this pattern with both of my books, I’ve realized a couple of things:

1. We need to take advantage of the release time, capitalize on the spotlight, and do all we can to invest in marketing at that point.

2. We also need to look for ways to prolong the exposure of our books so that they don’t fade into oblivion so quickly.

After spending months writing a book, months editing, and then months preparing for the release (blog tours, book giveaways, contests, etc.), I think every author would like to see his or her books have a much longer exposure than 2 or 3 months. That amount seems so insignificant compared to all of the time and effort we put into the book.

So what can we do to fan the flame of love for our book, to keep it burning so that it doesn’t extinguish altogether? In other words, what are some practical ways that we can prolong the exposure of our books?

Here are a few things I’ve done or am planning to do:

• Do a book giveaway on GoodReads. I like to save this giveaway until after plenty of reviews are posted—then the reviews have the potential to spark even more interest in the giveaway.

• Offer to send signed bookplates to anyone buying your book as a gift for friends or family. This is something I’m doing for anyone purchasing one of my books as Christmas presents for loved ones (or for yourselves!). (Sidenote: a bookplate is a sticker the author has personally signed that you can affix inside a book. If you'd like one from me, please email me via my contact page with your mailing address and the name of the person you would like on the bookplate.)

• Advertise your book on Facebook (which is something my publisher is doing for me). Again, we can wait to do this after we have a lot of great Amazon reviews. Then when people see our FB ad and investigate further, the reviews can help garner interest.

• Occasionally share snippets of praise from reader emails or letters. Recently on Facebook, I shared a sentence from a letter I received from a 92 year old woman who’d read my book.

• Offer to Skype or teleconference with book groups. Last month I Skyped with a couple of different groups about my first book, The Preacher’s Bride. I’ve found Skyping to be one of the enjoyable things I do as an author. (And make sure to get the group’s picture for your website.)

• Schedule interviews, particularly around holidays/themes. Next month I’m doing a couple of radio interviews—one about Christmas traditions. Valentine’s Day is also a great time for romance writers to do giveaways and interviews.

• Enter your book into contests for published authors. Yes, each contest has a fee (usually about $25 and requires several free books). A final can give your book extra exposure, but even if it doesn’t final, you are getting your books into the hands of more readers.

• Offer to speak to local groups. Often such groups will allow you to bring books to sell. I’m giving the keynote speech at a one-day writer’s conference on Saturday. This winter, I’m also scheduled to speak at a library.

As I said, we need to capitalize on the initial hype that surrounds our book’s release. That’s the prime time to attract readers. But, if you’re like me, and you don’t want to see your book stall once you’re past the prime, then we’ll have to continue to look for creative ways to keep the book love going.

How about you? What are some other ways authors can prolong the exposure of their books? What have you seen work well? And does the small window of spotlight at release time disappoint you after all the work you've done?

How to Keep Writing When the Honeymoon is Over

2011-11-10T06:00:00.056-05:00

It’s inevitable. At some point, the honeymoon ends. We wake up one morning to find that our spouse left dirty underwear on the floor, used our toothbrush again, or forgot it was the anniversary of our first kiss. We realize that marriage isn’t all candlelight dinners and roses.

And we begin to understand that it takes work to love someone unconditionally.

It’s inevitable with writers too. The honeymoon—the passionate love affair with writing—eventually hits reality. We wake up one morning at 5:30, take a look at the clock, and decide that our pillow needs us more than our characters. Or we sit down in front of our laptops and suddenly cleaning the toilet never looked more appealing.

We begin to understand that writing a book isn’t always fun and bliss—that wow, it takes work.

This month, many writers are taking part in National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). The goal in the month is to complete a book (or as much as possible).

Although I’ve never personally participated, I’ve heard from many writers that it’s an incredible way to jump-start the creative juices and get a great start on a novel.

The day before NaNoWriMo started, I saw tweets like, “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to start!”

The first day, I saw tweets like, “Writing is awesome! I woke up at 3:07 am and got in 5211 words in the first hour!” (I’m slightly exaggerating, but only a tad!)

The whole first week, I saw so much enthusiasm that I was about to throw out all my other responsibilities and start a new novel just so I could join in the fun.

Then this week—the second week—I’ve noticed there are fewer tweets, more feet dragging, and less of the initial excitement.

Because the truth is, we can’t sustain unending hype over our writing long term. It’s just not realistic. Instead, the reality is that there are days when we’ll wake up and we won’t want to write. We’ll think we write like a two year old. And we’ll dream about spilling coffee on our laptops so that we won’t have to work on our story.

What can we do when the honeymoon is over? What can all those NaNo’ers do to keep writing this month after the initial excitement fades? What can any of us do to sustain a long-term relationship with our writing?

1. Realize it takes hard work. Expect it and embrace it.

2. Don’t despair when the feelings of love go away. It’s NOT the sign you’re suppose to give up your writing aspirations.

3. Make a commitment. If you decide to write a book, commit to seeing it through to completion. Ignore the blah feelings and choose to write anyway.

4. Give yourself weekly or daily goals for a number of words, pages, or chapters.

5. Think smaller. Break down the daily goals into more tangible hourly challenges. (I personally challenge myself to a certain number of words per 30 minutes and write it on a sticky note to hold myself accountable.)

6. Stop making excuses. Grab whatever time you can find, and just do the work. Whether it’s thirty minutes here or fifteen there, we can find the time—if we want to.

7. Don’t expect perfection. Expecting perfection in our spouses is sure-fire way to develop problems. And it’s true in our manuscripts too. Take the pressure off. We don’t have to have perfect writing—especially in a first draft.

8. Plan a date or two per week. Give yourself and your writing extended time together, a chance to be alone without all of the distractions and interruptions. I find that the story really starts to flow after several hours of writing.

9. Romance your creativity. Pamper her—give her chocolate, read a well-crafted book, or take a soothing bubble bath. Set the mood—listen to romantic music, light candles, anything to enhance your creativity.

10. Remember what drew you to your writing in the first place. Go back to that first love—writing with abandon, just because.

11. Find an accountability partner. I usually ask a twitter friend who’s in first draft mode if we can hold each other accountable for our weekly goals. There’s nothing better to light the fire than when you know you have to check in with someone at the end of the week.

12. Get counseling—from a reputable freelance editor or a good writing craft book. I always find new inspiration when I read a how-to article or book.

So what about you? What do you do to keep the love affair with your writing going? How do you keep your commitment for the long haul, even when the honeymoon is over? (And if you're doing, NaNoWriMo, how's it going?)

5 Ways to Take the Ickiness Out of Marketing Our Books

2011-11-08T06:00:00.048-05:00

My twin daughters joined a synchronized swim team this fall. As part of the process of trying to reduce the fees, the team has several fundraisers throughout the year.

After the first practice, my girls brought home a sheet of pies to sell (similar to the Girl Scout cookie sheet).

At first, the girls were enthusiastic. They made lists of friends and neighbors they wanted to target. They divided the list, deciding which families each of them “got.” Then they headed out together to sell pies.

I wasn’t surprised when they returned a short while later after going to just two neighbors. One of the families bought a couple of pies and the other didn’t. My more dramatic daughter shuddered and said, “I didn’t like having to ask them to buy something. It felt icky.”

The initial gusto had faded, replaced by the reality of what they were doing.

If you’ve been around the industry a while, then you know marketing our books is not optional. It’s necessary for survival in today’s over-saturated market. We’re competing with a million other writers for diminishing shelf space and ultimately the attention of readers.

With two published books out there, I’ve learned from first-hand experience that my books won’t walk around and sell themselves. I have to go out and knock on doors (so-to-speak). And sometimes that marketing leaves me with an icky feeling.

I recently read an article titled Does Marketing Your Writing Feel Like Prostitution? It starts with this: “So there we writers stand, on the virtual street corner with our computers, wearing sexy sweat pants, hawking our books, articles, and ‘content creation services’.”

Nowadays, authors are searching for THE best ways to get their books noticed. We’re striving for the most creative, the most eye-catching, and the most vocal marketing techniques. But after a while it can begin to feel like we’re standing out on the corner hawking ourselves.

How can we market without feeling icky? Is it possible?

Here are a few things we can do to keep the ickiness out of marketing our books (as much as possible):

1. Don’t send new followers the links to your website or Amazon book page. I can’t tell you lately how many new followers (both on twitter and facebook) have asked me to go “check out” their books. I never, ever go to those links. It feels like they followed me only to make a sale (and they likely did), which is a complete turn-off and will only do more harm than good.

2. Don’t ask people to retweet or help you promote your book unless you already have a strong relationship with them. Asking mere acquaintances for that kind of support makes people feel used. However, when we’ve already developed a relationship, often our friends will be the ones asking us how they can help.

3. Make sure you’re showing up on social media on a regular basis—NOT just when you want to talk about your books. I’ve seen several authors continually promote their books through email loops, on twitter, etc. But I don’t know them, simply because they only talk about their books. I’d be more inclined to like them and buy their books if I got to know them personally.

4. When befriending people, don’t have ulterior motives. I quickly lose my respect for people who are really nice to me and not too long afterward ask me for a favor. Of course, there’s always that unspoken realization that all writers have an underlying motivation for using social media. We eventually want it to help us sell books. But even if it starts out that way, social media has to become SO much more than just a marketing tool. We can't forget that real people are behind the avatars, and they deserve to be treated with genuineness and respect.

5. Engage in meaningful relationships with other people without thought of what we gain in return. We shouldn’t have an air of entitlement and expect people to buy our books or follow us back. I’ve found that over time, many people support me because they’ve come to know me in a real way.

My Summary: I wish my books could just stand-alone and market themselves simply because of the quality. But even with well-written, compelling books, we all have to market our books to help give them an advantage. That’s the reality in today’s market. But honestly, I’d rather NOT make a sale, then make one in pushy and icky way.

What about you? What are some other icky marketing techniques you’ve noticed? How can we take the “ick” out of the whole process? Is it possible or will we always have a bit of that icky feeling?

A Writer’s Number One Enemy

2011-11-03T06:00:00.030-04:00

Who is a writer’s worst enemy?

In the writing industry we often make agents or traditional publishers out to be the “bad guys” and brand them as narrow-minded, unwilling to take a chance, picky, slow, unable to keep up with the changing times, etc.

But are they really the source of a writer’s angst? With the ease of e-publishing, a writer can bypass agents and editors altogether if they’re frustrated. No longer are agents and editors necessary for everyone seeking publication.

Sometimes we point the finger at the busyness of our lives as our number one enemy. We lament, that if only we had more time to write, we’d finally complete our book, or we’d get around to the manuscript that needs editing.

But we all know that we can make time for the things that are important to us. If we really want to write, if we’re passionate enough about it, we’ll somehow squeeze in the time somewhere. Right?

So what really is a writer’s number one enemy?

I believe WE are our own worst enemies. Yes, I am my worst enemy. And you are yours.

In a recent post, Encouragement for Aspiring Authors, numerous writers mentioned just how much they struggle with their own discouraging thoughts. Here are a few comments:

“I discourage myself all on my own . . . me, myself, and I can really do a number on my ego when it comes to my writing.”

“No one else but myself has been a discouraging voice. I have been my own worst enemy, and I need to squelch all the negative self-talk about never 'amounting to anything, so why waste my time' has just got to stop.”

“I've been wondering after reading the writing blogs lately if I should even try to write at all anymore.”

When I thought about WHO or WHAT discourages me the most, I realized (like these commenters) that I am my own biggest discourager. I send myself negative messages all too frequently. Even as an award-winning author I say things like, “What’s wrong with me that my sales aren’t higher” or “With so many other authors out there, who am I?”

The messages we send ourselves can have a paralyzing effect. We can discourage ourselves so much that we reach a point where we don’t want to keep going. Maybe we feel like giving up our writing career altogether. Or maybe the negative messages get in the way every time we sit down to write so that the story is stuck and the words won’t flow.

How do we battle our own discouragement and keep it from defeating us? I don’t have the perfect answer, but here are some things that keep me going:

• I surround myself with people who believe in me, who are there to encourage me when I’m especially down, who remind me of the positives in my writing and in my career.

• I write every day, no matter what my mood, even if I’m absolutely down in the dumps. Even when I feel like I’m writing the worst crap the world has ever seen, I get words on the page—every day without fail.

• I make sure that I’m constantly learning new things. I pick up a new writing craft book or re-read an old one. There’s something about the process of learning that gives us fresh excitement and renewed confidence that we’re moving forward.

• I go back to the reason why I’m writing—because ultimately I love telling stories. I love stringing words together. And I love being able to encourage others through my writing.

What about you? What messages have you been sending yourself lately? Are you letting the discouragement beat you down too much? How do you fight against your own negativity?

Are There More Writers Than Readers?

2011-11-01T06:00:00.066-04:00

No doubt about it. There are a LOT of writers these days.

Of course, we have no way to count exactly how many people have taken up writing. But it seems like I continually meet people who are either in the process of writing a book or are interested in doing so. I realize that since I’m an author, people are more likely to confide in me their writing aspirations so that it may only seem like more people are writing.

But still, I’m amazed at the numbers of writers I meet in real life and around cyberland. In part, the growth of the internet has made the writing industry more visible and accessible. People who may have once only considered the idea of writing a book, now find that they have all the information they need for every step of the process.

Additionally, with the growth of e-books and self-publishing, anyone anywhere can publish a book about anything. As the news spreads of the ease of e-publishing and the successful self-publishing stories are circulated, even more writers step forward to enter the brave new world of publishing.

In the meantime, while the numbers of writers is increasing, the numbers of readers is at a steady decline. We don’t need NEA reports to prove that reading is at risk and continues to lose the battle to other forms of entertainment and activities. We only have to look around us at our own diminishing reading habits and those of our family to see the trend. In the digital age, electronic devices (internet, DVDs, video games, etc.) entice would-be readers more than ever before.

In the November issue of RWR (Romance Writers Report), a 2010 report cited various statistics about reader buying habits. Here a just a couple quotes:

• “Over 100 million adults did not buy a single solitary book in 2010.”

• “Domestic net sales of adult mass-market books were down 6.3% in 2010.”

• “While the e-book segment has experienced large growth in the past few years, analysts claim that few new readers have been created—the segment’s growth is due to 'siphoning' off print book readers, and the gains on the digital side are not making up for losses on the print side.”

With the ever-increasing number of writers publishing books (or hoping to) and the ever-decreasing number of readers, what’s the outlook? It appears to me that the supply of books will soon surpass the demand of readers—if it hasn’t already.

So what’s a writer to do in the face of such an outlook?

1. Make sure we know what we’re up against.

While more opportunities are opening up for writers, that also means the publishing pie is being cut into smaller pieces. More of us will get a slice and taste of publication, but our share of profits will likely be less. With all of the competition, we’ll have to accept that even with our best marketing efforts we may hit a ceiling. Even traditionally published authors like myself are facing new challenges with sales.

My agent, Rachelle Gardner, posed a question on her blog, “What if there were no money in writing?” She mentioned that it’s becoming harder for writers to make money as readers are moving toward an attitude of being unwilling to pay much. Therefore, we must indeed ask ourselves how much effort we’re willing to expend on our writing careers if we’re unable to eventually receive the compensation we long for.

2. Don’t discount writers as future readers.

As the writing population grows, a portion of writers will also become our readers. Over the past couple of years, many writers have let me know they’ve read my books as a direct result of getting to know me through social media. Writer Lindsay Harrel said this last week: “Because of your great blog tour, I am currently reading my copy of The Doctor's Lady (and loving it!)! So it at least worked to hook one reader, and I'm sure many more!”

Another writer, Karrie Myton, sent me an email saying this: “Your blog has helped me in countless ways. I like hearing your voice in your writing, but I was afraid to read your fiction. I worried that I wouldn't like it, and that I would lose faith in your writing expertise. I needn't have worried. I started reading The Preacher's Bride last night and struggled to put it down to take care of my kids.”

3. Writers can take the lead in purchasing books.

We need to be careful lest we fall into the trap of thinking that all those readers out there will take care of buying our writing friends’ books, and we won’t need to. The fact is, writers, more than any other group should know how important it is to actually purchase books (as opposed to waiting to get a free copy).

We obviously can’t buy every book of every writer we know. But we can make a point of supporting (aka buying books) as generously as we can—if not for ourselves, then as gifts for people we know.

So what’s your opinion? Do you think we’re moving toward a day when there will be more writers than readers, when the supply will outweigh the demand? What do you think writers can do to weather the changes?

How Often Should Writers Blog?

2011-10-28T06:00:00.049-04:00

Starting next week, I will be cutting back on blogging. I’ll be going from three days a week down to two. Instead of posting on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I’ll be moving to Tuesday and Thursdays.

Why? You may be asking. Why in the world would I cut back now when things are going well, when I have a large following, and when there’s been a recent splurge of posts talking about how important numbers are for a writer’s career ( here are a couple: Author Marketing & Platform & Numbers Are Our Friends) (see the bottom of this post for my brief opinion on the numbers issue).

Here’s a short list of reasons why I’m cutting back:

• I need to build some margin back into my life. I mentioned that one of the mistakes I’ve made in my journey to publication (here) is that I didn’t anticipate the increase in the workload. Over the past couple of years, my responsibilities have increased, but the time I can devote to my writing career hasn’t increased at the same pace. When I evaluated my writing schedule, I realized whittling off one blog post a week wouldn’t change things too drastically but would still aid in freeing up a little more of my time.

• I’ve built a solid team who has supported me. Now it’s my time to focus on supporting them. As I said in this post, The Purpose of Blogging for Fiction Writers, one of the primary benefits of blogging is gaining a network of other writers and readers who are excited about helping promote you and your books. I feel blessed to have those connections firmly in place. And while I don’t want to take friendships for granted, I also don’t need to start at ground zero anymore.

• I need to give more time to readers and most of them don’t hang out on blogs. My interaction with fans happens primarily through emails, facebook comments, and hand-written notes. Since interacting with readers is important to me too, I want to leave enough time to respond.

So, how often should writers blog? What really is the most effective way to build a solid blog following and increase our social media presence? And will cutting back hurt a writer’s efforts?

Of course, everyone will have different opinions on the matter, but here are a few of mine. (Please share yours in the comments!)

• Quality is more important than quantity. If we post every day but it’s fluff that doesn’t resonate with our readers, then we aren’t going to keep those readers coming back. People can tell when we take the time to craft a meaningful post or when we just throw something onto our blog because we have to, which often happens when we over-extend ourselves.

• Consistency counts. I’m far more likely to remember and interact with bloggers who are consistent as opposed to those who post or comment sporadically. Even if it’s once a week, consistency helps keep our name out there.

• Beginners will have to work harder to build relationships. Anytime we’re new (whether in blogging or real life situations), we'll have to make more of an effort to reach out and get to know people. It always takes a little more time and effort at the beginning. Once we’re more established, we find that we don’t need to expend the same energy anymore.

• And no, numbers don’t always tell the whole story, particularly with blogging which has an attrition rate. There are always followers who fall away, but then new ones swing by. So while I may have over 1500 followers, not all of them are active anymore. Likewise, I could have over a thousand visitors on a post, but only 25 comments. Thus, while numbers can give us an indication of how we’re doing, striving after them is a bit like chasing the wind.

My Summary: Each of us has to find a blogging schedule that works for us. We can’t get paranoid about the number of followers or the number of times we post. But instead, we can look for ways to reach out, make our posts resonate, and build genuine connections.

So what’s your opinion? Do you think that writers who post less frequently or even sporadically will have less success? Is there an optimal number of days writers should blog? Or are there other factors that contribute to a blog’s success besides how often we post?

Why Every Writer NEEDS As Much Editing As Possible

2011-10-26T06:00:00.019-04:00

I recently received an email from a writer who had self-published his book but had decided against professional editing because of the extra cost that was involved. I got the feeling that he later regretted his decision.

He asked me this: “With a professional edit and help promoting it, I think the book has potential. I’m stuck on what to do next? I hope you can help?”

Of course, I emailed him back my initial thoughts, and I referred him to a recent post Master the Craft of Writing by my agent, Rachelle Gardner. Basically, she said that most traditional publishers are offering less editing. And as more writers try self-publishing, the levels of editing will vary depending upon how much a person is willing to invest.

In other words, overall, there are more books hitting shelves that have NOT had the intense scrutiny and depth of professional editing that has been typical in the past.

At the same time, there’s been an explosion of online review sites. Readers are becoming more vocal—about both the good and the bad in books. In fact some reviewers are very blunt—they say exactly what they like and don’t like about our stories, down to the tiniest detail.

As the quality of editing is decreasing and reader reviews are increasing, the NEED for editing is becoming more critical in today’s market. Whether we self publish or go the traditional route, we can’t afford to sit back, put our manuscripts out there, and hope for the best. We only hurt ourselves by NOT investing time (and money) into editing.

So what are the benefits of editing?

1. Editing helps please our readers.

We definitely can’t neglect the line and copy edits. Readers don’t want to be taken out of the story because of simple grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. Even worse is when we neglect the substantive edit that can solidify our plot and characters. If our story lacks the pizzazz that comes from the big substantive (or content/macro edit,) readers may not exactly know why they don’t like the book, just that they don’t.

My books have undergone many, many intense edits (read about it here and here). And readers still find faults. I can’t imagine the feedback from readers if my books hadn’t been through all of the various levels of editing.

2. Editing helps us grow in our writing skill.

Every time I have an edit, either from my critique partner or my in-house editors, you can be sure I learn something new. Each tough edit pushes me to examine my weaknesses and then to work at improving them. Without that critical feedback, I wouldn’t have known what areas I needed to grow in. Editing has been one of the best things for my writing career in helping make my books successful. The tough feedback has challenged me to move beyond mediocre and to make my stories really shine.

3. Editing helps us maintain professionalism.

We have a lot of competition for our reader’s attention (internet, movies, video games, busyness of life, etc). We risk pushing readers into their love affair with the competition even more if we rush to put poorly edited books out there. As a writing community, don’t we want to work together to keep our readers and maintain a high standard for our work that sets us apart as professionals? If we consistently put sub-standard work in front of readers, we risk diminishing our profession altogether.

So what do you think? Have you ever skimped on editing because you were in a hurry or didn’t want to invest in the time or money? How do you think editing benefits writers?

Are Blog Tours Really Worth It?

2011-10-24T06:00:00.039-04:00

Today is the last day of my two-month long blog tour for The Doctor’s Lady. (And the last wagon is pulling in over at Bridgette Booth’s blog today! You won’t want to miss it! Readers are voting for the place they would like to see me donate my books.)

Just to clarify—my blog tour is one that I put together on my own. I didn’t hire an outside publicity team. And my publisher wasn’t involved either. The bulk of the planning rested upon my shoulders.

What I Did For My Blog Tour:

A couple of months before the release of my book, I had a blog post that asked for volunteers. I didn’t have any special requirements—like needing massive followings or page views. I was open to anyone hosting me, whether having one follower or one thousand.

For those who expressed an interest, I sent them an initial email listing 4 possibilities for what they could do:

• Interview me using a list of 20 Q&A that I’d already written up (and attached to the email, along with my author photo and book cover)
• Provide up to 5 of their own questions
• Write a book review on their blog
• Come up with something unique that they wanted to do

I asked them to pick a date sometime in Sept. or Oct. (and I kept a running sign-up list on my Events Page for participants to look at). I gave each blog tour host a free influencer copy of The Doctor’s Lady (via my publisher). And then I also offered to provide an autographed book (via me) for their blog stop if they wanted to do a giveaway.

I had a wonderful response of people who were willing to be a part of the tour (THANK YOU!!). I ended up visiting about 50 blogs.

Each week, I sent out a reminder email to whoever was scheduled. In the email, I provided information about my trailer, my contest (while it was running), and then offered to answer one unique or fun question that could help in the promotion of their particular day.

I also helped spread the word for each stop. Of course, I had the running list of my blog tour on my Events Page. But underneath each blog post, I listed where I currently was visiting along with the teaser promotion question. I also tried to share about each blog tour stop on Twitter as well as Facebook.

In addition to helping with the promotion, I made a point of swinging by each blog at least once (and if I had time, I tried to swing by more) so that I could visit with readers.

My Impressions of the Blog Tour:

The biggest pro? I really enjoyed getting to know the participants of my tour a little better. I became more grateful for the willing and generous help that so many people gave without any thought of return. My hope was that the blog tour could be a mutually beneficial experience—participants shared the news of my book to their followers and helped spread the book buzz, but then I also helped to promote and drive new traffic to their blogs.

The biggest con? The tour was a LOT of work. A LOT. In my already tight schedule, I felt slightly overwhelmed at times trying to keep up with all the work involved crafting interviews and guest posts, writing emails, mailing giveaways, etc. Plus, I continued writing my own blog posts (for this blog) three times a week.

Did the blog tour help sell more books? My honest answer is—I don’t know. It definitely helped spread the word. If each of the 50 blogs had an average of 100 visitors who saw my book cover and read even a sentence or two, that’s 5000 people. Granted some blogs may have had less, others more, and even some overlap.

I get comments from people like, “I’ve been seeing your book all over the place” or “I’ve been hearing such good things about your books everywhere.” And blog tour hosts are reporting back about how they’re sharing my book with real life friends too. The snowball effect of word-of-mouth promotion is hard to measure, but initial feedback has been positive.

So was the blog tour really worth it? Yes. I believe that the tour accomplished what I’d hoped—and that was to build buzz surrounding the release of the book. I think having it spread over 6 to 8 weeks helped keep the initial momentum of the release going and kept the book in the spotlight. Having the tour in conjunction with my big Trailblazer Contest as well as a giveaway for The Preacher’s Bride on Kindle also helped increase the buzz.

My final thoughts? If I do another blog tour in the future, I’m still trying to decide what I would do the same and what I would do differently. Therefore, I would love your feedback!

If you participated in my blog tour (and even if you didn’t), what advice would you have for me (or anyone) to help make a blog tour work better? What do you like or not like about blog tours?

Encouragement for Aspiring Writers

2011-10-21T06:00:00.003-04:00

Recently, my youngest daughter (who just turned six) watched the new Veggie Tale DVD, Princess & the Pop Star. This particular story is about two “girls” who switch places. One is a poor farmer lass who wishes to be famous and the other is a rock star who longs for a simpler life.

After watching the DVD several times, my daughter came up to me and motioned for me to bend down as she usually does when she has something secret she wants to tell me. (As the baby of the family, she rarely has the opportunity for privacy!).

With a shy smile, she whispered, “Mom, I know what I want to be when I grow up.”

I took her sweet little face in my hands and gave her my fullest attention. “What do you want to be, honey?”

She glanced around to make sure none of her siblings were within hearing range. Then she leaned closer. “I’m going to be a rock star.”

I drew her into a hug, pressed a kiss against her silky head, and said, “That’s wonderful. I’m sure you’ll make a fantastic rock star.”

My eight-year old son also had a recent what-I-wanna-be-when-I-grow-up moment. For some reason, he’s really into Batman. He reads Batman comics, plays with Batman action figures, and fights Batman style at every opportunity (you know, the-kicking-the legs and swinging-the-arms thing).

One day he declared, “I’m going to be Batman when I grow up.” But, he didn’t whisper it to me. He said it at dinner where all his siblings heard him. And of course, my three teenage children who are in the let’s-be-very-realistic stage were quick to inform him that there was absolutely NO way he could be Batman when he grew up.

Fortunately, my little man doesn’t get discouraged easily. And their nay-saying didn’t sway away him from his desire to be Batman someday.

If there’s one thing about parenting I’ve learned over the years, it’s that I don’t need to be the voice of realism to my children. Instead, I need to let them have wild dreams. I need to let them believe they can accomplish whatever they set their hearts on. And I need to encourage them to go for it.

Because, the fact is, there are going to be plenty of other people and situations that will eventually be that realistic voice. My kids are going to get slapped around, battered down, and told that they can’t do it.

Why should I be the one to do that dirty work?

I want to be the one to uplift them, believe in them, and encourage them (along with teaching them to work hard!). Because who am I to say that my daughter won’t be a rock star when she grows up? And who am I to say that my son won’t be a super hero someday in his own special way?

As a published author, I don’t need to be the discouraging voice to beginning writers. If I meet someone with slightly unrealistic expectations about publishing process, I don’t need to make sure they know how hard it is. If I read someone’s work, I don’t need to give a full critique and point out every mistake. And if a writer tells me they’re going to self publish their first book, I don’t need to remind them of all the pitfalls.

Instead, I can be an encouragement. We all can. Because let’s face it, we’ll all have to swallow our fair share of realism eventually. In today’s tough market, the industry is brutal enough without all of us nay-saying each other.

So, I say to each aspiring writer: You can do it. I believe in you.

What about you? Have you gotten discouraged lately because of well-meaning but negative advice or conversations? Are you surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and encourage you?

4 Ways to Add Caffeine to Your Story

2011-10-19T06:00:00.036-04:00

After the release of The Doctor’s Lady, I’m beginning to realize readers are branding my stories as page-turners. I’m always flattered when a reader classifies one of my books that way. I like knowing readers had a hard time putting one of my books down (as opposed to being unable to pick it back up!).

That doesn’t mean my books are better than another author whose voice and story is slower and more flowing. Because there are stories you savor and read languidly much the same way you sip a rich creamy mug of hot cocoa.

However, my stories are more like an iced coffee that you guzzle on a hot summer day.

One reader, Christy Janes said this about The Doctor’s Lady: “Wagon train stories are not my thing as there are usually several portions that lag and I find my attention drifting. That is definitely not the case with this one! The action is continuous, the hardships believable, and the romance new and exciting. I have already carved out a place on my keeper shelf for this gem of a novel, and you better believe that it's there to stay.”

Another reader, Jill Kemerer said: “I had no idea this (The Doctor’s Lady) was going to be such an adventure. From the opening chapters to the final page, this book doesn't let up, and I loved it. Fast-paced, high-tension, and a bird's-eye-view of traveling across America before the West had been settled--each chapter kept me riveted. Indeed, I read it in less than 24 hours. It was THAT good.”

As I thought about how Christy, Jill and others have described my books, I’ve realized, that although I never set out intentionally to be a page-turning (iced-coffee guzzling) type of author, I have perhaps evolved into that.

Not every writer will want or need to have an iced-coffee story. But for those who are interested in a fast-moving, higher-caffeinated story, here are some of the ingredients I use in mine:

1. Continuous, yet purposeful action.

As I write scenes, I look for ways to keep them from being static. In other words, I want to have my characters DOING things that relate to the plot as much as possible, rather than just sitting around and talking or contemplating.

2. Plenty of new and interesting adventure.

During my research phase (before I start my first draft), I keep a running list of all the weird, crazy, or interesting events/situations that I could use in my story. Then as I’m writing, I try to weave in as much adventure as I can.

3. Tightening the noose of the danger and dilemmas.

As the story progresses, I’m always thinking in the back of my mind, “How can I continue to make things worse for my hero and heroine? And how can I make the danger more threatening?” I want to keep tightening the noose around their necks so that the situation looks utterly hopeless. Sometimes I get my characters into so much trouble, even I begin to wonder how they’ll ever get out!

4. Make every scene count.

Granted not every scene will be a knife-fight, dangerous river-crossing, or attack by a mountain lion. But even those scenes that are less action-oriented can be loaded with emotional or relational tension and conflict. If there’s nothing tense in the scene, then we need to ask if it’s really needed. Perhaps we can skip it and just jump to the next conflict-laden scene.

Those are just a few of my techniques for keeping my stories moving. What about you? Which do you prefer reading—a hot cocoa book or an iced coffee? And if you’re a writer, which do you prefer writing?

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Blog tour stops and GIVEAWAYS!

Wednesday 10/19: I'm doing a guest post on Jenny Hansen's blog about how to organize plot ideas into a novel.

Wednesday 10/19: I'm over at Margaret Hansen's blog and sharing whether I've ever been tempted to write a sequel to either of my books.

How to Kiss Writing Jitters Goodbye

2011-10-17T06:00:00.056-04:00

My third book is releasing next fall 2012. My publisher met last week to discuss the title for the book. Surprisingly, they didn’t like my title idea this time. (Since they’d gone with my first choices for The Preacher’s Bride and The Doctor’s Lady, I’d assumed I was getting the knack for picking titles!)

But the title I chose for book 3 apparently didn’t fit my brand and my penchant for action, adventure, and romance. Thankfully, my publisher is wise enough to recognize the disparity between what I’d suggested and what actually lies between the pages of my book.

Anyway, my third book is in the process of getting its title, cover development, and in-house editing. As you may remember, I recently got my rewrites (and had a hard time processing them!). But as it turned out, I ended up making almost every suggested change my editors requested.

When I sent the revised manuscript back to them, I did so with a bit of trepidation. I couldn’t help thinking, “Boy, this is going to need more work. I hope they find additional issues for me to change so that I can improve it even more.”

I realize what’s happening. I’m in the process of falling out of love with my book. With distance and each additional edit, I grow more objective. I see the manuscript more critically. In fact, I even begin to wonder why I ever wrote the story in the first place.

Regardless of how I feel about it, the book is now headed down the publication pipeline and will be on shelves in less than a year. And even though it’s my third book, I’m still nervous! It’s especially hard when I get reports from readers who tell me they really enjoyed The Doctor's Lady and The Preacher's Bride because they’re based on true women from history. I can’t help thinking, “Oh no! My next two books aren’t inspired by real people. What if readers don’t like them as well?”

Twitter friend, Robyn Leatherman, is having her book debut in a few short months, and recently she said this in an email, “I have a feeling I'm getting those nervous butterflies of what-if-nobody-likes-my-work going on here. How do you cope with those jitters?”

No matter where we’re at in the publication process—whether beginner, debut, or seasoned—I’m realizing that we can suffer an attack of jitters any time or place.

So, how do we kiss our jitters good-bye?

Here’s what I’m doing to combat my recent case of nerves: I tell myself that I’m doing the best possible job that I can. I found a story that I wanted to tell. Then I worked incredibly hard to brainstorm and craft it into a book that I hope readers will enjoy. And I labored diligently to implement all of the various writing skills that I’ve been learning.

Now I’m putting the manuscript under the editing chisel. I edited myself, gave it to my critique partner, and currently my in-house editors are helping me shave off and add even more.

In other words, I’ve given the book THE best effort that I can (for where I’m at in my writing career). I haven’t gotten lazy because it’s my third book. And I haven’t started to take my readership for granted.

No, I’ve poured out my very heart into every page. If readers don’t like it as well as my first two books, it won’t be because I haven’t tried.

And that’s all we can do, dear friends—keep on working on our stories as hard as we can, keep on learning and growing in our writing skills, and keep on putting them under objective scrutiny. If we do that, then we can stand tall and proud of what we’ve done no matter the outcome.

Have you faced any jitters lately? How do you kiss your jitters good-bye?

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Here's where I'm at this week in my blog tour!

Monday 10/17: I'm visiting with Jane Steen on her blog and sharing more about my writing journey. (And giving away The Doctor's Lady!)

Do Writers Need a GPS or Not?

2011-10-14T06:00:00.018-04:00

I love my GPS. Last week I drove two hours to Grand Rapids, Michigan for an evening book signing. I’d never been to the bookstore before, and I knew I’d be driving through the city during rush hour. So I was extremely grateful for the navigation voice alerting me of my exit, directing me to the side of the highway I needed to be on, showing me exactly how many miles and minutes I had left, etc.

The GPS (global positioning system) got me to the hotel in plenty of time to refresh before I needed to go over to the bookstore. Or at least I thought it was my hotel. As it turned out, I’d punched the wrong address into the GPS. I was naïve to assume Grand Rapids had only one Country Inn & Suites. Somehow in the time between reserving the hotel and looking up the address, I’d landed upon the wrong one.

Anyway, with some phone calls and mad dashing, I made it to the right hotel and eventually to my book signing. I had a great time, especially because my daughters came along and we got to have a fun girl’s night together.

I didn’t really need the GPS on the way home. Once I navigate somewhere, I can usually find my way back home without too much difficulty.

In using my GPS, I’m realizing there are times when the precision is necessary and times when it isn’t.

Which is a lot like writing. Sometimes we need precision and sometimes we don’t. The dilemma is very much like the old question writers toss around, “How closely do we need to stick to the writing ‘rules’ and when is it okay to break them?” Should or shouldn’t we use adverbs, dialog tags, dumps of backstory, describing emotion, telling instead of showing, etc.?

On the one hand we’re given a lot of advice in fiction technique books and from blogs (like mine!) about how to write. On the other hand, we’re told to make sure we tell the story using our own unique voices.

Do we need to be so nitpicky? Or can we give ourselves some leeway?

How much leeway we give ourselves depends on how familiar the route has become. Like I said, when I’m traversing a new route I need the precision, the help, the guidelines. When I have the assistance, I'm able to get to my destination without the worry of getting lost or meandering too much off course.

With a first book, I suggest that writers enjoy the creative process, put aside any thoughts about rules or publication, and just learn how to develop a good story. But by the second book, a writer can travel the publication road more smoothly by using the navigation system of writing craft books and putting into practice more precise fiction techniques.

Once we’ve written several books and have become familiar with our style and voice, then we’re ready for a little more flexibility. We can try new things and veer slightly off trail. As I’ve put into practice the basics and foundations of writing fiction over the years, now I’m much more comfortable with how to manipulate them for my purposes. I’m able to discern when it works to break a ‘rule’ and when it doesn’t.

In navigating through the fiction world, it’s easy to take extremes. I’ve met some writers who are too precise, who stick too closely to the writing ‘rules.’ Being overly nit-picky can often lead to a cold, heartless story that reads too much like a road map.

I’ve also found some writers who reject any fiction-writing GPS help altogether. They’re determined to get to the end their own way. That can lead to writing that is equally hard for readers to get through.

What’s your opinion? Do you think writers need to spend time learning to navigate with fiction-writing techniques first? Or do you think writers should set their own courses and do whatever works for them?

The Purpose of Blogging for Fiction Writers

2011-10-12T06:00:00.032-04:00

Over the past several months I’ve seen numerous posts around the blogosphere debating the issue of what fiction writers should blog about.

On one side, some say that fiction writers should NOT blog about “writing.” They encourage us to find out what our target fiction readers want to hear and gear our posts toward them. They believe that if we gear our blogs toward writers, then we’re missing out on our potential to connect with readers (particularly after publication).

On the other hand, some say if we’re passionate about writing, then why not share that love with others? Since we often can’t share the ups and downs of our unique writing journeys with real life friends, blogging provides an outlet for talking about writing and publication. Besides, we have a lot to learn from one another.

I haven’t jumped into the discussion because quite frankly I haven’t been sure who’s right. I guess I’ve always considered blogging to be individualistic and figured each person needs to find the niche that works for him or her. Of course, non-fiction writers really should have blogs geared to the topics and audiences of their books. And of course, there will always be the one-in-a-million blogger who has a unique voice and way of sharing that will make a name for themselves in blogging (like the Pioneer Woman).

But the majority of us are pretty average bloggers. So is there really a right or wrong way for fiction writers to approach blogging?

Sure, we can talk about attracting our genre readers before publication, but that’s very hard to do because we’re relatively unknown to readers. And we can talk about how we’re going to attract our readers after publication, but that’s hard too because when we’re a young author, we’re still mostly unknown.

The fact is, most readers aren’t flocking to their favorite authors' websites and reading them on a regular basis anyway. This might change for authors who eventually go on to be big time best sellers and have millions of readers. Perhaps then, we can expect that readers will seek us out on a more regular basis. But for now, I’m not expecting hoards of readers to wait with bated breath for every blog I post.

The more I’ve thought about the issue and evaluated my blogging experience, the more my opinion has evolved. Here’s my current philosophy—I believe one of the primary purposes of blogging for fiction writers is to develop a team or tribe, particularly before publication.

I found that through blogging I’ve made incredible connections, expanded my web presence, and developed a network of team players who are supportive, encouraging, and willing to help me out in numerous ways. During the releases of my books, my team has spread the word of my books in SO many more ways than I ever could have done on my own (which includes many of you—thank you!!).

When we blog authentically and relationally (meaning not all one-sided!), we will begin to build our teams. We develop friends who will go out of their way to promote us because we mutually care about each other and want each other to succeed.

In the scope of today’s crowded marketplace, I can’t emphasize enough just how much of a difference having a team has made in the promotion of my book. And I wouldn’t have had that team if it weren’t for my blogging.

So then, does it really matter what we blog about?

Yes and no. Yes, we want to attract team members. We want to refresh, encourage, and inspire them through our posts. Maybe we’ll make them think, or laugh, or cry. We want that give-and-take relationship that is a part of team-building.

But no. We are writers. We can take a dried worm and make it look good enough to eat. We can craft our words and posts in such a way that draws people—no matter what we’re talking about. Right?

What’s your opinion? Do you agree with my evolving philosophy that one of the primary purposes of blogging for fiction writers is in building a team? Do you think it matters what a writer blogs about?

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Mid-week blog tour stops:

Thurs. 10/13: I'm visiting on Karen Lange's blog and sharing a time management tip that has held me in good stead as a writer. (Plus a book giveaway!)

5 Mistakes I’ve Made in My Journey to Publication

2011-10-10T06:00:00.086-04:00

I often share writing tips and how I manage my writing career while juggling all my other responsibilities. But lest I come across as perfect and having my act together all the time, I decided to share some of the mistakes I’ve made too. Because I’m definitely NOT perfect. I've made plenty of mistakes. And I continue to struggle and grow every day.

Here are five mistakes that I’ve made over the past several years:

1. I’ve written too realistically.

I’ve had to do major rewrites on my first two published books, in part because I didn’t make my characters likable enough. For example, in my latest release, The Doctor’s Lady, my heroine travels to Oregon over a span of seven months using a sleigh, steamboat, and eventually a covered wagon. Had I been in her position, I would have whined and complained and been miserable about two days into the trip.

In my first draft, I shaped my heroine to react the way I would if I were in her shoes. But readers don’t want a whiny, complaining character. Yes, they want a slightly imperfect character who has room to grow. But the heroine (or hero) has to react to the problems the way we ideally would. In other words, we have to portray them the way we WISH we could handle problems, not the way we actually do (thanks to Jill Kemerer for that revelation!).

2. I’ve allowed myself to get too close to my story.

Invariably I fall in love with every first draft I write. With each book, I tell myself it’s the best I’ve written to date. And I falsely hope and believe that everyone else will read it and fall in love with it too.

But I’m realizing I’ve set my expectations too high. On each of the three books I’ve turned in to my publisher, my editors have not fallen immediately in love. In fact, they’ve given me tough critiques on each.

I have to accept that I can’t write a perfect first draft—and probably never will. I can keep growing and learning all I can and trying to improve. But ultimately, I’ll never reach the place where I’ll be able to go without constructive feedback on how to make the book better.

3. I wasn't prepared for the increase in my workload.

Early on, I naively believed that being a published author consisted primarily of writing books. And while it does, I’ve come to realize that the writing is only one aspect of a writing career. The job description of a modern writer is much bigger than I ever imagined and hence the workload is much bigger than I anticipated.

4. I had too high of expectations for the sales of my first book.

Every author dreams of having people ooh and aah over his or her book, of getting glowing reviews, and subsequently having tremendous sales that surprise and delight everyone at the publishing house.

Yes, I’m having an excellent response to both of my books (currently The Preacher’s Bride has 90 five star reviews on Amazon.) And yes, my sales are successful for a debut author, but they aren’t close to what the big bestselling authors are bringing in.

Most debut authors can’t bypass the climb to success. We have to take it one rung at a time just like most of those bestselling authors did. We build our readerships slowly but surely with time and a lot of hard work.

5. I’d hoped that my marketing efforts could eventually decrease with subsequent books.

I was hoping as my readership grew that I’d eventually have to do less marketing and my books would sell without me having to go to so much work.

But as I’ve watched other authors and conversed with my agent, I’m realizing I can’t ever take my sales for granted. If I want to continue to expand my readership, I will need to keep an active role in marketing my books. Yes, even though my publisher does a top-notch job in promoting their authors, I still need to do my part—with each book.

So those are a few of my mistakes. Since I’ve fessed up, now it’s your turn! What mistakes have you made in your writing journey?

*Photo credit: flickr

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Here's where I'm at in my blog tour! Stop by!

Monday 10/10: I'm guest posting at Roni Loren's blog and talking about whether sweet (sexless) romances are boring or not. (Plus a book giveaway!)

Monday 10/10: Sarah Forgrave is sharing how The Doctor's Lady is a page-turner in her post, "Top 5 Signs You're Reading a Page Turner."

Tuesday 10/11: I'm visiting with Julie Musil on her blog and sharing more about my writing process. (Plus a book giveaway!)

Tuesday 10/11: Sherri Stone asked me if I can ever read through a manuscript and NOT find something to change. Find out my answer on her blog . (Plus a book giveaway!).

Book Reviewers: Wrong & Right Ways to Solicit Reviews (Part 2)

2011-10-07T06:00:00.066-04:00

Book reviewers are an author’s best friend. I’ve discovered over the past couple of years of marketing that book bloggers have an enormous influence over readers’ buying habits. As authors we can’t forget to include reviewers as part of our marketing strategy.

If you're looking for book bloggers, Deborah (from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food) recommended using Book Blogs Search Engine. (Thanks, Deborah!) Through the site, authors can search for specific book bloggers who might be willing to provide reviews.

But what is the best way to ask book reviewers if they’d read and review our books?

Well, first and foremost, we MUST write a praiseworthy book. Enough said.

Second, we’ll likely need to have the means of offering free books to reviewers. Some publishers will giveaway free books for authors (and have review programs). But many authors will need to budget money for the giveaways.

I invited Rel Mollet, a well-known book blogger in the CBA market, to share a few of her insights about soliciting book reviews—the wrong ways and then some right ways.

1. What are some of the ways authors annoy book reviewers? What is the wrong way to go about asking for a review or gaining attention?

Demanding requests, ignoring review policies, haranguing reviewers with how amazing your book is, unrealistic requests (eg. Please read and review my book this week!) and failure to acknowledge a review that has been personally requested. In other words, doing the opposite of the etiquette hints in the next question!

2. What are some ways authors can solicit reviews in a positive way? What is good etiquette in interacting with reviewers?

• Be smart about the bloggers you target.

Identify which bloggers/reviewers read and review the genre you write in. Investigate the blogs you are interested in. Are they a respected blogger? Don’t just find a blogger who only posts 5 star reviews or send books to those who only do pro-forma posts. Ask around ~ don't send your YA book to a mummy blogger just because she has kids! Find a blog with a YA focus. Book bloggers know other book bloggers – contact a respected book blogger and ask them to refer you to other well-respected reviewers.

• Look for a review policy.

Most serious book bloggers will have a review policy – read it and respect it! If the policy says the blogger doesn’t review speculative fiction, don’t ask them to read your book on time travel, no matter how amazing it might be! Reviewers will always be impressed that you have taken the time to read their policy. A blatant disregard for their policy is a sure fire way to ensure your request is ignored.

• Write a personal email addressed to the reviewer by name.

A personalized email is courteous and respectful and shows you have actually looked at the reviewer’s blog (as most bloggers will have their name easily accessible). “Dear Blogger” or “Dear Relz Reviewz” is less likely to garner a response. Provide a summary of your book, cover art and indicate a reasonable time frame in which you are hoping for the book to be reviewed. Also, request where you would like it reviewed, on a blog, at Amazon, Goodreads or another location.

• Respond graciously.

Unfortunately, I have had to decline numerous requests for reviews due to a full schedule but that doesn’t mean a writer should never ask that blogger again. Don’t burn future review opportunities by a testy response when a reviewer has had to decline your request.

• Do not send unsolicited copies of your books.

Bloggers have reading and reviewing schedules that are booked solid, often for months into the future. An unsolicited book, just like an unsolicited manuscript, is unlikely to ever be read, let alone reviewed. Don’t waste money on postage without an acknowledgment that the reviewer intends to read your book.

• Do send a gentle reminder.

If you and the reviewer have agreed to a time frame, do not feel bad in following the reviewer up with a gentle reminder. I’m embarrassed to say that there have been times when I have simply forgotten a commitment I’ve made to review a book. I would rather be reminded so I can rectify the situation rather than live in ignorance of my error.

• Consider other options to a review.

A blogger may have other opportunities to publicize you or your book, even if they don’t have time to read your book. Personally, I also do author interviews, character spotlights and character interviews on my blog and that can be a less time consuming way for a blogger to publicize your book. (Some inside information: more often than not, those posts receive more hits than actual book reviews ~ that is certainly true on my blog!)

• Acknowledge the review.

If you have personally requested a review, a thank you is always appreciated via email or DM on Twitter or Facebook, regardless of the reviewer’s opinion of the book. Leaving a comment on the reviewer’s blog, liking the review on Facebook or retweeting a positive review link is another way of showing your appreciation which takes no time at all.

Thank you, Rel, for taking the time to share your insights with us! Head over to Rel’s blog if you’d like to see how she does a Character Spotlight, Author Interview, or Book Review. I was fortunate enough to get all three from Rel for The Doctor’s Lady.

How about you? Other book bloggers, do you have anything to add to Rel's list? And writers, when you think about asking for reviews, what's the most daunting aspect of the process for you? (Asking for the reviews? Giving out free books? Wondering how people will like your book? Other?)

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BLOG TOUR STOPS & BOOK GIVEAWAYS!

Saturday 10/8: I'm visiting with Catherine Johnson on her blog and sharing how I come up with my plot ideas!

Book Reviewers: An Author’s Best Friend (Part 1)

2011-10-05T06:00:00.031-04:00

One of the best resources for both readers and authors are online book reviewers—particularly book bloggers.

Readers often trust the honest reviews of book bloggers (especially because online bookstore reviews can often be stacked by friends and family).

Authors covet all the help we can get in spreading the excitement about our books. Book reviewers can play a huge role in word of mouth promotion, spreading the buzz about a book beyond the scope of our usual circles.

But with all of the books out there, how do reviewers decide which ones deserve a spotlight? What are some wrong ways to go about soliciting reviews? And what are some of the best ways to garner attention from reviewers.

To help answer some of my questions, I invited Rel Mollet of Relz Reviewz, a talented and prolific book reviewer (from Australia!), to share some of her thoughts. She’ll be answering a couple of questions today and Friday.

1. First, give us a behind the scenes look at what goes in to being a book reviewer.

Most serious book bloggers/reviewers, once they’ve gotten over the initial thrill of receiving free books, are only in it for the love of it. Reading, reviewing and blogging is extremely time consuming and something bloggers/reviewers take very seriously.

Here’s an overview of the process I (and many other reviewers) go through:

1. Select a book (surprisingly, not an easy process with so many great books available!).

2. Read the book.

3. Write my review, appreciating the writer has spent months if not years investing themselves in the story, so choosing my words with care and integrity.

4. Locate cover art.

5. Locate and link to the author’s website and blog.

6. Locate and link to Amazon and Koorong (Aussie bookstore).

7. Link to other blog posts I have posted previously for the author.

8. Post review with said cover art and links 5 – 7.

9. Publicize my review on Twitter and FB, linking to the author, publisher and/or publicist.

10. Publish my review on Amazon or CBD (if requested).

11. Email review link to author, publisher and/or publicist.

In exchange for a $12 book, I spend anywhere between 5 and 10 hours of my time, with the variation mostly dependent on how long it takes to read the book. Bear in mind I am a fast reader so for other bloggers the time frame is likely to be longer.

As I said, we are in it for the love of it! What that means, though, is that most bloggers review because they want to support the industry they love, the writers and their fellow readers.

2. With so many talented authors and books out there, how do you choose which books to review?

With great difficulty! I'm offered books to review from a number of sources including publishers, publicists, and authors. I can also request books from the same sources and blog tour programs.

As much as I would love to read and review every great book available, with a family and day job commitments, that's just not possible. I've chosen to limit my blog reviews to Christian fiction as a starting point. I know there are amazing general market and non-fiction books out there I’d enjoy reviewing, but I’ve chosen to draw a line in the sand and stick to it. From there I still need to be selective if I want my family to remember who I am! Here are just a few ways I decide:

1. Of course, there are authors I love to read so they are easy to choose.

2. I also try to accommodate publicists and publishing houses with whom I have built a rapport and relationship, especially if a particular request has been made.

3. I also love supporting new authors. So if I have the opportunity to do so and I’m interested in their novel, I’ll work them into my schedule.

4. I base some review decisions on what I believe the readers of my blog are interested in, even though a book may not be my usual cup of tea.

My (Jody's) closing thoughts: In the scheme of marketing and promotion, we as authors can’t overlook book reviewers! I’ve found them to be some of my biggest and most critical supporters in spreading the news about my book.

Come back on Friday for Part 2, when Rel will be sharing some things that annoy book reviewers as well as some positive ways authors can connect and cultivate relationships with reviewers.

Question for you: If you’re a book blogger, how do you decide what books to review? And if you’re an author, have you given enough importance to book reviewers in your marketing plans?

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BLOG TOUR STOPS AND GIVEAWAYS:

Thursday 10/6: I'm visiting with the adorable Casey Herringshaw on her blog and sharing one of the most enjoyable aspects of my writing career.

When You Feel Like a Nobody

2011-10-03T06:00:00.065-04:00

I recently attended a national fiction writers conference in St. Louis. I love writer’s conferences. Nothing beats talking about writing for three days straight with other people who are as berserk about writing as you are.

Let’s face it, most of the time the normal people around us just don’t get our passion. And as much as we love them, we also need to rub shoulders with other writing geeks who get it, who understand how hard the journey is, whose eyes don’t glaze over when we start talking about our books.

Sarah Forgrave, Jennifer Hale, Heather Sunseri, ME, Eileen Watson, Katie Ganshert

If you have the chance to attend a writer’s conference at some point, I highly recommend it. They not only fill the emotional writer tank, but they provide countless opportunities for networking, meeting agents/editors, and becoming more familiar with the industry.

However, one thing I noticed this year while at the conference is that amidst so many talented writers it’s very easy to get lost in the crowd, to feel like a nobody, and to start comparing. Yes. It’s easy to feel insignificant in a large group like that, even for an author like me who has a couple of published books under her belt.

Of course I had to think through the whole conference experience. Here are a few things I came away from the conference realizing:

There will always be people who won’t know us or even care about us.

When I went to my first writer’s conference as a newly agented and contracted author, I expected to be an unknown name. But this year, even with a large social media presence and two published books, I still was relatively unknown among the hundreds of other authors. Plenty of people didn’t know the slightest thing about me, my books, or my blog.

And that’s true everywhere I go in real life too. I don’t have the paparazzi camped in my front lawn. Hoards of fans don’t follow me around town swooning over me. Quite honestly, most people I meet on a daily basis don’t even know I’m a writer unless I tell them.

What does the obscurity teach us? We can’t be in this business for the fame that it brings, because it brings very little recognition for the average author. Maybe boatloads of people won’t care about us, but that should make us all the more motivated to care about those whose paths intersect ours.

There will always be others ahead of us in the publishing journey.

As I mentioned, I went into this year’s conference with two published books. I couldn’t ask for more. I’m living the dream. I have a third book releasing next year and recently signed a contract for another three book deal with Bethany House Publisher.

But as I began to listen to the accolades of other writers, the numbers of books they’d published, the multiple awards, the numerous years they’d been writing, I started to feel pretty young and inexperienced.

What does the inexperience teach us? We will always have a lot to learn. We can’t ever think we’ve arrived. We need to remember those authors ahead of us have worked really, really hard to get to where they’re at. They didn’t magically bypass all the years of labor and writing to accomplish what they did. If we hope to reach a point of success, then we have to put in the time too.

There will always be newer writers coming along behind us.

Unfortunately, I met some experienced authors at the conference around whom I felt like a speck of dust. Maybe they were too busy, too disinterested, too caught up in their own importance to have the time for younger authors like me. Oh sure, a conference is a busy time for authors, the one time a year we get to hang out with our closer writing friends. The conference is crowded, it’s hard to visit with everyone, and time is limited.

And yet I was reminded that I can't forget newer writers and young authors are important too. Once we’re published, it’s all too easy to fall into a trap of pride and think we’re “all that.” Sometimes we can turn up our noses at others, even when we don’t mean to.

What does the tendency toward pride teach us? We can’t forget we were once new, that we were the low person on the totem pole, that not long ago we felt scared and insignificant too. If we remember where we came from, then we’ll be able to reach a hand back with genuine kindness and concern for those who follow.

What about you? Amidst all of the talented writers out there, have you ever felt like you’re getting lost in the crowd? Have you felt like a nobody? What is your advice for those further ahead of you?

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BLOG TOUR STOPS AND BOOK GIVEAWAYS!!!

Monday 10/3: I'm on Joan Swan's blog telling who has influenced my writing the most. AND Joan is giving away gorgeous custom made bookmarks!

Monday 10/3: Beth Vogt is hosting me over at The MBT Ponderers blog and asked me to share what I'm currently pondering!

Monday & Tuesday 10/3-10/4: I'm visiting Making Home Work blog and sharing more about how I juggle working from home and being a mom.

Expect to Work Hard

2011-09-30T06:00:00.016-04:00

Occasionally people ask me for the “secret of my success” either in relation to my books or my web presence.

In fact, in a recent interview, Marcy Kennedy of Girls With Pens asked me to share the secret to my social media success. Here was my answer: “There are a lot of factors that have helped me to grow my web presence. If I had to pick the top ingredient—the one thing that has helped me the most—I’d have to say hard work. There’s no easy way to gain a following. It takes dogged determination day after day.”

Michael Hyatt, Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, had a post a couple of weeks ago: “7 Ways Successful Creatives Think Differently than Unsuccessful Ones.” I agreed with all seven points.

But interestingly his point number five was this: Successful creatives work hard.

Hyatt said, “The best creatives are not lazy. They don’t assume that their work is done once the book is written, the speech prepared, or the album recorded. In a real sense, their work has only just begun. They don’t display a spirit of entitlement. Instead, they roll up their sleeves and do the work that lesser creatives are unwilling to do.”

It’s tempting to look at writers with large platforms or best-selling books and think that somehow they had an insider connection, or got exceptionally lucky, or made it big before the market changed, or have a better publisher, or whatever.

If I were to let you glimpse through the screen of my laptop into my home so that you could watch me in action, you wouldn’t see any minions running around doing my work for me. And I don’t have super human powers.

No, instead you would see me sitting with my hands on the keyboard working hard, day after day. Over the past several years I’ve literally spent every spare moment pouring my energy into my books and into building a web presence.

Hard work has indeed been the primary ingredient in helping me climb forward in my writing career. There are no shortcuts. No easy paths. And anyone who thinks so is terribly deluded.

Whether we’re working to complete a novel, or find an agent, or land a book contract, or to find a way to market our self-published book—there aren’t any simple ways to find success.

As I’ve watched the market change over the past several years, I’ve tried to make sense of what’s happening. More writers than ever before are fulfilling the dream of publication by self-publishing. Even traditional publishers seem to be spreading themselves broader—having a wider base of authors with small to mediocre sales rather than a narrow base of big sellers.

I’m seeing that most authors (particularly in the CBA market) are ending up getting lost in that wide pool of mediocre sales. I know authors who feel lucky to sell 5000 books. Recently agent Steve Laube mentioned in his post "What Are Average Book Sales" that 10,000 sales is fairly typical for a MAJOR publisher. For self-publishing, most writers can expect to sell even less.

Let’s face it, if we work hard enough to finally fulfill the dream of publication (whether through self or traditional publication), most of us will struggle to sell our books—even our really good, well-written books.

I’m not saying all of this to be a naysayer. Rather, I’m pointing out that NOW more than ever before, writers need to expect to work hard if they want to rise above average.

Maybe some writers will be completely satisfied with seeing their book in print—regardless of the sales. Maybe some will find happiness in knowing that readers are enjoying their books—no matter the numbers.

Everyone defines personal success differently. But let’s be honest, after spending months pouring our hearts and souls into our stories, most of us want our books to sell well. We want them to succeed. We don’t want to get lost in the millions of books out there.

The bottom line for me is hard work. There’s nothing magical about it. We just have to roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and do what needs to be done. Digging for a successful writing career is not for the faint of heart.

Do you agree with my opinion? Can hard work really put you ahead in today’s market? Or do you think that other factors are more important?

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Here's where I'm at in my blog tour! Make sure to swing by!

Friday 9/30: I'm stopping by Diane Estrella's blog and sharing what 5 items I could NOT leave behind if I went on a trip like Priscilla in The Doctor's Lady! Plus I'm giving away a signed book!

Making Memorable Minor Characters

2011-09-28T06:00:00.014-04:00

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been reading the classic book Ginger Pye with my children. It’s a Newbery Medal winner, written by Eleanor Estes in 1950. Of course there are some dated fiction techniques, things that we modern writers can’t emulate if we hope to have a publishable book.

But one thing that Estes does really well is that she makes her minor characters memorable. As the story unfolded, I couldn’t keep from studying the brilliant way she handled those ancillaries.

So often writers have the tendency to put a lot of attention and care into shaping major characters. And we neglect our minors who then end up resembling cardboard cutouts. At the opposite extreme, we can try too hard to bring our minors to life and allow them to take over the story altogether.

How can we find a balance when creating our secondary characters? Here are just a few techniques I use:

1. Find a unique name.

In Ginger Pye, Estes uses names like Uncle Bennie (for a 3 year old child who happens to be the uncle to the hero & heroine), Sam Doody, and Mrs. Speedy. The names aren’t overdone, but they’re still unique enough that combined with other elements can help set the characters apart.

In The Doctor’s Lady, one of my favorite minor characters is named Black Squire. What initial impression does Black Squire create? Does he sound like a good guy or bad guy? Names can evoke an initial impression, that may or may not be true. But they help solidify the character in our reader’s mind.

2. Give them tags.

In Ginger Pye, Sam Doody’s tag is that he’s really tall. Estes describes him by saying, “Every time any little boy or girl met him they always asked him how the air was up there.” And later in the book, when Sam Doody is helping to look for the stolen puppy, he promises to look over all the tall fences for the dog. The tallness tag helps to make Sam Doody memorable whenever he appears. We aren’t left wondering who he was.

Tags are unique descriptions that we use almost every time that person shows up on the stage. And when planning our minor characters tags, we should search beyond the cliché and ordinary for actions, speech patterns, characteristics, physical descriptions that identify the character.

3. Place them on stage strategically.

In Ginger Pye, Estes skillfully plants Uncle Bennie (the blankie-loving three-year-old) at various points in the book. At the end, he’s the character who helps find the missing dog. He’s placed in the story with his squeaky cart in such a way that when he finds the dog it makes logical sense.

When our minor characters show up on stage, they need to serve a purpose within the scene in some way in the short term, but we also need to keep the long term vision for why they’re there. In what ways are they helping to bring about the conclusion of the story?

4. Give them levels of importance.

We’ll have some minor characters that may only make an appearance once or twice and won’t be worth the time to describe. And then we’ll have other minor characters that we can use for a variety of purposes.

Before adding a new minor character, I try to evaluate if another character who is already on the stage can do the “job” first. When we have too many miscellaneous people standing around, they can clutter up and detract from what’s happening. The fewer the characters, the more memorable we can make each one.

The key is finding a way, like Estes did, to imprint an image of our secondary characters onto reader minds that’s clear and memorable, but not more vibrant than our hero and heroines.

How about you? How memorable are you making your minor characters? What is one of the most memorable minor characters you’ve read about lately? What made that character stand out?

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Don't miss these blog tour stops! And a chance to WIN my new book!

Wednesday 9/28: Kathi Oram Peterson is reviewing my book and giving away a copy on her blog!

Wednesday 9/28: I'm over on Writer Interrupted chatting about how I handle all the many interruptions in my writing career.

The WINNER of my To Be a Trailblazer Contest is posted here! Thanks to everyone for participating and making the contest such a fun event!

The Emotional Roller Coaster Ride of a Book Release

2011-09-26T06:00:00.077-04:00

For the past couple of months I’ve been on the roller coaster ride known as a “Book Launch” with my second published book, The Doctor’s Lady.

Recently blogging friend Caroline Starr Rose asked me if I’d share my experience with my book release. Caroline’s first book, May B, a middle grade historical novel, releases in January of 2012. She’ll soon jump on the “Book Launch” roller coaster and join the wild ride.

Of course, each author’s experience on the “Book Launch” roller coaster will vary widely. Some of us may throw our hands up in the air, scream with glee, and ride with abandon. Others of us may end up puking our guts out and screaming in frustration.

Here's a break down of what the release experience has been like for me with both of my books. (But remember, this is my experience and yours may look very different!)

Several months before the release:

About three months before launch date, I begin to plot my promotion. I strategically plan events, giveaways, and special posts. I brainstorm on my own as well as with my publisher’s marketing department, and I begin to narrow down what I’d like to do (i.e. blog tour, book trailer, etc.).

This is usually an easy-going time. The ride is just beginning, and it’s a slow uphill climb. No major stress yet.

One month before the release:

Four weeks before the release date, the ride starts to pick up speed. I get busier as I implement some of the things I’ve been planning. For The Doctor’s Lady, I had a big book trailer kickoff. Then I started doing weekly trivia questions accompanied by book giveaways. I put a countdown widget into my sidebar. And I hoped to generate some excitement about the book.

In the process of getting others excited, of course I begin to get excited! My expectations are high, and I’m hit with the reality that “Wow, I have a book releasing!” and “This is a dream come true!”

Two weeks before the release:

A couple of weeks before release, readers begin to get their hands on the book. Early reviewers and influencers send me tweets or messages that their copies have arrived.

That’s the first stressful dip in the roller coaster. I can’t help worrying what people will think. For The Doctor’s Lady I had an especially migraine-inducing weekend wondering if readers would like the book as well as my first. Worries and doubts attack me. What if I bombed it? What if someone gives me a poor review right away?

One week before the release:

Friends and supporters begin to report back to me their thoughts on the book, and I pass their tests. At least so they say. Of course, I tell myself that none of them are going to be completely honest with me since they don’t want to hurt my feelings with any parts of the story they didn’t like. Nevertheless, I gobble up the praise like it’s rich chocolate.

Once again, I’m climbing back up. And I’m gearing up for more promotional work.

Release day:

Even though some authors say release day is anti-climatic, I really try to make it a special occasion and am still optimistic. This year a fellow blogger Jaime Wright held the big kick-off for release day and the start of my blog tour. And then the following day I had a party post celebrating the release.

I was nervous that people wouldn't care as much about my second book's release, hoped people would join the parties, and was relieved and grateful when the parties didn't flop!

One week after release day:

It’s at this time, that most authors are beginning to get a true picture of how their book is being received by readers. Often we're checking our Amazon reviews and rankings, and we’ll be able to get an overall pattern of whether readers are enjoying it or not. This can be a letdown if readers don’t like the book as well as we’d hoped. Maybe we get some less-than-stellar reviews. Maybe there's a lot less attention or fanfare than we expected. Maybe we even face silence, almost as if no one really cares.

Fortunately for me, it’s been a positive time. I usually begin to get emails, tweets, and facebook comments from genre readers letting me know they’ve liked my book. Whew! (Thank you everyone!)

Two weeks to one month after the release:

The hard work of promoting begins to take its toll. I’ve found that it’s difficult to keep up with all of the communication and administrative details that go in to the promotion (i.e. sending out giveaway books, updating my website, finishing interviews, etc.).

Even though it’s a busy and stressful time, the weeks following my book’s release have continued to be a time of connecting with readers who enjoy my books which is one of my favorite parts about the process.

Several months after the release:

One of the hardest things is not knowing how well your book is selling. Sure I can ask my publisher for statistics. But those early numbers are never completely accurate (due to returns). So for several months after the release, no one really knows for certain how well the book is going to sell.

When I finally did ask my publisher how sales were going on my first book, I was a bit disappointed that it hadn’t hit the million mark. Okay, so not really. But I did have my expectations too high. And while my book sold well for a debut author, I realized I still have room to grow.

So that’s been my roller coaster experience!

What about you? For published authors, what about your “Book Launch” ride was different from mine? And for pre-published, what are you least looking forward to about the book launch roller coaster?

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Make sure you check out these blog tour stops. Book GIVEAWAYS galore!

Monday 9/26: I'm guest posting on Preslaysa Williams blog: 8 Tips for Organizing Writing Time.

Monday 9/26: If you'd like to know how I'd respond to finding a purple polka-dotted monster in my kitchen one morning, then head over to the Book Loft!

Tuesday 9/27: I'm visiting with Dawn Alexander on her blog.

Tuesday 9/27: I'll be chatting with Cyndi Tefft on her blog and sharing where I'd buy land if I could!

6 Ways to Make More Time for Blogging & Writing

2011-09-23T06:00:00.103-04:00

As a homeschooling mom of five children, I pour out my heart and soul into my children each day. After teaching at home for close to ten years, I’ve gradually realized it’s not healthy for me or even good for my children if I continually focus all my time and energy completely on them.

The fact is when we give of ourselves day-in and day-out, always pouring out but never filling up, we eventually find ourselves drained, going through the motions, and maybe even ready to give up. Yes, the role of motherhood (and fatherhood!) entails sacrifice at the very core. We would gladly and willingly lay down our lives for our children.

However, we need to find ways to fill ourselves back up. We can’t keep on giving when there’s nothing left. Our children and spouses can see when we’re frazzled and empty. They feel the effects of it. Not only do we suffer for our burnout, they do too.

We need to take some time to rejuvenate, recharge, and refresh so that we have what it takes to keep on going for the long haul. Of course there are countless ways to fill ourselves back up (exercising, gardening, baking, sewing, etc.). But over the years, I’ve learned that for me, writing is one of the best ways I can refuel.

In fact, over the past five years I’ve completed four full-length novels. The first book The Preacher’s Bride released last fall 2010 (through Bethany House Publishers). Another book, The Doctor’s Lady just released this month. And I'm currently doing in-house editing on the book that will release next year.

One of the questions I’m asked the most is, “How do you find time to write AND homeschool five children? How do you balance everything?”

I have to admit, it’s not easy to juggle the growing responsibilities of published author life and homeschooling. But . . . writing and blogging help fill up my tank. The creative process of writing brings me renewed energy.

Writing is a gift, an outlet, a way to connect with others in a similar situation, a way to pull thoughts together, an opportunity to minister to others, encourage, and uplift. Ultimately, writing and blogging can be so much more than a public journal—they can be a way to bless others.

But how do we make time to write and blog with all of the other demands on our time?

Here are six techniques I use to juggle writing/blogging and all my other responsibilities:

1. Schedule writing time. We need to pencil into our daily planner our writing time the same way we schedule subjects into a school day. I block out a little bit of time in the morning before my family awakens. I also carve out time in the afternoons when I’m done with all my teaching.

2. Prioritize our activities. We can’t do everything, even the really worthwhile activities. When we fill our lives so full of going here and there, we risk losing the creativity that comes from “down time.” We need those hours, even days, when we have the freedom to be home and just create. (And quite frankly, our kids need to be “bored” too, because boredom breeds creativity.)

3. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Otherwise we won’t ever write. My afternoon writing time begins after my kids are done with school, when they’re noisy, energetic, and just being kids. That means my writing time is often full of interruptions and chaos. But I write anyway! (And use headphones!)

4. Plan alone, extended and uninterrupted writing for once a week, if possible. Because of the less than ideal writing conditions the rest of the week, I make a point of taking extended writing time on the weekends or during an evening. Extended time allows us critical focused alone time.

5. Get your family behind your writing. Even though my afternoons are less-than-ideal for writing, I still try to teach my children to respect my writing time. When I take it seriously, they’re more apt to follow suit. If we explain to our husbands the importance of refueling ourselves, we can enlist their support as well.

6. Eradicate the guilt. Realize that when we’re pursuing something we love, we’re modeling to our children that they too can pursue their passions, and that learning, being creative, and expressing ourselves never ends.

What about you? Are you taking the time to refuel and refresh yourself on a regular basis? Do you ever feel guilty for spending time doing things you love?

*I originally wrote this post for Jamie Martin at Simple Homeschool blog.

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Don't miss these two blog tour stops! I'm giving away signed copies of my book at both places!

Friday 9/23: I'm revealing my must-have road trip item on Lisa Bartelt's blog! I'm sure you're dying to know what I take with me everywhere! *wink*

Friday 9/23: On Gina Conroy's blog, I'm sharing how I got my first real "writing break."

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST! Only a few days left!

Getting Feedback That Makes You Want to Cry

2011-09-21T06:00:00.037-04:00

Last week I got rewrites back from my publisher for my third book (releasing in 2012). I thought getting the substantive edits (aka macro edits) would get easier with each book, that I’d develop a thick skin, that I’d be able to handle the feedback without breaking down.

Well, I was wrong.

I opened the document from my editor a couple of hours before our scheduled phone call wanting to prepare myself for our conversation. And as I read through the overview notes (two pages single spaced), my heart plummeted lower and lower with each new problem she pointed out.

Shock, despair, and denial overwhelmed me.

I laid my head in my hands and wanted to weep with the discouragement of seeing all of the many, many issues that I would need to address. Here are just a few of my editor’s comments:

• Readers had a hard time sympathizing with your heroine. Her character arc needs reworking to make her more likeable.

• Your hero comes off a bit weak at times. We’d like to see him more confident, determined, and forceful in character.

• Your romance shows some emotional and character attraction and that is good, but it pushes the limits on sensuality.

Of course, I had to pull myself together for the phone call. I had to gain perspective and a modicum of acceptance before the call. I couldn’t answer the phone and burst into tears.

Fortunately, I have the kind of relationship with my agent where I can easily shoot her an email, voice my truest, deepest feelings, and I know that she’ll listen but then also advise me on the wisest course of action. She was able to calm me down. And I was able to handle the call with my editor gracefully.

What am I learning from this experience? Here are just a few things:

1. It’s perfectly normal for us to get discouraged when we get feedback.

My agent told me this in her email: “It's normal to feel like crying! If that's the way you feel, just allow it for a day or two.” She went on to share about other authors who have gone through the exact same experience with their rewrites on the 10th or even 20th book in order to show that it’s not just me.

2. We might fall in love with our books. But that doesn’t mean everyone else will.

I admit, I absolutely fall in love with my first drafts. Every single one. I think the passion is what drives my story and love of writing. But, I’m learning that my editors won’t squeal with delight and rush to congratulate me on my masterpiece. They’re trained to look for problems. In fact, their radars are tuned to find as many issues as possible.

3. Sometimes we need to lower our expectations or develop more realistic ones.

My agent suggested that perhaps I need to re-evaluate my expectations. She said: "Maybe you were thinking that after the first book or two, you'd deliver books and they'd go, 'Fabulous! Perfect!' and hardly have any editing for you.” And for some publishing houses, maybe that’s true. But my publisher wants to keep pushing me to be better, to keep growing, and to make every book better for my readership.

4. Cultivate humility and a teachable attitude.

Once again, my wise agent told me this: Stop thinking, "When will I ever please them?" Instead think, "I've written the best book I can, and now I look forward to some feedback that will help me make it even better." Easier said than done. But ultimately don’t we all want to put THE best book possible out there? That means we have to take ourselves off the pedestal and admit we have room to grow.

5. In the end, trust your editor/publisher more than you trust yourself.

As I’ve spent the past week reading through my manuscript and evaluating their feedback, I’ve realized they’re spot on with almost every issue. My heroine was coming across abrasive in spots. I could do more to make my hero stronger, especially earlier in the book. And yes, I really did need to tone down some of my sensual elements so that the majority of Bethany House readers will enjoy and appreciate the book.

My Summary: Whether it’s hard feedback from a critique partner, an agent, contest judge, or in-house editor, we usually can’t make decisions about our feedback during the initial sting. We need to give it some time, perhaps talk with friends who understand, and then come back to the suggestions with objective and humble eyes.

What about you? Have you ever gotten feedback that’s made you want to cry? How do you handle difficult feedback?

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Mid-week blog tour stops! Visit each one for a chance to WIN my new book!

Wednesday 9/21: On Laura Davis's blog I'm sharing how I stumbled upon the idea for the true life-story of Narcissa Whitman.

Wednesday 9/21: I'm visiting with Erika Robuk on her blog and sharing more about the writing of The Doctor's Lady!

Thursday 9/22: I'm guest posting on Jami Gold's blog and talking about whether religion in books is taboo or terrific.

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST!

How to Avoid Over-Promoting & Under-Promoting Our Books

2011-09-19T06:00:00.013-04:00

Most authors are coming to terms with the undeniable fact that in order to make our books stand out, we have to promote them.

With the millions of books competing for reader’s attention, authors (traditionally & self-published alike) must make concerted efforts to let readers know about their books. Otherwise, our books will just get lost in the shuffle.

But how much promotion is necessary? If we promote too much we risk being seen as obnoxious. And if we don’t promote enough, we risk getting lost in the crowd of other voices.

If you haven’t figured out by now, I’m in the middle of promoting my newest release, The Doctor’s Lady. Some days, I can’t help but wonder, am I promoting TOO much? TOO little? Or Just enough?

It’s not always easy to tell.

My critique partner, Keli Gwyn, will be going through the promoting experience in July 2012 when her debut novel, A Bride Opens Shop is El Dorado, California, is released by Barbour Publishing. Keli told me she's been watching my efforts with interest and asked if I'd share my tips for knowing how much/how often to promote my book and the giveaway I'm running.

In light of Keli’s question and my own struggle to learn to find a balance in the effort to promote my books, here are several things I’m learning:

1. We need to make it easy for our friends and followers to share the news about our books.

The bottom line is that promotion is always easier when our friends and followers join in the effort—especially willingly, without arm twisting. If we’ve already worked hard at building a team (or tribe), those friends will likely come to us and ask us how they can help, rather than us having to run around begging people for assistance.

Of course, it goes without saying (but I’m obviously saying it anyway!) that we have to give our friends the kind of book they can be proud to promote. We don’t want to put them in a position where they have to lie about the quality of our book and essentially put their reputations on the line.

We can take it a step further by giving them things they can actually share–like news about contests, giveaways, or relevant blog posts, fun interviews, etc. And nowadays, sharing buttons (like the ones that I have below) are a nice touch for making the sharing easier.

2. Yes, social media is about socializing. But we can’t sit back and do nothing at all.

I think most authors (including myself) are finally catching on to that concept that we need to use social media to socialize (rather than as a billboard).

However, I’ve seen authors with new releases do very little to almost nothing to share the news of their books. In some ways, it almost seems like we’ve become paranoid about using twitter, facebook, or our blogs for sharing any book news at all for fear of spamming our followers.

But I think we can (and should) be responsible for sharing important information in moderation. If we open our twitter page and see mostly tweets about our book, then we’re likely going overboard. But if we share such information interspersed with other genuine interactions, then we’re hopefully sharing in a way that won’t offend most followers.

3. Look for ways to promote others in the process of your self-promotion.

During my blog tour, I’ve taken the approach of wanting to promote the blogs who are hosting me. I really do want each person to be blessed as a result of participating in the tour. So, when I take the time to mention their posts on my blog and on twitter, and facebook, I’m hoping they can get a little extra traffic that day, perhaps gain a few new followers, or increase their name and web presence just a little.

When people send me pictures, I try to post them on facebook or twitter so that I can spotlight that person, publicly thank them, and draw attention to them.

My Summary: Ultimately, we have to promote our books and that means talking about them. But through it all we can be on the lookout for ways to move the focus off us and onto others. And if we start to get the internal feeling that we're over-promoting my book, we can move a step back and take a break from it for a short time.

What’s your opinion? In what ways do authors over-promote? And have you seen authors who haven’t done enough promotion? Is it possible to find a balance?

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No blog tour stops on Monday! But don't miss these two on Tuesday!

Tuesday 9/20: I'm visiting with Katie McCurdy on her blog and sharing my favorite scene from The Doctor's Lady and what was the hardest to write. (AND giving away a book!)

Tuesday 9/20: I'm delighted to have a spotlight on Mary Bailey's blog where she'll be reviewing and giving away a copy of The Doctor's Lady.

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST! Only 1 week left!

One Thing We Can Do To Help Us Write Every Day

2011-09-16T06:00:00.052-04:00

Lately I’ve been swamped with a to-do list that’s a mile long. I’m learning that the time surrounding the release of a book is always an extra busy time. While I’m really enjoying my blog tour for The Doctor’s Lady, it’s been a lot more work than I anticipated. There are also a hundred and one other marketing details that need attention every day.

In addition to my writing career moving into full speed, my personal life is hectic too. School has started. I’m busy running my kids to all of their activities. And I’m also helping one of my family members through a difficult time.

On more than one occasion during this stressful time, I’ve been tempted to put aside my WIP (work in progress). I’m about a quarter of the way into the book (25K) and have wondered if I need to quit for a few weeks until things settle down and life becomes more manageable.

I fully realize there are times in our lives when we need to lay down our writing. I’ve been there. In fact, as most of you know, I completely stopped writing for quite a number of years when I was busy having babies.

But now that I’m in middle of a full-fledged commitment to a writing career, I’ve had to evaluate more carefully my writing schedule.

The bottom line is that I’ll always be busy. If I’m not marketing one book, I’ll likely be doing rewrites on another. Or researching one. Or writing up a synopsis. Or filling out a publicity questionnaire. Or preparing for a speaking engagement. Or writing up blog posts. Or whatever.

When is busyness a valid excuse for setting aside our writing and our WIPs? And when is it just that—an excuse?

During this stressful past month, I haven’t always managed to meet my weekly goal of 6000 words. But I’ve kept very close. I’ve tried to write most days. And here’s the one thing that’s helped me most, the one thing I do every day that helps me to keep writing:

I sit down and make myself do it.

Not too profound, is it?

But that’s my secret. Every day, even though there are a thousand other things that demand my attention, or things I could be doing, emails to answer, tweets to respond to, blog tour stops to visit, etc., etc., etc., I ignore them. For just a little while.

And I simply write.

I turn off my email notification bell. I close up twitter. I put on my headphones and turn on Pandora. And I open my manuscript and make myself write . . . Even though I’m stressed about everything else I need to do. Even though I really want to finish my mile-long to-do list before I write.

I let everything else fall by the wayside. Sure my mind is still cluttered. My life isn’t neat and tidy. It’s not ideal. But I take what I’ve got and I make the most of it.

Because, really, what good will come of all that other writerly stuff I’m doing, all that social media, all the promoting, IF I don’t keep writing my books? Writing has to stay THE priority amidst all of the other writing career demands.

So each day I stick to my commitment as best I can.

Because that’s how we write one page. One page becomes two. Then the next day three. Then four. Until eventually we have a completed book in front of us, and we’re amazed at how far we’ve come.

And no, writing through the mundane busyness of life doesn’t stifle my creativity. In fact, once I actually sit down and force myself to pound away at the keyboard, I find that the writing and the story brings me fresh energy and excitement and passion. (Not every day!) But overall, the creative process is something that rejuvenates me.

What about you? Have you been making too many excuses lately for why you’re not writing? Do you just need to sit down and do it?

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Here are a few more stops in my blog tour you won't want to miss! (And of course, WIN my book!)

Friday 9/16: Come find out on Carol Garvin's blog what meal I would take with me if I knew I was going to be stranded on a deserted island for a month!

Friday 9/16: On Rel Mollet's blog I share 5 things I can't live without and the most interesting place I've been!

Saturday 9/17: Holly Smith on her blog asks me to reveal how I find ideas for my blog posts!

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST!

7 Ways to Develop Dazzling Dialog

2011-09-14T06:00:00.063-04:00

One of my favorite things to write is dialog.

In comparing fiction-writing techniques to the human body, I equate plot with the brain, character development to the heart, and exposition (narration, backstory, description, etc.) to the unique way physical bodies are put together.

But what about dialog? Where does it fit? And how important is it?

In my opinion, dialog is the breath that brings the story to life. At times it whispers. Other times it shouts. But ultimately it is the oxygen that makes the difference between a story that is vibrant and alive and one that needs CPR.

I don’t claim to be an expert in writing dialog. But I can share a few of the things I consciously work on while I’m writing my stories:

1. Give each character unique ways of speaking. As I plan out characters, I try to give them each varying and unique ways of talking. We can give characters a soft-spoken tone, demanding, loud, negative, humorous, snarky, complaining, etc. Our goal is for readers to be able to identify who is speaking without having to use excessive numbers of dialog tags (said, replied, etc.). (And as a side note: I rarely use anything but “said” when I need to identify who is speaking.)

2. Story dialog is always bigger and better than real life conversations. Let’s face it. The way we talk in real life is boring. We can’t tape-record what we hear and translate it verbatim onto paper. Instead, like every other aspect of fiction, dialog is well—fiction. We have to make it more colorful, alive, interesting, more heart-wrenching, or more funny than anything we’d ever really hear.

3. In writing dialog, less is more. The days of characters going on and on for lines and lines of dialog is long over. In fact, we’ve entered the day and age when readers tend to skim anything that goes longer than a few sentences. When I glance at a page of my WIP, I check for paragraphs that are too bulky and then find a way to split them up.

4. Weave in dialects and time period speech sparingly. As a historical writer, I won’t ever be able to properly portray the speech patterns of long ago. Even if I could, it would bog down the dialog for modern readers. So instead of trying to replicate dialects and historical nuances, I generally try to give a flavor of the speech by sprinkling in phrases or words that I’ve carefully selected—ones that hopefully won’t cause readers to stumble.

5. Use it to help the story unfold naturally. We can’t get lazy and toss exposition-type information into dialog that should be woven in elsewhere. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to figure out where and how to seamlessly weave in story details. But dialog should always flow naturally within the story that’s happening around it. Dialog is not a dumping ground nor should it take over the story. Instead, it’s the breath that flows through the body that’s already there.

6. Vary the rhythm. When I’m writing a fast-paced, high-energy scene, I try to make my dialog follow suit—shorter and choppier sentences, a brisker exchange between characters, and much less exposition. But when I’m writing slower scenes, I can make my dialog slightly more flowing and longer. Likewise, when I don’t have any dialog for several paragraphs, I try to have my characters say something—even if it’s just to speak a thought outloud.

7. Develop tension through what’s said AND what’s left unsaid. I always look for ways I can cause increased conflict in the things my characters say to one another or in what they don’t say, the misunderstandings, the lies, the hurt, etc.

Those are just a few of the ways I work at making my dialog dazzle!

P.S. I had no idea when I wrote this post over the past weekend that dialog would be the topic of the week! Here are two other great posts about dialog: 5 Basics About Dialog You Need to Know by Girls With Pens and Say What? Writing Believable Dialog by Megan DiMaria.

What about you? Is dialog important to you in bringing a story to life? Have you ever read a good story but the dialog fell flat? What else can authors do to improve the dialog in their stories?

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Here are a couple of the mid-week blog tour stops! You can WIN my book at both places!

Wednesday 9/14: Patricia Woodside asks me about the sensuality in my writing and what kind of feedback I'm getting about it. Check out my answer on her blog!

Thursday 9/15: I'm sharing more tips on writing realistic but readable historical dialog with Marcy Kennedy at Girls With Pens blog.

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST!

What Is the Best Way for Authors to Get Noticed on the Internet?

2011-09-12T06:00:00.102-04:00

Picture courtesy of Sarah Forgrave! Thanks, Sarah!

My Amazon page for The Doctor’s Lady says this at the top: The Doctor's Lady and over 950,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle.

950,000 books available on Kindle? I mean think about it. My book is just ONE out of nine hundred and fifty thousand currently available.

Yikes! The numbers of writers and books seems to be constantly growing. And if the numbers are increasing, how can writers ever hope to stand out amidst SO much competition? Is there any hope?

Most of us are coming to terms with the fact that modern authors need to develop a web presence in order to help our books stand out. But even when we make an effort, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd of all the other writers who are jumping onto the social media bandwagon.

Recently, @ellebethmiller asked me a question on Twitter: “What is the best way for an author to get noticed on the internet? There are so many options . . . it’s overwhelming.”

What is the best way to get noticed on the internet? What social media sites can help the most? And will the social media efforts really pay off?

I’ll tackle the questions and give you my opinions based on my experience so far. But make sure you chime in the comments with your thoughts.

What is the best way to get noticed on the internet?

First, the most important aspect is to use social media to SOCIALIZE. And second, the socializing must be in a GENUINE, AUTHENTIC, and FRIENDLY way.

And no, social media isn’t a high school popularity contest. This isn’t about how much attention we can get, or how famous we can become, or how many friends we can accumulate.

Rather, we can approach social media with the goal of blessing others. We can take the focus off ourselves, stay humble, and look at how we can help, encourage, inspire, and pay the love forward to those we come into contact with. In doing so, others will begin to appreciate and respect our presence.

At the same time, our efforts must be consistent. We need to move outside of our comfort zone and meet new people. It WILL take a great deal of effort to regularly and genuinely interact.

What social media sites can help the most?

I don’t’ believe Twitter and Facebook alone are enough to build a vibrant web presence. They’re both great ways to chit-chat and begin to form relationships. But short comments are not enough to solidify friendships.

I also don’t think having a standout, knock-em dead website is enough either. While a website is a necessity for every author, it’s not designed for the back and forth exchange that people long for.

Of all the social media sites, I believe that my blog has helped me the most in standing out. Our blogs can be our home bases for socializing. We can engage people by sharing issues we're passionate about. But we need to do that sharing in ways that solicit interest, inspire, educate, and encourage, etc.

And yet, even if we have THE best content ever written, we still have to work at promoting our posts. That might mean visiting, commenting, and mingling with other bloggers (especially at the beginning). We can also share links to our posts on Twitter or Facebook. And if people appreciate and enjoy our blogs, they’ll usually keep coming back.

Will social media efforts really pay off?

If writers go to all the work of building a large social media presence, will it really help our books to stand out?

Yes. And no.

Yes, I believe writers who put forth the effort to develop an authentic and vibrant web presence will eventually help their books stand out. Maybe our books won’t hit Amazon’s Top 100 sellers. But we’ll give our books a slight boost in the right direction.

But no, social media efforts can only take us so far. The most important factor is and always will be THE BOOK ITSELF. If we rustle up all the social media attention in the world, it will fall flat if we don’t back it up with a book worthy of the attention.

If we want to see our books succeed in today’s market, then we’ll really need BOTH—an engaging web presence AND an engaging book.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my opinions? What do you think is THE best way for an author to get noticed on the internet?

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Check out these blog tour stops for your chance to WIN signed copies of my new release!

Monday 9/12: Book reviewer Christy Janes interviews me in sassy Southern style on her blog!

Monday 9/12: I'm visiting with Susie Finkbeiner on her blog and sharing when I was little what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Tuesday 9/13: On Marji Lane's blog find out what event from Narcissa Whitman's diary I wish I could have included in the story but wasn't able to!

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST!

3 Ways to Determine if Your Writing is Crap

2011-09-09T06:00:00.098-04:00

I have a new favorite writing book: 77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected (and how to make sure it won’t happen again) by Mike Nappa.

Out of the blue, I received a complimentary copy in the mail a few weeks ago. Up until that point, I didn’t even know the book existed. So kudos to whoever is behind the marketing of the book (your strategy worked!). Because after reading through some of the book, I really liked it and think it can be a great help to writers struggling to break in to traditional publication.

Mike is the founder and chief literary agent Nappaland Literary. He’s worked as an acquisition editor for three publishers. In addition, he’s published more than forty books. At the same time, however, he admits he’s personally received more than 2000 rejections for his book ideas.

“It takes less than a minute to reject your book.” Yes, that’s Mike’s first statement in his introduction. He goes on to list all of the reasons why various agents and publishers reject manuscripts in short, easy-to-read chapters.

The No. 1 reason why books get rejected (at least from Mike’s perspective) is because “Your Writing Is Crap.” Although he readily admits crap does indeed get published, he argues that it won’t happen to most writers. In his candid style he says, “If you send me crap writing, I’m going to reject you. And I’m not even going to feel bad about it. I’ll feel like I’m doing humanity a service by keeping your stinky excrement off bookshelves everywhere.”

Mike defines crap writing as:

• Sloppy thinking
• A vain or irrelevant message
• Content that is poorly organized
• Presentation that is clunky
• Word choices that are abysmal

But the question most writers have is this, “How do I know if my writing is crap?”

I struggled with that question before sending my manuscript to agents and editors. We usually finish our books, sit back and wonder, “How does the quality of my book compare with others? What is my skill level? Am I good enough to get published?”

Most of us don’t want our manuscripts to arrive to an agent, publisher, or even a reader smelling like excrement. So, here are 3 ways we can begin to determine our skill level:

1. Find Beta Readers who are willing to “test” your book or idea.

The readers can be anyone really—friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and family—yes, even your mama. At this point, they don’t have to be skilled writers or editors. You’re merely wanting to get feedback on the story itself and the ideas you’ve developed. Let the beta readers know the purpose of the read is just to test your story. They’re not correcting typos or grammar or the nitty-gritty. They’re providing big-picture thoughts.

The most critical aspect of getting feedback from beta readers is this: they must feel free to be completely honest. Often friends and family are afraid to hurt our feelings by telling us the truth. But getting feedback from beta readers won’t do any good unless they know they can be upfront in telling us if our book is indeed crap. And how many people will really feel comfortable being that honest with us?

The best way to solicit some modicum of truth from beta readers is to provide them with a way to give anonymous feedback. Hand them a sample of your manuscript and attach an anonymous questionnaire with easy-to-answer, big-picture questions like: Did you like the characters? Did you like the direction of the story? Would you keep reading? Why or why not?

2. Find other skilled writers who can offer objective feedback.

Feedback from other writers can come in many forms: critique partnerships or groups, blogging, and even contest judges (who are usually other writers or published authors in the first round). Recently, the creators of Ladies Who Critique contacted me to let me know about their new critique matching service. While I’m not using the service, I think it looks like a fantastic resource for writers searching for critique partners.

This week, I'm sharing about my critique partnership in one of my blog tour stops at Keli Gwyn’s blog. Keli critiqued The Doctor’s Lady (my new release), not once, but twice—and in some places even three times. Although I’m a published author working with a top-notch editing department with a large publisher, Keli’s help and advice in shaping my book was invaluable.

3. Use a freelance editor.

Michelle DeRusha had a recent post in which she explained her choice for using a freelance editor. She said: “Let me tell you, that $450 was the best money I ever spent . . . The editor I hired read and reviewed my manuscript and provided eight pages of chapter by chapter notes on sections to cut, rewrite, repurpose and reorganize.” She eventually went on to land her agent and said, “I don’t believe it would have happened without the help of a professional editor.”( Read the full post here.)

The bottom line is that we can’t see all of the problems in our work on our own. We just can't. (Read this post: Why Most Writers Are Blind to Their Own Faults.) If we want to know if our writing is crap, we’ll have to be open to letting others tell us that painful news.

Wouldn’t you much rather have someone tell you your book is crap before publication rather than after?

How open are you to feedback? Are you willing to take the good AND the bad from beta readers and critique partners?

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Don't miss out on these blog tour stops! You can WIN my book at both places!

Friday 9/9: Jill Kemerer is sharing 5 Reasons to Read The Doctor's Lady on her blog! (Pick up Puzzle Piece #4 there!)

Saturday 9/10: Kristie Kiessling asks me what preparation I did for the writing of The Doctor's Lady on her blog! Did I take my family on a covered wagon simulation trip as part of my research? Come find out!

Don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER CONTEST!

Asking For Amazon Reviews: How Far is Too Far?

2011-09-07T06:00:00.077-04:00

At the release of a book, every author secretly (or maybe not so secretly!) hopes they’ll get 5 star reviews on Amazon (and other online bookstores)—especially for those first few reviews that will show up on the screen every time a reader visits the book’s page.

But how far should authors go in soliciting reviews for their books? In fact, should authors solicit reviews at all? When authors go out of their way to ask friends and family for reviews does that constitute stacking the deck? After all, friends and family are only going to say nice things about our books. They want to help our books sell well.

When we work at piling up 5-Star reviews, are we really giving readers an honest picture of our books?

The issue of asking for reviews is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, especially since my second book The Doctor’s Lady just released and I’ve been checking out the reviews starting to roll in. As I've watch what other authors are doing, I've been mulling over how proactive I need to be with soliciting reviews. I couldn't help wondering if I needed to do more (because, quite honestly, I haven't been proactive in asking for online reviews).

And then a couple weeks ago I came across an article in The New York Times about the growing problem of fake reviews online: In a Race to Out-Rave, 5-Star Web Reviews Go for $5.

The article said, “As online retailers increasingly depend on reviews as a sales tool, an industry of fibbers and promoters has sprung up to buy and sell raves for a pittance . . . The boundless demand for positive reviews has made the review system an arms race of sorts. As more five-star reviews are handed out, even more five-star reviews are needed. Few want to risk being left behind.”

The article goes on to say that because of this increasing trend toward solicited reviews there is a bias toward positive reviews on everything, that now everyone is above average.

Of course most authors aren’t paying people to post 5-Star reviews (the same way some of the resorts, hotels, etc., are dishing out cash). But I have seen authors request, plead, and offer various kinds of incentives/rewards to people who post complimentary reviews.

Should authors take such an active role in soliciting reviews or should they allow reviews to roll in more naturally?

Yes, we all know how difficult it is to make our books stand out in today’s saturated market. But just how far are we willing to go to push our books into the spotlight?

As I wrestled through how I want to handle reviews, here’s what I’ve decided:

• I never have and never will directly ask anyone to post a review of my book on any of the online bookstores. I want the reviews to be freely given by readers who truly enjoyed and appreciated my books.

• If someone reads my book, likes it, and then specifically asks me how they can help promote it, I will let them know they’re welcome to write a review—but only if they’re comfortable doing so.

• I will continue to gently educate readers about the value of the reviews and how much they mean to writers. But I want them to know reviews are just one of many ways they can support authors they love.

For me, the bottom line is this: when people browse through my books on the shelves of online bookstores, I want to be known as a trustworthy author. I don’t want to deceive readers in any way by making myself or my books look better than they really are.

After all, if I deceive them, they’ll find out eventually when they read the book and it doesn’t live up to all of those positive reviews. Then I’ll have lost a reader (or many readers) and diminished my integrity and reputation.

So, what about you? How do you feel about authors soliciting reviews for their books with online bookstores? In your opinion, how far is too far?

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Check out these blog tour stops for a chance to WIN a copy of my new book!

Wednesday 9/7: I'm baring it all on Katie Ganshert's blog in a guest post: "How a Perfectionist Learned to Bare Her Warts." (Also pick up Contest Puzzle Piece #3 there!)

Wednesday 9/7: I'm sharing more about the inspiration behind The Doctor's Lady on Marcia Richard's blog.

Thursday 9/8: I disclose the nitty-gritty details about Eli & Priscilla (characters from The Doctor's Lady) in a character spotlight on Rel Mollet's blog.

And don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER Contest!

10 Simple Ways to Have a Smashingly Successful Book Signing!

2011-09-05T06:00:00.114-04:00

I recently had a local book signing to launch my second book, The Doctor’s Lady. I don’t do many booksignings. In the digital, social media, internet-loving, modern age, readers just don’t flock to book signings the way they used to. So most authors nowadays tend to limit how much traveling they do and instead of book tours we have blog tours (check out my Events Page for where I’ll be around cyberland!).

But . . . I did have one signing at the small independent Christian bookstore in my town. Although I don't have the space to post pictures of everyone that came to my signing, I'm plastering a few in this post because I love my local friends so much! They’ve become some of my biggest supporters and encouragers. THANK YOU!!

Sarah & Leah Hickman

Karen Lehman

Carrie & Maddie Bouma

Erin Aspiranti

Jessie Watson & her sweet daughter

Marilyn Schubert & Molly Black

In preparing for this latest signing, here are 10 simple things I did to make it a smashing success:

1. Relax and have fun. Yes, I know, that’s easier said than done!

2. Take the focus off yourself & put it on the reader. Go into the day looking for ways to bless others (that helps immensely to calm the nerves!).

3. Wear a name tag that says “Author” somewhere very visible. That prevents customers from asking you where the bathroom is.

4. Send out personal invitations prior to the big day. This is one of the best ways to make sure you have a steady stream of visitors.

5. Be prepared with a couple of different “signing” notes. I like to write a little note to the reader when I sign the book. Ahead of time, I write up several types of encouraging notes to include, usually something that fits with the theme or message of the book.

6. Gather an email list if possible for your newsletter. Some authors put out a clipboard for readers to sign. Others use slips of paper along with drawings.

Morgan & Janel Gradowski

7. Have giveaways. Before this particular signing, the bookstore staff ran a promotion offering a free copy of my first book, The Preacher’s Bride, to anyone who emailed the announcement of the signing to seven friends. I was able to obtain books from my publisher for the giveaways.

8. Make each contact with a reader personal. Find out their name. Introduce yourself. Shake hands. Spend a minute or two (if possible) chatting and asking them questions.

Dan & Becky Barnes

9. Have goodies and/or promotional items for readers to take. I had bookmarks, postcards, and magnets that had to do with both of my books. And of course I had a bowl of candy!

10. Mingle if possible. I love being able to get up, walk around, hug friends, and take pictures. We’re not condemned to remain behind our tables the whole time! Of course I did have lines at times and didn’t have the luxury of mingling too long with any one person, but I still wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciated them and their visit.

There you have it! Do you have any other book signing tips? Please share! And tell me, do you still like book signings? Or do you think they’re a thing of the past?

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WIN a copy of The Doctor's Lady at one of these blog tour stops!

Monday 9/5: SIX book giveaways at my critique partner Keli Gwyn's blog! (And learn a little bit more about our critique partnership.) (Also pick up Contest Puzzle Piece #2 there!)

Monday 9/5: Swing by My Book Addiction & More blog and find out how long it took me to write The Doctor's Lady!

Tuesday 9/6: On Lacie Nezbeth's blog, find out what possession I would have a hard time leaving behind if I were traveling West in a covered wagon.

And don't forget to enter my BE A TRAILBLAZER Contest!

Join The Book Party & Enter My Epic Contest!!

2011-09-02T06:00:00.091-04:00

Today I’m celebrating the release of my second novel, The Doctor’s Lady!

It seems like just last week I was gearing up for the launch of my debut book, and now here I am watching in awe as my second book starts to make its way into reader hands.

To kick off this party, I’d first like to invite you to enjoy a gourmet cupcake or two, grab a glass of punch, and then play one of the party games!

Okay, so maybe this party doesn’t have a piñata or pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but . . .

Here are a few fun things that you can do to join in the celebration!

1. Take a quiz about the Oregon Trail and life in the early 1800’s. Head to my Reader Fun page and see how much you know!

2. Send me YOUR picture with The Doctor’s Lady! Check out the slide show in the sidebar for all of the awesome readers who’ve already been sending in pictures! I would LOVE to add your picture too!

3. Head over to Amazon or B&N.com and pick up my gift to you! For a limited time, my debut book The Preacher's Bride is available FREE for the Kindle or Nook.

4. Make sure you stop by some of the blogs participating in my Blog Tour in September and October. I will be giving away LOTS & LOTS of signed copies of The Doctor’s Lady (close to 40 copies!). For this week's stops, see the bottom of this post. For the full schedule see my News & Events page.

5. Enter the Be A Trailblazer CONTEST!! The grand prize winner will receive a $300 pioneer package. To get your name into the drawing, fill out a simple entry form on my Contest page. If you've already entered the contest and you want to earn extra entries, you can go on a treasure hunt for 4 puzzle pieces (see the Extra Entries page on my web site for where to collect the puzzle pieces).

My digital marketing team created the whole Trailblazer Contest for me and they did a fabulous job! I’m super excited about it!

You may be wondering—what exactly is the purpose of a contest like this?

Well, basically a social network sharing contest is a marketing tool that can help authors spread the news about a book in a fun and exciting way. Contests like this help us show love for our readers with a great prize, plus reach beyond the scope of our normal sphere of influence, and give readers easy ways to share the news of the contest with friends and others that they think might be interested.

You may have seen other authors do giveaways for things like Kindles or iPads or other electronic gadgets. My digital team, PulsePoint has a different philosophy about prizes. The prizes for the Be A Trailblazer Contest are all things unique to my book, including:

• An antique wooden trunk (a smaller version of the one Priscilla has to leave behind on the trail)

• An antique sterling silver rose ring (just like the wedding band Eli gave Priscilla)

• The award-winning Oregon Trail DVD (so readers can enjoy a visual look at the journey my characters took)

• The Pioneer Women: The Lives of Women on the Frontier coffee table book (filled with incredible photos of real-life pioneers, and stories of their adventures and challenges)

• A leather and antique lace embossed travel journal (so the winner can keep record of their own trailblazing adventures)

• A pheasant feather quill pen and ink (I can imagine Priscilla writing home with this)

• Two packets of Lupine flower seeds (so readers can grow flowers like those featured in the book)

• and a 6-pack of Bear Valley Fruit & Nut pemmican bars (a staple food for pioneers in the 1800s)

I asked Kelli Standish (Founder/Creative Director of PulsePoint Design) to share a little bit about the philosophy behind the prizes they suggested for this contest. Here’s a summary of what she said:

"I think the use of thoughtful, creative prizes is a great way to demonstrate both love for your readers and real marketing savvy. Specialized prizes can help build an emotional connection to the author, and the story the author wants to promote--helping to make both more memorable in the minds of contest participants. A generic giveaway doesn't always draw the types of followers who are truly interested in the author's work."

So, as you look through the prize package above, you’ll see that every single one of the gifts is something directly related to the story in some way. I feel as if, through the prize, I’m giving readers a deeper glimpse into the story and a special way to remember the book.

Ultimately, through all of the fun release activities, my hope is that I can celebrate with friends, engage with readers, and share the news of my book in a way that can bless many people!

So, there you have it! I hope you'll join in all of the fun today and in the coming weeks! And don’t forget to grab one of the cupcakes!

What do you think? What are your favorite kinds of contest prizes? And what appetizer are you bringing to the party today?!

P.S. Don't miss this week's blog tour stops! (And LOTS of book giveaways!)

*9/1 Want to know what inspired the writing of The Doctor's Lady? Then check out Jaime Wright's blog! (And pick up Contest Puzzle Piece #1 there!)

*9/1 Stop by Karina Russell's blog to learn a little bit more about my writing process!

*9/2 Find out what movie I have almost completely memorized at Lydia Sharp's blog!

*9/2 Head over to Ellie Soderstrom's blog to learn why I'm known as the "Famous Hat Balancer."

*9/3 I'm sharing a guest post on Sylvia Ney's blog called: 5 Ways to Make Our Stories Different & Unique.

Tell your friends about Jody's BE A TRAILBLAZER contest!

3 Factors That Influence How Much Editing a Book Gets

2011-08-31T06:00:00.058-04:00

No writer—whether newbie or multi-published—is capable of writing a perfect first draft. Even though we’d like to think our books are made of all sweetness and sugar, we only have to put our manuscript under the scrutiny of a skilled and objective editor or fellow writer to quickly learn that our book has faults—and lots of them.

Recently, Sally Hepworth sent me a few really great questions. She asked: "How much does a book change from first draft to when it hits the shelf? Is it recognizable? Are you embarrassed of your first version?"

While I didn’t keep detailed records of all of the changes in my first two books, I can give estimates. With my debut book, The Preacher’s Bride, about one-fourth of the book was changed in one form or another between my very first draft and what now sits on shelves.

With my second book, The Doctor’s Lady (releasing SEPT. 1st!!), I ended up changing much more than I anticipated. When all was said and done, I probably deleted and rewrote close to one-third of the manuscript—all in bits and pieces here and there.

You’d expect that with each subsequent book the need for editing would diminish rather than increase—and hopefully that will be true over the long haul as we strive to grow in our writing skills. But, ultimately, every author will need some level of editing. The exact amount will depend upon a number of factors:

First, some of the need for editing will depend on a writer’s level of experience. I’m a “young” author and am still discovering what my readers like. Slowly but surely, I’m learning to create likable heroes and heroines and other elements that comprise a satisfying romance. I’m also figuring out my publisher’s expectations. With our first few published books, most of us will have a learning curve. Agents and editors realize that newer authors will need more directing and shaping—which is one of the reasons they can only take on a certain number of debut authors at one time.

Second, every author has a different writing and self-editing process. Some write very precisely during the first draft and won’t need much overhauling of their stories. Others write loosely knowing they’ll have to spend an enormous amount of effort getting the story “right” during the editing phase. I happen to write slowly and carefully with my first drafts and so my own self-editing doesn’t involve any big changes. I also incorporate suggestions from my critique partner—which helps tighten my book, but again, usually doesn’t require major rewriting.

Third, every publishing house offers different levels of editing. Some smaller houses may not have a large or experienced in-house editing staff. Due to the tight economy, bigger publishers might be short-staffed. Once, when I was whining about my edits to my agent, she remarked that while many publishing houses are cutting back on edits mine has actually increased theirs—which says a lot about their dedication to quality fiction. They require about 4 different levels of in-house editing—which is a lot of work!

In summary, I think every book that makes its way to publication (whether traditionally or self-published) should look different than the first draft. If it doesn’t, then it probably didn’t receive enough editing. As I said, nobody can write a perfect first draft.

Am I embarrassed by my first drafts? Well, let me just say, I’m glad I didn’t rush to self-publish them! I’m grateful for all of the editing, even though it was painful at times. Are my stories edited so much that I wouldn’t recognize them anymore? No. The basic plots and stories are still the same. But the editing takes them from something readers will merely like to something readers can love.

The sign in the picture above sums up the editing process: We can't view having to do a lot of editing as failure. Rather, finding all of the problems within our manuscripts is an opportunity for us to take our books beyond ordinary and make them great.

What about you? Are you surprised by the amount of editing a book needs? How much have your books changed over time? Are they recognizable from your first drafts?

*Photo credit: flickr

Getting Jitters While Waiting For Feedback on Our Books

2011-08-29T06:00:00.033-04:00

I had a migraine early last week. Often my migraines are a direct result of a build-up of stress. But since I didn’t have anything major going on, I had to stop for a minute and try to figure out what had stressed me out.

It didn’t take me long to realize I’d been plagued with second book jitters. I’d started getting reports that people were picking up copies of The Doctor’s Lady. Amazon had shipped pre-orders and others were starting to find the book on shelves. Even though it doesn’t officially release until this Thursday, September 1st, the book has already begun to make its way into reader hands.

As I learned that more and more people were reading the book, the stress and worries started to escalate. I couldn’t help but wonder, “Will they like this new book?” and “How will they like it in comparison with my first?”

I chewed my fingernails to nubs. I paced the floor. I tossed and turned in my sleep. I couldn’t eat.

Okay, so maybe not really! But, as I waited for the first reports of what people thought of the book, I was scared. During that silent interval (when people were reading), I decided that one of the things I like the LEAST about being an author is waiting for the initial reports on a new release.

We all have to wait for the verdict on our books at some point or another. Maybe we’re waiting for our critique partner or a contest judge to read our manuscript. Perhaps we’re waiting on an agent or an editor or a committee. Once we get past all of those initial tests on our books, then we face the ultimate test—the reader.

That waiting is stressful, isn’t it?

We spend weeks and weeks writing the book, analyzing the plot, and developing characters. We put so much of ourselves into every page—often into nearly every word. After pouring out incredible amounts time and effort and love into a story, we long for affirmation and positive feedback that what we’ve written resonates with readers. The affirmation validates us, our skills, and all of the work we’ve put into the book.

No matter how much we try to tell ourselves that we don’t care what others think, that we’re writing to please ourselves, or for a bigger purpose, the bottom line is that we want happy readers. It’s a natural reaction to hold our breath (or in my case get a migraine!) as we wait to find out if readers will indeed be happy.

Fortunately, the initial responses to The Doctor’s Lady have been positive. Kate Burnett (who works for Christianbook.com) read the book last weekend and said this on Twitter: “I finished @JodyHedlund's new book The Doctor's Lady in the wee hours of the morning, last night. Loved it! Thanks for a great story, Jody!” Holly Weiss (a talented book reviewer) wrote up her Amazon review and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Other friends and fellow writers also began to report back to me with kind words (and pictures—see the slide show in the sidebar!). And slowly I began to relax and breathe easy again.

But what if readers don’t like what we write? What if it doesn’t resonate? What if we get disappointing feedback?

How can we brace ourselves for those times when we get negative feedback? When readers (or agents or contest judges, etc.) don’t like what we’ve written?

Here are several things I’ve been telling myself in preparation for negative feedback:

• If we’ve done the very best we can, then we have to let it go. I gave The Doctor’s Lady everything I had. I poured all my energy and heart into the book. Now I have to let it go, knowing I did the best I could for where I was at in my writing skill at the time I wrote it.

• Tell ourselves we’ll do better on the next book. With every book I write, I make it my goal to improve in some way. I don’t want to remain stagnant or in the same spot. We all have room to grow no matter how long we’ve been writing.

• Remember, the book won’t resonate with everyone and that’s normal. Of course fellow writers will read with objective eyes and will likely find more to critique. Hopefully most die-hard genre readers will enjoy the book. But we have to remember that readers are subjective, and what we write won’t always resonate with everyone all the time.

So what about you? Do you ever get stressed out wondering what people will think about your manuscript? What do you tell yourself to calm your nerves?

How I Do It: Ask For Help

2011-08-26T06:00:00.003-04:00

The question I hear most often is this, “How do you do it? How do you manage five kids, homeschooling, and your writing?”

Lately, I’ve been sharing some of my secrets for how I do it. In one post, I shared about the need to ease into more responsibility (versus jumping in too deep at the start). In the last post, I talked about the importance of living intentionally, but also giving ourselves breathing room.

Today, I’m going to share another trick I have for managing all of my responsibilities. Here it is: I don’t manage everything. At least not by myself.

I have help.

No. I don’t have a live-in nanny. And no, I don’t have a full time maid—although I’d love for someone to bequeath one or the other to me in their will! And actually while they’re bequeathing, I wouldn’t mind a a chauffeur to drive my kids to all of their activities and a full time chef to prepare something besides frozen waffles and boxed mac & cheese.

Alas, I have none of the above. I’m the nanny, maid, chauffeur, and chef all wrapped into one—in addition to being a full time teacher and writer.

The reality is that I can’t do each of the jobs and do them well. I just can’t. Believe me, I’ve tried. And I’ve failed.

Although I’m independent and have a difficult time asking for help, over the years I’ve learned that I need support if I’m going to succeed. I’ve also learned that help can come in many different shapes and sizes, but that I can’t be afraid to ask for it.

We need support if we’re going to succeed.

We all need to surround ourselves with people who believe in us and what we’re doing. For example, in the ten years I’ve been homeschooling, I’ve become close to a group of women who are all going through the same challenges that come with home-teaching. Without their support, commiserating, and sharing of ideas, I likely would have quit long ago.

Same with my writing. If I didn’t have family and other writers who encouraged and believed in me, I’d have a difficult time withstanding the pressures and the criticism that come. Because they do come. There will always be people in our lives who don’t understand the things that are important to us, who think we should be doing something different, or who will point out the negatives.

Help comes in different shapes and sizes.

Over the past several years, my help has come in a variety of ways. First, I’ve enlisted the support of my husband. Since I gladly and willingly support him in his work, I only asked that he do the same for me. While it’s taken some time and plenty of conversations, we’re both learning to work together as a team in handling the many responsibilities of running a large family. In other words, he helps clean, runs errands, and even cooks some of the meals, so that the work is more manageable for both of us.

Second, I’ve worked at training my children to pitch in and help. In recent years, my older children (14 & 12) can handle more chores around the house. They do things like mow the lawn, fold & put away laundry, and meal preparation. I’ve even paid them to help watch my younger two children so that I can have more concentrated writing time.

My point is that, we often have more help at our fingertips than we realize. Which brings me to the next point . . .

We can’t be afraid (or ashamed) to ask for help.

We need to have open communication—especially with our families—about our desire for help. Sometimes it takes time for them to understand our passions, dreams, and subsequent needs, and we’ll have to patiently educate them. However, they won’t ever know what our needs are unless we actually have those conversations.

When I’ve opened up with friends about some of my scheduling struggles, they’ve gone out of their way to help me—particularly with the transporting of my kids to various activities. I’ve begun to realize that my friends and family want to help, but that they won’t know what I need unless I ask.

My Summary: So there you have it. Another one of the secrets of how I manage—I enlist the support and help of those around me. The bottom line is that we need each other. We can mutually edify and support one another. And in doing so lighten the burden’s we all have.

How about you? Do you try to handle too much on your own? Is it difficult for you to accept help? Or are you learning to share your needs and gain the support of those around you?

P.S. The winner of this week's signed copy of The Doctor's Lady is Carol Moncado. Congratulations, Carol! Remember, if you didn't win, there will still be LOTS & LOTS of opportunities to win a copy of my book during my blog tour! Check out my News & Events Page for all of the stops!

The Difficulty of Finding Story Ideas That Publishers Like

2011-08-24T06:00:00.061-04:00

In today’s ever-changing publishing industry, oftentimes writers end up feeling that getting a traditional publisher’s attention is almost impossible.

Sometimes we wish we could be a fly on the wall in an editor’s office so that we could hear what kinds of stories they’re looking for, what interests them, or what doesn’t.

Because honestly, figuring out the “right” story or a break-in book feels like a shot in the dark. We go to all the work of writing a story, only to be given one excuse or another (See this post: Are Agents & Publishers Too Picky?)

Naomi Rawlings said this in a recent comment: “Publishers say they want fresh stories, but if your story is too fresh, they'll say they don't have a reader base and it isn't marketable enough. On the flip side, if you have a story set in a tried and true setting, say a western or prairie or Alaskan gold rush, a new writer may well hear his/her story isn't original enough and the industry is glutted. So what should new writers write to get publisher attention?”

We get mixed messages that leave us confused, hurt, and maybe even angry.

So, what’s a writer to do? What stories are publishers looking for? Do they really want fresh or do they want the tried-and-true?

First, let me just say, I’m not a publisher (surprise, I know!), and I don’t have any connections to publishers (except the one I’m contracted with). So, I’m not trying to defend the traditional publishing industry, not trying to sway anyone to consider it (if they’re happily self-pubbed), and not saying I like things the way they are.

The fact is, even as a contracted author, I still have a difficult time finding ideas that my publisher thinks will translate into a saleable book. My agent recently sent a new proposal to my publisher with six brand new book ideas I’d researched. But during a committee meeting, my editors were able to easily toss several of the ideas into the already-been-done and readers-won’t-like-this piles. And these were stories I thought were original but still ones readers would enjoy.

But the thing is, my publisher tracks sales on my books on a daily basis. They watch closely and count every sale in every possible format (paperback, ebooks, bookclubs, etc). Based on the statistics they can see overall patterns in what their particular readers are buying, what they like, and what doesn’t sell so well. They do take chances from time to time, and some of those books do well and other don’t. In this tight economy, they can’t afford to go out on a limb too often.

In other words, publishers are trying to print books that the majority of their readers will like. And while it’s not always easy to predict, they look at sales figures and the market to help them make decisions.

So what’s my point?

First, those of us seeking traditional publication need to pay attention to what kinds of books are commercially viable. We’ll need to be aware of what’s selling and why. We’ll have to keep the readers' needs in mind as we sift through our story ideas.

Second, we can stay fresh and original with the-tried-and-true. Fellow Bethany House author, Anne Mateer recently finished reading my new book. She sent me an email and pointed out how the basic plots of our books are similar. Her debut book, Wings of a Dream, has a young woman taking care of a widower’s four children (similar to my plot in The Preacher’s Bride). And our second books have some elements that are the same too. But . . . even though we both have plot commonalities, we’ve dressed up our books differently. Our voices and styles are unique. We’ve each added our special flavor to our stories. In other words, we can take well beloved plots and make them stand out.

Third, we have to be market-savvy but also tell the story we’re passionate about. When we write a well-crafted, riveting, page-turning novel that flows out of the passions in our heart, then even if it falls slightly outside the box, publishers might be willing to give the book a try. Sometimes, story trumps all. However, when bigger traditional publishers decide they aren’t able to take the financial risk, then we might consider a smaller niche publisher or even self-publishing.

My Summary: Writers pursuing traditional publication will need to consider the financial constraints inherent to the industry—which means we can’t write just anything and hope for a contract. But the beauty of today’s ever-expanding technology is that publication options are growing. Writers don’t have to “fit” the traditional standards in order to see their book in readers’ hands.

What about you? Do you think your books are fresh enough but still tried-and-true? Or does your book fall outside of what most larger traditional publishers are willing to take a risk on?

P.S. Don't miss the opportunity to WIN A SIGNED COPY OF MY NEW BOOK, The Doctor's Lady! Head over to Trivia Question #3 for your chance to enter the drawing! Deadline is Thursday at 10 pm.

A Method in the Madness: Outlining As You Write

2011-08-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

Some writers are plotters. They thrive on planning out their books in great detail, making outlines, filling out note cards, and making story boards.

Other writers are pantsers. They write by the seat-of-their pants. They start with a blank slate and let the story and characters take them where they will.

I’ve seen both types of writers—plotters and pantsers—do very well. If you were to read their final manuscripts, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. They both end up in the same place—with a delightful well-told story.

With that said, however, I will admit I’m neither of the above, that I’m really more of a combination. You might call me a plantser (plotter + pantser).

Before I start my first draft, I do a TON of research (as in weeks of reading and scouring books). But most historical writers have to do that. It’s just part of the nature of writing a book set in a different time and place.

And before I begin writing, I also do a TON of brainstorming. I pull out a new spiral notebook and jot down ideas as they come to me or as they arise from all my researching. I fill pages with lists of all kinds of wild and crazy possibilities.

Eventually I narrow down my plot and come up with a very rough sketch of how I’d like to see my book progress. I write a few brief ideas for each chapter. But usually those ideas are fluid and vague.

Of course, I also get to know my characters before starting the first draft. I need to have a good grasp of each of my character’s backstory, their personalities, quirks, goals, etc. I fill out most of an extensive character worksheet I’ve developed. (And you’re welcome to use it too! Check it out here.)

Once my characters come to life, I finally begin to have the feeling that I’m ready to write the story. I have a pretty good idea of the plot and where I’d like it to go, but I’ve also left plenty of room for the story to develop as I write (and my characters too). For me that’s one of the most enjoyable aspects of writing—seeing the story and characters become bigger and more dynamic than I could have ever initially imagined.

Yes, I love the freedom that comes from not having things too planned out. That’s the pantser in me. But I also need some direction when I actually sit down before a blank screen. And that’s where the plotter in me comes out.

Prior to writing a chapter, I write down what I hope to accomplish with each scene in that particular chapter (I usually have a couple of different scenes per chapter where I change location and/or POV). In other words, I outline each scene in chapter one, then write them. Outline the scenes in chapter two, then write them. And so on.

It’s in those chapter outlines that I get VERY detailed in my plotting. Here’s just some of what I include (in fact I’m taking this directly from a page of my current WIP’s notebook):

• Time & Place: (This helps me keep track of the story timeline and how well I’m varying my setting.)

• Point of View: (This helps me monitor how often I’m switching POV; I try to keep it fairly even throughout the book.)

• Hook: (How can I initially grab the reader’s attention?)

• Intensity: (Will this scene be high action or more contemplative? I want this to vary.)

• Read on Prompt: (How will I end the scene so that I make the reader want to keep going?)

• Mood: (What kind of mood do I hope to portray and what kinds of things will help with that?)

• Sensory details: (I brainstorm ways I can get most of the five sense into the scene, hopefully in ways that will match the mood.)

• Goals: (This is where I list any and everything that I hope to write in the scene including character details, plot points, minor characters, etc.)

I refer to this “outline” as I write the scene. It helps give gentle direction and keeps me from leaving out important points. By doing the plotting in small increments as I go, I’m able to allow the story the breathing room it needs to develop, but I’m also able to keep myself on track with where I need to go next.

How about you? Are you a panster, plotter, or a plantser? What’s your method for getting through the madness?

P.S. This week I'm giving away one more signed copy of The Doctor's Lady! The book is inspired by true people from history. Head over to Trivia Question #3 to find out who inspired the story and for your chance to win!

*Photo credit: flickr

The Doctor's Lady Book Giveaway!! Trivia Question #3

2011-08-22T05:59:00.009-04:00

Trivia Question #3: The Doctor's Lady is inspired by true people from history. Can you guess who?

A. The Roman Emperor's sister Honoraria, who proposed marriage to Attila the Hun in order to save herself from lifelong imprisonment.

B. Joan of Arc in her last days before being burned at the stake as a heretic.

C. Doctor Whitman and his wife Narcissa who became the first white woman to travel overland west and cross the Continental Divide.

How to enter to win a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady:

1. Leave your answer to the above trivia question in a comment (or on my Facebook Page). Just an A, B, or C is fine!

2. Leave your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win.

How to be eligible for up to two extra entries:

1. If you hit the retweet button at the bottom of this post, you'll be eligible for an extra drawing. (Make sure you let me know that you posted to twitter in your comment!)

2. If you hit the facebook "like" button at the bottom of this post, you'll be eligible for an extra drawing. (Make sure you let me know that you posted to facebook in your comment!)

Contest deadline & restrictions:

1. Deadline: Thursday, August 25 at 10pm (Eastern Time). I will announce the winner on Friday's blog post.

2. Restrictions: Sorry that I'm only able to mail to those with a USA mailing address!

This is the last week to win a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady on my blog!

But . . . I have great news! There will be plenty more chances to win the book throughout the months of September and October during my blog tour! Check out my News & Events page for a complete list of all of the places I'll be stopping and giving away books! Hope to see you there!

How I do It: Live Intentionally But With Breathing Space

2011-08-19T06:00:00.011-04:00

The months of August and September are crazy busy for me—both personally as well as in my writing life.

As you know, I’m gearing up for the release of my second book, The Doctor’s Lady on Sept 1st. I’m not under any delusion about the difficulty I’ll face in promoting my book. Today’s publishing industry is exploding with new authors but is constantly shrinking in shelf space which means I need to do whatever I can to market my book and help it stand out from the masses.

Among many things, I’m attempting a blog tour. Although I had quite a number of interviews for my debut book, I'm currently planning an official, established schedule with lots of unique and fun appearances, an epic contest, and tons of book giveaways. I’m really excited about all of the upcoming events.

But . . . I’ve had to spend an enormous amount of time planning for the tour as well as writing the awesome guest posts and interview questions for participants. In addition, I’m trying to keep up with my own blog and have recently started the first draft of a new book. Not to mention emails and social media . . . Then there’s my local book signing and the national writers’ conference I’m attending in mid-September.

I’m sure you get my point. My writing life (like many of yours) is filled to overflowing. Then there’s also real life with three birthdays in the next two weeks and the start of school (among other things). But I won’t bore you with all those busy details!

How do I do it? How can a person hope to keep up with all that needs to be done without getting buried? Is it even possible?

Last week I talked about easing into more as one of the ways I’ve learned to manage many responsibilities. Another way I manage is by living intentionally.

When I think about the periods in my life when I’m not living intentionally, those are the times when I allow myself to be swept along by my moods or the urgency of activities. I float from one thing to another, without seeing any real progress. I don’t have any focus, I’m easily distracted, and I spend way too much time on social media instead of doing things that really matter. Usually I end up frustrated and irritable.

On the other hand, when I decide I need to buckle down and get intentional, I’m always much more satisfied and productive. The dictionary defines intention as: a determination to act in a certain way. We resolve ahead of time what we're going to do, and then we do it. We're purposeful, make plans, and carry them through.

Yes, I accomplish more when I'm living intentionally. But I’m not an ultra-planner. I don’t have monthly, yearly, or 5 year goals (at least not written down). I don’t schedule out each hour of my day in a calendar (not that there’s anything wrong with doing that).

In other words, we don’t have to go from one extreme—complete disorganization with our goals and time—to the other extreme—planning out every second of our lives. We will probably only frustrate ourselves with unrealistic expectations if we do.

Instead, we can find a middle ground, one where we live intentionally, but still give ourselves breathing space. Here are just a few things I do to be intentional but not fanatical about my writing responsibilities:

• In the mornings, I take stock of my upcoming day and try to determine where I can block in a chunk of writing time for my WIP (work-in-progress).

• When I’m writing a first draft, I give myself the goal of 1000 words a day (6 days a week), but if I fall short one day, I simply try to make up the words by the end of the week.

• During my designated WIP writing time, I turn off email notifications, Tweetdeck, and anything else that might distract me. And I only allow myself to check it halfway through my time, and then only briefly.

• I write my blog posts a week ahead, usually on the three different weekdays that I have the most work time so that I don’t have to sacrifice WIP writing time.

• I give myself the weekly goal of trying to write one or two interviews as well as edit and return those I did the week before.

• When I start to fall short, or get off focus, I stop, take stock of the situation, and try to look at what I need to do differently to make it work.

The point is—I have to give myself some weekly and daily goals, or I probably will wander aimlessly. I want to approach my work, my family, my life with intentionality. I don’t want to look back some day on how I lived (or my writing career) and have regrets.

But at the same time I don’t want to turn into a robot. I don’t want to burden myself so much with planning and schedules and goals that I forget to enjoy breathing, and meandering, and detouring.

How about you? Are you living intentionally enough? What kinds of things do you do in your writing and life to be intentional? Do you need to give yourself a little more breathing room?

P.S. The winner of this week's signed copy of The Doctor's Lady is Sara! Congratulations, Sara! And thank you to everyone for playing along!! Come back next week for one more Trivia Question & one more chance to win!

Are Agents & Publishers Too Picky?

2011-08-17T06:00:00.031-04:00

If you’ve ever been rejected, you can’t help but wonder, “Are agents and publishers too picky?”

My debut book, The Preacher’s Bride, was rejected many times before finally garnering interest. And during the series of rejections, I had two main questions: “Am I getting rejected because of the quality of my writing?” or “Am I getting rejected because of my story idea?”

Now that I’m on the other side of the publication fence, my questions have been answered. I’ve learned that the quality of my writing was up to par (at least I think so, since The Preacher’s Bride has done well in sales and awards!).

But there was some hesitation about the story, the setting, and the time period of the book. Before offering me a contract, my publisher had to think long and hard about whether my book was the type that would interest their readers.

Of course, most agents and editors don’t have the time to offer a lot of feedback (if any) when they decline a project. So if they indicate that our writing skills aren’t strong enough then we really need to take that to heart and buckle down and work on improving.

But when we’re certain our writing skills are at a publishable level (we’ve started finaling in contests, we get positive feedback from objective sources, etc), and we still get rejections, we’ll often hear things like:

• This book won’t fit with the needs of our readers.
• It’s too similar to other projects we have right now.
• It’s too different and we don’t want to take a chance.
• The setting, time period, or subject matter won’t sell well.
• The genre isn’t clear.
• The story just didn’t resonate or grab me enough.

Are publishers and editors just being too picky when they cite those reasons for passing on a manuscript? Shouldn’t they be willing to take more of a chance? Try new things? Give new and fresh ideas a shot? After all, think about how many out-of-the-box stories have gone on to have huge commercial success?

The longer I’m immersed in the industry and the more I learn about the business aspect, the more I understand why publishers and agents must be so picky. In fact, I foresee the need for publishers to become even more choosey if they hope to succeed in today’s changing market.

Why? Why do they need to be so particular?

Here are several lessons I’ve learned:

1. Debut authors are a huge investment.

Whenever a publisher gives a contract to a debut author, they’re taking a risk. They have to pay out an enormous amount of money (for the advance, editing, cover, marketing, etc.) before the author brings in a dime. With all of the authors competing for a reader’s affection, there’s just no guarantee of recapping the money they’ve invested.

2. An author’s brand still sells a book.

If you look at the bestseller lists, they’re top heavy with brand name authors—usually those who have been writing a long time and continually put out books that readers fall in love with. Those are the bread and butter authors for publishing houses. We, smaller & newer authors, rely on them for our existence. They help foot our bills—at least until our brand becomes more established.

3. It takes many books, a lot of time, and hard work to develop a strong brand.

Even if an author occasionally makes the bestseller list, like I have, it still takes a long time and a lot of work to build a strong brand. My agent pointed out to me recently that I have only a fraction of the readership that I could have, and that I’ll continue to need to work hard at marketing each book. I’m still very much at the beginning of my writing career and have a long way to go to develop my name and readership.

4. The growth of e-readers and cheap e-books is changing the nature of building a readership.

With the growth of e-readers and the ease of buying cheap e-books, traditional publishers have more competition for a reader’s already overloaded time and attention. The fact is, as more and more books inundate the market (via e-publishing or traditional), all authors everywhere will have to work harder to obtain and maintain readers.

My Summary: In light of all of the above points, publishers and agents must be choosey in order to survive. This is a tough business for all of us—writers, publishers, and agents.

If your book is rejected because of the pickiness that is apart of traditional publication, you may just need to keep writing until you find your “break in” book. Or you may need to consider a smaller niche publisher or even self-publishing.

Whatever route you choose, it will be hard. There are no easy paths in today’s writing industry.

What about you? Do you think traditional publishers and agents are too picky? Are they justified in being choosey? Or do you think the system is unfair?

*Photo Credit: Flickr

In celebration of the countdown to the release of my book on Sept. 1, I'm giving away a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady this week! Click here to enter the drawing!

Dear Readers: Your Favorite Authors LOVE You!

2011-08-15T06:00:00.053-04:00

I love my readers. The longer I’m a published author, the more I realize just how much my readers mean to me.

Last week, I got my first email from a reader regarding my upcoming release, The Doctor’s Lady. This reader, Amanda Barratt, found my book on the shelf (already!) and purchased a couple of copies (and she’s giving away one today on her blog, so head over!). She read the book in just a few days’ time and emailed me to let me know her thoughts.

She said this about my book: “It is one of the most well written, engaging novels I have read all year! Your characters were sympathetic and well written, and the romance was so well developed!! Loved all the historical details too! You certainly have written another award winner!”

When I got her email (along with her picture holding the book—see the slideshow in the sidebar!), I wished I could crawl through cyberland and give her a big hug. I’ve been plagued with insecurity over this book and have been afraid that readers wouldn’t like it. So her email was a huge encouragement.

Which brings me to the point of today’s post. I don’t think readers realize how much authors love them.

Authors can’t survive very well without readers. As much as writers like to say things like, “Write for yourself,” we all know that we wouldn’t pursue publication if we didn’t want people to read our words and find some meaning in them.

The bottom line is that writers rely on readers, need them, and value their encouragement—often much more than readers realize. So dear readers, on behalf of all writers, please know how much we appreciate you!

Here are several things readers do that get authors really excited (at least that really excite me!):

When readers send the author a personal note.

I save every email, facebook message, and handwritten note that readers send me. In fact, my publisher asked if I had a few that I would be willing to pass along to them so that they could read them to their staff—because even publishers appreciate affirmation and feedback on all they invest in their authors. I had a hard time choosing which notes to send because they’re all so meaningful to me.

When readers write a review for an online bookstore or blog.

Many readers are silent and distant admirers. And that’s okay. I realize not everyone is going to want to go public with their praise of a book. But writers appreciate every positive review they get. Even if we can’t individually acknowledge or respond to every review, I am always thrilled when someone takes the time to post one.

Bestselling author, Jude Deveraux, left a comment in a recent post and she said this about Amazon reviews she got for a series she’d written: “Women who loved the book didn't write a good review. If they wrote at all, it was a sentence or two. But others, with lots of malice, wrote horrible things about my books, my characters, and me personally.”

Her comment brings to light the fact that it’s usually easier for us to point out the negatives we see. Often we justify our reviews, thinking others deserve to know the “truth.” But writers appreciate when readers are just as liberal with their praise as they are with their criticisms.

When readers connect on Facebook or Twitter.

I like having real connections with people. But I usually won’t know a reader is lurking unless they jump off the sidelines and send me a comment or tweet. Call me corny, but I even like hearing simple details like this message I got last week on Twitter: “Finally got a #Kindle. The first book I purchased was The Preacher's Bride by @JodyHedlund! Can't wait to read it!” Or this one: “Bought @JodyHedlund The Doctor's Lady yesterday & I can't wait to start reading it!”

Those kinds of short messages can go a LONG way in bolstering the shaky confidence of writers who labor so hard over each book and yet battle insecurity, poor sales, low advances, and obscurity on a daily basis.

So my dear readers, thank you for all you do to encourage me (and other writers) in so many ways. The writing journey wouldn’t be nearly as fulfilling if it weren’t for you! YOU make us want to continue to write and pour out our hearts into our stories! Thank you!

Question for readers: Did you realize how much authors value your feedback? How can we show you our appreciation better?

Question for writers: What do you appreciate most about readers? What are some things readers do that excite you?

Don't miss this week's chance to win a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady! Answer Trivia Question #2 to enter the drawing!

The Doctor's Lady Book Giveaway!! Trivia Question #2

2011-08-15T05:59:00.008-04:00

Trivia Question #2: Where are the characters traveling during the length of the book? (See my Books page if you need a little help!)

A. Overland across the United States to the wild and unsettled Oregon Country

B. Millions of miles to a space station on Pluto

C. Deep into a secret underwater city located in the Mariana Trench

How to enter to win a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady:

1. Leave your answer to the above trivia question in a comment (or on my Facebook Page). Just an A, B, or C is fine!

2. Leave your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win.

How to be eligible for up to two extra entries:

1. If you hit the retweet button at the bottom of this post, you'll be eligible for an extra drawing. (Make sure you let me know that you posted to twitter in your comment!)

2. If you hit the facebook "like" button at the bottom of this post, you'll be eligible for an extra drawing. (Make sure you let me know that you posted to facebook in your comment!)

Contest deadline & restrictions:

1. Deadline: Thursday, August 18 at 10pm (Eastern Time). I will announce the winner on Friday's blog post.

2. Restrictions: Sorry that I'm only able to mail to those with a USA mailing address!

Only a couple more weeks until the release of The Doctor's Lady! I'm super excited that some readers are already starting to receive their copies and are sending me their pictures (see the side of my blog for a peek at the slide show). When you get your book, I'd love to get a picture of you!

Wishing everyone the best of luck in this week's trivia contest!

How I Do It: Ease Into More Responsibility

2011-08-12T06:00:00.034-04:00

When my twins were babies, I loved dressing them in matching outfits. I’d stick bows in their hair and make cute ponytails that stood straight up on the tops of their heads. When I’d take them out in the double stroller, people would always stop to admire them.

I could never figure out why people asked, “Are they girls or boys?” I wanted to say, “Why in the world would I dress them in pink and put bows in their hair if they’re boys?” But of course, I was always polite.

Yes, there were admirers I wanted to escort over to the Pearle Vision Store. But then, on the flip side, there were plenty who saw the enormity of my situation—especially because I also had my two-year old son tagging along. They would say, “You’ve got your hands full, don’t you?”

And, when I look back to those days of managing twin babies and an active two year old, I get dizzy thinking about how much work it was! At one point, with three children under two years of age, changing diapers was a full time job.

Somehow through all the craziness, I survived. I even went on to have two more children. And now, whenever I go anywhere with my whole gang, invariably someone will say, “How do you handle five children?”

When they find out that not only do I have five kids, but that I homeschool AND am a full time writer, their incredulous tone rises in pitch as they stammer, “What? How can you possibly do all of that?”

So, how does one manage multiple responsibilities? (Without going crazy?)

It’s not easy. I’m the first to admit it. I won’t pretend my life is bliss.

But managing multiple responsibilities is NOT an impossibility. One of the lessons I’ve learned about juggling a lot of different demands is this: We have to ease our way in to more.

Here’s what I mean:

1. Start at the beginning.

I didn’t start with five kids all at once. I began with one. Over the first couple of years, I became comfortable learning how to be a mom to one child. When I became confident and efficient with him, only then did I think about adding another. I’d learned the ropes and was ready for more responsibility.

And I didn’t start with a big house full of possessions. When I was first married, we lived in an tiny apartment with mismatched used furniture. Eventually we accumulated more stuff and moved to a very small starter home. Only when we were more established did we think about buying a larger home that could accommodate our growing family.

My point is that in whatever we’re doing, we need to start at the beginning. It’s easy to look at those who have more, do more, or are further along than we are, and to think we need to be like them. In those situations, we need to remember that once upon a time, they too had to start at the beginning.

2. Move forward in small increments.

The first year I was married, I could hardly boil water without burning it. And yet, for my first Thanksgiving I attempted a huge dinner for my brother and a friend. Guess how it turned out?

You’re right. It was a disaster! I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. In the end, I had to saw half-frozen meat off the carcass and cook the slabs in the microwave. We ended up having a few scarce pieces of rubbery turkey with our lukewarm and gravy-less mashed potatoes.

Now after twenty years of marriage, thankfully, I can whip a large Thanksgiving meal together with no problem. But it’s taken years and years of growing in cooking skills to get to the point of being able to do that.

We can’t skip over all of the valuable steps that come in the learning process. We have to take each baby step in progression. And we shouldn’t expect to handle the work of a seasoned veteran if we’re not one.

3. Let the new responsibilities challenge us to grow.

Over the years, I’ve had to adjust with each new responsibility. I’ve had to make sacrifices, stop certain hobbies, or let go of activities to make room in my life for the additions.

There are times when we add more responsibility to our lives that we’ll have to let go of something else. We can’t keep adding and adding without taking other things away—or else we’ll get to the point where we’ve crammed too much in and are ready to break.

However, if we gradually add more, we can stretch ourselves a little bit with each new responsibility. Our hearts, minds, and bodies will slowly grow stronger and better able to cope with the weight and pressures of what we’re adding.

Summary: There you have it! Ease your way into more—one of my secrets for how I manage multiple responsibilities. Of course, there are many other “tricks” I’ve learned over the years. But I’ll save those for another day!

How about you? Have you ever thought of the concept of easing your way in to more? Or have you tried to tackle too much too soon?

And the winner of Trivia Question #1 is Lynn L. Hall! She wins a signed copy of The Doctor's Lady! Congratulations! And thank you to everyone who entered the drawing! Come back next week for another chance to win!