Category: Uncategorized

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Keeping up with publishing news in, let’s say, 2000 wasn’t particularly interesting. I know I wasn’t paying attention to it. I wonder how many people were.

But today, keeping an eye on publishing is important for every writer considering publication. Actually, I think it’s important for readers, too, if they’re interested in the health of their local bookstore chain or whether they should invest in an eReader.

Luckily, there are some great sites to help us keep up with it all and to help us disseminate the information we receive. That’s a good thing, because it’s all changing so quickly.

Publishing news and analysis

eBookNewser

Jane Friedman’s blog, in particular Porter Anderson’s Thursday segment, Writing on the Ether

TeleRead

Publishing Perspectives

Publishers Lunch

Blogs that weigh in on e-publishing vs. traditional

Joe Konrath’s blog (A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing)
Dean Wesley Smith
The Business Rusch (Kristine Kathryn Rusch)
David Gaughran—Let’s Get Digital
The Shatzkin Files (Mike Shatzkin)

Help sorting out legal ramifications of these changes in publishing:

Passive Voice Blog

These are just a few great sites…there are many more out there. Want to add to my list? Or, what are your thoughts on the rapidly changing publishing world? (I think it’s a great time to be a writer.)

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I was speaking to a lady the other day who is an aspiring author. She has been researching ways of improving her writing, but told me that everything seemed so expensive—the classes, the conferences, etc.

It could be expensive to improve our writing, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some cheap ways to improve our writing in 2012:

Of course, there are books to buy and magazines to read. There are excellent ones out there, actually. See if your local library has any books on how to write. It doesn’t matter if the book is ten years old or not—good writing is good writing. Many libraries also carry Writer’s Digest or Poets and Writers. Cost of a library book (that’s not overdue)=free

Learn what areas you need to improve. Probably the best way to do this is by sharing your work. I know this is tough for some. I think it’s easier to share with strangers, personally. There are plenty of online critique groups that can match you with writers of similar genres. Check out writer Clarissa Draper’s excellent list of critique groups (or her own match-up program). Cost=varies, but there are many crit group programs that are free.

Once you know what you need to improve, you can easily find resources online to help you improve. I compile the best writing-related links that I can find each week and they are sent to the Writer’s Knowledge Base where they’re searchable for free. So, if you realize you have trouble with transitions, if your book has a saggy middle, if you have trouble with point of view (POV), then you can search the WKB for those terms and find hundreds of articles on those topics. Cost=free.

Buy some inexpensive notebooks and try writing different places and at different times if you can’t seem to fit writing into your day. Make it portable…index cards for those minutes waiting at the dentist’s office. Small notebooks for your briefcase or purse. Cost= a few dollars.

Try online writing classes. I know I don’t talk much about classes on the blog, but I took five or six of them when I was starting out with my first book. I found them very helpful. I could choose the topic I needed help with, the instructors gave homework which I submitted for critique, and I got real feedback. Now, obviously, you can end up with a crummy instructor, so I’d check and see how many classes the writer has taught—or go through an organization like the Romance Writers of America.

I’ve found their classes are excellent and frequently aren’t limited to romance (clearly, since I don’t write it!) You can pay via PayPal and email back and forth. It’s very simple. What’s more, their classes are dirt cheap, compared to other venues. At a glance on their upcoming calendar (click on the link and scroll down) I see classes for using backstory effectively, writing steampunk mysteries, creating a web presence, writing synopses, weapons, queries, and more. Cost= $25-$30.

Free help pursuing the traditional publishing route. Have you got a book that you’re ready to query? Here are a couple of sites to help you screen prospects: AgentQuery (which can help you find an agent who represents your genre) and Preditors and Editors which help you eliminate agents and editors and “publishers” who prey on writers. Cost= free.

The low cost of e-publishing. You can upload your books to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords for free. Your only costs should be for a cover design (which you come up with independently), a freelance editor (if your book hasn’t been proofread), and someone to help you with formatting for epub and mobi (if you can’t do it yourself.) For a list of epublishing professionals, check out my spreadsheet of cover designers, formatters, and freelance editors. Cost= varies for cover artists and freelancers. The publishing process itself is free.

Reading our genre. One of the best ways for us to improve our writing is by reading the genre that we want to write. Cost of a library book= free.

And, of course, the more we write, the better we get. I’m trying to fit in more writing….and reading…time for 2012. What are some ways you’re planning to invest in your writing next year?

I’ve also given a holiday interview to Diane Morasco at Blogcritics. Thanks to Diane for hosting me.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.

The Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 12,000) searchable. Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web’s best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1 .

In recent news, my writing and computer programming friend Mike Fleming has launched his Hiveword Novel Writing Software. To check out what it’s all about,just click here.

I’ve also released another backlist Myrtle Clover title to ebook. A Dyeing Shame is available on Kindle and Nook for $2.99.

Controversies Surrounding Ebooks in Libraries: http://bit.ly/rtVhSV @PassiveVoiceBlg

How Nook could lose 1 writer as a customer: http://bit.ly/vbFTY6 @shaunduke

Teen-Lit Queen Takes Up Book Packaging: http://buswk.co/uwR7qc @dianebrady

Character Trait Entry: Responsible: http://bit.ly/tKgvJC @AngelaAckerman

Are your characters ‘beginning’ or ‘starting’ activities too frequently? http://bit.ly/uWWU7e

A weekly roundup of links for historical writers: http://bit.ly/tdPBZZ @2nerdyhistgirls

Tips for the sick writer: http://norabpeevy.blogspot.com/2011/12/tips-for-sick-writer.html @NoraBPeevy

Tips for the sick writer: http://bit.ly/vqdIWN @NoraBPeevy

Want to be a screenwriter? Don’t waste time on gimmicks: http://bit.ly/tRxDUI @scriptmag

Writing for Middle Grades: Being age appropriate: http://bit.ly/usn82H @authorajhartley

Choosing publications to query: http://bit.ly/vh4Gxa @robertleebrewer

Keeping It Real in Sci-Fi: http://slate.me/vXHVUe @zonal

The Myths of the Overworked Creative(video): http://bit.ly/ttbGHc @tonyschwartz

4 Ways to Move Beyond Discouragement in Your Author Career: http://bit.ly/sTPEO8 @bethbookcoach

What’s different about crime fiction marketing: http://bit.ly/w0E8CK @erinfaye

For literary inspiration follow @AdviceToWriters. Jon Winokur dispenses writerly wisdom of the ages.

A useful resource for describing settings, emotions, shapes, textures, and more: http://bit.ly/eIGRMO @AngelaAckerman

The structure of a short story: http://bit.ly/ugD0fU @sarahahoyt

How to Use Uncertainty to Fuel Your Writing: http://bit.ly/rQLOXC @krissybrady

5 SF&F Novel Series That Should Come to TV: http://bit.ly/uijkCj @gammasquad

40 Inspiring Quotes About Reading From Writers: http://bit.ly/vnG2zE @flavorpill

Considerations when deciding between writing a memoir, novel, or fictionalized memoir: http://bit.ly/stKyKJ @DirtyWhiteCandy

The long road to a surprise best seller: http://bit.ly/shBgEg @AlexJCavanaugh

How dialogue can help readers know our characters: http://bit.ly/s24ZLB & http://bit.ly/vlux9y @mkinberg

How to blog: A Beginner’s Guide for Authors: http://bit.ly/sWKGl6 @AnneRAllen

How to Create Another Day a Week Just for Blogging: http://bit.ly/v2vzHT @problogger

Your Book Trailer as Calling Card: http://bit.ly/rXu4gO @dataylor1

Character Development — Secret, Wall, Loss, Desire: http://bit.ly/rudOG7

What To Do When Your WIP Turns Against You: http://bit.ly/vKtZF1 @cjredwine

Making choices between fight or flight: http://bit.ly/rwt1dD @victoriamixon

An agent’s tips for breaking into publishing: http://bit.ly/t3eWBj @RachelleGardner

The New World of Publishing: Why Bad Agent Information Gets Taught: http://bit.ly/uFQWrY @DeanWesleySmith

Know your netiquette: http://bit.ly/uVIO2O @roniekendig

5 Prompt Websites to Fill Your Creative Writing Well: http://bit.ly/tOeb5p @krissybrady

50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix): http://bit.ly/teyXJ6 @writing_tips

Turning Self-Publishing Into Self-Employed: http://bit.ly/rwv1Rv @TweetTheBook

Build Your Platform Tip #2 Get Other Authors to Work for You: http://bit.ly/uHromD @kathilipp

10 Holiday Themed Science Fiction And Fantasy Stories: http://bit.ly/tB9fnj @BryanThomasS

5 tips for your LinkedIn profile: http://bit.ly/vLww6L @fuelyourwriting

Faltering Dialogue Punctuated: http://bit.ly/tCIx4D @KeliGwyn

Organize Your Writing Life: Ask Santa for a 2012 Planner: http://bit.ly/uxMI0L @KrissyBrady

Want to have a LinkedIn profile as a writer? A guide: http://bit.ly/ujcY9J @jhansenwrites

5 Major Turning Points on the Road to Finishing a Book: http://bit.ly/uQcBZl @writeabook

Enduring through writing’s slow growth periods: http://bit.ly/tBIYzp @ollinmorales

‘Clean Slate’ Blogging: How to Write a Post Your Readers Will Remember: http://bit.ly/rJ8JQQ @catseyewriter

3 Ways to Work Through a Difficult First Draft: http://bit.ly/v2Z3hY @writeitsideways

4 steps for untangling plot threads: http://bit.ly/sImiPR @bluemaven

Is Your Novel a Spineless Weakling? http://bit.ly/u7hTKE @KristenLambTX

How to Make a Secret Door in Your Bookcase: http://bit.ly/sWBNUs @GalleyCat

3 post-NaNo articles on revision: http://bit.ly/4wP2Rc , http://bit.ly/4Xjyuc , http://bit.ly/5vqbuj @p2p_editor

5 Secrets “Miracle on 34th Street” Can Teach You About Persuasive Writing: http://bit.ly/sp3M0p @Copyblogger

A complete guide to Word’s Track Changes for writers: http://bit.ly/sajUIh @Jhansenwrites

What Good Salespeople Know That Writers Should: http://bit.ly/s6SGqO @joannetombrakos for @janefriedman

Tightening your plot by layering: http://bit.ly/syX6fW @JulietteWade

The Ugly Truth About Consumer Book Reviews: http://huff.to/sTM9O4 @tglong for @IndieReader

Publishing, from a bookseller’s perspective: http://bit.ly/vdSz6q

5 Reasons Not to Criticize First Drafts: http://bit.ly/txAXYB @mgherron

How to Network Without Networking: http://bit.ly/t01rM3 @nathanbransford

Tips on writing about another culture: http://bit.ly/rVPkGs @Holly_S_Warah

What to Do With Contradictory Feedback (And 2 Star Reviews): http://bit.ly/uLzK3F @JodyHedlund

Who, Which, That—or, How Not to Ruin a Sentence: http://bit.ly/v8JQSw @write_practice

How to Make Your Writing More Visible Online: http://bit.ly/v7eeOh @galleycat

Into vs. In To: http://bit.ly/uAWluM @BrianKlems

Get help: http://bit.ly/rKbpGi @writenowcoach

Should You Write Your Second Book First? http://bit.ly/vMiahZ @RedTashBooks for @DavidGaughran

How to Get the Most out of a Writers’ Conference: http://bit.ly/tvxb6v @CAMorganti

12 Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking: http://bit.ly/vOG1SF @MichaelMichalko

Writing to genre: http://bit.ly/rQuIqS @TheresaStevens

How to Make the Most of a Scene: http://bit.ly/t2jYMY @JamiGold

The Self-Published Author as the Self-Employed Author: http://bit.ly/tPJguD @PassiveVoiceBlg

Active versus Static Backstory and Description: http://bit.ly/s6nfgs @4kidlit

Write with authenticity: http://bit.ly/syIlno @JulieMusil

Will Packaging Save Print Books? http://bit.ly/t9ArsC @diannadilworth

Bookstore terms, shelf location, signings—from a bookseller’s POV: http://bit.ly/su3o50

A dramatic change in backlist for authors: http://bit.ly/sMI6AT @bob_mayer

How to confront the fear of public speaking: http://bit.ly/vr37lY @Janefriedman @antiquityoaks

The new publisher: http://bit.ly/vmyhAF @pubperspectives

5 Reasons to Shed the Genius Within: http://bit.ly/vgBlda @LyndaRYoung

An analysis on 1 writer’s ebook pricing experiment: http://bit.ly/u9sS2z @ElleLothlorien for @JAKonrath

Music’s influence on @nicolamorgan ‘s writing: http://bit.ly/uuH6S2 @byrozmorris

Confidence Matters Just as Much as Ability: http://bit.ly/vCVN1X @creativitypost

Writing Predators: http://bit.ly/vmPXDj @WriteAngleBlog

5 More Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now: http://bit.ly/v59sA2 @writing_tips

Writers, are you making these 25 financial mistakes? Advice from the profane & brilliant @ChuckWendig: http://bit.ly/vq1i5W

3 Ways to Get Out of a Blogging Slump: http://bit.ly/rIS1Of @urbanmusewriter

What Hunter S. Thompson Can Teach You About Powerful : http://bit.ly/sfKUl2 @junhax

Are publishers putting the squeeze on book bloggers? http://bit.ly/tukLgO @alisonflood

6 Questions NOT to Ask a Writer: http://bit.ly/uup3F0 @elspethwrites

30 Holiday Gifts For Journalists: http://bit.ly/uCgBGL @10000words

The 5 Biggest Mistakes in Writing Scenes: http://bit.ly/s94xKx

Why Only Focusing On Your “Target” Audience May Hurt You: http://bit.ly/rX1iU7 @RoniLoren

5 things new self-publishers should know: http://bit.ly/tCl5WE @cathryanhoward

How Much Time Should Writers Devote to Social Media? http://bit.ly/sJ1Qse @JodyHedlund

5 reasons the queries received by 1 editor have been disappointing: http://bit.ly/slxJo2

Online resources for finding character names: http://bit.ly/vydQOq @tn_tobias

When the Reader Becomes the Enemy: Lessons from Pottermore: http://bit.ly/sDDsie @JamiGold for @HP4Writers

Mobile Barcode Advice for Writers: http://bit.ly/tbILie @GalleyCat

2012 Events for the Screenwriter: http://bit.ly/txIRZd @scriptmag

How Much Should You Explain in a Story’s Beginning? http://bit.ly/sfJaBB @KMWeiland

Formulae for Success in Publishing: http://bit.ly/rYAOpd

Charles Dickens’ Plan Sheets: http://bit.ly/tP2p9u @wolferiver

How to Bring Your Characters Into Focus: http://bit.ly/rK9xHq @2KoP for @Writeitsideways

Creating a Facebook Fan Page for Marketing — 1 Author’s Experience: http://bit.ly/t4S8Rx @GoblinWriter

Tips for Dividing Your Novel for Serialization: http://bit.ly/uwfJ6X @dirtywhitecandy for @TuesdaySerial

How To Make Traditional Publishing Writer Friendly: http://bit.ly/sz5Ozv @KristineRusch

UK Publishers Seek ‘Most Thrilling Outcome for Readers and Writers’: http://bit.ly/uUbw2B @pubperspectives

On writing programs and processes: http://bit.ly/uOMJZw @kalayna

Tips for keeping your writing sanity: http://bit.ly/tZFUTC @YAHighway

Amazon Creates $6M Fund For Books Available In Lending Library: http://bit.ly/tJ01fs @GalleyCat

The emotional cycle for writing: http://bit.ly/s4P0ir @CherylRWrites

Independent Children’s Publishing in France: Inspired, International, Ingenious: http://bit.ly/vd67gA @oliviasnaije for @pubperspectives

Sharing our work: http://bit.ly/rtOhuu

FutureBook con,kids & Kindles, ebook pricing & more industry news from @Porter_Anderson for @JaneFriedman: http://bit.ly/u6KXZ8

What it means to be an artisan writer: http://bit.ly/tbnsqJ @camillelaguire

Your Writing Goals: DARE to Reach Them: http://bit.ly/v6B7rz @KWrites2

What Happens to Your Manuscript in Hollywood? Part One: Solicitation: http://bit.ly/rGk7Q4 @RSMellette

Why 1 writer is joining Amazon’s KDP Select: http://bit.ly/tVRDjk @TweetTheBook

9 things about writing: http://bit.ly/vChWPI @tobywneal

Developing a business plan for our writing: http://bit.ly/uAzsWH @rileymagnus for @JFBookman

The Big Mistake of Author Websites and Blogs: http://bit.ly/uIxnIW @JaneFriedman

Self-Publishing And The Definition Of An Indie Author: http://bit.ly/vaQDdJ @TheCreativePenn

Writer Beware: The Fine Print of Amazon’s New KDP Select Program: http://bit.ly/rvedN3 @Victoria Strauss

Explore different platforms as a writer: http://bit.ly/vq7OGS @thewritermama

How to Write an Irresistible Blog Bio: http://bit.ly/trsDtO @catseyewriter

A Couple of Notes About “Couple”: http://bit.ly/v3ifZ0 @writing_tips

All Work and No Play Makes A Dull Writer: http://bit.ly/ska4YO @gillespiekarin

Guilt Free Writing Time: http://bit.ly/vdsywn @BretBallou

A Quick-Start Guide to Teaching Yourself Creative Software: http://bit.ly/vmPSf3 @the99percent

On critiques: http://bit.ly/vwLgkB @CSLakin for @KMWeiland

The Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini (& its influence on Doyle): http://bit.ly/vfIMB7 @brainpicker via @Porter_Anderson

Amazon Book Review Policy Explained: http://bit.ly/umKOH1 @GalleyCat

Understanding POV: http://bit.ly/ugVIde @C_Herringshaw

Why an editor might decline an editing job: http://bit.ly/tA3IuZ

How to create great content for your blog: http://bit.ly/uBXN3g @jammer0501

Barnes & Noble Has Shipped One Million Nook Tablets, Industry Report States: http://tcrn.ch/uxsAo3 @mjburnsy

St. Martin’s Press Defends Lenore Hart Against Plagiarism Charges: http://bit.ly/vn0BNK @GalleyCat

Write Your Screenplay: Don’t Run From Cliché: http://bit.ly/v2z0ow @jacobkrueger

Know the goal of your marketing plan: http://bit.ly/t7tIzi

Fighting an Invisible Enemy: Accepting Feedback: http://bit.ly/uQCrdC @EDFsChronicles

9 Habits of Extraordinary Blogs: http://bit.ly/sgHhEr @fluencymedia

Invest in yourself: http://bit.ly/uJXctK @sharonbially

Real life diagnostics on character likeability: http://bit.ly/rtt5TS @Janice_Hardy

Tips for hosting guest bloggers on your blog: http://bit.ly/ttpwds @KSElliott_Shark

What 1 poet has learned about self-publishing: http://bit.ly/uI8BWq @robertleebrewer

The Latest Best Argument Against Perfectionism: http://bit.ly/uu6EvT

The romantic fantasy and fantasy romance subgenres: http://bit.ly/tJ4V6K @FantasyFaction

Top 10 ways to promote your virtual book tour: http://bit.ly/rEYL7L @BookMarketer

An introduction to fan fiction: http://bit.ly/u4gTDg @Kerrie_Flanagan

Thanks to Ed Casas for guest posting today and covering a topic I know very little about! Thanks to Ed for developing a formula for finding it out.

BY EDUARDO R CASAS
Below is a simple way to calculate how many books one has to sell to recover the promotional costs ( or any additional fixed cost) of a marketing campaign.

Both in units and dollars

You need to know 4 things:

A. UNIT SALES PRICE
B. VARIABLE COTS PER UNIT
C. TOTAL FIXED COSTS
D. PROMOTION COSTS

The spread sheet is flexible so that every time you have any additional fixed costs or promotional costs just simply enter the amounts on the cell 1 FC for fixed costs, 2 FC for promotional costs , 3 FC automatically sums up all the costs , and below you can see the results.

For those who can use Excel, it’s rather simple , if you would like an Excel copy of the spreadsheet, please send an email address in the comments or comment with an email to my blog.

You can see given these factors that an additional 333 books need to be sold to cover this additional cost. Just plug in the cells motioned new costs and the spreadsheet gives you the new results.

Born in Havana Cuba, Ed now lives in Coral Springs Florida. His experience as an auditor has spanned over 20 years. He has traveled to many international locations and has dealt with all kinds of financial situations, providing a myriad of experiences, from which Ed has drawn on for inspiration for his stories. You can find Ed on his blog, on Facebook, and at his profile on Crimespace.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I was running errands recently and ran into a mom I haven’t seen for a while.

“Have you had any books come out lately?” she asked.

I’ve had four this year.  Two were traditionally published, two I released myself through e-publishing. My friend asked if the writing just got easier and easier.

In some ways, that’s true.  The mechanical stuff, the organizing of a book, just knowing you can do it—that gets easier.

But each of those books had a story of its own behind it—completely separate from the story I was telling.  It wasn’t always smooth going, either.

Finger Lickin’ Dead was a breeze to write.  I laughed all the way through it and wrote it in no time flat.  Easy.

Hickory Smoked Homicide was a book that I nearly deleted off my computer 1/3 of the way through because I lost direction.  I was so frustrated and panicked when I knew my deadline was looming.  I talked to a friend who happened to be an expert in the area I was struggling in,  found my direction again, and the rest went smoothly.

Progressive Dinner Deadly was a book that I wrote in 2009.  It was easily tidied up and released.  Took me about two weeks to edit. I e-published it, myself.

A Dyeing Shame  was a backlist book that I wrote circa 2002.   It took me longer to clean up that book than it took me to write Finger Lickin’ Dead.  I finally got it to the point where I was pleased with it….and it’s a completely different book. Only the killer is the same.  I even changed some of the character names.  I finally released it last week.

The point of these reflections is to remind me not to get discouraged while writing.  It all works out in the end. And not to experience hubris when writing goes really well (e.g. Finger Lickin’ Dead.) 

I learn something from every book I write.  I think I learn more when I struggle through it than when it comes really easily to me.

Have you found that every book has its own personality?  How do you stay encouraged through the process?