Hi Guys,
WOW, I think I did it. I think I've finished my first novel. The fiction novel!!!!
It just kinda sprang up on me that I had actually finished it. Can I be honest? It felt really anti-climatic. I will explain why.
Whilst I had started writing my book with a planned storyboard in mind with all the chapters planned out, that did not happen. In fact I had written about 20,000 words before I decided to start all over again and start from scratch.
I pushed through with the novel, aiming to write 500-1000 words a day. I wasn't able to meet that goal on a day to day basis, due to some days where I either didn't have the creative juices or the lack of enthusiasm. Nonetheless, I followed my planned storyboard and slowly but steadily each planned chapter got written.
There were certain parts in the book that I enjoyed writing more than others, for example I didn't love having to describe an office setting compared to describing Ivy, one of the protagonists.
But considering I wrote this novel for practice, this was such a fantastic learning experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.
But now what next? I have written the book but I haven't gone back to make any proper edits, what do I do now? Writing the book seems so easy in comparison to the rest of the steps needed when it comes to being a legit, self published author.
Should I look for a book cover first or should I focus on getting the book edited?
Or both?
Or should I focus on networking and getting my name and book out there?
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Thursday, 26 March 2015
How to Come Up With That Bestselling Book Title
I'm sure this has been an issue for every writer at some point.
You have poured your creative juices into a work you are proud of and depending on what stage of writing you are at, it is always at the back of your mind: WHAT DO I CALL THIS BOOK?
It seems like such a simple task to do, but how do you exactly pick the one title that will complement your book perfectly?
As someone writing their first novel, I have no bloody idea!
I get mixed opinions on the importance of the book title. For those 'don't judge book by its cover' believers, they say that there have been plenty of 'crappy' book titles that were bestsellers, whereas there are the 'definitely judge a book by its cover' crowd that think the title can make or break.
From scouring on the internet here are some tips I have picked up (thanks to Karen Woodward for her very helpful article!)
1. Indicates the Genre
This should be a no brainer, but it can be difficult to do this. My novel is about two sisters, more of a chick lit style book but am I just going to call it 'Sister to Sister'? No, the title should indicate what genre without being too obvious.
2. Memorable
Probably the hardest criteria to meet, how exactly do you think of a title that is memorable? As difficult as this may be, this is something you need to think about, having a title that will stick in their head as they peruse through the bookshop or online and go ''oooooh' that looks interesting!''
Help readers out, make the title of your work memorable. Yes, I know, that's
easier said than done but there are a few simple tips.
Short
I'm not an expert on what makes a good title, but I personally like short titles as it does make it easier to memorise, 5 words or less is a good starting point.
Poetry
Try giving a poetic edge, sometimes a figurative phrase can sum up your book purpose perfectly.
Maryann Yin gives these titles as examples: When Crickets Cry and Wildflowers
from Winter.
3. Use the Characters
Is your book more focused on character development? Perhaps the title can describe a facet of them that drives the plot of the story. In a way, many of the same things that can be said about what makes a character
interesting can also be said about titles. Or you could just simply name the book after them, if the story is really about them and their development.
Contradictory qualities
Indiana Jones was a fearless adventurer, but he has an irrational fear of
snakes. He'll face a wave of enemy soldiers without blinking but get near a
snake?
4. Descriptive
If you could make the descriptive title imply an action so much the better. Of
course, again, that's much easier said than done. For example:
- Gone with the wind
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Fahrenheit 451
-The DaVinci Code
What do these book titles have in common? They all are used in the book, whether directly or indirectly but they all represent a key plot device. This can be a very interesting way to allude the reader back to the title and gives the title a sense of legitimacy and realism.
5 Tips For Brainstorming The Perfect
Title
I love K.M. Welland's blog, she
gives practical advice I frequently find myself using when I write. For
example, in how to brainstorm titles.
She writes:
i. Research titles in your genre.
Zoom by Amazon and take a look at your genre’s bestseller list. What do the top
twenty titles have in common? Write down the ones that particularly pop out at
you and note the elements that make them attractive. How can you replicate
their effect?
ii. Consider your book’s text.
Your title makes a promise to readers about what they will find inside the
book. So why not look inside the book itself to find the title? Are there any
lines that pop off the page? Any particularly memorable or unique phrases? What
one line in the book best sums up the theme, premise, or protagonist?
iii. Look up words in the dictionary.
Grab your dictionary and flip it open to a random page. Do any words pop out?
Make a list.
iv. Analyze songs/poems/books.
One of my favorite techniques is to pull vivid imagery from songs, poems, and
old books (the King James translation of the Bible is particularly full of
strong and unique words). Make a list of the best phrases and start playing
with them. A little clever wordplay can go a long way toward making your title
stand out.
v. Free write.
Scribble down every title, word, or combination of words you can think of. I
often cover pages in my notebook with various title ideas. Most are dumb, but
there’s always one that finally pops out as the perfect representation of the
book.
5 Online Tools
If all these tips do not help, the internet is your friend. You can use various online book title generators to get some inspiration but it really helps to have a draft list of titles at hand for you to get an idea of what title you want.
For any non-fiction writers I came across this fantastic tool which analyses the likely chance your book title is a bestseller, I can't speak for its effectiveness but it certainly has been helpful for me when it came to naming my non-fiction books. The tool is called Lulu Titlescorer and you can use it free, anytime of day :)
Do you have any tips for how to generate a book title? I would love to see what you came up with :)
Friday, 20 February 2015
As A Up and Coming Author, Who Can You Trust?
This is something that has been at the forefront of my mind, as I am trying to learn the ropes of what it takes to be a self-published author. Unfortunately there are so many charlatans and scam artists just waiting to ambush the unsuspecting author. How can a novice writer protect themselves?
Anyone can call themselves a publisher. Always remember money flows towards the author from the publisher, not the other way round. Vanity publishers are the worst in my opinion, and from personal experience I know people who were very close to, but luckily got out of, being deceived by their so called promises to help them break the big time.
Anyone can call themselves a publisher. Always remember money flows towards the author from the publisher, not the other way round. Vanity publishers are the worst in my opinion, and from personal experience I know people who were very close to, but luckily got out of, being deceived by their so called promises to help them break the big time.
After doing my own personal research, these were some basic tried and true methods.
What to look out for:
What to look out for:
Directs authors toward specific editing services or gives authors’ names to these services, with the caveat that if the author hires the editing service, their book will be published. Every book needs editing. It is part of the publisher’s job to provide that editing at no cost.
Offers a contract where the author has to pay for part of the publishing costs. The acquisition editor will sometimes say that the publisher’s list is full for that season, but the author’s book has so much going for it, they would still like to publish it. However the publisher’s resources are fully committed and the author will have to share in the costs.
Some publishers offer contracts that are unfair, such as they obtain rights that should remain with the author of the work.
Some publishers’ contracts contain a clause that if the author says anything negative about the publisher, there is a monetary fine.
There are also publishers who hold the rights for a lengthy time period, regardless of whether the book is still in print or selling.
The publisher doesn’t disclose they are a Publish on Demand (POD), or vanity/subsidy publisher. There is nothing wrong with an author using a subsidy/vanity publishing company as long as the author is well aware of the disadvantages. Publish on Demand books are not, as a rule, stocked by bookstores.
Some POD publishers will insist that their books are available in book stores, as a way to get around this issue. Available is not the same thing as stocked. Available only means the book can be ordered through the bookstore. Since the majority of books sold, are stocked and sold by bookstores, this situation puts a damper on sales.
What else can a writer do to check if a publisher is legitimate?
Go to the local bookstore and see if any of the publisher’s titles are stocked. Ask the manager if necessary.
Search the Internet using the publisher’s name plus the word ‘scam’ or ‘complaint.’
A publisher’s website is targeted to its customers. If the website promotes the books they’ve published that’s a good sign.
If the website is focused on recruiting writers, that’s a bad sign.
Go to forums or bulletin boards that are for writers and see what the authors who have published with the publisher you’re considering have to say about their experience.
Charges the author a fee up front, to have their book accepted, considered or read. These fees are sometimes called a reading fee, intake fee or administrative fee.
Content from this article has been Copied with permission
Offers a contract where the author has to pay for part of the publishing costs. The acquisition editor will sometimes say that the publisher’s list is full for that season, but the author’s book has so much going for it, they would still like to publish it. However the publisher’s resources are fully committed and the author will have to share in the costs.
Some publishers offer contracts that are unfair, such as they obtain rights that should remain with the author of the work.
Some publishers’ contracts contain a clause that if the author says anything negative about the publisher, there is a monetary fine.
There are also publishers who hold the rights for a lengthy time period, regardless of whether the book is still in print or selling.
The publisher doesn’t disclose they are a Publish on Demand (POD), or vanity/subsidy publisher. There is nothing wrong with an author using a subsidy/vanity publishing company as long as the author is well aware of the disadvantages. Publish on Demand books are not, as a rule, stocked by bookstores.
Some POD publishers will insist that their books are available in book stores, as a way to get around this issue. Available is not the same thing as stocked. Available only means the book can be ordered through the bookstore. Since the majority of books sold, are stocked and sold by bookstores, this situation puts a damper on sales.
What else can a writer do to check if a publisher is legitimate?
Go to the local bookstore and see if any of the publisher’s titles are stocked. Ask the manager if necessary.
Search the Internet using the publisher’s name plus the word ‘scam’ or ‘complaint.’
A publisher’s website is targeted to its customers. If the website promotes the books they’ve published that’s a good sign.
If the website is focused on recruiting writers, that’s a bad sign.
Go to forums or bulletin boards that are for writers and see what the authors who have published with the publisher you’re considering have to say about their experience.
Charges the author a fee up front, to have their book accepted, considered or read. These fees are sometimes called a reading fee, intake fee or administrative fee.
Do you agree with this article? Or do you have a personal experience you can relate?
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Update: Natural Remedy Book Almost Done!
I am pleased to announce that I am in the final stages of completing my self-help book about natural remedies, with the current working title Beautiful Inside and Out: 7 Natural Remedies You Should Try Everyday.
The title Inside and Out refers to the fact that I have done tips for your inner well being (Inside) and tips for your outer well being, so anything to make you look better (Outside)!
As I have mentioned on my Books page this has been something I have been working on for the last 2 years, it is something that is really close to my heart, and as corny as this may sound I genuinely want these tips to help you out.
A big reason why I wanted to write this book was the lack of decent evidence backing up the usefulness of the remedies themselves: all the articles I had read would just claim that the ingredient in person was fantastic and had multiple uses, but I would often try and be disappointed with the results. Of course experimentation was half the fun, but I wanted to research for myself what was proven to work, so if I was to recommend anything, I would have something to back up what I said.
And I think that is what makes my book stand out: it is the fruit of my labour and I have carefully picked what I think will prove of some benefit to you in one way or another.
I will post more details about the book when it close to ready with giveaway offers of course J
But I would like to know what you would like to see in the book, please post your comments below!
If you want to read more about the natural remedies book please visit my sister site homeremedyzone.blogspot.com.au :)
If you want to read more about the natural remedies book please visit my sister site homeremedyzone.blogspot.com.au :)
Saturday, 17 January 2015
How to Remain Motivated-When There is Nothing to Motivate You
This is something that has been particularly relevant for me, having just come back from holiday!
How do you maintain and muster the desire to keep going, even when there is no reward or end in sight? I could very well be writing for myself for the rest of myself and not sell one copy, so why am I bothering to keep writing?
That is a million dollar question and honestly I don’t have the answer for you but after having read several bits of advice online all I can say is this:
If you are only doing something for monetary gain, then you don’t really love it at all.
No, I’m not saying you should just drop your job because you don’t love it, but let’s be honest there is a fine line between doing something you could do all day long and not get paid, and doing something you are good at, can do for a long time, and get paid for. Do you know where I am going with this?
It is hard to find a balance, especially with the current economy. We need money to enjoy a decent lifestyle, and I will be upfront and honest and say that I would rather do a job that I don’t LOVE, but can tolerate so I can pay the bills, rather than risk it all for something I’m not sure will work out.
So what I am trying to say is: if you have a job that pays the bills, STICK TO IT. But, if there is something you enjoy doing, keep doing it when you can! Unless you win the lotto tomorrow, unfortunately you have to suck it up and stick to your day job whilst you work on what you enjoy doing on the side.
Honestly, I enjoy writing but I don’t know if it is at a level where it could sell copies. I am just enjoying it as a hobby at the moment and having no time frame has kept me enjoying it. So my advice to myself, and hopefully this helps you too: I have found that having a job that I know I want to leave one day is what is keeping me motivated. Sure it isn't making me want to write 100 pages a day but it keeps my goals in check. Also, I have learnt to enjoy and appreciate my job as opposed to just hating it and wanting to leave because I have to be honest with myself. I will be working for a long time so I might as well enjoy it. Having a job has allowed me to enjoy weekends and go on holidays etc., and there is still plenty of time after work and on weekends for me to write.
Whilst I have my days (or weeks depending on the workload) where I would much rather stay at home and write to my heart’s content rather than drag my sorry ass to work and do mind-numbing tasks (is it just me but is all I do in my job consist of having to read, reply to and send emails?). But that is life and instead of being negative about it, I have learnt to (or am learning to) get over it and become more efficient with my time.
I like that I have the luxury of having lazy days and still getting paid, instead of having to stress out and work much longer hours to pay the bills. I like being able to have those days where I don’t feel the need to write and can take a break from it when I need to. I have had plenty of times where I suffer writer’s block or lack a creative punch and I can rest assured that I don’t need to write to a time frame.
So all in all, what I’m trying to say is in order for you to stay motivated, you need to remind yourself of what you have already and use that as your inspiration. For me, it’s having a full time job and the dream of not needing to rely on it anymore. For others it could be their children, wanting to provide them a better life, or wanting to provide for their family more. Find a reason, but at the same time stick to whatever means you have of producing a solid and consistent income. There will be days where you will be more than thankful, and you will be glad you have it as a windfall.
My final thoughts are (at least for someone in my situation): don’t think of your job as an impediment to your dreams but more of a catalyst to enable what you want to do more efficiently. Because even though I have faced this ‘dilemma’ several times, I know myself. If I was to quit my job, even though I would be happy to have more free time I wouldn't be any more productive. Instead I would just sleep in, write a few hours a day and spend the rest of it being a couch potato and eating more. I would be so happy with all the extra free time that it would feel like a permanent vacation.
This image below helps me put everything into perspective lol
So when you go to bed tonight, don’t look at going to work like it’s the worst thing in the world, instead be grateful to have a good income, and use it to motivate you to work harder when you get home! I'm not trying to be obnoxious here and tell you to love your job - because I certainly don't - but I have learnt to enjoy it as much as I can, and I am so thankful that I have an avenue that allows me to write in my free time :)
What motivates you? Do you agree or disagree with my post?
Post your comments below!
Monday, 22 December 2014
How to Start Building Your Author Brand-Starting From The Bottom
This is something that I am learning as I go along
but if you are like me, and just love writing, does the thought of
actually promoting yourself scare you?
Hi Tom,
Firstly I just want to say thanks for putting out great content, I am really glad I came across your course!
I am currently in the midst of writing several books in different genres: one novel, one self help book about networking, and one on natural remedies.
I am quite lost on how to get started as these books are all quite different, I thought the best way to promote them whilst creating a following was to create a website/blog dedicated to my journey as a self-published author, and feature all the books there.
Do you think that is a good idea or do I need to do something more specific?
Regards,
Maggie
His response, although it was short, was to the point and exactly the guidance I needed.
I'm all about simplicity, so I'd rather have one website and one blog and one Facebook page, etc. to promote all my work on. It takes A LOT less time to manage one website vs. 3 or more for each market you write for. And as they say, time is money :) When you're just starting out, the key is just to get started. Whatever mistakes you make, you can correct along the way. That's just my personal preference - there's no right or wrong way to do it. Hope that helps!
Lastly, follow me on Twitter @ MaggieintheWay lol :p (thought I would throw that one in there haha)
Happy writing everyone!
It certainly scares me-yes I am using present tense because it is something that does make me nervous.
I used to make so many excuses for myself:
-I will eventually sell lots of books, just need to worry about writing a good story first
-The sales will follow, and I won’t need to promote
myself: if the story is good, people will jump on it and word of mouth
is all I need
-I’m too busy to learn about how to promote and market myself-I have a book to write!
I had to go back to reality and tell myself that if
I want to go down the self-publishing route, I have to start promoting
myself RIGHT NOW.
But where do I start? As someone completely new to
internet marketing and what not, how do you go about promoting yourself?
I always hear that with the advent of social media, people are becoming
narcissistic and that all they do is take
photos of themselves etc., and that’s why they would never use social
media etc.
But guess what, for us wanna-be self-published
authors we have to get over that mentality, in fact we need to embrace
the need for self-promotion.
No you don’t have to take a photo of what you eat
every day, no you don’t need to take a photo of yourself in a bikini (as
if I would!)
I’m sure that at one point or another, you may have
Googled for help on how to promote your books, how to sell more books
and Google being Google, there are thousands, if not millions of
articles out there.
That’s what I thought when I wanted to first start researching, and I was more than overwhelmed when I started reading them.
‘You need to start a blog, and create a mailing list’
‘You need to actively promote yourself on social media-Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc’
‘You need to customise your website and update with content consistently’
I got so confused that I almost wanted to STOP writing altogether, I’m serious!
I didn’t know where to start, which was the best
way to go in terms of getting my name out there, it seemed like I had to
do about 10 things at a time to promote myself. And obviously different
things work for different people so I read
a lot of contrasting advice:
-You need to start blogging and promote yourself to promote the launch of your debut novel.
As opposed to
-You need to have written several books BEFORE you start promoting your novel.
And what about someone with various book projects,
in different genres and facets like myself? In one of my previous posts I shared the most insightful advice from Kim @ Your Writer
Platform, about how to structure your website/blog
and how to plan how to publish your content. If you are in that
category of not knowing needing some guidance on that first step please
check that link out.
But this post is for those that are starting out,
that have felt a bit overwhelmed with all the ‘things and stuff’ you
need to do to be a credible author.
I have copied in the most simple and profound
advice from a best-selling author Tom Carson-Knowles who simplified it
for me, giving me the clarity I needed:
This was my question:
Firstly I just want to say thanks for putting out great content, I am really glad I came across your course!
I am currently in the midst of writing several books in different genres: one novel, one self help book about networking, and one on natural remedies.
I am quite lost on how to get started as these books are all quite different, I thought the best way to promote them whilst creating a following was to create a website/blog dedicated to my journey as a self-published author, and feature all the books there.
Do you think that is a good idea or do I need to do something more specific?
Regards,
Maggie
His response, although it was short, was to the point and exactly the guidance I needed.
His response:
I'm all about simplicity, so I'd rather have one website and one blog and one Facebook page, etc. to promote all my work on. It takes A LOT less time to manage one website vs. 3 or more for each market you write for. And as they say, time is money :) When you're just starting out, the key is just to get started. Whatever mistakes you make, you can correct along the way. That's just my personal preference - there's no right or wrong way to do it. Hope that helps!
His advice really gave me clarity and direction,
and I have kept his response in a little journal for me to refer to
whenever I am lost.
There is no right time to start doing anything, you just have to start now and work with it, because the sooner you start the sooner you will start learning how to improve.
As a result I have decided to join Twitter: I
didn’t know what the hell I was doing, and I’m still getting acquainted
with it as I write this post-I mean what is the point of hashtags?
But you know what, only 2 weeks in and I have a 100
followers, all within my target market: aspiring authors, publishers,
support groups and such. I even got a few bestselling authors to start
following me! My point is, if I had started
being active at the beginning of the year who knows how many more
followers I could have gotten by now, and I would have a much better
leverage to start promoting my book? (FYI I am no expert on Twitter and I
am a complete noob, but if I get better at it I
will share any insights I learn!)
Now that I have thrown myself into using Twitter, I
feel more confident about updating this blog, because I am getting more
traffic as a result from using Twitter, I don’t feel as nervous or as
scared anymore. I try and take little ‘wins’
as something to be excited and proud of!
What are your thoughts, do you agree?
Happy writing everyone!
Monday, 15 December 2014
How to Come Up with Your Book Ending And Overcome That Last Bout of Writer's Block
Hi All!
So I am at the knitty gritty end of my family drama novel, with no set WIP (yes its terrible but I will need some help with this, or I was going to wait until I was actually finished to think of a name that suited the novel tone)
Having written this novel since May 2014, I have written, re-written, edited, deleted, you name it, I have made changes to this book. I foresee making more changes when I have finished the book. Being my first novel, I've decided to just jump right in and do what I love: write. I haven't taken any writing courses before, so my writing skills would definitely be raw.
I am learning as much as I can as I go along.
I am sad to have to say goodbye to my novel and end it, its been a big part of me for the best part of this year and I don't know how to end it. I had so many possibilities of what to do, but I honestly do not know what is suitable.
Whilst scouring the internet and asking people on social media for advice I have gotten some valuable and genuine advice.
The things I have taken is:
-Think calmly and coolly: You have gone through all the effort, now is not the time to jump ship and avoid finishing it off. It can be intimidating to want to start another novel if you cannot think of the ending, but you have come all this way, why give up now? Its like running a hurdles race, you are coming first in a race for your novel but are you going to just abandon that last hurdle?
-Write, write write: This might sound lame but you just have to keep doing what you love doing, which is writing! Jot down whatever ideas you have. I literally did this yesterday, and only came up with two options, but after assessing what I did manage to come up with, I was satisfied with one of the two and now I have direction.
-Re-assess your novel: If you still cannot come up with an ending, summarise what has really happened so far in your novel. Is there a plot twist or cliffhanger that needs to be addressed? Will it affect the ending? Is there something that needs to be resolved?
-How you want to position your novel: The business aspect needs to kick in. Do you want to end your novel here? Or do you intend to turn your work into a sequel? You can leave the book at a cliffhanger (don't make it too frustrating though, I hate books that leave me itching too much for the answers!) and then plan your sequel, or you can decided now that you want to end the book for good. In my case I have decided that I want to turn keep this novel a solo one.
Do you have any other suggestions or tips? I would love to hear-after all I am just an aspiring writer who peruses my time through books, Google and Twitter!
So I am at the knitty gritty end of my family drama novel, with no set WIP (yes its terrible but I will need some help with this, or I was going to wait until I was actually finished to think of a name that suited the novel tone)
Having written this novel since May 2014, I have written, re-written, edited, deleted, you name it, I have made changes to this book. I foresee making more changes when I have finished the book. Being my first novel, I've decided to just jump right in and do what I love: write. I haven't taken any writing courses before, so my writing skills would definitely be raw.
I am learning as much as I can as I go along.
I am sad to have to say goodbye to my novel and end it, its been a big part of me for the best part of this year and I don't know how to end it. I had so many possibilities of what to do, but I honestly do not know what is suitable.
Whilst scouring the internet and asking people on social media for advice I have gotten some valuable and genuine advice.
The things I have taken is:
-Think calmly and coolly: You have gone through all the effort, now is not the time to jump ship and avoid finishing it off. It can be intimidating to want to start another novel if you cannot think of the ending, but you have come all this way, why give up now? Its like running a hurdles race, you are coming first in a race for your novel but are you going to just abandon that last hurdle?
-Write, write write: This might sound lame but you just have to keep doing what you love doing, which is writing! Jot down whatever ideas you have. I literally did this yesterday, and only came up with two options, but after assessing what I did manage to come up with, I was satisfied with one of the two and now I have direction.
-Re-assess your novel: If you still cannot come up with an ending, summarise what has really happened so far in your novel. Is there a plot twist or cliffhanger that needs to be addressed? Will it affect the ending? Is there something that needs to be resolved?
-How you want to position your novel: The business aspect needs to kick in. Do you want to end your novel here? Or do you intend to turn your work into a sequel? You can leave the book at a cliffhanger (don't make it too frustrating though, I hate books that leave me itching too much for the answers!) and then plan your sequel, or you can decided now that you want to end the book for good. In my case I have decided that I want to turn keep this novel a solo one.
Do you have any other suggestions or tips? I would love to hear-after all I am just an aspiring writer who peruses my time through books, Google and Twitter!
Friday, 12 December 2014
Historical Research
I'm at the pointy end of my fiction novel, towards the climatic scene where my main characters are about to reunite with an estranged family member.
I have done some research about old historical houses, set on a beautiful beach landscape, in a quiet country town.
In particular I am looking to describe a fairly haunted house, although there are residents in the house, it is supposed to give off a fairly old and aged vibe.
As a part-time author who only writes as a hobby with no training, I am really pleasantly surprised at the abundance of resources online to help you with writing for inspiration.
This particularly site I am thankful for-and no I will not copy a single word from this link, but will use it for inspiration in drawing my words.
http://www.descriptionari.com/describe/abandoned-house/
I have done some research about old historical houses, set on a beautiful beach landscape, in a quiet country town.
In particular I am looking to describe a fairly haunted house, although there are residents in the house, it is supposed to give off a fairly old and aged vibe.
As a part-time author who only writes as a hobby with no training, I am really pleasantly surprised at the abundance of resources online to help you with writing for inspiration.
This particularly site I am thankful for-and no I will not copy a single word from this link, but will use it for inspiration in drawing my words.
http://www.descriptionari.com/describe/abandoned-house/
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Best Advice I Have Received
Hi Guys,
I've been a bit lost at how to continue with my blog and as a newbie author I would imagine this has crossed your minds several times.
Have you been confused as to how to promote your works, especially if they are in different genres?
I have that issue especially, writing both fiction and non-fiction. Because my books are all quite different in genres, I was really lost at how to get started-hence this blog is my avenue for me to post my journey, frustrations and any advice I have learnt along the way.
But I have come through a breakthrough, and have received the most helpful advice from this amazing blog that I stumbled across when I was desperate for advice, and Googled for help.
The blog is http://www.yourwriterplatform.com/ and Kim is the brains behind it all. If you are a up and coming author, please check out this site (I don't know Kim personally and I have no affiliate with her at all).
I wrote to her the other day, having been ignored by several other bloggers and marketing experts and was astounded at how promptly she responded.
My question was:
Hi Kim,
Firstly I just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful
information you have posted on this site, I am so glad I found this
and its on my bookmarks!
I am a newbie writer, who writes in my spare time. I do want to take
writing seriously so I want to focus on building my platform/brand
first before releasing anything.
My question is: I am currently working on several different projects,
all in different genres. For instance I'm writing a self help book
witha friend, I've written a book about natural remedies, and I'm
working on a fiction novel. I would presume its easiest to just
promote them all on the one site, but how do I balance promoting such
different genre books?
Should I blog about their updates at different times? Do I need to
establish a prescence for one of the books before launching?
Happy Thanksgiving by the way!
Best regards,
Maggie
Her response blew me away: it was detailed yet simple and to the point and gave me direction that I was severely lacking.
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for the positive feedback! :)
Your question is a tricky one, but you're not the only writer to be wondering how to handle the promotion of multiple genres.
Creative people's creativity is hard to corral! :)
Ideally, you would want different sites for each genre, with a content, promotional and marketing strategy to fit the needs of your various target markets.
BUT, realistically, this would be very difficult for you to maintain on your own.
Therefore, option B is to create a site under your name as author (or some close variation) and organize your site based on themes, topics or genres that fit your work. (And remember to think long term; what will you be writing about over the next 2-5 years?)
So, given what you're currently writing (and assuming your next several books will fall into these areas), you could consider breaking down your site as follows:
A. Nonfiction works
a) Lifestyle
i) Self help
- Book #1
ii) Natural Remedies
- Book #1
B. Fiction works
a) Novels
i) Novel #1
OR
A. Self help
a) Book #1
B. Natural Remedies
a) Book #1
C. Novels
a) Book #1
You will also have to determine how you would like to structure your content, what topics/categories you will write about, and possibly a schedule for your post topics.
For example, Monday's could be self help related topics, Wednesday's could be natural remedy related topics, and Friday's topics will relate to your fiction.
Or, you may determine that your target audience for all your books are women, ages 25 - 45 years. Then you could focus your content on lifestyle related topics that appeal to the needs/interests of these women (which may include crossover interest in your novels).
One you've clearly determined what you have to offer, and who it is EXACTLY you're trying to reach, you can more easily determine your marketing plan from there.
If you haven't already, take a look through these posts on branding and determining your ideal reader:
http://www.yourwriterplatform.
http://www.yourwriterplatform.
As you can see, there is no one "right way" to accomplish this. The key will be to find a way to structure your site (and your marketing) to answer your reader's question: "What's in it for me?"
Warmly,
Kimberley
I don't know how to repay you other than linking her to my blog, but this has helped so much and I wanted to share this with you too.
I will now use this to update my website: I will finalise a name for my website and transfer all the content I have created so far to this new website, hopefully it will look spick and span!
Have a nice day!
I've been a bit lost at how to continue with my blog and as a newbie author I would imagine this has crossed your minds several times.
Have you been confused as to how to promote your works, especially if they are in different genres?
I have that issue especially, writing both fiction and non-fiction. Because my books are all quite different in genres, I was really lost at how to get started-hence this blog is my avenue for me to post my journey, frustrations and any advice I have learnt along the way.
But I have come through a breakthrough, and have received the most helpful advice from this amazing blog that I stumbled across when I was desperate for advice, and Googled for help.
The blog is http://www.yourwriterplatform.com/ and Kim is the brains behind it all. If you are a up and coming author, please check out this site (I don't know Kim personally and I have no affiliate with her at all).
I wrote to her the other day, having been ignored by several other bloggers and marketing experts and was astounded at how promptly she responded.
My question was:
Hi Kim,
Firstly I just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful
information you have posted on this site, I am so glad I found this
and its on my bookmarks!
I am a newbie writer, who writes in my spare time. I do want to take
writing seriously so I want to focus on building my platform/brand
first before releasing anything.
My question is: I am currently working on several different projects,
all in different genres. For instance I'm writing a self help book
witha friend, I've written a book about natural remedies, and I'm
working on a fiction novel. I would presume its easiest to just
promote them all on the one site, but how do I balance promoting such
different genre books?
Should I blog about their updates at different times? Do I need to
establish a prescence for one of the books before launching?
Happy Thanksgiving by the way!
Best regards,
Maggie
Her response blew me away: it was detailed yet simple and to the point and gave me direction that I was severely lacking.
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for the positive feedback! :)
Your question is a tricky one, but you're not the only writer to be wondering how to handle the promotion of multiple genres.
Creative people's creativity is hard to corral! :)
Ideally, you would want different sites for each genre, with a content, promotional and marketing strategy to fit the needs of your various target markets.
BUT, realistically, this would be very difficult for you to maintain on your own.
Therefore, option B is to create a site under your name as author (or some close variation) and organize your site based on themes, topics or genres that fit your work. (And remember to think long term; what will you be writing about over the next 2-5 years?)
So, given what you're currently writing (and assuming your next several books will fall into these areas), you could consider breaking down your site as follows:
A. Nonfiction works
a) Lifestyle
i) Self help
- Book #1
ii) Natural Remedies
- Book #1
B. Fiction works
a) Novels
i) Novel #1
OR
A. Self help
a) Book #1
B. Natural Remedies
a) Book #1
C. Novels
a) Book #1
You will also have to determine how you would like to structure your content, what topics/categories you will write about, and possibly a schedule for your post topics.
For example, Monday's could be self help related topics, Wednesday's could be natural remedy related topics, and Friday's topics will relate to your fiction.
Or, you may determine that your target audience for all your books are women, ages 25 - 45 years. Then you could focus your content on lifestyle related topics that appeal to the needs/interests of these women (which may include crossover interest in your novels).
One you've clearly determined what you have to offer, and who it is EXACTLY you're trying to reach, you can more easily determine your marketing plan from there.
If you haven't already, take a look through these posts on branding and determining your ideal reader:
http://www.yourwriterplatform.
http://www.yourwriterplatform.
As you can see, there is no one "right way" to accomplish this. The key will be to find a way to structure your site (and your marketing) to answer your reader's question: "What's in it for me?"
Warmly,
Kimberley
I don't know how to repay you other than linking her to my blog, but this has helped so much and I wanted to share this with you too.
I will now use this to update my website: I will finalise a name for my website and transfer all the content I have created so far to this new website, hopefully it will look spick and span!
Have a nice day!
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Socializing Book Update
I've been putting off my novel a bit more this week to work on the design for the socializing book.
As mentioned in my 'Books' Page, the book is basically finished but we wanted to build a website to gain some followers first, and we are also filming some (hopefully funny) videos to go along with it!
The main point we emphasize in our book is that anyone, ANYONE, regardless of their personality, or perceived personality can successfully socialize and in the book we aim to tackle and give easy and applicable advice for all.
We have gotten a freelance editor to go through it, but we want to really understand our audience and thought it best to go and gain a following before releasing the book.
We would like the website to be an online home and destination for anyone who has any questions about socialising, wants to have a laugh or just wants to network with other people. We aren't psychologists or anything, and we want to keep it fun, hip and down to earth.
So, my question to you is:
What would you like to see on the website?
-Tips & Quizzes?
-Downloads?
-Tracker Sheets?
Post your comment below or contact me directly, I would love to hear from you!
As mentioned in my 'Books' Page, the book is basically finished but we wanted to build a website to gain some followers first, and we are also filming some (hopefully funny) videos to go along with it!
The main point we emphasize in our book is that anyone, ANYONE, regardless of their personality, or perceived personality can successfully socialize and in the book we aim to tackle and give easy and applicable advice for all.
We have gotten a freelance editor to go through it, but we want to really understand our audience and thought it best to go and gain a following before releasing the book.
We would like the website to be an online home and destination for anyone who has any questions about socialising, wants to have a laugh or just wants to network with other people. We aren't psychologists or anything, and we want to keep it fun, hip and down to earth.
So, my question to you is:
What would you like to see on the website?
-Tips & Quizzes?
-Downloads?
-Tracker Sheets?
Post your comment below or contact me directly, I would love to hear from you!
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Working on my first novel today
Hey y'all
So its a hot Thursday night and I have had a long day at work, but you know what I want to keep writing! Naturally I am going to grab a large cup of tea and my laptop and continue work on my first fiction novel.
I've been thinking of changing my character's name.
So my two main characters are sisters: the eldest is Ivy who is beautiful, glamorous who is married to a rich Hollywood producer. She is an actress and model but because she has always depended on men all her life to provide for her, has never had to work hard. Nor is she a good actress.
The younger sister is Rosie, who is the complete opposite, a bookish corporate woman, working as a forensic accountant, who never wears makeup.
They were close as children but grew apart when Ivy went to college and got mixed up with the more high rolling crowd, eventually basing herself in America.
I am about 70% done but as always I am questioning bits and pieces along the way.
For example over the last week I have actually considered making the following changes:
-Changing where they were based: originally I made them based from San Diego, with the novel being set in Beverly Hills. I'm thinking of making the sisters originally from Sydney, Australia (where I'm from!) and making Rosie live there too. I originally had Rosie living in New York but I am thinking of seriously changing it all to Sydney Australia. I will still retain the novel being in Beverly Hills, as I have done a lot of research on the area (plus I want to go there!)
-Changing character name: I wanted to give both the sisters a plant/flower based name and I had intended to call the sisters Ivy and Zinnia. Overtime I didn't feel very connected to the name Zinnia and hence changed it Rosie.
What do you think, do you think these are good changes?
Should I revert back to my original ones?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
So its a hot Thursday night and I have had a long day at work, but you know what I want to keep writing! Naturally I am going to grab a large cup of tea and my laptop and continue work on my first fiction novel.
I've been thinking of changing my character's name.
So my two main characters are sisters: the eldest is Ivy who is beautiful, glamorous who is married to a rich Hollywood producer. She is an actress and model but because she has always depended on men all her life to provide for her, has never had to work hard. Nor is she a good actress.
The younger sister is Rosie, who is the complete opposite, a bookish corporate woman, working as a forensic accountant, who never wears makeup.
They were close as children but grew apart when Ivy went to college and got mixed up with the more high rolling crowd, eventually basing herself in America.
I am about 70% done but as always I am questioning bits and pieces along the way.
For example over the last week I have actually considered making the following changes:
-Changing where they were based: originally I made them based from San Diego, with the novel being set in Beverly Hills. I'm thinking of making the sisters originally from Sydney, Australia (where I'm from!) and making Rosie live there too. I originally had Rosie living in New York but I am thinking of seriously changing it all to Sydney Australia. I will still retain the novel being in Beverly Hills, as I have done a lot of research on the area (plus I want to go there!)
-Changing character name: I wanted to give both the sisters a plant/flower based name and I had intended to call the sisters Ivy and Zinnia. Overtime I didn't feel very connected to the name Zinnia and hence changed it Rosie.
What do you think, do you think these are good changes?
Should I revert back to my original ones?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thursday, 13 November 2014
First Post!
Hi Guys,
This is my first post and just if you haven't seen my 'About Me' Page I am a newbie author who has to find as much time as I can to do what I love: writing and more.
As of November 2014, I have mainly completed one book, my first non-fiction book.
It is a book about Natural Remedies, and I have basically researched and compiled 7 things you can do everyday that can make a huge difference to your lifestyle. This wasn't one of those random, 'let me think of an eBook I can make a quick buck off' but I got hooked on using natural remedies about two years ago due to my eczema, and long story short, I spent hundreds of dollars on products that went to waste. I started trying natural remedies to help with my skin and lo and behold it did wonders and from then I was obsessed, wanting to find out what else was good for me. It didn't take long for me to yap on about it to friends, colleagues, family before they all suggested I should note some of these tips down.
This first book has taken a few solid months of scientific research, culling and frustration at deciding on content. I have a working title Beautiful Inside and Out: 7 Natural Remedies You Should do Everyday, and even though it is basically finished I am still not completely happy with it.
Here is an excerpt from the book which describes how the book works:
I am still in the middle of editing and formatting it, but would love it if you can let me know what else I should put in the book.
As I build this blog up I will develop an email list you can join so you can kept up-to date with all my posts and updates from me.
I will also post up excepts from my books for opinions as well, as at the end of the day I want to write books that people will enjoy and get value out of!
See you on the other side!
This is my first post and just if you haven't seen my 'About Me' Page I am a newbie author who has to find as much time as I can to do what I love: writing and more.
As of November 2014, I have mainly completed one book, my first non-fiction book.
It is a book about Natural Remedies, and I have basically researched and compiled 7 things you can do everyday that can make a huge difference to your lifestyle. This wasn't one of those random, 'let me think of an eBook I can make a quick buck off' but I got hooked on using natural remedies about two years ago due to my eczema, and long story short, I spent hundreds of dollars on products that went to waste. I started trying natural remedies to help with my skin and lo and behold it did wonders and from then I was obsessed, wanting to find out what else was good for me. It didn't take long for me to yap on about it to friends, colleagues, family before they all suggested I should note some of these tips down.
This first book has taken a few solid months of scientific research, culling and frustration at deciding on content. I have a working title Beautiful Inside and Out: 7 Natural Remedies You Should do Everyday, and even though it is basically finished I am still not completely happy with it.
Here is an excerpt from the book which describes how the book works:
This book is broken up into 2 sections. As the book it titled 7 Daily
Habits, the Inner Beauty Section has 3 Daily Habits and the Outer Beauty
Section has 4.
The first is for Inner Beauty: these tips are to help improve your health.
Backed by medical research, these are very general tips that, if done daily has
been suggested to make positive changes to your body. They are easy to do, very
cheap, but most importantly have been known to be very effective in making a
real difference to improving your health. They can be easily added to your
daily routine, and at the end of the day, isn’t good to pick up some good
habits?
The second section is Outer Beauty: whilst Inner Beauty talks about your
overall health, this last section is to make you feel beautiful, literally. I
have made these tips fairly gender neutral so they can apply to even the most
macho men! No I’m not going to recommend getting a facial every day, nor am I
going to recommend you throw out all your current skincare products. These are
easy to do, and effective tips that you can use alongside what you are
currently using. I would recommend you start using them in small doses first to
see if you have any reactions to the ingredients, and gradually go from there.
I have never looked back and can safely say I have never had better skin and
hair.
I am still in the middle of editing and formatting it, but would love it if you can let me know what else I should put in the book.
As I build this blog up I will develop an email list you can join so you can kept up-to date with all my posts and updates from me.
I will also post up excepts from my books for opinions as well, as at the end of the day I want to write books that people will enjoy and get value out of!
See you on the other side!
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