Giveaways—a helpful way of promoting?

Right now, Vintage Reflections has two giveaways underway to celebrate our latest children’s book release, When My Grandma Sings by Robena Egemonye (illustrated by Judi Spooner). We’ve received a lot of entries in these giveaways which got me to thinking of authors believe this is a good promotional vehicle.

So what are your thoughts? As a writer, do you think it’s worth the cost of two or three books to help get your name out there, especially with so many people have thousands of friends on Facebook?

As a reader, do you enter giveaways because you’re looking for new authors to read, you like to win things, or the book is written by your favorite author?

How much of an impact do giveaways have, and do you think giving away a book is enhanced by the author and/or illustrator’s signature?

Post your answers in the comments’ section and then be sure to enter the two giveaways for When My Grandma Sings. Links provided below.

http://www.vrpublishing.com (front page)

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2010/09/giveaway-when-my-grandma-sings-by-robena-egemonye-and-illustrated-by-judi-spooner.html

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In Memoriam—Jennifer Rardin

Jennifer Rardin, a truly creative author, passed away on September 20, 2010. As a writer’s legacy, she leaves behind an army of readers and fans, her written works that will live on forever in print, and gratitude for those who used her books to escape into a fantasy world for the sheer pleasure of reading.

May she rest in peace, and may future generations continue to enjoy the Jaz Parks series of books for years to come.

Her family is in our thoughts and prayers.

The Write Team by Teryl Cartwright

Of course you’ve heard that writers work alone. You’ve probably also heard what a lonely job it is. But one of the best kept writing secrets around is that you are not alone. The best writers work with a team. Sure, you may have to sit in front of the computer by yourself and each word comes from your hand, but you need a team to make it to the next step.

I’m not referring to writers’ groups or classes. I don’t mean the online friends who give you research tips or like your status on Facebook. And please say “no” right now critique clubs and authors’ events. I’m talking about the team you recruit to help you write. You will need a cheerleader (to save your world), a mentor, a coach and finally, Simon Cowell. And you need these people in that exact order.

When you begin to write and the words gush freely and so beautifully, who do you go to share this wondrous miracle? Who gets as excited about you writing as you do? Whether it’s your BF, your spouse, your mom or the cheerful checkout gal, this person is vital to keep the spark alive, to get you to actually put the words on paper and get started. Their enthusiasm feeds yours and you need this person to be there and be energizing for you.

Yet even as you begin your writing adventure, you may start to have doubts or get stuck on how overwhelming it is to try to write when so much else demands your attention. Do you ever find it impossible to keep typing because you can’t get the image of the weeds in the backyard out of your head? Do you ever feel guilty when the kids get their snack ten minutes later than normal because you didn’t want to lose your train of thought and had to get it on paper first? Think about who you can call to listen to your struggles. You need a different person from the cheerleader who would tell you everything is great or going to be fine. In fact, at this stage, cheerleading might be annoying to you because that person “just doesn’t get it.” Find a mentor, someone who listens without advice, someone who cares without trying to solve your problem for you. Their support will help you balance writing with living and let you go through the process yourself.

In the next stage of a book (which is often the before the middle), you’ve been writing but you’ve lost the first glow of enthusiasm and your persistence is waning. You can see you’ve gone far, but you are not at the top of the hill, you are still in no man’s land. It’s at this point many writers give up and leave a half finished book to start another with a “better” idea or put their book down to finish later since “there’s not much more left to do.” Let me warn you now that half finished books are the hardest to finish because you will forget the ideas and the reasons you wrote the first part if you stop now. You need someone to hold you accountable. While you might consider this next person a personal trainer, a coach might be a better term to use. Personal trainers can’t make you do the exercise, but a coach is someone you admire and respect enough to want to impress. Get that someone, whether another writer or a co-worker, to ask you how much writing you’ve done each day. Don’t ask someone really close to you such as a spouse or parent to do this job—you will only resent their questions. Ask someone who will get you to keep going. Your coach will get you working through the middle of the book, through the writer’s block and help you set your sights on the goal, the homestretch.

Finally, you’ve finished the book. Is it time to celebrate? Yes! But there’s still one member left on your team to see. Still one more person you need for your book. I saved Simon Cowell for last. This person is not merely the critic; this person is the honest voice. You do not want to talk to or even recruit Simon until AFTER the book is done and AFTER all of your other three teammates have read it. To let Simon comment on a work in progress will guarantee you won’t finish it. Ever. Your Simon shouldn’t even know you are working on a book until you are done. This is really important. There are enough critics in the world, why let one judge you before you want anyone else’s opinions?

Choose your Simon wisely. Don’t pick someone with an agenda (such as a rival writer) and don’t pick someone who would like to take over or tell you what to do. Pick someone neutral and fair, someone who reads all different types of writing, because that person can speak from a broader base of experience.

If you can let your team help you write, you will find success and hold a finished first draft. You will cherish the joy of the cheerleader, the support of the mentor, the push of the coach and finally, the measured and deserved words of your critic as you start to revise your book into the next bestseller. Just go through the same process listed above for your book again…and again. With your team helping you “write” along.

Simon Cowell writing team writing enthusiasm mentor coach book critic first draft Teryl Cartwright Courting Constance Inspirational Romance Romance Vintage Reflections Publishing writing writing process

Perseverance after Rejections

I wrote an article for FarmLife magazine on my rescue dog Rocky. He is a beautiful black and tan Husky that was hit by a car and left for dead. His back leg and tail had to be amputated, but the day after his surgery he walked out of the veterinarian’s office and into our hearts.

When I saw my article about Rocky’s harrowing experience in print I was hooked. I set an original writing goal to have something published to honor each of my beloved family pets for all eternity.

With the success of publication came the inevitable rejection. Oh the devastation of receiving those initial rejection letters in the mail hurt deeply. I could have given up, I wanted to give up a few times, and then my stubborn nature took over. When I received a rejection in the mail I would immediately submit the story to another publisher, or magazine, based on the theory that ten separate publishers could give me ten different reactions to what I had crafted. Perseverance means determination, and I was determined. The key in writing is to find the right match for your manuscript, short story, or article. A rejection doesn’t mean your writing is lacking it could mean the publisher has met their quota for your genre at the current time. I received enough rejections for my first novel that I could have wallpapered my den with them. If I would have abandoned my determination I would never have received the publishing contract from Vintage Reflections for my first picture book, What If a Zebra had Triangles?

Rejection can arrive in many forms, some rejections are a form letter, sometimes you don’t get a response, and sometimes the letter contains a glimmer of hope such as, good premise, shows promise, but…

Take the “but..”, fix it and re-submit. Don’t scream artistic talent, or writer’s prerogative! Publishers have been in this business long enough to make informed requests for changes.

Set your goals, be determined, and persevere. Rejection is part of the process of publication but if you are lucky enough to get a suggestion from a publisher, take it with a grain of salt and a shot of─perseverance, and resubmit. Please feel free to visit my website at www.victoriaroder.com

Victoria Roder lives in Central Wisconsin with her husband Ron and a house full of pets. She is the author of The Dream House Visions and Nightmares, Asylett Press, Bolt Action, Champagne Books and coming soon from Vintage Reflections Publishing, What if a Zebra had Triangles?

perseverance dealing with rejection motivation Vintage Reflections Publishing epublisher ebooks traditional publisher romance Inspirational Romance magazine articles publication success determination What If a Zebra Had Triangles Victoria Roder

Good Author References

Sometimes when people find out that I am an author, they ask me a lot of questions. Usually this comes from those who say they always wanted to write a book, but just somehow never got around to it. They might ask me where I get my ideas. For me ideas can come from anywhere. I might see something on TV and it will bring an idea to mind. For example, at the beginning of the Iraq war a female soldier named Jessica Lynch made headlines when she got captured and later rescued. I really admired her service and those of other brave soldiers, both male and female. But I really wondered what would make a woman sign up to join the army and march off to war. Since I really love historicals, I did some research and found out that lots of women did just that during the Civil War. Thus, my character, Charlotte “Charlie” Garrett was created as a woman who follows her husband into the Confederate army.

Once you open your eyes and your ears to the world around you, there will be no end to the story ideas that can come to mind.

People also ask me how I was able to get published and other questions dealing with the publishing industry. I tell them you have to first finish that book and write it the best you can. Then you have to learn some of the business involved. I’ve put together a list of books and links that I hope will be helpful to anyone just starting out writing that book or trying to get one published. Don’t give up!

~Diane Wylie, author of four historical romances

http://www.dianewylie.com

———————-

Great reference books to have on hand:

Good dictionary

Thesaurus

Any style guide, example: Chicago Manual of Style

The Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.

Good websites for writing information:

Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials – http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Grammar Usage and Style –

http://www.refdesk.com/factgram.html

Guide to Grammar and Style –

http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/index.html

The Word Detective –

http://www.word-detective.com

Publishers Marketplace –

http://publishersmarketplace.com/search.html

Preditors and Editors –

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Writer Beware –

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/

Directory of ePublishers –

http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/epublishers.html

http://www.dianewylie.com
Secrets and Sacrifices – 4 1/2 stars Romantic Times
Jenny’s Passion – 5 Angels and Recommended Read
Lila’s Vow – “Extraordinary story” 5 Cups and Coffee Time Reviewers Recommend
Adam’s Treasure – Out now from The Wild Rose Press
http://dianewylie.blogspot.com

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Where, Oh, Where Did My Manuscript Go?

Keeping Track of Your Manuscripts

We calendar our doctors’ appointments, our children’s ball games, social engagements, and vacations because, if we didn’t, we might miss one. It makes sense that we need help with our busy lives. As an author, though, you have the added stress of keeping track of those pesky manuscripts you’ve sent out, especially if you’re a prolific writer.

Have you ever been waiting to hear back from a publisher only to realize you had never sent it to that publisher? Maybe you thought you had or you had intended to. Regardless, you’ve been waiting three months, and that’s time wasted.

What if you write articles, short stories, and books? What about the contests you’ve entered? How do you keep track of those? How do you remember if you’ve sent out a query letter, a query with synopsis, a partial manuscript, or a full manuscript?

How can you be expected to remember the approximate turnaround time? Do you know when it’s okay to follow-up with an editor or agent? You would if you keep track of all of your submissions.

Some authors choose to use a spreadsheet or just a regular document to keep track, but a lot of authors are now turning to the more helpful manuscript trackers. I’ve included a few links below:

http://mstracker.com/

http://www.manuscripttracker.com/

http://quickbrownfox.org/sw/tracker/ (for Mac users only)

http://www.spacejock.com/Sonar3.html (free program)

http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/manuscript_software/ (Publisher Tracker 1.5—freeware)

(This list does not constitute an endorsement of any of these products.)

Of course, if you do use tracking software, you do have to be constantly vigilant with backing-up your information.

If you want to go old-school and keep a hard copy of your submissions, you can’t go wrong reading this article: http://www.ehow.com/how_5020644_keep-track-written-articles-websites.html. Though it’s geared toward articles, it can easily be applied to manuscripts.

Whichever way you choose to go, make sure you have a system that works for you, especially once you have three or more articles or manuscripts circulating. With our busy lives, it’s so easy to forget, and your writing is your future paycheck. Don’t forget to take it to the bank!

manuscripts trackers scheduling partials queries synopsis

Contests—Worth an unpublished author’s time and money?

Contests can be a great way to win recognition for your work if you’re a struggling writer, a way to break into the industry, and just a thumbs-up, especially if you place. They can also be costly unless you only enter the no-fee contests which are few and far between. So the question is should an aspiring author enter a lot of contests while they’re waiting on a publishing contract?

The simple answer is there isn’t one, but here are a few suggestions our staff has come up with that might help you make wise choices when it comes to choosing the right contests, how to know you’re getting the most bang for your buck, and how often you should enter.

1. Choose wisely and frugally. An author who has yet to be published can get so caught up in the excitement of potentially winning in a contest that he/she loses focus on the big picture which is getting a publishing contract. So set a limit of the number of contests you will allow yourself to enter every six months (or whatever time frame you choose). A good rule is to never have more contest entries than you have books sent out for consideration to publishing houses.

2. When you’re first beginning in your career, choose the no-fee entry contests. Even if you don’t place, you might get some feedback on your writing that will help you grow as an author.

3. If you’re looking to get into a certain publishing house, pay attention to their contests. Some publishers offer yearly contests that will earn you a spot in their stable of authors, and usually, the entries are free.

4. If you’ve entered three or more entry fee contests and haven’t placed, consider refining your work before you enter another contest. Also, you might consider going the no-entry fee route to see if you can get some feedback.

5. And finally, get as much information as you can about the contest before you pay that entry fee. Make sure it’s an established contest and not some fly-by-night contest eager for money. Before you spend money, do your research.

We wish you the best of luck with your entries, and should you place, make sure that figures prominently in your future query letters!

Technorati Tags: contests,unpublished,authors,entries,fees,publishing,query letter

Creating the Puzzle—Finishing Your Synopsis

Let’s list the steps to assembling a synopsis. It’ll make it easier and give you a checklist to go by.

Determine your hook.

List at least three major points for each chapter of your book.

Determine if any of the points are unnecessary or redundant.

Write a paragraph about each main point.

Determine your ending.

The last step is a new one but just as important as the opening hook. You want to leave the editor with a feeling of completion. Do not, under any circumstances, allude to a major plot point which you’ve neglected to include or end the synopsis with a question or without a wrap up. Your synopsis is the book report of your manuscript. It needs to tell all without being too verbose. I would imagine the next question would be, how do I do that? If you’re ready to start putting together your puzzle, let’s get started.

Take a look at the paragraph I’ve written below:

Hailey Armstrong’s life hangs in the balance. (opening hook and first major point in Chapter One)She has no where to go and doesn’t have a dime to her name to get her to safety. Forced to place her trust in a stranger’s hands, she agrees to accompany the lanky cowboy to Colorado Territory. (second major point in Chapter One)That is her first mistake. Her second is ignoring her instincts, that nagging voice, barely above a whisper, which warns her of danger. (third major point in Chapter One)

Not every chapter will have three major plot points. Maybe your chapters only focus on one aspect of the plot. Whatever works for you in your writing will work for you in the synopsis. If you have ten chapters, each with one major point, you’ll have a ten-to-twelve paragraph synopsis, including your ending chapter(s). Note I said ending chapter(s). You may end your synopsis with as many paragraphs as it takes to wrap up the story; however, I wouldn’t suggest going over three.

It may take you some time to determine your major points, especially if you’re used to reading your chapters as a part of the entire book. You may need to read a chapter, outline the major three points, and then move on to the next chapter instead of reading the entire book and being able to list the major points. That’s not the end of the world. It’s not about how fast you write the synopsis; it’s about how well you write it.

So you’ve determined your opening hook, written your chapters, and now you’re ready to create the synopsis. What’s next? Organizing and tightening your paragraphs. Read the above sample paragraph again. Would it have made sense if I’d put the third major point of Chapter One before the first? And what about the major points for the remaining chapters? Are they in the proper order? Does each paragraph neatly segue into the next? If not, you may have some trimming to do.

One quick, though necessary lesson: In determining whether or not a point qualifies as major, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions: Is what happened necessary to the continuance of the story? If I were to remove this point, would it drastically change the story? For example, if I were to remove the fact that Hailey placed herself in the cowboy’s hands, would it drastically change the story? Absolutely. It’s a necessary inclusion because it creates the element of danger I need to continue building the story.

The final piece of the puzzle takes us back to the ending. How do you wrap up the synopsis? I always use the ending scene of my novel. Sound simple? That’s exactly how it should be. Although the above paragraph is taken from an historical novel of mine which hasn’t been completed, I have already formatted the ending scene in my mind. To that end, I can write the ending paragraph as such:

Hailey doesn’t know why she’s had to endure the traumas of her past, or even if she’ll face more danger in her future. For now, Jack loves her…and that’s enough. He saved her, promised he’d never leave her, and she believes him.

A satisfactory ending scene leaves the editor feeling sated and content. Moreover, it makes him/her want to request the novel to see if it lives up to the extraordinary synopsis you’ve provided.

Now that you have the tools I use, I hope you will put them to use and that they work as well for you as they have for me. Happy Writing!

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Assembling Your Synopsis

You have three hundred or more typewritten pages, at least ten chapters, maybe more, maybe less, and now you have to explain your manuscript to an editor.

If each of your chapters do what they’re supposed to do and contribute to your story, then they contain necessary points to include in your manuscript. I’ve heard that you should write one synopsis page for every 10,000 words, but I don’t adhere to that strict formula. I just write the synopsis, and to date, I’ve never had an editor tell me it was either too long or too short. I believe the synopsis should be as long or as short as it takes to give the editor the information he/she is looking for. The question is, how do you determine how much is too much or how little is too little? There is no pat answer to this question, but I have my own methods which I will gladly share with you.

First, if you’ve recently read your manuscript (which needs to be done before you even begin tackling the synopsis), then you should be familiar enough with your chapters to write down the main points of each. I suggest listing at least three main points for each chapter.

Next, re-read the points and see if any of them could be combined or are similar.

For example, in my first chapter of a fantasy novel I recently completed, one of my main points was the instant attraction/connection between the hero and heroine. Later on, in chapter two, I expounded on that attraction even more but I included an element of unease on behalf of the heroine. While the two points are similar, I didn’t feel it was as important to include the attraction in my main point list in Chapter One. There is such a thing as overdoing the information. Does it really matter if it was instantaneous? I didn’t think so. Therefore, I made mention of the attraction in the first part of my synopsis, but I went into greater detail later on when I included the additional feelings the heroine faced. That saved me from having to write an entire paragraph based on the attraction alone in Chapter One.

Third, write one paragraph about each of the main points once you’ve weeded through them. Most synopses start with a hook. Just as I mentioned in a previous post, the hook is your strongest marketing tool. You catch not only an editor’s eye but his/her attention. So how do you figure out the best hook for your story? Here’s your exercise for the next ten minutes. That’s all the time you have. Don’t give yourself any more because you don’t want to spend too much time dreaming up your hook. If it hasn’t come to you within a few seconds, move on and come back to it later. Ready?

List five of your favorite movies. Try to insert a mixture of drama, action, adventure, and comedy, but if the only type of movie you like is a good western, then, just list five favorite westerns. After your list is prepared, set your microwave timer or your alarm clock for ten minutes. What you need to do is come up with an opening hook for each of those movies. This task shouldn’t be too difficult if these really are your favorite movies. Here’s an example:

Engaged to a man she could never love, Rose is surprised to find herself attracted to a vagabond aboard a doomed luxury cruise ship.

I’ll give you two guesses to determine the name of the movie. If you guessed “The Titanic,” you would be correct. See how easy it is? Now you try.

Once you’ve determined your hook, written your main points and paragraphs, it’s time to assemble the pieces of the puzzle and begin writing the synopsis.

TO BE CONTINUED…

synopsis hook query conflict story author agent editor writing

The Sum of Its Parts—Summarizing Your Story

After you’ve sketched out your biography, decided on your hook, and stared at your computer screen for as much time as it would have taken you to read War and Peace, you know what’s coming. It’s time to squeeze the main points of your story into one or two short paragraphs. (I’ve seen longer queries, but giving too much information is sometimes as bad as not giving enough information.)

Just a note before we get into the summarizing: The query letter is a snapshot of your novel, designed to give the editor a quick, but powerful, look at your writing ability and your topic. While I know it might not seem fair that you’re judged on the query letter alone, think of the hundreds, no, thousands, of manuscripts an editor receives every year. A short, concise query letter enables an editor to see who you are, what you’ve written and how well you’ve written it without spending an hour reading a five page missive.

So how do you sum up an entire novel without losing your sanity? Imagine a friend asking you to describe the masterful novel you’ve just written. If you begin to expound on each and every plot line, odds are good your friend’s eyes will start to cross before you reach point number two.

So don’t tell them. Show them with a few simple, yet powerful words. Listen to the trailers for movies. The announcer (in that deep, ominous bass voice) usually sums up the movie in one enticing sentence. Very quickly, you can determine whether or not the movie interests you. Think of your summary paragraph as your movie trailer. Written well, the summary will entice the editor to choose your manuscript over your competition’s work.

I use a four ingredient recipe for summing up my novel.

Identify the conflict.

Identify the main characters.

Keep the summary active.

Leave the editor wanting more.

Here’s an exercise that always helps: Pick two of your favorite novels and write the summary for them. Limit yourself to no more than two paragraphs. Don’t worry about how long it takes you. Summarizing gets easier over time.

Now read your paragraphs aloud. Is your conflict defined? Are the main characters clearly identified? Did you use active verbs or passive? Did you show the editor a brief glimpse of each story or did you just tell him/her about it?

You want your summary to reach out and touch the editor. You want it to scream, “HEY, TAKE A LOOK AT ME!” But most of all, you want it to capture and hold the editor’s attention. It may take some practice before you feel confident your summary says what you need it to say, but the first time you catch an editor’s eye, the exhilaration will be worth all of your time and energy.

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