Can you help me make sure my first chapter is ready to query or self-publish? Hi everyone! This week we are going to take a look at an anonymous fellow author's first chapter. I am looking at this as an agent who is seeing this in their slush pile, and as an editor, polishing it … Continue reading Literary Q&A: First Chapter Final Editing (Series #9)
I will have an instructional post for you next week, please send me your questions. I see many of the same topics that I end up answering together. I need some new lines of direction. What haven't I covered, or what would you like me to go into more detail about? For this week, it's … Continue reading The Blood Match: Birth of a Novel (Series #2)
Hello writers! I haven't done a personal post in a while and it's time as you'll see. Previously I blogged an entire series called "Journey to a Bestseller" about a young adult steampunk novel that I wanted to be a bestseller (I suppose it's not quite finished). Some of you may ask, what did happen … Continue reading The Blood Match: A New Journey (Series #1)
When I grew up I wanted to be Barbra Streisand--specifically as Fanny Brice--but that was never going to happen. Because I wasn't born Barbra Streisand. And you weren't born Stephen King. Which is a good thing, because he's not the best writer. He's ONE of the best writers, along with other household names--Dean Koontz, Nora … Continue reading Literary Q&A: I Just Published a Book, Now What? #Authorgoals (Series #8)
I did the Amazon ads the way you said with lots of ads and low bids. Now what? I did the keyword ads, but I don't know ACOS from pizza. How do I make it work better? Hi everyone! What the author of the question is asking is how to optimize your ads--to make them … Continue reading Literary Q&A: How Do I Know if my Keywords are Converting? [Or Optimizing Amazon Keyword Ads] (Series #7)
This week should be shorter, I have our weekly question, plus an announcement. I am almost done with my book, where should I publish it? This question has a roundabout answer. First of all, if you haven't finished your book, you are looking too far ahead, in my opinion. Not only do you have time … Continue reading Literary Q&A: Where Should I Publish My Unfinished Manuscript? (Series #6)
Good Sunday everyone. My calendar says, "When you can't find the sunshine, BE the sunshine." Love it. Great advice for everyone--especially writers. What do people mean when they say, "It's never too soon to start marketing?" I just released my first book and I haven't even started. So am I already losing because I don't … Continue reading Literary Q&A: What Do People Mean When They Say, “It’s Never Too Soon to Start Marketing”? (Series #5)
Question: I'm editing my book, but what do I do with tags? This week an author friend of mine expressed some confusion on the topic of tags in his novel. I asked, Is your issue with tag punctuation, the difference between action tags and dialogue tags, acceptable dialogue tags, or something else? I could go … Continue reading Literary Q&A: What Good Writers Know About Tags (Series #4)
Hello everyone. We're talking about quotes this week. First of all, I'm sorry about my absence the last two weeks; I have been up to my eyeballs in manuscripts. But a funny thing happened. Often when I'm editing a manuscript I come across an issue I've never dealt with before, but then it seems like … Continue reading Literary Q&A: Can I Quote Another Book, Poem or Song Lyrics in my Novel? (Series #3)
Today's Question: How do I write different characters in different ages and races that people identify with? I was thinking about this question as I was staring at a wrinkle in my mirror this morning. I immediately thought about an infomercial I'd seen lately that said most of the cause of aging comes from more … Continue reading Literary Q&A: Relatability in Your Writing (Series #2)
I'm so excited to dive into these questions! I've received some great ones. Keep them coming! I'd like to focus on two per post, so I don't spread out info all over and repeat myself more than necessary. Without dragging on, let's see what you asked this week: Question 1: I was wondering about this. … Continue reading Literary Q&A: All About Twitter Pitch Events and Common Agent Responses to Unsuccessful Queries (Series #1)
Hello all! First, I have two promos to share with you. They are both on Bookfunnel. Click on the photos to jump to the sale. Today's post is a casting net. I need your input again authors. I'd like to do another question/answer series for the blog through October. First, I want to know all … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Tell Me Everything YOU Need to be a Successful Writer (Series #46)
Hi everyone. Have you written your first draft, finally gotten it complete, only to realize you have 200,000 words? You are not alone. There are many reasons to "cut" or "trim" your writing. It makes things clearer, stronger, more concise, and streamlines the information that the reader needs to know. And of course, word counts--everyone … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Cutting your Novel Down to Size (Series #45)
Hey all. Time for a catch-up post. The goal: write a bestseller is still on. The WIP this series is about--The Clockwork Pen--is with two Top 5 publishers at the moment, and I'm waiting to hear back. But, the new WIP is coming along nicely and has a high-concept that I know a particular editor … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: August Catch-Up (Series #44)
I've talked about "voice" before--even as recently as series #35. But what I want to talk about today isn't regarding the way you tell a story so much as it's a sentence-structure thing. In an active sentence, the subject is acting on the verb. It pulls the reader in close to the story. A passive … Continue reading Active vs. Passive Voice (Writing #4)
Good sunday everyone! To be honest, I didn't have a subject for today's post. I was trying to think of writing advice I could give you. So far I've talked about world-building, plot points, researching, high concept ideas, connecting with unlikeable characters, breaking up info dumps, writing for your market, writing that agents want, en … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Quotes, Italics, Semicolons and Clauses (Series #43)
I got all my work done this week, excited to plot my story, and I got lost on a few research bunny trails. But I finally got everything that I wanted to happen in my story put down on notecards by scene. I wrote the first five pages of the manuscript and when I hit … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Plot Points and Writer Goals (Series #42)
Hello friends and writers! You know, most of the time I sit down to write this blog about my writing journey, and have no idea what I want to say. I begin telling you about what's going on and fall into a helpful topic. This coming week I'm going to be plotting out my new … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Researching For Your Fiction Novel (Series #41)
I have good news this week everyone! First, I hope you all got something out of last week's marketing post, 10-Step Marketing-How to Get Started. If you didn't see it, check it out! It's all about the first and most important steps involved in making sales. In other news, I have just released new covers … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: New Series Covers and Catch-up (Series #40)
I'm not sure if my clients realize it, but as an editor for a publishing house, I get paid when my authors get paid. Like an agent, I don't get paid until my authors do--then I receive a small percentage of the book's sales. So, as nice as I am, it behooves me to help … Continue reading Ten-Step Marketing for Clients–How to Get Started
Good Sunday, my writer friends. I was absent last week making up my monthly newsletter. I don't usually share content, but I am part of some giveaways and have some featured books to share, so I may add that to today's post. I was recently part of a writer's conference that I enjoy every year, … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: “High Concept” Sells & July Giveaways (Series #39)
Good weekend, everyone. This is an update post about where I've been and what's happening with our WIP. This will be a shorter post, but tune in next week for a big post full of deals and recommendations! First things first: I have been gone for the past few weeks after having spinal surgery, and … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: How to make Readers Connect with Your Unlikeable Character (Series #38)
Hi everyone. First of all, sorry about the lack of post last week. I was scheduled for surgery on Monday morning and I planned to apologize when I came back, but my surgery has been rescheduled for May 29th. So it looks like I have more I need to do before then. If you aren't … Continue reading Commaful Series: Breaking up Info Dumps Like a Bad Romance (Writing #3)
As many of you know, I am now working as an editor for a small publishing house. I am loving this job more than agenting, more than consulting, I really enjoy it. One thing I find, though, is that there are some pieces of advice I seem to give over and over. I thought that … Continue reading Editor Notes for Clients
Hello everyone! Good weekend! Today I'm going to talk about composing your outline--which can easily be turned into a synopsis. This is difficult for most writers as they've spent hours and hours creatively writing their magnum opus and now they are being asked to condense the entire twisty-turny plot into a short description and don't … Continue reading Commaful Series: Writing a Killer Synopsis and Forming Your Outline (Writing #2)
Hi everyone! I'm going to be doing a series of teaching videos on a free writers' website called Commaful. Give it a visit! It's a colorful site full of great writing samples. The videos I'm making should be about ten minutes long, so I thought I'd write out my article for you here, as well. … Continue reading Commaful Series: Dynamic Fictional World-Building (Writing #1)
Hello everyone! I apologize for being a day late, but I hope you won't mind. I am going to break down how to query agents and get the best results. There is a lot of information you need to know before you actually get to sending out your query letters. Let's just pretend that you've … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Land Your Agent with the Most Effective Query (Series #37)
Last week I told you about some FREE book giveaways I'm currently in. This week, I have two more! If you love dystopian novels, have I got a deal for you! These books are on BookFunnel.com, so some of them require your email before you download the book or sample. If you aren't familiar with BookFunnel … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: FREE Dystopian Reads, The Secret to AMS Ads, and Editing-for-Sale (Series #36)
FREE BOOKS!! Yes, I mean it. You are about to be offered free books. I'm in several Book Funnel promotions this month and I want to share them with you. I missed linking you to the promotion last week, but I've got three more! Don't know what Book Funnel is? It's a site where readers … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Free Books, Writing for Your Market, Editing, and Ad Progress (Series #35)
Author Jennifer Haskin was born in North Kansas City, Missouri. She wanted to be a teacher, a writer, a singer, and an artist. The author began writing very young. She won her first award in the fourth grade, and in the fifth, then she was published in the ninth grade in a magazine. She creates great fantasy and sci-fi worlds with engaging plots and relatable characters. Read full interview...
Good Sunday everyone! Today's calendar says, "There is always a way." True. And if you are querying, that way is not giving up. MOST people attempt to publish before the book is ready and then get disappointed when they receive rejections galore. They end up shelving a good manuscript and moving on when the answer … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: How An Agent Can Read ONE Chapter and Know If Your Book is Any Good (Series #34.5)
Hello everyone! So happy to be here today. My desk calendar today says, "You don't have to be perfect to be AMAZING." So true. Today, my friends, is the launch of my third book, The Final Rescue, the last book in the Freedom Fight Trilogy. It is $0.99 this week. In fact they are all … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Amazon Ad Progress and Making a Bookbub Ad (Series # 34)
Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com A lot of people have opinions about this subject, and it is one that I'm passionate about. I agree that opiates are bad, and people shouldn't be started on them if at all possible. The government is waging a war against opiates and they are hard to get … Continue reading The Opioid Epidemic
Good Sunday everyone! I am so frustrated with the AMS ads. I am a relatively smart person, so I read up on it, took a course--twice--testing at 100% both times. I thought I knew what I was doing. My first ad was accepted, but when I went the next day to look at its performance, … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Amazon Ad Results.1 and Official Book Trailer (Series #33)
Good day everyone! I have super news! I have the ten required Amazon reviews I need to buy ads for launch. I am throwing the net wide, but not without advice from those who have had success with ads. Launch day for The Final Rescue is March 22nd, 2020. Which happens to be a Sunday … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Creating an Amazon Ad for Fiction Authors (Series #32)
Hello everyone! We have some new people and I digressed from the "journey" last week with my story about my German grandmother. I appreciated all the kind words. So, I decided we'll start off with a low down of what I'm working on what the next steps are. First, we have been on a marketing … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Catch-up on Our Book Progress (Series #31)
I apologize for not writing a blog last week. My grandmother recently passed away not long before she would have turned 97. Don't worry, we aren't sad. And before you get offended, you have to know my grandmother, or as we called her, Oma. So, today we are deviating. Today I'm telling you about Oma. … Continue reading Oma’s Story
Good weekend everyone. Happy Sunday. This week is for the indie crowd. I have been talking the last few weeks about spreadsheets and queries. But what about us self-publishers? I hear you. Your book, finished and self-edited, should now be in the hands of beta readers. And only include your mom in this if she's … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: First Steps for Marketing (Series #30)
How to write a query letter,
Photo by Max Ravier on Pexels.com Hello everyone! Sorry I'm late this week. The carpet cleaner is coming and my world is upside down. It confuses me when people get mad at me before they even meet me. That happened a lot as an agent. But it's a messed up system, in many cases. Speaking … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Getting Your Agent List Ready to Query (Series #28)
Here are new "author photos" that are mostly me being my goofy self and my sister in law snapping away. She came by this week and did my hair and makeup for the photos. So sweet, she just called and volunteered to do it. Beca is a hair and makeup guru. @Lipstickzombae Don't let my … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Making a Spreadsheet For Researching Agents (Series #27)
Hey everyone! I took a week off for the holidays. Actually, I was writing my newsletter and I forgot. Shhh. So, in the life of our WIP which I am going to start calling by its title: The Clockwork Pen, I now have my first draft. I wrote the whole thing and went back to … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: After Typing “The End”~What’s Next? (Series #26)
*If you're a writer, feel free to share this post with your readers.* As for you readers, the superstars, the audience, the fans, has anyone asked you to give them a review of their book? Maybe a friend, a new author, perhaps? Does the idea of leaving a review make you want to throw up … Continue reading The Mad Libs Version for Writing a Book Review … For Readers.
We are about to enter a different phase with our NEWLY COMPLETED manuscripts! Yay! Yes, I finished "the bestseller" this weekend. If you are writing with me, have you finished your first draft? What was your word count? My final word count for the first draft, which always raises quite a bit by the end, … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Four Editing Tips (Series #25)
It's been a long week, folks. I was in a book fair at Woodneath Library in Liberty, Missouri, this weekend. Joined by my daughter and my writing partner. The tables were tiny, but it was a nice set up and all my swag fit on my table, and I got some good ideas from other … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: Evaluation of Anonymous Query and Sample Pages (Series #24)
Hi everyone! I'm going to try to make this shorter than usual so I can get back to writing. I'm coming to the big climax. I'm on Chapter 16 and I have about half a chapter put down. I'm not sure if I want to end it in this chapter, though. It seems too soon. … Continue reading Journey to a Bestseller: En & Em Dashes (Series #23)
Stay tuned. There's sample writing coming in this post. But first, with my editing, I have to add and subtract commas, and semicolons. So, as a writer and editor, I felt like I should brush up on my own education while solving some issues for you writers. Do you believe in the Oxford comma? Know … Continue reading The Journey to a Bestseller: Commas and Pirated Content (Series #22)
Hello! Good Sunday afternoon! I didn't have a chance to write this week, but I promise next week's post will be about the WIP. What I did work on this week was marketing my existing books by updating my keyword phrases and categories on Amazon. Why is that important? Amazon's almighty algorithm A9 (or A10, … Continue reading The Journey to a Bestseller: Increase Your Chances of Being Seen on Amazon {Keywords & Categories}(series #21)
I was talking to someone today who told me there was one skill to selling million dollar books. There might be, but none of us knows what it is. The price pledge of this knowledge? Five weeks of your time for training and five thousand dollars. You heard me right. To be fair, I did … Continue reading Shooting for bestseller. How You Can Help.
Sorry I'm late this week. It was newsletter week and I felt like I'd already written the blog. They got to see the many phases of the cover for my third book. I have been busy this week. I have been networking with authors from a site I joined called AllAuthor. It's a place for … Continue reading The Journey to a Bestseller: Newsletter Ideas, Author Visibility, and Marketing Help (Series #20)
