publishing

Getting on the Fast Track

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

One of my favorite subjects to talk about is critique groups. I think because they are (in my opinion) one of the most helpful things an author can do for himself/herself.

I recently moved and have been on the hunt for a writing group in my new area. I was beginning to think I was going to have to start one myself, but just when I began to plan this new venture, I found out about one practically in my own backyard!

This group operates differently than any I have ever been a part of, so I thought I’d share with you how they are set-up.

In this case, there is a large group of thirty-five authors—yep, that’s right. This large group is divided into five groups of roughly seven members each.

The smaller groups meet EACH WEEK—interesting, huh? That’s where the real work of critiquing/editing is done.

Then, the large group meets THAT SAME WEEK. Each author’s submission (reflecting changes due to the small group’s comments) is shown on a screen and read aloud by the author. The large group gives general comments on each submission.

I’ve attended one large group meeting and really enjoyed hearing from authors writing in a variety of genres.

I’d recommend this process for any writers who feel they can keep up with this fast-paced regimen. Submitting to two groups every week can be daunting, but it sure can put you on the fast-track to publishing!

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THE END

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

All of his life, Kevin never finished anything he started. In school, he often turned in uncompleted assignments. Later, he lost a succession of jobs because his projects were either late or only partially done before he was on to something else.

Unfortunately, this carried over to his budding writing career. His efforts were promising, but his publisher had another author work with Kevin on the last quarter of his book, so that it could be finished on time.

Even though he’d had help, his book was the first thing Kevin could remember completing. It gave him a huge boost and today, under a pen name, he is a successful and multi-published author.

I hope this story about Kevin helps inspire those of you who are struggling to complete your book. Perhaps you might go through your files and find something that you’d enjoy working on again.

There’s nothing like the feeling of typing THE END on that last page.

The Value of Writing for an Anthology

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Chicken Soup for the Soul books are just one example of a collection, or anthology. Even authors who have published ‘stand-alone’ books often write for anthologies, too.

Why?

For authors, publishing in an anthology offers a diverse and larger audience than having all their stories in one book. 

And~

An anthology, where several authors write on the same theme, offers readers a variety of perspectives and styles.

For myself, I wrote in two short story collections last year:  Desert Tapestry and Christmas Tapestry. Then just last week, I published in a Novella collection, Journeys of Forgiveness. 

As we are beginning our sales and marketing, I see that splitting the costs four ways, instead of bearing the costs alone, is another great reason to write in collections—at least part of the time.

Make Your Imprint

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

You may not be familiar with the publishing term Imprint. 

Simply put, it is the trade (brand) name owned by a larger publishing house which often publishes books targeting specific niches and reading demographics.

Imprints are essentially branches of the same company.

They all tend to have their own resources like editorial and marketing staff, but share production, design, and sales teams with their larger publisher.

Imprints have the advantage of the larger parent company’s ability to get books into stores/retailers, such as Barnes and Noble.

If the book cover is intriguing and targeted toward the right audience, the average reader usually doesn’t care about reading from certain presses or specific imprints. 

So, you may consider publishing with one of these familiar ones next time around: Penguin Random House, Howard, and Avid Readers Press (just to mention a few).

Cat’s Cradle

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

My sixth fiction book,Cat’s Cradle, was published this week, so I thought I would share the back cover copy and front cover with you.  It is available now on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats!!!!

Even though it is the fourth book in the Simon Says series, if you read the Prologue, you will be able to understand what is going on. Better yet, read the whole series! Simon Says, Truth or Dare, Tug of War, and Cat’s Cradle.

When Mary learns that Simon—the man who kidnapped her last summer, and now dominates her recurring nightmares—is actually her biological father, her world turns upside down.

She is frustrated and fearful. 

Confused about family relationships. 

Unsure about the permanence of friendships. 

And it comes out in her behavior at school and at home.

Faced with life’s new reality and an uncertain future, will Mary learn to forgive others, accept responsibility for her own actions, and place her faith in her heavenly Father?

It’s a lot for anyone. But she is only six years old!

Tug of War

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

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My fifth novel, Tug of War, just hit Amazon yesterday. It’s the third book in a series of four.

But, before it got to that point, I visualized it in my hands. I saw the cover, I turned its pages—even before I wrote the first word—and then I got to work.

Months of writing. Working with a critique group and beta readers. Editing. Rewriting. Cover design. Formatting.

Yes, a lot of work. And when the writing was difficult and things took a lot longer than expected, I always thought back to that moment when my book was nothing more than a concept. An idea. A dream.

I remembered what it felt like to hold the fruits of my labor in my hands…

The smoothness of its cover, the smell of new print, the weight of its pages, my name in bold type—all of these reminded me that it would be worth it.

And, it is.

Haircuts and the Writing Cycle

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

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I hate my hair the first week after getting a haircut. It is shorter than I like and it doesn’t style easily. Each hair wants to do its own thing. 

The next two weeks, my hair seems to go into place without a problem. I love my hair during this period.

Weeks four and five are a gradual downhill decline. My hair grows longer and is “top-heavy.” I have to put more and more effort into styling to get it to look halfway decent.

Then, there’s the day of my next haircut appointment. All of a sudden my hair does me proud and I question whether I should keep the date with my stylist.

This morning as I glared at my recently-cut locks in the mirror, I thought about the writing cycle and its similarities to hair growth/cuts.

Even though I am excited when I begin a new book, the process isn’t without its problems. The first chapter is the hardest because it sets the story up and builds the momentum. Characters need to be developed and “gel” with each other. I inevitably spend time taming them all down and helping them find their “place” and “purpose.”

The following chapters are pure fun. As one officer on the television show SVU says, “I love it when a plan comes together.” It is so rewarding when those puzzle pieces fit together and become a beautiful picture of life as I imagine it.

Nearing the end of the book, I get a bit testy. Writing the conclusion, weaving in the lesson learned by the characters and preparing to write a satisfying epilogue are more difficult—and although I enjoy editing someone else’s work—the editing process is slow and laborious when it comes to my own. 

As I wait for comments to come back from my Beta Readers, I reflect on the multiple edits and rewrites I have done myself. I think about how much time and money I could save if I would skip the formal edit and go directly to PUBLISH.

But, just like the times I’m facing the haircut/no-haircut dilemma, I know I will contact my editor and set the appointment. 

After all, I want to like what I see in the mirror.

  

 

Reach for the Moon

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

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From the dreaming to the writing to the publishing and marketing, there is far more to getting your book ready for the consumer than you probably ever imagined.

Think back to the day when the desire to write was born within you.

Now, remember the books you’ve read, the conferences you’ve attended, the podcasts you have watched, the associations you have joined.

Consider the people you have met along the way and their influence on you, the bookstores and libraries you have visited as your dream took shape.

The average reader probably has no idea how many hours you have spent writing, how many nights you stayed up late, how many early mornings you drug yourself out of bed to write while your family remained snug in their beds.

Someone once said that the harder you work for something, the sweeter the reward. 

That person must have been a writer.

The reward isn’t always monetary. Sometimes it is simply in a job well done… a knowing that you persevered… that you saw the task through to THE END.

Sometimes it’s a particularly meaningful review. Perhaps it’s a note of thanks from someone letting you know how your words impacted their life.

Don’t give up.

Keep on Truckin’.

Hang in There.

Because one day you’ll be doing that Happy Dance.

It will have all been worth it.

A “Taxing” Time of Year

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

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It’s tax time.

The first 3 1/2 months of each year.

In January, I sulk and complain at the very thought of it.

In February, I prepare myself mentally.

In March, I gather receipts, statements, invoices… everything I need.

In early April, I get down to business.

The problem is, I always seem to be writing the last chapters of a book, editing, selecting a cover—in the very heart of Tax Season!!!

That makes it an overwhelming time of year for me—year after year!

It takes me roughly one year to write a book, from planning to printing and everything in between. So, February and March are always “crunch time.”

I’ve come to realize that the only way I can separate tax time and launch time is for me to alter my writing schedule.

So, this is the last year I will publish a book in the spring. 

From now on, I am going to work on some other writing projects for a couple of months and begin writing in earnest June 1. That way, I will change publication dates to the middle of the year.

I have a friend who has moved her writing space to the opposite end of the house to avoid family conflicts. Another friend, tired of computer problems, recently bought a new one. She’s busy loading a couple of new writing programs on it. I hope the changes they are making work for them.

Adjustments are a part of life.

The point is, we shouldn’t keep on living with the same circumstances that cause us angst. Only by changing something will we Improve our situation.

Don’t put it off. 

My father always said of change, “It will turn out great. You’ll wonder why you waited so long.”

So, if something is bugging you— keeping things from running smoothly—don’t procrastinate.

Make the necessary adjustments.

You, too, will say, “I wonder why I waited so long?”

2019 Is Your Year

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

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Editing is the polishing before your book is published. It is at this point that you place your manuscript in the hands of your editor.

So, what are you looking to get for your dollars spent?

Well, it depends on how much you have done on your own prior to this point. Some writers will need proofreading for typos and grammar, others will want a more in-depth analysis of their story to make sure that it rings “true” with the time period in which it takes place. The editor will make sure that clothing, automobiles, literature, expressions of speech, political references, inventions, references to movies, and so on accurately reflect the calendar year (or decade) as precisely and truthfully as possible.

In one book, I researched “rabbit ears” for television reception. In another, the year of the first Cadillac Coupe de Ville was the issue, and so on.

Some editors will also see that your book is correctly formatted. Others will leave that entirely up to the publisher.

Each kind of editing has a fee attached to it. You can contract the editor to do as much—or as little—editing of your manuscript as you deem helpful.

It is at this point, while I am waiting to get my story back from the editor, that I spend time on my cover image and copy. I usually select three covers I like and then run a Facebook contest to chose the winner. This process stirs up some publicity about my upcoming book, which is a bonus.

At whatever point in the writing process you are now working— prewriting, drafting, revising, or editing—I encourage you to keep on keeping on. 

2019 will be your year, if you don’t let anything distract you and you keep moving ahead toward your goal.