Posts Tagged With: blogging

Breaking Up With the Publisher From Hell

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Bad publishers. They’re everywhere, waiting to lure unsuspecting newbie authors. We’ve talked about pop-up small presses here… And, read an awesome checklist to help avoid them here… We know how to avoid them and how to tell them apart from their reputable small publisher counterparts. But, what if you already signed with a bad publisher? Or if your publisher started out with good intentions, but got lost somewhere along the way? What now?

First things first. If your publisher is honest and is interested in making things right in order to salvage his reputation and yours, he will negotiate with you. An honest, reputable publisher will NOT want to hold on to an author against their will. Why would a publisher want to work with an angry, or even hostile author? An honest publisher will try to negotiate to keep you, and if that doesn’t work, they will negotiate to release you from your contract. An honest (but incompetent) publisher will let you out of the contract while the scammer publisher will turn vindictive and will do anything to hold on to you.

If you think you might have sold your creative mojo to a Publisher from Hell, here are a few things you can do:

  1. Get a lawyer. I know not everyone can afford to do this, but many lawyers offer a free consultation and can at least tell you what your options are. For a small fee, some lawyers will send the publisher a letter, and in many cases a letter from a lawyer is enough to make the publisher sit up and take notice. A reasonable, rational publisher won’t want to spend months embroiled in a legal dispute. They’ll want to either negotiate and make things right, or they’ll cut you lose.  But, if you can’t afford a lawyer, read on…
  2. Write a letter. Ask to be released from the contract. I can’t promise this will work. It might not. But, then again it might. Writing a respectful, professional letter that lists your problems and your desire to sever the relationship might be all it takes to get out of your contract. You won’t know unless you try. I have a couple of friends who were able to break free of a notoriously bad publisher by letter writing and persistence.
  3. Save all correspondence. You should have been doing this from that very first query letter. Save every email. Make sure all correspondence is in writing. If you haven’t saved every email, don’t panic. If you have a Yahoo account, sent emails are stored in the ‘Sent’ folder for years unless you manually clear them. Gmail saves all your mail for about a month. Salvage what you can. I save all my emails as a PDF just in case Yahoo crashes and I save an extra copy on a flash drive. If you and your publisher from hell end up in court, these emails could be invaluable. It can create a papertrail of broken promises and blatant lies.
  4. Be professional. This goes back to the saving of correspondence. If you’re saving emails, your publisher might be doing the same. Don’t threaten or curse at your publisher. When you email the publisher, always think, “How will this piece of correspondence be perceived in a court of law? Will this letter damage my credibility?”
  5. Document everything. We’ve already talked about the importance of saving our emails. You’ll also want to scan and save your contract just in case something happens to the original. I highly recommend taking screenshots of your publisher’s website. Why? Did your publisher make promises on his website that were contributing factors in your decision to sign with him? Did he delete these promises later on, or even remove entire pages? Did your publisher list staff members and editors on his original website who seem to have disappeared (or perhaps never existed)? These misrepresentations  will be taken into consideration if you end up in court. If you haven’t been taking screenshots all along, fear not. You can retrieve cached copies of the site by visiting Wayback. I was able to find copies of my publisher’s site from over a year ago. You can too! If there’s a problem with formatting on your Kindle or Nook versions and your publisher has failed to fix it, take a screenshot of it on Amazon, or take a picture of your Kindle screen. Does your publisher have complaints against him on Absolute Write or P&E? Screenshot this too just in case the thread disappears. Make sure everything is dated. And, save everything in duplicate in case your computer crashes. You can never be too careful.
  6. Read your contract. Of course you read your contract when you signed it, but have you read it since? Read your contract. Know it inside and out. If your publisher is in breach on contract, you have an obligation to point this out to him. He signed the contract too. He has an obligation to stick to the terms of it–he wrote it, so there’s no excuse for him to be out of compliance. Ever. Even if you’re frustrated and angry and have lost all hope, continue to point out these breaches of contract on a regular basis because when you go to court, he won’t be able to say, “I didn’t realize I forgot to update the website for seven months.” Or, “Sorry I didn’t send you your author copies. I forgot and you didn’t remind me.” If your publisher is asking you to perform or pay for services he is contractually obligated to provide, you have the right to refuse. If your publisher is hounding you to market your book, but there is no mention in the contract that either of you are obligated to market, then he is out of line. If the publisher if obligated to provide review copies for reviewers, but refuses to do so, this is another breach of contract.
  7. Speak out. If you have a confidentiality clause in your contract, this might be hard to do. A bad publisher doesn’t want you to talk to anyone and might threaten to sue you for libel. But remember: it isn’t libel if it’s true. Your publisher can’t sue you for libel if you don’t mention him by name. You have a right to talk about your personal experience. I’m not telling anyone to rent a billboard warning passing motorists about the dangers of signing with your publisher. Use common sense and caution. But, talk to your family and friends because it really does help to share your burden. Blog about your experience if you feel comfortable doing so. Report your publisher to P&E. And, if a friend asks you if he should consider submitting a manuscript to your publisher, by all means speak out! You don’t want someone else to experience what you’ve experienced, do you?

I know every contract is different and every case is not the same. There might be extenuating circumstances that prevent you from doing any of the things I’ve listed above. If this is the case, let me know and I’ll send lots of good thoughts and sympathy your way. After all, no one deserves to be stuck with a publisher from hell. We’re all in this together.

*Disclaimer: This article is NOT a substitute for legal advice. I’m not a lawyer. This article is not necessarily referring to any particular publisher. Most small presses are NOT publishers from hell–there are some really, really good ones out there. If this article offended you in any way, please feel free to leave a comment below, or you can email me at tricia_drammeh@yahoo.com. If you are a publisher from hell and were offended by this article, I would LOVE to hear from you and so would my readers. :) *

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, author, bad publishers, contracts, publishers, publishers from hell, small publishers | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Costs of Self-Publishing

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Today, I’m going to leave small presses alone for a bit while I pick on a different sector of the publishing industry. As my good friend, Will, pointed out in a comment on my Plague of Independent Publishers post, there are self-publishing services out there that can help–and harm–authors. With small presses, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Don’t get me wrong–there are some great small presses out there. I review books for some very respected small presses. Heck, I even published The Claiming Words with a small press. So, for anyone who thinks I’m a small press hater, that isn’t so. Here’s what I hate: people who misrepresent themselves. And, for those of you considering self-publishing, there are publishing services you need to watch out for.

Editors: Hiring an editor is one of the first things you’ll need to do once you decide to publish. You can do some of the work yourself and save money by making your manuscript as clean as possible. Enlist beta readers to find plot holes and inconsistencies. Ask ruthless friends to have a hack at it. But, before publishing, you’ll have to have at least one professional set of peepers have a peek at your manuscript. When searching for an editor, you’ll find a wide range of services and prices. So many choices! What type of editor are you looking for? Do you need someone to shift commas and fix misused words? Or, does your manuscript need a substantial amount of work before you can even consider punctuation? Different editors offer different services, so you need to know what you’re looking for. You need to be clear about your expectations. And, you need to make sure you are hiring the right editor for the job. Has your editor ever tackled a five-hundred page epic fantasy novel, or is yours the first? Does your editor even like fantasy, or are her eyes going to glaze over five pages in to your book? Is the editor a retired nun who is going to red-line all the sex scenes in your erotic romance novel? Is your editor qualified to edit anything at all? Anyone can set up a website and offer editing services. Make sure you get a referral. Read something the editor has worked on–is it well-edited, or did you find errors on the first page? Be careful what you’re paying for.

Formatting Services: If you’ve ever cruised around the KDP Select Forums, you’ve heard horror stories about formatting. There are some great free resources out there that will walk you through the formatting process. Kindle can be formatted right from a Word doc. CreateSpace has downloadable templates. There are books and websites out there. You probably have friends who have formatted and will be happy to give you some tips. But, if you abhor technology or don’t have the time to do it yourself, you can pay someone else to do it for you. Again, you’ll want to make sure the company you choose is an experienced, honest, established entity before you send your manuscript to them. Prices may vary, usually depending on how many formats you need and how long the manuscript is. A friend of mine paid under one-hundred dollars for Kindle and CreateSpace formatting. This seems reasonable compared with others I’ve seen. Always use caution when sending your manuscript to a stranger on the internet. Do some research before you hit that send button.

Cover Art: This is one of the most important marketing tools for your novel. An eye-catching cover is super-mega important. They range from about thirty dollars for a pre-made e-book cover to astronomical amounts that will make your head spin. Shop around, pick a budget, and go from there. It is possible to find an affordable cover, but be careful. Don’t try to make your own cover unless you have some serious skills. Don’t let your six-year-old make your cover with the Microsoft Paint program. And, don’t be tempted to snatch images from Google to create your own cover. If you’re skilled enough to make your own cover, be prepared to spend money on stock images (double-check licensing agreements before using). If you pay an artist who uses photo-manipulation, make sure they have the rights to use the images they are using. Ask questions before hiring an artist.

Marketing and Promotion: There are some great tools out there, many of which are free (Facebook, Twitter, telling your mom to buy your book). Marketing a book is hard work. You can pay for Google ads, Facebook ads, or Goodreads ads, but this can get expensive. Start with a small budget and see what works. There are services out there that claim to help self-published authors. I’ve never used one, but I’ve had a few contact me on my Authors to Watch site. They always approach me on behalf of ‘clients.’ I never respond. It’s infuriating because these ‘clients’ are paying thousands of dollars to be featured on promotional blogs like mine–free blogs that are always happy to help new authors. I never charge for a spot on my site. Most blogs don’t. I have paid for a blog tour. A blog tour is a great way to get a dozen reviews, interviews, and book features over the course of a week for two. I’m happy to pay a nominal fee (forty dollars or so) for someone else to organize this. I am NOT willing to pay hundreds of dollars for someone to do the very same thing. If an online service wants to charge you hundreds of dollars for what is essentially a blog tour and a couple of spots on blog-talk online radio show, run! If someone offers to get your book noticed by millions of readers, they’re probably full of crap.

Self-Publishing Supermarkets: There are lots of services out there that offer to help you self-publish your book for a low, low fee of several thousand dollars. They make it look so easy–they do all the editing, formatting, cover art, and even offer marketing and promotion! What more can you ask for? How about a second mortgage on your home? I’m all for streamlining and making life easier. Hey, no one is lazier than I am. But, I’m also cheap. And, I know if I break down all these services offered in “premium platinum packages” I’m paying way more than I have to. What are these services really offering? Can you do some of these things yourself for free? Will you have to sell your first born child to pay for their packages? Be super careful with these services.

Book Review Services: Okay, here’s where it gets tricky. It’s okay to pay for a blog tour that sets up potential reviews as long as the reviewers aren’t being paid. Let me rephrase–it’s okay to pay for organizational services, but it is not okay to pay for a review. There are services out there that pay reviewers to give five star reviews on books. No, really! I saw an advertisement on Craigs List when I was job hunting. Here’s how it works–the author pays a service to get them some good reviews. Some of these services charge four-hundred dollars for one review!!! The service that was advertising on Craigs List pays reviewers twenty-five dollars per review. Hmm. Someone is making lots of money. (It isn’t me, by the way.) If you decide to use one of these services, please don’t tell me about it because I don’t want to know. I’ll be very disappointed. Very.

Well, that about it sums it up. The moral of this post (and all my posts like this one) is this: Be careful out there. You worked hard on your book–you should be working just as hard to make sure you have a polished finished product. Don’t throw away all that hard work by publishing a poorly editing, badly covered book. And, don’t part with your hard earned money unless you know what you’re getting in return.

I’m sure there’s lots of stuff I either didn’t think of or forgot about, so please feel free to add to the conversation.

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, author, book covers, book promotion, books, edits, independent publishers, marketing, promotion, publishers, publishing, self publishing, small publishers, tricia drammeh, vanity publishers, writing | Tags: , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The Plague of Independent Publishers

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

I thought long and hard about posting this, shelved it for a while, and eventually decided the issue is too important to ignore. If this post forces one author–just one–to look a little more closely into his or her publishing options, I’ll feel like some of my experiences had a purpose.

Now, in order to avoid being sued or hurting any feelings, I want to stress the fact that this post isn’t about my publisher, your publisher, or any specific publisher. This isn’t a call for folks to name names or ‘out’ unscrupulous publishing companies. It isn’t a place to shame authors who have made uninformed choices. This is a  place to share our collective knowledge about the publishing industry and to help our friends make their own choices by providing as much information as possible.

We’re going to talk about the plague of independent publishers. There are more small presses than any of us could possibly count. They pop up seemingly overnight, publish ten or two-hundred books or so, and then vanish, often leaving bewildered authors to pick up the pieces of their publishing careers. Though there are vanity presses and scammers intent on defrauding authors, there are many small publishers who started their company with the very best of intentions.

I’d like to believe that most small presses set up shop with the intent to help authors and perhaps make a bit of money in the process. I’d like to hope these well-meaning entrepreneurs have a solid business plan, a proven marketing model, and good financial backing before they undertake such a venture. I’d like to hope the publishing company and their authors will thrive, eventually growing the business and becoming successful, respected players in the industry.

That’s what I’d like to believe.

Sadly, the majority of these overnight indie publishers burst into the industry, believing their ambition and passion will overcome their lack of experience. Or, they believe a couple of years editing their college newspaper and a degree in English Literature is enough experience. They think it will be easy. They might be passionate, they might have years of editing experience, they might even be successful authors–but, do they know what it takes to run a publishing company?

Many of these small publishers are the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. They’re honest, reliable, and, smart. The twelve-year-old who mows your lawn is nice, honest, and smart too, but would you trust him to edit the book you’ve worked years to write? Would you trust the helpful teller at the bank to market your book? Would you ask the friendly waiter at your favorite restaurant to take over all aspects of publishing your book? How about your doctor? Your hairdresser?

The fact is, anyone can claim to be a publisher. All they need is a website and a few willing authors. They don’t need a business license. They don’t have to pass a State test for certification. They don’t even have to know what the hell they’re doing, because if they can convince you they know more than you do, chances are you’ll sign with them. In many cases, the publisher doesn’t know any more about editing than the author. The guy who sets up shop as a publisher today, might have been a bank teller, waiter, hairdresser, or doctor yesterday. They might not have any experience in publishing at all!

If you’re lucky, the newbie publisher will outsource formatting and cover art to professionals. If you’re NOT lucky, they’ll use their amateur skills to perform these tasks themselves, often with bad results. They’ll use print on demand services in order to produce paperback books. They’ll list your book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The rest is up to you.

Guess what? Any author can hire an editor, commission cover art, and outsource formatting. We all have access to print on demand services, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. So why do we need a publisher?

We don’t.

Why give up control of your book and a percentage of royalties to someone who doesn’t have any more clout in the industry than you do? For some of us, we might think any publisher is better than no publisher. We find the prospect of self-publishing daunting. Before you shake your head and mutter about the naivety of newbie authors, remember this: We were all newbie authors at some point and we’ve all made mistakes.

If you’ve made a mistake and you’ve signed with a nice, but inexperienced publisher, all hope is not lost. You might have lost out on some book sales, maybe lost a bit of money, maybe learned a few hard lessons…but, you’ll be stronger and wiser going forward. If your publisher is an honest businessperson, there should be a way to terminate your contract. An honest publisher won’t want to hold on to an unhappy author and will work with you to find an amicable resolution. I know several authors who have been able to terminate an unfavorable relationship with a publisher and are now happily self-publishing.

So what happens when your starry-eyed publisher realizes setting up shop as a publisher isn’t as easy as he thought? What happens when he isn’t able to turn a profit after a couple of years and decides to close down his business? Or worse–what  happens if your publisher stops putting forth the effort to do his job, but refuses to close up shop? Some small press owners quickly tire of ‘playing publisher,’ but aren’t quite ready to close up shop, leaving your poorly edited and unmarketed book languishing in Amazon cyber-hell. After all, it doesn’t make any difference to them if your book is selling. It doesn’t cost them anything to hold on to your book–the burden of selling the book is on you. And, who knows? Maybe it’ll start selling some time in the future. They don’t want to miss out on the big bucks if your book suddenly hits the bestseller list.

So, what’s worse? A dishonest publisher, or an inexperienced small press? Which is worse in terms of your reputation as an author: A well-edited self-published book, or a poorly produced book with a small press’ logo slapped on the back cover?

For those of you (like me) who chose to take a chance with a small press, I wish you the best of luck. We all make decisions based on a number of factors. I’m not telling authors to avoid small publishers, nor am I telling anyone they made a mistake. I just want to make certain up-and-coming authors look more closely at their publishing options. Self-publishing, vanity, small presses, or traditional publishing–they all come with risks and benefits. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for every book.

So, here’s my advice for new authors: Ask questions, do your research, go with your gut, and do what’s best for you and your book.

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, author, books, contracts, independent publishers, publishers, publishing, self publishing, small publishers, tricia drammeh, vanity publishers, writers, writing | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments

The Rise of New Adult Fiction

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

There’s a problem in Teen and Young Adult Fiction, and if you’re a parent of a teen or an author who writes YA, you know what I’m talking about. The age group gravitating toward Young Adult fiction seems to get younger and younger every year. YA appeals to readers of many ages. I love it. Heck, my mom loves it too! There seems to be no limit to the ages YA fiction appeals to–and this has caused quite a problem. Children as young as eleven are plucking YA books off the shelf, and as any parent of teens can tell you, a book that is appropriate for a seventeen-year-old may not be suitable for a younger teen or preteen.

This puts authors and parents in a tough position. For parents sifting through the ever-expanding YA section in the bookstore, it isn’t readily apparent which books have strong language or sexual content. YA authors risk facing the wrath of parents who become angry over edgy content–or risk losing their older YA audience because a book isn’t edgy enough.

It’s tough for publishers too. If a book features teenage characters, does it automatically fall under the YA heading? Should an editor advise his or her YA author to eliminate obscenities to suit younger readers? Do we cater to preteens who seem to find the YA shelf irresistible or do we write fiction for the older teens and young adults?

New Adult enters the scene…

New Adult is a fairly new category, rarely claiming a spot on bookstore shelves. These books appeal to older teens and young adults–readers who are old enough to drive and vote. New Adult novels have the widespread appeal of Young Adult fiction and encompasses a broad range of genres, but language and sexual content are geared toward the more mature reader. From vampires to romance to literary fiction, New Adult novels are sure to snag a huge audience, primarily those older YA lovers who enjoy reading about characters ranging from older teen to mid-twenties. And, I would predict we’ll see more and more ‘crossover’ novels that begin in high school (YA) and follow characters into adulthood. As the teenage characters graduate and grow up, so will the audience.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m super excited about the rise of NA fiction. As a YA author, I see this as an opportunity to expand my horizons. As a YA reader, I look forward to reading more books with vibrant characters, snappy dialogue, and fast-paced action generally found in YA, but with steamier romance and more colorful language. It’s not that I love curse words (okay, yes I do), it’s that sometimes a well-used obscenity adds authenticity to certain characters. As for the steamier romance, well, that’s for another post.

As New Adult fiction rise, so does the NA indie author. Let me introduce you to a couple of my favorites…

Siren Snow (Book One of the Redhaven Saga) by Victoria Barrow – This book would fall somewhere under the paranormal/ urban fantasy heading, but is so unique, I hate to categorize it at all. Lucy is a Witch–a really cool witch who can do real magic and has real (adult) responsibilities. She’s young enough to be totally adorable (in my opinion), but mature enough to be out on her own, saving magical creatures, and making decisions that affect the people under her care. She’s got a firecracker personality I absolutely love. Besides a few choice words and the occasional steamy thought, this book would be fine for YA, but it’s those few choice words and steamy thoughts (oh, please let them become steamy moments in future books. Yum!) that make Lucy who she is. I wouldn’t change a single thing about the book. And this, ladies and gents, is why NA is so awesome. We have YA charm with a bit of maturity and a whole lot of great writing.

Celine (Book One of The Night Touched Chronicles) by Maegan Provan- This fast-paced urban fantasy would appeal to lovers of NA or adult fiction. If you’re looking for vegetarian high school vampires, you won’t find them here. Provan’s vampires are young adults who struggle with complicated romance and high-society expectations. They’re independent, curfew-free, and are not restrained by YA standards. While Celine could easily nestle into the wide world of adult novels, I would recommend it to NA readers. The characters are very appealing and twenty-somethings will be able to identify with them, while older teens will want to be like them. There’s language and violence inappropriate for teens younger than seventeen, but it’s absolutely perfect for New Adult fans. The vamps who were so popular with teens five years ago may not appeal to those readers who have grown up and are looking for something more. Well, guess what? The vampires have grown up in Celine and I predict grown-up Twi-fans will flock to The Night Touched Chronicles.

The Chrysalis Series by Michel Prince – Remember when I mentioned ‘crossover’ books? Well, Prince’s series is a prime example. With the first book, Chrysalis, we find ourselves in the high school hallways, following the journey of Ellie and Oscar. This book is so steamy, it scarcely falls under the YA heading at all. There are some very intimate scenes and some very strong language. As the parent of an older teen, I happen to know some of the situations described in this book are very realistic for a certain segment of older teens. I’m okay with this. I would let my older teen read this book because I think there are some very good messages within the pages–and it’s a hell of a good story. But, for the eleven and twelve-year-olds perusing the YA section of the library… nope. Not for them. Chrysalis is just on the very edge of what’s acceptable for YA. With the second book–The Beam–we are definitely jumping over that edge into the NA pool. As teenagers tend to grow and change, so does the Chrysalis series. Prince does a wonderful job guiding her characters from teen to adulthood. As such, I highly recommend this for older teens and for young adults looking for a book with magic, romance, and substance.

 

Categories: authors, books, celine, chrysalis, maegan provan, michel prince, new adult, paranormal, readers, redhaven, teens, urban fantasy, victoria barrow, writing, young adult | Tags: , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

It’s Time

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

As some of you already know, I’ve been working on edits on The Fifth Circle. I’ve been kicking around the idea of self-publishing the book and recently considered querying agents. My publisher (for The Claiming Words) had a look at the book and expressed very mild interest, but I’ve decided for various reasons it might be best try my hand at self-publishing. The book has been edited – several times. My last beta found a few editing thingies I missed, so it looks like I’ll need to give it another edit before publishing. And, I need to commission a book cover, work on formatting, and a whole bunch of other stuff I didn’t have to worry about with The Claiming Words. It’s scary just thinking about doing this on my own. If the formatting is messed up, I can only blame myself. If the editing isn’t up to par, it’ll totally be my fault.

Just thinking about publishing this book induces almost crippling anxiety, but it’s time. It’s time to stop messing around. It’s time to get the book out there. It’s time to put my fear aside and take a risk. It’s time to have a little faith in myself.

I’d love to hear from other self-published authors. What have been your greatest challenges? Was it worth the risk?

 

Categories: author, books, edits, publishing, self publishing, the fifth circle | Tags: , , , , , | 16 Comments

First Things First

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

When I was at the dreaded day job, I often had so many things to do, I’d feel guilty for working on one task (even though it was essential) because I knew there were a million-billion other things I needed to do. I could never give my unwavering attention to one project because the other projects danced around in my head, taunting me. I thought when I quit the dreaded day job, I’d leave all that behind me.

Now I feel like that in regards to writing. Part (okay most) of this is my fault because I have several unfinished manuscripts. I also have completed manuscripts in need of editing. When I’m writing, I feel guilty for not marketing The Claiming Words, or for not editing, or for not writing something else. When I’m not writing I feel guilty for not writing. Then of course there’s the guilt I feel for spending so much time writing or doing writerly things when it brings in no income at all.

The fact is, my writing might never generate an income. If that’s the case, should I give up now and get another job? Should I put writing on the backburner once again and call it a hobby? Is there any point in finishing any of my incomplete manuscripts?

These are questions I’ve struggled with all week. It isn’t the first time I’ve batted these ideas around in my mind. I could list all my frustrations, but it would be pointless. We all suffer from setbacks and frustration. We all have moments of self-doubt. Sometimes I move from self-doubt to confidence and back all in the same week.

It’s time to finish an unfinished project. Nothing is more of a confidence-booster than writing the words “The End.” Though I’ve put off finishing the final book in The Claiming Words Series, I think now is the time to wrap it up and put it behind me. I can only do one thing at a time and right now, it’s time to finish this book.

How do you handle self-doubt? How do you prioritize? What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?

 

 

Categories: writer, writers, writing | Tags: , , , , , | 15 Comments

Shenanigans

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Oh, it’s been a week of shenanigans in the writing world. We’ve had plagiarism, temper tantrums, and retaliatory one-star ratings on books. When I first stumbled into the writing world with my unpublished, adverb-riddled manuscript in hand, I was struck by how generous and helpful most authors are. I’ve met authors who are willing to beta-read a four-hundred page manuscript or spend hours editing while asking for nothing in return. I’ve heard of a cover artist who offered a free book cover to a struggling writer. The entire industry–authors, editors, artists, even publishers–is made up of some amazingly wonderful people, many of whom I’m proud to call friends. But, in any industry there are bound to be a few bad eggs who muck it up for everyone else.

Shenanigans have been around forever, certainly long before I was old enough to read. Lately, there have been reports of sock-puppet reviews, five-star reviews for hire, and tantrum-throwing authors who go ballistic because a reader gave him or her a bad review. So, why am I choosing this week to address these age-old issues? Because this week it’s hitting close to home.

  • Plagiarism: I personally know authors who have been victims of plagiarism. When the thieves are overseas, it’s almost impossible to track down the culprit and sue for damages. A few days ago, I was notified that an ‘author’ who guest-posted on my Authors to Watch blog had been accused of plagiarism. After some research, I determined this was indeed true and removed the guest-post immediately. I was enraged to think my blog might have helped promote this plagiarist’s stolen book. I know how hard it is to write a book. To have someone steal your work would be disheartening and infuriating. The book in question has since been removed from Amazon, but how much money did this thief make before she was caught? And how many other plagiarists are out there?
  • Temper Tantrums: There isn’t a single book in this universe that will appeal to every reader. Authors better realize this before they publish, or they’re setting themselves up for a world of hurt and disappointment. I’ve seen some monumental tantrums this week from authors who feel like their books have been unfairly judged and that the reviews are too harsh. I’ve seen fights between readers and authors on Amazon and Goodreads forum threads. I’ve seen authors come unglued and hurl insults at readers. I understand how badly it hurts when someone doesn’t like your book. You know what hurts the most? Realizing there’s a nugget of truth in that unsavory review. As authors, we have to push past the hurt and use those critical reviews to help us grow as writers.
  • Retaliatory Reviews: A couple of author friends left critical reviews for a book which shall remain unnamed. In retaliation, the author of the unnamed book left one-star Goodreads ratings on the authors’ books. How do I know this was a retaliatory move and not a legitimate rating? Well, one of the books hasn’t been released. The author set up the book on Goodreads to prepare for the pending release, so there’s no way the angry-author could have read the book. It was a revenge-rating. That rating might have made the angry-author feel better, but it won’t make her book any better. As an author, what’s the best use of your time: Stalking and retaliating against other authors, or working to improve your craft?

Fortunately, most of the authors I’ve met either online or in person are fantastic, honest, generous, talented, stupendous people. Despite all the shenanigans from people wearing (or stealing) author hats, I’m still proud to call myself an author. I won’t let the plagiarists, the tantrum-throwers, or the vindictive reviewers ruin the world of indie publishing for the rest of us. I’m going to stand up for what’s right, stand by my fellow hard-working authors, and report suspected plagiarism to Amazon. I’m going to handle unfavorable reviews with as much grace as I can muster. And, I’m going to continue to hold indie authors to high standards, reviewing books as they deserve to be reviewed and expecting indie authors to publish high-quality, well-edited books. I’m going to say no to shenanigans!

Categories: author, tantrums, writer | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

What St Louis Weather Forecasts Can Teach Us About Writing

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Courtesy of WANA Commons by Melissa Smith

Once again, I find myself preparing for another apocalyptic weather event. My winter weather preparedness rituals are overblown and ridiculous, but I can’t help it. My family moved to Georgia when I was ten, so I’m conditioned to react to the word “snowflake” much like those in areas with active volcanoes react to the word “eruption.” As soon as the weatherman forecasts a dusting of snow, I descend upon the grocery store and stock up for the end of times. Only this time, I’m not going to.

You see, I’ve lived in the St Louis area long enough to know the forecasters are seldom correct. I don’t believe them anymore. They’ve built up tension, and my heart has raced in response. And, when their catastrophic winter weather event turns out to be four snowflakes and a gust of wind, I’m left with seven gallons of milk, ten loaves of bread, and two kids who keep whining, “I thought you said it was going to snow and we wouldn’t have school tomorrow.”

I can’t go through this again. I feel lied to and betrayed by all the metro-area meteorologists. I’ll buy one loaf of bread and that’s all. Okay, maybe two, but that’s it. And some soup. And… NO!

So, what does St Louis area weather forecasts have to do with writing?

As writers, we must deliver what we promise. It’s okay to build up tension, but at some point we must allow that tension to boil over, otherwise readers are left feeling like the metro-St Louis weather watchers–skeptical and cheated.

Example #1: The Unromantic Romance Novel – In a romance novel, it’s common for the author to bring the hero and heroine together only to pull them apart. The male lead character is a fraction of a second away from getting the female lead into bed, but something happens to thwart his plans. Or, just when the hero and heroine are beginning to get along, an unfortunate misunderstanding tears them apart. I expect to see some of this in a romance novel. The building tension and occasional frustration keeps me turning the pages, desperate to reach a satisfying conclusion where all wrongs are righted and the characters have their happily-ever-after ending. But, if I get to the end of your romance novel and the hero and heroine hate each other, I am going to be a very unhappy reader. I understand that in real life, things don’t always work out. If you’re bound and determined to end your novel on a tragic note where the hero is married to someone else and the heroine is lying underneath a freeway overpass crying her eyes out, please don’t categorize your novel as romance. Call it literary fiction, call it women’s fiction, but don’t call it romance.

Example #2 The Anticlimactic Action Scene – Your book must have a climax. Period. Whether it’s a big scene where secrets are finally revealed or a big shoot out, your book has to have some sort of Holy Crap moment. If your main character has been chasing a psychotic killer throughout the book, with each murder scene more grisly than the next, the eventual capture of said criminal better be exciting. If your characters have been forming an army through half the book in preparation for an epic battle scene, please don’t end your book with everyone talking out their differences, shaking hands, and promising to meet next week for coffee. I understand you don’t want your characters to get hurt or experience discomfort, but if you’ve built up tension throughout the book and used foreshadowing to lead me to predict a cataclysmic conclusion, please don’t let me down.

If your book is lacking in tension, I might still like it, but I probably won’t remember it by mid-next week. But, if your book utilizes tension correctly, resulting in a Holy Crap moment, I’ll rush out and brag to my friends that I was the first one to read it. I’ll beg them to read it too so we can all sit around and talk about its awesomeness. And, I’ll anxiously await the sequel, stand in line for the midnight release at my local bookstore, and sit up until five o’clock in the morning reading it.

Don’t be a St Louis Weather Forecaster. If you promise a huge epic blowout ending–deliver on your promise. A steamy erotic novel that promises to blow my socks off won’t succeed if the characters never get past first base. A battle to end all battles won’t win over those hardcore fantasy fans if you skimp on the battle. A fast-paced thriller isn’t thrilling if your hero never leaves his living room.

Just remember: A blizzard isn’t a blizzard if there isn’t any snow.

Categories: books, tension, tricia drammeh, weather forecasters, winter weather, Writerly Posts, writers, writing, writing & publishing tips, writing tips | Tags: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

I ♥ Books Valentine Blog Hop

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

It’s almost Valentines Day, a holiday dedicated to love. If you’re newly divorced or on the heels of a bad break-up, Valentines Day can often be a reminder of what you lost or what you’re longing for. If you’ve been settled in a relationship for a long time, Valentines Day might just be an ordinary day–working, taking kids to school, tackling that growing mound of laundry. But, fear not! Valentines Day is for everyone. You can still feel that spark. You can still fall in love. All you need is an active imagination and a good book.

Even though I’ve been married for a long time, I still have the pleasure of falling in love on a regular basis. While no one could replace my husband in my heart, when I dive into a good book, I have an opportunity to fall in love with a dark, enigmatic romantic hero. Just recently, I fell in love with Mishal, a character from Book One of the Redhaven Saga by Victoria Barrow. Be sure to buy a copy when it releases this spring! You’ll fall in love too.

When writing, I often fall in love with my own romantic heroes. It might sound crazy to fall in love with a character I created from my own imagination, but I’ve heard other authors say the same thing. So, either we’re all crazy or none of us are. Okay, so we’re all a little off. Hey, you have to be a little off your rocker to be a writer!

Today, I’m going to share an excerpt from Demon Fire, which is the sequel to The Claiming Words and is scheduled to be released this Summer.

“It’s crowded in here,” Bryce whispered in my ear. “How about breaking the no kissing in the training room rule?” He nuzzled my earlobe and my resolve slipped away.

“It was more of a guideline than a rule,” I whispered back. “Let’s go.” I was ashamed at myself for how easily I gave into him. I had no willpower where Bryce was concerned.

When we entered the training room, Bryce pushed me up against the wall and kissed me until I was dizzy. My breath came in shallow gasps and his body pressing against me was the only thing that kept me upright.

“Oh, God, Alisa,” he groaned in my ear. “I have no control around you anymore. It’s almost dangerous for me to be alone with you.” He trailed kisses along my throat, and then lower. With a moan, he pulled away from me and placed both hands on the back of his head as if trying to hold it onto his shoulders. I knew the feeling; my head didn’t feel like it was on quite straight when I was with Bryce. It sure wasn’t in charge of the rest of me.

He shook his head. “Let’s go upstairs and watch TV with my parents, otherwise I won’t be responsible for my actions.” Bryce shook slightly as he led me up the stairs.

 

Please be sure to check out these wonderful authors on the Valentine Blog Hop!


Now, for a lovely song…

 

Categories: author, blog hop, books, demon fire, the claiming words, writer, writing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Life (And Other Obstacles to Writing Your Novel)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Despite my vow to blog three times a week, I’ve already skipped a couple of days. It’s almost the end of January, and I haven’t done much writing either. I have some pretty good excuses for falling behind (horrific dental work, broken laptop charger, kids, life, etc). There’s always something that gets in the way of writing. There always will be. Since this whole week has been a total loss, I planned to wallow in Advil and skip writing altogether. But, then…I got inspired! I read two really cool blog posts today that made me decide to cast aside my sorry excuses and start writing again. Thank you, John Lucas Hargis and Kristen Lamb for your wonderful (and timely) posts.

Let’s take a look at the Obstacles to Writing and how to overcome them:

Life: Kids, day jobs, Cub Scout meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc.  There are only twenty-four hours in a day. Sleep, showering, eating, and all the other things we have to do in order to pay our bills and keep ourselves (and those who depend on us) alive can chip away at those precious twenty-four hours until there is nothing left. We can’t stop eating and showing and caring for our children, so how do we carve out time for our writing? We have to make it a priority. We have to put writing time on our schedules.

pouncerSurprises: So, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out (you worked out a writing schedule, you’ve met your daily word count goal every day for the past month), your writing comes to an abrupt halt. Your kids get the flu, your mom has surgery, you have to have a root canal, and your car breaks down, shattering your focus and making a mockery of your carefully scheduled writing time. Not all surprises are good. Illness, dental work (ouch), car problems, sick parents or children–these are issues that crop up from time to time. If you have four kids, there’s ALWAYS something going on that demands immediate attention. Things happen. You don’t always know what is lurking around the corner waiting to pounce, but you can still plan ahead for those inevitable days (or weeks) when the writing train might be derailed. Allow for surprises.

Marketing and Promotion: Yeah! Your first book has been released and you’re anxious to finish the second, but you haven’t had time to write in weeks. You’re so busy promoting Book One (interviews, giveaways, responding to fans, requesting reviews) you can’t seem to get as much writing done as you did before. Before my first book was published, I wrote five books in a eighteen month period of time. In the last year, I wrote one. Why? Because edits, revisions, promotion, marketing, platform building–all the things that make writing a business–took up a great deal of time. In order to finally finish a book, I had to reduce the time I spent on marketing. It takes practice to learn to balance marketing and writing. If you want your first book to be the only book you ever publish, then market away.  Devote every available moment to promoting your book. But, if you want to make writing a career, you have to find time to write. Remember: you have to write to be a Writer.

Distraction: Facebook, Twitter, The Voice, Grumpy Cat. There are so many, many, many things that can distract you. If you’re in Marketing and Promotion mode, you have to spend some time on Facebook and Twitter. It’s easy to just hang out there, talking to other authors, sharing Grumpy Cat pictures (guilty), or playing games. When the writing gets tough and the words don’t flow easily, I have a sudden ‘need’ to check my email or my messages on Facebook. Before I know it, I’ve allowed Facebook to hijack my whole day. When I have a writing goal I’m trying to reach, I force myself to write in spurts. For every twenty minutes I write, I allow myself ten minutes of Facebook/Twitter time. Childish, perhaps, but it works. Do what works for you. Defeat distraction and write!

Disappointment: Depression, frustration, and disappointment can erode your will to write. It isn’t easy being a Writer. Rejection letters, bad reviews, sluggish sales–we all face one (or all) of these at some point. It’s tough when you send your manuscript out on submission and receive a rejection form letter. It’s tough when someone leaves a bad review, or when your newly released book doesn’t take the world by storm. There are days you’ll wonder why you’re wasting your time. There are days when you’ll want to give up. If you wrote your book  for the sole purpose of making a huge amount of money, you’re writing for the wrong reason.

I’ll be honest. When I first started writing, I harbored a fantasy about landing an agent and a gazillion dollar publishing contract, complete with a movie deal and action figures. This has not materialized (yet). I could have given up after the first book, or the second, or the sixth. I’ve written six full-length novels and I am not (yet) a gazillionaire. But, I love writing. That’s why I write. That’s what makes me a Writer. The gazillion dollars would be icing on the cake, but if it never materializes, I still have the satisfaction of knowing I am a Writer. No one can take that away from me.

How you handle your Writing Obstacles will determine the course of your Writing Career. You can complain that you never have time to do anything for yourself–or you can turn off the television and write. You can lament all the bad luck that’s come your way–or you can write. You can give up after the first rejection letter and sit around whining about why the publishing industry isn’t fair and how you have to know somebody to make it in this world. Or, you can push all those negative feelings aside and write because you love it. Your choice. Me? I’m writing.

Categories: Advice for New Authors, author platform, book promotion, facebook, Favorites, life, promotion, twitter, Writerly Posts, writing, writing & publishing tips, writing resolutions | Tags: , , , , | 10 Comments

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