VANDALISM!

Another quality post brought to you by Steve!

You guys!  I'm all aghast!  I came home tonight to find that someone had vandalized all the covers of my sophomore novel, THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO!  Who would do such a thing?  And why?  They're all so cryptic...is it some kind of criminal argot?  Or the ravings of a madman?  Or some kind of...apocalypse cult?

I thought I'd share it with you smart folks to see if you can pick up on any clues.  If you learn anything of value, please contact the Patusan Police Department immediately or leave it in the comments below.  In a surprise show of solidarity, the President of Costaguana has promised a substantial reward for anyone who can provide any information that leads to the arrest of these malcontents.

And to add insult to injury, this all had to happen on a week when it was on sale for only $0.99!  Some people just have no decency.

This is the worst one of all.  Why would they say that?

Whose initials are SDM?

This is some kind of religious one.  Does
anybody know what it means?

There's that name again.  Is he really just
some art salesman?

I don't know!  It's not the same person
whose initials are SDM, is it?

I guess that's the real question, isn't it?

Here's another Bible verse.  Was it a cult?

Is this a warning?  Or a threat?

Is this a quote?  Does anybody recognize
it? And who's SF? Any relation to SDM?

Time & Place: The Basics

Caerlaverock Castle, Scotland. Photo by Amy Jarecki

Obviously, every part of a novel unfolds within a concrete/physical environment of some kind—whether it’s under the sea, the supply room in an office building, or a World War II battlefield.

The way you bring your time period and setting to life—even if the time period and setting are more domestic and contemporary—informs so much of the novel. It helps the reader truly FEEL as though they’ve landed somewhere and are experiencing a world around the characters, one whose details have significance and are placed meaningfully on the page.

Often, though, writers take either a too bare bones or too lavish approach to setting. They either give us a quick inventory of what’s in a room (“A table sat in the center, on top of which was a crystal vase holding daffodils.”) or a too lavish travelogue of every detail from the clouds overhead, to the paint flaking on the columns, to the ants scurrying beneath the feet of the main character.

Often, too, they don’t challenge themselves to set their scenes in the most evocative environments, settling on those domestic arenas that are comfortable to them—the bedroom, the kitchen, the car, and so on.

That said, here are some questions to take you deeper:

·     Is this the most compelling time and/or location in which the scene can unfold?

·     What is unusual/special about this time and place?

·     What about time/place weighs on or buoys the scene’s viewpoint  character? (How does it either empower her or rob her of psychic strength?)

·      How does the viewpoint character’s interactions with the environment speak to her emotional state?

·     What concrete, singular/idiosyncratic details emerge via the viewpoint character’s perspective? In other words, what would only s/he notice?

·     If this setting is revisited several times throughout the novel, how is it viewed differently each time by the viewpoint character? How does her progression through the novel CHANGE her relationship with this place?

I know writers who think of setting as another character in their book. It's that important!

Write on Friends!

~Amy Jarecki

Author of Scottish Historical Romance

Most Recent Release: Knight in Highland Armor

A writer's Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day! Hopefully, a NYC mayor won't drop you on your head, but I make no promises.

I'm so glad it's February. It's just one day closer to March, April and 60 degree temps. I have a 12-inch snow pack outside my door and more snow is on its way.  Needless to say, the KGG household has been crunky lately. My kids don't like the cold (they opt not to go outside and play in the snow) and we miss school. Anyhoo... what was I saying?

Oh! Groundhog Day. Yeah. So I bet many of you love the Bill Murray movie of the same name, where Bill Murray's character relives the same day over and over again. But each day, he makes better decisions until it's the perfect day (or something like that; it's been awhile since I've seen the movie). As an author, I feel like everyday is Groundhog Day. I sit at my computer, look at the same manuscript, try to make headway, and feel like I'm never moving forward. But that's not entirely true. In time, my word count increases. My plot strengthens. My characters materialize. Even if most days, I feel like I'm just trudging through the same headaches.

I'm still working on my novella. Why a 30K word manuscript is giving me such a headache, I do not know. Maybe because it's set in 1955 and I'm not as confident in the 50s setting as I was with 1996. I wrote a 19K word draft that is terrible and the rewrite is proving to be an equal struggle. But, I know that I'm a better editor than writer. Once the plot is solidified, the tweaks to language and characterization will improve. I bet my author friends feel like it's Groundhog Day because I keep bemoaning the project every-damn-day to them. "Enough, Kim. We get it."

So chin up, fair writers. This winter shall pass. This day shall pass. This manuscript will get done.  One bite of elephant at a time.

Happy Groundhog Day! Don't let this dreadful winter and your manuscript cast a shadow over your ambitions.

-KGG

Establishing Your Author Brand

I spent a few years in corporate branding in my last role, so I know how important it is to a company’s success. But did you know that it’s also very important to your success as an author? I’m hoping that you are currently nodding your head—I know I’m not the first to bring up this subject. It’s not a new or novel idea. However, it’s a subject that’s important enough to keep talking about and sharing tips.

In case the concept of branding has somehow escaped your notice, I’ll start with the basic definition. In its most simplest of terms, a brand lets consumers know what to expect from a certain product or service, and how that product or service is different than its competitors.

While I’m relatively new to the author world, I’m not new to the concept of branding. I think this is an element that many new authors either forget about, or avoid because they are intimidated by the process. Therefore, I thought I’d share my thoughts with you on branding, hoping that it will help you with your own branding efforts.

There is so much that goes into branding that I’ve decided to talk about this topic over my next few posts (which here on Across the Board is about once a month). I’m not yet sure how many posts this series will encompass, but it will be more than one.

The critical first step in making your brand effective is to understand what your brand is. Here are four important questions you should ask yourself as you start the branding process.

What kind of books do I want to write?

While branding is critical, it can’t exist without a product. Your first step is to figure out what kind of author you want to be. The brand for a fiction author might be very different than that of a non-fiction author.

For example if you want to publish non-fiction cook books with healthy recipes, then you should want your brand to represent a healthy lifestyle. Your brand might need to inspire motivation. However, if you want to publish fiction novels about werewolves, then you’d want a brand that evokes fantasy and the supernatural. You would want to have a brand that tells readers you will transform them into another world.

If you are an author who plans to write in more than one genre, then you will also need to determine how different they are from each other. If they are on opposite ends of the spectrum—such as romance and children’s books—then you will need two separate brands. However if they are similar—such as women’s fiction and romantic suspense—then you can probably get by with the same brand.

I knew I wanted to write books that are real-to-life fiction. My books may or may not have a traditional HEA (happily ever after) ending, but they will always have endings that inspire hope. I want to write books that my readers can connect to emotionally, on many different levels.

Who is my target audience?

Once you know what kind of author you are going to be, then you need to think about your target audience. It’s not that your brand should change based on your audience, but it’s likely that your message will.

For example, maybe part of your brand message is that your books should be sold with a box of tissues—i.e. your novels will create a strong emotional reaction for your readers. This might be a successful hook for female readers, however if a large part of your target readership is male then you might not draw them in. Your brand might need to be communicated in a way that tells readers your books create real life connections rather than emotional connections. It’s a subtle difference, but it could be important.

Another example is for those of you wishing to write middle grade or children’s books. While your target audience is the child, it’s the adult in that child’s life that has all the purchasing power. If you fail to understand how your brand relates to the adults as well, they may not be willing to buy the books.

I know that my target audience is women—approximately somewhere in the age range of 35-55. This doesn’t mean that men or 25 year old women can’t read and enjoy my books (several have, in fact, read and loved my books), but I understand where the majority of my reading audience falls.

How are the other authors in my genre branded?

Again, part of your author brand should let the reader know how your books are different than your competitor’s. For example, you might be at a disadvantage if you’re an overweight person about to publish a book about living a healthy lifestyle, and all the other authors in this genre are athletically fit. It doesn’t mean that you can’t publish and sell that healthy lifestyle book, but you’ll need to seriously think about what sets you apart from those other authors. You’ll need to find that unique hook that will have the readers trusting in you and your book.

When I was launching my first novel, I visited several websites and social media sites of other authors in my genre. I looked for areas where we were similar, and also areas where we differed. One of the main differences is that my books will not always follow ‘the norms’ of book writing, or a standard blueprint for a women's fiction novel. For example in my third novel, Shattered Angel, I start at chapter 24 and count down. Basically, I’m going to push boundaries and think outside the box.

Do I already have a brand in place?

Once a brand is established, it’s hard to change it. Asking yourself this question will help you determine if you need to use your real name or a pen name. For example if you’re a minister’s wife who’s planning to write erotic romance, then your personal and author brand will likely be in conflict with each other, and you might want to use a pen name.

I spent 17 years in the corporate industry at a global Fortune 500 company before writing my first novel. I have an established brand that works well with my genre and my audience. I wanted to be able to leverage this to my advantage.

When I went through this process, I added up all my answers to these questions and the end result is that I’ve branded myself as a Literary Engineer. My undergraduate degree is in Mechanical Engineering, and I like that this title represents all aspects of who I am. Literary Engineer represents the idea that I don’t want to just write books—I want to engineer reading experiences. I want my readers to feel as if they’ve been on an emotional journey with my characters. It’s also a unique title, representing my desire to think outside the box and try new things in my novels. You never know exactly what you will get with each new book I publish.

In my next post I’ll start talking about how you use your brand throughout the writing process—from your book cover to your blog posts.

So what about you—have you thought about your author brand?

~ Carrie

The Magic of the Audiobook

Anyone who knows me knows I have an addiction to books and would likely opt to set aside any and all adult duties to lounge around with a book and a mug of coffee. However, that's not entirely practical. Well, it could be practical. But in my experience, when I finally pull my nose out of my book for a refill of java, I'd see the destruction of the dual tornadoes who are my children, the mountain of laundry, and the messages wondering where weld cap orders are. Fortunately, there's a happy medium I have found: audiobooks.

I was first introduced to audiobooks through the Baron (aka my husband), who took up listening on his way to and from work and otherwise didn't have much time for books between work, school, and family. I was skeptical at first, thinking an audiobook wouldn't hold my attention or that it just wouldn't be the same as reading a physical book. However, I found that it was a wonderful way to immerse myself in another world while doing something I had to get done- like driving, crocheting, or yard work. Audiobooks also had the added benefit of not having to look up at a screen every time something exciting was happening, which, interestingly enough, increased my work pace. I also found that I was more willing to spend time doing some of these adult duties because I associated them with being able to listen to a book.

Since discovering the magic of audiobooks, I've spread the love to my children. We started listening to Harry Potter in the car while driving (the narrator really is fantastic!). It was shocking to see how much they paid attention and followed along with the story, considering they were almost four and almost six at the time. We even had some days where I had to bring the discs inside to continue listening while they played because they were that caught up in the story.

Some of the books I have loved listening to on audiobook are:

All were great books with wonderful narration!

In talking about audiobooks to other people, though, it was brought to my attention that not everyone appreciates them the same way I do. For example, there are people who believe listening to an audiobook doesn't count as having read the book (and, as you may remember in my post from last month, my 2014 reading challenge only counted audiobooks as half a book). I, obviously, disagree. Comprehension is still a major part of it. In fact, audiobooks could really be helpful for those who aren't as fluid with reading or have a hard time getting into a story. Also, there are people--like me--who cannot dedicate as much time as they'd like to sitting still and reading.

So what are options with audiobooks? Well, there are plenty of resources. For one, there's Audible, which is an Amazon entity (did you know you can Whispersync some audiobooks for only a few dollars if you've bought the Kindle edition already?). Audiobooks can then be listened to on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Libraries are also packed with audiobooks on CDs. They even have Playaways, which look like an MP3 player-type device and all you have to do is plug in headphones and go.

I'm getting ready to start The Hobbit while sewing, so I'll leave you with these questions. Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you count them as having read the book? Any recommendations for must-listen-to books?

In Which I'm Proud of my 'Little' Reading Buddy

  Last weekend I attended my youngest brother's welcome home party from boot camp. How strange that my little brother is now a U.S. Marine! I am so INCREDIBLY PROUD OF HIM!! Not only did he make it through something that is grueling-- mentally and physically-- but he's now serving our country in an extraordinary way.  

  To see him doing something so honorable with his life makes me super happy. And a bit sad, knowing he'll soon be off to who knows where. But in the midst of all this change, I hope that he can still find a way to read, as I used to load him up w/boxes at a time when he'd come to visit. My older brother reads too, but our tastes are different. Josh likes MG & YA so first thing when he'd come down, we'd head to the bookcases to select his next haul. It was so enjoyable to peruse the shelves, hunting down my favorite reads to share, or cautioning him against 'meh' or so-so ones.  

  My husband is not a reader and so far all my almost-three-year-old likes to do is push the books as far back on the shelves as they'll go (he loves picture books of course, but Mama's books aren't those). So having someone to browse and talk books with was fun. But now Josh will be out creating his own adventures and experiencing amazing things, and I just have to repeat myself again here and say how super proud I am of him. Hoo-rah!!! (or however that'd be spelled...)  

~Leandra

Annual Strategy Session with my Agent

Every January, right after the new year, my agent plans her Annual Strategy Session calls.

(Side note: I'm fairly certain she doesn't use a phone like this with which to call her clients, although that would be pretty cool. In fact, I used to collect real, old fashioned phones as a kid, and I had one just like this! My favorite game was to pretend that I was Mrs. Martin getting a frantic phone call from the local sheriff saying that Lassie rescued Timmy from a well.)

Anyway.

The Strategy Call is an awesome way of making sure agent and client are on the same page, so to speak.

Basically, the way it works is, Carrie schedules a week of available time slots and emails them to her clients, and we choose which one we want, and that's the time she'll call us for a half hour to discuss everything from life to work to everything in between.

Here's what we discussed during our call two weeks ago:

1. Random fun, catch-ups about life, of course.
2. A plan of action for my on sub book, AT FIRST BLUSH, and our determination to get it seen by the editor who will fall in love with it.
3. My new book. I gave her a time frame of spring I'd like to get it to her, and she answered some questions for me regarding how much romance needs to be "shown" for the market I'm writing in, which is young upmarket women's commercial fiction (basically, good old fashioned chick lit along the lines of the Shopaholic series.)
4. Getting together to meet! Believe it or not, she's been my agent unoffically for 2 yrs, offically for 1.5 years, and we haven't met! I'm rarely in the city but it's only a forty five minute trip for me, so I'm looking forward to setting a date to have lunch.

I know I say it a lot, but I really am lucky to have her in my corner. She's a wonderful, hard-working agent and an all-around fantastic person, and she makes navigating this crazy biz not only easier, but fun!

The call is invigorating and gets me amped up for the new year, new projects and hopefully some sales, and it clearly maps out our goals.



Do you get more excited to start new projects once the new year hits?? Or do you love it all year round?

xoxo Beth