Hi everyone!
The winner for the free book ‘Sea of Iron Hands’ is Danielle Stewart. Thanks so much Danielle for responding to the post! I will be packaging your book and sending it your way.
For those of you who want a chance to win this book, there will be one more opportunity soon.
For now, you can head check around my newly themed blog for helpful writing tips, book reviews or free stories!
We wish there were more self published authors that are striking gold and platinum in the news but there remains the very few who have made.
We wish even more that we make it ourselves. All of our time spent publishing on CreateSpace, Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu.com and other sites seem to be bringing in very little if any money at all. After working on self publishing my own books and reading some online articles, I find there are a few things that will keep you from popularity and/or earnings and these same few things can be your saving grace.
Having a Classic, but Unique Storyline.
Romance, romance, and more romance.. Guys won’t admit it but action flicks with love interests are cool too. According to Guardian’s report on books that earn well:
Romance authors earned 170% more than their peers, while authors in other genres fared much worse: science-fiction writers earned 38% of the $10,000 average, fantasy writers 32%, and literary fiction authors just 20% of the $10,000 average.
Networking…On the Networks.
Another blockage could be that you are not really talking about your book. If not you, then who? Personally, I don’t like having too many social media places to visit, yet its fun and addicting at the same time. One thing I do is frequently let people know that I have free items. I love free. You love free. We all enjoy free stuff. Why not offer free copies of your book? Make one of your shorter works free to download? Let people know on Facebook, G+, Pinterest, wherever. Hiring someone to do it for you is an option to although I prefer networking on my own. Yes, it can be time-consuming which is why you have to plan.
For instance, most days I am writing or editing anyway. Blogging, social networking, etc. may be done only twice a week or once a week. Or maybe just take a half hour. Either way, I’m trying to network.
Editing, Copyediting, and Professional Looking Covers.
This is spoken from someone who doesn’t always have the professional money for “professionals” but if you would like to see more sells and downloads of your work, having a nice cover for your book and having your manuscript at least copyedited is a must. This will put you right up there with those high sellers of self pubbed books.
Confession: Before, I found editing books from the public library very helpful until I could actually afford an editor for my books. You can practically Bing or Google freelance editors or try C.S. Lakin at livewritethrive.com- I hope to work with her soon Lord willin’.
I hope this has encouraged you as a writer to write more. It is a tough world out there and publishing even tougher. Becoming a published author means facing keen competition and just know I am right here for you. I too am writing my heart out and have actually seen some of the benefits, but to have readers matters more than money.
Even though money is quite nice.
*Other article to consider: “Another Self pubbed Author Strikes Gold” http://thewriteweb.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/another-self-pubbed-author-strikes-the-gold/
Image from Microsoft Office
I have been revisiting poetry again, and as you well know I enjoy poetry and whatever way I can help others with the struggle of poeming, I am more than happy to do so.
Grabbing up books on poetry is one of the best ways to get a better look at how other poets do it before you dive in. Or, if you’re like me, you just dive right in and after the fact you learn about little things like “form, style. rhyme and rhythm, and chapbooks”- you know, important stuff like that. Again, I am happy to have been on that fault line of confusion and am trying to find my way back. In fact, I am thinking of getting a book I checked out before at the library to assist me again in poeming
Right now, all of my focus is on poetry, but am way too shy to give public readings. The last public speech I gave was a an elegy for my father December 2012 and even that was hard. But I know that people will only realize you exist if you speak to them.
Any helpful tips on poetry reading is welcome~ Truly!
Next order of business is learning some traditional forms. I am a free verse type of gal which allows me to spill words on the page without restraints, but lately I am seeing some really great patterns and traditions I’d like to challenge myself more with: specifically Gogyohka and Haiku as well as some Sestinas and Sonnets. Learning to break free sometimes involve learning how your shackles work, no?
The Irish Healer: A Novel by Nancy Herriman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Nancy Herriman’s writing can be described as lovely, on time, and true. Her characters’ personalities and their flaws is what makes “The Irish Healer” such a wonderful read.
It is the 1830s and Rachel Dunne is leaving her home in Ireland to be an assistant to a physician in London. Back at home though, she was accused of murder and the town was set to gossip. At least in London working for the elusive, handsome Physician James Edmunds, Rachel may have a chance to start afresh and perhaps leave healing alone all together.
James Edmunds no longer trusts God with his medical practice or his family anymore. After his wife passed away, he had his sister in law take care of his daughter Amelia- to keep at bay his own mistakes from the past, yet when he meets Rachel Dunne, his new assistant, he wants her around more and more and he wonders if God may be giving him another chance.
What makes this story grand and pleasing, is that both characters are at odds with God. They have both placed their trust in Him at some point before but when things went sour, they lost their faith. So not only does Mr. Edmunds push against the grain of God’s will, Rachel does too as she refuses to help anyone sick for fear she may kill them, yet God keep placing her where she needs to be-
Especially when James Edmunds own daughter falls ill and it may be up to Rachel to push past her hurt pride to help. She endures the stereotypes and dreadful words from those who hate her simply because she is Irish but she does meet a few nice folk along the way who help put her faith back in place.
*Book was received from Worthy Publishing for my unbiased review.
If a journal or magazine doesn’t scoop up your writing, does this mean you’ve done a poor job?
No.
And let me tell you why.
Usually when we feel disappointed from rejection it is because of two things: 1)We believed the best too much 2) Those who will be judging our works tend to be professionals and whatever a professional says about our poems and stories must be right…?
So when you receive a rejection notice that begins with “We regret to inform you”, what is the first thing you do? I have been rejected twice before for a longer essay piece some years ago. Honestly, it never bothered me when they returned my piece back to me stating that it was “too long and maybe I should purchase their magazine to see how to really write.”
It never reached my heart because I knew I was a good writer and have been told by strangers and professors, however I also understood that maybe my piece was not what they were looking for at the time. It stung a little, sure, but out of thousands of writers submitting, did I really think mine would make it?
I can say no, but then that would mean I had no faith in my writing abilities. I am not the best writer in the world, or maybe in the nation, but I am always truthful and have an active imagination- two ingredients for success.
But if your submission has just been rejected, don’t fret. Here’s what I’ve done:
There is no magic formula for winning contests. But there is always a place that believes in you. Try them out and good luck!
Erica
Image courtesy of istockphoto
Quick. Think of at least 10 words, or ideas(its okay if its sentences and its okay if you have more words pop into your mind).
Write them down.
What do you see? What are the connections? What do they say about yourself?
Here’s the good part. These are the words and ideas that will be birthed in your brand new poem! The other day some terms just came into my mind. Here’s what the muse gave me:
Okay so maybe I think I’m a hot mama-LOL. It wasn’t the material I was reading, but perhaps a song? Movie? Either way, I’m sure it’ll at least spark an idea for a poem. In some cases you may not need all or any of your muse’s words but the theme could be great foundation.
Try it out and let me know how you do 
This week I have been re-teaching myself on the art of poetry by reading “The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry” by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux. It is a wonderful book that I highly recommend for anyone serious about writing poetry. The book is conversational in tone and it gives you a wealth of examples from contemporary poets and it teaches you to write honestly.
However, I want to focus on two demons that ride almost every writer’s back and poets in particular: Self doubt and writer’s block. The authors chose to leave these two for the end of the book in a section called “The Writing Life”
As a writer, you doubt if anyone will read your crap. Yes. I said crap, because as you are writing down what you call a masterpiece, you have that little bite in the side of your mind that screams: “BUT THE WORLD HAS READ BETTER!” Then your thoughts stray to those accomplished poets who win poetry slams and monetary contests all the time. Those poets who get published by traditional publishers and get a nice advance because for some reason their stuff wasn’t crap but your is? There is someone who felt like you do- Sylvia Plath(1932-1963).
In entry after entry, Plath exhorted herself to become a better person, to take more detailed notes on the lives around her so she could turn them into fiction(Addonizio & Laux, 1997, p. 196)
Plath ended up killing herself with cooking gas at the young age of 30 and her collection of poetry, Ariel was found and published. A stunning work. However she pushed herself too hard and that could have been her struggle in the very end.
Here’s a little poem
about my foe
called Doubt-
a pest, a bugger that needs to be
drawn out with
a napkin
tossed in a wastebasket.
that impudent little critter
who flies by my head,
kisses my arm to
suck the blood
right after
numbing me
So, what is the cure to self-doubt? We all have it and we don’t like it but it is a constant in our life hovering like a plane about to drop on our heads. What is the cure to keep going on even if we don’t end up famous with our own books on the bookshelves or on television someday sitting with Oprah?
According to Addonizio and Laux, you can play God. If there is ever a way to defeat a demon like self-doubt it is to be the Source. When you write initially, it is for your eyes only. Have fun with what you are saying. In your writing you can be and do anything you want and after all, that is why it’s called “creative writing”- creating things sometimes take time to get noticed and appreciated but don’t stop writing if it is your passion. Even Dr. Seuss’s books were rejected numerous times before getting picked up. Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight was rejected a number of ten times according to some interviews.
The next pitfall for poets is writer’s block. This is akin to “excuses”. Addonizio and Laux say, “There is no such thing as writer’s block. We believe there are times when you are empty and times when you are full.”(199). If that is the case, when you feel empty you need to refuel. One good advice they give is to write about why you can’t write.
Spend some time and write about that obstacle you feel is in your way because you can’t see it.
I long to feel the
wind of the whip
cracking in my ear,
to lend me over to
success
that poem across the
pier.
This advice is suitable for anyone who wishes to write. I thought I’d help you out a bit because I feel there is an awesome poet/storyteller inside of you waiting to burst free but you have fears and imagined impediments before you.
Don’t fear.
Write.
A letter to my Muse:
Just thought I’d let you know that I am grateful for the many, may images, dreams, and small inputs during my writing exercises which formed into these little pillows, usable for publishing. You warned me that its not if everyone likes it- only that I write it. The fragments, like pieces of bone have finally knit together. Adam’s rib, snatched from Eve made her woman. The sinews, the muscle and skin have fully formed and you told me: “Don’t worry. That is the easy part.”
You never told me what the hard part was. I just assume its the part about everyone liking my stuff. But who worries over that? I write to purge and entertain equally, but who am I lying to? I do care about the downloads, the purchaes, the social media, comments, and reviews. You never taught me marketing, I had to go to school or speak with my husband about that.
Writing is so much harder than I thought. Imagining is great. Dreaming- wonderful. But creating from beginning to end, and choosing whether to know the ending or not is merciless to my soul.
I can say this though. Even if I don’t know, I have files, and files saved of stories from my head. They brim over my skull cap and I can’t see during the day as I walk to the library, shop, as I read a book. You throw these heroines in my head who have dazzling hair, or poor dispositions, and then thrust them into possible impossible situations and then I am left wondering: When? I can’t get them down fast enough.
Listen. I like you and I thank you for what you have done for me and will continue to do. Just one suggestion?
Stop pouring all the stories in at once and please if you love me- get some marketing skills and psychic ability!
Just kidding, I’m okay.
No really….
Microsoft Office Image
After one project is complete, another is always or have already been underway. In this case, the seemingly old question btaking over online systems is: Is it possible for books to have too much overt Christian themes? Back in February I wrote post on “Christian Romance and Crossing Lines” which explained what readers truly look for in a book. One of those elements are the bonds that tie human souls.
I doubt if my post this time will help others learn that telling a good story should be the utmost important in any genre, but I’ll have to explain why my new novel will more than likely be hard to classify.
First, the book will have the major plot and a couple of subplots that may be explored later- or not. The main idea is that a woman finds herself lost in more ways than one and she now has to live with a family member and start over. This family member tries to tell the girl that no one is more evil than the other. As humans we all have the capacity to love very much or hate very much and unfortunately some carry out that hate and can become truly evil.
The protagonist, however made some mistakes and those past mistakes are coming to bite her in the butt. In the meantime, a new event will take place in her life where she will discover her purpose during her downfall… could it be her downfall is really her just being human?
I am unsure how to categorize this one. Its not a supernatural, urban fiction but simply a fictional story with some romance in it. The idea of forgiveness and redemption is laced through the story, but for now I’ve been worrying over telling the story clearly.
Here’s my advice on letting the story spill:
Some Helpful Books…
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
Athens: Kallimarmaro Stadium/Photo by wallyg
Welcome back to Tracking an Author or TAA. It has been quite a while since I’ve done this kind of blog post but if you are curious about the writing journey and would like to read the tips and tidbits I am learning along the way, feel free to click on “Tracking An Author” tag in the cloud. Meanwhile, I am coming to a head with my second full length book and have nothing left to worry over except the cover. In fact there’s a nice, stunning photo I can use for the front that my husband designed.
New things I’ve learned:
If you have never self published in print before, here’s something to know- CreateSpace so far is better for me as far as affordability goes and ease of use. Secondly, the custom size(6×9) seems to be the standard trim fit they use for 24-250 page books. Industry sizes include 7×10 and 8×11 but for the book to be a good “novel size” and accepted into most online and physical bookstores, 6×9 seems to be the acceptable format.
CreateSpace also accepts document uploads in .doc, .docx, and pdf formats.
A little about my new book
In 2010, I completed “The Prayer Monologues: These Brass Hands”. With much encouragement from friends and the strength to dig up poems that were little snapshots of my life history and part observation, the publication process became a joyous one. A genuine first.
However, in between that time I focused more on my fiction and began to feel torn. Ever have that feeling that too many stories and ideas are pouring into your head? Well, right now I have two fiction novels in my mind as I go on to finish the book cover to this one. And a free short novella that thankfully made it out of my head like Athena from her father Zeus’s head.
This book of poems is a tad bit different from the first. The muse had little to do with this one except for maybe the fillers; the foundation was built from watching the news, reading the newspaper, and thinking back on where I come from. My hope is that the book will make people tick, think, reflect or whatever poetry is meant to do. Here’s a snippet of the contents from my new book:
Book 1: Rebirth in a New Country
5
Book 2: Heroes in My Head, the Blood in My Dreams
34
Book 3: Because I’m Caught Between the Body and a Spirit’s Space
71
About the Author
113
As I mentioned, I just have to worry over a cover now. The hardest part after that is sure to come, but I’ll keep you posted.
Have you written anything lately? Where can we find your work?
